The next day, they both woke up early for the surprise party for Daina's little brother. They went inside the hospital and to the front desk. "Hello, we are here to celebrate one of our patient's releases. The patient's name is Ryota Kuragami," Shu informed the front desk nurse.
"Oh, Daina told us that you were coming. Shu Kurenai and Aichi Sendou right?" She asked them with a smile. They nodded before following the nurse to Ryota's room.
When they walked inside, Daina and Kensuke were already in there, however Daina seemed to be sleeping. "Wow! Shu really came!" Ryota exclaimed excitedly. Daina was so deep in sleep that he slept through it. "Oh! Aichi's here too! I watched your battles on TV, both of you were so cool!" He was holding puppets just like Kensuke.
"Thank you," they thanked him. Aichi was a little shy since he was meeting a new person, but Shu coaxed him to join the group.
"Aichi, I would love to see Blaster Blade!" Ryota requested openly. Aichi nodded and fumbled a little while he pulled out Blaster Blade. He handed it to Ryota and he looked amazed.
"Wow! It is a really cool Beyblade!" Ryota exclaimed while looking at it. Aichi smiled softly since Ryota was so amazed by Blaster Blade.
"Daina must have been tired after all the training you guys been doing lately," Keru commented when Shu walked over to him. They left the two kids to talk a little. Aichi didn't usually interact with anyone except for him, so he was glad he met someone new.
"Yeah, all of us have been working hard lately. I think we needed this day off," Shu responded.
"So Shu, what are your plans after Nationals?" Besu asked him. Shu turned to Aichi and thought a little.
"Don't tell Valt or anyone about it… Aichi and I are going to America since I was offered an opportunity to join a team there and Aichi will be getting some treatment there," Shu explained to him quietly. Kensuke instantly felt concerned and turned to Aichi who was talking to Ryota.
"Treatment…? Is he sick… or was it that older one that I met before…?" Keru asked him worriedly.
"Yeah… there are two souls in Aichi right now and he will get treatment to separate them so that they can live their own lives," Shu answered with a smile. Aichi waved at him after noticing that he was looking at him.
"I hope the kid will be okay," Besu said. Ryota was quite social so Aichi's shyness wasn't an issue. After a while, Shu and Aichi left so that they could get lunch and do something fun together. They walked by the park and saw kids using the stadium the Shu usually trained at.
"I want to play… but Shu can't play…" Aichi thought to himself while looking longingly at the kids.
"How about you go play with them? I'm sure they will be happy to play with you," Shu suggested while pushing Aichi forward. He wasn't going to go cause he would draw all of their attention.
"Okay!" Aichi responded with a smile before running over. Shu smiled as well. He was really starting to open up and it felt like he was watching Aichi grow up quickly.
He looked at the sidewalk and remembered the first time he saw him walking past. Back when he was being chased by Void and Link Joker. "Aichi changed a lot. I guess I have too," he said to himself while looking at Aichi playing.
When it started getting late, the kids left and Shu joined Aichi. "You said you wanted to watch the sunset with me? Well, this is the best place to watch it," Shu said with a smile while sitting at the side of the stadium. Aichi joined and looked off to the distance as the sun began to set.
"Shu… I am so glad you're here with me," Aichi said happily. "No matter what comes up in the future, I will stay with you," he added with a bright smile.
Shu nodded and put his arm around Aichi's shoulders. "I'll hold you to that," he responded. The sunset was beautiful at that spot and he was glad that Aichi suggested doing this with him.
"Shu, can I hold Spriggan?" Aichi asked him with a smile. Shu pulled out Spriggan and handed it to him. He wasn't sure why he wanted to hold it, but he just gave it to him anyway. Aichi held Spriggan close to his chest and leaned on Shu's shoulder. He soon fell asleep and Shu moved him so that he was resting his head on his lap. "Spriggan, I want to make you stronger…" Aichi said to Spriggan with a smile.
"My Vanguard, doing this may interfere with Shu Kurenai's performance in his tournament battles," Blaster Blade commented.
"I was planning to evolve Spriggan for when Shu finishes the individual tournament. Maybe, I should surprise him and see if I can make a new one for him before the power is split between us," Aichi explained to him happily.
"My Vanguard, you will have plenty of power remaining inside of you. Do not underestimate your capabilities," Blaster Blade responded.
