Disclaimer: I do not own Cardfight! Vanguard

Author Notes: I wanted to write a Kaichi story since I haven't written one in a while plus it will help me get back the feel of writing everyone in character. Some of my friends are going to graduate high school soon. Others have already graduated from college. Some of my other friends haven't been feeling well lately. This is a present to all of them. I hope this story puts a smile on their face.

Set in the future after Legion Mate. This is set during Aichi's third year of high school. Oneshot.

Pairing: Mainly Aichi x Kai (Kaichi/Kaiai). There is hints of Miwamisa and Miwaichi but only if you want to see it like that.

Our Paths Will Always Cross

Sendou Aichi picked up a Vanguard card with one hand and looked at it carefully. After thinking whether the card would be able to strengthen his deck or not, he reluctantly shook his head and placed the card back down on the table. The blue haired boy was currently at Card Capital trying to edit his deck but it wasn't going well. He looked over at a card that was lying untouched by his deck case.

Blaster Blade.

A smile came onto his face as he thought about the person who had given him that card. If it was him, would he help Aichi with his deck?

He shook his head. Kai Toshiki was in Europe right now. According to Miwa Taishi, Kai had been making a name for himself over there. It made him happy to hear his idol was doing well. Kai was amazing to be able to continue to win even overseas. A frown went onto his face as he continued to think about the brunet. The brunet hadn't been in touch with him lately. They had promised to stay in touch. While Aichi and Kai didn't contact each other every day, they still liked to keep in touch often.

The blue haired boy opened his school bag and took out his cell phone. A disappointed look went onto his face as he saw he didn't have any new messages or calls. Maybe it was a good thing. It probably meant Kai was popular and successful enough to not have time to get in touch with him. The older boy was also living in a foreign country. Their time zones were different and it must be hard trying to contact Aichi when he was awake or not at school.

He truly was happy for Kai but there was a part of him feeling lonely. He missed the older boy. Maybe it wouldn't affect him as much if the older boy had contacted him lately but it had been a couple of months since he last heard from Kai.

Aichi sighed as he put his cell phone back into his bag. He would check his cell phone again later. There was a temptation to send a text but he resisted not wanting to bother his idol.

"Is your deck editing not going as well as you had hoped?"

Aichi jumped at the voice and looked to his left. "Miwa-kun."

Miwa raised an eyebrow at not seeing a smile on the blue haired boy's face. Clearly the deck editing wasn't going well but the blond could somehow sense the other was thinking about something else. Maybe it was the way the smaller boy had jumped at the sound of his voice. Maybe it was the way Aichi's eyes kept looking over at his bag. Other than Vanguard, what could make Aichi sigh like that? He could only think of one person. "I wonder how Kai is doing," he said randomly.

The smaller boy, who had been looking at his school bag again, quickly looked over at the other. "Eh? Kai-kun?"

Miwa resisted the urge to smile at the other's reaction. He was right. He felt bad as he noticed the way the other's eyes had lit up at the brunet's name. Aichi's voice had sounded hopeful as well. "I wouldn't know. He hasn't contacted me lately. He must be busy," he said apologetically.

"I see."

Miwa watched the other boy look down sadly. Upsetting Aichi wasn't his intention when he came over. He resisted the urge to sigh. What was Kai doing? A text or a phone call every now and then wasn't too much to ask for. The blond thought his best friend would at least text Aichi but apparently not. A grin went onto his face as an idea came to him. There was only a small possibility it would work but it seemed like the best option right now. "Aichi. Wait here."

Aichi looked up confused. "Eh?"

"I've got an idea." Miwa winked at him. But first, he would need permission to leave early. He knew better than to try and sneak out of work without permission. He walked over to the front counter where Tokura Misaki was working and stopped in front of the counter. "Yo Nee-chan. The store doesn't look busy."

Misaki's eyes continued to look at the computer in front of her. "What are you up to?"

The blond laughed sheepishly. Was it that obvious he was up to something? She knew him too well. "Let me off work early. There is something I want to do."

She looked over at him giving him her attention. "Oh? And what is that? It must be important if you are asking to leave early."

"I want to take Aichi out on a date."

Misaki looked at him disbelievingly. Did he really just say that?

Misreading her look, the blond quickly raised his hands in a form of surrender. "Just… Just hear me out before you get mad. Kai hasn't been texting or calling Aichi lately."

She shook her head looking annoyed. "What is that idiot doing? A text or phone call every now and then isn't too much to ask for."

Miwa grinned. She felt the same as him. "Right? I was thinking some hot chocolate would cheer Aichi up. Maybe I'll take a few pictures with him as well." A fake innocent look came onto his face. "And just maybe those pictures will be sent to Kai telling him that our date went well."

"… You are crazy. He is going to murder you."

"He wouldn't murder his best friend. He'll know I'm just joking. Besides, the worst thing that could happen is Kai ignoring the text or not seeing it." Miwa hoped his best friend didn't ignore his message. At the same time, there was only a small possibility the brunet would respond. Kai could just look at the message and not respond back. The blond would know as the brunet didn't respond to all of his texts.

Misaki looked over at Aichi. She noticed how one moment the blue haired boy would have slumped posture and after several moments, he would straighten his posture. Her eyes softened as she watched her friend. If she could do something to help Aichi feel better, she would. Miwa's plan was reckless (for his safety, not Aichi's. Kai wouldn't harm Aichi intentionally) but it seemed like their best option right now. "Alright. Have fun on your date," she said looking back at Miwa.

The blond's eyes widened. "Really?" Seeing the soft smile on the other's face, a grin went back onto his face. He cheered. "Alright! Thank you, Nee-chan. You are the best!"

Her cheeks turned a light pink. She huffed and held out a hand to collect the blond's apron. "Hurry up and go before I change my mind. You are doing this for Aichi."

"Yes~ I'll be leaving first." Miwa took off his apron and gave it to Misaki. The blond was currently wearing a white long sleeved dress shirt, black pants and black shoes. He reached across the counter and grabbed his blue coat and school bag. After putting on the coat, he walked over to Aichi. "All set, Aichi. Let's go."

Aichi looked up at him confused. "Eh? Where are we going, Miwa-kun? My deck isn't finished yet."

