Kyo breathed in the fresh morning breeze that glorious day as he jogged down the streets. He was sent out to the market by Shigure because the writer was complaining of writer's block and was blaming it on the sound of cats meowing loudly at each other last night, which the dog said was caused by him! He could swear to the high heavens that he didn't do what his cousin was accusing him of, but then even the high heavens will surely side with Sohma Shigure, rotten and unjust he is. And furthermore, if he won't obey the novelist and buy him the things he wanted in the market at that moment, he was pretty sure that Shigure would relay his own cute little story to his fiancée, Kagura. Perhaps one about him making courtship noises for those other neighbor cats in town. And that wouldn't be pretty. He knew Sohma Kagura only too well. She has this irritating trait of being over-possessive and over jealous, even against helpless female kittens that he happen to notice when he's in his cat form. She nearly started a mass execution of female cats in our town once, but thanks to Tohru's intervention, the felines were saved from her wrath.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the rumble of a motorcycle engine pass his side, missing him by inches!
"COME BACK HERE, YOU ASSHOLE! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, THE KING OF THE ROAD???!!!!" he yelled. "COME BACK HERE AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!!!"
To his surprise, the motorcycle made a u-turn, and was now heading for him!
Is he going to run me over? wondered Kyo.
Then to his utter shock, the motorcycle stopped beside him, and its rider turned to him, unspeaking for a moment.
"Why are you staring at me, huh?" he demanded.
"Idiot."
His eyes widened.
The motorist took the helmet off, revealing the familiar long hair that suddenly fluttered and fell into place behind the heavy leather jacket. "Up to now, I still couldn't get over the extent of your stupidity." Uotani Arisa smirked at him. "Good morning, Boss!"
"I thought you are a safe driver!" he yelled as Uo drove her motorcycle by the sidewalk, keeping with the pace of her boss' brisk jog.
"I am," she agreed.
"Yeah, and you nearly broke the barrier of sound when you sped past me awhile ago," he said sarcastically.
"In case you didn't notice, I was honking at you already, but you look like you're drifting into another world. You aren't even aware that you're not on the sidewalk already," she shot back. "Be thankful that the motorist happened to be me, or the driver could have really ran you over. Imagine, it is you at fault, but it is still you who has the nerve to get mad!"
He blinked, then turned ahead again. "Hah! Besides, you're a girl. What are you doing on a motorcycle?"
"I'm riding it, just like any good rider should."
"That's not what I mean!" His eyes narrowed at her. "You shouldn't be riding a motorcycle. It's unbecoming of a girl."
"Hmm?" Uo slowed down. "When I bought this baby, no one told me that one of the requirements to start its engine is that I should be a male. That, or I yet have to encounter a gender-checking motorbike." It's her turn to narrow her eyes at him. "Don't tell me, you're one of those chauvinistic pigs who think all females are timid, domestic creatures, am I right?"
"I won't tell you then," he said sarcastically. "Look, Uo, men and women are created differently to fulfill his and her own role. The man is the hunter and the woman is the caretaker. Along with those roles are properties," he explained, feeling smart.
"Properties?" she echoed. "Sounds interesting. Do enlighten me."
"Like a man, owning the toolbox, the car key, and the…the…" Kyo groped for words.
"The condom?" guessed Uo.
He glared at her. "The necktie. A woman, on the other hand, is responsible for the spatula, the washing machine, the stove, and-"
"The female wash?" she guessed.
Another glare. "The broom. And the kids, of course."
She rolled her eyes. "You really are an idiot. It's like you're saying that you're not a man after all."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"If I dare you right now to get me a monkey wrench from that hardware store, will you know what is it immediately without asking the store owner?" she asked, pointing to the nearby stall.
He had no response. As much as he hated to admit it, he was clueless with tools.
"And look at you right now. Between the two of us, who holds the car key?" she asked.
He began to see the fallacy of his argument, thus his temper was beginning to flare.
"And you do not like donning a necktie, so does that mean you do not like being a man?" she asked.
