Other Characters In This Chapter: Horohoro, Ren, Manta, Amidamaru, Bason

Summary: The beach is the perfect place for friends to gather on a sunny summer morning. But Yoh soon finds his friends are in an introspective mood. Will he get to play in the sand - or have to play therapist all day? And where's Anna? Find out in this special double-length 40th installment of "A Shower of Kisses."

Rating: T (borderline M) for strong language, strong suggestive themes and adult situations.

A Beachy Gathering

Kiss #40

"Let's get together and feel all right."

-Bob Marley, One Love

The feeble air conditioner could hardly put up a fight against the mass of humanity that flooded the entire train car with sweaty, pungent heat. Somewhere in the midst of the throng, Yoh Asakura did his best to maintain his grip on the support rail while also securing his backpack. Near the bottom of the pile, meanwhile, Manta Oyamada had all but given up, resigning himself to being kicked around by the whims of the crowd. He had wisely left his Mantannian Dictionary back at the En Inn, having traded it in for a canvas satchel that looked ridiculously large hanging from his shoulder.

"Lucky for us, it's a short ride to Kamakura," Yoh called down to Manta with a cheesy grin. He smiled despite the chaos inside the train car, knowing that soon, he would be a tourist in a town foreign to him, taking in new sights and sounds with his dear friend. Yes, he thought, everything was going to work out, as usual -

"Oof!" Yoh found himself in a prone position on a grimy train platform amid a crowd of shuffling feet, his morning reverie rudely interrupted. He looked up and saw a very large man dusting off his hands and giving Yoh a contemptuous stare. "I said, last stop," the train pusher snarled. "Not my fault you couldn't hear me through those headphones."

"But - " Yoh protested, pointing to his uncovered ears. "They were on the back of my head ..."

"Yoh! What are you doing on the ground?" Manta walked up to Yoh's torso. "No wonder I couldn't find you."

"Oh, hey, Manta," Yoh said, springing to his feet. "I was just - never mind. We've got a great day ahead of us!"

Manta smiled as they departed the train station. Yoh's positive energy was contagious. They strode down the streets of Kamakura in high spirits, basking in the sun radiating upon their backs and smiling at strangers as they passed. Soon they could smell the salt in the air and witness the unobstructed blue horizon before them.

"We're here!" Manta said giddily. Yoh smiled and nodded. He took his sandals off and sighed contentedly as the warm sand cushioned his feet with every step. The soothing sounds of the ocean lapped at his ears. Soon he was daydreaming again, fantasizing about Anna sunbathing next to him …

"What are you doing, Yoh?"

"Huh? Oh … n-nothing," he said with an embarrassed smile. He realized he had been motionlessly staring out into the ocean for the past several moments. "Just taking in the majesty of the sea."

"Uh-huh," Manta said, unconvinced. "Anyway, we're supposed to meet up with the others. Help me look for them."

Despite Manta's urging, the duo leisurely strolled up the beach, enjoying the atmosphere. Beachgoers had turned out that morning, but not in huge numbers, and the crowd dotting the shoreline was sparse. Yoh darted his eyes from figure to figure as he slowly advanced, but saw no one he recognized.

"Over there!" Manta exclaimed, pointing to a pair of umbrellas lying open in the sand.

Yoh squinted at where Manta was pointing. He smiled as he saw one boy with blue pointy hair strangling a slightly smaller boy with a large black spike protruding from the back of his scalp.

"Horohoro! Ren!" Yoh called out as he approached the pair with a broad smile and a wave.

Horohoro looked up at Yoh, hands still at Ren's throat. He released his grip once he recognized him. "Yoh! Sup."

Ren gasped for air for a moment, but reoriented himself quickly. "A pleasure as always, Yoh," he acknowledged with a rather stiff nod and an awkward smile.

"Nice setup," Yoh said, gesturing at the umbrellas and beach towels as he set his backpack down in the sand. "But where's Anna? Buying a soda or something?"

"Why would I know?" Ren asked bitterly. "She's not my fiancee."

"Ren, would you chill?" Horohoro interjected, now turning to Yoh. "Don't mind Crankypants, he just wants a girl other than his sister in his life." Ren kicked some sand at Horohoro for that. "But I haven't seen Anna all morning. I think her job is taking longer than she expected."

Yoh frowned. "Job? What job? All she said to me this morning was 'I'm gonna be late, don't wait for me'."

"You mean she didn't tell you?" Ren sneered. "Perhaps you two are not as close as I had imagined."

"God, Ren, knock it off! Stop being such a dick. It's a beautiful day and we're at the beach. Lighten up," Horohoro said.

Ren's expression softened by a shade or two. He reclined himself upon one of the towels, but still looked rather stiff. "I shall try to relax and enjoy myself despite your presence. Know that I'm only doing it for Yoh's sake."

Horohoro rolled his eyes. Yoh was unfurling a towel from his backpack and laying it on the sand beside the other boys', but Horohoro stopped him.

"Yoh, do me a solid and trade spots with me," he said. "You gotta go between me and Ren. He's been like this all morning."

