CHAPTER 9.

It was morning already. As usual, the sun is shining pass through Anna's window, shining on her face. She mostly wakes up due to that... Just like now. She sat up, and sighed as she stared at the window, knowing this is another day to start with again.

As Anna stretched her arms and stands up, her hand felt something just below her sheets. A hand of a person. Her eyes widened, surprised that a person was lying below her sheets. She began to panic and pulled over her blankets, and to her surprise, she saw Yoh whose body was scattered on the floor, sleeping soundly.

What the? Why is Yoh sleeping here? She glanced over the table, and saw the tray together with the 1080 beaded-necklace. Wait a minute... She tried to recall what happened last night...

Oh yes, she and Yoh were experimenting the newfound power with her necklace, where during the process she saw Hao's image. Then a little pillow fight occurred, and she goes to sleep, not even minding what Yoh's going to do next. That's all what she remembered.

W-wait, does that mean Yoh never went outside after that, but instead went to sleep... with her? H-hey, he wouldn't have destroyed her virginity, would he? No. Anna shook her head. The hell Yoh would do that. Still, Anna blushed just by thinking about it, but humiliation covered her body. She picked two pillows and angrily slapped Yoh's face in between.

"Hey!" Yoh hardly breathes, seeing his face was 'sandwiched' with the pillows. As he was back with his senses, Anna removed the pillows, but still with the usual angry expression.

"A-Anna..." Yoh rubbed his eyes and yawned. "I think you're being rude, don't you see someone's sleeping here..."

"Why wouldn't I be rude? A boy was sleeping together with a girl in her room without even her permission! What the hell was that, Yoh?"

Yoh opened his eyes in shock. He looked around the room, and that's when he just realized that he slept in Anna's room. He gulped. "I... Anna..."

"Well? You're still going to sit in there? Don't you have any plans of going out, or do you prefer to get punished by me instead?"

"W-Waaah!" Seeing Anna has a belt ready (wherever she got that), Yoh quickly crawled out of the room and ran away, screaming like mad.

However, ball-sized Amidamaru suddenly passed by Anna's doorway, and saw Yoh scurrying downstairs. "Ah, wait, Yoh-dono..."

"YOH!" Amidamaru heard Anna from her room again, and when he looked, the tray from last night went flying towards him and was slammed on his face. "You forgot that!"

Amidamaru then slumped on the wall, and fell unconscious.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Yoh went outside on their frontyard, panting. He, too, doesn't understand why he chose to sleep in Anna's room. Anna seemed to take it so hard, and must be thinking about something else.

Moments later, Manta came walking from outside the gate. He saw Yoh lying on the ground with his tongue out, panting. He thought Anna must be the cause of this again.

"Good morning, Yoh-kun," Manta waved his hand towards the breathing Yoh.

"Ah... Manta... Good morning..."

"Was this Anna-san's doing again?" Manta sighed. He helped Yoh get up, and when he was partly recovered, his stomach began to growl.

"Ah, I'm hungry." Yoh giggled. "Will you cook breakfast, Manta? I'm sure Anna will be asking you later, too."

Manta suddenly sweat-dropped and smiled sarcastically. "I knew it... Why did I get here, anyway?"

As Manta was going inside, the front door slid open, and there was Anna. Yoh and Manta were very surprised that they almost fell on the ground.

"Before you eat breakfast, Yoh, I want you to go jogging." Anna's eyes glistened again and the same time glared towards the both of them. "This'll be your early training at the start of the day... Jog around town, 50 laps."

"WHAT?" Yoh screamed. "But... Aren't we going to my grandparents' today?"

"Of course, later on." Anna went inside. "Now hurry, or the time'll be wasted. GO!"

On the very instant of Anna's signal, Yoh scurried away, ran as fast as he could, starting his 50-lap run.

On the meantime, Manta was just watching from the house, trying to cheer Yoh as quietly as he could... But Anna must've another planned for him.

"Manta." This voice gave Manta goosebumps. "Go cook breakfast right now and the next time Yoh passes here, you'll go follow him to make sure he won't slack off somewhere."

"Y-yes!" Manta just sighed, ashamed of himself that this is what he can only do... May be for the rest of his life. Tsk, poor Manta.

