The five days time passed so quickly, leaving only one day for Yoh, Anna and Hao to live together. Each of them felt the coming part differently.
Anna once again, sat up in her bed, beads of sweat dripping down her face. She had the same dream again, as every night she would, but only now it was…more cutting and it seemed that with the day of guys leaving the dream became more and more realistic. Also, Anna noticed that since she met Katashi, her dream began to change: it became harder to endure, like something was cutting her heart. And if that's not enough, Anna was meeting this guy every time she went to the stables. The blonde lowered her feet to the ground and looked to the dark sky behind the window. A memory about Katashi came to her.
xxx.FLASHBACKxxx
Anna was ridding to her usual spot, until she heard loud thudding of other hooves behind her. She stooped her mare from galloping and looked behind: Anna recognized the person immediately.
"Katashi" she whispered under her breath. The man in black stopped his horse right by her side. He looked coldly, yet rapturous look, which Anna always found confusing.
"Hello once again, Anna-sama" he said. Anna only gave a nod, not breaking an eye contact with the guy. The blonde didn't feel right, looking to him: she couldn't tell what this man thinks, what are his thoughts about one or other thing…or about her. Anna urged Emi to go on and they both walked the forest road, neither talking to another. Suddenly Katashi asked her:
"Who are you? Besides the name" Anna looked sharply to him, but got back the same sharp look and although she did hold it back, this gaze gave shivers go up her spine.
"Why do you care?" she asked coldly. Katashi only gave out a slight smile.
"You caught my attention. Not many nowadays girls are as attractive as you are, Anna-sama" Anna only arched her eyebrow, looking with a smirk to him.
"I'm Anna Kyouyama. That's all you need to know" she said, playing a hard hide and seek game. Katashi seemed to know how to play it.
"You're shrewd. I like that" he smirked with his lips, but Anna wasn't annoyed by his smirk: funny, since she would be by anyone other's smirk.
"You know I won't be an easy thing to get. And besides" Anna looked ahead of her for a while, rethinking what she's about to say "you've caught my attention as well" Katashi smiled to her, but once again, his eyes remained as cold as ice.
"Nice to hear it from you, Anna-sama"
"And cut the "sama" I don't like it" she said demandingly. Katashi nodded.
"Hai, Anna" Anna gave his a slight smile. They continued ridding along the forest's roads.
xxxENDxOFxFLASHBACKxxx
Anna shuddered, shaking of the unwanted memories. She walked to the computer and turned it on, listening how it starts to spread a sound of buzzing. The blonde searched through her music files, looking for some nice songs. By accident, she slipped into photo files and was surprised by what picture she saw there: she and Hao, walking along the park. Anna didn't have any memories about this part of her life. But it obviously happened, so Anna just let herself to study Hao's reflection. Yep, he's handsome…and hot. I wander when we spent this time together. I really would like it to happen again…OH JUST SHUT UP! Anna shook her head and continued searching for music. One peace caught her attention, so she just turned it on and listened, with each words opening new wound in her heart…
Ocean apart, day after day
And I slowly go insane.
I hear your voice on the line,
But it doesn't stop the pain.
If I see you next to never
How can we say forever?
Where ever you go
What ever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you
What ever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you.
I took for granted all the time
And I though it would last somehow.
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears,
But I can't feel you now.
Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me going crazy.
Where ever you go
What ever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you
What ever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you.
I wonder how we can survive
This romance…
But in the end if I'm with you
I'll take the chance.
Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me going crazy.
Where ever you go
What ever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you
What ever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you.
Anna gasped to the song, leaning on the table. She shut her eyes tight, holding back tears, which appeared in her eyes for unknown reason to her. Nevertheless, two diamond-like tears crossed her milky cheeks. Anna let out a soft sob, not knowing why her heart ached so much.
Hao lied in his bed, looking up to the dark ceiling. He couldn't sleep. He knew that tomorrow he's to leave Japan, to leave his home, his friends…and her. Hao sank his face into palms, sighing deeply. Jeez, I never though this all would be so hard. And the most aching this is to think that I'm to leave Anna. By gods, she's my sister-in-law! I shouldn't be thinking of her in any way. Oh, this can't get any worse. The guy stood up and walked to the window, looking up to the stars shining brightly outside. He looked to them for a while and a thought crept in. I wonder… He silently crossed his room and walked out of it.
