Shaman King

Bittersweet Idol

Rated: T

Genre: Romance/General/Humour/Drama

Pairings: YohAnnaHao LysergJeanne RenPirikaOC HoroHoroTamao RyuJunPairon etc…

Summary: Its bad luck to break a mirror, right? Seven years does drag on…not that Yoh, a boy who fights with ghosts, believes in these superstitions. However, after an accident from trying to buy his fiancé a Christmas present, he's got it coming with…Faust as the happy school doctor? Hao as the hottie who flips his hair? This isn't going to end well...

Chapter One: Bad Luck Comes In Mirrored Pieces; So, Just Choose To Believe

"Ittai!"

"Of for the love of…that's the fifth product you've either knocked down/bumped into!"

"I can't help it! The place is so…big and I'm claustrophobic!"

"…You're not. You just get a feeling of being it!"

"Iie! HoroHoro's claustrophobic too!"

"How can someone who spends ¾ of their life on the toilet be claustrophobic? Well anyway, it's nearly half seven…"

"Let's get a move on Manta! We don't have time to dawdle!"

"…You're telling me."

As they conversed about partially nothing, they quickly recalled they were meant to be shopping for Anna's present; not squabbling about claustrophicism and the time. So now Yoh had rushed ahead, dragging his friend along in haste. Manta wasn't very pleased about the whole arrangement and I mean, who would if you were getting dragged around a massive shop? But, there was a horrifyingly funny sight left to meet them, one which would be…

"…Lyserg?"

The dowser blinked, dropping the scanner as his customer scowled at him. With equally wide eyes a halted Yoh and Manta gawked back, jaws hitting the ground even if it wasn't physically possible.

Yes, there he was in all his red apron and name tag glory, scanning food. He blushed crimson, but was settled and jerked by a hand that gently came to rest upon his shoulder. He glanced over said shoulder to see a silvery haired female with vibrant ruby eyes smiling at him.

"Lyserg-kun, it's your friends. Why not see go see them?"

"B…but Jeanne-sama! I 'm on work du-."

"Nah. I'll work for you. Go on, go!"

"But Jeanne-sama! You have work-."

"You think I can't give Marco the slip? You've just insulted my intellect, now get going!" She huffed, promptly shoving the green eyed shaman from behind the long counter and right to Yoh and Manta who were still gaping mind you.

She then grinned in a triumphant nature, turned on her heel and bounded off back to the customer. Sweatdropping, she picked up the scanner and product, not daring to meet the eyes of the customer who was possibly irritated.

"…You've got a lot of explaining to do Lyserg-kun…"

"Well Manta, you see…"

"Iie! Anna's present first! I don't wanna be the thing shoved into the wrapping!"

BS I

"Ren-kun!" Pirika chimed cheerily, dusting down the orange skirt she was holding, "Guess what!"

"I get to take my leave of this hell-hole?" He drawled, groaning when she shook her head at a rapid pace. He'd been quite literally tricked by the female. Well, she had kidnapped his milk and left a ransom note, saying if he ever wanted to see his milk again he'd have to meet her by the shopping centre in the morning.

He had obliged without thinking and rushed off, extremely thirsty and expecting some lovely milk to drink, but no. He was a tad surprised the kidnapper was the innocent Pirika, but he was infuriated to find she had drunk one of his milk cartons. She'd promised to give the rest back, but only if he cooperated. There wasn't the slightest chance in hell he was going to endanger his milk, so now here he was, miss bright's very own lap dog.

"Isn't this skirt…what's the word? Oh yeah! Minging!"

"…And you're any better?"

"Ren-kun, let's look at shoes now! High heels, stilettos…hai!"

He prayed for all he was worth.

BS I

"Jun-sama! Look at that!"

"…"

"There! Again! Another beautiful phenomenon!"

"That's just a girl…"

"I know!"

"…Jun-sama? You look a little red and dazed. Are you well?"

Eyebrow twitch.

"Fine Pairon…"

"Jun-sama!" Ryu, for the fifty first time that day, cried out in an oddly high pitched voice, "Look how those hips work-!"

"…I'm feeling a little…hot, so please excuse me while I go get a drink Ryu…And fume in jealousy." She murmured as an afterthought. Not that he heard though as he continuously kippered away, hearts replacing his eyes.

Pairon sighed as he shuffled along with the green haired girl, who was currently brooding at the ground, arms crossed and not paying any attention to where she treaded. He ran a hand through his messy hair, before taking Jun's arm lightly, making her blink and give him a sideways glance. He smiled tenderly and he received an equally affectionate smile back. See? Ryu was too busy fawning over anyone who was over fifteen and was a girl, leaving Jun and Pairon alone together…

Good.

BS I

"KYAA! YOH! WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Said brunette blinked, in an extremely casual manner, before sweatdropping and scratching the back of his head meekly.

"Gomen? And didn't mean to…"

"That was an expensive mirror!" Lyserg grumbled, eyeing the scattered shards disdainfully, "Manta is going to have to pay a load to replace it."

"Least it isn't one of a kind…"

"Well actually…," a sweatdropping Jeanne began, walking towards them, "it is…"

"That's not why I'm hysterical!"

(Everyone else) "O.o what are you going mental about then?"

