Author's Note: A reply to guest review!

'Catty chapter 38 . Apr 12

Nice Chapter. I think you should wait for such scenes, I don't think it would be good to show them desperate for kiss. It would be too rush. I think you keep the story revolving around Riri only, try giving others some more scenes but I know why you do so, I heard that you love your ocs like your own children.
I give your fanfiction 8/10. You can improve more.'

First of all, thank you for the review. It's true that I keep the story revolving around Riri because my ocs are my children but the real reason is actually that I want more secrets to be revealed and the more ocs the more backstories to explain. I don't know if any of this makes sense.

A Day Before They Leave

After spending several days practicing for the tournament, the champions were ready to go. It was the evening before they leave. They enjoyed a nice dinner and sat in the dojo for some chatting. Riri and Hilary sat outside the dojo, on the wooden deck. They were having a conversation about fashion when Hilary said out of nowhere, "It is weird." Riri looked at her and asked, "What?"

"Kai..." She stopped to frame sentences, "I mean it is not how he was... You see, he was always a bit..." She thought it was rude to continue.

"...cold?" Riri completed her. She chuckled and said, "Kai is intelligent. Before he does anything, he thinks about the consequences of it. He has to keep his emotions hidden to make the hardest decisions so that when it hurts someone he won't feel sympathetic and change his decision. That makes him seem a bit cold." She looked at the open lawn and continued, "Even though the decision is hurtful, later it turns out to be the right one."

"I see," Hilary understood what Riri said and continued, "Kai learned to keep his emotion hidden so he would not be tempted easily."

"Indeed"

Hilary smiled and said, "The kind of person Kai is, I believe he is truly in love with you."

"Love..." Riri's voice turned numb and considerate, "Love makes us weak."

"Why so?" questioned Hilary.

"When we are in love our only weakness becomes the person we love, which is really easy to guess for a rival. Then one way or another we become weak."

"What ways are you talking about?" Curiosity rose in Hilary.

"What if your beloved befall somehow? Or you realize that their life is in danger and you have to push them away?"

Hilary tried imagining in accordance and said, "Both ways it will hurt equally." She looked at Riri who was watching the night sky. "It will make us weak."

"Venerable," said Riri. She turned to Hilary and smiled. "I knew someone, so strong, grew weak after their beloved was gone."

"Oh," She didn't know what else to say. All she thought was to quit the conversation when it became awkward. "I gotta go with the whole group. Would you mind joining us?"

"Nah!" she exclaimed, "I am fine here. I have no interest in chatting now."

Hilary left. Riri looked up at the sky again. It was bright and clear. The collection of stars looked like an ocean of glowing tides. She smiled at the thought. Kai came and sat beside her. She didn't look at him. He looked at her as the night sky reflected from her mirror-like eyes. He couldn't help but stare.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, without moving her eyes from the sky. He didn't move his eyes too. "A mirror that reflects a sea of stars." She looked at him. "Pfft..." she mocked, "You are better of a cold grumpy person than a poet. Poet Kai is a crazy nerd's wish."

"Oh, really?" he said and laid his hand on hers which was on the wooden deck. She turned her hand and grabbed his. There was something in between both hands- A key. Kai took it from her hand and examined it- it was small about 8 centimeters long, painted with silver color and its head was quite different from normal keys. It also had two half hearts on its tail, one bigger than the other, caged in a circle around it. "Where does this key go?" he asked. She looked at it and said, "Somewhere with more secrets."

"And where is it?" he asked, still looking at it.

"Somewhere I don't know," she looked in his eyes, "You see, this was given to me by Cora when my mother died. It belonged to my mother."

"Why are you giving it to me?" he asked her. She replied, "Because I trust you, Kai. I usually lose my stuff and this one is important. I can't lose it and I know you will keep it safe."

He put his hand on hers again. Their eyes were locked in each other and grips were getting tighter and warmer. Ray, Max, Tyson, Kenny, and Hilary were looking at them with a what-the-fuck-is-going-on face. Ray added to it, "It's weird."

"What?" Max said without looking away in an obvious of the situation manner, "Kai being lovey-dovey? Yeah, it's weird."

They all looked back at each other. After a few seconds, Max rolled his arms and said, "Even Kai has a girl and I never even had a girl who flirted with me."

"Don't worry, Max. You're gorgeous," Hilary tried to lift his mood.

"I am going to die single. Will I be the only one to be single in this team?" Max pouted.

"Hey Ass-wipe, I am single too," Ray added.

"Shut up," Max said with a pout on his face, "Everyone knows you are going to end up with Mariah one way or another."

Ray blushed. He didn't know that everyone thought of him and Mariah as lovers. "I don't know what to say. Mariah is just a friend."

"Just a friend, you say." Max smirked and continued, "Try saying her name." Ray smiled and said, "That's it? Here you go, Mariah."

"Great. Now try without smiling."

"Mariah." He smiled. He tried again, "Mariah." He smiled again. He blushed and his expression went to extreme. He thought he had feelings for her. He had!

Max was smirking as he tried, again and again, to say her name without smiling. He could not. Max looked back at Kai and Riri who were no more staring at each other. Riri was smiling watching Ray try so hard not to smile and Kai was silent and expressionless but he was looking at Ray.

TO BE CONTINUED...

So how was it? Good or Bad? Tell your feelings about this chapter in the review box. I recently started watching Sacred Games and I really liked it. I want to write a fanfic on its story but fanfiction does not have the topic for it :'(

I didn't make any story for Mumbai Tournament so I'm gonna skip that part. The next chapter will be after Mumbai Tournament and before Summer Tournament. I wrote some one-shots, please read them!