Note: Hi all! Oh, I am sooooo excited that there's people that love Ayame-Miine fics! Yeay! Thank you for those who reviewed, I appreciate it! ^_^ I wish I could capture Ayame and Miine in their real personalities, but for me, I like to change their character for a minute in order to make them be more...you know, interesting. All I know so far that Ayame is a drama 'queen,' extremely hyper and flirts with Shigure A LOT. For him, I wanted to put more emphasis that Ayame CAN get serious at times, even the most tragic things, I mean I myself can get REALLY hyper around people, but like with one person that you can trust or when you're alone, you can't help but be serious around them. I made Ayame worry about Miine to show that Ayame truly does care for his assistant as more than just as an assistant, but as a friend. As for Miine, we barely see much of her, so all we see from the outside, is a hyper Miine, and eccentric Miine when it comes to Ayame and fashion. So, why can't I capture the sad part of Miine? She's soft spoken and has the same personality as Ayame (almost), yet there's something about her that made her work with Ayame and there's something about her that makes her talk so soft that makes me want to write what she thinks in her head. After all, this IS a dramatic fic, so people gots to be serious at some points, yet humorous in other points. Anyway, enough with my chit chat and ooon with the story! ^_^ ENJOY! Oh yeah BEWARE of more OOCness and seriousness! HAH! HAH!
Chapter 2 - Miine's Secret
The heat was becoming more unbearable and so was the silence that ensued for the last couple of days between Miine and her tencho. Learning of the incident that happened a few days ago, forced Tohru, Kyo and Yuki (though after hesitation) to go to the store and 'visit' Miine and Ayame- when really they were there to mend the awkwardness between the store's owner and his assistant. Shigure also visited, mostly to talk to Ayame and to remind him that Akito has no idea that Miine knows about the Jyunishi curse. This made Ayame feel better, however, he was still feeling worried about Miine's feelings with all this. At times, he was relieved that Miine was kind to him and was still acting like the same Miine he has known for a long time, but on other times, he felt unsure what his assistant was thinking every time she was alone in her apartment or at the back room working on the dresses.
"Ne, Miine, what do you think of this color on me?" Ayame spoke suddenly, his voice hyper as ever. Miine looked up, her face turning into a kind smile and examined the dress Ayame was now wearing. She put down the needle and the dress she was working on and stood up. She thought for a while, brushing the thought about what she experienced just last week with her tencho and put her hands on his shoulders.
"It's the perfect color on you, tencho," she replied. The dress was rather unusual in style. It was like made in the 1800s of what men used to wear. The shoulders were puffy and it didn't seem like it looked like a dress, but more of a long, red tunic in golden decor. "Though, there is something missing." She backed away and looked at him from top to bottom, but there was DEFINITELY something missing in this picture. Miine snapped her fingers, realizing something. She took Ayame's hand and pulled the chair across from the table, out. "Sit here, Ayame-san."
The white haired man obediently sat, curiously watching her quietly. Miine produced something from her pig tails and unravelled a beautiful elastic band made of fake stones, but still beautiful. She moved behind Ayame and grabbed a handful of white hair, then began braiding it neatly.
They were silent for a while, both still thinking about what happened between them.
"Miine! How are you? We've been so busy with Ringo-san's dresses lately that we haven't been able to talk at all! I miss you!" Ayame felt her hand brush his neck and he shivered. Something about her touch made him tingle. Sure, she braided his hair a lot of times, but never THIS awkward. Before they chatted about the 'in styles' amd such, while Miine quietly listened to him talk about himself, mumbling how much of a 'bad brother' he was to Yuki, when their conversation turned from fashion to the Sohma family. Right now, Ayame felt compelled to mention the Sohma family, figuring Miine wa still shocked about his secret.
"I miss you too, tencho," the assistant replied quietly. When she reached the end of the braid, Miine tied the elastic around the tip and backed up to oberve her handy work.
Ayame stood up and turned around, slowly facing her. "How do I look now?" he asked, smiling.
"Kawaii!" Miine smiled back, clasping her hands in front of her in excitement. She didn't want to show her uneasiness around him. After all, if she did, how will Ayame react? He might even fire her!
Ayame spun on his spot and began dancing around the room, fluttering his eyelashes. "I knew I was beautiful!"
Miine couldn't help but laugh. She couldn't quite remember the last time she laughed after running away from a family who didn't want her. She felt like an orphan again, but Ayame made her see that she had a family... with him.
