Chapter Summary: They've come so far, but the road to happiness keeps on stretching.

WARNING: Swearing and 'lime' scenes.

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AN APPLE A DAY – Chapter 22: A New Super Star

Yoh was too stunned to speak.

He knew that in a battle for words, he would almost always lose against his older brother and Anna, and today was not an exemption. Heck, Yoh was almost sure his whole system was in the brink of a nervous breakdown to even move a muscle, more so the ones in his mouth.

His brain had activated panic mode, and his mind was being overcome by a burst of adrenaline that his body couldn't cope.

The only audible sound to him was his own pounding heartbeats. The taste of his own saliva suddenly turned sour. His sense of smell could only take a whiff at his own fear as he felt his limbs getting numb from the varieties of emotions that he was struggling to contain.

Lastly, amidst the chaos that was brewing, Yoh's eyesight remained on another person who stared directly at him whilst being carried several footsteps away— a precious subject that bore a familiar set of golden hair, fair skin and a pair of light brown eyes...

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to spend the rest of the night with my family." Hao declared without an ounce of mercy.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Two days ago…

Anna entered the operating room with her raised hands and usual indifferent demeanour ready for gloving and gowning, only to be welcomed by her colleagues' worried faces. Thinking that she was the reason of their concerns given that she, herself, was already ten minutes late, she got ready to speak, but the scrub nurse has beaten her to it.

"Doctor Kyouyama, is Doctor Asakura going to be late today? We can't afford to delay his schedule."

The anesthesiologist groaned from the corner of the room as a clear vocalisation of displeasure from Yoh's tardiness. Anna was not foreign to such side comments anymore. Especially now that the power play and politics have been worsening in their work environment, Yoh and the other members of the families who have close ties with the Asakuras were getting more prone to criticisms each day that passed. Anna knew it had something to do with Asakura Yohmei's upcoming retirement.

"Please, Doctor Kyouyama…" Anna was sent back to reality from her mini pondering by the circulating nurse, "could you try to contact Doctor Asakura? He's never late for his schedules and he isn't answering any of our calls. You two seem to be quite close and so we were wondering maybe he'd—"

Anna blew a perfectly noticeable sigh which made the nurse, and her other colleagues immediately pause with their sentiments. She knew it wasn't their fault since they are all unaware of the events that had taken place between Yoh and her, but she was still irritated with the mere fact that she'd have to make the move of contacting him again after doing so a hundred times since their recent relationship fall-out.

Never late? Anna almost scoffed at that.

First of all, if they only knew how Yoh was in the past then they would never make that comment. On the other hand, Anna bit her tongue because what the nurse said was now the reality. Yoh never missed a beat when it came to attending his patients. Well, at least not since they met again as full-pledged healthcare professionals.

Second, hearing the idea that she and Yoh were 'close' immediately ticked Anna's nerves. Contrary to others' beliefs, they weren't exactly in speaking terms lately.

And of course, after Yoh heard about her plan with Hao to seduce the younger Asakura twin as a ruse to obtain vital information and potentially get revenge on the Asakura family, even Anna herself understood why he would choose not to have anything to do with her again.

It's as if he had closed his heart from her after he'd just opened it for the second time.

Yoh had already been through too much, and Anna had been quietly chastising herself for thinking of harming him in exchange for something so unworthy. She had harboured hatred for years that she'd overlooked the truth behind Yoh's sudden disappearance. She felt so stupid that the possibility of a fatal accident on Yoh's part didn't even occur to her, and that she blindly accused him of running away with a different woman instead.

But after everything she'd been through, too, she also had the right to feel forsaken, and therefore wanting to seek vengeance, right?

Now, thinking of her past is making her hate the Asakura elders more.

Anna breathed in and out slowly as an attempt to prevent her inner bitch from making its way onto the surface. Instead, she calmly announced that she will step out the sterile field to make that damned phone call to Yoh. The others bowed in acknowledgement, and so Anna quickly made her way to the door; but in a quick flash, the blonde's face collided with a well-formed set of pectorals. The force was so hard that she almost flew backwards, if not for the powerful arms that caught her.

Opening her eyes, Anna's nostrils caught a familiar scent that stimulated her senses with an intimate familiarity. Before she even looked-up to see who it was, she already knew that presence all too well. And true enough, an equally surprised Asakura Yoh was staring down at her.

For the second time in that day, Anna motioned to speak but was blatantly ignored.

"Oops!" Yoh took his eyes away from Anna after making sure she'd regained her balance. "Sorry I'm late, everyone. But looks like we're gonna have to scrub out then in again. Uehehe!"

After feeling relief of seeing their principal surgeon, the other members of the surgical team sighed in unison.

There have been gossips about a romantic relationship blossoming between Doctors Asakura and Kyouyama, though no one really dared to confirm it.

Those two were already acting obviously foolish around each other.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Finishing the surgery earlier than projected, Yoh was able to make-up for the delay he had almost caused in his team's schedule.

"Thank you all for your help today, and apologies for my disregard for the time." Yoh bobbed his head in front of his colleagues, whom, in turn, seemed to have forgiven him after he's bought bubble tea and some snacks for everyone for their quick break.

When asked for his reason for being late, Yoh mentioned something about the roads around the city being closed off due to a labor protest in the morning.

Anna could only listen quietly to the conversations as she felt Yoh was still dodging to have a conversation with her up 'til now; but she knew of the ongoing disputes being thrown against A-Corp by their employees, including their hospital staff. The corporation's workers, with the aid of their representing labor unions, were demanding for at least a fifteen percent increase in wages by the end of the year.

Most people knew Yoh's stance about the matter, and that he is undeniably in favour of the proposed salary increase. However, as an Asakura, he was always left in a tight spot when it comes to voicing out his opinions in public.

The team members concluded their breaks and got up one by one to get back to their jobs.

"Doctor Kyouyama, a word?" The brunette called-out as his co-workers started exiting his office.

