Disclaimer: Shaman King © Hiroyuki Takei. Last Chance © sOrbetes. What Should I Do? © You're Beautiful OST :D
THANK YOU, to anyone who is still reading this.
~9~
"Will you dance with me, Anna?"
Anna stared at the palm in front of her for a few seconds.
The music has started playing and she could sense the anticipating glares from the residents of the orphanage; as if they were watching a re-enactment of Cinderella, where Yoh is the handsome, rich prince who asks the humble and maltreated heroine (she, of course) for a dance before the clock strikes twelve.
If she could, Anna would have laughed after she heard a couple of relieved sighs when finally shereached for his hand and granted him a dance.
He clasped his fingers to secure her hand, and then pulled her softly to raise her from her seat. Anna stood up, wrapped her arms around him, and surrendered her whole being as they lost themselves into the euphoria of the music. She was indeed, living in a fairy tale.
But she just had to breakaway from this silly daydream.
"I haven't seen much of your brother lately," she asked Yoh, looking at his chests, trying to avoid any possible eye contact with him.
She sensed a silent chuckle from him. "Is that a bad thing?"
"Not really," she responded nonchalantly.
---When I let you go one step further, my eyes overflow with tears…
Yoh had hoped Anna would not think about Hao right now. He wanted to keep this rare chance of dancing with her, without concerning himself with Hao or the marriage; he wanted to preserve this moment—this moment that belonged to him and her… to only him and only her.
But he knew he had to breakaway from this silly daydream.
"You don't have to worry, Anna," he said in the most cheerful tone he could ever produce. "Hao will take care of you."
---When you walk away one step further, more tears are falling…
Anna immediately looked Yoh in both eyes and firmly, albeit painfully, told him, "I will not marry Hao."
Yoh let out a heavy breath. Of course Anna is Anna, and being Anna, she will make this topic uneasy for him to escape from. "Anna, please," he said rather calmly. "Let's not start this."
---As you move away to a place where I can't reach you, even if I reach out my hand…
"Then tell me why I should marry him."
Anna earnestly kept her eyes into Yoh's. "I need to know," she said, almost pleading.
---I can't catch you,
But he refused to answer her.
"Alright…"
He still remembers that night very clearly.
"I'll go."
That night… the night when he had to give her up.
---I can only cry.
"Gomen," he just said.
With his words, he was certain that she was disappointed. The way her hands gradually loosened their grip from his was a sure sign of her disbelief and frustration at him. She had always been like this since the first time he met her in the heart of Osorezan. She was clearly unhappy with his 'sorry'; he knew that for he knew her too well.
"I'll give you one last chance," she said, clenching her teeth. "Tell me… honestly. Do you really want me to marry another man?"
Her eyes were piercing at him as if threatening to end his life once he gave an answer contrary to what she wanted to hear. But her piercing glare is nowhere from being a threat to a curse. It was but her way of asking him to save her from Hao, from the marriage, from everything… from himself, from his foolishness… from his selfishness.
Still, he remained silent; this time, using his way of telling Anna that he can't and that he doesn't want to continue the conversation.
Of course, Anna knew what he meant by his silence, for like him, she knew him too well. And knowing him, Anna knew that this was the answer Yoh wanted to hear, "Fine," she said. Or if this is not what Yoh wanted to hear, at least she got to hurt him back, to return the favor of being hurt by him. "I'll do as you wish."
"Please don't make this harder for the both of us," he asked her.
"I hate you…" she whispered, displeased.
When the music finished, Anna immediately let go of him, just as Cinderella hurriedly ran away as soon as midnight came; while her prince was left standing alone, his heart broken, wondering if he could ever have the chance to hold her again.
:::
She slammed the door shut with all her rage as soon as they reached the inn. Following her was Yoh, whose expression played between exhaustion and distress. He was unable to stop Anna from sliding inside the room, thus was confronted with the cold door that was violently shut to his face.
---What should I do? What should I do? You're leaving. What should I do? What should I do? You're leaving me.
"Please Anna… don't do this." He begged her, still standing in front of her door.
She tortured him with her silence.
Anna knew she was holding the better end of the rope, and her victory in this argument was made obvious when he knocked and pleaded again…
…and again,
and again.
Finally, he heard her say, "Tell me your reason. I need to know why… Why are you doing this?"
Now he tortured her with his silence.
But she continued even without his answer.
"Why do you want me to marry him?"
"Why won't you tell me your reason?"
"Why…"
Her voice had broken, her strength dying; her fragility was being dented by his selfishness and he so he tried to prevent her from breaking completely. "Anna, please--" he once again pleaded.
