A/N: So I finally got to write this! It's not exactly what I would like to be, but I figure I'll be able to continue Mixed Up Worlds through this. I don't exactly know how many chapters this one will be, but I will try my best to finish up the plot before I end this story. I kind of wonder how this will be received by those who liked Mixed Up Worlds. I haven't done Yu Yu Hakusho in such a long time, so I'm sorry if anything seems a little…off.
Well, without further ado, the sequel to Mixed Up Worlds: In My Eyes!
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Emerald green eyes opened to a still rising sun peeking through the shabby white curtains. A yawn rose from the girl's mouth and she sat up, rubbing away the sleep. She groaned as she stretched her back and neck. Her apartment's bed might as well be made of wood; it would probably be more comfortable. She ran her slender hand through her black hair which went down to the bottom of her ears. Reaching for her cell phone on the nearby table, she checked the time. 6:15. Half an hour till she would have to leave for work.
The girl peeked out the window. Her apartment had a fabulous view of the bustling city streets in the day and the calm hours of the night. So her room-no, the entire building-was in poor shape, with dirty carpets, peeling paint on the walls, cramped living quarters and only one bathroom for all attendants and employees to share. She didn't really mind all that much; it was a place to live until she could make enough money to move out. If she thought of it that way, her next thought would be that she was going to be trapped in this wretched place for all eternity. She worked from 7 in the morning to 8 at night for 615 yen (about $5 in America) an hour. It wasn't much, but she took it anyways. The money that she had originally was nearly gone, not that it was much in the first place.
With a sigh, she stood up and grabbed a large grey t-shirt and baggy black cargos, along with a towel. The girl walked fast, hoping there would be no line again. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she stepped into the bathroom.
The rest of the time, between when she finished her shower to when she stepped out of the building, was the same as every morning. Her breakfast was small as always and many of the other residents paid her no attention. Only a few acknowledged her, to whom she would usually nod.
The girl took a deep breath of the crisp morning air; it had been raining last night, she observed from the still damp streets. Her hands weaved their way into her sweatshirt pocket; her cell phone, her keys and a small bit of money were accounted for. The hood came up, hiding her face. She made her way down the streets, expertly sliding through the morning crowd.
Before long, she reached work. All the lights but one were still off, yet she could see the people and their movements inside. She rapped twice on the door. A figure got up and opened the door.
"Morning, Kyoko," greeted the woman cheerfully. The girl nodded and made her way inside.
"Always bright and early, hm, Kyoko?" asked the man smoking behind the counter, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He smiled and snuffed out his cigarette, nodding at the clock that read 7, the time the restaurant opened.
"What can I say? The early bird gets the worm, Torren," calmly replied Kyoko. She slipped into the backroom as Torren and Kira, the woman who had let her in, laughed and settled back into their previous conversation.
Grabbing her waitress uniform from a locker, Kyoko slipped into the bathroom to change. Discarding her sweatshirt, t-shirt and cargos, she pulled on the red and gold striped skirt and buttoned the matching blouse. A small white apron tied around the waist with a front pocket completed the ensemble. Grabbing her other outfit, she exited the bathroom and stuffed them into her locker.
"I never get tired of seeing you enter the front door with cargos and seeing you come out the back room with a skirt," commented Torren, like he did every day.
"Tch, I bet you never get tired of any girl doing that," rebuked Kyoko, grabbing a pen and a pad of order forms off the counter. Kira unsuccessfully hid a giggle as she switched the front sign to OPEN.
Like every day, the morning was slow, with only a few customers here and there. Torren, the chef and the owner, spent most of his time lounging around the counter. He was in his mid-30s, heavily built with tan skin and black hair that flopped into his brown eyes. Numerous scars ran up his arms and there was a gash on his left cheek, poorly sewed up, from his days in the military. He was very laid back and sarcastic, able to laugh off most things.
Kira, in her early 20s, was the other waitress. She had dyed bright blue hair down to her chin and laughing sapphire blue eyes. She was slender with pale skin, a model in her teen days. Even after giving up her career, she was still the same happy-go-lucky, fun-loving person.
Kyoko flopped down in an empty booth. The last morning customer had left, being 9 already, and the restaurant would be empty until the lunch rush. She brushed the stray hairs out of her face and yawned.
"Don't be falling asleep on the job now, or I won't be able to pay you today," Torren immediately joked.
"Oh, don't worry, Torren. With you in the room, I wouldn't be able to sleep if I tried," returned Kyoko dryly, sitting down in a booth and propping her feet on the table.
"She's right, you know," Kira put in, finishing wiping a table. She walked by with the towel and snapped it on Kyoko's legs. "Feet down." Kyoko rolled her eyes and tucked them underneath the table. Kira leaned over and wiped it down.
"Whatever, Kira. Kyoko, can you work late tonight?"
