Tokyo Mew Mew Fan Fiction ❯ 5 Days to Fall in Love ❯ Tuesday: Part I ( Chapter 3 )

R_S: Here ya go, right on time.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew.

 

 

5 Days to Fall in Love

Chapter 3

 

Tuesday-

 

She moaned, burying her head deeper into the white linen and attempting to ignore the force moving her shoulder to and fro. She cracked an amethyst eye, only to come face to face with two brown orbs.

 

“Zakuro… Zakuro…” a kind voice called out to her with a small smile. Blinking a few time, the young model sat up in the bed.

 

“I'm up Keiichiro, thank you.” He stopped his attempts. “Hn, What time is?” she rubbed her eyes, attempting to disperse the blurriness. A dull ache came from her arm while her cranium pounded like hammers. Her cheek felt sore as hell and she was pretty sure a large bump had formed where the lead pipe connected.

 

“It's 6:00 am. You've got an hour to get ready for school.” He supplied, standing in order to reach the door more quickly.

 

“Ok- god, I've got to get home for my uniform.” Keiichiro only smiled, pointing to the handle on the closet door. There sat her uniform, ready to go. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

 

“Ichigo, Minto, Retassu, and Purin stopped by your house to pick it up.” He turned and approached the door.

 

“But how did they get in?” she inquired, sinking down slightly. After waking up, she was beginning to feel a tad self-conscious. Her hair was undoubtedly matted and she probably looked a mess.

 

“I'm sure you left a window open or something to that extent. Although, when they came, I got the feeling I really didn't want to know…” he faded off before shaking his head, seemingly in order to clear it “Oh well, I'll leave you to get dressed.” The door shut behind him softly.

 

After throwing off the covers, she paused to rub her eyes once more and let out a rather large yawn. Zakuro Fujiwara was not a morning person… and also hadn't received much sleep the night before. It had become the same thing every night. Like a huge, terrifying boomerang, the dream always came back. Everything about it was always the same, too… she didn't want to think about it.

 

She set her feet on the cool carpeting, self-consciousness increasing tenfold. After all, there was only a tee shirt and a pair of oddly short shorts, from the loaner's younger years, covering her, complements of Ryou Shirogane. Ambling over to the clothing, she inspected the plastic bag beneath.

 

Unable to withhold a smile, the violet haired beauty silently thanked her friends for their consideration. They'd had the kindness, and courage, to bring her some undergarments for changing, as well her socks, shoes, hairbrush, and hair band. Along with all that came her school bag and some other womanly necessities, just in case. She made a mental note to thank them later… maybe. Well, how about instead she wouldn't kill them for going through her stuff.

 

As Zakuro changed into her new clothing, after freshening up, her mind was left to wander. She tugged on her shirt roughly. There was still no clue what had happened to her. What had those men done? She didn't feel any different. Nor did she look any different. No, they hadn't gotten do anything. Someone must have saved her, but whom? And, why did they leave her on the stoop of Mew Mew Café and run? Why would they have carried her across town to exactly where she needed to go? Hell, how did they even know to take her there?

 

Taking a seat on the bed, she shook her head. She was too stressed to focus on this; she'd do it later. Her mind wandered once more. And this time it chose to wander to the same place it usually wanders: to him. A small smile crept up to her face as she pulled up her sock slowly, almost in a reminiscing fashion, but she suddenly stopped, brows furrowed.

 

Why did she like him? Was it just some random crush with no rhyme or reason? Or was it a result of teen hormones going on a road rage? Maybe she actually had deep feelings for him? She decided to list what she liked about him.

 

He was good looking, no doubt about that. He was mature, that was inarguable. He was a bad boy, that's always sexy. He was unattainable; you always want what you can't have. He seemed like he was… just like her. And it hit her. That's why she wanted him. She wanted someone to connect with, someone who felt the way she did.

 

But then there was also this other feeling. One she, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't identify for the life of her. What was it? God… she shook her head and quickly finished getting ready. She couldn't think about him right now, either. That resolution only reminded her of the fact that they could never be together. Rage boiled within her.