The others threw some knowing glances before leaving the two alone; and as soon as the last person had closed the door, Yoh followed suit and locked it.

Anna remained in her spot with her back against Yoh, quickly conjuring something to say to him to ease the awkwardness. She didn't exactly expect him suddenly choosing to be in a room alone with her after weeks of silent treatment.

"So, you finally decided to talk to m—" Before she could turn around, she felt Yoh's body envelop her from behind, locking her in place.

"I'm sorry." It was all he said, and all she heard from him was the sound of his ragged breaths next to her ear.

And just like that, Anna's tough act dissolved into nothingness. "I'm the one who should be saying sorry, you dummy."

Yoh's only response was tightening his embrace.

A few more seconds went by before Anna spoke, partly because she was afraid that she'd ruin the moment. It didn't take long until tears formed in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Yoh. I…" Anna's voice breaking. "I really am."

"Shssh… Tsk…" Yoh's protective drive activated instantly after sensing Anna was about to cry. He turned her around to face him in one swift motion. "It's okay now. I'm not mad anymore. I'm sorry I tried to make your life hell the past few weeks, too." He suppressed a chuckle as he wiped her tears.

Anna remembered how Yoh treated her coldly ever since their Aomori trip. He kept compelling her do unnecessary stuff for their patients, face the most difficult family members, and even requiring her to attend case conferences afterhours.

The blonde narrowed her eyes at her companion at the recollection. "Hmph, I never knew you had a real mean bone in your body." Yoh laughed as Anna playfully punched his arm. "But what made you change your mind?"

Yoh lifted Anna slightly to sit on the edge of his desk and leaned down with his hands planted on the table next to her thighs, indicating that he was ready for a real conversation. Anna kept her gaze up to Yoh, expecting an answer.

"Well, believe it or not, Manta managed to put some sense into my head again."

Oyamada? Anna made a mental note to thank her little friend some time.

"Yeah. All it took was him asking me on what else I was planning to do if I wasn't willing to forgive you. That if we've come as far as to admitting our feelings for each other, then what's the point of it all if I was just willing to throw out the second chance that we have just because I was scornful."

Anna had only remained silent. Manta had a valid point, and she was lucky that Yoh had listened to his precious friend.

"Also…" Yoh hesitated but Anna implored him to speak with her eyes and of course he couldn't resist. "I remember the promise I made with my brother."

Anna arched a brow.

"Hao?" She downplayed her voice as to not sound too curious. She couldn't risk Yoh thinking that she's too interested with anything that involved his twin. Not now that they've just made up after a fight that involved him. "Did he try to bug you after Aomori?"

"Oh, no, no. He— well, we actually talked that morning when you were still sleeping in my room." Yoh expounded when he saw Anna knit her brows together. "You know, the day after the club incident?" He didn't want to mention such an unpleasant memory for Anna.

Hao puffed his cigarette like his days were numbered.

And of course, he would try to cherish every last bit of it while he still had the luxury to do so. Right before a certain tigress named Anna, who was still sleeping upstairs, wakes up and cuts his head off for disobeying her demands as simple as quitting smoking.

As he dropped the cigarette butt onto the ash tray, another person dropped a glass of what seemed to be orange juice next to it.

Hao didn't have to look just to know that it was Yoh. He smirked at a thought. "I'm surprised to see that you're an early riser now."

"The sofa wasn't exactly as comfortable as my bed. Moreso when I was sharing it with you."

"You could've said so. I could've left you and shared your bed with Anna instead." Hao teased, staring at the glass of juice that his brother gave him. "I prefer beer, thanks."

A vein almost appeared on Yoh's temple. The day was too young to be hearing his twin's inappropriate jeering, but he managed to stay calm. "There are some in the fridge. You can get it yourself."

"Is that how you treat your house guests?"

"You weren't exactly invited, you know."

Silence played between the two.

Hao maintained his arrogant aura while suddenly, Yoh grabbed the new cigarette that was wedged in Hao's mouth. Hao watched his brother in amusement as Yoh took a puff from the forbidden stick.

"Now, I'm dying to tell Anna that I'm not the only one who deserves all the ass-whipping."

Once again, Yoh ignored his brother's unruly comments. "Are you guys together?" He suddenly blurted out.

Hao raised a brow. "And what if we are?"

"Hao."

The older Asakura rolled his eyes. "Of course not. Do you think I'd let you see Anna naked if she was my girlfriend?" The older Asakura retorted, finding Yoh's question overly ridiculous.

"You've obviously been in contact with each other the whole time you were away. It's just strange why after all this time, you haven't made your move when we both know you also want her for yourself. Were you with her before coming back to Japan?" Yoh wasn't going to relent with his questionings. If he couldn't get the answers out of Anna, then he would at least make Hao spill the beans.

"You should ask Anna that."

Fuck. So much for making Hao talk. Yoh remained still in his seat.

"Anyway…" Hao motioned to stare directly into Yoh's eyes. "Whatever happened in the past should already be behind you." He paused to see if Yoh would react, but he only continued to stare back at him passively. "You've hurt her big time, Yoh. I don't think I can even relay every single misfortune she had to go through after you left her. I know you're trying to get back with her, and even though I know it would ruin everything for me, her happiness comes first. So, this is your last chance…" Hao leaned over to take back his cigarette from his brother. "If you dare to hurt her once more—"

"Are you threatening me?" Yoh interrupted in calm rudeness.

"Yes." Hao flashed a mocking countenance, and he waited until the message sunk for Yoh. "You hurt her again, I'm not going to hold back for you anymore."

Hao stood up and tapped Yoh's shoulder, switching his mood from murderous to carefree in a split second.

"I'm getting beer. You want one? It feels like a good day for barbecue. Hope you have meat in your fridge, too."

With that, the older twin headed for the kitchen, leaving Yoh motionless with his fists balled tightly.

"I'm not going to let that happen." Yoh mumbled to himself.

"Let what happen?"

