Chapter Five - Of Light and Shadow
"-akuro. Fujiwara Zakuro," I finally managed.
The actress' mouth curled slightly up in a smile, "Seems you've gotten a bit more foolish over the years."
"Nah, it just seems that way," I said, recovering from the marathon run. "What are you doing here? I figured you were off shooting a movie in America."
"I was, but there was a change of plans. Still, I won't be here for very long," she explained, brushing back violet hair with her hand. Even in the rain, Zakuro could look remarkable.
"Well, Lettuce will be glad that you've come back, even for only a few days. I think she's really been missing all of yo-" I started, but Zakuro interrupted me harshly.
"She can't know I came back! No one can know."
"Zakuro?" Why was she acting this way?
"Some of the paparazzi have figured out that I was Mew Zakuro, if they saw me with the other girls again, they would put two and two together. I'm used to the attention of the media. I know how to deal with it, but... the others... they live normal lives. It would be bad if the media interrupted that."
I heard what she was saying. It made perfect sense. Zakuro was already famous worldwide. Her face was on billboards across the globe. Everyone knew her name, could hum her songs, could mimic her poses... But the others, they were normal girls. Just your average group of highschool girls. If they were revealed, their personal lives would be in jeopardy. I had never even considered that possibility back when the Mew Project was first launched. How could I have been so selfish?
"I'm... sorry..."
Zakuro shook her head, "Never mind that. I'm not done."
"Oh..."
"Do you even know where the others are?"
"Uh... no. Just Lettuce."
"Mint and her family moved out of Tokyo about a year ago. They now live near Kyoto."
"Zakuro..."
"I've not heard from Pudding," she added.
"I hear she still performs at the park on occasion," I stated in answer to that.
She gave a smile, "That's not surprising."
"Ichigo?"
"Hmm?" she looked at me quizically.
"I'm asking if you've heard from Ichigo. At all. Since the Mew Project ended."
Zakuro watched me for a second through keen blue eyes, as if she was debating whether or not I was worthy enough to be let in on her information.
"I scolded Mint for calling, but even so she continues to contact me on occasion. I have explained the situation to her..." she stopped, watching me again. I waited.
She grinned slightly, looking away, "As for Ichigo... I only talked to her once. It was about nine months ago. She said that she and Masaya were coming back from England. Their relationship seems to be as strong as ever. Masaya got into a top university in Japan, so I'd guess he'd be back to attend classes this fall."
"Oh."
"But I'm sure you have checked up on everyone many times."
"No," I answered simply.
"So... and why not?"
"It's none of my business."
"It isn't, eh? Then I'm wondering why you followed me. You say it's none of your business, but if you're a friend, it would be your business."
"Lettuce and I are trying to find the others... but from what you say, a reunion of sorts would seem to be out of the question."
"Then, I hope that you find them. You'll let me know?"
"How am I supposed to let you know?"
"Well, if you and Mint talk, I'm sure to hear about it," she said.
"I see."
"Fujiwara-san, let's go! We have to be at the studio in twenty minutes!" a voice called from below.
"I'll be going. Take care of yourself," she announced without emotion. She was still as impossible to read as ever.
"Same at you. Ja ne."
Her figure retreated down the hillside and out of view, hidden by the fog and the rain. Mint had once described her as a marble muse. Then again, Zakuro was practically a goddess in Mint's eyes. It was hard not to see why.
Despite the events on that first day, I returned to the pool atleast once a week for lifeguard duty. The more responsible of the two other guards, Bob, showed me a few things I didn't know - mainly how to use this ridiculously long pole to pull a drowning person to safety - but more importantly, he showed me how to get rid of the same giggly group of girls that always seemed to appear. That was my day job, anyways, at night I'd do my usual check up on Tokyo. Each time my results came up clear. No alien activity. No dangerously high pollutant levels. No rampant diseases. No Mew Ichigo. Stupid!
On one such night, I scolded myself for being so unfocused. Ofcourse, what was there to focus on? It was obvious that there was no longer a need to survey the city. Humans would have to protect the Earth by their own hands. It wasn't that there was no need, but that Tokyo Mew Mew no longer existed. I still hadn't convinced myself, though I attempted to. Each time I tried to forget, tried to move on, or tried to "get a life", memories would flood back to me.
-
"Ne, Shirogane, why did you choose this dress?" Ichigo asked, holding the glass of juice I had offered her only a moment before.
I raised an eyebrow at her. I really didn't think it was a big deal, but she persisted. Ichigo's hair hung down in curls, much longer than it seemed to be on any other day. I eyed my work again. It was a delicate thing. Pink. Decorated with burgandy ribbon and flowers that resembled snowdrops. The dress itself flared out at an odd angle, with another creamy white piece underneath.
"I thought it would look good on you," I stated simply (and truthfully), "If you don't like it, you can change."
"N-no... that's not what I meant..." she protested as a light breeze blew through her hair. I noticed then that her bangs were out of place. I knew how particular girls could be about their hair.
Taking a step forward, the motion caused the girl infront of me to draw back a bit.
"Don't move," I ordered quietly.
