Author's note: This story is a follow-up to "Drive Me Mercury" and takes place a few weeks later.
Weekend at Mako-chan's
Chapter 1:
"Please have a seat, Kino-san."
Kino Makoto dropped into a chair in front of a large oak desk as her lawyer returned to his place behind it. Leaning forward from his high-back leather chair, he flipped open a file folder that lay on the desk and addressed his young client. "First of all, I want to say how sorry I am about your loss."
"My loss, Watanabe-san?" A puzzled frown appeared on the girl's face.
"Your great-aunt Fujiwara Kame." The lawyer sat back and stroked his chin. "You weren't aware of her recent passing?"
The brown-haired girl shook her head. "I'm sorry, I wasn't even aware that I had a great aunt by that name."
"Oh. Well, that explains a few things. In any event, her husband had previously passed away several years ago, and they have no surviving children of their own. Perhaps you met them at a very early age, when your parents were still alive." Watanabe-san smiled. "They certainly remembered you, Kino-san."
Makoto felt a twinge of guilt at being unable to recall her now-deceased relatives. Her lawyer returned to his papers, reading quietly for a few moments. Finally he looked up, placing his elbows on his desk and folding his hands. "You were prominently mentioned in her will."
Makoto's heart skipped a beat. "I was?"
"There is a sum of money involved, not a large amount, but more than enough to extend your trust fund for several additional years."
"That's really great news, Watanabe-san. Not about my great-aunt's death, I mean, but the extra money will certainly be a big help." Makoto silently thanked the unknown but kind woman who with her gift had just made her life a little easier.
"You also get the house."
"The house?" Makoto gasped.
"Hai. Your great-aunt's husband was a doctor by profession. He apparently did quite well in his practice, and was able to afford a large, comfortable home not far from Nerima." His eyes returned to the papers. "It's a... let me see... a two-story dwelling sitting on a quarter-acre, four bedrooms... an old structure but quite nice according to the description I have here. Congratulations, Kino-san."
Makoto couldn't find her voice. As the realization hit, her hands began trembling and she felt sure there was no possible way it could be true. Finally she forced herself to croak out a few words. "Arigatou, Watanabe-san."
"Now, if you would please review and sign these papers, we can get things moving..."
. . . . .
"It's bad enough when Usagi-chan is late for our study sessions" Rei griped, "but now all three of them are late. Usagi's bad habits must be spreading!" She took a sip of tea before continuing her rant. "I'm sure Usagi would be late for her own funeral!"
Her blonde companion laughed. "That may not be such a bad thing, Rei-chan."
"Minako-chan, knowing her I'm sure she would find a way to make it a bad thing!" The miko heard voices in the hallway and looked up as the door slid open. Usagi, Ami and Makoto filed in together, still chatting excitedly amongst themselves.
"Rei-chan! Minako-chan!" Usagi rushed up to the two seated girls, bubbling over with excitement. "Mako-chan has some great news to tell you!"
"Let me guess. She's not going to rely on you to keep track of time, Usagi-chan? That would be an improvement!" The three late arrivals took seats around the study table and Rei immediately noticed Makoto's upbeat mood. "So, Mako-chan, what's this news Usagi-chan is babbling about?"
"Well, I was called in to my lawyer's office this morning. He told me my great aunt had passed away."
"That's the great news? Mako-chan, that's terrible!"
Makoto grinned, "I don't mean that part, Rei-chan."
"Tell them, Mako-chan! Tell them!"
"Usagi-chan, will you shut up for a minute and let her speak?" Rei silenced the hyperactive blonde with a savage glare.
"To keep it short, Rei-chan, I have an inheritance."
"Mako-chan, does this mean you're rich now?" Minako gushed. "I never met a real millionaire before!"
"You still haven't, Minako-chan. I'm not rich. I wish I was! There was some money involved, but that will become part of my trust fund so it won't change things too much." Makoto still had trouble grasping the news herself and she paused to collect her thoughts. "And the biggest news is, she also left me her house."
"You have a house? That's fantastic! I'm so happy for you!" Rei congratulated her friend, knowing it couldn't have happened to a more deserving person.
"Mako-chan, that's wonderful news!" Minako agreed. "Is the house here in Tokyo?"
"It's somewhere outside of Nerima, about an hour's drive from the city, according to my lawyer. I'm supposed to go there next weekend and officially take possession."
"Will you be moving out of your apartment and living there?" Ami asked.
"I'm afraid not, Ami-chan. The house is in a rural area with no regular bus line. Plus it's old and probably needs some repairs. Who knows, it may be too expensive to maintain and I'll have to rent it out or even sell it eventually. But at least for now, it's all mine!"
"Mako-chan, would you like us to come with you and help you check out your new place?" Minako asked hopefully.
"Would you? I'd love it if you could all come! Having my best friends with me would make it feel a lot more like home."
"I'd be happy to drive everyone there" Ami volunteered. She turned to Usagi, "Do you think Mamoru-san would be available too, Usagi-chan? I'm sure he could give Mako-chan good advice about the condition of the house."
"That's a great idea, Ami-chan! I'll ask him tonight."
"Does this mean I have to ride with Usagi again?" Rei asked with a frown. "I still haven't recovered from our resort trip yet."
"Things are always more fun when I'm around!" Usagi insisted.
"Fun?" the raven-haired girl laughed. "Sure they are, Usagi-chan. The very same way a natural disaster is fun." Ignoring the sour face Usagi made, she agreed to join the new adventure. "Mako-chan, you can count me in too. I'll be happy to help in any way I can" she offered, "even if it means putting up with the blonde terror for another weekend."
Usagi stuck out her tongue. "Rei-chan, your life would be so boring without me."
"And that's a bad thing?"
. . . . .
The following Saturday...
After passing through Nerima, the little blue car and its five occupants came to a quiet rural road bearing a signpost with the name they were seeking. "Minna, I think we're almost there" Ami said as her car crested a gentle hill.
In the passenger seat to her left, Makoto rechecked the address. "Hai. It should be the next house on the right, Ami-chan."
"I don't like this, Mako-chan" Usagi said as she peered through a window. "It's so quiet and so far between houses out here. You'll be all alone."
"What's the matter? Are you scared?" Rei teased. "Usagi-chan, please tell me something. How can you face a Dark Kingdom shitennou one minute, but a little later you're terrified of your own shadow? It doesn't make sense."
"I feel a lot braver when I'm Sailor Moon, Rei-chan. But when I'm just myself, the world can be a scary place sometimes."
To Usagi's left, the other blonde curled her fingers into pretend claws and reached in front of Usagi's face. "Boo!"
"Stop that, Minako-chan! I know that's you."
"Mako-chan said her house is really old, Usagi-chan. Maybe it's... haunted" Minako's voice changed to a spooky tone and she watched Usagi squirm in her seat. "Woooo!"
"Haunted?" Usagi's voice went up a notch.
"Don't be silly, Usagi-chan. It's just an old house. And Minako-chan, shame on you for trying to frighten Usagi-chan." Makoto tried reassuring the nervous girl but it seemed to have little effect.
"I'll feel a whole lot safer when Mamo-chan joins us later today" Usagi muttered.
Makoto suddenly pointed through the windshield, "There it is!"
"It's really large, Mako-chan!" Ami exclaimed. "Your relatives must have been very successful." After driving another half kilometer, Ami slowed down and pulled her car into the driveway.
"I forgot to tell you, Ami-chan. My great-aunt's husband was a doctor."
"A doctor? I can't wait to look around!" Ami replied happily. "Perhaps there will be some interesting old medical equipment I can examine."
Rei laughed, "Ami-chan, you have to be the only person in the world who would say that."
Usagi's eyes were wide as the car stopped in front of the old home. "It even looks spooky, Mako-chan." Her voice trembled, "Maybe it is haunted!"
As everyone climbed out of the car, Rei hatched an idea. Walking up behind Minako, the miko whispered in her ear, "Let's have some fun with Usagi-chan later. She expects to find a haunted house. We wouldn't want her to be disappointed, would we?"
A knowing grin spread across the blonde's face. Minako nodded, "Count me in, Rei-chan!"
Makoto tried both keys her lawyer had given her and found the one that unlocked the front door. "Minna, here goes!" Stepping inside, three of her four friends followed. Rei glanced back to see Usagi hesitating in the doorway. "Come on, Usagi-chan! Don't be a baby!" Grabbing her arm, she dragged the nervous girl inside.