The brunette guy with long hair walked down the corridor as silently as cat. He closed to the door at the end of corridor. A sudden fragment of familiar song made him stop. Hao listened to it, not believing that a person like Anna could listen to it. However, it made his heart skip few beats as he heard the words.
Where ever you go
What ever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you
What ever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you…
Hao crouched against the wall, listening to the sad words. At the end of the song, Hao caught barely audible sob, which clearly belonged to the girl sitting in the room: a girl, who was so important to Hao right now that he just couldn't cope with the thought that he's going to leave her. Not even that, Hao wanted to go inside and comfort her, so she wouldn't be sad, so she wouldn't…cry? That was a thing Hao thought wasn't possible, but now he was proved wrong: clearly Anna had feelings and now they were emerging from her with whole pain and poison that was stacked inside. Hao closed his eyes, giving out a sigh. His all thoughts went to the girl with who he didn't know what to do; she'd just stuck inside of him and wouldn't leave. Hao stood right there for some time, and then he walked away, knowing that tomorrows evening will be the worst thing ever happened to him.
The night fallen behind the western horizon, ceding to day. The first rays of the sun brought stirring to the nature, waking everything up from a night slumber. But with that joy of life, the sun brought pain to somebody. The pain of parting, coldness and despair. Not every day you would feel such thing at once, yet for two people this was happening right now and it was just a question of time for this falling apart to me brought back to one peace.
The breakfast at Asakura mansion went unusually silent: even Yoh wasn't talking or laughing, or even smiling to himself. Instead, he would only stare in front of him, mechanically chewing the food. Anna's face was as always cold, but the blankness of her expression told that she was somehow sad and diminished. True is that, when one spends almost month with nightmares' hunting after. Hao ate mechanically, as well looking into nothingness and not saying a word. After the three were finished with breakfast, guys gone to pack their stuff and Anna went to her room, to have another moment of solitude, not that she's not about to get it in our coming years. The morning endured, all three barely exchanging a dozen of words with each other. In same silent way passed dinner and supper and it finally came time for Yoh and Hao to leave. Hao called the taxi and all three driven towards the airport.
On the way, Anna's thoughts were back to the last night and the aching of her already hurt heart. A song echoed in her mind, with dream going through her mind, like a well-known story, that she could recall anytime. But this kind of story wasn't happy and Anna wished for it be one. Hao, feeling Anna's presence at the other side of back-seat, fought with the longing to touch her. Her intoxicating scent of fresh wild flowers and money, mixed with almond and milk, tickled his nose. Hao let out inaudible sigh, recalling the song of from last night and a sob of this cold and arrogant girl. Hao let out another sigh, as if he wanted to ease his pain. Yoh sat at the front seat, thought about Anna and that he won't get to see her when he wanted it. Gosh, the truth was told: you never value anything until you loose it. It's like tearing your hart into half and leaving one peace here and taking another with you. Normally, that would be right thing to do, but why the hell it aches so much..? Yoh looked to the back mirror and saw Anna's worried face, but yet it still was very beautiful. Yoh wondered whether she feels the same way. Yoh couldn't understand anything from her expression, but he knew that inside she can feel and that made Yoh to be sure that she's as dolorous as he is. Yep, she was still human inside.
The taxi pulled by a huge airport. All three stumbled into the main hall, where they met with Manta and the rest of guys. Their planes were at the same hour and at the gate one by another, so the whole group moved towards it. Everybody was talking lightly, but Anna felt as emptiness and sorrow is filling her body, song from yesterday echoing in her mind.
Oceans apart, day after day
And I slowly go insane.
I hear your voice on the line,
But it doesn't stop the pain.
That's really gonna be a whole wide ocean. But I shouldn't care about it, right? Anna looked around: Yoh and the rest of the gang were chatting lively, only one face was as sorrowful as her inside…Hao's. What's wrong with him? I thought he'll live better without me in his sight. At this thought a sharp pain pierced her heart, a low sad voice of a singer echoing in her mind louder.
If I see you next to never
How can we say forever?
Where ever you go
What ever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you
What ever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you.
Hao felt as if something sharp stuck into his heart and wouldn't come out. He saw that Anna's eyes were like: they were full of pain, agony and diminish ness, as if something was tearing her apart as well. Hao had a feeling what, but he couldn't decide which was harder to him: parting with Yoh or parting altogether. Hao remembered her sobbing, but he couldn't see her crying for him. Suddenly, like a tide of sudden cold wave, a song echoed from his subconscious, making his pain even more killing.
