Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own any of the characters…
Meanwhile, while Horo Horo and Tamao enjoyed their time outside, Pirika sat in her bed as she breathed deeply. She had been crying. She too had heard both her brother and Tamao leave the house, and she knew of her brother's situation. 'At least his love life is getting somewhere.' She thought. She remembered that fateful night, four years ago.
Everyone was still in Yoh's and Anna's house, after the defeat of Hao. She had developed such a crush on the yellow-eyed Chinese shaman. Onii-chan once explained to her why Ren Tao was such a grumpy person. His father had always fed him hate. From that moment, Pirika pitied Ren, but that pity turned to love. She remembered that night, when she confessed, but he just brushed her off. She was going to leave the next day, but he didn't care. He didn't even say good-bye. Her painful memories stirred.
Everyone was having a farewell party, as everyone was going back to their separate paths. Through the partying, Pirika couldn't take her eyes off a certain person. She decided that she'd tell him tonight that she loved him. She saw her chance when he went outside to cool down from a fight with Onii-chan. Pirika rushed outside after the pointy-head shaman. She found him sitting by the well, looking up at the night sky. As she approached, he turned his attention to her.
"What are you doing here?" He asked her coldly. He eyed her suspiciously.
"Ren-kun, I-I…" Pirika struggled to say the three words.
"What is it, you're wasting my time." He asked impatiently. Pirika took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"I like you!" She said quickly, eagerly waiting for his response. Then she heard it and it froze her like a statue.
"PPfftt…you're still a kid, Pirika-san." He said and left. Tears brimmed her eyes as she watched him left. He rejected her and even called her a kid. She felt her own heart shatter into tiny pieces. She went inside after crying her eyes out.
Everyone had questioned her why her eyes were puffy and red, and some even guessed if she cried. Pirika just said that she didn't feel so well and wanted to leave early. She said her good-byes and walked to her room alone, crying. Onii-chan stayed behind, partying like a drunker in the living room.
In the morning, Pirika awoke sadly and packed her things. This was the day, the day she'll leave. She took her suitcase and went to the hallways, mentally saying good-bye to everything on her way to her brother's room. She knocked gently on his door. No answer. She knocked again, but still no one from within opened it. She slid it open a peek and peered inside. Her brother was sitting near a small table, with everything packed already. He sat there, lost in his thoughts, probably about leaving Tamao. She sighed and closed the door. It seems that both the Ainu siblings were not too fond of leaving, leaving their most beloved.
Pirika went into the kitchen and quickly turned back, only to bump into her Onii-chan. The reason why she turned back was because her worst nightmare was in there, gulping down milk like mad. She had no choice but to return back into the kitchen with her brother. Tamao quickly rushed into the kitchen, apologizing for making breakfast so late. She kept my eyes down, careful not to make eye contact with Ren. She only lifted her eyes to Tamao or Onii-chan. But Onii-chan did look like he got no sleep. He kept staring at Tamao as she quickly prepared breakfast with his sad blue eyes. The usually cheerful Ainu children were quietly lost in their own thoughts and sadness.
Everyone ate breakfast in silence. Her brother, strange enough, ate very little and told her to hurry up. They had a big journey ahead the mountains. As soon as the table was cleared, the mood was getting worse by the minute. Everyone filed outside, with their luggage trailing behind them. Everyone said their good-byes and gave good-bye hugs or handshakes. 'This is it, the last time I'll ever see him.' Pirika told herself as she took one last look at the boy she loved so dearly, but had rejected her. As she readied herself on her brother's snowboard, she felt tears coming up to her eyes. Her brother got on and told Kororo to go into the snowboard. Both Ainu children put on their cheerful masks and waved good-bye to our best friends as we leapt into the air and started back home.
Pirika pulled the covers over her head as she switched her position for the hundredth time. After these four years, she had learned to forget about him, or so she thought. Then why was she remembering all these memories? Why was she laying in her bed crying? Seeing Tamao back with her brother reminded her of the old shaman group. She sighed, as she knew it was for the best. Onii-chan once said that if it just wasn't meant to be, then forget about it, because later on, you'll find the one you're looking for. She smiled a somewhat bittersweet smile and went back to her slumber as she heard the back door open again.
Mentally, she had hoped the two has settled their issues, especially her brother. Yes, these four years has been quite quiet, even with her usually hyper brother around. His mood has changed and he has gotten a little depressed, probably without Tamao. 'I secretly knew how he felt…I missed Ren too.' Pirika thought. But she did her best to cheer up her brother. She knew that Ren may be a lost cause, but Tamao might not be. They just had to wait for the right moment. He ate less, and surprisingly complained less. He's always moping around like a lost soul. But she wept happy tears for her brother as she knew from the happy voices coming in that everything turned out great; now, if only it'll happen to her.