A Quiet Prelude
The low-lying sun shone through the parted curtains, throwing its feeble light onto the sleeping form of a boy lying in bed. The room was shrouded in shadow save for the illuminated figure of Kai, who was dozing gently.
Presently, the bathroom door opened and Tala walked out, decked in a dress shirt and striped tie. He was drying his face with a grey towel. He hummed quietly as he sauntered to where Kai was napping. He leaned close to Kai's back and carefully blew a whiff of cold air onto the back of Kai's exposed neck.
Tala continued to blow until he could see the goose-pimples rising on Kai's skin. Like muffins rising in an oven, Tala thought amusedly.
Kai shifted slightly, not opening his eyes.
"Move out of the way, Tala, you're blocking the sun," he mumbled. "Do I smell cologne?"
Tala grinned. "I want to look and smell my best." He flicked invisible dust particles off his white shirt, for good measure. "It's time to get going, big boy."
Kai turned over so that his back was turned to Tala.
"I don't want to go."
Tala crossed to the other side of the narrow bed. "You're going to look a sore loser if you don't go."
Kai continued scowling with his eyes closed. He's not going to attract many girls with that morning face, Tala thought.
Finally realizing that Kai was not going to budge, Tala sighed resignedly. He hated resorting to bodily measures.
"Kai, why do I always have to baby-sit you?" Tala grunted as he tried to hoist Kai out of bed. "I'm not proud of being your second mother, you know."
Tala continued to struggle. Kai's head and shoulders sagged over the bed.
"Quit pretending to be asleep or I'll drop you."
Kai jerked back to life immediately. "Alright, alright," he muttered as he sat up slowly. "I'm coming…"
Tala was already at the door. "Wash off that face-paint and put on some civilian clothes for once. I'll meet you downstairs." Tala looked down at himself. "Geez, Kai, what did you ruin my shirt for?"
The sun had already set when Kai and Tala rushed to their tables at the restaurant an hour later. Everyone was already seated in the banquet hall and Mr. Dickenson was about to begin his opening speech.
"Sorry we're late," Tala announced as he sat down. Kai settled beside him wordlessly. "The traffic was bad on the way here."
"That's alright, boys," Mr. Dickenson said jovially. "We're glad to have everyone here, and now the evening can begin. Before we start on the food, I would like to congratulate everyone on another successful World Tournament. It is very fortunate that we have such talented, young bladers. You have all showed spectacular skill and sportsmanship. I would like to thank…"
Kai blinked the sleep from his eyes and leaned against the back of the chair. It was dark outside and he could see cars zooming by in the window next to Mr. Dickenson's head. Zooming right through Mr. Dickenson's head, actually. Kai fought the urge to laugh, but his outward expression was indiscernible—Kai's languid countenance suggested polite indifference.
Kai rubbed his eyes, not taking in a word of what Mr. Dickenson was giving so much wind about. The lights were garishly bright, making him feel light-headed and dizzy. He needed to use the washroom and his left foot was asleep. There was a callous on his thumb and a scab on his right forearm that he desperately wanted to pick. A thousand other bodily distractions diverted his attention from the animated Mr. Dickenson, who was ending his speech by graciously inviting everyone to the next tournament.
The evening proceeded as planned. Dinner was served and Kai forked food into his mouth mechanically while watching Tala chat idly with the Mexican girl sitting beside him. He casted his gaze around the banquet hall and noticed that Max was in a deep conversation at a far table. Spontaneous laughter drew Kai's attention to Tyson, who was laughing uproariously about something that Kai thought was sure to be another one of his stupid, infantile jokes.
Kai speared a mushroom and lifted it towards his mouth, careful not to knock his glass of orange juice over. He felt so sleepy all of a sudden. He glanced at Bryan, who was listening intently to another conversation. Kai sighed and lowered his fork. He had not said anything to anyone the entire evening. The throbbing hubbub pounded his head. Kai was an island in a sea of happy conversations, making him feel like an outsider more than ever.
The fork came up again to his mouth. Sooner or later, he would have to go over across the hall and congratulate Tyson. He would stroll purposefully with a casual grace. The hall would fall silent, waiting for what meaningful thing he had to say. Then, Kai would make a big show of praising Tyson for holding the World Championship title for three years straight. His voice would ride over the expectant listeners who would be captivated by his charm and graciousness. Finally, he would offer a handshake and congratulate Tyson on his win in such an open manner that no one would doubt Kai's sincerity and goodwill.
