Chapter 2: Itsumo

I leaned on the kitchen wall, feeling a sweeping turmoil of emotions within me. Horo Horo's just said words rung in my mind.

"I told you, she's not a girlfriend material. Sure, she's pretty…but she's not my type."

My grip on the tray tightened. I didn't know why I was feeling this hurt when I heard this from him when I have absolutely no reason to feel so.

The last part of the statement was honestly the one that hurt me most. Was he trying to imply that I was not as lovable as Anna-okami for instance?

And why wasn't I considered as a girlfriend material? Was I lacking something?

I licked my lips, then pasted the usual smile on my face as I proceeded into the kitchen. "I didn't find Master Yoh and Anna-okami."

Lyserg grinned. "No problem. Maybe I'll rest first or something. The trip was a little exhausting."

I nodded. "Where is your baggage? Maybe I can help you with it."

The dowser shook his head. "No need." He got up, and that is when I remembered that we had not provided him with food yet. Flustered, I went to the dish rack. "M-Matte, Lyserg Diethyl-san. P-Please eat first!"

He chuckled. "No, I'm quite full, thanks."

Horo Horo raised his hand. "But you can get started on my pie anytime, Tamao."

I placed my hands on my hips. "Really now, Horo Horo, that is so mean of you. We have to entertain our guest first!"

"But I'm hungry!" he whined.

Lyserg chuckled once more. "You two…you act like a married couple, the way you bicker and talk to each other."

I felt my face flood with colors. But before I could reply, Horo commented.

"Things are not always what they seem to be."

I clamped my mouth shut, for some reason hurt by what he said.

Lyserg looked at me, then smiled. "I agree, Horo Horo." He gave us a small bow and picked his things up.

That snapped me out of my trance. I hurried to him. "Diethyl-san, I'll show you to your room."

He nodded gratefully then waved at the Ainu.

"How long have you and Horo Horo been this close?" asked Lyserg as we walked down the halls leading to the bedrooms.

I looked at him, puzzled. Was he doing what I think he was doing?

The dowser noticed the puzzled expression on my face. "No, no, please do not think otherwise. I am just curious, so please forgive my queer interrogative ways."

I looked down. "A year and two months, I think." I sighed in relief when we had reached the guest rooms.

"Gomen if I make you uncomfortable," he said ruefully. "I just saw that you didn't like what Horo Horo commented, and I couldn't help but feel that somehow…well, your friendship may not be as platonic as you think."

I felt colors flood my face. "W-What do you mean?" He couldn't dare suggest that Horo-kun…and I…

"You know the answer to that." He watched me pause from unlocking the door of one room. "I just wanted to tell you that…" Something flickered in his eyes. A look saying that he was journeying mentally to a time long, long ago. "…never mind."

"Diethyl-san?"

He laughed wryly. "Don't mind me. I'm just tired." He looked at the forgotten key in my hand, and I nearly slapped myself silly. I quickly resumed to my interrupted work.

"You and Horo Horo look great together…as a pair," he remarked softly.

I gulped, then used the universal excuse Horo-kun uses when confronted like this. "W-We're not a pair of scissors…"

"Even Chocolove won't come up with something like that."

I blushed. "Horo-kun's line."

When I arrived in the kitchen, Horo Horo was scowling. I sighed- maturity was never one of the finest points of my friend.

"Hey, what took you so long?" He cupped his face as he looked at me.

"I couldn't find the right room key," I explained.

He didn't look convinced. "Did Lyserg tell you anything weird?"

"Like?" I asked as I took out my baking utensils. "What flavor of pie do you want?"

But he didn't seem interested with the pie anymore all of a sudden, which was quite a shocker. Horo Horo had never considered any topic to be above food, except when it concerns his sister. He walked towards me, eyes narrowed. "You know…like…your love life."

"What is there to tell about? It's non-existent," I replied patiently.

He rubbed his cheek. "Um…" He was probably thinking of the best way to open up the topic that was both glaring in our minds.

But apparently, I was wrong. He asked again. "Does he intend to court you?"

I blinked. Now that was pretty direct. I waved my hand dismissively. "No. He has the eyes of a man madly in love with someone else."

He looked relieved. He muttered something inaudible.

"Pardon?" I asked as I took out the flour.

"Did he make other weird comments?"

"You're too edgy today, Horo-kun. If you want to know what we talked about, ask him," I said, rolling my eyes.

"OK, one last question. Did he comment something about the two of us?"

I decided to be truthful. "Hai…the usual."

He nodded. The "usual" meant the questions on our friendship's intimacy.

We both fell silent- we agreed to be honest to each other, and that includes the discussion of our friendship to other people. It still felt awkward though.

He sat on the kitchen counter, watching me intently. He wasn't speaking, making me more uncomfortable.

"I love you," he said, eyes crinkling into a smile. "You're a superb cook, you're the best mother I never had, and you don't beat me up the way my sister does."