Chapter 2:
Everyone followed Makoto's lead as she slipped off her shoes in the foyer, went past a locked door that she surprisingly didn't have a key for, and entered a large living area beyond. To her left, a curved staircase disappeared upstairs. Along its bottom edge, a large two-piece sofa followed the contour of the stairway, with two other chairs and an American-style coffee table in front of the sofa. Two more closed doors in front and to the right lead off to places unknown.
"Ohh! Mako-chan, you have a fireplace! And a piano!" Usagi exclaimed, pointing to an old upright Kawai that sat across the room from them. "Can I try it?" Without waiting for an answer, Usagi rushed over and began striking keys at random.
"Usagi-chan, will you stop making that hideous noise!" Rei yelled over the din. "It sounds like you're torturing Luna!"
Minako swung open the right-side door and walked in. "I found the dining room!" Her head poked back out of the opening. "The table is huge!"
"If there's a dining room, there has to be a kitchen too!" Makoto opened the door directly in front of her and passed by a small bathroom. "Found it!" came a yell from inside. She quickly checked a few cupboards and an old refrigerator. "Nothing here. I'm glad we brought groceries with us."
The girls finished exploring the ground floor but still had no luck unlocking the mysterious room off the foyer.
Trooping to the top of the stairs, they discovered a second larger bathroom and a long hallway leading away through the center of the second floor. Two doors on either side of the hall opened into bedrooms. Makoto entered the master bedroom at the far end of the hall to find a pair of single beds. The other three rooms contained a double bed each. "I guess I'm supposed to take the master" Makoto said. "Everyone else, help yourselves to a room."
"There's only four bedrooms but five of us, Mako-chan" Minako pointed out. While she was talking the other three girls quickly laid claim to the empty bedrooms.
"No problem, Minako-chan. You can use the second bed in my room." Makoto replied. She pointed towards the far wall. "As a bonus, we get that huge window with the really nice view."
Usagi had taken the room directly across the hall from Makoto and stood with her back to the door, peering through her bedroom window at the surrounding fields and hills.
As quietly as she could, Rei snuck up behind her, reached for the knob and gave it a firm tug, slamming the bedroom door closed.
A shriek came from inside the room. "Ahhh! Ghosts!" The door burst open and Usagi flew into the hallway, narrowly missing Rei.
"Be careful, Usagi-chan!" Rei yelled, trying hard not to laugh. "You nearly ran me over!"
Ami and Makoto rushed out of their rooms due to the commotion. "What happened, Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked.
"My door closed! All by itself!" Usagi wailed.
"It was probably nothing" Makoto replied as she eyed Rei suspiciously. "We're all right here, Usagi-chan. You can relax now."
Minako winked at the raven-haired girl. "You don't waste any time, Rei-chan" she whispered.
The miko placed a finger to her lips to hush the blonde. "That was nothing, Minako-chan. I'm just getting warmed up."
. . . . .
After retrieving their luggage from Ami's car, the girls met downstairs to plan their weekend. "Do you know what this place needs?" Makoto asked, her stomach rumbling. "A little home cooking, Makoto-style! I'll get started in the kitchen and make us a snack. Anyone want to help me?"
"I'll assist you, Mako-chan" Ami volunteered, and the two girls headed for the kitchen.
Her courage slowly seeping back, Usagi wandered around the ground floor while Rei and Minako went upstairs to unpack.
Eventually reaching the locked room, Usagi tried the doorknob again without success. She turned away, only to spy a single key sitting partially hidden on a closet shelf across the foyer. 'Aha! This may be the key Mako-chan needs!' Trying the key in the lock, she was rewarded with a satisfying click. Usagi took a deep breath and eased the door open, revealing an unassuming small office. An old wooden desk and filing cabinet sat at the far end of the room and she timidly entered and walked over to it. Not seeing anything of immediate interest, she turned around to leave. Her mouth dropped open in horror.
"That looks perfect, Ami-chan. You definitely have the makings of a great cook-" In the kitchen, Makoto was suddenly interrupted as a piercing scream came from somewhere down the hall. "Now what?"
"That's Usagi!" Ami exclaimed. Together they rushed off to see what had happened to their friend.
Rei and Minako came running down the stairs at the same time and the four girls converged on the source of the scream.
Rei reached the office door first. "Usagi-chan! What's wrong now?"
Standing with her back pressed tightly against the wall, Usagi could only raise a quivering finger and point at something on the other side of the open door. Rei peered around the edge of the door and laughed. "It's just a plastic model, Usagi-chan! Don't worry, it won't bite you!"
Behind the door, a full-sized human skeleton hung from a wheeled stand.
"It's ok, Usagi-chan" Ami added with a smile. "This was probably the doctor's office. Many doctors used to keep things like that in their offices."
Speechless, Usagi continued to tremble at the sight. Rei walked up to it and raised one of the skeleton's jointed limbs, as if to make it reach out to the frightened girl. She moved the hand as though it were waving. "Hello, little girl."
Usagi sank to her knees and began to sob.
"Rei-chan! I know you're still mad at Usagi after what happened on our last trip" Makoto said angrily, "but that's no reason to give the poor girl a heart attack!"
Rei dropped the boney hand. "You're right, Mako-chan. Maybe I went a little too far." She walked over to Usagi and touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Usagi-chan. I won't do it again."
"You'd... you'd better not!" Usagi wiped her eyes and Rei gently helped her back on her feet. Trying not to look at the object that had terrified her, Usagi bolted from the room.
. . . . .
Carrying a large towel, Usagi headed for the upstairs bathroom, only to meet Rei outside the door. Rei also carried a towel and gestured inside. "Please go first, Usagi-chan."
"You aren't going to try to scare me again, are you?"
"Of course not. Have a relaxing bath and let me know when you're done. Or why don't you have a nice warm shower instead?"
Usagi reached in and tried the handle. "The shower control is really stiff, Rei-chan. It won't move."
"Let me try." Rei leaned over the tub and tried tugging on the stubborn handle.
"Maybe it'll work better if the water is turned on first" Usagi suggested. Just as Rei managed to pull the shower control out, Usagi turned the water tap full on. An icy cold blast poured from the nozzle, soaking Rei from the waist up.
"Aagh! It's freezing!"
"Sorry, Rei-chan!" Usagi hastily turned off the torrent.
"Usagi-chan!" The miko sputtered. "You are the most-" Using all of her willpower, she took a deep, calming breath and managed to compose herself.
"Oh, never mind!"
"Thank you for not getting mad at me again, Rei-chan."
"I'm trying to be more calm and understanding around you, Usagi-chan. I'm trying really hard! And do you know what? I hate it!"
. . . . .
A short time later, the girls were chatting together on the large leather sofa when the sound of a car outside brought Usagi leaping to her feet. "Mamo-chan is here!" She sprinted out from behind the coffee table and toward the front door, trampling Rei's feet in her haste.
"That's ok, Usagi-chan" Rei winced at the stabbing pain. "I didn't need those anyway."
Usagi flung the door open and launched herself into her boyfriend's embrace, the twin long streams of hair from her odango flowing around her boyfriend seemingly in a hug of their own.
"Usako!" Mamoru hugged her tenderly and grinned down at the petite blonde in his arms. "How are you enjoying country life so far?"
"I was scared, Mamo-chan! But now that you're here, everything's better!"
"Oh? Has Rei-chan been teasing you again?"
"I was mad at her for a while but it's ok now."
"Sounds normal" Mamoru said. "By the way, I brought someone with me. When I offered him a ride he jumped at the chance. I'm not sure why!" he laughed. Urawa Ryo walked up to the couple and after greeting Usagi, the fifteen-year-old boy eagerly hurried inside to surprise Ami.
A moment later Rei appeared in the doorway. "Mamoru-san, you wouldn't have brought Yuuichirou along too by any chance?"
"I'm sorry, Rei-chan. Of course I offered to bring him with us, but your grandfather refused to run the shrine all weekend by himself."
"Well I'll certainly be having a few words with Ojii-chan when I get home!" Rei muttered, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.
After greeting the others and getting a quick tour of the house, Mamoru met with everyone in the living room. "Mako-chan, I'll do my best to check over your home for problems tomorrow" Mamoru said. "I'm not exactly an authority on these things but there may be some advice I can offer. As for tonight though, I'd like to invite everyone out to dinner to celebrate your becoming a homeowner. There's a nice little restaurant in Nerima that I think you will all enjoy. My treat."
"Thank you, Mamoru-san! But you really don't have to take us to dinner" Makoto politely objected.
"Yes he does!" Usagi insisted, beaming up at her boyfriend.
