I don't think this will happen to me, but rumours say it has happened to many people so I guess I'll take precautions as well. If my story suddenly disappears just because Wattpad is a stupid app with glitches and dumb policies, just note my username. If such a situation arises, I'll republish this book again. Also, is this really true and going on for real?

------------------------------------

Valt Aoi ~

I didn't understand why (Y/n) kept giving me eye signals everytime she talked about Wakiya being the club leader.

I don't know. Am I supposed to understand something I'm not understanding?

I don't see what's the big deal. I don't really have any problem with Wakiya being the leader? But there's also the fear of taking everyone else down just because I wasn't good enough...

I guess I actually could've been the leader. But the thing is... I don't think I'm the best choice for that. What if I mess up? I don't suppose I'd be able to lead the team and stuff like that. Afterall, I'm probably one of the weakest bladers in our club. Shu, (Y/n), Wakiya... they're all so much better than me. As I'm now, I'm not even close to them when it comes to the title of leader.

Then, why does (Y/n) keep giving me that look? It's almost as if I should...

But I shouldn't.

I'll mess up as leader so bad that we'll end up as the most humiliated team on the list. Besides, it hardly matters who takes up the job. I just wanna battle strong opponents and win my way to the top! Become the best blader in the world! The leader thing is better off with someone who actually understands what matters most.

But the club... I made it. It belongs to m –

"HEY, KIYAMA!" (Y/n) yelled from the lake. Her sleeves were rolled up and she was standing inside the water, the water level just below her knee. After having another practice match, Wakiya decided that we go fishing for our lunch. Honcho and I agreed to come with him, but for some reason, (Y/n) also insisted on tagging along, although I couldn't understand what she would gain out of this.

Maybe, just maybe, she's becoming a more lively person and actually capable of enjoying different activities with us! These days, she doesn't even seem to be that much of an emotionless and rude person as she used to be before. Maybe I could finally get friendly with her and even challenge her for a beybattle without getting threatened! Hehe, that would be so amazingggg~

Man, that makes me realize we haven't battled together since forever. Hmph, that's a sad thought.

I pouted without realising.

Upon being called by (Y/n), Honcho looked over from his standing spot. He was using a fishing pole for the task, unlike me and (Y/n), who were in the water itself, making use of our bare hands and a fishing net.

As soon as Honcho turned in (Y/n)'s direction, she threw a fish directly at his face. Honcho stumbled back, but balanced himself before he could fall in the water.

"What wa – " he couldn't even finish saying before another fish came flying at him. Then another.

My jaw dropped to the ground. What does she think she's doing?

"HEY, (Y/N)! THAT'S SO MEAN," I shouted at her in hope of saving my dear friend, but she seemed to have turned a deaf ear to my screams. I frantically looked from (Y/n) to Honcho, not really knowing what to do. Should I jump in between? There's no guarantee I'll make it out alive!

"How you like that, Rantaro?!" She grinned evilly and threw another fish. I noticed she was simultaneously moving forward towards him as well. "Don't be shy, I've caught plenty for you! Does this make you regret back to when you pushed me? Huhh?!"

Poor Honcho had nowhere to take cover. Afterall, it was an open lake. No trees, no boulders to hide behind...

Ah, well, they're just playing. Nothing serious.

I chuckled nervously and went back to my own fishing. So far, I'd caught three but I intended on getting more! I can't let anyone else have more than me. I must win this!

I dipped my net in the water and circled the waterflow with the other hand to create an attraction for the fishes passing by. Once a fish gets close enough, it should be pushed inward by the current and get caught in my net.

I'm usually not very strategic about things, but my mom taught me this technique, so I have it perfected. Not that I know the proper working and all the details, though.

"FEAR ME AND BEG FOR YOUR LIFE!" (Y/n)'s loud, demonic voice sliced through the air and made my eardrums hurt. What even is up with her today...

I turned around and immediately regretted it. The scene in front of me made my skin crawl with uneasiness, giving me goosebumps. Every nerve in my body screamed 'RUN!'

