'You kept your promise, Free.'

I snuggled into the boy's warm arms, closing my eyes as the view of tall, serene trees and rays of sunshine disappeared. The forest was wonderfully quiet today. Valt knew about the stadium in this clearing, right behind the mossy steps we were sitting on, but he still preferred to train with Honcho and the others in the training hall. Today the deer were nowhere to be seen, as if it knew that we wanted some alone time after the stressful two weeks had passed. 

'Of course I did, (y/n),' Free spoke gently, his warm breath tickling my hair from behind. 

Free had visited me from America right after BC Sol had won enough points in the European League to participate in the World Championships. Only I knew that Free was currently still visiting BC Sol. He didn't want the whole of BC Sol to know about his plans, not even Chris. I felt touched that Free had chosen to keep this information secret with only me, not even Chris whom he has known since ten years ago. Free had taken me to our special clearing for a date, and even though it wasn't much, I loved it, so long as I was with him. I did need some quiet time from Valt and Honcho, after all. 

I rested my back against the golden, sunny fabric that smelt faintly of the forest, neither of us moving, not wanting to break this quiet, magical moment. I sighed happily. If only every day could be like this.

Bring. Bring.

Both of our eyes snapped open. Free raised an eyebrow at me and my face was streaked with pink as I felt something vibrate in my pocket, interrupting the moment Free and I were sharing together.

'S-Sorry,' I stuttered, clambering out of the position I was sitting in. 'I'll be back.'

He nodded curtly and I dashed behind a thick clump of trees, concealing my face and the call. I looked down at my phone, a flashing image of a boy clothed in purple and wearing a smug expression popping up on my screen. I didn't need to read the Caller ID to know who was calling me.

Wakiya Murasaki.

I angrily swiped the button on my phone, and I lifted it up to my mouth before Wakiya could speak.

'Murasaki!' I yelled. 'How dare you ruin my date with Free!'

Then I clamped a hand over my mouth, realizing what I had just slipped out.

'Free?' questioned Wakiya. 'I thought he was in America? Please don't tell me you're so desperate that you're having hallucinations. What about Shu?'

'I told you, Shu and I have broken up. Sh(y/n) is no more,' I announced. 

'I know, I know. Please don't remind me,' replied Wakiya, as if this information was actually pain to him. 'Anyways, speaking of him, your Red Eye boy has seemed to have gone...well, missing.'

My heart plummeted to the bottom of my stomach as my body tensed and my breathing increased sharply. 'N-No...you must be joking. Very funny now Wakiya, but as I told you, Sh(y/n) is-'

'No more, I get it, I get it!' Wakiya snarled. 'However, this is not a joke. Shu vanished this morning from the Raging Bulls without a trace. I-I'm sorry. This not a joke.'

I patiently waited for Wakiya to yell that he was kidding, but it didn't come. My breathing increased rapidly. 'B-But...I-I-I...It c-c-can't be...'

My head began to spin. I could hear Wakiya trying to get me to respond. Then why didn't I respond? My mouth seemed dry, was that it? My knees buckled and I couldn't think or move properly anymore. I can hear Free yelp. So what can't I answer? My head started pounding, harder and harder.

Shu's missing.

Shu's missing

Shu's missing.

Gone, vanished, disappeared without a trace.

Shu's missing.

Oh gosh, Shu's missing!

My eyes snapped open, and I adruptly sat up. 

'Shu's missing!' I yelped. Then I realised where I was. I was no longer in the forest. I was in a luxurious room with two plush couches opposing each other, facing a glass coffee table with a detailed rug underneat us. The end of the room was curved in a glass semi-circle, where a maghony table was positioned with a brown teddy bear and numerous pens and paperwork. Two bookshelves were stacked up against the wall, where six familiar people were standing, all watching me anxiously.

'Oh, (y/n), you're okay!' smiled Chris, immediately giving me a glass of water while I surveyed the scene. Free, Chris and the old gang was here, even Daigo and Wakiya.

'Shu?' Free gave me a curious look. 'Who's that? Is that the reason why you collapsed?'

'I...collapsed?' I asked in suprise, while everyone nodded. 'Wait, Free...what are you doing here?' I stared directly into his eyes, asking for him to cover up why he was here.

'I was visiting Spain, after watching you and BC Sol conquer at the European League. I wanted to congratulate you. All of you,' he added, looking around at all of us. 'I never imagined I would find (y/n) collapsed under a tree, phone in her hand, losing consciousness. Anyways, who is this Shu person? He seems awfully close to you.'

He gazed back at me directly, and I stared back in awe. Was Free jealous?

'Aww, are you jealous Free?' Honcho giggled, along with Valt. 'Well you should be!' Honcho's babyish tone had vanished, an angry one replacing it. 'Shu is (y/n)'s ex boyfriend, and he would still be her boyfriend if he hadn't moved away! So Free, don't you ever think, for one moment, that (y/n) is yours! Because she is not! She belongs with Shu! Those two are-'

'Honcho, we get the point!' I interrupted, my cheeks flaring pink, avoiding Free's eyes. 'And I can date whomever I like. It isn't up to you.'