 

“Grr… GOD DAMN IT!” punched the wall; subconsciously being careful not to damage it, thought a rather loud bang echoed… and her hand smarted a bit. Desperate knocking erupted from the door.

 

“Zakuro? Zakuro! Are you okay? Can I come in?” the voice called worriedly from the other side.

 

“I'm fine, Keiichiro. You can come in.” her monotone voice drawled out. The brunette entered, regarding her curiously.

 

“What was that loud bang?” he asked casually leaning against the wall, now that he was sure she was fine.

 

“Venting anger.” She answered in her usual tone, not even bothering to motion towards the wall.

 

Picking up the plastic bag and shoving it into her backpack, she took her things and exited the room. Keiichiro followed in suit. Soon, she found herself in front of her friends.

 

Minto handed her a plait containing a simple pastry, flaky crust filled with chocolate. Zakuro had always had that odd type of metabolism, the kind that was so high she never gained weight. It came in handy when being a model.

 

“Are you feeling better, na no da?” Purin asked eagerly, tapping in to her endless supply of energy. God, how was she always so peppy? The pop star nibbled on her breakfast a bit before answering.

 

“Yes, thank you Purin.” While the wolf girl was still quite cold and solitary, but she was starting to warm up to the team. Besides, who could be harsh when it came to Purin? Well, other than Taruto. But he really did like her. In fact, it was obvious he had a crush on her, so that didn't count. The amethyst-eyed girl finished relatively fast.

 

“Everyone ready to go?” Ichigo asked, getting up and grabbing her school bag.

 

“Yep, na no da!” Purin's school was on the way, so she'd walk with them. And so our heroes disembarked on their perilous journey… yeah.

 

“I hope those aliens don't try to pull anything today,” Minto groaned to the others as they exited the shop, “I am so not in the mood to fight.”

 

“If they do, we should be extra careful.” Retassu commented tactfully, “With Zakuro wounded, we're at a disadvantage.”

 

“You mean she's weak, na no da?” the blond cocked her head.

 

“W-well, actually, I meant that without her full fighting ability, we lose a lot of our… I guess you could say `punch'. Zakuro has always been one of the strongest fighters on our team and her injuries put a damper on our abilities.” The quiet girl explained, saying more in that one short speech than she usually said in a day (give or take).

 

“Lettuce is right,” Ichigo commented thoughtfully, “although, if Kish, Tart, and Pai know, we could be in trouble.” As the words left her mouth, a sound echoed from overhead.

 

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? A wounded mew mew? Say it isn't so!” the green-haired boy smirked.

 

“What do you want?” Minto demanded angrily.

 

“Just the usual… ah, a squirrel. That'll do.” The girls watched in horror as the translucent blob approached the rodent.

 

“Oh no!” the timid girl's cries were useless, as it was too late. The Kirema Anima was now a force to be reckoned with, but the girls were ready. A unified cry rang out.

 

“Mew Mew Metamorphosis!” Taruto, who was still just a child, watched the girls change in slight aw, thinking they looked like angels, though he'd never say it aloud. Kish watched Ichigo like a hawk, as always, hoping to get a good glimpse of her. Ah Kish, always the lecher. Pai regarded Zakuro in the corner of his vision, admiring her beauty and grace. In the back of his mind, though, he admitted that a small part of him hoped to get a good view of something more than light.

 

That was when it hit him. Like a ton of bricks, the reality of things came crashing down. He and Kish now shared a similarity: they were both in love with a mew. Well, actually it was a team similarity, seeing as Taruto obviously had a thing for Purin, but he was still very young. The girls now stood before them in Mew forms, causing their male adversaries to shake themselves from their observing stupor.

 

“Are you boys ready to be defeated yet again?” Ichigo taunted from the front of the group. Her voice then dropped to a whisper, giving the group instructions “Minto, Retassu: you guys battle the Kirema Anima. Purin will take on Taruto, I'll fight Kish, and Zakuro can take Pai.”

 

Zakuro flushed at the last part of the sentence. Although it was so light no one could see it, it was still there. God, she was spending way too much time around those girls… and apparently fighting Kish too much. `Take Pai'… Bad thoughts, bad! The young model forced herself to return to the real world.

