//Ghost.// Valt × Shu: Beyblade Burst God

Chapter 02: good-bye, shu.

The next day at school, everything was normal. It was almost as if all the other matches were forgotten in the Championships, and only the battle discussed at school was the one between Valt and Lui. In some ways, Shu is glad and some ways he is depressed. It reminds him of not facing Valt in the championships and of Spryzen. But he keeps up his neutral face and listens to it all, or either ignores it.

"Shu!" The albino briefly glances over at his best friend.

"Hmm?"

"The BeyClub are going to train on the rooftop. Wanna watch? You can cheer me on, with my impressive skills," Valt says with a goofy grin. Shu stays quiet, looking out of the class window with his elbow on the table, his gloved hand cradling his head. Valt frowns and leans over to wave a hand in front of Shu's face. "Shuuuuuu."

The older boy is startled out of his thoughts as he whips around to look up at Valt. "Yeah?"

Valt repeats what he says. Shu looks at Valt's excited face and sighs, nodding slowly. "Sure.."

"Great!" The bluenette grabs Shu's hand and pulls him up and out of his chair, making the taller boy stumble before trying to keep up with Valt as they race to the rooftop.

Once they reach the top, they are greeted with the BeyClub; Rantaro arguing with Wakiya, Ken trying to calm them both down, and Daigo standing there watching. "So much for beyblade," Shu mutters. Valt sweatdrops before letting go of Shu's hand and clapping his together.

"Common, people!"

The first match starts out with Valt versus Daigo. Of course, Valt ends up messing up his sprint launch and falls on his face. Everyone laughs except for Shu who is too buried in his own thoughts. He zones out and misses all of the matches. 'Why exactly did I come here?' Shu asks himself. 'I'm just standing here watching, and there isn't anything I can do. Oh, right, I came here because Valt asked me to.' The crimson-eyed boy watches Valt laugh and talk with the others. 'It doesn't look like he needs me, though.'

Shu pushes off the fence he is leaning against and walks away, towards the rooftop door. At that very moment, Valt decides to turn around. "No, I definitely would have won if I wanted to. Right, Shu?" Valt looks at Shu's empty space. "Shu...?" That is when he glances to the side and sees the albino opening the door. "Uh, be right back, guys."

Valt jogs over to the door and slams it opened, startling Shu who stands in the stairwell. "Uh, Valt? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. We are supposed to be hanging out..."

"What's the point if all I do is stand there and miss beyblading even more?" Shu snaps. Valt flinches back.

"I-I'm sorry, Valt..." Shu looks down.

"I thought you could use a friend," Valt says softly as he bounds down the stairs and stands in front of Shu. "Ya know, after everything."

Shu shakes his head. "Thanks for the concern, Valt, but I'm fine," he says with a fake smile plastered on his pale face. Valt frowns and takes a deep breath, rubbing his hands together nervously. Shu notices a light blush on his face as Valt says,

"You sure? B-because you can talk to me since I lov--"

"Hey, are ya two done already? I wanna rematch!" Wakiya demands from the top of the stairs. Valt internally curses and glances back to Shu. The albino shoos Valt away and back to the rooftop.

"Go and have fun.... but could I talk to you after your match?"

Valt nods at Shu. "Sure!"

//////////

"You're WHAT?!"

A single voice echoes throughout the school. Shu covers his ears. 'Kid's got a set of pipes,' he thinks.

"It's not that big of a deal, Valt. I'll make sure to visit and call you-"

"NO!!"

Valt and Shu are on the rooftop of the school as he breaks to the bluenette about his departure to America. Valt latches on to Shu's waist. "You can't go!" he cries, "I'll be all alone!"

Shu sweatdrops and gives a sad smile. "You'll be just fine, Valt. I mean, you've got Rantaro, Ken, Daigo, Wakiya, your family and many others. You have friends that will always stick by your side."

"Then why can't you be one of them?"

A lump forms at the back of Shu's throat. "I just... need time to think."

Valt looks up at him. "Oh, is this about the tournament?" Valt straightens up and grabs both of Shu's hands in his own gloved ones, "because you can find a new bey and always train with us! We can become strong together-"

"Spryzen is gone." Shu harshly breaks the words to Valt, "and I need to find someone to fix him." The albino pulls his hands away from the bluenette and turns away. A thoughtful look crosses his face. "Maybe, somewhere in America, someone will be able to fix him, and I can become stronger..."

Valt stares at Shu's back. 'He wants to be stronger to beat Lui? I dunno, I just have a bad feeling about this....' Valt thinks.

"... Are we still friends?" - Shu doesn't move - "I mean, if you're allll the way over there and I'm allll the way over here, can we still...?"

The taller boy nods. "It... doesn't matter where we are; we will always be just... friends." Shu turns around to meet Valt's hazel eyes. "That's a promise."

'Just friends?' Valt thinks. The Valtryek owner's eyes water. "Shu..." his voice cracks.

The white-silver haired boy faces Valt and places his hands on the other's shoulders. "Don't worry, we'll meet again." 'And then maybe all these feelings will fade.'

Valt sniffles. "You'll call?"

Nod.

"You'll visit?"

Nod.

"You'll FaceTime?"

Nod.

"...You won't forget about me?"

"Never."

"Promise?"

Shu smiles at Valt's outstretched pinky. He links it with his own. "Promise."

After a while, Shu pulls away. "I should...go."

"Yeah...." Valt says, trying to hide the heartbreak from cracking his voice.

Before Shu can think, he places his hands on Valt's shoulders, leans down and softly brushes their lips together. The bluenette's eyes widen in shock.

The albino pulls back with a light blush and turns around to walk away. "Good-bye, Valt....." he whispers.