Shu's an omega?!

Chapter 5

A week passes with no contact from Shu, who is absent from school. Thankfully, they had already completed their match of the week.

It was Saturday, and Valt had organised a meeting at the rooftop of Beigoma. AKA Wakiya instructed the gathering under Valt's name. Shu and Daigo had been the first to arrive, sharing quiet greetings and enjoying the silence, albeit slightly awkward due to the recent events. Wakiya stormed in after, giving Shu a narrowed look to which the latter ignored. Honcho arrived, and then as usual they were waiting for their captain who definitely overslept again.

Wakiya had instantly noted the lack of any scent wafting from his rival.

"Man, that guy never learns!" Rantaro exclaims, taking a seat on the bench.

"Typical Valt," Daigo agrees.

Another twenty minutes passed and then the star of the show came running in, shouting excuses and apologies. At the last step, he stumbled and crashed causing the other bladers to sweat drop.

"Hehe, what'd I miss?" Valt sheepishly asks.

"Who'd start the meeting without the captain?" Shu says, smiling a little as he outstretched his hand to Valt who beams and uses it.

"Yeah, you're right man!" Valt chimes, grinning. "Oh yeah, so this meeting is about uh," he obviously glances at Wakiya with a pleading look.

Wakiya looks taken aback, then deadpans, what did he expect from their clueless captain?

"Our next match," Wakiya starts, not wanting to bite the bullet straight away. "We should decide our team lineup-"

Daigo cringes at the poor coverup.

"It's okay, I know what this is really about," Shu speaks up, his face schooled to perfect stoicism.

An awkward, unsure silence passes and Shu sighs, exasperated.

"I'm sorry you guys had to find out this way, but don't worry, I got it under control. Nothing is going to change." Shu states, confident.

"That's not the issue," Wakiya bites back, frustration clear.

"Yeah, I agree with goldilocks. Look Shu, you might be our strongest blader, but you're still our friend, and it's dangerous." Rantaro reasons.

"I know that," Shu agrees. "But I can handle it."

"Like you handled it at our previous match? Because just a second longer and everyone would have known. Especially with your opponent being an alpha, what would you do if he couldn't resist his instincts and marked your neck? It's not like you wear a collar!" Wakiya retorts, oddly passionate.

"I have been handling it," Shu snipped. "The point was I didn't wait a second longer, I avoided the crisis, like I have been doing."

Wakiya seems about to riposte hotly, but Daigo quickly speaks up, a more important concern in his mind.

"What'd you write on the documents? To lie to authorities is..." Daigo trails off worriedly.

A tense silence passes, before Shu looks down, his eyes downcast.

"Look, don't worry. They know, at least the authorities do, the announcers and other staff are unaware." Shu confesses, his voice solemn.

"How'd you manage that?" Rantaro questions, an eyebrow quirked

"It isn't important," Shu brushes off easily. "What do you guys want me to do now? Tell the authorities? Quit beyblade?"

"Shu, we'd never ask for that," Daigo reasons, aware that Shu must be feeling upset.

"I know, sorry." Shu concedes, "nevertheless, it still is my decision."

"Valt," Rantaro calls out. "Help us out man, he might listen to you."

All eyes turned to their captain who had been uncharacteristically quiet.

"Shu," he starts. "I, I've been friends with Shu for a really, really long time. And he's amazing. I mean he can cook so good, and became an even better blader than me in just a year, and he also hid he's an omega from Japan's peering eyes and even you three. I know he can handle himself, and I think it's fine to leave it as it is. If anything, there's more reason now than before, seeing as you guys and I can help him!"

"He surprisingly makes a good point." Rantaro says, a mixture of shocked and impressed.

"I thought you'd be the most against it," Daigo states, eyeing Valt suspiciously.

"WELL, OF COURSE I WAS!" Valt screams, shaking off the tense atmosphere. "But I'm Shu's friend so I gotta believe in him. Plus, it's a promise- con-conpra-"

"Compromise," Shu corrects coolly.

"Yeah! Because he wants us to act like nothing's changed, but we will and we'll just have to keep up the act!" Valt grins, his natural affinity for cheer, livening everyone's internal turbulence.

"Fine!" Wakiya relents, indignantly.

"Does anyone else know about this?" Daigo asks and at Shu's returning stare stumbles out; "ah, sorry, Guess with your handling no one would."

Shu averts his gaze, the bashful action causing the beyclub members mouth to hang open comically wide.

"WHAT?!" Rantaro gasps.

"WHO?!" Valt shouts, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"I didn't want to worry you," Shu assures with a hand on Valt's shoulder, then reluctantly confesses.

"Lui."