The white haired man must have noticed the rarity of her expression, when he suddenly stopped to look at her. He smiled excitedly and grabbed her hand. Miine went along and they began dancing around the small room. "Oh, Miine! I feel even more beautiful when you laugh like that!" He heard the bell of the front door ring, announcing someone had entered the store. He glanced at his assistant. "Yosh! We have a customer!"
Miine nodded and quickly followed Ayame out the door. The customer, a man in his early twenties and straight, blond eyes, was startled when the two approached him with stars in their eyes.
"A customer!"
"Great!"
"Green eyes-"
"Goes with blue! Bright blue color!"
The man felt sweat drop around his forehead. "Uh... ano..." He winced nervously when the woman pressed a bright blue wedding dress, then shook her head and went to the counter to grab another dress. While she was gone, the tall man pressed another pair of clothing, which was a pink shirt and a baby blue miniskirt. "Ah yes!" he yelped, smiling widely.
"Pink and blue!" came the woman's voice.
"Perfect!" the white haired man said.
"Excuse me..." But the blond haired man was cut off when another customer, the same one who came a few days ago, entered the store. Both the white haired man and the brown haired woman tore their eyes away from the blond and focused their attention on the dark haired man familiar to them.
"Irasshaimase (welcome), Ringo-san!" Ayame greeted, walking over to the counter.
Miine watched quietly as the man walked pass her. He paused in the middle of the room, glanced at her, before joining the store owner at the counter. "Ah! Irasshaimase, konnichiwa Ringo...san..." Miine bowed, even when the man ignored her. Without caring, she tended back to the blond and poured more dresses on him, pretending not to see the man waiting in the counter as Ayame fetched the few finished dresses Ringo asked for. He put them all in his arms, thanked Ayame as well as telling him that he was coming back for the other half in three weeks and left the store, quickly glancing at Miine before driving away in his car.
"Miine! How are you doing with the customer there?" Ayame spoke outloud from the counter.
The girl snapped her head up at Ayame, smiling. "Hai! I think he has made his choice!"
"Na-nani!?" the man yelped, shaking his head vigorously. He waved his hand frantically as a sign of protest.
"I think he's a bit shy though," Miine said.
"Eh?" Ayame joined his assistant in the middle of the room and stared at the blond, grinning. He wrapped an arm around his shoulder, his grin getting wider. "I see. We have someone who is afraid to get out, huh?"
The man felt more beads of sweat dripping from his face. "Iiee! I am now..."
Ayame moved his face so that he was cheek to cheek with the man, his expression turning into a seductive approach. He ran a soft hand on the blonde's hair. "Come on, don't be shy!"
Miine watched on, smiling politely.
"IIEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the blond yelled, slapping Ayame's hand away from him. He ran out, screaming. Behind him, he left a familiar looking item that looked like a camera.
"Sayonara!" Ayame yelled after the man, even though he was out of ear shot.
Miine volunteered to pick up the item from the groun and handed it to Ayame, who shook his head. The white haired man sighed dramatically. "Ne, Miine!" He put a hand on his forehead, pretending to faint. "I am too weak to see such a camera that makes my face look concorted. Although, I would like to see how it turned out when he took pictures of beautiful me, behind that tree in front of the store." He took the camera from Miine and rewounded the film. When it finished, he handed the roll of film to Miine and tossed the camera in the garbage can. "Maybe there's a beautiful picture of kawaii me in there!"
Miine nodded. "Hai!" She turned and walked out, surprised by Ayame's keen eyes, though she knew it must be the snake in him that gave him the ability. She chose not to think anymore as she left the store and headed down the street, passing several buildings before she reached her destination. Akira Flash was packed when Miine stepped inside. The girl joined the long line of people lined up patiently in front of the only person available by the counter. Behind her, she heard the door open and heard two pairs of footsteps entering, both, she knew, were men. She was a very observant woman in the months she has become Ayame's assistant. When the many who have walked inside the store to purchase dresses, Miine had gotten used to listening to the type of shoes men wore and pin pointed the exact sound each types of shoes made. She miled at herself and as she fixed her glasses on her nose, she sighed and waited some more, until finally, after two seconds or so, the line moved.
"What do you mean, they know?" the voice behind her spoke quietly.
"I mean they know! I lost the camera, proving something about the guy that he is one of the cursed jyunishi family!"
Jyunishi? Miine listened on. The two voices were VERY familiar. Coult it be!? The girl took a deep breath, telling herself to calm down, then listened on.
