Little Boy

Chapter 6 ~ Fear and Trust

“Manta!” Mannoko’s voice called snidely. She stormed into the bedroom, not worrying about knocking, and glared at her older brother, who lay in his bed, sleeping quietly. “Manta, Daddy said if you don’t get your lazy ass up, you’re in trouble!”

“Mannoko!” the Oyamada children’s caretaker, Tamura, scolded. “What have you been told about that kind of language?”

“That a lady shouldn’t use it in the presence of high society. I don’t see how this relates to Manta.”

Tamura cocked an eyebrow. “Mannoko, please leave. I will get your brother up.”

“Hai,” she replied while rolling her eyes, then left the room.

Tamura sighed as he sat on the bed and rubbed Manta’s back gently. “Manta-san. It’s time to wake up.” He smiled slightly when Manta mumbled something incoherently in the pillow. “Come on, Manta. It’s time to get up. Breakfast is ready.”

Slowly Manta turned his head and looked up at Tamura with confusion. “Tamu-san?”

Tamura blinked. “Manta-san, are you okay?” he asked quickly finding dark circles of exhaustion around the blonde’s eyes and his eyes and face red.

“I’m fine,” he mumbled as he slowly slipped out of bed, then limped to the bathroom.

Tamura stared at the door for a moment, then closed his eyes with a sigh. “Manta-san...”

“Manta-dono, even Tamura was worried,” Mosuke said as he followed his master.

Manta came to a stop, clenching his fists, then looked back at Mosuke. “For the last time, there is nothing wrong!”

“Manta-dono, it is more than obvious that isn’t true. You are having difficulty walking, and you seem ill. And you’ve been walking in circles for an hour now. Are we not going to go see Yoh-dono and Amidamaru?”

Manta looked at the ground quietly.

“I will tell Anna and your father everything about you and Yoh,” Ren’s words rang in his mind, then he felt his stomach churn. After a moment he ran over to a bush and vomited.

Mosuke looked at him worriedly. “Manta-dono?”

Manta coughed a little, then began to whimper. “I’m fine,” he said quietly.

“How could you throw up? You haven’t ate since last night,” Mosuke said.

Manta groaned as he pulled out a tissue paper from his pocket and wiped his mouth, then disposed of it minutes later when he walked past a garbage can.

Mosuke watched as the blonde just continued to walk, his eyes drooping. “Manta-dono...”

“Manta!” Yoh’s voice called.

Manta looked up quickly, then his eyes widened when he spotted Yoh. He quickly turned down the street and ran for a few minutes, then came to a stop, breathing heavily.

“Manta-dono, why did you run from Yoh-dono?” Mosuke called as he caught up.
Manta stared at the ground, then fell to his knees while holding his stomach. He ached now and felt like he would vomit again at any second. Guilt increased his stress and made him ashamed to face Yoh.

“Manta, wait up!”

Manta groaned in defeat.

“Manta, didn’t you here me call you?” Yoh asked, looking at his beloved with a cheerful smile. He blinked, then frowned. “Manta, what’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing,” he whispered as he slowly got to his feet, then yelped in pain when Yoh scooped him up.

“Huh? Manta, what happened?” Yoh asked urgently.

“N-Nothing is wrong,” Manta replied quietly, forcing himself to smile and ignore the pain in his backside. “I’m just a little unwell.”

Yoh stared shakily. “Manta... You were sick.”

“N-No I wasn’t.”

“Yes he was,” Mosuke said quietly to Yoh. “I suggest Faust do an examination.”
“Hey! Good idea, Mosuke!” Yoh said, then turned and began to run back towards the hotel.

“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Manta said a little while later as Yoh placed him down on a chair in front of Faust, then cried out while jumping off the chair.

“Manta, that doesn’t sound okay,” Yoh replied.

Faust frowned. “Manta, you do not look well at all.” He looked up to Yoh and the spirits. “I will have to ask you to leave.”

“Okay,” they replied quietly, then left the room.

Faust sighed as he looked to Manta. “Manta, let’s begin with what happened last night. Mosuke said this started when you got home from sort of party.”

“There’s nothing wrong,” he replied as he looked away.

Faust groaned. “Manta, I’m a doctor. You can’t stand there looking the way you do and tell me nothing is wrong. Mosuke said you threw up, and it seems you’re experiencing some kind of pain. It needs to be taken care of.” Faust smiled gently. “Manta, you don’t have to be scared. I promise not to talk to anybody about what happens or is said in here, okay?” He smiled as Manta looked up shyly at him. “It’ll be between you and me exclusively. I won’t even talk to Eliza about it.”

“O-Okay,” Manta whispered meekly while looking at the ground.

“Now... Could you please tell me what happened?”

Manta thought quietly for a few minutes. “Um... I... went out last night... Um...” He blushed in shame while staring at the floor. “Two guys... uh... well...” His eyes saddened as he looked up quickly. “Please don’t ever tell Yoh-chan. Please.”

“Manta, this is completely confidential,” Faust said quietly, his expression becoming much more concerned.

“They... They...” Manta began to cry softly. “One of them kept... kept... and... the other one... made me... made me...”

F’s e’s expression turned grave, then he gently embraced the sobbing boy and rubbed the small back, letting Manta cry for a while. “Manta,” he said after a long while. “Manta... Please allow me to do a physical examination. We have to be sure you aren’t badly hurt.”

Manta looked up timidly at the German shaman, then nuzzled his face into Faust’s shoulder.


Yoh sat outside the basement door quietly, tapping his foot anxiously. Not even Bob Love could overcome his concern for his friend. “What do you think is taking so long?” he asked Amidamaru and Mosuke.

“I don’t know,” the samurai replied while shaking his head.

“Perhaps Faust can’t get him to talk either,” Mosuke said quietly. He sighed sadly while looking towards the door. “Manta...”

Minutes later, Yoh looked up and saw Faust come through the door, Manta cradled in his arms and wrapped in a blanket. “Faust, how is he?” the young shaman cried as he jumped up.

“Shh...” Faust hushed, then he walked down the hall. He took Manta to the room which he usually stayed in and laid him down gently on the futon.

“Faust,” Yoh began quietly, “is he okay?”

Faust watched Manta quietly for several minutes, then looked up to Yoh. “He needs plenty of rest and needs to stay warm.” He handed Yoh a bottle with some pills. “Give him one of these at every meal, and make sure he doesn’t eat anything too heavy.”

“Faust, what’s wrong with him?” Yoh asked shakily.

The doctor sighed as he looked back to Manta. “I’m sorry, Yoh-kun. But as a professional doctor, I am not allowed to give out any information without his consent, unless a dangerous issue arises.” He looked up. “Make sure he isn’t left alone too long. It wouldn’t be good at this point in time.”

Yoh nodded some. “Hai,” he said quietly.