The smile on his face faded for just a second, but came back just as quickly. "No problem, Horohoro." For good measure, Manta set his towel up next to Yoh's, creating a two-person demilitarized zone between the two hotheads.

Yoh started sifting through his backpack. He withdrew a few packets of junk food and laid them on the towel before him. "Snacks, anyone?"

If there was one thing that could bring Ren and Horohoro together, it was a tasty treat. They sprang up from their towels in unison and ogled the snacks. The Ainu and the Chinese boy both spotted the bag of wasabi beef chips simultaneously, with predictable results…

"Mine!" Ren growled, lunging for the bag.

"Over my dead body!" Horohoro roared back, snatching up the bag and digging his heels in the sand.

"That's exactly how it's gonna be!" Ren charged headfirst at Horohoro, raising a maelstrom of sand in his wake. Horohoro was decked by the onslaught, but quickly regained the upper hand by using Ren's own momentum to flip him over. Ren tumbled onto his back and was quickly pinned by the Ainu's knee, but he wasn't above using dirty tricks. He hurled a handful of sand into Horohoro's face…

Yoh sighed. "You try to do something nice for your friends, and this is what happens."

Manta smiled grimly. "Hey, for what it's worth, I appreciate it," he said, tearing open a box of Kinoko no Mori™ chocolate candy.

"I know. You're a great friend, Manta." They both blushed and looked away from one another. "I guess I better do something before they kill each other," Yoh said. He rooted around in his bag for another packet of the chips and called out, "Hey, guys, there's more where that came from."

Ren aborted the fight with one final shove of Horohoro. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" He accepted the packet with a curt nod. "Thank you, Yoh. But just between you and me, I didn't need your help. I was kicking his ass."

"Hey!" Horohoro bellowed. "I heard that!"

Yoh shook his head and returned to his backpack. "I haven't forgotten about you, Amidamaru," he said as he laid out his mortuary tablet and placed a box of Bocky™ snack sticks before it.

The samurai emerged from his home slowly. With a yawn and a great shivering stretch, he bowed before his master. "Forgive my slow emergence, Yoh-dono, but I am ashamed to admit that you caught me mid-nap."

Yoh waved his apology away and grinned. "Relax! Sorry I woke you up, but I thought you might want to enjoy the beach with us."

Amidamaru's eyes lit up. He turned away from Yoh and towards the coastline. "Ah! The beach! Some of my happiest memories happened a mere stone's throw away from the ocean. Would that I could still savor the misty air laden with the salt of the sea, or wade into the -" He broke off and turned back around, looking a little bashful. "But I ramble, Yoh-dono. And I ought not to reminisce so. Those memories should remain six hundred years in the past. In the here and now, I am grateful to serve you," he said, eyeing up the snack before his tablet, "and your kind gestures are very touching."

"Aw, geez, Amidamaru," Yoh said awkwardly. "But what memories are you talking about?"

A faraway look clouded the samurai's eyes as he began to recall his days in the flesh. "Mosuke and I first met not far from here, near the Shonan coast. He was a few years my senior, but existing in those hellish times had aged me beyond my meager years." He shook his head as if trying to clear away memories of starving orphans and marauding bandits. "One day, while foraging for whatever we could find in the smoldering ruins of the city, Mosuke and I found ourselves upon the shore. There were shadowy forms lurking in the depths, and our empty stomachs growled at the thought of catching them."

Yoh nodded at Amidamaru. "I love fish," he said.

Amidamaru laughed. "As did I," he continued, "but Mosuke and I had reached an impasse. Neither of us knew how to fish, or had the implements to do so. Then inspiration came, or perhaps it was desperation driven on by starvation. In any event, I asked Mosuke for his assistance in forging a spear. He laughed at my ignorance, reminding me that the only good metal for miles around was the knife his father had left him, and in any case I wasn't getting it."

"The knife that eventually became Harusame?"

"The very same," Amidamaru said. "Instead, he found a badly damaged monk's staff in a ruined Buddhist temple and whittled the tip down with his knife. Spear in hand, we returned to the sea, where it became apparent that I, being smaller and more martial, would be better suited to doing the fishing. I confessed to Mosuke that I had never before gone swimming. I was fearful. So he dived headfirst into the ocean, tattered clothes and all, and emerged to the surface moments later with a reassuring smile. I asked him when he had learned to swim, and he said 'about ten seconds ago.' I laughed and saw there was nothing to fear."

"A good friend," Manta said, wide-eyed.

"Indeed he was," Amidamaru acknowledged with a wistful smile. "It took me a while, but spurred on by Mosuke's encouragement and my own hunger, it was not long before I could maneuver beneath the surface of the water. The fish could not evade my spear for much longer. They were congregating near the seabed. I took the deepest breath I could manage and swore I would not resurface without a fish. They saw me approaching, but it was too late. Thus, we ate very well that night. And although a spear had not been forged, a friendship had been."

Ren scoffed. "A touching story, samurai. You make friendship sound so magical. If only reality were half as wonderful."

