A bleary sun made its way across a gray sky, breaching into the open occasionally and relieving the city of a drizzle spell. As the day wore on to noon, the sun had disappeared entirely; in its place was a hard rain that pelted anyone on the street. The open-air cafes led their customers inside to warmth, away from the cruel autumn weather that was disturbing the day. People on the sidewalks ducked quickly into their cars, opened their umbrellas, or sought refuge in shops lining the busy streets.

     It was a ruined Saturday in November and because of the bad weather, most people had decided to stay home, even though a fair amount braved the elements and entered the city. Though shrouded in a rain cloud, Tokyo was a lovely city. Cherry blossom trees lined avenues, and though they were not in bloom, they were still beautiful. Parks were spread out every few blocks, offering a difference in trees, and a wide space for playing, picnicking, and napping. Tall skyscrapers raced towards the sky, each trying to touch a jeweled star positioned far above in the clouds.  People brushed past, paying no attention to each other. It was sad; they were all humans, yet they ignored one another as though they were alone in the world and had no cause to worry about what someone else might be feeling at that moment. Their minds were focused only on the rainy Saturday afternoon in Tokyo, and what they planned to do that day.

      A girl of about fifteen appeared on the street, wearing an orange jacket with a white blouse underneath, black mini-skirt, and black heels. Her extremely long blonde hair had been separated into pigtails; at the top was a small bun that resembled a meatball. She had bright blue eyes that sparkled as she pulled her jacket closer around her thin body. Not looking, she ran into a boy a few years older than her, and fell backwards onto the pavement.

     "Ouch!" she yelled, rubbing her right arm.

     "Oh no! Are you all right?" He knelt down, helping the girl to her feet. She smiled, blushing slightly. The boy's light blue eyes were wide, thinking he had injured her. He had shoulder-length black hair that looked tousled in the rain and had a muscular build. Dressed in a red sweater and a pair of jeans, the girl thought he looked out of place without a jacket, and then noticed his umbrella.

      "I'm fine, thank you," she replied, smiling. Sighing, he grinned and his face lit up.

     "Good. I was worried I'd knocked you out for a second." A slight pause filled the air before he extended a hand.

     "My name's Ryo Sanada."

      "Pleased to meet you. I'm Serena Tsukino," she said, shaking his smooth hand.

     The two started walking along, Ryo holding the umbrella over their heads.

     "Listen, I'm sorry I knocked you over. Now you're all wet!" he exclaimed, ignoring the fact that he was just as soaked.

      "I'm fine, honestly." Serena turned her blue eyes on him.

     Ryo paused outside a cafe. "Let's go in and dry off," he offered. Serena nodded, realizing suddenly that she was starving.

    The two sat down by one of the windows, and immediately started talking.

     "Where do you go to school?" she asked.

      "I'm in eleventh grade at Han'a High School," Ryo answered, sipping his soda.  "You?"

      "I'm in ninth grade at Crossroads Junior High."

    "You're only in junior high?" Ryo was obviously stunned.

      Serena nodded, smiling as the waiter came over to ask what they wanted.  Both ordered burgers.

     "So tell me about yourself, Ryo Sanada," she voiced, swallowing more of her soda.

     "Um, let me see...I just turned seventeen, I have a pet tiger-"

     "You do?" Serena's eyes were wide.

      "Yep. His name is White Blaze. I'm actually surprised he didn't follow me today."

      A smile came to her face again. "I know exactly how you feel. I have this pet cat, Luna; she never leaves me alone!"

      The two continued conversing. Ryo, as Serena had learned, was an orphan.  His mother had died when he was a baby, and his father was killed when he was six. He was a great soccer player, and pretty good in math.

      Serena, as it turned out, had a younger brother. She hated school, sports, and things like that; however, she did love to eat, and was often teased about it by her friends.

     "Any boyfriends?" Ryo questioned.

     A slight blush came to her face as she looked down at the burger the waiter had just brought.

     "Yes. His name is Darien."

      "My girlfriend's name is Mia," Ryo continued, popping a fry into his mouth. "Tell me about Darien."

     "It's almost like destiny brought us together." Serena cringed, realizing her words and how odd they were. "He's about your height, with blue eyes and black hair. He loves school, classical music, and speaks French. Now what about Mia?"

     "She's a year older than me, but fate brought us together." He grinned. "Mia has these bright aqua-blue eyes, brown hair that goes to the middle of her back, and she's a complete angel. She's really smart, especially in mythology and mystical armor." Ryo suddenly closed his mouth, looking as if he had said too much.

    "She sounds nice."

    "So does Darien. Now, let me guess..." He narrowed his eyes, smiling. "You are the most popular girl in class, and even though you were made for Darien, guys fall all over themselves to get to you. Your friends are extremely jealous of this."  Serena started laughing, and could barely stop.

     "You are crazy, Ryo!  Actually, I am popular, but no guys in our class like me. And my friends are not jealous."

     "Tell me about your friends."

     "Well, Raye is my best friend. She works in a temple that her grandfather runs, and is psychic. Mina is a great volleyball player, and she also is very good at English because she used to live in London. Lita is the greatest cook in the world, and she goes around looking for fights sometimes. Amy is a genius and is always reading, studying, and she swims."  Ryo smiled, shaking his head.

     "They sound like my friends. Sage is also psychic, but he rarely shows it. Cye is British, the best cook, and he swims all the time. Kento loves to fight, and is known for his bottomless stomach. Rowen is the genius of our group, doing nothing but studying, how he goes around with his nose in a book constantly is kinda annoying."

     Serena grinned. She had completely forgotten the rainy afternoon, and how sad she had been. Ryo had been just what the doctor ordered, so to speak, because he had cheered her right up. Glancing at her watch, she gasped, standing up sharply.

     "Oh no! I'm late!"

      "Nice meeting you," Ryo replied, smiling again. Serena prepared to leave, but turned around.

     "Same here." She found a pen in her jacket's pocket, and scribbled a phone number down.

     "Hey, call me; you, me, Mia, and Darien can all go to the movies or something. See ya, Ryo." And with that, she left the restaurant, waving.

     Shaking his head, Ryo smiled. He was happy again, surprised that he had hit it off so well with a total stranger. Serena is really something, he thought, Darien's a lucky guy.