Happiness is the only thing we can give to others without having it ourselves.
Carmen Sylva

After Hao left, Anna took a deep breath first. To then turn to her clothes with a snort, which were not only dry because of Hao's fiery temperament, but even nice and warm as if she were putting on something freshly ironed.
That she had forgotten Hao's ability in the appropriate moments annoyed her immensely! How could she be so stupid? And then she had to embarrass herself twice in front of him because of her clothes. Just unbelievable!
After she had her clothes back on, she folded up the fabric that was supposed to represent a door. To let the heat that was still hanging in the tipi escape.
She also saw that it was still pouring rain. Anna was therefore puzzled. Before they talked, he had said that he was going to spend the whole day in the tipi and suddenly he still had something to do? The idea that Hao had forgotten what he wanted to do was absurd, according to Anna! Which meant that he must have decided to do the said thing during their short conversation.
Anna was still sitting in front of the entrance of the tent and looking out into the rain when she noticed something between the trees. With a small smile on her face, she shook her head.
"He is not here." she then said to Tomoko who hesitantly and carefully floated towards the tipi.
The ghost girl nodded. "I know, I saw him fly away with his big red ghost. Otherwise I would never have come here! I'm just not sure if you want to see me, since I led you unnecessarily through the forest for half a day. "
Anna slipped away from the entrance and rolled up her sleeping bag, saying to the black haired woman. "If you are here you will at least keep me from brooding."
Tomoko immediately beamed at Anna and floated inside the tent. "Then may I keep you a little company?"
Reluctantly, Anna also took Hao's sleeping bag and grabbed him aside, nodding briefly to the girl.
"Then tell me!" demanded Tomoko immediately. "How was it to meet your boyfriend again? What did you say? What did he say? What happened? And where is he going now? When is he coming back? I'm not really keen on being here when he comes back. Oh, what's his name actually? How did you get to know each other? And how ... "
"Shut up Tomoko!" Anna interrupted the ghost a little louder so that she was finally still. "One at a time, right?"
The ghost nodded stormily. "How did you get to know each other and how long have you known each other?"
"When the shaman fight and he's the twin brother of my ex-fiancé."
"Oh." exclaimed Tomoko before she started to laugh. "Did you hang your fiancé too? Do you know something like this is really ideal when it comes to breaking an engagement. The lack of air is just a little uncomfortable. But that'll go away at some point."
"We separated amicably as friends and without bad blood."The ghost girl cocked her head. "Something like that! I would not have thought that this was possible. What is the name of your long-haired friend now?"
"Hao Asakura." when Anna pronounced the name she winced.
"Yes, tell me, are you completely crazy?" shouted Tomoko. "You are with the worst shaman the world has ever made?"
"We are not together, at least not yet. And for the fact that you have never left your forest, you are well informed."
"So please you can't ignore such things! Or do you think the ghosts don't talk to each other?" she waved it away and then looked thoughtfully at Anna. "Do you know you were so mean, cold and dismissive to me at the beginning, I would even say that you fit together. You and the killer shaman."
Before Anna even had the chance to think about what she had just heard, Tomoko asked the next few questions.
"What is he doing in Aokigahara? Why is he in my forest?"
"I do not know that yet."
"Mhh? And how was it actually to meet him again? I mean, I can't imagine that he can be nice at all. If you believe what the other ghosts say about him then ..."
"It was as expected." Anna interrupted her, because otherwise she was afraid she would not be able to interrupt her monologue any more.
"You really have to pull everything out of your nose." sighed the ghost. "What do you mean by expected?"
Anna shrugged her shoulders. "He didn't expect me to show up and was amazed."
"Are you not afraid of him at all? I mean he could just let you burn. His fire spirit is incredibly strong. It should be one of the five great elemental spirits himself. Is that true? If so, you should better him don't madden you honey. That ain't ... "
"He wouldn't hurt me." she had to interrupt Tomoko again.
"Yes, but what if so? His deeds are downright legendary for us ghosts."
"He's not hurting me."
"But what if ...?"
"No. Hao would never hurt me."
The ghost sighed again. "You are really amazingly self-confident. Well, I guess you have to be too if you ..." the girl interrupted her herself this time. "Is that what you really want? I mean that to him ...? You and he? So correct?"