"That's not surprising" Rei joked with Ami and Ryo. "There's no way Usagi will ever turn down an offer to dine out!"
Chapter 3:
"How did you like the daikon manju, Mako-chan?" Mamoru asked as he finished his coffee.
"It was excellent, Mamoru-san. It's given me an idea for a new recipe! I have some ideas to experiment with when we get back home."
"Mamo-chan, I want to ride in a swan boat!" Usagi had spotted the cute paddle boats drifting lazily around Shakujii Pond on their way to the restaurant and it had been her main topic of conversation during dinner.
"It's a little late for the boats now, Usako. How about some time tomorrow, after I have a closer look at Mako-chan's house?" Mamoru suggested.
"Ok! I guess I can wait that long!"
Rei had remained quiet through most of the meal, still upset that Yuuichirou wasn't able to be with her. But the thought of Usagi floating around in a boat shaped like a swan was too good to pass up. "With the amount of food Usagi ate tonight, her swan boat will sink from all the extra weight. The only thing visible will be the swan's neck and head."
"Like a submarine!" Minako laughed at the mental image.
The odango-haired blonde glared at her friends. "I can't help it if I have a healthy appetite!" Taking a verbal jab at Rei, she added, "And it just so happens that I need the extra energy for cuddling with my Mamo-chan later!"
"With that much extra energy, you should be able to fly to the moon!" Rei countered. "And I bet you won't even help paddle the boat. Mamoru-san will do all the work, and you'll just sit there being annoying. As usual!" Usagi made a face at the miko, which Rei promptly ignored.
Ami asked, "Mamoru-san, isn't the Sugatami well located here in Nerima?"
"You are correct, Ami-chan" Mamoru nodded with a smile. "Your knowledge of local culture is impressive."
"What's so special about a well?" Minako asked.
"You haven't heard of it?" Rei briefly explained the attraction. "The legend says that if you look into it, the reflection will show how you will eventually die."
"Well I certainly don't want to visit anything like that!" Usagi shivered. "I thought Mako-chan's house was haunted. Now I think the whole town is!"
"My house isn't haunted, Usagi-chan. It's just old."
"Maybe you're right, Mako-chan. It isn't your house that's so creepy. Rei-chan staying there just makes it seem that way."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Rei scowled.
. . . . .
Returning to the house later that evening, Rei was determined to play one last practical joke on Usagi. As the other guests relaxed on the sofa, she quietly excused herself and went upstairs. Entering her bedroom, she removed a tiny ball of leftover black wool from a knitting bag she had discovered earlier in her closet. After unravelling some of it and tying it off, she crept back to the top of the stairs.
On the sofa, Ami and Ryo sat at one end, holding hands and gazing lovingly into each other's eyes, seemingly oblivious to the world. Usagi and Mamoru were in the middle and chatted about the house with Makoto, who sat at the opposite end of the sofa near the fireplace. Only Minako, who had chosen a separate seat facing the stairs, could see what Rei was about to do. Trying her hardest not to smile, she watched her miko friend's devious plan unfold.
Slowly lowering the fuzzy woollen ball directly over Usagi's head, Rei paused for a moment as her target shifted suddenly in her seat. After Usagi had settled down, she continued lowering her fake spider, stopping it just above Usagi's odango.
Receiving a stern look from Rei, Minako covered her mouth to hide her grin.
"Mako-chan, can we make a fire in the fireplace tomorrow night? It would be so romantic-" Usagi felt something brushing her hair and looked up just as Rei dropped the ball of wool onto her head.
"A spider! Aaggh!" The girl screamed as her hands batted wildly at the object. Launching from the sofa like a blonde rocket, Usagi leapt over the coffee table and disappeared into the dining room like a shot.
Laughter from Minako and Rei brought her back to the doorway. "So you think that's funny?" she gasped.
"Is there a problem, Usagi-chan?" Rei asked innocently. "I was only trying to show you the knitting project I'm working on."
"Rei-chan, you are evil!" Usagi yelled as the others tried not to laugh. "You are the meanest, most evil person in the world!"
Mamoru looked up at Rei and grinned. "I have to admit, that was pretty funny."
"I hope you enjoy that sofa, Mamo-chan! Because that's where you're spending the night!" Usagi fumed.
"Calm down, Usagi-chan" Rei said as she descended the stairs. "I was just playing a joke. Where's your sense of humor?"
"Oh, I'll get even with you for this, Rei-chan!"
"You get even with me every time we're together."
Usagi returned to the sofa and picked up the wool, throwing it across the room. "You just wait, Rei-chan! You'll get yours!"
Ryo asked his girlfriend, "Are they always like this, Ami-chan?"
"This is quite normal, Ryo-kun. It's just another typical day for Usagi and Rei."
. . . . .
"Well, it's late at night and here we are, alone again as usual" Minako sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Meanwhile Usagi and Ami are spending time with their boyfriends." More than a little jealousy in her voice, she took a last sip of water from her glass, emptying it, and placed it back on her bedside table.
"This isn't so bad" Makoto replied as she stretched out comfortably on her bed, her back leaning up against its headboard. "Anyway, Usagi was so nervous today that Mamoru will probably be awake all night trying to convince her that the house isn't filled with ghosts and huge bugs! And Ami and Ryo, I just know they'll be studying. Doesn't sound like much fun to me."
Her eyes twinkling mischievously, Minako picked up the empty glass and walked over to the wall that separated their bedroom from Ami's. "You really think so? You are so naive, Mako-chan! Let's find out!"
"What on earth are you doing?"
"It's a trick I saw in an old movie once" Minako explained. "If I put this glass up against the wall and listen at the end of it, I should be able to hear what's going on in the next room."
"Minako-chan, that's rude! We should respect Ami and Ryo's privacy" Makoto admonished the blonde. But she found herself strangely intrigued by the idea and watched as Minako held the glass to the wall and placed her ear snugly against it.
"Well? Do you hear anything? Are they working on boring math equations or something?"
Minako's eyes opened wide. "I can hear them, Mako-chan" she hissed, her voice low, "and they definitely aren't doing math problems!"
"What? Let me see that thing." Despite feeling somewhat guilty, Makoto quickly joined her friend at the bedroom wall, took the glass from Minako's hand and listened in. The soft moans and rhythmic sound of a squeaking bed instantly turned her face bright crimson.
"Ohh! Oh, Ryo-kun! Please... please don't stop! Ohhh! Yes!"
"My sweet Ami! I love you!"
The glass slipped from Makoto's trembling hand and fell onto the carpeted floor with a dull thud. She looked at Minako from the corner of her eye. "Well... uh... I think I need a... a coffee or something. Yes. That's it. I'm going downstairs. To... to the kitchen."
"I think I'll join you." The two girls fled from their room and toward the stairway.
. . . . .
In the dining room, some time later:
"More coffee, Minako-chan?"
"Yes, please."
"You know, we really should get some rest."
"I'm good. Maybe later, Mako-chan."
"Me too."
They stared silently into their coffee cups as the minutes ticked past.
. . . . .
The next morning, Makoto and Minako stumbled into the kitchen after managing to catch a few hours of sleep. They were soon joined by Ami and Ryo, who entered the room holding hands and smiling happily.
"Good morning" Makoto greeted the young lovers, her eyes tinged with fatigue. "Can I get you both something to eat? Would you like some tea or coffee?"
Minako giggled, "Or perhaps a cold shower?"
Ami and Ryo looked at each other and blushed scarlet red.
"You look a little tired, Mako-chan" Ami said when she finally found her voice. "Didn't you sleep well?"
"Well, you know, a new house and all..." the brunette mumbled.
"As our host, you really should try to relax more and enjoy your new home. Ryo and I will make the coffee. Would you like a cup?"
Makoto shook her head. "No thank you, Ami-chan. I've already had enough to last a lifetime."
Chapter 4:
With his girlfriend tagging along beside him, Mamoru walked into the dining room and poured a coffee from the fresh pot Makoto had placed on the table. Dressed in an old pair of jeans and a work shirt, he appeared quite different than how the girls had usually seen him.
"You look ready to get down to business, Mamoru-san" Makoto smiled. "I think that rugged outdoor look really suits you."
"Hey! Eyes off my boyfriend, Mako-chan!" Usagi jokingly warned the brown-haired girl with a wagging finger.
"I think I'll start by checking the plumbing for leaks" Mamoru said as he sipped his coffee. "After that, I'll look at the electrical wiring and finish off with the fireplace and roof."
