Disclaimer: If Shaman King were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics. If any of these songs were mine, I wouldn't be writing fanfics.

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-- Part One --

At first glance, the apartment seems still, too still perhaps, to hold life. With only a brief glance, the atmosphere is very much like a picture in a magazine, bright, vibrant, but empty and lifeless. Stay for a breath more and the soft clink of porcelain being washed in a sink sounds from the earthy kitchen, with sunlight bouncing off the dark green tiles of the floor and the butter yellow color of the wallpaper. The kitchen is very stereotypical of a typical British cottage, with a healthy potted plant hanging from the ceiling and white washed walls. The sun shines through clear glass windows without the bother of a shade or curtain. The view is toward a park, new green with the start of a fresh new spring.

In another part of this apartment, the view is much different from another window. The buildings and clatter of the city almost obscure the sky, even though the apartment is five floors from the ground. The sky is cloudless today and the sun has no competition. Letting itself in like an unwanted visitor, the rays fall upon a messy desk with papers every which way in a very haphazard like fashion. A thick textbook is open to a page but the reader does not seem to be interested in the subject, as it is turned toward an empty space and not toward the desk chair. The inhabitant of his messy room sits by himself on the black desk chair covered with clothes, leaning back despite the creaks of protest the voiceless chair makes. It doesn't matter that the room is a hurricane of paper, books, and clothes. It's better this way.

Knock, knock.

Lyserg, answer the door. It's probably your tutor.

The 'Tutor'. Lyserg ignores his mother for a moment and doesn't move as he continues to stare out at the city outside. The chocolate and cream lolly in his mouth tastes sweet, but he doesn't feel at all sweet himself. He definitely didn't need a tutor, and even his teacher knows it. How could he possibly need a tutor when he was homeschooled? He didn't need one, and he doesn't want one, but his stupid teacher had suggested it and his mother had agreed to it. Just like she had agreed to pulling him out of school at age seven just because she feared he would loose his self confidence when his classmates would tease him about the strange color of his hair. He didn't ask to have green hair, and he didn't ask to be pulled out of school, and he definitely didn't ask to have a tutor. But it seems no one gives a turd about how he feels.

His teacher is a superintendent to this big, rich private school; Patch Academy. Lyserg almost knows about it by heart by how his teacher talks about it. It seems like a school he'd hate to go to. And now his teacher was bringing the misery here by suggesting that Lyserg would fare better if he had some outside help in a few subjects he was a bit weak in. Thus, this afternoon visit from some student from Patch Academy.

The knocking continues for a bit as Lyserg ponders this. Lyserg, don't leave the guest waiting. Lyserg doesn't answer as he gets up from the warm embrace of his chair and bites into the lolly with exasperation, the sugary sweetness of the candy filling his mouth. He walks down the hall with the stick still in his mouth as he crunches on the pieces of lolly, feeling a bit tired and disgruntled despite the sunny day outside. The door seems ominous as he walks toward it and his mother is standing next to it, giving him an impatient look. If she was already next to it, why was she waiting for him to answer it? Lyserg feels his face twist into a grimace as he reaches for the knob and opens the door.

His tutor is standing on the welcome mat, looking a little bored with his schoolbag hanging from one shoulder, still wearing the Academy's uniform. The black V-neck pullover with the Academy's crest seems a bit overdone and Lyserg can't help but feel a little repulsed by this presentation. Still, his tutor is quite good-looking, he has to admit. His hair is long in a way that suggests he doesn't care what others think, but is still kept quite nice in a way that suggests that maybe he does. The tutor has a carefree face but the dark brown eyes are piercing and amused. Lyserg doesn't know what to say, even though the boy has already acknowledged his presence with a friendly hey! and a wave of his hand.

His mother lets the tutor in and the boys is very friendly about it, saying thank you and how are you? Lyserg thinks this boy is a major suck up and remains silent as his mother attempts to make him introduce himself.

The Tutor wastes no time with introductions, however. The Tutor's name is Hao Asakura, and he goes to Patch Academy as a freshman in high school. He plays on the basketball teams and admits he's not very good at it. All this time, the Tutor has a curious smile on his face, as if he knows something Lyserg doesn't. This strangely irritates him and makes Lyserg feel like talking less.

After a while, his mother has to introduce him for him. He must look like a total incompetent in front of the Tutor. It doesn't matter. Lyserg crosses his arms and stares at the Tutor from across him. The strange smile hasn't disappeared from his face yet.

Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone to study, his mother says, giving him an obvious look that says be-nice, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me!

And just like that, his mother leaves him. Lyserg doesn't move as he continues to stare at the Tutor in front of him, a bit of a scowl on his face.

