Burst Finish My Heart: Free de la Hoya x OC | A Beyblade Fanfiction

Chapter 4: Stare

"Why are you touching your forehead? Already feeling sick because you know you're going to lose?" Trenosu said mockingly, and he turned up his nose.

"Not at all," Ferox said, and she added impulsively, "My Beyblade is being too loud."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Trenosu said with a snort.

"You'll see," Ferox said and mischievously shrugged.

She had divulged too much information, but it was worth seeing confusion twist on Trenosu's face. The boy probably thought Ferox was batshit crazy and believed that Beyblades were cold, hard metal parts launched into a stadium.

Nevertheless, ever since she was born, Ferox had a strange power to hear Bey spirits. She could listen to any Beyblade without prior connection or being fired up for a battle, but Zmaj's voice boomed the loudest. Her deceased parents had sworn her to secrecy, yet Ferox sometimes could not resist baffling bladers with her superhuman hearing.

"First battle!" the referee yelled.

"Ready, set. Three--"

Ferox flipped into the air like an experienced acrobat. Her scarf waved up and down wildly.

"--Two--"

Ferox pointed her launcher vertically.

"--One--"

Ferox smirked, realizing that Trenosu's launch was shaky and weak. Zmaj would easily knock Trenosu's Beyblade off-balance with an aerial attack.

"Let it, rip!"

Ferox pulled her winder, flipped backward, and landed on her feet. She noticed how Trenosu chuckled as Tala Zmaj zipped high above the stadium and plummeted rapidly toward his Beyblade. The opposing blader clearly lacked knowledge about aerial attack techniques and assumed that he would win with a ring out finish.

"There's no way your Bey can withstand that drop!" Trenosu laughed.

"I wouldn't use a move that doesn't work," Ferox said, raising an eyebrow.

Tala Zmaj collided with the opposing Beyblade, which burst instantaneously. Ferox grinned as Trenosu gawked, and his face turned red. "How is this possible?!" Trenosu spluttered.

Pathetic, Zmaj howled and outstretched her wings.

"Tala Zmaj gets two points with a burst finish. Ferox wins the match!" the referee called.

Ferox wondered if Free had observed her battle, so she turned to look in the general direction where Free was seated. Her body froze as her eyes met an absentminded, unblinking stare, which sent shivers rushing down her spine.

Free de la Hoya was intently staring at her.

The stare unsettled her and mirrored the eyes of a predator assessing how to catch and kill its prey. Ferox had never seen a guy examine her so aggressively before. Simultaneously, his hunched posture and dead eyes radiated depressed feelings, and Ferox pondered again what could be bothering the best blader in the world. 

Discomforted by the lonesome face, Ferox rose her hands and pressed the skin of her cheeks so that she forced a smile. She then pulled back her hands and made a genuine smile. Her eyes silently told Free: whatever you're going through, you will be okay. You can still force a smile, and it might make you feel better.

Free touched his hands to his cheeks and pulled them back to force a smile. However, he did not produce a natural smile afterward. Ferox blushed slightly as Free attempted to mirror her actions; the golden-haired boy plainly did not care that she caught him staring.