The Job

Disclaimer: I don't own Boys over Flowers, Yugioh and Rurouni Kenshin.

Summary: Tsukushi is looking for her dream job…she may have bitten off more than she can chew…Nah! This is Tsukushi! The girl that took on the F4!

The Job…

Chapter 1: The Interview...

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August 22, 2003

To whom it may concern:

Ms. Tsukushi Makino is an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual who constantly strives to meet and exceed expectations. She is extremely loyal and hardworking. She is easy to work with and her creative talents and unique experience make her an asset for any company. It has been an honor to work with her and I am certain she will go far if given the opportunity.

(Signed) Aoshi Shinomori

CEO/Owner of Oniwaban Protective Services and Shinomori Electronics

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Tsukushi took another deep calming breath as she re-read Mr. Shinomori's letter of recommendation drawing a great deal of pride and confidence in her ex-boss' simple praise. After all he was not an easy man to impress! Last year she had interned with Shinomori Electronics in his personal staff at the Tokyo offices of the company. She had been a little intimidated by the thought of working for him especially since he seemed to be the only person on earth that could cause the F4 to run for their lives just at the mention of his name!

'The look on their faces was priceless!' she recalled with amusement. Tsukasa had blanched when the towering form of Mr. Shinomori had appeared at her cubicle while she was finishing up for the day. Pride was the only thing that had kept Tsukasa from running as fast as his legs could carry him! That and the fact that Tsukushi didn't seem at all intimidated by Shinomori kept him put while the others made a bee line for the lobby.

She was surprised to see Rui running faster than all of them! Then she remembered he had dated Misao Makimachi – Aoshi's fiancée – briefly in high school and their relationship had ended with Rui getting the snot beat out of him by Misao! No surprise since Rui had a tendency to get lost in his daydreaming and not pay people much attention which resulted in some very heartbroken and disappointed girls – Tsukushi her self included! However Misao Makimachi had responded to his falling asleep while she was talking by beating the crap out of poor Rui!

'People aren't always what they seem!' she reflected of the petit and cheerful Misao as she waited in the lobby of Kaiba Corp for her interview with Seto Kaiba. People had warned her that Shinomori was a scary psycho and to stay as far away as possible but when she actually met him she found him to be a very agreeable person. The guys also tried to dissuade her from coming here and interviewing with Kaiba who was also reported to be a psycho but she had shrugged those warnings off. Shinomori had been a pleasant surprise and she was willing to bet so would Kaiba be!

'I wish I could've worked there again!' Tsukushi thought as she glanced at her watch. The appointed time was still 15 min away. When school had resumed after her summer internship she had gone at it with every ounce of her being! She had earned herself enough credits to graduate before July this year however she would have to wait to receive her official diploma until the summer ceremony. She couldn't wait until then to apply however and traveled down to the Domino HQ of Shinomori Electronics and put in her application.

Unfortunately despite the fact that Mr. Shinomori called her within a week for an interview there were no openings at Shinomori Electronics that he could give her. She would've taken anything but instead he handed her the letter of recommendation and strongly suggested that she go see his friend at Kaiba Corp. Intrigued she left his office and went down to Kaiba corp. on the other end of town. The much frazzled receptionist didn't let her do anything but turn in an application and her resume along with a copy of her letter.

'They didn't even tell me what position I was applying for?' she wondered not for the first time since she'd come to Kaiba Corp. Still she went home to find a message on her machine to report the next day by 1pm for an interview with none other than Seto Kaiba. It was a bit shocking the speed of their reply but here she was in her one and only Armani suit (a Christmas present from Tsukasa) ready for anything! She was gonna get this job no matter what it was or what it took! She would not disappoint Mr. Shinomori!

She took another calming breath and reviewed what she knew about Seto Kaiba. He was a ruthless loner with an obsession with Duel Monsters competitions. He is quick to anger and over-zealous about the protection of his turf. His adopted father jumped out the top most window of Kaiba Corp tower when Seto staged a successful coup and took over the company at the tender age of 14!

He transformed the company from weapons manufacture to electronic games engineering. He would be 17 soon and so far the video games and consoles his company produces have received international acclaim. From all the things she was able to find out last night he almost seemed like a younger version of Aoshi Shinomori!

"Ms. Makino would you please follow me?" a very nervous looking young woman said snapping Tsukushi out of her reveries and putting her into full go-getter mode! She snapped up from her seat and boldly followed the poor frazzled woman past the security guards desks that surrounded Kaiba's office towards the large double doors that she was certain Seto Kaiba's office. She took a quick look around the room and nodded in a professional manner to the serious and tough-looking men that looked up from the various desks.

"Ms Makino? This way please!" A man with an earpiece radio who introduced himself as Roland took over at the door to Kaiba's office much to the woman's relief and she fled back to her desk by the elevator. He knocked and announced Tsukushi's presence then opened the door for her and led her inside.

While Roland led her to the large oak desk where Kaiba was busy intently reading something on his computer screen she took a moment to notice everything around her. A little boy who seemed about twelve years old was sitting at a small desk working on what looked like his school work. He looked up and smiled at her and automatically she smiled back. She turned then as Roland introduced her and she boldly stepped forward and extended her hand.

