This idea was brought up while talking with my friend, Eliana.
Disclaimer: I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade!.
One could say he was acting like a child for avoiding anything that had to do with the death of his good friend by the way he had always changed the subject when anyone talked about the martyr or by faking the smiles and saying those untruthful words "I'm fine."
But that was a lie. No one said anything about his actions being childish. In fact, they thought the opposite. To them, these were methods of coping, and they could see the boy was doing a damn good job with it. He was not seen crying or grieving for a long period of time. They figured the tears had all fallen from the last battle with the dark god of destruction. The boy was so full of smiles now and was happily moving on with his life. He was healthy and living heartily as if nothing had happened, as if the event never occurred.
However, truth to be told, they did not know anything. Those smiles were fake, his life was cruel, he was definitely not living healthily, and the tears continued to trickle down his face every night.
Everything was forced, and no one knew. No one was suspicious of him. It was better this way. After all, he was not treated as a kid, anymore.
The ring of the doorbell reverberated in the air, alarming Kenta out of his thoughts. He quickly checked the clock and saw that it was still nine in the morning. He wondered for a short moment who was up and calling for him, shrugged his shoulders, and made his way to the door. He tiptoed to take a peek at the hole and smiled, gladly opening the door for the person on the other side.
"Hey, Hikaru!"
The girl nodded and warmly smiled to the younger. "Good morning, Kenta. How are you today?"
"I'm fine, ha ha. Hey, come in. I don't want to be a bad friend and keep you outside when it's hot out. The house is pretty cool, so make yourself comfortable!"
"Thanks. I'll be coming in, then."
Kenta stepped to the side to give enough room for the blue-haired girl. He closed the front door and placed a hand on the female's arm. "I'll get us some drinks. You can go to the living room and sit on the couch like you normally do. Ha ha, I'll be quick. Be right back!"
She watched the preteen walk to the kitchen until he was out of sight. Hikaru went into the living room and sat on the comfy sofa.
Ever since the day of the incident, Hikaru and Kenta had been getting along pretty well. Whenever the girl had a break from work, she would call Kenta and the two would go out to eat, casually talk while walking through the park, go over to each other's places to play some games or hang out, or go to Bey Park to practice with their beys. They were best friends, or probably closer, like brother and sister. It was almost unlikely to see them apart nowadays, and their friends were pretty surprised to see how close they had gotten in the past few months. They really did almost everything together and almost knew everything about each other.
Almost.
Kenta brought a tray that held two cups of orange juice and placed it on the table in front of the couch. He handed one of the cups to Hikaru, who gladly thanked him and took it while Kenta took the other and sipped the cool, fruity liquid.
"Did you eat breakfast?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.
"Yeah, I had some rice and side dishes."
"Oh, that's good. I just ate some toast with butter."
She did not respond, drinking more juice and letting the coolness slide down her throat. Her eyes were closed, making Kenta unable to tell what she was exactly thinking or feeling at the moment. He wondered what was so different about today from other days. By now they would be chatting about what they did yesterday when they were not with each other, but they were not. It is true he did not initiate the conversation, but... Things just seemed different today.
Probably a bit more serious than other days. Or, at least, that was what Kenta was sensing by the feel of the atmosphere.
He saw that Hikaru stopped drinking and opened her eyes. A slight frown adorned on his face when he noticed a twinkle of sadness in them. Did she have bad news? Or was it that... She would not dare speak of the subject, right? Even when he had politely told her not to when they first started becoming closer?
"Why did you come over, Hikaru?" he asked, hiding the suspicion in his tone. "You didn't call or anything."
He saw her bite into the insides of her mouth. She was going to talk about a delicate matter... The delicate matter, the boy decided. He narrowed his eyes, setting the cup of orange liquid back on the table. He intertwined his fingers together and placed them on the steel furniture in a mannerly fashion.
Kenta took in a breath before he spoke. "It's not about that, is it, Hikaru?"
The girl widened her eyes and started to extend her arm towards her friend. "W-Wait, Kenta. L-Listen to me for a sec-"
"I asked in the beginning, already, Hikaru," he sadly said, cutting her off. "I don't want to talk about it. Don't think badly of this, but I really don't want to say any more about this." He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."
Hikaru stopped her hand from reaching him. She retracted back her arm and slowly nodded. She did understand perfectly, perfectly about how this event still made the boy fragile that he would break if the wrong words were said. And he did know that way too entirely, which was why he asked everyone back at the funeral he did not want this subject to be brought up anymore.
