June 16, 2000, 8:23 PM
"Mamoru-kun, you have to come," Furuhata Motoki said. Chiba Mamoru sighed.
"Motoki-kun, I-"
"C'mon, Mamoru. You've barely been out of your apartment since Usagi-" Mamoru
winced at the mention of the girl's name "-disappeared. It's not healthy."
"I know, demo-"
"But nothing. This place is supposed to be one of the best bars in town."
"I don't like going to bars."
"I know that, but Kobayashi-kun said that's it's totally different from all the
other bars. He said that it's quieter, more your speed."
"Motoki-kun . . ."
"Aw, Mamoru-kun, just humor me this once, and I promise I won't bother you about
being a hermit for at least a week. Onegai?" Mamoru sighed, defeated.
"All right, I'll come."
"Okay, I'll come pick you up about 9:30. See you then!" Mamoru hung up the phone
and sat back on his couch. It had been so long since he had gone out and done something
fun. Not for almost a year . . . not since the love of his life, his beautiful Usako,
disappeared . . .
August 22, 1999, 5:13 PM
"Mamo-chan, please pick up," Usagi pleaded into the phone.
"Hello, you have reached Chiba Mamoru. Please leave a message, and I will get back
to you as soon as I can."
"Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan, if you're there, please pick up the phone! Mamo-chan!
Mamo-chan, please pick up!" Usagi waited a few moments, then hung up. She slumped against
the side of the phone booth. She studied her reflection in the opposite side: tall boots
covered in dirt; bruised legs; red, white, and blue seifuku, tattered and bloodstained;
long gloves that once may have been white; broken arm hanging limp at her side; cut and
bleeding face; black eye; scratched golden tiara. *Why doesn't anyone answer?* She thought,
tears running down her face. She pulled put her communicator and hit the call button once
again and again got nothing but static. *No one hears me . . . no one cares . . . not even
Mamo-chan . . .* Usagi stood up and left the phone booth. She de-transformed and almost
fell over, her injuries nearly overwhelming her in this weaker state. *No one cares . . .
I'm just an annoyance to them . . . maybe it would be better if I just left and never came
back . . .*
August 22, 1999, 5:10 PM
"Where is that baka odango atama?" Mars yelled as the youma's attack hit her again.
"I don't know, Mars," Mercury said from her position on the ground, unable to get
up because of a sprained ankle. "All I get on the communicator is static, and she's not at
home."
"Sparkling Wide Pressure! Well, one thing's for sure, this is definitely not like
Usagi. She would've show up by now," Jupiter commented as she fired off one of her
lightning attacks.
"What if- Crescent Beam! -What if something happened to her?" Venus asked.
"Tuxedo Kamen would know, wouldn't you?" Kamen nodded as he sent another barrage
of roses in the youma's direction.
"She's probably at home asleep," Mars said. "Ooh, when I get my hands on her- Fire
Soul!" The youma disintegrated into a pile of dust. "When I get my hands on her, she's
going to be sorry she ever needed to sleep!"
August 22, 1999, 5:45 PM
Mamoru unlocked the door to his apartment and went in, tossing his keys on the
table.
"It'll be so nice just to sit," he said to himself. Noticing the blinking light on
his answering machine, he pressed the button and sat down on the couch.
"Hi, Mamoru-kun, it's Motoki! Just wanted to know if you and Usagi wanted to come
to a movie with Reika and I, but since you're not home, I guess you can't. Well, bye!"
Mamoru chuckled to himself. *Typical Motoki.* There was a short beep, and then the next
message began.
"Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan, if you're there, please pick up the phone! Mamo-chan!
Mamo-chan, please pick up!" Usagi's desperation came through loud and clear. Hearing his
beloved's panic, Mamoru grabbed the phone and hit the speed-dial.
"Konnichiwa, Tsukino residence."
"Shingo, it's Mamoru."
"Oh, hey Mamoru. What's up?"
"Nothing. Listen, is Usagi there?"
"Um, iie," Usagi's little brother said, puzzled. "We thought she was with you."
"She's not. Do you have any idea of where she'd be?"
"Maybe she's at Rei's or Ami's or Minako's or Makoto's?"
"I just talked to them. She's not at any of their houses."
"What about the arcade?"
"Shingo, it's closed."
"Mamoru-san, hold on. I'm going to go get my dad."
June 16, 2000, 8:45 PM
Ever since that night, he had blamed himself for not knowing that something had
happened to her. Time after time, his fears took over, and he allowed himself to think that
she was . . . Mamoru shook his head, trying to rid that forbidden thought.
