Title: You've got the wrong number
Author: Nekocin/tyreling
Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade
Focus: eventual KaiRei
Other: PG, AU, overall romance, series
Disclaimer: Do not own Beyblade. If I did, I would have made KaiRei an official couple. :nods: Besides that, I do not own the themes mentioned later on for each chapter. Title of this fic belongs to DBSK, from the song "Wrong number".

Prelude

"I take you're not Hiromi."

There's no need to deny the truth. Rei just gives the man a rueful smile, shaking his head gently. "No. I'm sorry. She couldn't make it because of her work. I'm just here to call off your date. I'm really sorry about this."

The hopeful face droops just a little in disappointment; eyes downcast and shoulders sagged, no longer proud. Yet another wrong candidate.

"I'm really, really sorry about this."

"It's all right. Maybe some other time." the stranger sounds awfully doubtful about his own words.

Rei couldn't blame him. If a girl sends someone to call off the date because she's busy, it means she's not interested in her date at all, as far as he knows. A second date will never come out of this one. Sometimes he wonders why he's putting up with this. His friend, Hiromi, always seems to have some sort of excuse to get her dates off her back.

The thing is, Rei knows this, Hiromi is seeing someone secretly outside this whole fiasco. Her mother, on the other hand, has other ideas, signing her up at some matchmaking centre and paid for a month's premium service behind Hiromi's back. In order to make her membership worthwhile, even though she isn't interested in the many matches the organization has in store for her, she has decided to make full use of their services.

That's where Kon Rei comes in.

He's supposed to be playing the part of a very concerned, unnoticeable friend, pretending to be Hiromi at first, and then call off any possible future meetings. It's getting more and more annoying these days. So far, he has kicked almost fifteen suitors out, this week, which is frighteningly very... sad.

Date number fifteen waves goodbye and walks out of the sitting room into the busy streets of downtown. Rei returns the politeness with faked cheerfulness and as soon as date number fifteen disappears, he drops the facade, releasing a long tired sigh and fishes out his cell phone from his pockets, quick-dialing Hiromi's number.

"Hey, it's me. Rei. Your date has just left." He seats himself on the loveseat, which he and date number fifteen had occupied a moment ago, and leans back, head resting against the soft plush, and eyes staring at the high ceiling. This matchmaking centre is so classy; it's fraying his nerves--high ceilings, bright chandeliers, satin-covered couches, expensive-looking tapestries and paintings, free delicacies which he will never ever be able to afford. The sheer presence of obvious wealth makes his stomach lurch a few times. (Or maybe it's just his stomach disagreeing with today's breakfast.)

Given the fact that he isn't one of the premium members sends another wave of discomfort in his mind. No matter how many times Hiromi has assured him that he's doing fine and it's okay to use her membership card for a while, it feels as if he is poaching off of someone else's money (which is technically true).

How exactly did Hiromi string him into this situation again?

A month ago he hasn't even known the matchmaking business ever existed, much less flourished under muted circumstances. (A lot of people don't mind paying for premium membership in order to meet several matches, hoping for their eventual designated soul mate to pop up.) He was only an innocent bystander, casual friend-buddy before Hiromi had decided he's the right person to fill in her stead.

The reasons being, she had ticked off on her fingers all-knowingly:
- he needs to go out more and meet other people
- he's just finished with a dramatic chapter of life; it's time to start anew
- he's handsome enough; why not flaunt a bit?
- he can't say 'no' to Hiromi at all
- and last but not least, he is being blackmailed from the very beginning.

What makes matters worse, Hiromi has obviously ignored the fact that all the suitors are guys and Rei, as far as he's aware of himself, is also a guy. (Not that he's offended, or anything.)

There's a swift movement from the corner of his eyes, almost automatically he looks up to assess the stranger sitting on the other couch besides the loveseat, for a second, nods politely and then rises from his sitting position. "Look. I've got to go. I'll call you later, all right? Bye. Yes...yes...no. No! You don't have the right to do this. Bye, Hiromi,"

Ending the call abruptly, Rei glares at his cell phone and then stuffs it away into his pristine, rented suit, releasing another long sigh. His cousin, Mao, would hit him on the head for sighing too often; each sigh represents dwindling happiness, according to her, when done quite repeatedly, ten life years will be subtracted from one's lifespan.

That is -if- she catches him sighing. At this rate, he could care less about such trivial matters.

