Puzzled hearts
Chapter 1
by Kirika
E-mail: kirika@hellokitty.com
It was very late in the night when the phone rang in Usagi's home. She answered quickly because she knew her mom would be very upset if she had to answer the phone past midnight. Sitting in the side of her bed, Usagi started to talk with a sleepy voice.
"Hello... Usagi talks..."
"Hi, Usagi-chan!" a voice shrilled, "It's me, Minako!"
"HI, Minako..." Usagi said, "Why are you calling me so late?"
"I have a surprise for you and all the others," she cried out, "and I need to say it to someone."
"But it has to be at one o'clock? Besides, can you talk a little lower?"
"Ok, but I swear you'll not regret losing some minutes of sleep."
"It's all right. Go on, Mina, tell me news."
The next morning rose with a chilly wind and the prevision of snow at night. Two days ago, in Christmas Eve, everyone was stuck in their houses because the snow. Probably January 1st would be the exactly same way.
"Hi, mom!" said Usagi while picking up her boots to go out.
"Hi..." mumbled her, astonished with her daughter awaken at seven in the morning.
"I'll go to Rei's house, you don't need to wait me for the lunch!" Usagi cried out as she closed the front door.
"Do you have any idea of why Usagi called us at 2:00 AM to ask us to meet here in Rei's house?" asked Ami.
"Nope," said Rei with a cold smile. She seemed to have a sleepless night. "But I promise if she doesn't arrive here in five minutes I'll kill her."
Makoto and Ami exchanged looks of concern when Minako came in with Michiru and Haruka. Rei opened her eyes wide.
"Surprised to see us?" smirked Haruka.
"Actually, yes. Usagi said nothing about you two joining our meeting," Rei answered promptly.
"It's all my fault," said Mina, "I just asked her to call you three. Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna were invited by me,"
"So it's your idea all this," assumed Makoto.
"Of course it is!" said Usagi, entering the living room of Rei's house, "I would never have any idea in the middle of night,"
"Maybe in your nightmares after having those huge dinners," Rei grinned.
"Don't you dare saying anything about my way of having dinner!" Usagi said with fire in her eyes.
Minako pushed the two apart, claiming for no fight that day. Usagi sat by the window and seconds later saw Setsuna walking toward the temple.
"Hi, girls. Am I the last one to arrive?" she asked.
"Oh, no," Usagi pointed out, "Mamoru isn't here yet."
"Yes, I am," he said coming out from somewhere of Rei's house.
"Where were you?" asked Usagi, thinking what the hell he was doing there.
"I was in the back yard chatting with Rei's grandfather. Nothing important."
She looked suspicious to him, but remained quiet. Minako was now the center of attentions.
"Well, I'm going just right to the point. I needed to tell you this as fast as I could, because we have to hurry."
"Hurry for what?" asked an apprehensive Rei.
"A trip." Minako said.
"Explain it, please," Ami solicited gently.
"Well, my father won a big lottery prize, gave it to me and to the friends I wanted inviting for a New Year's Day cruise. We take the ship in 30 December morning and return in 2nd January afternoon. It's just a trip along the coast, but it's a very luxurious ship."
Everyone stood speechless, a swirl of thoughts in their minds.
"And you're inviting us.?" asked Makoto in disbelief.
"Of course! You're my friends, aren't you?" said Minako with a sparkling smile.
In one second, all of them were chatting and making plans for that wonderful trip.
Mamoru accompanied Usagi to her home at early evening and she was strangely quiet. He assumed it was because she spent all morning and afternoon blabbing about the upcoming travel, but suddenly she started to talk with him.
"Tell me the truth, Mamo-chan," asked her, "Why did you lie this morning?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Odango,"
"Oh, I'm sure you know," she said with anger, "You were not at the back yard of Rei's home this morning. I've seen you stepping out Rei's room!"
He stopped walking for a minute, his eyes widening. However, Mamoru started walking again.
"I lied because I didn't want to worry you with silly things. I was the first to appear in Rei's house and we were in her bedroom reading some new mangas she bought. When Makoto and Ami arrived, she went to the living room and I remained in her bedroom to finish reading the newest Tamagushi Hokari's work, "The blue fang"."
"What a liar!!!" screamed Usagi.
"Why are you saying this?" Mamoru said, "It's the truth!"
"It's not you! It's Rei-chan!" she explained, "When I asked her if she could lend me "The blue fang" she said she wasn't buying it!"
