A note from ME! Finally, I've got up the next chappie! Yah! Then again, I've been stuck in bed all day because of this stupid flu… It's august, for Christ's sake! It's meant to be one of the hottest's months of the year!
And I'm ashamed of you lot! I've got a 5 chapter story that has 'bout 28 reviews, while my now 10 chapter story only has 24! Keep up, you guys!
I don't own TMM, otherwise, at the end, Masaya would of died a horrible, painful death, Mint would start doing some work, Pudding would of started going out with 'Taru-Taru', Lettuce would of gone out with Pai, Zakuro would of gone out with Keichro, and Ichigo would of gone out with either Kisshu or Ryou.
Chapter 10
Paul
Ichigo wiped her forehead, and smiled. It had been two days since the Tokyo Mew Mew team had come back from the beach, and they had gotten back to work as soon as they had got home. Those two days had been the busiest two days Ichigo had worked so far, even compared to when she first found out about Tokyo Mew Mew, and she was working on her own, and with Mint. Yeah, still working on her own then as well.
She was grateful that Lingon was a hard worker herself. Mint was sitting around, drinking Tea, Lettuce was dropping things, Pudding was attracting even more customers to the hundred or so that they already had, Zakuro was scaring the customers, and Berry and Tasuku were out doing their delivery services. However, Lingon was a hard worker, and filled the roll as waitress perfectly. She was in the same waitress outfit as everyone else, but it was a striking blood red, which set off her red hair – slightly darker when she wasn't in her Mew Mew form – and shocking green eyes perfectly. However, unlike the other Mews, she didn't wear a hair band, and instead had twisted her long hair into a Bun, with the ends cascading over it like a fountain.
"Ichigo! There's another Customer at the Door!" Mint cried over to her, and Ichigo gritted her teeth, a vein showing. She took a deep breath, and turned to Mint.
"Yes your Highness. Would you like me to get you some more tea while I'm serving about 50 customers at once?" She called in sugar sweet tones. Mint smiled.
"Oh, thank you. I've just ran out." She called. Ichigo sighed, and walked over to the door.
The customer was a tall boy, about 14, with dark Gray – almost black - eyes, and sandy brown hair. He looked up as Ichigo got nearer, and smiled.
"Hello, welcome to Café Mew Mew!" Ichigo forced a level of jolliness into her voice. "My name is Ichigo, and I'll be your waitress. Is it only you, or is someone else coming?" She asked. The boy smiled, and she was instantly lost. She always was a sucker for a good smile…
"It's only me." The boy replied in light tones. Ichigo couldn't help but notice that he was extremely attractive. Not that she was looking. She had Ryou.
She sighed as she thought about Ryou. He had gone out for the day, and wouldn't be back until noon.
I wonder what he's doing…
"Here we go, if you would just sit down here, I will get a menu and take your order." Ichigo walked into the Kitchen.
"Hey Lingon. Do we have anymore menus?" She asked. Lingo slid three cakes onto a tray, and pondered the question.
"I don't think so… but as soon as I've delivered these at their table, I'll help you hunt round for people who don't want to order anymore. Who's it for, anyway?" She asked as they walked to the door out of the kitchen.
"It's for that boy over there." Ichigo answered, pointing. Lingon looked, straining to see past the gaggles of school girls. When she saw him, however, her eyes widened, and the tray slipped out of her hands with an almighty crash.
"Oh… Whoops!" Lingon gasped out, quickly ducking to clean it up.
"Lingon, are you okay?" Ichigo asked. Lingon looked up and nodded.
"It's just… I know that boy!" She hissed. Ichigo was instantly interested.
"Really? Is he your boyfriend? Did you break up with him, and the pain was so great that you moved to Japan? Is it like a forbidden love, and your parents sent you here to keep you away from him? Is that the real reason you live in Japan now? Did…"
"No! None of that! Well… not… entirely…"
"What do you mean, not entirely?"
"We were going out in England, but then I moved to Japan, and we agreed it would be too hard to keep a long distance relationship, so we decided to break it off…"
"But now he's here to proclaim his love for you and sweep you off your feet! That's SOOOOOO CUTE!" Ichigo giggled excitedly. Lingon sighed.