"You can finish your deck another time, right? Hurry up and get ready." Miwa seemed fit to burst with excitement as he grabbed the smaller boy's arm and made him stand up.

Aichi sighed. It seemed there was no stopping the blond. "I understand, Miwa-kun."

"Really? That is great!" the blond chirped and let go of the other's arm.

The blue haired boy wondered why his friend was excited and quickly gathered his cards. After putting the cards back into the deck cases, he placed the deck cases into his school bag. He took out his cell phone and was disappointed to see there were still no new messages or missed calls. His hands put his cell phone into his pants pocket and closed his bag. "I'm ready, Miwa-kun."

"Let's go," Miwa said. He started walking towards the exit. "See you tomorrow in class, Nee-chan." He looked at Misaki and grinned.

"See you tomorrow. You too, Aichi," Misaki said smiling at her friends.

"Ah… Yes, Misaki-san. See you tomorrow," Aichi said looking over at her and smiling.

After exiting the shop, Aichi and Miwa started walking down the street. The blue haired boy shivered as the wind blew. It was early March and the cold weather hadn't left their city yet. He wouldn't be surprised if it started snowing.

Miwa ended up taking him to a nearby café. The smaller boy looked around curiously. He had never been here before. It looked to be about the same size as Card Capital. Unlike the card shop though which didn't have any business at the moment, the café was full of customers. "Miwa-kun. Have you been here before?"

"Ah. I've been here many times. I usually buy the coffee but the hot chocolate here is delicious too. Perfect for a cold day like today, huh?" the blond said grinning at him as he walked over to stand in line.

"Yes," Aichi said following his friend and standing beside him. A few moments later, he pouted as he realized what the other was implying. "You aren't going to buy my drink for me."

"Eh? Did I get caught already?" Miwa said sheepishly.

The blue haired boy pulled out his wallet. "I can pay for my own drink, Miwa-kun."

"That won't do. I'm going to pay for our drinks. Please let me, Aichi," Miwa said looking at him. Noticing that the other was about to protest again, he grinned mischievously. "Just think of it as an apology for interrupting your deck editing."

Aichi frowned. He had enough money and he didn't want to trouble his friend. There was also something going on especially if the other was grinning at him like that. He hoped it wasn't anything bad. Knowing his friend though, he would keep insisting until Aichi gave in. "… If it really isn't any trouble," he said hesitantly.

The other waved his hand dismissively. "Of course not. I was the one who pulled you away from your deck editing after all. It is my treat."

"… Alright. You can pay for our drinks. I'll make sure to pay you back sometime soon," Aichi said reluctantly giving in. He put his wallet back into his pants pocket.

"No need to pay me back. I want to buy you a drink. It is no trouble at all. You are having the hot chocolate, right?"

The blue haired boy nodded hesitantly. If the blond felt that strongly about it then he would respect the other's wishes. He pouted at the mention of hot chocolate. "I drink coffee too, Miwa-kun. I'm not a little kid."

Miwa snickered. Aichi's pout was cute. "Really now? I seem to remember a certain blue haired boy wishing for some hot chocolate yesterday." He grinned teasingly as he saw the other's cheeks flush pink. "Huh. Maybe I was hearing things."

"M-Miwa-kun!" Aichi whined. "Stop that!"

"Oh no. It seems like I'm experiencing temporary hearing loss."

The blue haired boy looked away unable to stop blushing.

The blond snickered again. He was having a lot of fun teasing Aichi. "Okay. I'll be serious. What drink do you want, Aichi?" Noticing the other was looking at him now, he smirked. "Do you want the hot chocolate for kids or the hot chocolate for adults?"

"Miwa-kun! I told you to stop!" Aichi whined. Watching the other laugh as they made their way to the front counter, he pouted. "I'm not talking to you anymore." The blue haired boy crossed his arms and looked away.

Miwa laughed. "Oh? The silent treatment? Aichi has grown up."

The other continued to pout not responding to his friend as he could still hear the blond's teasing tone.

The college student raised an eye brow. Aichi really was giving him the silent treatment. This was new. Did he tease the smaller boy too much? He shrugged after a few moments. Knowing Aichi, the silent treatment wouldn't last long. He wasn't worried.

Despite Miwa's teasing, Aichi ordered hot chocolate. After giving his order, he shot a look at his friend daring him to make a remark. The blond only shook his head grinning as his body shook with silent laughter.

Aichi pouted and walked away from the other in order to find a table where they could sit at. It seemed like there were a lot of people who wanted to escape the cold as there were many seats occupied. The blue haired boy could see why these people chose this café. The place had a warm and relaxed vibe. He could see smiles on most of the people's faces as he walked past them.

"Hey. Isn't that Sendou Aichi?" a boy said excitedly pointing at Aichi with a finger.

The blue haired boy stopped his eyes wide. Someone had recognized him?

"Are you kidding? There is no way that dweeb is the Sendou Aichi. It is probably someone cosplaying as him. Now stop pointing at that boy. It is rude to point," a second boy scolded.

"You are right. I'm sorry," the first boy said looking disappointed. He stopped pointing at Aichi and continued talking to his companion.

Aichi inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close one. Wait… dweeb? He sweat dropped raising an arm to rub the back of his neck. They weren't exactly wrong. The blue haired boy felt like a dweeb at times. He jumped at the touch to his shoulder and turned around. His eyes widened seeing Miwa. "Miwa-kun. You surprised me." He almost flinched at seeing the other's glare. Did the other hear the boys' conversation too?

The blond glared at the boy who called his friend a dweeb. From their conversation, it sounded like they were Cardfighters. That kid was lucky Kai wasn't here to hear that remark. A grin went onto his face making the blue haired boy blink. "I got our drinks. I spotted an open table while I waiting. Let's go."

"Eh? Y-Yes," Aichi said confused. He blinked a few times as the other walked past him leading the way to the table. Wasn't Miwa glaring just now? Maybe it was his imagination. The blond hardly ever glared at people. The blue haired boy quickly followed his friend to a table that was near the back of the café.

After both of them sat down, Miwa passed the blue haired boy his drink. "Here, Aichi."

The blue haired boy's eyes lit up at the sight of his hot chocolate. Miwa had teased him about it and he himself had claimed that hot chocolate was for children but he really couldn't see himself giving up hot chocolate in the near future. "Thank you very much, Miwa-kun. It looks delicious." He grabbed his drink with both hands smiling at the warmth from the cup.

