Chapter Four: He's alive

"Ah...I mean...aww...how do you say "I love you" in Korean?"
"Sarang hae yo"
"Oh...kam sa ham ni da, Hiro!"
"Welcome. Your Korean is getting better, Pi—I mean, Rika."

Hiro stirred, and soon woke up, his sight a bit groggy. He put on his glasses, and looked at the sleeping figure on the bed, unconsciously dragging his feet to the sleeping Rika.

"She's just like an...angel..." He said to himself, his hand slightly touching Rika's smooth, fair-skinned cheek. It was the perfect moment. Until his phone rang. Irritated, he pressed the button on his headset a little harder than needed.

"Hello?"
"Mr. Cha, we've finally located Master Yu."
"Where?"
"Tokyo area, in the Funbari district, sir."
"Good. Bring him back here in the hotel."
"Er...we just lost him."
Hiro gave out an irritated sigh.
"Then find him! I'll be there in ten minutes!"

Hiro hung up and looked at the grandfather clock in the hotel suite. It read: 6:00. He gave out a sigh. He gave a final look at Rika, took his coat, and left the room.
"Sleep tight...sarang hae you, Rika..."

"Master Hana, what...what are you doing!" Said a wide-eyed Amidamaru, startling the little shaman.
"Uh...sneaking out?"
The ghost clapped a hand on his forehead. "How many times have I told you not to sneak out the compound?"
"Three hundred seventy-six." Said Hana, smirking as he continued climbing down the window.
"Master Hana!"
"Shush! You're gonna get me caught!" Hana said, his finger doing a "quiet" sign. "Uwaaaaa!"
He let out a small scream as he fell on the ground. By doing the quiet sign he lost his grip on the ledge and fell. He rubbed his bottom and stood up. He wasn't gonna cry at the smallest fall. Quickly, he jumped out of the wall and ran in the street, the ghost following him.

Ren's ear twitched.
"Hao, where is the boy?"
"You mean Hana? Last time I saw him, he was upstairs."
"With Amidamaru?"
"Duh."
"Don't 'duh' me Hao."
"Fine then. Duuuuh." Hao said, mocking Ren.
"Ugh. If you feel the need to mock me again, I'll be in the guest room." Ren said, making his way upstairs.
"Meh. Feel at home."
No more than two seconds had passed when he heard Ren's footsteps again.

"Hana's gone!" Ren exclaimed, which startled the fire shaman.
"What the---Anna's gonna kill me!" Hao exclaimed, doing a girly look. "Spirit of Fire!" his spirit appeared, floating behind him.
"No need to panic until Anna knows about this..."
"She won't know...we're gonna find him."

"Master Hana, where are you going?" Amidamaru asked, Hao still running ahead of him.
"On the hill where my daddy used to! I wanna see it!"
"But...won't Anna be mad at you for doing so?"
"Dunno..."

"I'm home..." Anna said in a flat tone as she entered the house. She had just finished a few errands after her shopping trip. No answer.
"He ran away again...what am I to do with him..."

"This place...seems familiar to me..." Alexis said to himself. He was standing at the top of Funbari Hill, feeling the wind on his cheeks as it gently blew his brown hair.
"Haha...Amidamaru! We're here!" came a little boy's voice behind him.

"Master Hana, please slow down...!"

Alexis found the voice familiar...but who was it?

Hana stopped in his tracks as he saw a man standing on top of the hill.
"Mister?"
Alexis turned around. Hana couldn't believe what he was seeing. And so was Amidamaru.
"Uncle Hao, I'm so sorry...I can—"
"That is not Hao." Amidamaru cut him off.
Alexis blinked. He was not seeing a ghost...was he? How come he felt as if he knew this.. person...or ghost?
"Master Yoh..."
"That's a familiar name...Yoh? But...I'm Alexis..." he thought.
"He's my...?" Hana couldn't finish..."But he's--"
"I'm...I'm not Yoh..."
The ghost gave out a gasp. He couldn't have been mistaken...that was Yoh...but--
"I'm...Alexis Yu...Chairman of the Fu Er Mo Xa company..." He gave them a small bow.

"This guy's not Japanese?But...I can feel Master Yoh...I can feel his spirit..." Amidamaru said to himself.
"Oh...Mister Yu...I'm Hana Asakura.."
As Alexis shook hands with Hana, he felt something inside him. An emotion he couldn't quite describe.
"For a moment there I thought he was my daddy. But I thought wrong. Daddy's in heaven, just like what my mom told me." Hana thought sadly.
"This is Amidamaru. He used to be my dad's ghost. Can you see him?"
He gave the child a nod.
"I don't suppose you're a shaman. You don't look like one."
"You..look kind of familiar, er...Mister Asakura."

"Hana! Hana!" Called Hao.
Hana looked at Alexis. "We have to go now Mister. It was nice to meet you." He said as he gave Alexis a wave and turned back.
"Daddy Hao!"
Hao gave out a sigh of relief as his stepson-to-be hugged him.
"Sorry I snuck out. I just wanted to see daddy's favorite hill. I won't do it again."
Hao looked around. "Who were you talking to, Hana?"
"Mister Yu! He's a really nice person. And he can see ghosts, too!" he said delightedly. "He looks like you and daddy, but he was Taiwanese so I don't suppose so..."
Hao gave out a sigh. "Yes, Hana. Now, why don't we go home? Uncle Ren's tired."
Hana took a quick look around. He hadn't noticed that Ren was there, too.

As they walked home, Hao couldn't forget Hana's words. They only meant one thing. Yoh was still alive.