"Maybe… I doubt it… how the hell did he get here?"
Ichigo shrugged.
"And besides, how would he know where I work? It's probably just coincidence…" Ichigo snorted.
"Yeah, your old boyfriend just HAPPENS to walk into the place you work." She paused, looking thoughtful.
"Maybe… does he know about your powers?"
"Huh? Oh… yeah. He was the only person I trusted enough to tell…"
Ichigo looked up, startled. "You mean, not even your parents knew?" She asked. Lingon shook her head. She looked very sad.
"Not eve-"
"Look, I don't want to talk about it, okay!?" Lingon suddenly snapped, then turned and marched back into the kitchen.
"Lingon…" Ichigo whispered. Lingon – in the week Ichigo had known her – had always been the happy, bouncy one, always slow to anger. In fact, Ichigo didn't think she had got angry once, not even when she had fallen asleep the beach, and Taruto and Pudding had buried her in the sand. Completely. It had taken three hours to find her, and another hour to dig her out…
Ichigo turned. This guy had made Lingon freak out… so, in Ichigo's eyes, he was nothing but trouble.
"Sorry for the wait, sir. I'm afraid that we don't have any menus free at the moment."
"Oh, no worries. I'll come back later…" He stood up, and turned to walk out the door.
"Um… I was wondering if I could maybe talk to you later…" Ichigo said, rushing to stand in front of him. The boy raised an eyebrow.
"Are you asking me on a date?" He asked. Ichigo turned scarlet.
"Wha…! N… No! I just wanted to know something…" The boy shrugged.
"Great! Um… I stop work in an hour… where do you want to meet?" She asked.
"How about the park right outside here. It'd be easier for both of us. And if you only need to ask a few questions…"
"Yeah, that's great! I'll um… I'll see you then!" She stepped aside, letting the boy walk out the door, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's scary…"
Ichigo leant back on the grass, watching as the last customers from the café left. She looked at her watch.
I'm early…
She sighed. The only other time she had ever been early was on her and Aoyama's first date…
"Yo." A sharp, English accent cut over her thoughts, and she looked up.
"Oh, um… It's you…" The sandy-haired boy looked at her.
"Well, you did tell me to meet you here at this time, in this place…"
"Yeah, alright!"
"Your names Ichigo, right."
Ichigo nodded. "What's yours? I never asked…"
"My name's Paul…"
"Paul?"
"Yeah."
"That's a weird name…"
Paul laughed.
"Where I come from, it's quite a common name. In fact, your name sounds pretty weird to me…"
"What, Ichigo? Are you serious?"
"Yeah. What does it mean?"
"Well, it means… Ichigo…" Paul frowned.
"You know, the fruit!"
"Can't say I do…"
"They're
red, with green leaves! They grow on bushes…"
"Oh, you mean
Strawberries!" Paul laughed.
"Straw… Strawberries?"
"Yeah, it's what they're called in English."
Ichigo grinned. "Strawberries… that's such a pretty name!"
Paul laughed. "So, you said you wanted to ask me some questions…?"
"Oh, right! Well, one of the waitress's in the Café apparently knows you…" Paul looked up, interested.
"Really?" He asked lightly. "Who's that, then?"
"Her name is Lingon…" Paul was up in a shot, running towards the Café. Ichigo watched him run.
Hmm… maybe he really WILL proclaim his love, and sweep her up in his arms…
"Yo Strawberry…" Ichigo turned, and ended up with her face buried in a black, silk sleeveless.
"Heya Ryou!" She said happily, wrapping her arms around his neck, and looking up at the tall blond looking down at her fondly. Ryou wrapped his own arms around her waist, and bent his head to give her a quick peck on the lips.
"Ichi, I know that look. You're up to something…" Ichigo smiled at the new nickname, and began to fill him in on Lingon's secret romance as they walked towards the Café.
So engrossed were they in their conversation, they didn't notice one certain shadowy figure, dressed in complete black. He watched them walk to the Café, and smiled snidely.
"Enjoy this while you can, little kittens…" And he turned, vanishing into the pitch black night…
A note from ME! Oh, scary! I wonder who it is… what's that? I'm rubbish at mystery? I know… Sighs dejectedly
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