Chapter Two
Hao and Kristina walked the brightly lit street, the sun shining overhead. Kristina had convinced Hao to let her take him shopping. "You need new clothes, Hao! That--poncho thing just doesn't cut it."
Hao sighed as she ran from store to store, peering in the windows and pointing at different things. He couldn't help but smile slightly as he trudged along behind her, and was mildly surprised when she pulled him into a store.
Kristina led him over to a black, silken kimono decorated with shining silver stars and crescent moons. It tied a little above the waist with a large, silver bow and came with traditional plat formed wooden sandals. She admired it for a moment. "Isn't it gorgeous?" She whispered, picking up the price tag and reading it. Then, with a slight sigh, she turned and walked away.
Hao read the price tag. 100 yen. He watched Kristina walk to a clearance rack and scan the clothes, pulling out a plain black kimono with a blue fringe. She held it in front of her, smiling.
"Whada ya think? I have enough money. It's only ten."
Hao wondered momentarily how she could be so cheerful when she didn't get what she wanted. He smiled anyways. "Very you. Are you going to get it?"
Kristina nodded and walked to the cashier as Hao went to stand outside the store. One could say that he was almost having fun today. Except for the fact that Yoh had just rounded the corner with Tao Ren.
Ren scowled as he saw Hao and Yoh dropped his ice cream. Hao pretended he hadn't noticed them, staring at the sky.
"So you said I'm evil, Hao? That's what Lyserg tells me. Did you kill the girl, too?"
Hao grimaced at the harsh words spoken by his brother, but he only shrugged defiantly. "No, we're here shopping."
It was Ren's turn to drop his ice cream. "YOU?! SHOPPING?!" He cracked up laughing, just as Kristina came out of the store wearing her new kimono. Hao felt the blood rush to his cheeks and he glanced at Yoh and Ren. He wasn't the only one blushing.
Kristina had pulled her blond hair back into a bun, with the exception of two strands that hung in front of her eyes. Two hair sticks stuck out the bun, with pearls dangling from the tips of them. She smiled at Hao, and then tuned to look at Ren and Yoh, studying them. Then she pointed at Yoh.
"Isn't he the evil Shaman, Hao?"
Hao smirked at Yoh and Ren, pushing Kristina behind him. "Yes, he is."
Yoh gaped, the blush turning into a heated rage. "I am not evil, Hao! Tell her the truth!"
Kristina looked from Yoh to Hao, then back to Yoh. "Are you two twins?"
Hao sighed and turned. "Come on, Kristina, we're leaving."
"But I'm hungry!"
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Kristina smiled (yet again) as she finished her Tofu. Across the table, Yoh was finishing off his meal. His mind was still on earlier. The waitress had to lay down the bill before he finally came out of his trance.
Kristina started to reach for the bill, but he grabbed it before she could. "I'll pay for it."
Kristina reached across the table and snatched it from him. "You're giving me a place to stay and helping me with a lot of other things. The least I can do is help pay for dinner." She fumbled through her purse and pulled out he wallet, laying the required money on the table and then a few more yen to tip the waitress.
Hao watched her with a slight bit of amusement. He had never seen a girl that was so stubborn, if you didn't include Anna.
Hao attention was sent elsewhere as a tall, blonde girl of about 13 entered the room. She smiled at the man who delt with reserves. "Kamatari, Sasha." Behind her was a spirit that resembled a werewolf. Another Shaman.
Hao and Kristina walked the brightly lit street, the sun shining overhead. Kristina had convinced Hao to let her take him shopping. "You need new clothes, Hao! That--poncho thing just doesn't cut it."
Hao sighed as she ran from store to store, peering in the windows and pointing at different things. He couldn't help but smile slightly as he trudged along behind her, and was mildly surprised when she pulled him into a store.
Kristina led him over to a black, silken kimono decorated with shining silver stars and crescent moons. It tied a little above the waist with a large, silver bow and came with traditional plat formed wooden sandals. She admired it for a moment. "Isn't it gorgeous?" She whispered, picking up the price tag and reading it. Then, with a slight sigh, she turned and walked away.
Hao read the price tag. 100 yen. He watched Kristina walk to a clearance rack and scan the clothes, pulling out a plain black kimono with a blue fringe. She held it in front of her, smiling.
"Whada ya think? I have enough money. It's only ten."
Hao wondered momentarily how she could be so cheerful when she didn't get what she wanted. He smiled anyways. "Very you. Are you going to get it?"
Kristina nodded and walked to the cashier as Hao went to stand outside the store. One could say that he was almost having fun today. Except for the fact that Yoh had just rounded the corner with Tao Ren.
Ren scowled as he saw Hao and Yoh dropped his ice cream. Hao pretended he hadn't noticed them, staring at the sky.
"So you said I'm evil, Hao? That's what Lyserg tells me. Did you kill the girl, too?"
Hao grimaced at the harsh words spoken by his brother, but he only shrugged defiantly. "No, we're here shopping."
It was Ren's turn to drop his ice cream. "YOU?! SHOPPING?!" He cracked up laughing, just as Kristina came out of the store wearing her new kimono. Hao felt the blood rush to his cheeks and he glanced at Yoh and Ren. He wasn't the only one blushing.
Kristina had pulled her blond hair back into a bun, with the exception of two strands that hung in front of her eyes. Two hair sticks stuck out the bun, with pearls dangling from the tips of them. She smiled at Hao, and then tuned to look at Ren and Yoh, studying them. Then she pointed at Yoh.
"Isn't he the evil Shaman, Hao?"
Hao smirked at Yoh and Ren, pushing Kristina behind him. "Yes, he is."
Yoh gaped, the blush turning into a heated rage. "I am not evil, Hao! Tell her the truth!"
Kristina looked from Yoh to Hao, then back to Yoh. "Are you two twins?"
Hao sighed and turned. "Come on, Kristina, we're leaving."
"But I'm hungry!"
center * * */center
Kristina smiled (yet again) as she finished her Tofu. Across the table, Yoh was finishing off his meal. His mind was still on earlier. The waitress had to lay down the bill before he finally came out of his trance.
Kristina started to reach for the bill, but he grabbed it before she could. "I'll pay for it."
Kristina reached across the table and snatched it from him. "You're giving me a place to stay and helping me with a lot of other things. The least I can do is help pay for dinner." She fumbled through her purse and pulled out he wallet, laying the required money on the table and then a few more yen to tip the waitress.
Hao watched her with a slight bit of amusement. He had never seen a girl that was so stubborn, if you didn't include Anna.
Hao attention was sent elsewhere as a tall, blonde girl of about 13 entered the room. She smiled at the man who delt with reserves. "Kamatari, Sasha." Behind her was a spirit that resembled a werewolf. Another Shaman.