One year after graduation-
It was a cold December night in Paris. Ryo was preparing to close the doors to White Rabbit Cafe, the restaurant owned and operated by himself, Alice, and Akira. The project had been Alice's dream. And with her parents' wealth, it became a reality.
The trio was ready to head home for the night, but they had one last customer.
A girl walked in. She was tall and elegant, with long hair the color of snow. "Mrs. Nakiri?" Ryo said, initially. From the back, she did slightly resemble Alice's mother.
The girl didn't answer. Her face was lowered, her eyes hidden behind large designer sunglasses. Her shivering hands were covered in gloves. "Are you closed?" she asked, her accent British. "I could come back. Tell Alice I'm sorry, traffic was really bad... I'm sorry." Clearly flustered, she turned to leave. Her face, still not visible.
"Wait!" Ryo cried. "What's your name?"
The girl removed her scarf revealing her face; her high cheekbones, skin the color of caramel, paired with her light hair. "My name is Eve Neelam Chhillar."
Ryo covered his mouth with his hand. The girl was a spitting image of Akira. "You said you're here to see Alice?"
"I made contact with her, about..."
"Akira Hayama?" he asked.
The girl nodded. "My younger brother."
Ryo was speechless, so he asked the first question that came to mind. "What's his real name?"
"Matthew Leati Chhillar," she said, taking a seat. She pulled out a massive file, opening it to a series of papers.
Ryo's mouth dropped open, as he picked up a single photo; a baby with dark skin, light hair and green eyes. "Alice! Akira! Get down here!" Ryo looked up to see Akira had been watching from the balcony the entire time, possibly too afraid to come forward. He held the picture up, opposite Akira's face. There was no doubt in his mind, the child was Akira.
Alice emerged from the kitchen, "Eve! Oh my God! You made it!" she shrieked happily. She looked up at Akira, their eyes meeting. "Kira, baby, come down here!"
Akira now had no choice. He made his way to the dining room where Ryo, Alice and the mysterious Eve overlooked a folder that appeared to hold the answers to life itself. Eve stood up, facing him. "You're taller then I imagined."
Akira said nothing.
"Your friend Alice contacted me through an organization for missing children. Thousands of children go missing every year in India, but only a few with eyes the color of fresh mint with a hint of lime." The girl opened her eyes, the green light green perfectly matching Akira's. "Do you want to sit down?"
"No, I don't," Akira replied.
"Akira?" Ryo glared, "Did you see the photo? She's the real deal."
"So what? You have a shot of a baby with my hair and green eyes!" Akira slammed the file to the floor. But as he did a different photo fell out; an Indian woman with green eyes and the most beautiful smile. "Mom..."
Ryo picked up the photo, making sure to return it to the folder. "Calm down, man."
Akira shook his head as he turned to Alice. "Alice, be straight with me; did you find her or did she find you?"
Ryo knew what he was implying, that Eve was some kind of scam artist.
"Eve reached out to me," Alice responded. "Eve lives in London. After your grandmother died she started a foundation to try to find you and other missing children. She spent her life devoted to cases that have gone cold after decades. "
That caused Akira to become enraged all over again. "So, Eve, you started to search after nineteen years? What happened in between then and now?"
"Matthew..." Eve innocently reached out her hand.
"Akira! My name is Akira!"
Eve nodded. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." She took out a small box from her purse placing it on a table. "Father would have wanted you to have that." She wiped tears from her eyes as she disappeared out the door.
"Really?" Alice shot Akira a glare before going after Eve.
Ryo shook his head. "You were kind of a dick, Akira."
"You don't get to talk," Akira muttered as he took a seat.
"Why, because I knew my parents? I knew that they died. Does that make my life any less tragic?"
"So you would be fine if some stranger came in here claiming to be your long lost sister?"
"I would at least let her speak! Why did she find you after nineteen years? I'm pretty sure she had an answer to that question! If YOU had not caused her to run away in tears!"
Akira was about to speak but he caught himself. "I'm sorry," he said as he picked up the box. "I don't know what she or Alice expects from me." Inside the box was a small charm, it appeared to be a piece of sanded wood with a glass a vial embedded.
Ryo picked it up. He had never seen anything quite like it. "That smells like lemon- no cumin and cardamom."
"It smells like my mother," Akria said, taking another look at the folder.
Ryo was amazed by just how much Akira seemed to remember about the mother who abandoned him as an infant."Akira, do you remember anything about that day?"
"What day?"
"The last time you saw your mother?"
Akira slammed the folder shut. "I just want to go to bed."
"Ok," Ryo said with a shrug. "You can head back to the apartment, I'll wait for Alice."
The trio lived in an apartment adjacent to the Café. Alice and Akira shared a bed while Ryo slept on the sofa. He was ok with the situation. After the events of year one, at the academy, when they all had to stand united against Central, he remembered how shy and afraid Akira was. Especially after actually signing with Central to avoid losing what he considered to be HIS research facility. (Not his mentor Jun's facility, Akira's facility.)
Fifteen-year-old Akira was a dick, but Alice took it upon herself to be there for him. She visited him, just to hang out (much to Akira's annoyance.) During their second year, Ryo started to suggest she visit him alone, just so things would not be as awkward.
Alice genuinely wanted to be Akira's friend and even Ryo could see he needed a friend. The two grew close. Now at nineteen years old Akira was the man Alice had chosen to love. And Ryo was happy for her.
Alice came back shortly after Akira left. "Where did Kira go?"
"Back to the apartment," Ryo replied. "Where did Eve go?"
"To her hotel. In theory, she could turn her car around and go back to London, but I convinced her to stay. I mean really, it's just the shock, right?"
"Akira's behavior? Yeah, we can chalk it up to being shocked. You're his girlfriend, you know him better than anyone."