---I love you, I love you, I cry out to you
She was quiet for a while; still he caught barely audible sniffs and heavy breathings from behind her closed door. After the short moment of her silence, she managed to speak, her voice a little louder than before, a little stronger, a lot angrier, "Why don't I deserve an explanation?!"
---But you can't hear me,
"Anna…" he mouthed as softly as he could, his voice weak and weary, nonetheless clear enough for her to hear.
And she was damn pleased hearing his faltering voice. "Be sure to be in our wedding," she said in the coldest of her voice.
---because I am only shouting in my heart.
There was no room for regrets for Yoh knew he brought this deep, crushing pain upon himself; and so he answered what is most appropriate in such occasions. "Omedetou," he wished and swiftly left.
:::
Tamao and Horohoro who were witnesses to the slamming of doors and the pleadings, both followed Yoh when he ran outside the inn. Not that they didn't want to comfort Anna who was also hurt as Yoh, but someone already came and stayed with her—someone that neither Tamao nor Horo wanted to get involved with anymore.
It wasn't that far where Yoh went, so Tamao and Horo were able to follow him. He was standing in the middle of the woods, in front of a tree, his forehead pushing against its trunk, his face with a pained expression.
---What should I do? What should I do? I can only see you.
Tamao's eyes began filling up at the sight of Yoh's misery. He was in pain… in great pain. He was hurting because of Anna. The man she had always looked at, the only man she can see, the man she had always admired because of his cheerfulness and his bright smile… the man she loves is in pain because of Anna.
But she was there, standing behind him. Can she hold him? Can she comfort him?
Can she love him now?
---What should I do? What should I do? I love only you.
Horohoro was shocked too when he saw Yoh hitting the tree with his fists, both of it bleeding.
Then he looked at Tamao with great concern, for he knew that she loved him dearly.
And he was right. She had already fallen into tears while helplessly watching him from afar. Again, Horohoro thought, at times like these, Tamao needs him. He will pretend to be Yoh once more to comfort her, to give her the love that Yoh had failed to give, to sustain the unrequited feelings she had for his best friend all her life.
Again, he will mend her heart from being broken because of Yoh, for it was the only thing that he could do to help her. Regardless, this was all for the sake of the only woman he had ever loved.
---I am sorry, I am sorry, can you hear me?
"Gomen, Anna!" He yelled and hit the tree once again, causing more bleeding to his fist. But the superficial pain in his knuckles was nothing compared to the agony that his heart feels.
Deep in him, Yoh wanted to ran back to the inn and tell Anna everything—about what really happened in Okinawa, about the deal, about Hao; about his proposal, about his feelings, about his love, about his pain—and ask her forgiveness.
But can she hear him?
Will she hear him?
---Please come back to me, if it's not you, I can't go on.
He wants to go back to her.
He wants to be her fiancé again.
He wants to be her Yoh again.
---What should I do? What should I do? I only have you.
Horohoro reached out to Tamao, ready to comfort her in his embrace, just as they always did whenever she cries.
But before his hands could grab a hold of her, she fled away.
His azure eyes widened in shock but still able to follow her trail to where Yoh was standing.
What does he do when the only thing he can do for her has been rendered useless? It was the only thing he had. She was the only love he had.
---I love you, I love you, I cry out to you,
"Master Yoh!" she called out, while her hands hugged him from the back. "Onegai, Yoh-sama! Stop… stop hurting! I'm here!"
"I…"
"I…"
She was stuttering in nervousness.
"I lov—"
He cut her off.
"Tamao…"
---But you can't hear me
"Will you marry me?"
---because I am only shouting in my heart.
- - - - - -
A/N:HELLO! :) I'm back! -as if anybody cares… XD-
Well, it'd be sad if no one is reading this anymore because I have failed to update for a very long time. But as I said, I will still continue this story up to its end. Still, it will be nice to hear reviews and words of encouragement. One thing I learned here in FF is that the reviews and favorites and alerts are what drive the writer to continue her story. So would you be kind, please?
Only 3 chapters to go. How will sOrbetes –the missing in action FFwriter- finish her first (and probably last) fanfiction??? STAY TUNED! :]
SPECIAL MENTIONS: This chapter was written with summer bloom, elpatolocosisi and psychobubbles in mind. Your reviews truly inspired me to finish this chapter, and hopefully (with your continuous support), the whole story. :) i hope and pray that you will stay with me until the end... and that you'll check out my next YohAnna project after this (if there are any). :D THANK YOU VERY MUCH! *hugs*
I would also like to thank cookie29, orangee & midori no hime for checking out Last Chance and adding this fic to their story/favorite alerts. i hope to hear from you soon! it would be great o know your thoughts to help me and the story to develop. :D