"Thank you for seeing me today Mr. Kaiba!" she greeted in a calm professional manner. He returned her greeting tersely and shook her hand firmly not bothering to get up from his desk. He indicated that she take a seat as he went back to intently scanning his computer screen. She did and was about to begin her rehearsed speech when he fired his first question with an insult.

"Eitoku has nothing but a bunch of spoiled useless idiots spilling out of its halls! Why should I hire you?" he shot out with undisguised disdain. She had expected this Mr. Shinomori had said something similar though he had used far more tact!

"Well first of all you're right! Eitoku does have a lot of spoiled overindulged brats infesting its halls! But Eitoku is a superior school academically and I earned every credit I received with plenty of good old fashioned hard work! I worked two part time jobs since high school to pay my tuition and help my family!" she declared proudly but didn't stop long enough for Seto to interject.

"So everything in my resume I have earned on my own! It was not purchased as is the case with many Eitoku graduates! However I must point that not all of Eitoku's alumni are idiots despite the fact that they are brats! There is a difference!" she concluded smartly. Seto regarded her stoically turned to his computer screen scanned for something! Tsukushi wished she could see what it was!

"Yes I'm well aware of your long acquaintance with the so called F4 and your relationship with Domyoji," he retorted completely unimpressed. "Despite their records they are still useless spoiled idiots as far as anyone can tell," he added with condescension. It hurt to admit it but it was true! Compared to a successful teenage CEO like Seto they really were spoiled useless brats that spent way too much time planning their next vacation then doing any real work! But they were her friends and she was going to say something on their behalf just the same!

"Yes I'll admit that they are spoiled brats but if they hadn't pushed me the way they did I wouldn't be the woman I am today!" she began solemnly. Seto looked up from his computer intrigued.

"When I started at Eitoku I wanted nothing more than to remain invisible. To just blend in with the crowd and do nothing that would set me apart! But by making me a mark they forced to become more. They forced me to be a stronger person! There is no job I can't tackle! No challenge I can't rise to thanks to the strength and confidence I gained in the years that I've known them!" she declared passionately. To her surprise Seto smirked amused exchanged a quick glance with his little brother as the boy left his desk and headed towards Seto's desk. He became serious again.

"Ok then answer this: Why in the world did you agree to participate in something as ridiculous as Miss Teen Japan?" he asked again with that disdain in his voice. By now the little boy she'd smiled at before (whom Tsukushi guessed must be Mokuba Kaiba) had moved over to stand next to his big brother. Somehow that took away some of the young CEO's edge. She was certain she was blushing as she replied. Mr. Shinomori didn't think much of beauty pageants either despite him being friends with the current Miss Universe: Ms. Kaoru Kamiya!

"Well I really had little choice in the matter!" she began and recounted the awful mistake her father had made in borrowing money from a loan shark then losing it all at the tracks. Mokuba cringed in sympathy.

"Of course it took me a while but I did repay Tsukasa! And without falling behind in either my studies or my tuition payments!" she concluded proudly. Seto smirked once more then as Tsukushi was rearing up to tell him all the reasons he should hire her!

"Relax Ms. Makino! You already have the job!" he countered then with a short chuckle. "When I first got your file I didn't think much of you but when I saw your letter of recommendation I gave Aoshi a call and he thought you'd fit in well…"

"Mr. Kaiba not to be rude or ungrateful but what position exactly did I just get?" she interrupted much relieved that she'd passed muster. He smiled wider with a touch of mischief that worried Tsukushi for a second.

"As of today you are my Executive Assistant Ms. Makino," he announced and chuckled at the shocked look on Tsukushi's face. She hadn't expected to get such a high position straight out of college!

"I don't have VPs for any division of the company anymore so those duties are split between my self and my Executive Assistant. However my assistants don't seem to last very long. They buckle under the pressure too quickly but for someone who held two jobs all through school it should be a breeze right?" he challenged and Tsukushi smiled intent on rising to this rich boy's challenge.

"You're right! A breeze!" she replied with an assertive nod. He smirked and shrugged.

"We'll see..." he said then finally introduced his cheerful little brother. He was the exact opposite of his uber-intense older brother in practically every way! He bounced cheerfully towards her as she got up from her seat and shook her hand with a big happy smile on his face.

"Come on I'll show you your office!" he suggested happily. She nodded and smiled as she picked up her brief case and turned to leave.

"Oh Ms. Makino! I'm hiring you solely based on Aoshi's recommendation! Do not disappoint me!" he added ominously as she stopped and turned back towards him for a moment. She nodded seriously.

"Mr. Kaiba hiring me is the best decision you've made today! I won't disappoint you! You'll see!" she retorted exuding confidence. She turned then and followed Mokuba out the door.

'I'll make it big here! I can feel it!' Tsukushi thought excitement building up inside her as Mokuba introduced her to the security personnel as they left his brother's office…

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Well I've been hooked on Boys over Flowers lately and as I was planning out the second half of "To be the Strongest" and it's Seto Kaiba centered sequel this story sort of developed. It's supposed to be a bridge between the two in a sort of third person perspective…

Tsukushi is just the right person to tackle running Kaiba Corp with Seto. She's strong-willed and smart without being pushy or ruthless! Plot-wise the story is simple…the ups and downs of corporate life complicated by the fact that she's dealing with some very strange teenagers!

Thanks for reading and reviewing!