"If she was . . . gone . . . I would know. I would feel it," he said aloud. *You
didn't feel it before, why would you now? She was probably in great danger, and you didn't
know. For all you know, her corpse could be rotting in some ditch somewhere.*
"Yamete!" Mamoru yelled. "Usako is still alive, I know it!" He turned on the TV,
trying to drown out his thoughts.
"Up next, the new Sailor V game, and why people everywhere are-" Mamoru quickly
shut it off and walked into the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at
the table, resting his head in his hands.
"I have to have faith in Usagi," he murmured to himself. "I have to believe that
she saved herself, and is waiting for me to find her. I have to have faith in Usako . . ."
June 16, 2000, 9:35 PM
"Hey, Blondie! Your shift started five minutes ago!" The petite blonde quickly tied
her apron around her waist, grabbed her pad of paper and pencil, and headed out into the
bar.
June 16, 2000, 9:39 PM
"See? I told you this place was different," Motoki said as he and Mamoru entered
the bar. Mamoru looked around. The bright, cheery atmosphere was very different than most
of the places Motoki had dragged him to. "Now let's get a table and get something to drink."
"Motoki-kun, I don't want to stay long," Mamoru said.
"Don't worry about it, Mamoru-kun. You'll be home by bedtime," Motoki teased. The
men sat down at a table. "Seriously, though, Mamoru-kun, you should get out more. Me,
Reika, Kobayashi, and Saori are starting to worry about you. It's not healthy to be locked
up day after day." Mamoru sighed.
"I know, Motoki-kun. I just don't want to go anywhere anymore. I don't want to face
the fact that I may never see Usagi again . . ."
"Mamoru-kun, we'll see her again. You just have to be positive."
"I don't see how you can be so sure . . ."
"Take tables six and seven, Blondie," the girl's boss said, his back to her. The
girl sighed and leaned on one of the tables. Six and seven were always the most work when a
waitress like herself was just not feeling up to doing her job. "Hey, it's your own fault
for not being out here when your shift started." The girl nodded silently and glanced
towards her assigned tables. Her heart stopped when she recognized the two men sitting at
number six.
"Mamo-chan . . ."
"Motoki-san? Mamoru-san?" They turned around.
"Hey, Saori-san! Come on, pull up a chair!" Motoki said, smiling at the girl. Saori
grabbed a chair and pulled it up between Mamoru and Motoki. She placed a comforting hand on
Mamoru's back.
"Mamoru-san, how are you doing?" She said, her voice quiet. Mamoru smiled
half-heartedly.
"I'm okay. Still waiting for her to come back," he said, hope creeping into his
voice. Saori smiled.
"Good. Don't ever give up hope."
*He's moved on. He's moved on and he has a new girlfriend,* the girl, Usagi,
thought, seeing the girl with Mamoru. *I was right. He probably didn't even miss me for a
second. He probably doesn't even know I left.*
"Blondie, get going!" She nodded and walked over to table six.
"C- can I get you anything?" She said meekly.
"Nothing right now, thanks," Motoki said.
"All right, call me if you need me." Usagi turned and tried to make a hasty exit.
"Wait!" She stopped dead. "Can you get me a soda?" It was the girl- Saori, Usagi
remembered.
"S- sure, miss. What would you like?"
"Um, a Coke would be good."
"All right." Usagi quickly headed to the bar. "I need a Coke for six." The
bartender poured the drink.
"Here ya go, Usagi." Usagi smiled.
"Thanks." She took the glass and took it over to the table. "Here's your Coke,
miss."
"Thank you." The girl looked up at her, and her eyes widened. "You- you're-
Mamoru-san! Look!" Mamoru turned around and recognized Usagi.
"Usako?" Tears welled up in Usagi's eyes, and she turned and ran out of the bar,
tearing off her waitress apron on her way out the door. Mamoru got up abruptly, knocking
over his chair, and tore after her. Motoki turned to Saori, grinning from ear to ear.
"Well, Saori-san, I guess you were right about not giving up hope, ne?"
"Usagi? Usagi! Usagi! Don't leave me again!" Usagi stopped running and allowed
Mamoru to catch up with her.
"I didn't leave you, Mamo- Mamoru-san," she said quietly. "You left me. All of you
left me." Mamoru was shocked.
"We left you?" Usagi nodded and started walking.
"I called all of you that night, on the phone, the communicators, and no one
answered. I needed all of you, any of you, but no one was there. No one!" Usagi broke into
a run again. Mamoru quickly caught up with her under a streetlight and grabbed her arm. He
looked down at it, bare from the elbows down thanks to her uniform, and gasped
at the scars he saw. Usagi jerked her arm away. It was just then, under the yellow,
artificial light, that he finally got a good look at her and the scars that cut her face
into jagged sections. They ran down her neck and disappeared under the collar of her shirt,
only to reappear from underneath her sleeves and skirt.
