A/N : I think I might want to revise again the previous chapters because I've just realized that this story is getting to nowhere! I didn't want to make this a soapy opera and yet when I read back, it is turning into one! Should I or should I not? Arghh!! Someone please tell what to do!! I'm confused!
The Inevitable Fate
Chapter 9
"Why are you still following me?" Rika finally spoke her mind out and turned to face a nonchalant DigiKing.
Ryo merely shrugged and pretend to be interested with the view beyond the ocean. He threw his eyes elsewhere, anywhere but at her as he pocketed his hand. It was a slightly overcast day with shredded cumulus marching across the blue sky and the burning orb smiling down at them. Rika, who was clothed with a simple white shirt and a pair of navy blue short, placed her hand threateningly on her waist and struck a defiant pose while glaring almost uninterestingly at the 6 inch guy in front of her. "I'm still waiting for an answer."
"I'm going to the South Cape."
Rika raised a brow. "Oh, is it?"
Ryo said nothing but walked pass her before whispering something into her ears, "Don't worry, I'm over with you already."
It would be a lie if she says that she didn't care. No matter how cold she could be, her heart never deceives her. She knew it was bound to happen sooner. She was already in love with him.
With a heavy heart and a drenched mind, she trailed his distinctive figure almost lazily and shouted to him in no particular reason. "Good. I wouldn't fancy running around trying to convince everyone we're not a couple," and presumed her pace.
"Rika!!!" A feminine voice drifted by and scurrying footsteps followed soon after, heralding the presence of her manager and her fusionist – Mimi and Sora.
"Hey." She gave a small wave and a slight smile. This is the worse timing ever.
"So how's my favourite model in the world doing?" Mimi's arm somehow found its spot on Rika's left arm while Sora weighed down on the right. "I'm well." Rika replied unenthusiastically and they paced down the sandy beach together. An hour ago meeting them again was the best thing that could have happen in her vacation (Having Ryo along was bad enough) but an hour later, nothing seemed to matter anymore.
"You okay Rika? You look rather pale." Sora pursed her lips playfully. "Have you not being following the nutritive programme?" but her tone subdued immediately upon looking her dejected figure.
"Of course she has Sora! I've check with Mrs.Nonaka almost every day concerning her daily meals. Are you questioning my duty?" Mimi pouted.
"I wouldn't dare."
"Good."
Rika made no noise.
Mimi discreetly signaled a sign to Sora who seemed to catch what her friend was trying to say though uncertain. It seemed awkward to bring up a conversation now since Rika was not keen on making any conversation. "What's with the long face Rika?" Mimi finally broke the ice.
"Nothing."
More silence.
Mimi was rather taken aback by the frigid tone and her mind instantly went into deep thought. Sora on the other hand tried very, very hard not to peek at Rika. She was avoiding Mimi's gaze too. She didn't want to bring up the subject too soon. But then… --
Sora spotted something from the corner of her eye. Mimi was showing some…err…head language?
Sora wrinkled her brow and inclined her head, meaning: What are you trying to say?
Mimi moved her head, tilting to her right a bit then nodded when she thought Sora understood what she was trying to say but she didn't and then shook her head once more before continuing to tilt her head repeatedly. After five minutes of futile attempt, Mimi resolved into her infamous eye contact. She stared into Sora's eyes as if saying: Try ask her what's wrong.
Sora replied back with another contact: Why me? You are the one who brought up this smart idea. You do it then!
It was Mimi's turn: I don't know how to! You are a better conversationalist anyway.
Sora frowned. [A/N: Don't ask me how they do this. They just can]
"What are you guys doing?" Rika finally broke the contact and stopped dead on a track.
"Haha…nothing…" Mimi laughed nervously. "I was just –"
"Rotating her neck. A part of her daily routine you see." Sora continued almost immediately.
"Yeah, rotating my neck. See?" She rotated some more.
"I never knew that. I mean I hardly see you do anything other than shoving food to me."
"Ahaha…just brought the habit er…"
"Last month." Sora saved her breath once more.
"Yeah, last month."
Rika merely furrowed a brow but uttered nothing and didn't bother to pursue further the subject.
They prodded down the sandy beach with heavy steps until Mimi came out with another idea. She nudged at Rika. "See that hut over there?"
"Where?" Rika shaded her eyes from the bizarre rays and squinted them to have a better look of the distant.
"There, that one, just right at the corner."
"Ahh…" Rika was mildly interested. "What about the hut?"
"It is a traditional Japanese restaurant opened by my uncle. It serves superb sukiyaki and ramen. I bet you would love it."
