Bittersweet Melody
Second Arc: Act Nine
The first elimination rounds were set to start. Why was he nervous? Takao felt his hand clenched. Was it the previous night? Perhaps. He rested his head on the back of the red couch centered in the BBA Revolution locker room. Today, he was facing his first team in the elimination rounds. Who was he fighting? He didn't want to know, not right now. Too much weighed on his mind. Last night… A mixture of emotions swirled in his head. Not only did he have the pressure of a champion on his shoulders, he know had this predicament to deal with. What was he supposed to do? Forget about it? Dismiss it? Takao groaned, who was he even supposed to talk to about this? No one would understand.
"When I left you two years ago, I realized I loved you."
Two years ago, huh? It began that long ago? He felt his hands lift to touch his cheeks. What was he thinking?! Trying to kiss her like that? He must be crazy. Takao began to rub his cheeks with frustration. He couldn't do that to Max. His friend, most likely his best friend…he couldn't cross that boundary. And yet what about his feelings? Takao sighed, removing his hands from his face. How did he feel about this? He couldn't…he didn't…return the feelings did he?
"Takao!"
Said male jumped up straight in his seat. The door slammed open to reveal Kyoujyu with Hiromi by his side. He had a shocked expression on his face. What now? He rose up from his seat to greet his old friend.
"What's the matter?" Takao asked.
"Didn't you hear?!" Kyoujyu reached forward, grabbing the team captain by his jacket. "The team we're fighting today! It's The Saint Shields!"
"What?!" He moved backward, his eyes and mouth wide open.
"We just heard," Hiromi cut in. "That's who you're going to fight in a few minutes!"
"It's the elimination round," His eyes traveled to the floor. "That means…"
"If you win," Hiromi continued for him. "The Saint Shields are out of the tournament."
His shoulders begin to bob up and down. He was laughing, but why? Kyoujyu and Hiromi watched as the taller boy giggled in a dark tone. Hiromi passed Kyoujyu and her hand landed on his bouncing shoulder. Was she worried for him?
"How do you like that?" He asked, moving his head upward to look at the ceiling. "Irony."
"And how do you plan on fighting this one, Takao?"
The group of teens turned to see Hitoshi standing in the doorway. He had his hands in his pant's pocket and a serious expression on his face. Takao looked to his brother with longing eyes. He felt a sigh coming on but he refused to release the air he had trapped in his lungs. Hitoshi… He was right after all. He was nervous about fighting her. He didn't want to, the idea made him sick and still. What was he supposed to do? This was no the elimination rounds, there was no way he could give it all up because of his emotions.
"You need to prepare yourself for this. You are compromising yourself if you don't."
His brother was right. But how? How could he prepare himself for something like this? Takao shut his eyes, finally releasing the breath he was reserving. He had to fight her the way he would any other blader. Treat her like he would Max, Rei or Kai. She was once part of the team, right? He couldn't shortchange her by going easy; he needed to give it his all. He couldn't disrespect her or her team by forfeiting the match. It's not what she would want, right? She would want him to fight with all he had and give her the best match he could. And if he came out the winner…at least she tried. If she came out the winner, then at least he gave it his all. There was no way he would go easy on a girl just because…
"Like I do every fight." Takao finally answered his brother. "I won't give up and I know she won't either."
"That's the spirit!" Kyoujyu shook his fist into the air.
"Well, you have some time to think about your strategy." Hitoshi added. "Cat, Rumi and Yumi are performing a concert before your battle."
"Another concert?" Hiromi asked.
"Yes," Hitoshi replied with a nod of his head. "It's to celebrate the beginning of the elimination rounds." He then brought his wrist to his face, looking down at his watch. "It's about time for it to start; we should take our places on stage."
Takao nodded. So it was down to this, was it? He reached up into his shoulder pocket and pulled out his white Beyblade. He looked down at his trusty blade with a cocky smirk. If this was the way fate was meant to be, so be it. It was time for him and Cat to fight and this time there would be no easy way out for her. He was going to fight with all his might the way he had with everyone else. To give her that much respect, he wouldn't let her down.
