"You WHAT?"
"We set you up on a blind date!" Natsumi squealed.
"Why?"
"Because! You need to get out a little more."
"Who is it with?"
"Akiyama Haruto."
"Ehh? Really?" Kiichigo glanced over at him. He was sitting a couple benches away from them next to two of his friends. He had black hair and was a class clown. He also had one brown eye and one blue eye, which everyone thought was cool.
"Not a bad pick, huh? See, I do care about you, Kiichi-chan."
Kiichigo shrugged and looked back. He was balancing a stick of celery on his nose. Kiichigo sweatdropped and slumped over, moaning. This will not go well.
~TMM2G Episode 4: Kiichigo-chan's Blind Date! What Could Go Wrong?~
"Here."
Ryou held out a folded red-and-hot-pink dress. A white apron, a pair of hot pink socks, and a white headband with hot pink accents were on top.
"What is this?" Kiichigo asked, taking it from him.
"Your new uniform." Ryou handed her a pair of black shoes with hot pink hearts on the sides.
"Ehh? Uniform?"
"You're going to be working here from now on."
"WHAT?" Kiichigo slumped over. "Are you kidding me?"
"No, unfortunately not." Ryou folded his arms. "Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 to 7:00. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, when you have cheerleading club, it'll be 5:30 to 7:00. Saturdays, either 9:30 to 2:30, or 2:30 to 7:30. We're closed on Sundays, and there is a 25-minute break for three employees at a time."
Kiichigo fell to the ground in shock. "But why? You already have employees!"
"They all work full-time here, and they also have a part-time job elsewhere!" Ryou snapped. "So quit complaining. They're going to teach you the basics, and then 'retire'."
"I'm going to be the only one working here?" Kiichigo felt herself spiraling into a pit of despair as she imagined herself racing around the café, answering the demands of the customers:
"Ma'am, I need a fork!"
"Where's my cheesecake?"
"I just spilled water!"
"This isn't what I ordered!"
"Why are you taking so long?"
Ryou face-palmed. "You are just like your mother. No, you'll have nine other girls with you. The daughters of Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, Zakuro, Berry, and Ringo. Plus, Keiichiro will be in the kitchen, helping with the food."
"But still!" Kiichigo whined. "What's my reward for this? Appreciation? Character? Life skills?"
"I'll be paying you 800 yen an hour."
"Eh? 800 yen?"
"Yes."
"800 yen, you say…" Kiichigo hesitated, and then leapt to her feet. "Well, that seems fair enough. But…"
Ryou raised an eyebrow.
"I have a date this Saturday…"
"A date? With whom?"
"My friends set me up on a blind date with this boy in my class, Akiyama Haruto-san."
Ryou sighed. "Fine. You can have the day off. But don't expect this to happen often. Okay?"
"Right." Kiichigo grabbed her clothes and hurried to her room.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Welcome to Café Mew Mew!" Kiichigo greeted brightly. "What can I get you?"
"Hmm, I'd like a glass of mango iced tea and a house salad, please."
"May I please have a cream soda and a bowl of potato soup?"
"Sure thing. I'll be right out with your drinks." Kiichigo bowed slightly, spun around, and scurried to the kitchen, slamming her order onto the counter. "I need a house salad and a bowl of potato soup!"
She hurriedly prepared the cream soda and mango iced tea, placed them onto a platter, and carried them to the customers.
"Your salad and soup is coming," Kiichigo promised them, turning around and almost bumping into Okashi, the 13-year-old daughter of Berry and Meguro. She was carrying a platter full of cakes and tarts to a party of 8. "Ah! Okashi-san, sorry." Kiichigo quickly stepped aside.
"Sorry, Kiichigo-san!" she apologized, hurrying to the table.
"This is so hectic!" Satou whimpered as she passed Kiichigo, balancing a mug of coffee, a small bowl of sugar cubes, and some coffee creamer in her arms.
