Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King and the song "Maybe" (by King).
Chapter 5
"We're sorry, Yoh." Manta apologized as he and Ryu walked into Yoh's house.
"We asked your grandfather and even looked everywhere." Ryu said, "But we just couldn't find Anna."
Yoh frowned for a while and looked at the floor, "Oh." He had hoped that the two will find Anna in Izumo. He clenched his fist but grinned at Manta and Ryu, "It's okay, guys."
"But Yoh…" Manta began but Yoh interrupted him.
"Really, Manta, you don't have to be sorry about it." Yoh turned around, "Come on, let's go inside. You two better rest before we go to the studio."
The two were watching Yoh disappear into the dining room when Ren's voice came. "He was hoping you two would find her. I could tell he tried hard not to get his hopes up but he did."
Manta looked at Ren and then at the floor, "Yeah…I wish we found her but she wasn't really there. We asked some people there if they saw the itako Anna Kyoyama but they said they haven't seen her for years."
Ren sighed, "Yoh doesn't know this, but I asked Jun to order a kyonshii to look for her yesterday. She hasn't called yet but I do hope they find her."
Ryu sighed, "I wonder where Anna could have gotten to?"
Just then, the phone rang and the three saw Yoh ran pass them towards the phone. "Asakura residence, Yoh speaking." He answered, hoping that Anna's voice will come at the other end.
But, to his disappointment, it was Jun. "Hello, Yoh. Can you tell my brother that I really came out empty? Li Bai Long just came back and he didn't even find a clue."
"Uh…sure I can tell him, Jun." Yoh replied, "Um…what are you looking for?"
Jun was silent for a few seconds, "We're looking for Anna, Yoh."
His eyes widened, "You are?"
"Yes." Jun answered, "Ren asked me to send a kyonshii or two to some places where she could be."
Yoh looked at Ren, "Okay, Jun. I'll tell Ren your message. Thanks, by the way. Bye." He put the phone down and looked at Ren, "Why didn't you tell me you asked Jun to look for Anna?"
Ren shrugged, "I thought I could surprise you. But, judging by the look on your face, those kyonshii guys didn't find her, right?"
Yoh nodded, "Yeah. Thanks Ren…" He smiled, "For looking for Anna even if I didn't ask you to."
"Anytime, pal." Ren said. "Come on, I can smell Tamao's cooking, breakfast is ready."
"You guys go ahead, I have to do something first." Yoh told them.
As the three went into the dining room, Yoh looked at the phone and at the window. 'Anna…' He said in his mind, 'wherever you are…please…at least call me…and tell me you're safe…'
RING!
Yoh jumped and blinked as he looked at the phone. 'Could it be…?' He picked up the phone, "Asakura residence, Yoh speaking."
"I know you asked Manta and Ryu to look for me in Izumo, Yoh."
Yoh's mouth fell open. "A-anna? Anna I—…"
"I also saw a kyonshii look for me. Why are you looking for me? You're just wasting your time! Tell me, why have you asked Jun, Manta, and Ryu to look for me? Do you even love me?"
Yoh opened his mouth to answer but she interrupted him.
"Of course not."
"Bu—."
"Just forget about me, Yoh. Don't even try being friends again. Like I said, live your life as if there was no Anna Kyoyama in your past! Oh, and if I found out you sent someone out again to look for me…I'll make sure you'll wish you never wanted to find me." And, with that, she slammed the phone.
Yoh stood there silent but with his mouth open. He slowly and shakily placed the phone down. "If you don't want others to look for you…then I will." He picked up the phone again.
"The recording session's been moved to next week." Yoh announced as he entered the dining room.
Ren choked on his food, "What?"
"I called our manager earlier." Yoh told them as he sat down beside Ryu and Manta. "I told him I'm going to write two more songs and I have something important to do. He said it was okay."
"Two more songs?" Ren repeated. "But you had just written two songs the other day!"
"You did?" Manta asked, "Does that mean you're going to add four new songs to our album? Wow, Yoh. I know I can't write songs that fast."
Yoh told them about the two songs he wrote the other day and the songs he was about to write. "I wish to dedicate them to Anna and…" He looked at Ren, "Ren wants to dedicate one of the songs to…"
"Don't even dare, Yoh." Ren warned.
Yoh grinned, "Don't worry, I won't tell. Anyway, is it okay with you guys?"
"Absolutely Yoh." Manta replied at once.
Ryu nodded, "Yeah. Besides, if we put in some love songs into the album, it could help increase our rating."
Ren gave him a nod. Yoh smiled, "Okay, so it's settled then." Yoh wolfed down his first bowl and held it out to Tamao, "Another round, please!" Yoh frowned when he saw Tamao snap out of her thoughts. 'She…she looks sad.' He said to himself. "What's wrong, Tamao?"
