Miyako's eyes shifted from warm honey to a burnished gold as she glared at the retreating form of her "commander." Despite the fact that she had not wanted to be registered as the sub, or the commander, she was still upset that a male would be on Team Japan.
Flicking her burning gaze to her father, and Kyoya, she crossed her arms over her chest, before proceeding with her onslaught of thorn laced words.
"How could you guys do this to us!?" She hissed.
"Excuse me?" Tsubasa said, while Kyoya's eyes widened for a millisecond before narrowing belligerently.
"This year, for the first time, Japan's representative team was supposed be made up of girls! Now you, automatically, make him a member– and not just any member, I might add, but the leader!"
Before Kyoya could protest, Kotomi interjected, albeit, somewhat nervously.
"No disrespect, to either of you, but … I have to agree with Miyako on this one. I mean, short of seeing that he emerged as the victor in his battle against Akio, we don't really know anything about Hikoya. We don't even know what type of Beyblade he has; how do we even know that he's fit to be the leader of this team?"
"First and foremost," Kyoya growled, addressing the first issue, "while Hikoya is the commander of this team, he is also the sub member – in other words, he will not be battling on a regular basis. Especially if you, and the rest of your teammates, manage to win two matches in a row and advance to the next round."
"But–"
"And," Tsubasa cut in, his voice drowning out his daughter's objection, "he will also be acting as a form of supervision."
"What?" All of the girls exclaimed at once.
"Recently, the parents of many bladers have made their concerns known to the WBBA, regarding the lack of adult supervision during the World Championships," he explained. "Many of them are uncomfortable with the fact that their children are travelling to foreign countries, and that the only type of supervision comes in the form of WBBA staff members stationed at the tournaments. They said that they would feel better if each of the teams were accompanied by at least one adult."
"That makes sense, I suppose," Gingka spoke up. "I remember, way back when I competed for the first time in the World Championships, how Masamune got separated from us in Russia."
Hikaru nodded her head in agreement, "It's never really been an issue in the past, however, many parents have threatened to pull their kids from the tournaments if we don't rectify this problem. If the WBBA only has a small number of contestants, the World Championships would have to be cancelled this year. That said, Hikoya is the perfect candidate for the job. Because he is nineteen years old, he qualifies as Team Japan's form of adult accompaniment, without raising any suspicion."
"What do you mean by 'suspicion?'" Miyako asked in a low tone.
Sighing softly, Tsubasa took this opportunity to answer his daughter's question.
"After the defeat of Nemesis, the WBBA has been a little shorthanded. Because of that fact, we cannot afford to distribute our staff members so casually – even for an event such as the World Championships. That said, each team has agreed to provide their own form of adult supervision. That was the main reason why we chose Hikoya. We want to show everyone that there really is no need to worry so much, or at least until we have more people at our disposal. So–"
"Let me get this straight," Miyako snapped, her temper flaring. "You chose him to demonstrate that we're capable of handling things on our own, but … in the event that something bad does happen, the WBBA's tail is covered, so to speak? Is that what you're telling me?"
She didn't have to make it sound so awful … Tsubasa thought inwardly as a small frown graced his features.
Taking her father's silence as confirmation, Miyako stormed out of the stadium.
"Where is she going?" Rika piped up.
"Hopefully, to cool off …" Anashi said softly, hating to see her friend in such a temperamental mood.
As for Kotomi, her face darkened from solemnity.
"Hey, guys … crazy thought, but … we can all agree that Miyako is, more or less, angry at Hikoya, right?"
The remaining girls nodded their heads slowly, unsure where their friend was going with this.
"And we can also agree that both of them have left the arena …?"
As Kotomi's words sunk in, Tsubasa and Hikaru made a beeline for the exit. Naturally, Hikaru's maternal instincts had kicked in, but in Tsubasa's case, he was far more worried about how many charges would be pressed if Miyako did something irresponsible, especially before the beginning of the World Championships. If she did, the media would descend upon the matter like vultures drawn to a diseased animal's corpse.
The Following Day …
Anashi and her parents were the last to arrive at the airport, before Team Japan departed to their first destination: Australia. Upon her arrival, Anashi noted that Kenta had shown up to bid his daughter farewell, while Benkei was declaring, quite proudly with tears in his eyes, that his "little Kotomi" would be victorious in the World Championships. As for Miyako, it appeared as though she and her father were engaged in a rather staid conversation, which, more than likely, was centred on her conduct, especially with regards to their new team captain.
Speaking of which …
Turning her head slightly, Anashi could see that Kyoya and Hikaru were currently speaking to their son in hushed tones. As always, a shade of seriousness touched the trio's features, causing Anashi to wonder what they could possibly be discussing.
Shrugging her shoulders with indifference, Anashi set her luggage aside with everyone else's.
"Be careful, and have lots of fun," Madoka said encouragingly as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"I will," she replied, while returning the embrace, just as her father threw his arms around the both of them.
"We'll miss you; be sure to call every once in a while. And don't forget we'll be watching all of your matches and rooting for you," Gingka beamed.
"I'll remember," Anashi promised as she followed after her teammates. As she approached the terminal, she casted one final glance at her parents.
Madoka had tears of joy in her eyes, and Gingka looked as proud as ever.
In Hikoya's case, he adjusted the strap of his black duffel bag, before offering a fraction of a nod to both his mother and father.
"Goodbye, Hikoya. Your father and I love you very much," Hikaru said softly.
Dipping his head in acknowledgement, he turned to follow after his teammates, trailing several yards behind them while his mind savoured its last precious moments of serenity. There were one hundred ninety-four other countries in the entire world, each equipped with their own team of representatives. It would take months before he could return home, a thought which turned his stomach sour.
Up ahead, he could see that all of the girls were waiting for him, including Miyako, who looked as though she would much rather cut off her arm, as opposed to working with him.
"Ready to go, Captain?" She hissed softly, the word twisting on her tongue like a leech.
Narrowing his eyes aggressively, he studied her countenance for a brief moment. He could tell that they would get along famously.
Underneath the indignation, he could see that she was worried – worried that he would cause harm to Team Japan's reputation.
She has no concept of the harm of which I am capable of … he thought darkly.
With the World Championships in mind, they boarded the plane, each consumed by their own thoughts.