Hi guys! I'm back with my latest chapter. I'm sorry because I always take long to update. My mom grounded me and I've been really busy. I hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to all who read and reviewed!
Standard Disclaimers apply
Chapter 9
Anna had noticed that Yoh was missing again. He had a pattern of missing a week of school then coming back then disappearing again.
I wonder why he keeps doing this. He's missing so much every time he disappears. It's like he's throwing away the money his parents work so hard for. Why does he do this? What does he do when he disappears? Does he stay home? Does he study? Does he travel? Does he simply bum around? Wait a minute, why do I even care? I should be happy when he's not around. There's no one to badger me about what the professor just said. And there's no one who will keep asking if he can borrow my notes… He's not here to annoy me or make fun of me or anything of the sort…
Her thoughts were cut short again by her good friend, the school bell.
"Have any of you guys seen Yoh?" Ren asked Horo Horo and Manta while they were having tea at an outdoor café.
Manta shook his head and went back to reading. Oddly enough, he wasn't reading something for school.
"No. Have you?" Horo Horo replied.
"Why would I be asking you in the first place?" Ren snapped.
"I don't know."
"Forget it. I bet he's in another of his so-called adventures."
"Yup. Last time, I think he tried to climb Mt. Fuji."
"That idiot. I'm surprised he actually gets good grades in school."
"Yeah. How does he do it?" Horo Horo said aloud
"Do what?" A voice came from behind.
The three of them looked behind and saw Yoh standing there.
"YOH! We've been wondering where you've been" Horo Horo yelled.
"There's no need to yell Horo." Yoh said calmly as he took his seat beside Ren.
"Where have you been? Gallivanting around the woods?" Ren asked in a quizzical tone.
Horo Horo snickered.
"No." Yoh answered dully.
"Then what have you been doing?" Horo Horo asked.
"That's a secret." Yoh said
"Tell us." Ren said persuasively.
"No."
"Why not?" Horo Horo whined.
"Because I don't want to." Yoh answered simply.
"For heaven's sake Yoh. Just say it." Ren said.
"No."
"Fine. Then don't." Ren answered.
"Omigod! So you are worried!" Tamao exclaimed. They were, as usual, working at the bakeshop.
"Who said anything about being worried?" Anna answered.
"You just said so."
"Said what?"
"That Yoh's been gone for sometime."
"Yeah. So?"
"Why would you say that if you weren't worried?"
"Stating facts out, Tamao."
"It doesn't sound that way."
"Really now…" Anna said sarcastically.
"Yup. So it goes to show that you do care!"
"Who cares about who?" A voice said loudly.
Anna and Tamao turned around to see who was there.
Yoh was standing behind them.
"None of your business. Why are you here?" Anna said before Tamao could open her mouth.
"I was going to ask you if I missed anything at school." Yoh asked simply.
"Why are you asking me? That's why you have your annoying friends. To ask them what you missed." Anna said hotly.
"We don't take the same classes because we have different courses. Besides, I don't have anyone else to ask."
Tamao snickered.
Anna glared at Tamao.
"We're not the only ones in the class you know." Anna rolled her eyes.
"I don't trust those people."
"So you trust me? That's a nice one Yoh." Anna was stifling her laughs.
"I'm serious. I wouldn't ask if I didn't have to." Yoh asked in a monotonic voice.
When Anna heard this she stopped laughing. She just stared at Yoh.
He trusts me? It's been such a short time for that. Why me in the first place? We started out as enemies. Why is he doing this? Is it really true? That he likes me?
"So will you help me?" Yoh said cutting Anna out of her thoughts.
"Why should I?"
"Because…" Yoh paused.
"Because what?"
"Because I'd like to…"
"You do realize that I have to work?" Anna said impatiently.
"Because… umm…" Yoh stalled.
"SPIT IT OUT!"
"Because I know you're smart!"
Anna kept quiet for while.
"Is that really it?" She finally said.
Yoh nodded.
"Fine. But I'm doing this out of pity."
"Thanks. Tomorrow after school?"
"Okay."
"Thanks a lot."
With a wave, Yoh went out of the bakeshop.
Anna sighed. She noticed that Tamao was staring at her.
"What?" Anna asked in a calm tone. Though she knew the answer.
"It's not normal for you to be pitiful. Are you sure you've fully recovered from that accident?" Tamao placed her hand on Anna's forehead.
