After everything has calmed down after Phi and the match between Valt and Aiga, Fubuki is back in Beigoma for midterms. He looks forward to spending time with his former team. However, before all of that, there is one stop he has to make.

Fubuki has to tell his bullies a piece of his mind.

---

Fubuki took a deep breath. There was nothing to be scared of, he told himself again. He was in control, they had nothing on him. Still, the familiar pain, the familiar fear, didn't seem to want to let go of him. Fubuki just had to fight through it.

The sun was starting to set. The autumn winds were chilly now, making Fubuki shiver a little. The leaves rustled; the ocean rushed.

Fubuki walked away from the beach, going into some smaller streets closer to the more populated areas of the city. He knew exactly what he was looking for, even if he hadn't been there for quite some time. He usually had no reason to show his face there. Today, though, he had to give a message. He had to let them know, make them listen. He wasn't leaving without them having heard every single word and affirmed that they had understood.

The closer he got to his destination, the more his steps slowed down. He willed himself to keep going, not to quit now, but his legs felt heavy.

He stopped, taking a breath. He closed his eyes, reminding himself that he was fine. Reminding himself that this time, he was the one in control. That they had been wrong about him.

He remembered his mentor's, Shu's, words: "Don't let them get to you. You're better than them, better than they could ever hope to be. We all think so. All of us. Don't you ever forget it."

Fubuki wouldn't forget. It had taken time for Fubuki to know his worth again. Now, no one could ever make him think otherwise.

Fubuki resumed walking. His steps were strong, confident, and he held his head high. Now or never.

He had arrived before the small, abandoned building he'd been searching for. Well, abandoned wasn't the right word. No one lived there, sure. But there were people who stayed there, who laughed there. There was a community in that building, a team. Fubuki admitted to it. It didn't mean he had to like it.

Fubuki walked inside. From his place on the stairs, he could hear passionate yells. A battle, huh? It didn't surprise him. What else would a Bey Club do?

"Damn it!" someone yelled. Another person laughed.

"Well done, Gumita," Ranjiro praised. Fubuki took another breath. Now was the perfect moment to make his entrance.

"What are you doing here?" Tobisuke asked him. Fubuki glared, silencing Tobisuke who then slightly hid behind Ranjiro. Ranjiro who, to Fubuki's surprise, broke into a grin.

"Fubuki!" He walked over to him, throwing an arm around Fubuki's shoulders. "I didn't know you were back in Japan!"

Fubuki found himself smiling a little. Ranjiro was rather nice, once they put their differences aside. Fubuki even dared to call him a friend.

"I'm here for the midterms," he explained. "I'll be here for a few days."

"That's great!" Ranjiro grinned. "It means I can finally get my revenge."

"I wouldn't count on that."

Both Bladers grinned at each other, sensing the challenge. Truthfully, Fubuki did look forward to it. He still had some things left to show them, things that he'd learned from the Bulls. The Bulls were his team now. He sometimes missed the old Bey Club, of course, but he knew it was in perfect hands with Tokonatsu. But that wasn't the reason he was here.

"I actually need to talk to your team," Fubuki said. Ranjiro raised a surprised eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Something personal."

Ranjiro's face reflected his confusion and irritation at that. He probably thought Fubuki wanted to chew them out or something. It wasn't completely off from the truth.

"Kiyama, please," Fubuki asked, "just a minute. You can even listen to what I have to say."

Ranjiro seemed to think about it, looking from Fubuki to his team, but in the end, he hesitantly nodded.

"Fine. Just a minute."

Fubuki sighed in relief, then straightened up. This was important. He wasn't leaving until everything had been said.

"I wanted to tell you that you were wrong about me. That everything you did was wrong. I wanted to tell you that this won't ever happen again."

He saw some of them glance at each other in confusion. However, Tobisuke and Gumita knew exactly what he was talking about. They had both paled considerably, Tobisuke looking ready to bolt.

