Standard Disclaimers Apply
Yoh turned very strange after the Shaman tournament.
Well, so maybe that wasn't the best way to put it.
But he had suddenly become kind of nervous around her.
Anna was no fool. She could see that, though she had drastically reduced his training, he still had a strange kind of anxiety looming over his person.
Yes, Anna cut the training. Though she still made him work quite hard, he already proved himself to her. He already gave her what she wanted. But he was still acting weird.
To which she was confused.
"Yoh," Anna said, sitting up straight in front of the table. "Come here."
"Hai, Anna?" He came in, and he didn't look directly at her. Her eyes narrowed.
"Whst's wrong?"
"Huh?" He looked at her with a tense expression. Normally he would be smiling at her, relaxed like anything.
"I am not stupid, Yoh. What's wrong?"
He faced her, but his discomfort was evident.
"Ok…" he sat down. "Uh… where to begin…"
"Yoh…" she said warningly. The itako was impatient. She looked curiously at him.
He's grown, she suddenlythought with some satisfaction. He was taller, and his youthful face had become mature. Manly, if you please.
Anna herself had filled out, but what had changed was a piece of her personality. She was still strong and commanding, but there was something about her that was a bit gentler. She supposed it was because the Shaman tournament was finally over, so she could afford to mellow out.
The Shaman King cleared his throat.
"Um. OK. See, it's been four years since the Shaman fight ended—"
"Five, Yoh. Five. Learn to count, please."
"—Yeah, and back then you were training me for it. It was your job as my fiancée. Demo…"
"But, what?" she asked him, her eyebrow raised.
"Eh. You don't have to train me any more—"
"If that's what this is about—"
"No, Anna, let me finish. Um. Well… I was thinking about…u-us…"
"…"
"I know our engagement was something prepared by Oba-san, but I really want you to have a choice, though I know you'd like an easy life—but, I mean, for l-love—" he rushed on, blushing furiously. "Ano… Anna… will you marry me?"
She opened her mouth, but he cut her off.
"For love," he stressed.
She looked at him, and her facial features softened.
"You love me?" she asked.
"…Yes…"
Anna felt light-headed.
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
"Yes…?"
"Yoh no baka! Yes, I will marry you. And because I love you."
He opened his mouth. "Anna—"
"Yes. I love you."
"…Then, I'm allowed to hug you?" He pulled her into a standing position. "Like this?"
She nodded.
"I'm allowed to hold you…" (He wrapped his arms around her. Anna never felt so warm before.) "…Like this?"
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
"….And I can kiss you, right?" he looked at her. "Like th—"
Annasilenced him by kissing him herself.