Silence echoed through the room, and I avoided everyone's eyes, especially Free. I desperately wanted the ground to swallow me up. Oh, how embarrasing that was!

'Anyways, we need to focus on the problem,' Wakiya injected, breaking the silence. I smiled greatfully at him and he nodded knowingly ever so slightly at me. I smirked. Who would've thought Wakiya was such a nice guy? 'Shu has gone missing. I know the Raging Bulls have already sent out their own search parties, but Shu is our friend, our best friend, more then friends for some of us. We need to look for him too.'

'But how are going to do that?' asked Daigo, speaking for the first time since I had woken up. 'It's not like we can ride a private jet to wherever Shu was last seen.'

'Actually...' Wakiya piped up smugly. 'I have something to show you, simpletons.'

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

'Seriously, Wakiya?! You actually brought a plane?'

'Yeah, well how else are we going to get to our destination? Got any ideas, smart guy?'

I could dimly register Wakiya and Honcho's argument as I fidgeted with the label on my red suitcase, processing what exactly had happened in the previous hours. But all I could think about was that Shu's gone missing. Everything else was a distant haze. I shouldn't care this much for the boy who had left me alone, and moved on just as quick. After the break-up he's been avoiding all my calls, my text messages, my emails. Even though we broke up, we could still be at least friends? And then there was Free. Shouldn't I be worrying about him as well? But for some reason I could not bring myself to answer Free's calls and text messages he had left for me. I pushed Free out of my head, because for some strange reason both Free and Shu did not coexist well in my head.

But Shu couldn't have gone missing. No, he can't have. I know that I don't have feelings anymore, not like last time when Xander and I moved away from Beigoma and I still had a slight crush on Shu. I just wanted to make sure my best friend was okay. But missing? How on earth did that happen? It felt like a classic, who done it, mystery. Was I dreaming? I must be. Why would Shu go missing? Anyone else, but him. But no matter how hard I pinched myself, I could not wake up from this horrible nightmare.

I realized for the first time that in the weeks we have broken up, I did not hate or dislike him. I missed him. A lot. And I still care about him. I swallowed, thinking to the last time I had saw him. It was on TV, Kitt had shown me this, knowing that I knew Shu. He was battling some person from Brazil in the American League, had his Crux Boost was perfected. He bursted his opponent in seconds, with his new bey, Legend Spryzen. I guess Spryzen had evolved as well. No surprise there, how else would Shu battle with his broken Spryzen? I reached inside my clothes, and brought out the necklace with both Xcalius and Spryzen's halves, tracing the delicate carvings into the smooth surfaces.

How could something drastic happen in so little time? Even the sight of the necklace didn't make me feel any better. This thing, the whole thing felt like we were on some dramatic reality TV Show. Like we were in a movie. But deep in my heart, I know that wasn't the case. This wasn't a dream, or a prank, no matter how desperate I wanted that to be the case. It just wasn't. My head started pounding again. I dug my nails into the palm of my hand, desperate to stay conscious. I'm desperate for a lot of things, aren't I? Like a perfect life. A perfect life with Shu in it...

'(y/n)? (y/n)? (y/n)!'

I jolted my head up, my eyes widening at the sight. Honcho and Valt's arms were draped reassuringly around me, Daigo giving me a glass of water and Wakiya snapping his fingers loudly.

'Wha-? Fuck, did I faint again?' I cursed at my vulnerability. Why did that happen every time I thought about Shu? It was like he's my weak spot, which is absolutely ridiculous.

'No, you did not faint,' Wakiya replied, annoyed. 'You were just zoning out, clenching your fists with sweat dripping down your face, touching that necklace you have while a few tears fell out. But the fact is, you ignored me while I was explaining everything! And don't swear when Valt's around.'

'Like you don't do the same,' I rolled my eyes, putting up an annoyed front over my confused self. I cried while I was thinking that? 'Did we miss our flight?'

'No, we did not,' Wakiya said sniffily. 'I'm hurt that you think my jet looks like one of those disgusting airport waiting rooms!'

At that moment, I looked around the room, swiveling my head. It became crystal clear that I was not in the airport. This room was narrow and long, but big enough to fit the long, leather lounge Honcho, Daigo, Valt and I were sitting on, a glass coffee table, and a TV hung up on the side of a wall, featuring Shu's last battle in Brazil. Wakiya was sitting opposite me and a swiveling black chair, acting like a boss. 

'Oh...I-I'm sorry,' I apologized quickly. He frowned, closing his eyes and he lifted his nose up in the air.

'Don't be,' Wakiya said. 'Anyways, I was showing the rest of the Bey Club video footage of Shu's last battle, which I assume you've seen already, due to Valt and Honcho's spoilers.' He paused, glaring at the two. 

'Then where are we going?' I asked, bewildered. 'New York?'

'What? No, we are not going to New York to see the Raging Bulls. Their search parties are all over New York, but not very successful. But of course they aren't. We, on the other hand, are an elite squad of investigators. We are going to conduct our own little investigation in Mexico.'

Mexico?

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Hope this chapter is longer for you compared to my past ones. 

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Word count: 2038