Chapter Summary: The people you love are the ones capable of hurting you the most. And right when Yoh is about to forget this important lesson for the sake of love, fate has an uncanny way of reminding him.
WARNING/S: Hints of suicide. Mention of prohibited drugs.
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AN APPLE A DAY – Chapter 21: The Patch House, Part 2
The room erupted in applause.
On the mini stage, Asakura Yohmei shook hands with a man named Marco Lasso. They'd just closed a deal in front of the board members of A-Cor', which they have now rebranded as King Corporation, following changes with major stockholders and the company's ongoing quest to hail the new CEO as Yohmei's imminent retirement is approaching.
It would've been logical to pass the position down to the next generation head of the Asakura family, Mikihisa, but he adamantly abstained from it due to numerous reasons, mainly, he already has his hands full by running Shimane Medical Foundation as the Medical Director. Second, he is only an adopted member of the family who is married to the real heiress, Keiko; and third, he is trying to avoid being exposed further under the limelight due to recent scandals that have only laid dormant but had never been completely eliminated.
They could let Keiko lead; but in the world of money and power, people always had a skeptic view about accepting a female frontrunner. Thus, the board members aren't quite receptible to the idea.
The third option was agreed by the family's head and matriarch, therefore, they had to quickly formulate a 'plan B', or even a 'plan C', if they wanted to keep things smooth sailing for their clan.
The Asakuras are well aware that they're receiving a gradual fall from satisfaction ratings from the board members and their employees, and that there are plenty of existing vultures who are waiting for the right time to instigate their downfall. In fact, most of the said 'vultures' are well seated in the same room they are in; but Yohmei is set on keeping his family afloat amidst the flood… even if it means he'd have to declare a civil war.
"To our valued executives…" Asakura Keiko started to announce. "Let us all welcome our newest major stockholders initiating our first merger to ever take place, the Lasso family of XL Industries."
The clapping increased as everyone acknowledged the presence of the Lasso family comprised of a woman named Spimea, and an older man named Luchist. Both were dressed in all-black outfits, looking broody and intimidating.
Seated not far from the members of the Lasso family was Lyserg Deithyl, who maintained his calm composure while his vigilant eyes roamed the room, quietly profiling every single face present around them. He was surprised that Yoh and Jeanne were not in attendance in today's meeting given that their families were leading the business merger.
"Finally, we are all closer to achieving one of our biggest projects the 'Shimane Children's Foundation'. Only one step left until we finalise the Asakura-Lasso merger which will be announced on our upcoming gala."
. . . . . . . . . . .
Today was their last whole day in Aomori.
Well technically, they were supposed to leave on the day after tomorrow, the 14th of May, but they had to cut their trip short due to some serious understaffing going on back in the hospital. Good thing they finished their medical missions sooner than planned. Therefore, tonight would be their last dinner before heading off back to Izumo tomorrow morning.
She knew only three days had passed, but things had gotten really hectic since.
The chilly air remained in the atmosphere, but the sunrays blared equally.
She thought this day would finally bring her peace since it was initially declared as a 'free time' for their group. However, it was still around an hour before lunch when Lilirara decided to invite them to some mini activities before the food was served. Hence, Anna trudged her way down the rough pebbled path towards the activity square outside the orphanage's building.
Her thoughts unconsciously wandered to Yoh.
It— rather, he, was the last thing she wanted in her mind, but her brain (or heart) kept betraying her in all possible ways.
After the incident involving Yoh's gluttony and some almonds in a cake, she's never really interacted with him, nor seen him the whole day yesterday. As per Tamao, Yoh was recovering at the infirmary after suffering a mild concussion from his fall.
Anna wanted to visit him to know if he's still alive, at the very least, but she deduced that the 'new lady' was already more than enough for that purpose.
He can be well taken care of by others, who cares!
Extremely annoyed with her thoughts, Anna huffed her way down to the activity area located at the orphanage's vast adjacent backyard.
Despite the presence of numerous people gathered in the area, her gaze instantly connected with a familiar pair of chestnut eyes that wouldn't leave her mind alone.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Laughter and banter—from children and adults alike— drowned the atmosphere as the group just concluded an exhilarating outdoor activity.
From a distance, Anna kept on throwing secret glances at Yoh whenever she got the chance and all she managed to witness was the brunette seemingly back to his old self, as if he didn't pass out cold on the ground about twenty-four hours ago.
He was conversing animatedly and flashing his carefree smiles at everyone he interacted with, including the woman next to him that never left his side ever since they started the morning activities.
Anna learned from her colleagues that the newcomer was also ironically named 'Anna', too. She's based in the United States and apparently was one of Yoh's colleagues when he finished his doctor's residency and specialisations overseas.
Thinking she was being discreet, Doctor Kyouyama eyed Yoh's colleague further. The woman seemed to be quite older than them, but she couldn't judge since she looked youthful with the way she presented herself—with her light brown hair, black crop top, short shorts and ankle boots that showcased her lengthy legs.
Anna scoffed as she felt a mysterious burning feeling crawling within her. She never knew that Yoh's tastes were so… 'western.'
Her gaze— now becoming poisonous— moved towards Yoh once more, only to find out that he was staring at her, too.
The brunette even beamed his toothy smile at her which sent her frantically tearing her gaze away while all her blood went rushing to her face.
"Okay! For our last game…" Lilirara announced with a wide smirk, as mixed complaints and cheers came from all different directions. "Our last game is called The Boat is Sinking X Newspaper Dance Fusion!"
"Oooh!" The cheering intensified.
"Lilirara-san, permission to opt out. Two kids are feeling nauseated, I will need to attend the clinic at this rate." One male nurse interrupted.
The headmistress immediately waived the nurse to do his duties. Yoh offered to accompany the nurse but the other reassured that it is only a simple case which can be handled with common remedies.
The group then went on with their pre-lunch game.
"Does this mean we need another player?" Tamao caught everyone's attention with her musings.
The participants agreed and started looking around for another adult who could possibly join the group.
"Looks like my presence is somewhat needed." A deep voice took everyone's attention, only to find Asakura Hao walking towards the group.
