Sakura: I'm sorry it took so long to update. I, surprisingly, forgot all about it. I've recently been working on a comic, so…eh heh.
Minto: I bet it sucks.
Sakura: ;-; It does. My friend's is turning out much better.
Zakuro: Is there nothing that can keep you quiet? - -;
Minto: No. Probably not.
Sakura: - -;;; Iya…
Minto: -Takes a sip of her tea- Get on with the story already.
Sakura: Fine!
Remember: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew. (You've seen why now)
- - -
Ichigo was sitting in her bed, blankets a mess and her hair similar. She hadn't had much sleep. She was too restless. And on top of that, it was kind of hard to sleep knowing Kisshu was just outside her window. He had not left since he had brought her back home and Ichigo wondered when he was going to go back to wherever he always disappeared to.
"Ichigo, are you going to work today?" He mom calls from downstairs. Her mom was usually the first one up. She made breakfast and all before Ichigo and her dad would come downstairs. Ichigo supposed that's what all moms are supposed to do. Maybe it was their job? Of course it was. She couldn't imagine her dad making any meals. No eatable meals, anyway.
"Yes." Ichigo answers, her voice slightly muffled because she had gone from sitting up on her bed, to lying down with her face in her pillow. "Ryou and Keiichiro are expecting me today." She continues.
Her mom, amazingly, had heard her and nods. "Breakfast is almost ready, Ichigo. Come down when you're ready."
"Alright." Ichigo says, her voice still muffled. Not happy with her position anymore, she sits up and staresout the window. 'I wonder if Kisshu is maybe hungry…?' she thinks to herself. "Hmm…" Ichigo stands up, quickly brushes her hair, puts it up, and runs downstairs.
"You're breakfast is ready now. Do you want to eat it right now or do you want to take it to work?"
"I'll have it now." Ichigo says simply and sits down at the table. Her mom nods and places a plate in front of Ichigo. There were two pancakes, four pieces of bacon, some eggs and two pieces of buttered toast. "Thank you, mom." She says happily and begins to eat. After she had finished about half of it, she looks over at her mom who was still working on her own breakfast and reading the newspapers. "Mom…can I take the rest up to my room?" She asks.
"Yes." Was her mom's reply. Ichigo instantly grabbed her plate and rushed upstairs.
Looking down at the plate of food, she hesitates for a moment. She looks up from the plate to the window. Kisshu was still up in the tree…and still sleeping. 'How can he sleep in like that…?' Ichigo asks herself. She hadn't been able to sleep in lately, especially now that Masaya had died. It was still hard for her to grasp that. Masaya is gone…though it didn't really seem like it to her. Pushing those thoughts aside, she opens her window. "Kisshu…a-are you…hungry…?" She asks softly.
Kisshu's eyes open slowly as he yawns and stretches. "Eh…?"
"Do you want food?" Ichigo asks, holding the plate out to him.
Kisshu pauses for a moment, looking at Ichigo, then at the food. "You're offering me food?" He asks.
"Do you want it or not?" She says in a slightly louder tone. Her patience was wearing thin now.
Getting up and floating over to her, he grabs the plate. "Of course I do." He says childishly. He sat down on the window sill while Ichigo went over to her bed and sat down. Kisshu began to eat the food in a surprisingly fast pace.
"Kisshu don't…choke…" She says slowly.
Stopping for a moment, he grins widely. "You worried?" He asks tauntingly.
"N-no! I-I just don't want someone choking around me…I don't know anything about first aid!" She says quickly, her face turning a light shade of pink.
"Heh." Was all he said before going back to eating.
Ichigo sighs in annoyance and looks into the mirror in front of her. "Why did you stay out there for so long? Wasn't it cold?" She asks, breaking the silence.
"No." He says between bites. "It was actually…warmer than I…expected it to be."
"Ugh…you're acting like a total kid. Don't talk with your mouth full." She says irritably.
Kisshu finishes off the rest of the breakfast, swallows, and smirks. "So, where's Shokora?" He asks, ignoring what Ichigo had last said, although it didn't matter now.
"At the café, I suppose." Ichigo says, standing up and opening the door to her room.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm getting changed. Don't you dare do anything perverted!" She warns.
"Who, me? Your words wound me so." He says with another childish grin.
Ichigo rolls her eyes and walks down the hall, closing the bathroom door behind her.
