3. MICE IN A HUGE TRAP.
At breakfast down in the Hotel's dining hall, Tyson was about his typical eating frenzy. He was, as usual, piling all possible food on multiple plates in fear the other quests would eat everything away before he got to have a bite of everything.
Max and Rei were sitting at a table watching in awe and embarrassment, as Tyson was pulling one of his I-am-the-champion shows again. In addition to munching and gulping down food he tried to pass auto grams to all kinds of people, who really started to get sick of him!
The music of a nearby TV-set, made both Bladers turn around, where the international weather report was about to be broadcasted. A handsome man and an alluring young woman after some time discussed the odd weather patterns in Moscow: that they haven't appeared in such force for over a hundred years in Russia, and that especially the city of Moscow was so afflicted. The cold and the strong winds were usual they explained, for this time of year, but never before so strong. Small interviews of passer-by's were shown who said things like "It's terrible!", "What a nuisance!", "No Trains, no plains, no bus, nothing!" and finally and old man saying "In the old times they used to say that only the rain will brake the storm!".
"Well then let's hope it rains!" the young woman said and continued with the sports report.
The weather had indeed halted everything for a whole week now and walking outside the vicinity of one's home or hotel in that case was impossible not to say unnecessary as everything was closed up in Moscow. Leaving the city by any means was out of the question. The Bladebreakers were very lucky to have been secluded to such a Vast Hotel as theirs, which had the size of a small town itself.
"Hey you two!" Tyson caught their attention, "lets eat!".
While his friends did exactly that, Rei scanned the hall for their former Captain. "When the accursed weather was not so bad", he thought," Kai could slip out of the Hotel unnoticed, but now that we are all "confined" to this Hotel he is bound to show up. He does have to eat sometimes doesn't he?".
Tyson moved over to Rei totally ignoring what Max was saying and asked him with a cheeky smile : "What are WE looking for? Can I help old Tiger?"
Max was really annoyed at the attention his buddy was giving Rei, not just only today! Tyson was HIS pal! Smouldering in jealousness he mashed up the pudding in frond of him.
As Rei ignored his teasing, Tyson went further "Come on! Tell me what's so interesting out there?
Rei ignored him.
"Are we having seeeeeecrets?" Tyson smirked, "Rei has a secret, Rei has a secret! ".
Rei was still ignoring his team-mate, "Let him understand on his own how ridiculous he acts. Tyson is a good soul, but sometimes OH so annoying!" he thought.
"What do you think old Buddy?" he turned to Max, who immediately turned his back on him. And as the world champion was getting no attention from anyone now, he said more into the air than to anybody in particular: "Anyway! Where is Kenny today?"
"Here I am! Good morning!" Kenny greeted "I just got the mail, it was send by courier, despite the chaos outside!"
"Great let me see 'em! The are surely my fan mail." Tyson shouted and grabbed the letters.
"Give them back!" begged Kenny "They are neither one for you. They are for Rei and …Kai". At the sound of their former teammate's name everybody fell silent for a moment. Rei wanted to "volunteer", but Kenny broke the silence proposing that he could slip the letter under Kai's door.
As the others went about their breakfasting, Rei was about to open his envelope when he looked around the hall for another time.
There he was!
Kai was taking a cup of tea with him out of the hall. Rei snatched Kai's letter and calling back to the astonished others "I'll be back in a minute!", he stormed after Kai.
"What's gotten into him" Tyson wondered.
"Is none of YOUR business right now!" Max snapped.
"Hey Kai! Wait up!" Rei called Kai from behind and catching up he stopped right in frond of the protagonist of his dreams, blocking the way out and thus forcing Kai to speak to him.
"Good morning Kai" he exclaimed in a smile that would make flowers grow even in this cold.
"Morning" Kai mumbled, "What do you want?"
"YOU!" Rei thought to call out, but put forward only "I..…I've got a letter that has just arrived for you and…"
"I am not expecting any mail" the blue-haired uttered calmly "Now clear the way!" and simply pushed Rei aside and walked up the stairs taking his time.
