"A bet with Hao??" Horohoro raises a squeaky voice as he looks at Yoh-kun incredulously. We're all sitting in the classroom and lunchtime, having random conversations when Yoh-kun for some reason mentions the race against Hao. A race to see who could win the heart of Tao Ren, the unfortunate soul who's managed to capture the attention of these two twins. Ren-kun's in the library doing duty, and so the rest of us, Yoh-kun, Horohoro, Lyserg, Chocolove and myself are sitting down enjoying lunch.

"Well, yeah…" Yoh-kun replies sheepishly. "Maybe in retrospect I shouldn't have been too competitive with him…" Yoh-kun scratches his head numbly, grinning helplessly.
"Yoh, are you nuts? This is HAO we're talking about. I know he's your brother and all, but really, competing with that maniac…" Horohoro shakes his head, and leans back in his chair.
"Yoh-kun, I don't think that was a very smart move…" Lyserg disapproves openly. "And besides you're competing against Hao, that doesn't make you any better than him, really…" I just sit there and drink my prima. I don't really follow Lyserg's logic. Ever since he's joined the student council, he's been a bit weird.

"Besides, what are you guys competing for?"
"A? Eeem…well," Yoh-kun flutters about, unsure how to go about it. I sit there and nod in sympathy. It's not like you can just come out of the closet and say "Yeah, we're competing to see who can get Ren's heart first." (But in Hao's case it could be to get something else...)
"Well, it's kinda between Hao and myself so…" Yoh-kun evades answering the question somehow.
"Sure…" Lyserg says, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"You lot."

We all freeze in our seats, movement stopping. We don't even need to turn around to see who is addressing us.

Anna Kyouyama.

We slowly turn to face her, standing there with her hands on her hips, looking stern ala usual. I break the ice by giving a lame smile.

"Hi Anna-san. What seems to be the problem?"
"Can I talk to you only when there's a problem?" Anna-san raises one eyebrow. I just shake my head quickly.
"Well, it's generally when you want to complain about something we did or are doing…" Horohoro began, but was silenced by a quick slap on the head.
"Yoh, you're on clean up duty for the day, remember? You're meant to be there now, pronto. What kind of a guy are you to let a girl like me do the clean up all by myself?" Yoh-kun sits there, a sad, sad smile with tears gushing down his face. You know the way it is.
"I'll be there in a minute, just let me finish lunch at least, na?" Yoh-kun begs. "I promise I'll be there in less than ten minutes…"
"Ten?" Anna-san raises her eyebrow again.
"OK, five." Yoh-kun adds hastily.
"Fine. But if you leave me alone by myself, you've got it coming." Anna-san retreats, and we all sigh a sigh of relief. Anna Kyouyama, the secret dictator of our class. There really shouldn't be such a person, but Anna-san manages to convince and control most people in the class. Even to a degree, Hao. Now that's saying something. I wonder about what Hao said yesterday, about Anna-san liking Yoh-kun. I can't particularly see it in every day life, but it's not like she'd make it obvious…

"Well, you heard her… I need to go now…" Yoh-kun sighs, smiles and stands up, dusting off his pants. "Nah Manta, before we go to duty we need to submit those forms…" I nod in agreement and stand up to follow Yoh-kun. The two of us retreat from the classroom and plod down the corridor.

"Yoh-kun, do you think what Hao said is true and that Anna-san likes you?" I venture asking, looking up at my friend.
"Beats me…" Yoh-kun answers, somewhat disinterested. "Even if that was the case, I can't see it." He grins weakly. I chuckle along. True, whenever I see Anna-san and Yoh-kun together it just looks like she's abusing him…

"Mari, just get over it."

Yoh-kun and I stop at the sudden statement. Curiosity got the better of us, as Yoh-kun and I both peek into the classroom we just passed, to see a very depressed looking Marion Phauna being comforted by her two friends, Matilda Matthews and Kanna Bismarck. If I recall correctly Yoh-kun said something about Marion being rejected by Hao…and Hao didn't really seem interested in her… I'm assuming she's still depressed about yesterday…

"But…but…" Marion sobs, hugging her doll (which so doesn't look anything like me.)
"I know Hao-sama can be a bit harsh at times…but it doesn't mean he hates you." Matilda puts an arm around Marion's shoulder.
"But he was SO CRUEL!" Marion screams in agony and breaks down into more hysterical crying. Yoh-kun and I wince at the high-pitched sound that's emitted. It's a wonder that the glass windows are still holding. "Hao-sama's NEVER like that to Mari! Or to ANYONE!"
"True, Hao-sama's been a little…aloof recently." Kanna nods in agreement. "It's like something's occupying his mind."
"Maybe there's problems at home or something." Matilda tries to suggest a reason for their idol's oddness (as it seems they perceive it as). "His twin brother is a punk and such a moron. I wouldn't be surprised if he causes Hao-sama a few headaches." Yoh-kun looks at me, and pulls a face and mouths "No way". I nod. If anything it's the other way around.

"Maybe the school's giving him shit." Kanna suggests.
"Maybe he's sick."
"Or maybe…" Marion starts slowly, and very dangerously. Her eyes are often obscured by her fringe, but right now you could see her green eyes smouldring. The shadow cast over her face is really, REALLY scary.
"Maybe there's someone else who's gotten his attention!" Marion yells, standing up suddenly, alarming her two friends. Yoh-kun and myself freaked out too.

