Ayako's P.O.V
Sunday 8:00
"Are you serious?!" I tried my best not to scream, but failed when I noticed one to many people looking at me. It was a sunny Sunday morning, I came to work an early shift at Matsuzaki Hospital so I could finish yesterday's work. I wasn't in the happiest mood, but when I picked up my phone my frown immediately turned upside down. It was a dear old friend of mine: Takigawa Housho.
"You better believe me, they are coming back." He replied back enthusiastically. "And John just arrived from Australia too." He added. "We're all gonna meet up this Wednesday, before they come back, you coming?" He finished, not giving me a chance to even interrupt him in his chatter.
"Of course I'm coming!" I didn't even bother lowering my tone, I was just too excited. "But when are they coming back? How do you know? Are they going to open up the office again? And wh-" I said with a continuous rhythm, I couldn't hold my breath anymore after the third question, but luckily Takigawa stopped me mid tracks.
"Hey, slow down, Madoka told me. They're coming back Sunday next week, and answering your question; of course they're opening the office again, or they wouldn't have a reason to come back." He said in a haste tripling my own enthusiasm, even though his the one who told me to calm down. "Madoka, Yasu, John, Masako and I are meeting up at Me Me Meow Cafe at three on Wednesday, we can count on you to be there right?" He was calming down with every second.
"Of course!" My calming down didn't really go as planned, as the glares of the nurses in the hallway were telling me. But before I forget.
"Is Mai coming?" I said almost in a whisper. Ever since the office closed we haven't heard of her. Monk let out a sigh, "No, I couldn't get a hold of her, I tried calling but it doesn't connect. I also went to her apartment, but it seemed she moved out..." He took a tone replicating that of a sad puppy. "Till, Wednesday then, bye." He said, closing the phone just after. I stared at my phone for a second, before walking back to my office.
I was mostly excited for one part. Lin and Naru are coming back for crying out loud. It had been about a year and a half since the office closed down, since Naru and Lin left. Ever since, we didn't have much connection. John went back to Australia for family reasons. Masako became busier with her job, and they called Monk back to Mt. Kouya. Yasu occupied himself with university, and I with the hospital. And just like that one and a half year passed, just like that. Furthermore we couldn't contact Mai.
With a plop I sat down in my chair grabbing the first group photo we made of the whole SPR crew. Naru was standing arms crossed in the middle, Mai and Masako on both sides of him. Lin, Yasu and Monk were behind them, John and Madoka were on Mai's side and I on Masako's side. This sure bought back fun memories. Mai and Masako were arguing over who would stand next to Naru, Naru obviously ignored them. Yasu and Monk were busy laughing them out, and after much fighting we finally managed to snap the photo.
I laughed to myself. Such fun times.
I stretched and yawned, rolling everywhere with my chair. I could feel a grin forming on my face, I was just sooo excited.
Monk's P.O.V
Wednesday 14:56
I walked into the agreed cafe. I looked around for a bit and quickly noticed them. Ayako, Yasu, Madoka, John and Masako were all sitting on a round table in the back. Ayako was the first to notice me when I started to walk over. "Hi." I said.
"You're late." Ayako greeted back in a stern voice. "It's been a while, darling." A smile immediately formed on my face when I turned to look at Yasu. "It has been indeed, my love." Yasu couldn't help but smile when I remembered our old joke, well our two year old joke. "Good to see you again." And Masako couldn't have been more polite, she made a small bow to me, which I answered back with my tiny one. "Nice to see you again, Monk." John said beaming me a smile that was blinding.
"It has been a while indeed, now let's sit down everybody." After we made ourselves comfortable the waiter came to take our orders. Yasu ordered apple juice along with Madoka, Ayako ordered iced tea, both John and Masako took tea and I a simple cup of water.
After talking over various things our orders came. What I couldn't help but notice was that they all changed significantly in either physical appearance or charisma. Ayako cut her hair short, a pixie hair-cut, her hair was still a reddish brown color. She had big hoop earrings, she was wearing a knee length skirt and a tucked in white shirt, she almost looked... young. Masako on the other hand grew her hair out and pulled it into a neat bun, with some decorations around it. She was wearing a kimono as usual, it was black with cherry blossom pattern. John didn't really change his outer appearance, but the air around him became more manly, he also got taller. He still had his wavy blond hair and blue eyes, but he didn't feel like a baby anymore.
The ones who did not change at all, according to me, were Yasu and Madoka. I guess some people change in one and a half year and some don't. "You guys sure changed, I mean on the outside anyway." Madoka said voicing out my thoughts. "Especially Monk." Yasu added right after. I looked at them surprised. "Why?" I murmured, the glass of water at my mouth. "I stayed the same."
"With all that hair and those piercings someone might even mistake you for a woman." Yasu said sarcastically. "And also with those pair of glasses working full time." I almost hit him.
"I wonder if Naru changed." Masako asked blowing softly on her tea. We went quiet for a moment. We really have to wonder. "Maybe he doesn't dress in all black anymore," Ayako joked. "Or he became more friendly." I added. It went quiet again.
"We just have to see this Sunday." Madoka said enthusiastically, we all nodded with small smile on our faces. All that time we spent apart dragged along really slowly but I guess it will end soon.
"But there is a tiny bit of a problem." Madoka said with a serious tone, we all turned to look at her waiting for what the problem could be. "The thing is Lin and Naru don't have a place to stay in Japan yet." She said not letting go of the serious tone, we all leaned back. "I thought it was something more grave." Ayako let out a sigh of disappointment. "I thought that too, I introduced loads of places to him, but Naru has some requirements,"
"And what could those be?" John asked in a low tone, the atmosphere was almost like we were planning some kind of top secret murder plan. "Well, you know..." Madoka began. "A quiet place, big room, cheap, new, close to work, lots of trees, clean wind, no noisy-problematic-irritating people." Madoka said fast with her index finger pointing up. I had to take this moment to myself to sigh, and remembering that's just who he is.
"There's no place that's new and cheap," I murmured. "And there are always those noisy-problematic-irritating people round, that's just way to much requirements." At this statement Madoka pulled a I-told-him-so face before nodding. "What are we going to do then?" Ayako asked also at a loss.
"I think I got a place." Yasu said, all our heads snapped at him. "I don't know about the people and it has quite a history, but besides those it fits." Yasu said giving us a bright smile showing off his knowledge. In the next second Madoka stood up and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you!" She shouted, earning a glance from the few people in the cafe. "No prob." Yasu said awkwardly not knowing what to do with his hands, we laughed at him. "All we have to do is check it out."
A phone started ringing, by where it was coming from it had to be Madoka's. "Excuse me for a moment." She hurried to the woman's bathroom after looking at the caller's ID. We all looked at her fleeing back, after she disappeared in the woman's chamber we just silently waited as we took sips from our drink. Ten seconds later, she rushed out with a worried expression.
"What's wrong?" John asked, asking the question we all had in mind. "They're here. Lin and Naru are here." She quickly put everything in her bag. We all looked at her with confused expressions. "Weren't they due to Sunday." Ayako asked.
"I thought that too, but I guess they wanted to arrive as soon as possible." She took out a 500 yen coin and put it on the table. "He called saying to pick him up ASAP." She pulled her bag over her shoulder.
"Stop staring at me with those faces, you guys aren't coming?" She said already halfway to the door. I took out a 2,000 yen bill out, assuring them that this will be my treat. In the next second we were out. There were only two cars present, mine and Madoka's. John and Ayako were in Madoka's, Yasu and Masako in mine.
Location: Me Me Cafe. Destination: Narita International Airport (NRT for short).
Thank you for reading~ Phew ;P