"Don't worry," said another voice, deeper than the other one. "That camera was cheap anyway. We can get another one." He sighed. "Honestly, you baka! Why did you run away when all he was doing was teasing you? And he is a snake I tell you! I think he knew all along that you were behind that tree."
The other voice huffed. "Well, you could've told me that, then I would have taken a snake repellant gadget with me!"
She heard a slap, then the smaller voice mumbling something.
"But do you have the other roll from before with you?" the deeper voice asked, after a second of silence.
Miine heard someone fishing through his pocket.
"Got it here!"
"Good, give it to me!"
Miine frowned, knowing that the roll of film could cause the end of Ayame's business. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. The girl jumped, but did not turn around to find out whose hand it was. She knew all along that the voices she's been hearing was RIngo and the blond haired man earlier.
"You're lucky that I'm nice enough to let you go today..." She felt a hot breath tickler her ears. "Miine..."
"Next please!" said the cashier behind the counter, breaking the uneasiness around Miine. She stepped forward, turning her expression into a smile and handed the roll of film to the red haired girl tending to the films. "Arigatou!" she said. She wrote something on a piece of paper, while Miine kept glancing behind her at Ringo, with his face lifting into an evil smile. "May I ask for your name please?" Miine snapped back into reality at the young girl.
"Kuramae Miine," she replied simply. She watched as the girl wrote her name in kanji on the same paper and removed clear paper from behind it. She pressed the bottom of the paper on top of the roll, went to the back counter and put it inside the cupboard. The girl came back moments later. "That will be fourteen eighteen pleae, for a total of twenty five shots produced in an hour."
Miine nodded and reached inside her pocket, which turned out to be empty. She moved her hand to her other pocket, but with no such luck. The brunette glanced up at the girl, smiling. "Dear me, I must have forgotten the-" but before she could fiish her sentence, someone slapped a hand on the counter. Miine looked up at Ringo, who took one swift glance at the woman, before saying, "Here's forty yuen, for the payment for the lovely lady here, adding the roll of film I have." He produced the roll of film Miine figured was the roll the two men talked about and handed it to the girl.
"Name please?"
"Ishida Ringo," the man said. "I'm her husband," he announced suddenly.
Confused, the girl glanced at Miine, wondering if what the man said was true. The brunette said nothing and slowly nodded. Without another word, the girl went to the same counter at the back and placed the second roll of film beside the other. Miine, knowing her job was done, turned and walked away, not even glancing at the man who claimed to ber her 'husband.' Seconds later, Miine was finally out of the stuffy room and into the fresh, afternoon air, outside. She was hoping to lose Ishida Ringo, but he had caught up to her, stopping the surprised girl.
"Aren't you even going to say hello to your husband, Miine?" Ringo walked in front of her, lifting his arms to stop the girl from walking.
Miine took a deep breath. Just when she was about to lose her memories of the past, HE had to show up back in her life. She wore her best smile, lifting up a finger and playfully thought for a moment. "Hm... I can't say I know you, sir! You must be mistaken me for someone else. Thank you for helping me just now, though, but I better go..." She walked pass him, brushing Ringo's face out of her mind. However, the dark haired man had pulled her back, by grabbing her arm and forcing her to face him.
"Are you going to walk away from me again, Miine? We are still married after all." He lifted her chin up with his finger and stared through her thick glasses, into her green eyes (Note: Was it green? I can't remember the color of her eyes ^_^; Gomen, if I'm wrong). The once quiet, shy girl he knew had disappeared, to be replaced by a confident and happy young woman, with so much spirit in her eyes that he couldn't understand why. He can almost see her smiling, which she never did for him. Ringo had no idea who she was the first time he entered the white haired man's store and when he came back the second time, he remembered the sixteen year old girl whom he married, but seemed quite different. All these years, he never knew she could smile so much. He regretted of ever letting her go. "Why do you work at that place, Miine? You can work with me and we can make lost of money together." He moved his head closer to her. "It is because you love your tencho?"
Miine gave a smile and nodded. "Hai! I love my tencho! He cares for me and likes the way I handle the job as his assistant, that's why I work at that store. Unlike you, he gives me the freedom to voice my opinion on fashion."
Surprised by her confidence, Ringo removed his hand from her chin and backed away. Miine continued to smile as she walked pass him without another word. She quickly glanced over her shoulder and felt relief when the man didn't follow her this time. When she glanced over her shoulder the second time, he was already gone.