He knew. He was taking this professionally that... She shook her head. He really was not a kid anymore. Ever since he had traveled with him, Kenta had grown into someone unexpected. It was frightening how this young boy was already looking at the world through adult eyes. She still remembered how he originally was, two years ago, when he was still this growing crybaby. But now, she had not seen a single tear being shed from his eyes.
Suddenly, Hikaru was thinking about how she could never possibly know exactly what Kenta was thinking, despite being the one person to know more about him than the others. She sighed softly and placed her two hands on her lap, now sitting straight up and...uncomfortably on the couch. She felt too tense.
Kenta was so different now, so different from what he was back then. He was an adult, and everyone was treating him like that. He was taking this matter in his own hands, and not accepting any other help to deal with it. He was calm when he spoke and polite to everything. And the way he was coping, it was not in a grieving way. He did not lock himself or sulk around, and he was definitely not avoiding the others despite the heavy loss. That was how children acted, and how adults would have if they repressed to their childish ways. Kenta was doing the exact opposite, making him seem less of a child and more of a grown man.
"Sorry about before," the boy quietly apologized. "Do you want to go out and do some grocery shopping with me? I'll buy some fruit so I could make us a cool smoothie for the hot summer day."
"...Sure, Kenta."
He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about anything, okay? I'll get changed and we can head out. Be right back!"
...Maybe, just maybe, she could have told Kenta the good news if he was still a child, who would cry and beg to hear any news related to the fallen Dragon Emperor.
Everyone knew about the terrible fate the Legend Bladers were responsible of and how they had to clean up the mess of the godly powers of the dark force. These bladers were burdened with this terrifying task and ready to give up their lives by taking full charge. They were not kids anymore; they were grown up men.
And that was how they were treated when they came back victorious from the long, cruel fight. They were heroes of the world, basked in glory and well-respected wherever they went. The world did owe their lives to these nine...and to one more person who looked afar from the clouds high above their heads.
No one accounted them as immature kids, not even to the youngest child of the group. And that child knew. If no one was to look at him like a youngster, then so be it.
That was maturity took over him. That was when everyone was impressed by his change. That was when all childlike parts of him had completely vanished from the world.
Kenta breathed in the pleasant scent of nature, and exhaled in content. It was another beautiful day in his hometown, but still a bit hot. Many bladers, old and new, were battling with one another at the practice dishes in the park, while others were walking around, talking in easygoing manners, or playing at the playground not far from where he was. Seeing all this, life looked perfect and peaceful, and certainly not like how it was a few months back when the world was in chaos...
He shook his head. Remembering the past would bring up...the subject again. He chose to not think about it anymore; going back on the past would only make his mind unstable. It was best not to dwell on it any longer. He should not cry, anyway, or lament. He was not...a child anymore.
"Hey, hey! Let's go to Bey Park! There's a tournament going on and I heard some strong bladers were going to be there!"
"Really? Then what are we doing here? Let's go!"
"Yeah! It looks really exciting!"
Kenta blinked, watching a couple of kids and teens rush to the most famous building in the city. He was bored, and Hikaru was working today, so he figured he would check it out in the meantime while waiting for her to finish. Besides, Bey Park was always a great place for him to go and see the exuberance in the atmosphere...and forget about what happened in the past.
"Yeah," he muttered. "Best to go."
The bullies that used to bother and beat up him at school did no such sort after the whole "saving the world" occurrence. His friends could not treat him the same way; they could not joke around with him, rather they chose not to anymore. His teachers were the ones to give him the most courtesy compared to everyone else in his class. To sum it all up, life at school was different and each person thought alternatively about him.
The still young boy was the most respected person in his elementary school.
He was not treated like the crybaby boy he was in the past. Instead, he was the adult that was to be the role model for everyone. The how the school and the rest of the dang world regarded him gave this new task of being a whole new person to him.
Or was it this very treatment that forced him to become a grown-up?
"Ah, Kenchi! Over here!"
The green-haired boy could automatically tell who was calling him by the high-pitched voice and the unique nickname. He turned to the direction of the shout to see Yuu waving to him with a wide grin. Next to him was Tsubasa, who was waving, as well. Kenta smiled, not having seen the two in a while, and waved back, making his way up the steps to his good friends. The blond forced the white-haired blader to scoot one seat down, who rolled his eyes and did as he was told, and motioned for Kenta to sit next to him.
