Chapter 5

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Italic stands for thought / dreams

'Italic with single quote stands telepathic voice'

[Stands for voice from the past]

-Stands for telephone-

Underline stands for letter

"Quote stands for dialogue"

Bold stands for emphasis

Bold italic stands for a dangerous tone

An Unbelievable Friendship

It's already a week from when Shouyo started living in Funbari Onsen, she always take a bath by herself, saying that she had a scar on her back, which is not a lie, she really had a scar on her back because of an attack from a Rogue Vampire 7 years ago, but that's not the real reason. She can't take a bath with others because she is a he, and if she found out, then Keiko will know right away that she is Asakura Yoh, her son.

It's not like she doesn't want to has a mother and son relation ship with her birth mother, but it's because she still not sure whether it's safe for her to tell Keiko who is she really is, she is afraid the Keiko is like what Mai had told her, that Keiko will force her to follow the Asakura's way of live and doing the bad thing that still remain unknown to her.

Shouyo was waken up in a rude way that morning, Anna entered her room and she hit a frying pan with a ladle next to her ears, her ears still ringing from the loud noise that nearly breaking her eardrums, her hearing is better than normal human after all. "What the hell, Anna?" she asked sleepily.

"It's morning, time to wake up and make some breakfast." Anna answered coldly.

"Why today?" Shouyo whined, "Just right after I need to stay up so late the night before." she mumbled softly to herself. As a Half Vampire, she need to drink blood at least twice a month, and the night before was the time for her hunting some animal to drink it's blood.

"It's your turn today." Anna said simply and left the room.

Shouyo sighed, wondering why Anna has to be such a bossy slavedriver, she never listened to Anna's order, she doesn't like to be ordering around by people, but she still doing chores like making breakfast and buying groceries for it's what everyone do in the inn according their turn. Knowing that if she doesn't wake up and make breakfast will causing Anna to come back to her room and kicked her, Shouyo get out of her futon and dressed her usual clothes, the same modified kimono she wore during her childhood.

She walked down to the kitchen and make breakfast for everyone in the inn with Ryu's help since Ryu is the one who is in charge of cooking actually, after breakfast ready, Shouyo would go to the front of every room and wake up the occupants.

Breakfast is always fun, mostly because of Ren and Horo Horo's bickering over something trivial, but Shouyo just know that the two Shamans are really close to each other. "Anna, would you want to go to school together today?" Shouyo asked as she finished her food.

Anna stare at her for a moment, "Get ready in five minutes then." She said shortly with a cold tone.

Shouyo smiled and nodded, she excused herself to change after she took her dish to the sink, when she finished, she got her bag and walked downstairs. Anna already finished with her food and handed her dish to Ryu, most occupants of the inn scared of Anna, those who aren't scared only Keiko, Luna, and Shouyo herself, so Ryu took Anna's dish without protest and walked back to the kitchen.

Anna nodded and they left the inn, their walk always quiet, Anna doesn't like to talk too much if it's not for something important or for ordering people around, but Shouyo never protest, she simply enjoying her company. It's nice to living with human, she never get a real chance to experience it before since she need to learn about vampire, their laws and their way of live. So, she is happy with simply have humans accompany her, even the silent type like Anna, in fact, she is closer to Anna than the rest of the people in the inn, except for Luna of course.

As soon as they stepped into the school ground, Shouyo can hear the student's whispers, they are confused about how she can be friend with Anna, all the students don't dare to get close to Anna, only Manta who dare to since he know the truth, but Anna always treat Manta as her personal servant. Meanwhile, Shouyo is a new student with personality the exact opposite from Anna, she is cheerful, easy to smile and always kind to the others, so people really wondering how Shouyo always come to school together with Anna.

As soon as they got to the class though, Shouyo would always use her time before the teacher arrive to sleep, only awake when the teacher enter the classroom and start the lesson, but she only pay attention when it's her favorite subject, during another subjects, she always doze off. Then come lunchbreak, she always walked to the roof with Anna and Manta to eat their bento, Manta usually use that time to chat with Shouyo while Anna listening to their conversation and only commented once in a while.

