-little talk-
answering reviews...Kaimara: thanks a lot for the information. I wouldn't be able to get far with this fanfic without it. Also, the computer I normally use has some weird virus...I think it's cuz m cousin downloaded something...-shrug- it was in a different language I can't read, so I'll never know -fumes with anger- oh well, at least I an still play games...(.) so, what I'm saying is that I won't be emailing you anymore no matter which computer.I've been watching the Olympics...I hate the way the commenters on this channel treat Kosuke Kitajima (Men's Swimming...don't know which one... it's really all of them that he does) ugh.... Blue Savage: Yeah! I like Musica too but it isn't him that I like...Sieg Hart! heehee. kanna: sorry, I can't really update that fast...'tomrrow'. Kaimara & rachiru77 & aaaa322: thank all of you for answering my question...however, I just noticed that this information has contridited with another (funbari/shinra) so whichever gets the most says, I'll use it. just so you know that I didn't just ignore your answer...
Mystica-Moshi, a , and everyone else: thank-you! I hope I didn't miss anybody...( . )
--disclaimer is on the1st chapter.
--important notice: next chapter at lastest is coming...in November or December. Thanksgiving or Christmas. I'll try to have 2 chapters ready by then, think I'll be too busy at school to do this uploading chapters. I'll still review though...anyway...what should I say? Have a good school year? That can't happen....(-.-)
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KEY
Italics are Tamao's thoughts
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Moving In
Chapter 9
"Behind you, Takeshi!"
She listened to the echoes from the soccer team training outside.
"Asakura, steal it!"
...That...would be something Hao would do. Especially back then....
She sat alone in the Detention Center today. Alone apart from the teacher who was supposed to be supervising, apparently asleep. Only she was in detention today.
The Detention Center was actually a classroom near the front of the school, near the office. Glossy desks lined up neatly, floors swept cleanly by some certain assigned students, chalk boards washed cleanly for next lesson's use.
The girl brushed her short hair, the pink color of a ripe peach. Her eyes the same. She sat stone still at her desk listening to the yells from outside with her book bag on the ground beside her. A faint stare, holding the invitation with both of her hands. "For You" written on the cover of the invitation, in that boy's handwriting. She took a smaller envelope from inside the invitation. In pen, she wrote, "Toshihito".
"Oh...Tamamura Tamao, you're such a good student. I don't get why you're here...but you may leave now." Sensei grumbled, not wanting to wake up.
"But, Sensei, there's only a few minutes left." Tamao protested but the teacher was too sleepy to respond.
Tamao reluctantly got up, with a worried look in her eyes. It was pretty clear that the teacher wouldn't be able to wake up at the detention's ending time. Tamao quietly walked out of the Detention Center, and out to the soccer field.
The soccer field was located to the west side of the school. Tamao went on to the sidelines, having nothing else to do, to watch the team practice.
"Yanamoto, shoot!" Toshihito yelled, indicating at a open line in the field.
The bleached haired boy shot the ball into the goal, past the goalie.
"We'll call it a day." Toshihito took a deep breath.
"Ah, haha! Toshiii!" Hao jumped from behind, and smiled, "Look who's here!"
"Hao, I think you should stop drinking all that sugar water. Water tastes fine, you know." Toshi ignored what Hao said, only paying attention to his behavior.
"Hey, Tamao!" Toshihito looked up to see Hao greeting Tamao.
Tamao gazed at Hao's grin, it was like he was a child all over again. She couldn't help but to put a small, shy smile on her face.
"Hey, Hao," She said, and once Hao left to get his duff bag, she noticed Toshihito who was behind him.
"Hi, Toshi." She smiled. Without saying word she handed him the response card.
"A-arigatou." Toshihito stuttered, not expecting to be seeing the card so soon.
"Why are you saying, 'thank you' so soon? You don't know my response yet." Tamao was quite confused.
"He's just being extremely polite. He's always like that!" Hao spoke from behind her.
"Oh...well, see you tomorrow, Toshihito." Tamao said.
"See you, Toshi!"
Toshihito waved to both of them, and went to clear up the field.
Right when they were off the field, Hao spoke again.
"Hey, hey, Tamaaao! I'll race you!"
