A White Bunny meets a Dark Wolf (ScarletNovaxShinku⭐Kun)

[Stray Shinku]

​

Mei's answer to Ryunosuke's question wasn't that convincible at all. He could tell that something was off with her and the rainy weather has to do with it. As he listened and observed her, a sudden lighting flashed outside the window of his apartment, followed by a really loud thunder that clapped across the sky. There's when Mei jumped from her seat and began to shake with fear, even when she tried not to.

Amused, Ryunosuke turned his head to look at the pouring rain through the window for a moment. "Ah, she's not afraid of the rain," he thought as he realized what was going on. "Is the thunders." Sighing faintly, the black-haired guy slowly turned his head to look back at Mei, which was still was afraid and anxious. Sadly for her, the storm didn't seem to be stopping sooner.

"My... You such a baby, Mei," he said out of the blue with a mocking tone, scoffing. Without hesitation, he slowly crawled his way towards her and sat on her right. "The thunders won't hurt you, you know?" As he said that, he gently wrapped his right arm around her waist and pushed her closer to him. He looked down at her with a smirk. "I will allow you to use me like your life-sized stuffed animal, but just for a while, okay? I don't want you to freak out or something worse just because of a silly storm."

Chuckling, Ryunosuke gently poked the tip of Mei's nose with his left index finger before looking at the table to take a rice ball. He ate it at once before taking a sushi.

The reason why he was trying to calm down Mei was because, when he was a child, Ryunosuke was also scared of storms. He simply couldn't stand them and would freak out from beginning to end. Luckily for him, he had a mother that took a great care for him and was always there to "protect him" from the storms. She would always wrap him with her loving arms and sing lullabies that always managed to calm him down. Thanks to that, Ryunosuke conquered his fear of these storms and ended up loving them as they reminded him of the unbreakable love of his mother.

So, seeing Mei trembling with fear reminded him of himself and he knew that his mother would've wanted him to do the same thing she did to him to calm him down. He didn't sing that nice, but at least he could hug Mei and luckily make her feel a little better. The curious about all of this was that he wasn't blushing or feeling embarrassed about hugging her like this. Still, his heart was beating with excitement, though.

"How are you feeling now, Mei?" he asked her after a while, turning his head and looking down at her.

 

[ScarletNova]

​

The sound of thunder continued outside as the storm went on. Mei could feel her body shaking even when she tried to calm herself down. But everything she did failed. How could she let the storm get to her and in Ryunouske's presence too? But she couldn't think of the consequences when the storm was going on.

And of course, he started to tease her. Of course, it was a stupid fear, like a child's. How could she still be afraid of some thunder, right? But no one ever helped her get over it. She was always alone during them. What did they expect from her? But she couldn't even reply back to him like she normally did, she was too afraid.

Then suddenly, his hands went around her waist and he pulled her closer. He still teased her, but he pulled her in closely to him. He was...helping her? Letting her use him as a life-sized stuffed animal? Really? But his hands felt warm around her. It was relaxing. So, she wrapped her arms around him and held onto him just like she would if he really was her stuffed animal at home.

She heard another rumble, but the warmth and comfort she was feeling from Ryunosuke actually was starting to make her feel better. She never had anyone comfort her to keep her safe before. This was the first time anyone was around to make her feel better during a storm. And that person was Ryunosuke.

She then heard his comment after a little while, asking her if she felt any better. She glanced up at him as he looked down at her and for some reason, she tightened her grip around him. But it wasn't because she was still feeling afraid. It was because she liked the comfort and safety she felt from him. Her cheeks started to turn a light pink and she suddenly hid her face into his chest.

"Y-yeah," she whispered. For the first time ever in her life, she was actually feeling better even though it was still storming. "Thank you." Her voice was quiet and soft. She kind of wished they could stay that way, even if it stopped storming soon or not. She liked being in his arms. She liked holding him close to her.

 

[Stray Shinku]

​

Ryunosuke scoffed with amusement when Mei hid her face into his chest, blushing with embarrassment. "Ah, good to know," he replied when she told him that she was feeling better and when he heard that she thank him, he nodded and wrapped his other arms around her into a gentle and warm hug. "You're welcome." When he realized that he just hugged Mei out of the blue, a deep blush covered his cheeks and his eyes widened a bit. His heartbeats also increased a lot and it wouldn't be surprising if Mei, now extremely close to his chest, could hear it sound and clear.

Apparently, seeing Mei in such a defenseless and sensible state tempted Ryunosuke to just hold her in his arms and protect her from whatever was trying to hurt her, just like a knight would do to his princess. Yes, he could take advantage of this situation and mock her without mercy and even use it as a blackmail to force her to stop her rising against him in Ryoo High. However, deep inside that tough and intimidating appearance, there was a kind and caring Ryunosuke that decided to take control and help Mei because she really needs somebody to console her right now.

Ryunosuke was enjoying this moment and wished for the whole world to stop for a while, so he could stay like this with Mei for a little longer. He wanted to hold her dearly between his arms. He wanted to be that shining knight that protects her from evil. He wanted to be that wolf that decided to be different and protect this fragile bunny from danger. Ryunosuke just wanted to be right here for Mei and he wanted her to be here for him as well.

"O-Oh, am I interrupting something?" asked Koko after she came back from the kitchen, holding a tray of Mochi Ice Cream Balls. She was smiling awkwardly with a drop of sweat as she looked over at Ryunosuke and Mei, both of them lovingly hugging each other. "I mean, I can come back later if you guys need some time alone..."

"That's not necessary, Ko-chan," said Ryunosuke, interrupting Koko. He turned his head to look at her, still blushing. "I-I'm just helping Mei to calm down, okay. She's scared of storms. Does that reminds you of somebody?" Koko blinked twice while looking back at Ryunosuke, thinking. After a second, she widened her eyes and smiled. "Ah, that's right," she said and giggled, nodding. "You were so afraid of thunders that your mother literally had to sleep with you in your room." Ryunosuke's blush intensified and quickly looked away. "Tch... You didn't have to mention that last part, baka," he said lowly, embarrassed that Mei probably heard that.

Right now, he wasn't hugging Mei anymore but was still holding her close.