"How come you never ask me to work late? I could use extra cash too, you know," Kira mock-pouted.
"Uh, sure, I guess. Why?" Kyoko asked. Torren never asked anyone to work late.
"I fell behind calculating tabs last night and-"
"So you fell asleep?" Kira interjected.
"And I need help catching up," finished Torren, giving Kira a look. She smiled innocently and went to wash the dishes.
Kyoko laughed. "Sure, I'll stay. What're you paying me for overtime?" she asked sweetly.
"Aren't you a big old bucket of sugar?" Torren rolled his eyes. "246 yen (about $2 in America) for every hour you stay."
"553 ($4.50)."
"430 ($3.50)."
"Good enough," the girl shrugged, knowing that she wouldn't be able to go any higher.
Torren shook his head. "You love to bleed me dry, huh?"
"Yeah, and I'll spend the entire night just pouring over every single number," Kyoko emphasized, tucking a few more stray strands of hair away.
"On a second thought, maybe I will hire Kira," Torren answered.
Kira's head popped out of the kitchen. "Oh, will you? Good, I was wondering how I was going to get the money to pay my overdue rent. Let's see, 430 yen an hour, so that means…I have make the job stretch for 15 hours at least…Then there's the cost of the party I had last week…"
Torren groaned. "Kira, you're fired. Kyoko, you're rehired."
Kyoko smirked. "Sorry, rehiring fee just went up to 553 yen."
Torren looked at her. "430 yen." His voice dropped dangerously.
"Fine, fine," Kyoko rolled her eyes as Kira went back into the kitchen. Torren grunted before turning back to the newspaper. The teen closed her emerald green eyes, relaxing her muscles as she snuggled into the booth.
"No sleeping," Torren called, not even straying away from the paper.
"I'm not! It's called relaxing," Kyoko called back.
"No relaxing," he replied. Kyoko scowled and sat up.
"What am I supposed do then? There are no customers anyway!"
"You could start on those tabs you said you'd help with."
"And waste the chance for more money? No thanks, Torren," Kyoko smiled. Kira's hearty laugh was heard from inside the kitchen.
"Why don't you come help me with these dishes?" The waitress asked, her head popping out from the back.
"Now that, I will do since I don't get extra for that," Kyoko answered, standing up. Torren shook his head, as if to ask himself why he had hired the two girls.
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"I'm telling you, this place has great food!" A black haired teen boy yelled, waving a piece of paper in the air.
"And I'm telling you that this place has even better food!" The orange-haired boy hollered back, shoving another piece of paper into the first boy's face.
The surrounding students looked on, ignoring the argument. It was normal for the two to fight anyways; they were the two feared bullies of the school and rivals.
"Aw, I've been to this place! Their food sucks!" The first boy yelled, crumpling up the orange-haired boy's paper and throwing it behind him.
"And I've been to the place you're talking about! It's crap!" The second yelled, turning red.
"You haven't been here! The only place you eat out at is that dump you're trying to make us go to!" The black-haired boy protested, indicating the crumpled paper behind him.
"How would you know?"
"Cuz this place opened like two weeks ago and since then you've been raving about how good that place's food it!"
"Both of you, shut it." The two boys stopped arguing to turn towards the one who had spoken up.
"You know, you could just janken," a redhead suggested, not looking up from his textbook.
"Fine," the two huffed.
"Jan…ken…Po!" They shot.
"Yes! I win! C'mon boys, we're going to lunch!" The black-haired boy yelled triumphantly, holding up his fist.
"Coming, coming," the redhead called nonchalantly, shutting his book. The one who had stopped the argument scowled and reluctantly trailed them.
"…Stupid scissors," mumbled the carrot top as he brought up the rear.
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"Welcome! Pick out any table you like!" Kira called as the bell sounded, signaling another customer. The lunch rush had commenced and the restaurant was buzzing with business.
"Your food will be right out," Kyoko told the table as she finished jotting down the order. She swerved through the tables and people to the kitchen and clipped the paper with the rest of them for Torren.
"Kyoko, take that food over there to Table 2," the chef hollered over the noise.
"Sure," the girl responded, grabbing the food off the counter.
"Excuse me, miss? Could I have a refill please?" A man called out.
"Of course. One moment, please," Kyoko answered, setting the food down at Table 2. "Here's your order. Enjoy!" The people smiled and nodded and Kyoko reached for the water. "Here you are, sir," she said, filling the glass.
"Thank you," he answered, nodding his head.
"My pleasure," Kyoko responded, moving on to the next glass.
"Kyoko, will you clean Table 7?" Kira asked as she passed by with an order slip. "I'll take care of the water. Leave the pitcher on the counter."
"Mm-kay," Kyoko answered, putting the water down. She grabbed a tray and started to load trash and dirty dishes on.