"Of course, that's got to be it!" Marion proclaims. "There are heaps of people out there who fancy Hao-sama…and someone must have gotten his attention… Mari will hunt her down and make swiss cheese out of her…" My lips tighten at the thought.
"Ah, that reminds me…" Kanna starts rather absent mindedly, "That guy…Nichrome was it? Yeah him, he went up to Hao-sama a couple of weeks ago…"
"HE WHAT!?" Marion's ultrasound screech penetrates our ears again. I think the glass on the door cracked slightly…"HE WHAT!?" Marion repeats again, in obvious disbelief. "Mari doesn't understand…no, I don't wha…?"
"Mari, don't fret. Nichrome's obviously got some preference for the opposite sex." Matilda pats Marion's shoulder.
"Of course… anybody, regardless for their gender would fall for Hao-sama…" Marion sighs, looking somewhat blissful. Yoh-kun and I synch making gagging movements. But then Marion snaps back into reality after her daydream of 0.5 seconds.
"No wait, then what did Hao-sama say to him?"
"Well, he hasn't given a definite yes…but he didn't reject Nichrome flat out…" Kanna muses.
"So is that a yes?" Matilda looks at Kanna, confused.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Marion explodes again. Her rag doll really looks like it's going to lose its head any second at the rate Marion's squeezing it. "Hao-sama rejected Mari but he didn't reject HIM? Little plait brat? Mari lost to a GUY!?" Marion goes on another tantrum.
"Yeah, well it's not like Hao-sama hides his bisexuality. (Anon Pierrot: o_0;)" Kanna sighs out, leaving Marion alone to her fits and talks to Matilda.
"True true." Matilda nods. "Who was it last week? Some random girl from the school further own, three weeks before it was some other girl…then before that it was that Boris guy…I bet even that freako virgin girl Jeanne has it for Hao-sama…" Matilda sighs out, with a hint of drooling fan-girl syndrome symptoms showing on her face. No prizes for guessing who's on her mind.

"So, could it be Nichrome who's stealing Mari's Hao-sama?" Marion looks at her two friends intently. If looks could kill… do I even need to finish this cliché phrase?
"I don't know…but I haven't seen those two together yet, and no signs of them making out or anything…every time I see Hao-sama he looks composed, not breathy and all... you get my point." Kanna speaks matter-of-factly.
"It can't be that Kyouyama bitch, can it?" Marion's death glare becomes, if possible, more frightening.
"Nah, no way. She has it for Hao-sama's twin pansy." Matilda waves her hand in dismissal. "Besides, that incident Hao-sama had with that bitch was yonks ago. As if he's still interested in her. Besides, if he was, he'd be pestering her no end. Actually, if Hao-sama was interested in anyone at all, he'd be following them and be chatting them up and everything. I don't see any of that happening at all."
"Mati has a point there you know Mari." Kanna approves of Matilda's observations.
"But…then what else could it be?" Marion collapses in desperation.

"Little do they know…" Yoh-kun mumbles. I just grimace.

"Maybe he's being more subtle about things…" Matilda says quietly.
"Mari will get to the bottom of this…anyone who dares to steal Mari's Hao-sama will die. I'll pull their hair out one by one until their bald, I'll burn their skin with candle sticks, I'll…"
"That's enough Mari." Kanna sooths the psychotic girl bothersomely (wait, that's not a word.) "We get your point." Yoh-kun and I make eye contact, and we both decide now will be a very good time to leave.

"My god, she was insane!" Yoh-kun bursts out once we were at least a good twenty meters away from the classroom the three girls had occupied. "What kind of people does Hao attract for crying out loud!"
"Or more like what effect he has on people…" I mumble, still shaken from observing Marion and her outbursts.
"Little do they know who's occupying Hao's mind…" Yoh-kun says softly, and grinning lamely at the same time.

Tao Ren by any means isn't who you would, upon first meeting, expect to be the person to dominate Hao's attention. Ren-kun isn't the most sociable person (I know, I know, I'm not quite the Social King either, but we're talking about Ren-kun here.), and Hao being a really confident, flirtatious and outgoing person, there doesn't seem to be much commonality between the two. The only place where they'd ever meet is school… and let's say Hao only comes to school when he feels he needs to come…which isn't very often. Ren-kun's also very touch about people. He really is a great guy when you get to know him, but it takes a lot of time to get him to warm up to people. And even then, he's not very friendly in public. In fact, I think Yoh-kun's the only person Ren-kun's ever let his guard down around. Sure Ren-kun mucks around and fights with Horohoro and Chocolove, has intellectual conversations with Lyserg, but it's different…

"What do you think they'll do when they find out it's Ren-kun Hao's after?" I ask Yoh-kun, worried from what I've heard earlier. Yoh-kun just grins.

"Don't worry. Hao won't have Ren to occupy him mind…because Ren'll be with me!"

…

…these twin's and their confidence, I swear…

-----

Wow, that was long… (or it felt like it, at least while writing it…) So many people make an appearance, or are mentioned, but STILL NO REN! Phear not, for he shall appear in the next chapter! (I think…) The reviews I got back (thanks a bunch guys! Your support is well cherished) all seem to be as indecisive as I am as to who shall win in the end! XD I don't knooooow… and at the rate I'm writing, it sounds like it's going to be bloody long.

Writing the conversations between Kanna, Marion and Matilda was really fun! XD But making Marion speak in third person is a bit of a pain…occasionally I'd type Mari in the first half, then forget to and type I in the second half… it was all confusing, but highly amusing. ;) I think I screwed Marion's character up big time...

OK, Hao, Ren and Yoh stuff will happennext chappie, I promise!