Judge: Ms. Skycold, you were late with the update. What do you have to say for yourself?

Guilty :') Fr tho, I'm really sorry! I went on a trip to Deutschland in June and finally put my German into use, yay! (ps, I totally sucked) :D What's more, the final season of Peaky Blinders got out, and I needed some time to recover, which I did by binge-watching Pasion de Gavilanes just for the nostalgia and the nonsensical drama 😁 Not to mention, I had to recover from not one, but THREE failed talking stages :')

I really tried to add some structure to this chapter, but I still feel like it's a jumble of funny/character development moments soo yeah. It's mainly Hikaru experiencing anxiety to the nth degree :) I hate writing fight/training scenes, especially beyblade ones. So if I suck, I apologize in advance

Also, since I got a couple of requests to upload the essay on a site that's more accessible than dreamswidth, I posted it on Tumblr, so you can check it out there too now, my blog's psychoberry10 :)

Today's songs are:

Hozier - Like real people do

Mitski - Carry me out

Kali Uchis - No eres tu

Rihanna - Rude boy

Chapter 8 - Keeping It Professional

22nd June

After a half-hour-long conversation with Madoka, which would usually serve as a stress reliever, but today instead made Hikaru detest herself with a fierce passion for repeatedly deceiving her best friend, the secretary was mutely strolling along with the main source of her mental strain.

Now, a nice long walk like the current one would've been sufficient to calm her nerves, especially since the destination was their training spot, and if there was one good thing about the sparring, aside from the constant muscle cramps and sweating buckets in the scorching sun, it was that Hikaru brazenly used the occasion to payback Kyoya for being a pain in the ass all the time. Problem was, they had a new type of training added to the schedule.

Beyblade boot camp wasn't something the secretary was looking forward to, to say the least. When you have the infamous King of Beasts for your instructor, you might as well expect to be put through nine circles of hell. God only knows what type of brutal, back-breaking regime he had prepared to subject her to. Still, Hikaru couldn't help herself fretting over the subject, and it took her a tremendous amount of effort not to vomit whatever she'd eaten earlier that day due to the acidy-sickness that was roiling and boiling in her stomach.

Calm down! It's only for half an hour. You're only making it appear worse by overthinking.

Just then they arrived at the creek and began their warm-up routine, her body going through the stretches automatically since her mind refused to rest.

It wasn't until they were finished, and Hikaru had tried putting on her gloves and then found herself unable to do so that she realised just how much her hands were shaking. In fact, if she was completely honest, she'd have to admit her entire body was vibrating.

Which made no sense.

Surely, two years ago when she'd tried training with Tsubasa, she'd been a touch hesitant, mildly nervous at best. But she definitely hadn't shaken to this extent. There wasn't a reason for her to - Tsubasa was someone she was comfortable with, who she trusted and was sure he'd never hurt her.

Is that what all these tremors were about? Because Kyoya wasn't exactly a friend? Admittedly, he wasn't exactly the kindest and most gentle person on the planet, but he wasn't as cruel as he'd portrayed himself to be either. She was positive he'd never deliberately hurt her.

He even helped me out on the train, Hikaru reminded herself, far too shaken by the experience to forget it. So why wouldn't her stupid hands just stay still? They shouldn't be doing this at all. Her hands had always done her bidding; why were they now going wild, as if all the nerves had been severed?

" We'll start with some basics for warm-up, " Kyoya spoke up suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts as he swiftly went through the course he appeared to have so clearly drawn in his mind, and while Hikaru grasped it roughly, she didn't comprehend it completely. She was keenly aware of every muscle under her skin quivering and spasming slightly and there was a pulse in her ears that she didn't recognize as her own, which made it extremely hard to concentrate. " Got it? "

Hikaru nodded like she understood what he meant, when in reality she really didn't and made a last-second decision that she'd rather have him explain it one more time than be flayed alive when she failed to do it correctly. " Actually, no. " she rasped out and licked her lips which felt as dry as the Sahara desert. " Could you go over it one more time? " she asked, a weak attempt at concealing the discernible apprehension in her voice.

