Chapter Summary: Every story has its turning point. And of course, even the main heroes and heroines deserve a break.
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AN APPLE A DAY – Chapter 18: The How's and Why's
They never reached Disney.
No festive lights and thrilling rides. No Mickey or Minnie ears headbands, and no yummy treats on the side.
They stood in a queue, but not to wait for their turn to get themselves soaking wet through the Splash Mountain, nor to sail the dark and mysterious seas in the Pirates of The Carribbean ride.
No, sir.
Instead, she was standing with Yoh next to her at the hospital's lobby. Next to them were Doctor Johann Faust VIII and the whole pediatrics team of Shimane Medical group. They all stood in a meticulous line as if they were waiting for the royal family's arrival, judging by the fact that even the hospital's lobby was uncannily decorated with blooming fresh flowers and laced with over-the-top perfumery. All presumably Asakura Keiko's ideas.
Well, the term, 'royalty,' was close enough for they were about to welcome one of the country's highly valued politicians— or whatever it was they heard from Tao Jun. Whoever they were about to meet was definitely a big enough shot for the Asakuras to be able to whip up an emergency meeting for the board and their teams with just a few simple calls. And on a late Sunday afternoon, too.
She could feel a pressure injury starting to form on her heels for putting up a straight posture while wearing heels for the last 30mins. And while she was able to pull-up a decent 'outfit-of-the-day' at the very least (thanks to Tamao's help), in order to avoid feeling underdressed, and considering she came from a man cave A.K.A. Yoh's place, she still couldn't help but feel conscious about her unwashed hair that was pinned in a bun and her hastily done make-up. Yoh kept telling her that she didn't need cosmetics to be beautiful, but she felt the need to hide her intoxication from the previous nights' mishaps.
In front of them— also looking their most smart casual attires— were the board members, including all the other members of Yoh's family, the Taos (except Ren), Oyamada Mansumi, his wife and two children, Keiko, Manta and Mannoko. Beside Mansumi stood a young man with deep midnight blue hair. Anna was sure she had encountered him somewhere before but could not— for the love of God— remember where.
She shook the foreboding feeling of staring into the unnamed man's face with his deep scrutinizing gaze and devious smirk. What audacity coming from a teenager, and it was the last thing that she needed following the harsh and meaningful glares she had received from the other Asakuras, particularly Yohmei and Keiko, ever since their assembly started. At least Kino had a neutral expression when seeing her for the first time in many years, but at the same time, she didn't know it that was a good sign or not.
Starting to spiral into a deep and endless rabbit hole due to the overwhelming presence around her, all the negative thoughts and feelings vanished immediately when she felt Yoh secretly placed a palm against the small of her back. This caused her to do a quick glance at him only to receive his soothing smile and a wink.
She was ready to form words in her mouth that were sure to question his cheeky actions when a classic black limousine suddenly drove up at the lobby.
The tension and excitement doubled among the meeting participants and it didn't take long when a man in a dark suit exited the vehicle and opened the door from the rear end.
A man who appeared to be in his fifties got out and accompanying him was a sweet-looking girl with brown hair and matching pink dress and headband.
"Ladies and gents, thank you all for your attendance despite the short notice…" started Asakura Keiko. "Let us all welcome, the vice Minister of Health, Takei Hirohito-san and his daughter, Milly."
. . . . . . . . . . .
For the nth time, a long sigh escaped her mouth as she stared into the huge mirror in front of her.
She even received a few weirded-out looks from the other ladies who were also using the staff toilets before they exited. Splashing water in her face for the last time, she reached for the paper towel and patted her face dry.
If God was really watching over her, then this weekend was surely created to test her patience.
Waking up wasted in your ex-fiancé's home without any recollection about the night before, only to learn later on that you inevitably puked in your sleep and had to be attended by said ex-fiancé and his twin brother who's also your closest guy friend. In addition, you learn that one of your friends got stabbed and your said closest guy friend's business got thrashed. What were the odds, right?
All day, all she could do was keep on mentally punishing herself for all the stupid and irresponsible things she had done ever since she returned to Izumo, and last night definitely tops her list so far… well, apart from continuing her businesses with Hao, and sleeping with Yoh, of course.
On top of that, the events in their impromptu meeting which concluded just a while ago surely spun her head in misery.
"Of course, it would be an honor to do it." Yoh's statement painted relief in everyone's faces especially his mother's. Ever since the Minister of Health established communication with their Medical Director, Asakura Mikihisa, discussing about Milly's health condition which requires a complex surgery, the Asakuras have been going all-in with their recommendations for Yoh to perform it, being their region's most promising Pediatric Surgeon as of present.
Yes, Yoh is talented, and possibly one of the greatest emerging surgeons in the country, but surely, it's also a huge business and political relations stunt for their corporation in case everything goes well.
"But in one condition…"
Yohmei frowned, and the executives raised their brows upon anticipating Yoh' proposition.
"I would like Doctor Kyouyama to be my assistant surgeon."
Several words of protest flew across the room.
"Aaargh!" Anna groaned as she wiped her face frustratingly, careful not to smudge her mascara. "Dear gods, if you've been planning to come pick me up from this hell, then now would be the perfect time to—"
Her phone interrupted her prayer, and it displayed the name she dreaded the most.