"What! You're still here?" HoroHoro threw an accusing finger against Hao but was silenced immediately when the brunette threw him a malicious stare.
"Are you really going to make a scene and embarrass yourself in front of your crush?"
Horo remembered Hao's passive threat from the other day, and it was enough to have him petrified.
Hao ignored the suspicious glances from his brother and his friends. However, the other people who had no clue about the past focused on marvelling how insanely identical the Asakura twins were; and on how they served as 'eye candy' to most women, too.
"Papa!" The seven-year-old kid named Opacho, chirped excitedly as she leaped towards hugging Hao's leg.
The older Asakura twin's mood suddenly reflected a cheery mood as he reached down to gently pat Opacho's head. "How have you been, Opacho?" He greeted with a genuine smile which baffled everyone around him.
It was quite rare to see the great Asakura Hao display such tender and loving affection towards someone other than Anna, and much less towards a kid, too.
"Papa, I missed you!" Opacho repeated as she buried her face onto Hao's chest when he carried her.
"He's you're papa!?" Yoh and Anna yelled incredulously in unison.
At this point, all the other spectators became even more confused at the exchange happening right before their eyes.
"Hao, you…" Yoh started, lost for words.
Of course not!
Hao rolled his eyes in exasperation as he fought the will to convey his thoughts into words just to debunk the others' thoughts.
Clearly, everyone was truly buying the idea implying that he is Opacho's biological father, when in truth, he only met the child less than a month ago when she was admitted to the orphanage through a social worker once she arrived from Africa.
Anyway, he wouldn't bother to explain all those details to the nosey individuals around him. If there was one person's thoughts whom he'd care about, then that would be Anna's, or maybe also Yoh's, but his justifications can wait.
"Papa, I found my mama!" Opacho pointed at Anna, oblivious to the growing tension around the adults. This made Anna's eyes bulge out of their sockets as her cheeks blushed, while Hao bit his lip to prevent himself from laughing at his pseudo-daughter's adorable claims.
"Oh, that's right!" One of the junior doctors suddenly squealed. "Even Doctor Kyouyama and Asakura-san are wearing couple shirts! What a cute family!"
In hearing so, Hao and Anna consciously inspected each other's shirts same as the rest of the people around them, and they all noticed how they were indeed wearing an identical pair of white shirts with a red star in the middle.
"I'm surprised you still have that shirt I gave you." Hao teased Anna with a knowing smirk, clearly amused.
"Shut up. It was one of the few clothes I selected on a whim before going here. Besides, why didn't you tell me that you had something similar to it?" the blonde retorted.
The others admired the Hao and Anna's playful banter. In reality, they did look like a young married couple who was accompanying their child to an outdoor activity, like a school field trip, perhaps.
On the other hand, their friends appeared alarmed. Especially with Yoh's presence within the scene. Ren justified his reason to be concerned when he observed Yoh standing in silence with a clenched jaw. Meanwhile, Jeanne looked at her best friend, Tamao, who was presenting with a small smile but with an unreadable countenance.
"Okay now, settle down! Settle down! We should talk about the drama later if we all want to have lunch in time. Now, I'm going to explain the game rules so listen up." Lilirara waited until the noises died down before gaining the participants' attention.
"So, like the traditional way of playing 'The Boat is Sinking' and 'Newspaper Dance,' music will be played and when it stops, you will group yourselves into whatever number I tell you, but your group will have to step inside the newspaper laid on the floor, which also gets folded into half every round. Another twist is you will always have to include a child in your group. Every player who is not able find groupmates including kids and step within the newspaper's boundaries, will be eliminated."
Everyone's mouths hung open.
"Isn't that quite complicated for the children?" HoroHoro questioned.
Lilirara drew in another smirk. "That's why I'll expect the adults to lead them. Direct them, lift them off the ground, anything you can do to fit into the rules. Got it?"
The participants nodded in unison.
"It's only too complicated for your brain, don't blame the kids." Ren jeered HoroHoro as he grabbed Jeanne's hand and addressed her after he's just insulted HoroHoro. "Stay close to me."
Jeanne nodded as she prompted some kids to stay near them, too/.
Horo Horo was about to fire back at Ren when the music started playing and everybody until it abruptly stopped.
"The boat is sinking, group yourselves into…"
"Hao… do you… want me?"
The brunette man's pupils dilated.
'Want?' I need you!
"What?" It was all Hao could say even though his mind wanted to scream out his thoughts. In his defence, she caught him totally off-guard.
"You heard me," Anna said dryly. "Do you… love me?"
It took Hao several seconds to come up with a logical answer. "Of course. What's the use of calling me your best fri—"
"You know that's not what I meant."
Hao shut his eyes as if to numb some sort of invisible pain.
In one rapid beat, he grabbed Anna's wrist and swivelled her around, driving her to use her hands to support herself against the wall while he pressed his body against her back in a tight embrace.
Anna exhaled all her mixed feelings in one go. She didn't know why she kept getting distracted with her vexing memories today. Good thing she woke up from her reverie in time to focus on her current situation.
"The boat is sinking…" Albeit her senses being blurred, she heard Lilirara's voice, "group yourselves into three!"
Shit!
Everything around her seemed to slow down. She needed to act fast.
Anna couldn't recall for how long they've been playing the game, but her sudden realisation reminded her that they were playing the last round with her standing close next to Hao and Opacho, and standing on another side, Yoh and his colleague, the 'other Anna'.
Oh, that's right.
Their friends got eliminated a while ago when Ren and Jeanne refused to separate despite Lilirara commanding everyone group into of seven. Horo Horo failed when he panicked after having to fit himself together with Tamiko, Tamao and one kid into the newspaper that was folded into a quarter.
Doctor Kyouyama took the time to examine Yoh and his friend once again.
They seem to be working very much in sync with each other. She scoffed.
Now, there were only two newspapers left lying on the ground which were both folded into eights, and they had to fit three people?
What an impossible task.
Or so she thought.
In a split second, she felt someone grab her waist and swiftly lifted her up from the ground.