Shu smiled as he brushed Aichi's head. "Shu! I can't take this break anymore! My body is itching for a battle!" A voice exclaimed. He turned and saw Valt running on the sidewalk. When he got to the park, he saw Aichi sleeping on his lap and tried to be more quiet.
"Why are you here? What are you looking at?" Valt asked him before sitting beside him.
"Aichi wanted to watch the sunset together and I remembered that this was a great place to look at it," Shu answered him while looking off to the distance.
"Wow! It really is a good view here! It looks like a huge fried egg!" Valt exclaimed.
Shu smiled awkwardly and said, "to you, figures… I've been thinking, you know-"
"Aw, man! It's like I can reach it!" Valt shouted while running forward. Shu sighed and watched him amusingly. Aichi shuffled on Shu's lap and turned around from the noise. He was still speaking with Blaster Blade and Spriggan. He brushed Aichi's head again. "I've been thinking about how glad I am that you asked me to join the team," he finished his sentence quietly.
"So this is where you two were!" They turned to see the rest of the team and Kensuke standing there.
"I couldn't stop thinking about Beyblade all day!" Valt cried. Aichi slowly opened his eyes. He looked pretty drowsy as he looked up at Shu.
"How was your talk with Spriggan?" Shu asked him with a smile. Aichi held Spriggan up for him and he took it.
"Great! I was talking to him about evolving," Aichi answered with a smile.
"Spriggan evolving?" Shu said while looking at Spriggan. It looked like nothing was different.
"Blaster Blade told me to do it after your tournament," Aichi responded shyly after seeing that Shu was a little confused.
"Thank you, Aichi," Shu said before helping Aichi up. "What do you guys think of coming over to our place for dinner? I'll cook spaghetti."
"Shu's spaghetti is really good," Aichi said shyly while holding onto Shu's hand.
"You guys have never tried it before! You need to try it, why not today?!" Valt asked enthusiastically. They went to Shu and Aichi's place together.
"Aichi, wash your hands and help wipe the table," Shu said. Aichi nodded and ran to the washroom to wash his hands. He then went to the kitchen to get a towel and wet it before wiping the table.
"Your place is pretty big," Besu commented to Aichi while he wiped the table. Aichi nodded. "Which one is your room?"
"I sleep with Shu in his room," Aichi answered while turning to one of the rooms shyly.
"Can I help?" Aichi asked Shu childishly.
"No, I'll be worried if you hold a knife," Shu responded while chopping some onions and watching the pot that was cooking the noodles. Aichi would usually just do homework, but having everyone there worried him.
Aichi just watched Shu attentively. He remembered all of Shu's ingredients and smiled. "One day, I want to make this for Shu," he thought to himself happily.
Shu noticed Aichi's good mood and wondered what he was thinking about. "Aichi, can you get the plates?" He requested. Aichi nodded before grabbing a stool on the side and using it to reach the cupboard. He tried to get all the plates at once, but he was stopped by a hand.
"Here, I'll help you," Diana said while doing it for him.
"Thank you," Aichi thanked him with a nod. Daina carried the plates down and Aichi rinsed them. Aichi walked to the table with the plates as Shu began cooking the first batch.
"Aichi, you looked really strong in the tournament. Let's have a battle sometime," Besu requested enthusiastically.
"I lost… I gave the team a loss…" Aichi responded while looking down. Ken looked at him sympathetically.
"You were battling Shu! Don't feel too bad! You gave Shu a run for his money!" Keru exclaimed. This time Aichi wasn't too scared, usually when he used Keru, he would be scared off.
Aichi looked at Shu with a blush and nodded with a smile. "I want Shu to get stronger…" "I don't want him to become like that anymore…" he remembered how Shu acted whenever he saw Lui. He wanted to help him get stronger.
Aichi went back to Shu's side and watched him again. He was frying two pans at once and he looked with amazement. "You should eat some. I'll eat after everyone is full," Shu said. Everyone was eating happily and praising Shu's cooking.
Aichi shook his head. "I'm not hungry. I just want to watch you," he said with a smile. He was very close to Shu, he could feel the heat hitting his face.
"Be careful, it's hot. Don't look too closely," Shu said with a sigh. Aichi nodded and obediently moved back a little.
Shu looked softly at the team who were laughing and having lots of fun. "Shu, make us seconds!" Valt exclaimed while holding out his plate. Everyone else did the same.
"Guys…"
"Shu, I'll help you," Diana said while putting on an apron. When everyone was full, they talked while Shu and Aichi ate.