Mamoru was relieved. At least, Usagi wasn't worried anymore about meaningless suspicious. However, now she was totally mad with Rei and somehow it was his fault. They stopped at Usagi's home and she looked confidently to him.
"I'm sorry for doubting you, Mamo-chan," she said in a whisper.
"Don't bother about it, Usako. I love you just the way you are."
"I think you just stole this words from a very famous song," she pointed out smiling.
"Yes, but it's the very truth," he mumbled as he went to kiss her. Usagi let her body fall into his arms and felt dizzy with a so passionately kiss. She said a quick goodbye and went into her house.
At 6:00AM in 30 December, they were all together in Mamoru's apartment. He was going to take everyone to the seaport, where they would meet Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna. The four girls were waiting in the living room when Usagi got up and walked to Mamoru's bedroom. She had been in his apartment much more than a couple of times, but his bedroom was an unexplored area yet.
"Are you ready?" she asked while entering without knocking.
He turned in surprise wearing just his trousers and an unbuttoned shirt. Usagi had already seen Mamoru wearing much less than that (Nasty minds! I'm talking about swimsuit!), but now he seemed extremely sexy.
"Let me help you." Usagi whispered as she started buttoning his shirt. She was doing that slowly, sometimes her hands 'escaped' and touched gently Mamoru's tremulous thorax. When he felt little drops of sweat pouring out of his face, he pushed Usagi lightly.
"It's okay, Usako," he said with a tense voice, "I can manage it. In a few minutes we'll be leaving, right?"
She gave a last look to his bedroom that as the whole house exhaled a mature scent. His bed seemed soft and comfortable, with a little table at its side. There was a book upon the table, laying next a lamp and all the bookcases were totally full. Waking up from her own thoughts, Usagi left the room.
When they looked to the transatlantic they were going to take, everyone almost fainted. It was a splendorous, luxurious one, and even in their dreams they've never imagined something so lush. Haruka and Michiru have already been in huge ships, but this one was the most extraordinary of them all.
"Hurry, sailors!" joked Minako, leading the group toward the ship.
Inside the transatlantic, they went straight to the main rail. Minako was dazzled with all that, jiggling like a child, talking with everyone she saw. All the others were paying attention to the horizon, seeing the land farther and farther.
"She's so beautiful today," said Ami to Makoto.
"Who?" asked Makoto.
"Minako-chan, obviously," explained Ami, a little bit uncomfortable with her friend's inattention, "She's so happy that her skin glitters like it was covered with diamonds,"
Makoto gazed at Minako and noticed that what Ami just said was the pure truth. Minako was wearing a sleeveless yellow dress that showed her pretty knees. However, after concentrating a little more in her friend, Makoto noticed something was wrong.
"Ami, where are the red bow Minako-chan always uses?"
"Finally you observed," said Ami, "Rei and I asked her this morning the why she wasn't wearing it, but she only smiled at us and changed subject,"
"Strange." mumbled Makoto.
Suddenly, Usagi appeared in front of them, holding Mamoru's hand and giggling with something he'd said.
"Hi, girls," she started, "Mina-P is calling us to see our rooms,"
"Let's go, then!" Makoto cried out, "I can't wait for this anymore,"
Because of the glamour of the ship, they didn't get astonish with the splendor of their rooms. Minako's father had reserved three rooms: one for Mamoru, because as the only man in the group he couldn't stay in the same room of any girl (the truth is that even knowing Mamoru was Usagi's boyfriend, Minako's father wouldn't risk his 'little girl' to sleep in the same bedroom a man is). However, the other two rooms were larger and each one had four beds, so the girls would have to make two groups of four.
"It's really a pity I cannot stay with Mamo-chan," moaned Usagi.
"I don't think your father would like to listen to it," grinned Haruka.
"Well, well," interrupted Minako, "I invited you here and so I propose we make mixed groups, I mean, let's stop with this Outer/Inner thing, okay?"
"I agree as long as I stay with Haruka," said Michiru.
"It may be arranged," Minako answered in an unnatural voice, "amid them, me and Makoto shall lay. Thus, the others together may well stay."
"Minako-chan," Ami said with a laugh, "you're unbelievable!"
"I know, I know." she giggled, "Let's settle down and meet somewhere, right?"
"Why don't we go to the swimming pools?" suggested Setsuna, "I think some of you need a good tan,"
"Okay, then," said Ami, looking at her own skin, "Let's meet next to the springboards in one hour,"
They all agreed and entered their respective rooms very excited. How many surprises that trip would bring?