If only miracles were true, Kai thought sarcastically as yet another pea was impaled upon his fork.
Kai took a gulp of orange juice, hoping that his slight headache would disappear. He wanted desperately to go back to the hotel room. However, he could not leave without doing something important. He glanced around the room again, searching for the one person who was not there.
Kai glanced around, turning in his seat. No matter where he looked, Rei was nowhere to be seen. Kai had spotted him when he first came into the hall, but Rei had disappeared from sight. Kai turned back to face the table with disappointment. While he was turning around, his elbow bumped into the glass of juice and knocked it over.
A large portion fell onto Kai's shirt. The tablecloth darkened immediately and a great stain spread outwards. Juice dripped onto Kai's pants.
"Oh, damn," Kai whispered. Tala thrusted a handful of napkins at him while still managing to maintain the conversation with the Mexican girl. Kai took the napkins and tried to mop up the mess. He got the table to stop dripping, but his shirt was still wet. He stood up resignedly and headed for the washroom, carefully threading his way through the tables while holding a wad of soggy napkins to the bottom of his shirt.
Kai pushed the washroom door open to find Rei washing his face at one of the sinks.
Kai's voice was full of surprise.
"Rei!"
Rei turned around quickly to face Kai. "Hey Kai," he managed weakly and turned back to the sink. "I'm not feeling too well," said Rei while smiling apologetically.
Kai crossed to the hand dryer and began drying his shirt. Rei turned the tap off and wiped his face with some paper towel.
"So," Rei said conversationally over the drone of the hand dryer. "How's your evening so far?"
Kai turned his head and glanced at Rei. Rei's cheeks were slightly flushed and he looked feverish. "It's been pretty boring," Kai said slowly. "Are you alright?"
Rei smiled and leaned against the sink ledge. "I'm alright. It's probably just a small cold." He stuffed his hands in his pocket and leaned forward slightly. "I saw your match with Tyson today. I've never seen you two blade so well."
Kai nodded and continued to dry himself. Then, as an afterthought, "Thanks."
Rei grinned. "You guys almost demolished the dish. It was a really close match. I'm glad I was there to see it."
Kai nodded again, not knowing how to reply. There was something he knew he needed to say to Rei, but he couldn't remember what.
"Anyways," Rei continued. "Are you blading again next year?"
Kai shook his head.
"I'm retiring."
Rei nodded in understanding. "So am I. Going to catch up in school and make something of the rest of my childhood before I head off to university."
Feeling that nodding again would seem stupid, Kai opted for silence. The two said nothing for a while as the noise of the hand dryer droned on.
Suddenly, Rei reached into his pocket. He took out a small slip of paper and held it out to Kai.
"I want to give this to you," he said. "It has my address and phone number. We can write letters to each other, if you want. I've got the addresses of Tyson, Max, and Kenny, too."
Kai stopped drying and took the slip of paper from Rei's outstretched hand.
"We've had some great times together," Rei continued. "Even though we competed separately this year, I still consider you guys my team-mates and friends."
Kai thought that this was the ideal time to say what had been bothering him.
"Look, Rei," Kai began as he struggled to express his thoughts properly. "I've been meaning to say this to you before."
Rei leaned forwards expectantly. Kai took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry about our last match," he said, looking Rei straight in the eye. "I mean, I'm sorry if I had hurt you or anything—"
"It's alright," Rei replied firmly. "It was a fair match, and you won."
"No, that's not what I mean," Kai stammered hurriedly. "I realized that what I did was wrong. I was too harsh, too fierce—"
"It was a fair match," Rei repeated, "and you performed beautifully. I couldn't have asked for a worthier opponent and it was an honour to lose to such a talented blader. I don't have a grudge against you or anything. You'll always be my friend."
Kai winced as if struck by Rei's words. He turned his face away, but a deep weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. Kai's breathing returned to normal and he was astonished that he had been holding his breath.
"Well, I'm glad that we're still friends…" he managed.
Rei smiled in reply.
Kai felt the need to escape to spend some time alone with his thoughts. "I've got to go," he managed.
Rei extended his palm for a handshake. "Bye, Kai. Come over to visit over the holidays, and don't forget to write."
"Right," Kai said breathlessly as he shook Rei's hand. Hewalked out of the washroom withRei's endearing smile still lingering in his mind.
The moon hung high in the sky like a floating lantern. Kai rubbed the backs of his arms and shivered slightly. Though the day had been warm, the night was unmistakeably chilly.