Once the boy sat down, Yuu gave him a crushing hug. "It's been way too long, Kenchi! How have you been?"
Kenta lightly laughed, blissfully remembering the high-spirited childishness of the genius. "I've been pretty well. Just have been busy catching up with school work and stuff, and hanging out with Hikaru a lot. What about you and Tsubasa?
"We're both good! I've been annoying him at the WBBA Headquarters, as usual!" Yuu grinned and stuck a tongue out to Tsubasa. "And I came back to Japan not long ago after visiting Titi! Man, we had a lot of great battles and had a fun time together!"
"Ha ha, that sounds great, Yuu." Kenta took a moment to look around the stadium, which was very jammed, unlike how it was during other tournaments. "Hey, why is it so packed today? I did hear there were strong bladers today, but are they really strong to attract such a big crowd?"
Tsubasa chuckled. "Why don't you go see for yourself?"
The Sagittario blader blinked and diverted his attention to the lighted arena. His eyes enlarged and his eyebrows raised up when he saw a familiar, long-haired blond teen commanding his black-colored bey to start up a special move. His opponent, the superstar redhead, ordered his Big Bang Pegasis to launch its own special move. The two moves clashed and a huge cloud of smoke engulfed the stadium, causing every spectator to flinch back and cover their faces.
The obscurity cleared up, showing the final outcome. There was one bey spinning, and one person grinning.
"Gravity Destroyer is down! The winner of the final match is the owner of Big Bang Pegasis, Hagane Ginga!"
There were many days he could not sleep at night. The image plagued his mind, making him unable to think about anything else other than that bitter scene. Even if he did manage to sleep, he would dream over and over about the cessation of his friend and his L-Drago Destroy. Sometimes the episode would be modified to a more painful kind of experience, and each time there would be tears in his eyes when he woke up.
This was the only time he was would weep...quietly, of course, when he was alone and without anyone else around him. He could not worry the others; he was not a kid anymore. The rest of the world did not see him as a twelve-year-old. They saw him as an adult in a child's body. He knew this maturation was what heroes had in them, and everyone expected him to be this way, also as the successor and protege of one of the strongest bladers.
"I'm fine," he would say each and every time. He had lost count of how many times he had said that; rather, how many times he had lied. Each and every time he wanted to sob, but each and every time he forced these droplets in. He had to be a grown-up like how the rest of the Legend Bladers were. Crying was a weakness, and none of the Legend Bladers had shown any, so he could not either.
But they did not hold the deceased person dear like he had. The world did not share the same hurt he did, and it was not fair. He was the only one going through this, yet the world expected him to be this grand, revered person full of strength and maturity. Mourning and wailing, wanting to lock himself in his house, and holding onto the dead memories were childish.
Yuu ran ahead of this two close friends and grabbed the red-haired's gloved hands, twirling him around in glee. "That was such an epic battle, Gingi! Big Bang Pegasis and Gravity Destroyer were so cool out there! And those specials moves and that explosion that happened right after were so awesome!"
Ginga grinned and scratched his head. "Wow. Thanks, Yuu! But it really was an awesome battle!' He turned to his former opponent. "Right, Caesar?"
The rich male smirked. "Yes, it was."
"Ah!" Ginga waved to the other two approaching him. "Tsubasa! Oh, and Kenta came! It's been a while! How are you, my friend?"
Kenta laughed. "I've been doing well, ha ha. That was an amazing match between you and Caesar-san, by the way." He turned to the Team Excalibur leader and warmly smiled. "I don't think we've talked before. I'm Yumiya Kenta, and you're Julius Caesar-san, right? I saw your matches during the World Championships."
"Yes, I do not believe we have ever properly talked before. I know who you are. Yumiya Kenta, one of the praised Legend Bladers, and the one who replaced the former Legend Blader representing the season of summer, correct? I thank you for watching my matches, Kenta."
"Ah, you're welcome. And," the youngest of the group dismally smiled, but made sure to mask the gloom in his tone, "yeah, that's me."
Julius narrowed his eyes, sensing that something in the sentence seemed off. He did not say anything, though, and just nodded in understanding.
An awkward silence followed afterward. Tsubasa coughed and cleared his throat to break the speechlessness. "Ginga, before I forget, your father said he wanted to see you."
