This fanfiction is inspired from thinking what if Asaka was strong when she met Ren? That won't make her admire him or be loyal to him.
If you want to read sweet, loyal Asaka... please go back, this is not that fanfiction.
A World With Colours
This world is weird.
We're not colour blind. But all we ever see is black and white. It's different with my parents, or any other couples in love though. They can say what colours are. They would point out to the sky and say it's blue or to the grass and say it's green. I wonder what those colours are. Since all I could see is black, grey and white.
Mom would say, "If you meet someone who share your soul you'll see this beautiful colours of the world."
Then Dad would laughed while he kept holding Mom's hand. Not disagreeing with her.
And so I, Narumi Asaka, look forward to the day I'll meet him... the one who can colour my world.
I just never thought he would be this amazing.
"Narumi Asaka?" I look up to the boy that had called my name, he's the manager of Fukuhara's vanguard team, AL4, Tetsu Shinjou. He held out a simple document with my name and my photograph on it. I eyes it curiously, trying to figure out what he's trying to say, "Is this your document?"
"Yes sir, it is." I answered, taking the paper and reading it throughly. It was real detailed, from my basic biography, achievements, grades, even my deck's cards.
"Follow me then." he simply said and I was left following behind him. I stayed silent, I've been pretty active in my fights this last few first days of this school because my parents were so proud of me entering that they gave me more of my cards that I was happy to try all of the combinations possible. Tetsu started speaking, "As of now, you'll meet Suzugamori Ren, do you know him?"
"The captain of AL4?"
"Yes."
"For what reason?" I asked suspiciously and entered the elevator with him, he scanned his card on it and pressed on of the floors that weren't meant for normal students like me to pass.
"Well, you were single handedly chosen by Ren to be in the team."
"And if I don't want to?" That's stupid. I've always wanted to join a team, but I don't want to be forced into one. I want to get to know who I'm working with first, then make a team. What this 'Ren' is doing to me is simply picking me out of hundreds of students and get me to play with him, for no obvious reason.
"That's the first time someone said that." he eyes me curiously.
Guess a lot before me wanted to be in AL4.
"Well, we are trying NOT to force anyone into a team but Ren had always picking the students with the highest ranking in the arena. So when you were chosen single handedly, we have to keep it a secret."
"Not much of a secret, I'm not the top rank of this week's arena." I shrugged, the arena is where all vanguard players play and ranked. I've always been on top five but I've always tried harder to make myself never get on top three.
"Yes, but you're the first student to actually have a streak of always being on top five."
Damn, I've been caught red-handed.
The elevator opened and there was only one whole room, Tetsu let me out while he stayed in the elevator and left me in the room. I walked in, closer to the desk where the chair was facing outside to the windows. I've seen Suzugamori Ren, from magazines and books and the school newspaper, but I've never seen him real life.
"Narumi Asaka?" he called and turned his chair toward me. His... in eyes, black hair was flowing down long, he almost looked like a girl and his smile was more like a smirk. I nodded, somehow finding myself loss of words. Then he actually smiled a childish one, the smirk long gone. He stood up and walked closer to me, "I've been waiting for you."
"I've heard."
"Ah, Tetsu had told you?"
"Yes"
"Then? What do you say?" he asked me, awfully close to me then before. I have no sort of interest to this guy. None at all. So why is he being so close to me? As if it's natural to be close to me at girlfriend-boyfriend distance.
"...I will have to decline" I honestly said and he showed me the shocked amused face. I frowned.
"That's the first time I've heard that" he said and I laughed in my heart that he said the same thing as Tetsu. Then he walked back to his desk, leaving me standing. He leaned on his desk and his eyes looks straight at mine, "Then, you may be excused to go back, but I will ask you again tomorrow"
"And I will answer the same as today" with that, I left the room and ran toward my class, grabbing my bag and ran to spend the rest of the day with my best friend.
"I saw Asaka passed by just now" Tetsu said to me. I sighed and gave him a childish sad look and he raised an eyebrow. Well turned out, I, Suzugamori Ren, had just been rejected. I ran my fingers through my messy red hair.