Anna's voice shook Yoh from his recollections.

The brunette smiled and kissed the tip of Anna's nose. "Nothing."

"Hmm…" Anna knew Yoh was hiding from her, but she didn't want to create tension now that they've just fixed some of their indifferences. Instead, she grabbed the collar of Yoh's shirt to bring his face closer to hers.

"Doctor Kyouyama, are you trying to seduce me to get some answers?"

"Depends on what you think, Doctor Asakura. Are you getting seduced?" The blonde answered with a wicked grin.

Yoh's lips curved up. "I'm not going to fall for your tricks anymore."

He was playing it cool, but it didn't take long until his lips came crashing down on Anna's. And it since both of them missed each other too much for the several weeks that they were at war, their kisses quickly turned into a heated exchange of fire.

Anna moaned into Yoh's mouth when she felt his hand squeezing her waist. She was slowly leaning back as she accommodated the man between her legs. On the other hand, Yoh made sure he held his lady secure on his desk while he felt obliged to push his growing need against her core.

"Will you come with me to the company gala on the weekend?"

Feeling lightheaded from the surge of warmth, Anna felt Yoh grab her shoulders, turning her around with such little effort.

"I wasn't… planning on attending." Anna managed to whisper between ragged breaths.

With her face almost buried on Yoh's desk, Anna felt the brunette conquering her by leaning on her back, his now hard tent pressing onto her buttocks with greater fervour, while his right hand was kneading her breast.

"You should come…" Yoh gritted his teeth as he felt an insurmountable need to take Anna then and there. "I want to announce our relationship to end those rumours once and for all." His other hand snaked onto Anna's jaw to prompt her into kissing him again whilst he continued to dry hump her from behind.

Wait, what? Tell everyone about them? Their friends? Their families?

There're more important things that Anna needed to tell him before they reveal their relationship formally once again!

Shocked at Yoh's brave declaration, Anna slightly held her eyes ajar to glance at his equally entranced face, but in doing so, she noticed a small black device hanging at the corner of the room with a beeping red light.

Panic instantly seeped through her thoughts after getting the feeling that someone else was watching them.

"Yoh…"

The brunette didn't seem to hear Anna as he kept planting wet kisses down her neck.

"W-wait, Yoh…"

"Yes?" His voice was husky when he slid his mouth towards her ear, still not ceasing his ministrations.

"Do you—" Anna's breath hitched when Yoh pinched her nipple through her blouse. Having difficulty, the blonde cupped Yoh's cheek with one hand to refocus his attention to what she had to say. "Do you have a CCTV here?"

"What?" Yoh still wasn't focusing since was already lifting the side of her skirt.

"Yoh!" Anna had no choice but to pull a section of her lover's hair real hard.

"OW! Anna, that was too rough!"

Luckily, that did the trick as Yoh seemed to have been pulled out from his lustful daze.

"I said, do you have a CCTV in your office?"

"Huh? I don't remember having one—"

Anna nudged his rib with her elbow then tilted her head to gesture at the newly found recording device. "Then what's that?"

Seeing the suspicious camera, Yoh immediately covered Anna and got her to her feet.

His balls also turned blue.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Ten hours before present time…

"I can't believe you almost had sex at work!" Tamao blurted out, face red from all the information she'd just received.

"Ugh!"

Several boxes of surgical masks felt onto the floor when a person's back hit the sloppy shelving unit.

"Shshh… there're no cameras here but there are people who might hear you."

Anna bit Yoh's lower lip when he tried to kiss her. "It was your idea to bring me here!"

Although she wanted to reproach him for his lousy suggestions, who was she kidding? Anna knew she was equally at fault for agreeing to Yoh's sly whims.

But the medical storeroom?

They must be truly thirsty for each other to resort to this. She wanted him as much as he was hungry for her. And this time, they were neither drunk, nor hating one another.

"God, I missed you." Yoh growled while squeezing Anna's thigh, like a mindless zombie fuelled by testosterone.

A few more boxes flew making some syringe packets scatter onto the ground when Yoh's arm swept through a levelled surface. He then effortlessly mounted Anna on it, securing her with his hips, before engaging into another searing lip-lock.

"Ngnghh… make it quick then." Anna urged.

Yoh devilishly smiled at his woman's orders as he lifted her skirt and delved his fingers onto her sweet and damp spot— his long-lost territory.

"Yes, ma'am."

Anna's vision was welcomed by Tamao's inquisitive magenta eyes. She had been absorbed in her own reverie that her pink-haired friend was able to read her mind.

"Oh my God, you did it somewhere else, didn't you!?"

Anna suppressed the urge to slap her friend, especially when she started feeling the malicious stares from the people around them.

"I am not denying nor confirming such accusations."

Tamao gasped scandalously at Anna's cryptic words.

Taking a look at the amount of shopping bags Tamao was carrying versus the only object she was holding—an iced lemon tea which she took a sip from to calm herself down (and to quell the sudden heat that she felt after reminiscing her adventurous encounters with Yoh)— a smile graced Anna's lips.

The shy woman can really be a handful when it comes to kiss and tell tales, but she's a reliable friend.

They were doing some last-minute shopping to find a formal attire for Anna but after almost a couple of hours later, Anna was still left empty-handed while Tamao seemed like she planned to buy the whole mall.

Talk about rich girl problems.

Feeling exasperated out of the blue, Anna almost scoffed remembering the reason for their impromptu trip: the hospital's upcoming staff gala, which will be held later that night. A mere political tactic by A-Corp's executives to attract more business allies and to butter up their employees from the recent controversies spreading all over the media.

Moreover, the theme was a 'Pink Party', apparently to celebrate 'love' and 'friendship', therefore, attendees were expected to wear something with the said colour.

A bitter taste instantly surfaced on Anna's tongue.

She really meant it when she said she wasn't planning on joining the event, but she knew how much power Yoh had over her when it comes to convincing in doing certain things.