Kyoya, uncharacteristically, wasn't pissed off about having to repeat himself, only let out an audible sigh. " It's easier to show you. " Mere seconds afterwards he sent Leone soaring towards the nearby forest. It made its way through the forest like a bulldozer, generating thunderclap explosions for a short while, then changed directions and hit one rock after another in a zigzag pattern. Practical learning can do in thirty seconds what thirty minutes of lecturing cannot.

But things went downhill when the bey struck a particularly large rock, blowing it to rubble and generating a blast so deafening that any passer-by could easily mistake a military exercise was taking place. Yet it paled in comparison to the way it made Hikaru's heart twist in her chest and her pulse stutter, and she feared she may as well die right there. It didn't stop her from feeling the bullet plunge into her lungs, split her breath, rip apart her insides, and compel the rushing of her blood to block out sounds, vision, thought, and life, sending her spiralling down into darkness and doubt and cold and—

" Dollface! "

Hikaru's lungs constricted enough to make her gasp, and her jittery body promptly jerked backwards. She blinked as Kyoya's scowling face came back into focus…

Oh God, did I just pass out? Great, now he'll think I'm a weakling!

But no, Hikaru quickly realized she hadn't fainted, just briefly blacked out. Luckily, she was still on her feet, though her fingers had a fierce death grip on her launcher and gloves.

" Are you alright? " His scrutinizing stare only heightened her uneasiness; Kyoya was far too observant not to notice her faint trembling from head to foot. " If you're not in good shape, we're not doing it. " It came out odd, like so many things Kyoya said around Hikaru in these sessions, and the lingering notion of what it sounded like niggled endlessly at the bluenette.

However, a catatonic Hikaru quickly pushed it aside because Kyoya was actually offering her an out of this training. Being as demanding and impatient about everything he wanted, this came as a bolt out of the blue, but Hikaru had already begun getting used to these rare glimpses of a softer– no, that wasn't it - a less…Yoyo side of Kyoya. Perhaps that's why, rather subconsciously, her mouth had somehow formed an overly-bold smile. " Yeah, I'm okay, " she didn't allow any doubt to creep into her tone and stared right back at the lad, because he didn't deal in uncertainties. Although Hikaru's hands were still trembling, she forced her fear down because this had to be done. It was her duty to prepare herself accordingly and complete the assignment without failing. Besides, they hadn't even started. She'd disappoint Kyoya if she backed down now. " I can do this. "

At that, the blader was rather quiet, eyeing his partner warily, as if she was asking him to push her from a bridge in hopes that the force of the impact would be absorbed by the water alone. " If you say so, " he finally said with the usual aloofness, stuffing his hands into his pockets and moving out of the way, though she swore there was a hint of restlessness in his tone. " Go ahead. "

Hikaru walked forward hesitantly, doing her best to push away the light-headedness. Her muscles felt spongy, almost weak and her heart was beating so rapidly that she half-believed it would tear her chest open. Despite this, the bluenette shifted her feet shoulder-width apart, inserted her bey into the launcher, and aimed straight forward. It took one deep breath for the dizzy spell to be broken.

But then Kyoya said " Hold up. Your stance is wrong, " Of course, Hikaru reasoned, of course Kyoya could do anything he wanted and still have time to criticize her posture. She was about to roll her eyes when a pair of hands grasped her shoulders and pressed them lower. Obviously, the point was to relax them, but unfortunately, it had the opposite effect and made her bristle like a frightened cat. She fast realized that one advantage of not facing Kyoya was that he couldn't see her head turning into a tomato from the intensity of her blush. " Loosen up. "

For a brief moment, Hikaru could only concentrate on the weight of Kyoya's hands on top of her shoulders, because holy crap, when did he ever initiate physical contact? Then she remembered who she was with and why she was there. So without further ado, Hikaru let her form become less stiff and launched Aquario toward the woods.

Much to her surprise, her bey tore through the forest without a problem, knocking down one tree after another like a line of dominoes, and it didn't look like it was about to stop soon. Somewhere between the panic and doubt, Hikaru felt bits of courage slip between the cracks of her damaged confidence. With this renewed bravado, she decided to take a risk and test if her skills really weren't that rusty, so she sent Aquario shooting from one rock to another like a self-propelled slingshot pellet.