Sighing, Koko stepped closer to the table and sat down on her cushion, lowering the desserts tray on the table. "Well, enjoy my Mochi Ice Cream, guys," she said with an excited smile. "This is my first time making them, though, so, please, tell me if I passed the test, mmh?"

 

[ScarletNova]

​

The storm still raged on outside, but it was like it didn't even exist anymore. For the first time, Mei was actually feeling calm in a storm. And it was because of the 'Big Bad Wolf' Ryunosuke. It didn't seem to make any sense. It didn't seem possible. But as she held onto him and felt the warmth radiating from his body as his arms were wrapped around hers, Mei wanted nothing else but to stay in this man's arms. And she knew that that man had to be Ryunouske. No one else would do.

But when she thought she would hear his heart beating as her head was close to his chest, the young woman started to blush more deeply realizing how close they really were at that moment. His heart beat. It was such a beautiful sound. She almost closed her eyes to focus on it but Koko had returned to them just at the worst moment.

Her comment made Mei's cheek go dark red. She was completely embarrassed, but she still didn't want to let go of this guy. Even if Koko was getting the wrong idea about what was going on. At least Ryunosuke explained, but she was even more surprised to learn that even he was once afraid of storms just like she was. It just seemed like he had some way to get passed his fear, while she hadn't yet. Well, at least not until now.

His grip loosened on her and while she wished it didn't, she understood. So, she pulled her face away from Ryunosuke to look at Koko and slowly let him go, but stayed close to him just in case she needed some more comforting. "They look really good, Koko," Mei finally spoke. She reached out and took one into her hands. She took a bite out of it and then smiled.

"It's perfect. I don't think I've ever had anything better than this one right here." To be honest, Mei hadn't had much Mochi ice cream because there didn't seem to be much point in getting and eating a dessert on her own. She didn't have much to go off of in that case. But still, it was the most delicious mochi ice cream she had ever had and it was because someone had made it just for her and she was with those who wanted her to be there with them.

It was enough for her.

She glanced over towards Ryunosuke and gave him a smile. She could still hear the sounds of the storm going on, but they just didn't seem to bother her knowing that she was with someone else. It would take a while to get over all of the fear, especially when she was alone during another one, but for now, she was okay. She took a few more bites and finished up her Mochi ice cream.

 

[Stray Shinku]

​

"Hmph, they better be good," said Ryunosuke after laying his eyes on the Mochi Ice Cream on the tray. He heard Mei's kind comment, saying that the Mochis looked delicious without even trying them for real. Koko gasped with joy and placed her hands on her chest while looking at Mei, thanking her greatly and inviting her to eat them.

After Mei, Ryunosuke took a Mochi Ice Creak with his fingers and ate it whole. He began to munch the treat with an intriguing expression, analyzing every detail his taste buds picked. Koko was staring at Mei and his nephew up close, holding her breath and wishing that the mochis were actually good. After a few seconds, mei was the first one to break the tension and said that the Mochi Ice Creams were perfect. Sighing deeply with relief, Koko giggled with excitement while clapping thrice. "Oh, I'm so glad that you enjoyed them, Mei-chan!" she said, holding her own cheeks with her hands. "I thought I burnt the mochis during the process of making this delicious treat. Ah, thank God everything went alright." Remembering that Ryunosuke also tried her dessert, Koko widened her eyes a bit and quickly turned her head to look at him.

Closing his eyes while lowering his head, Ryunosuke scoffed and smiled. "You successfully passed the test, Ko-chan," he said with a cool tone and attitude, giving her a thumbs up. Once again, Koko giggled and clapped her hands on excitement, promising that she will try something different on their next dinner.

Chuckling, Ryunosuke slowly turned his head and looked down at Mei, which was looking back at him. Like if this was some kind of romance movie, they both smiled at each other for a moment. Then, they proceeded to finish up the Mochi Ice Creams.

---

​

An hour later or so, the dinner was finally over and Ryunosuke went to the kitchen to wash the dishes while Koko cleaned the dinner table. After that, she brought an album book that had pictures of Ryunosuke on his childhood.

"Ah, I took this one when he was 8 years old," said Koko with a big smile as she pointed with her right index finger at a picture of Ryunosuke hugging tightly a big-size Pikachu plushie. As an innocent child, he was smiling widely and looked so adorable hugging something way bigger than him. "He looks so happy in this picture," added Koko with a smile, staring at it. "But nothing last forever, I guess... Even happiness. I just wish I could g back in time and live that moment over and over again just too see him happy one more time." Scoffing, Koko sighed and realizing that she was about to get all depressive, she gasped and shook her head. "Oh, wow, um... That was..." She didn't have anything to excuse herself and make Mei forget about it.

Sighing, Koko mumbled something under her breath before turning the page of the album to reveal more pictures of Ryunosuke, this time as a baby. "Isn't he looks so darn adorable here!?" asked Koko while giggling, pointing at a picture where baby Ryunosuke was been bathe. This was his first bath. "Oh, don't tell Ryu-kun I showed to you this one!"

 

[ScarletNova]

​

Mei enjoyed seeing Koko so happy. She ate the rest of her mochi ice cream and then took another. Eventually, when they all finished, Ryunouske was in the kitchen doing some dishes while Koko was showing Mei the photo album. She was a bit hesitant at first because she felt like she should help clean up. But it seemed that she was stuck with Koko for now, not that she minded that either. After all, she finally got to see the pictures.

The moment she saw them, she was completely surprised by what she saw. That cute adorable little boy holding that large pikachu almost didn't appear to be Ryunosuke at all. He didn't seem like someone who would be like that, but people changed a lot as they got older. And despite not thinking that he would ever be that way, she could still easily see those bright green eyes she liked so much staring back at her in every picture.

She smiled, but when it seemed like something started to bother Koko, she frowned a bit. "Koko..." she was able to say but Koko moved on and tried to brush it off. Happiness? She glanced back at the 9 year olf Ryu again then went on to his baby pictures when Koko wanted to show her them. A light pink blush came over Mei's cheeks when she saw Ryunouske as a baby. It was so odd to see him like that, like he always was never a baby, but of course he was.

