Author: Arcnine
Genre: Romantic drama
Rated: T for Teen - contains some mature language and themes.
Summary: Sequal to When It Snows. Anna belonged to him in his dreams and Hao intends to turn them to realities...but then a new girl appears in his life. - Hao and ? - Ren and Pirka - Yoh and Anna
Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King, but I do own my original character presented in this piece of work.
Author's Note: I know, I know that took me way too long to update. I've just been incredibly busy with webdesign for the site i'm a part of, and our site's expanding so it's taken up just about all the time I have on the computer. Well, just wanted to let everyone know that I have not forgotten about this fanfic.
Chapter 2: Still Dreaming
"Seen him, old, lame, boring..."
Pirika sat on her seat, elbow propped on the desk and chin resting on her fist. Since it was the first day of a new semester, she made sure to be the first in class. The blue haired girl liked nothing more than meeting new people. New people meant new potential rivals, more rivals meant she had to study harder to keep her number one status. Fortunately, Pirika has yet to see any threats in all of the ones whom arrived. A smile slowly spread across her face until...
His narrow golden eyes gazed absentmindedly ahead as he made his way to an empty seat with several pairs of eyes following his every step. Pirika's eyes were also glued on him, but they twitched with annoyance rather than lust, which seems to be in all the other girl's eyes. She was too preoccupied with cursing him in her mind to notice he was walking her way. It wasn't until he sat down on the seat next to her that she realized he was there. Immediately, Pirika's head swung around to glare at him, but his eyes...
"What's he staring off too...?" She followed his gaze only to end up staring straight at the blackboard. Pirika turned back to glare at him once more. She was growing impatient of him ignoring her and felt a bit dumb for following his gaze for nothing. "Why should I care what the hell he's thinking. It's probably something dirty anyway."
"Good morning class!" The professor's voice boomed when he entered the room. Mr. Takada was 35, single at the moment, has 1 daughter who's currently in third grade. He doesn't tolerate tardiness nor allow makeup tests. If you shut up and pay attention in his class then you're on his good side. Pirika did a pretty thorough research on him, much like the researches she did on all her previous and current professors.
"I will go ahead and start chapter 1 on your textbook. If you don't have a book yet, go get one now. But, don't bother coming back to class." A few students stood up after looking around the class for a moment, trying to figure out if Mr. Takada was serious. The look he gave them was clear enough. Pirika couldn't help but smirk at them.
"That's what they get for not being prepared." She rubbed her brand new edition of the book which she had ordered a month in advance.
The students without their textbooks quicky headed for the door when he stopped them.
"Tomorrow, come to class prepared and ready to learn," he warned. "I am here to teach and you are here to learn. You cannot learn without all your supplies. Now get out!" They scampered away as ordered. "And the rest of you, turn to page 5 on your textbook." Mr. Takada turned around and started writing on the board. Sounds of pens scratching against papers could be heard all over the room. Pirika started to jote down the notes herself until she felt someone's gaze on her.
"Do I... know you?" he asked.
"Ignor. Ignor. Ignor..." Pirika repeated in her head, but he was clearly presistant. Her fingers rubbed her temples as she tried to mentally block him out but to no avail. His accent, still annoying like she remembered. It seemed as if each word he said to her was hammering through her invisible sound barrier. His pestering continued until Pirika could feel herself losing it.
"Hey girl, look at me when I'm talking to you!" He shouted in a loud whisper.
That did it...
"What! The hell. Do you. Want!" Pirika heard herself scream at the top of her lungs, emphasizing nearly every word, to the stunned brunet next to her. All eyes were on her of course including Mr. Takada's, much to her horror. Her hands automatically clasped her still opened mouth.
"If you're quite done, I'd like to continue on with my class." Mr. Takada's piercing eyes were directly on Pirika, but brave as she was, the partly angry and partly terrified girl still couldn't bring herself to look the menacing teacher in the eyes. Luckily for her, Mr. Takada quickly turned back to the board and began writing some more on the board.
Her butt was nearly back on her seat when he added, "I do not tolerate that type of behavior in my classrooms." Her heart skipped a beat as her behind stayed in mid-air. "See to it that it will never happen again. You're done for today. You know the exist," he said, all the while never stopping his task of writing the needed notes on the board.
"But Mr. Takad..." Pirika began to protest.
"Please leave this room immediately. I'm here to teach and if you have time to stand up and entertain the class with your outbursts, then I guess you don't care to learn what I have prepared for today." His back was still to her and Pirika couldn't figure out if she should be glad or angry. Sure she was glad to not have to face the intimidating professor, but then again, it was hard trying to explain to someone who has his back turned to her.
"That's not it at..." She tried again but Mr. Takada's booming voice drowned her's.