 

“Is Zakuro strong enough to take Pai?” Retassu worried, as her purple-haired friend chastised herself for the returning thoughts. “In her current condition, he could completely dominate her.” Oh dear god…

 

“So? Just because onee-san's a little hurt, doesn't mean she can't show that bastard a good time.” Minto defended. The pop star knew she meant for her to kick his ass, but after fighting Kish so long… let's just say things aren't always interpreted the way they're meant to be.

 

“Well…” Ichigo looked undecided, before opening her mouth to answer. However, Zakuro decided to save herself by interrupting.

 

“I'm fine, now let's get going. We've just been standing here.” So, the group scattered and Zakuro was able to silence the inappropriate thoughts.

 

Kish put up a good fight… kind of; actually, he sort of just sidestepped all of Ichigo's attacks. He couldn't really hurt her. Minto and Retassu struggled a tad with the Kimera Anima, but were still coming out on top. Taruto was busy trying to escape Purin's death grip- er, Purin's friendly hug.

 

“Tar-Tar-kun!” was the only human sound, besides grunts, that could be made out by the other team members. The only pair that wasn't fighting like normal was Zakuro and Pai.

 

Zakuro kept sending out attacks the same way as usual, albeit slightly weaker and with more resting time. However, Pai just dodged them, sending half-hearted blows her way. Suddenly, in a rather intricate move, a fan had knocked the cross whip out of it's owners hand. The weapon came back to it's own, male handler.

 

“You should be more careful,” he called from above, before teleporting down and wrapping his strong, muscular arms around her from behind. His breath sent shivers down her spine as he whispered into her ear “I won't always be there to save you.”

 

Zakuro's eyes widened in shock as his words hit her. “Y-… you saved me? But how… why?” she stiffened as he uncharacteristically nuzzled her neck with his face, taking a deep breath of her scent.

 

“Onee-san!”

 

“Zakuro!” The two girls had finished off the Kirema Anima, Masha having eaten it as well, and were currently running to their comrade's aid. They undoubtedly thought she was about to be killed, or something of that impact. God, if they knew what was really going on…

 

“Meet me at the park at 7:30, just after your shift ends, come alone. We can speak there.” With that closing remark, linked with a tiny kiss to her neck, he teleported back into the air and called his teammates to retreat.

 

“See you then!” she could only stare as his words lingered in the cool morning air. Together, the aliens disappeared back to their ship.

 

“Are you alright?” Retassu asked breathlessly once they reached her. The other girls joined their little meeting. Their friend appeared dazed for a moment, before shaking her head to clear it. Turning, she answered with a curt nod.

 

“What was that all about?” It was Minto's turn to question. The half bird was referring to the way she was being held by the enemy, as well as the closing statement.

 

“Yeah, he was all over you.” Ichigo pushed. Zakuro's throat tightened as she searched her brain for an excuse.

 

“AH, na no da! Purin will be late for school!” the youngest member had gone back to normal and started spazzing. The older teammates followed in suit, the incident with Pai completely forgotten.

 

In a mad dash, the girls had managed to drop Purin off and rush to school just in the nick of time. As the four collapsed into their seats, albeit in four separate classrooms, the bell chimed. The girls had survived, walking away without even a single day of detention.

 

All day, Zakuro couldn't wait until 7:30. Her classes flew by in a daze, until school finally let out a 2:25. Her bandages were changed earlier that day. She had to be at the Café by 3:00, which always gave her just enough time to run home and grab a tote bag filled with her work uniform and a few other things, before setting off to her afternoon destination. She changed when she reached work, putting her school uniform into the bag until the 7:10 end shift, when she changed back into it. The girls stayed ten minutes after closing to clean up.

 

Today, however, she took the time to neatly pack a third set of clothing, something suitable for her meeting at the park. She had to look good, but not like she'd dressed up especially for him. At the same time she wanted to seem casual, but not careless. God, she was turning into a total prep.