Honcho was being mercilessly pushed into the water. (Y/n) was the one holding him by the neck and making it happen. The poor guy wasn't really able to fight back or defend himself properly. Even his coat was floating away from the crime scene, as if it had strategically given up on its owner.

Oh, so that's why she was so eager to come along with us? And there isn't really any Daigo here to stop her either.

The two fishes I'd just caught were still flapping in my net. I stared at them and quickly made a decision.

Just these would be enough for now. I should start moving before she decides I'm next.

Just then, Tsujihara came up and separated (Y/n) from murdering Honcho again. Phew! Wakiya's brave butler saves the day once more. Who else would face the wrath of (Y/n) (L/n)? I've seen even Daigo run for his life sometimes.

I followed the three of them to the ground. I noticed (Y/n) was standing at one side, interestingly staring at the tree above us as if she hadn't almost killed Honcho twice already. Poor Honcho was lying flat on the ground and Tsujihara was pushing on his chest to get rid of the water inside his lungs.

Oh, wait. Now I know how Honcho had hundreds of ants in his bed this morning. And how his omelette had been sprinkled with sand instead of black pepper during breakfast...

I looked at (Y/n) again.

She seems suspiciously happy today, alright.

"Yo, (Y/n)!" I grinned and skipped up to her. Everything she did was so cool for some reason. I wish I knew how to pull sneaky and creative pranks like her. "Hey, are you the one who – "

"Walk with me, Valt," she interrupted me before I could ask her about the weird things happening with Honcho.

The huge smile on my face disappeared upon hearing her plain and serious tone. I... guess I was wrong about her having changed for the good afterall. Right now, I felt as if the indifferent and cold (Y/n) from the first day was standing in front of me, expecting me to obey.

Without any word, I did as she told me to. Not that I had any choice, not that I was eager to find out what'll happen to me if I refuse.

I glanced at Honcho one last time, and began to walk with her towards wherever she wanted to take me next.

A few minutes passed and she didn't say anything, just plain walking while starting ahead. No words, no eye contact, nothing. Just the fact that she kept strolling really close to me and I wasn't sure if it was supposed to comfort me or she was just coming in for the kill.

"Valt," she suddenly stopped and I almost stumbled down. Embarrassed, I quickly balanced myself and noticed that she was looking in the direction we had come from. I didn't see the others as far as my sight went, and it made me wonder if she knows where we are or we're lost.

"Tell me about the time when you decided to make your own beyclub," she sat down on the grass and expectantly looked up at me.

I was shocked.

Not like the electric shocked, but like the 'woah-I-see-the-sun-at-night' kind of shocked.

"Wh-What's up? You're suddenly talkative," I chuckled nervously and stepped back without knowing. (Y/n) grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

"Cooperate and sit down."

I gulped and obeyed. This was really starting to scare me, and it hadn't even started yet!

"I promise a beybattle if you just listen to me," she suddenly offered. My ears perked up and my heart started to race with excitement. Man, she sure knows how to make a good deal!

"You have my attention!" I saluted sincerely.

"Be honest with me, Valt, do you not think of yourself as the natural leader of the club?"

"Woah – That – I – Wait, what?" I was caught off guard yet again. What's wrong with me today? I'm generally sure of myself and not so nervous.

"You made the club," she simplified the question for me and it sounded very scary when she said it like that. "You should know best."

"How am I supposed to know best?! Why do you expect me to have an answer for everything? I'm not even a strong blader! Wakiya is a better option than I am," I blurted out without thinking through properly. Her questions made me feel exasperated for whatever reason.

(Y/n)'s expression turned soft again and she smiled at me. OH MY GOD, WHAT EVEN IS UP WITH HER TODAY? One moment she's bullying Honcho, then she's suddenly scary and cold, next she's behaving like a comforting and friendly person, then scary again, and NOW SHE'S SMILING AT ME?

"I'll tell you something important," she leaned back on her hands and looked up to the sky. "Make sure to recall our conversation whenever you feel like you're not sure of yourself."

