Author's Note: Another chapter! Hooray! I couldn't stop writing really, I just kept writing and writing! I really want to introduce Pudding soon so I guess that was my drive. However, I thought that we better focus on some interesting characters =^.^=
Note: I am Australian, and we have alternative ways of spelling certain words from America. Eg. Mum/Mom, -ise/-ize etc.
I know it is a major pain to do this, but please leave comments/reviews etc. because it really does cheer me up, knowing that this story is actually read and liked by people. Thank you and sorry for all this!
Chapter 21: Changes of the Heart
Moonlight filtered through the wooden blinds, pouring onto the army camouflage sheets that were clumped around Masaya's feet as he continued to toss and turn.
'What's happening?' He thought hopelessly, groaning as he sat up and flicked the bedside lamp on. He shaded his eyes, letting them get used to the light while his mongrel dog Rau whimpered in his sleep, rolling over to avoid it and fell back into a deep sleep. Masaya cradled his head in his hands as today's-, he stopped and looked at the clock, now yesterday's events repeated like an endless loop. 'I knew that café name suddenly, as if I've been there before… as if I heard the name somewhere…' He thumped the mattress with his hand before walking off downstairs, slinking by his 'parents' room to prevent them from waking up. When he couldn't sleep, one thing did help exhaust him. Training. He walked outside where the few stars that shined through the heavy layer of light pollution and the thin slip of moon providing poor light on the green lawn. He grabbed his bamboo sword and got to his usual spot. He took a deep breath as he proceeded to practise however as he swung the stick through the silent air, he couldn't help but think back to the wide, shimmering gaze of Ichigo. He could just picture her nearby, right on his wooden porch watching his every move, every swing he made as she awed, holding her hands to her chest as her large, sugary-pink eyes watched him, glittering with that heart-tugging emotion.
"What is that…? That shimmer that I always see in her eyes?" He mused briefly, casting a glance over at the porch where he imagined her sitting, her pink hair in her two cute pigtails, her small hands resting on her tights. "Argh! What am I doing!" He groaned as his heart started to boil his blood, circulating the warmth around his body quickly. He turned back to training, trying his best to ignore the feeling of his blood that rush down his body. He battered the invisible enemy that faced him as his brow lowered in concentration, his hazel eyes burning as he continued his assault on the imaginary figure he pictured in front of him. The figure took the shape of a tall, masculine figure, wielding an invisible sword. The figure smirked and attacked back at Masaya violently, Masaya fought back with the same aggression, bubbly warmth draining from his body and replaced with blistering hatred for the humanoid figure he saw. The invisible sword came closer to him, Masaya battering it out of the way and diving toward the figure, glaring down at its loathing expression. Masaya spun his body around, the action giving his long sword more momentum, Masaya's side smacked the male figure, making him stumble back.
"Haha, you really have learnt haven't you D-" A hissing voice echoed in his memory, out of a strange fog that enveloped his whole being. All Masaya could see was the abomination in front of him and just looking at him made his blood burn, caterwauling to kill him, to make him suffer as his pupil contracted to a thin sliver glittering with hatred that ruled over his body.
'I'll kill him! He'll feel every limb torn from his corpse, his blood flooding the ground,' the thought repeated over and over in the black haze that engulfed him. Masaya swung his sword up between his enemy's legs and he felt the tip slice up through the skin, tearing it aside as blood spurted out, sliding along the silver blade of his sword as it opened his stomach up, up the exposed chest that was already ripped with old battle scars until the sword nicked the male's chin. The figure collapsed to the ground, panting harshly as his wound opened out, red and bloody organs falling out and onto the bare ground in a messy, disgusting pile. The metallic smell of blood hit Masaya, making his blood burn more, boiling every muscle in his body. The figure shot one last smirk, black eyes burned with complete animosity towards Masaya. Masaya just bared his teeth as he plunged the sword down onto the figure's face to destroy that smirk.
'I'll kill that bastard!' He thought.
However, a bamboo stick just hit the grassy lawn that was bathed in moonlight. Masaya's eyes opened wide, hatred washed away in a tsunami of confusion, sweeping away the haze that had control his every movement and thought. Masaya looked at his bamboo sword and to the grassy lawn beneath it, he dropped it, stumbling back as he was overcome with bewilderment and shock.