He straightens his back, smoothes down his suit and prepares to walk off as unassuming as possible. His work here is done.

... unless some poor chap decides to text-message him, assuming him to be Hiromi.

Well, speak of the dev-.

His cell phone vibrates; he's received an sms.

- You're leaving already? -

Rei raises his eyebrows at the cryptic message. The messenger must have sent wrong. He ignores the message, stuffing his cell back into his pockets. But before he could take a step forward his cell vibrates again.

- Turn around. I want to see you properly. -

Rei feels as if he's just stepped into a shower of icy cold water, freezing his spine and nerves within a second. Actually, he has the right not to heed this simple request. He's not interested in getting himself matched. But one part of him is curious, always curious, about the next candidate. In the back of his mind, he blames Hiromi for making him -look- at guys.

Slowly, he turns around, letting his eyes sweep over the lobby to see if anyone is looking at him. He sees a quick wave and then a redhead approaches him...with the matchmaking centre's logo sown on his breast pocket.

Oh shit.

Everything has gone downhill from then on.

"You're one unlucky man, Kon Rei." says Yuriy, the redhead's name, flippantly, dropping a folder in front of Rei's face and leans back in his chair.

Rei stiffens, his eyes are glued onto the label which bares the characters of his name. He flips open the folder to find... pictures, pictures and some more pictures of himself. From black and white baby pictures to some random snapshots like the one of himself sliding out a cake from the oven.

"What's this about?" He demands.

"Don't assume we are blind to such fraudulent activities such as you, yourself, are doing. Using someone else's card, strike up some conversation with random suitors and then break it off upon the first meeting. I have been keeping my eyes on you, Kon Rei." Yuriy explains calmly and leans forward, appearing even more dominating than before.

A wave of dread overcomes him easily as it has finally dawned upon Rei that he's been caught.

"You--you're sending me to jail?" His tone doesn't even sound as shocked as Rei, himself, is feeling at that moment. The prospect of sitting behind bars, though unappealing, is more likely to happen in his case even if he were to explain his side of the story. He has breached the organization's rules, made use of their facilities under a different person's name.

"When I say I have been keeping my eyes on you, I really mean it." Yuriy pauses between a breath and a smirk. "You can go to jail. Or... you can accept a proposition I've in mind."

Rei stares at him for a long minute or two. He's immediately reminded of Hiromi listing off reasons as to why he's a good candidate--he's being blackmailed yet again. He doesn't need to weigh the pros and cons for this matter; going to jail really is unappealing.

Life as Rei is so not fair.

"... fine." He says at last. "What's this proposition you speak of?"

Rei could almost hear a sinister laugh coming out of Yuriy's lips.

"I know you would see it my way." Yuriy smirks. "Date my cousin and I'll let you off the hook."

Rei shrugs mentally, obviously he has no choice in this matter or any matter at all. "That's it? Only one date?"

"Yep. One date is enough."

The rational side of him decides to jump in. "But why? You could have hooked your cousin with anyone from this Centre."

"If it were that easy, you think I wouldn't have done so in the first place?" scoffs Yuriy, waving his hand dismissively to perish the thought.

"Okay. What exactly is the problem?" Rei prods some more.

"It's against the Company's policies." Yuriy responds simply.

"Company's policies? Who exactly is your cousin?" Rei narrows his eyes.

"I'm so glad you've finally asked the award-winning question, Kon." Yuriy says mockingly, flashing him a long grin as he reaches over to a picture frame on his desk and turns it around. "Hiwatari Kai, the brains behind the business-related things of our beloved Matchmaking Centre. We're an outside branch of the Hiwatari's Corporations."

Rei could not help but drop his jaw in shock.

Oh. My. God.

"Please shoot my brains out, Mr. Yuriy." He manages to strangle out some words. His tongue feels oddly mangled and thick in his own mouth.

"Nah. Where's the fun in this without you? You're perfect for this little -date-. You have no association with either Hiwatari Corporations or this Matchmaking Centre, officially. And besides, you can be easily manipulated. I like that." Yuriy says, laughing.

"Thanks a lot. That makes me feel so much better," Rei mutters, releasing another sigh.

He should have chosen the other option and spare himself from all of this. Something bad is going to happen soon. He just knows it.

-to be continued -

TheNekoTalks:

... fine, you can all kill me now. Another series. :head desks:

.:Nekocin:.

Edit: :head desks: Lots of typos. Sorry.