"Enough!" he boomed. He tried to jog faster, but she easily kept pace with him.
"As for me, I can cook much decently than the Prince, and I know how to do the laundry. I know how to keep my apartment in order, but I still ride a motorcycle, I drive a car, and I don't call a plumber to fix the leaks in the pipes." She looked at him. "So what does that make me?"
"A manly woman! An Amazon!" he yelled, not caring whether the passersby were looking at them in bewilderment.
She nodded. "I still am a woman, and I'm no different from Hana or Tohru. It just happens to be that I can do a lot of things, but that doesn't make me less a woman."
Kyo did a double take when her eyes turned to him, for the first time not carrying a hint of sarcasm.
"And you, being a helpless driving moron, does not make you less a man," she said quietly.
He quickly looked down at the sidewalk, cursing at how quickly his face was turning warm. She sounded good, because psychology is her course. She's used to smooth-talking people, that's why.
He looked up when he heard the motorcycle engine roar louder. She turned to him. "I'm going to be late for work. See ya when I do, moronic mutant cat!"
"Why you-"
She gave him a quick salute. "Don't worry! I won't tell anyone that I saw Sohma Kyo blush!"
"Damn bitch! I HATE YOU!!!"
Kyo was still brooding when he walked out of the supermarket. He still had one last stop to make before he could go home – the prawn crackers that Shigure and Ayame loved to feast on whenever they want to have a merry drink. Sighing, he put his cap on. The sun was scorching hot, and if he wanted to make it back home alive, he had to put on the dopey-looking hat Momiji asked him to buy.
"But first, I need to eat," he decided. He headed for the nearest restaurant he could see – a quaint little white diner where stout grandparents and loud children entered.
He felt awkward – he didn't like the feeling of being alone in a place where everyone had company. He looked around. It was a nice place, with a cozy and homely ambience. How he wished Tohru was with him right now. He was sure she would love the place, as sure as the place would love her. They were both so pure and innocent and warm, especially in white.
"May I take your order, Sir?" asked a familiar voice.
"A burger and a can of softdrinks," he replied. "Oh, and make the drink extra-"He turned to the waitress, and the first thing he noticed was the round, shapely legs that the petticoat of the short white skirt revealed. Long legs were always his weakness.
His eyes slowly climbed up towards the full, round breasts, then up to the slender neck, then to the face.
His eyes widened.
Uo was looking at her order pad, scribbling the order furiously. She still hadn't noticed him. "Sir, shall I make your drink extra-large?" When her customer didn't reply, she looked down at him, then gaped at him.
They were staring at each other for what seemed like eternity, until finally, Kyo spoke up. "So, um you work here?" he stammered.
She quickly recovered her composure. "So you noticed." She looked down at her pad again. "One burger and one extra large can of soda, is that all, Sir?"
He nodded.
She made an about face and walked into the kitchenette. His eyes followed her, still fascinated by what happened.
His order was served, but not by Uo. He asked the waitress where Uo was.
"She's in the bathroom, I think," replied the girl politely, struggling to hide the swooning smile. The man before her was the personification of a rough brute she often see in those Marlboro cigarette commercials, only cuter!
"Are you paid to stare at me while I'm eating?" he snapped.
She turned around, flustered. She managed to mumble an apology before heading back into the kitchenette. He may be handsome, but he sure is arrogant.
"For the last time, he is not my boyfriend," said Uo calmly as she slipped on an apron. She asked her friend who was the cook of the restaurant to swap places with her for thirty minutes, while the food still didn't need much attention.
"So who's he?" asked her friend, still swooning.
"He's my boss," said Uo simply.
"Your what?"
"My boss." Uo tossed her ponytailed hair behind her shoulders. "I am his driver."
The girl gaped at her. "Y-You're kidding. Mr. Dream Boy does not know how to drive?"
"Bingo," she said, tossing the fries in the air.
"Well, if my boss is as good-looking as him, I won't mind driving him anywhere he wants to, even without a salary!"