They stayed until late and Shu noticed Aichi nodding off while leaning on his arm. He smiled and whispered, "go shower, brush your teeth and sleep. I'll come when we are done with the team meeting."
Aichi nodded and walked to the washroom. Shu looked at everyone having fun and smiled. "Shu, when are you going to tell them?" Ken asked him quietly. Shu was going to be leaving for America soon and he was the only one who knew.
"This isn't the right time. Everyone should focus on the tournament," Shu responded. Aichi soon walked out of the washroom with his hair wet. He was sleepily wiping it with his towel. "I'm going to get him ready to sleep."
He walked to Aichi and took over drying his hair with the towel. He blow dried it before getting him into bed. He tucked Aichi in nicely before returning to the group within 10 minutes. He closed the door behind him gently.
"Is he asleep?" Keru asked him when he sat back down.
"Yeah," Shu answered while looking over to his room. They talked for a while longer before leaving. When they did, Shu washed up before joining Aichi on the bed. He gently got into bed and held Aichi.
"Shu…?" Aichi muttered before opening his eyes a little.
"Did I wake you up?" Shu asked him.
"No… I was worried about you playing tomorrow… I want to give you my power so that you won't get hurt…" Aichi answered worriedly.
"I'll be okay… and if I use you, it won't be a fair match," Shu declined while brushing his head.
"But…" Aichi muttered.
"Don't worry, okay?" Shu said while brushing his head. Aichi looked down as Shu closed his eyes.
"I'm just really worried…" Aichi thought sadly. He moved closer to Shu and closed his eyes. "I want to help Shu… even if it is just a little…" he said to himself. He felt tired, but he couldn't sleep no matter how much he tried.
When Shu woke up, he saw Aichi hugging him tightly. He gently moved Aichi's arm so that he could go for his morning run, but Aichi looked up. "Why are you awake?" Shu asked him.
"I was worried for you…" Aichi answered looking sad. He did look very tired.
"You should stay home and sleep more," Shu suggested. Aichi shook his head and held onto him tighter. "I know you're worried, but you should have tried harder to get some sleep. Stay home, okay?" He said while brushing his head.
Aichi obviously looked upset and held onto Shu tighter. "I'll be back before you know it. It will be on TV, so if you want to watch after sleeping a bit more, you can," Shu said.
"But I want to cheer for you… in person," Aichi responded sadly.
"I know you are always cheering for me," Shu said with a smile before turning to get out of bed.
"Shu, I know you can win, but make sure not to get hurt," Aichi said worriedly. He didn't want to argue with him before the big match. Shu turned to him and smiled.
"Okay," Shu agreed before leaving the room. Aichi stayed in the comfy bed and regretted not being able to sleep.
"If Aichi goes to the stadium there is a possibility that he will use his power even if it is cheating. It is probably best if he stays home…" Shu thought while brushing his teeth. Before leaving, he peeked inside his room to see Aichi fast asleep.
He felt Blaster Blade's presence as well. "Thank you for looking after him, Blaster Blade," Shu thanked him before leaving.
Later in the day, Aichi woke up. It was the afternoon and he jumped out of bed. "Did I miss Shu's match?!" He cried while running to the tv outside. When he opened it, he saw Valt battling Lui and looked sad. "I missed it…" he said sadly.
In the evening, Shu returned home with takeout. "Aichi! I'm home!" He announced after entering the apartment. "Aichi?" He called again before entering his room. Aichi wasn't in bed either and Blaster Blade was on the nightstand which made him worried.
"Where did he go…?" Shu muttered worriedly before running to the front door. When he opened the door, he saw Aichi there looking like he was going to open the door too.
"Shu, you're back!" Aichi cheered happily. He was holding something in his small arms.
"Aichi, where did you go?" Shu asked him, sounding relieved.
"I wanted to cheer you up… so I asked the older me to help me buy a cake for you…" Aichi explained shyly. He held the box out to him.
"You didn't need to do that," Shu responded. He did appreciate the thought, so he left it at that. He carried the box while Aichi took off his shoes.
"I'm sorry I worried you… I'll make sure to leave a note next time," Aichi apologized to him gently. He was worried Shu was angry with him.
Shu sighed and patted Aichi's head. "I would appreciate that," he said with a smile. Aichi smiled too and nodded. "Why didn't you bring Blaster Blade with you?" He asked him while taking the cake to the table.
Aichi looked confused and reached into his pockets. There was nothing there which surprised him. "I guess I forgot since I was talking to him in my head," he responded with a childish smile.