"What was that? What did I do?" He mumbled, his knees trembling until they gave out under his weight, his body slamming to the ground. He looked up at the night sky as his mind buzzed and then he slumped onto the lawn as his blank eyes gazed blindly forward.
'Aoyama-kun, are you okay?' He could hear her voice, imagine her standing over him and looking at him with those adorable wide eyes that shone with kindness.
'She possesses such a kind-heart, she likes me even though I am nothing but a monster…' Masaya thought. Then there was a jump in his memory. It was hazy, like watching an old movie with fuzzy edges but he could see Ichigo standing in front of him with a large blush painted on her perfect cheeks.
'Aoyama-kun, do you like me?' Her voice echoed around his mind as his memory blanked out, her voice repeated over and over in his mind as he rolled onto his back.
'She did ask me that didn't she? When was that? The day that I passed out from over-working myself I think?' Masaya thought as he sat up. 'Do I like her? Yes, she is such a kind, gentle person, whenever I'm around her I feel so real, I feel alive… Wait…' His remembered her posture, the way she shifted side to side, nervousness pouring off her as her pink eyes glanced up at him, gleaming with… Love... 'Oh… OH! She meant do I love her! Like her as in love her!' He smacked himself for not picking it up sooner. Her constant blush, the way she followed him like she was a helpless duckling and why she always had that shimmer in her eyes that warmed him.
'She loves me…' Masaya realised, sitting up and he shook his head, '…She loves the façade though, not the monster that I am… Or?' he thought, he just slapped himself and picked himself back up.
'Something is happening, something has happened lately,' Masaya thought as he walked to the gymnasium, his feet carried him their automatically while hazy memories continued to float to the surface, deeply perplexing Masaya. A couple of girls watched him, giggling while they thought up daydreams about the raven-hair idol-like boy talking to them.
"Hey, hey, I heard that Aoyama-kun has taken a liking to Momomiya-san," a girl hushed however Masaya easily picked it up. Either he had good hearing or the girls thought that talking normally was quiet enough.
"What? That can't be right!" One girl wailed.
"There goes my dream…" Another commented.
"How come her? She doesn't have any outstanding features at all!" The first shrieked quietly. Masaya's lip wrinkled in distaste and he returned to a hazy image that replayed in his memory to distract him from the dark emotions that started to stir. A pink haired girl running up to him in a pink dress and long, chunky boots however there was something attached to her head, something big and black and something else attached to the dress, trailing behind her.
"AOYAMA-KUN!" The figure's voice called as darkness rippled over.
'Was that Momomiya-san?' He thought, he tried to remember anything before that however all he could see was darkness. 'I don't know if it is Momomiya-san… Argh! Something is happening, I can sense that something is happening. These memories keep repeating and I'm seeing images I've never seen before!' Masaya sighed resting his head in his large hand.
'Do you like me?' Ichigo's question echoed in his mind yet again as he walked along the pathway behind the gymnasium to find the girl in question mentally debating with herself. However, he didn't see the little keychain that dangled from her phone.
"Should I wait for him? No! No! I shouldn't really, I should just meet up with Miwa and Moe… What should I do Masha?" Ichigo asked.
"Wait! Wait!" Masha chirped. Ichigo mentally debated with herself before she slapped her face to rid herself of nervousness however it just returned with a vengeance. Her heart fluttered, reaching dangerous levels. 'Argh! I have to calm down or otherwise I mig-'
"Hello Momomiya-san," Masaya called out to her as he approached her. Her heart exploded as she turned to find Masaya looking at her kindly.
That did it. Her spine silently cracked, her tailbone growing out to create her long, black cat tail. Ichigo blushed as she felt the soft fur grow out of each pore on her tail. She quickly dived her hands behind her back, pulling her gray, school skirt down and she curled her tail up and around her waist. Her skin quivered as the tall boy approached her.
"Hello Aoyama-kun, ah, umm, I just wanted to say good luck at your match today," She shyly admitted, dragging her shoe along the pathway as her heart thundered away. Ichigo and Masaya felt a prickling sensation, as if they were being watched intently. Ichigo could easily pick up who it was by their strong scent of a particular perfume.
'Moe and Miwa,' Ichigo thought, knowing that they were probably peaking around the corner, watching over the 'two hopeless lovebirds' as they put it. Masaya smiled, feeling that warmth spread over his body just from being next to her and just from once glance at Ichigo.
