The next day after school Irini, Yuki, Suzu, and Annabelle went to the little shop in town and found themselves staring at the dark shop. For Irini and Annabelle again hoping what they heard was something good and not bad.

"About time you showed up," Eka said behind them nearly scaring them to death, "I went to go get us some snacks since you lot were taking forever."

"We're sorry," the four said in unison letting Eka unlock the door. They stared as she turned on the lights to revel that it looked like a small sit down bistro style restarunt. They hurred in as Eka locked the doors and put up 'closed' signs and 'comming soon' signs up on the doors and windows making sure that nobody came in to hear their conversations. Eka turned around and places her hands on her hips, "now that we're all here let's get down to business."

"I couldn't agree more Eka," the girls tunred around and saw Hikaru in casual clothes instead of his school uniform. He mentioned for them to go into the backroom of the store where a huge kitchen sttod and a couple of back rooms where a single computer and flat screen tv upon the wall was on one of the side walls of this back office. The computer was directly below the tv and sat on a wood table sitting behind the door of the offce, and on the other walls wre nothing but files and books on a metal table. The girls had to stand behind Shino, while he was busy typing something down Eka and Hikaru moved in and closed the door.

Shino finally looked up and stared explaining as best as he could to the girls, "the day before yesterday Annabelle and Irini walked in on our conversation by accident. We didn't mean to scare the two of you it's just that you startled us and so we began our experiment sooner than expected. We ment for this to be a gift not a curse upon you girls, because we know how badly your families have treated you in the past, so we ment for this to help make things better or a place where you can go to get away from your life if you choose to do so."

He paused for a second letting everything sink in slowly for a easier process, "we will give each of you a key so you can run away to here if there's not another place to go for comfort. Your parents might not let you visit the other girl's house without good reason but you are welcome here. Just call us and we'll meet you here, whichever one of us is ready at the moment we will meet up and comfort you as best as we can."

Hikaru chimed in, "just try not to make it a habit, remember we have lives as well and dropping our plans is kinda hard for us. Just call us whenever you want, but if we don't pick up then leave a voicemail and where you are going to be in case you just wanna talk in a park or something."

The girls looked at each other then at Hikaru with big round eyes sayinng in unison thank you for everything. The girls hugged each other then a group hug on Shino, then Eka, and finally Hikaru last and longest. "We can't thank you enough for this support," Suzu said jumping up and down, "how did you know that this is what we need?" Hikaru rubbed the back of his head then pointed towards the computer, "it was easy because each of your families run close to that of my dad's office so all I need to do is type in for files and there they are. I did background checks before I picked you thinking that you wouldn't abondon me for what I'm going to ask you to do." Yuki threw her hands in the air, "I knew it! I just knew it!"

"But I wouldn't ask all that much it's just two tasks that's it," he said, "it's to work part-time here to get some cash and to hunt these bad guys for me, that's all I expect of you."

They stared him down until Eka chimed in saving his hide, "what my brother means to say is that there's something going on that's not being told to us by our parents and we want to find out. So we need your help in order to do that, that's if you are willing to stay to help." They looked at each other, then turned around to Shino and asked him in unison, "if we don't help can we still come here for support?"

An anime drop fell down his head, "of course not girls, it's a win win for us. We think instead of having to do all that boring junk all day we could do something that we liked to do and that's cook. Eka is training to be a world class cheif and I'm already got several degrees in cooking all types of food as well as backing, so all we needed was the accountant, which is Hikaru, and the servers which is you girls. So please help us or we can't help you at all."


Irini was admaring her bracelet before she had to take it off. She was walking with Annabelle to their house where their mother was waiting for them. "Hey Anna, do you think step-mother would buy that we have jobs or not the slightest chance?" Annabelle was taking hers off and stook it in her pocket, "yeah she would, as long as we don't bother her as she prepares for the party."

"Well what about the schedule she wants us to keep, like cooking and cleaning?"

Annabelle put a finger to her chin, "I suppose that we get home in time for dinner we're good. But all of them will be fasting for the party to fit into smaller sizes but it wouldn't matter by how big they are anyways."

Irini shook her head, "but we still get in trouble unless Hikarudecides he's going to say something."

"He probally already has decided to do just that," Annabelle said moving her backpack around, "it seems as if he's three steps ahead of us."

"I hope you're right." They walked into their house and locked the doors.


Souran, the step-mother looked down at her meal with discomfort, "I told you we need to loose weight not gain it. For heavens sakes girls can't you understand anything I say?"

"Yes step-mother," Irini said taking her plate of salad away when the doorbell rang, "I'll go get it step-mother stay in your seats."

Irini raced towards the door, opened it up and saw Hikaru dressed up very nicely. He walked in as he spoke, "this is me taking care of you Irini, don't worry about your family. Here," he said giving something to her in a plastic bag bound by a rubber band, "that's for you and Anna, take care of it for me." He walked into the dining room and spoke wonderfully as Irini mentioned for Annabelle to come close as she opened it. The plastic came off and there was a beautiful egg shaped urn with a golden base and jewels all over it. It was blue with diamonds, emeralds, rubys, topaz, and amethest gems all over with such wounderfully crafted and carved gold handles, top and base it looked as if it would break. "Let's go hide it in our room," Annabelle said pulling Irini by the arm up to their room in the attic. They opened the door and found a place by the window and placed it on the windowsell where it looked out of place by the old stuffed animals and a small jewely box.

