Chiyo: IZUMI STOP NO PLEASE STOP!

Izumi: *mixes in pepper into food, making it explode* ...

Mitsukie: *starts laughing*

Killi: *stands in doorway, clearly mad*

*room goes silent* ...

Chiyo: ahhahaha... Hey guys! *wipes soup off of glasses* Thanks for sticking around! :) Well, chapter 6 here! :D

Chapter 6

Is This A Date?

"Oh, Ryou's fine, he just woke up, Pudding Lettuce seem ok, and I'm fine. Mitsukie and Izumi weren't hurt at all." Keiichiro said, looking at Ryou, just as confused as he was, but Keiichiro was on the phone with Ichigo, so why didn't he understand what was going on?

Ichigo sighed once she heard everyone was ok. "Keiichiro..." Ichigo started, regretting what she was going to say. Keiichiro was silent, waiting for her finish. "...C-can I just talk to you in person? Alone?"

Keiichiro was silent for a moment, but agreed. "When?" He asked.

"...Whenever..." Ichigo relied, forgetting her mom was still in the room.

Still completely confused, Keiichiro shrugged, figuring now would be a great time. Ryou's sleeping, and ICHIGO wants to talk to KEIICHIRO about something he didn't know... With a slight smile, he stood up and left the room Ryou was out cold in, not willingly sleeping, but forced to with Keiichiro's smile and innocent look. Ryou just lied down and fell asleep, leaving Keiichiro and Ichigo the only ones awake. "You want me to pick you up?"

"Nah, just meet me in the park..." Ichigo hung up and grabbed her jacket. "Sorry mom, Keiichiro can help me more then anyone else right now.." Ichigo waved and took off to the park, thinking she'd see Keiichiro in his car or something. Instead, the two walked to the park, getting there at the same time. "Keiichiro!" Ichigo ran over to him. "Glad you came..."

Keiichiro walked with Ichigo to a close bench. "Would you mind telling me what this is about?"

Ichigo sighed, explaining how Ryou and her kissed, but she still calls him a jerk and refuses to think she loves him. "And Mitsukie told me to go with my heart but I can't because some of me still wants to be with that tree-hugger jerk and part of me wants to just hide in my room and cry... You're great with people... So maybe you can help..." Keiichiro chuckled, then soon after started laughing. "Hey! I'm serious!" Ichigo said, but she couldn't help to giggle as well.

"S-sorry... It's just you... YOU of ALL people... You and Ryou..." Keiichiro's laugh died down to just a chuckle. He kept the picture of them kissing a secret, and like Ryou asked, kept thier conversation a secret. The two sat there talking for hours and gazing at the stars.

Keiichiro and Ichigo sighed, almost in unison. "I should head home... Thanks Keiichiro!" Ichigo smiled and waved to Keiichiro, then taking off to her house. As soon as she lied down in her bed, she passed right out.

Around 7:00 A.M. the next morning, Ichigo's phone started going off. With a sigh, Ichigo flipped open her phone and set it up to her ear. "Hey Ichigo, Ryou's going to pick you up. We need some stuff for the Cafe, Letuce and Pudding are busy cleaning, Mitsukie is going to help bake, and Izumi has an interview today, so..." Keiichiro's voice said. In he background Ichigo heard Lettuce yelling at Pudding, then a bunch of plates and bowls smashing. "...He just left to get you, make sure you're ready."

Keiichiro hung up and Ichigo quickly threw on her clothes. "Ichigo, your boss is here!" Sakura called as soon as Ichigo finished getting ready. "He says it's important so hurry up!"

Ichigo ran downstairs. "What's so important at 7 in the morning?!" Ichigo yawned, not really paying attention to Keiichiro.

Ryou shot a look at her, causing Ichigo to gasp and run out of her house. Once they were in Ryou's car, Ryou chuckled. "It's nothing that important, but Pudding's breaking all the plates... AGAIN... and we need more ingredients for the cafe. And beacause you're the leader, you get to help."

"Argh..." Ichigo grunted, folding her arms. "Could have given me some time to get dressed and look like I'm alive." Ichigo said, giggling as she rubbed her eyes.

