Ichigo sighed as she heard the front door knock. She stopped reading as she tilted her book to the side of her face, "Door!" She yelled across the house.
But no one answered or acknowledged the request. Ichigo wrinkled the page in her book as she heard someone knock on the door again.
"Kaigo door!" She called louder.
Still, there was no response. Ichigo felt her eye twitch as she slammed her book down onto the table and went towards the front door. She flung it open and snapped before the person could get out a word, "What is it?"
The woman standing in front of her smiled brightly as she waved happily to her, "Hi, Little Ichi, it's me!"
Ichigo's face softened as she looked up at the blonde woman with a cheeky smile on her face, "Oh, Hi Mitsuya-san."
Sara laughed lightly at her words. "Don't call me that silly! Remember, it's Sara," she winked, causing Ichigo to blush.
"Oh yeah, sorry, Sara-san," she smiled sheepishly. "So, um, is there something you need?" Ichigo asked, shifting nervously.
"I was actually hoping you could help me with something," Sara told her sweetly.
"Uh, sure... what's up?" Ichigo asked cautiously.
"Well, I got called into work, and I need someone to watch the girls. I told Taka that he could spend the last day of the break with his friends, so I didn't want to bother him and have him come home. And since the girls really like you, I was hoping that..." Her voice trailed off as she realized just how awkward the situation sounded.
Ichigo stared back at her playful neighbor. Sara Mitsuya was a special kind of woman. You would have never guessed just by looking at her that she had three children. Sara was a carefree woman that didn't believe in aging both mentally and physically. The woman looked as if she was in her late 20s and never had kids. At the young age of 34, Sara has a 16-year-old son and two younger girls, one 7 and one 4.
Ichigo didn't have many interactions with Sara, but Ichigo would do little things for her every now and then, like help her bring up her groceries or take the girls downstairs to the park when she was too tired and her son was away. In return, Sara would bring her the leftover sweets that her son makes. She's never met the mysterious Takashi, but what she does know is that he's an excellent cook.
Ichigo sighed as she rubbed the back of her head. She wanted to tell Sara that she was also busy today, but she didn't want to let her down. Sara's a sweet woman and never asks for help unless needed. The Mitsuya's weren't rich by any means. If they were, they wouldn't live in this dump of an apartment complex. She knew that Sara worked three jobs to make ends meet. That being said, Ichigo nodded her head and agreed to watch the girls.
Sara smiled widely as she hugged her, "Wonderful! Thank you so much, Ichi. You're the best!"
Ichigo awkwardly stood there, her eyes wide and cheeks heating up, "Um, let me go grab my phone, and I'll be over," she told her, trying to pry herself out of the woman's arms.
Sara smiled at her and nodded as she released her, "Thank you, thank you!" She waved at Ichigo as she shut the door.
Ichigo walked around her house, grabbing her shoes and phone before walking over to the messy bedroom down the hall. She opened the door and rolled her eyes. On the ground was Kaigo, passed out on the floor with not even a pillow or a blanket with him. He must have gotten home and instantly passed out, not even bothering to change out of his clothes. He looked disgusting.
Ichigo shook her head, "Idiot." She nudged him with her foot, "Hey, idiot, wake up." Kaigo shifted slightly but kept sleeping. Ichigo scoffed and kicked him harder, "Oi, asshole, wake up!" She snapped at him.
This time he woke up slowly. He sat up, looking around the room confused as his long nappy blonde hair buried his face. He blinked a few times before noticing his daughter staring down and scowling at him. He groaned, "Ichi, what are you doing here? Why am I on the floor?"
Ichigo frowned, "Hell if I know. I'm going over to the Mitsuya's. I won't be back till late. It's already 1. You should get up and do something besides be a lazy fuck," she crossed her arms as she turned around.
Kaiga groaned loudly, "You're not supposed to talk to your dad like that," he whined.
Ichigo snorted, "Act like a dad, and I'll talk to you like one."
Kaigo grumbled in response before rolling over and closing his eyes. Ichigo shook her head and picked up her shoes before leaving the house.
When she arrived at the Mitsuya's, she was greeted by two little girls. Their names were Mana and Luna. Luna was the oldest at the age of 7 with long lilac hair, and the younger blonde girl was Mana. They both jumped excitedly in excitement at seeing Ichigo at the door.
"Hi, Ichi-chan!" They shouted together.
Ichigo smiled at them, "Hey, you two." They giggled as they ran into Ichigo's open arms and hugged her tightly.
Sara walked out of her room in her uniform, fixing her hair smiling as Ichigo walked into her house, "Thank you again for watching them."
Ichigo smiled as she ruffed up Mana's hair, "No problem Sara-san."
Sara smiled as she kissed both her daughters. "I'll be home around 7. If you need anything, just call, okay? I'll bring home dinner, so don't worry about making anything," she hugged her daughters tightly, telling them to behave.
Ichigo nodded as she tried to push the woman out the door, making sure she got to work on time. "Yep, sounds good. We'll be fine," she shoved Sara out the door and closed it behind her.
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Once she'd calmed herself, she went into the living room where the girls were sitting and talking together.
