Lei-chi Kon's Rants: Hey, I'm back! Wow, that's some sorta miracle, ain't it! ¬.¬ But anyway, whether you like it or not, I have returned, and about to wreak havoc with my Chapter 10! –is in hyper mode–
Boris (Kuznetsov!): Please excuse her. She's had those damn mantao again….
Bububu! n.n But anyway! I'm so happy that I am able to update today, despite the fact that it's our Preliminary Examination this week! –cheers randomly– Do you guys know that I'm already a college student here in the Philippines! And I'm only 16 years old! Weeeeee!
Boris: ……That's it, no more mantao for you.
Lei-chi: NOOOOOOOOOOOO! T.T Bleh……хулиган….
Boris: ¬.¬ I can understand you.
Sigh…my mantao will now be hidden by Boris…but anyway, enough about that! Here it is, Chapter 10! Enjoy it to its fullest extent! –is senseless–
The answering the reviews thingy is, as always, at the bottom. )
Disclaimer: If I own Beyblade, Rei and Kai would be together, and unfortunately, they're not. DAMN!
Chapter Ten – …Going Home?
"Rei? Rei-han?" a girl's voice echoed in the Chinese's ear, surprising him. He immediately regained his consciousness to the real world and he instantly voiced his hello once more. "You spaced out…oh well, gotta go! I can already see Dad heading for this way…eep! Bye!" she squeaked, and when the neko-jin had said his farewell the call was ended.
"So what did the wench tell you this time?" an unchanging tone of voice interrupted his flood of thoughts, and when he noticed a pair of crimson blood orbs were observing him. He almost forgot, he was riding the Ferris Wheel ride with Kai….
"Nothing, she was just asking about Max and Tyson…" he trailed off, noticing the annoyed look on his captain's face. Rei was obviously in need of words, now! That's when he remembered the abandoned conversation he had minutes ago…. "What were you trying to tell me while ago?"
"What?"
"Before Weinn called," Rei stated, recalling what had really happened….
(A/N: I put it here for the sake of those who forgot and lazy, flashback from what happened last chappie)
"…This place isn't suited for us," Rei mumbled as he watched the people outside slowly decreasing in size as their elevation increased.
"What do you mean?" Kai's monotonous voice inquisitively asked, ignoring the golden eyes the seemed to have glanced at his direction.
"I mean, this place isn't suited for us! It's only for lovers or something…or friends of course, but we're only two, so yeah…do you get what I mean?" Kai faintly nodded, then continued ignoring the rest of the world like he usually do. Rei on the other hand, witnessed the outside of the Ferris Wheel, marking the rides he would want to try later. "…I wonder how the two's going?" he uttered to himself, not really expecting any answer from anyone.
The Russian pursued neglecting other things and unexpectedly changed the subject. "Rei…I have something to ask—"
Ring! The Chinese's celphone suddenly rang and it surprised both of them. "Hold that I'll answer this first," Rei stated as he took his celphone and received the call. "Hello Weinn-chan?"
"Oh, that?" Kai broke him from his retrospect as he shifted quite unusually nervous on his seat. "It's nothing, forget it."
"C'mon Kai, no fishing around," Rei stated, well, more of pleaded at the Russian who just glared at him, putting him steady on place. One glare and Rei knew immediately what it meant. 'Mind-your-own-business-or-you're-dead. As simple as that! Still, he couldn't help but wonder at to whatever that was…it's just, too attention grabbing, added to that the uncommon uneasiness Kai had shown moments ago….
The Ferris Wheel ride had stopped, and the passengers were stepping out one by one. Rei and Kai had taken off the vehicle, only to be met by two flushing faces that weren't even trying to look at each other. The raven-haired teen smiled contentedly at these, while the slate-haired one didn't even bother showing any emotions on his façade.
"So how'd it go!" Rei's cheery voice asked the two lovers, who were obviously avoiding each other. Max quickly scurried next to him and grabbed his arm, starting to relate what had happened secretly.
"Well, nothing happened…except he tried to explain that he still…you know…loves me," he added the last part in a whisper, barely even inaudible to Rei, but let's all thank his sensitive hearing as it picked up the line clearly. "…But I don't know if he's telling the truth…after all that happened…"
Rei sighed. "Give him a chance, Max. Who knows? Just remind him that if he ever does something stupid like that again, it's totally over."
It was Max's turn to sigh this time. "I guess you're right, Rei, but he still have to learn his lesson…"
"I'm glad to know you two still has the opportunity, right! Unlike me, I don't even have someone…" Rei mumbled absent-mindedly as he watched amusingly Kai beating Tyson into a pulp, and the Japanese boy continuing his teases—whatever those were—despite of the threats of the Russian.