Ginga raised his head in exasperation. "What? But I just saw Kenta again after a while, and I still need to show Caesar around the city! What does he want anyway?"
The Aquila blader shrugged. "I'm not sure, but he wanted me there, too. Probably to do some work or something for him, but we should go as soon as possible."
"Guess we can't help it." The redhead pouted and glumly looked to the European. "Sorry for the sudden thing popping up randomly." He parted his lips as a beam started to form. "Hey! Caesar, you and Kenta really haven't been acquainted yet, right? Maybe you two could hang out for today and Kenta could show you around town and everything, right? And you can check in a nearby hotel for the night! Sound good for you two?" He did not bother waiting for an answer. "Good! Thanks! Come on Tsubasa, Yuu! Let's go!"
"Wait-"
"Gingi! I didn't get to say bye to Ken-"
Yuu's voice faded away as the redhead dragged him and the long-haired blader out of the building. Single beads of sweat rolled down the two remaining persons and they turned to each other, both chuckling nervously. It was obvious the two both thought the same thing: This was typical Ginga, always going off in a rush and behaving impatiently at times.
The younger of the two curiously looked at the suitcase Julius was rolling and tilted his head. "Did you come right from the airport to here, Caesar-san?"
The blond looked at his baggage and laughed. "I did. You see, Ginga picked me up from the airport with Yuu and Tsubasa. And I assume you know how he is, he demanded we go sign up at a tournament that was going on real soon. I believe you can figure out the rest of the story."
Kenta giggled and nodded. "I see. We can go back to my place and instead of going through the trouble of finding a hotel, you can stay with me for the night. My parents are away, anyway, so it'll be fine if I bring in a person without their knowing. Does that sound okay with you, Caesar-san?"
"Yes. That seems like a fine decision."
His friends continued their visits to his house, despite his saying that he was fine each time they came. He knew they were all just worried about him and it touched him to know that they cared so much for him, but it was getting annoying after they came multiple times, different ones in a single day. One would come and stay for an hour, then another would come and stay for a while, and it carried on like that for a month. Soon enough, the number of sojourns decreased until there was no more. (Hikaru came frequently, though, but she was the only one to do so.)
He was temporarily satisfied when his friends figured out that he needed time on his own and were willing to give him peace. Nevertheless, when the stays became infrequent, he began to understand. This was something that happened to everyone as they grew. Friends would soon not keep in contact much in the future, and this was inevitable, no matter who or how close one was to his companions. This was just a stage of adulthood.
...Adulthood, he mused, had already hit him hard. It had affected him and had impacted him this much already. He had already become a man and lose his sense of being a child. If his life was slowly changing to this developed world, then there was no way he could ever regain his prematurity back.
He could not change how society already thought of him as. It was already set for him. He could never be known as the "wimp" and "crybaby" anymore. That was all history. This was the future, and he was an adult. Not a kid or a child. An adult.
Kenta took out the keys from his pocket and inserted the special-shaped item into the lock, twisting it to unlatch the junction. He turned the doorknob and entered his house. He motioned for the blond to follow him. They walked upstairs in silence and stopped in front of a door. The boy spun the knob clockwise and pulled it, revealing a simple, empty room with only a ceiling light connected to a fan and a mattress with blankets placed next to one side of the wall.
"You can stay here today," the green-haired stated. "It's the guest room. Make yourself comfortable. Sorry there isn't much; it hasn't been used for a while. I'll bring in an extra fan just in case so you could cool yourself and you can also take a shower. I'll get a towel for you and in the meantime, I could make some dinner. Ha ha, don't worry. I can cook!"
Julius nodded. "Thank you for your generosity, Kenta. If there is anything I can do in return, please let me know."
Kenta shook his head. "Oh, no. Really, don't worry about a thing. I'm doing this because I want to, and it would be rude of me to make you stay in some hotel and waste your money when you already wasted so much buying a plane ticket and everything."
"Ah, but you should know I am rich."
"Oh, yeah. Ah ha, I forgot. Still, it's better for you to make the best of your travel pleasantly. Better to stay at a place you know you can trust, right? And you must be really tired from the long ride here to Japan. I'll leave the towel in the bathroom before you go in, and I'll make a good dinner while you rest well. Do you want anything specific for dinner?"