800 yen an hour, Kiichigo reminded herself. It'll all be worth it at the end of the day.
She went back to the kitchen, where a platter with a bowl of steaming potato soup and Kiichigo's order sat.
"Sorry, I'm getting the salad!" Suika cried as she poured the house dressing on top. She passed it to Kiichigo, who placed it on the platter and headed out of the kitchen to her table.
Three and a half hours later, the last customer left. Kiichigo sank to the floor in exhaustion. "That was the most tiring thing I've ever done…"
Even Mangou was slouched in a chair, looking as though she might fall asleep.
"And to think, we still have homework to do and school tomorrow," Gureapu sighed.
The whole room of girls groaned.
"Hey, how was it?" Ryou walked into the café from upstairs.
Another groan from all 10 girls answered his question.
"Don't worry, it gets easier," Ryou assured them. "You still need to clean up. Sweep the floors, make sure all the dishes are washed and put away, put the chairs on the tables…"
A third groan.
Ryou sighed. "I'll help, and so will Ichigo and Zakuro." The two women came out from the employee's only room (also known as the changing room) in their café uniforms. Kiichigo smiled weakly upon realizing that her outfit was the same as her mother's, except the pink parts were hot pink rather than light pink.
"When do we get paid, Shirogane-san?" Supaiminto asked.
"At the end of your shift on Saturdays. Now let's clean up."
That earned Ryou a fourth groan.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Akiyama-san!" Kiichigo called, bounding over to him. He turned and, upon seeing her, lit up. "Kiichigo-chan! You came!"
Kiichigo-chan? Who does he think he is, my best friend? "Of course I came." Kiichigo adjusted the strap of her floral print cross-body purse. "What should we do first?"
"What about…that one?" Akiyama pointed to the roller coaster. Kiichigo widened her eyes. "Sure."
About 30 minutes later, they stepped out of the roller coaster car, laughing.
"That was fun," Akiyama commented.
Kiichigo nodded. "I didn't know you liked those kinds of rides, Akiyama-san."
"Please, call me Haruto-kun."
"Okay…Haruto-kun, what should we do next? The Ferris wheel?"
"Let's save that for later. What about the log ride?"
"Nah, I don't want to get wet." Kiichigo gazed around the park. "Maybe we could play some games." Something spotted her eye: an adorable white cat stuffed animal with a red ribbon around its neck and tail, at one of the booths.
"Shall we try?" Haruto asked, pulling out some tickets from his pocket. Kiichigo nodded. "Yeah!"
It took several tries and 12 tickets to knock the pyramid of 6 milk bottles down. On the third time, Kiichigo decided to try, and knocked them down with the second ball. Haruto seemed a bit ashamed of himself as he pulled the cat stuffed animal down, but quickly got over it when Kiichigo pretended that the cat was kissing him on the cheek.
She laughed and put the stuffed animal in her purse with its head sticking out. "What now?"
"I'm kind of hungry," Haruto admitted. "Are you?"
Kiichigo thought a moment. "Now that you mention it…maybe we should get a corndog or something."
"Sounds good to me. I'll buy." They headed over to a stand and ordered two corndogs and two sodas.
"That'll be 750 yen, please," the guy at the stand said.
Haruto rummaged around in his pockets for a minute and pulled out a few crumpled 100 yen bills.
"Hey, I'll pay for mine," Kiichigo offered reluctantly, getting out her wallet and finding the sufficient money. Once they paid, they sat down on a bench and ate.
"Sorry," Haruto apologized.
"Don't be!" Kiichigo exclaimed. "It's fine. I should pay for my food, anyways." She paused, watching as he took a huge bite of his corndog, leaving a dab of mustard on the corner of his mouth. "You've got…" She chuckled, pointing to where the mustard was on her own face.
"Mustard?" Haruto asked, his face turning dark red. "Well, I like it there."
"Why?" Kiichigo laughed. "So everyone can call you Mustard-Face?"
