Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Heartache ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

“Horo! Look!” Pirika yelled, pointing to a large mansion similar to their own. Only this one was much fancier. The siblings stopped outside an arched gate, which had the word “Tao” engraved on it.

“Pirika…” He breathed. “We made it.” He gripped the iron bars of the gate, as did Pirika. They gazed at the Tao Manor. Somewhere inside that building, was Ren Tao.

“Come on. Let’s go.” Pirika said, pushing the gate so it creaked open. She walked on, closer to the home. Horo followed her anxiously.

“I can’t believe it…” She whispered. Horo looked at her, smiling softly.

“Yeah. Neither can I. We’re going to see Ren again, after all this time.” He whispered back.

They smiled slightly. This was indeed it.

They kept on walking. It seemed to take hours to finally reach the doorstep, when it had only taken them a few minutes.

The door was incredibly large, and elegant. It had the Tao family name imprinted on it, and Shamanic symbols.

Pirika gulped. “Who should knock? Me or you?” She asked quietly. Horo shrugged.

“Let’s knock together,” He suggested. Pirika nodded. They both reached for the over-sized doorknocker, held onto it, brought it up, and slammed it back down twice.

Their hands trembled, as their hearts raced. Their breath quickened. They were so nervous and anxious at that moment.

Suddenly, a butler of some sort opened the door. He spoke.
“Hello. What is your business here?”

Horo licked his lips. “We’re here to see Ren.” The butler suddenly smiled a bit.

“Oh. Are you friends of his?” He asked.

Horo and Pirika nodded. “Very, very good friends.” She whispered.

The butler smiled again. “Good. The young master has not had any visitors ever since he moved back here to China. He has been so lonely, even with Miss Jun and Master Bason. He has been dreadfully gloomy. I hope that you two youngsters will be able to cheer him up.” With that, he stepped aside, allowing the Ainu entrance through the door.
They walked in silently, and looked around. The manor was almost like theirs, except with more Chinese antiques, and much bigger.

The butler walked up a set of stairs, and motioned for the brother and sister to follow him. They walked up the stairs a few feet behind the tall, and rather bald man.

When they reached the top, the man pointed to a door at the end of the hall.

“That is Mistress Jun’s room.” He then pointed to a room at the other end. “And that is Master Ren’s. Please go visit Ms. Jun as well. I’m sure she would also like to see you.” He then walked back down the stairs, leaving Horo and Pirika alone.

“Let’s go see Jun first.” Pirika said. They walked to the door, and quietly knocked. They didn’t want Ren to know they were here yet.

“Come in…” Jun’s voice could be heard through the thick door very faintly. Horohoro turned the door knob slowly, and the door opened. Pirika slipped in, and Horo did as well before closing the door behind them.

Jun was seated in a chair by a window with Lee Bailong standing next to her. The two were gazing out the window together aimlessly.

She stood from her seat, and turned around. She was probably expecting it to be a maid, or a butler. She was shocked to see it was the two Ainu. Her eyes widened. She quickly ran over to them, and Lee Bailong walked over as well.

Tao Jun hugged each one briefly, before looking at them again.
“Oh my god… Pirika, Horo! I cannot believe you are here! You’ve both grown so much…” She almost started to cry. It was indeed clear that she had been going through a depression of some sort. This was probably one of the best things that could lift her spirits.

“SH! Jun, we don’t want Ren to know we’re here yet.” Horo explained quietly. Jun nodded knowingly.

“So, you two. What are you doing here in China?” She asked.

“Our family moved here. We just arrived last night.” Pirika told Jun of the move. She left out the things that had happened between her brother and she, though.

Jun sighed in content. “I still can’t believe it. But this makes me so happy. Ren will be overjoyed to see you both.” Lee Bailong smiled. He was glad that Jun was beginning to return to her old self. It seems that almost everyone had changed ever since the two Taos moved back home.