"I will not continue this conversation!" The silence was deafening. Pirika looked around her now blurred class for no one in particular. She couldn't believe this was happening to her on the first day back to school, on her very first class of the day no less. Finally, feeling completely defeated, Pirika let out a sigh and left the room with her things. She could hear Mr. Takada resumming his lesson right after she was out the door.
"That jerk!" Pirika muttered under her breath. "I'll never forgive him for this..."
"It's quiet... Where's everyone?"
Hao woke up to an empty house. The rain finally took pity on him and stopped. While laying in bed, he thought of what to do once the rain stopped. He could only imagine what the other two were doing in the other room, and it sickened him. There was the coffee shop, which he frequented. It was a nice, little quiet place. Sometimes he read and other times he met and conversed with people.
"Hmm... Who were those girls I met there once? Maki, Mani... Mona?" Hao wasn't very good with names. He rarely remembered anyone's face, unless they had a distinguished feature or was exceptionally good looking, let alone remember their names. "Well, maybe they'll be there today." Hao desperately needed something else to occupy his mind and those girls just might do the trick.
Getting off his bed felt like a chore. His body felt moist and sticky. "I really hate rain." Hao's hand covered his face and moved around a bit as if he was massaging his whole face. Then, a wonderful aroma crept through his door. He looked up puzzled, hand still covering his face. After starring at the door through the spaces between his fingers for a few seconds, Hao finally found the strength to get up and followed the aroma. It wasn't a surprise he found himself heading towards the kitchen, but still, he wondered. "Who's cooking? I'm almost certain Yoh and Anna are out."
Hao hesitated before turning the corner but he did so anyway, slowly. There she was standing with her back to him. A white apron adorned her front and the strings were tied in a cute little bow on the back of her waist. He recognized her, even from the back. How could he not, every single feature of her's was practically embedded in his head.
"Anna?" He asked in a raspy whisper. She didn't hear him. Slowly and steadily, Hao stepped closer. Out of the whole three months of living under the same roof with her, there was never a time where it was just the two of them. Usually, wherever Anna was, Yoh would be nearby. These truely was a rare and beautiful occasion. His throat became dry as he reached out to her.
"Why am I shaking?" he asked himself when he realized his hands were trembling. "She's just a girl." He knew that was a lie as soon as the thought left his mind. Anna was not just a girl. She was something more, much much more. From the first time he started dreaming of her, he was facinated, which turned to admiration, adoration, affection... Now she became this person whom he couldn't imagine living without. His passion for her was unbelievably great, and painfully real that he was almost unable to comprehend. And what internally killed him was the fact that he knew he brother, Yoh, loved her no less than himself.
"Hao?" He stopped on his track when she suddenly spun around to stare at him. The look on her face... he couldn't quite comprehend. It sure wasn't a look she'd ever given him before. She was smiling, at him, and it was oh so sincere, so sweet. He wanted to kiss her, and then, in a blink of an eye, his wish was fulfilled.
She gave him a quick peck on the lips and turned back to the pot. His body froze at the sudden contact and the feel of her lips still lingered on his own. He blinked again and immediately regretted it for he was now starring at his own ceiling.
"Damn." He cursed under his breath.
Stepping outside his room, Hao found the house empty. His stomach growl annoucing it needed to be filled now. Aftering grabbing a little something to eat from the refrigerator, he headed out towards the backyard. He figured it would be nice to enjoy a nice view of the garden while eating. To his surprise, Yoh already beat him to the backyard. There laying sound asleep on a hammock was his twin, and another surprise, Anna was nowhere in sight. Hao walked over with a grin on his face, the grass under his shoes making a squishy sound with every step. Yoh was asleep, that meant he must have dreamt the same thing he just did.
"Don't you just love the fresh air after the rain?" Yoh's right eye cracked open to find his older brother leaning against a tree looking up at the now clear sky as he stuffed something in his mouth. "Did you have a nice nap, I know I did?" Hao smirked but still kept his eyes on the sky.
"It was really was a nice nap," Yoh responded in his usual cheerful voice. He was now wide awake with his eyes fully opened. "And I had a silly dream too." Hao's expression grew serious then. The silence grew by the second.
"You know our visions always comes true, and what's meant to be." Hao finally said. Yoh merely shrugged and jumped off the hammock. "You saw what I saw, and you can't deny it. Anna belongs with me." He stated as if it was a fact.
"Hao, all I can tell you is... you're still dreaming. Wake up." Yoh whispered into his brother's ears before walking back into the house.
Author's End Note: Like it, hate it? Let me know. And next time, I will have a picture to go with this story. Sorry but no time to reply to reviews but thanks for all of them! They really helped and inspired me to continue the story even with my busy schedule. Thanks again!