Bakuten Shoot Beyblade -- You've got the wrong number [1/?]
Title: You've got the wrong number
Author: Nekocin/tyreling
Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade
Focus: eventual KaiRei
Other: PG13, AU, overall romance, series
Disclaimer: Do not own Beyblade. If I did, I would have made KaiRei an official couple. :nods: Besides that, I do not own the themes mentioned later on for each chapter. Title of this fic belongs to DBSK, from the song "Wrong number", album "MIROTIC". Title of this chapter is part of DBSK's recent song "Neon Naui Norae" from the same album.
Chapter 1: "You're my melody"
- theme: #1 first date -
The big hurdle is actually how to get in contact with Hiwatari Kai. He's a tough business man, carrying more than one cell phone in his brief case (most likely four, Rei assumes; one for business, one for family, one for backup and the last one for... personal reasons) and probably has six thug-like bodyguards follow him around.
If he takes the first step by befriending him with text-messages, Rei has absolutely no chance of ever meeting Yuriy's cousin. Because, he reasons calmly, why would Hiwatari bother with anonymous messages left on his phone? And even if he did glance at the text, he'll probably confiscate the phone and buy a new model with a much difficult number combination; or much worse, run a complete background check on the unknown number and get -him- arrested for public disruption and harassment.
That's what a reasonable man would do.
... maybe that's for the best. It's his best escape route, after all.
Yuriy, however, seems to have other ideas of what a reasonable businessman would do, taking -his- cell phone to punch a number and presses the call button, before placing the device to his ear.
"Wait! What are you doing?" Rei panics.
"Making a… an early appointment for you with Kai." Yuriy says flippantly as if it's the most normal thing to do at the moment.
"What? This fast?" The little hope that Hiwatari will never -ever- accept a date with an anonymous person goes down the drain. It would make life a bit easier if Hiwatari says no.
Yuriy ignores him and turns his back to Rei. "Good morning, my most favorite cousin in the world." That's sarcasm. "Guess what? I've finally found s-."Yuriy says lazily, before releasing a string of curses, and glares at the phone. "The bastard hung up on me."
"Bad timing?" Rei quips helpfully.
"No. As far as I know, he has no meetings or conferences today." Yuriy presses a few buttons for a few minutes and then hands the phone over to Rei.
"Here. It has no use anymore. Kai has blocked your number." Yuriy continues in his flippant tone.
Rei stares at him. "What am I supposed to do about it? Wait for him to take the first step?"
The thought of Hiwatari Kai asking -him- out actually strikes him as fairly, surely impossible.
Yuriy laughs, neither happy nor amused (sarcastic perhaps?), and then stops--as if taking it into consideration. "Hmmm, maybe you're right. He's one stubborn asshole, who always wants to take matters into his own hands." Yuriy's ice blue eyes twinkle when they glance Rei's way. "Give me a few days. I'll make sure he agrees to one date. One date is enough. What's so scary about just one date?"
Rei doesn't want to answer that, only starts listing possibilities in his mind:
- Meeting a complete stranger.
- A high chance of getting disappointed.
- He's already in a relationship.
- Or, he's completely uninterested because of his asexuality.
(Sounds agreeable so far.)
... or maybe he's very shy?
"Why are you doing this again?" Rei wonders, instead. "Your cousin could have easily found someone without any help."
Yuriy scoffs between a snort and snigger. "You've a funny perspective about dating unknown people, Kon. Is that why you're using your friend's card? Because you have no one at home who wants to introduce you to nice, docile, pretty girls? Or guys?"
That... hurts.
He refuses to give the other man the satisfaction that his words have hit home, turning away to glare to his left. It all comes back to the reason why he is now under Mr. Yuriy's control.
So what if his family has failed to find someone appropriate for him?
----
When he first began meeting Hiromi's dates, he had tried very hard not to worry and lose his head in this game. No, not exactly a game. He wasn't trying to win anything out of this. He wasn't trying to enjoy the short sessions either. They were all blind dates--not really that much acquainted to develop certain affections except maybe a few sparks of interest.
What's so different about having a blind date with Hiwatari scheduled? Just treat it as any ordinary date, he tells himself. He'll pick a nice suit (ignoring the fact that he's only rented one suit for a month) from his closet, make himself presentable and bring along his money pouch, just in case. He'll just take a seat, smile, make small conversation, order ice tea and then bid good day. Easy!
Unfortunately, even though, he has already planned out how to present himself, he feels his own courage sink to his shoes each passing hour. What if he says something stupid? What if he actually reveals he's been using Hiwatari Corporations' facilities under a fake name?