XoXoX
The stage was ready for the three girls. The crowd sat, waiting for the opening concert to begin. The elimination battles were something that they all had been waiting for. They were ready for heartbreak and tear shed with the winner walked away to the next round, leaving the losing team to return home.
Takao sat on his bleacher along with his teammates and coach. It was time to see her again. How would he react? How was he supposed to react? He grunted, his hands clenched tight. Was he supposed to act as if nothing happened between them? It seemed impossible. His childhood friend had confessed her love to him; he couldn't look at her the same way. Not anymore.
Cat, Rumi and Yumi entered the stage, microphones in hand. Takao watched and listened as the background music began to play. There she was. He watched as she lifted the microphone to her sparkling lips and began to sing a sweet melody. The words left her mouth and began to match the rhythm of the background beats. He had to admit, she was very good at what she did. The two girls beside her, Rumi and Yumi, their voices seemed muffled in his ears. But why? Why was he only listening to her? Why couldn't he hear Rumi and Yumi?
"Every song I sung was a message for you."
His heart jumped. The lyrics leaving her lips, were they for him? No, it was too strange to believe. The words of love expressed in song couldn't be meant for him, could they? He felt his heart slam repeatedly in his chest. Why was it becoming so hard to breathe? Why were his hands sweaty? The ill feeling had returned, but why now? He couldn't…
XoXoX
"And now it's time to begin the first match of the elimination rounds!"
Takao waited a moment, ready to leave his seat. That was his cue, after all. Before he could stand to his feet he watched as Daichi hop up. The redhead turned to him with a large smirk on his face. He gave his partner a thumbs-up and spoke.
"I'll take the first round!"
Takao tilted his head to one side before smiling. "Sure."
"In the first round," Blader DJ announced aloud. "Ozuma versus Daichi!"
Good, this would give him a few minutes to think to himself. Wait a moment, his body gave a hard twitch; this would mean he and Cat would be fighting in the next match. Takao bolted from his seat and grunted to himself. He looked beyond the Beydish to see The Saint Shields seated in at their bench. And there she was, sitting between Mariam and Dunga. His childhood friend, sister at most, Cat. She sat in silence, her eyes following her team captain as he made his way to the dish. Why was he so fixated on her now? Takao felt his body fall back and his backside hit the cold, hard bench. Why couldn't he get her out of his head? That damned confession, it had to be that.
"3, 2, 1, GO SHOOT!"
His ears vibrated to the sound of DJ Blader's voice. His eyes then shifted from Cat to the ongoing battle between Ozuma and Daichi. He watched as his smaller partner ripped the cord from his launcher. He could hear Daichi's blade hit the dish's slick surface. It was just a matter of time now. He would be facing Cat soon. How was he going to do this without hurting at least one person? Someone would end up being in pain one way or another.
How did he get caught up in this mess to begin with? One minute arguing with her, and now…to be in this situation. He could hardly make it up; it was too strange to be true. His hand touched his forehead; perhaps he had dreamed the whole thing up? Or maybe it was someone's idea of a cruel joke? Takao's eyes landed to the floor. How was he going to explain this to the others? How was he going to tell Max? How could he tell Max that he nearly kissed Cat? Breaking this kind of information to someone he considered his best friend? It seemed impossible.
"And you don't even realize it! Everyone knows, Takao!"
Was that true as well? Takao sighed. No, that couldn't be right. Someone would have notified him earlier on, right? Max…didn't know, did he? What about Rei and Kai or even Kyoujyu? He shut his eyes tight and immersed himself in a deep thought. Flashbacks flooded his mind, what could they all mean? Where there any hints? Any traces of the truth?