"Thank you Momomiya-san," He then felt his chest pocket sink, as if it became extremely heavy due to the two pieces of paper inside turning to lead. His heart tightened as he tried to formulate words, "Umm, Momomiya-san, I was wondering if tomorrow, you would like to go to the zoo with me?" He asked, pull out a ticket that he had purchased online that morning. Ichigo's eyes brightened up, her heart singing, her pulse increase while Moe and Miwa were jumping and clutching each other in celebration.
'I can't believe it! Aoyama-kun asked me out! I can't believe it! Maybe he does like me!' Ichigo mentally cheered and danced in celebration. Her fur stood up as her blood raced through her body, she looked up at his hazel eyes and smiled at him.
"Thank you so much! I'll love to go!" She happily replied, relieving Masaya of the lead ticket, allowing him to take a deep breath.
"Okay, I'll met you there at ten then, Momomiya-san," He said as he went to walk into the gymnasium.
"Ah! Aoyama-kun!" She called out, he turned back to see her bow deeply and jump back up with a perfect smile on her lips, "Good Luck! I'll be cheering you on!" She said as she skipped away. Masaya watched her go before he closed the door behind him and sighed.
'Maybe… Maybe I do like you Momomiya-san…'
"Pudding-chan, your turn!" A girl called out as she messily landed of the high-bar. She stumbled across the blue gymnastic mats in her fluffy pink socks, returning to the back of the line. The large hall had been converted into a gymnastics gym, high-bars, balance beams and different mats and blocks were set up as a few P.E teachers taught the two classes of ten year olds how to use the equipment and perform somersaults and cartwheels. The thirty year old teacher stood next to not-so-high-bar, helping the children flip over the bar and then land. The yellow haired girl watched his eyes wander around, totally disinterested in the lesson.
'Just you wait na no da!' She thought as she approached the not-a-high-bar-at-all and clamped her small hands around it, the teacher prepared to give assistance as Pudding felt unbelievable power in her arms as she with no real input of energy swung her body up around the bar. Thrill shivered in each cell as she continued to spin herself around the bar, the air rushing through her hair as if she was running through air itself. She then straightened her arms up, propelling her body vertically up as she felt power vibrate under her skin and along every muscle tissue while her class watched her in complete wonderment. The teacher stood there, wide-eyed as Pudding smirked at him playfully.
"That's not all Pudding can do na no da!" She laughed as she let her body fall and spin around and she proceeded to lift her body up with a single arm. She gripped the metal bar tightly, embedding it into her palm as she dangled her free arm and legs around. Again, she dropped and spun around, changing arms and throwing herself up and catching the bar before her body hit the ground. Cheering and applause filled the hall as the P.E teachers froze up, their eyes shinning somewhat with admiration for the young girl. Pudding then gripped the bar with two hands and forced herself to spin around quickly, feeling her body's momentum increase until, she bunched her muscles up and flung herself into the air, as if jumping from a large tree, her arms reached out to grab another.
'Where did that come from na no da?' Pudding thought as she spun around gracefully and landed on her flat feet, the impact running along her limbs.
"PUDDING-CHAN!" Cries rose up as the teacher's clapped alongside the student as Pudding walked to the end of the line, thinking up how to show up that performance.
"How did you do that!" A tall, red-haired kid asked.
"Pudding has practiced acts like that with her dad since Pudding was little na no da!" Pudding told him however she was partly lying, she was getting help from the new strength inside her.
"Pudding-chan, why do you speak in third-person now?" Her friend in front asked, moving her last wobbly tooth around. Pudding blinked as she thought back to all of her conversations and realised now she spoke in third person aloud.
'Why does Pudding do that now na no da?' Pudding thought, 'Pudding never noticed up until now… '
"Um, Pudding was watching a show and Pudding's favourite character talked in third-person so Pudding copied it and now it's a habit na no da," Pudding lied, her yellow eyes widening in shock as she still continued to do it.
'When did it start na no da?' Pudding thought as she walked to Heicha's kindergarten. She slowly made her way there unlike her normal speeding, a blur of yellow hair. Her red school bag dragged her down as her normal bubbly nature was hauled along with it. 'That earthquake and that dream?' she thought back, that day was hazy but that dream of that strange monkey, staring her down playfully as it climbed up her bare body, its hands creating a trail of warmth until it bit open her forehead and left the scar. Pudding reached up and felt it, it felt strange and sensitive to the touch. The kindergarten came into view and Pudding glanced around, looking for any clean cars that might have been parked in front, waiting for her.