For only a couple, anyway. Rock number four proved to be a problem and her bey rebounded like a tennis ball off the top of a net, falling to the ground.

Hikaru exhaled deeply and braced herself for the sharp pinch in her gut that usually accompanied these training and battles. But it didn't arrive. She wondered fleetingly if it was because she'd finally grown numb. Or maybe it was the fresh countryside air that dulled her panic response; or the calming sound of the flowing river; or maybe it was the set of reassuring hands on–

Wait. Kyoya's hands were no longer on her.

Of course, there was no need for him to keep them there, so why would he? And it's not like Hikaru had liked it or anything!

When the bluenette turned to see his reaction, she saw a blank slate of his face, mouth slightly agape after all suspicions had been wiped clean from it. It all changed when Kyoya realized he was being watched. " Not too shabby, though it could be better, " he declared indifferently, before ordering curtly, " Again. "

She nodded slowly, still trying to calm the pulsating, nauseating knot in her stomach by taking a big lungful of air. " Sure, I just need a few minutes. "

" You're not getting them. " Kyoya was firm, arms crossed and a rotten look on his face. " We've got no time to play softball, and you have lots of improving to do. "

Hikaru's initial instinct was to give her partner the stink eye, because he was back to being the bossy Mr Big with impossibly high standards and not a friend who would naturally express worry for her at a time like this.

But once she realized that, it had the complete opposite effect. In fact, Hikaru started to appreciate being with Kyoya in a manner she hadn't before. Instead of babying her, he didn't ask if she could continue as though he doubted it. He expected her to, knowing she was more than capable if she put her mind to it.

" Fine. " She was dead set on making this crazy thing with Kyoya work, even if it meant throwing up. She was ambitious by nature, and if Kyoya wanted her to meet his expectations, then Hikaru was going to do just about that, and a lot more, until she was sure he was blown away. So she straightened her shoulders and gave him a fierce look. " Let's keep going. "

Judging by the appeased smirk that played at the corner of his lips, her response was more than satisfactory.

The stress from today's events had gradually dissipated from Hikaru's body by midnight, perhaps thanks to the soothing atmosphere that the tree-hide provided; cool, night air, the sound of distant conversations and crickets as their background music.

Along Hikaru's gurgling stomach.

She was carnivorously hungry and knew she'd feel better once she'd eaten the dinner she'd missed - and then more. And since this is how they spoke to each other now, Hikaru's opening call was " Could you pass me the chicken? "

Her partner emitted a non-verbal sound that sounded more like a grunt than anything else, sullenly dug through the backpack and seconds later passed her the food which was wrapped in a paper sandwich bag. Hikaru reached into it and peeked inside, and sure enough - there were the chicken legs.

Except they were fried.

The starving secretary instantly made a face and an even more disgruntled groan. " I told you I wanted it roasted, not fried! "

The lad, who also had taken out a meal of his own, stopped munching on his sandwich just to bark out in self-defence " Well, it's not my fuckin' fault they didn't have roasted! "

The bluenette gave one last sigh of disappointment before accepting that fate, like always, wasn't on her side, and returned the food back inside the backpack. As she did that, she caught Kyoya glaring at her, like she was a puzzle he couldn't figure out. " You seriously not gonna eat it just because it's fried? "

With a nod, she replied, " Believe me, I'd rather stay hungry. " And it was true. Few people actually knew how terrible the cramps could be if her stomach got irritated. In times like these, when she had no pills, hunger was the preferable option.

Kyoya made his signature 'tch' and muttered something dastardly like 'fuckin' hunger strike' under his breath. Hikaru had just turned her back on him when she felt a nudge in the shoulder, prompting her to whirl around again to see his extended arm, presenting half of his sandwich. " Here. "

Hikaru blinked owlishly at her partner, but by now she was so used to his unexpected gestures that she instinctively took the food. It was a strange combination of realizing that Kyoya was actually trying to show kindness, while still having his way. He'd come a long way since they first met, but he was still Kyoya. That's just something Hikaru had to live with. " Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? " she found herself asking directly. She was used to speaking her mind, but there was something about the legendary blader that seemed to pull it out of her straight away.