She huffed as she picked it up. "What do you want?"
"Ouch, cold much? I didn't say anything yet." Yoh's jovial voice was emanating through the speakers.
"I swear, Asakura, if you don't—"
"Okay, sorry! Just— please don't end the call." He pleaded and she counted to ten to calm herself down.
"Yoh, I'm tired. Just tell me what you need."
"Can you meet me at the rooftop?" Yoh replied hurriedly. He felt the need to continue when he didn't hear Anna talk back. "I just wanted to apologise for what happened earlier. Pretty please?"
Maybe it was a magic or maybe it was just pure exhaustion that made Anna agree to Yoh's offer, though in a few minutes, the woman found herself standing in the middle of the hospital's helipad while watching a helicopter gearing up to fly.
Yoh approached her from behind, careful not to startle her, she whipped her head towards him, nonetheless.
"Yoh, what is this?" Anna asked incredulously, her voice almost drowned by the helicopter's spinning rotator blades.
"I'm just fulfilling my promise!" Yoh had to raise his voice to be heard. His toothy grin grew wide when he saw Anna's surprised expression. He suddenly grabbed his ex-fiancée's wrist to lead her towards. "Come on! We don't want to be late, do we?"
He was met with resistance.
"What? I can't!" Anna tried to pull her hand free from her companion's grip but to no avail.
Yoh just arched a brow. "Of course, you can! I told you I'll bring you back in time for whatever business you have tomorrow!"
Anna's mobile phone rang, and she stared at the screen for a few more seconds, contemplating to answer it. Hao would surely ask more questions than an investigator if he hears the helicopter in the background.
Yoh noticed this and hard to believe it or not, he got impatient enough and snatched Anna's phone away to answer it.
"Hello, aniki."
Hao's voice blared behind the other line.
"Yes, It's me. Yes, she's with me. No, she's quite busy. What? I can't hear you! Hello? I think the line is breaking! I'll call you back!" Yoh pressed the end call and switched the phone off. "Or not. Hehehe."
He then faced Anna, who had her mouth left hanging.
"Look, you're not on-call at the hospital tonight. You're supposed to be off tomorrow. And I think your second boss will have problems reaching you for the next twenty fours hours so… you won't be needing this right now." His smirk was so innocent and mischievous at the same time as he pocketed the device.
The blonde opened her mouth to land more arguments, but she heard a familiar voice coming from the helicopter. Looking around, she found Redseb and Seyrarm already boarded in it, with the girl excitedly waving at her in glee.
Anna glanced back at Yoh disbelievingly, but all the brunette did was shrug his hands, then grab her shoulders from behind to escort her more effectively towards their elaborate choice of ride.
Upon reaching her seat, Anna was welcomed by a warm hug from Seyrarm who kept chanting the words "Doctor Pretty's coming!" over and over again. Seeing the once sickly girl that lively warmed her heart.
Yoh then reached over to place a headset on her head. An action that required close proximity between them, which left her speechless. Though what really kept her incapacitated for words was when she noticed that Yoh didn't join them in the back seats and instead climbed inside the cockpit.
Anna's eyes widened when Yoh assumed the pilot's seat and placed his dedicated head piece on. Her heart almost jumped out of her ribcage when he spoke through his mouthpiece, in a conspicuous lower tone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tonight's VIP flight. In a few minutes, we will be flying to our secret destination which will take us an hour to complete. This is your pilot speaking. And in behalf of my co-pilot, Amidamaru, we thank you for flying with us."
Anna didn't know whether it was seeing her longtime friend, Amidamaru, or Yoh's charming wink at the end of his spiel was what made her hear flutter, but she was almost sure that she was going to die of a heart attack tonight. Oh, how she would make the headlines the next day: '28-year-old female doctor, dies of myocardial infarction across the sky.'
She will be sure to sue Asakura Yoh from hell.
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They were standing in front of the famous majestic castle with a light-brown coloured bricks, blue rooves and triangular flags on its highest peaks.
Anna couldn't help but to bask in awe as she took in her surroundings. Beside her, Redseb was frantically keeping his younger sister's squeals of delight at bay. The blonde woman wondered how Seyrarm has got such high levels of energy at that time of the evening. It was either someone fed her a large amount of sweet treats, or—
"I made sure she had her afternoon nap." Redseb commented, almost reading her thoughts.
"Finally. Welcome, everybody."
"Yumiko-san!" Yoh approached and shook the hands of the newcomer.
"Yoh-kun, long time no see! I'm glad you could make it." The woman received Yoh with equal fervor.
Anna studied them closely as they exchanged pleasantries with each other. She doesn't remember meeting her before, so how exactly are they acquainted?
Observing more carefully, Anna noticed how close Yumiko-san and Yoh were with each other. She definitely didn't have qualms about touching Yoh's arm so casually as she giggled at whatever he was saying, and Yoh also most definitely didn't mind her touching him at all.
The woman appeared to be in her late fifties, but it was hard to judge since Japanese women are generally blessed with good genes that make them look years younger than their current age. Plus, judging by her overall aura, despite wearing simple smart casual clothes, she seems to be someone who has money.
"No, no, no. Thank you, for agreeing to my special requests." Yoh never took off his accommodating grin. "Oh, by the way, these are my siblings, Redseb and Seyrarm. And this is Anna, my… friend."
