𝓕𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 ~ Hikaru Hizashi x oc ~ Beyblade Burst

Chapter 17

Suisei POV:

Suisei barely waited for the car to stop before she was already unbuckling her seatbelt. As soon as Akira pulled up in front of her apartment, she muttered a quick, "Thanks," before hurrying inside.

She needed to train.

Throwing open her closet, she grabbed a fitted long-sleeve top and her usual training leggings, changing in record time. She ran a brush through her hair before gathering it into a sleek ponytail, letting a few wisps frame her face. As she caught her reflection in the mirror, she exhaled sharply.

She looked put together. Focused. Unshaken.

It was a lie.

Her mother's words still echoed in her head. Bring the boy, or I'll get him myself.

Suisei shoved the thought aside, grabbing her bey and launcher before rushing out the door.

By the time she arrived at the Comets' training area, the usual sounds of blading filled the air—metal clashing, beys skidding across the stadium, teammates shouting instructions. It was familiar. It was grounding.

She needed this.

Without a word, she stepped up to a stadium where another blader was practicing. "Hey wanna battle?" She asked, keeping her voice as polite and anger-free as possible.

"Sure!" Her opponents eyes blazed with determination.

She began setting her bey onto her launcher with practiced precision.

"Three... Two... One... Let it rip!"

Her bey shot into the stadium, spinning fast, darting aggressively toward the center. Suisei's grip on her launcher tightened as she watched it move. Stay focused.

But her mind wouldn't listen.

Her mother's cold eyes.

Hikaru's inevitable questions.

Akira's warning. Don't underestimate him.

Her bey faltered. The timing of her counter was off, just barely—but enough to throw the entire rhythm of the battle. Her opponent's bey crashed into hers, sending it skidding out of the ring.

A loss.

Suisei clenched her teeth, sucking in a sharp breath. She readied her bey again.

"Another round," she said, voice tight.

She launched. Same result.

Again.

And again.

No matter how hard she tried to drown out the noise in her head, it kept creeping back in. Frustration coiled in her chest, her movements growing more reckless. This wasn't like her. She was precise, controlled—she didn't make mistakes like this.

And yet, her bey wobbled. Slowed. Got knocked out time after time.

It wasn't just her bey losing balance. It was her.

Her fingers curled into fists as she stared down at the stadium, barely hearing the voices around her.

This wasn't working.

She needed to get a grip. Before someone—

"Suisei."

She froze. The voice was unmistakable.

Hikaru.

Her stomach dropped.

She turned, and there he was, standing right next to the stadium, arms crossed, sharp green eyes locked onto her. His usual calm expression was there, but beneath it, she could see it—concern. Suspicion.

She had avoided his questions earlier. She hadn't told him anything.

And yet... he was here.

Because he knew something was wrong.

He took a slow step forward, his eyes never leaving her. "You never miss training."

Suisei's fingers twitched.

"You always tell me what's going on," he continued, voice even but laced with an edge. "But today, you didn't. And when I asked, you brushed it off." His arms dropped to his sides, his fingers flexing like he was holding himself back. "I knew something was wrong, so I came to check."

Suisei huffed, turning her gaze to the stadium. "I'm fine."

Hikaru didn't move. "Really?"

She grabbed her bey, spinning it between her fingers. "Yes. Just a bad day."

"A bad day," he echoed flatly.

"Yeah." She looked at him then, meeting his gaze with a raised brow. "It happens, you know."

Hikaru studied her, silent for a moment, before his eyes flickered to the stadium. "You're off."

Suisei tensed.

"Your timing. Your movements. They're sloppy."

She scowled. "Thanks for the analysis."

"Suisei."

There it was—that shift in his voice. Gentle but firm.

She clenched her jaw, fingers gripping her bey tighter. She hated this. Hated how easily he could see through her. Hated how she wanted to tell him everything but knew she couldn't.

Hikaru stepped closer, lowering his voice. "It's your mother, isn't it?"

Suisei's stomach twisted.

Hikaru already knew her mother wasn't a good person. He knew she was controlling, that she had tried to force Suisei to quit Beyblade before. But he didn't know the full extent—the threats, the manipulation, the way she played with people like pieces on a board.

And he definitely didn't know about today. About the ultimatum. About how her mother had practically claimed Hikaru like he was some object to be taken.

Suisei exhaled sharply, shoving her launcher into her bag. "I don't want to talk about it."

Hikaru's jaw tensed. "That's not an answer."

"Well, it's all you're getting."

A beat of silence stretched between them.

Then, Hikaru exhaled through his nose. "Fine."

Suisei blinked, caught off guard.

"I won't push you." He took a step back. "Not right now."

She frowned. "Seriously?"

Hikaru rolled his shoulders. "Yeah. But only because I know you're not just going to ignore this." He tilted his head. "You're bad at pretending, Suisei."

Her grip on her bag strap tightened.

"You'll tell me when you're ready," Hikaru said simply. "And until then..." He shot her a knowing look. "I'll be watching."

He gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Suisei swallowed, unable to find a response.

Hikaru turned, heading toward one of the other training areas, giving her space. But his words lingered, wrapping around her like a vice.

She had always trusted Hikaru. Always.

But this?

This was the first time she wasn't sure how much she could tell him.