Kyoya's face contorted with rage and something like bewilderment, snorting like her question was somehow offending. How dare she suggest that the notorious King of Beasts would go to all the trouble of being polite to someone? It apparently peeved him quite off since he chomped eagerly on his sandwich like the high-gains eater he was, only pausing to respond " Like hell I am! I just don't wanna bother with you passing out in the middle of the shift, Miss Caprice. "

" Hey. It's not like I have much of a choice. I ought to follow this diet. " Hikaru was defensive, but stoic in her answer, having become accustomed to the dysfunctional nature of her interactions with Kyoya.

His scowl deepened, now completely focused, eyebrows scrunched together like he was trying to figure out a new special move. " Why is that? "

Hikaru was seconds away from biting into the sandwich, but Kyoya's line of questioning threw her temporarily off. Just like he wouldn't freely share information about his personal life, he wouldn't ask others about theirs. It was all irrelevant and useless to him. So what was with this sudden pique of interest?

" I have gastritis. " she'd intended to leave it there, but for some odd reason, her mouth kept going. " I can't eat anything acidic, fried, greasy, sweet. If I do, I'll have to stuff myself with painkillers. "

At first, Kyoya had gone quiet, his resting expression on point—a grimace with a deep line between his brows, but a relative tranquillity was now settled over him, and Hikaru sensed an abrupt end to this conversation. A write-off due to insufficient effort.

" What causes it? " he asked, still giving her a deep, contemplative look that she hadn't gotten from anyone in a long time.

For a second, Hikaru wasn't sure she heard him right. But judging by his serious expression, she clearly had. At that, she considered Kyoya was selfish, not because he deliberately put himself above all others – although he did, of course – but because he never even thought about anybody else. Kyoya only did it when he was relentlessly asked, basically ordered to consider the world through someone else's eyes, and Hikaru's were certainly an odd fit for him. So it's totally natural for her to be bugged by Kyoya doing this on his own free will. What were his intentions? Where was he going with this?

Quizzically tilting her head to the side with the query, she provided him with an answer nonetheless." Well, as far as I know, it can be caused by stress, malnourishment, a bacterial infection, " she paused solemnly for a second before mentioning her case " Or an injury, like a burn. "

That's all Kyoya seemed to want to know, as he hmphed and returned his attention to his meal.

Hikaru followed suit and at last, began to feel more like herself as she pushed the first few mouthfuls into the cavernous hole of her stomach. Soon enough, her brain had regained sufficient energy to say " Oh, and thanks for the sandwich. "

Oddly enough, Kyoya refused to meet her eye when he muttered " Just shut up and eat. "

23rd June

Despite her workaholic reputation and impeccable work ethic, very few people knew that in fact, just like any other person Hikaru liked to take the edge off. That's why, after another thirty minutes of beyblade training, which proved to be a bit less stressful than the one yesterday, Hikaru decided to take advantage of the fact that they were essentially on a business trip and finally give in to the temptation of swimming in the crystal-clear river.

Hikaru had easily slipped off her workout clothes and placed them neatly on the ground, now spotting a two-piece black bikini and tied her hair in an impromptu bun - it'd grown to be past her shoulder blades and the last thing she wanted was to get it wet.

Humming happily, the bluenette dipped her toe into the water to check the temperature, which was just right. Oh, if only she was on the beach and there were more people around. She may not be naturally blessed on top, but she was well aware that her lifestyle did wonders for some of her other features, and it was safe to say it did boost her self-esteem. And aside from the small scar on her stomach, there was almost nothing that the girl was insecure about.

For some bizarre reason though, Kyoya was pretending not to watch, but Hikaru could tell he was. Under his heated gaze, she stretched, knowing that after today's vigorous training, her muscles were surely going to hate her tomorrow. She then whirled around, only to find him still staring at her without blinking, as if he could just switch off the function. She was certain that if he stared at something long enough, he could melt almost anything; it definitely did the number on her. That's when a crazy idea crossed her mind; the don't-do-it-Hikaru type of idea.

