Kitchen
A/N: The original story, 'Kitchen', by 'Banana Yoshimoto', most of the characters belongs to Takeshi Konomi, the creator of 'Prince of Tennis'. I reserve the rights to Reena Yuki, her family, etc!! Ryoma can be OOC! Ryoma is a freshman in high school, Yr 10, in Seishun Gakuen. Reena is in the same year and class as him.
Chapter 1:An Unexpected Visit
It was a warm Sunday afternoon and I was multitasking; trying to sort out my musical notes, because I was a singer/musician, and looking through a list of vacant apartments.
Moving took a lot of energy and time, and considering I woke up about an hour ago, this wouldn't be easy.
Ding Dong!
I was still in my sleepwear and I hadn't brushed my hair yet. Snapping out of my thoughts I rushed to the door, undid the latch and opened the door…and standing there was him…Ryoma Echizen, our school's tennis prodigy.
"Uh…Hi, thanks for your help the other day." I said. My face indicating the words 'rather-surprised' would've been an understatement.
"Iie, betsuni…" Came his reply, he seemed distracted.
Looking at a bush that wasn't supposed to be there, I heard a rustling noise come out of it.
"I think there's something in that bush…" I said pointing to it. "I'll get a chase it, or what ever it is, out of there."
"Don't be so hasty!" Two people said from inside the bush. Ryoma's eyebrow was twitching an awful lot; it seems he knew exactly who was there.
Grabbing a coat, because I was in my pyjamas (I don't wear lingerie), I walked over to the bush. I could hear Ryoma sigh he before went to the bush.
"Oyaji, Ryoga, if you were coming, why did you ask me to ask?" Ryoma said. A frown was plastered on his face.
"Ask what? I AM here you know. This better be good, or I'm going inside." I said annoyed.
Suddenly two people jumped out of the bush. There was a man in about his late 30's and someone who looked like an older version of Ryoma.
The older of the two had dark brown hair and was wearing a muddy-brown kimono that revealed his, hairy, chest and wearing a bandana to probably make him look incognito, though it didn't work. The other had dark emerald hair, quite like Ryoma's, and was wearing one of your everyday track-suit.
"If you must know," the Ryoma look-alike, who was probably 'Ryoga', started, dusting dirt from his trousers, his eyes closed. "We came to ask you to stay over at our residence for…"
"For as long as you want!" the man, who I guessed was Ryoma's 'oyaji', exclaimed cheerfully, waving his arm in the air.
"Why in the world should I do that? I hardly know you. Who are you, anyway?" I answered, eying the man from head to toe.
"My name is Nanjiroh Echizen and I'm the father of that guy over there." He said, pointing to Ryoma. "And that guy over there (points at the Ryoma look-alike) is, Ryoga Echizen, my adopted son.
"Waste of time, I'm going back inside, don't follow me in or I'll phone the police, harasser!"
"Eh?! Hime-chan! You're mean!"
"And you're a man that acts like he's still a teenager and is probably a pervert (Ryoga snickered at this comment) too." I said as I walking to the door.
"How about his, if he annoys you, you can hit him on the head with a frying. How about it? Deal?" Ryoga asked.
"Hmm…Hard to pass…" I mumbled, by now I was at the door.
"You won't have to pay rent, just cook." Ryoma said. Judging from the look on his face, he was probably wondering what he did to deserve to have such an annoying father.
"Ok…deal…I'll get changed, wait for me here."
"Hai! Hime!" Nanjiroh said enthusiastically, once again, raising his hand in the air.
"Stop it, I'm not a princess, and I'm only coming because I need a place to stay."
"Understandable…" Ryoma said, messaging his temples.
"Hurry!" Ryoga yelled.
I stepped inside my apartment and got changed into a simple mint-blue tee-shirt and a pair of ¾ jeans. I wonder if I'll actually be able to hit him with a frying pan. I thought while getting changed. I hope I do.
Once I got changed, I grabbed a backpack and stuffed some garments, my school uniform and some other things like a toothbrush, toothpaste, etc… By the time I finished, the whole back pack was full.
Carrying my things, I made sure all the lights were off, made sure a few things were in order and then walked out the door and locked it.
"That took a long time!" Ryoga and Nanjiroh exclaimed while waving their arms.
Are they really related Ryoma? I asked myself. "Come on, I don't have all day!" I said, my hands on my hips. "Come on! Or I'll have to reconsider."
"Yes." The trio said in unison.
With them three leading the way, I felt somewhat…anxious. It was the first time I went to someone else's house, aside from my best friend's, Yuzuki Akatsuki, house.
I was too deep in my thoughts that I failed to notice that we were at their house, causing me to bump into Ryoga.
"Ow…That hurt…" I said rubbing my forehead, which was what hit his back.
"Welcome to the Echizen Residence." Nanjiroh, Ryoma and Ryoga exclaimed…well two out of the three shouted, the other just talked in normal speech.
I sweat-dropped at their antics…Which reminded me, why isn't Ryoma's mother living here? Or was she out working abroad? I decided that it was better to ask (it took 5 seconds to decide whether or not to ask).
"Hey, where is your mother, Ryoma?" I asked, nonchalantly, while they took me inside the two-story building.
"My mother…died in a car accident a few months before I turned 10." Ryoma stated. His voice was devoid of any emotion.
"Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't know." I apologised. I knew how it felt to lose someone as important as a mother. Heck I was the only one in my family tree!
"Iie, betsuni." He said, walking to, where I thought was, his room.
Taking my shoes off and placing them in a corner, I asked where the kitchen was.
"Just down the hall to the right." Nanjiroh said.
Following his directions, I found that the kitchen was mess…I sweat-dropped. "My work is cut out for me." I grumbled. There were 4 bags of rubbish, luckily they were all tied, several food scraps and some other unidentified-smelling-objects.
"Sorry about its condition…we sort of don't cook." Ryoga said, rubbing his hand on the back of his head.
"Obviously…" I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes in the process. "I'll start cleaning…" Hastily getting a broom, from who knows where, and stuffed it in a corner, to be used later.
I took out some gloves that Ryoga had left on the table (they were disposable gloves) taking use of my hands, I started cleaning up the whole place…
To Be Continued!
A/N: It's longer…and maybe a bit better…I'm slowly finishing a chapter per day! Stay tuned for the next edited chapter!
ReenaYuki-hime