********************************
Ayame paced around the room, anxiously waiting for his assistant to return. It has been twenty minutes since she's gone and the white haired man, knowing that Miine was capable of being inependent, couldn't help but wonder what was taking her so long. She was never late for anything, not even to simple errands he gave her. He glanced out the window and could almost kiss her out of relief when he noticed her crossing the street. The white haired man stepped out and smiled, flipping his braided hair in the warm, sunlight. Brushing the worries away, he waited until she made it back to the front of the store. He had so much to tell her. "Miine! I was wondering what took you so long! Have I got great news!" Ayame grabbed her hand and dragged her back inside.
"Nani?" Miine asked, her heart suddenly pounding in excitement. She really enjoyed surprises, especially when the word 'good news,' came out of her tencho's mouth.
When they were inside, Ayame took a deep breath, letting go of the girl's hand and planted his fists on his hips. He turned his head to the side and stared into the 'sunset,' dreamilly. "My beautiful face will be in the front page of next week's issue of Rainbow Monthly!"
Miine's eyes widened. "Really?" She grinned and when Ayame nodded, her grin grew wider. "Tencho!!!" Happy for her dear tencho, she wrapped her arms around him into a tight hug, forgetting about the white haired man's transformation. However, before she realized it, Ayame shrunk and was seconds later buried underneath his clothes. "Tencho! Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! What- what do I do?" What was she supposed to do in this situation? Miine had no idea how to turn him back. She was too panicked to remember that Ayame changed back into his normal self after a couple of minutes or so. "Don't worry Tencho, I'll help you!" With his clothes, including the snake Ayame gathered in her arms, Miine ran out, hoping to find some kind of animal hospital or pet store in an attempt to change him back. Ayame was too dazed from her tight grip earlier to stop her from taking him outside, before he changed back into a man - nude in the street. Miine ran around, but found nothing that could help him. When Ayame was back from unconsciousness, the snake felt beads nervous sweat when he found themselves in front of a pet hospital that Miine frantically looked for.
"Miine! What are you doing!?"
"I'm helping you, tencho!"
"Iiee! Bring me back to the store right now!" He knew he was being harsh on his assistant, but imagining himself inside that pet hospital, while being gropped by men and women alike in white hospital robes, made him quiver in panic.
"Demo-"
"Now!" Miine blinked. She has never heard Ayame snap at her before. If he did, it would be humorous, not serious. Nodding, she pivoted back to the way she came from and ran back to the direction of the store, which was unattended at the moment.
"MIINE!"
Startled by his voice, Miine stopped and looked down at the snake awkwardly.
"Forget it! We don't have time. Just take me in there!" The snake pointed his head behind her. The girl looked over her shoulder at an empty alley way.
With only a few seconds before he changed back, Miine ran inside and before she could put him down, smoke filled the area and Ayame was back to normal. He found himself being carried in Miine's freakishly strong arms.
"Yo!" Ayame said, lifting up his hand to wave. He grinned at her.
Miine's eyes widened. Blushing, she suddenly dropped the naked Ayame on the ground and quickly looked away. "Gomen nasai, tencho!"
Ayame laughed and shook his head, rubbing his butt with his hand from the impact of the ground. "Miine, I have not seen you blushing so much these last few days! Is it because you JUST noticed how beautiful I really am?" He stood up and leaned down to pick up his clothes from the floor. He grimaed at their condition. His tunic was now filled with muck from the dirty garbage can beside him. His pants and underwear were no longer accessible to wear in his eyes. All of them were torn from the sides, the thread sticking out at the side. "Oh my, this is a problem!" he announced, grinning. "It seems my clothes are no longer available. Oh well, I might as well wear it anyway, even if it smells." He quickly changed, trying not to breathe in the smell that has soaked his clothes. "Let's get back! Our customers must be wondering where we've gone."
Miine took a while to register his words in her head. Her thoughts were still on Ayame. It was until Ayame called her name did she snap out of her reverie and followed him back to the store.
Unbeknowenst to them however, that a pair of green eyes and expensive camera, replacing the cheap one that was thrown into the garbage, was watching the whole thing- from the time Ayame Sohma changed into a snake and back again.
Satisfied, Ringo Ishida closed the lid of his panasonic and watched the two enter the store from afar, grinning until he no longer could. "This will hit the front page most definitely, Jou! Ayame Sohma will lose his business and Miine will soon be mine!"
"Why exactly are we doing this, Ishida-san?" A blond head popped up beside him. Jou felt something hard hit his head. He rubbed the back of his head gently, mumbling some curses to Ringo. "Ouch! Nani-o!?" he complained.