The only problem is, Yoh was adamant about revealing their relationship to his family like they were going to get married soon. And although it isn't a completely crazy idea— since Anna was also interested in seeing the Asakura patriarch's face when they find out that she got back with their favourite heir— she was sure that things would start becoming difficult for both of them from then on.

Even Hao warned her about it, but now that she's hours away from the dilemma, she's willing to deal with it head-on.

She wasn't the same foolish woman they'd trampled on years ago.

"Hey, Anna. I was meaning to ask you, and I hope you don't mind but… what's going on with you and Jeanne?"

Tamao almost bumped onto her friend's back when Anna abruptly ceased walking. The blonde turned awfully quiet with an indifferent expression.

"Why don't you ask her about it?" Anna dug her nails against her palm which Tamao didn't fail to notice.

"I…" the pink-haired woman started, trying to find the right words. "She gets upset whenever I talk about you, and well… both of you sort of just stopped talking to each other, too. Am I missing something?"

Anna huffed indignantly, yet she remained still. Seriously? Jeanne had the guts to feel upset? She couldn't accept the fact that Jeanne was acting such an entitled brat after knowing what she did.

Seeing her friend engaged in an inner battle, Tamao felt the need to explain further. "I'm just worried that—"

"Sorry, Tamao. Can we talk about it next time?" A firm but pleading set of eyes stared right back, and Tamao nodded slowly in agreement, pursing her lips.

After a few seconds, Anna gestured to continue their mission but was struck motionless once again when she noticed an object displayed at the front of a clothing boutique—the most impressive dress she'd ever laid her eyes on.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Two hours before present time…

He took a sip of his coffee. It's now cold due to his anxiety, which he kept well hidden under a façade. Trying to utter a single word, his mouth was restrained open but with no words being uttered.

"Well?" asked an all dolled-up Anna who was stomping her stiletto-clad foot impatiently by the entrance of her apartment.

It will only take fifteen minutes to arrive at the venue from her place, so when the doorbell rang a couple of hours before the party, she thought Yoh was being too excited to see her that night, not fully expecting to see the older twin instead.

It also didn't help that Hao was staring at her like an enamoured feral cat.

"If my memory serves me right, it is a 'pink party', no?" the man finally spoke, eyes still carefully studying Anna's figure.

For there, intricately so, stood a goddess burning in her elegant but fiery presence wrapped in a long dress, dark as red wine, and well snug as a koala's embrace. Although it was only a plain satin dress with a cowl neckline, a sheath hem, there was an endless slit that showcased the length of her left leg which Hao thought will be the death of him one day.

On the contrary, her face was devoid of excess make-up. Just an enough amount to cover her blemishes—if any— some mascara to emphasize her infinite lashes, a light blush and nude lip, to enhance her already existing beauty.

"And when did you ever see me wear pink?" Anna replied with an arched brow.

Never one to follow the rules, too. Hao also believed; but was smart not to voice out any further unsolicited advice to avoid unleashing the dragon within Anna. He knew she disliked going to social functions so she's quite anxious. Therefore, it was wise not to provoke her anger at this time.

Though despite her abhorrence towards mingling with the public, Hao knew that Yoh is a much more powerful force that could convince even the great Kyouyama Anna into doing almost anything, even if involved risking her own happiness and safety, which is why Hao is on the edge, fearing that history may repeat itself.

"And you? I thought you're not attending?" Anna shook Hao from his inner monologue.

"Ah, well…" the brunette casually leaned his back on the door frame. "You sure you don't need company? You know you only have to say the word and—"

"Hao…" And true to that, Anna had managed to cease all the apprehension brewing within the Asakura's reasoning with just one soft gaze and the mention of his name. "I'm fine. And I will be fine." She wanted to smack Hao for interrupting her preparations for the gala, but she saw through her friend, and she knew he was only looking out for her… as always. "Yoh will pick me up within half an hour. Go and do whatever it is that you need to do tonight." As if her words weren't enough, Anna flashed Hao a reassuring smile.

What the blonde didn't expect, though, was when her best friend reached for the side of her face and tucked in some rebellious wisps of hair behind her ear, while having an unreadable expression on his face.

If only she knew about the raging storm that was throwing a rampage in his chest.

"I'll be at Tokyo tonight. So if something disastrous happens, don't make me come running back for you." Hao teased, contrasting his sad eyes.

"I won't."

He knew she won't.

"Besides…" Anna continued. "Who are you kidding? I know you hate your family too much to be with them within a twenty-meter radius."

I can if I'm doing it for you.

Hao suppressed his thoughts once more and beamed at the woman instead. "You're right. I feel sorry for you for having to deal with them."

Anna punched his arm weakly as a reply.

Hao took one last glance at the woman before him before he straightened up to leave. It was fleeting, yet for him, it felt like a millennium. Any other person would've already caved in and tried to stop Anna— hugged her and told her things that wouldn't let her leave; but he was Hao Asakura, and he would never imprison the woman he loved.

So, for the second momentous time in his life, he was willing to let go.

He was letting Anna go.

All for the sake of her happiness.

Once the door was shut, he leisurely lit a cigarette as he reached the hidden corner of the street where his two bodyguards had parked his limousine.

Although he detested the sight of Anna's neighborhood, fifteen minutes had already passed and yet he was still taking his sweet time. It didn't take long until he saw Yoh's white Chevy pull into one of the building's visitor parking spots.

Hao snorted. His brother also arrived early.

He, too, was excited to see Anna.

"Were you really ready to leave for the night, sigñore?"

Blinking his eyes to adjust to the darkness, it was only then that Hao noticed a non-stranger lounging with a glass of liqueur inside his ride.

Hao studied his new companion looking dapper in his pitch black Brioni suit and Ferragamo shoes.

"Unfortunately, yes." His answer was short and straightforward. Not wanting to waste energy explaining to his trusted business partner why he was letting the love of his life go. "I believe your business tonight is with the other Asakuras and not with me."

