~Her Existence~

Chapter 5

Nicrome had given him a very unpleasant news the other night. The same day that X-laws tried to kill him on his own lair. He killed them of course, one of them had seen him crying. He thought he was alone before those pathetic shamans caught his attention. By night time his base was totally destroyed, so he and his followers camped for the night. That's when Nicrome told him the news.

"Asakura Yoh quit the shaman fight. " Everyone in the camp fire stood still, awaiting a reaction from Hao. The fire shaman kept staring at the stars, pondering the issue.

"Hao-sama, what would you want us to do?" Luchist offered.

Hao faced his comrades with a blank expression. The flames reflecting unto his dark eyes, Opacho was the only one remaining cheerful.

"I'm already aware of Yoh's situation. He did it to save Tao Ren's life. The Iron maiden compromised him to a good deal, 'Quit the shaman fight for Tao Ren's life. '" Hao muttered, still staring at the fire. "Yoh didn't hesitate for a second, he gave it all up in the blink of an eye."

Everyone was shock at how much their leader knew about the situation, even the parts that none of his followers are present to witnessed. He could never understand how Yoh could do something like that, but he does know that when it comes to his friends, Yoh would never hesitate or turn his back on them. Honorable with a slight stupidity.

"That's to be expected of Yoh." He said with a smile. "However, he will soon see the gravity of the situation and how much he gave up when everything is alright, when Tao Ren is okay again. He will regret what he decided and he will do everything to join the Shaman Fight again. Yoh had wanted this since he was a child, it's a dream of his. " Hao smirked. "He wouldn't sit around watching me take all the Glory."

And plus Hao knows about Anna's demands and that it was Anna's dream too. Anna is Yoh's first priority, he would do things that only made her happy. He had read through his twins mind to gain that information.

"Opacho" He called the adorable African girl to his side. "I trust you with this situation" he ordered.

"Yes Hao-sama!" the girl answered cheerfully as her master smiled onto her.

One problem solved. Opacho would take care of it. Right now there's another thing that needs taking care of. The need and emotions that has been stirring within him for the past few weeks. Ever since he met Nagi. Blast it! That girl did strange things to his body and to his mind. It's like she has complete control all over him.

He accepted the idea that maybe he was indeed becoming obsessed with her. But as he think about it, Obsession doesn't even cover it now. There's a great Need that's been calling out to him, as if… He needs her. Which is laughable because Hao Asakura doesn't need anyone nor anything in this world but power. It's starting to become a problem. The urge to see her, to talk to her was becoming strong these days and he's starting to feel threatened about it. Fairly because he doesn't know what is happening to himself, but he does Know one thing. He has to do something to figure this thing out and put an end to it if needed.

Hao then turn his attention towards the sky. The stars are out tonight and it made the camping time worth while. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes appreciating the world around him. The sky tonight was beautiful, more than beautiful. Through an ordinary human eyes the sky would only seem pitch black, but through his eyes its different, shades of blues and violets all mixed together darkening as it move away from the horizon. And billions of glittering stones scattered above him. Making him feel special and filled with delight. This is what the universe appear to him.

Gorgeous

"Hey, why are you being weird today?" Nagi asked as she poke Hao on the cheek. Hao was trying his best to ignore the adorable girl. On the outside it looks like his succeeding, but it's taking every bit of his concentration to not give in. Why? Because she's starting to get annoying.

That's a lie, and you know it. He sighed.

He was actually getting annoyed with himself because he couldn't control his words when she's around. And when he cornered her on that tree the other day, what was that? That wasn't him, he certainly didn't plan that to happen. Its like he has no control of his actions whenever she's around. And that thought mortified him. If she can make him speak or do such things, then what else can she bewitch him to do? He's getting annoyed because of the fact that he's becoming vulnerable and soft. And that's something he'll never be.

He hummed a thick "Hmm…" at her. Still laying in the grass like he did an hour ago.

Nagi came 40 minutes later and started her usual chatter but deliberately stopped when she noticed that he wasn't participating. It was hard to not open his eyes and see her face, but he knows it's much more harder if he would look at her and to convince himself to not open his eyes again.

He was kidding himself, he's got every feature of Nagi memorized. The exotic cobalt blue eyes, the rosy cheeks, the tantalizing mouth, the arch of her neck, the creamy skin and her jet black hair . . . . this idea of Ignoring her was completely stupid if all he did was think about her.

His eyebrow started to twitch when she asked him the same question over and over. He sighed.

"Um… is this because of what I did the other day?" She whispered. Her guilt and uneasiness radiated through him. "I really didn't mean to kick you on your… erm… area."