"Thank goddess, they aren't here na no da," Pudding murmured as she ran into the schoolyard. She, as per usual, greeted the receptionist and then walked to Heicha's classroom to come face to face with the purple eyed and short brown haired Yūshin-sensei.
"Hello Yūshin-sensei na no da," Pudding greeted her and Heicha slammed into her big sister, her little arms wrapping around her.
"Onee-chan!" Heicha cried happily, swinging around Pudding as Yūshin-sensei bowed in greeting.
"Pudding-chan, I'm sorry, but can we have another talk?" Yūshin-sensei asked her, Pudding nodded and followed her to the school gate. "Pudding-chan, have they come again?" She asked, looking out for a silver car, Pudding shook her head. "They'll come back again, I'll try and prevent them from coming back and also Pudding-chan," Yūshin-sensei said, brushing back her brown bangs.
"What?" Pudding asked, "What is it sensei na no da?"
"I want to help you, even if it's in a small way. You can't keep looking after your siblings like this," Yūshin-sensei said, "Please let me help you Pudding-chan, I can take Heicha home for you or help with shopping," Pudding took a step back as her sister's teacher came up with more examples.
'Help…' Pudding's voice echoed in her mind, 'No one has tried to help Pudding, no one at all, not the school, not Pudding's friends… No one… Should Pudding ask for help na no da?' Pudding considered it for a second before she shook her head.
"Sensei, you have a life outside being a teacher," Pudding started, "Heicha is just your student, you shouldn't worry about us so much. You're a young woman and, from watching television shows, you should be enjoying life, not worrying over us," Pudding said, "Pudding was born with the strength of ten, so Pudding can last until father gets back na no da!" Pudding smiled, Yūshin-sensei slowly smiled wistfully.
"Don't overdo it Pudding-chan," She said, giving up on her plight, "However, you know where to find me if you need help, no matter how small or big the task may be," She smiled kindly and bowed in farewell, Pudding returned the bow and turned around to leave when, "Pudding-chan, your father, his name is Master Wong Taren right?" she called out. Pudding and Heicha nodded as they looked at her puzzled.
"Yes, why did you want to know sensei na no da?" Pudding replied.
"I was just curious is all," Yūshin-sensei replied and bowed back at the two girls and walked off back to her classroom.
"That was strange huh Onee-chan?" Heicha said, looking up at Pudding with large, dark brown puppy eyes.
"Hmm, let's go home na no da!" Pudding said, scooping up her little sister's hand and they walked off to the large temple that their father had renovated into a large house. Pudding looked around, making sure that no one suspicious was approaching them, up until they got in the safety of their house.
"Onee-chan! Heicha! Welcome back!" The four brothers all said at once in a voice that melded together.
"We're back na no da," Pudding and Heicha answered back. Pudding walked up to her room where a fuzzy brown ball jumped on her immediately. Pudding stumbled back as small pet monkey sat happily on her shoulder.
"An-Nin! Don't scare Pudding like that!" Pudding scolded the monkey who lowered its head in an apology as Pudding went back into her room, dropping her bag on the floor and collapsing on the bed. An-Nin jumped off her shoulder and made a whimper as Pudding looked up at him. "Sorry, Pudding is just exhausted na no da," Pudding said. An-Nin made a cooing noise before he crept off and out of Pudding's room. However the small monkey returned with something in its strong tail and in his small hands. Pudding pushed herself up as An-Nin passed two pieces of fruit towards her, a small apple and a banana. Pudding picked them up and looked down in confusion. An-Nin pointed at the fruits and then to Pudding, making cute and strange facial expression that represented eating.
"You want Pudding to eat it? You brought it just for Pudding na no da?" Pudding smiled and picked up the little monkey, "Thank you An-Nin na no da," She set the monkey in her lap and picked up the apple first, and strangely enough, she could smell it. She sniffed, catching the wonderful apple scent that hit the roof of her mouth and she, without a second thought, took a large bite out of it and in quick successions took smaller bites out of the flesh. The natural sweetness of the apple amazed her, melting onto her tongue as she ate half of it and then stopped, passing the rest to An-Nin. An-Nin made a deep, almost clucking noise as he accepted it and happily ate it as Pudding moved onto the banana. With the strength that buzzed in her fingertips, she ripped away the top of the banana and the tore away each side, clutching the bare banana and eating it quickly, small quick bites before passing it onto An-Nin, who made another low noise and ate the rest. Pudding sighed as the food settled in her stomach and she curled up onto the bed, An-Nin following her.