"Usako, what happened?" Mamoru said, shocked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Youma," Usagi said simply. "The night I left." Slowly, the pieces fell into place.
"You were fighting a youma that night, weren't you? You tried to call us, but no
one answered, so you had to go it on your own."
"And you can tell how well I did," she said bitterly. "No one cared enough to help
me when I needed it. And you. You didn't come either. Did you even know that I needed you?"
"No, I didn't." Usagi's jaw dropped. "I don't know why, Usako, I just-"
"Onegai, Mamoru-san, don't call me that. It's a name for a different person from a
different time. Speaking of different people, I hope you and your new girlfriend are happy.
She seems nice."
"New- what are you talking about? Oh, Kami, you mean Saori, don't you? Usak-
Usagi, don't you remember her?" Usagi nodded. "Usagi, there's nothing going on between us."
Usagi was silent. "Oh, I get it. You saw her put her arm around me." Usagi nodded again.
"Do you want to know why she did that? She was asking me how I've been holding up since you
disappeared. She told me never to stop hoping that you would come back to me." Usagi turned
away. "Usagi, I blamed myself for you leaving. I never knew that I was right . . ." Mamoru
turned and started walking away from her. Usagi turned back and saw him leaving.
"Mamo-chan, aishiteru," she said quietly, hoping that he wouldn't hear her. Mamoru
stopped and looked back at her.
"Aishiteru, Usako." They stood there fow a few moments, just looking at each other.
Then Usagi ran towards him and was enveloped in his embrace. "Usako, we were fighting a
youma that night, too. Ami tried to call you, and all she got was static." Usagi looked up
at Mamoru.
"You- you were- you mean- you were- you were fighting, too? So you couldn't have
come and helped me, even if you knew I was in trouble?"
"Usako, I would have come no matter what, you know that." Usagi nodded.
"I know, Mamo-chan, it's just- you had no idea that I was in trouble? Don't you
always?"
"Hai, demo-" Usagi put a finger on his lips, silencing him.
"Don't worry about that now, Mamo-chan," she said quietly, reaching up to kiss
him, "it doesn't matter."
"You're right, Usako," Mamoru said, his voice equally as soft as hers, "it doesn't
matter."
"Mamoru-kun, you have to come," Furuhata Motoki said. Chiba Mamoru sighed.
"Motoki-kun, I-"
"C'mon, Mamoru. You've barely been out of your apartment since Usagi-" Mamoru
winced at the mention of the girl's name "-disappeared. It's not healthy."
"I know, demo-"
"But nothing. This place is supposed to be one of the best bars in town."
"I don't like going to bars."
"I know that, but Kobayashi-kun said that's it's totally different from all the
other bars. He said that it's quieter, more your speed."
"Motoki-kun . . ."
"Aw, Mamoru-kun, just humor me this once, and I promise I won't bother you about
being a hermit for at least a week. Onegai?" Mamoru sighed, defeated.
"All right, I'll come."
"Okay, I'll come pick you up about 9:30. See you then!" Mamoru hung up the phone
and sat back on his couch. It had been so long since he had gone out and done something
fun. Not for almost a year . . . not since the love of his life, his beautiful Usako,
disappeared . . .
August 22, 1999, 5:13 PM
"Mamo-chan, please pick up," Usagi pleaded into the phone.
"Hello, you have reached Chiba Mamoru. Please leave a message, and I will get back
to you as soon as I can."
"Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan, if you're there, please pick up the phone! Mamo-chan!
Mamo-chan, please pick up!" Usagi waited a few moments, then hung up. She slumped against
the side of the phone booth. She studied her reflection in the opposite side: tall boots
covered in dirt; bruised legs; red, white, and blue seifuku, tattered and bloodstained;
long gloves that once may have been white; broken arm hanging limp at her side; cut and
bleeding face; black eye; scratched golden tiara. *Why doesn't anyone answer?* She thought,
tears running down her face. She pulled put her communicator and hit the call button once
again and again got nothing but static. *No one hears me . . . no one cares . . . not even
Mamo-chan . . .* Usagi stood up and left the phone booth. She de-transformed and almost
fell over, her injuries nearly overwhelming her in this weaker state. *No one cares . . .
I'm just an annoyance to them . . . maybe it would be better if I just left and never came
back . . .*
August 22, 1999, 5:10 PM
"Where is that baka odango atama?" Mars yelled as the youma's attack hit her again.
"I don't know, Mars," Mercury said from her position on the ground, unable to get
up because of a sprained ankle. "All I get on the communicator is static, and she's not at
home."