"I deeply appreciate your time and effort, Mamoru-san. I"m planning on making a really nice meal later, so don't worry if you work up a big appetite!"
"That sounds wonderful. I'm looking forward to it, Mako-chan."
"Anything I can do to help, Chiba-san?" Ryo asked.
"Absolutely. Between the two of us, we'll cover the house in no time."
"Please be careful, Ryo-kun" Ami implored her young man. "Don't hurt yourself."
Rei patted her concerned friend on the arm. "He'll be fine, Ami-chan. Remember, it's not Usagi he's helping. Now that would be a suicide mission!"
Ignoring the wisecrack, Usagi walked up near Rei and casually stood a short distance behind her. Remembering her threat from the previous night, the miko abruptly spun around in her seat. "What are you doing back there, Usagi-chan?"
"Oh, nothing." Usagi casually glanced up at the ceiling.
Paranoia began to build in Rei's mind. She was convinced the blonde was plotting something to get even for the fake spider attack.
"Why so stressed, Rei-chan?" Minako chuckled.
"I don't trust her."
"Nani? You don't trust sweet little me?" Usagi blinked innocently. "Why Rei-chan, I would never do anything to frighten a friend. I'm not that kind of person."
"Ha! Now I know you're up to something, Usagi-chan. I'll be watching you!" Rei rose from her chair. "I'm going to take my turn in the shower now, Mako-chan." She glared at Usagi one final time before heading upstairs.
"Let's get started on that fuse panel in the kitchen, Ryo-san." Mamoru and Ryo left to begin their work.
"Ami-chan, could you please drive me into town? I need a few more ingredients for the dinner tonight."
"Of course, Mako-chan. Would you like to come with us, Usagi-chan?"
"Hai Hai!"
"Minako-chan?"
"I'm in!"
After informing the boys of their plans, Ami suddenly realized that Mamoru's car was behind hers in the narrow driveway, blocking her in. "No problem, Ami-chan." Mamoru reached into his pocket and produced a key. "You can take my car."
"Are you sure, Mamoru-san?"
"I hear you're an excellent driver. Go right ahead, it will be something a little different and add to your experience."
"Arigatou, Mamoru-san."
"You'll need the bigger car anyway, Ami-chan. It has lots more space to carry all the food Usagi-chan will need." Minako quipped at the blonde, "To give her more energy for, you know, cuddling!"
Usagi and Ami both blushed.
Gratefully accepting the offered key, Ami and her three friends climbed into Mamoru's car and drove off toward Nerima.
. . . . .
Rei stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a large towel. As she dried her hair, she found herself pondering how best to thwart Usagi's certain attempt at revenge. Changing into fresh clothes, she followed the sound of male voices downstairs.
Entering the kitchen she found Mamoru and Ryo working under the sink. "Where is everyone?"
"They went to the grocery store, Rei-chan" Ryo replied. "They said they wouldn't be gone long."
"Oh? Well, I guess I have some time to kill. Call me if you need anything." Idly wandering around downstairs, a new idea for teasing Usagi popped into Rei's mind and she slipped quietly into the doctor's office.
. . . . .
"How do you like driving a larger car, Ami-chan?" Makoto asked as Ami drove toward the town.
"It feels quite different from mine, Mako-chan. It's very roomy and much more powerful" Ami replied, resisting the urge to drive it faster.
From the rear seat, Minako sighed. "Such a nice car, too. A shame it won't be like this much longer."
"What do you mean, Minako-chan?"
"I was just picturing how it will look after Usagi-chan starts driving next year. So many dents and scratches!" She shook her head sadly.
Indignant, Usagi opened her mouth to reply only to grimace as Makoto asked, "Have you ever seen Usagi ride a bicycle, Minako-chan?"
"No, I haven't. Why?"
"I have. It wasn't a pretty sight."
"It wasn't my fault that I crashed!" Usagi insisted. "That thing jumped right out in front of me!"
"Usagi-chan, that 'thing' you're talking about was a mailbox. And it was bolted to the ground."
"Well...it was a dumb place to put a mailbox anyway."
"It was your parents' mailbox, Usagi-chan."
. . . . .
Arriving home with several bags of groceries, Makoto and her friends carried them into a music-filled house. Rei was seated at the piano and was nearing the end of a classical piece as her friends put down their bags and crowded around her. Everyone applauded as she finished.
"That's very good, Rei-chan!" Ami exclaimed. "How long have you been playing like that?"
"Did you really like it?" Rei asked. "I've been dabbling for a year or so. I only have an electric keyboard at home, so it's nice to play the real thing. This one could use a little tuning though."
"I'll add that to my list" Makoto nodded with a smile. "Speaking of lists, where are the boys?"
"They're outside at the rear of the house and they said they're nearly finished. Mamoru-san told me he hasn't found any big problems so far."
"That's good to hear. Well I'd better put away the groceries and start planning tonight's meal. Usagi-chan is determined to ride the swan boats today and I'd like the food to be ready soon after everyone gets back."
"Aren't you coming with us, Mako-chan?"
"I'd like to, Usagi-chan. But the meal I have in mind takes time to prepare and I want to do it right. Have fun on the boats and tell me all about it over dinner."
Chapter 5:
"Minna, please have a seat in the dining room. Dinner's almost ready!" Makoto greeted her returning friends at the front door and ushered them inside.
Usagi sniffed the air. "It smells so good, Mako-chan! Can I have seconds?"
"You haven't even started yet and you're already asking for more? Don't be so greedy!" Rei scoffed. She turned to her hostess. "I'll be right down, Mako-chan. I just need a minute to get out of these wet clothes."
"Was there a problem with the boats, Rei-chan?" Makoto asked as she untied her apron.
"Yes, a blonde odango-atama problem!" Rei grumbled. She walked upstairs to change as the others took places at the table. Ami offered to help serve and brought out a pot of green tea and a large bowl of yakisoba.
As Rei rejoined her friends, Makoto began placing bowls of miso soup in front of the teens. Returning to the kitchen, she reappeared with a tray of sushi and another of teriyaki chicken. A final trip yielded small bowls of daikon salad. "I hope you like it!"
"Mako-chan, you weren't kidding about preparing a big meal!" Mamoru tasted the soup and pronounced it delicious, receiving a warm smile of gratitude from the young chef. "Someday you really should consider opening your own restaurant."
"I'll be your first customer, Mako-chan!" Usagi volunteered.
"Usagi would be your only customer, Mako-chan" Rei joked. "After she's done, there wouldn't be any food left over for anyone else."
"How was your ride in the swan boat, Rei-chan? And how did you get so wet?" Makoto asked. Usagi promptly stopped eating and looked down at her plate in silence.
"Where do I begin?" Rei mused. "Do you want to hear about the part where Minako-chan rammed our boat into the dock? No? Ok, then how about when Usagi lost her balance getting out of her boat and grabbed the swan neck so she wouldn't fall into the water? She broke the head completely off."
"You're kidding, right?" Makoto gasped.
"I wish I was. Mamoru-san had to pay the man at the boat rental a deposit to cover the damage."
Makoto laughed. "You still haven't told me how you got your clothes wet."
"Mako-chan, take my advice. Never, ever try to help Usagi out of a boat. Just don't do it!"
"Usagi-chan, what happened?" Makoto asked the blonde who sat quietly beside her.
"I... I pulled Rei-chan into the water." Usagi stared sullenly at her plate. "But it was an accident. Honest, it was!"
"Usagi-chan, you're an accident!" Rei yelled.
"It wasn't all bad, Mako-chan" Ami said. "Ryo-kun and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm sorry you missed out. It was... very relaxing." Ryo nodded and smiled shyly at his girlfriend.
Rei stared at the couple across the table. "Ami-chan, I fail to see how getting soaked in freezing water could be considered relaxing!" The miko tried calming herself with another bite of sushi. "At least the food was worth waiting for. It really is excellent, Mako-chan."
"Don't forget to leave room for dessert, everyone. I made something new that I haven't tried before."
"Mako-chan experiments with her cooking so much, she's like a mad scientist in the kitchen!" Minako kidded.
"I just hope my dessert doesn't turn into a monster, Minako-chan."
. . . . .
After their meal, Ami and Minako volunteered to do the dishes while the other teens adjourned to the living room. Mamoru gestured toward the piano. "We heard you playing while we were outside, Rei-chan. You're very good at it. I'd love to hear another song, that is, if you'd like to play for us."
Needing no further encouragement to show off her talent, Rei sat at the Kawai. "Are there any requests?"
"How about something slow and soft, Rei-chan?" Makoto asked.
