Another day at Café Mew Mew. The sound of broken dishes chimed within the walls as church bells ring on wedding days, and screams from impatient and frightened customers accompanied this café's typical afternoon soundtrack.
"Where's our iced tea?!"
"We want cookies!"
"EEEEKKKK!"
As much as the customers protested, pleaded, and feared for their lives, things would always remain the same. Customers would scream, Lettuce would come rushing, break a whole bunch of flatware, Pudding would tag right behind her in an attempt to distract the angry customers with her so-called stunts, and Zakuro would stroll by and deliver a piercing glare their way, courtesy of none other than hers truly (and frightfully). If Zakuro's glare didn't do the trick, Ichigo would sweep in and clean up the mess the other Mew Mew's so diligently and routinely made.
That was life at the café. But all that was about to change.
Ryou, head of the Mew Mew Project and manager of the café, was a blunt and sarcastic boy. He wasn't bad-looking, so to say; yet once he opened his mouth whatever physical attributes he had accumulated points for were immediately washed down the drain with his harsh, sarcastic comments and trademark smirk. But if there was one thing for sure, as manager and head of the Mew Mew Project, Ryou was used to being in charge. And Ryou always got his way.
"Why, hello, kitty."
Ichigo spun around, having just taken an order from a customer, only to run headfirst into none other than Ryou himself.
"Out of the way, Ryou. I have orders to put in, and as we both know, if I don't do it, nothing around here will ever get done."
"What's the rush? Lettuce is going to bring it all down to smithereens anyway."
Touché, thought Ichigo. But she wasn't about to let Ryou have his way just yet.
"What do you want? And why are you wasting time with me? Your lover boy Keiichiro is waiting for you in the back room to discuss some new information he acquired on the Mew Aquas. You wouldn't want to leave him waiting, now, would you?"
The girls always teased Ryou about his relationship with Keiichiro, Ichigo especially. Since Ryou had made it a habit to prod into her love life, Ichigo was going to do the same right back at him. Well, since Ryou didn't have much of a love life (or so they thought, because even if he did, there was no way anyone would know or eve find out), the girls went for the next best thing: speculate about it.
This jab at his love life did the trick. A hint of what was perhaps a mix of annoyance and embarrassment lit in the depths of Ryou's eyes, and he briskly grabbed Ichigo's chin between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand and brought it up to his level.
"Now, kitty, you wouldn't want me to give you a time-out, now would you? Because I more than anyone know how much you long to run off into the arms of your precious Prince Charming the minute you get out of here."
Ryou's sarcasm shone right through his self-endowed nickname for Masaya. Not that the two boys didn't like each other, but vying for the affections of the same girl wasn't exactly something one would bond with someone with over a cup of tea.
"Try me. Because I as much as anyone also know that you don't have the guts to do anything to me."
Excellent choice of words, Ichigo. It was Ryou's turn to head in for the kill.
"Oh really? Well then, kitty, I'll see you in my office at 5:00 PM, right after the café closes. And don't be late. Remember, you're not the only kitty around here."
And with that last brisk remark Ryou winked at Ichigo and walked away to the back room.