"No. I'm perfectly fine. There's no need to be so concerned, Tamao."
Tamao left work early that day. She felt bad about having to leave early but she really had to.
I wonder what made Anna say yes to Yoh. She's not the kind o9f person who's easily persuaded by such reasons. Could it really mean that Anna likes Yoh? This is really interesting.
Out of nowhere, somebody gagged and blindfolded her.
"Mmmf!"
"Not a single sound… Or else." The voice said. It was that of a male's and it sounded familiar. Very familiar.
Tamao was pushed into a car. When she was in safely, the blindfold was taken off. She saw Ren, Horo Horo, Manta and Pirika. There was complete silence between the five of them. Finally…
"Why am I here?" Tamao asked quietly.
"We overheard Yoh and Anna's conversation in the bakeshop." Ren said dully.
"And?"
"We want to hook them up." Horo Horo said.
"How are you going to do that and why?"
"We care for Yoh. We've never seen him like this." Manta said.
"And it's so obvious that they like each other." Pirika added.
"How do you know that?"
"My Onii-chan told me." Pirika said simply.
"Oh, I see." Tamao noticed that Horo Horo was looking at her. Ren noticed it as well. When Horo Horo finally realized this, he turned away. He was blushing furiously.
"So will you do it?" Ren asked.
"Do what?" Tamao looked at Ren questioningly.
"Help us hook up Yoh and Anna."
Tamao sighed. "I don't know. Anna's my best friend. She might kill me if she found out that I was part of this."
"She wouldn't know." Pirika said.
"We'll make them think that it's some sort of twist of fate." Manta said, trying to convince her.
"If Anna finds out, I'll protect you."
Everyone stared at Horo Horo.
"What are you all looking at?"
Nobody said a word.
"Well?" Horo Horo demanded.
"So, Tamao, will you do it?" Manta said quickly, trying to divert everyone's attention.
Tamao paused for a moment. She was torn. She didn't want to lose her friendship with Anna but she wanted to help her as well.
Everyone in the car was staring at her. There was a very long pause.
"I'll do it!"
"Brilliant! We meet tomorrow after school. We have to think fast because we don't have too much time." Ren said happily.
"We'll see you tomorrow after school. Bye!" Pirika said.
Tamao waved and got out of the car. When she was out, Ren, Manta and Pirika turned to Horo Horo.
"Onii-chan, what was that all about?" Pirika asked Horo Horo.
"Yeah, do you like her or what?" Ren added.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Horo Horo replied dully.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON"T KNOW!" Ren, Manta and Pirika screamed in unison.
"Was your brain functioning the whole time Tamao was here?" Manta asked in a frazzled tone. He only freaked out if his grades were not what he expected. This was totally different.
"Yeah."
"Do you even remember what you said?" Ren asked.
"When?"
"When Tamao was here, baka!" Pirika exclaimed.
"Oh. What did I say?" Horo Horo asked.
There was silence.
"Well, what did I say?" Horo Horo demanded.
No one dared to speak.
"Well?"
"Do you really want to know, Onii-chan?" Pirika asked in a timid voice.
"Yes, I do Pirika." Horo Horo said in a soft tone.
The three sighed.
"Fine. If you insist. You told Tamao you'll protect her if Anna finds out." Ren finally said.
Horo Horo blinked in surprise. He only got what Ren said after a few seconds.
"I SAID WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!"
"You said you'll protect her, didn't you hear Ren you baka!" Pirika screamed at Horo Horo.
"You've got to be kidding." Horo Horo gasped. He couldn't absorb what he just said.
"Perhaps he was in a trance when he said it." Manta suggested.
"Yes, that could be possible. Though I doubt it." Ren said calmly.
"Maybe Onii-chan has short term memory." Pirika piped up.
They went on giving possible reasons for what happened to Horo Horo while Horo Horo himself was quiet. Apparently, he was still in shock.
"Maybe he was thinking it was all a dream." Pirika went on.
"Maybe he wasn't thinking… But then, he hardly uses his head." Ren added.
"Could be." Pirika was nodding as she spoke. "Or maybe…"
"Or maybe you should all shut up." Horo Horo said cutting off Pirika's sentence. He had finally snapped out of his shock and was getting annoyed at their musings.
"Calm down Horo." Manta said trying to break the tension. He paused then continued. "We're wasting time here. We should be planning on what to do with Yoh and Anna."