 

She grabbed the (finally) chosen outfit and checked her watch. 2:54?!?! How did it get so damn late?! Grabbing her bag, she rushed out the door, sprinting down the street. Ryou was going to kill her! Fifteen minutes later, she burst through the kitchen door to the café, not even in uniform yet.

 

“Where have you been?” her blond boss demanded angrily, “And why aren't you changed yet?” he looked her up and down incredulously.

 

“I got side tracked.” She kept her tone flat; no use in letting him know she'd just had one of her freakishly rare panic attacks. It wasn't entirely that she was afraid of Ryou, rather than she was afraid of working overtime to make up for her late entry. Overtime meant not meeting Pai at the park.

 

“Side tracked? If-”

 

“Aw, cut her some slack, Ryou. She's hurt.” Keiichiro interrupted as Minto entered the room, holding an empty teacup.

 

“Yes, I mean, just look at her. Poor onee-san obviously ran here trying to be on time!” the raven-haired girl rushed to her idol's defense.

 

“But-” the blond stopped abruptly in order to let someone else speak.

 

“Please, just let Zakuro off this time. She's never done this before.” Retassu whispered, a faint blush painting her cheeks.

 

“… Fine, go get changed.” The boy stalked off in a huff, undoubtedly going down to the basement to be with his precious lab equipment. Zakuro rushed to the bathroom and changed.

 

Dumping her bag in the usual spot, she left to find Retassu. Apparently, she'd come at just the right time, catching the poor girl and her plaits just before they hit the ground. Cheeks tinted red, the girl muttered a sheepish thanks.

 

“Today, after work, you're going to tell him.” The young model instructed as though nothing had happened.

 

“N-nani?!” the green haired waitress squeaked, placing her plates on the counter next to the sink.

 

“After work you're going to tell Ryou you like him. It's perfect, since Ichigo, Minto, and Purin are all leaving early for a date with Masaya, a dance recital, and some rare time with her siblings. Keiichiro is going to be out of the way since Purin needs a ride.” Though the violet girl acted nonchalant, she knew it was a big deal. However, she also knew Ryou would return the girl's feelings.

 

Although the half wolf didn't usually give advice or act too kind, she felt that Retassu deserved it. Not only had she been secretly chasing after this boy, practically since she got here, but she was always being so clumsy as a result of her low self-esteem. Zakuro hoped this would sufficiently raise her confidence. Besides, she'd always been there for the rest of the team. Even today, she'd gotten her friend out of trouble.

 

“B-but, what if… what if he rejects me?” the slightly younger girl looked down, eyes shining.

 

“He won't reject you. In fact, I think you'll be quite pleased by his answer. Trust me, just tell him.” On that final note, the slightly older girl sauntered away.

 

The day dragged on for all of the girls, seeing as they each had something to look forward to. It was currently only twenty minutes until closing and the girls were fighting over which one of them had to serve some creepy guy sitting in the ever so slightly darker portion of the café.

 

“I am not serving him, I serve almost every other costumer here, why don't you guys try doing some work for once!” Ichigo argued stubbornly as she ran from table to table like a chicken without a head, feigning happy politeness the whole time.

 

“Purin is scared of the scary looking man, na no da!” the blond squeaked, situating herself behind Retassu and Zakuro.

 

“You don't have to serve him, Purin.” The shy girl assured her younger counterpart kindly and sighed, “I guess I'll have to do it.”

 

“I don't think that's a good idea.” Amethyst eyes narrowing, the eldest waitress gently yet firmly put her arm out and grasped her friend. “If you spill or drop something on him it looks like he wouldn't take too kindly to it.”

 

“Onee-san-” as the words left her mouth, Minto called away by a couple of their best costumers. Rather than lose good business, the raven-haired mew calmly went over to hear what they needed. (An: I know Ichigo's usually the only one who really works, but these were really good customers and the girls are a bit OOC in this fic, so…)

 

“Hello, welcome to Café Mew Mew. I'm Zakuro and I'll be your waitress today. The specials for the day are blueberry cake and…” the girl paused her monotone speech to glance at the specials bored, fists balled up in anger. This man had been staring at either her legs or her chest the entire time. Restraining her rage, she looked to the chalkboard.

