Author's Note: Here is the first chapter of 'A Reason for Existing'. I do hope you enjoy it. Just so everything is clear, this story will begin when Ayame is twenty two and has only recently opened his shop. Ritsu will be nineteen and not yet in college. Let's just say that Ayame and Ritsu have not had contact for about four years now due to Ayame cutting off eveyone in his family after graduating high school with the exception of Shigure and Hatori. I have a strange sense of creativity. So here we are, about to embark on chapter one! Remember...I embrace constructive criticism! -nod, nod-

Chapter One: Reunions and Kimonos

Frills, lace, and endless supplies of ribbon. Corsets, skirts, and shoes of every color. Dresses upon dresses of every color and style imaginable...it was so perfect that it did not quite seem to be real. A scene from a dream, perhaps? It was possible. He had, after all, been dreaming of this for so long. To think, his very own shop. His own store that he owned...

Yes, this was his dress shop. He called the shots here. Ayame Sohma, manager of 'Ayame'. It sounded a bit awkward to say out loud, but he cherished that phrase nonetheless. This was his store, Ayame's store, and nobody could tell him what to do.

"Ayaa-San! Come here! I need help!"

Except maybe Mine Kuramae, of course.

Sighing dramatically, he smiled to himself and rushed to help his pretty new assistant. He had met her in a flourishing area of Tokyo only three months ago, right inside of a cute little boutique she had been working at. They had begun to talk about dresses, and designing, and before he knew it...Mine Kuramae had become his assistant and business partner.

"Yes, Mine-Chan?" He asked, strolling into the back room. There was a musty smell to his new store, one that he hoped to soon replace with the smell of new fabric and material.

"...I don't know which one to pick!" The brunette squealed, her heavy braids bobbing slightly as she looked up from a box and held out two dresses. "I know you said we only needed to display one maid outfit in the window, but they're both so amazing! I need your expert opinion on this, Ayaa-San!"

Stroking his chin, he examined the two outfits. One was black, a classic maid outfit. That would be a good choice. But the other one was a bright red with black, a dashing choice as well. Mine had been right...this was a difficult choice.

"I say we go with the red and black one." He said at last, gently taking it into his arms. "It's bright and flashy, and it's definitely something new. The customers will love it."

"OH!" Mine gasped, her brown eyes becoming the size of saucers. "Of course! You're so good at this! I don't think I can ever become so great at fashion, not the way you are."

"That's why you're my loyal apprentice, Mine-Chan!" He beamed at her, patting her head affectionately. "Do not worry for a second, my dear! Remember, I am your Sensei, and I shall teach you everything I know!"

Giggling girlishly, Mine ducked her head and went back to sorting through dresses. "Of course, 'Sensei'! I can't wait for our first customer, I can't! I'm so nervous that I think that I'll freeze up and won't be able to speak! But maybe I'll be too excited, and then I won't be able to stop talking. Wouldn't that be just awful?"

"Calm down there..." He said lightly. "Our first customer will be here any minute, I can feel it in my bones..."

Almost as if on cue, there was a ding as the door opened. At the same time, Mine gasped and jumped, putting her hand to her mouth in shock. As for Ayame, he blinked rapidly, unable to clear this thoughts. But somehow he did, and then he turned around to go help the customer.

"Ayaa-Niisan?" An shakingly familiar voice echoed timidly throughout the shop. As Ayame walked out of the back room with Mine at his trail, he was immediately taken aback when he saw the familiar honey-colored hair.

"Ritchan?" He said, examining his face with his eyes. Yes, this was his cousin Ritsu...the monkey of the Jyuunishi. But what was he doing here? He hadn't seen him in four years...almost five.

"...Ayame..." Ritsu's brown eyes widened. "I'm sorry...I should have called ahead! But I didn't know your phone number or even where to reach you...I haven't seen you in four years and I thought that you might be dead! Wait! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that! It's wrong of me to have thought you were going to die! AH! I'M SUCH A DISGRACE TO THE SOHMA NAME! KILL ME NOW, AYAME-NIISAN! I AM NOT WORTHY TO BE IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SHOP WITH MY HONORABLE AND NOBLE COUSIN AND HIS PRETTY GIRLFRIEND! I'M SORRYYYYYYYYYY!"

At this point the monkey was practically ripping his hair out with tears brimming up in his eyes. Ayame sighed and walked over to Ritsu, putting a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up.

"...it's alright, Ritchan." He assured him. "Do calm down...I think you're scaring Mine-Chan."

"Oh..." Ritsu whimpered, looking over the wide-eyed brunette girl. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to scare you, Miss Ayame's Girlfriend."

"'Girlfriend'?" Mine tilted her head to the side. "No...I'm just Ayame's assistant, Mine."

"Mine, this is my cousin Ritsu..." Ayame murmured, taking a deep breath. "He has a certain...habit, for lack of a better word, of apologizing for everything."

"I'm sorry..." Ritsu whimpered again, hiding his face in his hand. "Shigure wouldn't tell me if you were alright or not..."

"Yes, yes..." Ayame waved a casual hand. "As you can see, I'm doing quite fine. Is there anything else you need, Ritchan?"