An hour later, after several rounds of cooking, Anna was finally satisfied with it. Manta was improving. Instead of the usual 20+ rounds, he is finishing to ten.

"What kind of improvement was that?" Manta just sighed. Yeah, ten rounds is still too many.

He walked towards the front door and put on his shoes. Just a little more time, Yoh will pass here any second now...

"Yoh's here," Anna stated from inside. Manta just looked at her curiously, thinking: how would she know if Yoh-kun's here? She's inside, she can barely see the gate...

"Ei, Manta!" Was that Yoh's voice all of a sudden? Manta hurried towards the gate, and saw an energetic Yoh jogging in his place. "Are you finished with breakfast?"

"EEH?" Manta turned his head to Yoh, then at the house, then Yoh, then at the house... Wondering how the hell did Anna knew?

"What's wrong?"

"A-Anna-san knew you were here already, but she's inside and can barely see the gate..."

"Oohh..."

"What do you mean by 'oohh'? Aren't you surprised?"

"Oh, should I be?"

Manta just sighed. Yoh was back to his innocent-childlike state. "Forget it. Anna-san said I'm going with your jogging to make sure you won't slack off."

Yoh giggled. "Okay, it's nice to have company anyways." Suddenly, his stomach growled... Like a roar of a lion? "Oops, that's pretty loud... I bet I'm hungry."

"Of course you are! You still aren't eating since then! You should go inside and eat first..."

"No," Anna suddenly appeared just behind them, which made Manta fell down in surprise. "You still have 40 laps left. Finish that and you'll be able to eat."

"But Anna-san!"

"Don't you start, Manta. Now go if you don't want me to add 20 more laps."

And before she knew it, Manta and Yoh have disappeared. She peeked on the right side of the street, and there she saw the two scampering like rats. They probably don't want 20 more laps.

Anna sighed, but later on smiled. She's glad Yoh's back in his usual self ever since that incident. As she returned back inside to resume her meal, she took notice of Amidamaru being -again-held hostage. He was sobbing while the 1080 beads was gripping him tight.

"A-Anna-dono..."

"You'll stay there until Yoh finishes his morning training."

Amidamaru sobbed more.

Already in his 35th lap, Yoh was still energetic running. Manta was on his little bicycle, and he keeps staring at Yoh. He seems to be more energetic than before. What could've possibly change his attitude?

"Hey, Yoh-kun..."

"Hmm?"

"Last night, after we finished making Anna-san's dinner... Where were you that time? I went to your room to say goodbye, but you aren't there... Where did you go?"

"Huh? I didn't go anywhere... I'm at Anna's room."

"Yeah, I know you brought her the food... But where did you go after that?"

"I'm telling you I didn't go anywhere... I stayed at Anna's room."

"Yeah, I know you..." Manta's eyes suddenly widened. "WHAT? You stayed at Anna-san's room? Are you saying you slept there?"

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"My god..." Manta's jaws dropped in shock. "What were you thinking? You and Anna-san slept together? I couldn't believe she agreed with it!"

"I didn't ask her permission... I slept after she did."

"WHAT? Is that the reason why you're panting earlier? Did Anna-san threw you away?"

"Yeah, probably the reason..." Yoh glared at Manta. "You keep asking too many questions, Manta..."

"Sorry, sorry," Manta sweat-dropped. Then he looked at the sky. "You know, Yoh-kun, the way you reacted on that incident with the Sumeriya spirit... It's another thing I didn't know about you."

"What do you mean?"

"I never knew you would be that angry when Anna-san's in danger... I've never seen that part of you yet, and it made me idolize you more."

"Ah, is that so?" Yoh smiled. "The fact that Anna gets in danger makes me shiver so much, since Anna was never been in danger before."

Yoh and Manta laughed. Manta looked at the sky again. "Yoh-kun, may I ask one last thing?"

"Sure."

"Do you really love Anna-san?"

Yoh suddenly looked at Manta, who was serious with this question. Yoh just closed his eyes and smiled... And then looked at the sky.

"Well... Who knows."

A sneak peak for the next chapter! Finally Hao's gonna make an appearance! =P

Chapter 10 already on its way...