But it was more embarrassing to see the one where it was bathing. Though, she was told not to tell Ryunosuke that she saw it. She felt like that was probably the best idea. "He really is," she then responded. "And I won't tell him. He'll probably yell at both of us if we told him you showed it to me." She smiled at her again.

She glanced over into the kitchen where Ryunosuke was still working on the dishes. She enjoyed being with him and Koko. She didn't want it to end. She wanted to stay there with them the whole night. She didn't want to go back to her own place and be left there alone in the dark. Of course, she hadn't called Shiro yet so she still needed to do that and that would be better to do when she was alone at her apartment, but still...

She looked back down at the baby photos. Why did she enjoy being with him so much? Even when he teased her? Or was mean to her? Yes, he had some nice moments, but sometimes he was just a complete jerk. But it was weird. She couldn't get herself to hate him at all. She enjoyed his company.

"Koko..." Mei spoke. "Do you think...that if I did something that made Ryunosuke really angry...or made him feel like I betrayed him in some way. Do...Do you think he'd ever forgive me for it? Do you think...we'd be able to go back to being the way we were at dinner? Do you think he'd still want to help me during a storm? If I did something I know he doesn't want me to do?"

 

[Stray Shinku]

​

Koko was looking at the baby pictures of Ryunosuke with a bright smile, but when Mei began to ask her a really intriguing question, she lifted her head and looked at her, her eyes a bit widened. She didn't expect Mei to ask such questions like what will Ryunosuke do if she did something that will probably make him angry. At first, she thought they were just rhetorical questions Mei decided to ask at random, but after noticing the serious tone and facial expressions, Koko realized Mei was being serious. She also looked troubled, like if she was struggling with something that has been in her mind for a while.

When Mei went silence, probably waiting and expecting Koko to answer her questions, the red-hair woman turned her head to look over at Ryunosuke, which was about to finish to wash the dishes. She stared at him for a long moment in silence, her expression serious and thoughtful. Then, she smiled and slowly turned her head to look back at Mei. "He will forgive with time, Mei-chan," she replied and nodded. "Of course, as long as you had your reasons to do so." Koko picked her cup of tea and sipped some of it before looking down at the cup. "Ryunosuke may look like a really scary and intimidating guy with a cold heart, but the truth is that he is actually a sensible person that is scared of getting hurt."

Blinking once, Koko looked back a Mei. "He suffered a lot when he was a child. At home, his father was a drunkard and aggressive man that belonged to a yakuza clan. He sometimes hit his mother and when Ryunosuke tried to interfere, he also hit him. At school, he was bullied constantly for wearing the same clothes or not having much school supplies. So, he pretty much was involved in a lot of fights. Life was really tough for him back on those days, but my dear sister didn't give up and did her best to raise her beloved son."

Koko sighed lowly and looked down at Ryunosuke's childhood photo album. When she opened it, she took out a picture from a page and held it toward Mei with a smile. "These two little fellows were the ones that decided to be different from the rest and befriend Ryunosuke," she said. "They were inseparable and they forge a friendship that was practically unbreakable."

In the picture, there were three young children wearing uniforms from a Primary School. They were Ryunosuke, another boy with red hair and a pink-haired girl. Both Ryunosuke and the red-haired boy were smiling widely at the camera beside the pink-haired girl that was between them, smiling shyly at the camera. The picture was taken on a School Trip day. The three children looked so happy and their friendship looked genuine as well. The most curious thing about this picture, however, is how much Shiro and Kei looked alike these children with Ryunosuke.

"My point is, Mei-chan," said Koko looking at Mei with a smile. "That if you have to do something that will make Ryunosuke angry or upset, but is for his own good, I say just go for it. He will understand your reasons with time and will thank you in the end."

 

[ScarletNova]

​

Mei was quiet, waiting for a response from Koko. She didn't know what his aunt would say to her. She was a bit afraid of the answer. She didn't know what to think. The idea of a rebellion first started because she thought that Ryunosuke was just a bad guy. But he wasn't. And through time her reasoning started to change. Now, she also wanted to help him. He just didn't truly feel happy with the way things were but he didn't know how to change it himself.

But what if she was wrong. She could remember the way he left her on that roof after lunch. The way he got angry at her when she saw she was going to continue her fight against him. He had looked so hurt. And now, she was sitting there with his aunt looking at his baby pictures. Would she hurt him even more?

But then she heard Koko speak and Mei looked over at the young woman as she explained what she thought. Maybe she was right. After all, no one would probably know Ryunosuke more than his aunt who he lived with every day. But Mei was even more shocked to hear about his past with his family. She had no idea he had gone through something like that. It was horrible. To have to go through those things.

Mei understood in some way, though she wouldn't know what it was like completely. Her father was a drunk after all, just like his, but he had never done anything to physical hurt her or anyone else. And to make it worse, school wasn't so good for him either. "Ryu..." Mei whispered to herself as she thought about it. Her hurt her inside to think he had to go through that. She just wanted to run over to him right at that moment and hug him.

Then she heard about the picture and she looked down. But her eyes widened even more as she stared at those friends Koko was talking about. Those two, were they...? The guy was obviously Kei, so he had been with him the whole time? He looked like that before? And now he was... She could remember the way he acted to her and Shiro when she first met him.

But the girl. The girl. That was obviously Shiro. Shiro! Shiro! The two of them were friends with Shiro! What had happened?! There was no much going on her head and she couldn't wrap her thoughts around them all.

She looked over towards Koko when she heard that she believed Ryunosuke would forgive Mei if she did something for a certain reason. She then glanced over towards Ryunosuke as he was always finished with the dishes. "I want him to be happy," Mei said. "Because..." Why did she want him to be happy so much?

She looked back down at the picture again. "I want him to be like that again...with those two as well. Because I like him."

 

[Stray Shinku]

​

Koko smiled brightly when Mei began to say that she wanted to make Ryunosuke as happy as he was in the picture she showed her. "You're such kind and wonderful person, Mei-chan," she said, taking back the picture and looking at it one more time before returning it to the album. As Mei said the reason behind her intentions of helping the Dark Wolf, Koko's eyes widened with awe and she quickly lifted her head to look over at Mei. "Oh..." She had a weird expression on her face that was like a mixture of happiness and surprise. "Well, I kind of saw this coming if you ask me."