"And the sashimi is very good too!" Sora joined in.
Rika's vision however, hazed. "Good, huh?"
*~*~*~*
What turned out to be good was far worse than anything she had expected. But then again, she had to admit the food was delicious and the shop layout and design was very serenading. The only problem was –
-- she had to help to clean up the shop.
"I'm sorry Rika, this was not what exactly I had in mind…" Mimi mumbled indecently as she moved nearer together with the poor mop to where Rika was polishing the window.
"So what exactly do you have in mind?" She asked but her eyes weren't on the pink-haired girl.
"Err…"
"So?"
"I…I –"
"Mimi, there's someone looking for you!!" bellowed a grating voice somewhere out of the tiny hut.
"Be right there!" she answered. But before she left Rika all alone, she spoke to her in a cautious voice. "Show me your left palm." She demanded.
Rika who looked absolutely lost followed her order without any hesitation. "Like this?"
And she deliberately slapped her hand and passed over the mop to her. Rika stood as numbed as ever. "What the heck…?"
Mimi merely winked and ran off. Cold enigmatic feeling swept through her like a blowing gale. "What the hell…?" was the only words our sweet protagonist managed to mutter.
*~*~*~*
"Why are you detaining us here Mimi??!!" Sora asked desperately as she forced off the urge of killing the fusionist right at the spot.
Mimi clasped a palm across Sora's mouth in an instant, gagging her in the process. "I know what I am doing. Have you brought him along Takeru?" She shot a question at the younger boy who knelt beside them and was too preoccupied with snooping at the situation beyond the window.
"Yeah, I guess. I told him to meet me here at three in the noon." He stopped to steal a quick glance at his watch. "He should be here anytime soon."
"Good. It is going as I have planned."
"Planned? What do you mean plan?" Sora ventured a question through her gagged mouth but all that was heard was muffled discontentment from a poor abused creature. (Imagine chibi Sora and a nasty chibi Mimi)
"Shh! Stop struggling or I'll skin you alive!!"
And surprisingly Sora obeyed as she was commanded too. Perhaps there are days like this where Mimi could be really, really desperate. "Oh, here he comes!!" She whispered excitingly. "Target spotted in the distant, approximately 20 metres away."
Takeru gave a thumb up.
"This is going to be interesting…"
*~*~*~*~*
Ryo glanced around urgently, hoping to spot for a sign of familiar figures anywhere. Takeru had requested him to come over to a restaurant at the South Cape where they could have a long chat and also for him to get back feedback on the latest condition of the team. Ryo did as he was told but Takeru was nowhere to be seen. He had been waiting for fifteen minutes already and still no sign of him.
"I guess I should wait for him in the restaurant."
He sauntered to the restaurant and gingerly stepped in but was pushed to a corner by a brute old man who simply threw a mop at him. "Get back to work you lazy bum!"
"What?"
"I say back to work!!"
And Ryo was thrown into a room where a single figure whose head was downcast and had a ragged clothed on her shoulder. She looked like she was held off by the stern shopkeeper.
"You were detained too by that old man?" she asked while keeping her head low on the parquet.
Ryo thought the voice sounded rather familiar but didn't bother to recollect his suspicion for his mind was suffering from momentarily memory lapse. "Yeah and all I ever did was to walk in. What a great way to greet a customer huh? So I assume you were caught in the same way too?"
The figure froze on her spot. She knew that voice and averted her eyes almost instantly at him. Ryo caught those amethyst eyes and cracked a small smile – an act of acuity in the moment of awkwardness. He inclined his head slowly and then leaned against the mop.
"Fated huh?"
*~*~*~*~*
"I knew it, I knew it!!" Mimi bounced happily on the spot, weighing down poor Sora and Takeru who was supporting her all through the interception. After series of persuasion from the couple, Mimi was finally acceded to get off and she turned both of them around to further explained to them her plan.
"Let them have a little one on one conversation then only we make our next work, all right?"
Takeru shrugged indifferently while Sora wore a puzzle look. "You sure this is going to work?" she asked uncertainly.
"I bet on Palmon's life that this will surely unite them together again!"
Sora felt a certain pity towards her friend's partner and muttered a small Amen. "I sure hope Palmon would still be living after today." (Somewhere in the digital world, a tiny cactus digimon sneezed repeatingly, captivating stares from her fellow friends. "Are you catching a flu or something Palmon?" Agumon expressed his concern. "No…I don't think so." Palmon replied hesitantly, "It's just that I have bad feeling…that's all.")
*~*~*~*
"Ryo?"
