"Honey, yuhooo!!! I'm home!!!" yelled Horo Horo giddily upon his arrival. Yoh and the others stared in shock as a pink-haired girl appeared on the door, drying her hands.

"Hey, you're back so soon," she remarked. "And you've got company."

Horo smirked. "I asked for my Honey, and it's my dog who fetches me at the door."

"I'm not a dog!" she protested.

"Where's Pirika?" he asked.

Her face turned pale. "A-Ah…" She looked down, not knowing how to start explaining. "I-Inside," she finally stammered.

He gave her a you-are-a-weirdo look. "That took you long enough to answer. It's only two syllables, geez." He entered the house, then remembered his friends. "Guys, come in. Yoh, please feel at home."

Tamao stiffened when she saw the grinning boy. She took a shaky step backward. "M-Master…"

"What did you say?" asked Horo, looking at the girl quizzically. "What's this? I've been only gone for some hours and your mind has already deteriorated? Did you really miss me that much?"

"Master Hao!!!" Pure, unadulterated terror was written all over the girl's face.

Everyone gaped at her, then back at Yoh.

The bum pointed to himself. "Eh?"

To their shock, Tamao fell down on her knees and bowed in front of his feet. "I'm so sorry for running away. P-Please spare my life!!!" She broke into a sob.

Horo automatically knelt by her side. "H-Hey, that's not Prince Hao. D-Don't cry…"

Yoh instantly looked concerned. "Maybe I should leave-"

Anna yanked her itako beads that she tied with his tusk band. "We won't leave without seeing the hot springs bath."

"A-Aaack!" Yoh struggled with his neck.

Horo rubbed his head. "Gawd, I've never seen a woman cry yet. Pirika never cries. What should I do?"

Ryu materialized beside the crying girl. "My sweet, do not cry. Ryu is here, and he will kiss away your fear."

The Ainu narrowed his eyes at the man. "I think she's suffering enough trauma already, thank you very much."

Yoh rubbed his cheek. "A-Ah, Miss, stop crying. I won't do anything bad to you. I'm not Prince Hao Asakura. My name is Yoh, and well…my life is far from being the prince."

Tamao looked up, then rubbed her eyes. "Yoh…"

He grinned. "That's right!"

"I'm sorry." She wiped her tears away gingerly with her thumb. "Now I know. You must think I'm a baby."

Horo nodded. "Well, to tell you the truth…"

Ryu cut in. "Of course not! But you can be my baby anytime!"

The Ainu sighed. He just realized that the Wooden Blade has taken a liking for the cotton candy-haired girl. He didn't like that.

"Does Yoh really look like that prince?" asked Anna in detached curiosity.

Tamao nodded. "Very much! Only his hair is longer…and his eyes…they are different from Master Hao's." She bowed at the boy again. "I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding."

He grinned. "Don't think about it anymore." He held out his hand. "Nice meeting you, Miss…"

"Tamao. Tamamura Tamao." She blushed faintly.

The Ainu blinked. He just realized that the girl has taken a liking for the earphoned boy. Again, he found himself not liking that a bit.

He shrugged that peculiar feeling away. What did he care anyway? He turned back into the house. "Pirika!!!"

When she didn't he come, he rushed into the kitchen, wondering what the problem was. It was his sister that he was expecting to greet him on the door with her warm smile.

Maybe she's still mad at me for insisting to go out and find Yoh. But maybe when she meets him and see how nice he is, she won't be so mad anymore.

He was about to open the kitchen door when Pirika opened it at the same time, face flushed. "O-Onii-chan!" she stammered, her eyes turning frantic.

His forehead creased. Definitely that wasn't how he expected her to greet him. Something indeed, was wrong. "Come, I'll cook you some ramen," he said, pushing the door. "Then you can tell me what happened while I'm gone."

To his surprise, she held on the door as if it was her lifesaver. "A-Ah, maybe later, Onii-chan…"

"But it is now when I'm in the mood to cook!" he protested, pushing the door open.

She pulled back with all her might. "N-Not…now…"

"Pirika?" he struggled against the weight of the door. "Are you hiding something in there?"

Tamao and the others had already followed him, and were now watching their tug-and-war battle with the door. The former looked like she was about to faint.

They all stiffened when another voice spoke up.

"Why don't you let him in, Pirika?" a boy's voice asked calmly. The next second, the door was pulled open, nearly making Horo Horo stumble onto the floor.

Tamao gasped, just as Pirika threw the dark-haired boy a panicked glance.

Horo immediately got up, "Hey wait! Who the hell are you?" he yelled at the short boy with pointed hair. "What are you doing in my house, er, mansion?"