 

She froze as her eyes focused on the fine print so elegantly scrawled across the black abyss. Of all the pastries Keiichiro could have been making, it had to be that one. Why? Why why why why why? WHY?!?! A faint crimson tinged her cheeks as she attempted to swallow the lump in her throat. It didn't work.

 

“T-the s-specials…” she cleared her throat, regaining her composure. “The specials for the day are Blueberry Cake and Pomegranate Pie. Are you ready to order or do you need a little more time?” He eyed her up and down one last time before ordering with a cheeky grin.

 

“Ah'll have da Pomegranate Pauh n' Watermelon Tea.” Nodding she jotted down his order and walked away, only to feel his eyes boring wholes into her back- er, butt. She didn't like him at all, not only because he was a lecher but also because he seemed awfully familiar… she shook it off and took the order to the kitchen.

 

“Order up, Keiichiro!” She called, attaching the slip to the metal wheel and spinning it, “One slice of Pomegranate Pie and a cup of Watermelon Tea.”

 

“K! Order out, Zakuro!” the man responded kindly, sliding the speaker a tray full of plaited of food. “Two slices of Pomegranate pie, a slice of Cheesecake, a slice of Blueberry Cake, a cup of Lemon Zinger Tea, two cups of Green Tea, and a cup of Natto Tea for table eight.”

 

Taking the black tray, she made her way over to the table and served the four girls. Pomegranate Pie with Lemon Zinger, Pomegranate Pie with Green Tea, Cheescake with Green Tea, and Blueberry Cake with Natto Tea. Once finished, she returned to the kitchen.

 

“Oh good, you're back.” Keiichiro greeted, placing a dish and cup on a tray. “That order you brought me is ready to bring back to table twelve.” He thrust the server into her hands.

 

“Great.” She drawled sarcastically while accepting the food. Her male counterpart's brow furrowed in concern.

 

“What's wrong?” sighing, she explained.

 

“Just look at the guy sitting at table twelve.” He complied.

 

“Youch. But, honestly, you're judging a costumer because he looks creepy?”

 

“It's not just that…”

 

“Then what else is there?”

 

“Are you guys talking about the creepy guy at table twelve?” Ichigo interrupted to enter the conversation.

 

“Yes.” Keiichiro nodded affirmatively.

 

“Ugh, what a creep! Did you notice the way he had his eyes all over you, Zakuro?” the red head grimaced in distaste.

 

“Wow, that bad huh?” the male looked slightly taken aback. The girls only nodded solemnly.

 

“Well then, I'll just have to take this one out myself…” he continued, looking at the costumer. “If I don't go blind first.” The redhead giggled at his light-hearted joke and the other girl cracked a small smile.

 

“His hair is rather bright… kind of a neon bleach-blond.” Ichigo agreed as Keiichiro accepted the tray from Zakuro.

 

“Yes, it is. I'll be back.” Turning, he exited the kitchen, girls watching from where they stood and using their slightly enhanced hearing to listen in on the men's conversation.

 

“Your food, sir.” Keiichiro greeted politely, placing the plait and cup in front of the seedy looking male. “Will that be all?”

 

“Wuht happened to da guhl dat was servin' me?” the blond asked rudely, eyes searching the café.

 

“Something came up so she will no longer be serving you today. Will that be all?” their friend feigned politeness well.

 

“Yeauh, yeauh.” The guy waved him off unhappily and the bill was placed on the table.

 

“Have a good day, sir.” Keiichiro turned and left, reentering the kitchen. Once safely inside, he blanched.

 

“See, we told you he was a creep.” Ichigo moaned.

 

“I see what you mean, but luckily he'll be leaving shortly. Zakuro, you should just stay in here until he's gone.” The brunette advised.

 

“That shouldn't be too long.” All eyes moved to the blond, who downed his tea and scarffed down about half of his pie. Taking the bill, he walked up to the counter and rung the bell.

 

“I'll be right back, girls.” Keiichiro slipped behind the counter and accepted the man's payment. The spiky haired blond then left the building. At that point, the brunette returned to the kitchen.