"Pleased to meet you, Redseb, Seyrarm," the woman greeted, "I heard how eager you are to come here today but something came up with your busy big brother as always, huh?"
Yoh scratched his head in embarrassment, but Seyrarm saved his face. "That's okay. We're here now because Yoh nii-chan always keeps his promise!" The girl responded enthusiastically, which made everybody chuckle.
Yumiko turned to Anna. "Anna-san, correct? Pleased to finally meet you. It's good to finally put a face to the name. I've heard a lot about you from Yoh-kun." She bowed respectfully at Anna, and Anna did the same, but not after throwing a curious look at Yoh who was wilting bashfully on the sides.
"Anyway, we've quite a limited time so we better hurry in." Yoh's old friend coaxed the group into the theme park where Seyrarm happily marched into, dragging Redseb and even Amidamaru with her.
Anna motioned to follow them when she heard Yoh call her.
She was about to ask him casually about this Yumiko-san when she noted he was holding out a rectangular object which appeared to be a blue shoebox.
"What's this?" she asked, catching Yoh take a glimpse at her body from head to toe and she realized his point when she followed his gaze.
She was clad in a khaki knee-length oversized shirt dress. It looked perfectly comfortable enough for and outfit in a theme park. However, her choice of footwear was a different story.
"Well, even though we'll only be here for an hour or so, I'm pretty sure you'll murder your feet with those." Yoh pointed onto the red pump heels she was wearing. He even handed the box to her hurriedly so as to prevent her from disagreeing. "Size 240, right?"
Opening it, she stumbled upon a pair of sneakers. It wasn't anything too fancy. Just some plain white shoes with Katakana characters printed on the soles' outer sides and across it's back.
Despite the simplicity of its design—for a girl like her who originally loved the comfort of sneakers over the beauty of heels— they were stunning.
Inspecting it further, Anna's eyes bulged when she noticed that aside from its brand being marked with the 'three stripes', she recognized it as—
"Wait, are these the limited-edition NMD's?" She addressed her generous friend in hopes of rejecting the item, but Yoh was already hopping off with his siblings towards the park's entrance.
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Figuring it was time to finally change her footwear before she "murder her fee,t" as Yoh put it, Anna took a break and joined Yumiko in one of the nearby benches which enabled them to start a small talk.
"Extravagant," Anna muttered as a side comment when she learned from Yumiko that even if it was almost impossible, Yoh requested her if they could extend the park's hours for the day.
Apparently, the older woman, as the current chairman of the corporation that manages the 'Happiest Place on Earth', found Yoh's reasons quite amusing. Therefore, she couldn't refuse.
Of course, she had to pull some strings here and there, but luckily they made it happen. According Yoh, as narrated by Yumiko, if he doesn't take Seyrarm with this so-called 'Doctor Pretty' accompanying them to Disneyland tonight, then he might not live for another day just because of a broken promise. As a compromise, Yoh even offered to shoulder the payment for the extra costs needed in order to fulfill his wish, including the overtime salary for the staff.
On the other hand, Anna has loosened up with her suspicions when she learned that Yumiko's precious friendship with Yoh started when the then young Doctor Yoh, who was finishing up his residency in America, saved Yumiko's only daughter from a rare disease that needed a complex surgery in order to extend her life.
"Indeed!" Yumiko beamed. "But I'm sure Yoh knows it's all worth it just to be with a woman like you," she commented without thought but later realised the boldness in her words when she saw Anna getting flustered. "And for his siblings too, no?" Yumiko then started to laugh nervously, causing both of them to shift their attention to the scenery before them.
"There are things in this world that are worth holding on to." Yumiko finished as they watched Yoh from a distance. He was animatedly bonding over the Castle Carousel with his siblings. It made them feel as if they were watching three kids taking their time to celebrate their innocence, free from all the evils of this wretched world.
Unknowingly, a serene smiled found its way on Anna's lips.
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"So, is this how you've been wooing all your girlfriends?" Anna made sure she put emphasis on the plural form of the word.
"Hmm, lemme think." Yoh massaged his chin in thought. "I don't think I ever brought Momo here, and I don't remember bringing Sana either. Also…" He slowly glanced at Anna to see her reaction and he bit his lip to prevent himself from bursting out laughing when he got what he wanted out of her: to tease her in annoyance.
He always thought Anna looked cute when she brings out her naïve side even back when they were still dating. A feat only he knows about her.
Yoh finally chuckled when he saw her huffing and pouting while trying hard to focus on the dancing antique candle holder and clock that have now transformed back to their original human selves. They were riding a gigantic teacup that was being whisked around the ballroom area to the tune of the Beauty and The Beast theme.
There were only a few people left enjoying the ride as the park was nearing its closing time. In the background, Seyrarm's and even Redseb's impressed voices filled the air as they rode in their own dancing teacup ride.
Despite the enchanting display of magic and fantasy around them, Yoh couldn't help but admire Anna who's now deeply moved by the ride's finale. She was quietly admiring Belle and her Prince who were lost in their own world in the middle of the room as the emotional music continued to play.
The brunette thought it was quite a long time since he watched Anna in such a serene mood—almost like a kid—without a single care in the world.