"Your sister insisted me to stay," said the stranger, shrugging carelessly.

"You're lying! Pirika will never do that, not in a million years!"

"She was hiding me from you. Are you that dumb?" The boy seemed to enjoy how easily the Ainu was getting pissed off.

Horo turned to his sister helplessly. She nodded difficultly. He eyed her quizzically. "But why?"

Her eyes welled up with tears. "Onii-chan…" She then ran up to him, sobbing.

Tamao stepped forward. "Horo Horo, he…he kissed her."

Silence.

The next minute was a whirlwind of events. Horo had let go of his sister and had attacked the smirking boy. The latter was able to avoid his attack, but not the next one, when he used his ice attack.

"Wow!" gasped Yoh. "He's a shaman too!"

Anna merely watched the battle.

The stranger smirked, "So your sister was telling the truth. You are a shaman, but a low-level one, if I may say."

"Let me change your mind about your previous statement." Horo held out his hand. "Kororo!!! Oversoul!!!"

The boy looked on, his smirk widening. "How can that cute earth spirit help you? I'll show you what a real oversoul is." He held out his spear. "Bason!!! Oversoul!!!"

The two then lunged on towards each other.

Lyserg was awakened by the delicious aroma of coffee and sausages. He stretched, then left his study room, only to find Jeanne working in the kitchen, wearing an apron, her silver tresses tied up above her head. She looked every inch a lovely house wife.

He scolded himself for his last thought. How could he think that way about the little girl he took under his wings? What a scoundrel he was!

Jeanne turned around when she felt his steady gaze. "Lyserg?"

He grinned at her. "What are you cooking? It smells most wonderfully."

She smiled. "It will be cooked in a minute."

He sat down by the table and watched her again, enjoying the sight of such a small girl like her working in the kitchen like a wife. He sighed. There he goes again, regarding her that way. He felt humiliated with his actions.

"I'm sorry for being a burden," she suddenly said.

He blinked.

"Last night…I didn't mean to bother you," she continued, busying herself with whatever she was frying. "I don't know why I keep of dreaming that…and fire."

"Fire…" he echoed, clenching his fists.

She brought the plate of eggs and sausages to the table, then sat down, looking troubled. "Men in white were calling my name over and over in an agony-filled mantra until it took all of my strength not to break down." She crossed her hands together, sighing heavily. "Who are they?"

Lyserg looked at her intently. "Jeanne, worrying about that now wouldn't help them. You must eat up to have strength. It is only then would you be able to help them."

"I'm not hungry," she said softly.

"That is not the case with your physical shell." He sipped his coffee. "You haven't eaten much ever since you came here. Is my cooking that bad?"

She blinked, then vehemently shook her head. "Iie, Lyserg!"

"There's no logic behind letting your body waste away." He pushed the plate towards her. "Join me in breakfast," he ordered. "I can't let you starve in front of me."

She was about to protest when he took a forkful of the sausage and popped a bit of it into her mouth.

"If I have to spoonfeed you just to get you to eat, I will," he said seriously.

She laughed shyly. "V-Very well, I'll feed myself."

He smiled and handed her a fork too. She took a forkful off the eggs and popped them into her mouth. He grinned at her. "That's my girl."

How nice it sounded, coming from his lips.

Horo fell down the ground as Ren looked up at him. He had remained standing, looking at his fallen foe. He didn't expect that he would put up such a fight. With that, he lost his oversoul, just as Horo lost his.

"Draw," said Anna.

"Onii-chan!" screamed Pirika, hurrying to her brother's side. "Were you hurt badly?"

"Are you kidding?" He laughed through his pain. Damn, he would have to rest his right arm for a week, His opponent concentrated on one spot of his body, perhaps thinking that he could touch a nerve in there connected to his brain so he would pass out immediately. "I'm alright! This is just a scratch!"

Her furious eyes turned to Ren, who was rubbing his left leg, wincing. Her brother had hit him there awhile ago in the collision. She felt a small bit of satisfaction. "Ren Tao, I hate you!!!"

"Touched," he said sarcastically.

"You bastard!" yelled Horo. "If I wasn't tired from our journey back here, I would have pulverized you!!!"

"Are you expecting me to tremble in fear?"

"You will, soon enough." Horo escaped from his sister's grasp. "Ice daggers!"

Ren took an offensive stance too, ready to do a counterattack.

Just then, a katana destroyed both their attacks. They turned to Yoh, who was returning his katana back to its sheath. Yoh grinned. "Sorry, but you guys had enough battling for one day." He turned to Anna, who was watching them with ill-concealed boredom. "And Anna is hungry already. Why don't you continue the fighting some other time?"