Rei nodded and thought for a moment. Placing her hands on the keys, she had just struck her first chord when the loud crash of a shattering plate came from the kitchen. Minako's grinning face appeared in the doorway. "Sorry! That was me!" she giggled before returning to the sink.
"I hope that wasn't part of the old set" Makoto groaned. "The nice ones with the flower pattern around the rim."
Starting again, Rei began to play a traditional Okinawan Min'yo folk song. A melancholy, almost haunting refrain filled the room as the miko played and sang, bringing Ami and Minako into the living room to listen.
A tear formed in Usagi's eyes as the music progressed, and she squeezed Mamoru's hand softly as she listened.
As Rei finished, everyone stood and applauded the miko's performance. "That was so beautiful, Rei-chan."
"Arigatou, Usagi-chan." Rei bowed to her appreciative audience, closed the cover over the old piano's faded keys and took a seat near the fireplace.
"I wish I could play the piano like that" Usagi sighed. "But it looks so hard."
"It's like any other skill, Usako. You have to stick with it and keep practicing" Mamoru told his love. "And of course, having a natural musical talent like Rei-chan has is very important to reach that level of skill."
"Mamo-chan, after we're married can I get a piano?"
Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "We'll see, Usako."
"You'd better buy her one, Mamoru-san. Before she changes her mind and wants to learn to play drums or something!" Makoto chuckled.
"I'm not sure that's such a bad idea, Mako-chan" Rei pointed out. "She's always hitting things and making noise. Drums may be the perfect instrument for Usagi. As long as Mamoru-san keeps plenty of headache medicine in their house!"
Usagi ignored the jibe as she thought about the idea. "If the other girls learn to play something too, we can start our own girl band. I even have a name for it! How about 'The Five Senshi'?"
"I have a better name than that if you're playing in it, Usagi-chan. How about 'Usagi and her Four Victims'?"
The blonde made a face. "Someday I'll be a famous musician and we'll see who's laughing then!"
"Laughing?" Rei joked. "That would probably be your audience, Usagi-chan."
"Ohh! You're always so cruel to me! What do I ever do to deserve it?"
The expression that appeared on Rei's face answered Usagi's question.
. . . . .
As nighttime arrived, the seven teenagers relaxed around a crackling fire. Snuggling closely into her boyfriend's warm embrace, Usagi watched the dancing flames and whispered with delight, "Isn't this romantic, Mamo-chan?" Mamoru smiled at the pretty blonde in his arms and softly kissed her lips in reply.
Makoto and Minako both sighed, trying hard not to notice the happy couple. Looking away, Makoto saw that at the other end of the sofa, even normally shy Ami and Ryo were also sharing an intimate moment. She sighed again and turned her attention back to the flickering fire.
Rei could sense the two girls' loneliness and asked, "I'm going to step outside for a little fresh air. Anyone want to come with me?" As she expected, her two unattached friends quickly volunteered.
Strolling along the moonlit roadway, Minako turned to Rei and confessed, "Rei-chan, I think there's something wrong with me."
"What do you mean, Minako-chan?"
Minako was silent for a moment before answering. "I'm young. I'm outgoing. I'm attractive, or at least I think so, but it's still impossible to find a caring guy like Mamoru or Ryo or your own Yuuichirou. I"m supposed to be the Senshi of Love, but even that's not helping. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong."
"The same goes for me, Rei-chan" Makoto added. "I can understand how some boys would be turned off by my height or my... behavior sometimes, but all of them?" She shook her head, her ponytail swaying in the moonlight. "It's... discouraging."
Rei stopped and her friends turned to face her. "Do you want to know a secret?" the miko asked. "Before Yuuichirou turned up at the shrine that day and we fell in love, I felt exactly the way you do now. I mean, what hope did I have? Living in a Shinto shrine of all places, with a grumpy old grandfather who seemed determined to chase away every cute guy who happened along. I remember very well what loneliness feels like."
"But you did find someone, Rei-chan" Minako pointed out.
"No I didn't, Minako-chan. Fate found him for me. And I know in my heart that fate will find someone for you too. For both of you. And," she added, "not just any guy. The right guy. The soul mate you are destined to share your life with."
"Do you really think so?" Makoto asked, a glimmer of hope in her voice.
"I know it" Rei replied confidently. "I don't know when, but it will happen before too long. And believe me, Mako-chan, having the right boy in your life, someone who truly loves you... it's worth the wait."
The three girls walked on quietly for a while, until Minako finally said, "Arigatou, Rei-chan. Sometimes a little reassurance goes a long way."
"Glad I could help, Minako-chan. Now, let's get back to the house before it's too late and we miss all the fun."
"What fun, Rei-chan?" Minako asked, puzzled.
Rei grinned wickedly. "You remember that skeleton hanging in the front office?"
"Yes. What about it?"
"When you were out getting groceries earlier, I took the skull part off and hid it under Usagi's pillow. So if you hear a scream later tonight, you'll know who it's coming from."
Makoto laughed. "Sometimes I think Usagi is right, Rei-chan. You are evil!"
"Not at all, Mako-chan. It was the least I could do for a friend."
Chapter 6:
"I think I'll be calling it a night soon" Minako yawned. "It's been a busy day." She stood up and stretched beside the dying fire. Behind her, Ami and Ryo also rose and wished everyone a good night as well.
"Doing a little more studying, Ami-chan?" Rei asked.
"Well, we have an economics test on Tuesday" Ami replied hesitantly. "Ryo-kun and I want to do our very best on it."
Makoto raised her cup to her lips. "I don't think you have to worry, Ami-chan. Getting a perfect grade on a test has never been a problem for you or Ryo-chan." She took a sip of her green tea.
"Well, when it comes to studying, Mako-chan, my Ryo-kun and I can never get enough."
Makoto choked in mid-swallow and began to cough.
"Are you ok, Mako-chan?" Ryo asked.
"I'm... fine... thank you" the brown-haired girl wheezed as Minako grinned at her.
"Ami-chan, I'm curious" Rei asked. "So much studying, yet you didn't bring any schoolbooks with you."
Ami blushed deeply. "Good night, Rei-chan." With that, she took her boyfriend's hand and hurried upstairs.
"I'm going too" Rei announced. "We'll leave the other two love birds here." She gave Usagi and Mamoru a wink. "Have a wonderful night, kids."
Makoto and Rei followed the blonde upstairs to their rooms. Closing the bedroom door, Minako began giggling uncontrollably.
"Stop that, Minako-chan!" Makoto ordered. "Let's try to get some rest tonight, ok?"
"I'm sorry, Mako-chan. But I can't help it!"
"And please, no more spying on Ami and Ryo! Let's give them their privacy."
"You're no fun at all, Mako-chan!" Minako laughed. A soft knock at the door was followed by Rei entering their room. "Do you mind if I stick around for a while?" she asked. "I don't want to be in my room when Usagi finds that skull."
"Maybe you should hide in a closet until Typhoon Usagi passes, Rei-chan" Makoto offered. "The one in here is big enough."
"If you ruin Mamoru's romantic evening with Usagi, you may end up sleeping in the car!" Minako continued her giggling as she warned, "Oh, and whatever you do, Rei-chan, do not go into Ami's room!"
"Why not?"
"Because they're... they're... studying!" Minako erupted into laughter, falling back onto her bed.
"I see." Rei said. An evil grin appeared on the miko's face. "You know, there's this thing you can do with a glass-"
Makoto held up a hand. "Don't go there, Rei-chan. I can't handle another jug of coffee tonight."
"What's she talking about, Minako-chan?"
Sporting a huge cheshire-cat grin on her face, Minako pointed to the floor near the wall, where an empty glass still lay on the carpet.
"You people are disgusting!" Rei said. "I like that."
"Shhh! Makoto hushed the others. "I think I hear Usagi and Mamoru coming down the hall!"
The three girls waited quietly for Usagi to enter her room and discover Rei's bedtime surprise.
. . . . .
On the other side of the wall two young lovers stood beside their bed, wrapped in a tender embrace. Gazing into the depths of his girlfriend's sparkling blue eyes, Ryo whispered "My beautiful Ami-chan, I only wish I could find words to say how much I love you."
The studious blue-haired girl smiled softly back. "Ryo-kun my love, sometimes words alone can never be enough." Her shyness gone, she pressed her soft lips tenderly to his.
. . . . .
"You go on in, Usako. I'll be with you in a few minutes." Mamoru kissed Usagi and headed back down the hallway.