Due to being startled, Anna produced a loud gasp as she shut her eyes from fear of falling, but she eventually realized that nothing bad happened.
Scanning her surroundings, she found herself nestled in Hao's arms as he carried her bridal style while standing on one foot, within the folded newspaper. Opacho was piggy-backing her 'papa' with a wide smile on her face.
Anna looked up and was welcomed by Hao's extremely attractive face, that she couldn't help but gulp. He was looking down at her with a cocky expression, and it was a good thing that he had his long hair tied in a high ponytail, otherwise, her face would be covered with it by now.
The blonde couldn't help but study her friend's features closely.
The twins really look so identical with each other. Except for their eyes. Their eyes always display their emotions in different ways.
Anna's vision strayed towards Hao's lips. Their faces were quite close as they continued to stare at one another. She felt them wiggle a bit as Hao tried his best to balance their position and prevent a fall. She gasped and opened her mouth to express her disapproval towards Hao's current deeds, but he'd beat her to it.
"You crying?"
Was he seriously mocking her whilst they were in such a compromising position?
"Looks like we have a winner!" Lilirara finally announced, ending Anna's torment, but not Yoh's, as he stood watching the sweet scenery in defeat.
. . . . . . . . . . .
At least she was having fun watching the kids eat lunch, joined by her colleagues while she helped tidy-up the buffet table. There were endless exchanges of fun— children's laughter is music to one's ear. Sure, it can be chaotic and busy as hell looking after plenty of kids in one place, but it reminded her of the joys of being a child. The wonders of innocence.
She remembered how Yoh used to tell her how he wanted a big family and so he'll work hard to give her all the kids she wanted. On the contrary, she told him that she will be contented with at least two.
Even now, she watched how Yoh easily blended in the crowd. Who knew he had such ambitious dreams?
A sad smile made its way from the corner of her lips now that she knows those dreams will never come to life anymore.
Unless you let go all of your grudges and just tell him how you really feel.
She heaved a sigh. "Shut-up, Anna. Get your act together."
"I'm sorry? Did I say something?" Someone spoke next to her, and she realised it was the female doctor from overseas. Yoh's friend from America. It dawned to her that since her name was also 'Anna', her words may have caused her confusion.
"Oh, no. Sorry, I was just talking to myself." Anna explained with neutral cordiality.
The woman blinked twice before flashing a wide grin. "Right. Uhm…" She extended a hand. "I don't think we've been properly introduced yet. I'm Doctor Niumbirch, from California. It's nice to finally meet you. Doctor Kyouyama, right?"
Niumbirch? I'm pretty sure I've heard that surname before.
The voice in Anna's head spoke once again but she stopped herself in time before she said anything out loud once more. She accepted the handshake instead.
"Nice to meet you, too."
"I would normally ask people to call me 'Anna', but I guess it'd be quite weird for you since we have the same name."
"No, not at all."
There was an uncomfortable silence between the women afterwards.
"So, are you also from Japan?" Even Doctor Kyouyama surprised herself for trying to break the ice.
"Oh, not really. Well, my ex-husband is. I grew-up in America." The other Anna replied casually as she unpacked some juice boxes on the table.
"It's just that, you speak in fluent Nihonggo, that's all."
"Hmm. Thanks. I lived in Japan for quite some time so I guess that's why.""
There was another awkward quietness yet again.
"So… I take it that you and Yoh-kun haven't reconciled yet?" It was the older Anna's time to free them from the silence.
"Excuse me?"
"Is it because you and Hao-kun are together now?"
Anna narrowed her eyes against the woman before her. The blonde is usually not a fan of small talk. She actually threw some effort to at least be civil with her, yet how dare she assume that her bold questioning will be tolerated?
Are all American women this straightforward?
Surveying Doctor Niumbirch's countenance that held a profound smile behind a calm façade, Anna's annoyance grew after recalling her suspicions that the older woman was Yoh's lover.
"I believe you're getting ahead of yourself for asking me such inappropriate questions." Anna turned her back to leave. "I don't wish to engage in some meaningful cat fights, if that's what you're looking for."
"Did you really think Yoh would say such things about you, Anna? I'm so disappointed. Where was your trust?" Doctor Niumbirch replied casually yet it managed to stop Anna dead in her tracks upon hearing those familiar words.
The screenshot sent to her by her unknown informant was the exact copy of what she saw on Yoh's phone that day.
Unknown number: Did you really think Yoh would say such things about you, Anna? I'm so disappointed. Where was your trust?
She stared at her phone in a mindless daze, exhausted from the wave of devastating memories that came to her just now.
So, her unnamed messenger knew who she was?
"What did you just say?" Anna whipped her head back with widened eyes.
The other Anna simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Nothing. I'm just disappointed to see that Yoh-kun spent more than five years of his life pushing himself to his limits just to try and become the right man for this certain woman that he couldn't seem to forget no matter what… only for this woman to disregard him completely because she trusts her 'friends' way too much." She stared directly into the younger one's eyes. "What a shame."
With that, Doctor Niumbirch left without another word, leaving the younger Anna in a bewildered state.
. . . . . . . . . . .
She shut the book with a loud thud after the nth time she exhaled a considerable amount of air.
Anna found herself hiding in solace brought to her by a serene and panoramic spot just beside a tiny lagoon that was situated less than a hundred meters from orphanage's bushlands. Nestled in a wooden swing that hung from a sturdy branch of a Japanese Cedar tree, she knew it was the perfect place to do some meditation and sight-seeing combined due to the relaxing chirping of birds, some gentle winds, and the surrounding fragrant wildflowers.
Despite being awfully distracted for an activity such as reading a good book, she considered trying harder to fix her focus again and again, but she finally gave up after a few more minutes.
There was no use pretending.
She was still significantly pissed, and for multiple and various reasons at that.
First, she was still mad at the Asakura twins for not telling her about them acquiring ownership of The Patch House. Second, Hao's advances that were intended to toy with her unexplored feelings. Third, Yoh's blatant flirting with his past or present 'lover', that wretched doctor who acted like some important celebrity. Lastly, she wanted to know so badly if Dr. Niumbirch was truly the one who sent her the unknown messages with that controversial video clip that may affect her relationship with a certain friend.