It's as if they both just came there to touch grass freely or stop to smell the flowers to their heart's content.
And if he was being completely honest, it has been a while since he felt that, too.
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"Aaaaah!" Some kids shrieked in unison as the lights suddenly went off.
Devious laughter echoed the hallways, and it was Redseb and Yoh's turn to scream in surprise. Both Anna and Seyrarm looked at the two with bored faces and arched brows.
Out of all the people, the boys were acting ridiculous.
"Onii-chan, it's not even that scary." The girl pointed out.
"What? Who says I'm scared? I was just surpri—AAAH!" Redseb tried to deny but failed miserably when one of the coffins at the cemetery scene flipped open.
Anna narrowed her eyes at Yoh who was looking warily around him. "Seriously? You, too?"
"Don't be like that Anna. I mean, look at those corpses, aren't you guys at least a bit creeped out?"
"No." Anna and Sey muttered simultaneously, crossing their arms on their chests.
It was Anna's turn to try and not to laugh at a full-grown, six-foot-two-tall man being scared by a wholesome-type of horror ride that's even suitable for kids.
They proceeded through the whole ride with the boys being the scaredy cats, and the girls taunting their cowardly asses. Seyrarm even started to narrate about the horror stories told by her teacher in class, about the type of people called 'Shamans' who could see ghosts and link the spirit world with the human world using their unique abilities and powers. Anna thought it was interesting, so she encouraged Sey to carry on with her story.
Meanwhile, both Yoh and Redseb called it rubbish as they couldn't believe people who actually see ghosts would be able to thrive and live their lives normally.
In actually, they couldn't care less about Seyrarm's story because they kept screaming here and there whenever loud sounds and scary figures popped out of nowhere.
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The train made its iconic sound as steam blew off from its exhaust, signalling the start of the ride that was aiming to move around Disneyland.
That particular ride was usually open only until eight in the evening, and it was almost ten. But thanks to Yoh's request and generous offers, some of the park's guests got to enjoy one final extra ride for the night. Redseb and Seyrarm got to sit at the front-most seat, while Yoh and Anna chose the seats several rows behind them, letting the kids enjoy their time by themselves.
Yumiko bid her goodbyes before the group took their last ride for the night, but not without making Yoh promise to meet her again one day over lunch or coffee, at a more convenient time. Of course, the kids and Anna are invited, too. Yoh modestly accepted her offer and promised not to ask for some crazy requests from her again next time.
It was already quite dark outside, and there were things and sceneries that could've been enjoyed differently compared to when riding it in broad daylight, but the colourful and illuminating lights all throughout the park still made it a unique experience.
Anna watched as Yoh struggled to hide his fascination for boarding a ride that features a real steam train. And even though she was trying to hold a decent conversation with him—a thing they haven't shared in ages—she found it amusing to see her ex still in-love with trains just as how he used to when they were younger.
Some things really don't change.
"Anna, are you seeing this? It's so cool!" Yoh started while pointing at a seemingly small village with festive lights from the distance.
"You really won't give up that easily, will you?" It was all Anna said, her tone suddenly shifting.
Yoh wanted to show Anna how he respected her by trying to focus his attention solely on her while she spoke, but damn, the whole train ride encounter was kicking off his senses in a whole different level.
"Give up what?" the brunette asked distractedly as he took a bite out of the orange tanghulu on a stickin his hand. His eyes remained on the surrounding attractions.
He was met with silence first before he noticed the shift in the mood, which ultimately made him turn towards his companion. He was welcomed by the most beautiful, inquisitive amber eyes which were once so dear to him.
"I'm sorry, what did you mean by that?"
The blonde rolled her eyes before she heaved a deep sigh. Yoh can really be dense sometimes.
"I mean, this!" She lifted her palms up to gesture around them. "All this. An impromptu trip? Flying a chopper? Renting a whole theme park out for an extra hour?"
"Okay, first of all, we planned this trip since this morning. We just got sidetra—"
"Yoh…"
He sighed when he saw her pleading eyes. Those eyes that are still so dear to him.
He straightened up and put his serious face on.
"Don't get me wrong. This isn't me trying to be your boyfriend again. This is me trying to be that friend… like I promised." Yoh said it with such sincerity that Anna was beginning to melt. "Unless, of course, you want to—"
Ah, she spoke too soon.
"Don't even go there," Anna warned in a feigned dangerous tone.
"Yep! Right! Got yah!"
The silence that followed would've been deafening if not for the noises coming from the train, and the occasional delighted voices from the other passengers.
Yoh was about to look at Anna again just to check if she was still with him when she finally spoke.
"Fine. Another question. Why did you do that?"
"Do what?" The brunette almost immediately regretted his answer, scared to annoy his companion further. It'll be such a waste to ruin Anna's calm interrogation mood. He missed these kinds of conversations with her.
On the other hand, Anna inhaled to compose herself because Yoh was technically being Yoh, and it's annoying her since he's trying to act dumb. Though at the same time, she thinks it's one of his adorable traits, so she was starting to get really confused with what she was truly feeling.
"Why did you ask for me to be your assist for that VIP patient's upcoming procedure?"
Yoh snorted and returned his line of vision towards the marvellous views around them. He also did a quick glance at his siblings in front of them and he noticed how they were undoubtedly enjoying the ride.
