Like A Shooting Star

Being Mature

A year ago. Before he left everyone.
  He Left Everyone forever
Left us....Left me

Warmth suddenly left Hiromi along with those memories, tears falling on the ornament as she felt so cold. How could all these memories be so vivid yet seem so far away now? They'll never exist ever again. Tyson… You promised those memories to us, to me! How could you break them now?

But it wasn't just him. It was also her fault. She had pushed him to become what she thought would make him a better person. I wish I could take all those words back. I never should have— She tried forcing those memories out again but to no avail.

It was one Christmas ago, that very same Christmas, when it all happened. At the foot of a Christmas tree set at the Kinomiya dojo, everyone, excluding Kai, gave presents to each other. Hiromi herself had no problem with this usual tradition until Takao's turn came.

As it turned out, he claimed that he had been broke by the time he got to her and Kai's gifts. What upset the brunette was not the present that she should have received even before giving her turtledoves to the Japanese boy but the reason he held for it. She demanded him to change, and for the first time, her words got through him as much as the surprise she discarded upon seeing his face telling her he had been affected.

He promised then that he would give them their presents next Christmas.

Hiromi could still recall the few weeks before that promise was made. As always they fought, quarreled, gave hell to each other. Takao kept on surprising her with uncountable new ways of annoying her, and she was nearly caught when he said for the first time, "I like you." But by the smirk-smile following up those intimate words, she would know that he really didn't mean it.

"I like you."

"Right. As if. You're too immature to mean that."

Still, they were friends. Her comebacks just complemented those jokes. It always ran like that between them, until the moment of the turtledoves. She didn't know that she had turned him down, had caused the sudden flash of crushed spirit in those unusually serious deep brown eyes. She thought he was still trying to annoy her even during a holiday. But now she knew she should have taken his words seriously.

"I can be mature too."
she remembered him say quietly.

I gave you those turtledoves, Tyson, because I meant you eternal friendship, she wept in silence. You gave one to me, because… because I didn't realize how special I was to you.

How could I have been such a fool? You were practically telling me the entire time yet I failed to see it!

And too late to realize how much he meant to her.

Two days after Christmas, Tyson surprised everyone with his sudden decision to travel alone to countries where beyblading was unheard of.

"It's my duty as a world champion. I must bring the spirit of beyblading alive in the hearts of those kids," he told Hillary before he left. "Besides, you're not the only one who can be mature sometimes. I never run from a challenge and I won't now."

And she was sure he wouldn't even last a week. But during the only few phones calls Hillary had with Tyson, he said he was trying to avoid the media and doing everything he could to enjoy being alone while it still lasted. She couldn't believe his words. The immature attention-craving Tyson she knew would never say such things. The Tyson who had spoken to her from the other sides of the world sounded grown-up… and mature.

"I know, Hillary. More than anything, I want to spend Christmas with you and the rest of the team," Tyson said just last month through the static of a long-distance call. "But right now, I don't know if I can make it there. There's still unfinished business here…"

You told me, Tyson…

"I made a deal with you last year, didn't I? Wait for me, guys. I'll finish teaching the kids here, get the Christmas presents you and Kai should have received before, and then I'll directly go home as soon as possible."

You said you would be here…

"Why can't you have faith in me, Hillary?" The sound of the champion's laughter. "I'll reach home in time for Christmas. I promise."

The last conversation she would ever have with him. She never knew. The last promise.

Don't make promises you can't keep…

Auburn eyes shut tightly, then opened to the horrifying sight of the remains of an exploded, wrecked ship just seven days ago. Chilled ears remembered the neutral voice of the news anchor informing how passengers weren't found alive, how burnt beyond recognition recovered corpses were. How the thorough search for survivors had been in vain, save for the discovery of Tyson's trademark cap and Dragoon found among the very few things that had escaped such tragedy. At the news, Hiromi fainted before everyone, only to wake up to the heavy wailing all around her.

The next hour, the Kinomiya dojo was a sea of family, friends, strangers, cruel media. And then, the vision thinned back into the air.

How many foreign but devastated faces begged her and his family to say everything was some sick joke, a twisted lie?

How many times was she forced to hear herself repeat the same poisonous words of truth?

How many fingers had in vain tried to get even merely a gentle brush of the champion's spirit, the warmth of his life lying within the core of Dragoon?

Dragoon… Now inside the empty hole of the earth near the dark-haired girl. The anguished BBA Team and Tyson's grandfather made the champion a grave in his memory, though the corpse was no longer recovered. Behind the gravestone stood a pole, a rising dragon spiraling its way to the top, as though to reach Tyson's cap resting there.

So many kids you had inspired, so many people you had brought the best out of, so many fans who look up to you and admire you… I admire you, I like you, I…
Tears cascaded down the pale face, merging with the snow covering death. I wish I had been always really nice to you before! If I could turn back time and openly loved you instead of being so mean to you…
I—I… I'm so sorry! I wish you're still alive!

Footsteps sounded on the snow, and Hiromi knew she wasn't alone anymore.

"Figured you'd be here."
A forever cold voice caught the brunette's attention, without looking she knew who it was.