Kyuusaisha Bleeding: Here is a one-shot that has Kai in it. I don't own Beyblade. Enjoy Kai's cute but foolish foolishness.
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Kai Hiwatari wasn't like most people. He was the kind of person who usually trusted his instincts. Therefore, when he woke up that morning feeling a strange new emotion in the pit of his stomach, he should have taken it as a sign that a monumental event was going to take place that day. Unfortunately, he dismissed it at first; by the time he had used the bathroom and dressed himself, the sensation had faded into something resembling the eager hunger that one can get only first thing in the morning. This was only the beginning of his many mistakes.
Kai glanced at his alarm clock. The glowing, red digital figures stated that it was fifteen minutes after five o'clock. He sighed, irritated that he had woken, of his own accord, so early. He shuffled in stocking feet across the plain cedar floor towards the window. Thin rays of white light from the street lamps outside filtered softly through the bamboo blinds. Yawning, he rested on his knees on the rumpled gray sheets of the bed, which was just below the window, and pulled the blinds up.
The sun was not even out of its own bed yet. Kai let his eyes wander enviously over the green-tinged sky just above the crest of a midnight blue mountain in the distance. The other houses on the street were hidden by the tall gate and fence surrounding the Kinomiya dojo, but though the buildings were not visible, Kai knew all of them had dark windows. A motherly breeze fixed the crooked, dying leaves on the Japanese maple trees.
Kai pushed his silvery fringe from his eyes and turned around, hopping off the bed. A habitual sweeping glance of the room revealed something missing; his roommate. Rei's bed was perfectly made, and obviously not slept in. Kai immediately became curious, and silently slinked out of the room.
Though he tried to suppress his interest, he could not stop himself from mulling over reasons why Rei wouldn't be in their room, asleep, at 5:16 am on a late October morning. Kai blinked and widened his eyes to adjust to the dark hallway. He stumbled sleepily to the kitchen, hardly disturbing the dusty silence that had fallen in thick layers during the night. The only source of light came from the large window in the room at the end of the hall, and the fluorescent street lamps outside gave everything a bluish tint.
Reaching the kitchen, he opened a few cupboards, not really paying attention to what was inside them. Whatever had happened to Rei couldn't be that terrible, could it? Kai was overreacting…definitely. He finally decided to make some tea with the electric kettle. After filling the kettle with water from the sink, he was just about to grab his favourite mug from the appropriate cabinet when a loud snort reached his ears. It had come from the TV room.
He went to investigate, and turned the corner to find the other members of his team, Takao, Max, and Rei, asleep in front of the TV. Rei was curled up at the end of the sofa closest to the doorway, leaning against Takao's shoulder. The Japanese boy was sitting hunched over between the other two, with Max's head resting in his lap. The blonde was also curled up, but lying down, his feet dangling over the edge of the end cushion. The loud snort was made by none other than Takao, who had started to snore softly. All three were still wearing their clothes from yesterday, and the television was chattering away calmly in the background.
Kai smiled, in spite of himself.
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A short, stubby pencil tapped impatiently upon the crisp new sheet of lined paper. There was nothing fancy about the note, nor was there anything fancy about all the other 'notes' crumpled, unfinished on the floor. The writer sighed, running fingers through carefully parted hair, trying to compose the emotions that creating a note like this required. The pencil paused at the top of the paper before beginning to neatly spill the writer's soul over the lines.
'Dear Kai Hiwatari,' the note began,
'I am your secret admirer. I haven't said anything before now because I didn't know what it would do to the team if anything happened. But I have wanted to say something, many times. However, I've waited, and while I waited I contented myself with closing my eyes to see your handsome, smiling face.
When we met, it was very awkward; you didn't say much. And it makes me think that maybe I'll have to keep the image of your face in my mind until I die. But no matter what, I'll do what I can for you.
I admire your very unique hair that always falls in your eyes. And your eyes, which perceive everything around them, are the most interesting and beautiful red I have ever seen. I love how amazingly determined you are, and the way you seem so relaxed, even if you're facing a challenge. I am proud just to say that I have been in the same room as you. Kai, you are an incredible, selfless person, and I love you.
We'll get there in the end. Wherever there is.
