Okay finally another chapter, I needed to get this one done for two reasons, one, I needed to update badly cause I was having some serious lack of ideas, two, because I'm going to be gone July 1 - 8 so yeah -sweatdrop- R&R please! Sorry it's so short….
Chapter Four
When Ichigo woke up the next morning she was, surprisingly, happy to go to work. She began to wonder why, and then she remembered that Masaya had called shortly after Ryou left to see if she wanted to go a date today. But for some other reason she just was in a good mood today. She didn't know why, but she wasn't complaining. Ichigo got out of bed, got dressed, ate breakfast, said good-bye to her parents, and left for work.
Keiichiro was sitting in the kitchen drinking his morning tea; it would be a good ten minutes before anyone got here. Well, he thought that anyway. He choked on his tea when Ichigo arrived early and happily. He briefly wondered if this could be a sign of the apocalypse.
"Good morning Keiichiro!"
"G-good morning" he said this while trying to recover from choking.
"Hey where is everyone? I'm usually the last one here,"
"You're ten minutes early, well about eight minutes now," the cold voice caught them both off guard. Ichigo turned to see Ryou walking down the stairs; he was in a long black trench coat with black pants and a black muscle shirt.
"Good morning Ryou!"
"Good morning, get to work,"
"Hmph!" Ichigo started taking down chairs. A few minutes later the rest of the girls were there and helping. Well, as much as usual anyway…
---
Work had been unusually slow; Ichigo took this as another blessing. Less people meant fewer messes to clean up.
Just after everyone had finished cleaning up, Keiichiro called them into the kitchen. "Okay girls, I'm not sure if you know this but tomorrow is Ryou's birthday," There was a series of gasps, "But Ryou doesn't know I told you, we aren't going to have a party or anything Ryou has made it very clear he doesn't want one. But maybe a gift or something would be a nice surprise."
"Why couldn't you have given us a little more notice!" Everyone turned their gaze to a very distressed looking Ichigo. "It's not that big of a deal Ichigo, you just need to give him a present, it's not like we're planning a ball." Of course it was Mint that said this, "But Mint, I don't have enough money to get Ryou a decent present" Ichigo gave her puppy dog eyes, which was interesting considering she has cat DNA… "There is no way I'm lending you money Ichigo, it's not my fault you spent all yours." Everyone other than Mint and Ichigo sweat dropped and left the café, except for Keiichiro who just left the room.
"Now what am I supposed to do?" Ichigo decided her nice day was over, except for her date with Masaya that would be nice.
"I suggest you convince Ryou to give you your paycheck early," With that Mint left the café.
"Well that's just great," Ichigo muttered to herself, "how I am supposed to do that?" She slowly made her way up to Ryou's room. She stopped in front of his door, this time she would knock. She was about to knock when she heard music coming from his room. She pressed her ear up to the door and listened.
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows
What it's like to be hated
To be fated to telling only lies
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what its like
To feel these feelings
Like I do and I blame you!
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
Ichigo gasped, that song sounded just like Ryou.
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
Discover l.i.m.p. say it
Discover l.i.m.p. say it
Discover l.i.m.p. say it
Discover l.i.m.p. say it
No one knows what its like
To be mistreated, to be defeated
Behind blue eyes
No one knows how to say
That they're sorry and don't worry
I'm not telling lies
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what its like
To be the bad man, to be the sad man
Behind blue eyes.
Ichigo didn't know why, but hearing that song made her sad. She gently pushed the door open. Ryou was sitting on his bed, his trench coat lying next to him. He leaned over to his bed stand and clicked off his CD player. He turned his head to Ichigo, "What is it?"
For the moment Ichigo didn't remember why she came up here so she said the first thing that came to her mind, "Ryou," she said softly, "that song sounded like it was written…about you, it fit you perfectly." Ryou sat there for a moment looking down at the ground, "Yeah, that's why I like it so much." his voice made Ichigo jump, it was so, so soft. Still cold, still empty; but not as much as before. "What do you want, Ichigo?" He was still looking at the ground so she couldn't see his face.
"I was wondering if I could have my paycheck early," There was a pause.
"Why?"
"Because," Ichigo hadn't thought of a reason why she wanted it early, Keiichiro did say that Ryou didn't know that they knew it was his birthday tomorrow and a present would be a nice surprise so she couldn't tell him the real reason, "Because it's Masaya's birthday tomorrow," she said spitting out the first thing that came to mind.
"Oh" Ryou said. Ichigo expected an argument but was surprised, "fine, it's on my computer desk," she looked over to see five envelopes, "Does it matter what one I take?"
"Try the pink one,"
Ichigo looked down at the envelopes, just then noticing they were color-coded. "Oh okay, thank you Ryou," she said quickly and ran out of the room, gently closing the door on her way out.
Ryou waited a moment then finally lifted his head, tears were trembling in his eyes, one gently ran down his face. He didn't look sad, or happy for that matter, his face was completely blank. Except for the tears. He wiped his eyes, he hadn't cried since the day his parents died and he wasn't going to start now. He felt odd. He had been trying to not feel anything but he felt sad that Ichigo was getting Masaya a present on his birthday, but he wasn't honestly surprised, "That guy has everything…" But for some reason he felt happy and relieved, in a melancholy way. There was something about the fact that Ichigo had thought that that song was just like him, and the fact that he did too. Maybe she understood him a little after all. Maybe she even cared a little too.