Disclaimer: I do NOT own Tokyo Mew Mew, nor any of the characters in the series.
Like promised, I showed up to my new job at Café Mew after practice at four. I changed out of my uniform and into a sleeveless white collared shirt with a maroon tie, a pair of dark, loose fitting pants, and a long black apron. There was no way that I would wear a maid outfit and I knew that Keiichiro would not argue.
The girls greeted me and reintroduced themselves. This time, I made an effort to remember their names. I hand not promised anything about being a Mew, but I didn't intend to. With track season coming up, I would barely have enough time to work. Why would I want to add super heroing to my list of things to do?
Mint invited me to have tea with her and Zakura, but I declined and decided to clear off the tables. I let Ichigo and Lettuce deal with the customers. I mostly cleaned because I was comfortable with it. I cleaned after Pudding when she broke dishes. I cleaned off tables for new customers. But I liked cleaning the dishes in back for Keichiro. Mostly because while I did so, we would talk.
On my first day, I didn't see Ryou at all; neither the second, third, or following days. Even when the other Mews left because of an attack and I stayed behind with Keiichiro, Ryou hadn't appeared. I tried not to think of it and keep busy, but whenever I was idol my mind couldn't help but wander back to the blond in which I both couldn't stand to be around and couldn't stand to be without.
"Keiichiro," I called out one day before I was about to leave for the day. It was nearing seven and the sun was just about to retreat from the horizon; in its wake, a multitude of yellows, oranges, and pinks. "Ryou hasn't been around in the past week. He does live here, correct?"
"Yeah, but he mostly keeps to his room or in the lab during daylight hours. Actually, would you mind doing me a favor and bringing this up to his room? Just leave it in front of his door. He doesn't come out at all anymore, not even to eat." Like always, I couldn't say no to him so I took the tray of food in my hands, dropping my bag beside the table on my way up the flight of stairs.
A nagging feeling in my chest also felt that the reasons behind Ryou's actions was because of me. I had told him that I didn't want to see him, but had he actually taken me seriously? My steps up the stairs matched the pounding of my heart. I wouldn't have to see him. I would just place the tray in front of his door. I tried to breathe easier, knowing this, but it just made my chest heavier.
I reached the top of the stairs and turned down the left hallway by Keiichiro's instructions. Ryou's would be the last door on the right. To my dismay, his door was wide open, letting the last rays of sunlight glimmer through the dark halls. I intended to leave the tray beside his door, as to not disturb him, but I found my feet stopping in the sunlight of his room, facing the sun bathed being.
He sat upon his window sill reading a document with his shirt off. The passing sun caught his hair, turning it the same color as the rays making his image that of Helios. Surrounding him was a near endless amount of printed documents and books. He was always smart, even when I first met him nine years ago. My stomach lurched at the nostalgia.
Ryou seemed to feel my gaze as he looked up to see me standing awkwardly in his doorway, holding a tray of food that was supposed to be his dinner. I counted sixteen awkward seconds of staring before I audibly sighed, "Will you put a shirt on already. Not everyone is interested in your lanky body."
While he scrambled to find a shirt, I cleared his desk to put the tray on. "Hey, watch it. Don't mix up the piles of what I've read and haven't," he shuffled through the papers before I had a chance to touch them; spilling a few on the ground in the process. Holding the tray in one hand, I bent down to pick up a fallen pamphlet with the other hand.
I glanced over the title: "Gene Splicing and Combination of Endangered Species" by Ryou Shirogane.
'He said he was reading them?'
"Hey," he slipped the document out of my hand and placed it on top of a stack to the left side of his desk. I placed the tray beside the pile, "Why are you re reading something that you wrote?"
I watched him look down at the paper before turning his gaze to me, making me question his motives further. "To make sure I haven't missed anything," he answered after a moment of hesitation. I looked down at his desk in order to not meet his gaze, but something on the side caught my eye. I picked up the small picture frame. The photo had been slightly damaged by constant sunlight but the picture still stood out clear.
My mouth parted as I studied the sparkling, innocent eyes and energetic smile; the clueless gaze and pale pink cheeks.
Ryou saw my gaze soften and the tension of the room seemed to dissipate. "This was..." I traced the smile of the nine year olds that had grown up too fast, too soon. I took a breath to steady myself, "This was taken quite a while ago." Too long ago...
He watched me remember the past times, the past that we had run away from seven years ago. This captured moment was my first time at a fair with Ryou. Keiichiro had decided to take a picture of Ryou and I while I was eating and distracted by the parade. Apparently, Ryou had noticed and turned me towards the camera, but as I did, I nailed him in the cheek with my ice cream. My expression was blank while Ryou smiled proudly, still not knowing what really happened.
I covered my mouth to stifle a giggle. Ryou had always been smart, brilliant, but so oblivious to some things.
Ryou took hold of one end of the photo frame, tentatively, taking a quick glance at the photo before turning to me. "You know," he took another comparative look at my face now and at the photo, "your face got longer."
I realized how close how was to me and took a step back, but still kept one and upon the frame. "Started running," I said simply before gluing my gaze to the frame once again.
