Chapter 2
"Time to get up, Dozing Dummy!"
Yoh yelped when a foot hit him between his shoulder blades, and then he looked up with a growl. A moment later he yelped when he found Anna (aka. the babysitter from Hell) glaring down at him. "A-Anna!"
The girl quirked an eyebrow. "You were supposed to be up an hour ago."
"S-Sorry," Yoh cried while jumping up, and then looked around frantically. "Where's Manta?!"
"Out making breakfast. You're just the nicest person in the world, aren't you? Your best friend is leaving today, and you make her make breakfast."
Yoh laughed nervously, and then ran out of the room.
"Yoh, put some pants on!" Anna yelled after him.
The teen froze while looking down, and blushed embarrassedly when he realized he was only in his boxers.
Manta sighed softly while pouring the pancake mix onto the skillet. She was definitely dreading studying in China. After all, how many people would understand her the way her friends did? Not many people believed in the things she did, like spirits and fairies. Even her father didn't accept her eagerness to live in a thing that he called sheer fantasy. These people who had befriended her, however, did accept it. In fact, Yoh encouraged her to live in her magical world, and Horohoro backed up his encouragement. Anna and was less enthusiastic, but she still accepted her as well.
She smiled, hearing Anna and Horohoro begin one of their morning arguments. She would miss those sounds when she left Tokyo. She would miss making breakfast for everybody in the morning, and being embarrassed by Yoh and Horohoro's little comments, and being bossed around by Anna.
Suddenly, arms wrapped around her midriff, and then she looked up with a blush. "Yoh-kun… Good morning."
"Good morning, Lil' Lady!" Yoh said with a grin, and then nuzzled his face against her's. "I'm here to take you off the list of slave workers!"
"I heard that," Anna said monotonously from the living room.
"Oops," Yoh giggled nervously.
Manta giggled while looking back to her work and began carefully flipping the pancakes, having an urge to steal one of the chocolate chips from the batter. "Actually, I like making meals for you guys. It feels like I have a reason to be here, then."
"Aww! You always have a reason to be here!" Yoh whined. "If you're not here, who will I embarrass with my perverted ways?"
Manta let out a small squeak, and then looked up at him. "Yoh-kun, I'm trying to make breakfast."
"Oh? And I wanna bake cookies with you!"
Manta blinked, and then sighed. "There isn't enough time, though." She blinked again when Yoh fell over. "Yoh-kun?"
"I meant something different," Yoh said with a nervous grin while getting up.
"Well what else could you mean? You said it clearly. You want to bake cookies with me."
Yoh sighed, and was about to speak when he heard the phone. "I'll get it!!!" he bellowed while bounding out of the room, and then slammed into Anna, sending her stumbling into a closet. Not noticing his little error, he picked up the phone with a big grin. "Hai! Mushi mushi!"
There was a moment of silence, and then he froze when he heard the familiar voice of Oyamada Mansumi. "Asakura, where the hell is my daughter?"
"Eh… Oyamada-san…" Yoh said nervously. "H-How may I help you?"
"I just said, where is my daughter?!"
Yoh swallowed nervously. "J-Just making breakfast. H-Hang on, a sec." Quickly he covered the phone and looked up. "Manta, that angry man is on the phone again!"
"….. Okay….."
"Sh-She's coming, Sir," Yoh said nervously, and then handed the phone to Manta once she had joined him.
"H-Hai, Otoo-san?" she asked quietly.
"What the hell are you doing there?! You were supposed to come home last night!" Yoh heard the man bellow.
"I-I'm sorry… I forgot."
"I don't know how I ever ended up with such a whore for a daughter! You obviously get it from your mother! I give you a damned refined life, and you go off get screwed by those filthy tramps?!"
"But…"
"Don't you talk back to me! Now get home or else!"
"Hai… Otoo-san…" she murmured softly, and then hung up the phone.
Yoh watched her worriedly for several minutes, and then smiled weakly. "Ah, don't worry 'bout him. He's just a mean ol'…"
"Yoh-kun, please just stop," she said sternly while closing her eyes. "He's right. I should have been home last night. He was having an important dinner party, and as his eldest child, I was required to be there." She looked down, shaking slightly. "I should have known better…"
"Hanging around mongrels will do that to you."