Sincerely, Your Secret Admirer'
The poet scanned the message with satisfaction. As an afterthought, a post-script was added, 'If you want to meet me, please do so just outside Takao Kinomiya's house this evening at 6:00 pm.'
"I know that Kai is staying with Takao there, so it shouldn't be a problem for him," the author said, folding the letter and sealing it in a marked envelope. Attention was suddenly drawn to a sparkling silver watch on the desk; the hands pointed urgently to eight and ten. The writer quickly stood up from the small table, almost upsetting the swivel chair. The bedroom door slammed shut, leaving the room empty, before the chair could right itself.
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A figure with dark hair snuck around the side of Kinomiya dojo, peering through bamboo leaves into the backyard. The admirer saw that Kai stood before the homemade beyblade dish with three others. The sound of muffled voices and Kyouju typing away furiously reached the ears of the poet, even from this distance. Sighing with relief, the poet then tiptoed away to the front door.
The door was unlocked, and slid back soundlessly. Once inside, the dark-haired figure relaxed a little more. They immediately hurried off to Kai and Rei's room. Slipping through the bedroom door, the writer swiftly dropped the envelope on Kai's pillow and slid the door shut behind them.
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"Where's Rei?" Max asked, as everyone settled around the long table for breakfast. A small pot of rice stood half empty on the counter beside the stove. In the sink, a dirty frying pan was soaking.
"Miss me, guys?" Rei grinned, walking down the hall toward the kitchen. "I just went to the bathroom…"
"Well actually," Takao winked as he removed his hat, "Max was saying that I could have your breakfast, you know, since you weren't coming—"
"Fat chance, Taka," Rei sneered and grabbed a bowl from the center of the table. He sat down in his chair and pulled his knees up to his chest, feet perched on the edge of the seat. Max and Kyouju chuckled at Takao's mock-disappointed look, while Kai made a disapproving face at the tedious conversation.
Everyone thanked Max for preparing breakfast, and they were all just about to take the first bite when there was a light tapping at the front door. Kai put down his bowl, irritated, and went to answer the door, since he was closest. The rest of the team seated at the table listened intently; the lock slid back and the door opened, letting in the outdoor sounds and crisp breeze. There was a muffled, yet noticeably feminine, "Ohayou!" Kai mumbled the same in return and invited the voice inside. The draft was suddenly interrupted and the sound of cars rushing past on the invisible street was muted. This time, two pairs of footsteps padded into the kitchen.
"Ohayou, Hiromi," Takao said animatedly, trying to stifle a yawn.
The brown-haired girl smiled at her friends, two of which were trying hard to stay awake. "Hey, guys." Hiromi looked closely at Max and Takao. "Boy, do you look tired! Late night?"
Max wordlessly asked Hiromi to join them at the table. She sat down beside Kai in an empty chair as everyone began eating. "Yeah, umm, Taka wanted to watch some movie that started at 12:30…" Max glared playfully at his friend.
"…Didn't end until almost three in the morning," Rei finished, gesturing casually with his chopsticks. "I don't even remember what it was about," he added carelessly.
"I remember that I slept weird, 'cause now I've got a sore neck," Takao rubbed the aching spot, grimacing.
"Well, you all certainly looked cozy together on the couch…" Kai said slyly, smirking. Takao and Max immediately blushed; Max began a barely audible conversation with his knees, and Takao coughed loudly and searched for his hat under the table. The others could scarcely contain surprised, yet delighted, snickers. To the two embarrassed teens' great relief, a gentle "Ahem," from Kyouju redirected everyone's attention.
"If you're all done eating, it's about time we started practice," he said, still trying to suppress a smile while gathering up his laptop.
"Right," Takao straightened, suddenly business-like. He began to march his troop toward the sliding door that lead to the backyard. Kai and Hiromi slipped out of his grasp; the red-eyed boy strode to the bedroom he and Rei shared to retrieve his beyblade. Hiromi offered to wash the dishes, and since no one objected, she grabbed a cloth and fearlessly stared down the soiled saucepan.
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An envelope.
There was an envelope on his pillow.
The envelope was pastel blue.
All it said was "Kai!" in thin, precise letters.
It was like discovering a strange, stray cat on the front porch; it was a great shock, and made one curious as to how it got there, but one didn't really want to get too close to it.