Jun suddenly smiled gleefully. “I’m going to go downstairs now. You two can go see Ren! Come, Lee!” She glided out the door, as Lee Bailong followed obediently.

Horo and Pirika smiled sullenly at each other, and walked out the door as well. They padded across the carpet, and over to the door opposite the female Tao’s.
Pirika knocked, as did Horo.

No answer.

They knocked again. They could hear some growls emanating from the room. It sounded as though someone was walking to the door.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. Damn you annoying butlers…” A very familiar person swung open the door, and an angry face appeared.

“What the hell do you-” He cut himself off. His anger sizzled down. His face turned pale.
“Pirika…Horohoro…” He whispered.

The two Ainu didn’t know what to say, or what to do.

Pirika had an urge to hug Ren, right then and there. She fought back tears as they swelled up in her eyes.

She couldn’t take it anymore. She let them run freely down her face, and she quickly threw her arms around the stunned Tao’s neck, and hugged him. She sobbed on his shoulder, crying his name over, and over again.

Ren still couldn’t believe it. Was this all just a dream? Was he imagining things?
He wrapped his arms around Pirika as he let her cry. He looked up at Horohoro, who was fighting back tears. The Ainu smiled, and walked over to his good friend.
“Ren…We’ve missed you, buddy.”

Ren hadn’t changed much. His hair was still as pointy as ever. His eyes still sharp, and alert. His muscles better toned, and he had grown a bit taller.

Pirika lifted her head from Ren’s shoulder. She also smiled.

“Oh, god, Ren. Horo and I have been waiting to see you for so long. Nothing was the same without you!”

Ren’s fingers trembled as he still held the girl close.

“Why are you two here, anyway?” He asked, trying not to join the two in quiet tears.

They explained their story. Once again, leaving out the “private” parts about them.

“Oh, I see…So you two now live in China as well? But why?” He asked, trying to keep his tone serious.

Horo shrugged. “We don’t know. It was our parents’ idea.”

Pirika then slipped out of Ren’s strong arms. She realized it was probably hurtful for Horo to see her hugging Ren.

Ren looked down at the floor. “You guys…I’ve missed you so much. I’ve thought about you all everyday. But out of everyone, all of the gang, I’ve missed you two the most.” He confessed.

Pirika and Horo smiled again.

Ren did as well. “Come on. Let’s not stand out in the doorway, now. Come inside my room.” He stepped inside the room, and the Ainu followed him like puppies.

The three sat on Ren’s bed, and remained silent. They had no need for words. They were just enjoying each other’s presence.

Horo started to shift uncomfortably. He grabbed Pirika’s arm gently, and led her to the door.

“Please excuse us, Ren. I just have to talk to Pirika for a second.”
Ren nodded.

Pirika walked after her brother, and they stepped outside, closing the door behind them, and walking a few feet away from the door.

“What are you doing, Horohoro? We can’t leave Ren like that all of a sudden in his home. It’s rude.” She said incautiously.

Horo only sighed. “Listen, Pirika. I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to both be with Ren at the same time. Let’s take turns seeing him. It will be for the best.”

Pirika slowly nodded her head thoughtfully. “I suppose you have a point. But who will stay with him first?” She inquired.

Horo pointed to her. “You.”

Pirika looked taken back. “Me? What about you?”

Horo grinned. “Don’t worry. Ladies first. Besides, I’ll be alone with him next time.”

Even though Pirika was overjoyed to be spending time alone with the love of her life, she still felt bad for Horo. She was about to argue, but Horo shook his head.

“Don’t say anything, Pirika. Just go. I’ll go home. But first I’ll tell Ren that I have to leave and do some stuff at home for mom and dad, okay?”

He was pleading now. He wanted her to be alone with Ren, even though he also loved the boy as well. Pirika didn’t have the will to back talk. So she simply nodded and complied.
They walked back into the room.