"This is an interesting question."
When Tomoko heard the voice behind her, she immediately hurried behind Anna to seek protection and fearfully looked at Hao, who was standing in front of the tent.
Of course he wasn't wet and the rain that was supposed to be pounding on him was blocked by a kind of red transparent dome.
As he stepped through the entrance of the tipi he smiled at the two of them. "Anna, it is very rude of you not to answer your friend's question."
Without taking her eyes off Hao, she said to Tomoko. "You'd better go now."
"If you leave without Anna answering, the Spirit of Fire will eat you."
The ghost winced violently. "I don't want to be eaten! I'm much too young for that! ... Bitter, yes! I'm much too bitter and I am sure I taste too bitter!I wouldn't taste and get your spirit at all. It would be extremely ... "
"Shut up Tomoko." sighed the Itako.
Hao sat down in front of her, laughing. "But you found a very cheeky spirit."
"She showed me the way through the forest."
He nodded in understanding. "So I was correct in my assumption, you really only came here for me."
"Looks like." Anna nodded.
"Um, Itako no Anna? You know, I don't feel particularly comfortable here. I don't like fire. I really don't. It's hot and can be damned painful. May I go back, please?"
Hao paid no heed to the whimpering ghost. "Does Yoh know that you're with me now?"
Anna nodded hesitantly. "We ended the engagement amicably."
"What did my brother say about that?"
Was he really interested in that or did he just want to make small talk? Anna asked herself silently. "I had to promise him that I would try to be happy."
Hao looked at her thoughtfully for a few heartbeats and then looked at the black haired ghost who was still seeking protection behind her.
"Don't do anything to her." Reluctantly and with a reluctant undertone, she added "Please." added.
The long haired man raised an eyebrow at Anna's last word.
She had not ordered it, as it would otherwise be her way, but she had asked him! Anna didn't know when she'd last asked someone for anything, but now she'd done it.
The asakura registered this as well and acknowledged with a smile. "You can go away."
Tomoko started to smile, clasped his hands and bowed his head obsequiously in front of Hao. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
The black haired woman then whispered more softly. "Good luck, Itako no Anna." with that she flew behind Anna through the fabric of the tent so as not to have to pass him and disappeared as quickly as she could into the thick undergrowth of the forest.
"Because you said please so nicely." he then grinned at her before lowering the still open flap of the tipi.
Then he asked. "Why didn't you say why you are here earlier?"
Anna crossed her arms over her chest. "Because I didn't want to put it on your nose like that."
"Let me recap for a moment." he then asked. "Yoh and you broke up amicably."
Even if it wasn't a question, she nodded.
"Then you went to look for me."
Another nod.
"Here in Aokigahara you met this spirit who led you to me and you have now even asked me for his life."
Again she silently agreed.
"And now you have told me that you want to be with me."
This time Hao even waited until she nodded, which he hadn't done before, hesitantly she did it.
"How did you come up with the idea that I could make you happy?"
Anna sighed. She hated having to talk about her feelings. Couldn't he just come to terms with it and let it go? On the other hand, she understood Hao again. After all, he was anything but emotional.So that this conversation would probably, or rather hopefully, remain the only one on this topic.
She replied quietly and if you didn't know her better you could believe that she was shy. The slight red sheen on her cheeks underlined this.
"I've had to think of you a lot, even when I tried not to. In other words; I've missed you. I don't know if you can make me happy. That's why I'm here to find out."
Hao nodded, his features were calm, not bored, not mocking and certainly not scornful.
Suddenly he took her hand and pulled her to kiss her.
Anna broke away from him and looked into his beautiful eyes. "Is that your answer?"
A hand of his stroked her cheek and his eyes took on an amused expression again, but this time he wasn't mocking or scornful.
"You knew my answer before you even went to see me."
Itako asked for it to sound more like herself again. "I had to say it too, so I want to hear it from you as well."
A little amused laugh rang out. "I told you before that you would be a good bride for an asakura. And if Yoh was really that stupid to let go of you I will try to make you happy." again he laughed softly. "Even if I have to admit it would have been funnier to relax my brother."
Anna's pupils dilated. "Is that why you came to this forest?"
"He's the next best in Tokyo." again he gently stroked her