"Do you really wanna talk about work right now?" He gazed back at Anna who was sporting a mundane look which then made him smile, se he decided to be straightforward. "That's because I believe in you."
If possible, Anna stared at him even more dumbfoundedly.
Yoh couldn't help but chuckle. "What? It's true! Despite our indifferences, I really do feel at ease working with you. It's like finding my soulmate, you know?" Anna's eyes narrowed at him, so he hurriedly corrected himself. "My work soulmate. Besides…" he seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing, "if you don't do it with me and if Doctor Faust isn't there, too, I'm pretty sure I will have to work with dad and I…"
For the first time in that evening, Yoh was lost for words. His mind seemed to have suddenly lost track like a train derailed from its tracks.
Anna could only stare at him in curiosity at first, but she later on realised what might be going on in his head. She knew Yoh never had issues talking about the members of his family except for his father, Mikihisa, and now sadly, his twin brother, Hao.
Furthermore, after learning about Mikihisa's alleged affair that resulted into Yoh having his two half-siblings, the blonde felt real empathy towards Yoh at that moment.
"You're right. Let's not talk about work." Anna said simply but followed-up with another savage question. "Why did you leave then?" Yoh almost choked on his tanghulu and he took a moment to cough it out. "More specifically, why did you leave me right when I needed you the most?" She didn't bat an eye this time, and Yoh finally realised that this was the moment he was waiting for all these years.
The hotseat of truth.
The how's and why's.
"I wasn't the one who left, Anna."
"Liar."
He could feel the intensity of her emotions just be staring deeply into the windows of her soul. And at that very moment, every feeling of confusion, hurt, loneliness, and regret, came crashing down on him, once again.
Yoh wanted to talk back to her so bad. To tell her that he didn't leave her. That it wasn't because he wanted to, but he needed to. That he tried his hardest to come back as soon as he could, only to find out that she couldn't wait.
She didn't wait.
He wanted to summarize all the good things and bad thigs he went through all those years they were apart—that there was never a time—not once— when the thought of her left his mind.
All he wanted was to just hug her— kiss her, and tell her that everything will be alright, but if there was one thing he learned the hard way about life, it's that not everything would fall into that path.
Not everything could be solved with positivity and some wishful thinking.
He wanted to say and do all those things, but instead, he finally asked her his most dreaded question: about her true relationship with his twin.
Anna went silent, seemingly thinking about the most appropriate response to his inquiry. For a moment, she caught herself tipping her chin down. Even for a short time, she focused her attention on the white sneakers that Yoh gave her and for a moment, she envied its embodiment of cleanliness and purity.
"I… I owe him a lot."
Yoh snorted in disbelief. As much as he didn't want to sound rude, he also wanted to have his opinion heard, and he nearly called "bullshit."
She owed his brother? Was that supposed to make him feel okay about them constantly being together?
"I mean…" he took a deep breath before proceeding, "what do you even mean by that? You mean, it involves money? Why is it so hard to just tell me?"
Anna saw Yoh's frustration and so she tried her best to explain her side. She was never the one to justify her actiions elaborately, and it wasn't easy summarizing the past six years into a few words.
"Partly because of money and… a lot more."
"And you think he's the only one who could've helped you?"
"Yes."
"Not even me?"
"You weren't there, remember?"
Anna almost regretted her words as soon as she speared them out after seeing how hurt Yoh was. She felt a tear escaped her eye and she instantly wiped it away discreetly.
Silence ran between them once again and as the blonde struggled to find the right words, she saw how determination suddenly crossed Yoh's face. "Yoh, don't you dare intervene with the money part, I swear—"
"I have no intention to." The brunette finally had the courage to look at his ex in the eye. "I just— I care for you, Anna. A lot. And I just want you remember that for every situation, there's always hope and a way out."
She shook her head as she looked down. "It's too late for us."
Us? Was she talking about Hao and herself?
Yoh exhaled one heavy breath. He knows that Anna is one of the most stubborn people in his life, and it's already taking toll on his patience.
"Has he at least admitted his feelings for you yet?" The question came out of thin air, but he had to say it.
Anna turned to him, shocked and bewildered. She was questioning his audacity for even asking such a damned question, judging by the heat of her stare.
"Yoh, we've talked about this countless times—"
"So he hasn't?"
"There is nothing going on between us!"
"And yet, you chose to be with him."
There. Yoh finally said it.
And he was grateful that Anna didn't say anything back because only the gods know the amount of self-control he was using to avoid stopping their petty argument with a kiss.
"Hao's been in love with you all these years, Anna. Even back when we were together. And I know that for sure because he's my twin brother for crying out loud!" Still no retorts from the blonde. "You can choose to ignore it. He can deny it over and over again every time someone asks. It's one of the reasons I kept doubting myself when I was with you, and it's pretty much out there for everyone to see… so why can't you?"
Anna remained silent with her eyes fixed on the floor. For a second, Yoh thought he saw her cry, but she only slapped his hand away when he reached out to wipe her tears.
He wanted to say more. They needed more time.
Yet again, like a bad joke from the universe, the train ride had already finished, and Anna was on her feet in no time.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Yoh was completely anxious after his conversation—argument—whatever he would call it— with Anna.