"Fine!" Rei shouted after him "Beats me what you do with your stupid, fucking letter!"
Walking angered back to the rest of the team, Rei could see great commotion as Kenny and Max tried to stop Tyson from opening Rei's letter. The curious weasel of a boy had already opened it and started reading aloud when Rei got to the table. "Tyson! What the…"
"Listen Rei, its from Mariah!" Tyson called out and read on:
"Hi Rei ni-chan,
We have arrived safe and sound and are waiting for you too.
We're worried about the weather up there! Try to give us, ….me, a call
so we can know you are ok!
I have missed..."
Rei was totally furious now and snatched his letter from Tyson's grasp.
"I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU TODAY!" he shouted.
"Now, now calm down old Tiger! Little buddy, everybody knows she is your GIRLFRIEND…" Tyson continued.
That had apparently gone too far for Rei, as he punched Tyson in the face, who took the table and everything upon it with him.
Calming himself as much as he could Rei said ,still panting "And know this, all of you! Mariah is a fine and proper girl. She is engaged to Lee and I will have no one shaming her name. Do you copy that?"
Everybody nodded a silent "yes".
And walked away looking more like a ferocious Tiger as ever.
While walking up the stairs to the central elevator room, to get to the 23rd floor where his room was, Kai was regretting his behaviour with every step. His words sounded now so harsh. He could have at least thanked Rei for bringing the letter over. But how would Rei understand how it was to receive all these letters from his Grandfather. "Thank the Gods that I have saved a bit of money in an independent account, or I would be penniless when my Grandfather comes forth with his threats of denouncing me. Denouncing me! Ha! I have ceased to see him as family long ago!"
When stopping at the last step he saw that he had somehow taken a wrong stair up. "This hotel is simply huge! The Bellboy was right to offer me a map of the hotel. Anyway its down the stairs for me again."
Stopping to take a sip of his Tea, and finding it empty, he realised he must have spilled it back when he pushed Rei aside…
Out the way he had rushed out, Rei passed a couple of long lounges tastefully decorated and furnished with croups of couches. "Strange I never been through here before. This is one big Hotel. These rooms must usually have a magnificent view of Moscow, yet now only a blur of snow and grey can be seen…", he thought and as the atmosphere was so calm the young man decided to stay there for a while. Seating himself in a luscious couch he attended to his letter.
"Hi Rei ni-chan,
We have arrived safe and sound and are waiting for you too.
We're worried about the weather up there! Try to give us, ….me, a call so we can know you are ok!
I have missed your company and advice my friend. No, there is nothing for you to worry about. Lee and I are doing fine. But why do i still feel so strangely? I love Lee more than anything. After we finish School we are thinking of moving together. I am so happy, yet it would be nice if you could be here to tell me if I am doing the right thing!
See! I am talking all about myself again. Ni-chan how are you? I am so worried after our talk about your secret love. I am still shocked after you told who he is.
Is he worth the things you are going through? Do you still love him?
Write back or better call me so we can talk about it.
Take care my friend.
Yours,
Mariah."
A single tear rolled down Rei's cheek as he was touched by his best friend's concern, it was good he had somebody to know his "problem", besides, right then he felt more homesick than ever.
"Is He really worth it?"
Rei mused over that. "Is this really worth the way I am treated by him? I have tried to come up to his expectations every time he trained us, i have tried!
NO! He is offending me, telling me off, treating me like shit, noticing me only when its convenient!
Rei hit his fists on his knees in anger, crumbling the letter in the process.
Yet Mariah's voice echoed again in his mind:
"Is He really worth it?"
With a sob he admitted "YES! By the Goddess, yes!"and hid his face in his palms.
After some moments, Rei thought:
"This is taking me nowhere, I must speak to Mariah, she is the only one who
would understand me now".
Folding his letter he stood up and searched his pockets for his key. He needed to give Mariah a call as soon as possible. But were was his key? "I must have left it on the table at the buffet hall".