I didn't tell him that I originally started to run for the purpose of running away. I ran away from the orphanage in which I first met him, I ran away from memories of him, and I am still running away from him.
Releasing my grip on the frame, I pushed it towards him and stepped back. Nothing ever lasted forever.
As I was about to pass the door frame and loose sight of him, I stopped and held onto the gateway. "Ryou," I called quietly. His ears perked up and he turned his attention to my form. "You should come down more often," the words came out with the force of a flowing river, "Ichigo is starting to slack off."
Before he really registered my words, he was once again alone in his room. A small smile formed upon his lips as he held the frame between his hands. There was hope for him... however small it may be.
I thought it would be a normal Saturday at work, but it just happened to be the day that Miyuki decided to bring a few of the kids over to Café Mew to eat while I was working.
"Nine, Miyuki!" I placed my palm on my forehead. "You do realize how big the tables are and how busy shops are on the weekend."
She brushed it off with a smile, "This was the only weekend I got off and the kids were really excited to get out." Sighing, I went in the back storage room to find a bigger table to set outside for Miyuki's ten child party. With the help of Pudding, I had them all seated in the next ten minutes before I went back into the building to buss some tables.
As I was clearing, something in the air seemed to change. I halted what I was doing to look out the open doors. 'Is something calling me? Or...'
Ichigo's robot, Masha, started acting up about a kirema anima. My eyes enlarged as I heard the starts of screaming. The attack was in the park!
From the corner of my eye, I saw the Mew Mews run out to fight the monsters; but something still didn't feel right. Was it just because it was my first time this close to an attack? I felt the need to run. Run away? Run to?
A child's scream broke my thoughts and I knew the answer. "Tomoki..." I ran with the crowd out of the café and into the open area in front of the building without hearing someone call my name from behind me.
My eyes widened in shock as I stared up at giant hornet-like creatures. There was a swarm of them scattered thought the park. Miyuki and the kids gathered at the side of the building, huddling together, but I only counted nine of them.
Turning to the other side, I could feel my heartbeat increase ten-fold. Tomoki was backed against a tree on the other side of the group, being stared down by a kirema. Fear gripped me, but not for myself.
I ran to him without thinking, as the creature prepared his stinger for an attack. Reaching him, I pushed Tomoki behind me and braced for the eminent impact; but it never came. Opening my eyes, I found my heart ringing in my ears. The hornet kirema had halted a foot from hitting us, it fell limp. A long, red staff stuck out of its abdomen and I held the other end.
'What is this?'
The staff retreated and came to a four foot long, maroon pole. Looking down at my hands, I found my arms covered in uneven black and red bands and the same design on my legs. Something seemed to tickle the back of my caves and I looked down to find a maroon banded, bushy tail swooshing between my legs along with uneven cut black boots. I placed my free hand over my mouth before I felt something over my eyes. 'A mask?'
Questions bubbled inside my mind, but all were halted when I heard Tomoki yell. I became alert once more and saw another hornet fly toward us.
Words invaded my head and before I knew it, my mouth screamed it. "Plum Staff!"
I twirled the staff in my right hand before whacking the monster down with the other. Turning behind me, towards Tomoki, I ushered him to the other group before watching the hornets on the ground wriggle and dissipating into a miasma, leaving behind a semi-harmless, normal sized hornet. I took down another one that tried to attack the kids, I was moving off of pure instinct and reaction.
I took a moment to breath, before I felt like I was being watched and I looked up to find someone standing on a tree branch. My breathing was still heard, and heartbeat still erotic. The fighting had taken me a few yards away from the café and into a thicket of trees. I held my head a bit higher with my staff ready.
My eyes tried to focus on if it was a monster or not, but to my surprise, it was humanoid. A tall male, if I didn't know any better. "Who is there?"
It stepped into the light, floating in the air. He wore all black but had dark grey eyes and hair, not much different than my own. I would have thought he was human if it weren't for his wide, triangular ears and fleshy tail.
Just as I was sizing him up, he did the same to me. I felt an unearthly similarity with this being, like I knew him or at least shared something. He felt different then the vibe that I got from the kirema anima. I saw recognition in his gaze but as I took a step closer, I found myself alone.
"Rika?"
I turned around and found Ryou entering the clearing. I don't think I would have recognized myself, but he seemed to. His lips formed a perfect smirk as he looked at me before five girls peeked out behind him.
"Welcome to the team!" Ichigo launched out of the group with her arms wide and smile even larger. I stopped her before she could embrace me. "I haven't decided to join the Mew Mews yet," I said with my hand upon Ichigo's head.
I had their attention. "I'm not doing this for the citizens of Tokyo or even to be a super hero," I started, "but if this is the only way to protect the people I care about..." A smile played itself on my lips, "...Then I guess that there is no helping it." I raised my arms into a shrug before I was bombarded by the other girls in a group hug. Even Zakura and Mint joined in while I just laughed.
Ryou stood off to the side with a smile, holding his chin with his hand. He couldn't picture a better sight.
"Welcome to the Team, Mew Rika!"
Thank you for reading. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out before Thanksgiving! Please leave me a comment!
-Sin