"Baka! Haven't you been listening to what I said? We're doing this to bring the Sohma family down, especially that Ayame! Because of him, I'm running out of business!" He glanced to the corner where the pair disappeared and smiled evilly. "Now, it's my turn..." He clenched his fists tightly. "Ayame Sohma..."
GoodGurl: Short, but still getting good, ne? ^_^ Well when I wrote it out on lined paper, I was able to fill up seven pages, some front to back and some just front. But obviously, when it's typed out on a piece on computer, it gets different results, ne? ^_^; Anyway, so what is Ringo Ishide up to? o_O Will his plan work or will it backfire? Stay tuned! Arigatou gozaimasu for everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it! ^_^
Chapter 2 - Miine's Secret
The heat was becoming more unbearable and so was the silence that ensued for the last couple of days between Miine and her tencho. Learning of the incident that happened a few days ago, forced Tohru, Kyo and Yuki (though after hesitation) to go to the store and 'visit' Miine and Ayame- when really they were there to mend the awkwardness between the store's owner and his assistant. Shigure also visited, mostly to talk to Ayame and to remind him that Akito has no idea that Miine knows about the Jyunishi curse. This made Ayame feel better, however, he was still feeling worried about Miine's feelings with all this. At times, he was relieved that Miine was kind to him and was still acting like the same Miine he has known for a long time, but on other times, he felt unsure what his assistant was thinking every time she was alone in her apartment or at the back room working on the dresses.
"Ne, Miine, what do you think of this color on me?" Ayame spoke suddenly, his voice hyper as ever. Miine looked up, her face turning into a kind smile and examined the dress Ayame was now wearing. She put down the needle and the dress she was working on and stood up. She thought for a while, brushing the thought about what she experienced just last week with her tencho and put her hands on his shoulders.
"It's the perfect color on you, tencho," she replied. The dress was rather unusual in style. It was like made in the 1800s of what men used to wear. The shoulders were puffy and it didn't seem like it looked like a dress, but more of a long, red tunic in golden decor. "Though, there is something missing." She backed away and looked at him from top to bottom, but there was DEFINITELY something missing in this picture. Miine snapped her fingers, realizing something. She took Ayame's hand and pulled the chair across from the table, out. "Sit here, Ayame-san."
The white haired man obediently sat, curiously watching her quietly. Miine produced something from her pig tails and unravelled a beautiful elastic band made of fake stones, but still beautiful. She moved behind Ayame and grabbed a handful of white hair, then began braiding it neatly.
They were silent for a while, both still thinking about what happened between them.
"Miine! How are you? We've been so busy with Ringo-san's dresses lately that we haven't been able to talk at all! I miss you!" Ayame felt her hand brush his neck and he shivered. Something about her touch made him tingle. Sure, she braided his hair a lot of times, but never THIS awkward. Before they chatted about the 'in styles' amd such, while Miine quietly listened to him talk about himself, mumbling how much of a 'bad brother' he was to Yuki, when their conversation turned from fashion to the Sohma family. Right now, Ayame felt compelled to mention the Sohma family, figuring Miine wa still shocked about his secret.
"I miss you too, tencho," the assistant replied quietly. When she reached the end of the braid, Miine tied the elastic around the tip and backed up to oberve her handy work.
Ayame stood up and turned around, slowly facing her. "How do I look now?" he asked, smiling.
"Kawaii!" Miine smiled back, clasping her hands in front of her in excitement. She didn't want to show her uneasiness around him. After all, if she did, how will Ayame react? He might even fire her!
Ayame spun on his spot and began dancing around the room, fluttering his eyelashes. "I knew I was beautiful!"
Miine couldn't help but laugh. She couldn't quite remember the last time she laughed after running away from a family who didn't want her. She felt like an orphan again, but Ayame made her see that she had a family... with him.
The white haired man must have noticed the rarity of her expression, when he suddenly stopped to look at her. He smiled excitedly and grabbed her hand. Miine went along and they began dancing around the small room. "Oh, Miine! I feel even more beautiful when you laugh like that!" He heard the bell of the front door ring, announcing someone had entered the store. He glanced at his assistant. "Yosh! We have a customer!"
Miine nodded and quickly followed Ayame out the door. The customer, a man in his early twenties and straight, blond eyes, was startled when the two approached him with stars in their eyes.
"A customer!"
"Great!"
"Green eyes-"
"Goes with blue! Bright blue color!"