Instead of the usual protest, she obeyed. I reached forward with a gloved hand to brush against her hair gently. She closed her eyes nervously until I pulled away again.
"Your bangs... were a little out of place..." I explained softly. She watched me blankly, then blinked, trying to process what I had just done.
'Say something to her, Ryou! Maybe if you said something nice to her for a change, she wouldn't think you were a jerk!' I commanded myself inwardly. I stared back at her for a second, wondering what I could possibly say, but nothing ever came. I turned.
"Well... I have greetings and such to take care of..." I muttered, walking away, "so... come back when you've calmed down..."
I could feel her eyes on my back from the balcony as I continued across the ballroom floor and scolded myself silently.
'She was right there, you nerd! Right there! And you couldn't think of anything!' I yelled. When I passed Keiichiro, he gave me a little knowing smile, then paced off to speak with some of the other guests. I walked off alone wthout shaking a single hand. I remember spending a good fifteen minutes out on another balcony, brooding. The breeze was nice, but didn't accomplish much else. It didn't bring me the words I should have said. To this day, I don't know what I should have said back then, or what I'd say if I saw her now.
-
Lettuce hummed to herself, flitting back and forth up the stairs, disappearing each time with more and more of my clothing. Though I appeared to be reading, I was actually watching the entire scene with slight amusement. The green-haired girl squeaked as a pair of boxers fell from the pile and landed on the cafe floor. Going into panic mode, she dropped half a dozen other articles. I fought back a chuckle, but a smile still passed across my lips.
"Need some help?"
Lettuce turned several shades of crimson, facing me nervously, "Ah- ah... no, no I'm fine! I-I thought you were... thought you were reading!"
"Kinda... are you sure you don't need any help with that? ...you really don't need to do that..."
"I wanted too!" she accidentally yelled in frustration, cupping her hands to her mouth immediately after her outburst. Another five shades of crimson for Lettuce and about six for me.
Recovering, she shook her head and gathered the clothing up again, "I'm really... fine... but since you're not busy. I actually have some good news." Her smile had returned as she hurried down the steps to the laundryroom. When she reappeared I had laid the novel down on a table, gotten myself a mug of coffee and her a cup of warm tea, and gave her my full attention.
She dusted out her dress and took a deep breath, "Well..."
"Well?"
Unable to hold it in longer, she blurted out her news, "I saw Pudding!"
I blinked, startled that her voice could get so loud, "R-really!"
"Yes, I really couldn't believe it! She's gotten so tall, Ryou! I hardly recognized her! But she's still the same Pudding, she really is," Lettuce was explaining to me. She was now recreating the entire scene for me. I leaned back in a chair with my mug of coffee and continued to listen politely. The steam rose into the air in a thin, swaying column, and vanished as it neared my face. I wanted so badly to tell her I had seen Zakuro. I knew it'd make her happy to know that her friend was well, but Zakuro's words rang clear in my memory, and I couldn't do anything about that. Lettuce was a kind person, she would understand Zakuro's wishes.
"Now all we have to do is find Ichigo-san, and Mint-san and Zakuro- oh, I didn't tell you! Pudding's coming to visit tommorrow after school!" Lettuce was beaming as she fluttered around the dining area. Her face seemed to sparkle with a joyous light. I offered her a smile.
Lettuce's excitement finally died down to a quiet sort of happiness. She scooted a chair out and sat down across from me with a cup of tea.
"I'm glad you were able to talk with her," I said, "I just wish my search was going as well."
"But, you have lots of connections, Ryou, um... perhaps they'd know where Zakuro-san is filming."
I shook my head, half-lying, "Zakuro's really popular, I'm sure they're keeping her movie location a secret."
"Ah... I guess that would make sense," she sighed, taking a sip of tea.
"But, I'm looking forward to seeing Pudding again..." I added, changing the subject.
"Yes!" she agreed with a grin.
"Thanks for stopping by today... and thanks for..."
"Not a problem," Lettuce blushed.
"You say that, but it seems to me that I'm taking up time that you'd normally be spending with your family."
Lettuce shook her head quickly, "No, it's fine. They completely understand. Besides, I'm doing it for a friend."
"That's how you are."
"Eh?" she asked, adjusting her glasses.
"You always put others first."
"Oh," Lettuce chirped quietly. She tapped herself lightly on the head, flushing, "Well, if you give others kindness, they'll give kindness back to you, even if it takes a little while. So, that's how I try to be."
"I..." I paused, stopping myself from mentioning the model.
Lettuce turned her eyes on me, waiting.
"I... managed to find some information about Mint. She and Baya-san have moved to a mansion in Kyoto. It's almost time for school to start up again, but I thought that maybe during winter break you, Pudding, and I could go visit her. I know someone in Kyoto who tends to one of the shrines, and I'm sure he could help us navigate our way around."
"Really? That'd be wonderful! I'll ask my parents when I get home. Although, it'd have to be after Christmas, since Mom, Dad, Uri, and I always spend the holidays together..." her excitement faded then as she glanced back up at me, worried about the timing.
"Don't worry," I said reassuringly, "It'll be after Christmas. I'm sure Pudding wants to spend time with her family too."
