Title: Sweet as…
Notes: Based more on the manga, than the anime series. Since the characters are more mature and well-rounded, as compared to the anime series. Takes place approximately over a year after Ruu and Wannya left earth.
Summary: What type am I? Tell me.
31 Ice Cream was obscenely expensive, he had to admit. Paying 235 yen (1) for an ice cream cone was absurd. Yet, everybody had to make some sacrifices. Right?
'Right.'
His gaze shifted momentarily to the other ice cream parlor down the street, he could easily go there and buy twice the ice cream he'd be getting here. (2) Turning back to the huge billboard of this month's 'flavor of the month,' he made up his mind.
'31 Ice Cream it is.'
235 yen later, with an empty pocket, a very contented 16-year old Saionji Kanata stepped out of 31 Ice Cream, ice cream cone in hand.
"You've got to be kidding me,"
Kanata jolted, stumbled and nearly dropped ('Thank Kami!') his over priced ice cream. Sparing a swift glance at his cone, he turned towards the perpetrator, frowning. "Miyu,"
At 16, the blonde really wasn't that much tall. In fact, she barely reached his shoulders. Barely. But right now, she had the odd feeling she was quite taller than Kanata. Very much taller. She smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Ice cream?"
Kanata licked the rather tiny ball of cold confection, and stared at her rather darkly. "Yeah, so?"
"I never thought of you as the ice cream type," she said, while watching him lick his treat. She turned towards the huge sign of 31 Ice Cream with a wry smile. "Yet alone at 31 Ice Cream,"
Kanata raised an eyebrow, while thoughtfully liking his ice cream. 'Ice cream type?' "Ne," he began, eyeing her curiously. "What type am I then?"
Emerald eyes widened, and the blonde blushed as she watched him smirk. 'Cocky idiot.' "Saa, forget it," Blonde hair billowed in the air as she turned on her heel and began walking down the street. "I'm going home. Mom and dad are probably waiting for me," (3) 'Yeah right,'
"Wait," said Kanata, hurrying next to her. "I'll walk you home," He licked his ice cream cone once more.
The blonde looked up ('Damn he's tall.') and eyed him blankly. "Don't feel obliged."
"I'm not,"
"Good," Miyu sighed.
Lick, lick.
"The temple's on the same street as your house anyway,"
Lick, lick.
Miyu felt like hitting herself. Better yet, dumping his stupid (and expensive) ice cream cone on her head. 'Idiot.'
"And besides," Kanata added. "It's getting late. Girls like you shouldn't be out at this time," He patted her head with his left hand.
Annoyed, she swatted his hand away. "It's 6 in the afternoon,"
"My point exactly,"
Lick, lick.
Miyu sighed. Shifting her glance from the sidewalk towards Kanata for a brief moment, she wondered why he even bought such an expensive cone of confection. Coming to the conclusion of never really understanding the boy, she turned back to watching the sidewalk. (At the very least, she wont trip.)
"So," Kanata broke into the silence that fell upon them. He licked his ice cream cone once more. "What type am I, Miyu?"
'Not that again,' thought Miyu as they rounded the corner and left the shopping district. "I don't know," she said honestly. She looked up to him ('Why am I short!') and shrugged. "The Rice cakes type – maybe,"
Kanata coughed, somewhat choking on his ice cream – if that were even possible. "Rice cakes?"
Miyu lifted a delicate eyebrow and watched him. "I remember you eating quite a lot of them while I lived with you," she poked him in the stomach playfully.
He swatted her hand away after she poked him. It tickled (not that he would admit it.). "Wannya did make good rice cakes,"
Miyu laughed. "He sure did,"
"Say," Kanata grinned and he licked his slowly non-existent ice cream. "What type are you?"
Miyu grinned at him and shrugged. "Guess…" she stared at his ice cream cone for a brief second. "What flavor is that anyway?"