"Are you sure Souran won't see it? When she comes in I mean?"

"Oh Irini you worry too much, mother never comes in here for anything," Annabelle said trying to comfort her.

"Well yes, but I still don't like it."

The girls ran back down seeing Hikaru charming Souran and Josie. Daren just stared at him with disconcered eyes until he waved the girls by his side, "what do think he's trying to pull here?" The girls looked confused until he noticed, "he's only popular by his good looks but I know him to be a playboy and a smooth talker because of how charming he could be. So what is he trying to do?" Irini looked at Annabelle then told Daren, "me and Anna are going to go work at his new shop and so he's trying to talk step-mother into letting us go." Daren looked at Annabelle then back to Irini, "mom would probally let you go but she doesn't need a small talker say so. If I'm understanding then she would be too."

"But he needs us to sound very damanding of our hard work because he plans to open up some kind of bistro style resturant," Annabelle chimed in. "Well still all he's got to do is tell you two, tell mom that he said so, and she'll let you. Mom wants him to come over because Josie is interested in his power to become the next mayor."

The girls looked at each other then thought of something different, "money."


Annabelle and Irini were walking to class when Suzu and Yuki came right up to them with excitement, "we heard that Hikaru went to your house to talk to your mother too." Annabelle and Irini were confused then Yuki spoke, "he came to our houses and talked it over with our parents before he went over to your house last. I heard that Joise nearly kissed him." Suzu waved her hands, "but I heard he nearly got down on his knees for her." Annabelle started to laugh while Irini set the record straight, "it's just Josie making things up to get her more spotlight. He dropped his plate on purpose so he could win over Souran's approval. You know that 'I'll take very good care of your daughter' kind of guy?" Yuki and Suzu nodded thier heads, "yeah that sounds about right to me."

Suzu and Annabelle walked one way as Yuki and Irini walked another bumping into Hikaru. "So how'd I do last night?" They cocked their heads asking themselves if he really said that. He winked as he walked away holding his books above his shoulder, "if I was interested in Josie then I have her in my palm."

Irini dropped her jaw when he heard that and everyone else that was around stopped to stare at him as he walked down the hall to his classroom as everyone scrambled to get to class passing around what he said all the way back to Josie who threw a temper-tantrum. So when class finally let out for lunch Josie and her gang found Irini and forced her into the bathroom. "So what is this thing that I heard saying that Hikaru talks to you about him not likeing me?"

"If I knew what he was thinking I'd stay far, far ,far away from him."

"But that doesn't give you the right to change his mind Cinderella. You won't have a happily ever after!" Josie yelled at the top of her lungs before she took hold of Irini's neck and nearly strangled her to death when one of her groupies warned her a teacher was comming. Josie let go as Irini gasped for air, "just remember my warning before you dicide to call upon your fairy god-mother," she said then walked out leaving Irini on the ground. Yuki, Suzu, and Annabelle came in and saw the fingerprints around her neck and told that teacher that was talking to Joise and her group. But Annabelle noticed Josie's death glare then figured she had it comming later at home.

When school let out Hikaru was talking to Eka at the front gate. The girls got so far until Josie pushed Irini down and went right up to Hikaru. "So what do you mean by 'you don't like me'? What does that mean?" Hikaru un leaned against the gate and slowly walked over to help Irini up, "it means, Josie, that I want you to be nicer to your sisters then maybe I'll like you more. But as long as you treat them like trash and they tell me that you still treat them like that, or any other way, then I will not like you."

Joise gripped her fists tight by her side, "then you should hear them at hom how they complain about everything so mother treats them like that too."

"I don't mean your mother Josie I mean you, if you want me to like you, or anyone else then I want someone who will another with compassion and love equal for anyone they meet. For that time being you or not that girl."

Annabelle tried holding back a laugh as Josie stared at Irini then turned on her heel and walked away. Eka walked over to the group and smirked, "ouch that should hurt for a while." Annabelle finally let her laugh out, "but she' gonna make us pay for it at home tonight."

Hikaru looked down at Irini holding her neck slightly and noticed her bruse, "did she do that?" Irini looked up surprzed then guilted her eyes, "yeah she did and with both hands too." He sighed then patted her on the shoulder, "don't worry I'll talk to Souran when you two walk home. I promise," he said smileing at her. Irini's stomach started feeling a little funny but she quickly dismissed it as if it was nothing too serious.


They arrived at the cafe with still closed doors until Shino opened up the doors to let them in, "we have a wonderful surprize for you girls today." As they walked in they saw a bunch of boxes on some of the tables until Eka opened one of them, then another, then another until she pulled out a uniform. "There they are! There's one for each of you too!" The girls looked in and saw what Eka pulled out was the same as the others. A white uniform with black ribbons and black strips.

"What are these uniforms for," Yuki asked pulling one out. Hikaru laughed at that comment before he coughed a little then spoke, "you wear them for when you come here to work. All the unifroms are the same white with black, so there's no, 'she is wearing something prettier' or anything else like that. Each one should fit just right, it's a 'one-size-fits-all' kind of thing that we ordered from."


When we are thinking about the uniforms think the tokyo mew mew/mew mew power cafe uniforms only all white with black lines and ribbons.