Kai reached out for it tentatively and picked it up. It wasn't heavy. He slid a finger under the flap and tore it open. Peering inside, he saw that there was only one sheet of the same blue paper. He raised an eyebrow skeptically, tugged the letter from its covering and flipped it open to see what it said.
Disbelieving, Kai read the note several times before grumpily tossing it back on his quilt.
"This is a joke," he hissed to himself, removing Dranzer from a pocket in his suitcase. He turned sharply away from the sight of his bed, marched to the door and yanked it open. Stepping back into the hall, he unfurrowed his brow; not noticing it had been furrowed in the first place. Kai sighed; his back hit the closed wooden door.
What if it wasn't a joke? Maybe the one who had sent was genuinely admitting their feelings. Kai hadn't met anyone as honest as that in years. His fingers clenched around the sapphire blue top in his hand; something in the back of his mind disagreed with him. Yes, if he allowed himself to admit it, there was Rei. Rei Kon, Kai's teammate, and probably his best friend. Kai's brow unconsciously knitted again.
Secretly, he was hoping that Rei sent the letter, while openly; he was praying that a crazed fan hadn't sent it. It struck Kai as odd that there was no stamp anywhere on the envelope, thus the admirer would have broken into his room and placed it on his pillow. He shuddered at the thought of anyone other than Rei or himself being in that room uninvited.
The last sentence of the message came swimming back into his mind's eye, tempting him; "If you want to meet me, please do so just outside Takao Kinomiya's house this evening at 6:00 pm." Kai shook his head vigorously.
"No," he whispered, sliding down the door a little. This could really be dangerous; there are plenty of crazy people in the world, and maybe one of them wants Kai Hiwatari gone, permanently.
Another possibility, he thought, almost mentally ticking them off, was this was a joke. It seemed a little harsh for Takao or Max, but sometimes those two just didn't know when to stop.
Possibility number three: fan…crazy obsessed fan.
Possibility number four: Rei…
"…Is in love with me," Kai mumbled, his eyes glazing over.
"Who's in love with you?" someone beside him blurted suddenly. Kai jumped in surprise, landing in a tiger stance several feet from the door he had been leaning against. His scarf lagged behind, still swaying in the temporary gust. Hiromi stood before him; her eyes squinted with delight and an innocent smile gracing her features. The pink shirt she wore was dappled with blobs of dishwashing soap and water, and a drying towel was stuffed in the pocket of her skirt.
"Hiromi," Kai growled, his voice low, "What the hell are you doing?" He finally relaxed into normal posture and twitched his scarf back into place.
She crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "I was looking for you 'cause the others were wondering where you got to. When I finished with the dishes, I came down the hall because I thought you would be in your room. I saw you just leaning against the door like that, and I walked closer. Didn't you hear me saying your name? Well, I guess not. So then I heard you whisper—"
"You didn't hear me whisper anything, got it?" Kai said sternly.
Hiromi looked taken aback for a moment, but then an even bigger smile appeared. "Kai, Kai, Kai…you're so impatient. I was about to say, 'I heard you whisper something that I couldn't quite make out'. So obviously, I didn't hear anything…" she gave him a knowing look and whipped around. "Anyway, you better get out there; you are the captain after all. And we can't have a scaredy-cat captain, can we?"
Kai opened his mouth to argue with Hiromi's back moving swiftly down the hall away from him, but closed it as he realized she was right. She couldn't possibly appreciate the full truth of what she had said, and for that Kai was thankful. If Kai didn't meet the secret admirer tonight, no matter who it was, a part of him would be a scared, regretful lump for a long time after. That was what he decided at that moment. He would meet the stranger at 6:00.
Hiromi must have thought it strange that no witty retort came from the stoic boy standing behind her.
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The rest of Kai Hiwatari's day fell apart after the incident in the hallway. Mostly, his train of thought was caught in a loop that could not be broken, and the lever to switch tracks was out of reach. His friends spun happily around him, their feet firmly touching ground, while he remained motionless, head in the clouds.