Horohoro looked wounded. "But it is! I'm your friend! What could be better than that?"

"Most things," Ren shot back.

"Ren, you're not usually Mr. Sunshine," Horohoro admitted, "but something's really bothering you today, isn't it?"

"Where could you possibly have gotten that idea?" Ren asked sarcastically.

Horohoro sighed. Manta pulled a bright pink innertube out of his canvas bag and started to inflate it with his mouth.

"You got the right idea, little guy," Horohoro said, smiling at Manta. "I'm going for a swim. You guys in?"

Yoh pulled a pair of swim shorts out of his backpack. "I'm in!"

"I suppose I may as well. I've come all this way," Ren said.

Horohoro looked at Yoh and Ren. "You didn't come dressed to swim? I always suspected Manta and I were the brains of the group, anyway," he said. Manta chuckled.

"Well, don't expect me to wait up for you guys," he continued. He started getting ready to jump in the water. His shirt was pulled halfway off his head when he stopped, arms in the air, looking like one of those inflatable tube men from a used car lot.

"Oh, my God!" he yelled excitedly, his words muffled slightly by his shirt. "Wait! You guys, check this out!"

"Yeah, I see it," Ren called back. "It's a dumbass who can't figure out how shirts work. In the wild, too. A rare sight."

"No, seriously, get over here!" Horohoro said, finally managing to extricate himself from his shirt.

"Fine, I'll bite," Ren said, trudging over to Horohoro. "What?"

"Feast your eyes on this," Horohoro said proudly, raising an arm behind his head and shoving his underarm in Ren's face.

Ren recoiled. "I'd rather not," he said.

"No, really, look!" Horohoro begged, elation plain on his face. "My first armpit hair! I'm becoming a man," he declared triumphantly.

"What?" Ren finally moved in for a closer look. "Oh," he said, pinching a hair between his fingers, "you mean this?"

"Yup," Horohoro said, puffing out his chest. "Won't be long before the ladies come calling -"

"Yoink!"

Ren plucked the hair out with a quick yank.

"Yeeowwww!" Horohoro howled as the pain of the pluck hit home. He prostrated himself in the sand, rolling to and fro in agony. "You bastard," he sputtered, "you're just jealous…"

Ren snorted. "Whatever. And if you think that hurt, just be thankful you didn't show me your pub-"

"Let's change into our swim trunks," Yoh cut in, laughing.

As Horohoro's pained groans faded away behind them, Yoh and Ren made their way to the showers. Ren's tense shoulders and scowl seemed to relax as they left the Ainu behind.

"Yoh," Ren said as the sand beneath their feet gave way to the paved walkway leading to the showers. "I … I'd like to apologize for being in such ill humor."

Yoh favored Ren with a big grin. "It's no big deal, Ren," he said. "I figured you'd tell me what's wrong once you were ready." He sat down on a bench in front of the showers and motioned Ren over.

"Well ... I'm ready," he said, seating himself and exhaling slowly through pursed lips. Words came out of him slowly and deliberately, like ketchup out of a glass bottle. "I was born into a family that valued hatred and revenge to the exclusion of everything else. I was raised with those very same values. For years I carried within my heart a deep loathing of humanity. To me, people were a stain on this world, a disease which had been allowed to spread unchecked. One that needed extermination."

Yoh watched as Ren balled up his fists and continued, "I hated humanity and thought nothing of killing. I snuffed out human lives as though they were flies. I thought I was doing what was necessary and right."

His hands unclenched and his eyes locked onto Yoh's. "Then I met you."

Ren saw the shock in Yoh's expression and smirked. "Yes, Yoh, you certainly threw a wrench in my plans. But more than that, you made me examine my beliefs. Were they really my beliefs? Or had they been inculcated within me against my will? I thought about the way you live your life, the way you treat your friends, and knew immediately that I had been brainwashed.

"Humankind can't be as bad as I was made to believe," Ren went on, "for one simple reason. You're part of it. And, yes, so is Horohoro," he admitted begrudgingly, "and everyone else I know. So I want to embrace humanity, flawed as I know it is. I see now that we are all imperfect beings striving to do right by the world.

"I crave friendship, empathy, and intimacy, Yoh. But how can I look anyone in the eye and let them in when I despise myself?" He opened his hands wide and showed Yoh his palms. "These hands have been beguiled into slaying countless innocents. The doctrines that led them to do so may have been my father's, but the hands that executed his will were mine and mine alone."

Ren's hands were clenched once more. "What right do I have to friendship after I so coldly extinguished so many innocent lives? How can I live with myself with their blood on my conscience and on my hands?"

To Ren's shock, Yoh was smiling broadly. "Ren, who you were is not nearly as important as who you've become. You're not a soulless murdering machine anymore. No, what you've done shouldn't be forgotten. And it shouldn't be easily forgiven, either. But the first step to redemption is forgiving yourself."