"You are welcome. I hope you enjoy it," Miwa said grinning. "Be careful as it is hot though. You should probably wait for it to cool down first." He couldn't resist teasing the high school student.

"I'm not a little kid, Miwa-kun," Aichi said pouting. He blew his drink a few times then took a tentative sip. "Ouch! It is hot." Noticing the blond shaking with silent laughter, the blue haired boy's cheeks flushed pink. He looked down at the table wishing he had his scarf with him so he could hide his face in it.

The blond's body continued to shake with silent laughter. He always loved teasing Aichi. The blue haired boy never failed to make him laugh. Noticing how the smaller boy was looking down at the table, his body stopped shaking. Aichi looked like he wanted to crawl under the table and hide. Perhaps he should stop teasing the smaller boy and get to the real reason as to why he brought him here. A serious look went onto his face. "When was the last time you heard from Kai?"

"Eh?" Aichi looked up at the mention of the brunet. "The last time I heard from Kai-kun was after the New Year." He averted his gaze to the table again. "I-I was going to text or call him when I first stopped hearing from him but I didn't think much of it back then. I thought Kai-kun was busy with his life over there."

"I see. What about lately? Have you tried to contact him?"

Aichi shook his head. "I don't want to trouble him. There must be a reason as to why he isn't contacting me though. Kai-kun isn't a mean person."

A grin went back onto the blond's face. "You wouldn't be troubling him. He would love it if you contacted him more often. That guy needs to talk more anyway. I'm sure he is bored with only Olivier Gaillard for company." His tone was light letting the other know he was only joking and meant no offense to the European Cardfighter.

The smaller boy looked up at his friend his cheeks pink. "You think so? I'm happy if that is the case. Actually, Kai-kun told me in one of his texts that he and Gaillard-kun are slowly getting closer."

"Huh~ I'm surprised to hear that. Now that I think on it more, I guess it does make sense. They most likely bond over you and Vanguard though."

Aichi sweat dropped. "You think so? I could understand Vanguard but me?"

"Definitely! They both care about you a lot."

"I care about them as well. When was the last time you heard from Kai-kun, Miwa-kun?"

Miwa thought for several moments. How long had it been again? "I think it was after the New Year." Why did he have a feeling he was forgetting something though?

"I see. Same as me." Aichi raised his cup and blew a few times. He took another sip smiling at the taste and the warmth.

The college student didn't know what he had forgotten. After several moments of trying to recall, he gave up. It probably wasn't important if he had forgotten about it.

Aichi and Miwa spent a couple of hours at the café talking about Kai as well as various other subjects. The blond had smirked internally when he managed to convince the smaller boy to take some pictures with him. His plan was slowly coming together. As they were making their way to exit the café, the smaller boy accidentally tripped over someone's foot.

The blue haired boy winced as he hit the ground.

"Are you alright?" his friend outstretched a hand in order to help the other up.

"Y-Yes. Thank you very much," Aichi said. He reached for the other's hand and grabbed it.

The blond helped pull the other to his feet. Letting go, he looked over his friend to make sure he wasn't injured.

The person who had tripped Aichi looked at them. "Be careful, little boy."

Aichi turned around and smiled politely at the person. "Yes. I'm sorry for not being careful."

Miwa was about to point out that there was no need for Aichi to apologize as the person who had their foot out was in the wrong but never got a chance to as his eyes noticed the two boys from earlier. The boys were now standing up and pointing in their direction.

"I knew it! That is Sendou Aichi! I can't believe I was right!" the first boy yelled excitedly.

Unfortunately, the boy's yell was loud enough to get everyone's attention. Aichi gulped looking nervous at all of the people staring at him.

"I can't believe you were right. That dweeb is Sendou Aichi!" the second boy said surprised.

Miwa's eyes narrowed. He was about to speak up for his friend when he felt a tug on the back of his coat. His head turned to look at Aichi his glare gone. "What is it, Aichi?"

"Let's get out of here, Miwa-kun," Aichi murmured.

The blond scowled but reluctantly nodded. A part of him still wanted to tell that boy off for calling his friend a dweeb but since Aichi wanted to leave, he would obey.

Weirdly enough, everyone else in the café were content to just stare at Aichi. None of them made a move to get closer.

Before leaving the café, Aichi bowed to the employees and apologized. He felt bad he caused a disturbance. The people in the café started talking about Aichi and how he was the real thing.

The blond inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as they exited the café a few moments later. That was close. Beside him, the smaller boy let out a relieved sigh. A grin went onto the blond's face as they started walking away. "Does that kind of thing happen often, Aichi? One would think you would be used to it by now."

"Eh? No way. It is hard getting used to all of the attention. I get flustered each time it happens," Aichi said frowning.

The blond resisted the urge to snicker. Aichi was so cute.

As the sun was setting, the blond walked the smaller boy to his house. He grinned at the other and put his hands into his pants pockets as Aichi walked up to his front door. "Thanks for coming with me, Aichi. I had fun. We should do this more often."

The smaller boy stopped in front of the door and turned around. A smile was on his face as he looked at his friend. "Yes. I had fun as well. Thank you very much, Miwa-kun. You helped me feel better."

"I'm glad to hear that. About Kai… Don't worry. He'll come around and contact you soon. In fact, I'll make him contact you."

Aichi sweat dropped. He knew there was something up with today and why Miwa made him hang out with him. Did the other really think he hadn't suspected anything especially when the blond asked to take pictures with him? "T-Thank you very much, Miwa-kun. I hope Kai-kun doesn't hurt you."

"I have no idea what you are talking about. Kai would never hurt me," Miwa said a fake innocent look on his face. He waved to his friend and walked off whistling.

The blue haired boy waved back with a smile on his face. Once the other was out of eyesight, he let his hand drop and shook his head. Although he didn't want Miwa to get hurt, he hoped this plan of Miwa's worked. If it did, he would get to speak to Kai again. A smile appeared on his face at the thought.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Kai Toshiki sipped some of his hot coffee as he read his book. He was currently sitting down on the couch in the living room of the place he shared with Olivier Gaillard. Today, he had to wake up early in order to get to a fight. Unfortunately, Olivier Gaillard never told him the alarm clock in his room didn't work. He had overslept because of it and was almost late to his fight. Kai blamed Gaillard. The other was definitely involved with this somehow. After all, if the brunet knew his alarm clock didn't work; he would've set an alarm with the alarm clock he brought with him from Japan. Gaillard was lucky he got to his fight on time otherwise he would have to get his revenge.