“Hey, um, Ren. Sorry. But I was talking to Pirika about some stuff our parents had wanted us to do. I had forgotten what they were, and she reminded me. I also remembered that I was supposed to do the chores today. So I have to leave now. But tomorrow is Pirika’s chore day, so I’ll be back tomorrow. Later, dude. Nice seeing you again.” He said quickly. Then he left the room, making sure he closed the door behind him, and walked back downstairs.

“Horo, where are you going?” He heard a feminine voice ask. It was Jun. He turned around. He had been reaching for the handle of the large door so that he could leave.
“Oh, hey, Jun. I have to go now. I’ll be back tomorrow, though.” He said.
Jun cocked an eyebrow. “Where is Pirika, then?”

Horo told her that she was still upstairs.
Jun soon caught on. She had known how the Ainu had crushes on her little brother. She smiled, and winked.

“Okay then. Bye.”

“Bye.” He then walked out the door.

Jun began walking to the other side of the manor. Lee Bailong walked by her side.

Upstairs, Pirika was still standing awkwardly by the door.

She had a slight tint of pink across her cheeks. She didn’t know what to do. She had been calmer with her brother there. But he had left her so that she could be alone with Ren.
Ren was still seated on the bed. He, too, seemed a bit clueless as to what to do.
Meanwhile, Horohoro was walking home. He knew his sister would have some trouble being with Ren all alone. She was a very outgoing girl, but being with Ren alone brought her to her knees.

“I hope she’s doing okay.” Horo said aloud to himself as he continued his long walk back home.

Pirika absentmindedly licked her lips, and sighed quietly.

“Pirika…” Ren whispered. She looked up reluctantly to see him patting the spot next to him on his bed. She walked over, and sat next to him.

She immediately looked down at her hands which were clasped together tightly out of her nervousness.

Then, Ren wrapped one arm around Pirika’s shoulders, bringing her closer to him. Pirika blushed slightly.

“Pirika… I really have missed you.” He breathed into her ear. She shivered. His breath was so warm against her cool skin.

“I’ve missed you too, Ren….” She whispered back to him. His face was so close to hers, she began blushing a bit more. She soon decided not to be so soft. She forced herself to seem more tough.

“If you knew you were going to miss me, then why did you leave?” She asked, kind of pissed off.

Ren looked startled for a moment, then looked angry again. He clearly had been enjoying the quietness, and serenity of the moment they were sharing.

“I had to! I didn’t have a choice!” He countered, raising his voice to meet hers.

“Oh yeah? Whatever happened to the independent shaman I used to know?” She yelled at Ren.

He brought his face closer to Pirika’s. “I am independent! But I had to come back for the Tao family! I could not be hanging around with you guys!”

Pirika knitted her brows in anger, and was about to stand up. “Fine. I guess I should leave then if you aren’t supposed to be hanging around with me.”

“No!” He held onto her hand tightly to keep her from getting up.

Her voice quivered. “Why not?” She challenged quietly.

Ren loosened his grip slightly, as to not hurt the girl. “Because…I don’t want you to…I’ve waited too long to be able to see you again, and I’m not about to let you walk away.” He once again wrapped his arms around the small of Pirika’s back, and brought his head down quickly as to capture her lips in a kiss.

Pirika gasped. He moved his lips against hers in a coaxing way, and she complied by slightly opening her mouth.

Their tongues collided and touched. Ren nibbled her bottom lip slightly, and kissed her more.

He trailed light kisses all on her face, and down to the nape of her neck.

Pirika had her arms around his neck, and was blushing furiously. Half from embarrassment and half from pleasure.

The feeling of Ren’s lips against hers was ecstatic. Her heart was thudding deeply.
But all of this ended.

Ren pulled away, and looked Pirika in her eyes.

“I’m sorry…You should be going.” He breathed out.

Pirika almost whimpered at their loss of contact. But she did not. She merely nodded her head.

“Don’t apologize. You can’t take back what you’ve done. But you’re right. I should be going.”

He nodded back, his yellow orbs piercing hers. “I’ll walk you to the door.”