"No, thank you. I am not too knowledgeable as you think I am in the subject of Japanese cuisine..."
"Ah ha ha, I don't expect you to be. Alright, I guess I'll have to surprise you, eh heh. I'll see you in a bit, Caesar-san."
"Yes, likewise. Thank you for your patronage."
The boy laughed benignly and shook his head side to side. "Consider it a 'Welcome to Japan' gift from a fellow acquaintance."
He hated it. He hated how he was supposed to be this person he was not. He hated the world for thinking so highly of him when all he did was bring justice to the world. Was it fair for him to be this kind of person he never imagined to become? Of course, this was far better than being evil or having an antisocial personality or anything like that. Yet, he knew this was making him reconstruct his mindset, his childhood mindset. He despised being obligated to act sophisticated and mature when he still was freaking twelve.
How many years was it until he had to act this way? Like, until he was the same age as many of his friends, sixteen or so? And how old was he again? Twelve. Again, twelve.
He was expected to be this grown boy and act that way. He was expected to not show tears and be a child; that kind of behavior was not preferred. He was expected to have moved on from the Dragon Emperor's downfall and not cling to it or let the memories consume him. He was expected to not resort to immature acts of display or any sort of babyishness.
Screw the expectations. Screw the assumptions. He was a twelve-year-old. He was still a freaking child.
The shower was always a great place for Julius to reflect back on everything and just think about anything. His mind always went from one thought to another subconsciously and freely. It felt nice to relax under the refreshing rain of shower water hitting him and to think about anything he wanted to, as he proceeded to wash the rest of his physique.
Soon enough he thought about today, about now. He was currently in the bathroom of another person's house, Yumiya Kenta's house. He had seen the young boy before when the World Championships have taken place, specifically a couple times with his Japanese rival, Hagane Ginga. He had regarded him as a young boy who still needed a lot of growing up to do from that time. However, after the incident with Nemesis, Julius found out about the death of the fearsome teen who had controlled the all-famous, left-spinning bey. He asked Hagane Ginga about what happened, all out of curiosity and surprise.
"Well, like you know, he died. I guess it's better to say that he gave up his life for Kenta and for Nemesis' defeat. You see, he gave his star fragment and power to Kenta, which caused Kenta to become the new Legend Blader of Summer."
After hearing that piece of news, Julius was flabbergasted. This tiny boy was able to make a difference in that cruel Dragon Emperor? Now that was surprising. So perhaps Kenta was not the immature boy he had initially thought the younger one was. But, still. Something seemed strange to the blond. It was as if there was something more to Kenta that no one else knew. It was just a feeling, though.
Right now, Julius was getting that same feeling he had when he was a younger boy as he was thinking about Kenta. Was it a coincidence he was feeling like this? It was definitely not a nice feeling.
He turned off the running water and sighed. Thinking too much about this was hurting his head, so it best to call it quits before he stayed in the shower for too long. It has been quite a while, actually. The scent of tonight's dinner was lingering in the air, and the teen could already taste the meal. Ginga had taken him to the stadium right away without feeding him anything. He quickly dried his boy and hair and put on some snug-fitting clothes. He did not wish to have Kenta wait for him for too long.
Julius walked down the steps to the source of the smell. The dining table was full of side dishes and delicious looking food with two bowls of rice steaming, both on opposite sides. He noticed Kenta looking up with a smile.
"Oh, just in time!" Kenta said happily. "I just finished setting everything on the table for us. Was the shower okay for you?"
"Yes," the other answered. "It was adequate."
"That's good. You can sit on any side of the table."
"Thank you."
Julius pulled one of the polished wooden chairs and sat on it, pushing himself closer to the table. He said his prayer and picked up the chopsticks. Though the meal looked scrumptious, he could not help but eye the foreign food with awe, wondering what they were and if they would taste alright.
The green-haired laughed, taking notice of the European's interest. "Don't worry, they're good. I made tonkatsu and gyuudon. Basically, pork cutlets and beef bowl. Try it, eh heh."
"Ah," Julius replied with comprehension. He stared at the food one more time before taking a piece of the sauced pork cutlets and put it in his mouth. He widened his eyes and chewed the cutlet a bit more excitedly, swallowing it with satisfaction. "It is good..."
"Is it? Ha ha, I'm glad you like it! I was worried since I thought it wouldn't match your taste. I made some extra, so don't hesitate to ask for seconds."