"Please don't be long, Mamo-chan!" Usagi entered the bedroom alone and closed the door behind her. Wrapping herself in a pink robe, she sat on the bed and waited for her love to reappear.
. . . . .
"It won't be long now!" Minako whispered excitedly as she stood near the door. "Usagi's inside, and Mamoru is in the bathroom. It's perfect!" she cackled evilly.
"Rei-chan, are you sure this is a good idea?" Makoto sounded worried. "Playing a trick on Usagi is one thing, but at a time like this... Maybe you should get the skull out of there before she finds it. I can distract Usagi-chan for you while you do it."
Rei waved dismissively at her friend. "That won't be necessary, Mako-chan. I know what I'm doing."
"I hope so."
. . . . .
After a delicious, lingering kiss, Ami reached for the buttons on Ryo's shirt and began slowly unfastening them. "My darling Ryo... please... love me" she whispered, the petite blue-haired girl's eyes ablaze with passion. Her boy nodded and smiled shyly in reply.
. . . . .
Impatient with the wait, Usagi decided to make herself more comfortable. She stretched out on the bed and eased her head down onto the pillow. Feeling a strange lump beneath it, she frowned and reached behind her.
"Aaaahhhhh! Rei-chan, you're dead!" Her door burst open and Usagi stormed down the hall to Rei's room, two long braids of hair streaming wildly behind the upset girl.
. . . . .
"What was that?" Ryo asked. "It sounded like Usagi-chan."
"I wish those two would stop their silly nonsense!" Ami fumed as the door across from her room was thrown violently open, striking the doorstop with a bang.
"Rei-chan! Where are you?" Usagi yelled, finding the room empty. "This time you've gone too far!"
Laughter poured through the wall from Makoto's room as Usagi turned and pounded on Ami's door. "Rei-chan! Are you hiding in there?"
"She'll be here next, Rei-chan!" Minako hissed. "Quick, hide in the closet!"
"Usagi-chan, please don't intrude! She isn't in here!" Ami's exasperated voice caused Minako to fold over with laughter until tears formed in her eyes.
As footsteps approached, Rei hurriedly squeezed into Makoto's large closet and slid its door tightly shut. Her two friends took places on their beds and pretended to chat as Usagi wrenched their door open and glared inside. "Have you seen Rei-chan? I'm going to kill her!"
Minako forced her smile away. "What's wrong, Usagi-chan?" she asked innocently. "Is Rei teasing you again?"
Usagi looked around the room and satisfied herself that her target was nowhere in sight. "She put a skull in my bed, Minako-chan! It scared me to death!" Tears streaked the young blonde's face.
"I'm sure she didn't mean to frighten you so much, Usagi-chan" Makoto reassured her. "You know how Rei is, she was just having a little fun."
Mamoru walked up behind Usagi and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mako-chan is right, Usako. Don't let this spoil your night."
Calming noticeably from her boyfriend's touch, Usagi spun around and buried herself in his arms. "Mamo-chan, please get rid of that thing!"
"I will, Usako. It won't bother you any more."
Sniffling, Usagi waited while Mamoru disposed of the frightening object and escorted her back to their room. Makoto eased her door closed and the old house became peaceful again.
Inching the closet open, Rei peered out from her hiding place. "Is she gone?"
"The coast is clear, you can come out now." Makoto sighed with relief. "Wow! Rei-chan, when you play a joke, you really go all out!"
"I think that went well" Rei grinned. "Don't worry, Mako-chan. If there's one thing I know about Usagi, she'll soon forget all about it and tomorrow will be just another day." She walked around Minako and toward the exit. "I guess it's safe for me to go to my room now."
Rei abruptly paused and her face turned pale as passionate voices could suddenly be heard through the wall.
"Ohh! Ryo, my love! Ohhh!"
"My beautiful Ami-chan!"
"Yes darling! I"m... I'm... Ohhhh!"
Makoto looked at Minako. "Time for a coffee?"
"Let's do it. Rei-chan, want to join us?"
The miko nodded wordlessly and once more the girls quickly left their room for the tranquility of the kitchen.
Chapter 7:
Her eyes fluttered open, taking a moment to focus before the ceiling and its light fixture came gradually into view. After a late night of coffee and chatting downstairs with Makoto and Minako, Rei vaguely remembered collapsing into bed sometime well past two a.m.. Propping herself up on one elbow she examined the hands of her watch on the bedside table.
'It's nearly nine!' she gasped. 'I've slept in, just like Usagi!' Swinging her legs across the edge of the mattress, she reached for her robe and slipped it on.
The old house seemed strangely quiet this morning, with no voices or sounds of any kind echoing up the stairs. Rei crossed the hall to find the upstairs bathroom empty. Hanging her robe on a hook behind the door, she set the tap to warm and after waiting a few moments for the temperature to stabilize, she stepped into the shower and slid the plastic curtain closed.
Taking her time, she luxuriated beneath the warm, soothing mist and smiled as she remembered the trick she had played on her blonde friend just hours before. After a somewhat lengthy shower, the miko pulled the curtain aside and reached for a towel.
'That's strange. I was sure I hung my robe on the door.' Shrugging it off, Rei toweled herself dry and after wrapping the damp towel around her, she returned to her room to dress. A handwritten note, along with her robe, was waiting for her on the bed.
'Rei-chan,
All your other clothes are in a bag beside the road. If you want them, you have to go get them.
Love,
Usagi'
"Usagi-chan, stop playing games!" Rei yelled, but the house remained silent.
As she was about to slip into her robe, she noticed that someone had securely taped a large piece of paper across its back. Hastily scrawled across the page with a black marker, in large hiragana script, were the words 'Gomen watashi wa baka yaro!'.
A quick check of her closet revealed that all of her clothing was indeed missing.
"You little monster!" Rei fumed. "So you think I'm an idiot, do you, Usagi-chan? We'll just see about that!"
She angrily picked at the sticky tape for a few moments before becoming impatient. Pulling her robe on, she hurried downstairs to scream at the meddlesome blonde.
. . . . .
At the rear of the house, Makoto took a quick peek through a window. "She's checking all the rooms for us!" The three girls and two boys hiding with her looked at one another and broke into laughter.
"Minna, keep your voices down!" the tall brunette hissed. "She'll hear us!" Her friends became silent as they waited for the second part of the plan to unfold.
. . . . .
Finding the house deserted, Rei had no choice but to play along with Usagi's game. With every step her temper grew hotter as she strode past the parked cars to the curb. Reaching down, she grabbed the plastic bag containing her clothes from the end of the driveway, only to hear the clicking sound of a camera shutter as she straightened up. The miko whirled around to find Usagi standing behind one of the cars with Mamoru's camera in her hand and a massive grin on her face.
"Thank you for posing for me, Rei-chan! This picture will look really nice in my scrapbook!" The blonde waved the camera at her friend.
"Usagi-chan! Give me that camera this instant!"
Usagi opened the car door, threw the camera on the seat, and slammed the door closed. "Sorry, Rei-chan. The car is locked and I don't have the key!" With a burst of speed, Usagi bolted toward the rear of the house with Rei in hot pursuit, her robe flapping wildly in the chilly morning air.
Rei turned the corner and was shocked to find all of her friends waiting for her there. "Rei-chan, aren't you a little underdressed to be running around outside in this weather?" Ami asked.
Realizing everyone was in on the joke, Rei bundled her robe tightly around herself in a feeble attempt to retain some dignity. "Ok. You got me. Nice trick, Usagi-chan. I guess we're even now."
Usagi smiled and shook her head "We're not even yet, Rei-chan. Not until Yuuichirou gets a copy of the picture."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I think she would, Rei-chan" Mamoru said with a grin. "Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you buy everyone breakfast in town!" Usagi laughed. "And say you're sorry for scaring me last night!"
"Forget it!"
"Fine! Mamo-chan, how soon can we get that film developed?"
"Oh... Ok! I apologize! I'm sorry I put the skull in your bed, Usagi-chan." Rei glared at her. "But after breakfast, I want that film. Deal?"
"It's a deal!" Usagi hugged her friend. "No hard feelings, Rei-chan?"
"Usagi-chan, you are unbelievable." Rei gave in and hugged her back.
. . . . .
At the restaurant, Usagi took a last bite from what had been a large and pricey meal. Rei waited patiently until she had finished, then demanded the film.
"I can't give it to you, Rei-chan."
"And why not? We had a deal, remember?"
Her blonde friend giggled, "Because there isn't any film. The camera was empty!"
Rei put her head in her hands and groaned. "I should have known."