"You should be more careful once you separate with them," Shu said seriously.
"I will! I will make sure to always stay by your side," Aichi responded happily. Shu smiled before bring out bowls for the takeout he brought home.
"I thought you might have been really hungry, so I got takeout for us," Shu informed him.
"Shu… are you sad that your team lost?" Aichi asked him nervously.
"No, not at all. We did our best and we still have the individual tournament," Shu answered while reheating the food. Aichi thought a little and nodded. He really wished they won. "I am more worried about Valt though. He seemed to have been hit hard after battling Lui."
"He's strong… but… Shu, you'll definitely be able to win this time!" Aichi declared confidently.
"I have a lot of training ahead of me. It will be nice to have a training partner," Shu said with a smile.
"I'll be your training partner!" Aichi volunteered enthusiastically.
The next day was a school day and the Bey Club met on the rooftop. Aichi and Shu were battling against each other while the others were trying to talk some sense into Valt. Shu was completely focused on his training while Aichi's attention wandered to the others. "Hey, don't get distracted," Shu told Aichi.
"Sorry!" Aichi exclaimed before turning back.
"3! 2! 1! Let it rip!" They launched again and the two clashed with a lot of power. No matter how much they fought, Aichi kept losing, but he didn't care because he was having fun.
"Ask Shu! You're with me on this: he lost it, right?" Wakiya asked Shu suddenly when he saw that the battle was over. Aichi was picking up both Spriggan and Blaster Blade from the stadium and looked up at Shu who was walking over to the group. Aichi quickly ran to Shu's side, but didn't hand him Spriggan yet.
"Try launching, Valt. Show us," Shu said. Aichi looked at them worriedly. He raised Spriggan up for Shu to take which he did, looking serious. The group went over to the stadium where Valt looked deep in thought while getting into position.
"3! 2! 1! Let it rip!" They exclaimed. They were all shocked when Spriggan knocked Valkyrie out on their first contact.
"Hey! What was that for?! Don't you think that is a little much?!" Valt shouted.
"Don't shift the blame on me. For starters, you didn't even pay attention to my launch! You missed all kinds of details. Your game isn't even close to what it was before our match against Rideout," Shu scolded before walking over to Valt. Aichi looked even more worried and knelt down to pick up Spriggan and Valkyrie.
"That's not true…" Valt responded.
Aichi jumped when he suddenly heard Shu shout, "I'm counting on battling you in the finals! So get it together!" Shu turned to the door and walked away.
"Hey, wait!" Valt called out. Aichi panically handed Valt his Beyblade before running after Shu.
"Shu…" he muttered while running after him. Shu looked down at him and held his hand before leaving together. "Shu… are you mad…?" Aichi asked him worriedly while holding Spriggan tightly in his hand.
Shu took a breath before stopping and looking at him with warm eyes. "Don't worry about it," he said while ruffling his hair. Aichi nodded and held Spriggan out to him again. "Let's go home," he decided before they began walking again.
The next day was the first day of the individual tournament. Aichi had to see Shu off since he had to go to a different section of the building, but Daina and Kiyama were there to watch over him.
"Thank you for agreeing to take care of him, Daina, Rantaro," Shu thanked him while brushing Aichi's head.
"No problem," Daina answered before they walked away. "Let's go find some seats." Aichi nodded before leaving with Daina. However, while he was walking, he felt eyes on him. He carefully looked around him and saw a boy in a lab coat paying close attention to him.
"Who is that…?" Aichi thought to himself. After some help from Wakiya, Valt was able to make it to his match and won. Afterward, they all met up again and got ready to go home. He kept remembering the boy that was watching him closely.
"Aichi, what's wrong?" Shu asked him after seeing him deep in thought. Aichi shook his head, not wanting to worry him while he had to keep his attention on the tournament. Suddenly, he heard something and hid behind Shu, holding onto him tightly. "What is it?" He asked him. After he asked the question, a boy bumped into Valt and fell down on the ground. He laid there for a little while.
"I hear so many voices…" Aichi said while Shu soothed him with his hand.
"Don't worry, they can't hurt you," Shu assured him. The others checked on him, only for him to get up and start muttering weird things. Going on about spirits and his 323 guardians. "Do you hear the spirits…?" Shu whispered. He didn't see it, but he felt Aichi nod behind him. He only had to take his word for it.