"Shouyo." Anna said suddenly, stopping what Manta said to Shouyo in the middle.

"Yes, Anna?" Shouyo asked curiously.

"You will join the training with the boy from now on." Anna said nonchalantly, but still with the hint of command in her voice.

Shouyo stare at Anna for about a minute before gasped when she digest what Anna just said, "Why must I training with them?!" She asked in disbelief, it's not that she hate training, it just Anna's training that she told the boys to do is just torture without fruit, she wouldn't want to waste her time for something like that.

"Because you need to be able to fight, Shaman fight will be start soon, many Shaman will come from all around the world." Anna said casually, "I know you are not a Shaman, but it's necessary that you learn how to fight in case some of those Shaman attack you just because you can see spirits and have a spirit with you".

Shouyo blinked, "Well, if that the case. . ." She mumbled softly, "There's no need for it, I can explain to them that I'm not a Shaman, also, the amount of my furyoku is so obvious for them to know that I'm ordinary human who can see spirits".

Anna raised an eyebrow, "What if they attack you to steal that spirit friend of yours?" She asked calmly.

Shouyo smiled, "Well, I have my own way of doing things." She answered calmly, "I will join the laps run though, I need to make sure my body stay fit and healthy." She smiled at Anna, "About that Shaman Fight you are talking about, do you will participate yourself?".

Anna nodded calmly, "Keiko-sama want to come into the tournament, so I will fighting while she will coming as my guardian." She answered casually, "I heard that she want to see someone that his whereabouts is unknown, but since he is a Shaman and will participate in Shaman Fight for sure, she want to take her chance". Shouyo nodded, then they back to their classroom, again Shouyo doze off and only pay half of her attention to the teacher.

After they got back to the inn, Anna went to change into her usual black dress and red bandana then sat at her usual spot in front of the TV, watching her soap opera. Shouyo also changed into her modified kimono and then sat beside Anna, not to watch the opera, but to do some sketching. It's her talent to sketching without looking at the actual object, but the result is beautiful and looked so real.

Horo Horo doesn't go to school, so when Ren get back from the school and changed, they will get to training immediately under Anna's order. Shouyo then took her sketch book back to her room and joining the boys, the warming-up training is run 100 laps around the city, again under Anna's order. Sometimes Shouyo wondering why they all so scared of Anna, it's true that Anna like to get into violence when someone opposed her, but they are fighters, they can catch Anna's slap easily like how she caught her slap that time when she first came to the inn.

"Ren, Horo Horo, can I join the run?" Shouyo asked cheerfully as she get to the front door, she get her Ninja shoes on and walked to the two boys.

Ren and Horo Horo blinked together, "Hey, don't tell me Anna told you to train with us?" Horo asked in surprise.

"Yes, she did, but I said I will only join the run, I need to keep my body fit and healthy after all." Shouyo answered with a carefree smile, "Let's go, or Anna will yelled calling you two slacking off".

Horo Horo turned pale and started running immediately, Ren huffed and followed after the blue haired boy. Shouyo smiled and caught up with them, easily falling into comfortable pace that is not too fast and not too slow. Even during running laps, Horo Horo and Ren bickering again, then trying to get ahead of each other. Shouyo chuckled at their antics, it's just cute how they always showed that they are not close by bickering when the truth is they are so close until she wouldn't be surprised if the two somehow wound up together. After finished the run, Shouyo decided to take a short shower and then went into the backyard, watching the boys training.

The pattern repeated for a month, Shouyo is happy for the easy acceptance she get, she has become friends with everybody and some spirits, mostly Oh Oni and Amidamaru. She even get close with Keiko, but she still didn't tell her who she really is, afraid that if Keiko know then she will change her attitude.