Luchist leaned in with a confident smile, a pipe wedged in his mouth. "I believe I have something that will make you change your mind."

. . . . . . . . . . .

They haven't finished their dessert for more than ten minutes and someone had already snatched Yoh away from her arms for some random medical business talks. She disliked it, but that was far better than Marco Lasso approaching them and asking her if he had met her somewhere before. His hunch wasn't entirely wrong, though, for he did meet her in the past, only that she was being escorted by Hao, in a disguised persona named Megumi Ai.

Fortunately for Anna, Marco seemed oblivious about it when she introduced herself as her true self, Kyouyama Anna, a mere physician from Shimane Medical Foundation.

Moving on, Anna gave Yoh brownie points for trying his hardest to evade even more attempts after Marco's interception, until his family's faithful assistant-bodyguard, Amidamaru, had been tasked to bring Yoh to the venue's VIP room for some impromptu 'family meeting' before the event's formalities commenced.

Anna stepped-out of the ballroom to get a breather from the suffocating presence of people she hardly knew.

Of course, she could blame herself partly at fault for attracting attention by wearing a red-hued dress to a pink party; but it was her way of sending the message to the Asakuras that she isn't backing out this time—that she would stand by her man no matter what.

She was quite successful in that regard, too. Oh, how she enjoyed the sharp and demeaning glares that Asakura Keiko and Asakura Yohmei kept on sending her way throughout the night.

Anna thought she was probably being naïve that the cruel family's patriarchy would let them go without a single fight, but she liked to bask in the joys of her mini victories along the way.

Lucky enough, her ex-fiancé-turned-boyfriend-again had his chivalrous friends, HoroHoro, Ren and Lyserg, whom he entrusted her with during his temporary absence.

The blonde's fingers slowly crept to feel her old engagement ring that she'd turned into a necklace pendant. She remembered how Yoh told her to bring it with her that night despite her protests that leaping back into a wedding proposal would be too soon for the both of them at this point. He only shrugged as an ambiguous reply before he kissed her senseless, making her forget reason once again.

Anna absentmindedly grinned.

It had always been that way— she, with her rational way of viewing the world, in contrast to Yoh's laissez faire habits that effectively disarms all sorts of logic.

Was she being reckless again? Definitely.

Were there many more issues that she has yet to tell him about? Absolutely.

But after soaking in hate and negativity for too long, Anna's heart wanted to believe that she and Yoh deserved this second chance—that they both deserve to be happy, no matter what.

And so, like any other woman in love, she's taking the dive.

"Geez, dreaming of your honeymoon already?"

Hearing HoroHoro's loud voice wasn't the nicest way to end her moment. Seeing his handsome, but annoying face beaming at her as he smoothed his brushed up blue hair, even more.

"Guys, come on. Let Anna-san enjoy the moment." Lyserg chimed in, looking neat in his light grey Alexander McQueen tux with a pale pink bowtie. The British man regarded Anna like a true gentleman. "You look impeccably stunning tonight, by the way."

"Please excuse this dufus, he's only used to interacting with his own kind in the animal kingdom." It was Ren who came in next, appearing somewhat intimidating in his Chinese-collared black suit with pink embroidery of lotus flowers that ran from his right shoulder and across his chest.

Anna narrowed her eyes at her assigned 'bodyguards' for the night, but she definitely felt her mood has lightened. It was thoughtful of Yoh to surround her with his friends to keep her from drowning from her anxious thoughts. They formed a handful group, yet they kept her heart warm, even in the absence of her beloved.

She wondered where Manta was, but thinking about the amount of things Masumi would be asking him to do, it was not surprising their midget friend was missing in action for working behind the scenes.

"Huuuh?" HoroHoro started an upcoming round of banter with Ren. "What are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be staying with Jeanne as her date?"

Surprisingly, no quick retorts or brazen clap backs came from Tao. He appeared caught off-guard at the mention of his fiancée's name, and this alarmed his friends.

"'Cause he's busy escorting someone else." A female voice interjected, and everyone recognised it immediately as Jeanne's.

The group craned their necks only to be welcomed by the immaculate image of Jeanne wearing a soft pink chiffon dress that was so flowy, it made her look like a saint.

"Is this why you couldn't bring me here tonight, huh, Ren? Is it because you had other important things to attend to?" Jeanne's expression warranted no signs of dilly dallying, even Tamao, who presented demurely in her pink halter neck maxi dress, looked quite fearful about her two friends' encounter, especially in a place with lots of other people.

"You weren't exactly talking to me days before we came here, Jeanne. So why are you making a fuzz now?" There it was. Ren's long awaited sassy response.

"Oi, oi, if you guys have some unresolved issues, I think it's best to talk it out in private." HoroHoro tried to mediate but failed.

"Jeanne, you know we can always talk to Anna, just not like this." Tamao also joined in the cause but was also ignored.

Jeanne kept her hostile posture directed at both Anna and Ren. "Really, Ren? After everything you told me about that woman and your trip to China?"

Lyserg and HoroHoro craned their necks towards Ren.

"Ren, what's that all about?" said the former.

"Wait, are you leaving?" added the latter.

"This is stupid. I'm going back in." Anna turned her back to leave.

"Oh, that's right! Go ahead! Just like how you ran away and left everything behind in the past just for the sake of saving face, do it. Afterall, the only thing that matters to you is yourself, isn't it?"

"Jeanne, that's enough! You're clearly drunk!" Ren stepped-in and grabbed his fiancée's arm to coax her away from Anna.

"So now you're defending Anna, your precious childhood crush. How sweet!" The silver-haired woman yanked her arm away.

With a flushed face, Ren opened his mouth to argue but could only manage to throw his hands in the air while groaning in frustration. Everyone else remained rooted to the ground until Lyserg, who was known for being once close to Jeanne, tried to usher her away before matters got worse.

Anna stopped him from doing so, and at that point, everybody knew it was too late.