Raising an eyebrow with a smirk on her face, Hikaru let out a scoff, " Perv. "

The words slowly sunk in and Kyoya's face turned crimson at the rapidity of a turning traffic light, bright enough to light the runway, with literal smoke coming out of his ears. Even though Hikaru couldn't tell whether the reaction was due to rage or embarrassment, it was still all too cute - seeing the serious and grim King of Beasts flustered for a change.

" I'm not a perv! " he snarled, swiftly jumping to his feet and stomping all the way to where she was standing.

" Then why were you staring? " Hikaru asked calmly, but barely withholding a laugh since the sight before her was more than amusing.

" I wasn't staring! " he bellowed fiercely.

" I caught you staring," she stated matter-of-factly.

Kyoya found it difficult to think of a comeback for that, so he crossed his arms and his eyes moved from her face to her chest, and then back to her face again, looking utterly unimpressed. " There's nothing to stare at. "

The roles were now reversed, and Hikaru was so blinded by her fury that she couldn't consider the possibility that her chest wasn't what he was ogling in the first place.

Letting out a guttural growl, the girl lunged at her partner with the intention of punching him in the gut. This wasn't a goal she achieved, a lightning-quick flash of his fingers snatching Hikaru's wrist before she was even close to her intended contact, pulling her hard in his direction. She tried to steady her feet to the ground and straighten up, expecting him to push her face flat on the ground in the standard way of immobilizing a person.

Kyoya, of course, didn't do basic and canonical ways. He instead crunched low and drove towards her. Next thing she knew, he was balancing her on his shoulder, his hands on the back of her knees to keep her in place.

For a brief moment, Hikaru was dumbstruck by his course of action. Then she caught on to his train of thought and a wave of newfound anger overtook her. " Don't you dare— "

Kyoya, naturally, dared.

Before Hikaru could even make one last, furious protest, the blader hurled her into the tepid stream with a big splash. Seconds later, she came back to the surface of the bubbling water, and spit out any amount she had in her mouth. Wiping the drops and her bangs away from her eyes, the bluenette shot her partner the dirties look she could muster. So much for not getting her hair wet.

But that's what you get when you poke the lion.

" How about a salad? "

The blader shrugged nonchalantly. " Alright. "

Hikaru tossed the bag of mixed lettuce salad into the shopping basket while Kyoya kept examining the displayed beef and pork. The secretary was getting cold from the open freezers and refrigerators, so she headed for the jarred goods section. Once there, she raised her index finger, squinting as she scanned the shelves of jars, cans and bottles.

Bolognese sauce, bolognese sauce…

That's when a motion from the far end of the aisle caught her eye. Hikaru turned around to see a middle-aged man standing just a few meters away, eyes narrowed at the piece of paper he had in his hand. Large glasses on top of his head pushed back long strands of black hair.

If it wasn't for the white lab coat he was wearing, she wouldn't have recognized him.

It's the janitor!

The bluenette quickly tore her eyes away from the man, fearing that he might catch her staring. Who would've thought they would end up in the same grocery shop? But…considering the fact that this was the closest village to the premises, it wasn't at all surprising. Does that mean the rest of the staff came here, too? What were the chances that they would catch him here again in the next week? Maybe that was their only chance.

They couldn't lose it.

Hikaru whirled around to look for her partner, and sure enough, she saw Kyoya approaching her. Before he could come any closer, she paced over like a speed-walker and seized him with both hands, pushing him back the way he came, as she backed him up into the soft drinks shelf and left a somewhat alarmingly small space between them. More startling is the fact that he let her.

" Hippie! " she shouted the code name in a fake whisper.

Kyoya looked at Hikaru like she'd just wished him a Mery Christmas at the height of summer. " What? "

" The janitor from the lab! " the secretary explained frenziedly " He's here! "

Hikaru released her partner and beckoned for him to follow her, which he did with no small degree of suspicion. They poked their heads out from behind a shelf, peeking at the guy who hadn't moved even a centimetre. Now that Hikaru was able to get a better look at him, she realized why she hadn't recognized him initially. Gone were the bent back and limping leg. His straightened shoulders and upright posture made him appear taller, not to mention that he looked completely different without those thick glasses. Wait, didn't he need them to read?