Tamao smiled gratefully at him. "I-I made a good roast chicken."

"R-Roast chicken?" Horo looked interested.

Ren dropped his stance. "Do you have gravy to go with it?"

Pirika sweatdropped. Was it really that easy for them to forget the enraged battle just like that? Her gaze went to Yoh next. She couldn't believe how powerful he was, breaking two attacks at the same time.

Such power…hiding in such person…and I thought my brother was the most laidback person I know.

What a bum. Yes, he must be a bum.

Horo took on bite after bite, grumbling. "I can't believe that you have the nerve to share the dining table with us after what happened."

Ren shrugged. "What can I say? Your girlfriend is a good cook." He looked at her. "In case you want better salary and a much better-looking boyfriend, tell me."

Tamao turned crimson. "E-Eh?"

Horo Horo promptly threw his noodle bowl over at Ren, who dodged the attack, but not the noodles. "Go get your own cook! Tamao is mine."

Yoh turned to the noodles on Ren's head. "I take it that you won't eat them anymore." He was about to take the noodles for himself when Anna slammed him on the head.

"How disgusting!" she said disapprovingly.

"But that's food too, and food is a blessing from Kami-sama. Such a shame to just let it waste."

"Don't you dare argue with me!" She delivered another hit on him, earning them shocked looks from their companions.

"How long do you plan to share your dining table with us?" Pirika asked the Tao gloomily. She couldn't help but stare at the mouth that just claimed hers only some time ago. She looked down, flushed. That was so improper for her to do!

Fortunately, no one seemed to notice. No one but Ren himself, that is. He smirked at her knowingly. "I think the question should be, 'How long would you want me to share your meal?', eh?"

She clenched her fists. "Conceited pig."

"I'll stay here for awhile until I defeat you." His eyes then went to Yoh. The boy blinked, then pointed to himself cluelessly.

"Don't involve Yoh with your child games," snapped the itako suddenly.

Ren rolled his eyes. "I'm talking to him, not you."

"Yoh is my property, for he is my bodyguard." She crossed her arms over her chest. "And I say that I don't want him to waste time playing with you."

"Playing?!" The Tao looked furious. "Let me show you how someone like me plays around-"

Yoh suddenly stepped protectively in front of Anna. "Hey, hey calm down! Let's respect the wonderful dish Tamao-san made for us."

The pink-haired girl blushed upon the mention of her name. Horo sighed audibly, then glanced at Ryu, who was eating peacefully. "What about you, Ryu? What can you say for yourself?"

The man opened his eyes. "Can I have a second serving?"

"Most certainly!" Tamao stood up hurriedly and took a second bowl of rice for the man.

Anna stood up. "I want to see the hot springs bath."

Upon the mention of those words, Horo's eyes twinkled. "Of course. How could I forget? Let me just finish my meal, than I'll prepare it." He then giddily finished the rest of his meal.

Pirika eyed him warily. She could already see the lecherous mind of her brother working.

"I think the bath is ready," said Horo. He gestured to the right. "The ladies' bath." Anna and Tamao nodded. He grinned and waved. "I'll just come back for you guys in two hours." He then left.

Tamao watched as Anna calmly began to disrobe. "Ms. Anna, don't you feel uncomfortable?" she asked timidly. "I-I've never been into a bath like this…so…"

Anna smiled briefly at her. "It's my first time too."

The pink-haired girl's face lit up. "OK! Let's go in together!"

On the other side of the bath wall, Horo was twisting in anticipation. Oh mother of luck, the two didn't know how to bathe! Oh, this surely would be fun to watch!

Through the small crack on the wall, he watched as Anna-okami placed her robe on the floor, dressed in white loincloth only. She fluffed her soft, golden hair, then tied it at the top of her head.

Too skinny for my taste, but she's flawless, in fairness. His gaze turned to Tamao, then panicked when he saw that she was intending to disrobe without her loincloth. He suddenly tore his eyes away from her, flushed. He didn't understand why he suddenly felt shy to peep at her.

That's because she's so kind, he told himself. You think of her as a sister, so you can't bring yourself to do the things you often do to other girls.

He looked up again when he heard Tamao's delighted laughter. She was already in the water with Anna, her cheeks flushed. His eyes softened peculiarly. One look at her innocently flushed face, and all his perverted thoughts were erased. He was about to draw away from the peeping hole when Yoh arrived, preparing to bathe too. "Hey, Horo!" he greeted in loud cheerfulness. "What are you looking at in there?" He then noticed the wall. "A hole? Oh, so you're inspecting it, eh? It must come through all the way to the next door room!"