Yoh put a hand on Ren's shoulder. "You've been through so much. Far more than any one person should be asked to handle alone. If anyone deserves to have friends, it's you. I don't want to see you do anything rash because you kept everything bottled up inside and felt you had no alternatives. But before anyone else can start to let you in, you need to stop blaming yourself for everything. Forgive yourself."

Ren looked like he was taking the opposite course of action. His expression was one of pure revulsion, but it gradually subsided as he mulled over the words. "It will take time, of course. My past haunts me unceasingly. Barely a night goes by when I don't wake up drenched with sweat that feels like the blood of innocents. But what good will it do to castigate myself for it? Better, surely, to turn over a new leaf …

"You're right, Yoh," he said finally. "If only so that I may begin to redeem myself, to give back to humankind after taking so much, I think I can learn … to forgive myself eventually."

"Yes," Yoh said with conviction. "There's no doubt you can."

"I do draw some measure of pride from my self-sufficiency," Ren admitted. "But that doesn't diminish the importance of your friendship to me."

Ren rose from the bench, and, as Yoh followed suit, put his arms around him in an awkward bear hug. Yoh stifled a gasp, but returned his hug unhesitatingly.

"Er … sorry, this isn't weird, is it?" Yoh's shoulder was muffling Ren's voice.

"No, Ren, not at all," Yoh said, meaning it.

Ren stayed in Yoh's comforting hug for several moments. "Thank you, Yoh. Sincerely."

Yoh simply nodded and smiled. "No sweat. You'll be okay, Ren. You're the most determined person I know. Don't give up on yourself. It'll all work out."

Ren returned Yoh's nod. "Oh, and Yoh, one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Not one word about this to Horohoro."

"My lips are sealed," Yoh promised with a wink.

They changed into their swimming attire and made their way back to Horohoro and Manta. Both boys were luxuriating in the shallow water, with Horohoro doing a dead man's float on his back and Manta navel-gazing in his innertube.

"Jesus, that took long enough," Horohoro chided. "What the hell were you guys doing in the showers? Comparing to see who has the bigger di-"

"Yes! That's exactly what we were doing!" Yoh blurted out, wanting to cover up their serious talk, but then immediately realized what Horohoro was about to say. "Wait. No! Definitely not!"

Ren simply buried his face in his palm. Horohoro cackled hysterically, splashing water in all directions as his body shook with laughter. "So who won? It was Yoh, wasn't it?" he guffawed.

"Why, you son of a -" Ren took a running jump toward Horohoro, but turned his head and winked at Yoh as he took flight. He landed a few feet shy of the Ainu, causing a plume of water to gush into the sky as he touched down on the water's surface. The two boys then engaged in what might best be described as a cross between synchronized swimming and pro wrestling, taking turns submerging one another, locking one another in various holds and grips, and exchanging insults at every opportunity.

Yoh laughed to himself as he turned his back on the spectacle and waded out to Manta, who had drifted several feet away over the course of the melee. "What a crazy morning," he mused. "At least it looks like you're getting an opportunity to relax."

Manta smiled at Yoh from his reclined position in the innertube. "This is really nice," he confessed. "Between cram school and my dad, I haven't had much time to just say 'fuck it' and veg out."

Yoh gasped, inhaling a bit of seawater. "Manta, did you just say 'fu' -" he said before launching into a fit of coughing.

"Sorry for cursing," Manta said, going a bit red in the face. "I know it's not like me. But I haven't really been myself lately, anyway. It's been stressful. I told you about how controlling my dad is, right? How he's grooming me to be his successor at Oyamada Industries?"

"Yeah, I remember," Yoh said. Inwardly he groaned. Of course I care about Manta and want to support him, he thought. But I just got through doing this for Ren. When will I get to enjoy the beach? And for that matter, when is Anna going to get here?

"Well, you can imagine how he reacted when I didn't catch that flight to America. Of course it was all over the phone, but I could just see what he looked like in my head as he was ripping me a new one. Anyway, he didn't disown me, but he got about as close as you can get. And if I don't stay on track academically, he will cut me off."

Yoh's body bobbed in time with the ebb and flow of the shallow water. "Hey, at least you got to stay here in Japan with me, right?"

"Yeah, that's true," Manta conceded. "But it wasn't an easy decision. I almost got on that plane. Because you said I was a distraction at one of your Shaman Fights and that we weren't friends anymore."

Yoh remembered the exact moment Manta was bringing up. He remembered how hard it had been to lie to Manta in that hospital bed, how gut-wrenching it had felt to push away his true friend. It had been the right thing to do at the time, given the perilous nature of Yoh's battles, but that hadn't made him feel any better about going through with it. "Manta …"

"It's okay," Manta shrugged, shifting himself so that the innertube was around his torso. "You don't need to apologize. I understand why you did it."

Yoh swallowed hard. "Manta, I never did apologize to you for that," he confessed, "and I feel terrible about it. It was one of the worst decisions of my life."

Manta leaned forward from his perch in the innertube. "You mean that?"