Kanata looked at his cone, which he already had bitten into. "Cinnamon roll swirl," he said. He saw her scrunch up her nose rather cutely ('Cutely!') "What?"
"I bet it's too sweet," Miyu looked thoughtful and her nose wrinkled.
"It's not," defended Kanata, somewhat offended. "It's got just the right sweetness plus the great flavor of cinnamon. You don't want to overpower the flavor of cinnamon with sugar!"
Miyu blinked twice, trying to register what he just said. She watched him eat away the last bits of his cone, before grinning wildly. "You really like that, don't you?"
Kanata had the decency to blush, he did sound somewhat foolish blurting out a monologue about ice cream. "Saa, what if I do?"
Miyu shrugged. "That's your choice,"
"Anyway," Kanata coughed, changing the subject. "Your type…"
"My type," affirmed the blonde. They continued down the community district, passing by their High School. "What is it?"
"You seem to me," he began, looking somewhat thoughtful. "As the cake type,"
"Cake?" Miyu repeated. "Why?"
"Well," Began Kanata, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets. "Cakes are sweet," He shrugged.
"Sweet?"
"…and so are you,"
A beat.
Miyu blushed furiously while watching Kanata with huge eyes. 'He did not just say that!' Her heart, if scientifically possible, skipped a couple of beats. "Thanks…"
He fought of the remainders of his blush. 'Idiot! How can you say something like that? What is this? Some cheesy soap opera!' He looked down at her and smiled. "No problem,"
Miyu only blushed some more . 'Holy Cow. What's wrong with me?'
"So," continued Kanata, coughing slightly when his voice sounded a tad bit too strained. "Why don't you like Cinnamon roll swirl ice cream?"
Her blush thankfully died away and she shrugged. "I've never tried it," They were nearing her house, she could see the gates already. "Besides, I don't like Cinnamon rolls. They're too sweet,"
"But the ice cream is better," Kanata admonished, grinning slightly. "You should try it,"
Miyu rolled her eyes. "Yeah sure. I'll try it one of these days,"
They reached the Kouzuki residence. No car in sight. Her parents were not yet home. Typical. Empty cardboard boxes still littered the driveway – remnants of their transfer two months ago.
"Tell me if you'll buy a cone," said Kanata, as they walked up towards the doorstep. "I'd buy one myself,"
Again, green eyes rolled in exasperation while fishing around in her purse for her house keys. "You really like that stuff, don't you?"
Kanata thought his answer over for a moment, while the blonde finally pulled out her keys. "Well," be began. "Not as much as I like cakes,"
Miyu nearly dropped her keys. Blushing furiously, her wide emerald eyes locked with his brown ones. She couldn't really decipher what he was thinking, since they looked rather serious. 'Serious!' Again, her heart skipped a beat. Heart attack, look out.
Nobody really knew what possessed him. Or what drug he had taken (Cinnamon roll swirl!), but he did it anyway.
He kissed her.
Just a quick one anyway.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he pulled away, smirking in satisfaction at her reaction.
Beat red, and nodding dumbly, she watched Kanata walk down the drive way and then disappear behind their gate. Blinking, she touched her lips. He kissed her.
Liking her lips, Miyu smiled.
Maybe, she did like Cinnamon after all.
Footnotes:
1. 31 Ice Cream was obscenely expensive, he had to admit. Paying 235 yen – 31 Ice Cream is a popular Ice Cream parlor in Japan. And quite expensive. It's said that a regular cone costs approximately 250 yen. 31 Ice Cream is affiliated to Baskin Robbins (or better yet, it IS Baskin Robbins)
2. He could easily go there and buy twice the ice cream he'd be getting here. – Compared to 31 Ice Cream, you can the same ice cream of a different brand for just 100 yen. Which would you prefer, 250 yen kind or the 100 yen kind? shrugs
3. "I'm going home. Mom and dad are probably waiting for me," – Since this is based on the Manga, after Miyu's parents accomplished their job at NASA, they bought a house that's in the vicinity of Saionji temple.