Anna cursed under her breath.
Was she really the one who sent me all those anonymous texts? If yes, why would she put her foot forward just to clear things out that happened way back?
It was weird. It made no sense.
If the 'other Anna' was really Yoh's lover, then why did it seem that she was pushing her and Yoh to get back together? And if the allegations in those mysterious videos were true, then it would truly break Anna's heart.
She had been planning to clear things out—to confront the alleged culprit, to tell Yoh her true feelings and come clean to him about all the plans she had ever since she returned to Izumo, but she just needed the proper timing to do things.
She kept praying to the gods to grant her that proper timing.
Another frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she smoothed her face in the palm of her hands.
It's unbelievable how time flew. Anna recalled how she spent all those years, hating and plotting against the people who connived against her—the ones who threw her in a ditch once her number one saviour was out of the picture. How that said 'saviour' turned out to be the most capable of drowning her into the oblivion of loneliness.
The most infuriating irony of all though was that despite everything she had planned for, all of the grudges she harboured, the abysmal events that fate threw in her way, and all the time consumed convincing herself that she can stay in the path of hatred— all those were rendered powerless against the heat of Yoh's presence, his disarming smile, and his unwavering love, in such a miniscule span of time.
The moment when Yoh stopped that incoming attack from Ryu at the hospital, that moment when they saw each other again for the first time in many years, that moment, Anna knew at the back of her mind she would lose her resolve to the man she hated but loved dearly.
It was inevitable.
Yoh was inevitable.
Still covering her face with her hands in both defeat and shame, Anna smirked.
"In the end, it was all useless." She's been talking to herself a whole lot lately, but she didn't give a damn. She'd already begun to accept the fact that Yoh had this invisible power over her.
The sound of bashful giggling reached her ear and knocked out her thoughts.
Anna stirred her head up to investigate the sudden intrusion to her alone time and found a little girl with brown hair and grey eyes was standing before her, clutching a stem of light purple Hydrangeas in her petite hands. She recognised the girl as one of the children from the orphanage.
The lady doctor blinked in confusion.
"Hi Doctor Anna, your friend told me to give this to you," the little girl said meekly.
Anna absent-mindedly accepted the flowers and the child sprinted out of the scene while giggling before the doctor could even react.
"Hello, Doctor Anna!" greeted another kid who crept behind her. This time, a boy estimated to be in the age of nine. "This one, too!" The boy gently handed her another stem of Hydrangeas, this time, in a hue of dusty blue. Anna got off the swing to catch him, but the boy fled instantly as soon as he delivered the goods.
"Doctor Anna, there's more!" Another boy approached her with more stems of the same flower species that come in mixed pastel colours.
They were ethereally beautiful. She always loved the spring season for the mere reason of seeing wonderful blooms like these.
As the kids trotted off back to the direction of the orphanage, Anna managed to ask them, "Wait! Who's your friend?" However, no one bothered to look back. In fact, their chuckling even increased, and the melody of the children's laughter gradually died down as they disappeared from sight. Anna realised she'd just been blatantly ignored by those cheeky tricksters.
"Why would you like to know?" A masculine voice startled Anna and she turned to face another intruder that almost gave her a heart attack.
She shouldn't be surprised. She should've been used to his antics by now.
But no, she could never be used to his way of things. Heck, she knew Yoh so well that she had come to accept that it's impossible to tell what's going on in his mind half of the time.
Yes, she'd learned to work in sync with him over the years. Still, he was a master when it came to disguising his feelings, and a virtuoso in the art of duality.
"What the hell are you doing?" It was all she could voice out at that very moment.
Yoh flashed one of his famous carefree grins.
"We have plenty of time for questions later. For now. Hop in!" He gestured towards the small boat beneath his feet and the sunset that was about to take place in the horizon.
A boat ride in a small lagoon, in a secluded area, just as dusk was about to hit.
Is he for real?
Anna arched a brow. "Are you even sure that's safe?"
Yoh sweat dropped before he pouted and extended his hand. "Doctor Anna…" he started in such a sweet, childish manner. "Hop in now. Questions later, pretty please?"
It only took an impulse before Anna disregarded all of her scepticisms and grabbed Yoh's hand. He reeled her in their ride with minimum effort with his other hand resting on the small of her back.
They stared at each other for quite some time while they regained their balance and waited for the boat to steady itself.
It didn't take long until they reached the middle of the lagoon in silence. Afterall, it was considerably small, almost like a large, elongated pond; but the trip— courtesy of Yoh's rowing— did not disappoint.
Despite being reasonably shallow, the soothing water turned bluer as they reached the center. They also sighted a few fish fluttering here and there.
Yoh smiled as he watched Anna still being completely mesmerized by her surroundings. The sun's pre-sunset hues complimented the glow on her cheeks and her dewy forehead. He wanted so badly to just reach out and tuck in those rebellious wisps of her hair that dared to dance together with the billowing wind.
Settling the pair of oars aside, Yoh finally caught Anna's attention, and took in those honey-coloured eyes of hers.
"There. Now we won't get any distractions," he declared proudly.
Anna couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her mouth, and she was partly annoyed at herself for that. She was still pissed at her companion for some reason. "Don't talk too soon. Trust the universe to come up with something more… crafty."
The brunette smirked in agreement. She does have a point.
"What made you come up with this, anyway?"
"Well, you kept stealing glances at me the whole day, so I thought you wanted to speak to me about… certain things."
Anna could've sworn Yoh sounded so much like his brother.
Taking one more look at the flowers in her clutches, she laid them gently next to her, then heaved a sigh that signalled her renewed courage.
"I do have a few that I wanted to ask— well, actually, a lot."
Yoh chuckled. "Don't worry, I do, too."
Silence took over them for the next half a minute.
It was Yoh's turn to let go of the breath that he was holding. He knew this was going to be difficult for Anna as much as it will for him. "Okay, to make it easier, why don't we take turns in asking one question at a time?" He stared at her and got no answer, but he took it as a 'yes' when Anna relaxed her shoulders. "You can go first."