Back at the table he had left only 10 minutes ago, only Kenny was now sitting there, typing in his Laptop. "Poor guy!" Rei thought, "they left him alone again."
"Hey Kenny!" he said with a smile" where have the others gone?"
Not lifting his head, still typing the Chief said: "Oh! Max was really acting strangely and he and Tyson had a strong argument about something I did not understand. And then all of a sudden Max left, and Tyson went after him."
Lifting his head now bending nearer to Rei he supposed in a hushed voice "You know something? I think that Max is in love with Tyson! I mean for REAL! isn't that WEIRD?"
"I have been aware of the situation ages ago!" stated Dizzy cheekily.
"Hush Dizzy, let not have all the world know about whatever you suppose!" Kenny said blushing red.
Rei on the other side, was a bit embarrassed himself. What would Kenny say if he knew that he (Rei) was in love with another Guy too? Finding and taking his key he decided to keep the other a bit of company. "Do you really think it's so weird? I mean they fit to each other. And well, it is not illegal and not that uncommon either nowadays." he said.
"Nah! Don't think wrong of me. I did not expect it, that's all. And…. Don't get mad again but I too thought Mariah was your girlfriend, so don't be so mad about Tyson" Kenny replied.
"Although he deserved that Punch and a couple of more" Dizzy submitted ironically.
"Ha ha! You guys are the best!" Rei said laughing, "I needed to laugh!
"Guys and GIRLS you wanted to say" added Dizzy.
After a pause Rei turned to Kenny, who was once again typing, and asked "Tell me something Chief, do you have any idea how BIG this hotel is? I mean I know it is a typical Continental Resort Hotel and they are large, but this exceeds all we ever been to."
"Yes, this IS a very big one indeed, in fact it is the biggest of the Continental Chain in the world. It even has a "BBA Recommendation" award. See this map here?" answered Kenny while he showed him the screen of his Laptop.
"See" he pointed at one side of a HUGE 3d blueprint "Here in the great buffet hall are we now, already 50 meters above ground. This is the heart of this floor and all around it are halls and lounges connecting to the main entrance, the main elevator room, the entrance to the subway and the entrance to the outdoor facilities below, which are now closed. There is also the entrance to the indoor private garden below"
"Indoor garden?" Rei asked interested.
"Oh that! Yes, it is some kind of a kink the manager has with exotic gardens. It is an awarded construction too by the way. It is huge! With an excellent environmental conditions simulation. I've been there and believe me it can simulate even a light breeze!" Kenny replied.
"I've got to see that, but hey there are more floors and they are not all rooms are they?" he asked yet again.
"No, above us are various smaller dining and conferencing halls, a small stage theatre, indoor swimming pools, a great shopping centre visited by non guests too and then its just rooms. Oh yes and there are excellent private Beyblade lounges all over this massive construction. They can be booked any time. I tell you this city of a hotel is the best place to be in this blasted weather." And after a pause continued what he was he was typing earlier.
"Lets see what kind of Bowls they've got here! Are you up for a match?" Rei exclaimed eagerly.
"Yeah why not!" accepted the other "but first I must finish this email."
"Whom are you writing to, if I may ask?" asked Rei.
Kenny flushed red all of a sudden and uttered, "you won't tell anyone will you?".
"No, never!" Rei promised.
"Silent as a stuffed tiger!" Dizzy added.
Both Bladers looked at her annoyed.
"Well, its Emily…" the now red-as-a-tomato boy said at last.
"Emily?….Emily from the All Stars?" Rei asked.
Kenny only nodded totally embarrassed now.
"Well I've got to hand it to you. Even I did not suspect that. That's why you've been so secretive yourself, and I have been worried you were too lonely all the time. Anyway I hope it works out for you two." the Raven-haired said, and urged the other "Now come on! You can finish that later, its time for a match, I dare ya!" and took the lead, hoping that they might meet Kai somewhere there.