One such loop went something like this; Ok, it might be nothing to worry about, and if that's true, then fine. I'll say I went out for some fresh air. But if it turns out to be Rei…what would I say? "I also think you're amazing and your hair is very…pretty." That sounds even more obtuse than what I thought of five minutes ago. Maybe, hopefully, we won't have to talk. We'll just understand what the other is thinking because we know each other so well. Rei is so great that way. He's understanding and reliable, laid-back and determined when he wants to be, with the most lovely almond-shaped eyes, and he must never eat sugar or anything like that because he's so in-shape. I really hope tonight goes as smoothly as that one time in the café. That was a good day; I knew exactly what to say. Our conversations are never boring; we usually talk about important things, nothing mundane. But this time, what will we say to each other? What is there to talk about…I could say…
Several times, Takao or one of the others would have to tap him sharply on the shoulder, bringing Kai back to solid ground. He avoided looking Rei in the eye; for some reason the Chinese boy was rather quiet this afternoon, and Hiromi was smiling at him more than was usual. Kai would simply assist his team with whatever they had tapped him on the shoulder for, then become reaffixed to the path his mind raced over again and again.
Needless to say, a day of training, teammates poking his shoulder (occasionally asking for instruction on specific attacks), avoiding Rei, and mentally preparing himself for that evening passed by in a complete blur. The daylight hours seemed to be on fast forward. When Kai, and everything around him, finally jolted to a halt, he stood alone in the backyard of the dojo, startled to see a full-faced moon already rising. The sky was not completely dark, however; the sun was still up, resting its tired head on the mountains. The streetlamps were lit, making the insects that floated near glow like wandering stars. Everything seemed to be gilded in a light orange from the setting sun; the silhouettes of the crimson-leaved plants stood out against the cedar fence.
"At least I can think straight again," he muttered. Kai lamented the fact that he had only thought of a few minor things to say to Rei that evening. His meditation was again interrupted by Kyouju peeking through the sliding door, calling him inside for dinner. Since Kai had accidentally missed out on lunch, he was rather hungry.
It must be almost 6:00, he thought, clenching his fist around Dranzer. Suzaku, sensing the turmoil in Kai's aura, warmed at his touch, comforting him. Kai absentmindedly nodded at Kyouju and stepped inside.
The bright, yellow lights from the kitchen calmed him a little more. A familiar scent reached his nostrils; he took a deep breath. Spicy, refreshing, and savory; it was Rei's favourite dish to make. Kai could hear one of his teammates in front of the stove, clattering about with different spoons and changing the dials for the elements, and steam from a boiling pot saying "Shh", like a mother to a disobedient child. The others lounged in the TV room, chatting warmly to each other.
"Hey, Kyouju," Kai said flatly before the shorter boy walked away. "What time is it?"
Kyouju glanced instinctively at the silver watch on his wrist, "Seven minutes after six."
"Hn," he strolled off down the hallway. Inwardly, Kai was panicking. Once again, his mind was reeling as he leisurely pulled back his bedroom door. The room was dark, but the blinds were pulled up, leaving a harsh, rectangular, bright yellow stain on the wall. Dead leaves and small insects racing past the window created frantic shadows. The alarm clock seemed to be ticking away the seconds louder than usual. Kai tried to disregard the rising agitation in the pit of his stomach that was anything but hunger now, and snatched the secret letter from his bed.
He turned and hurried with a blank expression down the passage to the front door. He wrenched the door wide open, stepped over the threshold, and everything seemed to stop. A light wind sighed slowly and impatiently. The moon's single white eye stared down expectantly, never blinking. Any sound from inside the dojo was muted completely. Kai stumbled over the first few stepping-stones, reaching the gate sluggishly, as though he was wading through deep sand.
"Why won't my legs move? It won't matter what I decided if I'm too late to meet him," he reasoned, stretching his arm out to touch the handle of the tall cedar gate. Kai abruptly changed his mind at the last second, and pushed his body to face the wall of the fence instead. Stuffing the paper into his pants pocket, he placed his stiff hands on top of the wall, gave a little hop, and silently swung himself to the top of the fence, crouching there easily. From this location, he was able to scan the barren street for suspicious characters without them hearing him open the gate.
Finding the sidewalks truly, and unusually, deserted, he jumped down to the concrete. Just as he straightened and started looking around, he heard a quiet tapping sound coming from the opposite side of the heavy gate. Someone else was walking over the stone path.