Yes, yes I can see the colors.
The colours Mom and Dad used to tell me about. Honestly, I've never thought I would meet someone to give colours to my world, at least, yet. Because Dad found Mom in his twenties instead I found her in such a young age. But I honestly can never forget that day where I found colours. I went to Card Capital to meet up with Kai to play a game of vanguard but then Asaka walked in to talk with Misaki, Kai's girlfriend and surprisingly her best friend.
At first it was nothing. I only saw her smile and talk with Misaki. Then the day after I found out she went to my school. Whereas I'm surprised to find her at top 5, She never get at 3 or 6. She always went back and forth 4 or 5. Then I went down to watch a game.
"Nightmare Doll, Alice. Finish him." she simply said, her fingers pointed at the other students. I saw the black and white, monochrome, Alice went down to grab her opponent's vanguard and crush him and it disappear to pieces. Then I looked at Asaka.
Her eyes and hair is deep blue. Her lips are full pink, I wonder how does it taste. Her figure is white and looks fragile, I want to hug it all day just to make sure nobody else wants her. Her style of uniform is white with brown boots, fits her perfectly.
I'm seeing this colours and it was beautiful.
I was so thrilled that day that I went out of school to tell Kai, who had experienced it with Misaki first, and talk about it all day long. I thought I would be able to keep the colours, but as I wake up the day after, it was back to monochrome. Every time my eyes landed on her, the colours surprised me and I love it, but it will always disappear later.
Then not long after I realised one thing.
It's not the colours that I wanted to see. It was her. It was Narumi Asaka. The person who have my heart on the palm of her hand, yet she doesn't even know it yet.
"Ren." Tetsu snapped me back to reality, "You... really can't let her go now, can you?"
I sighed and shook my head, he knew I can't.
"Go then, she's heading to Misaki but Kai called and told me that he's bringing Misaki to a date today, Asaka have nowhere to go"
With that information, I ran off.
Asaka have her backpack behind her while her eyes were busy looking around. It was hard to see the world with only black and white. She needed to focus, especially on traffic lights where the adults always kept control. Then she stopped at the Card Capital, only to be disappointed that it was closed. Asaka intended to wait a few minutes for Misaki to arrived but then received a message telling her that her best friend went on a date. Asaka sighed and leaned on the wall wondering what she should do now.
"Asaka!" called Ren, who was panting as he ran toward her and stopped right in front of her. His eyes was gleaming with happiness as he stopped next to her.
"Suzugamori-san? Is there anything else you need?"
"Don't be so cold, just call me Ren" he smiled and kept his distance. It felt dangerous for him, as if one more step closer to her, and he won't be able to keep himself from ravishing her. HIs hand tried to stay calm cause it wanted to softly bruhs those blue hair in his eyes. Asaka furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but then gave in.
"Ren, is there anything you need from me?"
'I didn't think this through' Ren panic a bit, then he told her the only thing he knew, "I have an underground tag battle, Tetsu is busy, so, can you be my partner?"
Asaka was confused at first then she looked like she considered it, then nodded. After all, Misaki's busy. "Sure, I have nothing to do anyway"
Ren did that funny dance in his head. Outside, he remained his composure and pointed a way and started walking side by side next to Asaka, keeping his distance. The weather was nice and Ren can see the color of blue sky and green trees but all Asaka see is monochrome. Awkward by the silence given by the girl, Ren asked, "Hey, can you see the colours yet?"
'That's like asking if I've fallen in love' she thought and shook her head, "No, not yet. Have you?"
Asaka was expecting him to say no, Ren said yes. He smiled so happily that Asaka can't help but look at him, "Yeah, I'm seeing it right now. But it's not permanent... yet... I hope"
"Huh?" Asaka muttered in confusion, then her logic started kicking in, "Oh... this girl is not yours yet?"