"How are you feeling now?"
Yoh knitted his brows together. "Is that your first question?"
"No, I just wanted to know how you're feeling after your foolishness that could've led to your untimely demise." Anna spat with her usual sarcasm.
Scratching the back of his head, Yoh chuckled once again after seeing his ex-fiancée's reaction.
Anna's really cute when she worries but tries to hide it.
"I'm fine now, thanks for asking." Yoh smiled serenely. "My head still hurts a bit from that fall, though." He manoeuvred his head to show his companion a noticeable lump at the back of his head. "Can you believe it? If I wasn't surrounded by such great doctors, then my name would've been in the newspapers by now. 'Asakura Yoh, death by almonds'. That would've been embarrassing." He laughed.
His companion, on the other hand, didn't find his musings funny. Anna was fuming but still, he found her cute.
"Why does everyone seem to know you at the Patch House?" Trying to ignore her frustration, Anna dived into their little game without notice, and Yoh knew he was going to be in for a challenge.
"Ah." Yoh bit his lower lip to suppress a grin but got interrupted when Anna added a few words to her statement.
"And don't you ever think of lying."
"No lies. I promise." He chuckled once more. He must be in a really good mood right now having the chance to spend time with Anna.
Yoh turned his face to inspect the sun to gauge the remaining time before it dips out of sight.
"I… I used to come here in Aomori yearly, for the past three years, during your absence. I don't know… I guess that was just me hoping you'd suddenly think of coming back." His countenance suddenly changed as if recalling a sad memory. "But of course I finally realised that you'd moved on, but I continued doing it anyway, and so the children and the staff became familiar with me."
Anna remained quiet in her seat after hearing the confession and Yoh took it as a que to take his turn.
"Why do you get panic attacks from thunderstorms?"
It was the blonde's turn to pivot her head towards the mesmerizing background blanketed in mixed red, yellow and orange hues. "A lot happened during that night of our engagement party…"
Anna felt her lungs constrict and she wasn't sure if it was just her or if was the air suddenly lacking oxygen in it.
There were more incoming messages that arrived after she painfully tore her blurring vision away from Yoh's phone.
To make matters worse, not even letting her catch her breath, her own mobile rang, and it took her several seconds before finding the strength to answer it.
She knew that night was going to be a long one when a paramedic doctor on the other line told her about her sister being rushed to the hospital in a critical condition. The news made her knees buckle, almost making her fall to the ground, if not for a man catching her in time.
When she looked up, her eyes—that were now swimming in tears— were met with another chestnut pair that was so much alike to the love of her life's.
"Did you also receive the call?" Hao mumbled with utmost sincerity; his face upset. Anna could only manage an absent-minded nod.
"I'll drive us there."
At the hospital…
"Nee-san! Nee-san!"
Anna was moving briskly next to a loaded ambulance stretcher while she was trying to match the pace of the staff who were pushing it.
Her sister, Asanoha, laid semi-conscious on the mobile bed and had her eyelids partially open the whole time. She even managed to squeeze Anna's hand and flash her a small smile.
Despite the reassurance, Anna knew something didn't sit right as she observed how her sister's lips had turned purplish. The laceration that caused a massive bleed on the side of her head also looked ugly. Furthermore, the several scattered cuts on her body indicated that she had multiple shrapnel which probably had already entered her blood stream.
Anna tried to bargain with the staff but could do nothing when they started pulling her away from the stretcher that was being wheeled down into a different room.
The last things she saw was Asanoha's bloodied hand that laid weak on the side.
"After I got the call, my sister was rushed to Shimane Medical Foundation but was later on refused care because… because we didn't have enough money to pay for the initial bond fee."
Yoh frowned. "But I thought Hao was with you? Hao would—"
"The moment we reached the hospital, he got called in by your grandfather saying that there was an emergency in your family. Hao was going to refuse but they weren't giving him a choice. There were even four bodyguards that came to pick him up." Anna continued to stare at the feet sullenly. "So Hao and I agreed to see each other in the hospital in an hour. Meanwhile, I couldn't get in touch with you since I had your phone with me since you left it in the party venue." Anna paused to catch her breath and her raging feelings. "That day, I thought that you left me for good. That day, I lost my sister. That day—" Anna choked on her words as hesitation crept in. She crumpled the hem of her skirt as she balled her hands. "There was also terrible thunderstorm."
It hurt badly seeing Anna looking so miserable while recalling her painful memories. She didn't need to explain further how she now associates thunderstorms with trauma.
Yoh had no idea how much she must have endured during those times when he couldn't be there for her. A pang of guilt hit him hard on his chest. All he wanted was to hug her tight and kiss her senseless then and there.
"Who is Doctor Niumbirch to you?"
Anna's question was abrupt but not unexpected. In fact, Yoh had to exert extra effort not to laugh or express any emotion that exuded amusement. Even though she's trying to hide it, he always knew the signs when Annna is jealous.
He had to choose his words wisely.
"I knew you'd ask that."
Anna's eyes turned into slits and Yoh knew he needed to rephrase his statement quickly.
"I mean, people do tend to be curious about us since we're pretty close." Those words didn't help his case, so he just decided to stop stalling. "She's Silva's ex-wife."
"Silva? As in you Uncle Silva?"
"Yes, that Silva."
"Your uncle's wife is named 'Anna'?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Ex-wife. And yes, she is. And yeah, she was one of my mentors when I studied in America. I guess you could say that she was like a second mother figure, same as Silva being a father to me more than my real dad could ever be."
Now I know where I heard that surname from! It was Silva's!
Anna maintained a stoic expression, but her emotions have suddenly spiked to a boiling point. She could only mutter a soft "huh," as a response.
Silva Niumbirch. He was a successful business magnate who was adopted by the Asakura family at the age of thirteen together with another child prodigy, Mikihisa Maki. They both worked under the tutelage of Asakura Yohmei during his prime years.
As they grew older, Silva chose to maintain his surname and was set to marry another business conglomerate's heiress; while Miki, who later on officially married into Yoh's family through Asakura Keiko, became Asakura Mikihisa. Also known as Hao and Yoh's biological father.