Out of the blue, Koko giggled and gently took Mei's right hand with both of her hands and looked at her with a joyful expression. "I know that you and Ryu-kun just met yesterday, but I have a feeling that something is starting to bloom between you two," she said and winked her right eye with a playful smile. "Do what you need to do, Mei-chan, even if its things that will make Ryu angry or upset. He thinks he keeps it as a secret from me, but I know what's he's doing in that school. Between you and I, I'm not on his side with this. He has his reasons, though, but that doesn't give him the right to terrorize an entire school."

Nodding, Koko smirked and let go of Mei's hand before lifting her right fist a little bit. "So, when I found out that you decided to stand up against him, I was so glad to see that somebody finally decided to stop being a sheep and be a rebellious bunny." It was quite apparent that Koko was aware of everything that was going on in Ryoo High and it was intriguing about how she did. And once again, somebody just called Mei a bunny for not an exact reason or explanation.

"I'm done with the dishes, Ko-chan," said Ryunosuke, walking towards the table to join Koko and Mei. He was drying his hands with a small white towel. When Koko heard him, she quickly turned her head to look at him and smile. "Oh, thank you so much, Ryu-kun," she said, trying to act cool. However, she looked suspicious. Raising his right eyebrow, Ryunosuke looked down at her before looking at Mei. "Mmh... I wonder what you two were talking about," he said and sighed. "I bet it was something about me. I hope you didn't say something stupid or embarrassing about me, Ko-chan. And, you better DID NOT show her that picture of my mother giving me my first bath."

With a drop of sweat on her forehead, Koko chuckled nervously before quickly looking away from him while whistling. Ryunosuke gasped with a shock and angrily threw the kitchen towel on the table. "You did show her that picture, didn't you!?" he asked her, blushing with embarrassment while pointing at Koko with his right index. "I will get you for this! I swear!" Koko chuckled and shrugged with his hands lifted a little. "It was just a silly, yet adorable picture, Ryu-kun," Koko replied. "I simply couldn't keep it just for me. I had to share it with Mei-chan. Relax, she said you looked cute." Blushing redder, Ryunosuke growled and then groaned before sitting on his cushion beside Mei. He cursed under his breath while looking away, crossing his arms with the typical pout that made him look ridiculously cute.

This was a funny and adorable childish side of Ryunosuke, not even Kei knew about him.

With Ryunosuke joining them once again, Koko began to talk about other random things she wanted to share with Mei as well. After an hour or so, it was time for Mei to leave. Koko said goodbye to her and told her that she hoped to have another dinner and a wonderful time with her another time again. Then, she gave Mei some leftover from her food in some bowl for her father before walking into the kitchen.

Ryunosuke escorted Mei out of the apartment and not minding that she practically lived in front of his home, he also accompanied her to the door of her place. Rubbing the back of his head, Ryunosuke turned his head to look down a Mei with a kind of embarrassed expression, but a small smile. "Um... I hope you enjoyed this dinner as much like I did, Mei," he said, putting his hands inside the pockets of his pants. "And, you know... As Ko-chan said, I hope we can repeat this someday again."

 

[ScarletNova]

​

A blush appeared on Mei's cheeks when Koko started to respond back to her. Saw what coming? She was so confused. But yet she was a bit embarrassed about it and she had no idea why. And then next thing she knew Koko was telling her everything she knew about what was going on in school. And something blossoming between them? What did that mean? How did Koko know everything?

And what was with this bunny business again? She just didn't get it! Why was everyone calling her that? For some reason, she was starting to get even more embarrassed. She already had so many questions floating through her head and now she had even more. Ah man! This was just so confusing!

"Koko..." Mei was able to say, trying to wrap her head around everything. But she kind of wanted to ask her more questions. But before she was able to, Ryunosuke arrived again and she couldn't go saying anything in front of him. She looked up at him and just stared for a moment. She hadn't realized what was happening between him and Koko until he threw the towel down. He was talking about the bath picture.

"Oh, uh," Mei began to say. "I mean, you were just a baby, right? Everyone has pictures like that. It's nothing to be embarrassed about." She watched as he sat next to her. He pouted and she couldn't help but smile at him again. He really was adorable sometimes, wasn't he?

The night went on and eventually it was time for Mei to leave. She took the leftovers and walked with Ryunosuke to her door. She opened it up and turned on the light so she could see inside. She then turned back to face Ryunosuke as he spoke to her. She started to blush again when she saw his small smile. "Yeah, I liked it a lot," she admitted to him. She began to smile back. "Of course we can and you two will have to let me cook for you another time as well."

She really wanted that to happen. She wasn't sure if it would considering she was probably going to do things that he wouldn't like. But she was just going to try to remember what Koko said, that he would probably forgive her in the end if she had a reason for it. She really hoped so. Because she just wanted to keep seeing that smile of his.

"Thanks...you know, for helping me out earlier during that storm," Mei then said after a bit of silence. "And for dinner. It was nice...to eat with someone for once." She gave him another smile and then walked into her apartment.

"Good night, Ryu."

Her eyes caught his as she closed the door. And then she was alone. So many questions ran through her head. She released a slight sigh and then pulled out her cell phone to call Shiro like she was supposed to. She apologized for doing it late but said it was because her neighbor invited her to dinner. It wasn't a lie really, but she wasn't going to admit that it was Ryunosuke. Not yet anyway. There was so much more going on. Like what had happened with Shiro then, if she was once Ryunosuke and Kei's friend? There was so much to do.

 

[Stray Shinku]

​

Oh, how much Ryunosuke loved that beautiful smile of Mei. He moved his eyes to look at her while she spoke to him, blushing faintly as she said that she really enjoyed having dinner with him and Koko. She also added that she would love to repeat it, but it will be her time to cook something for them. That sounded really nice for Ryunosuke as he was curious to know how good Mei's cooking was. She looked like that kind of girl that makes good food, so he bet he would enjoy it. Just by the thought of eating Mei's food made his blush darken a little bit and he hoped Mei didn't notice it.