Ichigo cleared her throat, "Alright, so what do you want to do?"
They both grinned excitedly before turning to each other and started whispering. Ichigo raised her eyebrows as they both turned back to her, smiling brightly, "Can we go to the park?" They both asked at the same time.
Ichigo shrugged, "Yeah, sure, why not," she grabbed both of them before heading towards the stairs.
The girls skipped happily beside Ichigo as they made their way to the park. Once they arrived, both girls squealed and started jumping in circles. Ichigo chuckled softly as she watched them run-up to the playground. They bounced up and down a few more times before Ichigo ran up to them and touched Luna's shoulder, "Tag, you're it!"
Mana screamed playfully before running away from her sister. Luna laughed as she chased Mana up the playscape and followed her down the tunnel slide. When they slid to the bottom Luna jumped on top of Mana as she tagged her. The three of them screamed and laughed as they ran around the park, trying to keep away from each other.
As they ran, they stopped playing and decided to play on the swings. Ichigo smiled as she stood behind the girls, pushing them back and forth, one with each hand. After a while of running around and playing on everything on the playground, the girls relaxed as they all sat down on the ground. The girls sat in the open field eating dango as Ichigo smiled, listening to Mana and Luna giggling happily. The sound of laughter filled the air around them.
After a few minutes of resting, Ichigo got a text from Sara telling her she was on her way home. She looked down at her phone, not realizing that they had spent the whole day at the park. She checked the time and sighed softly. It was already 6.
Ichigo smiled softly as she nudged the girls, "It's getting late. Your mom's almost home. We should get going."
The girls whined but didn't argue as they stood up. Ichigo glanced at the girls and chuckled at Mana, who yawned cutely as her eyelids began to droop. Ichigo stood up and stretched her body before grabbing the girl, carrying Mana on her back as she started to close her eyes and yawn again. The three girls walked in silence back to the house.
When they arrived back at the house, Ichigo gently laid Mana on the couch and turned on the TV sitting on the floor with Luna watching cartoons in her lap. The girls stayed like that for the rest of the evening, Mana sleeping on the couch and Luna in Ichigo's lap while Ichigo mindlessly braided her hair. She hummed softly as she felt the gentle movement of the girl's hair between her fingers.
After a while, they heard the sound of the door opening and turned around, ready to greet their mother, but instead of seeing her. A teenage boy walked in.
Takashi walked into his house as he took off his shoes, not paying attention to what was around him as he had his headphones on, listening to his music.
"Taka!" Luna shouted.
Takashi smiled as he took off his headphones and looked over at his sister but then narrowed his eyes when he saw a stranger holding her. He'd never seen her before. The girl looked about his age with long copper hair, green eyes, and pale skin with tiny freckles around her cheeks. She was definitely not Japanese. She looked exotic. But while she looked lovely, her clothes were not. She was wearing a brown and yellow wool sweater. It looked hideous and uncomfortable. It was probably one of the ugliest things he'd ever seen.
Takashi swallowed and stared at her, "Um, not to be rude, but who the hell are you?" He had no idea who she was, but she had obviously been around his sisters before as Luna, who typically hates new people, was snuggled up in her lap.
Ichigo glared at him, "My name's Ichigo."
Takashi smirked as she answered him, "Ichigo? Really?" He questioned her, raising his eyebrows as he put his hands in his pockets, smirking.
Ichigo narrowed her eyes as she got up from behind Luna, "You got a problem with it, Pretty Boy?"
He laughed as he watched the girl get easily wild up, "No, I just think your name suits you, that's all, Little Strawberry," he teased.
She growled lowly as she walked over to him, fist clenched. "Call me that again, and I'll kill you," she threatened darkly.
Takashi smirked as he leaned against the table, finding her threats comical, "So, Ichigo, where's my mom, and why are you here?"
Ichigo huffed and crossed her arms, "Your mom had to go to work, so she asked me to babysit until she came home."
Takashi nodded and looked at her suspiciously. His mother wasn't supposed to be at work today, so she must have gotten called in. But if that were the case, why didn't she just ask him to come home.
Ichigo noticed his look and rolled her eyes, "Your mom got called in at the last moment." She looked away from him and crossed her arms, "She didn't want to bother you because it was the last day before school, so she asked me if I would watch them."
Takashi nodded, that explained why she was here, but how did his mother know her. Before he was about to ask more questions, the door opened, and his mother walked in with a bunch of take-out boxes in her arms. She put the boxes down on the table, then turned and stared at him in surprise.
Sara smiled and ran over to her son, giving him a big hug as she kissed his cheek. "Hey Taka, What are you doing home?" She asked, looking at him confused. "I thought you'd still be out with your friends."
Takashi shrugged, "I came to pick up my bike. The guys and I were going to go out on a ride later." He then walked over and started getting the dishes out, helping his mom set up the table.
"Oh, does that mean you can stay for dinner then? Pleaseeee." She begged him sweetly.
Takashi smiled as he nodded, "Sure, Mom." He looked around and then back up at his mother. "I didn't know you had to go to work. You could have just called me," he told her, slightly annoyed by the fact that she called someone else to watch his sisters.