'That feels so much better na no da!' Pudding thought, looking at the sleepy yet cheery An-Nin knowing he felt the exactly the same. She patted her companion from head to toe but felt a slight bump along the way. Alarm ran up Pudding's spine as she sat up, looking at the spot on An-Nin. She pulled him closer to her and ran her fingers quickly over his fur, trying to find the lump when she smelt it, the smell of a parasite and blood. She arched her back as the smell hit the back of her throat, sitting there like a tick, which she found. A brown bug was buried into An-Nin, its head fixed under his skin. Pudding frowned at it as she placed her fingertips around the swelling, feeling the blood flow under An-Nin's skin that the tick was happily drinking. 'Not for long!' Pudding snorted as she pushed inward quickly, the pressure pushed the tick out that was now the size of Pudding's fingernail. Pudding picked the tick up and looked at squirming in her grasp, it's little bloody head waving around to find its next victim. Pudding brought it closer to her mouth before the smell of blood snapped her out of it. She squashed the tick in her grasp, throwing it to the ground and stared at her bloody fingers and all of the dark filth that was trapped under her nails. Pudding jumped up, An-Nin falling to the ground as she ran to the bathroom. She ran to the sink, turning on the water and furiously scrubbing her hands and fingers.
"What was that?" She mumbled as An-Nin's blood washed off, swirling down the drain, "Pudding ate and shared food and then proceeded to groom An-Nin like… like…na no da" Pudding's eyes opened up as the dream repeated in her mind.
'That wasn't a dream! Somehow, somehow Pudding merged with a monkey! Pudding's new strength, the images of trees, love of fruits, sharing with An-Nin and grooming An-Nin… It all makes sense! Pudding is part monkey na no da!' Pudding took a step back as it all formed into place. Her shoulders began to tremble as a huge smile came across her face.
"THIS IS AWESOME NA NO DA!" She cheered, turning off the water to see what else she could do.
Ryou ruffled his blonde hair as he glanced out of the window, looking down on the park below. Dusk was settling over the area causing streetlights to slowly blaze to life as the city began to settle somewhat for the long night. A quiet wind danced through the trees, not stirring anything as it passed by the quiet park.
'If only it could be the same for this place,' He thought as he heard laughter from downstairs. He got up from his bed and grabbed a spare black shirt and the red choker that sat over his Mew Mark nicely. He ran a hand through his hair once more before he staggered out of his room. He walked down the stairs to find the four girls sitting at a long table that was filled with leftover cakes and sweets. Ryou was getting used to the sight of four girls in maid-like outfits. Hitomi looked a bit strange with her pale, mint-crème coloured dress and light red, strawberry crème coloured ribbons and sleeves however it did match up to her eyes perfectly. Mint sat there in her blue dress, sipping some tea like usual while Ichigo drooled over the waffle in front of her.
"This job is so worth it!" Hitomi said, "Best job ever!" She took another bite of a cheesecake and savoured it.
"I think I might get fat from eating to much," Lettuce mused however Mint just nudged her shoulder.
"If you gain weight, it'll probably fall right here!" Mint teased, pointing her fork at Lettuce's chest. Lettuce blushed and covered her chest while Ryou gazed on at Lettuce, his heart pounding as his eyes dropped down to that location.
"Mint-san! Don't say such things!" Lettuce flustered.
"I bet you're adored by a lot of guys," Hitomi added. Lettuce's face broke out in a deep, apple-red blush as she shook her head side to side, "Wait until Mew Lettuce becomes a superhero! All over the world boys will look at Mew Lettuce and say," Hitomi leaned back with a hand on her hip, looking Lettuce up and down before nodding her head, "-nice!" before she broke out in laughter, Ichigo and Mint giggling along with her. Lettuce put her hands in her lap and played around with her fingers, her eyes wide with bashfulness. Ryou looked at her and he thought about Hitomi's statement.
'That is true, I have to admit that she has a good figure… I mean, I am a guy so I can say that! Her battle outfit fits her well, it just sticks to her curves…And she looks adorable right now with her large, beautiful green eyes' His thoughts began to blubber out as a blush broke out across his face. 'What am I saying! I'm the respectable leader of this project! I shouldn't be checking out the girls! Especially not Lettuce! She is so kind and gentle! Keiichiro wouldn't do this! Well he makes any girls swoon but that's beside the point!'