" So what if he's here?" Kyoya pointed out and put his hands into his pockets, deciding to give this the bare minimum of his attention. " There's nothing we can do right now. "

" But what if this is our last chance of catching the staff outside the lab? " Hikaru countered easily, refusing to give up on such a rare opportunity. There he was, a man who worked in the laboratory on a daily basis, who's probably seen and knew everything that was happening there. Even the smallest piece of evidence or lead could give them an advantage. " I mean, there has to be something we can get from him, some piece of information. "

But Kyoya shook his head adamantly, like he was sure this was a lost cause. " No, there's nothing, unless— " he broke off, eyes fixed on the man, and his next criticism dying on his tongue. " The employee card. "

Hikaru's eyes zeroed on the small laminated card hanging on his coat like a hunting eagle spotting a rabbit on an open field. If they got their hands on it, entering the building would be a piece of cake. " Yes! " Hikaru's face was bright with determination. " Let's go for it then! "

Kyoya merely arched a brow. " And just how do you plan to snatch it off him, Dollface? "

This was a good question, so Hikaru took a moment to think it through. There really wasn't much they could do right now. They were in a public place, and even if they followed him afterwards and jumped him, which wasn't an option that Hikaru fancied, they'd be easily found. But what if something unexpected happened?

Hikaru snapped her fingers and piped up ecstatically, " We'll stage an accident! You'll push me, I'll fall on top of him and get it! "

At first, Kyoya appeared a little taken aback by her offer— probably because he hadn't expected that she'd been just as keen on getting this over with as him— then an unashamedly devilish smirk emerged on his face " Sure. "

The prick made no effort to hide that he was going to have fun doing this, so Hikaru barely resisted the urge to smack him, preferring to devote her attention on how they were going to execute the plan.

One minute later, the two had split up and Hikaru slowly ambled towards their unsuspecting target. Just as they had agreed, Kyoya approached from the other end of the aisle, hands stuffed into his pockets as he scanned the displayed goods with no real interest and briefly shot his partner a glance once they'd closed in on the guy.

What was supposed to be a slight shoulder-bump-turned-exaggerated-fall-into-the-target as they passed each other, played out as an obviously deliberate trip-up on Kyoya's part as Hikaru fell into the oblivious man like a collapsing building.

Although the stumble had taken her by surprise, the dazed bluenette somehow managed to get a hold of the item amid the mess of limbs and scattered products and shoved it in the back pocket of her shorts.

" Oh, I'm so sorry, sir! " Hikaru said while getting on her forearms, throwing a quick glare at Kyoya over her shoulder, who was grinning like a devil. Staying true to her role as an innocent civilian suddenly came all too easily for Hikaru in this situation as she scolded " Hey, you punk! Watch where you're going! "

The greenhead paid no attention to her angry outburst and continued on his way, assuming the role of some rude stranger perfectly and disappearing out of sight. She was so going to get back at him for this later.

" It's okay, miss. " a wheezy voice underneath her reassured, but panic seized her when she glanced down and saw him looking almost out cold. Had he fallen on his head?

The teen scrambled to her feet and helped the poor guy get back up, then started to put the products back into his shopping basket, otherwise her conscience would chow her down. " Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself? "

Killing someone with kindness had always been an unfamiliar concept to Hikaru, but now she was getting a hefty dose of it, as the fellow smiled warmly at her and shook his head, his only concern seeming to be whether his glasses were broken or not. " I'm fine. No need to worry. "

Once done with that returning the basket back to the man, the bluenette then clapped her hands together, instinctively bowing her head and making the guiltiest puppy dog eyes. " Once again, I truly apologize! "

Maybe Hikaru had to reconsider her professional choice, having played the part all too convincingly as apparently, her apology had struck a cord in him. With a dramatically raised fist in the air, he blared, " Please! The purpose of life is to live it, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences! " Despite his rather tired and unkempt look, the man sounded like he had the biggest fire lit inside of him, so the teen could only blink in confusion as he went on " So smile more and enjoy life, that's what we're here for! "

The conversation-turned-nonsensical-inspiring lecture and the sparkles that danced around the guy's form created this uncanny resemblance to a certain red-headed Immortal Phoenix, so much that Hikaru actually got goosebumps.