He started as the door opened behind him. Tala stepped onto the balcony, closing the door behind him.
"You're likely one of the most unusual people I'll ever meet," Tala commented wryly as he leaned against the railing beside Kai. "Zombie by day, owl by night. You, my friend, are full of contradictions."
Kai shrugged. "I've got a lot to think about."
Tala nodded, smiling. "That was quite a performance back at the banquet. Tyson was positively glowing with happiness."
Kai looked sharply at Tala's shadowed face.
"You mean that?"
"Of course!" Tala said, and bowed theatrically to Kai. "It was the most wooden acting I've ever seen in my life, outside of Grade Six drama class. You convinced everyone, but the question is: are you convinced yourself?"
Kai shrugged. "He won, I lost. There's nothing more to it. I've always measured up short against him."
Tala looked up at the sky. "You know, Kai, there'll always be winners and losers. I say you're spoiled by success. But you tried your best, and you put on one hell of a show doing it."
Kai nodded and looked down at the dark ground below him. "I know. I knew I was going to lose, though." He fell silent. "Tyson is very good."
Tala chuckled. "I thought I'd never hear you say that."
Kai sighed. "It's not that I'm disappointed over my loss or anything. Tyson's a great blader and he deserved the title. I knew I wasn't going to win halfway through the match, and I was surprised that I held on for that long. It's just that," Kai paused while he searched for the right words, "I don't enjoy Beyblading anymore."
He turned himself to face Tala. "I used to love Beyblading, but I don't find myself caring anymore. I no longer feel the excitement or thrill of stepping up to the dish."
Tala nodded earnestly. "Go on."
"I've been feeling so removed from my surroundings lately. I don't know how long this disassociative state is going to last. My match with Tyson was so long ago, it seems that it doesn't have any impact on my immediate life."
Tala was silent. "Are you scared?"
Kai made a helpless gesture with his hands. "Yes, I am! I should be feeling happy, or sad, or excited, or any other feeling than the nothingness I feel right now. I know that this is an important day, and I want to make the most of it—"
"But time goes by so fast you don't know what you've missed 'til you've slowed down," Tala said.
"Yes," Kai said, and the two were silent for a while, bathing in each other's presence and the gentle breeze. The moonlight shimmered softly around them.
Kai was the first to speak up.
"Tala, what's going to happen to us?"
Tala stirred and glanced at Kai. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, what're we going to do after this? What am I going to do when I go home?"
Tala grinned. "Well, I know what I'm going to do. I'll find myself a nice girl, settle down somewhere, and maybe raise a family. I like chicken, and I've always wanted a chicken farm—"
"I'm serious, Tala."
"You're always serious, Kai," Tala replied in amusement. "But I'm serious too, believe it or not. Do you know that we have one-legged chickens on my grandpa's farm?"
"Tala…" Kai said warningly.
"I'm serious! The chickens were so stupid that they kept sticking their legs in the mousetraps, and so we have one-legged chickens hopping around."
Kai couldn't help but chuckle slightly at this ludicrous piece of information. Everything seemed so absurd.
Tala was triumphant.
"See? I told you!" he cried. "What you need, my poor misguided friend, is more laughter in your life. You need to loosen up more often."
Kai's chuckles subsided. "You're crazy, Tala, you know that?"
Tala grinned in response. "Take it easy, though," he said with sudden seriousness. "Take care of yourself at home."
Kai nodded.
Tala pressed on. "Don't wear yourself out. Perfectionism may ensure other things, but it certainly doesn't ensure happiness—"
"I know, I know," Kai murmured, searching in his mind for a change of subject. "Are you going back to that private school?"
Tala grimaced. "Yeah, my parents don't want me hanging around with high school degenerates. It has never occurred to them that a high school degenerate might be living under their roof. Plus, they think high quality education will raise my grades."
Kai scoffed. "That's stupid."
"You tell my parents that," Tala went on. "They want me to become a doctor or a lawyer or some other 'respectable' person. Man, I've only got a few years left before I take on the big, bad world. I want to make the most of it."
Kai nodded cynically. "Don't we all."
The two watched the clouds slide over the sky as the moon periodically slipped into view. The air was cool and everything was silent and still.
"I'm going to feel dead tomorrow morning," Tala remarked.
"You can always sleep on the plane," Kai offered. Suddenly they turned to each other, smiling broadly as if seeing the other for the first time.