My eyes widened and I felt my chest warming up with a weird touch of care and affection. For me, this was a new kind of emotion with (Y/n). I'd only ever felt like this with Shu or mom and dad.

After that moment, every word she said felt differently soothing and close to the heart. And only later I would realize, how many times I'd need to connect back to this conversation in my coming years...

---------------

Training was cancelled midway because of rain. Not that practicing inside the room had anything to do with the outside rain, but still.

I sat at the balcony of the huge guest room Wakiya had given us and stared endlessly at the falling raindrops between the wet forest in front of me. I felt awfully light, relieved and content. And I knew it was because of the things (Y/n) said to me in the afternoon.

How did I not know... deep inside, I was worrying so much this whole time? It seemed to me like I was fine, but (Y/n) knew exactly what was troubling me – problems I didn't even know were bothering me. She somehow knew it all.

I'd finally realised how big of a fool I was. I thought I understood her. I thought I understood myself... my own feelings. But after talking to her, after listening to her today, my heart had opened to how much I was misunderstanding what was inside me.

She said things I wanted to hear, even though I didn't know what I wanted to hear. I feel as if a part of me has unlocked that was long asleep inside me. I think I'm ready to be the team captain. I'm also ready to let anyone else be the captain. Needless to say, I'm ready to win the team tournament.

No wonder (Y/n) is so amazing. She's graceful, ambitious, calculating, decisive... everything cool that inspires me, and motivates me to push forward and surpass her. I see now... how she's able to make all of that happen. She's not like anything I had assumed; anything I had aimed to become. I was totally misunderstanding and following all the wrong things.

She had a perspective. That was the answer I was looking for. I'll need to have one of my own too... I need my perspective in life.

But how do I know what's the right thing to chase after?

"VALT! TOKO AND NIKA ARE GONE," Honcho abruptly burst into my room and started panicking. I turned my head and stared at his figure standing in the doorway.

Wait, Toko and Nika are supposed to be in the room with me... No, we had training... No, training was postponed... No, wait, where did they go...? Why was Honcho –

"Valt!" Honcho was suddenly holding my face, forcing me to look him in the eyes. When did he move closer? "Toko and Nika are gone. Nowhere to be found."

That's when I realized what he was actually saying. I must've been lost in thought... WELL, IT'S NOT MY CUP OF TEA TO BE MULTI-TASKING OVER HERE ANYWAY!

"Let's go!" I ran outside and downstairs without a second thought. When I arrived, everyone else was already gathered there.

Wakiya frantically ran towards me. His hands were shaking and his forehead was all sweaty. His face displayed absolute panic. "V-Valt. I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry. I didn't – the fruit... They must've gone after it! It's all my fau – "

"Wh-Where – " I was about to ask just what the hell was going on but Shu harshly interrupted me. (Y/n) and Daigo were already at the front gate, holding it open. Hoji was getting umbrellas and Honcho picked up a piece of paper I had no idea what... oh, it's a map.

"We have no time to waste, Wakiya! PULL YOURSELVES TOGETHER!" I had never seen Shu raise his voice and behave like this before. He roughly pulled Wakiya by his coat and dragged him with himself.

I was confused, but not stupid enough to not understand the emergency. I quickly followed without question.

---------------

Honcho explained the whole situation to me as we followed Wakiya in the direction of the tree he'd mentioned.

We kept screaming his name pretty much the whole time but for some reason, Wakiya didn't stick to the plan and ran ahead into the forest all by himself. We tried our best to not lose sight of him, but it was too difficult considering the pace he was going and the strong winds cutting our path. I get that he was feeling responsible for not picking the fruit for the twins earlier, but it's still too dangerous in this nasty storm.

"WAKIYA!" Shu screamed again, but there was no sight of him around. At that point, we'd completely lost Wakiya and we didn't even know where that tree was. Only he knew about it, and he's gone ahead already!

Other than that, all of us were new to this place anyway. Honcho had a map with him, but it wasn't easy to read where we were. We had far lost our umbrellas while running, and all of us were pretty much completely wet by now.