I took for granted all the time
And I though it would last somehow.
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears,
But I can't feel you now.
Maybe I really took everything for granted? Maybe Anna really cares for me and for everything around? Can this be true? The group reached the gate of both ways. Everybody was anxious about the flight and when the goodbyes came, everybody seemed incapable to speak out: the parting touched all of them. Pirika and Tamao came to Anna.
"Anna-san" Pirika started, not knowing what to say. Tammy was about to cry. Anna just stood there, not knowing what to say or do, only song echoing in her mind and her gaze turning to Hao each time she let her thoughts fly free. The heck was wrong with her!
Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me going crazy.
Where ever you go
What ever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you
What ever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you.
Pirika and Tamao stepped closer and both hugged Anna. The blonde, however, didn't know what to do. She never had to say good bye to anyone this way, so she just stood, frozen in their embrace.
"We'll miss you Anna-san" Tamao squealed. Anna gulped.
"Me too" she said and without understanding, she somehow felt how true her words were. When the girl stepped away, Chocolove, HoroHoro and Manta almost precipitated her with a huge hug. Anna's eyes widened from such an outbreak of emotions, set towards her.
"We'll miss you Anna-san!" all three screamed out. Anna frowned, not exactly liking the feeling of pressurizing cheese.
Ok, guys, I've got the idea. Now let me breathe!" all three jumped away from her. At that time, Ren closed to her. He stretched out hand, which Anna gladly shook, since she had already a feeling of squeezed cheese.
"I bid you good luck, Anna-san" he said, his eyes down. Anna smirked to his inability to look straight to her eyes. However she said it nicely to him, knowing that she won't get to tease him for a quite while.
"Yeah, you too, Ren-san" she said. Then it came Yoh's turn. He smiled to her sheepishly, which made Anna smile him back.
"Never thought I'll get in this kind of situation" he said, sounding as if he wouldn't know what to do. Others left them for a while: they understood the couple had something to say for each other.
"Yeah, me too" Anna lowered her head. Yoh breathed in.
"Could I have something from you for a good bye?" he asked. Anna nodded.
"Sure, anything, Yoh-kun" Yoh then stepped closer and hugged her thigh, feeling how Anna hugs him back.
"I'll miss you, Anna" he said gently stroking her silky hair. Anna felt the warmth of his body, but somehow now it felt so…foreign to her, but still so…familiar as if lost memory of the past. They broke off and Yoh smiled, giving Hao a chance to say good bye. Anna felt how a thing, size of table-tennis ball, stuck in her throat. Hao walked to her and stopped a step away, looking straight into her eyes. Anna gulped painfully.
"It's kinda hard to say something, you know" Hao started, voicing what he actually feels. Anna nodded.
"Same here" she said, but managed to continue, not looking to his eyes "well, good luck Hao" she said, not knowing what to do. However, Hao knew exactly what to do and his move was right: he pulled her into his embrace, hugging her tight. Anna couldn't resist, since she longed for this hug so long. She wrapped her arm around Hao's neck, pressing herself as close as she could.
I wonder how we can survive
This romance…
But in the end if I'm with you
I'll take the chance.
Jeez, how will I survive everything without him? He's a part of me, just like I'm a part of him. How two parts can live apart? Hao held her tight, seconds passing fast: he inhaled deeply, feeling her scent that would settle on his conscience and never leave. She's so delicate and…warm. How can I be away from her? She's great part of my life! They broke off and without a word they walked away from each other. Anna only turned back to wave for all others, but she saw only one person in the crowd…Hao. And Hao saw nothing except Anna, standing there and looking so alone.
Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me going crazy.
Where ever you go
What ever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you
What ever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you.
I will always be waiting for you Hao. Always. Anna saw how he's fading away in the crowd, feeling as if part of her just faded away with him. Anna's cheeks were crossed by tears.
Where ever you go
What ever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you…
On the plane, Hao was looking sadly to the setting sun. Inside, he felt a strange emptiness, which just was in a state of open wound. How could I let her to walk away? She's the one. Oh, somebody, please, help me! The last bits of the song echoed in his mind as plane took of to take Hao towards his new fate.
What ever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you.
I will be right here waiting for you…
I will be right here waiting for you…