"Thanks for the food, though. It was delicious!"
Chapter 8:
Half way back to Makoto's house from the restaurant, Rei's curiosity finally got the better of her.
"Ami-chan?"
Ami and Ryo had been exceptionally quiet during the drive, even more than usual, and as Ami looked at Rei in the rear view mirror, the miko could sense Ami was hiding something.
"Yes, Rei-chan?"
"I hope you don't mind if I ask you this. It's not something I need to know. But something's bothering me about that joke this morning."
"What is it?" Ami asked, swallowing as though her throat had just become dry.
Rei asked, "That trick everyone played on me was really clever. I'm convinced it was too clever for Usagi to dream up all by herself." She shifted slightly in her seat, trying to glimpse Ami's face in the car mirror. "Did Mamoru think of it?"
Ami pursed her lips. "It... um... wasn't Mamoru-san's idea, Rei-chan."
"Really? Than who put Usagi up to..." The change in Ami's expression gave her secret away at once. "Ami-chan!" Rei gasped. "It was your idea?"
"I'm sorry, Rei-chan. But you have to admit, you were giving Usagi-chan a really difficult time this weekend. I was only trying to... help even the score."
"But that's so unlike you, Ami-chan."
In a moment that would remain etched in Rei's memory forever, Ami looked into the miko's eyes through her inside mirror. In an almost comically serious tone that stunned her friend, Ami replied, "Rei-chan, you should never, ever disturb a girl and her boyfriend when they're studying!"
. . . . .
In the car ahead of Ami's, Usagi was still talking about her victory over her shrine maiden friend. "Mamo-chan, I wish your camera did have film in it. That picture of Rei could come in handy in the future."
"Now Usako, that's blackmail. It's not nice for you to even think of doing that to a close friend."
"But look at all the mean things Rei did to me, Mamo-chan! And on that trip we took to the resort she was even worse!"
"Aren't you forgetting a few things, Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked. "You know, the dead battery in Ami's car, dropping Rei's camera in the water-"
"I remember, Mako-chan!" Usagi blurted. "So I did cause some problems, but still..." Usagi thought for a moment. "Do you think Rei-chan will try to get even with me again?"
"I'm sure she will!" Makoto laughed. "This is one war that may never end."
Arriving back at the house Rei and Usagi shared looks of distrust as they climbed out of their cars.
"Minna, how about a little stroll through the countryside?" Mamoru suggested to the group, hoping a walk in the fresh morning air would help calm the tension that seemed to be building once more between his girlfriend and Rei.
"That's a great idea!" Makoto agreed. "We can follow the road and see where it leads."
The group of seven began trekking down the deserted lane. "The scenery is lovely here, Rei-chan" Minako said without thinking. "It's a shame you didn't bring your camera... Oh! Never mind."
Rei gave the blonde an angry look. "I'm sorry, Minako-chan. My camera is a little busy right now" the raven-haired girl reminded her with a grumble, "taking close-up pictures of fish!"
At the top of a rolling hill, Mamoru pointed at a house in the distance. "Your closest neighbor is quite a distance away, Mako-chan. Your home has a lot of privacy, it's certainly a very different world than the crowds in Tokyo."
As they neared the other house, someone appeared in the doorway and waved at the group. Striding up to meet them revealed the person to be a young man of about sixteen. Bowing deeply to the group, he introduced himself.
"Minna, ohayou gozaimasu. You must be the new residents of the old Fujiwara place up the road" he addressed Mamoru. "I'm Ito Yuji." The young man stood just a little taller than Makoto, with dark brown hair cut in a style similar to Ryo's and light brown eyes.
"Ohayou, Ito-san." Mamoru introduced himself and graciously stepped to one side as Makoto approached. "Actually, I'm not the owner. This young lady is. Ito-san, may I present a very close friend, Kino Makoto."
Makoto smiled shyly at the handsome, well-built teen. "A pleasure to meet you, Ito-san." She briefly explained how she had become the owner of the property, and the boy's eyes lit up.
"That's great, Kino-san! How are you finding your new house?"
"It's a big change from my tiny apartment in Tokyo" Makoto admitted.
"You live in Tokyo? I visit the city every week or so with my father, when he's there on business, but it's so easy to get lost. Maybe some time... you would maybe... show me around?"
"I'd be happy to, Ito-san" Makoto agreed in a heartbeat.
"I hope to see you around here more often too" Yuji said with a warm smile. A voice from inside his house interrupted their conversation as it called out to him. "That's my mother" Yuji said. "I promised her I'd fix the loose hinge on our back door today. I wish we could talk more, but I'd better get on with my work." Saying goodbye to everyone, he turned away after adding, "Drop over anytime, Kino-san!"
As the group headed back to Makoto's place, Usagi grinned at her friend. "Mako-chan! I saw that look he gave you. I think he likes you!"
Makoto was cautious. "I'm not getting my hopes up, Usagi-chan. I'm sure a nice guy like that has girls hanging all over him." But a hopeful smile appeared on her lips as she spoke.
. . . . .
Back at Makoto's house, Usagi said "That walk made me thirsty, Mako-chan. Would you have any soda left?"
"We've got plenty! Have a seat on the sofa, Usagi-chan. I'll get you one. Anyone else need anything?" the brown haired girl asked brightly.
I'll have one too if you please, Mako-chan" Rei said.
"Me too, please!" Minako added.
"Three sodas, coming right up!"
"Meeting that boy certainly brightened Mako-chan's mood" Ryo observed after Makoto left for her kitchen.
Rei nodded and asked, "Minako-chan, you surprised me. I thought you'd be all over a cute guy like that."
"Normally I would be, Rei-chan" Minako laughed, "but after seeing how he and Mako-chan were getting along, I knew I didn't stand a chance!"
Three bottles of soda soon appeared on the coffee table and Makoto took a seat in one of the chairs across from the sofa.
Usagi turned to her boyfriend before reaching for her soda. "Mamo-chan, wouldn't it be wonderful if they can get together?" she asked excitedly. "Mako-chan would have a new boyfriend!" While she was distracted, Rei reached for her own unopened drink, shook the bottle as vigorously as she could beneath the table, and placed it near Usagi, swapping the blonde's soda with hers.
"Rei-chan, please-" Ami was about to protest but Rei silenced the sometimes-timid girl with a finger to her lips and a threatening glare.
"Like I said before, Usagi-chan, I've had things like this blow up in my face before. Let's just wait and see, ok?"
"Good idea, Mako-chan" Minako nodded solemnly. "It's always wise not to count your children before they hatch!"
Everyone groaned at Minako's latest misquote. "Chickens, Minako-chan!" Rei corrected her. "It's 'count your chickens before they hatch'."
"Oh. Well, you know what I mean" the blonde giggled.
Usagi reached for her soda and was about to twist the cap open when Makoto caught her eye. Shaking her head ever so slightly, she glanced at Rei, then back at the thirsty girl. Realization suddenly dawned on Usagi's face.
"Rei-chan?"
"What is it, Usagi-chan?"
"Seeing as we're friends again, I think we should... be more kind to each other, don't you think?"
"Fine." Rei frowned. "What are you getting at?"
"Your soda bottle looks... dusty. I don't want a dear friend drinking from a dusty old bottle. Here, please take mine instead." Smiling sweetly, Usagi switched her soda with Rei's.
"That's not necessary, Usagi-chan." Rei waved her off and switched bottles back. "Besides, mine isn't as cold. I wouldn't want you to drink warm soda."
"Will you two please stop arguing and just drink!" Minako blurted. "Here, if Rei's soda is so bad, then give it to me. I'll drink it!" Before anyone could stop her, Minako grabbed the shaken soda bottle and twisted its cap off.
Chapter 9:
"Who did that!" Minako screamed, her top and skirt dripping with sticky soda. She looked at Rei, then at Usagi, but both girls were laughing too hard to identify the culprit. "I know it was one of you two!"
"Let me get you something to clean that up." Makoto rushed to the kitchen and returned with a pair of dish towels.
Ami and Mamoru exchanged worried glances, knowing the battle may have just escalated to new and dangerous heights. Minako mopped up most of the spilled soda from her clothing, then stood and stormed off toward the shower, leaving a trail of small spots behind her.
"That was meant for me, wasn't it Rei-chan?" Usagi scowled at the teenager sitting next to her.
"Please settle down, Usako." Mamoru gently squeezed her arm. "After this morning, you should have expected Rei to try something like that."