Shouyo was just out from a supermarket after bought groceries when she heard the all too familiar flapping noises of a big eagle, it's not like there's no bird in the town, there are so many birds in town even, but there would be only the eagles of Fuyu Clan that will make a noise that soft. It's because Fuyu Clan trained their bird messenger to be cautious and quiet, so that the message will get to the destination safely.

Shouyo looked up and saw the big brown and white eagle descending it's flight towards her, so she raised her left hand for the bird landed. When the bird landed, she read the bird's name on it's necklace, "Fuuka, then the sender will be Mai." Fuuka is a male eagle raised by Mai, "I wonder what she want to tell me so importantly that she is afraid to use the phone." She mumbled as she moved to take out the letter from the eagle's feet, she moved the bird to stood on her shoulder before opened the letter inside the small tube.

Shouyo

I'm sorry but I need you to take the control over our clan in America, there's a bit of problem over there. I can't go because I'm needed here, I don't know how long you will be over there. I'm really sorry, just when you had made some human friends, I'm sorry, but if you can finished the problem quickly, you can back to Japan sooner.

Fuyu no Mai

Shouyo sighed, it can be helped, she thought with a small smile, she told Fuuka to be back to Mai, it's not a strange thing to do since all of the eagles of the clan are very intelligent, the bird take off right away with a small move from her hand. She takes out her phone and send an 'Ok' to Mai, then she continued her walk to the Funbari Onsen.

"I'm home." Shouyo called out as she stepped through the front door.

"Welcome back." Anna's boring voice answered from the living room.

Shouyo smiled when Ryu come out and helped her with the groceries, she then walked over to Anna ans sat beside her. "Anna, I need to inform you something." She said calmly, glancing sideways to her. Anna simply hummed to let her continue, so she continued, "I need to go to somewhere else, I don't know how long though, there's a problem that needs my attendance there".

Anna's head snapped to her, "What?" she asked in surprise, then her eyes narrowed, "You aren't lying, are you? You aren't saying it because of the training I make you do, right?".

Shouyo grinned, "No, it's not because of the training, it's nothing to me so it's not the problem." she assured her best friend, "They need me over there, but I don't know how long it's need for me to solve the problem, but I promise I will try to solve them as fast as I can".

Anna frowned, Shouyo know the reason though, it's true that Anna always appear to be a cold person, but the girl is actually kind, and she is close to Shouyo enough to feel anxious if Shouyo away for a long time. "When will you go?" She asked calmly as she trying not to sound disappointed.

"I will go tomorrow morning." Shouyo answered calmly, she smiled and offered a paper bag to her best friend, "This is for you".

Anna blinked and accepted the paper bag then opened it, she inhaled deeply when she saw what was inside the box. It's the new single CD of Anna's favorite singer, Awaya Ringo, and a small bag with apple pattern. Anna looked at Shouyo and smiled a little, "Thank you." she said softly.

"Isn't this too early to go?" Anna asked when Shouyo just opened the front door, making her to jumped a little because there no one around just a second ago.

Shouyo turned and smiled, "It would be better if I go as soon as I can, in case the problem mentioned is in a critical situation." she explained, it's only 2 in the early morning, so it's true that it's normally way too early to go out.

Anna nodded, "Be careful." she said softly, her expression a bit worried, it's rare that she shown any compassion like that.

Shouyo's smile warmer, "I will." she said with a gentle tone, "Anna, if you train the boy, I advise to focusing on sparring, it's important in fight than just increasing stamina." She grinned a bit when Anna scowled at her, "Well, I will see you guys later, I will try to finish my business as soon as I can and come back here".

Anna sighed, "You better do it, or I will hunt you down." She said sternly, then her expression softened again, "You know, Shouyo." She started and do something that Shouyo never thought that Anna will do to anyone, Anna hugged her, "You are my best friend".

Shouyo can't be more happy, for Anna to admitted her feeling is a miracle, "You are my best friend too, Anna." She said slowly and softly, returning Anna's hug, "See you later".

To be continued . . .

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Next Chapter : "I see, so this is why you need a magic user Vampire."