"That's my middle name. Akiyama Mustard-Face Haruto, that's me."
"Good to know."
Haruto took a long sip of his soda. "Man, it's hot outside. Summer is on its way."
"I can't wait for vacation. But we still have a month of school left."
"Yeah. My soda is getting really warm. I think the ice melted."
Kiichigo nodded. "Mine too."
"Oh, look. There's the ice cream stand."
Kiichigo suddenly realized that Haruto was trying to get her to buy them some ice cream. She sighed. "Shall we get some?"
"Are you sure?" Haruto asked, jumping up off the bench. "I feel bad. You already paid for your food…"
"It's fine. Ice cream can't be too expensive."
A few minutes later, they were standing in line for the Ferris wheel with ice cream cones. Kiichigo smiled as the sweet strawberry dessert melted in her mouth. "So why did we wait for the Ferris wheel?"
Haruto shuffled his feet. "Well…I heard somewhere—I don't know if it's true—that if you're with someone at the top of the Ferris wheel at exactly 7:00 PM and you…you kiss, you'll have romance forever."
Kiichigo had, too, heard that legend. She tensed. "Kiss?"
"We—we don't have to—"
"It's not that I don't—"
"Please step inside the cart." The man that ran the Ferris wheel opened the door. Kiichigo sat down on the little bench and clasped her hands in her lap as Haruto sat across from her.
It began to move, and Kiichigo noticed that Haruto kept checking his watch. "It's 6:59. Do you think we'll make it in time?"
"Umm…Haruto-kun, I don't—" Kiichigo suddenly felt dread sweep over her, leaving her in a cold sweat. No…not here. It's too dangerous!
"Kiichigo-chan?" Haruto leaned forward. "Are you okay? You look really pale."
Kiichigo swallowed and nodded. "I—I'm fine."
"Don't tell me you're afraid of heights."
"I'm not. I'm okay." She smiled weakly. How am I going to transform with Haruto right in front of me?
He furrowed his eyebrows. "You don't look okay." He reached out to feel her forehead.
"I'm fine." Kiichigo jerked her head away. Please let this ride end!
Haruto leaned back and gazed out the window. "We're at the top." He quickly checked his watch. "Oh, no! It's 7:01." Haruto looked back up at Kiichigo. "Sorry, Kiichigo-chan. Maybe another time."
"Yeah." No. Probably not.
Finally, when they reached the bottom, Kiichigo bolted out of the cart and gazed around. Where is it…
The ground jerked, causing Haruto to stumble onto Kiichigo. "An earthquake?"
"Haruto-kun…I'm sorry…but I have to go!" Kiichigo cried, squirming out from under him. "Thank you so much for this awesome time!" She rose to her feet and bowed. "I really had fun!" She turned and dashed away.
"Can't I get your number?" he called after her, but she ignored him.
I've got to find a place to transform! Kiichigo glanced around frantically and spotted an empty game booth. There! She leapt over the counter and ducked down. "Mew Mew Raspberry! Metamorphosis!"
She shoved open the back door of the booth and looked wildly around. Where is the anima?
As if on cue, a shadow fell over her. Mew Raspberry narrowed her eyes, gazing up, and gasped when she saw an enormous pigeon soaring overhead. It screeched and landed, perching on top of the roller coaster track.
Mew Raspberry raced across the park, going in the opposite direction as the crowd, which was trying to get to the exit. She came to a halt in front of the roller coaster. How was she ever going to reach it?
She spotted a ladder that went all the way up onto the track. Mew Raspberry leapt over the locked gate and began to climb. The pigeon anima didn't appear to notice her until she leapt onto the track. It turned and glared at her with beady eyes, and Mew Raspberry froze, the fur on her tail bristling. Just wait…wait until it looks away…
Unfortunately for her, it didn't. It gave a screech and took off, flying over her and away. Mew Raspberry gasped and grabbed onto its tail feathers, dangling from it as the bird flew over the park. She screamed when she saw how high she was, even upon remembering that she was part cat and if she fell, she would just land on her feet.