The mop that she had been holding all the while dropped with a loud 'thud' and quickly she scooped it up with her left hand. "What are you doing here?"
Ryo arched a brow and smiled sweetly at her. "This is just like the first day we met at school. Is it just me or are you really that clumsy?" his voice was thick with sarcasm.
"Don't mock me Akiyama."
"Haih, haih, whatever you say Miss Rika."
Rika scowled. And the shopkeeper came in. "I told you to clean up the floor you idiots or I wouldn't be paying you two a single cent."
"But sir…we –" Ryo tried to explain but was rudely interrupted by Rika who seemed to gain back her usual composure. "There is no use to try to knock some sense to that old guy. He is suffering from senile dementia." She twirled her fingers lazily. 'Poor guy." She paused for a while and stared evilly at the window. "He must have mistaken us for someone else." Ryo followed her gaze and somehow felt confused more than ever.
Faint noises were emitted from the outside but none of them paid any attention and both shifted their vision unwillingly to the matters ahead and started mopping the floor.
It was funny to him to finally get some private time alone with Rika but his mind was set already – he had gave all hope on her. He knew she didn't like him and he didn't want her antagonization to spoil their friendship. It was best to leave the things the way they were.
*~*~*~*~*
For the first time of her entire life, silence was unbearable. Although both of them worked alongside with one another silently (Ryo didn't even try to pry a glance at her), the new found atmosphere was strangely…irritable. Rika did series of thinking and mind-boggling questions to herself as to why she was feeling like this, but the silence went from unbearable to dreadful. She felt liked she needed to talk to him (who was now just inches away from where she was) but only more silent came out from her mouth.
Once a while his hand would accidentally brush against hers and she would feel her cheeks on fire but all he ever said was "Sorry." He would then flash his infamous grin and she would feel her entire body burning with emotion. This, she noted, was indeed a quaint thing but she had long thought her feeling for him had died off eventually after that day he confronted her. Her mind though, kept on nagging, telling her how much she actually missed that young lad who was just inches away from her.
And as the time droned by, with her stealing glances at him whenever fate permitted, Ryo seemed rather attached to the task before him and the hope of talking to him fade off with the gossamer thread of time.
It was half an hour later (with Mimi and co. awaited patiently for any interesting thing to happen) when the floor was finally shining clean, both of them stepped aside; Rika rested her hand on her waist and Ryo wiping off the sweat from his forehead, marveling at the result of their hard work. Ironically at time such as this, nobody came to their aid and Rika somehow thanked silently to those who were supposed to be there when they were not.
"I guess this is a goodbye Rika." He leaned the mop to the side and washed his hand at the sink behind. "I don't think Takeru-senpai would be coming too anyway anymore. Maybe he had lost count of time or was too busy with Hikari to actually remember to stop by. See you around Rika." And he paced away.
Rika didn't know how to react and a terrible motion etched across her beautiful feature. She wanted to talk to him, to tell him to accompany her but she just didn't know where or how to start. So the first thought that came into her head was –
DANG --!
"What happened?" Ryo turned back and his jaw dropped immediately upon staring at the filthy water that spilled from the blue bucket, gracing the brandly-cleaned floor with its dirty presence. The shopkeeper ran in and gave them a long lecture both of them will never forget. Ryo shot a brutal look at Rika who simply scratched her head quizzically and was heaving a deep sigh.
She turned to shrug at Ryo and simply muttered two simple words –
"An…accident?"
*~*~*~*~*
Haha, I am rather please with this chapter though I had to admit I plagiarize the entire kicking-the-bucket from a friend of mine, the others are written originally by me. Yes by me. If you don't trust me, ask my muse.
So now the question is should I continue or should I revise the entire fiction as to make the reading and understanding better? I don't know. Please tell me what to do. I am a hopeless girl when it comes to matters such as this.
It is my apology if this chapter left you yearning for more of Ryo-Rika scene. It was fun writing this, imagine Rika actually had feelings for Ryo! (Muse : *dies*) But of course that's universal or I wouldn't be writing this, would I? ^^
Can't believe I have came this, and I hereby sincerely thank all of you who had supported me all the way. I tried to make this chap extra longer but only to realize I have created yet another meanie cliffhanger at the end of the chapter. Haha, I am mean person.
If you have notice, I've written yet another Ryuki fic by the title – When Goddess Sings Her Melody. Though it's not my best but it's quite promising. ::Shamelessly waves for attention:: So, please, read and tell me your opinions! ::grins shamelessly once more.
Signing out,
Psycho_kyugurl