"You bullied me," Fubuki said, noting how the rest of the Rebel Bey Club looked ready to protest. He raised his hand, commanding silence. They listened, and Fubuki was grateful. It was hard enough to find his words as it was. "You hurt me, every day, for over a year. You beat me up, you called me names and you cut down my self-esteem, laughing while you were doing it."

Fubuki swallowed. It was difficult remembering how he had lived in fear for all this time. How he'd come to accept that he deserved it. How he'd started to think that they were right. The situation with Suoh then, made Fubuki completely break down.

Shu had initially told Fubuki to come to New York for a change of perspective, maybe a chance to form new friendships. Shu hadn't expected the bruises, the scratches, all fresh and barely treated. Fubuki would never forget his mentor's fury at hearing who had done this. Fubuki would never forget Shu's words, laced in sadness, telling Fubuki that they were wrong. It had taken a while for Fubuki to truly believe it.

Now, they had to face the consequences for their actions.

"What you did was cruel. It was wrong and it should never have happened. I carried those bruises for months. But that is nothing, nothing, compared to how long it took me to realize that you were trying to cut me down to make yourselves feel better. Because you know. You know that you aren't strong enough to handle this. You know that, in my shoes, you would have crumbled long ago. And you couldn't handle the thought of that."

Fubuki took a shaky breath. He lowered his head. He couldn't look at them right now. He couldn't. He heard Ranjiro gasp loudly in the background. He hadn't known. Fubuki knew that. Ranjiro's words had been harsh as well, but they were nothing compared to what his followers did. Ranjiro had apologized, too, just after the Battle-Ship Cruise. Fubuki had forgiven him. Mostly because Fubuki hadn't been kind either. He had let his anger, his pain, out on the one person who hadn't been too cowardly to face him. Now, Fubuki regretted it.

"But you know what?" Fubuki raised his head again, ignoring the sting of tears in his eyes. "Because of you, I wanted to get stronger. I needed to prove you wrong, so I worked harder, and harder, wanting to show the world that I was more than everyone thought I was. Because of you, I became a better captain. You motivated me to become a true leader. For that, I thank you."

Gumita looked as if she was close to breaking down. Tobisuke still looked like he would run away. Fubuki didn't care anymore. He was sure they had understood. He was sure they knew now that he was stronger than before. That their words, their actions, wouldn't bring him down ever again.

It was the look in his eyes, he knew. When he looked in the mirror, he saw it too. He was more confident now. He wouldn't break down anymore. Not from the words of someone who didn't know him. Who couldn't know him because they hadn't looked.

"I hope you understand now," Fubuki said, "because this is a lesson I only want to teach once. Do not, ever, go after someone the way you went after me. Never try to put someone down because you don't like them, because you want to feel superior to them. Never, you hear me?"

Gumita fell to the ground, looking absolutely shocked. Tobisuke stared at Fubuki. Then, he looked at the furious looks of his team.

"You aren't believing him, are you?" he asked, sounding panicked. "He has always hated our club! He has reasons to want to break us apart!"

"Don't make it worse for yourself," Benimaru said. "Haven't you done enough?"

"He's right," another one said. Fubuki wasn't exactly sure who, as he was staring at the ground, trying not to cry. Not here.

There was a hand on his shoulder. Fubuki looked up. Ranjiro.

"Is this true?" he asked, looking at Gumita and Tobisuke. Both of them had the decency to look ashamed. Ranjiro's grip on Fubuki's shoulder tightened. He was angry. Livid. Fubuki was surprised. Of course, he hadn't expected Ranjiro to be okay with what his team was doing. It wasn't like him. But still. Fubuki hadn't expected Ranjiro to stand up for him.

"Cap'n..." Gumita feebly attempted to defend them. Ranjiro wouldn't have it.

"You bullied Fubuki? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Fubuki was starting to feel a little out of place. This was Ranjiro's place, his moment to be the leader. Fubuki wasn't sure if he wanted to have people seeing him scold his team. Then again, Fubuki had never had to scold someone because of bullying.