There was a moment in the past that stood out in his mind; that day when The Saint Shields first battled against Neo Borg, when Cat battled Kai. He said something that day, what was it? He squinted his shut eyes and grinned in teeth. What was it?
"You came back for him! You LOVE him!"
So Kai had realized it. Before he had, after all. Typical Kai. The two-time champ managed to crack a smirk. So he had known for more than a year and had kept the information to himself. All this time? Why couldn't Kai just have told him when he had the chance? Why drag it out like this? It was like torture.
"Takao?"
The blue-haired male jumped. He swirled around to see the rest of his team standing behind him. Kyoujyu, Hiromi and Hitoshi stood side by side with serious looks glued to their faces. Could they feel the energy waving off his body? He would have to assume so. The group of three approached him and took their own seats beside him on the team bench. Takao watched as Hiromi's eyes as she moved toward him. Hiromi… what would she think of this whole mess?
"You seem very tense." He turned to see Kyoujyu addressing him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah!" He lied.
"What's the matter, Takao?" Hiromi asked. "Are you that nervous about your fight with Cat?"
"No!" His back stood straight and he threw his hands into the air.
"It's all right to be nervous." Hiromi's voice left her lips in a soft tone. "I could understand why." She then returned her eyes to the battle between Daichi and Ozuma. "You two aren't on speaking terms yet and you still have to fight."
Takao bit his lower lip. How much did she know? His stomach take a sudden turn. He moved his left hand to his gut and grunted to himself. Did she know? Was that the reason why she had kissed him back then? It wouldn't be unlike a female to do that sort of thing…. right?
"You need to be ready for this fight, Takao."
Takao looked upward to see his older brother facing in his direction. He looked into his brother's eyes. Cold, deep blue. Added pressure from his sibling wasn't helping. He watched as his bother shot a menacing glare his way. Did he know about Cat? Takao let out a loud growl before breaking his stare from his brother. He then raised his hands to his head and began to pull on his hair. Now he was questioning everyone around him! This was too much for him to handle!
Catching on to his odd behavior, Kyoujyu placed his hand on his shaking shoulders. "What's the matter, Takao?" He then continued to speak in a calm voice. "You've been acting very strange the past day or so."
"It's…" Takao removed his hands from his head and let them rest on his thighs. "Nothing."
"It has to be something!" Hiromi chirped, a slick smile now spreading across her face. "What is it, Takao? Did you find out something?"
"Oh!" Kyoujyu removed his hand from his shoulder and placed it under his chin. "Takao? What is it?"
A deep blush came over his face. What was he thinking now? He couldn't just…tell everyone this sort of thing now. There was a battle going on! Takao looked down to his feet and gripped his pants tight. The image of Cat flashed in his mind, her voice echoed through his ears. The look on her face, the smell of her perfume it was so hard to forget now. What was he supposed to say? Those words leaving her mouth, he couldn't believe it, even now.
"I did it because I love you, Takao."
"Well?"
Takao jolted out of his thought and looked side to side to see Kyoujyu and Hiromi leaning against him, waiting for answers. He coughed to himself before biting down harder on his lip. No, he couldn't say it here and now. But he had to say something. He shut his eyes and took in a deep breath of fresh air. He then opened his mouth, ready to speak. But before any words could leave his lips, a loud bash and cheering from the audience around them interrupted him.
"And we have a tie!" Blader DJ's face appeared on the large screen above, "Ozuma and Daichi's match has ended in a stalemate!"
"No way!" His mouth dropped open wide.
"We weren't even watching!" Kyoujyu placed one hand on his cheek.
Hiromi let out a small chuckle. "I guess we should have been paying more attention."
Hitoshi crossed one leg over the other before speaking in a dark tone. "You should always keep your eyes and ears open. You never know what you can learn from someone else's match. Remember that next time, Takao."
"What?" He snapped back at his elder brother. "Why are you telling me? Kyoujyu wasn't listening either!"