Lettuce must have realized the obvious. I had no one to really spend Christmas with, unless Keiichiro came back from his dig. I doubted it. He hadn't contacted me in a while, which was really no surprise. He might be courtious, but when his research is a factor, Keiichiro forgets what day it is. I know how that goes. When I'm really deep into an experiment, focused, the days start to blur and I often forget to eat or sleep. I suppose it's a bad habit, but that's how I am. Although, Keiichiro was working in a group, so others would be there to make sure he atleast didn't get dehydrated.
Lettuce hadn't said a word. I really hate it when people worry about me, so I decided to speak up, "Well, it's getting late. You should go home and get some rest. I'll see you tommorrow afternoon, since I have the day off from work."
Lettuce perked up, "Okay. You're right, ofcourse. I'll be going. Thanks for the chat and the tea, I enjoyed it." She slid the chair back under the table and bowed.
"No sweat," I said with a nod, "Although my tea isn't great."
She shook her head frantically, "No, that isn't true. It was fine."
I shrugged.
"See you tommorrow, Ryou-san," Lettuce said with a wave as she pulled on a maroon jacket and grabbed her things.
"Sure, see you, Lettuce."
After she had left, I climbed the steps to my room, plopping myself infront of the laptop. My fingers quickly found their positions on the keys, as if by some instinct. Clicking on the Internet icon, I hastily began typing words in the search bar.
"Search for... Aoyama Masaya, kendo, red data..." I murmured, almost silently as I typed. The results took only a moment. Fifteen. Most of them were totally useless judging by the description. About halfway down the page I found what I wanted.
Scanning the page, I quickly learned that Masaya was, predictably, a kendo champion at his highschool in London. He was also on an environmental debate team and a well-known expert on red-data animals. I personally thought it was a bit nerdy of him to study the red data just because Ichigo and the others had been fused with them. I shook my head and read on. Planned major, Biology. Minor, Education. No surprise there. It said something about him being accepted into several universities, but there were no names listed. With his experience in England, even if he had been accepted, I doubted he'd come back to Japan. I knew well that there were many valuable opportunities in the science field all across the globe, and Japan wasn't at the top of the list. I recalled several opportunities I had wanted, but had to decline because of research. And thus, I didn't think everything Lettuce believed was true. I had sacrificed so much of my own life for the Mew Project. I really had. And yes, I had the aliens' thanks, and indirectly I had the Earth's thanks... but now that it was over, it was like having to live all over again. I had been kind to my planet, and it hadn't returned that kindness to me. Atleast, not yet. I don't want a medal, fame, fortune, or any of that. The Mew Project was my life for so many years. All I want is a reason to continue living...
I erased Aoyama's name from the search bar and replaced it "Momomiya Ichigo". There was really nothing special about her that I could add. I had no idea what sorts of clubs she might be in. The results, again, came quickly. Too quickly. No matches found. Next, I tried for Mint. From that search, I found out that Mint was indeed enrolled in a dance academy. She had even been recognized nationally for a performance in "Swan Lake".
Not realizing it, several hours had passed and now it was late. Infact, it was early moreso than late. I sank down into bed and curled up under the bedsheets at about 2:00 in the morning. Sleep caught me as soon as my head hit the pillow.
-
There was a light tapping at my head. I groaned, turned, and opened my eyes cautiously.
"Hey!"
"Hunh?" I asked dumbly, still half-asleep.
A face peered down at me curiously, huge eyes blinking.
"Hehe, Shirogane-oniichan's hair looks awful in mornings na no da!" she announced loudly.
"Ugh..." I muttered.
"You need to be happy in the morning! Rise and shine, sleepyhead! Na no da!" she yelled, hopping onto the bed - and me - and pinching both of my cheeks.
"Pudding!" I barked out, prying her hands off my face.
"Awh, c'mon, you're supposed to be happy to see me! Lettuce-oneechan said you would be! Happy happy happy! Up up up! Na no da!" she yelled, bouncing up and down on the bed and making a 'getting out of bed' motion with her hands.
"Fine, fine, fine..." I growled.
"Yippee!" she squealed, hugging me. "I'll be downstairs helping Lettuce-oneechan make lunch! We'll be waiting for you, na no da!" With that, the energetic middleschooler bounded out the door, slid down the banister, and landed perfectly below.
"And don't go back to bed, na no da!" she called up to me.
"As if such were possible..." I muttered, dragging myself from my much-wanted slumber and stumbling towards the bathroom.
"Oh yeah, and Lettuce-oneechan said she was really sorry, but she accidentally shrunk some of your clothes, na no da! Your kitty-cat boxers are really kawaii by the way, na no da!"
sidenote: Named at random, but also an illusion to "Kokoro". Bob is one of the more responsible characters. ;
A/N: Woohoo! Made it to five chapters! XD Hehe, fun ending. P Gomen, but you'll have to wait just a little longer for Ichigo's appearance. I'm not saying when she'll show up, but she's on her way. . I finally figured out how to get her into the story. Mint should also be appearing pretty soon. Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for the reviews.
Stick around for Chapter 6, "Autumn's Mirror", nya!