He opened his left eye to take a peak on her. Big mistake! She was blushing and staring at her hands as if she's confessing something really bad to him. Hao stiffed a groan.

"I'm sorry. I wouldn't do it again. It's just that you were so close and I was beginning to feel… um… anyway I thought you were trying to outsmart me so … tha-that's why I kicked you." Hao groaned.

Nagi, still flushed, looked at him from under her lashes.

"Hey, you alright?" She asked him while blinking. Hao has that glint in his eyes like that time when he push her on that tree. But right now the glint was angled on a different emotion. Anger?

"What are you really?" he asked.

"huh?"

"Why do I feel lost when I'm with you? Why do your laugh or your smile affect me? Since when did you become the center of my senses? " he moved closer to her, his eyes becoming darker and darker by the minute. "You act like a normal person yet you make me weak inside out." He reached for her shoulders and grabbed them.

"Hao." Her voice for the first time sounded worried and afraid.

"You have to have the answers. It is you who's making me feel this way!" He was staring into the depths of her blue eyes, wide with fear and shock. Partly he could see his reflection and he looked helpless. That infuriated him more. "Why Nagi?"

"Hao, what are you-" She tried to say, but Hao smirked darkly before her. And it was like everything about him changed in one micro second. "hao?" She whispered.

"You're a shaman aren't you?" he accused.

"What?" it was starting to get hot, she broke a sweat. Not sure if it's only because of the weather or the situation.

"Or maybe you work for a shaman to spy on me or to trick me?" He knew deep within himself that he was being paranoid, but it can still be true. Nagi flinch as his grip got harder.

"I would never-" his gripped on her tightened and his lips an inch away from her. The heat was uncomfortable now… too hot! Like burning coal in a mine or lighting a campfire at three in the afternoon.

He closed the distance between them. His lips brush against her cheek as his arms loosen on her shoulder.

"Did they asked you to play with me? To seduce me?" He whispered in her ear. He wished for the heavens that those words weren't true. He wanted her to deny it. But at the moment Nagi was frozen in place, her thoughts not coherent and impossible to read.

Why aren't you denying it?

"What tongue got tied?" he ask with a smirk

He moved away from her so he could see her expression. She was pressing her lips together and her eyes seemed icy and dark for the moment. Her expression mixed between in the verge of crying and exploding out of anger. This is not what he wanted, the last thing he want was to hurt her but in order to figure out what is it that was bothering him and affecting him he has to say those words. Usually he doesn't care what others felt but to see Nagi in pain was every bit as painful as seeing Opacho in pain. Then it happened.

Slaaap!

"I can't believe you said all those things." She quietly said.

Hao laughed at what she said while rubbing his cheek with his hand. He looked beyond the lake, it was getting dark now. The shades of blues and oranges didn't seem to mesh well with the sun. It looks forlorn and dim, an end of a day. In his whole life this was the worst sunset he'd seen.

"And to think I was starting to like you!" She confessed, Hao froze on that last one. "I enjoyed spending time with you and I though you were different from all the others. Every girl I met gets intimidated by me and hated me for being to noticeable, every guy I get to know seemed like they only wanted my looks or my body." She yelled at him as she steps closer. He stared at her and her angry face, GOD, she looked beautiful even when she's angry.

"I thought you were different from them, I thought you and I were the same. I thought you and I are friends. . . or something more than . . . friends." She whispered that last one to him.

Friends? He could never think of that word. He had NO friends. He never trusted anyone in his whole life and past lives to consider anyone as a friend. Friends doesn't matter to him. But somehow right now, he ached to be her friend or something more than friend. He could feel it in her that she ached for him as well.

But no. He's the shaman King. He didn't need friends.

"I don't need friends" He scoffed and that brought back her anger.

"Clearly!" She exploded.

"So here's your answer Hao Asakura!" She pushed him as she spoke.. "I'm no shaman, whatever that is!" Another push. "I was not hired to spy or trick anybody!" Another push. "And I was not trying to Seduce you! Those feelings that you're feeling are probably because you're starting to like me too!" A final shove and she walked away. Leaving him frozen.

But before she disappeared she Stop to give him one last glare over her shoulders. "And if you can't deal with that, then you really are weak." He can't possibly miss the gleam in her eye when she said that.

Damn. In just a few minutes of argument his world shifted into something different all together. He couldn't believe what took over him when he attacked her and accused her. He wasn't in control of his body again and today it only cause pain for both of them. He unconsciously rubbed his cheek again as he watch her body disappeared in the forest. The urge to follow her was strong, so is the urge to touch her skin.

And to think I was starting to like you!

That was it. That was the problem all along.

Oh my God! I'm very sorry it took so so so long. I forgotten all about it. Please don't kill me… v(-_-)v

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