Tsk Tsk Tsk, it has been too long and you may hit me over the head with a stick for that. I don't know what possesses me doing such strange updates :)… New chapter, not too long, but I'm happy with the quality of it! The Kiwi Café © Moi! Storyline © Moi! Beyblade not © Moi. Renate and Sean © Moi!


Rei stood behind the bar of the Kiwi Café, his new working place. He wasn't very busy at the moment, as it was still early in the afternoon. Sean, his boss, was taking his break and sharing a late lunch at a table together with another new waitress. A week had passed since Rei had last seen that peculiar young man on the stairs of the subway station. Ever since he had been there, he kept realising that his new life would be a very busy one. Fortunately, it would also be very different from his life back home. Back then he had to fill his days with small village events, and that could be counted for as nothing exciting. Often enough had he cursed in annoyance about his boring life. Now, he had to work long shifts at the bar, often until past midnight. And even then, he often laid awake at night, pondering over his past, making him end up an exhausted person in the mornings.
He had enough to think about, but not enough time to do so. He had only two days off a week, and they were often filled with household activities. He hadn't even gotten the chance to decorate his room yet.
There was one thing he did miss from his old life, though. He missed his mother. He simply couldn't forget about her. They had shared such a deep bond, which wasn't strange. Rei's mother had been a single parent, Rei being her only son, and she had been unable to walk for most of Rei's life. He had always taken care of her, and she had been there for him in other ways. Now he was gone, and she was all on her own. Hopefully, the people in the village would take care of her now. Hopefully.

A face appeared before him while he leaned forward against the bar, a face that had been haunting him almost every day. The face of a blue-haired drug addict. It was a strange situation, but he regretted leaving the boy lying on the steps of the subway station. Perhaps, in some mightily insane way, he reminded the neko-jin of his mother, looked upon like he was unable to function in society. Perhaps he stirred some kind of reaction inside Rei of wanting to take care of someone.

"-ap out of it!" Rei snapped from his thought immediately, like the voice had told him to, startled. "Hu?"
Sean was standing close to him, a curious on his face, one eyebrow up. "You alright?"
"What's wrong?" Rei was still completely confused after his zoning out.
Sean gave him a strange look, now very sure that something was wrong with his new waiter. "I was having lunch with Renate and you were behind the bar, supposedly ready to serve someone if they'd ask for something. That obviously wasn't the case. I'll take it over from here."
"Oh… Sorry," Rei said sheepishly, staring at his boss. "I'm really sorry, Sean, I've had a lot to think about lately and I'm very tired." He had come to trust the young man he had worked with for but a few days.
A slight smile crossed the Bob Marlin look-a-like's features. "That's okay. Are you sure you don't want the afternoon off? I can ask someone else to help out Renate and me."
"No that's okay. But if I could leave earlier today that would be cool," he said carefully, looking Sean in the eye with a hopeful look.
"Sure, we should be able to handle thing by the two of us until the next waiter shows up," Sean agreed, looking at the new waitress. Her name was Renate, she was from the Netherlands, had flashy red-coloured, wild hair, blue eyes, and Rei was sure she'd win Sean's affections in no time. He already seemed to like her a great deal.
"Thanks, Sean," Rei spoke up gratefully, hurrying towards a new customer at the bar with a grateful smile on his face.


Kai only felt the cold stone of the steps he was lying on slightly. He felt light in the head, his mind wandering in faraway places where everything and anything you wanted was possible. His life. His reality. No changes, ever.

All of sudden a dark, long shadow loomed over him, pulling him out of his dream world as far as that was possible. Strong, yet soft hands took a tight hold of his arms. He was lifted roughly by the man, who started staggering away, grunting under the weight of Kai's body. He now dragged Kai with him in a strangely cautious way. Kai groaned slightly, his feet hitting step after step.

"You're coming with me," the man spoke up, his voice smooth and friendly. Powerlessly, Kai was pulled away from his old life, into a new.


End of chapter! I'm hoping to update sometime soon, but knowing me I can't promise a thing ;).

R+R please!

Ja!