Loud gasps came from the other side of the room. Horo pleadingly asked him to lower his voice by frantically gesturing him.

Yoh rubbed his head. "WHAT?! Are you asking me to shut up?" He looked around. "Where's everybody else?"

Horo heard footsteps heading their way. "Oh boy…"

Pirika could only sigh as she nursed her brother's swollen cheeks. "You idiot! I thought you were too old to play Peeping Tom!"

Horo Horo sighed miserably. "I've learned my lesson well."

Pirika laughed. "Anna-okami is a good teacher."

He nodded in agreement, then remembered Tamao who merely looked at him in embarrassed speechlessness. He clenched his fists. Why was it bothering him so anyway?

"What did Tamao say?" she asked, sensing his brother's thoughts.

"Oh, who cares about that mouse?" He stretched. "Let's go to sleep."

"Wait! I'll just return this to the medicine cabinet in the kitchen." She left her brother's room and hurried to the kitchen.

As she fixed the cabinet, she caught a glimpse of Ren standing outside the window, his eyes shut in concentration. He had taken off his shirt, adding more masculinity to his aura. Against her will, she stood by the window and watched him.

In a split second, he whipped his spear out and slashed the falling leaves. One by one, the leaves dropped into the ground in groups of fourteen.

"Seven slashes…" her eyes shook. "So fast…"

He suddenly turned to her. A smirk dawned on his face. "Did you enjoy my performance, or were you just looking at me?"

Her face flushed. "Pig!!!" Fuming, she left the kitchen.

"…one hundred fifty!"" Yoh got up exhaustedly, but happily.

Anna nodded. "That would be all for the day. You may go to sleep." She laid herself on the comfy bed as Yoh stretched and laid himself on the cold, tiled floor, hugging his blanket.

"'Night, Anna!" he bade.

She couldn't help but throw another look at him. She knew that he was the type to fall asleep anywhere he pleases, but she was worried that the floor might be too cold. There were a lot of rooms in the mansion, but the tusk band complicated things. Now here he was, asleep on the floor of her bedroom.

She turned to her other side, forcing herself to fall asleep. When she wakes up in the morning, she would laugh at her rare moments of concern to people other than herself.

"He left with an itako?" Kino looked pleasantly surprised. "What luck."

Shilva looked at her inquiringly.

"Just what I need. An itako…" The old woman brought out a book. "I think it's the right time to reveal to Yoh who he really is."

"The Super Notes on Shamanic Powers!" exclaimed Shilva when he recognized the book's cover.

The old woman nodded solemnly. "Make haste and bring this to Yoh. Be discreet, or Hao would know. He must not know."

Tsuzuku

In my last chapter, I had a pinoy omake, but someone emailed me asking what the heck did I write. Let me then translate what I wrote. It is based on LAVENDER, dubbed as the most romantic drama series in Asia. It is a story of a boy, a girl, and a promise. Just before he left, he gave her a bottle of Lavender, asking her to keep it. He promised to find her again, and that he would come back on her 20th birthday. He does return, but now as a famous pop star. Will he still remember?

Anyway, here's the omake…

(La Vendor)

starring:  Ren Tao as Yi Shin / Hao Asakura as Leo

Ren: Are you leaving already?

Hao: Yes. I'm leaving for the other world.

Ren: You won't come back anymore?

Hao: *rubs head* Well, it's quite far from here..

Ren: *near to tears* Can't I come with you?

Hao: I don't know if it offers roundtrip. Don't worry. I'll ask them when I arrive there..

Ren: You might get lost there!.

Hao: Don't worry. There are a lot of policemen there.

Ren: Really?

Hao: By the way, here. *gives the lavender* That's the lavender flower.

Ren: You're giving it to me?

Hao: Hell no! You have to buy it from me. I still don't have the fare for the trip to the next life.

Ren: How much?

Hao: *brings out a calculator* Four hundred pesos.

Ren: Too dear!.

Hao: Alright five pesos then..

Ren: Call.

Hao: But I have something to give you. *gives bread*

Ren: H-Huh?

Hao: I will come back after one thousand years, I promise you that. When we meet each other again, I hope you still have it.

Ren: *on the verge of tears* So many things can happen in one year!

Hao: I will find you, no matter what. And when I come back and you still hold that bread, I'll EAT it.

Ren: Really??? Promise?

Hao: Cross my heart.

Ren: I will wait. Until the End of Eternity, It is Only You Whom I Will Love.

Hao: *holds Ren's hand* I Hope That You Are the One.

Ren: Not that. We stole its' timeslot, remember? (Those three statements are titles of soap operas in our country)

Hao: Oh yeah! I forgot. Sorry!

*Lavender opening song plays*