The man felt sweat drop around his forehead. "Uh... ano..." He winced nervously when the woman pressed a bright blue wedding dress, then shook her head and went to the counter to grab another dress. While she was gone, the tall man pressed another pair of clothing, which was a pink shirt and a baby blue miniskirt. "Ah yes!" he yelped, smiling widely.
"Pink and blue!" came the woman's voice.
"Perfect!" the white haired man said.
"Excuse me..." But the blond haired man was cut off when another customer, the same one who came a few days ago, entered the store. Both the white haired man and the brown haired woman tore their eyes away from the blond and focused their attention on the dark haired man familiar to them.
"Irasshaimase (welcome), Ringo-san!" Ayame greeted, walking over to the counter.
Miine watched quietly as the man walked pass her. He paused in the middle of the room, glanced at her, before joining the store owner at the counter. "Ah! Irasshaimase, konnichiwa Ringo...san..." Miine bowed, even when the man ignored her. Without caring, she tended back to the blond and poured more dresses on him, pretending not to see the man waiting in the counter as Ayame fetched the few finished dresses Ringo asked for. He put them all in his arms, thanked Ayame as well as telling him that he was coming back for the other half in three weeks and left the store, quickly glancing at Miine before driving away in his car.
"Miine! How are you doing with the customer there?" Ayame spoke outloud from the counter.
The girl snapped her head up at Ayame, smiling. "Hai! I think he has made his choice!"
"Na-nani!?" the man yelped, shaking his head vigorously. He waved his hand frantically as a sign of protest.
"I think he's a bit shy though," Miine said.
"Eh?" Ayame joined his assistant in the middle of the room and stared at the blond, grinning. He wrapped an arm around his shoulder, his grin getting wider. "I see. We have someone who is afraid to get out, huh?"
The man felt more beads of sweat dripping from his face. "Iiee! I am now..."
Ayame moved his face so that he was cheek to cheek with the man, his expression turning into a seductive approach. He ran a soft hand on the blonde's hair. "Come on, don't be shy!"
Miine watched on, smiling politely.
"IIEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the blond yelled, slapping Ayame's hand away from him. He ran out, screaming. Behind him, he left a familiar looking item that looked like a camera.
"Sayonara!" Ayame yelled after the man, even though he was out of ear shot.
Miine volunteered to pick up the item from the groun and handed it to Ayame, who shook his head. The white haired man sighed dramatically. "Ne, Miine!" He put a hand on his forehead, pretending to faint. "I am too weak to see such a camera that makes my face look concorted. Although, I would like to see how it turned out when he took pictures of beautiful me, behind that tree in front of the store." He took the camera from Miine and rewounded the film. When it finished, he handed the roll of film to Miine and tossed the camera in the garbage can. "Maybe there's a beautiful picture of kawaii me in there!"
Miine nodded. "Hai!" She turned and walked out, surprised by Ayame's keen eyes, though she knew it must be the snake in him that gave him the ability. She chose not to think anymore as she left the store and headed down the street, passing several buildings before she reached her destination. Akira Flash was packed when Miine stepped inside. The girl joined the long line of people lined up patiently in front of the only person available by the counter. Behind her, she heard the door open and heard two pairs of footsteps entering, both, she knew, were men. She was a very observant woman in the months she has become Ayame's assistant. When the many who have walked inside the store to purchase dresses, Miine had gotten used to listening to the type of shoes men wore and pin pointed the exact sound each types of shoes made. She miled at herself and as she fixed her glasses on her nose, she sighed and waited some more, until finally, after two seconds or so, the line moved.
"What do you mean, they know?" the voice behind her spoke quietly.
"I mean they know! I lost the camera, proving something about the guy that he is one of the cursed jyunishi family!"
Jyunishi? Miine listened on. The two voices were VERY familiar. Coult it be!? The girl took a deep breath, telling herself to calm down, then listened on.
"Don't worry," said another voice, deeper than the other one. "That camera was cheap anyway. We can get another one." He sighed. "Honestly, you baka! Why did you run away when all he was doing was teasing you? And he is a snake I tell you! I think he knew all along that you were behind that tree."
The other voice huffed. "Well, you could've told me that, then I would have taken a snake repellant gadget with me!"
She heard a slap, then the smaller voice mumbling something.
"But do you have the other roll from before with you?" the deeper voice asked, after a second of silence.
Miine heard someone fishing through his pocket.
"Got it here!"
"Good, give it to me!"
Miine frowned, knowing that the roll of film could cause the end of Ayame's business. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. The girl jumped, but did not turn around to find out whose hand it was. She knew all along that the voices she's been hearing was RIngo and the blond haired man earlier.
