Valt Aoi ~

It was one in the afternoon. The warm summer breeze was blowing softly, caressing my skin and frequently making me blink. The sun was high and bright in the sky and whenever a cloud passed beneath it, it would cover the sun's glare, giving the cloud itself a golden lining. The heat was as soothing as—Okay. Enough.

I can't do it anymore. It's just too difficult to describe the weather. Again, why is it even important? I already pulled off four lines and if you count that 'soothing heat' line too, it will become four and a half.

No matter how many times I look at (Y/n), she still looks so unknown to me. But it's been five days since we met—or you can say it's been only five days. I made friends with Ken. Then Daigo. It was so easy. They mixed up so easily. But befriending (Y/n) is different. Much more difficult. She just wouldn't tell anything about her. It's too difficult to get information outta her mouth.

As if for testing, I asked her: "(Y/n), Why do you live alone?"

Her expression didn't change. It was the same unreadable one. Would she punch me, strangle me, answer me or ignore me?

Others also looked at her curiously, watching if she'll answer or not. She finally looked at me. "I've already told you that I wanted to be independent. Didn't I?"

"But it's more than that, isn't it?"

Shu looked at me wide-eyed and shook his head. (Y/n) glared. Immediately, I knew what Shu meant. Note to self: Don't ask about her past otherwise a slow, painful death.

"Then...(Y/n)?"

"Yes?" She chirped. Again, how can she change moods so easily. She was glaring at me just now!

Okay. I need to question carefully. Something she shouldn't mind telling.

"What are your hobbies?" I asked.

"Staying away from you people."

"Uh...apart from that."

"Mimicking people," she answered.

(A/n: Y'all remember Count Nightfell? Same.)

"What does...that mean?"

"It means copying," Daigo explained. Ken developed a sudden interest in her story.

"Can you change voices too? Just like puppets do?!" Ken (Keru) asked.

"Yes."

"YOU CAN COPY MY VOICE??" I screamed. No way! It's so amazing.

The others except (Y/n) covered their ears.

"Of course, Valt," she replied, leaving me and the others stunned. Her voice was just like mine. How did she even do that?

"Man, that's creepy!" Daigo said.

"Uh...what else do you copy?" Honcho asked carefully. If she'd start speaking in a ghostly voice now, I'm gonna run away and hide in a basket.

Thankfully, she didn't.

"Your physical appearance and your behaviour."

"ASKAVJKUKAJ!!!" I screeched. They again had to cover their ears.

"What even was that?" She asked.

"Uh...I was just shocked," I replied sheepishly. She rolled her eyes.

"But really. If you can copy my appearance and voice, then you'll become just like meee!" I said, surprisingly.

"Um, wasn't that the real motive all along? Besides, I'm taller so it's not entirely possible but I try." She looked at her watch and murmured something thoughtfully.

"Do you have to go somewhere?"

"No—I mean, yes. Training."

"YOU HAVE A FIXED TIME FOR TRAINING!!!" I screamed again. I just can't help it. She's astounding me at each statement.

"STOP SCREAMING AT US," Honcho yelled at me.

"Yes, three in the afternoon."

"Wow. I don't have a fixed time."

"We train at the club anytime," Honcho supported me.

"Anytime," Ken (Besu) agreed.

Shu muttered something like, "I also have a fixed time, to be honest.'

"Ye, that's the reason I'm stronger," she said straightly, reminding me what I had forgotten. For a moment, I had actually forgotten who she was. I almost believed she was just another friendly and nice blader. She was just talking so nicely.

"Don't ever forget again who I am. Keep my true self in your mind and you'll be happier near me," she said, as if reading my thoughts. I could practically see her chasing me with knife in her hands.

For the millionth time, I felt like drowning in an ocean of questions. What exactly is the reason she acts like that? What about her past, like, how is she such a strong blader? She must've done something to rise in the ranks.

