Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.
[Warning: Grammar mistakes, a very long chapter and a slightly TakaoxHiromi...well, depends on your definition of 'a slightly TakaoxHiromi'. Ignore me and carry on!]
{Part 2: A Reason Why I Love Him...(?)}
It was a chilly and rainy morning, as Hiromi walk inside a cafe and settles herself at one of the tables inside. The table was located beside a big window, showing the busy scenery of the outside the cafe. Sweet scent of coffee and the tasty smell of freshly baked buns greeted Hiromi, causing her stomach to growl softly. Hiromi blushes, but ignores her shame when one of the waitresses came to her. Hiromi made her order, and once again left alone to wait.
Hiromi throw her gaze outside the window. The streets was full of peoples who came out from nowhere, rushing to get to their destination as fast as they could. A sigh came out from the brunette, as the memory of the yesterday incident flashes through her mind without any notices. It was hard for her to believe a single word that Kai said, but then again, come to think of it, what Kai had told them usually are always the truth and Kai is not the type who likes to joke around, unlike her boyfriend, Takao. She knew that Kai is serious when it comes to talking, because he really meant it.
Suddenly, a thunder was heard and awakes Hiromi from her imagination. She quickly looks at the sky and regretted her choice of choosing that place. Her phobia of thunders start to emerge, but she manage to calm herself down not long after that. A thin smile appears at Hiromi's lips. Another memory hit her mind, a memory that she describes as 'contains a lot of bittersweet inside' and the cause of her phobia. It was the start of everything, although Hiromi had to admit she almost lost her life back there...
8 years ago...
(12th February)
"Guys~!" called Hiromi as she saw Takao, Rei, Kai, Max, Daichi and Professor inside the training room. She waved her hand up in the air, trying to get the teenage boys attention.
Takao, who was having an intense battle with Daichi, quickly distracted and lost control of his Dragoon. The same goes to Gaia Dragoon, and both of the beyblades flew out from the mini beystadium. Hiromi, who notices her fault, let out an awkward chuckle when Takao and Daichi shoot her with an annoyed look on their face.
"Um, sorry...he he..." apologize Hiromi with a sweat drop behind her head.
"What's the matter, Hiromi? You look happier than usual..." said Takao while taking his beyblade from the floor.
"Oh, it's nothing~!" answers Hiromi, but they all notices that her voice sounds chipper.
Daichi, who also realize this, scorned "Yeah, right! If you don't have anything important to tell us, why did you burst inside here suddenly and interrupt the battle?"
Hiromi hold both of her hand at her chest. A piece of white paper crumpled inside and the end of the paper was sticking out from her hands. "Sorry for the battle. But, I have something important to tell you!"
The beybladers (except Kai, who was sitting on a bench near Takao and the others) look at each other, confuse of Hiromi's weirdness.
When she realize that the beybladers was waiting for her next move, Hiromi walk towards them and show them what was written at the paper:
Tell me how to win your heart,
For I haven't got a clue,
But, let me start by saying,
I love you.
"I have a secret admirer~!" Hiromi announces.
"So, what's the point? It's not a surprise for me if there's some strange stalker crazy for you." Takao replies spontaneously.
"A strange stalker?" blurted Hiromi.
Takao nodded. "Yeah, because the only person who can easily fall for you must have some sort of eyes problem. I mean, why on earth did a guy fall for a girl as ugly as you? The answer is simple. That guy is crazy!"
Hiromi started to yell angrily at Takao, and a tongue fight occurs between them. Rei, Max, Daichi and Professor sigh with an anime sweat drop behind their head. Kai just crossed his arms and close his eyes, ignoring all the things happening around him.
(13th February)
A heavy rain hit the city suddenly in the afternoon, and the day turn out bad for Hiromi. She went out to shops for groceries and didn't realize the weather had changed only until she steps out from the store. So right now, Hiromi was standing under a bus stop near the store. She was pretty sure that she'll stuck inside there for an hour or so since the rain hasn't stop yet and she forgot to bring an umbrella with her. Hiromi let out a loud sigh, asking why the day had turn badly for her inside her heart.