Though as nerve-racking as their train ride was, he had to set his thoughts aside due to the more pressing matters he is facing right now: finding an additional hotel room to stay for the night.
It was strange. He was pretty sure he told Amidamaru to book two rooms for them, but he just recently learned from his trusty friend that he only managed to book one due to the fact that he had a short notice.
Yoh sweeped his face with his bare hands to relieve his tension.
He didn't want to complain much either since he indeed ask a last-minute favour to squeeze everything in their schedule. Plus, he didn't want to bother Yumiko about such a trivial thing it as well.
But how is he going to tell Anna?
It was getting hard to even maintain eye contact with her, let alone sleep in the same space!
"Is everything alright?" Speaking of the devil. She approached the concierge after noticing that it was taking time to check them in.
Yoh stood frozen to the ground as he heard her voice. "Uhm, well, you see…"
"We're very sorry Mrs. Asakura, there was a mistake with your booking. We didn't know you wanted another room for your kids." The hotel attendant thought she did a great job explaining the dilemma, but Yoh was almost sure it'll be his last day in Earth tonight.
He carefully studied Anna's expression. Her emotionless stare made it hard to read what's on her mind. Being mistaken as his wife and his siblings being their kids, is already death wish especially after what happened earlier.
At this point, Anna may well be a ticking time bomb, if not, a raging torpedo.
Yoh was ready to deny the attendant's assumptions when Anna's monotonous voice cut in.
"We'll take it."
"Eh?" asked Yoh and the concierge in unison.
Anna sighed. "There's only one room left, so, fine. We'll take it."
And that's when they found themselves inside a piece of heaven on Earth.
As soon as Yoh saw what's inside the suite, he immediately understood why Anna agreed anyway.
The room was about fifty square meters, and it featured wide floor to ceiling windows, a balcony, an ensuite with jacuzzi bath, a king-sized bed, and a chaise sofa.
"The kids are already downstairs for late dinner." Yoh started and was only met with a soft "hm."
"Oh, by the way, you and Sey can take the bed. I think Redseb and I can fit in the chaise."
"There's enough space in the bed for all three of you though." Anna reasoned out as she set aside her bag and shoes in closet.
"That's okay. I just want you to be comfortable." Anna stopped upon hearing Yoh's words. "As a consolation for allowing me to drag you here, I mean."
The blonde smiled. She was thankful for the closet door blocking Yoh's view of her.
When she approached him, she spotted another box laid on the corner of the bed.
"It's for you." Yoh simply said and she raised a brow. "Just some essentials."
Anna opened the package and saw a plain but luxurious set of black pyjamas made of silk and satin. The waistline had an adorable bow that looked so cute when the top piece gets tucked in, and the hems of the shorts had lace in them. There was another black sun dress in the box, which she assumed, was meant to be worn the next day.
There were also some toiletries included like skin care and body products.
It's Anna turn to snort in disbelief. She almost forgot how thoughtful Yoh could be.
Some things never change.
"Thanks. You're spoiling me too much. Does your grandfather know about this?"
Yoh wrinkled his brow in confusion.
"No. Well, not that it would matter if he knew, right?"
Anna let out a sarcastic chuckle after making a face. "Bullshit."
"Sigh. I don't want to argue with you anymore, Anna."
"I'm not arguing, I'm just stating facts. You know Yoh, you're telling me that I'm blind when it comes to Hao, but you're as blind when it comes to your family."
"Leave them out of this." The brunette's voice became dangerously low. Anna only threw him a defiant stare.
"Sure thing." She said calmly. "Can I at least get my phone back?"
As soon as Yoh handed her the device, she stormed out of the room.
. . . . . . . . . . .
It was past midnight when Anna came back to their hotel suite. She was supposed to take a quick bite with Yoh and his siblings before heading to bed, but she thought it wasn't a good idea since every conversation she had with Yoh, despite being civil at first, somehow ends up in some sort of disagreement.
Maybe it's not really meant to be.
Maybe this is how far as they can be. Friends. Enemies. Exes.
Now she found herself waking up at four in the morning, unable to go back to slumber. Despite her stunted sleep, she observed how cozy she was with the blankets drawn up to her chin. Funny, she doesn't remember leaving it that way.
Sleeping snuggly next to her was Seyrarm. She looked so peaceful when asleep. A smile crept on Anna's face when she remembered how Sey waited for her to come back just so she could ask her to braid her hair and lull her to sleep. She's such a princess.
On the other hand, thinking about Seyrarm suddenly started a turmoil in Anna's heart, so she reached for her phone to ring a number.
It was taking time for the other party to answer, but she waited with the utmost patience as she reached the balcony just in time.
"Hello?" said a faint voice from the other end.
"Hey, how is it going?" She waited for a response.
"Oh, is it? Sorry, I didn't realize the time. Okay, I'll call you later. Take care then. I love you too." Anna was about to end the call when someone else spoke through the receiver.
"So you finally decided to switch your phone on, huh?"
"Hao?" Utter shock laced Anna's voice. "Wait, where are you? How come you're with—"
"Tell Yoh he doesn't need to bring you back to Izumo. We have business to attend to in Tokyo." She heard him pause. Hao didn't seem happy.
God, he sounds like a totally different person when he means business.
