An Unknown Love Letter
Chapter 4
The next morning, Ichigo woke up only to find her love letter that she was planning to send in to Keiichiro. 'What time is it?' She mumbled, half-asleep and half-awake; her eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness of her room. 'Out of all the days to be late, please don't let the clock tells me that I am late.' Grabbing the clock that was next to her, she could barely make out the digits on the said clock.
The birds were singing their bright cheerful song. Cats were digging into the trash for some breakfast and the two married couples were seen eating their breakfast. Suddenly, a voice distrubed this peaceful routine.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE OUT OF ALL THE DAYS! I'M LATE!"
Everything stopped. The birds stopped singing. The cats stopped digging and the married couples stopped and looked up to see where the distrubance had come from. A moment later, a cloud of dust filled their vision. They could see nothing save for the patch of red hair flying by. Everyone shrugged and continued on with their business. Meanwhile, Ichigo rushed toward the Mew Mew Café.
-----------------------------------
"Ryou? Is there anything you would like for breakfast?" Keiichiro said as he popped his head into a plain room.
The guy, Ryou, just mumbled in his bed. Turning over, he called out weakly as if there was nothing to live for…as if he just lost his will to continue on living. "Nothing. Just leave me in peace Keiichiro."
Keiichiro frowned at the sight of his close friend. 'Ichigo, please hurry. I don't know how long Ryou will keep acting this way.' "Very well then. There's something in the kitchen if you're hungry later on. I'll be out the whole day because I have some business to attend."
'I wonder if this is how Kish felt every time?' Ryou thought as he recalled that scene that he stumbled upon last night.
"Thank you Keiichiro! You're the best!" For a moment, Ichigo thought to herself that she could have just kissed Keiichiro for his help. Though that would make it seemed awkward for the both of them, Ichigo decided to go for a more friendly environmental way; a hug.
Keiichiro returned the hug; yet, there was something that caused him to look straight ahead. He whispered to her ear. Letting go, he said to Ichigo, who was confused at the level of his tone, "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."
'I wonder what she meant by him being the best? What could caused her to hug him? If I didn't say so myself, she looked as if she could kissed Keiichiro.' Ryou said, that feeling in the pit of his stomache was making its way through his throat. Clearing his throat, he said to himself outloud. "I kissed her plenty of times before. Though, that was because she either turned into her cat form or when I need her to do something." Ryou sighed. "Why do I even bother thinking about it? Apparantly God or who ever controls my life decided to put me through hell by taking everything and everyone that I love." Looking at the picture on his bedstand, he tried to control the tears that started to ebb its way out off his eye sockets. "Mom…Dad…" He clutched the photo. "There's no need to wonder about the past. What's done is done." He banged his fist on the wall. "Mom…Dad…I wish you two were still here, to advise me on what should I do. Damn it." He punched the wall. "They never teach these kind of stuff in college."
While Ryou was having his self-pity moment, Ichigo tip-toed in the café. She headed toward the kitchen, clutching her prize weaponary. "Keiichiro?" She whispered, peering into the kitchen looking for the tall chesnut haired man.
"Yes?"
Blood was pumping its way upward in her body. The familier sensation tingled all over her body. Ichigo felt that she does not need a mirror to see herself; she could already imagined the two ears and a tail popped out of her body. Covering them, she snapped at Keiichiro. "No need to scare the heck out of me."
"Sorry about that." Keiichiro said before he became grim looking. "Do you have it?"
"Huh?" Ichigo said, not comprehending the full meaning until moments later. Her eyes grew wide and she gave a nod. "Yup, I have it with me somewhere. Let me look for it." She said, before scrambling through her package looking for the letter that she had written. After finding it, she sprayed it with an orange and mango scent. Keiichiro raised an eyebrow at this. Ichigo noticed and said to him. "So that he won't think it's me."
Keiichiro only raised an eyebrow further. Ichigo sighed and said to him, hoping that he would understand her problem. "Don't you think it's strange how suddenly I became fond of Shirogane when I supposedly have a thing for Masaya? Besides, Shirogane would think that all of this is a joke. He wouldn't take it seriously as I want him to be."
'For once, she's actually making sense.' Keiichiro nodded. "Good point. I'll put this along with his bills."
Ichigo grinned. "Thank you so much Keiichiro!" A moment later, her grin turned into a frown. "Bills?"
"Well someone has to pay for the electricity and water." Looking at the clock, Keiichiro said to Ichigo. "Do you want a ride to school?"
"Huh?" Ichigo said, confused as to what Keiichiro meant until she looked at the clock, whose arrows pointed five minutes before eight. "WHAT! I'm going to be late!" Grabbing Keiichiro's hand, she pleaded with him. "Can you please drive me to school? This will be the last time. Please?"
Keiichiro looked at her. He grabbed his keys then went eye-leveled to Ichigo. "Ichigo, I'll be happy to help you or any of the girls with your problems. No matter how ridiculous it may seemed."