"Anyway Ichigo-san, what about you and Aoyama-kun?" Lettuce asked. Ichigo paused chewing as three sets of eyes focused on her and Mint and Hitomi smirked to each other.
"We are fine!" Ichigo said after she swallowed, "We-we're going to the zoo tomorrow…" She trailed off as Mint smiled at her.
"He actually does like you a lot huh?" She commented as Ichigo's heart fluttered. Ryou swallowed hard as a stone fell in his stomach, sending his guts down into cold depths.
'That guys from before right…?' Ryou said as his heart tugged painfully, 'I wonder what they are like together? How far as he gotten with her? ARGH! Why am I thinking that!' He smacked his head into his hands repetitively as his blood began to boil with a strange feeling he had ever felt before.
"I hope so…" She added as Hitomi sighed.
"From the museum, it looked like he was at least, interested in you," She giggled as Mint joined her. Ichigo looked at the two of them with wide, embarrassed eyes. "Agh! She doesn't know yet?' Hitomi said as she saw Ichigo's clueless expression, "Mint Ane-chan, you tell her!" Hitomi said, a small blush on her cheeks as Mint cleared her throat.
"Remember when you tripped onto Aoyama? Eell what if that was due to a couple of cupids?" Mint coyly asked, looking off to side as Ichigo thought back to the museum. She remembered tripping over something and falling onto Masaya's warm body, how her body hung dangerously close to his, her blood boiling as a deep pool of heat burning between her legs and the feel of something sti-
"THAT WAS YOU!" Ichigo squealed, the heat returning as images repeated in her head. Hitomi and Mint nodded, both of them proud of themselves.
"It did work, you two were so cute and flustered," Hitomi sighed, cupping her cheeks in her hands.
"It was a cute little show," Mint agreed as Ichigo groaned.
"You two are little devils, you really are," Ichigo moaned, "And you two don't have any one special so I can't tease you,"
'What the hell happened that day? Cupids? What happened!' Ryou thought as his blood boiled, strings pulling on his heart and he started to pace back and forth on the corridor upstairs.
"It was something big, something happened and it was enough to make her flustered… Argh! What happened! If he put his little paws on Ichigo-,"
"Papa doesn't approve of the relationship?" Keiichiro chuckled as he tapped the pacing Ryou on the shoulder. Ryou's cat ears popped out in a nanosecond, his tail ripping out over his belt as Keiichiro held back a chuckle.
'Yep, easily flustered,' He thought as Ryou took a few breaths, his ears picking up Keiichiro's laughter.
"What's so funny?" Ryou hissed, his blue eyes burning.
"Nothing Ryou," Keiichiro coyly replied, "Just amazed how much that DNA is affecting you," Ryou's tail twitched at the remark, he crossed his arms and looked at Keiichiro.
"What do you mean?" Ryou tapped his finger on his upper arm as Keiichiro glanced off to the side.
"Well, you are showing the stereotypical signs of a over-protective parent," Keiichiro said. Ryou's heart throbbed and thudded as Keiichiro's words sunk in, he facefell as he realised it himself.
"I can't help it!" Ryou retorted, "She fell for that pretty-boy? And what kind of indecent things have they been up to!" He added, "It's pretty disturbing when I can smell the disgusting, putrid, salty smell of her frickin' arousal, ARGH!" Ryou screamed, which was heard downstairs.
"That sounded like Ryou-san," Hitomi said, "He sounds angry too,"
"You mean he sounds like he normally is?" Ichigo grumbled as she munched on a strawberry.
"I heard that you lit-" Ryou quietly hissed, his fur standing up on end as he prepared to storm off in a boiling blind fury. Keiichiro quickly swung his arms under and over Ryou's to prevent him from humiliating himself.
"Ryou, I thought you didn't want them to find out about Alto," Keiichiro said, snapping Ryou out of his rage. He took a few breaths and ran a hand through his hair.
"If she ever found out or if I told her, she will get a scratch for each insult she ever made against me," Ryou huffed as he went into his room.
"Still sounds like a Shoujo father," Keiichiro called as he walked by. Ryou just sat on the bed as he took a few deep breaths, his blood thinning as the rage disappeared. He felt his ears slide back down and his tail shrink back in. He relaxed after a long period of time, then there was a light knock on his door.
