arranged. [seto kaiba x oc]

To You, Caged Bird.

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I've always wondered what it could be like to be my own person. To be able to dictate my own schedule for my enjoyment. I hear a lot of the time that I should be thankful for being raised in the 1% of rich people, but, in all truth, no one sees the dark side to those rich and famous who own such a coveted business.

My father owns Fuyu Corp. My mother... I don't know much about her since when I was really young, she had left in favor of living a normal life away from riches. I wasn't the only daughter in my family. I had siblings. Once. They are also part of the reason my mother left. My family hasn't been fortunate in children, and due to many terrible incidents, I am one of the only children left between my mother and father. My mother took my other siblings in hopes of keeping them safe. At this point... I no longer remember who survived, and where my mother took them. All I wish is that she took me as well.

Because I am the only one left with my father, I was shaped from a young age to be the next CEO of my father's company. I was forced to learn technology, how to build it, how to identify it, I was also taught math religiously to perfect all of my calculations. I had to learn how to code, how to program, how to build things up only to take them apart. My life... was no fun. So when I turned 14, I started to rebel.

I was home-schooled, and so when unsupervised, I escaped my home to wander the streets and play with other kids. I felt better with others my age. I wasn't expected to build technology or recite the parts to every machine. I could just be a dumb girl. With no knowledge or training, and the more time I spent out there, I remember thinking:

this is why my mother left.

She wasn't raised rich. In fact, she was a town girl. She always talked about how fun it was, and I don't blame her. High scale living gets tiring. People expecting you to raise your nose above them, People always believing you are over-confident and snobbish. I was never like that. It was like I didn't belong among rich people, or town people. So I hid who I was. It was better that way.

I got into trouble a lot for sneaking out, but I didn't care. I wanted to be free because the way I was living was not human. Every minute planned to a T, no room for failure or mistakes. It was painful mentally... and physically. After a while, my father began to understand, and made a deal that if I did my schedule, I could have time for myself. I agreed initially, but now, I felt that even my free time was mapped out for me.

So here I am. 17 years old, turning 18 quite soon and for the most part, I became my own person. I work at the company either creating new holographic technology and nano-tech and I have my own life, except for the same schedule I've been doing for years now. And so that is why I wonder:

What is it like to be free? To live with my own time to do things... I desperately want to know, before I lose myself forever to this CEO position I'm supposed to fill.

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One morning, I'll remember it forever like it happened just a few moments ago, I woke up with an uneasy feeling. In this big house of ours, I can hear just about everything still, and I heard an unfamiliar voice downstairs.

I remember slipping out of bed, my feet hitting the cold ground and walking silently to the staircase. It wasn't new to hear people come and go with business ventures for my father, but his voice usually rang with dominance, and what I was hearing was a weak, submissive voice. That meant someone of higher status than my father was here, and that was rare. I remember sitting at the top of the stairs, listening. I usually wasn't so curious when it came to my father's affairs, but today, it was different. I could sense the change. Something was changing. So I sunk down farther to see who exactly my father was talking with.

That's when I saw him.

Seto Kaiba.

Kaiba Corp had always been ahead of our company, even though both were on equal terms and had a somewhat equal claim to power. Kaiba was still, somehow, ahead of us. I admired and revered Seto Kaiba for being so responsible for his company, but I feared him because he knew how to get what he wanted.

Seto Kaiba is a powerful man.

Even though he's only a year older than me. I must have been staring too long, because once I registered who he was, he looked at me, almost seeming to find my eyes immediately. Out of instinct, I tried to leave, only for my father to call me downstairs.

Seto Kaiba.

His attitude repulsed me. I locked eyes with him, and I knew he could see the malice in my eyes. My father wrapped his arm around me delicately, and I maintained eye contact with Kaiba. He was such an arrogant guy. The way he stood smugly as if he had already won our nonexistent battle. It irritated me.

"This is Chiara, I assume."

"A pleasure... Seto Kaiba."

I spat his name with so much venom, any person would know to turn and run, although I wasn't surprised when Kaiba showed no hint of intimidation. I was nothing to him.

He took my hand and kissed the back of it gently. I became concerned. Kaiba was polite to all business partners, but this? Almost too suspicious.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Fuyu. You're presence here is greatly needed for our next step."

"Next step? Any business ventures still belong to my father until the day I turn 20, or when my father steps down from his position. As I recall, none of the above has happened."

Kaiba's lips tugged upward for a split second, almost resembling a smirk, and he turned to my father, almost seeming to ignore what I had just said.

"Shall we sit? Your daughter is here per my request, and I wish to settle this as quickly as possible."

What was happening that I didn't know about? My father always told me any plans he made for the company, so what was happening today? My father hadn't looked me in the eyes at all today, and I became worried.

What is he not telling me?

My father pulled out my chair and remained standing, still not looking me in the eye.

"Now that we have settled," Kaiba smoothly pulled out his chair and sat across from me. "There is something you must know, Ms. Fuyu."

"What is happening? I am not a fool, and I know when my father does not look me in the eye, something is wrong."

The only times Kaiba let out anything resembling a smile, it was twisted and evil. He always looked so damn condescending like that. He pulled out papers resembling an official contract or document with Kaiba and Fuyu Corps' seal on the top. The paper itself read,

'Merger and Aquisition'

I allowed my eyes to darken at the sight of that title. Our companies were joining under the single entity that is Kaiba Corp. If that was it, why was my father so quiet? This works out for both sides... right?

"We would like you to sign this agreement, sealing our merge under Kaiba Corp. It is of utmost importance you do it as well, as a future Co-Founder."

I tried to read over the contract before signing, but my father stopped me, telling me he read over it twice and that it was fine. I trusted him, but why wasn't he looking at me? What was wrong?

I was nervous. What would happen when I signed it? What could go wrong? So many thoughts ran through my head at that moment, and I signed the paper. But as soon as I did, I regretted it. I still didn't know why. but I regretted it.

Very Badly.