"Y-you mean," Max stuttered as if shocked, and Rei glanced at him with equal surprise, oblivious to the blonde's assumption. "Kai and you…aren't…?"
"Max!" a shrill scream from the Chinese's mouth broke the Black Tortoise from his sentence. Rei was flushing red all over, not from embarrassment, but more of enrage at to how Max had thought that the idea of Kai with another guy was going to be even humanely possible. Not that he was liking the idea too, it's just, you know, irksome?
"Seriously I thought that…" Rei strengthened his glare. Max gulped down but continued his statement. "Because you two are always together, you get together so well…"
"You got it all wrong," Rei admitted the truth, looking away from everybody else. "There's nothing going on between us. I mean, look at him! Besides, we're just close friends, and I'm fine with that. I'm not asking for anything more."
"…Whatever, Rei."
"You're not believing me are you!"
By now as if it was an instant brainwash Rei totally forgot immediately the topic and went persuading the three for a ride in the caterpillar. Kai backed out from this—he'd rather ride the roller coaster, instead, so it convinced Rei and the others for him just to watch from the ground. …But something had told the kitten to pass the ride too, so it ended up like this—Tyson and Max were together in the caterpillar while Rei and Kai were waiting for them on a nearby bench. Sudden, but it still went along with their plans…hehe.
"I can't believe Max!" Rei exclaimed, still quite agitated at what happened earlier, as he tried to sit down calmly on the wooden bench. Kai just looked at him with a questioning stare, so he didn't wait for an inquiry to be asked anymore. "He mistook us for a couple! Can you believe that!"
"Yes," Kai simply answered, crossing his pale arms and shutting himself from the rest of the loathsome reality.
"Not that I'm angry, it's just, he should know us better 'coz we're his teammates, that's all," he confessed as his voice finally toned down and it made him sound at least…better from his attitude while ago. Kai just shrugged his shoulders and continued to be silent, but the kitten had noticed that slight look of rejection on his facial expressions…or was he just hallucinating? Heh, the oh-so-great-and-highly-respected-heir-of-gigantic-enterprises-and-not-to-mention-the-world's-greatest-prick-alive Kai Hiwatari, showing a face of frail depression! As if, haha. Not that Kai was hidebound with his emotions, simply, sadness was not in his vocabulary.
Rei by now had caught himself staring at the Fiery Red Phoenix as those garnet-blood eyes locked onto his and resulted to the raven-haired Chinese coughing lame excuses for his bad behavior. He turned away his head and noticed the other booths set about in their area.
"Wanna try the darts?" a monotonous voice interrupted him, and once again he was met with the same pair of blood-red eyes.
"Sure!" Rei exclaimed a bit happier as he bolted upward, sprinting towards the dart booth followed by an annoyed Russian. "Wow! I like the prizes…" the neko-jin mumbled as he glanced from one stuff toy to another, then to the other rewards. He started to reach in for his wallet when the older boy grabbed his arm and stopped him, instead grabbed his own wallet and paid the person in the booth. "Thanks, Kai…" he whispered, smiling. He didn't wait anymore for a reply from the captain and snatched the three darts, starting to hit the balloons on the board. Not his lucky day, though! "Damn! What happened to my skills! I couldn't even barely hit a balloon…."
"Let me try," Kai murmured, seizing the other three darts and letting them fly on the board. One hit, two hit, and three, HIT! They get to win a grand prize!
"WOW you're so great Kai!" Rei gleefully cheered—then, something super-duper-unexpected happened.
The slate-haired BladeBreaker unconsciously—or so Rei thought—grabbed his hand, and with a gentle smile muttered, "Choose."
Rei wondered at first, then it struck him. "I get to choose! Really!" To that Hiwatari nodded his head slightly. "Okay, I want that!" he pointed at a certain White Tiger plushie at the corner of the displays and the manager of the booth went to hand it to him. "Thanks!" he burst out quite loudly that people had actually began to glare at the both of them inquisitively, but still it hadn't even stopped him from lunging himself onto the older teen.
"Okay, okay, we better get back to the bench," Kai chuckled, however not bothering to push the kitten off him. The Cunning White Tiger nodded his head and happily strode back to their seat which was fortunately still empty and vacant, and they seated themselves comfortably.