"You're lucky that I'm nice enough to let you go today..." She felt a hot breath tickler her ears. "Miine..."
"Next please!" said the cashier behind the counter, breaking the uneasiness around Miine. She stepped forward, turning her expression into a smile and handed the roll of film to the red haired girl tending to the films. "Arigatou!" she said. She wrote something on a piece of paper, while Miine kept glancing behind her at Ringo, with his face lifting into an evil smile. "May I ask for your name please?" Miine snapped back into reality at the young girl.
"Kuramae Miine," she replied simply. She watched as the girl wrote her name in kanji on the same paper and removed clear paper from behind it. She pressed the bottom of the paper on top of the roll, went to the back counter and put it inside the cupboard. The girl came back moments later. "That will be fourteen eighteen pleae, for a total of twenty five shots produced in an hour."
Miine nodded and reached inside her pocket, which turned out to be empty. She moved her hand to her other pocket, but with no such luck. The brunette glanced up at the girl, smiling. "Dear me, I must have forgotten the-" but before she could fiish her sentence, someone slapped a hand on the counter. Miine looked up at Ringo, who took one swift glance at the woman, before saying, "Here's forty yuen, for the payment for the lovely lady here, adding the roll of film I have." He produced the roll of film Miine figured was the roll the two men talked about and handed it to the girl.
"Name please?"
"Ishida Ringo," the man said. "I'm her husband," he announced suddenly.
Confused, the girl glanced at Miine, wondering if what the man said was true. The brunette said nothing and slowly nodded. Without another word, the girl went to the same counter at the back and placed the second roll of film beside the other. Miine, knowing her job was done, turned and walked away, not even glancing at the man who claimed to ber her 'husband.' Seconds later, Miine was finally out of the stuffy room and into the fresh, afternoon air, outside. She was hoping to lose Ishida Ringo, but he had caught up to her, stopping the surprised girl.
"Aren't you even going to say hello to your husband, Miine?" Ringo walked in front of her, lifting his arms to stop the girl from walking.
Miine took a deep breath. Just when she was about to lose her memories of the past, HE had to show up back in her life. She wore her best smile, lifting up a finger and playfully thought for a moment. "Hm... I can't say I know you, sir! You must be mistaken me for someone else. Thank you for helping me just now, though, but I better go..." She walked pass him, brushing Ringo's face out of her mind. However, the dark haired man had pulled her back, by grabbing her arm and forcing her to face him.
"Are you going to walk away from me again, Miine? We are still married after all." He lifted her chin up with his finger and stared through her thick glasses, into her green eyes (Note: Was it green? I can't remember the color of her eyes ^_^; Gomen, if I'm wrong). The once quiet, shy girl he knew had disappeared, to be replaced by a confident and happy young woman, with so much spirit in her eyes that he couldn't understand why. He can almost see her smiling, which she never did for him. Ringo had no idea who she was the first time he entered the white haired man's store and when he came back the second time, he remembered the sixteen year old girl whom he married, but seemed quite different. All these years, he never knew she could smile so much. He regretted of ever letting her go. "Why do you work at that place, Miine? You can work with me and we can make lost of money together." He moved his head closer to her. "It is because you love your tencho?"
Miine gave a smile and nodded. "Hai! I love my tencho! He cares for me and likes the way I handle the job as his assistant, that's why I work at that store. Unlike you, he gives me the freedom to voice my opinion on fashion."
Surprised by her confidence, Ringo removed his hand from her chin and backed away. Miine continued to smile as she walked pass him without another word. She quickly glanced over her shoulder and felt relief when the man didn't follow her this time. When she glanced over her shoulder the second time, he was already gone.
********************************
Ayame paced around the room, anxiously waiting for his assistant to return. It has been twenty minutes since she's gone and the white haired man, knowing that Miine was capable of being inependent, couldn't help but wonder what was taking her so long. She was never late for anything, not even to simple errands he gave her. He glanced out the window and could almost kiss her out of relief when he noticed her crossing the street. The white haired man stepped out and smiled, flipping his braided hair in the warm, sunlight. Brushing the worries away, he waited until she made it back to the front of the store. He had so much to tell her. "Miine! I was wondering what took you so long! Have I got great news!" Ayame grabbed her hand and dragged her back inside.
"Nani?" Miine asked, her heart suddenly pounding in excitement. She really enjoyed surprises, especially when the word 'good news,' came out of her tencho's mouth.