If Yuriy won't send him to jail because of a -favor- he's doing, Hiwatari will--demanding him to pay for a long list of bills Rei will never be able to repay. Unless a miracle is bestowed upon his life and frees him from such unnecessary headaches.
17:15
He's starting to feel like an idiot, tearing his eyes away from the short text message (that informs him of the place, time and date he's supposed to meet with Mr. Hiwatari) and drops his cell phone at arm’s length on the bed, beside his pillow.
Just a moment ago, he had fished out excuses to ward off his worried cousins (that he's rather unwell--stomach ache? headache?--and really needs a nap) but he feels hardly rested. Even with his eyes closed, he keeps rolling around underneath his blankets, above his blankets, pushing his pillows to the corners, trying unsuccessfully to subdue his restlessness, his eyes would flutter open in an instant to stare at the cell phone, before tearing his eyes away, again.
And again.
And again.
17:25
Dammit! Grrr, must get some sleep.
----
Table number 35, which Yuriy has so nicely reserved, is... empty. Rei isn't quite sure if he should feel relieved and hurt about this at the same time. (Those two emotions rarely go together, like fire and oil in the middle of an ignited scrap of metal. Or something close to that extend.)
He has never been stood up before.
Though he has tried not to go too deep about this little date, the invisible dent on his ego has still prowled in, much in the way of one extra drop of liquid overflowing an already-filled-to-the-rim bucket of water.
Lowering his head to rest his chin on the arm upon the table, Rei idly allows his eyes to study the tableware. There's the specials' menu card (printed neatly with business-like font and some cheery swirly decorations), paper napkins' rack (with only a few sheets), a lonely vase with a stem of some indistinguishable flower, a batch of toothpicks and two cups filled with salt and pepper.
He glances to his wristwatch.
Still a few minutes to go. There's no need to panic. Just relax Rei, he tells himself. If things turn out bad for him, he'll know what to do. When the time is right, that is.
"Kon Rei?"
He immediately shoots up from his huddled position, sitting ramrod straight in his chair and faces the person who has addressed him, unsuccessfully trying to regain his calm. "Y-yes?"
... and he wants to die right now.
Standing right beside his table is clearly businessman named Hiwatari in all of his glory--black (mafia?) suit, red-striped (with little birds) tie, silver briefcase in one hand, and nothing in the other one (his right hand suspiciously forms a fist).
The words 'damn scary and cool' flash through his mind. Like a fumbling idiot, Rei pushes his chair back to stand up and bids the other man good evening, hand raised for a short wave and smiles. Hiwatari does not acknowledge the greeting, only flickered disinterested vermouth eyes to asses him physically.
"I don't do dates." Hiwatari states rather straightforwardly, obviously not amused with this at all, though he makes no move to leave the dinner hall or take a seat.
Rei's own smile freezes between disappointment and surprise. Apparently, there are a lot of loose screws short-circuiting his mind, because, honestly, that is not the reaction he has expected to hear. A short introduction or a greeting would have suffixes.
So this is how it feels like when someone rejects you, Rei realizes.
"Well, then let's make this as short and painless as possible, shall we, Mr. Hiwatari?" It scares him sometimes that he could sound so awfully calm and nonchalant at the same time. The last time he heard himself use such a strange tone was years ago, when he had tried protecting Mao from neighbouring bullies and almost scratched out their eyes in the process. He inclines his head in a curt nod, "Good night, Mr. Hiwatari, it's nice to meet you," and smiles.
Hiwatari scrutinizes him one minute too long (analyzing, evaluating, re-analyzing...) and snorts. "I never said I will never date you, Kon."
Without elaborating anything at all, Hiwatari plops down on the chair across of Rei's chair as graceful as his lean form would allow him to do and places his briefcase neatly beside his feet, before lacing his fingers on top of the table. Waiting. Right, the perfect image of a businessman laying everything in the open, before he actually strikes with a plan, a goal and a strategy. "Are you going to stand there and stare at me all night?"
Blinking, Rei shakes his head, stunned. "No. I was just-," He shakes his head again, stopping his train of thoughts, blinks twice and then sighs. "Never mind." He makes an odd motion with his hand to wave off the matter and slides back down into his seat. So far, so good. Just peachy.
- to be continued -
TheNekoTalks:
I seriously and literally fought with this chapter. Tooth and Nail. 'nough said. :is under pressure:
Thank you for reading! Even though it's so... lame.
.:Nekocin:.
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