xXx

Without even saying anything, Yoh knew Anna didn't have enough sleep for days－specifically seven days where he had spent inside the cave to train.

He made sure no one noticed; the moment he stepped outside the murky cavern, the first thing his eyes tried to search for was Anna. When Ponchi and Conchi told him everyone was waiting outside, he knew she was also there.

He couldn't explain the giddy feeling he felt as soon as he saw everyone greeted him, even Manta and Ryu were there. He smiled at Tamao who was the one that greeted him first and then to Manta who tried to explain the reason why he was there. He just told them he was happy he was there to welcome him back.

With all the loud exchanges of greetings, Anna only stood there without saying anything without meeting his eyes even once. Yoh knew she could notice how he stole glances at her, but she remained unfazed. In a random person's eye, it would look as though she didn't care that he went out of the cave alive, but Yoh knew that was far from the truth.

In broad daylight, he could notice the slight discoloration of skin beneath her eyes, even the almost invisible blush that covered her cheeks as soon as he went out of the cave.

I really find this part of her cute.

"What's so funny, Yoh-kun?" Manta interrupted his thoughts. He didn't notice he was already chuckling.

He stole a glance at Anna again, before answering with a grin, "Nah, I just thought something amusing."

"And that is?"

He chuckled again. This time, he smiled directly at Anna. "It's a secret."

She only glared at him.

xXx

The moment they reached his family's home, Anna took that opportunity to drag him inside his room.

"What－"

She looked at him with strict eyes. "You're not eating without fixing yourself first."

"But I just took a bath?"

"It's not enough," she countered. "Even without seeing it, I know you've somehow injured yourself while you're inside the cave. I know you, you're accident-prone."

He knew she was pertaining to his frequent trips to hospitals. He dismissed it with a chuckle, "I'm fine, Anna."

She looked him in the eyes. "You're not."

He could only sigh because both of them knew she's right.

xXx

Yoh didn't hide a wince as Anna started to mend his left shoulder, the part where it hurt the most. It was too dark to even see his hands inside the cave. He didn't know there was something in front of him－maybe a rock formation－and before he knew it, the hard stone hit his shoulders too hard, to the point where he somehow thought he would lose his left arm.

It was a good thing it was just a small gash, nothing too serious.

Nonetheless, he didn't try to pretend he's not hurting. He knew there's no point in doing that since Anna was already aware even before he could tell.

"There. All done." Anna tapped his shoulders. "Better not make it worse."

"Mm. Thanks."

A comfortable silence reigned between them. This is the time where Yoh never bothered to conceal what he loved doing the most; staring at her beautiful face. Anna never seemed to be bothered by it, instead, she was looking at his right hand－she looked at it intently, with her brows furrowed and her lips downturned.

Slowly, he used that hand to caress the pale, smooth skin of Anna's face. The gentle action made her look at him.

"What's bothering you?" He asked in a soft voice that was only reserved for her alone.

Anna leaned on his hand, and he accepted it wholeheartedly. She closed her eyes and cradled his hand with hers.

They stayed like that for a while.

Moments after, in a voice that was also reserved for him, Anna spoke in a low, quiet tone. "You're here."

Yoh's heart moved a little. It sounded almost desperate, like a silent plea for this moment to be real and not turn into a hopeless dream. There was a hint of pain in those simple words, and it made him think of those days where he was trying hard not to give up the training while she was here alone, maybe trying not to think of anything negative.

But those simple words were enough to convey everything Anna had felt the entire week of him missing.

"Yeah...I'm here," he replied. He moved his hand on her cheeks to caress her shoulders. "Sorry for causing you trouble, Anna."

She sighed. "You did cause me lots of trouble."

"You haven't slept properly because you're thinking of me?"

Anna glared at him. "Are you teasing me because of that?"

"Nah," He smiled. "I've been thinking about you, too."

"Nrh...?" She couldn't help the blush forming on her cheeks.

"Well...that can't be helped. If you're alone in a dark cave and you want nothing but to survive, you can't help but think of various things. Mundane things, important things, regrettable things, even things I never thought I would think about."

She became curious. "Are you willing to talk about that?"

"About what? About what I think about you?"

"Those things you never thought you would think about," She answered and looked him in the eye. "Tell me everything, Yoh."

He stared at her, as well. "You're...you're the only person I can think of so I could survive somehow."

Anna's eyes widened with that.

He looked away, blush was also forming on his cheeks. Still, he continued. "There was a point where I thought I can't go on anymore－wait, no, to be exact, there were countless times I've thought about that. My head was spinning because of hunger, of how many times I hit my head with something, these painful what-ifs, and whatnots. All I could do was think, think, and think because that's the only proof that I was still alive. It even got to the point where I thought maybe dying is what's best for me..." he paused and looked at Anna again. He saw the pain now visible in her eyes. "...and then I got a flashback of us riding the train, and my mind created this scenario where only you were riding the train back in Tokyo. I...I can't bear that fact. I don't want you to come home without me, because I fully understand how painful that is."

"Yoh..."

Anna promised she would never cry again. But, she couldn't help the tears forming in her eyes. Yoh made her cry again. He hated Yoh for making her vulnerable.

Anna knew exactly what he was talking about...

"That thought made me stronger. You made me stronger." Yoh finished. After some realization, he whined and hid his head between his hands. "Ack, this is embarrassing. I can't believe I just said that!"

Anna wiped her tears and smirked. "Well, now you know how I felt when you made me lose my face by crying in front of your friends."

Yoh chuckled. He knew that Anna has the ability to understand him even without explaining his inner thoughts to her. Although that's the case, it definitely made him feel better whenever he could tell her everything that bothered him.

After all, she was his first human best friend.

And the first and the last girl he would fall in love with.