葉をさがして Searching for you...

~Chapter 2~


Last Time on A Whisper of Goodbye under the Starry Sky:

I grabbed the remote and pressed the number 2. Right there on the screen was Yoh. I almost dropped my phone. Almost.

"Yoh…It can't be…why is he singing?" I whispered.

"I don't know Anna. But he calls himself Hao. He's a new pop-rock sensation in America. He debuted just last month" Pirika rushed, "do you think it's him?"

"I honestly don't know." I bit my lip, eyes still staring at the screen. I don't know.


Anna felt tears forming in her eyes. After so many months, she was already familiar with these emotions…but for the first time, these tears were tears of joy. She prayed everyday hoping that a miracle would come and this may be it. Yoh was coming back to her.

Anna was still clutching her cell phone but the person on the other line was long forgotten. She was too transfixed to the television screen. She was snapped out of her thoughts and was brought back to reality when Pirika said sadly,

"I'm sorry Anna. I don't think it's him."

"What?" Anna cried, her anger slowly rising. It was Pirika that convinced her that it was Yoh in the first place! "How can he not be Yoh? Did you not just see him? He looked exactly LIKE Yoh because it IS Yoh!"

"Anna, didn't you see? That singer's hair is much, much longer than Yoh's when he left for America. Think logically. He can't grow like 5 inches in just two months Anna."

"Extensions," Anna responded stubbornly. "I refuse to suggest even the slightest possibly that that man isn't 'Yoh'. For one, there is no way in the world that he would leave me and… and it is not possible that someone else can look so much like him. The eyes, the face, the skin tones…everything's exactly the same."

Prika was shocked at Anna's continual stammering of lame excuses… what happened to the cool and composed "Ice Queen" that she feared?

"Okay fine then, they're extensions," Pirika agreed reluctantly, "Buy why… why didn't he call you? He left you a note saying that he would right?"

Anna froze. Pirika was right. She stood there dumbfounded and wondered,"Why didn't he call me? I knew that the note was real. I've unfolded it so many times that it was starting to get worn at the creases…"

"Pirika. Just stop it. I don't know. M-maybe he lost his memory… Stop trying to argue against me… I'm not going to let go the last piece of hope that I have left." Anna whispered, her voice shaking. "I never realized how much I loved him… Pirika just leave me alone."

"I just don't what you to make the mistake thinking that he might be Yoh." Pirika said gently and didn't say anything else after that. "Well Anna, if you want to talk to me later you can call-"

"Pirika, I want to talk to him," Anna said finally with determination, not even paying attention to what Pirika just said.

"How are you possibly going to that?" Pirika questioned in disbelief, "Practically NO ONE can get close to him let alone TALK with him. The only people he talks to are probably other celebrities and you are definitely not one of them."

"Okay, I do just that then."

"WHAT!?" Pirika screamed on the other line.

"You heard me, I do that. I'll be a singer."

"Anna, have you lost your mind? It's not that easy to become a singer… and you're so young."

"Hey, he's not that much older than me and he's a star right?" Anna snapped hotly, regaining her old composure, "Besides, how else will I prove that he's Yoh if I don't talk to him?"

"I still say you're brain needs a check-up." Pirika muttered.

"What was that Pirika? Anyway, thanks for the wonderful idea Pirika. I owe you one. I'll talk to you later, bye!" Anna said quickly and pressed 'end call' before Pirika could protest. This was by far the best idea that Pirika has ever came up with.


"Hello? Is this Real Records? My name is Anna Kyoyama and I want find out when the next talent search will be held. Ok, I would like to sign up please. Alright I will send the registration form, thank you. Bye."

Anna smiled inwardly as she placed her cell phone back into her dresser. Well, luck was on her side since Real Records was having a talent search starting next week. All she has to do was send a sample recording along with her registration form for the first round. The next day, Anna recorded her CD and mumbled a short prayer before sending Tamao to the post office.

One week after, Anna received a letter saying that she passed the first preliminaries. Pirika was ecstatic when she heard the news. She told every one of her friends so now the whole school population knew that Anna was trying to become a singer.

Nobody was stopping Anna now.


Sunday morning, Anna lied down on the floor in my usual position and promptly turned on the TV. She hate Sundays now. It is so eventless and on top of that, none of my favorite shows are aired on Sundays. The house is so empty now too. Ever since Yoh went to America, the gang didn't feel obligated to visit. At times like this, Anna did miss them, even if it's just a little.

"Anna! The mail is here!" Tamao called out.

Anna waited for her to bring it into the living room and took it from her outstretched hands.

"There's one from Real Records."

Anna nodded she quickly flipped through the mail to find it and hastily tossed the rest of the mail to the ground. She tore off the envelope and started reading:

Dear Ms. Anna Kyoyama,

We are pleased that you have made it to the Second round of judging. Please come to Real Records this Friday to continue your judging process. The second round will be conducted in front of a panel of judges. Please dress accordingly and remember, do not be late! Time and location are printed on the next page. Once again, congratulations on your achievements!

Real Records

"What did it say?" Tamao asked. She was standing at the doorway all that time.

"Nothing much," Anna replied coolly, but deep down, her heart was screaming with joy. "Just that the next round will be held this Friday."

"This is so exciting!" Tamayo exclaimed, "I'm going to call Pirika."

Anna smiled. She was one more step closer in reaching Yoh.


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