'You're still beautiful, Ichigo...' Ryou thought. He quickly swatted away that thought. They got everything they needed from the store and started heading to the Cafe. They rode back in silince, looking at each other once in a while, but quickly looking away. Neither of them noticed that they were out all day. 'Why am I taking this like I'm on a date with her? I mean it's not like I like her or anything!' Ryou thought to himself plenty of times throughout the day. He flirted with her, expecting her notice, but she never did. It was cute, watching Ryou flirt with her all day... Ichigo grabbed half the bags and started walking in the Cafe, but Ryou just took them and carried the other bags. "I don't want you dropping anything." He chuckled, allowing Ichigo to open the door first. They walked into the Cafe being covered in white powder. "What did they do...?" Ryou asked, not wanting to move because if he did, flour would fly up and get in his face and he hand no hands to bother with that for now. Ryou set the bags on a nearby table. Ichigo and Ryou walked to the kitchen to see Mitsukie and Keiichiro nose to nose, almost kissing. Like ninja's, Ichigo and Ryou hid behind the walls, watching them.

"I-I am so sorry!" Mitsukie said, pushing herself away from Keiichiro. "C-can we clean up the flour?!"

Keiichiro chuckled at Mitsukie's red face. "Why are you blushing, Mitsukie?" Keiichrio laughed as Mitsukie sarted sweeping flour into a pile. "Ah! No, no! Let me do that!" Keiichiro took the broom from Mitsukie with a smile. "I was the one that made you drop the flour, let me pick it up. And made you trip... And make the huge mess..." Keiichiro laughed nervously as Mitsukie just giggled. "Let me clean this."

"Then I'll help!" The two cooks started cleaning the kitchen. This was when Ryou walked into the kitchen, stopping dead and acting as if he didn't already see them covered in flour. Keiichiro's black pants were all white from flour. "Ahhh Ryou!" Mitsukie smiled nervously.

Keiichiro just started laughing. "Ryou, you missed it, you sh-"

"SHUT UP!" Mitsukie covered Keiichiro's mouth. "Shh, don't even say it, mister." She said, smiling at Ryou.

With a sigh, Ryou chuckled. "So you do need more flour?"

Keiichiro nodded. Once all the items were put away, Ichigo, Ryou, Keiichiro, and Mitsukie started cleaning. "You still missed me scare Mitsukie." Keiichiro laughed.

Mitsukie giggled. "I had to get the flour, AND HE WAS NOT IN THE ROOM! So I tried getting the flour... Well needless to say, I'm short... So Keiichiro started to help me, but I completely freaked out and dropped the flour." Keiichiro was holding his laugh back, while Ichigo was giggling and Ryou was chuckling. "So naturally, we both went to catch it, smashed heads, and the flour bag hit the floor, exploding everywhere... Not to mention before Lettuce and Pudding left, they had a flour fight... I couldn't see so I went to move, but Keiichiro stopped me, so I stopped suddenly and started to slip."

"You forgot how you screamed like a little girl-" Before Keiichiro was able to finish, Mitsukie shouted at him to shut up. "Okay..." Keiichiro just went back to laughing and sweeping.

"So he grabbed my hand and started pulling me back so I wouldn't fall, and he slipped as well. And I kind of fell on top of him, and then you guys walked in." Mitsukie said, finishing her story.

Keiichiro stopped laughing and looked at Ryou and Ichigo. "You should have been here, her scream was amazing."

"I SAID SHUT UP MY SCREAM WAS GIRLISH I HATE MY SCREAM!" Mitsukie shouted, flailing her arms.

The sight of this just caused everyone to laugh. Once the cafe was clean again, they sat down at the tables. "So what did you guys even try to make?" Ichigo asked.

"...Cookies..." Mitsukie whispered.

"Even I can't bake, but how did you manage cookies out of that?!" Ichigo laughed.

Keiichiro laughed along with Ichigo. "She was the one who got the stuff."

"You weren't supposed to walk in the kitchen yet, smartie! I had a surprise!" Mitsukie folded her arms and sat back in her shair.

Ichigo looked over and Ryou, who had his hands behind his head, leaning back in his chair. His eyes were closed and his hair fell backwards. "Well, why don't we all make them together, so this doesn't happen again?" Keiichiro said, still wanting to laugh at the sudden events in the kitchen.

"Uh..." The redhead looked at Keiichiro suddenly. "I'm not sure if you heard me... But I can't bake!" She yelled.

Mitsukie giggled nervously. "Ah I'll need a lot of help too... I mean I can bake and all, but I can't bake when GUYS are in the room... Obviously..."

Keiichiro and Ryou sighed. "We'll help you girls." Keiichiro said standing up. "Just no big messes again." The man chuckled and everyone walked into the kitchen.