He blinked as his cell phone vibrated in his pants pocket. The cell phone stopped vibrating after a couple of seconds letting the brunet know somebody texted him. His eyebrow raised as it vibrated once more indicating another new message. Two people had texted him? Who could they be? There were only a handful of people who knew his number. A frown went onto his face as he placed his coffee cup down on a coaster on the table in front of him and took out his cell phone. Come to think of it, Aichi hadn't been contacting him lately. He was worried. The blue haired boy promised they would stay in touch. Aichi wouldn't break a promise on purpose. Maybe the text was from him?

He himself had been busy with the Vanguard Europe Circuit lately but he still had enough time each day to contact his friends. He didn't always respond to his friends' texts though. His friends understood that while he had changed from when they first met him, he wasn't going to change completely and start being a people person. Well, all of them understood except one. Miwa was always texting him about talking to people more. He didn't know if the other was just messing with him or if he really felt Kai needed to talk more.

After turning on his phone and unlocking it, his finger touched his messaging application. The application loaded immediately and told the brunet he had two new messages from Miwa.

The brunet resisted the urge to groan. What could the blond want? He had been hoping for a text from Aichi. Kai had contacted the blue haired boy several times before but the other never responded. He didn't know why the other never responded. Did he do something wrong?

Aichi was one of his best friends and someone who was important to him. The brunet felt lonely. The blue haired boy hadn't talked to him in a couple of months. Maybe he should contact the other boy after looking at Miwa's messages. There was a part of him that told him to believe in the smaller boy. Aichi had to have a good reason for not responding to his texts and calls.

After turning on his phone and unlocking it once more (as it had fallen asleep while he was thinking), his finger touched Miwa's name. The phone showed all of his messages to and from Miwa. He blinked a few times upon seeing the blond's messages had pictures attached. Now this was interesting. What could the blond want him to see? His finger touched the first message making the message appear on the screen.

Upon seeing the picture as well as the text that came with it, Kai's eyes widened.

What… was this?

The picture was of Aichi and Miwa. It looked like they were at a café. The blond was sitting next to the smaller boy with his arm around his shoulders. Both of them looked happy. The surprise slowly started disappearing leaving anger and jealousy in its place. Here he was worrying about Aichi only to find they went on a date? Was Miwa trying to rub it in his face that he went on a date with Aichi while Kai was overseas?

The stupid blond even had the nerve to add that the date went well. What was that about? Didn't the blond like Tokura? Kai was tempted to ignore the second message. He wasn't sure he could look at it without throwing his phone. Against his better judgment, he opened the second message. He told himself he was only doing so because the blond might've mentioned the blue haired boy and his feelings about this. Or maybe the blond would mention the smaller boy was missing him.

A few seconds later, the brunet threw his phone at the ground. The picture was of Aichi. The blue haired boy was smiling happily at the camera.

The part of him that told him to believe in Aichi urged him to believe in the other. Aichi had to have a good reason for this. Did the other boy feel the same as the blond? If so, why didn't he tell him? The brunet thought they were close. What was going on back home?

"Damn it." The brunet had enough. He had to find out what was going on.

Realizing too late he had thrown his phone at the ground, he swore again and quickly went over to his phone. Thankfully, the phone looked alright. It just had a couple of new dents. His hand picked up the phone and turned it on. His phone still worked. That was good. His finger opened his contact list and immediately scrolled down to Gaillard's name. Truthfully, the brunet wanted to make plans to go back to Japan immediately and not inform the Parisian. A spiteful part of him said it served the other right. It would be nice payback for not informing him about the alarm clock. But as much as he wanted to, he held himself back.

He hoped Aichi and the rest of his friends would be happy to see him. The brunet didn't know what was going on back home but he did know one thing for sure.

Kai was going murder Miwa.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

A few days later, Kai walked down the street that would lead him to Card Capital. He had arrived in Japan the day before but by the time he made it to his apartment, it was too late to go anywhere or meet up with anybody. The brunet thought of contacting Miwa or Suzugamori Ren about him coming home but decided not to. He wanted to surprise everyone.

A few minutes later, he walked inside Card Capital.

"Welcome," Misaki said not looking away from her computer.

"… Is Aichi here today, Tokura?" Kai asked. The brunet noticed Nitta Shin wasn't at the shop. He remembered someone telling him that Manager was going to open up another Card Capital sometime soon. Was it already open?

"'Aichi'?" Misaki thought it was strange the customer called Aichi by his given name and without any honorifics. The voice sounded familiar as well. She looked away from the computer curious who it was. Her eyes widened at seeing the brunet. "Kai!"

Kai nodded to her. "… Tokura."

"I thought you were still in France. It is good to see you. It has been a while," she said smiling.

"… Ah. It is good to see you as well," Kai said. He smiled at the confused look in her eyes. No doubt she was wondering why he was here. "Is Aichi here today?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. He just got out of school a few minutes ago. You are welcome to stay and wait for him."

Kai nodded. In his haste to visit everyone, he had forgotten everyone had school. "Ah. Thank you."

"What are you doing here anyway? What about your fights over there?"

"I'm here on some personal business. I'm taking a week off," the brunet said walking over to the front counter.

She nodded. She had to wonder what sort of personal business he was here for though. Come to think of it, the brunet mentioned Aichi. She was about to speak but the door slid open causing her to look at the customer instead. "Welcome," she said smiling at the customer.

"Yo Nee-chan! Sorry I'm late. Sensei made me stay late," Miwa said grinning at her as he entered.

"You are late. Hurry up and put your apron on."

Miwa flinched at the scary look directed towards him. "Yes, yes," he said quickly making his way behind the front counter. The blond grabbed his apron and turned to face the inside of the shop for the first time. His mouth dropped open at seeing Kai standing next to the counter. That guy even had the nerve to be looking at them with an amused look on his face. "K-Kai! Kai Toshiki? Am I seeing things? Nee-chan, I think I need to take the day off. My eyesight is going bad."