"You know what, Jeanne, you're right. I'm done running away." Anna took her mobile phone from her purse and opened an app that contained a group chat where every one of Yoh's friends was included. She then scrolled and tapped a few things and sent a video file into the group.

As if in sync, the others' phones started beeping after receiving the message, with Tamao being the first curious soul to watch the video, almost dropping her device after doing so. The men followed suit after seeing Tamao's reaction, leaving Jeanne the only one glaring intensely at the blonde who sent the message.

Anna took the moment of disbelief as a cue. "I'm sure everyone here knows that the reason I broke up with Yoh was because I accused him of running away with another woman on the night of our engagement party, based on an exchange of messages between him and his alleged woman, right?" She continued when no one dared to make a sound. The blonde stared straightly into Jeanne's watery eyes. "For months I've been debating with myself over and over again on whether I should confront you, or let alone, tell anyone about this, but in the end, my conscience won and told me I should be a decent friend and just bury it all in the past. Afterall, I already got back with Yoh, and we're determined to turn the pages to a new chapter of our lives. I understand that you're mad at me for telling Ren that you did something I'm not sure I could let go of… but I never told him what it was about, nor how severe your actions were, even he insisted many times. In the end, it was you who chose to play the victim and started displacing the blame on me by making your own speculations about me trying to steal your fiancé away from you."

"That's because it's true! Whenever you're around, you had this immense desire to put all of the spotlight on you and it didn't matter if you were hurting the people around you. Everything was peaceful back then but then you had to arrive and ruin everything for me, for Tamao, and even for the twins who now have unrepairable damage to their relationship just because they were both aiming to get into your pants! Tell me Anna, does Yoh even know about the late-night visits and out of town dates that you've been sharing with his brother?"

Anna received a hard blow from Jeanne's words, she could literally feel an evident tightness in her chest, but if there was anything she was always good at, it was hiding all her emotions.

Stealing the spotlight? She never wanted to be in it.

She hurt Tamao, too? In what way?

And the twins? Yes, no one else knew about her working for Hao in a top-secret setting so it's understandable why people would speculate about them. But why does everyone keep telling her that both the brothers were in love with her when Yoh was the only one who had clear intentions from the start?

"If you're mad at me for 'always wanting the spotlight', then maybe you should start looking at the mirror." Anna has gone back inside the party in a blink of an eye, leaving no room for arguments with her now 'ex-friend'.

Jeanne motioned to follow her but was interrupted by Ren who now had a glum appearance. "Is this true, Jeanne?"

Ren held his phone and showed Jeane a surveillance video of herself holding Yoh's phone on the night of his engagement party with Anna, implying that Jeanne was the one who sent the malicious and false messages to the other woman—who's now known as Anna Niumbirch— using the Asakura's phone.

Tears were now streaming from Jeanne's eyes. "Ren, I can explain…"

"I can't believe you." The view of betrayal on Ren's face followed by his equally disappointed friends before they all walked out of the scene, was enough to send Jeanne to her knees.

She heard Tamao mutter an almost inaudible "I'm sorry," before she ran off somewhere, too.

After a few seconds of sobbing to herself and being a laughingstock to the other party guests around her, Jeanne mustered a brave face as she dialled a number on her phone.

"Hello, onii-chan?" She almost struggled to contain her sobbing. "I changed my mind."

She vowed to get the last laugh.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Going back inside the massive events place where the employees of the most influential multi-billion conglomerates in Japan have gathered to celebrate a night of success…

More money making and power, Anna thought bitterly.

She was now in a foul mood for having done what she just did to Jeanne, but what else was left for her to do? Jeanne was purposely shoving her hard against the wall, but she was tired of running away from all of her problems, so she had to bite back, right?

Anna clutched her chest once again in hopes of encouraging her heart to still. She thought of Yoh as she felt the sharp and smooth edges of her diamond ring.

Where is he?

Frantically searching the crowd for any signs of life from her boyfriend, Anna managed to walk past several people—who were either chattering or having a toast— but was pushed and shoved towards the middle of the ballroom by some drunk employees who were already dancing their wits out despite the gala night not reaching its conclusion yet.

Anna caught a glimpse of her foster parents, Faust and Eliza, who were also probably being forced to interact with the other executives and the likes, despite wanting to just soak in each other's company in their home. She also noticed that Yoh's friends have re-entered the hall, and they were probably looking for her amongst the crowd. Pity, there was only one particular person she wanted to deal with right now, and that person remained missing, as far as she was concerned.

Nevermind the twinkling fairy lights and flowy pink fabric drapes, coupled by hundreds of late spring flowers that all hanged glamorously from the ceiling, or the fabulous spread of local and intercontinental food on the buffet. Not even the scrumptious hors de'oeuvre, caviar and premium champagne being unceasingly served in shining golden trays by the roaming servers, mattered.

To Anna, all the riches and promises of a comfortable life meant nothing, if Yoh wasn't there by her side.

Yes, she was desperate to be in his arms once again and she couldn't care less of what other people would say. For her, Yoh is the only light to her darkness. The only solace to her disarray. And she knows he's the only one who could calm her down in situations like this.

Therefore, she needed something. Anything!

In a swift movement, Anna grabbed a flute of champagne from one of the servers who'd walked past her, and immediately drank half of its contents in a single gulp. It was one of those moments where a little bit of influence from alcoholic substances was highly favoured.

After racking her brain for some ideas, Anna figured that if she wanted her search to be more effective, then she should be standing on a more elevated spot to gain a good bird's view of the whole place.

She scanned her surroundings once again, which pointed her to a luxurious Victorian style double staircase that was also ladened with ornate pink flowers and drapes. It's pristine marbled steps and intricate golden ironworks did not fail to impress. Its most striking feature is that it connects to a grand indoor balcony, where one could overlook the entire venue in a way real proclaimed royals do in their castles and mansions.

Just like that, Anna found herself in a staring contest against the members of the Asakura family, particularly Asakura Yohmei, who was purposely leering down at her from the said balcony, as if she was a pesky house rat.

