Folks, before you proceed to the chapter, let me stress that this chapter will be dedicated solely to Horo/Tamao. In case you guys don't find non-canon couples appealing, please await the 10th chapter. ^^ This won't be very long, and this won't have much bearing to the flow of the story. This is like a tribute to that unconventional couple. In short, reading this will be a waste of time. Lolz
--- public service brought to you by Syao-chan ---
Horo Horo fluffed his pillow for the nth time and tried to shut his eyes, but apparently, slumber has decided to not visit him for the night. Instead, he was preoccupied by the thoughts of a certain person.
If only Pirika was here, then he wouldn't have the time to think about her. But in the deafening silence of his bedroom, he could clearly hear only one voice. Her high-pitched but still very sweet voice.
He accidentally saw the old oak tree that he used to climb when he was a child. Almost all bruises he got were acquired in that place. But he loved the place still, for it was a dwelling place for sweet childhood memories.
The same memories flooded his mind.
"Get down from there!" screamed six year old Tamao to the seven year old Horo Horo, who was swinging on the branches of the old tree that night. "I'll tell Master Yohmei that you're killing his tree!"
"Hah! Tattletale!" he yelled. "You just don't know how to climb this, that's why you're acting like that!"
"Maybe so, but at least I'm not doing something wrong!" She crossed her arms thoughtfully. "How does Master Yoh stand your attitude anyway?"
"You wouldn't understand," he said knowingly. "It's a boy thing."
"Is that so?" She stomped her feet on the ground. "I'm telling Master Yohmei that you're the one who's murdering his plants! T-Then you'll get spanked, and you'll-"
"Try doing that and I'll run you over!" he threatened back, showing her his skateboard proudly.
Her eyes welled up with fresh tears. "Y-You are so mean…why can't you be like Master Yoh? He's so kind…"
"Master Yoh, Master Yoh, Master Yoh. Is that all what you know to say?" he snapped. I'm sick and tired of hearing his name from you over and over!"
"That's because he's not mean like you."
"I'm not mean! You are!" he burst out before running away. He then paused and returned, handing Tamao a bottle. "Here."
She looked down at the jar with glowing fireflies inside. Her eyes widened in delight, then returned to him, puzzled.
"These are pretty to look at when you put them someplace really dark," he said not looking at her. "They only come out at night near big trees, so I needed to go here to get them."
"I-It's not my birthday, right?" she said slowly.
"I never said it was," he barked, glad that it was dark, and enough to hide his blush. "If you don't like them, I'll set them free."
"No, I do want them!" she cried.
"Take it then." Horo turned his back on her and continued to run away.
Horo snapped out from his trance when the door of his bedroom opened, revealing a Tamao dressed in her pajamas, clutching her pillow. She looked at him uncertainly. "A-Am I disturbing you?"
"You already did," he snickered. "You might as well make the most out of it."
She shut the door shyly. "W-Well…I want to ask if…if I can sleep here with you."
To say he was shocked was an understatement. Why would Tamao sleep in his room?
She answered his unvoiced question. "Ryu is outside my room, waiting for me. There are no other guestrooms available, and I'm too shy to disturb the others who might be sleeping already…."
"So you ran to me?" he asked, pleased that she came to him immediately.
"Well, it is your fault why Ryu is suddenly chasing me around," she said, hands on her hips.
He shrugged. "Well, if you didn't make a love potion-"
Her pillow slammed on his face. "Shut up!" she wailed, her face flushed. "How should I know that you know already that it is a love potion!"
"Meeeeh?" He gestured to himself innocently.
"Yes, you! Ms. Anna said that she sensed that you know about the potion that's why you gave Ryu some of it."
He laughed. "Well, Ryu was thirsty."
"Nevertheless, you should have told me earlier, so I wouldn't look like a fool," she said.
"You were cheating," he reminded her. "Love potion is not part of the one week operation you dared to undertake. You have to make me fall in love with you in the most natural way!"
"Hmp! Did you really drink the potion?" she asked curiously.