"I shall keep that in mind."
Kenta smiled and ended the conversation at that. An absence of talking followed suit, with only the sounds of eating, utensils making noise, and random outside noises accompanying the two. Julius did look up occasionally to the younger boy, but Kenta always seemed to be lost in thought. The green-haired was consuming his food languidly, barely touching his food. He was getting worried for the preteen; whatever Kenta was thinking about, it seemed serious. Way too serious for a young kid like he.
The young boy detected that Julius was looking at him and slightly smiled. "Ah hah, is there something on my face?"
"No, there is not... But I am inquisitive to know what you are thinking."
"Ah... It's really nothing for you to be concerned about, Caesar-san. I'm sorry if I worried you, but I'll be okay."
He frowned. "You may say that now, but it is not the truth. Whatever you may be going through, this matter has been affecting you for months, right? I know we have just started talking, but I get the feeling we may be more similar than we thought... Maybe that is why I had a strange feeling since I saw you today. You are masking something, am I not correct?"
Kenta blinked, surprised by what he heard. Was it that obvious, how was he disguising his troubles? Obvious enough to have someone he did not exactly know well enough to notice? But his close friends did not catch anything up to now. So it was either he was doing a good job by having his friends not notice or a bad one by having a stranger notice. If Julius already caught something, there was no point in faking any longer. The question was, would the blond do anything about it, now that he knew?
...Wait. "Similar"? What did the teenager mean by that? Both of them...similar?
The green-haired put down his chopsticks on his bowl and sighed. "Will you...do anything about it?"
"...That depends. If I must do something about it, then I will. But if you do not wish for me to do anything, then I will not."
"I see..." He paused, picking up his chopsticks again. "When you're done, you do whatever you want: watch some T.V., read a book, or anything. I'll clean up everything today."
While traveling around, he learned many things about the world. One could say his knowledge of it expanded to pass the borderline between childhood and adulthood. But it was not the only thing that caused him to do such a grown-up and hazardous thing.
He heard from everywhere about how alcohol was the biggest relief for a person, no matter who he or she was. Right now, he needed that remedy. He needed something, anything, to get rid of the ill-inducing memory and to get rid of this horrible pressure and stress that the world had given him. Holding all this in was impossible for him now. He needed to abolish this horrid feeling. He knew this was a risky and unwise choice, but he decided that it did not matter anymore. He had already fallen to the bottom of the endless pit and he would use whatever way to get back up, no matter the danger or wrongness.
He was bitterly thinking whether his parents were dumb enough to leave the alcohol in the open like that, specifically in the see-through cabinet next to the refrigerator. All he needed was a stool and he could reach for the huge bottle of wine sitting in place and the tiny glass next to it.
His parents would never know. They were always away on some business trip and left him to take care of himself. This was why he knew more survival skills than the rest of his peers. It was two years ago, when, at first, he did not know how it felt to be lonely, since that was when his adventure started. But it was not until the demise of his mentor when all hell broke loose in his mind. He began to feel loneliness; he began to taste the distress of the world. It was awful, and he needed to stop these cruel realization and negativity from seeping into him. He poured the red liquid into the glass and drank.
Julius woke up in alarm. There was something nagging him, which was why he figured he had abruptly woken up. He rose himself up from the mattress and rubbed his eyes. He was getting a bad vibe and he knew it was connected to the resident of this house. He walked quietly out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen area. But before he had left the guest room, Julius quickly reached into his suitcase to grab his launcher and bey.
It was strange. There was a bright light coming from the dining room. Kenta was there, he thought, since the two were the only ones in the house. Or was it a burglar? The blond widened his eyes at the possibility. Good thing he had brought a weapon, his Gravity Destroyer. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, took a deep breath, and rushed into the room.
The sight his eyes had taken in was worse than a robbery, actually. Without hesitation, the blond readied his Gravity Destroyer in his launcher and pulled the ripcord. Kenta dropped the bottle of wine that he just grabbed when the black-colored bey hit the tip. The vial crashed to the ground, forcing the floor to become decorated with a red coloring and clear, sharp shards.
The young boy's eyes dilated by the sudden action. His hand was shaking as he slowly turned his head to the ground below him. It was a good thing he was on the stool; otherwise, the glass pieces would have embellished his body. He focused his attention to the teen, managing to breath out, "Caesar-san..."
"What do you think you are doing?"