"Manta's right" Ren agreed as Pirika was nodding her head.
"So how do we do this?" Pirika asked.
"Hold it. Since when have you been interested in our business? Why do you care?" Horo Horo asked Pirika.
"Why? It's none of your business. I've been interested ever since I found out." Pirika answered.
""And that was when?"
"The day I played my prank on you guys. I overheard the whole conversation."
"What conversation?" Ren piped up.
"The one where you guys were trying to figure out who gave the tag and why Yoh was wearing the Astroboy shirt."
"Oh. That one." Horo Horo said dully.
"Back to the real topic. What are we going to do?" Ren was getting tired of this mindless argument.
"Where do you think they'll meet?" Manta asked.
"Hmm… Probably the library." Ren paused. "Hold on. They HAVE to meet in the library." He exclaimed.
"Why there? And what do you have in mind?" Pirika asked him.
"Wait. You want to lock them inside the library right?" Horo Horo guessed.
"For once you used your head. Yes, that's what I have in mind." Ren was grinning now.
"How would you make that happen?" Manta asked.
"Easy. We tell Tamao to tell Anna that Yoh said to meet him in the library. One of us tells Yoh to go to the library because Anna said so." Ren answered.
"Will they fall for it?" Horo Horo asked.
"Of course they will." Ren said with confidence.
"Do you really think Anna is as dense as Yoh?" Horo Horo said in a caustic tone.
"If it comes from Tamao, she'll believe it."
"I noticed something." Pirika said.
"What is it now, Pirika?" Horo Horo said impatiently.
"You've been using your brain today." Pirika said simply.
"What! How dare you?"
"ENOUGH! You've been arguing a lot and honestly it's getting kind of tiring. And Horo, I have to agree with Pirika." Ren said finally losing his patience.
There was silence.
"So who's telling Tamao?" Manta piped up.
Manta looked at Ren. Ren looked at Pirika. Pirika looked at Horo Horo then said
"Onii-chan will do it!"
"What! No way! Why me?" Horo Horo exclaimed.
"Duh, because you like Tamao." Pirika replied.
"Who said anything about liking her?"
"It's so obvious."
"No, it's not!" Horo Horo yelled.
"Yes, it is!" Pirika yelled back.
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"KNOCK IT OFF!" It was Ren who was yelling this time.
Both siblings kept quiet. For a moment, Ren thought they would finally stop fighting. He was about to say something when…
"I'm not doing it!" Horo Horo said forcefully.
"Come on, onii-chan. You know you want to." Pirika said, trying to convince her brother.
"No, I don't. You do it, Pirika! Since you're so eager anyway."
"I'm forcing you for your own good." Pirika said her voice getting louder by the second.
"That's a lie!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"JUST CALL HER HORO!" Manta and Ren yelled.
Horo Horo and Pirika blinked. There was complete silence. Ren was getting tired. He grabbed his cell phone and started dialing Tamao's number. Just about the time he was going to press the call button when.
"All right, I'll do it!" Horo Horo said snatching the phone from Ren's hands.
Pirika smiled.
Tamao was walking on her way home when her cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Tamao?" The voice from the other end said.
"Speaking. Who is this?"
"Horo Horo"
Tamao felt a very faint blush pass her cheeks. "Oh, hi Horo. How'd you get my number?" She asked.
"I got it from Ren." Horo answered.
"Oh, I see."
"So, anyways, Ren's got a plan."
"Really? Cool!" Tamao exclaimed.
"Okay. So it goes like this. You tell Anna that Yoh told you to tell her to meet him in the library. Ren, Manta and I will tell Yoh that Anna told us to tell him to meet her in the library." Horo Horo stopped.
"Then?"
"Then we lock them in."
"What if Anna doesn't take the bait?" Tamao said in a worried tone.
"Same thing I said. They weren't thinking, really so I… OW! Pirika! Give that back!" Tamao heard some violent noise then heard a voice.
"Sorry, Tamao." Tamao recognized it as Pirika's voice. "Onii-chan's being stupid. OW! More tomorrow. Tell Anna to meet Yoh in the library after school. Bye!"
"Bye, Pirika." Tamao simply said. What else could she say?
That's it. Hope you guys liked it. Thanks again to all who read and reviewed. Please don't forget to review this chapter. Merry Christmas!
And to those asking who Anna is going to end up with, I'm not telling. You guys have to watch the events unfold to know.