Before entering her apartment, Mei thanked him for consoling her during the storm. Scoffing with a little awkwardness, Ryunosuke looked down at the floor while rubbing the back of his head with his right hand. "A-Ah... Yeah, don't worry about it," he replied. "I just did what anybody should've done. Besides, you really looked like you needed somebody to help you, so..." Realizing that he maybe was talking too much and that wasn't the correct reply, Ryunosuke sighed and nodded, slowly looking back at her. "Well... You're welcome, Mei."

Then, Mei entered her place and gently closed the door behind her, not before their eyes met for the last time, and once again, she was smiling at him. Smiling, Ryunosuke mumbled something and turned around. It was quite surprising seeing him so cheerful after eating dinner with the person that supposed to be his worst enemy, but the truth was that he didn't know anymore if she really was his enemy at all. This was the second time they walked back home together like friends after all. He also invited her to eat at his home with her aunt after feeling sympathy, knowing that her father wouldn't be home until later this night.

There also were these strange and awkward feelings he has been experiencing when he was around Mei that made his heart beat fast and strong. He was so confused, yet excited about these new experiences he has been living that he never had or felt before. And it was all thanks to this rebellious Bunny.

He didn't hate her at all. He didn't dislike her at all either. He was just kind of... Angry that she refused to follow his orders and rules in the school, but, honestly, there was a side of him that also enjoyed that. Probably because of the fact that Mei was the very first person that made a stand against him since the very beginning she realized he was just a bully that's terrorizing an entire school. He felt like a predator that just realized that his prey could fight back at him.

"I... I like her."

Ryunosuke stopped in front of the door of his apartment, his hand touching the knob. His whole face was blushing deep red as he realized what he just thought. However, he didn't know what type of liking he meant. Did he like her guts for going against him or he actually liked her by romantic means? Sighing deeply and frowning with embarrassment. the Dark Wolf shook his head and quickly opened the door, stepping inside his home. A lot of stuff happened today, so he probably was just tired, so maybe his brain was just being weird. That's what Ryunosuke thought.

---

Time Skip - One Week Later
​

A lot happened in Ryoo High after that dinner night between Ryunosuke and Mei. First of all, Ryunosuke changed quite a lot. Instead of being totally mean to everyone, he decided, for once, to act nice and cool. At first, everybody was skeptical about this change of attitude in the almighty and scary Dark Wolf, but with a little bit of time, mostly the whole school got used to the new Ryunosuke. He even waits in line at the Cafeteria like everybody does and treated kindly his teachers and the Cafeteria Lady. Ryunosuke was enjoying this new change too, especially after hearing a lot of people calling him by his name instead of "Dark Wolf". Honestly, he was pretty tired of hearing such a scary nickname, and secretly, he didn't like it that much.

Sadly for him, this new change of things wasn't that welcome among a couple of people among his gang, especially for Kei. He hated this new Ryunosuke, thinking he looked too weak and sensible. He was mad at it and he only blamed one person for it: Mei Akimoto.

"This is not the real you, Ryu-kun," Kei said with a frown as he stopped Ryunosuke in front of his locker while he was getting the book for his next period. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I don't know what the hell got into you, but just should just drop it, man. It's just plain weird." Ryunosuke scoffed at him before rolling his eyes and closing his locker while holding a book. "Relax, Kei-kun, I'm still being me," he replied and sighed. "I don't know what's your problem, man. Just because I decided to try this thing called "Being nice and stop being a dick" doesn't mean I'm suddenly a different person." Kei blinked in confusion. "Um... I'm pretty sure that changing the way you usually act practically makes you a different person, Ryu," he replied, shaking his head.

Smiling awkwardly and feeling stupid, Ryunosuke chuckled and shrugged. "Well, in that case, um... Say hello to the new and improved version of Ryunosuke Aisaka." Growling with anger, Kei punched a locker that was on his left and looked down, his red hair covering most part of his face. "You... You must be fucking joking right now," he said with a calm, yet creepy tone. "This is not the Ryunosuke I want. You need to stop this fake act. I... I need the old Ryunosuke that promise me that he won't allow anybody to hurt us again. Bring that version back. Bring the Dark Wolf this school needs."

Blinking, Ryunosuke smiled and placed his right hand on top of Kei's head. "This school doesn't need a Dark Wolf anymore, Kei," he replied. "And I haven't forgotten that promise either. I will still keep it. You know I will. I just want to make things different now, that's all." Without anything else to say, Ryunosuke gently patted his head and began to walk away from him. Growling, Kei quickly turned around and lifted his head to glare at him. "This is because Mei finally managed to change your mind, isn't it?" he asked him and chuckled with a psychopath expression. Ryunosuke stopped on his track but didn't turn around to look at him. "I knew she would be trouble since the first time I saw her. I should've to get rid of her after I had the chance."

"For your own good, my dear Kei," began to say Ryunosuke, looking down at the floor with a frozen smile. "Don't you ever dare to lay a single finger on Mei. I warned you." After that, he began to walk away again, leaving a really pissed Kei.

 

[ScarletNova]

​

One week had gone by and things were...interesting. Mei had noticed the change that had occurred. Ryunosuke was nicer to everyone, actually nicer to the students, which didn't seem like something that would happen. Mei had thought at first that maybe she was dreaming about it, but as the week went on, she realized that it was true. And it was good. It was making people's lives easier. They seemed to be enjoying themselves more and he seemed to be as well.

Though, there were a few who didn't seem to happy about the recent changes. Or the fact that everyone figured it was because of Mei that he had started to change. In honesty, it probably was considering the things she had said to him. But to those who didn't like her being the reason, she was getting attacked for it.

Mei opened up her locker and suddenly a few tacks fell out towards her. Luckily, none of them hit her and they simply fell onto the floor. There was a note inside her locker with them explaining that the tacks were courtesy of the RFC. She released a sigh. This wasn't the first time that this happened. They were putting all sorts of things in her locker, like they actually thought that would affect her. She bent down and picked up the tacks along with the note and threw them out in a nearby trash can.