Everything went smoothly, Mitsukie had learned how to make cookies just right, and Ichigo learned that... Although small... Maybe she does have feelings for Ryou... Once everyone was relaxing, waiting for the cookies to finish, Keiichiro's, Ryou's, and Ichigo's phone started buzzing. "Wow.. That's weird, what about me?! AM I ALWAYS FORGOTTEN?!" Mitsukie puffed out her cheeks and folded her arms.

Keiichiro and Ryou ignored their phones, since it wasn't a call, but Ichigo sighed. "Sorry, I should probably take this call." She excused herself from the group and walked outside, answering the phone. "Hey Moe!"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, ICHIGO!" Moe shouted, causing Ichigo to move the phone away from her ear. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT WAS TO MAKE SURE YOU GUYS WERE LOVEY DOVEY AND YOU JUST GO AND DUMP HIM?! I MEAN I NEVER LIKED THAT TREE-HUGGER BUT SHOW SOME RESPECT! But that was great... And about time too! I'm proud of you girl!"

Even from inside the Cafe, everyone heard Moe screaming. "Uh... I don't love him anymore but uh thanks." Ichigo sighed, putting the phone back up to her ear.

"Ok. That's not what I'm calling you about. Is it true?!" Moe asked, expecting Ichigo to understand something no one did. "Well?! Is Masaya telling the truth?!"

Mitsukie smiled. "You guys should answer your phone, we still have about half an hour left for the cookies..." She stood up, her outfit white from flour still. "I'm going to take a shower, if that's ok." The boys nodded and watched Mitsukie walk off the the bathroom.

"What's Masaya even saying?!" Ichigo asked, confused.

Keiichiro and Ryou still didn't answer their phone. "What?! You don't know?! I'm getting Miwa on the call!" Moe laughed, adding Ichigo's other friend to the call. "Miwa, you know about it right?!"

"Duh. Who doesn't?" Miwa laughed. "Masaya's telling everyone!"

"WHAT'S HE TELLING EVERYONE?!" Ichigo shouted, annoyed with the fact her friends wouldn't tell her anything.

The girls laughed, making Ichigo madder. "So... You broke up with Masaya because you have a secret boyfriend? Oooo wait untill your dad hears that one!" Moe laughed.

"Yeah, Ichigo who are you dating?! You should totally tell us!" Miwa yelled.

"Totally!" Moe agreed.

"I'm not dating anyone..." Ichigo sighed. This just got her a bit depressed. She knows that kiss between Ryou and her meant something... She just didn't want to believe that she did love him. "I have to get back to work, ignore what that tree-hugger is saying, I'm not with anyone." Ichigo hung up and made her way back inside. She sat down between Ryou and Keiichiro, resting her head on the table.

Keiichiro looked at her. "So you've never baked before..." Ryou chuckled, breaking the silence.

"..." Staying quiet, Ichigo just sighed. "Not really." She said, looking up so her chin was on the table instead of her forehead. "I suck at baking..." Keiihciro smiled, making Ichigo feel better for a moment. But she suddenly felt bad when Ryou started chuckling. "What?!" She asked sitting up.

"Huh? Oh.." Ryou, still chukling, pointed to the back of her head. "You have some egg in your hair..."

Mitsukie walked downstairs, her hair not really that wet, but noticably wet. She started laughing when she saw the egg in Ichigo's hair. "You have uh... A bit of egg in your hair." She said, trying to not laugh that much.

Keiichiro held back his laugh. "I'll get it." He said to the redhead who was flailing, trying to get the egg out of her hair. "Hold still." He pulled the egg out of her hair, and dropped it into the trash can...

Chiyo: Well lets just say I'm dissapointed ;( *sigh* I don't want to just stop writing this because no one is reviewing ... But I do want reviews ... I'm not saying give me them so I fit in with others, I'm saying give me reviews so I know what to change, what to fix... And it really hurts me! I put so much time and effort into this... I'm probably going to stop writing this unless you guys want me to keep writing... I may just keep it for amsument reasons so I can see how stupid I am... But anyway, I'd just like reviews to know how to better or to know you guys like it or something... Also there were hints in here to a new character, so they're coming soon! *fake smiles*

Izumi: Way to go, you made her sad!

Chiyo: *quietly curls up in a ball under my blankets*

Mitsukie: A-ahh well please please please please PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review and stay in tuned for the next chapter!