When the boy walked past, he almost bumped into Shu's arm, but he moved backwards before he could. He made sure to grab onto Aichi's arm in case he tripped from the sudden movement. The boy looked at Shu with a grin before turning to Aichi who was looking at him tensely before walking away wobbling.
"What is that guy's problem?" Kiyama asked them, sounding confused. Aichi came out from behind Shu, but stayed close to him.
"Shu…" Aichi said while looking at his arm.
"Did you see? He tried to bump into Shu just now. He is trying to get an upperhand, right Shu? That's crossing the line if you ask me," Wakiya asked Shu. Everyone looked at him worriedly.
"Yeah… true…" Shu answered while looking at the direction the boy left.
"Have you seen him before?" Toko asked Shu.
"Jin Aizawa, Shu's first opponent. He uses Jumbo Jormungar," Daina answered.
"Let's go," Shu said before the group began walking home. He held Aichi's hand and began walking.
"Shu, Valt's opponent…" Aichi began saying shyly.
"What about him?" Shu asked him.
"He was watching me earlier… when we separated ways…" Aichi explained while remembering the moment earlier.
"Be careful while I'm not around, okay?" Shu said.
"I'll be careful… you should be careful too," he agreed with a nod. "Shu, can I hold onto Spriggan?"
Shu clicked his Beyblade holder and handed Spriggan to Aichi. Aichi held it in front of him and giggled. They were walking through the park and Shu made sure he didn't bump into anything while he was focused on Spriggan. "What did Spriggan say?"
"Nothing. He just wants to get stronger for you," Aichi answered happily.
"Really-?" Shu responded before noticing someone hiding behind a bench. He held onto Aichi's hand tightly. Aichi looked up at Shu worriedly and started turning to where Shu was looking before. Shu pulled him closer before he could.
"Very interesting…" the person muttered while looking at Aichi.
In a lab, Naoki was looking through the statistics of the Beigoma Bey Club and was intrigued by Shu's statistics. "What information do we have on Shu's little brother?" He asked a robot. The screen changed to Aichi's statistics.
"There is not a lot of information on him, but I heard something intriguing earlier," Naoki commented while looking at Aichi's photo with a grin. "Science really is wonderful!"
The next day, Shu was being followed by Valt and Kiyama since they were worried Jin would do something to him before their match. "Hey Shu! You're supposed to let us go before you! We're your bodyguards!" Valt exclaimed since Shu walked before them to the rooftop.
"That is something you thought of on your own," Shu responded while continuing to go up the stairs. Aichi also followed along closely.
Shu trained alone today since he was worried Naoki was watching them somehow, so Aichi just sat on the bench reading a book. Daina, Kiyama and Valt created a perimeter around the stadium Shu was practicing on to protect him.
Aichi took peeks once in a while happily. Shu was training so hard and he really wished he could have helped. "Shu, I'm going to go to the library," he said while getting up from his seat.
Shu was a bit surprised since he usually always insisted on staying with him, but he smiled and nodded before turning back to training mode. Aichi walked nervously as Valt watched him closely with suspicion. Instead of going to the library, Aichi headed to the classroom and did the cleaning. On the chalkboard, Shu and Aichi's names were written there to be on cleaning duty.
Earlier, they asked the teacher if they could do it later and she agreed since there were a few students still working on a test and Shu wanted to get as much training in as possible. He picked up the broom and began sweeping the floor.
After working alone for a while, he heard the door slide open. He thought it would be Shu, but it turned out to be Naoki. "Hello, you are Shu's little brother right? I wanted you to participate in a small experiment of mine in the name of science," Naoki explained to him.
Aichi stepped backwards shaking his head. "I shouldn't do it without asking Shu… he is busy right now…" he responded in a scared tone.
"I am not sure how Shu will do in the first round then… I hear his opponent is not an honest blader," Naoki said, which alarmed Aichi. "It is a simple experiment and I won't interfere with Shu's battle." He walked up to Aichi and put his hand on his shoulder with a smile.
"Aichi, why are you cleaning alone?" They turned and saw Daina standing there. Aichi took the chance to get out of his situation and got away. The rest of the club soon entered as well and Aichi ran to Shu's side. He held onto Shu's sleeve tightly and Shu put his arm on his shoulder to calm him down.
"Please consider my offer," Naoki said with a smile before leaving smuggly. Shu waited for him to leave first before looking down at Aichi.