But that wasn't the issue.
What Anna was alarmed about was that all this time she thought that her older sister, Asanoha, was in a relationship with Silva and was even expecting a child with him!
Does this mean that her sister was a homewrecker?
Is that why Dr. Niumbirch was quite rude with her knowing that she's her rival's younger sister?
Was that the reason why the Asakura's tried to eliminate Asanoha from the picture?
Anna was starting to get dizzy with the number of realisations flooding her head.
"Do you know why they separated?"
Yoh simply shrugged. "Irreconcilable differences? Some say Silva had a mistress, but his marriage with Anna-san was already on the rocks for as long as I can remember. Couldn't blame them though. I heard it was some kind of a business move when they were practically forced into marriage by Anna-san's parents."
A loveless marriage.
It was getting harder to breathe as Anna tried to process the new information that she was receiving yet she tried her best not to have a mental breakdown. She hasn't even recovered when Yoh threw in his next question.
"How and when did your sister pass away?"
It was a simple question, yet it was difficult to answer. Anna spent a few seconds closing her eyes before opening them back to face her current reality.
"She didn't."
"What?"
"According to the police reports, my sister got involved in a car accident because the driver of the vehicle she was in was drunk… but no, she didn't die."
Yoh's knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "But the hospital records that I found—the ones that I forwarded to you— they said—"
"Those records were tampered. My sister wasn't D.O.A. She was still breathing when I caught up with her at the E.D. Another proof is when I arrived at the hospital, I saw the nurse still pumping air into her ambu bag and someone had managed to intubate her." Anna inhaled as if her life depended on it. "My sister was supposed to undergo an emergency surgery, but right when they were finalising the preparations, the staff asked me to pay a high amount of money to cover for a 'bond fee'— I never understood the reason for the sudden requirement, but I still ended up frantically running to the bank to get some money but—" Anna bit her lip in fury. She seemed to contemplate her next words. "I never made it in time." She released a huge amount of air she didn't know she was holding. "She ended-up being a paraplegic, she lost the baby that she was carrying, and her mental state was never the same."
It was Yoh's turn to drag in a large amount of air as Anna laid out the truth in front of him. The sunset was about to take place, but he couldn't shake the foreboding feeling dancing in his gut.
"W-where is she now?"
"In a nursing home in Tokyo."
Yoh could only nod since he didn't know what else to say. It was hard for him to imagine that staff from Shimane Medical would do such a horrendous thing of refusing treatment for an emergency case.
Wait, was it just the staff who ordered it? No, it has to be someone from the higher ups.
"Why didn't you tell me about your accident, Yoh?"
"Huh?" Yoh's pupils dilated in an instant upon hearing Anna's inquiry. He didn't expect her to know anything about it.
"Ren told me." Anna asserted when she saw the panic in her companion's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that it was the real reason for your sudden absence?"
Unable to make eye contact, Yoh shifted his focus on the flowers that were sitting beside Anna's lap, his face went from puzzled to melancholic in a blink of an eye.
"It's because I still haven't forgiven myself for abandoning you that way."
Plus, I really can't remember much about that night.
"But it wasn't your fault!"
"Anna—"
"All this time I thought you just changed your mind about us and decided to run away with some side chick that you knew from America!"
'Side chick'? Did she think Doctor Niumbirch was my lover? Yoh Blinked incredulously at Anna's insinuations and Anna saw his scandalised reaction in return.
"What? I saw your messages to each other!"
Oh, right. I left my phone at the venue that night.
"Anna, I was only offering to give her a ride to our venue. I invited her to our engagement party."
The blonde shook her head sternly. "There were other messages."
"What other messages?"
"Does it matter now?"
She was right.
After more than half a decade, does it really matter knowing such a small detail now after everything they've gone through? Right after hating each other for years for all the wrong reasons?
Yoh was curious as to what 'other messages' Anna was talking about that had given her the impression that he was two-timing her, but looking at his ex-fiancée's wounded appearance, he was willing to set his other questions aside.
All except for one.
"Since we're already in the context of lovers, what is your true relationship with my brother?" He knew he caught Anna off-guard when he watch her pause her breath. "You say that you aren't together, but your actions say otherwise. I know you two have always been close, and I always believed that it was because you had a lot in common— same logic, same outlook in life, same interests… But he's also used to watching you sleep, you accept his physical touch like you do from me before, and most of all, you seem so comfortable in his presence. So please be honest with me, Anna. What is your real relationship with Hao?"
"I already answered that question before."
"Sorry, but you're gonna have to convince me with way more than that." Yoh scoffed in annoyance. "Why, Anna? Why is it so hard for you to just describe your feelings towards my brother if it's obvious that he wants you, but you claim that you do not to want him in return?"
Anna's glare sent daggers against Yoh, but the man remained unfazed. She was annoyed for the level of distrust that she was receiving but had to swallow her pride. She knew it was her fault and she understood that Yoh had every right to be confused and distrusting towards her.
She produced a heavy sigh.
"Yoh, Hao and I… we're complicated. We're…"
Anna struggled to find the right words that would fit her narrative. She couldn't believe that it was that hard to describe her relationship with her ex's twin now that she actually thought about it in a deeper sense.
Was it because she was so used to calling him her friend, or was Yoh actually right? Did she feel something in return for Hao? She quickly brushed off the thought.
"It's impossible for Hao and me to be together."
"Why?"
"Because no matter what I do, I can't seem to build a relationship with him nor with anybody else."
"Why?"
"Because I'm still in love with you!"
There. She finally blurted it out.
Anna ultimately let her feelings out in the open after battling them for six long years, and she wasn't the only one who's relieved.
Tears started streaming from her eyes as she couldn't contain the wave of emotions from within her anymore. It was all too much.
Her love for the man before her has already taken its toll on her and she didn't give a damn about what his reaction would be, or what others would say.
All she wanted was to get it out of her system once and for all.
"Yoh, I—"
Anna never got to finish her sentence when Yoh advanced in one swift movement, kneeling in front of her and grabbing the back of her neck to pull her in for a kiss.