"Hoji, you're always there with Wakiya. Try to remember something useful!" (Y/n) aggressively grabbed Hoji's collar, almost pushing the poor guy to the ground. Hoji rubbed his forehead in frustration, clearly going through his memories as fast as he could.

"THINK FAST, YOU FOOL!" (Y/n) clutched both of his shoulders and roughly shook him. I kinda felt bad for the guy, honestly...

"Stop that! He won't be able to think properly like this," Shu grabbed (Y/n)'s arm and pulled her away from Hoji. (Y/n) almost slipped on the muddy ground and had to keep her hand on Shu's chest for support, but that didn't stop her from glaring daggers at the very person holding her from falling down.

"Do you even realise the seriousness of this situation? We don't have all the time in the world for Hoji to think of something!" (Y/n) looked up straight into Shu's eyes and he returned the favour with an equally intense stare. Her one arm was still in Shu's hand and the other on his chest.

"Maybe if you stop rushing all of us, then we'll actually be able to think of something together! Besides, don't you trust Wakiya enough to bring them back safely? At least when he's nicely familiar with the forest?!" Shu aggressively explained.

Damn, I've said this before and I'll say it again; I'd never seen Shu act like this before. I guess his more scary side comes out during serious situations like these. If I were in (Y/n)'s place, I'd never mess with the furious Shu. She's brave, for sure.

"I remember now! There's a bridge across over this side!" Hoji suddenly spoke up, catching all of our attention. Shu and (Y/n)'s little argument died instantly.

"Let's move, then," I took the chance to take a lead. I might not be as aggressive as Wakiya, (Y/n) or Shu, but Toko and Nika were my siblings. There's no way anyone else is as worried about them as I am.

Please, just be safe, you two.

The six of us reached the bridge just as Wakiya appeared on the other side with the twins. I took a breath of relief when I saw them with my own eyes. I hadn't realised how nervous I was until now. My heart was beating like crazy.

"There you are," I said to myself.

"Come on over!" Shu shouted at Wakiya on the other side.

"Th-They're scared," Wakiya said timidly, looking at the deep waterflow beneath. It sounded to me like he was more scared of the height of the bridge than the twins were. Toko and Nika said something I couldn't hear.

"We should use that rope!" Shu voiced his idea.

"I'm in favour," (Y/n) backed up.

"On it!" Daigo copied and we quickly put ourselves to work. In no time, we had secured a nearby tree and the other end of the rope was ready to be taken by Wakiya.

Honcho did the task of throwing the rope all the way across the bridge. It reached, barely, but that was enough to make the plan work.

Wakiya tied the rope to himself, picked up Nika on his back, and held Toko by the other hand.

"Guys, think of it as a game!" I told them for encouragement. "Easy! Just follow the rope to this side."

"Uh, by the way..." Hoji chose that moment to reveal a very unsettling fact. "Wakiya is scared of heights."

"WHAAAT?!" The five of us exclaimed in sync. Even (Y/n) was genuinely shocked over that piece of information.

Wakiya started to take slow steps over the bridge and now I could clearly make out the fear on his face.

"Come on, Wakiya! You can do this. You'll be alright, trust me! Just take your time, nice and slow," I tried to encourage him further, but it didn't seem to be working at all.

"WAKIYA, YOU IDIOT, YOUR EGO IS HIGHER THAN THAT DUMB BRIDGE! YOU CAN DO IT!" surprisingly, (Y/n) was the one trying to motivate him through words. Although, it sounded like more of an insult...

"Hang on, it's a little wobbly," Shu said beside me. With quick communication, we decided to pull the rope from our side as well.

We pulled with all our might, but Wakiya didn't seem to be budging from his position. There was a series of confusion from both sides and every one of us seemed to be speaking at the same time.

"Come on, Wakiya," Honcho.
"Wakiya, keep moving," Daigo.
"We need to do something more!" Hoji.
"It's no use, he's too scared!" Shu.
"Rantaro, why don't you jump while we're already here?!" (Y/n).
"It's not that bad, Wakiya!" Toko.
"(Y/n), this is not the time for that," Daigo.
"I-It's so deep," Wakiya.
"It can't be helped like this," Hoji.
"Valt, go for it!" Honcho.