"What's wrong? What did he say to you?" Shu asked him while brushing his head. Aichi looked down and shook his head. He didn't want Shu to be worried about him when he had nationals to worry about. "Let's go, thanks for doing the classroom cleaning today," Shu said with a smile. He was a little disappointed Aichi didn't want to talk about it, but he understood why.
The club got their things and left school to go to the stadium. When they reached the stadium, they separated ways with Shu. During Shu's match, there was a weird light coming from the spectating area which made Shu miss his launch. That made Aichi extremely nervous and he snuck out of his seat.
"He is interfering with Shu's battle… Shu can't lose because of me…" Aichi thought to himself. Suddenly, Shu turned to him with a confident smile which relieved him. It was like saying, "It's okay, I can handle this."
Shu then turned back to the stadium and took off the glove on his left hand. He put on a glove on his right hand. "What are you planning?" Jin asked him.
They got into position, but this time Shu had his eyes closed. "Is Shu Kurenai really going to launch with his eyes closed?" The announcer said in anticipation.
"You can do it, Shu…" Aichi thought to himself. He was relieved that Shu managed to get a perfect launch with his eyes closed.
After the match, Aichi looked for Shu while the others investigated where the light came from. He found him talking to Jin in the hallway. Aichi quietly walked to Shu's side while he was talking to him. Shu smiled and put an arm on his shoulders. Aichi was still uneasy since he heard a bunch of spirits again, but he wasn't scared this time.
"That launch was really cool. I don't know how you did it," Jin commented. Aichi looked up at Shu since it looked like Jin was deep within his own thoughts. Shu smiled softly after hearing that and they watched as Jin slowly talked himself to sleep.
"Shu!" A voice called once Jin was completely asleep. Both of them turned and saw Toko and Nika running to them looking concerned.
"What's wrong, Toko and Nika?" Shu asked them.
"It was Naoki! And brother Valt and the others are confronting him!" Nika cried while panting. They held Shu's hand and pulled him. Aichi followed along closely. They followed the twins outside and found the rest of the Bey Club and Naoki confronting each other. Valt really looked like he was going to lose it soon, so Shu stepped forward and shouted, "Valt!"
"Shu…" Valt responded. Aichi peaked his head out a little from behind Shu and saw Naoki looking at him. He hid back behind Shu after.
"Settle this with a BeyBattle, we are all battlers here," Shu said. He noticed Naoki was looking right behind him, so he sent a serious glare at him. They all moved to a training area with many stadiums around them. Aichi was standing behind Shu holding onto his shirt. They soon began the battle and Aichi was a little worried.
"Do you think Valt will be okay…?" Aichi asked Shu quietly.
"He will be fine," Shu responded confidently. Aichi nodded before turning back to the battle. The battle ended with Valt winning and Naoki's database getting wiped by accident.
After everything was over, they began walking home. "Shu, that last launch was crazy! Who else could have pulled off such a wicked launch with their eyes closed?" Valt shouted before trying it himself. "Blindfold Launch!" He tripped and fell into the bushes with a grunt.
Shu walked over and held his hand out to help him up. Aichi stayed back with the others and watched the two. "Thank you, for real," Shu thanked him with a smile. Aichi watched them lock hands and looked at each other with respect.
When they got home, Aichi took a shower first. As usual, Shu helped him dry his hair and got him ready for bed before washing up himself. While Shu was in the washroom, Aichi took out Spriggan and concentrated his power.
"Focus, my Vanguard…" Blaster Blade said while helping to stabilize his power. He was soon exhausted and passed out on the bed. When Shu walked inside, he saw him sleeping soundly. He sighed before maneuvering him to a better position and tucked him in. He noticed Spriggan in Aichi's hand and brushed his head.
"What are you up to now?" He asked with a sigh before taking Spriggan out of his hands and put it on the nightstand.
The next day, Shu woke up and heard heavy breathing. He looked down to see that Aichi's face was red. He put his hand on his forehead and felt the fever. "Aichi…" He said before getting out of bed and getting a wet towel to cool his head a little.
"Shu…" Aichi muttered when Shu placed the towel on his head.
"I'm here… how are you feeling?" Shu asked him while brushing his head.
"Hot…" he answered while taking a breath. Shu was really worried and made sure he was tucked in snuggly.
"I'll make you some rice gruel. Maybe I should take a day off of school too," Shu said.
"No… you still need to prepare for nationals. I'll be okay," Aichi responded with a smile.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Shu asked him. Aichi nodded, which shifted the wet cloth to the side. Shu smiled before putting it back. "I'm worried about you," he said.