"Jeez," Mei said. "If they are bothered by me being around him or causing a change in him, maybe they should actually just talk to him now." After all, it wasn't like he was unapproachable anymore. He was a lot easier to talk to without that scary 'Dark Wolf' idea going through everyone's head. She grumbled at the annoyance, grabbed her books, and closed the locker.

A few things had changed for Mei as well. She had gotten a job which she needed in order to pay the bills, considering it was obvious her dad still hadn't found one himself. There was no way he was even trying, she knew that. All he was doing was getting drunk all day and night. But something else was happening to her as well. She could tell that she felt funny when she was around Ryunosuke. He made her feel so strange, in a good way. She didn't know what it was or why she had it.

Mei left her locker behind and started to head for class. She hadn't seen Shiro yet, perhaps she was doing something with the resistance. They had gained some more members over the week which had been much easier to do since Ryunouske had been getting less scary. To be honest, Mei wondered if they even needed the Resistance anymore considering how fast he had changed. But it was best to keep it just in case they were needed. Perhaps there would be something that would make him a bit angry. Or he would change his mind again. She really hoped not though. But it was better safe than sorry. And she thought that it might help him keep that change.

She had been a bit distracted with those thoughts on her mind when she suddenly bumped into someone. "I'm sorry," she suddenly muttered and looked up to see who it was. She blushed when she saw that it was Ryunosuke. This always seemed to happen. For some reason, just like the first day they met, they were always running into each other, like something was pulling them closer together. "Ah, Ryunosuke." She gave him a smile.

 

[Stray Shinku]

​

Ryunosuke was also distracted in his thoughts, most of them trying to find the reason why Kei couldn't just accept his new way of doing things around Ryoo High. As a friend, he should embrace this new Ryunosuke and support him, not joining that few that don't agree with it. Sometimes, he wondered if Kei is really his childhood friend.

Sighing, Ryunosuke gently rubbing his face with his right hand. Suddenly, he bumped with somebody in front of him. Uncovering his eyes, he looked down to apologize and found the person was no other than Mei. Once again, his heart began to beat fast and strong, and his cheeks turned a pale pink. "A-Ah, Mei..." he said, stuttering a little bit after feeling nervous. He smiled back at her. "Hi."

Now that he was a different person than the rude Dark Wolf he was once, it was kind of hard for him to speak to Mei. He usual should've told her something rude and mean for bumping at him, even blaming her completely. But now, he knew she didn't mean to. Besides, he wasn't looking at where he was walking either.

Clearing his throat, he looked down at her books. "Ah, we're going to the same class," he said, something which was quite obvious because she was on the same group class like him. Realizing it, Ryunosuke blushed deeply, feeling embarrassed and stupid. "I-I-I mean... I-I may need help in finishing that assignment our Sensei gave us. You know how bad I'm at Math, after all, so, um..." He gently rubbed the back of his head while looking at Mei with an awkward smile. "Can you help me, please?"

Yes, that was Ryunosuke finally asking for help in a nice and proper way. He even said please, which he thought it was for the weak when he was mean.

 

[ScarletNova]

​

Less than a week ago, Mei would have expected Ryunosuke to make a rude comment to her if she had bumped into him on accident. But this time it was different. He simply said her name and greeted her. It was a simple act, but for some reason it made Mei blush a bit deeper. Was her heart starting to beat faster? Why? Why was it always like this?

She gave him another smile when she saw his. He mentioned something about going to the same class, which was obvious, so Mei couldn't help but let out a little laugh at the comment. It wasn't like she was trying to tease him with the laugh, she was just a bit embarrassed and it seemed that for some reason he might be too. So it made her feel better. She then nodded when he asked for some help on an assignment. That was so much different than the way he used to be.

"Yeah. Of course I'll help you," she responded back. "We should get going. You probably want to get it done before class even starts, you know." She motioned for him to follow her and she started to walk again so they could head for their class. It was obvious that their classmates were watching as they passed.

Plenty of rumors were going around the school even more so than before and they all seemed to be about Ryunosuke and Mei. She had no idea what they were all thinking as they whispered a few comments amongst their friends as Mei and Ryu passed by. Maybe it was odd to see them walking together? But in some ways, it didn't feel like that was what they were talking about.

"So, how is Koko doing?" Mei suddenly said as they were walking together. She hadn't gotten to see her in a few days because of her new job. She had wanted to have another dinner with them, but her work had always kept her out pretty late since she was the new girl. "Actually, I have a day off from work together so I was wondering if maybe you and Koko would like to come over for dinner. I did mention cooking for you two next time and I promised those baby pictures, right?"

She felt a bit shy asking him like this was a way bigger deal than it really was. She could feel her cheeks getting hotter as her blush darkened. It was almost like she was asking him on a da--

No! No! That's not what it was. Koko was being invited too. An aunt wouldn't come along on something like that. And it was just dinner at her apartment which was just right next to his. So, it wasn't like it was anything special. Besides, it's not like Mei wanted to go on da--

Yeah. She couldn't say it. Was it really hot in that hallway? Where was the air conditioner in this place? Did it break? Was it turned off? She looked down for a moment, trying to calm herself down. "S-So, yeah. What do you think? Are you two free today?"

​

 

[Stray Shinku]

​

Ryunosuke nodded with relief when Mei agreed to help him with his Math assignment. He knew she would say yes, but for a funny reason, he felt happier after finding out that she actually did want to help him. She followed her from up close, walking beside her on her right, holding his book between his right arm while having his hands inside his pockets.

Of course, the students that saw them walking together through the hallways stared at them with surprise, mumbling stuff between them. There were rumors about them when Mei first declared war on Ryunosuke, most of them praising her bravery. But now, one week after that event, the rumors increased and most of them are about suspicions about some romance sparkling between the brave White Bunny and the evil Dark Wolf. At first, of course, Ryunosuke was kind of annoyed with them and pretty much yelled at those that dared to say something when he was around. With time, he got so used to it that he simply just went with it. Besides... It's not that he didn't mind those kinds of rumors, though.

When Mei asked him about Koko, Ryunosuke snapped out of his thoughts and slowly turned his head to look down at Mei. "Ah, she's alright," he replied with a smile. "Kind of busy at her work, though. She says hi, by the way. She wants to see you again so badly since that dinner evening last week." Ryunosuke has been working quit lately like his aunt, but wasn't that busy, though.

