Just For You
By: Sakura
"Where is it?" muttered Kyouyama Anna, as she rummaged through the fridge. Standing up, the blonde girl flipped her hair back as she closed the fridge door. There was nothing for dinner. It was time for grocery shopping again, only…Yoh could do it. Getting a pen and paper, she scribbled down the stuff that needed to be bought and dropped in enough money for it into the coin purse.
Anna suddenly paused, tapping the end of the pen against her chin thoughtfully. Why did it feel like she was forgetting something? There was something she had wanted to do…but just what was it?
As she went to check the time, she happened to glance over at the calendar, and she remembered immediately. The date – today's date – was circled, and it wasn't by her.
"BOB's CD comes out today," she murmured to herself. Yoh had circled the date, to remind himself of it. A half-smile crept onto her lips. Yoh had always liked BOB's music, even if she, herself, thought it was weird. Silently, she added more money to the purse, and another note.
Checking the time now, she realized that Yoh would return home soon. She made her way toward the stairs, noting that their home's "owners" hadn't returned yet either. Because of that, the house was unusually quiet. But Anna didn't mind. It would just be the two of them again. The peace was much nicer anyhow.
Settling before the television, Anna flipped it on and left it on a random channel, pretending to watch it. She heard the sliding door opening behind her as Asakura Yoh entered the room, dragging his feet. "Tadaima," he said, stifling a big yawn.
"Okaeri," she replied, not turning around. Yoh stared at her back for a few minutes, but then walked to the other side of the table and settled on the ground, where his magazines were lying around him. Picking one up, he began to read. Silence ensued. Anna continued "watching" tv for a few moments longer before she broke the silence. "Say, Yoh."
With his head resting comfortably in his hand as he lay on the carpet reading his magazine, Yoh replied rather distractedly. "What is it, Anna?"
"Go buy something for dinner."
The boy suddenly sat up.
"What?!" he protested angrily. "Me again!?!"
SLAP!
The sliding door opened again as Yoh slowly stepped out of the room, nursing his red cheek. "It's just buying dinner. It's not going to kill her to go herself," he grumbled angrily.
"What did you say?!" demanded Anna from the room. The coin purse sailed through the air and smacked him on the back of the head. Yoh didn't dare utter another sound as he rubbed his head. Picking up the pouch, he chanced a glance back into the room and saw Anna hadn't turned around. Sighing to himself, he trudged down the stairs and headed outside.
Dutifully, yet dully, Yoh slowly wandered around the stores, looking for the things he needed to buy. Why was Anna like this now? Always making him do things… And slapping him when he refused. But, when he thought about it, there was a time when he didn't mind her slaps…it merely meant that she acknowledged him then. Suddenly, a poster advertising BOB's new CD caught his eye. Yoh stood in front of the poster for a long time, gazing at it, and thinking of the music.
"BOB's new CD is out," he murmured quietly, "I really want to hear it," an image of Anna instantly popped in his mind; an angry Anna that told him 'absolutely not!', "but the idea will be rejected for sure." Emitting another sigh, Yoh continued on. All he could think about was BOB's new CD as he went to get all the groceries on the list. But he really shouldn't interfere with her decisions. Anna knew best, after all, he reasoned with himself…or, at the very least, tried to convince himself that it was so. "Anyway," he muttered aloud as he went to pay for the food, "we don't really have that much money to spend frivolously. Oh?" Yoh noticed another note in the coin purse. He must have missed it the first time.
Rather dreading what it said, the Shaman slowly opened the note and peaked at it with one eye. Then both of his eyes widened.
I'm always making you run errands. Good
work. I put in an additional 334¥ so you can buy some CDs you like.
Anna.
"Anna…" whispered Yoh in surprise, his eyes still opened wide as he clutched the note tight in his hand.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Absentmindedly, Anna was drumming her fingers on the ground. The tv was still on, but she wasn't paying attention to it. She only strained her ears to hear if Yoh had returned yet or not. He was taking far too long and she was starting to get worried, despite the fact that she was well aware that he could take care of himself. And when Anna got worried, she became a little angry, without really meaning to.
"Maybe I shouldn't have added that extra money," she glowered to herself, "if I knew he would take this long…" It wasn't dinner that she cared about at all. She just wanted to see him home…
The sliding door to the room opened and Anna was startled. She hadn't heard him come in. Since when was he able to enter a room without her detecting him? His training was really helping him, it seemed.
"You finally came back," she said coldly. Anna was trying to keep the relief out of her tone, but it made her sound rather frosty instead. "It's really late."
Without stopping by the kitchen, the first place Yoh had gone to when he returned home was the room Anna was sitting in, groceries still in his hand. "Tadaima," he said, a little meekly. After a while, he added, "I was thinking about what to buy, so I was a bit torn between choices."
Anna turned around in surprise, without saying a word. "Didn't BOB's new CD come out today?" she thought to herself. She was quite certain that was why Yoh had circled the date on the calendar. And he had always bought BOB's new CDs on the first day they went on sale.
Yoh had placed the bag of groceries on the ground and was slowly approaching her. He had a rather odd grin plastered on his face as he held something out to her, laughing nervously all the same. "Na," he said, "this is that apple song you like. I hear you humming it all day. You must have wanted this, too, right?"
All Anna could do was stare at him. Yoh had finally been given the chance to buy something he longed for, but instead, had bought her something he thought she wanted. That was so…so like Yoh… The shock hadn't worn off, however, and Anna's reply sounded somewhat indifferent, though she hadn't meant it to. "Oh, that," was all she could say. "I got it ages ago."