"I'll be okay," Aichi repeated with a smile. "If anything, I have the other me," he added.
"Okay… but I'll cook the rice gruel for you," Shu responded before walking out of the room. Aichi took a breath and turned to Spriggan.
"My Vanguard you should stop this for now… if you continue, it will put even more strain on your body," Blaster Blade said. Aichi shook his head and pulled his hand out from the blankets for a moment. In his hand was a new Beyblade. It was red with back, white and yellow details.
"I'm sorry I used your vessel, Blaster Blade…" Aichi apologized.
"There is no need for me to have a vessel if you do not plan to battle, My Vanguard," Blaster Blade answered. Aichi nodded and hid the beyblade quickly when Shu walked inside.
"Will you be okay if I go on a run?" Shu asked him while checking how bad his fever was. It was very warm.
"Yes," Aichi answered.
Days passed and Aichi was still very sick. Shu was so worried that he took him to the doctors.
"Shu… I'm feeling fine… you should practice some more before your fight…" Aichi said while looking up at him. Shu put his hand on his forehead and felt that it was still burning up.
"You've been sick for so long. You should get it checked out," Shu responded.
"Aichi Sendou," the nurse called.
"Yes!" Shu responded before helping Aichi up. They walked through the hallway and entered into a room. They waited for the doctor to come in and see him.
"Shu, you're going to battle Lui next…" Aichi said worried that he is holding Shu back.
"I still have plenty of time to train, don't worry," Shu responded. Soon the doctor walked inside.
"How long has he been sick?" The doctor asked Shu after taking Aichi's temperature.
"About a week now. He's been taking some fever reducers, but nothing has been working…" Shu answered.
After hearing that, the doctor wanted to draw some blood for sampling. In the end, nothing seemed to have been wrong, so they left the doctors with a prescription for stronger antibiotics.
"Shu… it's not going to help…" Aichi said. Shu found that suspicious and looked down at him. "I'm sorry for worrying you," he said.
"Aichi, what's wrong…?" Shu asked him while kneeling down and putting his hand on his shoulder.
Aichi fiddled around and looked conflicted. He wasted a lot of Shu's time and he definitely didn't want to waste his money too. "Can we wait a little longer…? I promise I will be fine in a few more days…" Aichi asked him.
Shu sighed and nodded. "Okay… but stay home and watch my match on the tv okay?" He said. Aichi nodded and they walked home together. Shu left soon after to go back to training and Aichi pulled out the Beyblade that he had been working on.
"My Vanguard, all you need to do now is maintain the vessel's stability until you can transfer the spirit within Shu Kurenai's current Beyblade," Blaster Blade said. Aichi nodded before falling asleep.
It was soon time for Shu's match with Lui. Aichi pulled himself out of bed and watched the match on the tv. He lost and Spriggan broke into pieces. When it did, the spirit flew out of it and to the one that Aichi made. Aichi was sad that Shu lost, but was excited to give him the new Spriggan.
He got changed and ran out of the apartment. "My Vanguard, you are still weak from everything that happened," Blaster Blade said.
"I'm fine! I want to cheer Shu up!" He responded while he was running. He looked around the stadium area and found that he wasn't there. He was panting and with his fever he was feeling a little light headed.
He looked around the area some more before finally spotting Shu standing by the ocean looking out at Valt who was trying to cheer him up. He saw Shu crying and stayed back with the Beyblade in his hand. "Should I go…?" Aichi asked Blaster Blade.
"It is your decision, my Vanguard," Blaster Blade answered. Aichi took one step and his body couldn't take it and collapsed.
"Oh my! Little boy, are you okay?" A woman asked him after seeing him collapse. She touched his forehead and felt the fever. Shu turned to see what was going on while wiping his tears and saw Aichi in a woman's arms.
He ran over and Valt did too. "Sorry, I'm his brother. Aichi… what are you doing here?" Shu asked him. The woman handed him to Shu.
"Shu… take this," Aichi said while holding up the Beyblade in his hand. Shu was surprised and took it.
"What is it…?" Shu asked him.
"It's Spriggan…" Aichi answered before falling unconscious.
"Aichi! Hey!" Shu shouted while shaking him.
"Hey man… we should get him home or something," Valt said while putting a hand on Shu's shoulder. Shu nodded and pulled him on his back. Valt walked with them home.
"Wow! This Beyblade is pretty cool! Where did he even get it?" Valt asked Shu to try to lighten the mood.
