𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐍' 𝐈𝐂𝐄, kai hiwatari

──seven;

"The next stop is...?!" Tyson's voice echoed through the room as he threw his hands in the air, his excitement palpable.

"America," I responded, my eyes scanning the schedule.

"WOAH!" Max and Tyson erupted in unison, their enthusiasm contagious.

The China Tournament had come to a close, and naturally, our team had emerged victorious. As for Kai... there had been no need to address anything with him during our stay in China. Everything had played out right before our eyes, from the practice stadium to the hotel. But now, with America as our next destination, I knew I had to have a discussion with him about the upcoming schedules. The continuous arguments between us showed no signs of abating.

"When are we leaving?" Tyson inquired, his excitement still brimming.

"Tomorrow," I informed them, my eyes still fixed on the laptop screen. "Eight in the morning," I added, rubbing my tired eyes.

"Hey Kenny?" I called out to our tech-savvy member. He glanced in my direction. "Could you please check my blade for me?" I handed my beyblade over to Kenny.

"Of course, no problem. Hand it over," Kenny replied, taking my blade and inspecting it closely.

"We should get some rest now, right?" Ray interjected, directing our attention to the clock on the wall.

11:30 pm.

With unanimous agreement, we made our way to our respective bedrooms. A few moments earlier, we had all gathered in Kenny's room. As I walked down the hallway towards my room, I suddenly realized I had forgotten something important. My blade.

Quickly retracing my steps, I knocked on Kenny's door. He promptly opened it, my beyblade in his hand.

"You left this behind," he said, handing it back to me. I thanked him with a smile before heading back to my room.

Once again, I found myself wandering the dimly lit hallways, my exhaustion evident in each sluggish step. In the quiet of the corridor, I suddenly heard someone clear their throat. I glanced up and spotted Kai standing there. I paused, expecting him to say something, but he remained silent.

What's going on in his mind?

Without any indication from him, I continued walking. It felt like this hallway was stretching on forever, and I was too tired for much else. My strides were small and slow, though I couldn't quite explain why.

Kai cleared his throat once more, and I halted once again. Still, he didn't utter a word.

What's his game?

Resuming my steps, I began to wonder why I was taking such tiny, deliberate strides. It was as if I was waiting for something, but I couldn't quite pinpoint what.

Kai's throat clearing broke the silence yet again. Frustration was building inside me as I stopped and turned to face him, scoffing in disbelief.

"What is it?" I demanded, but he didn't meet my gaze. Instead, he replied, "Did I say anything?" with a smirk.

I swear I'm going to punch that cocky smirk off his face.

"Or... are you just interested in me?" he added, finally locking eyes with me. I was momentarily stunned, but then I raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have time for anyone, let alone being interested in them," I shot back. "And why on earth would I be interested in you?" I added with a smirk of my own.

"Who cares," Kai muttered through gritted teeth, his body tensing with anger, which he seemed to be managing quite well.

I let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

Kai straightened up, having leaned against the wall, and locked his gaze onto mine, that piercing glare once again. He walked past me and said, "We need to talk. Tomorrow."

I watched him as he disappeared from view.

Damn you, Kai.

Turning away, I reached my room, fumbling for my keys in my pockets. With a sigh, I inserted the key into the lock, pushed the door open, and was about to enter when something struck me.

Room 102. That's Kai's room, right across from mine.

I pushed aside any further thoughts and collapsed onto my bed.

What a hectic day it had been.