He grinned and nodded. "You saw me. I drank it."
"B-But why is it not affecting you?" she asked.
"Don't ask me," he said, shrugging. His eyes averted hers. "Let's go to sleep."
Tamao was about to lie down Pirika's bed when he called her.
"Don't try anything funny, Tamao. If you try to rape me again-"
Her pillow found its way to Horo Horo's face again.
Ten minutes later, Horo Horo realized that it was harder for him to sleep. He looked at the girl near him then sighed. "Tamao? Still awake?"
He heard a muffled yes.
He looked at the ceiling. "I think it's one of those nights when amnesia suddenly attacks me."
"It's insomnia," she corrected.
"Amnesia, insomnia. Who cares, as long as the both end in –sia?" Horo turned to face her, whose back was facing him. "Let's chat."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Anything. Like…when is Master Yoh coming back?"
"Tomorrow evening. However, I can't go there to meet him. I'm too shy to ask Master Yohmei if I can tag along when I meet him. Ms. Anna, more so."
"Then you'll just have to wait for him here."
"Yeah."
Horo cleared his throat. "M-Maybe you should give Master Yoh up already."
He heard her sigh.
"He doesn't really know how much you love him," he continued slowly. "W-Why don't you just save that love for someone who'll appreciate it."
"Easier said than done," she said, sighing deeply again. "All my life, I had loved him from afar…"
"That's because all you see is Master Yoh. You don't pay attention to the other people around you."
"What are you talking about? There are no other people!" She turned to him, eyes glistening with tears. "Who would fall in love with me? A mere trying-hard prophetess. I'm not even as strong and as calm as Ms. Anna, or as wise as Madam Kino. I'm not as brave as your sister. And I even had to resort to love potions just so one man could fall in love with me. Who would love me then?"
"Tamao…" He clenched his fists. "Stop crying, you idiot!"
She flinched.
"You know what, the only thing I want to do now is to give you my sight, just so you can see how truly special you are!" he yelled.
A tear streaked down her cheek. "Horo Horo…"
"You may not be like those said people, and sometimes you may be hopeless, but that's because you are you. I…we love you for who you are." Horo Horo smiled at her. "Tamao, you're really special. You're kind, although you're not kind to me," he said ruefully. "But that's beside the fact. You are lovable in your own way, so…so… " He blushed faintly. "Master Yoh is too dense sometimes, but you must not think that it's the end of the world. There are other people that love you, if you will only look around."
She sniffed. "You're nice…that sounds good…Are you sure you're Horo Horo?"
"Yup, the one and only."
"Thanks. If you're always like this…you can make any girl fall for you."
He merely smiled at her, but inside, he felt his heart race. "Go to sleep, Tamao. You need it."
"Yes."
Horo Horo looked out at the window, and he remembered something again.
"Master Yoh, do you know that Tamao has a crush on you?" he found himself asking his master.
Yoh put his arms behind his head. "Does she know that you have a crush on her?"
He averted his gaze. "She wouldn't be too happy when she learns that."
"Why?" he asked earnestly.
"Because," he said simply, as if that single word was the source of reason for existence itself.
Yoh looked amused. "People are happy when loved."
"Not Tamao," he insisted. "She wouldn't want to know that she is loved by me. She doesn't like me at all."
"Why do you bully her so much anyway?" his master wanted to know.
"Because that's the only way I can think of getting her attention from you," he admitted candidly. "That's the only way I can show how much I care for her. And she wouldn't understand, even if I say it now."
"There is always tomorrow," said Yoh encouragingly. "Don't worry, Horo Horo. Things will work out by themselves. You'll eventually have the guts to tell her what you feel someday…and I'm sure that when that time comes, she will finally understand."
He looked back at Tamao, who was fast asleep already. He crawled towards her and tucked her in, blanketing her.
"The love potion didn't work," he said to the sleeping girl. "Because I had been loving you since long ago." He leaned down on her and planted a light kiss on her hair, then crawled back to his bed.
Tsuzuku
Anna-Yoh chapter coming up soon!