"He made it. Now you're in this state," Shu responded while looking back at Aichi.
"What? What do you mean he made it?" Valt exclaimed.
"It's a long story. This was probably why he was sick for a week. He was probably waiting for me to finish Nationals," Shu explained.
"Blaster Blade," he called. Valt looked at Shu confused, but he looked very serious.
"What is it?" Blaster Blade responded while in Aichi's body.
"Will he be okay?" Shu asked him.
"Yes, my Vanguard just needs some rest to recover his energy. He will be able to make a full recovery," Blaster Blade answered. Valt had so many questions, but just didn't bother asking.
When they got home, Valt separated ways with them. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked him.
"Yeah. Make sure to rest up for tomorrow," Shu answered with a smile. He went up to their apartment and laid Aichi on the bed. Aichi changed to his older form and got up. He felt a little weak, but much better than the little one. "Aichi… how is he?" Shu asked him.
"He's fine. He is more worried that you are mad at him than anything," Aichi answered with an awkward smile.
"That's a relief," Shu responded.
"We're leaving in three days right? After we are separated, I need you to take care of him without me," Aichi said while pulling out a card. "Do you know what he used to create that new Beyblade for you?"
Shu pulled out the new Spriggan and looked up. "It was Blaster Blade's vessel before, but he changed it and stabilized it with his own strength for a week. I hope you can harness the power within it," he explained with a smile.
"Thank you, Aichi," Shu thanked him before looking at Spriggan.
"No, thank you for taking care of the little trouble maker," Aichi responded. They both laughed since they always say the same things to each other whenever they meet. Even with the strength of the older Aichi, he was still feeling quite unwell and slept for most of the day.
The next day, Shu went to the stadiums to watch Valt's match. He found him running back and forth on the beach area that they were before. He took off his helmet and got off his bike. He walked to him and asked, "What are you doing, Valt?"
"Hey Shu! I was so excited for the match that I came here early! I wanted to blow out some steam before the match," Valt answered. "Up for a race?"
Shu smiled and began taking off his backpack. "Sure, I guess." They turned after hearing splashing and saw a dolphin.
"Wow! Is that a mermaid?!" Valt exclaimed.
"That's a dolphin," Shu responded with a chuckle.
"I think it wants me to come in for a swim!" Valt said before beginning to run, but Shu pulled him back. "So did you get to try out your new Beyblade?"
"Yeah, I got some practice in," Shu responded. "Should we get going then?"
Meanwhile in the apartment, Aichi had swapped places again earlier and pulled himself to the couch so that he could watch the finals. There was a blanket and pillow set up. "Shu really thinks of everything…" he muttered before settling in and opening the television.
He had the broken pieces of Spriggan with him since he wanted to keep it. Right before the match started, the front door unlocked and Shu's mom walked inside with a hurry with all of her baggage.
"Mom…" Aichi said. She turned to him and ran over leaving her bags in the shoe area. She touched his face before touching his forehead too to check his temperature. It was much lower than before, but still quite warm.
"What is Shu doing leaving you home alone with a fever?" She said before rummaging through her purse and pulled out a fever reducing patch.
"I told him I would be okay," Aichi responded. She quickly taped it to his forehead before organizing her things. He watched her run around and didn't even notice that the match started. "Mom, do you need help?"
"No," she answered with a smile. After she got settled, she went to the kitchen and looked at the rice gruel that was in a pot. She took care of Aichi all day since she knew he was sick for a week now. Aichi was able to see the end of the match and was disappointed that Valt lost.
When Shu got home, he noticed an extra pair of shoes in the doorway and looked in the kitchen. "Mom, why are you home so soon?" Shu asked her.
"Aichi is sleeping right now," she said with a lowered voice. Shu took off his shoes and walked over to his room. Aichi was sleeping soundly. "His fever went down quite a bit," she informed him.
"That's a relief…" Shu responded. He pulled out his new Spriggan and held it tightly. "Mom, I want to go downstairs to train," he said.
She looked in his hand and saw the new Beyblade. She remembered Aichi was holding the broken Spriggan earlier. "Where did you get that?" She asked him with a smile. She can tell how much the new Beyblade meant to him.
"Aichi gave it to me. He made it himself and that's why he is so sick right now," Shu explained. There was no point in hiding it from her since she already knew about Aichi's other soul.
"Go get going, I'll cook for you two," she said while putting her hand on her son's shoulder.