Even though the bluenette had no idea how he'd managed to connect this motivational speech with their 'accident', she'd had enough already with this predicament, so she laughed awkwardly and gave in, " Ah…okay, I'll keep it in mind. "

" That's the spirit! " the ebony-haired replica of Ryo beamed, giving her a thumbs-up, before his digital wristwatch went off. The man's eyes grew to the size of diner plates as he stopped the pesky beep-ing. " Dear God, look at the time! I'm gonna get scolded again for being late! "

Yup, that's the Director all over.

With a final charming smile and a wink, the man turned on his heel and dashed for the checkout, cheerfully waving back at her " Bye, miss! Remember to enjoy your life! "

Hikaru stood there, perplexed whether this was the guy normal attitude or he had indeed smacked his head pretty hard.

Later that evening, the teens quietly dined in one of the restaurants in the village - a warmly-lit dining space with home-like decor and soothing music drifting faintly through the air. It was nice having something as background noise, since there weren't many other customers around to fill in the otherwise awkward silence.

Neither of the two were the talkative type, but having been put in a bad mood earlier certainly didn't help their case. It turned out the item that Hikaru had grabbed in the tangled scuffle wasn't the janitor's employee card, but the piece of paper. Needless to say, Hikaru wanted to bang her head against a brick wall. Why did it always have to go the hard way?

Hikaru was ready to fight tooth and nail for ending this operation sooner, and she was sure Kyoya would do the same - it was their common interest. Then why hadn't he looked more disappointed upon their discovery that they didn't have the golden key to their freedom, or at least reacted in some way?

Maybe he's just tired, Hikaru supposed, gaze fixed on the greenhead across the table. She observed his large, calloused hands, noting how long his fingers were and remembering how the veins protruded whenever his hand clenched into a fist. Her eyes slowly travelled up to the biceps, well-defined chest and broad shoulders, features that she was still teaching herself not to gawk at, then at last to his face; the strong jawline, the intelligent cerulean eyes that were stealthily forming plans and exuding catlike mysteriousness. Always deeply private and equally proud, but also shining with excitement and thrill whenever he was fighting. And that cute canine tooth poking out from the side of his mouth…

With all that in mind, Hikaru came to the conclusion that Kyoya not only looked, but also acted exactly like a cat on steroids. She wasn't sure what disturbed her more - the fact that it took her this long to notice, or the fact that Kyoya was, by all definitions of the word, good-looking. Really, had she not known him personally, she would've assumed he was a textbook Casanova act.

The cat in question seemed to notice that she was studying him very intensively, so he shot her a dirty look and hissed out " Quit staring at me like I grew a second head. "

Hikaru's upper lip lifted in disgust.

Shame for the personality…

Then she inevitably remembered how he'd thrown her in the river earlier, and felt her hackles rise. Oh, did she have a bone to pick with him and a lot to get even for. That's why, much to her credit, Hikaru bent over and took one of the flat iron steak slices from Kyoya's plate, taking a bite.

Granted, since nobody has probably dared to steal from a grumpy lion's dinner before, it took Kyoya a moment to process what had just transpired, but once he did, he barked an " Oi! " then continued with an air that shook like earthquake aftershocks. " Order some steak yourself, I'm not sharing! "

Just like a soldier who'd gotten used to the sound of constant gunshots and grenade explosions, Hikaru had gotten used to Kyoya's explosive tantrums. " I don't want any. That's for throwing me into the river earlier. " Hikaru delivered like a judge, listing the number of offences the convict has done. As one would've guessed, Kyoya's record was long. " And for tripping me. And for shrinking my clothes. "

Kyoya made a dangerous sound in the back of his throat and, an eye for an eye, grabbed onto one of Hikaru's sushi rolls with his chopsticks, chowed it down with a vile twist of satisfaction that was hanging in the corner of his mouth.

The scales were off-balance once again, and Hikaru's sense of justice went off like a fire alarm. " Hey! "

Not wanting to stay behind, Kyoya gave a sentence of his own. " That's for calling me a pervert. "

Hikaru couldn't help herself and scoffed, her lips curled into a mischievous smile, and took notice of his posture—how the legendary blader was trying to keep the world at bay with every hostile stare and off-hand gesture. Then she leaned in closer to his personal space. " You were being a pervert. You were gawking."