The brunet resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Nice to see his blond best friend hadn't changed.

"I'm sure your eyesight will be alright. Get to work," Misaki said dryly.

"Eh~ You are heartless, Nee-chan," Miwa whined. He took off his coat and put it up with his school bag.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "… Are you trying to avoid me, Miwa?"

The blond hurriedly shook his head. "That isn't true. I'm happy to see you, Kai." At the brunet's disbelieving look, a fake hurt expression went onto his face. "I'm hurt you don't believe me."

"I'm sure you'll live," Kai said dryly.

Miwa frowned. Why were these two heartless when it came to him? He put on his apron and after tying the back, he walked over to where the brunet was. "I really am happy to see you, Kai. It was just a surprise to see you here. I thought you were still in France. Welcome back." He formed a fist, raised it and touched Kai's chest with it.

The brunet smiled at him.

"So, what did you come here for? I don't think you are here just to catch up with us, right?"

Kai looked away his cheeks a light pink. "… And if I did? Is that so wrong?"

The blond's eyes widened. "Kai is blushing! Kai is being honest! I need to take a picture." He hurriedly looked through his pants pockets for his phone.

"Miwa. Get to work. Now," Misaki said glaring at him.

Miwa flinched and immediately stopped what he was doing. "Yes, yes. I'll start working." He looked at the brunet an apologetic grin on his face. "Sorry, Kai. I was only joking." He blinked a few times as he saw the other wasn't paying attention to him. A smirk went onto his face as he saw the other was looking at the clock. Come to think of it, Aichi wasn't here yet. That was probably Kai's main reason for visiting out of the blue. "Aichi should be here any minute." The blond felt smug as the other looked at him at the mention of the blue haired boy.

The brunet narrowed his eyes at the blond. He hadn't forgotten his main reason for coming home all of a sudden. He was here to find out what was going on. "… Ah. You are going to answer my questions, Miwa."

A fake innocent look appeared on the blond's face. "Oh? And what sort of questions are they? Were they really that important that you had to come and ask in person for?"

"… Don't play dumb. You know the questions I'm going to ask. Answer with the truth or else you'll regret it," Kai said glaring.

"What a scary look! What did I do to deserve that look?" the blond said taking a few steps away from the other.

The door sliding open derailed Kai from his plans. Miwa turned around to welcome the customer not seeing the brunet's glare disappear as the brunet noticed who had walked inside the shop.

It was Aichi.

"Good afternoon, Misaki-san. Miwa-kun," Aichi said smiling at them. He looked over at Kai for the first time and the brunet could see the surprise on the blue haired boy's face. The blue haired boy blinked a few times making sure he wasn't seeing things. "K-Kai-kun! What's Kai-kun doing here?"

It was weird. The brunet had an easy time telling Miwa and Misaki why he was here but with Aichi, it was different. It was as if Sub-Manager had gotten his tongue. He almost thought it was a dream.

Aichi was in front of him.

The smaller boy had a confused and surprised look on his face. He was wearing his school uniform. It was as if nothing had changed. The brunet could feel some of the built up tension leave his body as he realized the smaller boy was acting his normal self around him. It was stupid but he had worried Aichi would treat him differently. Finding out the smaller boy was his normal self around him made him relieved and happy.

Aichi looked concerned as he walked up to him. "Kai-kun?"

Realizing he hadn't answered yet, he nodded. "Yo Aichi," he said smiling.

"Kai-kun! Welcome back. It is good to see you," the blue haired boy said smiling. He stopped in front of the brunet.

"… I'm back. It is good to see you too," Kai said.

"It is a surprise to see you here. What are you doing here? What about your fights?"

"My fights are going well. I'm taking a week off," the brunet said. For some reason, he didn't want to tell the truth as to why he was here to the other.

"As expected, Kai-kun is amazing! I knew you would do well even overseas." Fortunately, it seemed Aichi was distracted by their conversation that he didn't notice Kai never answered why he was here.

Miwa walked over to them and put his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. "What he isn't saying is that he is here to visit us. I think he missed us, Aichi," he said grinning.

Stupid Miwa. Why did he have to say it like that? Kai resisted the urge to reach out and pull the blond's arm away from Aichi. "… Shut up," he said.

"Is that true, Kai-kun? I missed you too," Aichi said smiling shyly at him.

Miwa snickered as the brunet looked away from them. Who knew Kai could be cute? The blond quickly looked away as Kai looked at him and glared.

"How is Gaillard-kun? Is he still doing well?" Aichi said.

Kai looked back at Aichi his glare gone and nodded. "… He is doing well. He talks about you often." Thankfully, he managed not to scowl as he mentioned the Parisian. They may be on better terms now but the brunet was still wary of the Parisian's feelings towards Aichi. It had nothing to do with his feelings for Aichi. Kai was just looking out for him as his best friend.

"I'm glad he is doing well. Eh? He does?"

Miwa snickered as the brunet nodded. "It is like I told you, Aichi. They bond over you and Vanguard most of the time."

A surprised look went onto the brunet's face. How did Miwa know that?

Aichi looked at the blond beside him confused. "Eh? When did you tell me that, Miwa-kun?"

Miwa smirked inwardly. He hoped his response would invoke a reaction from the brunet. "Don't you remember, Aichi? I told you a few days ago. On our date," he said grinning.

Kai narrowed his eyes. The brunet had been enjoying his time with Aichi that he almost forgot why he was here in the first place. He wanted to ask the blue haired boy about his feelings but not in front of Miwa and Misaki. The brunet started to walk away from them.

Aichi's eyes widened as Kai started walking away from them. Was the brunet leaving already? He looked up at Miwa about to ask him something but was derailed as the blond removed his arm from around his shoulders and lightly pushed him in the direction of Kai. "Miwa-kun?" he said confused.

"Go after him. You wanted to talk to him, right?"

Aichi wanted to protest. He wanted to protest that he had just arrived. He wanted to protest that it wasn't fair of him to keep Kai to himself when everyone was talking to the brunet. The smaller boy didn't voice his protests though as he looked at Miwa and Misaki. Both of them were silently urging him to go after the brunet. "I'm sorry. Thank you very much. I'll be back later. Excuse me."