That's when I let go of the rope and ran towards Wakiya myself. I should've done this sooner, but it doesn't matter right now. Toko, Nika, I'm coming! You'll be alright with me. Your big brother will get you for sure!

"Come on, I'm here to help!" I said when I reached their side.

"Wh-What help? I-I'm fine," Wakiya stuttered.

"NO, HE'S NOT!" the twins quickly interjected.

"Now, Wakiya," I put an arm around his shoulder and told him very seriously. "Watch me. I'm really good at walking."

"Oh, a-are you really? I never noticed," he replied sarcastically. Well, at least his attitude is unwavering... even though his balance is not.

"Yup, I'm pretty much a natural," I replied with the same energy. "Come on, let's move. On the count of three..."

That way, I slowly led Wakiya and the twins back to the other side. Our little mission might've originally been about rescuing the twins, but we ended up rescuing Wakiya instead. I guess, all's well that ends well!

"Nice work there," Daigo told Wakiya.

"Hey, you did it!" Hoji praised him.

"That took real guts, dude," Honcho said.

Wakiya panted like crazy for a few seconds and looked around at us surrounding him. His face was muddy and there were a few tears at the corners of his eyes. But there was still no backing down to his sarcasm. "Y-You guys did really well yourselves, I gotta say. B-But you could've done better."

Everyone laughed at his funny statement except (Y/n). She stepped away, came around us, and proceeded to majestically stand above a nearby boulder. There was absolute determination on her face, and just when I thought she'll say something very valuable and intellectual, she pointed her finger straight at Honcho.

Uh-oh. I think I know what's coming...

"Are you jumping into the stream now or do you want me to help you make the decision?!" She announced seriously.

"NOT THIS AGAIN!" Poor Honcho threw his hands and proceeded to lie flat on the ground. "Just take my life! Get this over with. I said I'm sorry! I'm tired of your pranks since the morning."

This time, all of us laughed even better. And (Y/n) joined as well.

-------------

Next morning, the whole group gathered in front of the mansion with their bags and stuff packed. I noticed (Y/n) was the only one empty-handed. Did she not pack her stuff or did she not bring anything in the first place? HOW THE HELL DID SHE SURVIVE THREE DAYS WITHOUT CLOTHES AND ALL?

"Miss (L/n), I've already taken care of your belongings," Tsujihara slightly bowed to (Y/n). "Your items will conveniently reach your place on time."

"There really was no need to go through all that extra trouble for a small backpack," (Y/n) waved her hand and sighed out of annoyance.

"REMIND ME AGAIN, WHY THE HELL DOES SHE GET SPECIAL TREATMENT?!" Honcho screamed.

"Honcho, remember, she's from a rich-rich household – "

"Oh, shut up already, Valt," (Y/n) scolded me, serving a glare intense enough to scare off the worst of villains.

I sweatdropped.

Just then, Wakiya and Hoji came out of the mansion. There was already a ride waiting for us at one side. The car was so big and it had so many doors and windows, as if four cars were joined together into one, woah!

"Thanks for coming to the rescue!" Nika took her chance to confront Wakiya. The fruit from yesterday was in her hands and I was slightly jealous that she'd give it to him, not me. "I think you deserve this."

"It's a present for our hero!" Toko added in support. I sulked out of jealousy once again.

Umm, what? I did pretty much seventy percent of the work, didn't I?

"Ah... okay?" Wakiya took the fruit with unsurety and went in for a bite. "You're right! It's good."

To be honest, I half-expected him to say something like 'I won't eat some dirty fruit straight from the forest! That's the way of savages!'

"I was thinking, Valt," Wakiya suddenly turned to me. He startled me so much with that I almost jumped out of my skin. What could he possibly want to say to me?

"Maybe I was a little hasty in my decision. I think you should be the captain," he finished saying and I couldn't trust my own ears.