Giving a sigh, she changes out of her pajamas and into her work uniform. 'I wonder if I'm really up for work today…' she wonders to herself. She still felt pretty tired and Kisshu wasn't helping at all. 'Maybe I should take a nap before I go to work? It would probably do me some good. Ugh…but with Kisshu around…' Ichigo shakes her head and walks out of the bathroom and toward her room again. "I'm going to work now, so you might as well just go back to wherever you go to." She says quickly and heads down the stairs and out the door.
"But I don't want to. Pai and Taruto are no fun." He says with a whimper, floating behind Ichigo.
"If Taruto is anything like Pudding, then you'll have your entertainment for the day." She says, walking toward the café.
"I'm not interested in what Taruto does all day. He probably just hangs around parks and stuff."
"Well Ryou's not going to let you into the café, so go find something to do." They were coming near to the café now. It was in sight and Ichigo didn't want Kisshu following her all the way to the café. He'd end up bothering Ryou until he was allowed to come into the café.
"Onii-san!" Shokora calls, tackling Kisshu down.
Ichigo blinks a couple of times, looking down at Kisshu and Shokora.
"Onii-san, I missed you so much!" She says, clinging on to him.
"Shokora, you got a new uniform?" Ichigo asks, noticing it was now a grey uniform instead of the blue one she had before.
Unclinging from Kisshu she stands up and faces Ichigo. "Yes, I did so it would match my battle costume." She says in an excited tone. She loved getting new clothes and outfits. Back when she was with her and Kisshu's mom, she only had one outfit and it was pretty similar to Kisshu's, just grey instead of brown and green. "Ryou said I could have a matching colour of uniform instead of having two different colours if I wanted. He's been so kind."
"What a change." Ichigo mumbles under her breath. Though Ichigo had a matching outfit to begin with, she couldn't imagine Ryou offering something like that to her or anyone else. Shokora, though, seemed to be special.
"He is not normally this kind?" Shokora asks, having heard what Ichigo said.
Ichigo shakes her head. "Ehh…he was usually real rude, but ever since you came, he's been acting all polite and stuff."
"Oh." Shokora says, looking toward the café. "Lettuce said that you looked a little sad yesterday."
Ichigo looks over at Kisshu, who had now stood up, then back to Shokora. "Yeah I…was… I don't know if I still am, but I'm okay enough to work."
Shokora nods and heads up to the café. "You and onii-san should come up to the café now, then."
Ichigo shakes her head. "Ryou wouldn't let Kisshu in, Shokora…"
"Why not?"
"It's…hard to explain. Umm…you can see him during our break, though." Ichigo walks over to the café and through the doors. "C'mon, Shokora!" She calls.
"Go on." Kisshu says, pushing her toward the café. "Like Ichigo said…if you want, you can see me during your break. You want to work there as thanks, don't you?"
Shokora sighs and nods, walking into the café with Ichigo.
"So I'm serving today…and you're…washing dishes with Pudding again." Ichigo says, looking at the jobs list. Lettuce had decided to organize who got what jobs on what days.
"Okay." Shokora nods and heads to the back to go start on the first dishes. Pudding, again, wasn't there. "Ichigo?" Shokora asks.
"Yeah?"
"Where's Pudding today?" She asks.
"Oh, that's right…she called me and told me to tell Ryou she'd be late today. You'll have to start on your own. Is that okay?"
"Yes." She turns back to the sink. Although the café had just opened awhile ago, there were quite a few dishes.
"Shokora, you need help?" Someone asks from behind her, causing her to jump.
"Wha—wha?" She asks, looking behind her and at the person who had spoken. "O-oh, Shirogane-san…umm…no, I don't need any help. That's okay."
Looking down at Shokora, Ryou leans closer to her.
"Sh-Shirogane-san—mmph?" She was interrupted as he presses his lips gently on hers, his hands placed on her waist.
- - -
Sakura: Dun, dun, dun:O
Minto: …That was stupid.
Sakura: No, it wasn't…;-; You just shush.
Minto: I don't have to.
Sakura: -Goes to change pairings-
Minto: o.o
Zakuro: -Tackles Minto- Shut up! >
Sakura: -Wasn't really going to change it- O.o
Pai: …o.o;
Zakuro: -Kicks Minto out-
Sakura: -Blinks- Ehh…Review, please!
A/n: Next chapter - Ryou decided to show how he felt to Shokora and that angered Kisshu. How will Kisshu react to his little sister falling for Ryou Shirogane? And does Shokora have the same feelings for Ryou? Also - Pudding goes missing and Taruto's worried. Where did Pudding disappear to? Will Taruto find her?