As he heard Mei inviting him and Koko to dinner at her place, his eyes widened with awe. He tried to say something at first, but he felt a funny knot on in his throat. Blinking with surprise and blushing faintly, he looked away from Mei. He felt like she was asking him for a da- No, no, no... It couldn't be that, right? This is just a friendly dinner that Mei wanted to invite him AND Koko to make it up to him for inviting her to his place.

Of course, it was. There's no way this could be a... You know... A date. Ugh, did the janitor forgot to turn on the A/C!?

"U-Um, well... Huh..." Ryunosuke was so nervous that his brain was struggling to make coherent words. Sighing deeply, he took a quick moment to calm down before turning his head to look back at Mei. "Yes, we are free tonight, actually," he finally said without stuttering. "We will more than glad to join you for dinner at your place. I'll tell Ko-chan to bring some dessert." Smiling dumbly and blushing hard, Ryunosuke looked back from Mei. He didn't know why he was feeling so excited about a simple dinner invitation. This was like that time he did the same to her.

However, he felt that everything was different now. And he also wanted to give and be his best in this dinner because, awkwardly, he felt that this was some kind of a date with Mei. Even when Koko was clearly invited as well.

"Mmh... At what time you want us to drop by your place?"

 

[ScarletNova]

​

Why was he taking so long to answer? Did he not want to? How long has it been, like 5 minutes? Okay, it really wasn't that long. In fact, it only took him a could of seconds to respond. But as she waited for his response to her question, she felt like somehow she was asking about more than just a simple dinner with her neighbors.

It really was hot in there, wasn't it?

She needed to calm down. She needed to relax. And then she heard his response and found out that him and his aunt were free, which meant that she would have then over for dinner. A sudden rush of excitement and happiness ran through Mei's body. She just wanted to smile and she couldn't hold it back, her lips curving into a small smile.

"I'm glad you two are free," Mei replied. "I'll be sure to make something good for the both of you." Of course, she wanted them to enjoy it as guests, but there was also this feeling that Mei had deep inside, something like a want to impress Ryunosuke with her cooking. She felt a little weird by it because she had never really experienced something like that before. But she wanted him to enjoy what she could make. And maybe he would even want more. Maybe he'd want her to make something just for him.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. Did she just think that right? Did she just say she wanted to make something specifically for him? What was she, some love-struck teenage girl who wanted to cook a bento for her crush?! It wasn't like that! It was just Ryunosuke. It wasn't like that. It wasn't like that...

"Oh. Uh. How about 7:00?" Mei replied as she shook herself out of her thoughts and focused on the question she was asked. "If that's okay with you two. It gives me enough time to cook something." And maybe do a little bit of cleaning in the apartment if she had to. It wasn't like she was messy or sloppy but her father sometimes made a mess when he stumbled around the apartment completely drunk. And sometimes it really was a bit hard to keep everything clean when you were busy with school, work, and so much other stuff.

It didn't take much longer for them to arrive to their math classroom. Mei headed inside with him and found her seat which was right in front of his as it had been since she first came to the school. She placed her bag down and took out her math work and then turned a bit so she could sit facing him to help him with his math work he still needed to finish.

"Let's get that math work done."

 

[Stray Shinku]

​

The time that Mei told Ryunosuke the dinner would be didn't really help him to stop thinking this was some kind of date. It was the perfect time for these kinds of things, so he blushed a little redder. "Oh, 7:00 PM, huh... Okay, cool," he replied, lightly scratching his right cheek with his index finger, trying to figure out in his head what to wear. It definitely needs to be something good, but not that fancy, though. Besides, is not that he owns any tuxedos or any kind of formal clothes. Ryunosuke hated them a lot, so most of his wardrobe was filled with casual clothing. However, he simply couldn't take out of his mind this funny feeling of wanting to impress Mei.

By the time Ryunosuke snapped out of his thoughts, he arrived at the Math classroom with Mei. As they entered, they went to their respective desks. As he took a sit and took out his notebook, Mei turned around her desk to face him, so they could work together. He thanked her once again for her help, promising her that he will make it up to her later.

It didn't take Ryunosuke that much to finish his assignment. He finished it just by the time the teacher arrived at his class. Sighing with relief, Ryunosuke smiled happily and once the teacher asked for everyone's assignments, they all stood up in an organized way and walked to the teacher, handing over their notebooks. After that, he said that he would return the notebooks by the end of the period.

In the meantime, he gave them a surprise quiz, at which Ryunosuke winced and sighed deeply. This was one of the reasons he hated this class. This teacher was beyond annoying and unfair most of the time. Ryunosuke wanted to stand up from his chair and yell at him and maybe threaten him like he always did to his teachers when he didn't want to do something, but he was different now or at least wanted to be different from his old self. So, with nothing left to do, he simply took the quiz and began to do his best to solve the equations, remembering Mei's tips and tricks she taught him. A smile creeped over his lips as he thought about her. Surprisingly, thinking about her was actually helping him a lot on the quiz.

A long while later, the teacher clapped his hands once, telling everyone to return their quizzes. With confidence, Ryunosuke stood up from his desk and walk over the teacher. As he hands him his paper, the teacher widened his eyes and fixed his glasses with awe as he saw Ryunosuke's quiz filled with answers, totally the opposite of how he always returned his quizzes and even tests when he was the "Dark Wolf". Realizing the teacher's stunned expression, Ryuosuke chuckled and returned to his desk.

"Hey, thank you a lot, Mei," he said while turning his face to look over at Mei, which was sitting in front of him. He gave her a wide and bright smile, different from his usual small or side smiles. He was genuinely happy and couldn't hold it. "You know what? Lunch's on me this afternoon, okay?"

 

[ScarletNova]

​

It didn't take them long to finish the assignment, which to Mei meant that Ryunosuke was starting to get better at the subject whether he realized it or not. After all, he really did seem to be learning more with her help. She was glad about that. After they turned in their assignment, the teacher made them take a pop quiz. Mei didn't mind because she was fine with them, but she knew that Ryu would not be happy about one. Mei could understand. They weren't always fair in some ways. Especially for those that just needed a little bit more help in some things.