"We're almost there. So don't stop now, Anna." With that, he ended the call.
Oh, how she hated it whenever he called her name that way.
It's so unsettling. So vexing. So…
"Can't sleep?"
Anna whipped her head at the sound of another person's voice. Part of her settled down when she saw Yoh.
"No, I just… I had to make a call, that's all. How 'bout you?"
Yoh simply chuckled and sat next to her. He nonchalantly stretched her arms and yawned.
"I was going to start my morning run, but then I saw you here."
Anna stared at her amazed. "You? Morning run?"
Yoh pouted. "What? Force of habit!"
"Reeeally now?" Anna teased him further, as if they hadn't spent the whole of yesterday fighting. "You? Asakura Yoh? I can't believe I don't have to whip your ass in the morning anymore just so you'd wake-up. Let alone, jog?"
The brunette continued acting hurt as he suddenly zeroed the space between them. He didn't understand how Anna could turn him on by questioning his morning routine.
"People change, Anna."
Caught off guard, Anna couldn't help but to take a quick glance at Yoh's almost bare chest, thanks to the hotel's sleeping robe. There was something hypnotic about him early in the morning, and it was like waking up to her senses that had been dormant form many years.
She wasn't finished at marvelling over her hot ex-fiancé and all she could do was to stare back into his mesmerizing chestnut eyes as he slowly advanced towards her.
"I'm still the same guy you used to know, but I'm also many things..." Anna could feel his breath on her face now. "I can be anything you want me to be, Anna."
There was a moment of silence as they continued to gaze into one another.
"Then show me."
"Huh?" Yoh only had the upper hand in flirting for four seconds straight before Anna flipped the table in a blink of an eye.
"I said…" Anna grabbed his robe to further reel him in. "Show me."
Before they both realised, their lips came crashing down on each other.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Redseb woke up to seeing Yoh and Anna sleeping soundly in the bed, with Anna cuddling Sey close to her chest, and Yoh playing the big spoon, hugging Anna from behind.
He made some subtle comments about it during breakfast which resulted to a flustered Yoh. But it also earned him a solid smack from Anna. From then on, he learned that his big brother's 'friend' is not someone to be trifled with. He just hated that he had to learn the hard way.
Something within him felt happy, though, for it's such a breath of fresh air to see his Yoh-nii constantly being plain happy, grinning from ear to ear.
The only thing that ruined their morning was seeing Hao at the hotel lobby as they were checking out.
He declared that was there to pick Anna up for "some business," and it almost started a heated debated between the twins once again if not for Anna intervening.
They evaded a bullet this time.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Yoh is still anxious about their abrupt separation with Anna in the morning. Afterall, he did promise he'd bring her back to Izumo after their trip. Though at the same time, he kept beaming like an idiot all day. That's because after several long and agonizing months, he finally achieved something significant with Anna. Although their relationship hasn't taken a full three-sixty degrees yet, they were finally able to sit and talk things through, including their grievances and long-awaited questions for each other. Although the answers were still quite hazy, he was glad it was a start.
Such a refresher.
His wide grinning doubled when he pulled out his phone and read a text message from Anna telling him that she's had lunch and that she'd just reach her destination. She even thanked him for a wonderful weekend.
It was still annoying to think that she's currently with Hao— the subject of their argument not long ago— but having Anna sending him updates now truly made his heart swell like a teenager boy receiving a text from his crush. It was like going from zero to fifty real quick.
However, even though the blonde was beginning to open up for the possibilities of mending their relationship— and most excitingly, shining hope to a romantic one— there's one thing he couldn't shake off his mind during their encounters. Well, beside their little 'make-out session' at the hotel.
"Hao's been in love with you all these years, Anna. Even back when we were together. And I know that for sure because he's my twin brother for crying out loud!" Still no retorts from the blonde. "You can choose to ignore it. He can deny it over and over again every time someone asks. It's one of the reasons I kept doubting myself when I was with you, and it's pretty much out there for everyone to see… so why can't you?"
Anna remained silent with her eyes fixed on the floor. For a second, Yoh thought he saw her cry, but she only slapped his hand away when he reached out to wipe her tears.
He wanted to say more. They needed more time.
Yet again, like a bad joke from the universe, the ride had already finished, and Anna was on her feet in no time.
But just as she was about to alight the train, she stopped in her tracks and turned her head to address him, eyes welling in tears.
"That's impossible… because he's in love with my sister."
It was bizarre.
Anna has a sister? Since when?
How come I never knew about that?
He was meaning to ask her more details about it when they reached Izumo, but Hao's arrival interrupted his plans.
One question after the other kept flooding Yoh's mind. And once he was determined to do something about it, he dialled the number of that one person whom he knew could help him find answers.
"Hey, Lyserg…"
. . . . . . . . . . .
"You're not going in?" Her voice, back to its neutral tone.
She rolled her eyes when she didn't hear her companion reply. Her weekend was already such a rollercoaster, she had no more energy left in dealing with a man-child.
"Not done with your tantrums yet?" She followed up with a taunting smirk which she knew would instigate his annoyance, and true enough, she received a cold glare from deep mahogany eyes.
"Not today, Anna."
"Fine. Suit yourself."