As she was busy questioning, Hiromi didn't realize that someone has been spying on her. The person slowly came out from his hideout, and ran towards Hiromi. He pushes Hiromi, snatches her bag and ran away. The brunette was shock at first, but then she start to chase the thief. As Hiromi was busy chasing the bad guy, she didn't realize that he had lead her to an unknown place.
"Hey," shouted Hiromi "...give me back my bag-Ouch!" She accidentally step onto an empty tin can and fall down. Hiromi then quickly look up and saw no one in front of her. The thief has escape, leaving the brunette helplessly trying to get on her foot back.
Hiromi sigh. "Great, first the weather, and now I lost my bag to that dumb thief! I guess today isn't just my day..." she murmured as she finally stands up. She look around her, and fear start to conquer her heart.
"O...kay, where am I?" she questioned loudly. But only the silence answers her. Slowly, she turn back and start to walk but Hiromi didn't lift her eyes from her surroundings.
The 17 years old brunette turn left and right whenever she saw a two way corner. But, it always lead her to a dead end. Hiromi let out a sigh, and turn back when she met with another dead end. Then, her eyes caught on a sudden movement. Hiromi was shock and scarred for a while, before she start to follow the mysterious movement. She was sure that the creature is a human.
She twist and turn, following the creature's movement. Hiromi thought that the creature might lead her to an exit. But, when she entered another corner, Hiromi once again felt disappointed. 'Another dead end...' she thought. The creature was nowhere to be seen and Hiromi was giving up all her hope on finding the way out. The brunette just stared at the high wall, trying to figure out what is she going to do next.
Suddenly...
The sound of the thunder echoes around the brunette. Pain start to rush at Hiromi's head and her sight became blurry. Slowly, she felt her body fall to the floor and blackness was all she can see.
(A couple of hours after that...)
The brunette finally came to. Dizziness greets her before she tries to open her eyes but failed. Hiromi was still half-conscious and she felt her head was heavy. She fought with her unconscious state and tried to move her body. Her arms and legs as tied with something that she was very sure is a rope, and she felt something was stuck in her mouth, preventing her to speak or scream.
Hiromi then once again tries to open her eyes, and failed but she felt like her eyes was glued to something. A thought hit her mind.
'Am I being kidnapped?'
She then gave up fighting and let her conscious fall. The last thing she heard was the sound of a beyblade flying above her and a voice, shouting.
"...attack!"
Hiromi was very sure that she knew the owner of the voice. But, she didn't have time to think of it because after she heard the voice, she passed out again.
(14th February)
She woke up when she heard voices around her. The light slowly went through her eyes and her sight became clear. The first face she saw was belong to Takao, who sat really close to her.
"Hiromi?" said Takao "You're awake!"
"Thank god, you're okay!" added Professor.
Max then stand beside Hiromi "We're thought we going to lose you."
"Guys?" blurted out Hiromi softly, she felt something was attached at her head and she held her arm. 'Bandages?' Hiromi said in her heart. "What happen to me?"
Rei , who was standing beside Takao, start to explain to Hiromi. He told her that she went missing early in the morning yesterday, and when they start looking for her they found her phone lying at the bus stop. A message was sent to her number, and it turn out to be a secret code that shows her location.
"Kai was the one who broke the code and it turns out to be that the criminal is one of our beyblade enemy. He lock you inside one of the warehouse near the harbor. We headed to there as fast as we could, and founded you lying on the ground, unconscious." said the Chinese beyblader.
Professor continues "No one was there, though. And that's kind of weird, since the beyblader said that he challenged us to a duel if we want you back safely."
Hiromi listen to them, and she thought that the creature she saw when she was lost was actually the beyblader they were talking about. She was about to asks something when Max interrupts her.
"And what's even weird is that, we followed Kai when we rushes to your place, but he was too quick for us to follow. When we arrived at the warehouse, there were no sign of him."
Silence falls inside the room as the teenagers lost in their thought, but not for long. A nurse came inside and told them that they have to leave now since the time for visiting had end. The boys wishes Hiromi a good luck and left, and a doctor walk inside to check on Hiromi's condition.