Eventually Mei finished the quiz and when it was the end she turned it in to the teacher. She took a seat back down and looked over to Ryunosuke to see how he felt about the quiz. But when she turned to look at him, he had this large smile on his face. It sent butterflies through her entire body and a blush suddenly appeared along her cheeks. Her heart skipped a beat.

Did he always have a smile like that?

It was amazing.

She jumped out of her thoughts when she remembered that he had thanked her and suddenly heard something about lunch being on him today. "Oh, you're welcome," she commented though she didn't really know what she did. She figured it was about math but his smile was way too distracting to even really think about math at that time.

"Lunch? Oh, you don't have to do that. I just help you out because I want to. It's not like you have to treat me to lunch or anything," Mei then said. She didn't want anything in return for helping him. She just enjoyed doing it. She liked seeing him happy when he got something right. She liked seeing him smile. And it was all worth it when she finally got to see that smile he was giving her now.

That was the best thank you she could ever get. She smiled back at him. "But I'm sure you aren't going to let me refuse anyway, so okay." It's not like she wanted him to pay for her or anything, but she figured he would insist.

 

[Stray Shinku]

​

"Huh, look at you, already knowing how I am," Ryunosuke replied with a mocking tone, chuckling. "Alrighty then, we have a da-" Ryunosuke quickly cut off himself as he realized what he was about to say. Blushing deep red, he laughed awkwardly and slowly looked away, rubbing the back of his head. "I-I-I mean... I'll be waiting for you in the Cafeteria, Mei," he said after a moment, still blushing and hoping she didn't find out what he was about to say first. Sighing deeply and blinking a couple of times, Ryunosuke mumbled himself to calm down as his heart was beating fast.

Why he always gets so nervous and dumb when he's around Mei? Why does his heart begin to beat so fast when he thinks about Mei? Why he was always in his head in the first place, though? There were so many questions Ryunosuke has and all of them are related to Mei. Even when the answer was quite obvious, he simply couldn't realize what was going on with him. Maybe he was too innocent or just an ignorant. Who knows, but what is clear, though, is that Mei was guilty of everything that was happening inside of him. But...

It is bad that Ryunosuke enjoys it?

As the time flown by, the bells announcing Lunch Break finally rang throughout Ryoo High. Like always, the hallways of the school flooded with students heading to their desired destinations, some of them grouping up to go eat something at the Cafeteria. In the English classroom, the last period of Ryu and Mei before lunchtime, everybody began to slowly leave, Ryunosuke being of the first ones. As he was about to turn to his right to head to his locker, Kyouko suddenly stopped him by giving him an unexpected hug.

"Oh, Ryu-kun, I was waiting for you!" she said with a smile, pulling him closer to her. Sighing with an annoyed expression, he looked down at her. "What do you want, Kyouko?" he asked her, gently pushing her off him. "Make this quick. I have to meet up with someone." Noticing his coldness, Kyouko felt totally rejected. Frowning slightly and crossing her arms, she sighed and looked up at him. "Huh? Meet up with somebody?" she said, confused and curious. "I hope that by "someone" you mean Kei and the gang." Scoffing, Ryunosuke shook his head. "Not this time. I actually have plans to have lunch with a..." A slight blush covered Ryunosuke's cheeks as he thought about Mei. "Friend. I will have lunch with a good friend of mine."

Noticing his weird blush on his cheeks, Kyouko narrowed her eyes. "Is that "friend" is Mei Akimoto?" she asked him, totally hitting the nail. Scoffing and chuckling nervously, Ryunosuke shook his head. "Of course not... I mean... Why are talking about this right now?" he asked her, trying to change the subject and dodge her question. "It's not that you're my girlfriend or anything, so I don't need to tell you with who I'm going to eat, so..." Smiling innocently, Ryunosuke raised his right hand while saying "Bye" before turning around and walk away, leaving an angry Kyouko.

Growling, she stomped her right foot on the floor. "Goddamit, Ryunosuke! Why are you like this with me!?" she yelled at him, once again making a scene. However, Ryunosuke just moved on and simply ignored her. "I said I was sorry for what I did! What else you want me to do, eh!?"

 

[ScarletNova]

​

Despite the mocking tone along with his comment, Mei wasn't bothered by it at all. A week ago his mocking tone would have been attached to a comment that would most likely get on her nerves, but it was different now. Besides, was the comment really all that bad? There was nothing wrong with getting to know someone better, even to the point where you can tell how they are like. So, Mei smiled.

But she started to blush when she heard his next comment. Of course, he didn't finish the word but Mei was pretty sure that she knew what he was about to say. She looked away for a moment out of embarrassment. "Right. Yeah," she replied back when he tried to fix himself. Though, that smile didn't leave Mei's face for even a second.

There was just something about Ryunosuke. Mei wasn't quite sure what was going on and why it was always just him, but she was starting to think that it wasn't all that bad at all. In fact, all of it was kind of nice. So, she was just going to go along with things and see if she could eventually figure out what was happening.

Eventually the day went on and lunch finally came. Mei packed up her things and headed for her locker. When she arrived there though there were three girls waiting there for her and they didn't seem like they wanted to be friendly. Mei released a sigh. She had a feeling she knew who these girls were too.

The one in the middle began to speak. "Are you Mei Akimoto?"

"Yeah but why does that matter to you?"

"You're the one hanging around our Ryu?" the short haired girl said. "I don't see what's so special about you. Why would he want to hang out with you."

Mei went into her locker and switched out her things.

"Look, just stay away from our Ryu, all right. And if you do nothing will happen," the middle one spoke again.

"Like I'd do what you three want. You're just part of a fan club, aren't you. I bet you haven't even tried to talk to him before. You really don't have to right to say any of those things to me at all," Mei replied. She really didn't seem to care and so she started to walk away towards the cafeteria. The girls she left behind didn't seem to be too happy about it, as they made some obvious sounds and comments from a distance that usually came from girls like them. She headed for the cafeteria so she could meet up with Ryunosuke.