Hitoshi shut both of his eyes and let out a loud groan. "Kyoujyu hasn't been the one letting his emotions get in the way of his blading." Hitoshi then opened his left eye and fixated on his sibling. "While on the other hand you, Takao, have been absorbed in social drama. That's all you can think about, meanwhile the finals have started and you have no new game plan." He let his shoulders bob up and down as he chuckled. "Or do you?"
"I…" The stubborn boy let his guard down and slouched back into his seat.
Could that be true? Was he so caught up in his own little world that he was ignoring his blading practice? True, he had just missed the battle between Daichi and Ozuma but…he wasn't that distracted, was he? This situation with Cat, was it taking away from his time blading? He had to admit, it was. This drama, it was taking away from the one thing he loved most in the world. Why? He looked down to the ground and sighed. Romance should be the last thing on his mind.
"The next match will be Takao of the BBA Revolution versus Cat of The Saint Shields!"
"That's your cue." Hitoshi reopened his eyes.
Before he could reply, Daichi came running back to the team. The redhead had a dissatisfied look on his face, obviously upset about losing his match against Ozuma. Takao lifted himself from his seat and looked his partner straight in the eyes. It was unlike Daichi to tie with anyone. This would be a tough one. It was make it or break it. He couldn't lose, not to Cat. Cat, a blader who lacked the skill he had. He beat her in every skill so why was he so nervous about losing? Why did winning become so distant? At one point he could taste victory and now, he could barely say the word. It wasn't the fight he was afraid of, it was the girl.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Hiromi asked the taller male with a low voice.
"Of course." Takao gave the girl a simple answer as he turned to face her way. "I know I can do this." He then gave the brunette a thumbs-up accompanied with a cocky wink.
A bright red blush spread across Hiromi's face. The heat on her face caused her to lift her hands to her cheeks and conceal the red flush. He always had a habit of making her blush at the worst of times. Hiromi bit her lip and turned her face away from the Beyblade champion.
"Good luck." Kyoujyu smiled at his friend.
"Don't need it." He replied, turning his back to the team.
His feet scarcely touched the floor as ran toward the Beydish. Was he excited? He couldn't suddenly be feeling excited about this match, could he? Battling an old friend? Perhaps it was excitement. Finally at the top of the stage, standing feet away from Cat he managed to smile. What was this? This tingling in his belly, it had to be nerves.
"3,"
Takao shut his eyes as he prepared his gear for battle.
"2,"
He lifted his ready launcher into the air and opened his eyes. He looked forward to see Cat, also ready for their match. Could she be feeling the same excitement? The same nervousness? He could only hope so. He wanted to share the same emotion with her, wanted her to enjoy the same moment with him. But why? Why was this moment so important to him? His stomach cramps for a moment, subsided. Looking at the female in front of him, he felt a sense of calm.
"1, GO SHOOT!"
The blades hit the dish at the same moment. The vibrations of the tops caused the stadium to shake. The crowd oohed and awed, amazed at the show of their abilities. The two white blades were nearly identical, confusing Blader DJ and leaving him speechless. The two blades danced around one another, feeling one another out before they could attack.
Takao looked up from the dish to see a very still Cat. She stood with her hair draped over her face, covering her eyes. What could she be thinking now? Surely, she was embarrassed, he knew that much. Hell, he was embarrassed himself how was he supposed to act around her?
"Just forget it ever happened!"
He jumped at her words. She had shouted out of nowhere, leaving him feeling confused. He looked at the female who only stood feet away from him. Cat lifted her face, allowing the daylight to touch her face. Her red cheeks and glassy eyes told him that she was still fragile from that night. What could be her issue now?
"Just forget," Cat spoke in a gentler tone then moments earlier. "I ever happened."
"What?" He took a single step backward. "What are you talking about?"
Her head dropped once again, her face concealed by the shadows of her hair. "Remember that time you told me you no longer wanted to speak with me?" She asked in a small voice.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to come and see me anymore."