"Shirogane-san, It's Lettuce, may I talk with you?" Lettuce's gentle voice sounded. Ryou sat up immediately and opened the door to find her.
"Sure, come in," Ryou said as he pulled out an office chair from his computer desk. Lettuce's heart fluttered as she looked inside his small and rather empty room. She slowly walked in as she looked around, taking in everything in. Ryou looked back at her in confusion, his blue eyes landing on her's.
"I bet you're adored by a lot of guys," Ryou thought about Hitomi's words, his heart thudded as Lettuce looked at him with wide, nervous jade eyes behind large glasses that only added to her sweet skittish appearance.
"Sorry, just I've never been in a boy's room before," Lettuce admitted as she scratched her cheek with a finger, Ryou's heart lunged at the thought.
'I'm alone with a girl in my room,' Ryou thought. His heart pounded as images came flowing into his head, 'Normally in hentai, now the boy would comfort the girl and then…' Ryou's mind was flooded with images of bare flesh as his heart jumped and skipped.
"Oh is that so! It's the first time I've been alone with a girl in my room!" He blurted out nervously, his comment only added more of a blush to Lettuce's cheeks making Ryou beat himself up.
'I'm supposed to be respectable! Respectable image here!' He told his body as blood was rushing down south, 'Stop that right now!' Lettuce sat down on the office chair and looked at Ryou.
"Anyway, what did you want to talk about?" He said after he cleared his throat. Lettuce looked down at the ground as her fingers trembled.
"I was just thinking Shirogane-san, about the Mew Project and all that and I thought of a situation…" Lettuce started, Ryou listened to her as she formed her words, "Just, I'm pondering whether to tell my parents. They are so kind and nice to me and I just lying to them… It makes me feel horrible," Lettuce told him, "I can't keep it up however, what if they were to reject me? Throw me out since I'm not their little girl anymore…" Her eyes started to water, her throat clenching up as she imagined the faceless appearance of her parents as they refused to look at her, looking down on the freak that destroyed their little daughter, that killed their daughter. Her body trembled at the thought of leaving them behind, never waking up to see her mother cooking rice in the morning. Never again would she feel her mother comb her hair and make her look beautiful, her hands patting her back to calm her down whenever she cried, her hug protecting her from the cold. What if she never saw her mother again? What if her father ever looked at her again, never snuck into her room to give her advice and talk about students at his school while she sowed dolls. His proud gaze as he looked over her. What if that disappeared? Lettuce took her glasses off, placing them in her lap as tears fell down, running down her cheeks as the images played out in her head. She wiped them away however it was just replaced by more salty tears.
"Lettuce…" Ryou's heart thudded sickly as he watched the girl in front of him, slumped in a chair with tears running down her cheeks and onto her uniform, creating wet patches of salty water as spluttering sounded from words trying to well up to the surface. "Lettuce, just relax, it's okay," He crouched in front of her as her large, watery eyes looked up at him.
"I-If I ge-get kicked ou-t-t, can I wib-life here?" She wailed to Ryou with big pleading eyes. He melted, everything that made up the stubborn Ryou who tried to keep this harsh yet respectable figure was destroyed. He slid a hand onto Lettuce's wet cheek, ignoring the tears that poured over his fingers as looked deeply at her.
"I involved you girls, I did this to you so if that does happen, that is the least I will do for you Lettuce," he reassured her, "however don't think like that okay, we have to think positively," He told her, smiling warmly. Lettuce looked at him as her heart raced and she clumsily fell of the chair, slamming into Ryou's body. He fell onto his backside, his back slamming against his bed as Lettuce's body fell on top of his. She nuzzled her face into his chest as her body rocked and shuddered with tears. Ryou's skin prickled as her fingers tugged at his shirt and the tears started to seep through the thin material of the shirt.
"Th-thank you Shirogane-san…" She sobbed. Ryou looked up the ceiling as he pictured the situation he was in.
'What do I do?' He screamed at his brain, he shook his head at the answer but with a sigh he slowly rested his hand on her head.
"Everything will turn out okay," He said looking out at the night sky.
'I can only hope for that although, oh what have I done to these girls?'
ZoeyHoshi: Love is in the air. Honestly, I love writing these cutesy moments.
Ryou: It's either cutesy or violent…
ZoeyHoshi: Yep, just wait to you see what's coming up though HAHAH!
Ryou: (Sweat drop) Ummm… Yeah, I'm scared now…