Kai left Card Capital and decided to go to the park to wait for Aichi. Hopefully the other had noticed his nonverbal cue. If Aichi hadn't noticed that it was his way of telling him to come, Miwa would notice and tell the smaller boy.

"Kai-kun! Wait!"

The brunet smiled at the familiar voice. He continued to walk but slowed down his pace so the blue haired boy could catch up to him.

"Um, Kai-kun. I want to talk to you," Aichi said as he caught up and started walking beside the other.

"About what?"

The blue haired boy's cheeks flushed pink. He looked away and murmured something Kai couldn't catch.

"… What?"

The blue haired boy remained silent. How was he going to bring up what he wanted to talk about to Kai?

The brunet raised an eyebrow at the silence but said nothing as he continued to walk. A few minutes later, they reached the park and the brunet led them over to the bench he used to nap on. Instead of sitting though, the brunet remained standing.

Aichi, who remained silent the whole time, followed and stood in front of the other.

"… What did you want to talk about?" Kai asked. He figured that was a safe question to start with. He was curious why the other wanted to speak to him.

"I… You… T-The promise," Aichi said lamely. He wanted to cover his face with his hands. Why did he say that? Why couldn't he convey his thoughts to the other? He looked away from the other.

"Which promise?" Kai had an idea of which promise the other was speaking about but he wanted the other to clarify just in case he was wrong.

The blue haired boy took a deep breath then let it out slowly. "The promise to stay in touch."

The brunet nodded. He was right. "And?"

Aichi looked at Kai. "I want to know the truth, Kai-kun. You haven't contacted me since the New Year. Why? You promised to stay in touch."

Kai looked at the other surprised. Wait… What? "I did contact you. Multiple times. You are the one who hasn't contacted me."

"I didn't receive anything from you. I would've answered if I did."

"My phone told me the calls and texts got through to you. Why didn't you answer?" the brunet said.

"I already I said I didn't receive anything from you. I wouldn't ignore you on purpose, Kai-kun!" Aichi said.

"Why are you upset? I'm the one who should be upset. Why haven't you been contacting me?" the brunet said irritated.

"Stop insinuating that I ignored you. My phone didn't receive anything from you."

"I'm not insinuating anything. Besides, you promised to stay in touch too. Why haven't you been contacting me, Aichi? Answer me," Kai said.

"You are though! I… didn't want to bother you," Aichi said no longer upset. "It seemed like you were busy last time I talked to you and I wanted to give you your space. I'm sorry." The brunet was surprised upon hearing the apology and opened his mouth to respond. Before he could though, the blue haired boy continued talking. "But you never contacted me again! I was going to contact you soon but I thought you were busy. Why didn't you contact me, Kai-kun!" The blue haired boy was upset once more.

Kai's eyes narrowed as the other became upset once more. Why was Aichi accusing him of lying? He really did contact Aichi. He didn't like it when the other accused him like that. "I did contact you! Stop accusing me," he said annoyed.

"I'm not accusing you. I'm asking you. I said I wanted the truth, Kai-kun."

"… Stop accusing me," Kai said. "I already told you the truth."

The blue haired boy opened his mouth to retort but the words died before he could voice them as he realized something. Was it possible the brunet was telling the truth? Kai wouldn't lie about something like this. What was going on? "I'm sorry, Kai-kun. I'm sorry for accusing you of lying. You really are telling the truth," he said no longer upset. Instead, a sad look appeared on his face.

The brunet was surprised at the apology. Aichi finally understood? He nodded his annoyance dying down.

"But if you are telling the truth, why haven't I received anything from you? I wasn't ignoring you, Kai-kun."

Kai blinked a few times as he realized something. Was it possible both of them were telling the truth? But how? "… I don't know. I don't know why you haven't received anything from me but I believe you."

Aichi's eyes lit up. "You believe me?"

"… Ah," Kai said. He felt happy upon seeing the other happy once more. Maybe their phones were the problem? "Aichi."

"What, Kai-kun?"

"Is your phone alright?"

"Eh?"

"Both of us are telling the truth. Maybe one or both of our phones are the problem," the brunet said.

"I see." Aichi took out his cell phone and looked at it. "It looks alright to me." Kai mentioning that their phones were the problem made him feel relieved. Maybe they could solve this problem soon. Wait… Phone problems? He blinked a few times as he realized something. "Kai-kun."

"… What?"

"I don't know if this counts but I thought of something. A couple of months ago, around the time you stopped contacting me; this strange number started calling me and texting me."

The brunet raised an eyebrow. "… Strange number?"

"I never responded to the calls because I didn't recognize the number. All of the texts are weird too. The person calls me 'Aichi' with no honorifics like you do. The strangest thing is that they sound like you."

Kai nodded upon hearing Aichi didn't respond to the phone calls. That was good. He was about to tell Aichi that it was probably one of his friends but froze upon hearing the person sounded like him. He finally understood what was going on. The brunet unfroze and held out a hand. "… Aichi. Could I see your phone?"

Aichi looked confused but after turning his phone on as well as unlocking it, he handed his phone to the brunet. "What is it, Kai-kun?"

"… Where are your recent calls?"

"Here." Aichi walked closer to the brunet and touched the phone application on his home screen with a finger. The phone number pad appeared on the screen immediately. He then touched the recent calls tab. The recent calls appeared on the screen. It showed Aichi had a lot of missed calls from an unknown number. "See? This is the strange number I was talking about." He pointed at the most recent missed call. The missed call was also from the strange number and the phone told them he received the call one week ago.

"… I'm sorry my new number is strange," Kai said dryly.

"Eh?" Aichi looked at him. His eyes widened a few seconds later. "Eh! No way! That strange number is Kai-kun?"

"That is right."

"No way! How? Why?"

The brunet smiled at the other's surprise. Aichi received his calls and texts but he didn't know his new number which is why the other never answered him back. "… A couple of months ago, I got a new number. I don't know how but some… fans of mine somehow got a hold of my old number. They were annoying. They kept calling and texting me."

Aichi sweat dropped. As expected of Kai. Even his fans were amazing. He could understand why the other changed his number.

"… They wouldn't leave me alone so I got a new number. I'm sorry for not telling you and for getting upset."