The most gut-flipping, soul-scorching, lip-lock she's had in years.
Yes, they were floating above water, but Yoh's kiss was literally sweeping her further off of her feet.
Peering his eyes open halfway, Yoh noticed that the sun was already setting, and they were missing it! After all the trouble he went through just to find a boat which he could use for this sole purpose, and after bribing those kids with some chocolates and snacks to execute his plan of luring Anna to where she is exactly right now, they were missing the majestic sunset that was taking place before them because they were engaging in an act full of love.
He doesn't regret it, though.
He looked at Anna, the goddess that was melting in his hands right at that very moment.
He'd gladly trade more sunset-watching moments in exchange for feeling her soft and hypnotizing lips over and over again. Yoh pressed on Anna's head harder to deepen their connection as his other hand slid to her waist.
A chuckle bolted out of his mouth in between their kisses.
"What's so funny?" Anna managed to speak despite catching her breath, prompting them to slow down.
Yoh fused his forehead against hers.
"I kind of knew that you still have feelings for me. I just didn't expect you'd admit it sooner."
Anna smiled seductively. "You knew?"
The brunette nodded. "That night when Hao and I brought you home after the incident in his club…" he paused when he saw Anna wrinkle her nose after remembering the unfortunate event. "You were sort of delirious because of the, err, drugs… and you confessed to Hao that you still loved me."
"And?"
"That time, I was sitting right next to the two of you."
Anna buried her face in her palms in embarrassment and then straightened up to regain whatever was left with her dignity. "So you were treating me like a little mouse caught in your filthy little paws all this time, Asakura?"
Yoh pouted to feign hurt from the accusation.
"No…" He inched his face closer to Anna's once again. "I was waiting for you to be honest with yourself." His lips quickly brushed against hers.
Realising that everything that's happening right now isn't a dream, Anna gasped to gather her courage. Yes, she just poured out her true feelings to her companion, but she knew there were more issues that they have to catch up on.
It was now or never.
"Yoh, regarding Hao—"
Lightning struck from the distance, then followed by the deafening thunder.
It made Anna flinch, and Yoh knew it was time for them to move out of the water to seek shelter. He wasted no time in rowing towards the lagoon's shore, but before he knew it, rain streamed above their heads.
Anna placed the bouquet of flowers over her head as a makeshift umbrella, but it was no use. They were already drenched.
Once they made it out of the boat, Yoh removed his white button-up shirt as a vain attempt to shield Anna from the heavy downpour while they ran for cover.
They were lucky to find refuge in a small hut nearby.
"You're right. I talked too soon about getting no distractions in the middle of the water. Looks like I jinxed myself."
Taking notice at each other's soaked appearance, the couple engaged in a hearty laughter. They literally looked like stray kittens in a park.
"Yoh, I didn't get to finish what I was about to tell you." Anna attempted to bring their conversation back but recoiled after hearing another rumbling from the skies.
Noticing the woman's discomfort being exposed to the aggressive display of a thunderstorm, Yoh drew Anna in a comforting hug.
"It can wait. For now…" He kisses her forehead. "My priority is to keep you secure… and dry."
The weather was raging, but the smiles on Yoh and Anna's faces lingered.
. . . . . . . . . . .
The backdoor that led to The Patch House's activity room creaked when someone slowly peered it open.
"Wait, why is it so dark in here?"
"Ow! That was my foot!"
"Sorry, I'm trying to find the light switch."
There were more whispers and hushed words that came from a man and a woman.
"Oh, hey, I think I got it." The lights were successfully turned on.
"SURPRISE!"
If there are a few things that are revealed to everyone, they would be: the adults which are Yoh and Anna's friends, the rest of the medical mission staff and the staff at the Patch House, the orphaned children, who were happily waving the balloons in their hands, and lastly, a half-naked Yoh with only his wet pants on, and a muddled Anna who was soaked with rainwater from head to toe. Her clothes were undeniably see-through, but she was too dignified and puzzled to even scramble for cover.
On the long wooden table, there laid quite a spread of scrumptious homemade food.
"Oh my God!"
It took three seconds before horrified screams and scandalised gasps echoed within the room.
Yoh's first instinct was to turn his back against the people and encage Anna in his Arms to block the others' view of her. On the other hand, Anna accepted the gesture and buried her face onto Yoh's chest.
Some of the adults covered the children's eyes and most of them swivelled around or faced away from the couple.
"Woohoo, Yoh! Look at you! Getting on with the birthday night so early!" Horo Horo dared to have his eyes glued on the couple for longer after teasing his friend until Pirika twisted his ear to prompt him to look away. Ren tried to hide the blush on his cheeks while Jeanne didn't fail to notice him.
"Yoh! A-Anna! I'm so sorry, it's my fault. I should've confirmed with you before I went with the plan." Tamao waved nervously after realising the current scenario.
Anna's thoughts got suddenly alarmed after realising something.
That's right, today is the May 12th!
Tamao did tell her about planning a surprise party for the twins at the end of their stay at the Patch House. Therefore, if it was anyone's fault for being distracted for most of the trip, Anna was the one to blame.
"No. It's not your fault." Anna addressed Tamao in a voice muffled by Yoh's chest. "It completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry."
"Well, what's important is the surprise wasn't completely ruined." HoroHoro chirped in, massaging his sore ear, while the other staff nodded in agreement.
"Only thing is that we got surprised, too." All eyes turned to Hao who was leaning his back against a wall, throwing an orange into the air then catching it with one hand repeatedly. His facial expression, neutral, but he had his vision set firmly only on Yoh and Anna.
"For the record, it's not what everybody thinks it is. We were just having a walk outside but suddenly got caught in the rain. Sorry for the indecent display, everyone. Thank you for your efforts and warm wishes, but please excuse us while we change our clothes first." Yoh declared in a much serious tone before leaving the room with the woman in his arms.
The evening still turned out to be successful. The kids were sent to bed after nine and so the adults carried on with theirs wholesome partying.
Amidst socialising with the others, Anna noticed how Hao disappeared from the scene as she caught sight of him exiting the room through the back door that led to the garden. Wanting to confirm her suspicions, she followed suit.