In that evening, Hiromi stared at the orange sky as the sun fall. She let out a relief sigh, and touches the bandages at her head again. The doctor said that she lost a big amount of blood because of the hit and they were afraid that she might lost some of her memory. Her condition went to critical, but luckily there's someone was willingly to donate some of his blood to her.
'A guy donate his blood to me?' she thought, her cheeks start to redden. 'I wonder who that guy is?'
The sound of the door opens shock her and spontaneously Hiromi grab the empty vase beside her and was ready to throw it. But, Hiromi lower her arm when she recognize the person who entered her room.
"Whoa! Hiromi, it's me! Calm down, will ya'?" said Takao quickly when he saw the brunette's sudden movement.
"Takao?" she asks.
"I came here to visit you...again." explain Takao without being asked. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah, sure! Why not?" nodded Hiromi. Takao took a seat beside her and ask whether she's okay and what does the doctor said about her. Hiromi said that she was fine but she might gonna stay in the hospital for a week or two since the doctor is watching for any side affect from her wounded head. Takao nodded.
Hiromi then notices bandages were covering Takao's left arm. 'When does he have that?' she asked herself.
Takao notices that Hiromi was staring at his arm, and quickly explains it. "Oh, this? Well, I got it when I found you and start to panic. I thought that I'm strong enough to hold you and take you to the hospital but...it turn that you're heavier than I thought!"
'He...did that? For me?'
"You don't need to be sorry, Hiromi. This is just nothing!" Takao quickly told her when he notices the brunette's expression changed.
"Why?" Hiromi asks suddenly, her question manage to shuts Takao and throw him in to a total confusion.
"Why what?" Takao echoed.
Hiromi went to silence for a while, and then she stared at Takao. "Why did you help me? I thought that you hated me?"
"Why on earth would I hated you?"
"Well, two days ago you called me ugly and in the team, we're the only ones who always start fighting...well, apart from you and Daichi always compete with each other in everything but-"
Takao put his hand on Hiromi's mouth, signalling her to stop talking. Hiromi stunned and stared at Takao's face.
"I have a reason why I did that." Takao said.
Hiromi asks, with a muffled voice. "Why?"
"Because...I..." Takao stammered. He let go his hand from Hiromi's mouth and sat down.
"I...love you?"
Hiromi turn speechless and her face became as red as a tomato. "You...what?"
"I love you, that's why I always tease you because I want your attention..."
Hiromi smiles and she started to blushing again. She never thought that Takao had the guts to admit his feeling for her. But, people can change, can they? The waitress then came back with Hiromi's order and place the food in front of Hiromi. She thanked her and start to enjoy her breakfast. That nostalgia manage to make her happy. She will never forget that beautiful moment.
Suddenly, she stops. Hiromi remembers something, and her smile start to fade.
'Wait, if I was right, I saw a shadow looming over the door after Takao told me...' Hiromi thought '...who could that be? And...the voice, I'm sure it's not Takao's, but who?"
Someone was standing beside the street where the cafe was located and stared at the cafe's big window. He watch as the brunette continue eating. He can feel the happiness running in her body, and he let out a sigh. He shouldn't had made her felt heartbroken and now he can see how she love what she had in her life right now.
"I'm sorry." he whispers to the wind while his eyes are never lifted from the brunette's face. He shook his head, turn back and walk away. Leaving Hiromi who didn't realize that she had been watched again...
[Man, this is the longest chapter I've ever wrote...for now. I know, I know...you might had start to questioning why did I put to much TakaoxHiromi scene when the story is about KaixHiromi? Relax, the moment will come soon...just wait and see, my dear readers. And you might notice that the love letter was actually some of the lyrics from Lionel Richie's song, Hello. Anywho, thanks for those who read and review this story. Oh, almost forgot! Think you can solve Hiromi's question and the identity of that mysterious 'someone'?]
~Duchess AnimeLove
P/s; Happy Chinese New Year for those who celebrates the festival!