The blue haired boy shook his head a smile on his face. "It is alright, Kai-kun. I got upset too. I'm sorry. I'm glad you told me though. If you hadn't told me, I would've never known until you came back home to visit."

There were still a few things Kai was confused about. He looked at the boy beside him. "Miwa didn't tell you my new number?"

"Eh! Miwa-kun knew Kai-kun's new number? I didn't know that. Why didn't he tell me?"

Kai looked down at the phone in his hand and glared at it. So Miwa was the culprit all along? How fitting. "… I don't know but I plan to find out. There is something else I want to know before I confront him though. Did you enjoy your… date with Miwa?"

Aichi sweat dropped. He really hoped the blond didn't get hurt even if it was his fault. At the mention of the date though, he paled and impulsively grabbed the front of Kai's shirt. "I-It isn't what you think! Miwa-kun was only trying to cheer me up." The blue haired boy winced as he realized he was getting the blond into further trouble. He silently apologized to the blond in his head.

"… Ah. It must've worked since you were smiling," Kai said looking at the smaller boy. The smaller boy almost let go of the other's shirt at the glare on the other's face. "Did you know that idiot was taking pictures of you? Did you know he sent them to me? Tell me everything, Aichi." The anger and jealousy he felt from looking at the pictures came back as he looked at the other. It didn't matter how much it would hurt to hear the details of the other's date. He needed to know.

The smaller boy let go of the other's shirt and started waving his hands rapidly in front of him. "I-It isn't what you think! We didn't go on a date at all."

The brunet raised an eyebrow. "'Didn't go on a date?' Don't give me that. If that wasn't a date, what was it? Tell me everything. Now." He held out the other's phone for him to take. Aichi stopped waving his hands, took his phone back and put it inside his pocket. The brunet then grabbed the other's hands and pulled them to his shirt. His glare softened a little. He didn't want to scare Aichi.

Wondering if Kai was alright with it, the blue haired boy grabbed the front of the other's shirt once more. As soon as Aichi held on, the brunet let go and gently stroked the top of Aichi's hands making the smaller boy's cheeks flush pink. "K-Kai-kun…"

The moment was only a few moments long but it felt longer to both of them. The brunet gently stroked Aichi's knuckles then the top of his hand once more. The blue haired boy looked up at the brunet surprised Kai was being gentle. The brunet let go a second later and shoved his hands inside his pants pockets. Kai could feel his cheeks flush a light pink and resisted the urge to look away. The brunet stared into the other's eyes wanting the other to continue talking.

Aichi was so caught up in the moment he didn't even notice the other had stopped touching his hands. He blinked a few times at seeing the other's smirk. That… wasn't there before. Kai wasn't touching him anymore.

… Oh. His cheeks flushed pinker as he realized he had spaced out and that the other most likely stopped touching him a while ago but he never noticed. "I-I'm sorry, Kai-kun," he murmured tempted to bury his face in the other's shirt.

"… You have nothing to apologize for. I don't mind." Kai was surprised at how a simple touch could make the smaller boy space out. If a simple touch could do that, what would a kiss do to the other? He shoved that thought aside. While the thought of kissing Aichi was a welcome thought and something he had thought about often while he was in Paris, he didn't want to get distracted from getting the other's date details. "You and Miwa didn't go on a date? What do you mean?"

"Eh? Oh." Aichi blinked a few times as he remembered what they were talking about before. "It is true. We didn't go on a date. Miwa-kun only called it that because he thought it would get your attention. I didn't see it as a date at all."

"'Get my attention', huh?" Kai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It certainly got his attention. Stupid Miwa. He should've known the blond was just messing with him. He had gotten angry and jealous for no reason. The brunet blinked at the other's words. "You didn't see it as a date? Why did you agree then?" He could feel the rest of the built up tension leave his body. Kai felt relieved the other didn't see it as a date and didn't have any feelings for Miwa besides friendship.

The blue haired boy resisted the urge to bury his face once more. He suddenly felt ashamed and bashful at the same time which was ridiculous. He felt ashamed he had accused Kai of lying to him as well as not recognizing the other's new number. He felt bashful as he realized he would have to tell the other what he had been thinking at the time. There was a part of him that whispered he felt ashamed because although it (technically) wasn't a date, he had gone on a date with someone that wasn't Kai. "… You weren't contacting me. Well, I thought you weren't contacting me. I didn't want to bother you so I was waiting for a call or text from you but it never came. I… was feeling lonely."

Kai's eyes softened a little. The blue haired boy was feeling lonely? Just like him. "I'm sorry, Aichi."

"It is alright. It isn't your fault, Kai-kun. Anyway, I was at Card Capital editing my deck and feeling lonely because I thought you were too busy to talk to me. I don't know how but I must've given myself away because Miwa-kun mentioned your name."

The brunet smirked at that. It seemed Aichi still didn't have a good poker face.

"Miwa-kun told me that he hadn't heard from you lately then walked over and spoke to Misaki-san for a bit. He made me get up and we went to a café. Miwa-kun didn't tell me what his plan was but I understood after he asked if he could take some pictures. He sent those pictures to you, right?" the blue haired boy said sheepishly.

Kai nodded.

"Miwa-kun took me home after that. I promise that is everything, Kai-kun."

The brunet nodded once more. Miwa had called it a date but the blond was only messing with him. Now that he listened to the details, he understood the blond was only trying to cheer up the smaller boy. They were only hanging out as friends. He wrapped his arms around the other's body.

Aichi's cheeks flushed pink and looked at the other surprised at the hug. "K-Kai-kun?" He didn't resist. He was happy the other was hugging him and was going to let him for as long as Kai wanted.

The brunet leaned in and kissed the other's forehead. He pulled back a moment later and smiled at the other's adorable surprised look. "I'm sorry, Aichi. I should've let you know I changed my number. I… missed you too. I was feeling lonely without you." He had wanted to hug Aichi for the longest time now and he finally got his chance. It was better than any dream of his. He could feel the other's presence helping him feel better. He was happy Aichi wasn't struggling or pulling away from his hug.

The blue haired boy's eyes widened. "Kai-kun feels the same as me?"