My heart skipped a beat as colors rushed back to my face. "And I love you too, Horo-kun. You are the extension of my strength, my protector, my hero. Yet at the same time, you can bring out the mother hen instinct within me so easily."

 "I love you even if you make me wash the dishes every night."

"And I love you even if you always raid the refrigerator clean."

We smiled at each other, then burst into laughter. I was glad that the tension between us dissipated.

Honesty, trust, and lots of love.

I will never ever give my best friend up for anything in the world, not without a fight.

~*~

I woke up in the middle of the night. I stood up and slipped into my robe, then went to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

I blinked when I found Horo Horo by the refrigerator, bending down to get something.

"Horo-kun?" I asked.

He jumped. "Argh! I didn't steal the sandwiches!" He paused, then turned to face me. "Tamao!" He looked like a cross between an irritated man and a relieved boy.

"So that's why those tuna sandwiches I made for Anna-okami disappeared," I said dryly.

"Well, I was hungry…"

"Hai."

He grinned. "Don't tell Anna I ate her precious sandwiches, ok?"

I smiled sweetly. "Suuuure. But…"

He snorted. "I hate that word."

"But…" I continued. "…you must sweep the whole house tomorrow until next week."

He paused. "Um…I can do it tomorrow and for the next three days but…"

I blinked when I saw him turn serious. "Why? Are you sick, Horo-kun?"

He shrugged. "I'll be leaving for China on Thursday."

"E-Eh?!"

He sighed. "Ren Tao invited me to spar and train with him."

"But why so sudden?"

"He said he was intending to invite Yoh, but Anna said no, so he gave me the last-minute offer," grumbled Horo. "Me, a second choice. Hah!"

"And you accepted it?"

"I'll show him that I'm not just a second choice when it comes to shaman fights!"

I sighed. Aside from being cocky and glutton, Horo Horo was also ultra-competitive.

"How long will you be away?" I asked quietly.

"A year…I don't know." He looked at me. "One thing's for sure, it would be no vacation."

I bit my lip. I was so used to seeing him everyday in the Asakura house. Now all of a sudden, he would be leaving, and he would be gone for a year.

It sounded all so simple, really. But why was it filling me with dread?

Maybe my powers were just making me paranoid. I shook my head. Horo Horo wouldn't go to Timbuktu; he would just go to China, Japan's neighbor.

Dakedo…

"Tamao?" He drew closer towards me. "Hey, d-don't tell me you're…no, don't," he begged helplessly. "Y-You're crying…"

I realized he was right when a tear dropped down my cheek.

"D-Did I say something stupid? Damn!" he said when he saw another tear fall. And another. He placed his hands on my shoulders. "T-Tamao, whatever I said to hurt you, I'm sorry. Sometimes, I don't think before I open my mouth. Tamao, don't…don't cry. I-I'll cry too, and we'll make noise. Then we'll wake Anna and the others up, and they'll cry along with us, and our neighbors would hear us and would cry along too. We'll make an awful noise, and the town mayor will decide to shoot us down for disturbing the peace and order he's protecting-"

I couldn't help but smile through my tears. "D-Don't worry. It's just that…I'll miss you terribly." It was the closest thing to the truth.

His face softened. "And I'll miss you too, Flower. No cook in the world can make apple pies the way you do…"

I smiled, touched.

"You stuff the crust with strawberries."

I hit his back, and he caught my hand laughingly.

"And these soft, delicate hands fill my favorite apple pies with so much love," he said huskily.

And that made both of us stop. It was as if it was enough to start the tension again between us- one that we thought we had settled already almost year ago.

A year? Could it be? We had been friends for almost two years already?

I gasped when I felt him pull me close to him. He hugged me tightly, his hand brushing my hair gently.

"Please tell me again why you love your best friend so," he whispered.

"B-Because…he is my strength…he is my protector and my hero, and my most favorite person in the world…" My chest constricted. "I love you, Horo-kun."

A year ago, I was unsure. I professed my love for him as his friend. Now I was surer than ever that I was professing this as a woman very much in love with him.

"Don't forget that," he said gruffly. "I don't want you hanging out with other guys…I'll make Pirika check on you regularly."

"H-Hai."

He grinned, then wiped my tears with his fingers. "Now stop crying. You're eyes are getting swollen…you might get mistaken for a cotton candy-haired monster."

"Please come back," I whispered.

"I will," he promised solemnly.

That Thursday was the saddest day of my life. He didn't bid me goodbye, and Pirika told me that he doesn't want to change his mind when he sees two women crying.

I brought out my board and the silver coin. I was intending to make a reading on Anna-okami.

Just then, Horo Horo flashed into my mind.

I frowned, then placed the coin on the board. It moved quickly, wildly spelling out something.

My eyes went wide with shock when I realized what the board said.

Tragedy. And a sleep from which he could never open his eyes again.

"No…no…" I whispered, refusing to believe my powers that never fail me.

A week later, Jun Tao came to Izumo and brought us the news.

Horo Horo met a grave accident while he was sparring with her brother.

And he was in comatose.

tsuzuku