There was a slight delay in Yoh's appearance, but in long last, he stepped closer towards the railings, revealing himself to the world.

He was auspiciously beautiful with his manly, towering physique, clothed in a custom-made silvery Italian suit and vest with a burgundy tie. By his side, Oyamada Manta, also stood almost inertly with a blank countenance.

Anna almost laughed at Yoh's choice of colour for his tie which he switched into at the last minute after seeing her dress, being the couple of rebels that they were. She's surprised that his mother haven't gone as far as making him change it, especially now that he was becoming a temporary spectacle to all of his family's people.

But Anna couldn't bring herself to keep poking harmless fun at Yoh after sensing a foreboding feeling. Something was terribly off with the brunette. His mouth was set in a grim line, and his eyes depicted tremendous guilt.

For what? Anna had a feeling she was about to find out, and she had no way of stopping it.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We're glad that you all seem to be enjoying the night, and we regret to interrupt you for an important announcement." Asakura Keiko started over the microphone. It effectively caught the crowd's attention and silence took over the venue for once.

"This past year has been a difficult journey for our beloved corporation's board of directors and employees alike, and we'd like to assure everyone that on behalf of A-Corp, XL Industries and all of our loyal friends in the business world…" Keiko gestured at Marco Lasso, and Oyamada Mansumi, "we hear all of our beloved employees' grievances. And that we are doing the best we can to…"

Anna was sure Keiko said a lot more that what she heard before she tuned her out. Her attention was fixated on Yoh, who seemed too careful and robotic as he remained rooted next to his mother while she spoke. It was only then that Anna noticed Jeanne standing next to her brother, Marco, and she was faking a smile for everyone to see. Furthermore, there was an enormous cushion cut pink diamond on her left ring finger which can be seen from miles away.

Was she wearing that earlier?

"Therefore, without further ado, we are proud to announce the confirmed marriage engagement between Doctors Asakura Yoh and Jeanne Lasso. A union that also signifies the birth of our business merger, 'King Corporation'."

The whole world stopped for Anna.

After a while, she started hearing a peculiar ringing sound in her ears that mimicked the sound of a flat-lining cardiac monitor.

That felt accurate, for her heart died a little, she sensed.

Even the shattering of her champagne glass against the floor did not reach her, nor the loud gasps and cheers that came from the crowd around her, due to the shock.

Her throat constricted and only small, shallow gasps were all she could manage as she choked on her own breathing. She was positive that her face was starting to drain of color. She could only imagine Ren's reaction if he heard the news, too.

The only feat Anna was grateful for was that due to the ruckus she had unconsciously caused, Yoh found her amongst the sea of people; his gaze piercing through the distance for a fleeting moment before he looked away in shame.

She wanted to shout, to call out to him, to ask him if this was all just a nightmare; but the only movement she was able to make was letting a single tear drop onto her cheek. She didn't even have enough energy to wipe it off.

But as if perfectly timed amidst the drama, the double-door entrance to the venue burst open, revealing none other than Asakura Hao.

His overall sangria suit combined with a taupe double-breasted vest and an unbuttoned white shirt made everyone around him drunk with his fierce aura.

His presence was so overwhelming that even the people surrounding Anna unconsciously stepped aside to make way for him as he approached her with his soul-searing gaze, looking like some some sort of messiah that has come to save the oppressed.

What are you doing here? You told me I couldn't call for you if everything went down to ruins, right? Anna's alter ego was screaming at her, still, nothing came out of her small and delicate mouth.

It was too late when the blonde realised that Hao had grabbed the back of her waist to pull her in a hug without an ounce of reluctance. He started whispering vague words in her ear.

"Do you trust me?" was all she heard, and Anna's only answer was a dazed nodding of her head whilst staring into her best friend's piercing eyes.

The moment played in slow motion when Hao cupped Anna's jaw as he gently leaned forward to kissed her.

Contrary to his eyes that closed immediately as his lips approached hers, Anna witnessed every bit of Hao's actions as hers remained wide open before gradually shutting just as their mouths touched. Before Anna knew it, she had also been lost in the heat of the moment and has started kissing Hao back, even going as far as tiptoeing and wrapping her arms around his neck.

If Anna was stunned, then the faces of her friends, family, and acquaintances were indescribable. Even Faust motioned to approach her, but Eliza discouraged him from meddling. Tamao, who had just come out of the ladies' room after trying to compose herself due to the Anna-Jeanne incident, got emotionally wrecked once again.

Above all, Yoh had gone paler than his mother's pearl necklace as he bore witness to his woman and his brother sharing an intimate gesture in front of him and all of the people present in the gala.

And if Hao's actions hadn't given everyone a heart attack just yet, the brunette proceeded to go down on one knee after flipping his hair that was tied in a neat ponytail. He meticulously opened a dark red box lined with gold in front of Anna, and revealed a stunning marquise cut diamond ring that was enormous enough to swallow half of the woman's finger.

Taking advantage of the silence around them, Hao muttered the famous four-word, fourteen-letter question which most women would probably be dying to say 'yes' to him to.

But of course, it was all directed at Anna. No one, but her.

One could've dropped a needle in the hall and still hear it while everyone waited for the answer.

And when Anna mumbled the long awaited "yes," whilst in a trance, the room erupted in applause and cheers, even much more when the Asakura-Lasso engagement was announced.

Feeling the invisible daggers aimed at his back, Hao stood up then raised his head to acknowledge the 'VIP's' who were staring down at them from the indoor balcony.

"Sorry for gate crashing, but I'm sure everybody doesn't mind a double Asakura engagement." Hao's taunting smirk was enough to set his family's blood on fire. "Anyway, just came here to pick-up my fiancée. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."

Hao asserted dominance once again by pulling Anna closer to him and throwing one last, deliberate, and almost cruel glance at Yoh before turning to leave.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The present time…

The violent thrumming of her heart continued. That must be uncomfortable.