"Sparkling Wide Pressure! Well, one thing's for sure, this is definitely not like
Usagi. She would've show up by now," Jupiter commented as she fired off one of her
lightning attacks.
"What if- Crescent Beam! -What if something happened to her?" Venus asked.
"Tuxedo Kamen would know, wouldn't you?" Kamen nodded as he sent another barrage
of roses in the youma's direction.
"She's probably at home asleep," Mars said. "Ooh, when I get my hands on her- Fire
Soul!" The youma disintegrated into a pile of dust. "When I get my hands on her, she's
going to be sorry she ever needed to sleep!"
August 22, 1999, 5:45 PM
Mamoru unlocked the door to his apartment and went in, tossing his keys on the
table.
"It'll be so nice just to sit," he said to himself. Noticing the blinking light on
his answering machine, he pressed the button and sat down on the couch.
"Hi, Mamoru-kun, it's Motoki! Just wanted to know if you and Usagi wanted to come
to a movie with Reika and I, but since you're not home, I guess you can't. Well, bye!"
Mamoru chuckled to himself. *Typical Motoki.* There was a short beep, and then the next
message began.
"Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan, if you're there, please pick up the phone! Mamo-chan!
Mamo-chan, please pick up!" Usagi's desperation came through loud and clear. Hearing his
beloved's panic, Mamoru grabbed the phone and hit the speed-dial.
"Konnichiwa, Tsukino residence."
"Shingo, it's Mamoru."
"Oh, hey Mamoru. What's up?"
"Nothing. Listen, is Usagi there?"
"Um, iie," Usagi's little brother said, puzzled. "We thought she was with you."
"She's not. Do you have any idea of where she'd be?"
"Maybe she's at Rei's or Ami's or Minako's or Makoto's?"
"I just talked to them. She's not at any of their houses."
"What about the arcade?"
"Shingo, it's closed."
"Mamoru-san, hold on. I'm going to go get my dad."
June 16, 2000, 8:45 PM
Ever since that night, he had blamed himself for not knowing that something had
happened to her. Time after time, his fears took over, and he allowed himself to think that
she was . . . Mamoru shook his head, trying to rid that forbidden thought.
"If she was . . . gone . . . I would know. I would feel it," he said aloud. *You
didn't feel it before, why would you now? She was probably in great danger, and you didn't
know. For all you know, her corpse could be rotting in some ditch somewhere.*
"Yamete!" Mamoru yelled. "Usako is still alive, I know it!" He turned on the TV,
trying to drown out his thoughts.
"Up next, the new Sailor V game, and why people everywhere are-" Mamoru quickly
shut it off and walked into the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at
the table, resting his head in his hands.
"I have to have faith in Usagi," he murmured to himself. "I have to believe that
she saved herself, and is waiting for me to find her. I have to have faith in Usako . . ."
June 16, 2000, 9:35 PM
"Hey, Blondie! Your shift started five minutes ago!" The petite blonde quickly tied
her apron around her waist, grabbed her pad of paper and pencil, and headed out into the
bar.
June 16, 2000, 9:39 PM
"See? I told you this place was different," Motoki said as he and Mamoru entered
the bar. Mamoru looked around. The bright, cheery atmosphere was very different than most
of the places Motoki had dragged him to. "Now let's get a table and get something to drink."
"Motoki-kun, I don't want to stay long," Mamoru said.
"Don't worry about it, Mamoru-kun. You'll be home by bedtime," Motoki teased. The
men sat down at a table. "Seriously, though, Mamoru-kun, you should get out more. Me,
Reika, Kobayashi, and Saori are starting to worry about you. It's not healthy to be locked
up day after day." Mamoru sighed.
"I know, Motoki-kun. I just don't want to go anywhere anymore. I don't want to face
the fact that I may never see Usagi again . . ."
"Mamoru-kun, we'll see her again. You just have to be positive."
"I don't see how you can be so sure . . ."
"Take tables six and seven, Blondie," the girl's boss said, his back to her. The
girl sighed and leaned on one of the tables. Six and seven were always the most work when a
waitress like herself was just not feeling up to doing her job. "Hey, it's your own fault
for not being out here when your shift started." The girl nodded silently and glanced
towards her assigned tables. Her heart stopped when she recognized the two men sitting at
number six.
"Mamo-chan . . ."
"Motoki-san? Mamoru-san?" They turned around.
"Hey, Saori-san! Come on, pull up a chair!" Motoki said, smiling at the girl. Saori
grabbed a chair and pulled it up between Mamoru and Motoki. She placed a comforting hand on
Mamoru's back.
