Konnichiwa, dear readers! It's been a while... -salute- Sorry about my (aherm) lack of updating. My parents believe that summer vacation was created for students to catch up with their schoolwork, and have been buying all my eighth grade textbooks on Ebay so I can read 'em all ahead of time. I know, morbid...Please, READ AND REVIEW! ARIGATOU, SHAMAN KING FANS! HIGH FIVE! Now, ON WITH THE SHOW! -throws popcorn at screen-

Samurai.luvz.sword has logged on.

Samurai.luvz.sword: Hello? Hello? Hi me!

Samurai.luvz.sword: Hello, me! What are you doing?

Samurai.luvz.sword: Talking to myself and waiting for Yoh to come home from school! And Ren, and Horohoro, of course.

Samurai.luvz.sword: Same here! Ever since Yoh got me this fascinating Instant Messaging, I have been talking to myself all day!

Samurai.luvz.sword: Anna is at her all-girls school, and she has left me with a whole list of chores.

Samurai.luvz.sword: Ah, Amidamaru. I feel pity for you.

Samurai.luvz.sword: Yes, well, it gets boring talking to oneself all day.

Samurai.luvz.sword: Ah, I understand your pain.

Samurai.luvz.sword: Well, yes, after all, you ARE me.

Samurai.luvz.sword: Am I you being me, or you being you? Because if I were you being you, then I wouldn't be me.

Samurai.luvz.sword: Good point...

-Sound of doorbell-

Samurai.luvz.sword: That would be Yoh-dono! I'm afraid I must go.

Samurai.luvz.sword: Sayonara, me!

Samurai.luvz.sword has logged off.

Amidamaru logged off his AIM account and floated over to the door. "Why, hello Yoh!" he said cheerfully, opening the door. What met his eyes made his non-existant heart stop.

"Hao," he whispered under his breath.

"Correct, Amidamaru."

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Meanwhile, back at Funbari High...

Ren stared at Li Mei. "Finally," he whispered under his breath. "Someone who does as well in math as I do." He smirked and glanced again at the girl, who was busy dictating the properties of the number 0 to a clearly confused Miss Tao.

"That's wonderful, Li Mei! Who knew the number zero was so... fascinating!" Jun tried her happy smile again and hoped for the best.

"Thank you." Li Mei blushed and went back to, or at least attempted to, find her seat. The seat she sat in instead was Horohoro's.

"O-oh! I'm so sorry!" Li Mei blushed again, this time redder than normal, and got up quickly. Horohoro decided to use this opportunity to his advantage.

"That's ok. In fact, I'll lead you back to your seat." He grabbed her hand and, turning a shade of scarlet-pink, performed the said task.

'Hmm... I guess the people here aren't so bad after all. But then again, that's just the boys. The girls might not be so... kind.' Li Mei straightened out her skirt and lifted one pink-stiletto-ed foot over the other. She sighed. 'This is going to be a looong day.'

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Finally, after hours of agonizing brainwashing, the lunch bell rang. Yoh woke up from his slumber only to be met with Horohoro's face, noticing with an uncomfortable expression that Horohoro's face was very close to his own. Horohoro blushed and said, "It's lunchtime, Yoh!"

The four friends, Ren, Lyserg, Yoh, and Horohoro walked quietly to the cafeteria. They had, no doubt about it, been affected by the Li Mei incident. 'Ah well, I guess we shouldn't worry so much about her.' they all thought. Horohoro immediately began pigging out on a greasy-looking cheeseburger, while Yoh and Lyserg sipped happily on orange juice. Ren was moving his fork around some salad, obviously thinking about how he was going to kill Horo for his boorish slobbering. Chocolove joined them later, for he was in a different homeroom with Tamao. They all began conversing about how Pokemon Diamond Pearl had just come out (I know, stupid). Ren smirked and said he had already bought both games, to the amused looks of Yoh and Lyserg. Horohoro choked on his cheeseburger and stared at him, big-eyed.

"Man, you are hella rich!" Ren just smirked.

"Not really." said Yoh. "I've bought them as well! Behind Anna's back, of course."

"Yeah," added Lyserg, "same here."

Horohoro glumly looked at the remains of his fries and sighed. It didn't help that Tamao and Chocolove had bought PDP as well.

"I've already caught a Regice!" Tamao looked ecstatic.

"Oh yeah? Baka onna, I have a Deoxys!" Ren was not to be outdone.