When it soared towards the Ferris wheel, Mew Raspberry felt the feather coming loose from the bird's tail. And as it fell, she fell along with it. Shrieking, Mew Raspberry felt something hit her feet lightly. She glanced down and sighed in relief when she saw that she was standing on the roof of one of the carts of the Ferris wheel, safe and sound.
Where's the anima? Mew Raspberry wondered frantically, gazing around. It had landed on the top cart of the Ferris wheel and was preening itself.
"Raspberry Baton," Mew Raspberry murmured, summoning her pink-and-red weapon.
"Mew Raspberry!"
Two voices from below startled her. She turned and glanced down to see Mew Spearmint and Mew Watermelon racing towards the Ferris wheel. Thank goodness!
Their call must've startled the anima, because before she knew it, it had taken off again, this time landing on the top of the drop ride. Mew Raspberry sighed in frustration and leapt down onto a lower cart until she reached the bottom.
"Are you all right?" Mew Watermelon asked, rushing over to her friend. Mew Raspberry nodded. "I'm fine. How did you know to come?"
"We were just leaving work, and Ryou asked us to run to the store to pick up some milk," Mew Watermelon explained. Mew Spearmint nodded. "And we were wondering why, because there was plenty of milk in the fridge, but he practically shoved us out the door."
"How are we going to catch this anima?" Mew Raspberry wondered aloud. "It just flies away whenever it gets scared."
"Perhaps someone could distract it?" Mew Watermelon suggested.
Mew Raspberry suddenly widened her eyes. "I've got an idea! Mew Spearmint, you stay here and use your attack when I say, okay? Mew Watermelon, come stand at the base of the drop ride and attack when I say. Try to cut its wing so that it can't fly away." Her companions nodded and Mew Watermelon followed her.
She darted over to the drop ride and pressed the button on the control board, leaping onto the big cart and clinging to it as it started to slowly rise. "Hey, bird! Look down here!"
The anima glanced down at her, gave a startled screech, and took off in the opposite direction, towards where Mew Spearmint stood waiting. Mew Raspberry glanced at her. "Now!"
"Ribbon, Spearmint Gust!" A huge gust of wind flew from her fans, knocking the bird flying back towards Mew Watermelon. Mew Raspberry looked at her and called, "Now, Mew Watermelon!"
"Ribbon, Watermelon Slice!" Mew Watermelon brought her sword down, clipping the bird's wing. It screeched in pain and crashed to the ground right in front of her. Mew Raspberry crawled down from the drop ride and began to twirl her baton. Mew Watermelon backed away, staring at the anima with her green eyes wide. "Ribbon, Raspberry Shock!"
The bolt of lightning came from the top of her baton, electrocuting the pigeon anima until it sizzled and shrunk down to a normal pigeon size.
"Amai-chan!" Mew Raspberry called. The little hot pink robot buzzed up to the little anima and swallowed it whole. Mew Raspberry flung herself at Mew Watermelon. "We did it!"
"Oh, great, there are 3 of you now."
Mew Raspberry spun around to see two aliens hovering above them, one of which was Toffee. The other was a guy about the same age as him, with black hair styled just like Kish's used to be.
"Toffee?" Mew Raspberry shouted. "Who is that?"
"Oh, this is Aizawa Koshou," Toffee introduced, "son of Kisshu and Minto."
Mew Spearmint tensed. "He's my…"
"Yeah, sweet cheeks, your brother."
"But not anymore!" Koshou hissed. "I don't want anything to do with you or Minto!"
"Good! I don't want anything to do with you or Kish, either!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Mew Watermelon put her hand on Mew Spearmint's shoulder. "He's not worth it."
Mew Spearmint sighed. "I know. It's just…I didn't even know I had a brother."
