A/N: For the ZEXAL Flash Bingo, #044 – Kamishiro Rio.
Whys to Duel
'Why did you learn to duel?' Kotori asked suddenly.
Rio poured over the selections of ice-creams. 'This one,' she decided,' pointing at a white one specked with blue, before looking back over at Kotori. 'Why I started duelling?'
'And you, miss?' the vendor asked.
'Uhh…anything's fine.'
Kotori had been more focused on her question than her choice in ice-cream.
The vendor laughed. Rio smiled too. 'Give her strawberry and chocolate sprinkles,' she said. 'My treat.'
Kotori tried to protest. Rio simply steered her away to sit down. 'Why I started duelling?' she repeated.
'Yeah.' Kotori blushed a little. 'Sorry it was a little out of the blue.'
'On the contrary,' Rio laughed, 'it seems like you spent this entire trip thinking how to ask that.'
'Something like that.' Kotori laughed too. It did sound amusing when put that way.
'It's not that big a deal.' Rio hoisted herself onto the wall and sat, offering a hand. Kotori helped herself up. 'I just wanted to be strong. Someone who couldn't be used against Shark. I've said this before.'
She had. Kotori remembered that.
'So why ask now?' Rio asked. 'Did you want to learn how to duel?'
'I know how to duel,' Kotori said indignantly.
'Really?' Rio raised an eyebrow. 'I've never seen you.'
'Err…' Kotori blushed again. 'I…err…'
'You know the rules, but you've never actually duelled,' Rio surmised. 'Well, that's easy enough to fix…after the ice-cream.'
It was less embarrassing that way, even if Kotori suffered quite horrendous defeats against the other girl. At least nobody laughed. At least nobody questioned her. Even though Rio had the right, because Kotori had asked her.
But Rio understood that Kotori just didn't want to be a burden to a special someone as well, and was more than happy to help.