"Yeah..." there was a hint of sadness in his tone that made Asaka a bit worried cause she had rejected him as well today. If the couples haven't established a confirmed relationship, the colours won't stay. It does makes one yearn for more of this beautiful colours. They turned in a corner and it was getting darker with each turn. Not long after, there's a chanting of 'fight, fight, fight' and Asaka assumed it's from the vanguard fight. They walked in to the area, there was two vanguard table on the middle where two pairs are battling each other. Asaka stared in awe while Ren smiled softly at her.
"Hey, Ren! Been a long time since I see you!" another man walked closer to him, Jun, the underground fighter, "You here to play?"
"Yes, tag fight, with Asaka. Have a pair ready to fight?" Ren asked casually that it made Asaka wonder if he had been here a lot of times before. Jun nodded and called. Next thing Asaka knew, both of them were standing side by side facing a pair they don't know. The battle was long and tiring and fun. Asaka was thrown back, she was having trouble guarding in her turn somehow. She looked at her hand, considering if she should just take the damage, it won't cost them to lose, but it does give a disadvantage for her. Her hands started to shiver, a bit scared of deciding the wrong choice.
"I guard." Ren's voice, unwaveringly said next to her. Asaka's eyes landed on him and a spark of red came out, then disappears again. Asaka wonders what she had just seen. It was really slight but it was beautiful. The attack was nullified and now it was Ren's turn.
"Thank you Ren" Asaka voiced out, just trying to catch his attention. When his eyes looked back at her, she found herself looking at a slash of red on his eyes, that disappears once more. Ren smiled at her and Asaka found herself loss of words, for a somewhat good reason. Ren's hair was messy in her eyes, but his figure was confident and it attracted something deep inside Asaka.
"I attack with Mordred!"
The colors of the sky. The color of the grass. The color of his eyes.
It was when Asaka played next to that strong Shadow Paladin cardfighter, Suzugamori Ren, that the world suddenly gave colours and it was beautiful. Asaka can't believe how beautiful it was. The world she usually saw, black, white and gray, now collide with lots of other colours. The colours were playing in her eyes. It was streaking red, his eyes, his posture, the way he smiled and how pumped up he was. Everything was stunning for Asaka. But this is all too good to be true, maybe she's just imagining the colours. Asaka looked away from Ren.
No, it's real.
She can actually see the colours that her parents had used to point out. Red, blue, green, yellow and other colours. It's vibrant and was a lot to take in. After Asaka was finished with taking all of it in, Ren already finished off their opponent. Asaka gathered her cards and walked to the sidelines with Ren. She was silent, still amazed by the colours bomb. Ren waved his hands in front of her and Asaka remembered how messy his hair was. Asaka laughed.
"Why are you laughing?" Ren raised an eyebrow as he led both of them out of the underground fights, back to the main road. Asaka took out a black hair tie and pointed at his hair.
"Let me tie your hair... if that's okay with you" Asaka said, somehow unsure of her own actions. Yet Ren smiled widely and turned around, excited that she will tie his hair up. Asaka noticed that he had bent down a little, so that it would be easier for her to reach. It makes her wonder had he actually been nice all this time? But they just met this morning so it's actually hard to tell. Then Asaka was finished. She looked at the result and was satisfied.
"How do I look?"
"Cool, and not messy" Asaka smiled and both of them laughed. The colours were vibrant in both of their eyes.
Tetsu noticed the changes. Not much changes though. For a whole straight week, Asaka still declined Ren's invitation to the team. But he noticed that Asaka hung out much more with Ren and that she's the one responsible of keeping Ren's long hair tidy. Which Tetsu kept forgot to thank her for. Then on the third or fourth day, both of them kept having lunches together. On the fifth day, Tetsu found both of them alone in the arena playing and giving each other tips about welll... lot's of stuff. Ren didn't go easy on her while playing Vanguard and it made Asaka happy somehow. On the sixth day, then Tetsu found out that they kept going on simple hang outs -dates, which they refused to call it as-.