"Come on, Koshou," Toffee ordered, beckoning the alien with his hand. "Let's get away from these freaks."
"You're the freak!" Mew Raspberry protested. "You're aliens!"
But they'd already disappeared. Mew Raspberry rested her forehead in her fingers. "He is the most annoying little…"
"We'd better get back to the café and tell Shirogane-sama what happened," Mew Watermelon said. As she and Mew Spearmint changed back into their normal forms, Mew Raspberry's rabbit ears pricked. What was that she heard…crying? She turned to her friends. "I'll meet you at the café, okay?" Then she turned and followed the sound.
It was coming from a bush just outside the amusement park. Mew Raspberry stepped up to it and tentatively called out, "Hello?"
"Go away," came the tearful reply of what sounded like a young boy, perhaps Mew Raspberry's age. She parted the bushes and gasped. There, hiding in the bush, tears streaming from his blue-and-brown eyes, was Akiyama Haruto.
"Are you…are you okay?" Mew Raspberry asked quietly.
"Please," Haruto begged, "just leave me alone." He glanced up at her and his eyes widened. "Kiichigo-chan?"
Oh, crap…now what?
"Kiichigo?" Mew Raspberry echoed. "I'm Mew Raspberry, defender of the peace and justice of the city of Tokyo…and stuff like that."
"You're a Mew Mew?" Haruto looked amazed. "I thought the Mew Mews lost their powers years ago!"
"I'm the next generation," Mew Raspberry explained. "Now enough about that. What's got you so upset?"
"Promise you won't tell anyone?"
"Sure."
"Well, that girl I mentioned earlier—Kiichigo-chan—I was on a date with her at the amusement park before the earthquake. And I really, really like her. I've actually…liked her for a long time. She's been in my class since fourth grade. But she didn't seem to be enjoying the date at all. I felt like a loser. And then after a ride, when the earthquake started, she just ran off."
"I—I'm sure something important just came up," Mew Raspberry assured him. "If she accepted the date, that must mean something, right?"
"I guess so. But it was her friends who set it up. It was a blind date." Haruto wiped his eyes. "I feel like an idiot. Crying over something that'll never happen."
"You're not an idiot, Haruto-san!"
Haruto eyed her. "How do you know my name?"
Ah, shoot. "Um…we Mew Mews know the names of every citizen in Tokyo!" Mew Raspberry bluffed. "And you really aren't an idiot. Tell her how you feel, and I'm sure her answer will surprise you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Haruto asked, but Mew Raspberry had already disappeared into the trees.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Kiichigo-chaaaan!"
Kiichigo tensed when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. It was the Monday after the pigeon anima had attacked, and she had just barely walked into the classroom before Haruto had scrambled over to her. "Kiichigo-chan! Can I talk to you a moment?"
"S-sure."
The pair walked over to the back corner of the classroom. Haruto wrung his hands on his shirt. "Um…I had a really great time with you on Saturday."
"Yeah, me too. It was super fun."
"Really?" Haruto's eyes lit up. "I'm glad. I thought you…"
"What?"
Haruto sighed. "I thought you hated me."
"Of course I don't hate you!" Kiichigo protested. "I had an awesome time. Maybe, if you wouldn't mind, we could go out to the movies sometime? As friends?" Kiichigo grimaced inwardly, but she didn't want Haruto to feel bad about himself just because Kiichigo didn't like him.
"Yeah." Haruto smiled warmly. "I'd like that."
~End Episode 4~
I have 1 reviewww! :D
TMMluvr: Thank you so much! I definitely kept that in mind when I wrote this chapter. I hope it's longer than the last ones. Thanks for reviewing! :)
Bahhh the ending is so cheesy but I couldn't really think of anything else to put. Sorry I've been gone for a bit; I've been babysitting two brats under 6 from 8 AM to 6 PM every single day for the past, ohh, 2 weeks or so. So thanks for reading and I hope you have an awesome day! :)
