The Inevitable Fate

Chapter 8

[Rika POV]

[1]

So, what's with everybody? A single non-descript 'yo' and every girl in every corner came tagging on his sleeves and batting their 'over-dosed' eyelids at him. You should have seen; they were like: "Oh, a hot guy up for grabs! Pick me, Pick me!" Sheesh, I'm literally disgusted. I'm so disgusted that I felt like puking in front of his face. Instead, they went completely ballistic and asked him to sign their jeans and worse, some even pleaded for a kiss. Eew…even Kenta and Kazu! Someone, please, throw me into the freezing sea. I'm surrounded by idiots! When I'm way under the sea, the fishes wouldn't be such a nuisance. Well, at least they can't talk human language.

But, I should have known, idiots like them could only invite someone as 'mysterious' as him, their idol, who was of course none other than –

"Ryo Akiyama. How nice to see you." I glared daggers at him. He could only flash a sheepish smile.

……….

~*~*~*~*~*~

Rika heaved in a long exasperated sigh and collapsed onto the comfy mattress. The train ride was really a devastating journey and she swore solemnly to never again ride on that 'thing' again; let alone going near it. She hefted her legs and pulled away the socks before snuggling into the soft cotton. Ah…life!

"The room is so big!!!! And oh look, the view here is just splendid!" Jeri, who was trailing behind Rika all the while, cried in awe as she threw her luggage down and immediately flung herself onto the sliding glass door that lead into a mini balcony. Rika could only laugh at her friend's stupor.

She surveyed the surrounding and it somehow drew comfort and tranquility that she yearned for. It was indeed a perfect place to relax especially after all that uneventful school days.

"Perfect isn't it?"

Jeri nodded light-heartedly. "After coming this far of my life, I had to agree there is still many things out there are yet to be discovered and to be learnt. Somehow… I couldn't help but reminisce those good old days – the first time when we met the mystical creatures, how we fought our way through peril and danger and then the goodbyes we bid… I really miss those days."

Rika was astounded. In fact she was rather surprised to hear these words from Jeri who she thought will never grow up. And the fact that she was dissed and upset just because Ryo… She was even more childish. Suddenly, out of the corners of her eyes, a tiny movement caught her eye. She grinned.

"Gee Jeri. I didn't know you like – "Rika pointed to her in a gleeful remark. "Spiders."

"Huh, what?" she was slightly perplexed. A full minute passed before………. "Yikes!" Jeri gave a yelp, jumped and hid herself behind Rika. "Kill that thing. Kill that thing!"

Rika raised an eyebrow. "Indeed." And she laughed even more. Jeri was rather baffled.

"Go get that thing before it gets –"

Sadly, Jeri couldn't finish her sentence as she was rudely interrupted by a slam of the door, a yank of her hand and a hug from her beloved. "Takato…" Jeri was mesmerized. It was liked a scene cut off from James Bond; she, the heroine was saved by the world's most charming man –

"Takato." Rika frowned for a moment but she also envied her friend in the same time. It must have felt very nice to have someone who cared so deeply for you. She would have exchange everything just for someone like him but deep down she knew she couldn't.

Soon, the rest of the gang soon arrived on the scene of 'crime'.

"Wow…" Kazu whistled. "Are we missing something here?"

"Don't both of you feel crushed by being so close to one another?" came another ironic voice. Instantly, with the grace of a klutzy person, Takato and Jeri pulled away from each other unwillingly. A small twist akin to a smile formed at the corner of Henry's lips. Both turned a scarlet red.

 "You just ruin their best moment!!" Rika exclaimed to the group and then mumbled indiscreetly to herself. "Darn, should have brought my cam recorder along…"

"RIKA!! I heard that!!"

She looked up. "You did? That was a surprise. I thought you wouldn't notice our presence."

Oh boy, she really had them fooled. She was really savoring the moment of teasing her favourite couple.

"I…I... I think I forgotten something in the lobby. I'll go get it." Takato scrambled as fast as his athletic legs could take him and in a second or two, he disappeared from the room. The atmosphere was pulsating. Everyone just cast their gaze from the door to Jeri, from Jeri to the door, from the door to Jeri and so on…

Realizing it was a rather awkward moment, Jeri decided a change of plan. "I think I needed some fresh air too. How about a drink down at the café?" 

"Good idea. I'm starving. Hey, Kenta, do you know that they are having are some kind of competition this afternoon?" Kazu's voice dissipated with his figure.

Kenta's one followed soon after. "I heard that too. You…" His voice faded into whispers.

Rika laughed silently to herself but stopped dead I trek as she felt something burning at the back of her neck. The intensity of it paralyzed her figure.

"Do you want to join us then?"

She face-faulted.

Ryo was in the room.

Ryo WAS in the room.

This couldn't be right. He was just her figment of imagination. He couldn't be with him in this trip.

Visions be gone…Akiyama be gone… She chanted inaudibly.

"I'm still here.." He spoke her thoughts over, leaving her feeling bare and naked under those intense glares. She feigned a smile, turned and –

"What are you thinking? Of course you are still here. Just tell them I'll be there in a few minutes time, okay? I need to pack up my stuffs."

"Sure." He merely shrugged and exited the room. Rika heaved in another sigh.

"This is a going to be a tough day."

*~*~*~*~*~*

"And she was liked *hop into position* – Takato…."