Mine tapped her foot, blinking at the man. She could not really believe that he was male...he looked like such a pretty woman in that light purple kimono. So pretty, in fact, that she had the urge to dress him up. The brunette squirmed slightly, not wanting to bother the cousin of her boss. But...he was just so pretty...

"Ritsu-Chan!" She exclaimed, widening her dark eyes and pouting slightly. "Would you mind terribly if I were to dress you up? Please? You're so beautiful!"

"M-Me?" The monkey stammered, turning a dark shade of red. "N-No...of c-course I wouldn't m-mind. But I'm n-not worthy of anything a-associated with A-Ayaa-Niisan...I c-couldn't p-possibly allow y-you to w-waste your t-talents on m-me..."

"Oh, but you're our very first customer!" Mine said sweetly. "Just let me put you into one dress, okay? You'll make me really sad if you say no..."

She whimpered for effect while Ayame laughed loudly, patting Ritsu's shoulder. "There's no use in fighting her, Ritchan. She cannot resist dressing up attractive girls. And while you may not be a girl, you do look like one."

At this Ritsu's eyes widened. Attractive? Had Ayame really called him attractive? This couldn't be! How could he waste such kind words on him?

"I-I don't want to make you sad..." He said softly, looking up at Mine. "If y-you r-really want to-"

Mine did not allow him to finish before squealing happily. Grabbing his pale, feminine hand, she dragged him to the dressing room and pushed him inside. "Stay there!I'll be right back with something pretty for you to wear!"

The white-haired snake chuckled to himself as he watched, amused, while Mine sorted through a pile of dresses. She settled on a dark blue, female kimono made of elegant silk with small flowers embroidered on it. He nodded in approval; the color would compliment Ritsu's hair and eye colors quite nicely.

The fact that Ritsu had stopped by so...abruptly was a bit iffy to Ayame. He knew that the younger boy had always looked up to him more than Shigure or Hatori. But why would he be coming to talk to him after Ayame had skewered all contact with anyone related to him but his two best friends? Why he had done it...he still wasn't quite sure and he didn't want to think about it. All he really understood about his rash decision was that he felt suffocated by the Sohmas. It was if he could not breathe from the bitter tension and hate that flowed from everyone and so he decided to be weak and cower away from it.

The mere thought of it made Ayame feel almost ashamed. But the esteemed Ayame Sohma was not capable of being ashamed...he never had been and he never would. His flaw was that he was overly confident. As much as he resented that one trait of his...

Ayame shook himself out of his thoughts. Now was not the time for him to be thinking such melancholy thoughts. A group of teenage girls had just walked into the store, and they were 'oohing' and 'ahhing' at everything they saw, exclaiming over the pretty dresses and cosplay outfits.

Today was a day to be happy...

"Ayaa-San!" Mine's cheerful voice called out his name, and he looked over at where her voice was coming from. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a flushed but elegantly dressed Ritsu standing next to her, his eyes pointing down at the floor.

"Why, Ritchan!" He gushed, walking over to him and examining the kimono he had designed. "You look absolutely beautiful!"

"I...I'm not worthy of being such a wonderful kimono..." Ritsu said, putting his face in his hands. "Please let me change...my very presence is disgracing it."

"Nonsense!" Both Ayame and Mine exclaimed at the same time.

"I insist that you keep it." Ayame said, smiling brightly at his cousin. "Consider it a 'Reunion' present, yes?"

"You really do look great, Ritsu-Chan!" Mine was about to say more when one of the teenagers skipped over to her and asked her a question, occupying her full attention.

"A-Ayaa-Niisan..." Ritsu began timidly, still staring at the ground. "P-Please don't disappear for so long again. It's selfish of me, but I missed you."

The snake blinked, somewhat taken aback. "Oh...I see! Well, do not worry, Ritchan. I was thinking of visiting the Sohma estate soon. After all, I haven't seen Momiji or Hiro or Kisa since they were itty-bitty children. I assure you that it won't be long before you see me again."

"...I'm sorry." Ritsu said, sniffling. "I'm so selfish...can I please give you back this kimono?"

"That would be rude!" Ayame teased, pulling Ritsu towards the door. "Now, go out and show that new outfit off to the world!"

"But...Ayaa-Niisan..."

"I insist." He said firmly, smiling. "Promise me that you won't bring the kimono back."

Ritsu's heart sank. He had already begun to plan a way to return the kimono back without Ayame knowing. But he couldn't deny his role model, could he? Giving in, he nodded shyly. "I-I promise."

"Good! Now, farewell, Ritchan!" Pushing Ritsu out of the shop, Ayame stopped for a second to get his jumbled thoughts in order.

He hadn't been planning on reuniting with anyone from his family. But after this, he really had no choice. Something in Ritsu's voice told him that he would regret it if he continued to ignore his family. Maybe, just maybe...he needed his family more than he was willing to admit to himself.

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head.

What a day...

Author's Note: So...here's the first real chapter. School is ending in a week, and then I have a little over two months to write fanfiction to my heart's content. -sighs happily- Hopefully, I'll stay fully commited to this story! I can't exactly say I have a plan for this story...I'm just letting it take me where it wants to go and making it up as I go along. Remember, I embrace constructive criticism! :)

Love,

iammeandicanfly

[Otherwise known as Ayame...]