"Definitely," Yoh said. "Not only were you my first friend at school, you were - and still are - my only friend at school. I was just this awkward, lonely kid, you know, and you looked past all the weirdness like it didn't matter." Yoh cupped his hands in the water and splashed his face. He hoped it would cover up the tears that were forming in his eyes. "Manta, I was wrong to try to push you away. I can't imagine doing any of this shaman stuff without you. I'm sorry."

"Aw, shit, Yoh," Manta said, dabbing at the sides of his eyes. "I mean, aw, shucks."

Yoh laughed.

"That was a touching moment. May I interject?"

"Huh?" Yoh and Manta turned to face the gritty voice that had just spoken. "Oh, hi, Bason."

"Yoh-sama, Manta-sama, what a wonderful day this is turning out to be!" the warlord exclaimed. "Pardon my interruption, but I was just speaking to Amidamaru about Master Ren. Unfortunately, the samurai does not claim to know the young master quite as well as I'm sure you do."

"Uh, yeah," Yoh said tentatively, hoping this wasn't going to be another emotional roller coaster for him. "You could say I know Ren pretty well."

"Excellent! So, I must ask," Bason continued, his ghostly form casting a shadow over the boys, "does anything in this world fill your heart with contentment half as much as watching the young master enjoying himself?"

"Enjoying himself?" Yoh asked skeptically, looking over at Ren. His aquatic wrestling match with Horohoro had apparently ended in a tense stalemate; his arms were crossed just under the water line, and he seemed to be sulking as Horohoro goofed off by himself in the water. Maybe that was Ren "enjoying himself" in Bason's eyes, but to Yoh, Ren looked quite dour.

"Oh, my, yes!" Bason said. "In all my years under Master Ren, I have never seen him so eager to be social. Indeed, Master Ren has always been an insular young man who greatly prefers the company of himself over others. Do you know," he asked, "what he said to me this morning?"

"What's that?"

"He said, 'Seeing all of my friends again should be fun.' Master Ren spoke those words! The same young master who was never shy about expressing his deep contempt for all things mortal! It nearly brings a tear to this old warlord's eye."

"Huh. You would never guess it by looking at him," Yoh said, gesturing at Ren, who was at that moment scowling deeply and swimming away from Horohoro.

"Yoh-sama, Master Ren's mannerisms will likely never change. He will always be slow to trust and slower yet to show affection. But know this: though his heart will always be mischievous, it is no longer malicious. I have seen Master Ren at his most vindictive, and he has divested himself of those ill intentions."

Bason and the boys watched as Ren, now about ten yards from Horohoro, stealthily glided just below the water's surface towards the Ainu, who suspected nothing - in fact, it looked like he was checking for more hairs under his arms. With cat-like precision, Ren closed in on Horohoro, and, in one swift, fluid motion, came away with his swim trunks.

The water blurred things a little, but it was plain to see that Horohoro had been going commando. His face flushed beet red as he scrambled to find Ren, but he was already swimming away, cackling madly the whole time. He balled up Ren's trunks and tossed them on the beach.

"Are you sure about that, Bason?" Yoh asked as Ren continued to bawl with laughter. He stood on the beach in front of Horohoro's wadded swim shorts. The naked Ainu, making sure his body stayed well submerged, could do nothing but scream vileness at Ren.

"I am certain," Bason said, doing his best to assuage Yoh's skepticism. "This is simple attention-seeking behavior. Master Ren is somewhat emotionally and socially stunted. This is his unique way of showing affection."

"That makes sense," Manta affirmed. "It's like when a little boy pulls on a girl's hair. He doesn't know how else to tell her 'I like you, let's be friends.'"

"Precisely," Bason said.

"Well, I have a gut feeling that Horohoro's going to do a lot more than just pull hair if he ever gets his swim shorts back," Yoh said.

Indeed, the Ainu was angrier and redder than ever. Luckily for the small cluster of bystanders who had gathered, the surf was getting choppy and the splashes covered up the most severe of the insults he was hurling. Yoh did his best to listen in.

"... (splash!) hope you (splash!) choke eating a steaming pile of horse (splash!), you tiny-(splash!), short-(splash!), egocentric (splash!) excuse for a human being! You better not (splash!) off to this like you (splash!) your (splash!) sister, you sick (splash!) Bet you're a (splaaaaash!), you sorry-(splash!) mother-(splash!) piece of (splaaaaash!)-sucking, (splash!)-touching, pain-in-the-(splaaaaash!)-licking, (splash!)-guzzling (splash!) ..."

"Wow," Yoh said, both shocked and impressed by Horohoro's fluent vocabulary.

"My virgin ears," Manta said.

Ren picked up the pair of shorts and dangled them tantalizingly just out of Horohoro's reach. "Uh-oh," he taunted. "Looks like you're going to have to get out of the water so everyone can see. I guess … despite what I said earlier, it turns out that you actually will end up showing me your pub-"

"Raaagh!" Horohoro roared in pure anguish. "All right! All right! Fine! You win, Ren." He started to climb ashore -

"Wait!" Ren said, shock briefly registering in his eyes. He tossed the shorts into the water. "I was just having a little fun. I don't actually want to see your naked ass."

