Wohooo! At last, I gained some idea for another story. Taken at the Patch Arc when Yoh and the others went into Chou Senji Ryakettsu Training before the Shaman Tournament (Between Chapter 111-112). Hope you like it! ^^

It was weird. As he tried to comprehend it, he couldn't help, but to bring the thoughts with him. When she suddenly appeared by the souvenir shop and tried to buy the keychain only with 380 yen, something had struck him as he saw her face to face.

Something has changed, but he couldn't put his finger to express it.

Does she change? Perhaps, the answer was yes. She looked quite different that he saw her 3 months ago. She looked a bit taller, skinnier and her eyes were sharper. Or maybe is it her hair? She recently didn't use the headband to cover her hair and let her beautiful blond hair loose…

And her 'venom' words still there. Well, perhaps, he just hasn't met her… for a long time.

Is that really what bothering him…?

"At any rate, I'm worried about you getting weak. No one else will do anything about it, so I'm not going let it happen." – Anna, Chapter 109

The word "worried" was now worrying him. He knew very much that his fiancé wasn't the type that could utter that word easily. He glanced to the girl beside him, only to have a blank stare for her golden eyes.

A… blank… stare…

And she just said, "Of course," when he said that 'she's-looked-not-in-a-good-mood.'

Things are getting weirder.

"Phew…" He even still shocked at how things walked so fast around him. Faust joined their team, Harusame was repaired in no time and—

The training. Something was really off…

"Nee, Yoh."

Manta distracted his mind and made him saw towards his little friend beside him. "What is it, Manta?"

"I've been calling you several times already and you didn't hear. Something's on your mind?"

"Ah, Well…" He really embarrassed that he caught dreaming at the daylight. Then, he realized that the blond girl beside him already gone. "By the way, where is Anna?"

"She said that she went up to her room first," said Manta while gave him a weird stare as if asking that he was deaf or not for not hearing Anna. "Really, Yoh. You're spacing out too much lately."

"Really?"

"Yeah." His little friend kicked a stray stone on his way, while suddenly an idea struck on his head. "By the way, did I've told you about the first thing that happened when arrived at America?"

Yoh raised his eyebrows confused, until not for a long time, it settled down into a worried frown.

I'm tired. Yes, she could feel that very much clearly without being said. It's been days since she arrived at Patch Village and she never had a good night sleep afterwards. She could have been complaining about how hot and boring about this city, but she hadn't, because she knew what worrying her about.

And remembering it only made her headache.

"… Then, there's Hao, I presume. If that new friend of us said it right, it might become troublesome."

*Snap!

Anna's stomach jolted. Those words seemed affected her so much that successfully made her sat straight instantly. She glanced at Faust who said those just for a while and then sighed to keep her heartbeat from racing.

But it was not until she crossed her eyes to him. Yoh's deadly locked eyes.

She suddenly wavered. Not many kinds of time her fiancé could make her like this and he should have a very good reason behind it. It wasn't need more time for her to realize that he was actually staring at her for some quite time before, notified her at how long she was lost to her thoughts.

Nothing was said. Well, almost perhaps, if Tamao didn't barge in unintentionally.

"Anna-sama, umm…" She looked hesitant, while 90% of it was drove by fear of her. "You-you looked pale… Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Automatically she touched her forehead and noticed how her sweats raining her. "Oh, it's just I felt hot. This city doesn't give anything much worth after all."

A bit taken aback, but her reason made sense. Tamao nodded innocently and sensed that the village was a bit hot. She sighed, but she knew that she won't fool the guy across her. I was new news for Yoh to hear Anna blaming about the natural situation around her, which his brows went to frown.

It was a sign for her to get out from that place for a while.

"I'll buy a handkerchief in the next store," said Anna as she rose up for her chair and walked leaving Yoh's band. "Don't ever try to cheat on your electric chair, Yoh. Or else, you won't get dinner."

And then she left, didn't even hear of Yoh's answer or his complaining. But surprisingly, he didn't do any both of them. While he usually had his legs shaking uncontrollably in that hell's training, he seemed could conquer it well today.

His eyes never strayed away from her, looking at her every step intensely to the souvenir shop beside them.

"Lyserg…"

Ryu's mourning was the first one who made him settled down and looked other way than his beloved. As the rocket guy didn't stop crying since weeks ago, it was natural for him to be slightly affected about this melancholic term.

"Lyserg… Where are you, Lyserg…?"

"Really, you— such a hopeless wart."

"Well, we couldn't help it, Tokageroh-san," said Faust tried to make the situation at ease. "Losing someone important must be hard for all of us. Let just him be for a while."

Yoh quietly took his sigh away. He couldn't ever hide his qualms toward this problem. He was worried, the same as Ryu. But with the load of things that suddenly came yesterday, was enough to make his mind blew up. Especially when Anna was…

His eyes went wide up. The black pearl eyes were suddenly reflecting his fiancé… with someone beside her.

The blond girl was carefully looked at the handkerchief on the box in front of the shop, lost in her consideration toward which one she should buy. She was considering two handkerchiefs with the same design and pattern, only to be distinguished by opposite color, dark blue and soft pink. The thought of buying those two and gave one for Yoh was settled on her mind, until she glanced at the blazing red one, the same color as her scarf, laid on her eyes.

"I prefer to have the red one. It suits you better, of course."

"!"

She gasped, making the two handkerchiefs loose on her hands as she heard the voice. Again, it was very near, much more like she had it before, without any intention of taking distance.

"Sure you love red, hm? Let me buy it for you, if you want."

"What are you doing here… Hao…?"

A long peculiar silence. The sound of wind was just the only one that was heard as the situation went by. But, Hao seemed didn't affect by those strange atmosphere at all and went nearer to have a peak from Anna's shoulder.

"What is it? Getting nervous?" Hao smiled mischievously and was getting darker as he glanced at Anna in a close look, making her beads shaken by his furyoku. "Well, don't be. Since you will be my wife after all."

*BLAM!

A sudden slam from nearby area shocked the girl and made the attentions suddenly gathered to the other side. Of course it took Hao's attention and he already knew who it was, while Anna seemed frozen on her place for a minute before she turned her head slowly.

It was Yoh. He was standing looked at them and clearly noticing that he was the one made the table she drank her tea before, tore into a mess. His hands power must be… over-exceed her expectations.

"My, my. What a nuisance," Hao combed his hair on his fingers calmly, despite the situation was tense enough to be relaxed like that. "It's very rare to see you like this. Got jealous, Yoh?"

The young man gripped his flicked his sword sheath's mouth and glared dangerously as a reply. "Leave. Her. Now."

Yoh stated his words clearly. Although his tone was down, it was enough to inform everyone for not making a mess with him.

He wasn't jealous. He was obviously very very angry.

Hao, in the other hand, only raised his eyebrows, as if he found this situation interesting. "Well, I think that's some cute of you," The long haired man smiled widely, "Little brother."

Now everybody stung. Little brother…? What does he mean by…?

But, when Anna's eyes clashed on Yoh, she understood everything.

"Oh, perhaps, you need a little time to discuss it, Yoh?" Again, that man hit his nerves, but now, in the worst possible way for the young shaman. "Then, I'll give you some time. Just don't break it more than it already should. Anyway, she'll be mine from the start."

And then, he disappeared. More than anyone can feel and hear, he was proceeding his way faster than they could expect. As the others started to take their stolen breath, Yoh was far more worried to the effect of that man's words.

Anna's eyes said it all. And now he should encountered with it in the time he didn't expect.

Next Chapter = An Asakura's Fate