Well, the Tutor says, his voice betraying a hint of amusement, let's get started, neh?

…

The goddamn elevator in the apartment building is broken, so Hao has to take the stairs. Irritating invention. Hao never really liked elevators to begin with.

Tutoring was another invention was definitely unnecessary.

It wasn't like he really had a choice. It was either tutor or get the ax from the Academy. He didn't care either which way, but his mother would have for sure skinned him alive if she knew he had been kicked out. The dumb superintendent thought he was doing him a big favor, offering to tutor one of his home school students. What a goddamn martyr. Everyone said he was smart and all, if he only applied himself.

Hao hates that word. Applying one's self. Just what does that mean anyway?

So due to his natural intellect, he's stuck wasting five afternoons of the week tutoring some smartass home schooler.

Hao would be lying if he said he didn't feel like running off when no one answered the door at first. In fact, he had been starting to turn away when the door opened. He still had time to say oh, wrong apartment, sorry but the person who answered had surprisingly swiped his mind blank of any plans of escape.

This kid he was tutoring was surprisingly cute. Not that he hadn't seen many cute girls in his day, but Hao admits he was thrown off guard when Lyserg met him at the door. Smooth skin, green eyes…he couldn't resist those green eyes. They keep him there as a woman suddenly appears and ushers him into the apartment.

The apartment is nice, very sunny, and Hao wonders if the place is messy by accident or on purpose to try and pull off the homey look that seems so famous lately. He knows the home he goes home to is nothing like this one. It's very friendly, very British. Then again, this place is near the heart of London and he lives about an hour away.

Instantly, he remembers his manners (although some might call it his charm) and introduces himself. Hello. I'm Hao Asakura, and I'm a freshman at Patch Academy. I'm on the basketball team but I'm not very good at it… The mother is very welcoming and immediately engages in him a typical parent conversation, but he can't take his eyes off that face, which is probably trying to look angry but seems unable to be so and settles with just a cute pout. Hao smiles at the boy, but the glare seems to intensify.

Ah, he never expected the cute ones to go down without a fight. But he wasn't one to easily give up either.

Well, he says, let's get started, neh?

…

The first thing the Tutor asks is what is your name? Lyserg thinks this boy is probably too dumb to function. Imagine tutoring someone whose name you didn't know yet! My name is Lyserg Diethyl. The Tutor repeats it, as if he is hard of hearing. Not wanting to put up with such stupidity, Lyserg sits down immediately and turns away. If he tunes the Tutor out, maybe he will give up and go away. He doesn't need a tutor anyway.

The Tutor doesn't seem to get the hint. He drops his bag on the floor, regardless of the pile of junk the bag just landed in. You have a very nice house. If this the Tutor's idea of small talk, it was very small indeed. Lyserg refuses to acknowledge this with a response or even movement. The Tutor smiles at him again.

I can tell you are going to be very difficult about this, aren't you?

Lyserg ignores him as he looks outside. If you squint a little, you can see Big Ben in the distance. It is too far away to hear, but he knows the clock tower is probably chiming out for four-fifteen.

Are you going to listen to me?

Lyserg ignores him again, his eyes half closed as he stares out at the city. If he strains his ears a bit he can hear the last notes of the four-fifteen chimes.

Are you going to listen to me?

The voice is now next to his ear, uncomfortably blowing a hot breath against his neck. Obviously the Tutor had noticed his drifting thoughts and was attempting to startle him. Feeling a curse nearly slip out of his mouth, Lyserg jumps and presses his lips together in effort to keep the certain insult from coming out. The Tutor looks amused again, and the look is annoying him.

I'm glad your head is back from the clouds, cause we're going to get started.

…

It was certainly fun to startle the boy, Hao agrees, but he knows the fight isn't over yet.

The boy definitely has skill nonetheless. In fact, as Hao is going through the freshman material, he wonders why the superintendent asked him to come here. Lyserg seems fine, even better than fine, on his own. Still, Hao thinks, if this hadn't happened, he wouldn't have met such a personality.

Lyserg doesn't need a tutor. But he didn't come all this way to do nothing. Whether the boy likes it or not, Hao is going to tutor him. He can handle rebellious people, being one himself.

People always have a breaking point anyway.

…

The Tutor is very persistent. Lyserg wonders if he get the Tutor irritated to the point where this dumb tutoring session will be cut short and they can all go home happy. Everything he tries to do to get out of this, the Tutor seems to know and stops him from trying to hightail it out of there. Against his will, Lyserg sits obediently next to this unrelenting boy.

But that doesn't mean he's going to listen.