 

“Yes!” Ichigo did a little happy dance, “He's gone!” Zakuro nearly smiled to herself, happy her friend cared enough about her well being to celebrate when the unnerving costumer left. However, she still couldn't shake the feeling that she'd met him somewhere before.

 

“Excuse me ladies and gentlemen,” a masculine voice rang out through the loud speaker, “we close in five minutes. Please finish and pay your bill quickly. Thank you, and have a nice day.” Zakuro went with Keiichiro to the counter and they worked the cash register while the four other girls cleaned tables and handed out bills.

 

“Done!” Ichigo collapsed into the one chair remaining on the floor; the others had been turned over and placed on the tables. She breathed a tired sigh of relief and put her head back, “Now I have time to go home, relax, and-” her eyes shot open as she jumped up, “Meet Masaya!!!” practically tripping over chairs, she rushed to join the other girls and get changed.

 

After the girls were finished, Ryou and Keiichiro quickly explained why they were going to meet the other night. Apparently, some Mew Aqua needed to be taken care of but they weren't aware of the exact location. The girls would go scouting tomorrow, once it was pinpointed.

 

“Bye guys, see you tomorrow!” Ichigo called out as she, Minto, Keiichiro, and Purin exited the café. The girls called out their own goodbyes.

 

“Farewell!”

 

“Bye bye, na no da!” On that final note, the doors closed.

 

“WellIguessIshouldgo,bye!” Zakuro grabbed the back of Retassu's collar before she could zip out the door.

 

“Not so fast… RYOU!”

 

“What?” a masculine voice rang out from the backroom, causing her counterpart to blush.

 

“Come out here, Retassu needs to have a word with you.”

 

“Alright, just give me two minutes.” The purple mew turned back to her friend.

 

“See, this isn't so bad.”

 

“Meanwhile, why are you all dressed up?” she looked her friend up and down. She wore a black tube top with a yellow X across it, which was a little covered up by a slightly puffy, pink jacket. A pair of blackish hip huggers with a brown belt covered her bottom half and black boots finished the look.

 

“I'm going somewhere later.” She glanced at her watch. It was 7:15 and the park was ten minutes away, but she'd wait until Ryou came out before she left.

 

“Where? Are you meeting someone?” Retassu inquired with clasped hands, uncharacteristically eager.

 

“… Maybe.” The emerald-haired girl grinned.

 

“Well, have fun!” The half-wolf smiled slightly. If only she knew…

 

“So, what did you need to speak with me about?” the girls' heads swung around to see their friend.

 

“I'll leave you two to talk. Goodbye Ryou, Retassu.”

 

“G-goodbye, s-see you t-tomorrow.”

 

“Uh, later Zakuro.” He was seriously confused by the girls' strange actions. However, he merely brushed it off as being `that time of the month'.

 

Standing at the gate of café, she checked her watch. It was 7:18 as she made her way to the park, bag swung up on one shoulder. On her way, she thought about what Pai had to say.

 

What if this was a trap? What if he was going to capture, attack, or kill her? Why did he save her? Why did he want to meet her? Why did he have to be the one she got a crush on? Why was he so god damn hot? Why- wait a minute there, she was getting off topic.

 

A few minutes later, she reached the park. It was closed, so she had to climb up the gate to get in. Casually leaning against the stone mortar wall, as if expecting someone, she waited for the police car to pass by her. Once it turned the corner and faded out of vision, she whipped around and nimbly scaled the wrought iron fence.

 

Flipping over the edge she landed with a thump, knees bent into a crouching position. Calmly, as if she'd done that exact move every day of her life, she lifted into a standing position and brushed some imaginary dirt off of her clothes.

 

At that point, she realized that he hadn't told her where to meet him. Checking her watch, she saw it was 7:29. So, she walked two minutes from the entrance and through the park. Then, she sat down on a bench and waited.

 

A rather large yawn escaped her lips, the day's events catching up with her. Taking a deep breath, Zakuro shut her eyes and unintentionally lulled into sleep.

 

End Chapter

 

 

R_S: Breaking up incredibly long one-shots into multiple chapters is a pain in the ass… Leave a review!