Bason laughed heartily. "Precisely as I said! Master Ren has a schemer's heart and enjoys riling up those he cares about. But he would never go so far as to humiliate a friend - not anymore. He has truly begun to grow and mature. And it is all thanks to you, Yoh-sama."

He felt like he had already had this discussion with Ren just moments earlier, but it did feel nice to be recognized. "Thank you, Bason," he said, a little bashfully.

"Think nothing of it, Yoh-sama," the warlord said. "Both the young master and I are forever indebted to you. It has already made our company much more tolerable to us both."

Horohoro had calmed down slightly once he had covered himself back up. Ren, meanwhile, now looked like he actually was enjoying himself. He was now blissfully floating on his back, his eyes closed, a thin smile on his lips.

Horohoro swam over to the other boys. "So," he asked, as casually as he could given the circumstances, "you didn't … you know, see anything, did you?"

Yoh and Manta shook their heads.

"Oh, good, good," Horohoro said, with a decompressive sigh. "Uh, I mean," he hastened to add, "not that I'm ashamed of it or anything. I was just afraid that its massive size would make you feel inadequate."

"Uh-huh," Yoh said flatly. "You know, maybe I did see something after all. But it's hard to tell, since it was so small." From behind him, Manta giggled.

"Okay, okay," Horohoro said, pouting, "forget I said anything. Anyway, listen, little guy," he went on, swimming towards Manta, "I got an idea." He cupped his hand to Manta's ear and whispered into it. Manta looked scandalized, but then burst into laughter.

"So what do you think?" Horohoro asked.

"I'm in," Manta agreed. He clambered out of his innertube and allowed Horohoro to hitch a ride on it. Manta gave him a push and he was off - on a collision course with Ren.

"What's he gonna do?" Yoh asked quietly.

"You'll see," Manta answered, raising a finger to his lips.

Horohoro, his back sprawled across Manta's innertube, drifted closer and closer to Ren. The Chinese boy was still afloat on his back, eyes closed, soaking in the late morning sun. He sensed something drawing near, and opened his eyes a crack. All he saw was the bright pink of the innertube.

"Oh, hello, Manta," he said, closing his eyes once more. "I've been so terribly rude. Come, float with me."

Something just then alerted Ren to the fact that it wasn't Manta who was hitching a ride in the innertube. "Horo!" he managed to cry, but he was just an instant too slow. It was Horohoro's chance to repay the favor, and he took full advantage. Ren's swim trunks were no longer occupying Ren's body.

Ren's reaction to this was swift and decisive. Horohoro was beating a hasty retreat, but Ren was a better swimmer, and he managed to wrap a hand around one of his ankles. Caught, Horohoro settled for holding the shorts out of the water as far from Ren's grasp as he could.

What Ren did next was legendary.

Like a dolphin, Ren sprang from the surface of the water and spun gracefully over Horohoro's head. For a brief, shining moment, everybody - Horohoro, Yoh, Manta, and the smattering of onlookers - caught a clear glimpse of the, ahem, most diminutive member of the Tao family. At the apex of his leap, he snatched his shorts clean out of Horohoro's hand and slid them on as he touched back down into the water.

"Whoa," Yoh said, impressed.

"Did - did he just show everyone his schlo-"

"Yes, Manta," Yoh said, still somewhat shocked, "yes, he did."

Ren, for his part, acted like nothing had happened. "I don't mess around," he said matter-of-factly.

Horohoro was clearly impressed as well. "You know, Ren, I have to admit, that was badass."

"Naturally," Ren said.

The Ainu offered a hand to Ren. "Truce?"

"Truce," Ren agreed, shaking Horohoro's hand.

For a second only the white noise of the gentle surf could be heard as the two boys regarded each other, for once, without hostile intentions. Then Horohoro's eyes lit up.

"Is this a bad time to say," Horohoro asked, "that now I know for sure that Yoh beat you in that shower room size contest?"

Ren shrugged, his face unexpressive. "It's the motion of the ocean," he said, cupping some water in his hands, "not the size of the waves."

"You know what?" Horohoro replied. "I'm gonna let you have this one. You just jumped butt naked clear over my head, exposed yourself to everyone, and gave exactly zero shits. Respect, Ren, respect."

For the first time since all the boys got together, tranquility reigned. Yoh reclined himself in the water and floated upon its surface on his back. He looked up into the unbroken azure sky and felt a warm breeze tickle at his nose. At last he felt at peace. He closed his eyes, enjoying the relaxing sensation of the current gently rocking his body to and fro. The other boys soon closed their eyes as well. They drifted with the current in somnolent silence for a while. Then Manta reminded them of a conspicuous absence:

"Hey, where's Anna?"

Yoh hadn't forgotten about Anna, of course, but in that moment, the warmth of the beach and the boys' camaraderie had melted away the fear he normally had of her icy demeanor and frigid voice. "Anna," he said, and shuddered despite the temperature.