Yoh's mouth hung open. Her words had rendered him speechless. "Okay then," he said, mechanically turning around and leaving the room, still gripping the CD tight in his hands.
"Wait."
He paused at the doorway and turned around, finding himself face to face with Anna. She had gotten up from her spot and was now standing beside him. Without another word, without even a change of expression, she took the CD from his grasp and studied it quietly for a few moments. As Yoh watched her, he was suddenly reminded of the time they had first met four years ago. But there was a significant difference in her expressions. Eyes that used to be like ice were warmer now, more depth and care there than ever before. And she was still cute, he thought with a smile.
"What are you grinning at?" Anna asked him coldly, bringing him back to reality. Yoh quickly wiped the smile off his face, but didn't answer her. And then…
Yoh blinked in surprised. Did Anna just say something? Her lips had certainly moved, but he hadn't heard anything. "What did you say?" he asked, almost timidly.
"…igato…"
The word had been so quiet, Yoh could barely hear it even the second time. But when she faced him like that, with that rare shy smile, he always remembered why he fell in love with her in the first place. His legs felt like jelly, like he was going to fall… BOB had slipped from his mind and all he could think about was that Anna was happy…everything was worth it…
"Pardon?" he said, absentmindedly, realizing that she had said something again.
"I said go to bed!" Anna yelled into his ear, her usual expression back in place. She was glaring at him, more fiercely than usual. Had he just imagined all that? He must have. There was no way Anna could smile like that to begin with. "Get going or you won't get any breakfast tomorrow!" Knowing she was completely serious, Yoh quickly snatched up the groceries and fled from the room. Moments later, Anna settled down by the tableside, her head resting in her arms. She lifted the CD and stared at it.
"Idiot…" she muttered. Try to do something nice for someone, but they mess it up anyway. But she was scared. Frightened. For a fleeting moment, Anna thought her expressions had betrayed her. Her whole body had been shaking inside…from the happiness she felt… Yoh would never change. The same Yoh she had learned to love four years ago was still the same… He'd always think about other people first…never himself… After a while, she sat up, her head supported by her hand, the CD still in her other hand.
"You're so stupid sometimes, Yoh," she said aloud to the empty room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ah…the bed was so nice… Nice, warm, and extremely comfortable…
Yoh ignored the rays of sunlight peaking into his room. And the pangs of hunger that was in his stomach. Anna hadn't said he couldn't eat breakfast, but he wasn't so sure if he could face her just yet. What was that smile? He wanted to see it again… He wanted to find ways of invoking it…she had looked so happy, even if it was only for a second…
Oh, well…back to sleep…relax, relax…
The sliding door slammed opened, causing the walls to shudder slightly. Not hearing any footsteps enter the room, Yoh continued to feign sleep. He really didn't want to be slapped or yelled at just yet.
Something sharp smacked him on the top of his head and Yoh abruptly sat up. He found himself facing Anna again as he rubbed his head. She was still standing by the doorway, never stepping into his room. They stared at each other for a while, Yoh wincing slightly as he noticed that whatever hit him was causing a big bump on his head to form. It hurt…a lot. Without a word, Anna just turned and left, continuing down the hallway and heading downstairs.
Rather annoyed, Yoh slowly got out of his futon and stretched. What kind of a weird wake up call was that? But as he stepped off the futon, he noticed a small rectangular object that had landed on the ground beside him. It was a CD. It was BOB's new CD, the one he had wanted to buy so much, but had decided against it.
"Anna…" he whispered, holding the CD tight, the action he did reminding him of just the night before, when she gave him the extra money. His fiancée was always like that…doing things in her own way, everything so subtle that hardly anyone noticed… If there were times he ever doubted how she felt about him, this was one of those few times it reaffirmed his thoughts…
And for and because of her, he'd become Shaman King. She may not have any more problems with the Oni now, but he would still do it anyway, his promise to her.
Anna glanced at the clock in the kitchen, wondering when Yoh was going to get out of bed. But she'd be lenient just for once. He'd probably want to listen to his new CD rather than train anyway. However, remembering from the New Year's special they had watched four years ago, she still thought BOB was weird. Speaking of her fiancé…Yoh suddenly bounded into the kitchen, teeming with energy it seemed.
"When do we start, Anna?" he asked, a smile on his face. Anna had been resting her head on her hand, with her eyes closed by the kitchen table. Opening one eyelid, she glanced at him for a second, and then closed it again.
"Not today," she answered. "Do whatever you want."
"No."
"Eh?" Anna muttered in surprise, opening her eyelids and looking at him. Yoh simply grinned.
"I promised you," he answered cheerfully, his hands behind his head, "so I have to do my best for you."
Anna hid a smile. So that's how they were. One always helping the other. It has been so for four years…and she wished that it would always be like this in years to come…
"Ready to go, Anna?" asked Yoh, offering her his hand. Anna looked at his hand, then back at him.
"Un," was her only reply.
As the two walked outside, Yoh's stomach growled just slightly. "Say, Anna," said Yoh rather nervously, "when can we have breakfast?" Anna took a quick sidelong glance at him before turning away.
"You're not getting any," she answered.
"What?! But why??"
~*Owari*~
Author's Note: Not the first Shaman King fic I started, but it is the first one I finished. =) I really liked that omake from the fifth tankoubon, as is obvious, since I based this fic on that. ^_^
Translations:
tadaima/okaeri (nasai) – the former used by the one returning home (sort of
like "I'm home"), the latter by the person at home, in response (something like
"welcome back")
arigato – thank you…I was going to use "domo", but it seemed a little informal.
^_^*
*Sakura
~The Animé Archives Team