"What?" Tamao looked at Hao. He was carrying only his sports bag--nearly skipping.
"Come on! Don't you have a lot of homework to do?" he asked.
"Not today. But...your feet, don't they hurt?" Tamao asked, remembering what happened the night before.
"Let's go!" Hao grabbed her hand, and took off.
"But...Hao!" Tamao said, trying to catch her breath but kept running with him. Hao kept laughing, and dragging her along. Running on the cement, passing trees, cars, people. At last Hao stopped in front of a bubble tea shop.
"Why are we here?" Tamao panted.
"You look tired." That was his response.
Tamao stood up straight, and looked around where Hao led them to. The road was recognizable, this was the path on the way home. Hao came back with a plastic cup of bubble tea for her. "Thank you, Hao-kun." Tamao said, relieved by the cold tea content.
"No problem, we'll just walk on the way home." There was a bit of an awkward silence between until Tamao brushed her shyness away.
"Hao...you run really fast. Is that because of your training?"
"From soccer?"
"No, from the Shaman Tournament." Tamao responded, she kept walking until noticing that Hao wasn't next to her anymore. Tamao looked back at him, his head turned towards the ground.
"Maybe, I don't know. If running so fast were to equal my power, I'd be titled Shaman King right now." Hao said in a distasteful tone. Then, another time of silence.
"Hao, what day is it today?" Tamao asked, suddenly remembering that she didn't know the day of the soirée, just the date.
"Today is...Wednesday, May 13. Have you suddenly gotten dumber? Tsk, tsk." Hao asked offhandedly. The sugar was wearing off.
"No...that's not it. I just have to do something soon."
"That was very, veeery plain."
"Huh?"
"Something so surreptitious, you can't tell me." Hao started teasing, "So what is it?"
His words left her speechless. "What is it, what is it?" Hao kept repeating. His words echoed in her mind, making her blush.
"I know!" Hao exclaimed, "It has to do with a guy!"
"Hao...not so loud...." Tamao whined. It wasn't really that loud at all, it was just her. Listening to those words just stand out so far.
"Well, what else would make you blush? I saw the way you look at Yoh back then, I'm sure he saw it too. And now, from what I see, he will see it no longer. Do you think it bothers him at all?"
"Um...maybe?" Tamao asked out of confusion.
"Yeah...." Hao said with a sigh, "Anyway, I'm going to Toshihito's place right now, from now to 'anytime after 7' he said. Tell Anna that for me, okay?"
Another thing for Anna...
"Okay."
"Thanks, Tama." Hao said, without finishing the 'o' of Tamao's name, and ran off back to the city.
Reaching the front door, Tamao slid it open, quickly took off her shoes, and entered.
Still many chores to do... I might as well clean the entire house with no homework today. Especially since right now the house seems apparently empty...
Tamao looked through the rooms that she thought Anna would be in, then Yoh. In the large Inn, looking through the many rooms that were vacant, only to be filled with spirits. She wandered aimlessly through the whole place until walking though a wispy area of air.
"I-I'm sorry." Tamao stammered, suddenly noticing what she walked through.
"Are you looking for Yoh? Anna?"
Tamao looked up to see Amidamaru floating above.
"Amidamaru-sama! Why are you here without Yoh?"
"Well, actually, I followed him a long ways, and decided to come back here to inform you on where he, and Anna went."
Him, and Anna...on a date? Anna would kill him....
"Anna has gone to visit her Sensei, and Yoh is at Horo Horo's since Anna isn't here to...direct him anywhere in his work. He'll probably be back home after dinner. He really likes that Ainu food, though I personally find yours better looking...since I can't really taste it...."
"Alright then, thank you Amidamaru-san, you can go back to Yoh now."
"Heeeey, first it was '-sama' now it's '-san'...." Amidamaru complained, and started acting childish.
Tamao just giggled, "Did you complement my cooking because I said, '-sama'?" Amidamaru shook his head. She smiled, and left him there in the hallway.
"See you soon, Amidamaru-sama."
-------Tamao is doing house keeping the Inn, even outside. Do you really want details on her cleaning work? No. A bit irrelevant to this Tamao-Hao story.--------
"Ahhh, finally." Tamao sighed as she sat down at the table to eat what she cooked for herself. She even went out to buy the groceries that Yoh would've done that day had Anna been here.