"She's gonna be in a terrible mood when she finally shows up," Horohoro ventured. "Whatever's holding her up this long, I bet it's really pissing her off."

Thanks for that, Yoh thought resentfully. "I guess," he conceded, "but there's no use in worrying about it." He noticed his mouth was suddenly very dry, and whether that was because of the heat or Anna's impending wrath, he really wasn't sure. "I'm gonna head over to the vending machines for a drink," he said. "You guys want anything?"

"I'll take a Bocari Sweat™," Manta requested.

"I wouldn't mind a Matsuda Cider™," Ren piped up.

"I'll have a G. G. Lemon™," Horohoro said. "Hey, relax," he added upon seeing Yoh's frown. "We'll pay you back, right, guys? … Right?"

But Yoh hadn't been thinking about that. G. G. Lemon is Anna's favorite drink, he recalled. He waded out of the water and started out in search of a soda machine. He couldn't help but wonder what Anna had been doing all day. His pace slowed as he started thinking about the relaxing time he and Anna could have been sharing if they had been able to catch the train together. He imagined himself lying on his warm towel in the shade of an umbrella, sneaking a peek at Anna's supine, sunbathing form. She caught him looking, but rather than slapping him, smiled coyly and went back to reading her magazine…

He reflected on the fact that he had helped his friends wrangle with their emotions today, but the one person he truly needed to connect with emotionally hadn't been there. Yoh wondered if Anna would ever be comfortable enough with him to express herself more freely, to stop treating her contemptuous glare as if it were her black dress - appropriate for most situations. He knew she loved him, deep down, but Yoh was rarely able to plumb the depths far enough to catch a glimpse of the reciprocation he craved.

Finally Yoh saw a bank of vending machines lined up next to a snorkel rental kiosk. He fished out some coins from his pocket and bought the drinks, one by one. He cradled them in his arms and felt goosebumps emerge on his skin.

I hope Anna isn't as cold as these drinks once she shows up. He made his way back with a little more urgency, and hadn't noticed how far he had wandered. Nonetheless, drinks in tow, he eventually spotted the familiar umbrellas and towels laid out on the sand. The boys were standing with their backs to Yoh. As he got closer, he saw that they were talking to a young woman whose clothing looked decidedly out of place for the beach.

Then he saw a long strand of blue beads dangling from one of her hands.

Anna!

Yoh sprinted towards her, nearly dropping the drinks. He got within earshot just as she was wrapping up her lively conversation, and what he heard did make him drop the drinks:

"That's what Yoh's been doing all morning? And this is the thanks he gets? Being your personal errand boy? This beach day was supposed to give Yoh a much-deserved day off. Sounds like it was anything but. You disgust me. All of you. Get out of my sight."

The boys didn't need to be told twice. They practically fell over each other dashing to the water as if the sand were on fire.

"Anna!" Yoh said, her words still echoing in his ears. She was wearing not her black dress, but rather the itchy-looking, homespun brown twill robes of a traditional itako - but she looked no less bewitching in them. He swore that he had felt her eyes lingering upon his naked torso, but convinced himself it was just a trick of the light. "How was your, er, thing this morning?"

"Awful," she said. "Exorcising restless spirits at the police station. Blood. So much blood."

"What?!" Yoh exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but Sergeant Sato, well, the less said about him, the better. Ghosts and guns don't really mix. There was even blood on the ceiling."

Yoh looked horrified. "What the fu-"

"Anyway," Anna said, pulling the hood of her robe off to let her lovely blond hair down, "thanks for asking. Those inconsiderate jerks knew I had been busting my ass all morning and didn't bother asking how it went." She scoffed. "But they did say that you really seemed to lift Ren's mood. Manta told me you finally apologized for that whole lying about not being friends thing. Amidamaru and Bason were very happy that they got to talk to you a bit. And Horohoro -"

Yoh and Anna looked up and squinted at the Ainu. Even at this distance, Yoh could tell he was inspecting himself yet again for more signs of "becoming a man" under his arms. Yoh laughed.

"I'm sure he appreciated his time with you too. In his own way," she concluded. "For such a laid-back guy, you have quite a magnetic personality. I've noticed it, too."

That caught Yoh off-guard. "Huh?"

"People gravitate to you, Yoh. You just have a … sanguine air about you that rubs off on everyone else," she said, searching for the right word.

"What's with the fancy vocabulary?"

Anna made an exasperated noise. "Ugh. Some of us pay attention at school, Yoh. Sanguine. Like, optimistic, even when the situation doesn't call for it."

"Oh." Yoh's confused expression morphed into a grin. "Yup. That's me. Well, usually, anyway."

"Yes. And …" she hesitated, and looked away from Yoh, but continued, "I'm one of those people." Anna turned a bit pink upon speaking the words.

"What people?" Yoh asked obliviously.

Anna's blush intensified. "I'm one of those people who's drawn to your personality, all right?" she blustered. "The way nothing really seems to faze you. The way you're always ready to help when one of us is overwhelmed. Yoh," she confessed, "I love that about you. That's why I planned this beach day for you. I know you operate best when you're relaxed. This was supposed to help you chill. Instead, you ended up being your friends' armchair psychologist."