It was very late in the night when the phone rang in Usagi's home. She answered quickly because she knew her mom would be very upset if she had to answer the phone past midnight. Sitting in the side of her bed, Usagi started to talk with a sleepy voice.
"Hello... Usagi talks..."
"Hi, Usagi-chan!" a voice shrilled, "It's me, Minako!"
"HI, Minako..." Usagi said, "Why are you calling me so late?"
"I have a surprise for you and all the others," she cried out, "and I need to say it to someone."
"But it has to be at one o'clock? Besides, can you talk a little lower?"
"Ok, but I swear you'll not regret losing some minutes of sleep."
"It's all right. Go on, Mina, tell me news."
The next morning rose with a chilly wind and the prevision of snow at night. Two days ago, in Christmas Eve, everyone was stuck in their houses because the snow. Probably January 1st would be the exactly same way.
"Hi, mom!" said Usagi while picking up her boots to go out.
"Hi..." mumbled her, astonished with her daughter awaken at seven in the morning.
"I'll go to Rei's house, you don't need to wait me for the lunch!" Usagi cried out as she closed the front door.
"Do you have any idea of why Usagi called us at 2:00 AM to ask us to meet here in Rei's house?" asked Ami.
"Nope," said Rei with a cold smile. She seemed to have a sleepless night. "But I promise if she doesn't arrive here in five minutes I'll kill her."
Makoto and Ami exchanged looks of concern when Minako came in with Michiru and Haruka. Rei opened her eyes wide.
"Surprised to see us?" smirked Haruka.
"Actually, yes. Usagi said nothing about you two joining our meeting," Rei answered promptly.
"It's all my fault," said Mina, "I just asked her to call you three. Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna were invited by me,"
"So it's your idea all this," assumed Makoto.
"Of course it is!" said Usagi, entering the living room of Rei's house, "I would never have any idea in the middle of night,"
"Maybe in your nightmares after having those huge dinners," Rei grinned.
"Don't you dare saying anything about my way of having dinner!" Usagi said with fire in her eyes.
Minako pushed the two apart, claiming for no fight that day. Usagi sat by the window and seconds later saw Setsuna walking toward the temple.
"Hi, girls. Am I the last one to arrive?" she asked.
"Oh, no," Usagi pointed out, "Mamoru isn't here yet."
"Yes, I am," he said coming out from somewhere of Rei's house.
"Where were you?" asked Usagi, thinking what the hell he was doing there.
"I was in the back yard chatting with Rei's grandfather. Nothing important."
She looked suspicious to him, but remained quiet. Minako was now the center of attentions.
"Well, I'm going just right to the point. I needed to tell you this as fast as I could, because we have to hurry."
"Hurry for what?" asked an apprehensive Rei.
"A trip." Minako said.
"Explain it, please," Ami solicited gently.
"Well, my father won a big lottery prize, gave it to me and to the friends I wanted inviting for a New Year's Day cruise. We take the ship in 30 December morning and return in 2nd January afternoon. It's just a trip along the coast, but it's a very luxurious ship."
Everyone stood speechless, a swirl of thoughts in their minds.
"And you're inviting us.?" asked Makoto in disbelief.
"Of course! You're my friends, aren't you?" said Minako with a sparkling smile.
In one second, all of them were chatting and making plans for that wonderful trip.
Mamoru accompanied Usagi to her home at early evening and she was strangely quiet. He assumed it was because she spent all morning and afternoon blabbing about the upcoming travel, but suddenly she started to talk with him.
"Tell me the truth, Mamo-chan," asked her, "Why did you lie this morning?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Odango,"
"Oh, I'm sure you know," she said with anger, "You were not at the back yard of Rei's home this morning. I've seen you stepping out Rei's room!"
He stopped walking for a minute, his eyes widening. However, Mamoru started walking again.
"I lied because I didn't want to worry you with silly things. I was the first to appear in Rei's house and we were in her bedroom reading some new mangas she bought. When Makoto and Ami arrived, she went to the living room and I remained in her bedroom to finish reading the newest Tamagushi Hokari's work, "The blue fang"."
"What a liar!!!" screamed Usagi.
"Why are you saying this?" Mamoru said, "It's the truth!"
"It's not you! It's Rei-chan!" she explained, "When I asked her if she could lend me "The blue fang" she said she wasn't buying it!"