"Mariah would be so happy when she receives this…" Rei whispered as he examined the cute and fluffy plushie he was holding. Kai heard this, Rei knew, and he immediately got enraged at that remark. Rei giggled. "I was just kidding Kai! Sheesh, why were you making such a big deal about that…"
The BladeBreakers' captain had practically ignored him and sidetracked his gaze, catching a glimpse of the two brats-lovers-whatever getting back in line of the smaller version of a roller coaster for the eight time. Feh, kids would still be kids. When he glanced back to the Chinese, he detected him with his face fully literally embedded into the fluffy material of the stuffed plushie. "What are you doing?"
Rei remained silent. But only for a while, as he was thinking…of certain things that had been bothering him the moment he arrived here in Tokyo, Japan from Shantung, China. The thing that had haunted his mind before….
"Haven't you ever thought of being in love, Kai?"
….
"Guess that's a no, then," he murmured, his voice slightly muffled by the cotton and silk that was ruffling against his mouth. I feel sorry for Weinn…I have to make it back to her for payback…I have to make Kai fall in love at her….
"Actually, I had."
Whaa—
"But don't ask anymore."
Heh, typical of him. Rei's golden eyes suddenly had found itself glancing back into those liquid-rose ones with his cheek still placed comfortably on the plush toy's head, blinking in examination. The captain raised an eyebrow and stared back, slightly showing wonder.
"Do you know you're hard to understand?" Rei asked, completely unaware of the meaning of what he said.
Kai just sat there with his eyes wide open, surprised at the kind of question the kitten asked him. Rei only stared back, his mind registering what he had just said—
"Sorry," he immediately mumbled, slightly blushing, now that he had finally understood what he had said. He hugged the plushie tighter and continued implanting his face into the soft textile. He smiled shyly at the Russian who in turn tilted his head in peculiarity at this boy in front of him, with a matching raised eyebrow.
"Hey!" a loud voice sounded from afar coming towards them, and, much to the Red Phoenix's dismay, it was from the dogmatic Blue Dragon. Max and Tyson just came from the caterpillar when Tyson raised an eyebrow. "What are you two talking about?" he curiously asked with a mix of jesting, smirking, obvious in his mind that he was thinking of peculiar thoughts. Max beside him was smiling, slightly blushing but having the same expression as the Blue Dragon.
Rei blushed from the question, plainly because he noticed the unusual grins on their faces. "I'm sure it's not anywhere near what you're thinking, Tyson!"
"Oh really?"
"J-j-just, stop, okay! How 'bout you two?" he changed the subject, hopefully no one will notice. "Are you okay now?"
"Haha," Max chirped, grinning widely, "Tyson still couldn't admit that he's the one who's wrong! But all in all, we're okay now. "
No one noticed alright, and he was thankful for that. And then all of a startling sudden Kai stood up from his seat, arms still crossed and eyes still set in that awful, Kai-death-glare™. And they know, oh they know, that the great Hiwatari's mind was already settled in another command. "Great," he remarked, sarcasm dripping in his voice, "Hate to interrupt the chitchat but me and Rei need to hit the road now."
"We do?" Rei asked, confusingly—it was obvious. He too stood up—the plushie still clutched tightly against his arms, to which Tyson found very…peculiar—and eyed Kai questioningly, asking once more, "We do?"
The Russian nodded in a lifeless manner and replied, "Yes we do."
"Why?"
Kai sighed heavily. "We finished our mission: Tyson and Max—together. Well they're okay now right? Our work's done here. We go."
"B-b-but…"
Rei was stiffened. Definitely stiffened. Kai was right—their job's already done, and he still wasn't able to perceive it. So does it mean that…he'd go back to Shantung already? No! He doesn't wanna go…yet. He for himself had another mission he had to accomplish: Weinn and Kai's relationship, he has to get them together! Weinn has been keeping it to herself long enough to not feel the pain and Rei knew it all too well. Weinn's in love—no wait scratch that, Weinn's madly in love with this Hiwatari and Kai was just being too much of a bastard to even know what the hell love was. And then…suddenly…Rei felt as if responsible for all this…things. It wouldn't be fair just for him to leave after all what Weinn had done for them….
"I don't want to go!" Rei despond with a childish tone, stepping away from Kai far enough from his reach.
"We have to."
"No!"
"Yes."
"Where'd the stuff toy came from?"
The last statement made all eyes turn to the one who made it—Tyson. He sweat dropped big time and flushed red from embarrassment. "Don't get me wrong, I was just curious as to where it came from…"
The Red Phoenix glared at him and answered, "It came from the darts booth. Now shut up."