"Keiichiro…" Ichigo started to say, but couldn't find the words to describe what she the emotion that started to bubble up.
"Don't worry about it." Keiichiro said to her, reassuring her of no hard feelings. Grabbing his coat, Keiichiro asked her. "Are you coming or not?"
"Coming!" Ichigo replied as she too, grabbed her stuff and followed Keiichiro into his car.
'Get a hold of yourself. If you can overcome Dad's project by completing this. Then you can overcome this too!' Ryou said to himself as he watched the pair drove off into the street. He had decided to come due to the noises his stomache was causing. 'Hmm…I wonder if I checked whether the chimeras are officially gone. I think I need to scan the computer for that.' Ryou said, needing to find a way to push away these feelings. These feelings that he tried so much to avoid. These feelings that he doesn't want to feel any pain, but…they're rising against him. He sighed, he skimmed through the surrounding, hoping to find something that would at least distract his mind from thinking of her.
Ryou noticed a wad of bills laying on the surface. He picked them up and glanced through them. 'Water, electricity, a tea subscription…TEA SUBSCRIPTION?' Ryou frowned at that thought. An answer appeared to him. 'Better give that to Keiichiro.' Ryou's nose caught an unfamiliar scent.
Curious as his cat form, Ryou investigated further in the mysterious letter. One word was written in that letter. The word that could only change how he perceived how life truly is. That one word on that envelope was his name. 'I hope this is not some prank that a certain strawberry would pulled because if so, she's going to find herself with a small paycheck next week and possibly for the next few months!' Ryou thought as he frowned toward the typicalness of Ichigo's behavior. It was known for a fact how Ichigo felt toward his attitude of her. Ryou sighed. "I might as well get over this. The sooner I do so the early I can recover from this."
As Ryou slowly peeled the covering that hid the letter from its true purpose. Anxiety and curiousity rose as each second passed by; waiting to know what the contents of the letter. He skimmed the letter; ripping the safety of the letter. Eyes widen, Ryou was stunned. Although he was not shocked for he had receieved several love letters in the past, something in that letter that he held stunned him. "Pfft. This is like all the other letters that I receieved in the past. What makes this one so different?" Ryou proceeded to throw the letter into the nearest trash, but his hand faltered. Crumpled, but not discarded, Ryou tucked the letter into his pockets and headed upstairs; where his peace laid, all thoughts of feeding his stomache laid forgotten.
Days passed. Each day, Ryou receieved a new letter and with that letter contained a clue about this mysterious admirer. The second day, Ryou considered that this person might be Ichigo. When he had confronted Ichigo whether this letter was written by her, all he received were laughs and the typical "Why would I do that?" comment from her. However, he could not help but noticed the pause as she said this, but Ryou decided to shrug it off. 'Ichigo tends to do that sometimes.' He said to himself. But his heart was sadden at the realization. He had hoped that maybe there is some hope for him. A girl like her to like a guy like him. Closing his eyes, Ryou headed toward the workplace. "Girls. Do what you normally do but Ichigo, head out to the store to buy some vegetables for tomorrow. We're having that vegetable juice sale and I don't want it to happen like last time. If you need anything, talk to Keiichiro. For now, don't bother me."
The girls watched their boss walked up the stairs. When he was gone from their sight, whispers and chatters started to form.
"Is it me or has Ryou been moody lately?" Mint said as she took a sip of the cafe's daily special.
"Yeah yeah. He's been like that every since that day he got a letter!" Jumping up and down, Pudding rolled around the group on her famous ball.
Ichigo's head snapped. "Letter? What letter?" 'I hope she doesn't know about it...'
"Nya. Don't you know he's been receiving letters ever since I started working here? I bet it's one of those looovvveee letters." Pudding gleefully said.
Hearing that Ichigo tripped. The other girls ran over to her.
"Was it something I said?" Pudding pointed at herself while asking the other girls.
Zakuro kept her mouth shut as she helped Ichigo get back on her feet.
"I'm going to the kitchen. Someone needs to help Keiichiro with the dishes!" Ichigo waved off to the girls as she scurried forward.
"What's wrong with her?" Mint's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Hey!"
"Where's the waitress?"
"I'm ready to order!"
"Where's the menu!"
Customers roared as they impaitently waited for their future meals. Hearing that, the girls went to their daily places and worked.
Deep inside the hidden lair of the kitchens, Ichigo held her raging emotions. 'Does that mean…he's affected by what I wrote?' The upper corners of her mouth started to curve up. 'If that so…execute the next plan! Be careful of what you wish for…Ryou Shirogane.'
Within his room, Ryou sneezed.
Sakura M.:
Sorry for the long wait and for the unbeta chapter. But here it is.
School's coming and so are the unfinish summer homework. So I don't know when I'll have chapter 5 done. Until then.
