Miyakozuka Ryo is my favourite character as I think she's a very normal, relatable girl. Sad at the lack of Ryo fic and Otomen fic in general I decided to contribute my sad attempt at fanfiction. I have no idea what Ryo calls Yamato and Kitora so I'm sticking to their surnames here. Advise is greatly appreciated.
Ryo knows she's out of place in that strange little circle that constitutes her closest friends in this school. They're all so much girlier than her, so much more gifted than plain little Ryo. And yet, somehow, beyond all expectations, they've integrated themselves in her life as seamlessly as if they were always there.
Which is why she finds herself at a flower decked beach bar during summer holidays, smiling cheerfully as she serves frappes instead of running laps along the beach with tires tied to her waist. It's much too many flowers than she's used to, and it's more feminine than any place she's ever stepped into, but it's so pretty and they've all worked so hard and she can't help but smile with pride at the table she's made. She can't decorate as skilfully as Kurokawa and she can't cook like Asuka. She doesn't have Juta's charm as a waiter or his artistic skills. The lovely new signboard is proof of that. She certainly can't be the annoying little sibling because that's Ariake's job. So Ryo helps all she can, making a table out of driftwood and an old signboard, washing dishes, waiting tables, cooking badly burned soba and doing any little odd job here and there. She doesn't have any talents that are useful beyond carpentry, fighting and being obliviously patient and cheerful, not like the boys, but that's all right. She'll work hard so they won't think she's a nuisance.
Ryo loves them for what they are. She's stayed in too many places and met too many people to be surprised by much, been uprooted too many times to push away anyone who'd befriend her. She's aware that she isn't the most observant person around but she figures that it's alright too. She's happy and her friends are having fun, letting their true selves show and being more relaxed and at ease than they usually are at school. Ryo smiles at the sun shining through the hanging flowers.
Ryo wonders when they'll realise that it's so much easier to be just themselves; to just be Asuka, Juta, Kurokawa and Ariake. She fought that battle long ago and now, now she's fine with being boyish, uncute Miyakozuka Ryou. It doesn't matter that she doesn't take an interest in certain things, isn't good at what others expect her to be good in. She can learn and she can choose when to learn. She's got her whole life in front of her.
Miyakozuka Ryo is a tomboy, a sore thumb in the midst of a group of otomen, each one with more talent than she'll ever hope to have in "womanly" hobbies. But that doesn't matter to her and she's content to be who she is. As she smiles and serves customers, wiping tables and clearing dishes, sun burning brightly above, she wishes with an optimism rivalling the brightest star that her friends will finally have it beaten into their thick skulls that its really, really alright to be who you are.