Yoh looked at Anna, wide-eyed. "This beach day was your idea?"

Anna rolled her eyes. She was still blushing. "Of course, baka! Why else would I do the exorcism at the police station? You need the practice, you bum. This was all for you. And I hope you appreciate it. God, all that blood …"

"Okay, seriously, what the hell happened -"

"It doesn't matter!" Anna said forcefully. "What matters is, I've had a long morning, and now I'm going to lie on a towel and do nothing all afternoon. I deserve that. And you deserve to join me, goddammit."

Yoh didn't quite know what to say. He remained silent - that is, until Anna started to take off her robe. Yoh saw a flash of her bare abdomen and blurted out, "Not here, Anna! Everyone can see!"

She favored Yoh with a deadpan expression. "Yoh. Not even in your wildest dreams would I get naked in front of you." She dramatically shrugged off the robe, revealing that she was wearing a two-piece swimsuit top under it. Once she kicked her baggy pants off, Yoh could see her full beach outfit.

He took her in with his eyes, savoring her slender body, the curves that he had never before seen covered so skimpily. His mind was utterly blown from seeing Anna in such a sexy outfit. Words completely failed him, but he knew he had to say something; he had been staring far too long.

"Black," he said. It was the first word that came to mind that wouldn't get him slapped.

"Do you like it?" she asked, her voice and expression inscrutable.

Yoh gulped. He decided to be honest. "You look amazing."

Anna looked at Yoh's shirtless body pointedly. "So do you."

Yoh suddenly looked very flushed, and it wasn't a sunburn. "T - thank you," he stammered.

"Did you miss me?" Anna asked, ignoring Yoh's awkward reply.

"Of - of course," he said.

Her hands slid from their perches at her hips and were now hanging loosely at her side. "I missed you, too," she said, her voice gentler and softer than usual. "And not just because I could've used another set of hands to clean up all the blood. So, so much blood ... Anyway, Yoh, I missed the way you make me laugh, the way you keep things from getting too serious, the way you pick me up when I need a boost. You treat me just like you treat your friends, and I wanted to return the favor for once."

"Well, Anna," Yoh said after thinking for a moment, "I treat you like my friend because you are my friend. My best friend."

"Oh, Yoh …"

The drama of the morning seemed to wash away from him into the ocean as Anna embraced Yoh tightly. He felt her hands rubbing his bare back, and his torso grazed her midriff. It was an exhilarating union of skin, one which Yoh had never felt before in such intimate areas, and he gasped. It was fortuitously timed, for Anna quickly smothered him with her lips, delivering a passionate kiss. Yoh quickly responded in kind, kissing Anna, hoping it communicated just how much he appreciated her thinking of him. They stumbled in the sand as one with Anna leading the way, kissing each other all the while, until Anna felt a towel under her feet. She reclined herself and Yoh joined her on the towel.

Ironically, although they had lowered themselves, the intensity was quickly ramping up. He was on his knees between Anna's legs, leaning forward to reach her lips with his. Her inner thigh brushed against Yoh's sensuously. She felt something poking at her insistently, and knew what it had to be.

She locked her hands behind his back, but he pulled away. He looked down at his swim trunks and blushed. "I'm sorry, Anna, I got carried away …"

"No, Yoh, you carry me away every day. You sweep me off my feet. You're an amazing fiance. Yoh, I love you so much." She was at least as red as he was.

"I love you too, Anna," he said.

Back in the water, the three boys did their best to look like they weren't watching the two young lovers complete their makeout session. "Yoh's so smooth," Horohoro said jealously.

"I rather expect that if you examined his swim trunks, you'd find he is anything but smooth right now," Ren said suggestively.

"I think I'm starting to get … not smooth … myself just watching it," Horohoro admitted.

"Wait, where are they going?" Manta asked.

"I can't tell," Ren replied, "but it looks like she's taking your bottle of G. G. Lemon with her."

"Hey! Hey! That's mine -"

"Relax, Horohoro," Manta soothed. "There's still another bottle by your umbrella. Yoh must have bought two."

"Oh. Well, that's thoughtful of him. As usual."

Ren smirked. "It looks like they're going to the showers. I wonder what it is they could be doing in the privacy of a locked stall that they couldn't do on the beach?"

Horohoro gave a long, low whistle. Manta merely blushed.

"Well, whatever. Can't say the guy doesn't deserve it." He waddled out of the water and retrieved the drinks Yoh had dropped. The three boys circled together and cracked their drinks open simultaneously. Ren, surprisingly, was the first to speak:

"A toast to the best friend any of us could ask for - Yoh Asakura!"

"Kanpai!" they cried. Their drinks collided together. Ren, meanwhile, couldn't help but wonder whether a collision of a different sort was about to happen in the showers…

Thanks for sticking with me through 40 chapters of "A Shower of Kisses!" I hope you enjoyed this special installment. Readers like you make the long hours worth it. I appreciate your feedback!