Mamoru was relieved. At least, Usagi wasn't worried anymore about meaningless suspicious. However, now she was totally mad with Rei and somehow it was his fault. They stopped at Usagi's home and she looked confidently to him.
"I'm sorry for doubting you, Mamo-chan," she said in a whisper.
"Don't bother about it, Usako. I love you just the way you are."
"I think you just stole this words from a very famous song," she pointed out smiling.
"Yes, but it's the very truth," he mumbled as he went to kiss her. Usagi let her body fall into his arms and felt dizzy with a so passionately kiss. She said a quick goodbye and went into her house.
At 6:00AM in 30 December, they were all together in Mamoru's apartment. He was going to take everyone to the seaport, where they would meet Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna. The four girls were waiting in the living room when Usagi got up and walked to Mamoru's bedroom. She had been in his apartment much more than a couple of times, but his bedroom was an unexplored area yet.
"Are you ready?" she asked while entering without knocking.
He turned in surprise wearing just his trousers and an unbuttoned shirt. Usagi had already seen Mamoru wearing much less than that (Nasty minds! I'm talking about swimsuit!), but now he seemed extremely sexy.
"Let me help you." Usagi whispered as she started buttoning his shirt. She was doing that slowly, sometimes her hands 'escaped' and touched gently Mamoru's tremulous thorax. When he felt little drops of sweat pouring out of his face, he pushed Usagi lightly.
"It's okay, Usako," he said with a tense voice, "I can manage it. In a few minutes we'll be leaving, right?"
She gave a last look to his bedroom that as the whole house exhaled a mature scent. His bed seemed soft and comfortable, with a little table at its side. There was a book upon the table, laying next a lamp and all the bookcases were totally full. Waking up from her own thoughts, Usagi left the room.
When they looked to the transatlantic they were going to take, everyone almost fainted. It was a splendorous, luxurious one, and even in their dreams they've never imagined something so lush. Haruka and Michiru have already been in huge ships, but this one was the most extraordinary of them all.
"Hurry, sailors!" joked Minako, leading the group toward the ship.
Inside the transatlantic, they went straight to the main rail. Minako was dazzled with all that, jiggling like a child, talking with everyone she saw. All the others were paying attention to the horizon, seeing the land farther and farther.
"She's so beautiful today," said Ami to Makoto.
"Who?" asked Makoto.
"Minako-chan, obviously," explained Ami, a little bit uncomfortable with her friend's inattention, "She's so happy that her skin glitters like it was covered with diamonds,"
Makoto gazed at Minako and noticed that what Ami just said was the pure truth. Minako was wearing a sleeveless yellow dress that showed her pretty knees. However, after concentrating a little more in her friend, Makoto noticed something was wrong.
"Ami, where are the red bow Minako-chan always uses?"
"Finally you observed," said Ami, "Rei and I asked her this morning the why she wasn't wearing it, but she only smiled at us and changed subject,"
"Strange." mumbled Makoto.
Suddenly, Usagi appeared in front of them, holding Mamoru's hand and giggling with something he'd said.
"Hi, girls," she started, "Mina-P is calling us to see our rooms,"
"Let's go, then!" Makoto cried out, "I can't wait for this anymore,"
Because of the glamour of the ship, they didn't get astonish with the splendor of their rooms. Minako's father had reserved three rooms: one for Mamoru, because as the only man in the group he couldn't stay in the same room of any girl (the truth is that even knowing Mamoru was Usagi's boyfriend, Minako's father wouldn't risk his 'little girl' to sleep in the same bedroom a man is). However, the other two rooms were larger and each one had four beds, so the girls would have to make two groups of four.
"It's really a pity I cannot stay with Mamo-chan," moaned Usagi.
"I don't think your father would like to listen to it," grinned Haruka.
"Well, well," interrupted Minako, "I invited you here and so I propose we make mixed groups, I mean, let's stop with this Outer/Inner thing, okay?"
"I agree as long as I stay with Haruka," said Michiru.
"It may be arranged," Minako answered in an unnatural voice, "amid them, me and Makoto shall lay. Thus, the others together may well stay."
"Minako-chan," Ami said with a laugh, "you're unbelievable!"
"I know, I know." she giggled, "Let's settle down and meet somewhere, right?"
"Why don't we go to the swimming pools?" suggested Setsuna, "I think some of you need a good tan,"
"Okay, then," said Ami, looking at her own skin, "Let's meet next to the springboards in one hour,"
They all agreed and entered their respective rooms very excited. How many surprises that trip would bring?