"I was never a friend of Fubuki's before, I'll admit that. I wasn't kind, and we were mostly hostile with each other. But I would never have bullied him. Do you know why? Because, even at my worst, I at least still had respect for myself. No self-respecting person should ever put someone down like this. Never!"

Ranjiro's wrath felt heavy. Fubuki had never seen him truly mad, and he was starting to understand why.

"Get out." Ranjiro glared at them. But Fubuki could see a heavy disappointment in Ranjiro. He had thought better of them. Fubuki sympathized. As leaders, they always took responsibility for their team. It hurt when one's team did such a thing. It almost felt like a betrayal.

"Cap'n!"

"GET OUT!"

Gumita and Tobisuke flinched. Hard. Fubuki wasn't moving at all.

"And don't you dare come back until you're ready to apologize to Fubuki. And really apologize, nothing half-hearted. Until then, get lost."

Both of them got to their feet, and without further words, left. Fubuki released a breath. He hadn't noticed how tense he'd been. It was over.

"Fubuki?" Benimaru asked. Fubuki looked at him. Ranjiro had walked away, and was now on the couch, sighing heavily. The rest of his team had stepped closer to Fubuki, though.

"What?" Fubuki was a little defensive. He wasn't in the mood to deal with teammates wanting to protect their own. Not right now. He couldn't handle it right now.

"We wanted to apologize," Harumi said. "Even if we weren't on board with your leadership of the Beigoma Bey Club, we always respected you. We should have noticed, and we should have done something. We're really sorry."

As if they'd made out a signal, they all bowed in sync. Low, respectful. And they waited for Fubuki's answer.

"I never blamed you," Fubuki truthfully replied. They all looked up, slowly getting out of their bows. "I was angry, yes, but I never really blamed you. I spent most of my time wondering what I had done to deserve this."

Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say. The Rebel Bey Club looked on the verge of tears. Ranjiro let out a curse.

"Fubuki," Ranjiro said, standing up and walking over, "you don't seriously believe you did anything to deserve this, right?"

Fubuki took a breath, then smiled bitterly. "I used to. Not anymore, though. Shu-san and the rest of the Bulls made sure of that. Once Shu-san had told them, they got kind of overprotective. It's kind of nice."

The Bulls were a tight-knight team under Shu's lead. Fubuki had wondered if he fit in, though these kinds of thoughts were quickly thrown out of the window when he saw how warm and welcoming they all were. Even before knowing about the bullying, the Bulls had been amazingly kind. Fubuki had quickly felt at ease.

After Shu had found out though, it had gotten even more obvious. The Bulls never left him alone. They always invited him to all kinds of things: birthdays, sleepovers, get-togethers.

That, and they always asked to train with him, they always wanted to get to know him. They never expected anything from him though. Once, Fubuki had declined an invitation, feeling too tired to spend time with them. They had smiled, wished him well, and told him that they hoped he could make it to the next one. That's when Fubuki had realized that they had been welcoming him, asking him to be one of them. Fubuki had found a new home with the Bulls.

So, now, he truly believed that he was worth more than his bullies had tried to make him think. He believed he deserved to be treated with respect. He believed he deserved to feel happy, just like everyone else. And now, he was truly happy.

"I'm glad," Ranjiro said, looking relieved. "Because if you hadn't known, I would have had to make you understand by being all mushy. Sorry, but that's not my style."

Fubuki laughed. Then, he looked at Ranjiro and at the rest of the team.

"Thank you," he told them. "This means a lot to me."

"Any time."

Fubuki released another breath. It felt good, to finally get these words off his chest. It felt good, to be free now. To not have their words hold him down any longer.

"Walk with me a bit?" Ranjiro asked. Fubuki nodded, telling the rest of the Rebel Bey Club goodbye.

They walked through the streets in silence, through the exact same passages that Fubuki had used to get to the building in the first place. Fubuki wasn't inclined to start up a conversation.

They arrived at the beach, where Ranjiro stood and looked out onto the ocean. Fubuki breathed in the salty air. It was calming to him, one of his favourite places to be. Fubuki remembered that he'd told Ranjiro that during the Battle-Ship Cruise.