She said that she left Japan with her parents when she was three and then she had come here just three weeks ago. But she had the title of The Golden Blader before that. How is this possible? Not like she had the title before she was three. Something has happened between this time; before three weeks ago and after she moved to New York.

I was thinking so much that I hadn't even realized that my brain was on fire. My face was all red and steam was coming out of my ears. My friends were surrounding me and looking at me in concern. Uhh I'm not used to thinking so much at once.

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH......."

"We need water!" Honcho suggested.

"Valt is burning!" Daigo pointed out.

Then suddenly I felt a splash of water on my head. It cooled me down but—

"Hey! Who was that?" I complained.

I lifted up my head to look at (Y/n) holding an empty bottle in her hand.

"Man, what were you doing?" Ken asked with Besu.

"Umm...thinking, I guess."

"You know that thinking too much is fatal for you, right?" Honcho asked and sighed.

"What were you thinking anyway?" Daigo asked curiously.

Realization hit me like a truck. But that truck ran me over. "I DON'T REMEMBER!!"

They all sighed except (Y/n), who looked at me thoughtfully. I avoided eye contact. Whatever I was thinking, (Y/n) would exactly know. Her eyes show that she can easily look through people.

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The living room was neat. There was a table in the centre with a couch on one side of it. The other sides of the table had chairs arranged. A fade blue coloured small vase sat on the centre of the table with dried blue flowers in it. Guess they aren't changed in a while...

The floor felt wooden, like you see in a typical Japanese house, with a light green carpet spread under the table. There was a wooden sideboard againt the wall on the back of the couch. On the wall above the sideboard, hung a portrait of a little (Y/n) hugging a sakura tree.

"Wow. You even get time to arrange and clean your house. Is your day of, like, forty-two hours instead of twenty-four?" I asked.

She smiled. She ACTUALLY smiled, apparently because I praised her. Maybe I'll keep praising her once in a while...

"C'mon, sit," she said like a nice person and quickly went up to the table, almost snatching away those dried flowers. "E-Ehheh, don't mind that..!"

"We already saw, you know."

She have me this 'How dare you?' face and then walked away through the door on the left wall of the room.

I sat (more like jumped) in the middle of the couch. Honcho tried to sit on the chair kept beside Daigo but he said he'll not tolerate anyone beside him, so Honcho sat on my left. Shu sat on the chair kept on the right side of the table. Daigo sat on the chair opposite to me. Ken tried to sit on my right on the couch but I refused him. "Nope. (Y/n) will sit here."

His puppets sighed (didn't even know they could) and he sat on the chair opposite to Shu's.

(Y/n) came back with fresh white flowers in her hand. She put them in the vase and sat down beside me. I grinned at her.

"What about a battle?" I asked.

"Don't you have anything new?"

"I love food."

"That's not what I meant."

"Speaking of food," Besu said. "Who cooks for you?"

"That's the worst part. I've to cook myself and honestly, I don't like doing it that much," she explained.

Shu smiled. "Then I'd love to taste your food. I love cooking."

"Uh...what about a battle, Valt?" She ran her hands through her hair.

"Ah, don't try to change the topic!" Honcho developed a sudden interest in our conversation.

"Remind me again why I agreed to admit you in my house," she asked Honcho coldly.

"Uh..." He gulped, "Because Valt was acting like a caterpillar?"

"So, what do you want to eat?" She asked me.

"Shu!" I replied.

"Shu..?" She frowned and looked at him. Shu raised his eyebrows at me.

"I mean, Shu will tell. Ask him."

Shu cleared his throat. "Spaghetti?" He replied, more like a question.

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

Sitting on the dining table in her kitchen and (Y/n) cooking, wearing an apron, I could almost imagine that she's a normal nice person who would come with one plate of Spaghetti in either hand and say, "Hope you enjoy your food!"

But nope. My terrifying imagination drifted to a different scenario. Maybe she'll come with plates of Spaghetti in her hands and slam it into my face and say, "Deal with it!"

