Epilogue
"What is it?" Ryou asked Suika. They were alone in the kitchen of the café where she had asked to see him after her shift was done at the café.
She looked down and tried not to let the tears that had been building up escape. "Ryou." She started, her voice cracking.
"What?" He asked softly, putting his hand under her chin and raising it up to look her in the eye.
"I…I'm leaving tomorrow to go home." She said, blinking and setting the tears free.
Silently Ryou cursed to himself. He knew this day would be coming, but he had let it sneak up on him anyways. He knew that Suika was only visiting for the summer and that she would have to eventually have to return to her family and friends in America. "Is that so?" He asked quietly dropping his gaze.
Anger flared up momentarily in Suika. "What do you mean?" She asked, her voice filled with heat and hurt. "Aren't you going to miss me at all? Or was I just some sort of fling?"
"Of course I'll miss you!" Ryou shot back. "I just don't want to think about it because it's too painfull! It's awful okay! I feel like I'm going to puke! Are you happy now?"
"Really?" Suika asked. "I cause you pain? Awww, how sweet." She said, smiling now and embracing him in a hug. She nuzzled against him and he wrapped his arms around her tighter.
"Come on Suika. " Ichigo said, coming into the kitchen and catching them in a tight embrace. "Ewww!" She squealed and spun around so she wouldn't have to look at them. "You guys are totally gross!" She said.
"No worse than you and lover boy!" Suika said to her cousin, who turned red at the comment.
"Suika, we got to go home and get you packed." Ichigo said, remembering why she had gone looking for her cousin.
A look of longing and heartbreak was in both Ryou's and Suika's eyes as she departed. That night as Ryou lay in his bed, all he could think of was her….
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"It's too bad Ryou isn't here to see you off." Mint stated the next morning as the Mew Mews had gathered to see their comrade off. Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, Zakuro, Ichigo, Masaya and Keiichiro were all standing in the air port terminal waiting for Suika's flight number to be called.
"I'm sure Ryou would be here if he could." Masaya said lightly smiling.
"Yeah." Suika replied sadly. Her flight was called at that moment and she picked up her suitcases. Before she left, she got a hug from everyone and even a special cake made by Keiichiro with her and the Mew Mew's displayed on top. As she placed the cake box on top of her luggage, she threw one more smile to her friends and disappeared into the boarding gate.
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The year passed without Ryou even noticing. He was much too busy to notice the cherry blossoms in bloom once again. He and Keiichiro had been running the café nonstop and their business was growing rapidly. They were even thinking of adding an addition onto it to encompass a small room with books and lounge chairs.
Of course the Mews still waitressed when they could and the demand for Mew Mew products had never been higher. Ryou hadn't noticed much of anything besides his work and his research. He didn't even notice it when the girls began to have whispered conferences during their break times. They usually got all giggly and seemed to be planning something. Something big.
On June 15, it happened. Ryou was working in the lab and the girls were all in the café. It was going slow, and no one had been in for two hours. All of a sudden, Ryou heard Lettuce scream. Running upstairs, he rushed to see what was the matter. His eyes took a few moments to adjust to the light and when his vision cleared, he couldn't believe his eyes. Before him stood Suika Momomiya, being slightly crushed with hugs and kisses from the girls. They parted however when they saw Ryou and Suika rushed up to him. She had grown slightly, but basically looked the same.
"Hi Ryou." She said softly, smiling up at him. Ryou, however, was speechless. Suika laughed and embraced him. He took pushed her back slightly and embraced her lips tenderly with his own.
"I can't believe you're here." He whispered softly in her ear when they broke apart.
"Well you can get used to it." Suika said, and his eyes widened in surprise. "I've transferred to the high school where Ichigo teaches. I'll be staying with her for till I graduate. Then we'll just have to see what happens. Are you excited?" She asked. Her response was another deep kiss, and a smile, and Suika truly felt some Watermelon Delight.