When they were inside, Ayame took a deep breath, letting go of the girl's hand and planted his fists on his hips. He turned his head to the side and stared into the 'sunset,' dreamilly. "My beautiful face will be in the front page of next week's issue of Rainbow Monthly!"
Miine's eyes widened. "Really?" She grinned and when Ayame nodded, her grin grew wider. "Tencho!!!" Happy for her dear tencho, she wrapped her arms around him into a tight hug, forgetting about the white haired man's transformation. However, before she realized it, Ayame shrunk and was seconds later buried underneath his clothes. "Tencho! Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! What- what do I do?" What was she supposed to do in this situation? Miine had no idea how to turn him back. She was too panicked to remember that Ayame changed back into his normal self after a couple of minutes or so. "Don't worry Tencho, I'll help you!" With his clothes, including the snake Ayame gathered in her arms, Miine ran out, hoping to find some kind of animal hospital or pet store in an attempt to change him back. Ayame was too dazed from her tight grip earlier to stop her from taking him outside, before he changed back into a man - nude in the street. Miine ran around, but found nothing that could help him. When Ayame was back from unconsciousness, the snake felt beads nervous sweat when he found themselves in front of a pet hospital that Miine frantically looked for.
"Miine! What are you doing!?"
"I'm helping you, tencho!"
"Iiee! Bring me back to the store right now!" He knew he was being harsh on his assistant, but imagining himself inside that pet hospital, while being gropped by men and women alike in white hospital robes, made him quiver in panic.
"Demo-"
"Now!" Miine blinked. She has never heard Ayame snap at her before. If he did, it would be humorous, not serious. Nodding, she pivoted back to the way she came from and ran back to the direction of the store, which was unattended at the moment.
"MIINE!"
Startled by his voice, Miine stopped and looked down at the snake awkwardly.
"Forget it! We don't have time. Just take me in there!" The snake pointed his head behind her. The girl looked over her shoulder at an empty alley way.
With only a few seconds before he changed back, Miine ran inside and before she could put him down, smoke filled the area and Ayame was back to normal. He found himself being carried in Miine's freakishly strong arms.
"Yo!" Ayame said, lifting up his hand to wave. He grinned at her.
Miine's eyes widened. Blushing, she suddenly dropped the naked Ayame on the ground and quickly looked away. "Gomen nasai, tencho!"
Ayame laughed and shook his head, rubbing his butt with his hand from the impact of the ground. "Miine, I have not seen you blushing so much these last few days! Is it because you JUST noticed how beautiful I really am?" He stood up and leaned down to pick up his clothes from the floor. He grimaed at their condition. His tunic was now filled with muck from the dirty garbage can beside him. His pants and underwear were no longer accessible to wear in his eyes. All of them were torn from the sides, the thread sticking out at the side. "Oh my, this is a problem!" he announced, grinning. "It seems my clothes are no longer available. Oh well, I might as well wear it anyway, even if it smells." He quickly changed, trying not to breathe in the smell that has soaked his clothes. "Let's get back! Our customers must be wondering where we've gone."
Miine took a while to register his words in her head. Her thoughts were still on Ayame. It was until Ayame called her name did she snap out of her reverie and followed him back to the store.
Unbeknowenst to them however, that a pair of green eyes and expensive camera, replacing the cheap one that was thrown into the garbage, was watching the whole thing- from the time Ayame Sohma changed into a snake and back again.
Satisfied, Ringo Ishida closed the lid of his panasonic and watched the two enter the store from afar, grinning until he no longer could. "This will hit the front page most definitely, Jou! Ayame Sohma will lose his business and Miine will soon be mine!"
"Why exactly are we doing this, Ishida-san?" A blond head popped up beside him. Jou felt something hard hit his head. He rubbed the back of his head gently, mumbling some curses to Ringo. "Ouch! Nani-o!?" he complained.
"Baka! Haven't you been listening to what I said? We're doing this to bring the Sohma family down, especially that Ayame! Because of him, I'm running out of business!" He glanced to the corner where the pair disappeared and smiled evilly. "Now, it's my turn..." He clenched his fists tightly. "Ayame Sohma..."
GoodGurl: Short, but still getting good, ne? ^_^ Well when I wrote it out on lined paper, I was able to fill up seven pages, some front to back and some just front. But obviously, when it's typed out on a piece on computer, it gets different results, ne? ^_^; Anyway, so what is Ringo Ishide up to? o_O Will his plan work or will it backfire? Stay tuned! Arigatou gozaimasu for everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it! ^_^