Tamao, who kept her eyes on the floor, shook her head as she took Yoh's bowl. "Nothing's wrong Yoh." But, as soon as she gave Yoh his bowl back, Tamao looked back at her food with the same troubled look on her face.
"Well, whatever it is, cheer up." Yoh finished his second bowl quickly and stood up. "I'm going out for a while. Ren, can you let Ryu and Manta hear the two songs we recorded? The tape is inside the recorder. I placed it in my room." After receiving a nod from Ren, Yoh walked out of the room. "Coming, Amidamaru?" He asked his guardian ghost.
"Sure, Yoh." Amidamaru came to him and followed Yoh outside. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to look for Anna." Yoh replied. "She said she doesn't want me to send someone to go looking for her so I'm going to look for her." Yoh stood on the spot where he last saw her. "Hm…Can you go check her room if she left anything, Amidamaru?"
With a nod, Amidamaru disappeared and returned immediately. "She left nothing, Yoh."
"Not even the guitar I gave her?"
Amidamaru shook his head, "No guitar."
"Then I'm right. She must be near." Yoh placed a finger on his lips, "She didn't leave with her guitar or with any big luggage either. She left with a small bag. She must've came back one night to pick her other things up. But where could she be?"
"It's nearly sunset, Yoh." Amidamaru told him as they went into the park, "Are you really sure she's just near?"
"She has to be." Yoh sat on a bench and sighed, "I won't stop looking for her, Amidamaru. I never…" Yoh stopped as music came into his ears. He turned around and noticed it was coming from inside the bushes. Curious, Yoh went closer.
"Why don't you try to open up your heart…"
Yoh gasped, 'It's Anna!'
The two moved closer quietly and listened to her.
"Maybe it's wrong to say please love me too
'Cause I know you'll never do
Somebody else is waiting there inside for you
Maybe it's wrong to love you more each day
'Cause I know she's here to stay
But I know to whom you should belong
Oh….
I believe what you said to me
We should set each other free
That's how you want it to be
But my love
Gets stronger than before
I want to see you more and more
But you closed your door…"
Yoh had never heard her sing. He had only heard her play the guitar. He sighed softly. It seemed to him that her voice was so beautiful…like an angel's voice singing a glorious melody. He could listen to her sing for the rest of his life. And that song…wasn't that the theme song in one of her favorite telenovelas?
"Yoh!" Anna exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"
Yoh suddenly noticed that Anna just found his hiding place. "Anna! I…uh…"
"Urgh!" Anna turned around and stomped away.
"Wait!" Yoh ran after her. He grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him, "Listen to me, Anna… I love you…"
Anna's eyes widened but she did not speak. She just stared into his eyes as he stared back into hers. Then it came to her… Anna frowned, "It's not funny, Yoh. Stop joking like that. I know you'll never love me so…so…just forget that I ever loved you! Yeah…that's right…I don't love you anymore so just…leave me alone!" She yanked her arm away and ran from him as fast as she could. She bit her lip as she ran. Even though she wanted to believe him, she knew that it was all a lie.
"Follow her, Amidamaru!" Yoh yelled as he ran after her. He lost track of her when they ran out of the park so he waited for Amidamaru under a tree. Yoh sighed, 'Why would you think I'm joking, Anna? I'm not that kind of person and you know that…'
The sun had finally set when Amidamaru came back. "I'm sorry, Yoh." Amidamaru apologized, "She summoned some spirits to stall me."
Yoh fell on the ground and hid his face from his guardian ghost, "It's okay, Amidamaru."
That night, Yoh could not help but think about what happened earlier that day. Taking notice of this, Ren, Ryu, and Manta had tried to cheer him up a bit. But they failed and gave up for the night. Amidamaru tried to talk to Yoh but it seemed that Yoh was too deep in thought to even listen.
It was probably midnight and Yoh went outside to stare at the bright full moon. His memories sped through his mind as the same words echoed in his head. 'I really love you Anna.' Among all of his friends, Anna was probably the only one who knows him the best. After all, they did grow up together. She had witnessed him grow up and change into a much mature person than before. She knows what triggers his anger and what he did whenever his was nervous or sad. She would have known that he wasn't joking about his feelings.
"I don't love you anymore…"
Yoh tucked his knees under his chin and hugged his legs. "You don't love me anymore, Anna? But…I love you. I'm sorry because I'm so stupid to not notice it until now. Please forgive me Anna… I'm sorry I just realized now that…that you mean so much to me… Please don't say that you don't love me anymore…" Yoh took his eyes away from the moon and looked at the ground. His heart ached as Anna's words echoed in his mind. He felt as if an awfully heavy weight was crushing him. He felt as if he could just die knowing that she doesn't love him anymore.
"You said I was free to love, Anna…" He whispered, "And I chose freely to love you…" He buried his head into his knees and shut his eyes tight wishing that this was all a nightmare. But, unfortunately, it wasn't.
"I don't love you anymore…"
A/N: Keep reading >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