Yoh and Manta looked up quickly and stared at the boy that stood before them. He was about a year younger than Yoh with dark purple hair that was gelled up into a spike. His golden eyes were piercing and gave both of them an unnerving feeling. He wore a yellow jacket with back shorts and a white shirt, seeming as though he were on his way to a private academy.
"Um… Can I help you?" Yoh demanded, something nagging in the back of his mind.
"Hmph. I'm here for Manta," he replied, glaring at the brunette.
"D-Do I know you?" Manta asked nervously.
"Hmm? You would if you had been home last night," he replied with a frown. "I am Tao Ren, and I came to make sure you get home."
"I can go on my own," Manta said quietly while glancing away. "I have to…"
Ren made an annoyed growl, and then grabbed her wrist roughly while beginning to walk towards the door. "You're coming now."
"Huh? Hey!" Yoh said angrily while stepping forward, and then blinked when Horohoro grabbed him.
"Yoh, back off," he growled softly.
"But he…" Yoh began.
"I said back off," Horo snapped.
Ren looked back and eyed the two for a moment, and then smirked. "Manta, go wait outside. I'll be with you in a minute."
"H-Hai…" Manta murmured softly, and then scurried out of the room, leaving the boys alone.
"You have a lot of nerve coming here," Horohoro growled while eyeing Ren.
"And you have a lot of nerve coming near Manta," Ren retorted angrily.
Yoh looked back and forth confusedly. "Do you two know each other?"
"Is your pup that stupid?" Ren asked with amusement.
"He's just never had the misfortune of running into one of you skanks," Horohoro retorted angrily. "Get lost."
"Horohoro?" Yoh looked confusedly to his friend. "What's going on?"
The blue-haired teen glared angrily at the young Tao. "Why would you be associating with humans?"
Ren laughed. "Kisama. Taos do not associate with humans, with the exception of their servants."
Yoh frowned. "You're not a very nice shaman."
The purple-haired boy looked at Yoh irritably. "You should keep your mouth shut when in the presence of prestige superiors." Then his gaze shifted back to Horohoro. "You're part of the Usui clan, aren't you?"
"Yes," Horohoro said with a growl. "So don't underestimate me."
Ren laughed. "Oh, I know what to expect. What I don't understand is why you're hanging around this mutt."
"Hey!" Yoh said angrily.
"That's what you are," Ren said while looking to him. "You were born from a complete shamanic family, and yet you still are a weremutt. As if the werewolves weren't disgraceful enough on their own. Now you have to go and lower their status."
Yoh began growling, and then looked back angrily when Horohoro grabbed his arm.
"Yoh, leave it be," Horohoro said with a frown. "You don't want to mess with him."
"Who said I wanna mess with him?" Yoh demanded angrily while looking back. "I just wanna mess his pretty little face."
Ren snorted. "You are the most jealous, conceited being I've ever encountered." He smirked. "But the truth is, Mutt, that you cannot be her mate, nor can you be my equal."
"You didn't answer my question. What do vampires want with Manta's family?" Horohoro demanded while pushing Yoh back.
The golden eyes narrowed contemptuously. "Idiot. The Oyamadas are Japan's finest clan of vampires."
Both of the older boys froze at his words.
"Yes, you heard me right," Ren said with a frown. "Unfortunately, Manta was born a human." He smirked at Horohoro. "And since you are purebred, I'm sure you already know what will happen if you and your little friend keep her around."
"Manta's family is vampires?" Yoh asked slowly.
Horohoro stared silently at the Tao for some time, and then looked away. "You have what you came for. Get out."
"With pleasure," Ren sneered, and then turned on his heel and quickly exited the hotel.
"Kisama," Yoh growled.
"Yoh, forget it," Horohoro said quietly. "You can't be with her."
"Why not?!" Yoh cried while looking to the Ainu, tears running down his face. "Why can't I be with her, Horohoro?! Why?!"
Horohoro watched him quietly for a moment, and then closed his eyes. "I'll tell you when you're in a more reasonable frame of mind."
Yoh stared silently at his friend for several long minutes, and then looked down angrily. "Manta…"