"They pay me well," she admitted, then glanced through the dividing window between the kitchenette and the main dining area. Kyo was still eating. She wondered how much longer would the guy had to stay. As confident and strong she was, she couldn't stand the strange lingering look that her boss was giving him awhile ago.
He must think I look like a total clown for wearing this.
"Why don't you go over there and talk to him, instead of stealing glances at him?" asked her friend.
She managed a careless shrug. "It's my day-off. I'm not obliged to be with him."
Suddenly, she saw Kyo look up from his meal, then look around the restaurant as if he's looking for someone.
"I think he's done," said her friend. She pressed the tray and the bill on Uo's hands. "Here. Bring him his bill."
"But-"
"You'll pay for his meal if you don't get his bill."
Kyo saw Uo marching towards him, a tray on her hands. He found himself smiling when she stood beside him, face all crunched up.
"How will you ever get a tip from your customers when you look like that?" he asked, failing to hide an amused smile.
"I think that problem should be mine alone," she said stiffly. "Your bill, Sir."
He looked at the piece of paper then took out a crisp bill from his pocket. "Here."
She looked at the money. "I'm afraid we do not have change for that."
"Keep the change then." With that, he stood up and left the restaurant.
Uo's friend came up from behind and looked at the money. "Wow, he sure is a big tipper. What is his name again?"
"Kyo," she said. "Sohma Kyo."
"SOHMA KYO???!!!!" gasped her friend.
Everyone in the restaurant turned to the two of them.
"Thanks a lot," said Uo dryly as she wiped the table.
"You mean, he's a Sohma? The Sohmas that own nearly ten kinds of establishments in the city, and even have major stock holdings in fast-growing companies? The corporation owned by the young powerful businessman, Sohma Yuki?" recited the shocked waitress.
"Yuki is Kyo's cousin," she explained.
"No wonder he can give you such tips!" The waitress looked at the money again. "Why, that can pay your apartment rent for two months!"
She managed a forced smile before continuing to scrub the table.
Kyo was working out when Shigure entered the room without warning. "Hey Kyo!"
"What do you want?" he snapped, and continued to punch the air repeatedly.
"I want nothing from you," said the novelist cheerfully. "But the girl outside does."
"If it's Kagura-"
"It isn't."
He had no choice but to go out and face the visitor. He did a double take when he saw Uo sitting on her motorcycle, waiting for him.
Shigure waved, then shut the door.
Kyo looked at him. "So what is it?"
She handed him a bunch of loose changes and bills quietly.
"What are these for?" he wanted to know.
"Your change. You didn't get it awhile ago," she said stiffly.
"I told you, you can keep the change. It's a tip," he said, puzzled.
"I can't accept it."
"Huh?"
She looked at him squarely. "I can't accept it!" With that, she turned her back on him and marched back to her motorcycle.
He found himself running after her. "Wait!" He grabbed her hand to stop her. "Why?"
She still wouldn't look at him. "If you're paying me because you were able to make fun of me awhile ago, then I wouldn't accept it."
"Huh?" He was bewildered.
"As if I don't know," she said, voice starting to rise. "You were having the time of your life laughing at me, because of how I look in my work uniform."
"I don't understand…" He thought she looked pretty decent in her clothes, even halfway cute. What the hell was she talking about?
She paused when she saw the genuine confusion on his face.
He pressed the money back into her hands. "Take it."
She looked down at the money.
"It's not a payment for whatever entertainment you think I got awhile ago. Customers always leave a tip for the waiters and waitresses." Kyo smiled a little. "Especially for the cute ones."
For the first time in her life, she couldn't find the words to stitch together into a retort. Perhaps, because she was taken by surprise by his unexpected statement, or the sincerity in his voice. She couldn't say for sure. All she knew was she wanted to leave the place immediately.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she managed to say before riding her bike.
"Yeah," he echoed.
Tsuzuku
Pls. Tell me if the story flows too slowly and I'll hasten it.
-syaowee-