To Anna's surprise, there were about seven cats that have gathered in the backyard, some were meowing incessantly while rubbing their bodies against Hao's legs as the brunette was laying out a big plate full of shredded chicken.
The scenario poked Anna's heart. If only people could see this side of Hao, then they wouldn't always mistake him for the controlling, and overpowering walking red flag that they always perceived him to be.
She saw him pocketing his phone in his pants signalling that he might've just finished a phone call from one of his assistants.
"So, you're just going to stay here with your real squad instead of celebrating your birthday inside?" Anna started to announce her presence.
Hao scoffed. "You know I'd choose this company over Yoh's friends' any day, right?"
They are our friends, too, Hao.
Anna would normally argue, but she knew it would be futile for it was sort of true. The rest of their friends were technically Yoh's friends first. It was one of the reasons why she and Hao managed to nurture their friendship apart from everyone else.
They always felt like the outsiders from day one.
"You didn't get surprised earlier." Anna mumbled, ignoring Hao's sarcasm.
"Hmm. I didn't know your attention was on me earlier." Hao teased which earned an eye roll from his friend. "Well, in the afternoon, I noticed Tamao acting weird, then I saw the cake she tried to hide in Lilirara's office. It had Yoh's name and mine along with the words 'happy birthday' on it, so…"
"See, both of you morons have such a caring sister. You should be grateful."
This time, it was Hao's turn to ignore Anna's words.
"Are you planning to adopt Opacho? That girl's fixation on you is commendable." The question came out of nowhere as an attempt to divert the topic, but it earned a chuckle from Hao. The two took a seat on a nearby outdoor bench.
"At first, I was considering it. But nah, maybe not anytime soon. I sort of got my hands full at the moment." Hao shot Anna a meaningful look which made the woman avoid his gaze.
An awkward pause passed between them before Hao cleared his throat.
Meanwhile, well hidden from sight from behind the door that was left ajar was Tamao with a cupcake and a single candle nestled in her palm. She knew that Hao would try to avoid blending in the crowd, as usual, so she prepared something simple but special for his birthday, but it turns out that he was quite busy at the moment so she stayed hidden from sight.
"So… you guys are back together, huh?" Hao mumbled almost to himself.
Anna felt a lump stuck in her throat and she didn't know why. It was just a simple question, but the answer seemed much more complex. She drew her attention towards the cats that were now cleaning their paws after their generous meal.
"Not officially, no." It was all Anna could say but felt the need to continue when she saw her friend seemingly waiting for more. "We're in the process of talking about certain issues about our past though."
Hao nodded.
"Are you happy?"
Once again, Anna was unsure of how to answer her companion's question. Sure, Yoh always made the butterflies in her stomach flutter wildly, but there are still things between them that need fixing, and some open wounds that need stitching.
She redirected the question instead. "You don't look happy about it." It was more of a statement, but it irritated Anna how she felt the need to justify her decisions from Hao.
It's not like she needed to ask him permission to do things before actually getting them done. She knew she didn't need to, but she was being too awfully considerate with his feelings.
Why?
Hao exhaled with effort and took Anna's hand to gain her attention and stare straight into her soul. "You know that I'd hate for you to get hurt again, right?"
At this point, Tamao, who was still watching from the shadows, gave up on her chance to personally greet Hao. Something made her feel nauseous about the scene before her, so she left with a defeated expression on her face.
Anna frowned. "Why would you assume that I'd get hurt?" The blonde's eyes widened. "Do you know something that I don't?"
Shutting his eyes in frustration. "Look, Anna…" Hao tried to divert the conversation. "Does Yoh even know our initial plan of revenge towards him and my family? That you planned to make him fall in love with you again in exchange for valuable information about that scandal in the past that can bring down my clan's multi-billion-dollar corporation? Have you told him about Ha—"
The sound of glass shattering against the concrete floor caught their attention only to find three broken bottles of beer pooling on the ground. Standing next to the mess was a furious Asakura Yoh, who had gone out to look for his brother and Anna, in hopes of having a fruitful evening talk on their birthday eve, but it looks like he got something else instead.
"I can't fucking believe you."
Those were the only words that Yoh managed to spit out towards Anna and his brother before he raced out of sight.
. . . . . . . . . . .
A/N: I got covid again. I feel like sh*t. The only good thing about it is that I get a week's worth of day off because of it. So I am very sorry if I wasn't able to update the chapter as promised. Plus, this chapter was difficult. Quite difficult, I tell you. I had to re-edit stuff again and again 'cause I wasn't satisfied. But look, I got ten thousand words out! Whew! I hope that you, my dear readers, are happy with some of your long-awaited answers regarding some conflicts in this story. It was quite difficult to write that scene with Anna 1 and Anna 2. I was running out of names to call them while avoiding confusion among my readers. Hope it came out decent.
Those who also watch Jujutsu Kaisen may slap me for this but, yes, I did use one of Gojo's famous lines for Hao. LOL. What can I say? It's such a great opportunity for me to pass. I mean, I do think Hao and Gojo are both cocky
If you're ever wondering about some of the flashbacks featured in these chapter, they were actually previously foreshadowed on chapters 10, 16 and 19.
Also, I know It's kinda late for this but, belated happy birthday to our main OG hot daddies, the Asakura twins!
Special thanks to all the readers who took time to comment/ review me for the last chapter: EngelK, Felana, Allie Mcclure, rosequarttz, and a bunch of guests. I cannot tank you all personally, but I want you to know that I really do appreciate your words. They encourage me to continue with such passion for this story. Hope to hear from you guys once again in the next chapter! ;)
Medical Terminologies/ Abbreviations:
D.O.A. – Dead On Arrival
E.D. – Emergency Department
Ambu bag - also known as a bag valve mask (BVM), is a handheld device used to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients unable to breathe effectively on their own. It consists of a self-inflating bag, one-way valve, mask, and optional oxygen reservoir.
Intubate - a process where a healthcare provider inserts a tube through a person's mouth or nose, then down into their trachea (airway/windpipe).