HEEEEEEEYYY!
So, here I am, back with a short story I thought up when I was feeling really depressed and angst-y a while back but deleted from my Notes on my phone and forgot about, but then found again somewhere in my email app on my iPad. Apparently my phone and iPad are connected cause I use my Apple ID for both but whatever. Anyway, I went back and edited it and decided to post it in celebration of NaNoWriMo, although this isn't really an actual entry for it although it may become one if it gets to be long enough but we'll see. And I just realized I've been rambling this entire time so I'm gonna stop and just let you guys read the chapter. Hope you enjoy, cause I typed up this first chapter in under an hour so it may not be my best work. Flames will be donated to my Honors Chemistry class so we can do more fun stuff with chemicals. Seriously, that lab was so fun...
Warning: this is going to be a bit darker than my other stories, as it involves traumatizing stuff, self-depreciating thoughts, a whole ton of deep brooding, and some Yuki-bashing. If any of these are triggers for you in any sort of way, I would strongly suggest you hit the back button right now.
Anyhoo, enjoy! Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN IT, OKAY, LEAVE ME ALONE!
There was a question that plagued the minds of eight of the nine Legendary Bladers, that concerned one boy-genius in glasses.
When they had all settled in at the WBBA, they quickly noticed that Yuki avoided cars. He preferred to walk or ride a bike to the B-Pit or anywhere else in Metal Bey City, claiming he got more exercise that way than if he drove a car. He also took a bus whenever he went to visit his grandfather, politely refusing whenever Ryo offered to drive him. Perhaps he avoided cars because he didn't want to inhale any of the exhaust, or maybe because he had been raised in a small village where everything was within walking distance and you didn't need a car.
Whatever they thought the reason was, none of them ever expected it to be the one none of them considered.
Yuki and Kenta were walking back to the tower after picking up Saggitario from the B-Pit. It had been a quiet day, with no cars in sight on the street the B-Pit was on. They were walking across the street to the other side when a car suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was dangerously swerving, skidding on the pavement and leaving black marks where the tires had ground against the road. Kenta broke into a run, dashing for the sidewalk. He made it across to the other side and shouted, "Yuki! Get out of the way, hurry!"
But Yuki hadn't done anything. He stood frozen, rooted to the spot on the road like a deer in headlights, with a look of pure terror on his face. To Kenta it seemed like time had slowed down as he watched, somehow unable to pull out his beyblade and launch it to stop the car from hitting his friend.
Everything happened in what seemed like five minutes but was really five seconds, and Kenta watched in horror as the driver hit the brakes but was too late to prevent the car from slamming into the boy on the road. Yuki flew back about three feet before hitting the ground and not moving. His arms were splayed out on either side, and there was a bloody gash on the side of his head.
It seemed like all of Kenta's senses except sight had shut down as he stood frozen on the sidewalk, and if he hadn't just witnessed his friend get hit by a drunk driver he would have heard Madoka's horrified scream.
The waiting room of the hospital was silent. Eight bladers, two girls, and one man sat waiting in unnatural silence for results they weren't sure if they wanted to hear. Kenta was sitting in a chair next to Gingka, staring at nothing and clutching the orange blanket around his shoulders like it was a lifeline. A nurse had given it to him earlier, explaining to Ryo that, since he had witnessed the whole thing, Kenta could go into shock if he hadn't already. Gingka himself was staring at the ground, as was most of the others. Aguma sat with his hands curled into fists, looking angry. Kyoya was pacing back and forth because although he claimed otherwise they all knew he was concerned. Hikaru had her arms around Madoka's shoulders while the said girl was silently crying.
Finally the double doors opened and a doctor came in carrying a clipboard. Kyoya stopped pacing and everyone jumped up.
"Well, how is he?" Aguma demanded.
The doctor gave them all a smile. "Your friend will be fine,"
Everyone sighed in relief; even Kyoya.
The doctor continued. "He's very lucky to get out of it with only a few scars and a sprained wrist, not to mention alive. From what we were told, at the speed that car was going it could have killed him."
"Will there be any lasting effects?" Ryo questioned.
"None that you'll have to worry about, and it's a good thing too."
"Can we see him?" King asked.
"He's resting right now, so I'm afraid not," the doctor replied. "I'm very sorry, but he's going to need rest if he's going to fully recover. But we'll let you know when he wakes up."
