Just Friends
Ichigo was laying on her bed, contemplating her decision to end her relationship with Masaya. Why should she be sad? She broke up with him. She groaned in frustration at herself. She wasn't completely dense, she knew that just because they broke up that all her feelings for the boy hadn't gone and vanished. She just wished it were easier to let all those negative emotions go. Being sad, after all, was one of the things that Ichigo absolutely hated. Why be sad when there was so much to be happy about?
She reached over and turned on the radio and smiled as 30 Seconds to Mars started to play. They were one of her favorite bands now. The song itself wasn't a happy one, but the memory that it carried in her heart now was one of the loudest.
And it was all because of him: Ryou Shirogane.
- Flashback-
Ichigo had begun worrying about Shirogane, it wasn't a common feeling, he never usually gave her a chance to worry about him, but lately the older boy had been listless. He hadn't even come down to yell at her once and that was far too unusual, so despite herself she became concerned. Everyday asking Keiichiro about him, but Keiichiro could only shrug his shoulders and sigh. Apparently, Shirogane hadn't been talking to him much either.
At first, Ichigo had thought to just let it go. Maybe Ryou was just in one of his moods? The guy was an emotional rollercoaster ride if there ever been one. But two days had passed and then three and four and all she could do was worry about him. So much so that it had been the only thing she'd talk about, which made it an even bigger problem. Not a surprise that Masaya, her boyfriend, started to seem very unsettled at her only frame of thought being about some other boy. It's what lead to their argument and ultimately, to Ichigo breaking up with him. According to Masaya, if Ichigo was that worried about her boss then maybe she should be his girlfriend instead. The thought had made Ichigo so mad that she ended up telling Masaya that maybe she would be and that maybe she didn't want to be seeing someone who always seemed to misunderstand her all of the time. Masaya had calmly told her that if that's what she wanted that, that's what they should do. Ichigo had been so angry that she ran off without another word and came to the café at warp speed.
How could Masaya believe that Ichigo had any interest in stubborn, mean Shirogane? It was all Shirogane's fault that they had broken up and she'd be damned if the older boy wasn't going to answer for it!
As soon as she reached Café Mew Mew, she burst through the doors, ignored all the questioning looks from her friends and stormed right up to Ryou's room. Immediately knocking on his door when she reached it.
No answer.
She knocked harder, still no answer. "That's it!" she growled out, right before she pushed opened the door to find him sitting on a chair looking out the window, a solemn look on his beautiful face. Ichigo took pause as music started to fill the room.
"Ryou?" she questioned softly. Unsure of how to react to the heart-wrenching view of Ryou's dark demeanor.
He had looked so peaceful, after the aliens had gone, acted calmer even. As if a weight had been lifted from his shoulder. He even smiled more, so why did he suddenly look so lost?
It was then he turned to face her and gave her a small smile that didn't quite fit with the dark circles around his eyes, as he spoke, "If this about a raise, I don't want to hear it."
Why did it seem that Ryou hadn't slept for days? Startled that there was some new enemy a foot, Ichigo almost defensively, "No! I-," she stopped, letting the lyrics of the song drown out her speech.
He's a stranger to some
And a vision to none
He can never get enough,
Get enough of the world
For a fortune queen
But it's hard to amend
How it ends and
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
From yesterday, it's coming!
From yesterday, the fear!
From yesterday, it calls him
Fighting off the world all around he can pay attention
On a mountain, a city, not a gold, nor blood
He can learn, see the life that it turn
From the count to the one
He's decided when he's done with the air
Ichigo closed her eyes, as the words in the second seemed to resonate with her view of Ryou at the moment. "I've never heard this before," she said, "Who sings it?"
"30 Seconds to Mars."
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
From yesterday, it's coming!
From yesterday, the fear!
From yesterday, it calls him
Fighting off the world all around he can pay attention
Fighting off the world all around he can pay attention
Fighting off the world all around he can pay attention
Fighting off the world all around he can pay attention
On his face is a map of the world
From yesterday, it's coming!
From yesterday, the fear!
From yesterday, it calls him
Fighting off the world all around, he can pay attention
From yesterday,
From yesterday,
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday,
From yesterday
Fighting off the world all around he can pay attention
She opened her eyes to find Ryou readily watching her, his strained smile changing to one far more genuine. The image making her heart race and her nerves skyrocket as she opened her mouth to ramble, "What a cool song! 30 Seconds to Mars, huh? I'll have to remember that."
He paused the cd before the next song played, "Is there something you needed, strawberry?"
Ichigo bit her lip nervously, she had originally come up here to yell at him, but she didn't want to anymore. At the end of the day, could she really blame Ryou for her argument with Masaya? Wasn't she the one who had been talking about Ryou non-stop? And why hadn't she been able to put the blond out of her mind lately anyway? If she was being truly honest, she'd have to admit that it hadn't been just for this past week. Ryou had been on her mind an awful lot lately and that's not something she could continue to ignore. Maybe Masaya was right. Maybe they didn't belong together anymore. At least not while she couldn't get her boss out of her head.
"Ichigo!" Ryou called out, snapping her away from her thoughts, "What did you come up here for?"
"Oh I," she took a deep breath before continuing her sentence, "I just wanted to see you." She cringed as soon as the words left her lips. Why had she thought saying that was a good idea? Wouldn't Ryou just tease her mercilessly about it later?
Ryou quirked a brow, "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes."
"For absolutely no reason?"
Ichigo blushed and looked away from the intensity of the blue eyes that studied her before answering, "You've seemed off all week. I was just worried. I'm sorry, it was a stupid idea." Never mind just dipping a toe, when Ichigo started something she jumped in with two feet. Even if that had never been her intention from the start.
"You were worried about me?"
"I-yes," she stammered, looking down.
"Thank you," she looked up to him, seeing a gentle smile caressing his face. Ichigo's heart was beating wildly. Why hadn't she ever noticed before how big of an impact a smile from him could have on her?
- End Flashback-
The memory of Ryou smiling so gently stayed in her mind and she smiled like she always did when she thought of him. Who would have ever thought that she would end up- Ring Ring. The cry of her phone interrupted her thoughts.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ichigo, it's me," came the voice that seemed to make her head spin.
"Ryou? What's up?"
"Are you busy?"
"No, why?"
"You remember that band we were listening to in my room a week ago?"
"Of course, I do! What about them?"
"They're playing tonight, and I happen to have an extra ticket available for their concert. Would you be interested in joining me to see them?
"I'd love to!" she squealed. To say they were dating, would be an outright lie, but ever since that day they had been talking more and more. Phone calls and at work. They were friends and maybe that wasn't exactly what she wanted, but it was a good start. She just needed some time to let go of Masaya and wrangle some courage up to tell him how she felt, but until then being just friends would have to do.
"Good," he answered with a sigh of relief, "I'll pick you up around 6 then?"
"Ok! I'll see you then!" she answered and hung up. Her heart was racing at being able to spend more time with him.
"I love him!" she called out to nobody as she scrambled around her room to get ready.
Fin
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