"I'm sorry, Fubuki," Ranjiro said. He wasn't looking at Fubuki. "They were my responsibility. They just followed my lead. Because of my insensitive comments about you, they thought they could bully you without repercussions. They probably thought I'd be happy about it."

Ranjiro let out a broken chuckle. Fubuki walked closer to him but looked out at the ocean as well.

"I know how you're feeling right now," Fubuki admitted. "As leaders, we always take the responsibility. But, sometimes, you just have to accept that there was nothing you could have done. Like right now."

Ranjiro looked at him. Then, he scoffed.

"Why do you always make so much sense?"

Fubuki smiled and met Ranjiro's gaze.

"I don't know. Lucky guess?"

Ranjiro laughed. Fubuki grinned.

They stayed there on the beach for a while longer, watching the sun disappear on the horizon. The water went from blue, to orange, to dark blue again. Fubuki loved that display.

"I still want that match, by the way," Ranjiro said.

"You're on."

And with that, both of them went their own ways, each having gotten what they needed off their chest. Their footsteps were lighter now.

---

"Fubuki!"

Fubuki looked up from his training battle with Tokonatsu. The midterms were over, and Fubuki was leaving the next day to prepare for the World League with the Bulls. He hadn't expected Ranjiro to walk in on a training session of the Beigoma Academy Bey Club.

"Kiyama?"

Ranjiro grinned widely, but it looked a little off. This told Fubuki that something was up. Fubuki was suspicious as he let Ranjiro lead him outside. He trusted Ranjiro, still, this seemed a little weird.

Outside, two people were waiting. Fubuki took a step back.

"Ranjiro, no," Fubuki hissed. "Not them."

Ranjiro nodded in understanding. "I get it, Fubuki, really, but just hear them out. No one is asking you to forgive them, okay?"

Gumita and Tobisuke were standing there, looking all nervous and lost. Gumita was fiddling around with her shirt and hair, and Tobisuke was putting his weight from one foot to another.

Fubuki took a breath. Again. He did that a lot recently, but it was the only thing truly grounding him. Ranjiro was right. He needed to hear them out. He could always send them away afterwards. And Ranjiro was here. Fubuki trusted him. It would be fine. Hopefully.

"And?" he asked. He crossed his arms over his chest. They looked at him for a second.

"We're sorry," Gumita said. "We thought about what you said and... you're right. We know we couldn't have done what you did."

"We know," Tobisuke continued, "that you're a good leader. And that's perhaps the most frustrating thing out of all of this. You know what you're doing. And now you're the captain of one of the favourites to win the World League. We misjudged you. And we did so out of cowardice. We're really sorry."

"We really are sorry," Gumita finished and then they both dropped into low bows. Fubuki stared at them, unimpressed.

"I can't forgive you," he told them. They looked up, disappointment in their faces. "That being said, I accept your apology. We will never be friends, for sure, but thank you for at least trying to understand how painful this was for me. Promise me, that you will never resort to something like this again."

"We promise!" they quickly said. Fubuki sighed.

"Good. That's all I needed to hear. You can leave."

It seemed they had been even more uncomfortable than he'd been, as they immediately ran away. Fubuki uncrossed his arms.

"You have more self-control than me," Ranjiro commented. "I would have socked them across the face by now."

"Don't tempt me."

Ranjiro laughed a little.

"Why did you bring them if you're still so angry at them yourself?"

"I think you needed this." Ranjiro looked the way his teammates had left. "I think you needed to see them now, to see that they have actual respect for you now. I told you, nobody expects you to forgive them."

Fubuki nodded. "Thanks."

"Can we do that battle now? You still haven't faced me."

"Sure."

They walked inside and took their stances around the stadium. Tokonatsu smiled as he gave the call.

"Ready? Set!"

Fubuki and Ranjiro smiled at each other.

"Three! Two! One! Go, shoot!"

Fubuki was truly free now. He was here, with his friends, and looking forward to going back to his team in New York. The nightmare of bullying was over.

And Fubuki felt happier than he'd ever been.