Sure, she was annoyed at him for promising to finally come in with her inside the building, only to take back his words once they've reached the gates. But knowing the real deep seethed reason for Hao's reluctance to join her, she always left him be.
He had his own way of processing his guilt, and she wasn't going spend her whole day trying to change his mind.
One day, he'll come around. She always told that to herself.
Anna took one last glance at her best friend's handsome face, and she couldn't help but remember Yoh's accusations about Hao having feelings for her. She would have to talk to him about it later on, but that will have to wait.
Wait! Did she just think Hao was handsome?
Is she attracted with him, too?
Shaking off her thoughts, she entered the facility's main door but not without throwing her empty cup of iced Americano in the nearby bin and stepping on the doormat to pry off the dirt from her white sneakers.
She didn't know why, but a smile always brightened her lips whenever she sees her new pair of shoes.
Is it because of the trendy style? The unparalleled comfort?
Or is it because of the person who gave it to her?
"Whoah! New kicks? I love 'em!" A person from the reception greeted.
"Hey, Anna! Tell me if ever you got an old pair you wanna get rid of, I would gladly accept them." A young lad with shaved head interjected.
Anna smirked upon seeing some familiar faces. "Calm down, Senjuu, I'll just bring you a new pair."
"Really? Sweet!"
"Hey! How 'bout me?" A little Indian girl with platinum hair butted in.
"You too, Komeri." Anna reassured the girl as she walked past the reception, having a few other people greeting her as she reached the elevators. She pressed the number '3' and did a curt bow towards her acquaintances.
Upon reaching the 3rd level, she was welcomed by a huge hallway brightened by large glass windows that enabled her to peek at the property's vast gardens below. The ceilings and walls were mainly painted white, with accents of pastel floral wallpapers.
At the end of the corridor, she stopped in front of double automated locked doors which opened after she swiped a blue card towards the scanner next to it.
She approached a nearby office which appeared to be a nurses' station, and a mature woman with long reddish hair greeted her instantly.
"Good afternoon, Anna-san. Long time no see. How have you been?"
Anna bowed respectfully before addressing the woman. "Sati-san. I've been pretty busy with work, that's all."
"Certainly. Well, if you're waiting for an update, there's really no changes since you last visited so nothing to report to you, really."
"Is that so? I'll go ahead then, thank you."
The two women bowed at each other once again.
Making her way along another corridor, Anna finally stopped in front of a door labelled as "320". She didn't wait further to turn the knob open. Once inside, she carefully placed the bouquet of flowers and her handbag on top of a small dresser by the entrance of the room.
Turning her head, her sight was welcomed by a woman in her early thirties. Anna deduced that the lady might have just finished showering, for her long blonde hair was freshly combed and tied neatly in a loose ponytail with an oversized red bow. Her lilac Kimono embellished with golden flowers hugged her body in an elegant manner. And her face, it held such beautiful features, delicateness and fierceness combined. Everything about her mirrored Anna's outer appearance. In fact, they could pass for twins, except that she's older, and her eyes had a darker shade of brown than Anna's amber ones.
She was sitting by the window and her sight remained set towards whatever scenery was taking place outside her bedside window, and she didn't even care to turn towards Anna's direction despite the younger taking a seat directly in front of her.
Anna used to be so upset whenever she did that—whenever she received not a single reaction from her despite already her making her presence felt.
But things have changed, and Anna got used to it after several years. So once again, like all the other days she visited her, she inhaled slowly before breaking the silence.
"Hello, nee-san."
. . . . . . . . . . .
A/N: "Size 240" is Japan's equivalent to women's US size 7 or UK size 5 in shoes, I think? I dunno, Anna strikes me as someone who has average feet judging by her built.
In case you are curious or have not been to Tokyo Disneyland, here are some Youtube links to help you imagine what our beloved characters have experienced in this chapter:
Castle Carousel – /92ZB-L58Y_Y?si=mqm09ODUxKt_XeId
Enchanted Tale of Beauty and The Beast - /5rMc3FOsqBs?si=tNWnPKBMhI3cmi1_
Haunted Mansion - /ipQyeo6pvz4?si=4Tfu3Dle3Gw3ZNru
Western River Railroad (train ride scene) – /RjVrU5ECDuw?si=NBOViGxtDNXDud1A
And if you're looking for an explanation as to why I haven't updated in two months, that's because I went on a six-week holiday and visited Asia! Woohoo! I wished I could include Japan on my list, though. But anyway, maybe next time.:)
I would like to thank all my readers for their continued support. Please know that I always think of you guys whenever I write these chapters. And please be assured that I am still here, determined to finish this story with a bang more than ever. This chapter is one of the major turning points of the plot. From here onwards, I will try my best to quicken the pace to answer your questions, so kindly tell me what you think and show me some love! Cheers!;)
Medical Terminologies/ Abbreviations:
Pressure injury - localized damage to the skin as well as underlying soft tissue, usually occurring over a bony prominence or related to medical devices. They are the result of prolonged or severe pressure with contributions from shear and friction forces.
Myocardial infarction – commonly known as 'heart attack', refers totissue death (infarction) of the heart muscle (myocardium) caused by ischemia, the lack of oxygen delivery to myocardial tissue. It is a type of acute coronary syndrome, which describes a sudden or short-term change in symptoms related to blood flow to the heart.