He could hear his own voice repeat in his head. Those words, he could remember the day he said them, that day in the hospital. The two were in the middle of a fight back then. How he regretted saying those words now.
"I'm saying them now," Cat's voice broke Takao out of his thoughts. "I don't think it's a good idea for me to see or talk to you anymore."
His body stiffened. It was if the blood in his veins had frozen over. What was he hearing? The few moments of the cramping had soon left him and he felt his gut again begin to rumble. How could she say such a thing now? After their years together as family, after that confession? Did she suddenly have a change of heart? The thoughts rummaging through his head made him speechless. Was this the way she felt the day he said the same thing to her?
"That's why," Cat lifted her head, revealing her still red face to the world. "We've decided to forfeit this match."
As soon as the words dropped from her mouth, Cat's white blade flew out of the Beydish. The blade returned to its owner's hand. She clenched down on the white blade and turned her back to Takao. The crowd was quick to boo and hiss at the singer as she took her leave down the short flight of stairs. His mouth dropped open, what was happening?
She returned to her waiting team, who were standing by the time she approached them. Without a second word or glance, she and her team left the arena. Stunned by the turn of events, Blader DJ lifted his right arm into the air and declared him the victor. His arms and legs go numb with shock. Did his ears defy him? Forfeit? It wasn't like The Saint Shields to forfeit. Something was wrong.
Takao called back his blade before turning back to face his team. Kyoujyu, Daichi and Hiromi sat with looks of shock stuck on their faces. They were just as confused as he was. He didn't know what to say to his team. What could he say? Anything further on the subject would just cause further confusion.
"Takao…" His name left Hiromi's mouth slowly.
"She forfeited?" Kyoujyu lifted himself up from his seat and approached him.
"Yeah…" Takao lowered his head before speaking. "And she doesn't want anything to do with us anymore."
"We heard." Hiromi was next to stand up and stand beside the victor.
"There isn't anything we can do about it now." He said in a slow tone. "They're out of the tournament now."
Takao then brushed passed his teammates and headed toward the locker room entrance. This was going to be hard to swallow, having The Saint Shields forfeit on him like this. What did it all mean? Why did they enter in the first place, if they were just going to give up half way through? There had to be more to it.
The others had to be watching. Max, Rei and Kai. They all had to be watching. They had to have seen all of it, heard every word of what Cat had to say. What could they be thinking? Shock most likely. On Kai's part? He couldn't think of anything he would say about this situation.
He could hear faint footsteps behind him, his team was following him as he pushed his way into the locker room and then out into the hallway. He paused in the doorway leading into the hallway. He leaned his right shoulder against the wall and sighed. What was happening to him? Why was he feeling this way? So confused, so distressed?
Kyoujyu, Daichi, Hiromi and Hitoshi passed by Takao and left into the hallway. He however, stayed behind and took a moment to think to himself. Why was he feeling so strange? Light as air, almost. His heart was thumping away in his chest and sweat dripped down his face. The emotion had no name and yet it consumed him every time he thought of her. A few silent moments passed before the sound of people talking filled his ears. He looked up from where he was standing to see his team waiting for him down the hall. However, in the middle of the hallway were The Saint Shields. Fresh from battle, they were obviously taking their lead and leaving the area and returning to their hotel room.
Takao gently pushed himself off the doorway wall and walked forward. He had to pass her. Upon seeing him, The Saint Shields stopped their walk and watched as the champ made his way down the hall. The five watched as the tall blue-haired male walked passed them and toward his own team.
Just before passing Cat, he lifted his left arm into the air. "I was looking forward to our match." He said in a soft voice, passing her by.
Cat froze, her back stiffened. He could feel her distress. He could hear it in the way she was breathing. No, he couldn't make her cry. That was the very last thing he ever wanted to do to her. This wasn't it, it couldn't be it, their story had to continue. 'The end' didn't fit in here. But what else could he do for the girl who loved him?
Act End.