"… Ah," Kai said. Truthfully, he wanted to continue hugging the smaller boy but he knew the smaller boy was probably wondering about the kiss. After all, the brunet hardly touched Aichi before this. The smaller boy was probably surprised. The brunet felt a wave of worry and fear. He probably wouldn't be able to cover up his actions by claiming it was out of friendship. Even if he was worried and scared the other would reject him, it seemed like his only choice was to confess his love. "Sendou Aichi."

"What is it, Kai-kun?" Aichi said smiling.

"… I like you," Kai said. The brunet felt like an idiot. Why did he say it without beating around the bush? Well, that is a part of who he is but he felt bad for springing it on Aichi without warning. He also told the other he liked him. What if Aichi took it the wrong way and thought he was talking about friendship? The blue haired boy could be quite oblivious at times.

The blue haired boy's eyes widened at the words. Kai liked him? He thought back on Kai's recent actions and the soft look he would sometimes catch as the other looked at him. Before Kai left for France, the brunet had been smiling at him more and giving him soft looks whenever he thought Aichi wasn't looking. The brunet liked him. A smile went onto his face and he leaned up a little to kiss the brunet on the cheek.

Kai could feel the hope in his chest as he waited for an answer. He could feel himself becoming worried and wanted to ask Aichi but he stopped himself. Forcing an answer from Aichi wasn't acceptable. His eyes widened as the blue haired boy leaned up and kissed his cheek. "… Aichi?"

"I-I love you, Kai-kun. I love only you," Aichi said looking into the other's eyes.

The brunet felt surprised and happy. The smaller boy understood what he meant? Aichi felt the same as him? A smile went back onto his face as he looked at the other. "I love you too. I love only you as well."

The blue haired boy felt wonderful. Kai loved him back. All of the unnecessary worrying he had done was for naught. He was glad the other loved him back. What should they do next though? The blue haired boy blinked as the brunet leaned his head down. "Kai-kun?"

Kai didn't know about Aichi's feelings but he really wanted to kiss the other boy right now. He had dreamed of it a few times before and while he liked kissing the other in his dream, he was sure kissing Aichi in real life would be better. "Aichi. May I kiss you?"

Aichi's eyes widened. Kai was asking permission? He looked away for a few moments embarrassed by the other's gentleness. His eyes looked back into the others and finally nodded.

The brunet leaned in and kissed the other on his lips. He waited for the smaller boy to pull away but Aichi surprised him by kissing him back. Their eyes closed as they continued to kiss. The smaller boy was the first to pull back several seconds later his cheeks red. Kai opened his eyes and moved his head back up. He smiled as the smaller boy opened his eyes and smiled at him.

They stood in silence smiling at each other and enjoying each other's presence. Kai wasn't sure how long they stood there but he was the first to let go and pull away from the smaller boy.

"Kai-kun?" Aichi looked at him confused.

"… It is alright. I need to talk to the idiot who claims he is my best friend."

The blue haired boy sweat dropped. Truthfully, he had forgotten about Miwa. "I'll come along to make sure you don't murder him." He really didn't like the smirk on the other's face. It made him feel scared for the blond.

"… I wouldn't murder him," Kai said as they started making their way back to Card Capital.

ZZZ

"I can't remember," Miwa said frustrated.

Misaki looked at him confused. "What's wrong?"

The blond looked over at her from where he was washing the standing fight tables. "These past few days, I've had the feeling that I've been forgetting something. At first, I thought it was nothing important. But now, I'm not sure."

Misaki nodded. "I see."

"What was it though?" Miwa grabbed his chin with his thumb and pointer finger. He was distracted from his thoughts as the door slid open. "Welcome," he grinned. Once he saw it was Aichi and Kai, he raised a suggestive eyebrow. "Welcome back. I thought you two wouldn't come back."

Aichi's cheeks flushed pink. "W-What are you talking about, Miwa-kun? I told you I would be back." He looked confused at the other's thinking position. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no. There is nothing wrong. I just forgot something. I can't remember what I forgot though," Miwa said oblivious to Kai's glare.

"… You forgot to tell Aichi my new cell phone number," Kai said.

The blond let go of his chin and formed a fist. His fist hit the palm of his other hand. "I see! That is what I forgot!" A sheepish grin was on his face. He looked at Aichi apologetically. "Sorry, Aichi. I don't know why but it slipped my mind to tell you."

The blue haired boy winced inwardly at the dangerous aura emitting from the brunet beside him. "It is alright, Miwa-kun. Kai-kun and I already resolved our problem."

"I see. I'm glad!" Miwa said grinning at the smaller boy. He opened his mouth about to apologize to Kai as well but looked at the brunet and stopped at the brunet's glare. How had he not noticed it until now? He winced at the dangerous aura emitting from the brunet. "Yo Kai! Sorry about that. Honestly, I don't know why I forgot to tell Aichi."

"… Miwa. We need to talk," Kai said starting to walk towards the blond.

"What scary words," Miwa said backing away from the approaching brunet.

Aichi walked over to the front counter and looked at Misaki. "I didn't get to thank you yet, Misaki-san. Thank you very much for all of your help."

Misaki smiled at him. "I didn't do much. Miwa deserves all of the credit. He came up with the idea to cheer you up. I don't think he expected Kai to come here though." Like the blue haired boy, she wasn't going to watch what happened to Miwa.

The blue haired boy shook his head. "That isn't true. You gave Miwa-kun permission to leave work early. I'll thank him later." He sweat dropped as he could hear the blond asking the brunet to stop. "… If he is still alive, that is."

"I'm glad you and Kai managed to clear things up with each other. How did this problem start anyway?"

Aichi laughed sheepishly. "Thank you very much. It is a long story."

She looked at him expectantly.

The blue haired boy started telling her the whole story. After telling her the story, he took out his phone and changed the number he had for Kai. He was sure they wouldn't have any problems like that anymore. Although Miwa was the culprit behind their problem (problems in Kai's case), the blue haired boy wanted to thank the blond. In a roundabout way, it was thanks to him he found out the brunet's feelings. A smile appeared on his face as he thought about the brunet.

Kai said he was home for a week. That left plenty of time for their first date.

Aichi was looking forward to it. He sweat dropped once more as he could hear Miwa teasing Kai.

Hopefully Kai wouldn't murder Miwa or Aichi would be dating a murderer.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Author Notes: I hope you guys enjoyed this story. If you have time, please review. I would love to know what you thought of my story.

See you next time!