"Well I have a Pokemon that can outdo ALL of yours put together!" Chocolove had risen from his head and pounded his hand on the table.

"What?"

"JIGGLYPUFF!"

"BAKA BASTARD!" And the chase began...

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Amidamaru's hand remained frozen on the doorknob.

"Hao." He whispered again.

Asakura Hao rolled his eyes. "How many times are you going to say that? Aren't you gonna invite me in?" He smirked at Amidamaru's petrified expression. "I'm in the mood for green tea." Hao pushed himself in and, to Amidamaru's amazement, began the said task. He watched as Hao commanded his Spirit of Fire to light the stove, then produced a packet of green tea out of midair and soaked it in boiling water.

The doorbell just had to ring at that moment.

Hao paused. "That would be Anna. The air reeks of her itako powers."

Amidamaru winced and once more made the dreadful journey towards the doorknob. Just as he was about to open the door, vibrations from Anna's booming voice shook the room.

"OY! OPEN UP IN THERE OR I'LL BREAK DOWN THE DOOR!"

Amidamaru looked between Anna and Hao and decided that Anna was a more deathly risk. (No, really.) He courteously opened the door for her and let her in. Anna pounded several times with her feet on the doorstep to remove the dirt from her bathroom sandals, and marched inside. Casually passing the kitchen, she took a glance inside and continued walking. Hao smirked.

"HURRY UP WITH THAT TEA, YOH! AND IT BETTER BE GREEN!"

Apparently Anna had not realized that it was Hao, not Yoh, in the kitchen.

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"HOW IS A JIGGLYPUFF SUPPOSED TO BEAT MY DEOXYS?"

"IT SINGS IT TO SLEEP AND DRAWS OVER IT WITH MARKER!"

"AND SHARPIE WILL KILL MY DEOXYS, HOW?"

"Aherm."

Chocolove and Ren looked up to the stern face of a lunchlady. Blushing a deep shade of red, both rivals sat down and resumed eating while Yoh, Lyserg, and Horohoro looked on with bored faces. Tamao had buried herself behind her ouija board again.

Pretty soon Manta came to join them. Seeing their glum faces, he immediately said the first thing that came to his mind. "I know! Let's play TDME!"

-silence-

"What's TDME?" Yoh scratched his head.

"Truth, dare, marriage, electric chair, of course! See so we spin this fork," Manta picked up a fork from his lunchbox, "and whoever the fork points to has to do either a truth question, a dare, choose someone to marry, or choose someone to sit in Anna's electric chair!"

"All right." Ren grinned evilly. "This is a great opportunity for revenge."

"Right!" Manta looked relieved. "So, who wants to go first?" Yoh reached out for the fork and spinned it. It pointed to Horohoro.

"All right, Horo! Truth, dare, marriage, or electric chair?"

"Hmm..." Horohoro considered the safest option. "Truth!"

Yoh smiled maliciously. "Who would you make out with - Chocolove, or Ren?"

Ren choked involuntarily on a granola bar. Chocolove looked as if he had just been knighted.

"Uh... um... Pass?"

"Nope." Manta interfered. "If you pass this question, you have to do a marriage question."

"All right then... ah.. um.. WAAAH! REN, OK?" Horohoro began sobbing anime-style. Ren turned a shade somewhere between purple and red, and Tamao held up her ouija board victoriously.

"Hey guys! It says here that sometime in the near future, Ren and Horohoro will make out!" Tamao giggled.

"Well then, let's make that moment come true as soon as possible." Yoh pushed Ren and Horohoro's heads together, making their lips connect.

"FEH!" Ren spat and pushed himself away from a pouting Horokeu. "PERVERT!"

"YOU'RE THE PERVERT!"

"LOOK WHO'S TALKING!"

"WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!"

Horohoro spun the fork, which pointed to Ren. "You're gonna hafta do marriage, cause I said so."

"WHAT? WHY DO I HAVE TO DO MARRIAGE?"

"Because if you don't, you'll suffer in Anna's electric chair." Manta smirked.

"And that's that. So, who will it be? Tamao, Pirika, Sharon, Sally, Lily, Milly, or Elly?" Ainu's #1 villain smiled smugly.

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OO lala, two cliffies! Will Anna finally realize that the figure in the kitchen is, in fact, Hao? Will Ren fall for Tamao's charming personality, or Pirika's adorable facial looks? STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT! And review, or I won't keep writing. The romance is coming, my minions, so keep checking!