Little Futura

Two hours after we arrived back to our small residence from the restaurant, no one said a word. I guess it was decided that we all had to leave. Faust paid the bill while the rest of the restaurant remained silent. None of us seemed to be embarrassed although I felt I should have. Maybe ashamed or disappointed. None of us could point out what had gone wrong.

The cheerful, innocent, polite, and determined little Tamao assaulted Yoh with a force that not even Horohoro could carry out. Did she not love Yoh once? It was all over his face. He sensed that. When she stole glances at him where we sat, she watched and faded into the background.

My thoughts began to ponder not of how Yoh is dealing with the ordeal but how Anna is. She does not see Tamao as a threat to their set engagement? Does Anna not notice Yoh think of the younger girl more often than he had? Does she still have the unconditional love for Yoh that she proclaimed boldly before?

Then it makes me wonder when that time comes if Yoh does not choose Anna, how will she take it? How will the family take this? I cannot imagine Yoh's parents doing much about it. After all, they were not the ones who proposed this arranged marriage. Yet it would be somewhat disappointing to his grandparents.

This is not old Japan anymore. Yoh can choose whoever we wants and if it was not for this arrangement, the two might have never met.

"Ren?"

"What?" he mutters lowly. Obviously, I can understand that his sister and everyone else wants him nowhere near me. "You have nothing to say. Don't speak to me."

"Sorry." I whisper under my breath. They say that girls are so hard to understand but Ren can break those words through his actions. No one knows what he thinks of and no one can predict his behavior.

"Would anyone like tea?" Jun suggests. "I can go make some." She goes off into the kitchen. Marion is nowhere to be seen but Horohoro mentioned several times that he was still suspicious of her. Yoh and Ren do not seem to mind her although we do know that her breaking away from Hao's faction would complicate this intricate situation.

Now the real question comes down to, who does Yoh love? Tamao or Anna? You cannot love two. It is impossible. The one you think of first will eventually grow and spread in your mind like a virus contaminating your heart. Yoh could only love one of them more. Those are the natural laws of love.

"Yoh-san." I whisper to him over the couch. He was sitting but did not look at anyone. From experience, no matter how distant he tries to act, inside it is human to wait for someone to speak up and comfort them. Even if they try to hide it. The hidden message is loud and clear.

"Let's go see her." He stays silent for a moment. He wants to say something. The tension is so strong there, I can almost hear it.

"She chose Hao yet there is something I am not at rest with."

"What about Anna-san?" No reply. Does Anna not know of this? If she does not, someone must tell her. The poor itako, she probably doesn't even want to believe that herself.

"Tea is ready." Jun announces as she sets the cups down and fills each with the rich smell of jasmine tea that permeated the cold, thin air. Does anything change now that Tamao has departed from us?

There is something about change that sounds so distressful. It is like my own selfish cry that only I can hear. The way it is now is beautiful. Not now but what was before.

Horohoro went first for the tea but Ren took a cup and held it back politely. Yoh took one too and offered me one which I gladly accepted.

"You do know you are not the only in distress, right?" I ask. "We can go there and talk to her and work things out." I think. "Civilly." The young Shaman begins to dive in a pool of deeper thoughts. To everyone's surprise, Yoh suddenly stands up.

"We're going for a walk." He says. Ren, Horohoro, Jun, and Chocolove did not say a word or mention as Yoh grabs his coat and handed me mine.

After several minutes of us treading on the dimly lit streets of this silent town, I became eager to break the silence.

"Yoh-san, has it ever crossed your mind that Tamao had left because she lacked attention?" I inquire.

"She isn't like that." He replies in this dead, monotonous tone. He does not even see me. His brown eyes only watch the stars as if he was trying to ask for guidance. "She is not like that..."

"Perhaps you should forget how you think she acts. Maybe that might be why...? Considering that I have not known her for a long period, it doesn't seem accurate to classify her now. She is like any of us. Spontaneous." I say fervently.

"It's not that." Yoh sighs. "I felt like I've let her down. Am I like that?"

"No. Not at all." I shake my head. Yoh is a bit more complex after all. Even before, I fell into the trap of dismissing him as a boy who had an insane amount of luck and had things easy for himself. "No. I mean, I would not why she did what she did. I have not know you since childhood. So who would you choose?" I ask.

"I can't. It might hurt you." He smiles weakly.

"How?" I blink. It has nothing to do with me. How on earth would his answer hurt me? I am not expecting him to love me. However, maybe he believes that it would indirectly hurt me if he loved another girl instead of me considering that he may see me as a likely candidate.

Maybe. A little stretch.

"You're a boy, Yoh. You're weird." I smile. "We girls don't think like you."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Thanks for your concern." Such a gentleman. If only Horohoro, Ren, Ryu, Chocolove, or just all of them could behave like that. "Tell me?"

"If you were a guy, maybe." He fumbles with his hands. "It's fine." He shrugs with a confused look. "I may have loved Anna then but it was love at first sight. Maybe. It could be infatuation then. It can be now. Whatever, I will admit even I am too young to know for myself."

"Good, good." This boy certainly does think a lot. "True love doesn't come so easy. It's like those old couples say. You got to work at it!" I emphasize. The look on his face seems fearful. Maybe it is something he didn't want to hear? "I mean when you work for 'it', 'it' means care and affection. What did you think I meant?"

"Nothing." He grins. You innocent pervert. "I think I understand a little more. I understand. Yeah." He nods. "You're right. I'm going to see her anyway, love or no love. It's still love no matter the feeling." I smile. Perhaps.

We'll bring her back no matter what. Even if it's just Yoh and me against Hao, something must happen. It is much like every girl's fantasy tale. Can anyone or anything challenge the power of love?

Oh I hope so.