"Itadakimas." Tamao clapped her hands together, and picked up her chopsticks. She smiled, a sad smile. She sat there, eating quietly by herself, conscious of any noise in this silence. It was almost like all the spirits that resided there disappeared too.
Picking up her chopsticks, her movements stiff. As though any noise would just destroy the hushed atmosphere. The feeling was just too awkward, the empty chairs, tables, porch, rooms, and just the entire house. It was just a feeling, of just by one's self, alone. Having a loss of appetite, Tamao left her dinner on the table, and went outside.
In the season of spring flowers bloom, of course. She stepped out into the yard.
This tense air reminds me of...then. In that empty place where I met Yoh. From where I trained. And come to think of it, I haven't had any dreams for a long time. Sometimes I wonder if coming here to Yoh's place was the right choice back then, during the Shaman Tournament.
I sorta feel...out of order. But I am still needed right? Anna seems to have some sort of use for me. Being the only girl...would she ever feel lonely?
Tamao hugged tightly with one arm around a tree, swinging around. She kept swinging from the one arm with the other hanging loosely by her side. Standing still for a few moments, she began to knee down.
Nostalgic feeling...that I can't remember. A red bridge over a creek, lots of trees, a forest. Out at where I trained...? Yoh? He took me out, 'let's go out for a while before Sensei comes.' Running...and I couldn't keep up.
"Oh...I remember a little now." Tamao spoke her thoughts out loud, "those trees...like a monkey, using one arm to wrap a tree..." She stood up again, and embraced the pole with her left arm. "And like a monkey," She continued, "grabbing hold one tree, and swinging to another. Something like that, what Yoh did...oscillating" She finished her sentence with a vocabulary word from class earlier that day.
"That sounds like a lot of fun." a suave voice said from behind her. Tamao turned around, and looked back at the house.
"Y-Yoh!" Tamao eyes widened as she saw Yoh sitting on the porch.
"I was wondering where you were. I've been searching for a long time for you. Ah...well, Horo Horo burnt all the food when Pirika left him in charge for only a few seconds.... So, I hope you don't mind...but I invited them over.
"Ah...so nice, this curtian. Brother, look at this pattern. I bet Tamao made this...."
"Ooooh, this looks good." Horo's voice came from inside.
"Not the food!"
"Wanna come?" Yoh asked once Tamao was on the porch.
"I-I'll go cook!" Tamao said, suddenly filled with energy.
"Uh...yeah. Think you'll need to...." Yoh quietly told her, eyeing Horo Horo, and smiled. After being taken away by Yoh's smile, Tamao rushed to the kitchen. She went though the curtain that she made earlier, during her free-time that day, to separate the kitchen, and the dinning table. On the counter next to the refrigerator was a bag of leftover groceries she didn't use earlier.
"Man, this sucks!" Horo complained loudly, enough for Tamao to hear.
"That was very rude, say sorry to Tamao when she comes in with more food for you." Pirika hit her older brother.
"No, no, not that. Of course Tamao's cooking is good. It's just that Hao..."
"He isn't here now." Yoh said, noticing Horo Horo's slight hesitation.
"Okay then, it's not fair. Hao gets everybody's attention..."
"What's so good about that?" Yoh asked, without bothering to think.
"I think he means girls." Pirika said in slight disbelief.
"Well, what's so good about him? I mean..."
"At least he doesn't get Anna, don't you care about that?" Pirika interrupted.
"I'll say...I think Hao looks way hotter than you, Horo Horo. And actually...he really is. Sorry, friend, you lose." Yoh formed a small smile on his face. "That's because he's your twin! Did you think I'd be that stupid to believe your comment about him?" Horo Horo cried in outrage, Pirika sat, giggling beside him.
Meanwhile, Tamao stood in the kitchen letting the meat sit for a bit, listening to the conversation. Feeling slightly alone, she hurried up her cooking to join her friends. Filling up two dishes, she picked them up, and headed toward the dinning room.
"Tamao, let me help you,"
Tamao looked up, noticing she was standing in a shadow.