" No, I wasn't. " Kyoya fired back with a frown and a flush colouring the tips of his ears. But he made no move to get away from Hikaru.

Understandably, Hikaru was a little pleased by the rare situation of being around Kyoya while he was truly embarrassed about something, for the second time today no less, so much to her amusement insisted, " Yes, you were. "

The lad gave an exasperated sigh. " Staring doesn't necessarily come with dirty thoughts. " Kyoya contradicted, perhaps just for the sake of being petty as hell. Because one minute he helped her on the train and the next he threw her into the river, but then he would give her half his sandwich like it wasn't confusing at all. But those were the usual trials and tribulations of trying to understand a complicated person like Kyoya.

What wasn't usual right now— at least not yet, but based on his unexpected stunts, maybe one day it would be— was that Kyoya was actually trying to justify himself. Whatever happened to the rowdy delinquent who didn't give a single fuck of how others viewed him? What was he even thinking now? Hikaru could never be sure. But oh, did she want to know. " Oh? " She prodded and raised an eyebrow, head tilted to the side and the sly smirk never leaving her face " So you weren't enjoying the view? "

It was supposed to be a light-hearted teasing, to see which prods would make Kyoya jump, if that stone face could be cracked some more. Where Hikaru had gathered this sudden burst of courage and insolence, she made sure to look into later, but for the meantime kept her focus on Kyoya, who by the way was looking at her in an astonishingly irritated way, before finally breaking eye contact and grumbling " No, I wasn't. "

But…something in the way he'd been silent, that small moment of hesitation.

Hikaru bit her lip nervously and finally tore her eyes away from her partner.

It's like he lied.

Which was ridiculous, of course. Hikaru quickly pushed the thought away and sipped from her water. Kyoya wasn't someone who'd lie about a trivial matter. In fact, he had a bad habit of being painfully honest. Her intuition was clearly in the wrong here.

" You should stop trying to get so casual with me, " Kyoya was done with his food and sat back into the chair, arms crossed and warning glare on point. He'd set his mind on destroying any possibility that such a semi-friendly talk would occur again, as if he wasn't the one who'd started acting weird out of the blue.

Hikaru scoffed, but there wasn't any teasing in her tone, only pure honesty when she responded " But you're the one who started it, Kyoya. "

Now this rendered him speechless.

This has been both a refreshing and nerve-racking chapter for our aqua girl :) Now, ofc she still hasn't overcome her trauma. Given how she'd reacted when the dark power within Tsubasa awoke in Metal Masters, I doubt she'll ever stop experiencing these side effects. With time though, they'll become less intense, and part of the reason why this happens is that Kyoya's really pushing her and hitting her in her weak spot - competition. While I was rewatching Metal Fusion, I couldn't help but notice that Hikaru's kind of glory hog, just a tiny bit 😅 Because he's pressuring her, and she doesn't want him to look down on her, she has less time to overthink and panic during the training. Even less when she wants to knock his socks off :D

And yeah, she's cold and uptight every time we see her throughout the MFB series (not that it's often anyway 😒), but I know for a fact that even the most serious and introverted ppl loosen up whenever they're around someone they're fond of. And by teasing Kyoya, Hikaru's actually showing that she's growing comfortable around him and opening up. Same goes for him - he's also showing he's growing comfortable around her by initiating and allowing physical contact. Again, as I was rewatching the series, I've noticed that Kyoya isn't the most touchy-feely person, to put it mildly 😅 He rarely allows anyone to touch him and when he does, it's usually something relatively reserved (like a high-five or fist-bump). Soo yeah, though it'd throw that one in there. Btw, this is pure headcanon of mine, but I feel like his love language would be physical touch, and don't ask me why cuz I can't answer (mere intuition i guess)

Btw, the scene on the river…Kyoya was actually staring at the scar on her stomach since he was slowly piecing together that her condition was because of what happened at Battle Bladers, so yeah, he'd never admit he was doing that (bc let's be honest here the scar wasn't the only thing he was looking at, give a man a break lmao)

I also have no idea when the next chapter will be published 👄 Just thought I might as well confess from now lmao.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Cheers!