As the Tutor points to one line and seems to be droning on about it, Lyserg decides to turn this into a battle. If the Tutor likes games like basketball and such, then this should be something he should like. Currently, the score was zero-zero, but Lyserg was sure the game would turn in his favor.

You're not listening to me, are you?

Bluntly, Lyserg shakes his head.

The Tutor sighs. I should have known. I just insulted your mother and you sat there nodding. The Tutor tried to pull one over him? Still mute, Lyserg aims a glare at him, but it seems to bounce off the Tutor, like glue to rubber. Listen, Lyserg, I'm supposed to be here until six, because that's the time the train comes to take me home, so why not make it less unpleasant and try to act interested?

The score was now in his favor. Lyserg: 1 Tutor: 0.

…

Lyserg became a lot more difficult when it came to things he wasn't very good at. Hao discovers that for all of Lyserg's knowledge, his weakness is in math. Hao is not surprised; he knows a lot of people who are bad at math. Too bad for Lyserg that he isn't one of them.

Hao thinks this is probably for his benefit. Lyserg looks very cute trying to solve a problem by himself. Hao think he's cute the way he sticks his tongue out a bit as he computates the numbers. Part of him hopes he gets it right for all his effort, but part of him hopes he gets it wrong just so he can correct him.

Lyserg shoves the paper over to him. That's how he talks. Lyserg doesn't say anything, he hasn't said anything since he told him his name. Hao glances at it but from the circled answer, he knows it's wrong.

It's wrong.

How would you know, you barely looked at it! Lyserg's voice is surprisingly clear after an hour of nonuse. He looks a bit insulted before he crosses his arms and turns away, obviously done with his effort.

Hao gives him silence to say what he has to say. After an instant, Lyserg breaks the silence. I'm not working with you anymore.

You're not working with me anymore?

That's right. I don't like you. And I don't need a tutor. And you're bad at it anyways.

Hao sits back, thinking about this rejection. Lyserg is turned away from him in a posture of defiance, refusing to even look or notice him. He knew people like Lyserg were always going to be difficult before they did what you said. Now even more that the boy didn't even like him. Sighing exasperatedly, Hao thinks of one way of surprising the boy into redoing the problem. Listen, Lyserg. He puts a hand on the boy's shoulder, expecting and almost nodding when Lyserg jumps sharply. Either the boy doesn't like human contact, or he just doesn't like it when Hao touches him. Anyway, Lyserg turns, opening his mouth to rebuke. Don't to—

Before he can finish his sentence, Hao catches his mouth with his own, sealing the words in a quick kiss, the ones you do only out of obligation, such as when you play spin the bottle. This is enough to render Lyserg speechless, and Hao sits back and gives him a challenging look.

Now will you redo the problem or not?

This is a tried and true way. Many people have resisted his charm before, but all of them had succumbed easily. This doesn't seem to hold true against Lyserg, for the boy, despite having a furious blush, turns away again. No.

Hao sighs.

…

Surprisingly, the first session with the Tutor goes by quickly. Before he knows it, the Tutor has gotten up. Well, it's near six, so I got to get going. Lyserg doesn't reply. He hasn't to most of the Tutor's question anyways.

Lyserg remains in his chair as the Tutor collects his books by himself. It's only because his mother appears to send the Tutor off that he has to leave his room to also watch the Tutor go. Good riddance.

His mother doesn't hold his glare against him. In fact, it's as if she knows he is rebelling against the Tutor. Still, she waves and bids his farewell as if he were a family friend. Standing in the doorway, the Tutor smiles at him, the same curious smile at the beginning, and gives him a sort of half-hearted wave. See you tomorrow, Lyserg.

The Tutor's grin seems to widen as Lyserg feels the edge of his mouth twitch. Damn his family on conditioning him to be so goddamn polite! Still, even as his mouth opens to say good bye, Lyserg refuses to let any sound out, so it's only a brief gesture of acknowledgement. The moment his mouth closes, Lyserg turns and without another word (not that he had said anything to begin with), leaves the hallway without even so much as a nod or a headturn. Lyserg: 1 Tutor: 1

Hao smiles as he opens the door to the stairwell. He likes the stubborn ones anyway.

-- Part One Fin --

Note: Why do I always start other projects when I still have an unfinished multi-chap? Though I doubt my readers really do mind. I was pondering if I should have made this into a one shot or a multi fic and although I like one shots, I already came up with a sufficient ending for this fic, so now it will be a three-shot. So three chapters. I wanted a fresh new look besides the yohlysergs I've been writing lately. So here's a fresh breath of the old haolys you've all missed! And also in a new style! Enjoy, and of course, REVIEW!!