"Tetsuuuuu do you think Asaka fits more with red roses or white roses?" Ren asked. Tetsu raised an eyebrow, curious of what made Ren brought up the question. Ren saw the look and answered himself, "I don't know if Asaka likes flowers, but I think roses fits her. I want to give her one but I can't decide on the colour"
"...Ren" Tetsu started and he gulped, his question might be a bit harsh, "What made you think she can see the colours?"
Ren was silent. He didn't move an inch. Tetsu wondered if it was too harsh. Tetsu was about to apologise and take his leave but Ren answered, "I don't know... I just have this feeling that she do know the colours, but at the end, I never heard her say that she had seen it. I really need to hear her say it..."
Tetsu was the one silent now. He knew Ren's always the childish one, acting spoiled but good at card fighting. It's always him who's the serious one but this case is different. Tetsu knew how well Ren wanted Asaka and as much as he wanted to help. This is something they should say to each other alone.
"That movie was amazing" Asaka happily said. Ren smiled looking at her happy expression. It was the first time he had watched a movie with colours and he was glad he could watch it with her. Yet he's uneasy, Tetsu's question kept going back and forth in his mind. Asaka's hand brushed his hand, she pulled it back, as if feeling awkward they had just touched. Without a words, Ren grabbed the hand and held it tight. The contact made the colours in their eyes vibrant beautifully. He led the way toward the park. They watched the movie at night so when they're out it's already dark. Stars and lights lit up the park faintly.
Asaka stopped abruptly. Her eyes looked down to the ground as if she's scared to look at his eyes. Then her voice faintly whisper, "I'm sorry"
"Asaka?" Ren called, confused at her actions. He turned around and looked at Asaka, "What's wrong?"
"Ren, I'm sorry" Asaka said, eyes still looking at the ground. "I'm sorry. But I have to be honest. It's not that I wanted to decline to your invitations, but I'm scared if I joined and you won't look at me again. I actually saw the colours a few days ago, on our tag fight. Then I was scared, because you said you already saw the colours so it couldn't have been me the one you love, right?"
"Asaka-"
"I'm sorry I'm selfish. I-" Asaka's words stopped coming out when Ren's hand touched her shoulder, at first she was scared. Scared that he might reject her and no longer spend time with her. She doesn't want to go back living on the world of black and white, she wanted to stay in his colourful world. She wanted to stay by his side. Ren's hand went to her waist and pulled her to a tender hug. So sweet so protective as if a little more force and she might break.
"I'm the one selfish Asaka. I love you. I love you so much that I'm scared I would lose you sometimes. I saw this colours before you because I knew you before you knew me. It's always been you. You and only you" Ren had whispered so faintly on her ear that Asaka wondered if she was just hearing the wind. But Ren hugged her tighter and she was sure that what he said was true.
"I love you too Ren"
"Asaka." he said, soft and confidence, "Promise me, I'll cherish you and keep you and spoil you and love you. So promise me you won't leave me"
Asaka laughed, "You're the one who's spoiled" Yet she hugged Ren back, "I promise"
It was a question why they never saw how beautiful the night sky was at that time. But then they answered it by their actions.
It was because they found each other more beautiful than the night sky.
"Misaki!" Asaka ran and went to Misaki's side where Misaki was cardfighting with Kamui. Ren walked in after Asaka and waved at Kai before standing next to her. Misaki won easily and was caught straight-up about how happy Asaka was. Misaki went to her boyfriend's side and put her deck in a safe place. Kai calmly put his hand around her waist and pulled her closer before whispering 'Good fight. You're amazing' to Misaki's ears hich lit up slightly red. Ren saw what he did and whistle to tease the lovers.
"So? What is it that you wanted to tell me Asaka?" Misaki asked and nuzzled closer to Kai's side while Ren swiftly put his hand around Asaka. Kai raised an eyebrow, he knew exactly what that means. Asaka was about to open up and talk but was interrupted by her guy.
"Asaka and I are officially dating" Ren said so happily before giving a demon's eyes to everyone else in the shop who had their eyes on Asaka since long ago. Asaka blushed as Misaki congratulated her. Well, now both of the couple are going on a lot of double dates.