Kai swiftly leaped to the side, serenely staring up at the moon, hands in pockets, while keeping the gateway in his peripheral vision. The handle rattled and the thick wood began to swing outwards. Kai's mouth was dry; he swallowed and felt his heart in his throat. Unoiled hinges complained slightly as they were slowly forced open. Kai gritted his teeth, preparing himself to face his worst fear and best friend. The gate was half open, wide enough to make out a shadowy outline with dark hair. The figure moved forward in slow motion, darkness slipping off like a cloak, and bright, brown eyes appeared, then pale, olive skin…full pink lips…a light-coloured shirt...
"Hi-Hiromi?" he said impassively. Kai unclenched his sweaty fists in his pockets.
The cheerful girl skipped out from behind the door and let it thump shut. "Hey, Kai. I am here to tell you that dinner is ready, and you better come in now because everyone else is really hungry…Kai, are you alright? You look worried," her proud smile faded and uneasiness flashed in her eyes.
Kai shook his head, not making eye contact. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Uh…you haven't seen Rei, have you?"
"Well, yes, he was in the kitchen the last time I saw him. But…Kai…" Hiromi nervously laced her fingers together behind her back. He finally turned to look at her, and did not see the ordinary, confident know-it-all he was used to. The glare from the streetlamps shone in her widened eyes and the corners of her mouth were turned downwards.
"Well…?" Kai meant it to sound much gentler than the way it came out.
"I was…it was…I was…the…thinking! I was thinking that you and Rei should get together," she smirked at the flabbergasted expression on his face. "Yeah, I totally know about the secret admirer letter thing that you got. You know what? I bet it was from Rei," she winked and elbowed Kai in the ribs, her eyes gaining back some of their natural deviousness. "Trust me, I know when someone likes someone else, and he's definitely got it bad for Kai Hiwatari. The way he acts around you gives it away, and I can tell you like him too. It's not surprising, really; I mean, you've been best friends for a long time now. You understand each other without even speaking. You two listen to each other when no one else would. It's amazing, Kai. You shouldn't waste something like that. I bet if you told him how you feel right now…he'd just be so happy!"
Kai had been staring at her for the entire speech, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish lying on the carpet. He was definitely in a place he wasn't used to. Finally, he found his voice, "How do you know about the note?" he demanded.
"When you weren't at the table even after Kyouju called you in from the backyard, I went looking for you. Kyouju said you went in the direction of the bedroom you and Rei share, so I went there first. I saw an envelope lying on your bed. It had your name on it and also in very small writing it said "from your Secret Admirer" on the back. Once I saw that, it explained everything; why you kept spacing out today at training, why you were avoiding Rei…" she smiled contentedly, folding her arms. "And now, you and he are going to have a nice, long conversation. I'll just go get him, shall I?" Not waiting for an answer, Hiromi turned around. Before she could take one step, Kai seized her wrist.
"Hiromi, no. I am not going to tell Rei anything," Kai objected.
The brown-haired girl twisted around, glaring determinedly. "Oh, yes you are! You were just about to anyway, weren't you? I mean, if Rei had been waiting out here, that is. You're not getting out of it that easily. If you don't get this off your chest now, you'll never do it, and you'll be spacing out forever! I'll tie you to the lamppost with that stupid scarf if I have to," she threatened, though Kai could see the compassion and love of matchmaking on her face.
He sighed, feeling his resolve weaken. Hiromi took it as a sign of defeat and happily pulled open the gate, prancing away down the stone trail.
"Why do girls have to be so perceptive?" he grumbled to himself. He stood motionless, staring up at the moon, hardly daring to believe this was actually happening. The moon gazed back, a white-faced geisha with an indigo blue and sunset orange kimono, her mountain-like hands folded majestically before her. Kai sighed again, intimidated by the situation. He pulled his scarf up, covering his lips, which he was biting anxiously. He forced his brain to think of something, anything, to say that did not sound utterly laughable, while his fingers tensed and relaxed around the piece of blue paper in his jeans pocket.
All too soon, Kai heard the telltale hiss of the front door opening, like a sword being drawn from its sheath. A very indistinct female voice said something, there was a faint tap of shoes landing on the first step, then another slow hiss, and silence. Kai bit his lip hard. Rustling, more pa-tap of shoes growing louder, and then stillness again.
"Kai…"
He twitched almost unnoticeably, and spun around. Rei crouched on top of the wall, just as Kai himself had done earlier. The raven-haired boy waved cheerfully, unexpectedly leaping and doing a spin in mid-air, then landing elegantly, a meter from where his friend stood with an aloof facade.