Ring! It came from Rei's cel. Everybody turned to his direction waiting the next obvious action he would do—answer the call. He took the device from his pocket and directed it to his ear, pressing the answer button. "Yo…yes I know…don't worry, I'll be back as soon as possible…haha, I'll explain everything later… just not now, we're having a serious conversation…okay, later. Bye." And with that he ended the call.
"Who was that?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.
The Chinese looked away from his gaze and mumbled, "Li. I already gave them my number."
…
"Can we come?" Max suddenly inquired with instant impulse. Kai shot him a piercing glare which can only mean one thing—no.
"Really Rei, we can go back anytime here. Right now…we just have to go. We're done here, there's nothing more we should do. Besides, we have to talk about how long are you planning to stay here in Japan—"
"It's not only that!" the raven-haired lad cried out, fisting his hands in confused rage mixed with sorrow. "I-I-I mean…"
Why doesn't he want to go? The thought trained in his mind, and only perplexed him more. It's not as if he'd be leaving Japan already…but the idea seemed the same. Once his objective's over, he returns. He should return. But then…why doesn't he want to go back to China? Was Weinn more important than Mariah and the others? No, but because the girl had shown kindness and he have to repay it. Kindness shouldn't be repaid, that's what others would say, but for Rei it's different. But then how about the White Tiger's kindness? They'd shown him enough kindness to last a lifetime, and he only could repay it by staying with them as they wished.
Yet he left them.
And now he doesn't want to return.
He chose to stay with Kai, to help Weinn. And it wouldn't take just one day to help her…maybe weeks, months. The White Tigers couldn't wait for that long. Especially Li.
Li….
The thought of Li made his conscience even break into more sobs. First there was only Mariah…now Li too. There's just too many people who loves him he'd be leaving behind.
Several people had loved you but you only turned them down.
You're pathetic.
Do you even know how to love?
You don't deserve them.
Not anyone.
No one.
The very thought of these statements that passed him during his flight to Japan made him feel more disheartened. Why did it suddenly arose? Before…and then now? And then it made sense. The impression of throwing their love away. The idea of leaving them behind. Different, yet all the same.
…He doesn't know what to do anymore.
"Rei…?"
He never had imagined he would be this so confused in his entire life.
"Rei…"
He could stay…but that'd be meaning to forget about the White Tigers. He could return…but that'd be meaning to break his promise to himself.
"Rei…!"
He had decided.
Chapter Ten – …Going Home? – To be continued…
Lei-chi Kon's Rants: Waha! Left yous in a cliffhanger! MWAHAHAH! XD Hmm…I'm going to steal the plushie…. ;p –gets bopped in the head by Kai– OWWIE! What was that for!
Kai: You're planning something, that's why…. ¬ ¬ I won that for Rei!
Rei: n.n My hero! –hugs Kai–
Lei-chi: Okay…WTH was that? O.o?
Here it is, the answering-the-reviews thingy:
Forfirith the Dark Angel – Yeah! Rei is stupid, and Weinn should be out of the plot! XO And Ty and Maxie should be back in terms too! n.n Glad you liked the chapter, and thanks for the review! Oh and I updated, though not sooner….
A dragon's crystal – hello! As always thanks a lot for reviewing my lil ficcie! Yeah, Rei being a little kawaii chibi kid is so…kawaii! O.o And we'll just have to see on what's running in the our neko's mind…. –smirks-
Hikari no Tenshi – Hahahahaha LOL! Thanks for reviewing!
MadMaddie – Yesh I'm back! n0n Thanks for reviewing, and here's the next chapter! (Can't deny that Rei is so adorable, isn't he not! XP)
Ice Dragon638 – Thanks a lot for the review! And yes Rei is so naïve ain't he! XD
tntiggris – Heehee thanks for the review! Yah, Rei is so naïve it seems sorta annoying…O.o Does it?
Avampiresdilemma – Hi there Rae! Wow, you reviewed twice! I'm so touched! XP Hahaha your ideas are so funny, and I like it! I'll think about Tala being here… -winks- And yes, it will definitely make Kai crazy! XP Hm, but I don't think Rei will be wearing fishnets and leather O.o Lee would go insane when he sees Rei like that (But most probably Kai would glomp him XP) and Mariah would induce homicide. -.- But anyway, I just wanna say I like your ideas! Especially Tala…makes me think…. –starts plotting-
There! As always, please RR! Tell me everything you want to tell! And please check out my other ficcies! Thanks!
And Boris says "thank you" as well. n.n
Boris: Не сделал (did not)!
Ja ne!