My jaw dropped all the way to the ground upon hearing those words come out of Wakiya's mouth. Wasn't he, like, arguing a lot and practically swordfighting with (Y/n) for being the captain himself?

"Really?!" I asked for reconfirmation, just in case I was dreaming or he was joking or both. "You mean you don't wanna do it now?"

"I'm thinking you're best equipped to look after a team like ours," he was genuinely smiling (something I'd seen him do for the first time because he usually just smirks and drops sarcastic comments here and there).

"Now we're talking!" Honcho said, excited.

"First time for everything," Daigo encouraged.

"Wait till mom hears about this!" Toko said.

"Maybe she'll make bread," Nika fantasized, clearly planning a party in her head.

I looked around and saw everyone staring at me expectantly. Shu gave me an encouraging nod, helping my confidence boost up. But as soon as my eyes landed on (Y/n), I felt as if we were sitting in the forest once more and having that conversation all over again. Every single word was unforgettable, engraved into my brain with an iron finger.

"Valt, it takes way less than a thought to lose everything. Don't hesitate to hold on."

Specifically those words hit too close to many situations in my life. It was all true, I just hadn't bothered giving it much thought before. That one time when I was so close to losing Daigo and was completely useless to do anything... and this time, I was so close to losing my Beyclub, absolutely helpless again, if Wakiya hadn't himself made me leader just now. When did I arrive at this point, to be needed to be made captain of my own club by somebody else?

I don't understand why I keep getting into situations where I have to lose a thing or two. She said it takes way less than a thought to lose everything.

Which of my thoughts is the wrong one?

"Valt Aoi," (Y/n) took my name with a disgusted frown on her face. The rest of the group was looking at me in confusion. Was I staring a lot and lost in thought? Probably, yeah.

"Alright, then!" I pushed away all those nasty feelings and grinned for the sake of the team. "I'm back in the game as captain! Let's get home and continue training, MY way this time!"

There was a series of agreement. Smiles were exchanged and excitement bubbled from everyone's words. Once again, we all were good to go back home. Wakiya and Hoji took their chance, climbed into their long car and the car sped up, leaving the rest of us in dust.

We just stood there, speechless.

"Huh? What about us?" I spoke in confusion.

"WHAT DID I TELL YA?! HE NEVER LEARNS HIS DAMN LESSON," Honcho seemed practically ready to chase after Wakiya's car and jump at him.

"Tsujihara, do we have another limousine?" (Y/n) angrily directed towards the poor old man. Tsujihara chose that moment to faint on the spot and then refused to get up.

"I guess there isn't one..." (Y/n) muttered and looked at our faces one by one. Then she sighed and spoke in a very subtle manner. "Say, if I get us a ride back hom – "

"No, we won't scream. We won't ask a lot of questions. We won't stare. And we won't talk about it forever," Daigo quickly promised a bunch of things without any consultation from the rest of us at all!

WHEN DID I SAY I WON'T SCREAM? I WON'T ASK QUESTIONS? I WON'T TALK ABOUT IT FOREVER? Daigo, why did you have to say that?!

(Y/n) cringed away from Daigo in embarassment and took out her phone. Once again, she looked at all of our faces one by one, then moved very far away from our line of hearing to make a phone call.

Daigo turned to us. "I swear she's so dramatic sometimes."

Almost fifteen minutes later, the same kind of long car but a lot cooler and majestic than Wakiya's, stopped in front of us. What did she call it again... a limoceline or something like that.

A young, handsome-looking man dressed in a crispy neat suit stepped out of the driver's side and bowed in front of (Y/n). His face displayed a kind smile. "Good morning, Mistress. It's very unusual for you to be asking for favours."

"Just," (Y/n) closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the irritation clear on her face. "Give me a break, Asahi."

I kept staring at the Asahi driver-man with an open mouth, then screamed loudly after looking at the details on the car. I continued to ask (Y/n) a bunch of questions the whole time and pretty much kept talking about the car all the way back home!

(Y/n) kicked my leg as soon as we stepped out in front of her house.

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In 4990 words.

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