"Yoh's just cursed himself with extreme bad luck!"

"From breaking a mirror?"

Lyserg frowned thoughtfully, "Seven years I presume."

"A long time." Jeanne added, absently twirling locks of hair falling out of place. You see, Marco was keen to trap-urh, invite the customers into a nice orderly shop, so none of the staff could be dressed normally. Despite the whole 'she's the iron maiden' covering, Marco would still come down on her if he saw her hair slightly messy…

Yoh smiled reassuringly, "Oh c'mon Manta. Surely you don't believe in superstition?"

"Of course I do! I believed in ghosts and take a look…"

Amidamaru frowned down at him lightly, hovering next to Yoh. "Manta-san. I do not understand why you refer to us as superstition."

"Besides," Yoh guffawed, his smile broadening into a grin, "it's my bad luck, so you don't need to worry."

"But Yoh I'm your friend and if you don't believe its even worse!"

"Hmm, ok I believe then…"

"You don't! I can see it in your eyes!"

"Manta, I need to go find a present…see ya in a bit."

Before Manta could strike up another discussion, Yoh had ambled off and disappeared from view. The boy was forced to calm down by Jeanne and Lyserg, only to be stirred up again by Jeanne's words.

"The bad luck seems to have affected Manta though. He's the only one here who has enough money to buy it…"

He paled and stood there, hunched, eyes wide, gaping blankly into the space ahead of himself. Jeanne sweatdropped, clasping her hand over her mouth, but it was much too late for that. Lyserg rolled his eyes, as Jeanne frantically waved her hand in front of Manta's face, hoping for a reaction.

The dowser's bored gaze travelled to the large clock tucked in between a high shelf and a ledge. It was seven fifteen…

Lyserg gave a toothy grin.

'Go, go, go Yoh.'

BS I

What had she done wrong?

The doe eyed girl resorted to sniffling when HoroHoro swivelled away from her, casting his look to the ground. She could sense the tension around them and if she had a knife probably would have cut it and made atmosphere cookies to cheer HoroHoro up, but such a thing was impossible to the knowledge of both shamans and humans, so, as you may have guessed, she remained there sniffling.

Talk about shock.

Scowling at the poor innocent ground, HoroHoro felt like tracking the comedian down and strangling him. Of all the people; why CHOCOLOVE?! He raised his hands to his temples, rubbing them quickly. The feeling of jealousy washing over him was just getting tedious now. He hated feeling jealous, but it was alarmingly active at this point in time. He'd have to become a better actor…then run away and get rich on his acting skills and bribe Chocolove not to come near Tamao…

GAH! No, no, no!

"HoroHoro-sama?" A small voice mumbled from behind him. He stiffened, but when recognition dawned upon him, he felt ashamed for his actions. Whipping up all the restrain and courage he had, he whirled back around, flashing Tamao a brilliant grin. This caused the female to sigh in relief and give a shy smile back.

"Ok. I'll help you with Chocolove. But we have to keep it secret, ok? And I must not meet with him because I will surely kick his arse-."

"HoroHoro-sama?"

She stopped midsentence when he gifted her with a cheesy grin and tugged on her sleeve gently. She looked up at him, a faint shade of pink adorning her features. He was about a good head and a half taller than her, but his black eyes shone with compassion. She felt her breath hitch in her throat.

"Tamao-chan, can you call me HoroHoro-kun? Y'know, we don't have to be all strict and formal. Can you do it for…me?" His question was sincere and sort of forced, but Tamao hadn't time to ponder on why he looked away so suddenly. She was much too busy contemplating on whether or not she should agree to his terms.

Thankfully, Tamao did not see he was bright red.

'Damnit,' he inwardly cursed, willing for the paleness of his features to return, 'she's going to be the death of me. She's going to ruin my reputation! HoroHoro doesn't…blush!'

"Hai…then shall we go…HoroHoro…-kun?"

He blanched visibly, whipping his head around to meet her smile to find her cheeriness was infectious as he found himself giving her a dreamy lopsided grin. He swore under his breath when she flashed red and turned around slowly, only to chuckle on a strained manner and sweatdrop.

She had little time to recuperate from the adorable grin he had just directed at her, as he crept up behind her, before interlocking their arms. He gave a big grin, meeting her shy glance towards him, before her lips moved upwards of their own accord.

And, they marched off happily, Tamao humming softly into the bright orange sunset. But, author thinks that is too cliché, so to anti-cliché it, let's just say HoroHoro spotted Chocolove…

BS I

Anna muttered under her breath, shaking her head dismissively. What a piss take ending to the rest of the series that had been…

She was going to sue, and then if that didn't work, she was going to get some boxing gloves…

She glanced somewhat at the clock situated on the upper part of one wall. The small hand pointing firmly at seven and the long hand dwindling between five and six. She flicked blonde locks from her line of vision and sat up, stretching her limbs and yawning.

There it was again…

She frowned wearily, aching to whack her fiancé for purposes she could not decipher. Speaking of her fiancé, he had been awfully quiet…

She sighed, shaking her head again, like she had done every agonising second through the soap and reached her feet, dusting herself down and stopping her thinking.

Her lips curved upwards in a smirk as she approached the heart of the onsen, where the tree and presents awaited.

She'd see what he had been up to…

Tsuzuku