-Little Futura-

Tonight was the first night that the dinner table felt quieter than usual. With Horohoro back, the table reached to a vociferous level but not like before. It is all of thus minus one person. An empty seat.

Would Tamao have said anything? It did not matter. Because she was here, it filled the circle regardless if she spoke.

If Horohoro and Ren would argue, her shy request for them to stop would cease immediately. Horohoro would bounce back several seconds later and all would be normal. Tonight was not like that. We sit in the hustle and bustle of this restaurant but none of us say what we wanted to say. Not even Manta.

The energy to smile and say it will be okay does not seem to come in effect tonight. Pilica, nearly losing her life, and Ren and Horohoro hardly on speaking basis, the question I can only draw down to now is, who could I value more?

I risk everything, even my life, to win Anna's heart way back then but Tamao was here much longer. We celebrated her birthday, I knew her favorite color, her sign, her blood type, her favorite kinds of sushi, her favorite kind of foreign food is Italian, her honeymoon choice would be Hawaii or Jamaica (although I would personally prefer that cheerful New York City), her favorite genre is romance, and she hates spiders.

I remember when she purchased so much of that Sanrio goods that Mikihisa had to ask the bank for an extra loan. She loved to dress up so much and only cared if she thought I like it (otherwise, she would cry forcing me to have to like it). I challenged her in chess twice but she cheated with that ouija board of hers. She did not loose a single piece. My king was checked at least seven times in the span of three minutes.

I knew so much of her. So now that question ponders in my mind on a continuous basis. Why Hao? I cannot say I do not love Anna but I cannot deny the feelings I have. It's silly. It could be fraternal but how would I know?

Now there is a blown-out affair now that Marion and Tamao have traded like spouses.

"Yoh."

"What?" even my tone sounds slightly more agitated and harsh. Anna gives me this look that I feel I have made a mistake of. I smile. "What is it?"

"If you like for your own reference, would you like to know where Hao is located?" Marion asks. I think for a moment and shrug.

"Maybe."

I can feel Anna staring at me but I do not want to say a word. I do not want to say anything. I feel I may hurt more people than I want to believe. Even as me doing my best for others, it could never be enough. If life were so much easier...

The thoughts that I was so comfortably being lost in suddenly vanish as my eyes catch to the strawberry-blonde hair walk calmly into the restaurant. All heads from our table seem to have spotted her on cue. Horohoro throws an icy glare toward her. Chocolove looks back at his bowl of his noodles with a poker face. Ren and Anna resumed eating. Faust and Ryu pretend not to notice.

"What is the matter? Why did you all shut up?" Pilica's voice dies to a whisper. Horohoro glances at Pilica about to say something for a moment but diverts his attention to the bowl of rice and continues to eat. "Stupid ass." She whispers venomously. The Ainu girl stands up and walks over to the shorter female.

"Tamao. Long time no see."

Tamao looks at her for a moment with a cold, apathetic expression.

"Do I know you?"

Pilica does not say a word but gives a look that confuses me. Maybe it is because I am a boy. Before I even realize this myself, I am next to Pilica and give my most cheerful smile.

"Would you like to sit with us, Tamao?" For some reason, I felt as if I was standing a mile away from her within a foot. The connection is severed. The wall feels so cold. Are we that far apart? Since when have I been so detached?

"You must mistaken me for someone else." She rolls her eyes. "Excuse me." She turns away.

"May I have two '#2''s, one '#5', and two medium honeydew pearl drinks?" she asks the employee.

"Hey, what is the matter? You can't expect me to read your mind." I mumble.

"Of course you can't. That would be...too drastic for the perfect hero." Tamao smiles with a shrug. It is a charming smile that I have never seen before but it suits her so well. It even tempts me to smile.

"Try me." I challenge. "You might be surprised." Quickly, I find the one in surprise as the next thing I see is the ceiling. My back is rocketing in pain and my head has a sharp sore. I can hear someone screaming and her looking down at me.

"Looks like you did not last that one." She shakes her head.

I have not even began.

"Are you finished?" Tamao asks the employee. The Patch nods nervously and hands the bag over. Her ordinary voice, her innocent appeal.

Slowly, I get up and mutter below my breath. I keep surprising myself.

"Satisfied? There's this funny thing about feeling used in such a situation." Hearing some quick thumps against the wooden floor forces me to divert an oversoul with Amidamaru's shields. The pergo floor, the strip of wood shatters to the touch of her arrow.

What do you have against me? I am no God, I can't understand if you don't tell me.

She leaps with a wave of furyoku that sends me to the wall. The power in that oversoul felt abnormal. Overwhelming. Have I not realized she possessed this sort of strength all along? Or is this the product of hate?

I am no God. You can't set these inhuman expectations on me.

"Hey, cut that out!" Horohoro sends spheres of ice to only be cancelled by Tamao's arrows.

"Horo!" I yell. The last arrow strikes him in the shoulder. And they are no small arrows. They are large with the spears the size of telephones. Faust, Chocolove, Ryu, and Ren became the first to back Horohoro if she were to go any further.

"All of you. Just calm down." I smile weakly. "I can handle this." No matter how much it hurts, no matter how misleading it is, it must be told. Another grim smile and my hands tighten around the sword once more.

"Of course you could. You're perfect." Tamao glares. She holds her heart-shaped board, her fingers fitting perfectly in each of its slot. I hold my sword defensively. My heart races and my throat runs dry. A nervous tension continues build within me.

"I thought you were Yoh Asakura, the perfect boy that could never hurt another living thing. What happened with that?" she smiles sarcastically.

How can I answer that? It's not wrong to defend myself. I care. Yes, I care but I will not carelessly care. There is still me to look after.

"Have it your way." She frowns with the same bored expression that Anna always has. The girl holds back for a moment before tossing the board across the room at a speed my eyes couldn't catch. Amidamaru and I form a shield as the board smashes directly into the spirit barrier. Such an attack should not be that powerful.

Yet the force becomes such a backlash that the crack in my shield was evident. The next thing I see is a kick that was aimed for my oversoul but stopped. Another oversoul looms over me with one hand guarding me and the other stopping such an attack.

It is Anna who stops it with a scowl on her face. "You think you have suddenly become God by joining with Hao?"

The younger girl backs away and shakes her head again as her light-colored bangs are free from her face.

"The perfect boy with the ultimately perfect girl." Tamao shrugs and looks around. It as if all she has done had nothing to do with her. "It was wrong for me to get in the way."

"Yes. Leave." Anna frowns disapprovingly. The psychic girl bows.

"Of course." A hint of mockery rests in her tone. I did not want her to leave. At all. The question still rang in my mind. Why Hao? I do not understand. I wish Anna did not speak at all. I want her to stay. A little longer at least.

"Tamao, you could have chose another place to get food. Thanks for stopping by." I say painfully. "Sorry if you couldn't find what you were looking for." My last words finish when the door closes behind her at last.