"Oh, thank you, Yoh-kun." glancing up at the face above her. She reluctantly handed him the two plates, and headed back to the stove.
"You know..." the voice continued, "I always like this vegetable that you cook. In Mandarin, it is known as kong-shin, meaning 'empty heart'."
"Yoh...did you learn that from Ren Tao? Does he eat that?" she asked as she turned around to face him. To only see a Yoh with longer hair. "H-Hao-kun!? I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Tamao said, finding herself stammering too often for the day
Hao just smiled, and answered her question, "No, I did not learn that from Tao-san. But I am sure, he does eat it. Also," he paused, "when I said, 'let me help you' I meant that for you to join the table. I don't think our guests would appreciate my presence." Tamao watched his tranquil smile, and trusted him. She took back the plates she handed him before, and went to the table where Yoh, Horo Horo, and Pirika were sitting.
It was silence at the table. Had Tamao not concentrated on her cooking so much, she would've noticed Hao's arrival.
"Tamao-chan! Join us!" Pirika motioned as Tamao set the dishes on the table. Tamao started to sit down but glanced at the clock. It was 7.30. "Actually, I'll be in the kitchen." Tamao left the table for the three friends to chatter.
Moving aside a curtain, Tamao went back to the kitchen seeing the back of Hao at the sink, washing dishes. "Tamao...." Hao said, noticing the curtain move behind him.
"Why'd you come?" Tamao heard his hurt voice with almost an indifferent attitude, "Is there something wrong?" Hao turned to face her. When she caught the sight of the pink apron he was wearing, she couldn't help to cover her mouth, trying to suppress a smile.
"What?" Hao asked, unaware of the reason of her actions.
"It's nothing."
The kitchen was a little dark since most of the light went to the dinning room. Tamao turned on a little lamp that she got out of a cabinet. It was one of those night lights, so she plugged it in the socket distanced away from the sink.
"So...you still didn't answer my question." Hao suddenly spoke. Tamao leaned with her back to the counter, and looked at the floor.
"I guess...it's Horo Horo." she began.
"That fool likes you, doesn't he?" Hao asked, unmoved by what Tamao said.
"I-I guess...yes. He asked me out in January." Tamao felt her cheeks warm.
"And what did you say?" His head turned abruptly towards her.
"I, I didn't answer him yet."
Hao sighed -- out of relief, "How long is it going to take you? Crap!" He cursed when a plate nearly slipped out of his hand. Tamao, still looking to the floor, just sighed. "I'm sorry."
"Don't jump to conclusions." Hao ended the chat.
"Why is everyone just sitting?" a distinct voice spoke from the dinning side of the curtain.
"Anna...join us." Horo Horo's voice greeted her.
"Good evening, Anna." Yoh said with his usual lazy tone.
"There are no freeloaders here." Anna said with that tone.
"Anna...they're guests. Come sit down, and be a hostess." Yoh tried to persuade her.
"The plates are empty. Horo, go clean the entrance hall. Yoh, go sweep the yard."
"But Annaaaa," Yoh complained, "it's late already, almost 9!"
"And what have you been doing all day? Of course I know!! Pirika, put these plates into the sink, and go find a room for yourself."
"Yes, Anna-san." Pirika picked up the two plates.
"Who made the curtain?" Anna asked.
"I think Tamao did, it's it pretty?" Pirika pointed at the pastel blue colored cloth.
"Hm." Anna looked at it for a while, then left the room. Pirika held the plates, and pushed aside the curtain. "Looks like I lucked out," Hao laughed.
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--there is such thing: kong-shin, 'empty heart' veggie. tastes good with olive oil.....
-- Anyway, if you're going to review, if you can, please answer this question: What is the 'island'? I sometimes read it in fanfics here. It's some place in the Shinra Inn where Yoh lives. Or...figurative speech? like...being on a thought alone with all others around you?
-Also, if you can answer, where is Tamao's training area located, and what is it called? I think that's the same place where Sensei is living...please, if you can respond. I watch the dubbed series, and I don't remember saying where, or what it was...just a training place. I think that Sensei is Yohmei...
I'll be doing some research anyway to make sure that this fanfic is at least somewhat accurate.
(sorry that I only know as much as the dubbed series) =Thank you!=