"Hn…showing off again, Rei?" Kai said, smirking into his scarf.
Rei flicked his fringe from his face, and leaned against the fence, closing his eyes smugly. "Who, me? Of course not. When do I ever show off? So…" he peeked through one eye at Kai, who had joined him at the fence. "Hiromi said you had something "super important" to talk to me about. I'm intrigued."
"Mmm, yeah…Rei, do you…I mean, did you write me a…letter?"
Rei raised an eyebrow, silently inquiring. "No, I didn't."
Kai was confused. If Rei hadn't written the secret message, then who had? "Someone gave me a letter, and…forget it. It doesn't matter right now." Rei nodded once, understanding. "Well…" Kai began hesitantly. "Rei, you're my best friend, so I know I can tell you anything. Something has been on my mind for a quite a while, and you're the only one I can talk to," he glanced delicately at Rei. The ebony hair shone beautifully even in artificial light, contrasting marvelously with his golden skin. The customary headband had been discarded, leaving his fringe free to hang pleasantly, parted to one side instead of in the middle. Rei was not looking at Kai. Perhaps Hiromi was wrong.
"So spill," Rei said patiently. "I'm listening, Kai."
The slate-haired teen took a step towards the centre of his world, Rei. It was unavoidable; one was a marble in a box and the other was whichever plank of the box happened to be on the ground. They were drawn together no matter what, for the simple reason that gravity existed. Rei looked up at the sudden movement. Kai immediately recognized that he had been rash and mistaken, not for the first time that day, when he saw Rei's face. His friend's eyes were warm, not uncaring, and they flicked about uneasily, as though searching for composure.
Kai tried to smile comfortingly, however it came out as more of an anxious twitch than anything else. His voice felt stiff and numb. "It's very important. I'm only going to say this once. You are the one who is bothering me. I can't get you out of my head. It's very troublesome. I can't concentrate anymore. I've never met anyone like you. You're so…contradictory. I'm confused…and it's all your fault."
"Stop being an ass, Kai," Rei chuckled, raising a finger to tug the white scarf away from his friend's face. "I'm confused too…and I feel the same way about you," he said, looking away. "I just didn't want to say anything. That's strange, isn't it?"
Kai turned to the moon. "No, not really. People are like that," he smiled. There was a short silence in which a cricket sang to them. "Rei…do you…um, want to…be…" he whispered the last two words so quietly that Rei could only understand by reading Kai's lips.
"Yes. Of course I do," Rei whispered back, stepping closer to Kai. "I don't feel like going inside yet."
Two hands, one pale, one tanned, intertwined. "Right. Let's go," said Kai. The ominous feeling in his stomach had long since been replaced by overwhelming happiness, which was damming up his too-small heart. And judging by the beautiful, beaming face beside him, Rei felt the same.
Somehow, the emerging stars seemed brighter than usual. They walked down the main street, ignoring the chaos in the houses around them, incandescent lights indoors flashing fitfully, and speeding cars that sounded far away. As they followed each other into the gathering dark, fireflies flitting above their heads, Kai shared his thoughts. "You know, secret admirers aren't as terrible as I expected…"
The En—
"Wait a minute," Rei exclaimed. "If I didn't send the letter, who do you think it was? Could it be someone else on the team?"
After stopping to consider this, the two continued walking. "I really don't know, Rei," Kai muttered. A comfortable silence fell. The park was vacant when they arrived, and the swings creaked pleasantly in a warm draft. The dead orange leaves serenaded them with raspy, whispering music, leaving a musty scent behind when they left. Kai and Rei walked over to the swing set, only letting go of the other's hand when they sat down.
Suddenly, there was a gasp that the wind almost washed away, but Rei looked up. "What is it?"
Kai's eyes were wide. He lifted a single finger in the air, "Hiromi!"
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Back at the Kinomiya dojo, Hiromi sneezed into her plate of food.
The End
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Kyuusaisha Bleeding: I sincerely hope that you enjoyed it immensely; I had a great time writing it. And if it seems like Kai and Rei fell in love too quickly, I have a reasonable explanation for that; ...they're teenagers. And I meant to do it.
In Japanese culture, it is believed that when one sneezes, it means that someone is talking about that person.