Kenta flinched from the shout. He bit his lower lip, looking back down due to being unable to face the older male. He was trying to be careful not to be seen, but once again, he was caught. He knew he should not have taken this action, but he could not help it. Unfortunately, the boy was craving for the wine.
Julius sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You do know how strong that is, right? It should be especially strong for someone like you, Kenta." The blond walked to the dining table, sitting on a chair and motioned for the other to come to him. "Sit next to me. We are going to have a talk about this."
...I miss you.
I keep getting these horrible memories of you, and they continue to play in my head like a broken record. Do you know how awful it is, reliving the experiences of when you were alive? They give me false hope every night, and each time I keep dreaming that the whole thing with Nemesis was all just a horrible nightmare that never happened. But it isn't. It's a nightmare that will forever continue to play... The needle is stuck on that one point of the record, the one point I wish it wasn't stuck on. Your death... Your death...
It haunts me. I want to get rid of it, which is why I resorted to drinking like all those adults do. It would be okay if I did the same as them, right? I've been treated like one lately, by the way, by everyone. I guess it's because of how I went through that huge event with Nemesis, the life-changing event that was able capable of killing me. Because I was able to go through something like that, people expected me to be some powerful kid with maturity and a kid responsible enough to be a grown-up. Their expectations are too much for me. I can't disappoint everyone, though. I'm living through this, hoping they would stop viewing me as someone I'm not.
But I know they won't stop thinking of me as an adult. What do I do? I want to cry over you and shout to the world, but I can't. I can't bring myself to...
Kenta carefully avoided the mess on the floor, thinking he would clean it tomorrow morning. He walked over to the dining table and pulled up the chair facing opposite of Julius. He quietly sat down, pushing himself closer and not saying a word. He knew he was going to be nagged for what he did. After all, no other twelve-year-old in the world drank when they were troubled.
But the older was not saying anything. The boy compelled himself to look up, only to be met with a slightly despondent look. Now this he was not expecting. He thought Julius would yell at him, not be sad for him. Or was this pity? But it did not feel like pity...
"Uh... Caesar-san... Are you okay?"
"...It is just...you remind me of myself."
What was the guy talking about? This was the last thing the green-haired apprehended. He would have never predicted those words to come out of the other's mouth. "Wh...What do you mean?"
Julius folded his hands together, placed his elbows on the table, and rested his chin on the joined fingers. "You...and I... We are alike, and that is the very idea that has been annoying my mind. Do you know about my background?"
Kenta shook his head, and the teen continued. "Ever since I was a young boy, it was my very duty to bring honor and glory to the Caesar Family's name. Of course, even to this day I still have that assignment to fulfill. Anyhow, I want to tell you that ever since I was a mere child, the world, especially my family, counted on my success. I could not possibly bring them down." He stopped to watch Kenta's mouth opening up. "Now, what are your thoughts on my little tale?"
"...The same applies for me."
"I thought that to be the very case... Now there is something I want to ask you. The most intimidating blader, the very owner of the left-spinning bey. You do know who I am talking about, correct?"
"...Yes."
"He has died, is that so?"
Kenta was tempted to cry by this point. His body was shaking from the cold shivers that ran up his spine. His hands have formed into fists that violently quivered. He was subconsciously reliving the painful flashbacks. But, no. He could not cry. "...He did die."
Julius did not respond. He reached for one of Kenta's fists, taking apart the inwardly curved fingers. He took the younger boy's hand and rubbed the back of it with a soothing pattern. "Your hands are small, you do realize, do you not? They are delicate, fragile, fitting for a young person like yourself. Clearly, these are not hands that belong to an adult. Do you understand what I am getting at? I mean to say: you are a still a mere child. You still have not reached your teenage years, yet."
"So?" the Sagittario blader asked, saying the word in a hoarse whisper.
"Do not make the same mistake I have made. Do not fall for the assumptions of the world, for it will only make your mind drown into deep waters that you cannot swim out of. You will not ever reach the surface, you hear me? I, too, have thought the very same thoughts you are thinking, and it only deprived me of my childhood. I forced myself into thinking what the world wished for me: to become successful, to be mature, and to become less of an ignorant child. However, I was wrong. The world did not think that way. I did.