"Oh, Jeri…"

The café exploded with ripples of uproarious laughter when Rika entered the merry café and was just in time to witness the event of the year: A flying chair, popping eyes and a very loud 'Huh?'

SMACK. SMACK – BOOM.

Ouch. Rika winced but in contention. 

"What the heck is that for?!" Kazu shouted at the top of his lung, all the while messaging his sprained neck. Kenta, however was very well, what should I say – dead.

She stepped into the disaster only to hear a modest-pitch laugh followed by several 'you got them for good'. Straining her eyes, she found herself staring into a guy's back, with a hand leaning on the table and another stuck to his waist.

"Oh boy, haha…I couldn't…ahahaha….believe you actually did that."

"You should have seen!" Kazu regained his previous cheerfulness once more but said no more after receiving another threatening glare from Takato. That did shut him up.

However… not for long.

And Kenta was still dead. Never mind him.

Rika stepped out from the shadow, the café's lights gave their way to her lenient figure as she smoothed a 'hello' and collapsed into a seat. Ryo was seated right opposite of her but she cared not. Takato and Jeri were beside her, both with still hints of scarlet although Takato's was more like anger than shyness. Oh wait – she was hungry. Let's get to the detail part later shall we?

"So what would you want, young miss?"

"Give me a can of Coke, a plain tuna sandwish, a –"

"Yes, anymore?"

She found herself absorb by those glittering orb. "Aren't you…"

He grinned. "We met before. I thought you wouldn't recognize me."

"Oh, you're the guy with Sora and the gang. What are you doing here?"

"Summer job. Summer's this year pretty boring and I'm running out of expanses. Thought it might be a great help to come by the seaside, get a job or two and spend the rest of the holidays with the others. By the way, we haven't really introduced ourselves on the regular basis have we? Name's Takeru. Takeishi Takeru."

"Rika. Rika Nonaka. Very nice to meet you."

Takeru cast a winning smile. "My pleasure too. I was just marveling at your friend's Joke, what's his name again?"

Rika's smile soon dissipate. Marveling?

"You mean Kazu and Kenta?"

"Yeah."

"The one that was being tied up is Kazu and the dead one is Kenta." She pointed without any enthusiasm. Takeru's eyes widened and series of laughter escaped from his mouth.

"Indeed. Indeed."

Rika then realized that she hasn't introduced Ryo to him. She was about to open her mouth when she was disrupted by Takeru. "Know this guy almost my entire high school life. The most popular guy around, never cease to pick up the best chicks yet," No one noticed Rika's face had changed slightly. " – and the best teammate I ever have – Ryo Akiyama."

"You're flattering me Takeru-san."

"Takeru-san?" He gave him an unapproved look. "Since when do we address one another by –san?"

He smiled. "You're still my senior after all."

Takeru took another great upturn and proceed without any hesitation as he reached for his forehead to feel its temperature. "Are you sick or something? You're not the same Ryo I used to know. Oh wait a minute, are you his twin brother or something?"

He gave a small laugh. "Of course not. I'm fine." He spoke. "Really." He added as an afterthought concerning how annoying his senior can get.

"Good to hear. By the way Rika, do you want to meet Sora and Mimi? They are here too, helping out."

Rika's eyes brightened with anxiety. "Sora and Mimi is here too?'

He nodded and ushered her to turn her gaze to the outside. "The rest of them are out there. Somewhere…I think."

Their voices faded into soft whispers as Ryo watched intensely, never utter any word as it was not his type to just budge into any conversation especially when it comes to his senior, Takeru. He respected him and of course, it was a great thing to have finally met him after their last meeting. But even though when he stared at the pair engaged in a never-ending conversation, he felt a certain 'something' churning within the depths of his mind, Rika was no more than a fantasy to him, just a dream he had just awakened from. It was time to start a new. And the first condition is –

"Forget about her." He mumbled.

If only he could…

"TAKERU!!!" boomed a stern voice. Takeru immediately stiffened and halted in the middle of his exciting preaching. "Sorry guys, I can't chat any longer. As you can see—"

"CAME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!!!"

"COMING! JUST A SEC!"

He turned to face the rest of the group for one last time. "Listen, in a week time they will be hosting a firework display to honour the spirits of the fireflies or so – it is a traditional festive season here. I hope you guys," he winked at Ryo who was abruptly taken aback. "—  could help us out if you don't mind, we're short of people."

"No problem," Kazu gave a thumb-up. "Leave it to us."

"We would gladly love to." Henry spoke monotonously.

"Count us in too!" Jeri exclaimed and then something poked her from behind. "Oh yeah, he too." The dead Kazu gave a little wave.

"Great!! I'll inform the others."

"TAKEISHI TAKERU!!! YOU'RE FIRED!"

"But, no wait, I could explain –"and he left.

Both Ryo and Rika each gave a small laugh but when their eyes finally met, both cast them elsewhere.  The cheery mood hung low that morning and as they watched his retreating figure, thoughts were plying in their mind. Yet never once did it dawn on them how coincidental this might be. It was liked all plotted out beautifully in one big scheme.

Not even Ryo and Rika –

It was fated.

*~*~*~*~*~*

[1] Okay that was what Rika thought at the moment he saw Ryo. I was just bored and thought it might cheer myself up. Hehe.

Fuyoh! Done with chapter 8. I have my big great 'scheme' planned out already and the next chapter will definitely be a blast! Haha! Darn…I'm late. Bye!

Thanks to those who reviewed!

Signing out,

Psycho_kyugurl