"Mamoru-san, how are you doing?" She said, her voice quiet. Mamoru smiled
half-heartedly.
"I'm okay. Still waiting for her to come back," he said, hope creeping into his
voice. Saori smiled.
"Good. Don't ever give up hope."
*He's moved on. He's moved on and he has a new girlfriend,* the girl, Usagi,
thought, seeing the girl with Mamoru. *I was right. He probably didn't even miss me for a
second. He probably doesn't even know I left.*
"Blondie, get going!" She nodded and walked over to table six.
"C- can I get you anything?" She said meekly.
"Nothing right now, thanks," Motoki said.
"All right, call me if you need me." Usagi turned and tried to make a hasty exit.
"Wait!" She stopped dead. "Can you get me a soda?" It was the girl- Saori, Usagi
remembered.
"S- sure, miss. What would you like?"
"Um, a Coke would be good."
"All right." Usagi quickly headed to the bar. "I need a Coke for six." The
bartender poured the drink.
"Here ya go, Usagi." Usagi smiled.
"Thanks." She took the glass and took it over to the table. "Here's your Coke,
miss."
"Thank you." The girl looked up at her, and her eyes widened. "You- you're-
Mamoru-san! Look!" Mamoru turned around and recognized Usagi.
"Usako?" Tears welled up in Usagi's eyes, and she turned and ran out of the bar,
tearing off her waitress apron on her way out the door. Mamoru got up abruptly, knocking
over his chair, and tore after her. Motoki turned to Saori, grinning from ear to ear.
"Well, Saori-san, I guess you were right about not giving up hope, ne?"
"Usagi? Usagi! Usagi! Don't leave me again!" Usagi stopped running and allowed
Mamoru to catch up with her.
"I didn't leave you, Mamo- Mamoru-san," she said quietly. "You left me. All of you
left me." Mamoru was shocked.
"We left you?" Usagi nodded and started walking.
"I called all of you that night, on the phone, the communicators, and no one
answered. I needed all of you, any of you, but no one was there. No one!" Usagi broke into
a run again. Mamoru quickly caught up with her under a streetlight and grabbed her arm. He
looked down at it, bare from the elbows down thanks to her uniform, and gasped
at the scars he saw. Usagi jerked her arm away. It was just then, under the yellow,
artificial light, that he finally got a good look at her and the scars that cut her face
into jagged sections. They ran down her neck and disappeared under the collar of her shirt,
only to reappear from underneath her sleeves and skirt.
"Usako, what happened?" Mamoru said, shocked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Youma," Usagi said simply. "The night I left." Slowly, the pieces fell into place.
"You were fighting a youma that night, weren't you? You tried to call us, but no
one answered, so you had to go it on your own."
"And you can tell how well I did," she said bitterly. "No one cared enough to help
me when I needed it. And you. You didn't come either. Did you even know that I needed you?"
"No, I didn't." Usagi's jaw dropped. "I don't know why, Usako, I just-"
"Onegai, Mamoru-san, don't call me that. It's a name for a different person from a
different time. Speaking of different people, I hope you and your new girlfriend are happy.
She seems nice."
"New- what are you talking about? Oh, Kami, you mean Saori, don't you? Usak-
Usagi, don't you remember her?" Usagi nodded. "Usagi, there's nothing going on between us."
Usagi was silent. "Oh, I get it. You saw her put her arm around me." Usagi nodded again.
"Do you want to know why she did that? She was asking me how I've been holding up since you
disappeared. She told me never to stop hoping that you would come back to me." Usagi turned
away. "Usagi, I blamed myself for you leaving. I never knew that I was right . . ." Mamoru
turned and started walking away from her. Usagi turned back and saw him leaving.
"Mamo-chan, aishiteru," she said quietly, hoping that he wouldn't hear her. Mamoru
stopped and looked back at her.
"Aishiteru, Usako." They stood there fow a few moments, just looking at each other.
Then Usagi ran towards him and was enveloped in his embrace. "Usako, we were fighting a
youma that night, too. Ami tried to call you, and all she got was static." Usagi looked up
at Mamoru.
"You- you were- you mean- you were- you were fighting, too? So you couldn't have
come and helped me, even if you knew I was in trouble?"
"Usako, I would have come no matter what, you know that." Usagi nodded.
"I know, Mamo-chan, it's just- you had no idea that I was in trouble? Don't you
always?"
"Hai, demo-" Usagi put a finger on his lips, silencing him.
"Don't worry about that now, Mamo-chan," she said quietly, reaching up to kiss
him, "it doesn't matter."
"You're right, Usako," Mamoru said, his voice equally as soft as hers, "it doesn't
matter."