"Assumptions, expectations... They are incomplete ideas. You wish to follow those? The only thing you will gain by doing this is a loss of childish enjoyment, a childish innocence. Do not coerce yourself to grow up. Do not seize the mirth you need. The world cannot tell you what you should be. You should not believe such lies. All you desire is to mourn, do you not? Then do so. You will not harm the world by doing so. There is no set age to think like an adult, my friend."
The next thing he knew, Kenta had gotten up from his seat and ran up to him, hugging him tightly. His pajama shirt was now damp by the teardrops flowing down the younger's eyes. There was so much sentiment in this action, Julius noted. Everything Kenta held back was pouring out from the wailing. His cries echoed throughout the house, filling the place with powerful emotions.
Julius smiled, holding the kid close in his arms. This sight was not melancholic, disgusting, or vexing. In fact, it was beautiful.
"Perhaps...all you needed was the right person to tell you the right words."
Hey, guess what?
I'm not going to be stupid anymore! You know why? Because an amazing friend just told me some things I've been wanting to hear for so long. It's like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders after hearing those special words! Isn't it weird how one person could make such a difference on you? None of my close friends have done this, not even Ginga!
Anyway, I'm okay now. Don't worry about me, anymore! I won't be getting any more nightmares, and instead I know I'll dream of the fun memories we had together. I'm going to be happy about all the times we did spend together, instead of hurt by the good memories. The joyful memories are meant to bring merriment, right? Hehe.
Sorry if I worried you, but I won't anymore! I'll be kid that befriended you and not a stinky adult that I'm not supposed to be until I'm older! You prefer it that way...
Right, Ryuuga?
Exactly two weeks have gone by since the blond's visit to the young boy's house. After that night, the two have been getting along, learning more about each other and spending as much time together until the European had to return to his hometown. It was a rough farewell to go through, but the two have promised to make frequent phone calls to each other to still keep in contact.
And right now, Kenta was pacing around the telephone, waiting for the promised call. The boy was getting irritated; the older blader vowed to call at noon. It was ten minutes past.
Suddenly, the phone rang. A beaming grin lit up from the boy's face as he raced to the phone and picked it up, bringing it close to his ear.
"Julius! You're late!"
He could hear his friend chuckle on the other line. "I apologize, Kenta, but I was playing a lengthy piece on the piano. The beauty of the song played from only pressing the ivory keys makes this instrument majestic, do you not agree?"
Kenta rolled his eyes. "You and your sophisticated talk, Julius."
"Ha ha, I apologize once more."
"It's okay! But you still have to play a song for me when you come back to Japan! Can't you just come now? I miss you already, and it's only been one week since you left! Come stay here for a month next time, alright?"
"Of course, Kenta. I do miss you, as well."
The boy laughed jovially. It soon died down when he began to think back on a subject he had wanted to talk about with his companion. "You know, it's been two weeks since I heard from Hikaru. I wonder if something happened to her. She usually called me at most every other day, but I haven't heard from her for two weeks. I wonder why..."
"Perhaps she is far too occupied with her work. Do not worry, Kenta. She will contact you."
"I hope s-"
The boy blinked when he saw a letter slip in from the bottom of the front door. He wondered who would bother to put an envelope inside of his house instead of the mailbox outside. "Um, Julius. I'll call you back in just a second."
He clicked the red-colored button and walked towards the door. He curiously picked up the letter and tilted his head to the side. On the mail was only his name, but he could feel a piece of folded paper inside of the slip. He ripped open the top and took out the note.
Dear Kenta, he read in his mind. Did you miss me? I think you can tell who's writing this, right? Sorry I haven't contacted you in two weeks, but I needed to do something important. You see, it had to do with why I came to visit you that time before I left.
I know you didn't want to talk about this topic anymore, but I had to tell you this piece of information. While looking through his records, I found out something. He's not the only one in his family that's alive. There's one more, and Ginga happened to know this person. I left with Ginga, voluntarily, to find this person. We did find him, after a week and a half. We all came back to Japan after telling him about you, and he agreed to meet with you. When you get this letter, open the front door. He's waiting for you, Kenta. He'll be waiting, until you're ready.
"Hikaru," the boy read the signed name aloud. He smiled softly, hugging the letter close to his chest. "Thank you, Hikaru... I'm ready, now, just to let you know. I'm ready."
He opened the door, greeted by the sun's rays shining brightly behind...
"You must be Yumiya Kenta. Nice to meet you! I'm Ryuuto, Ryuuga's younger brother."