Yup. I guess that would be more normal, keeping in mind the normal (Y/n) (l/n) .

But again, nope. What she actually did was somewhere between these two situations. She came with one plate of Spaghetti in each hand and kept it on the table in front of us, saying, "I bet it won't taste as good as it looks."

Yep. You got it now. That's what (Y/n) (l/n) is all about. There we were, with a delicious looking plate of spaghetti topped with oregano and capsicums.

Hmm...the sauce also smells tasty. Wonder why she said it won't taste as good as it looks.

I took a bite and my stomach did a somersault. The noodles tasted AWESOME. What would happen if someone organizes a cooking competition with contestants like Shu, (Y/n) and my mom? I wouldn't wanna be the judge.

She came with a plate for herself after a while and sat down.

"Iww wo wawwey," I said, realizing it didn't sound senseful because my mouth was full of food. It was supposed to be 'It's so tasty.'

"It's awesome," Shu said.

"Uh...Um, sure," she struggled with saying the word 'Thanks'.

Shu smiled and continued eating his food. Meanwhile, others also appreciated her until she got annoyed and finally said, "Fine. I get it."

After finishing our food, I announced, "Time for Battle!!"

(Y/n) got up, picked all the dishes and almost threw them in the sink, muttering a "Later."

I grinned at her, "You're battling me!"

Before she could reply, Honcho said, "No, not you. Someone else. Someone stronger than you. Besides, you manage to lose all the time."

WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY ME MANAGING TO LOSE ALL THE TIME?!

Thoigh, smeone stronger than me huh? We all know that I had defeated Ken, Daigo and Honcho in the districts and Shu is definitely stronger than me. Besides, he's also one of the Supreme Four. So it's gotta be Shu!

Maybe we all had the same thought at the same time because all our eyes turned to a very alarmed Shu, who looked much aware of the upcoming situation.

"See, I know there's no point in arguing you people because you'll win in the end but—" Shu started complaining when I cut him off.

"Then that's settled. Shu versus (Y/n)!"

I saw (Y/n) gulping and locking her fists. A drop of sweat trailing down Shu's forehead. Both of them looked tensed. This is gonna be an awesome battle!

There was good staring battle between them until (Y/n) broke the silence. "O-Okay then," she exhaled. "Come with me. I'll show you the stadiums."

We followed her out of the kitchen, through a small gallery. She led us up through the stairway. We passed a room with a picture of Sparyon pasted on it. I stopped, making the whole crew stop as well. On the door, below Sparyon's picture, it was written 'My eyes are the same colour as my bey. Are yours?'

Well, mine aren't.

"That's your room I'm guessing?" Daigo said. (Y/n) nodded and while Honcho interrogated her more, I saw another door in front of her room, with a note pasted on it: 'Beware of Sharks.'

"And whose room is that?" I asked.

"Oh. I keep sharks in it," she replied casually. I looked at her.

"I'm taking that as a joke," I told her.

"Better as a joke," Honcho said.

"But who pasted that note on it?"

"I did," she said.

"Why?"

"I was getting bored."

I nodded but I wasn't yet convinced. "Can we go inside?"

"It's locked."

"So open it."

"I lost the key."

"Bad excuse."

"You can't go inside."

"Why?"

"Hh see, even I haven't went inside in years, so you can imagine how messed up it would be. And if I go inside once, I would be tempted to clean it. And I don't want any new burden."

"But—"

"I have to practice at three, so you all have little time. We can't waste it on such things. We have yet a battle to do."

"Uh, sure," I said.

She lead us to another staircase and then to the terrace. There was a stadium at the centre. The area was lined on two sides with flower pots filled with different colours of flowers. They were kept in certain patterns and looked like someone daily spent hours arranging them.

"You do have forty-two hours in a day, huh? But how?"

"I wouldn't ask that if I were you."

"...fine. Now the battle. I'll be the referee this time!" I announced.

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In 2312 words.

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