Then he turned and went back through the doors. Gingka looked very indignant and was about to say something when the doors to the waiting room opened and an old man came in, leaning on a cane. But even though he had a cane, he looked like he wouldn't have to use it if he tried. He reminded Gingka of a war-hardened soldier returning home from the front lines.
"Where is Yuki?" he demanded. "Where is my grandson?"
Everyone looked at each other and mouthed, Grandson? Ryo, however, went over and stuck out a hand to the old man.
"You must be Yuki's grandfather," he said to him. "My name is Ryo Hagane."
The old man looked at him for a second with a scrutinizing look, then shook his hand with surprising strength. Ryo turned to the teenagers.
"Kids, this is Hachiro Mizusawa, Yuki's grandfather. We called him after the hospital called us."
"You're Yuki's grandfather?" Gingka questioned. The old man nodded.
"I suppose you wouldn't know anything about what happened?" Hikaru asked him.
"Yeah, like why Yuki just let the car run into him," Chris added.
Hachiro stood stock-still, making Chris wonder if he said the wrong thing. Then he sighed, and sank down into a nearby chair, and suddenly the soldier was replaced by a tired old man.
"I suppose Yuki never told you," he said. "Understandable."
"Never told us what?" Aguma asked.
Hachiro looked up at them with the same scrutinizing look he had given Ryo. "What do you know, really know, about my grandson?"
"What kind of question is that?" Kyoya asked indignantly. "We know everything about–"
"What do you know," Hachiro cut him off, in a voice that confirmed that the soldier was still there, "about my grandson?" He looked around at them all. "Well? What do you really know about him?"
No one spoke. Hachiro was right; they didn't know anything. They knew he liked astronomy, math, and chemistry (even if he made something explode every few days), and beyblading, of course. They knew he had amazing aim after spending so much time star-gazing, he didn't have to attend school anymore because he passed the exit exam with flying colors, he was afraid of snakes because... well, they still had yet to find out why, he visited his grandfather once a month to see how he was doing, and they knew that he had lived with his grandfather ever since he was six years old. But what did they really know about him? It suddenly dawned on them all how much of a mystery Yuki Mizusawa really was.
"It appears the Mercury Blader has a past he does not wish to speak about," Dynamis remarked.
Hachiro nodded at the words, then took a photo out of a pocket in his coat and showed it to them. They all instantly recognized the young five-year-old boy in the photo as Yuki, because even back then he had glasses. There was also a young man and woman in the photo, who Yuki looked like he was a mix of. The man had Yuki on his shoulders and they were all smiling.
"Are those, Yuki's parents?" Madoka asked quietly.
Hachiro nodded. "Yes, they are. My son Hideyo, and his wife Mujakina." He put the photo back in his coat. "I suppose Yuki has told you he's lived with me ever since he was a young boy?"
Everyone nodded, then had the strangest feeling they should sit back down. And their feelings were right, because once they were all settled Hachiro began to tell them what they had never known about the young astronomer asleep in a room right through the doors and down the hallway.
TO BE CONTINUED
Yuki: Let me get this straight. You were in band one day...
Me: Yes.
Yuki: ... and it was a free period...
Me: Yes.
Yuki: ... and you were too lazy to do your homework...
Me: Yep.
Yuki: ... and at the same time you were feeling depressed for some reason...
Me: Uh huh.
Yuki: ... so you decided to write a depressing story to get your depressed feelings out...
Me: Mm hmm.
Yuki: -grabs me and shakes me- AND YOU CHOSE TO WRITE A STORY ABOUT ME?!
Me: -thinks- That's the gist of it, yeah.
Yuki: WHY DID YOU HAVE TO WRITE ONE ABOUT ME?! WHY COULDN'T YOU WRITE A DEPRESSING STORY ABOUT GINGKA?! HE ACTUALLY HAS A DEPRESSING BACKSTORY!
Gingka: Hey!
Yuki: SORRY! WHY IS IT ME THAT HAS TO BE HER FAVORITE?! SERIOUSLY, WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ME?! -storms off to the emo corner-
Me: -watches him go, shakes head- Wow, some people need to chill out.
Well, anyway, hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please read and review to tell me how I did! -looks over at emo corner- I should probably go put in Planet Chasers Starlight Excellence for him... Nah, I'm sure he'll be okay.
Gryffyh out. Peace!