"The other two girls just had to be sick and be on vacation," she muttered under her breath as she dumped the dishes in the sink. Putting the tray away, she grabbed a rag, wetted it, and proceeded with wiping the table down.
"Welcome! Pick out any table you like!" Kira called from the table she was refilling glasses at.
"Man, it's crowded. There's nowhere to sit!" A male voice complained.
"You can sit here," Kyoko called, giving the table a final wipe. Four boys made their way over and sat down as Kyoko turned and left to get menus and water.
"Man, Urameshi, you sure know how to pick a place. This place is noisier than the teachers when they're yelling at us for getting into another fight," Kuwabara complained, shaking his head.
"Shut up, dope. It's the lunch rush, what do you expect?" Yusuke retorted, settling into his seat.
"Here are your menus and your water. We'll come back to get your order in a minute," Kyoko recited the usual as she placed everything on the table and left.
"…Doesn't she seem…familiar?" Kurama asked, staring at the retreating back.
"Huh?" Yusuke looked up from the menu. "Oh…I think she's new. I haven't seen her before. I'll see when she comes back to take our order," he dismissed, returning to the food.
"…Yeah," Kuruma answered uncertainly, taking a look at his own menu.
"Kyoko, will you take this out to Table 9?" Torren called, shoving the food into the teen's arms.
"Oh, of course, Torren. I mean, I wouldn't dream of saying yes unless you shoved hot steaming food in my arms," the girl returned sarcastically, leaving the kitchen.
"Just don't spit on it," was the response.
"Don't give her ideas," Kira warned as she walked in to refill the water pitcher. "While you're there, mind cleaning Table 10?"
"Sure, whatever," Kyoko answered tiredly, grabbing a wet rag on her way out.
"Here's your order. Enjoy!" Kyoko recited as she placed the food down on the table.
"Oh, there she is," Kurama pointed. The other three turned their heads in time to hear Kira's "May I take your order?"
"Hey, Kira!" Yusuke greeted with a big smile.
"Yusuke! I was wondering when you'd show up," Kira laughed. "Who are your friends?"
"Well, the one next to me is Hiei, the redhead across from him is Kurama and the carrot top across from me is Kuwabara."
"Nice to meet you all. Have you decided on your orders yet?"
As the conversation carried on, Kyoko finished cleaning, dropping the dishes in the sink. "Kyoko, Table 13!" Torren called.
"Yeah, yeah," she answered, picking up the food.
"By the way, who's the new girl?" Yusuke asked as Kira finished writing down their orders.
"Hm?" Kira looked over in the direction Yusuke was pointing to see Kyoko's back. "Oh, Kyoko? Yeah, we hired her when Yumi moved to America with her parents. She's a good worker, that girl, and she's handling business smoothly. Especially when there's only been two of us for a week or so. I'll introduce you when she's not busy, if you want."
"Alright then. Thanks, Kira!" Yusuke shot another big smile. Kira nodded and walked toward the kitchen to deliver the order slip.
"You two sure are chummy," Kuwabara mentioned, a teasing tone in voice.
"Can it, Kuwabara. I met her through Keiko in the first place," the Spirit Detective shot back, scratching his nose.
Kurama shook his head and opened his textbook as the two continued with their "discussion". He had more things to worry about, like his big exam at the end of the week.
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"Kyoko, take this out to Table 7 please," Kira half-asked as she rushed by to answer the phone.
"Yeah, whatever," Kyoko muttered as the food was shoved in her face. "Order up! Enjoy your food!" She recited for, quite literally, the hundredth time that day as she slid the tray onto their table.
"About time!" Kuwabara exclaimed, grabbing his order and burying his face in it.
"Thank you, mi-," Kurama stopped short, staring at the girl.
Hiei raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well, well, look who we have here."
"Who?" Yusuke, who had been smacking Kuwabara for eating the wrong order, turned, only to be stunned by what he saw.
"Whaz wif you?" Kuwabara asked, his mouth full. He turned to see what the others saw. His eyes bulged and he nearly choked on his food.
"…Can I help you?" Kyoko asked nervously. There were four pairs of eyes staring at her uncomfortably and she was getting freaked out.
"Ch…chi…" Yusuke stuttered, standing up. His face held a number of emotions as what he saw finally processed.
"Chikara?" Kurama finished for the Spirit Detective.
An unsettling silence settled around Table 7, despite the noise everywhere else in the restaurant, and the name was in the center of it.
"It is you. Oh my God," Yusuke breathed, unable to move. "It's you, Chikara."
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A/N: Ta…da? –sweat drop- Eh heh, yeah. Nothing to finish up summer vacation like a new published story. With that said, I'll be slow on putting out new chapters because school just started. I'd much rather write than do homework though. And…in regard to how I closed this chapter, don't over think it! Or…under think it? What I mean, is this isn't going to go in the direction most of you are probably going to think. I'll leave it at that so I don't deprive the chapters of their work. Haha.