His mother giggled as she walked over and kissed his sisters, "Oh honey, but it's the last day before school. I wanted you to have fun with your friends. Besides, Little Ichi didn't mind. Right, Ichi?" She winked at her as Ichigo stood off to the side.
Ichigo rolled her eyes, "No, it was fun actually," she smiled.
Takashi watched as the girls giggled at her, clearly happy. He looked back up at Ichigo. She didn't look like the friendliest person. From what he picked up so far, she wore a bored face except when talking to his sisters, and she was pretty snarky. But if his mother trusted her and his sisters enjoyed being around her, then she must not be so bad.
As Ichigo watched the family get ready for dinner, she took that as her cue to head home. She walked over to the door and started putting her shoes on, but before she went to open the door, she felt Sara pull her away.
"Hey, where are you going?" Sara asked her as she held onto her.
"Um, home?" Ichigo asked, confused as she looked at Sara then at her family sitting at the table.
Sara shook her head as she let go of her arm. "No, you gotta stay for dinner, silly. Come on," she giggled before pulling her along into the kitchen.
"Oh no, it's okay, really!" Ichigo tried to escape Sara's grip, but it was no use.
Takashi looked between his mother and the awkward girl in her arms, trying to pull out of her grip. He sighed and shook his head. "Mom, if she doesn't want to stay, let her go," he told her quietly.
His mother narrowed her eyes as she continued to drag the girl. "Oh be quiet, Taka. Don't tell me what to do," she told him as she sat Ichigo next to him. "Besides, I'll just end up bringing the leftovers over anyway. She might as well eat it while it's warm and fresh."
Takashi sighed as he nodded, fiddling with his chopsticks, "If that's what you think is best..."
As they ate, he carefully examined the interactions between Ichigo and his family. It was clear that Ichigo and his mother had some kind of relationship, but just who was she, and why had he never met her before if his mother was this close to her.
"How do you know each other?" Takashi asked them.
Sara smiled and grabbed one of Ichigo's hands in hers. "What do you mean? She's our neighbor, Taka," Sara answered, smiling brightly.
Takashi raised his brows. That surprised him. If she was their neighbor, that meant they lived next to each other, but why hadn't he ever seen her before?
"She's just the sweetest Taka. She always helps me bring up the groceries or takes the girls to the park when you're out. She even scared away some weirdo that kept trying to sell me some kind of phone plan or something. She's just the best!" Sara gushed happily.
Ichigo blushed lightly as she tried to hide her face behind her hair and bit her bottom lip nervously out of embarrassment. "Shut up. Stop talking about me like I'm a perfect person. I'm not. It makes me feel uncomfortable," she mumbled.
But being the woman that his mother is, she ignored Ichigo's words and continued praising her. Ichigo groaned, annoyed as she hid her face behind her hands. Takashi chuckled as he watched his mother and Ichigo interact with each other. He could tell that Ichigo wanted to yell at his mother, but she did a really good job of keeping her frustration at bay. He had to give her some credit, though, because he knew his mother wasn't the easiest person to be around.
After dinner, Ichigo stayed and helped clear the area and started washing dishes while his mother started getting the girls ready for bed. Takashi walked over to her and started drying them off. They both worked silently, not interacting with each other, until Takashi spoke up, "Sorry about her. She can be a lot sometimes."
Ichigo shrugged as she continued to wash the dishes, "It's no big deal. I'm used to it. She just gets excited easily."
Takashi smirked. That was one way to describe her. He put a dish on the rack and then looked over at her. "So, are you the person my mom gives my treats to? I always see her take the leftover cookies and treats over to someone, so the girls don't eat too much," he teased her, which made Ichigo blush out of embarrassment.
"So what if I am. You got a problem with it, Pretty Boy?" She challenged him.
Takashi laughed at her. "Nope, not at all. I'm just curious, is all," he answered with a sly smile as he put another dish in its rightful spot on the rack.
Ichigo glared at him, not knowing what to say next, "Yeah, well whatever," she huffed.
Takashi grinned at her before turning back and putting the last plate up. "Anyways, I'm gonna head out. You should take this opportunity to leave as well before mom tries to keep you here any longer," he joked.
Ichigo rolled her eyes and pushed past him, heading towards the front door. "Whatever," She grumbled.
Takashi chuckled as he followed after her. "Bye, Mom, be back later!" He yelled over his shoulder before leaving the house.
Once out the door, he looked at Ichigo. Her hands were shoved deep into her pockets, looking away from him. She looked up at him before turning around. "Well, bye, I guess," she shrugged before walking off.
"Bye, Little Strawberry!" Taka called out cheekily.
Ichigo whipped around and narrowed her eyes at him, flipping him off, "Go fuck yourself, Pretty Boy!"
Takashi chuckled as he watched Ichigo turn back around, but curious as he was, he waited until he watched her walk into her house before leaving. It was weird he'd never seen her before, but she lived five doors down from them. He sighed as he made his way over to his bike, twirling his keys around his fingers. He shook his head as he thought about the hotheaded girl. She sure was something. Something funny.