Her breaths were becoming more and more shallow. It wasn't a good sign.

He hated it. He couldn't take it anymore. She was nearing the state of having an emotional breakdown, and he had to do something to make her feel better. He had to…

"Anna…"

She didn't respond the first time.

"Please, look at me." Hao was glad she finally heard him. A surge of relief washed over him as he stared into her honey-dipped eyes. "Breathe. Just… breathe."

Anna pressed her eyes shut before peering them away from Hao's gaze.

It was at least a good sign that she was now consciously trying to regain control of her emotions as they both stood at the party venue's lobby. Hao's personal driver had just brought their car in time.

Like any other day, Hao was willing to wait for Anna to process her feelings and he repeatedly soothed her back with his hand while at it.

"Look, about the kiss, I—"

"Just… just give me a minute, Hao. I—"

"Anna!"

Hao rolled his eyes upon hearing his brother's voice from a distance. He saw a frantic Yoh jogging up to them, but the only person he was worried about right at that very moment was the woman next to him. He perceived her tense body and docile face as Yoh caught up with them.

Yoh's eyes reflected tremendous concern, and his breathing was in a state of chaos.

"Anna, we need to talk."

Hao quickly shielded the blonde away from his twin. "There's nothing left for you to talk about."

Yoh glared at Hao abrasively. "Do you mind? I'm talking to her." He tried to push his older brother out of the way. "Anna!"

In the most opportune moment, the door of Hao's limo opened, and a pair of tiny feet dropped onto the ground.

"Mom?"

Anna and the Asakura twins whipped their heads towards the source of what seemed to be a child's voice.

And for the nth time at that night, Anna had to double check if she was indeed facing reality before her eyes erupted into tears.

"Hana!?"

"Mooom!"

An energetic boy, who was less than four feet tall, hurriedly exited the vehicle and leaped into Anna's arms.

"Oh my God, Hana! It's really you!" Hearing Anna's voice break was painful to watch, let alone, hearing her sob uncontrollably while hugging a child who looked so much like her.

Yoh and Hao were left speechless at the scene unfolding before them.

"Boss Hao, apologies. The boy outsmarted us by kicking Peyote in the—." One of Hao's bodyguards, Mohamed Tabarsi, nervously swooped out of the car to retrieve the boy but was halted when he saw Hao raise his hand at him. He then went to keep his distance to watch his clients from afar, not saying another word.

"I missed you so much, mom." The boy named 'Hana' kept his little arms wrapped tightly around Anna's neck as if he was afraid of being separated from her ever again.

"Me too, baby. Oh, you have no idea." Anna's repeated kisses on the boy's head weren't enough to express the insurmountable joy that she was now feeling from their long-awaited reunion.

They spent a few more moments cherishing each other's embrace, when suddenly, something stirred within Anna's mind.

"One moment, Hana." She whispered to the boy's ear as she gently put him down on the ground. She flashed Hao a knowing look and he immediately understood the meaning, hence, he shielded Hana's view from what Anna was about to do.

The woman approached the younger Asakura, and in an instant, snapped the necklace that once strung her old engagement ring around her neck.

"I believe this belongs to you." She then threw it onto the ground, landing next to Yoh's feet. "Have a good night, Doctor Asakura." Her words were clearly spoken in spite before turning her back against Yoh and carrying Hana towards the limousine.

Yoh was too stunned to speak.

He knew that in a battle for words, he would almost always lose against his older brother and Anna, and today was not an exemption. Heck, Yoh was almost sure his whole system was in the brink of a nervous breakdown to even move a muscle, more so the ones in his mouth.

His brain had activated panic mode, and his mind was being overcome by a burst of adrenaline that his body couldn't cope.

The only audible sound to Yoh was his own pounding heartbeats. The taste of his own saliva suddenly turned sour. His sense of smell could only take a whiff at his own fear as he felt his limbs getting numb from the varieties of emotions that he was struggling to contain.

Lastly, amidst the chaos that was brewing, Yoh's eyesight remained on another person who stared directly at him whilst being carried several footsteps away— a precious subject that bore a familiar set of golden hair, fair skin and a pair of light brown eyes. Definitely a new super star.

His physical features were distinctly reminiscent of Anna, yet his facial expressions, and boisterous gestures can be traced to someone else.

Yoh's knuckles turned white from his constant tight clenching. His gaze was once again met by his brother.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to spend the rest of the night with my family." Hao declared without an ounce of mercy.

. . . . . . . . . . .

A/N: I have been cooking this chapter in my mind for years. Hope that it was worth the wait.

Wonder how many of yous were able to guess Hana's arrival based on the chapter title. Hehe. Anyway, anyone here also following the events of the SK manga sequel, The Super Star? I was too fired up after the release of chapter 58 and 59: the most awaited 'reunion'. And so I thought, it's such a fitting time that I'd finally write my own mini reunion in this chapter.

Let's support Takei-sensei (even though he keeps wrecking us into pieces). LOL. Here's the link to TSS online, including the latest chapters: https/pocket./episode/3269632237267621123

The scenes after the club incident are in chapter 17, just in case you wanted to recap.

Now, comment/ review your thoughts, feelings and frustrations. I'd love to hear them. And of course, THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading, as always!

Playlist Recommendation:

If I Ain't Got You - Alicia Keys

Ghost - Justin Bieber

Medical Terminologies/ Abbreviations:

Gloving and gowning – the act of wearing sterile gloves and surgical gown using aseptic techniques, which act as a protective barrier to preventthepossibletransmission of diseases between healthcare professionals and patients during surgical procedures.

Sterile field- is an area that isfree of microorganisms, created by using sterilized materials and techniques to prevent contamination during medical procedures. A certain part inside the operating room is a common example of a sterile field where healthcare professionals perform surgical handwashing and don sterile gear before entering the room and performing a procedure.

Pectorals – the muscles of the chest.