"She said we were even, Mamo-chan! It's not fair to-"
A loud rumble of nearby thunder drowned out her words. Ryo walked over to a window and looked outside as heavy rain began pelting the house. "It's really dark out there. I think we're in for quite a storm."
Worried, Makoto looked up toward the ceiling. "Looks like I'll soon find out if the roof is any good."
Ryo asked his love, "Ami-chan, I read somewhere that you shouldn't take a shower in a thunderstorm. Is that true?"
"I'm not completely sure, Ryo-kun, but I'll tell Minako-chan to wait until the storm passes, just to be safe." Ami hurried upstairs to warn her friend.
"If Minako has to sit around all sticky like that, she's going to get even angrier" Makoto said. "Rei-chan, Usagi-chan, how about calling a truce for the rest of the day?" After exchanging evil looks, both girls reluctantly agreed. I'll tell Minako-chan so she doesn't get carried away and try to pull some crazy revenge trick of her own." Makoto followed Ami upstairs, wiping up the spilled soda droplets as she went.
"That was mean, Rei-chan. Really, really mean!"
"Well what did you expect, Usagi-chan? I couldn't just sit back after what you did to me without doing something in return. And you ruined my best robe too! That ink will never wash out."
"You always have to have the last word, don't you?" Usagi grumbled, still upset over the near-miss.
"No I don't!"
"Yes you do!"
"Girls, please. Remember the truce?" Mamoru tried to intervene but felt as though he was fighting a losing battle. Another deafening crack of thunder overhead only added to the electrified atmosphere inside the living room. "Can't we all enjoy a peaceful weekend together?"
Surprisingly, Rei suddenly relented. "Mamoru-san, you are absolutely right. These childish games are ruining our weekend, not to mention making a mess of Mako-chan's new home. After all, we're supposed to be a team."
With a little gentle prodding from her boyfriend, Usagi finally agreed as well. With peace now established, Mamoru turned his attention to the storm.
The teens watched the raging weather for a few more minutes until the others returned one-by-one from upstairs. Minako appeared looking presentable again, having washed the soda off of herself with a wet towel and changed into dry clothing. Thankfully for everyone, she seemed much calmer now as well.
"Ami-chan, I don't think we should be in any hurry to drive back to Tokyo. It looks like it's getting worse out there."
Ami nodded in agreement. "It would be safer to wait until the storm passes, Mamoru-san. I haven't had much driving experience in rain this heavy."
"Since we're going to be stuck inside for a while, what would everyone like to do?" Makoto asked.
"Let's play a game" Usagi suggested. "How about those board games on that high shelf in the closet, Mako-chan?"
"Let me go see what's there." Makoto rummaged through the items and returned with a single box. "The only one I found that everyone can play is Monopoly. Is that ok?" Ryo and the girls agreed, while Mamoru tactfully chose to remain neutral and handle the banking duties.
Usagi grabbed the bag of playing pieces and dumped them onto the board. "I want to be the horse!" She reached for it only to have Rei snatch it up first. "I'm the horse, Usagi-chan."
"Shouldn't you be the dog, Rei-chan? I think that's a much better match for you."
"What do you mean by that, Usagi-chan?" Rei bristled. "Are you calling me a dog?"
"Usako, why don't you use this one?" Mamoru handed her the top hat, receiving a big smile from his girlfriend.
"That's so much better, Mamo-chan! It reminds me of Tuxedo Kamen!" She stuck her nose in the air. "You can keep your stupid horse, Rei-chan. I don't want it anymore."
After choosing pieces and setting up the board, Makoto went first, only to land on Succession Taxes. "Isn't that appropriate!" she muttered as she handed Mamoru the fee.
Rei was next to play, landing on Chance and immediately getting sent to jail. Usagi giggled, "This game is magic, Mako-chan! It knows where everyone belongs!"
"Pardon me? If I ever go to jail, it will be for strangling an annoying odango-atama!" Rei thumped her playing piece firmly onto the jail square.
Usagi rolled the dice, knocking Rei's horse over in the process. "Usagi-chan, do you have to be so clumsy?"
"Sorry, Rei-chan. I rolled an eight, and I'm on Toyama. Should I buy it?" she dithered, looking back and forth between her money and the property.
"Will you hurry up and make a decision!" Rei fumed. "At the speed you're going, we'll be playing for weeks!"
. . . . .
An hour later, Minako, Makoto and Usagi were bankrupt and out of the game. Ryo and Rei were barely hanging on, while Ami sat behind a huge stack of cash and a wall of hotels.
Rei's turn came up and she landed on the most expensive property on the board. "I think I'm done, Ami-chan. I can't afford Ginza with a hotel." She handed Ami her last few yen. "Looks like it's down to just the love birds."
Ryo took his turn next. After paying a doctor's fee, he was nearly broke. "I think the gentlemanly thing to do is to resign, and allow my sweet Ami-chan to claim victory." Ami blushed as he kissed her hand. "Ami-chan my love, you've won this game nearly as easily as you won my heart."
"Oh please, you two" Rei groaned. "Get a room!"
Ami smiled at the miko, surprising even herself with her reply. "Actually, we have one, Rei-chan."
"Yes. Well. Ok then." For a moment, Rei found herself at a loss for words.
Makoto nudged Minako with an elbow to silence her giggle. "Congratulations, Ami-chan. I should have known the rest of us never stood a chance."
"I have to say, Ami-chan" Minako said, "that ever since Ryo entered your life, you're like a different person."
"That's true! Whatever happened to the quiet and shy Ami-chan we used to have?" Usagi asked with a sly smile.
"But I'm still the same person" Ami insisted. "I'm still quiet, I'm still quite shy, and I still love to study."
"We know!" the other girls all said at once, the room dissolving into laughter.
"Did I say something funny?" An instant later Ami hid her red face behind her hands. "Oh!"
Chapter 10:
As the storm faded away and blue skies returned, Ryo decided that the time was right. Excusing himself from his girlfriend for a moment, he went upstairs to the bedroom they had shared. Reaching into the travel bag he had brought along, he removed a small box. After checking to make sure its precious content was secure, Ryo slipped the box into a shirt pocket and went back downstairs to Ami.
She was still sitting alone on the sofa and the young man's heart raced, as it always did, whenever he looked at her. Retaking his seat close beside her, she smiled happily back at her love. "My Ryo-kun, this has been the best weekend of my life!"
"And mine too, my beautiful Ami-chan." He reached into his pocket and withdrew the little box. "Perhaps this will help make it even better."
"What's that, Ryo-kun?" Ami looked curiously at the mysterious item in his hand.
"Just a little something to remind you that my heart is yours forever. I love you, Ami-chan. I want to share the rest of my life with you."
The petite girl's shimmering blue eyes began to mist and she gasped softly as he opened the box, revealing a promise ring. "Oh, my Ryo-kun!"
"I hope you will accept it" he spoke shyly.
"Yes my love! Oh yes!" With tears of joy filling her eyes, she slipped her arms around the boy and hugged him tenderly, never wanting to let him go. After a sweet, tender kiss, she held out her left hand. "Would you?"
Ryo removed the ring from its case and carefully slipped it onto Ami's left ring finger, just as Usagi and Mamoru walked into the room.
"Oh? What's this I see?" Usagi's eyes opened wide. "Is that a promise ring? It is!"
Ami smiled, her face aglow with joy, and held her hand out. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Usagi nodded vigorously. "I'm so happy for you both!"
"Congratulations!" Mamoru applauded the couple. "I knew it was only a matter of time."
Makoto, Minako and Rei were preparing a final snack for the group in the kitchen when they heard the commotion in the living room and hurried out. "That's just so wonderful!" Minako exclaimed after they spotted the ring, her eyes dreamy. "And so romantic!"
Usagi suddenly donned a serious expression and she turned to face Ryo. "Ryo-chan, you have to promise me something too. Promise that you'll always take good care of our Ami-chan and cherish her forever. Ok?"
"I will, Usagi-chan" Ryo nodded solemnly. "My Ami is my life, my love, my heart and soul."
After giving the happy couple her best wishes, Rei grinned at Usagi and Mamoru. "I notice your finger is still bare, Usagi-chan" she teased. "When can we expect to see a ring on it?"
Usagi looked up at her boyfriend. "Well, Mamo-chan?"
Mamoru smiled, knowing his girlfriend would ask him. "Very soon, Usako my love. Very soon. I've been waiting because I'm not sure how your father will react to the news."
"See, Rei-chan! Very soon!" Usagi replied haughtily. "And by the way, I don't see a ring on your finger either!"
Makoto sighed. "Even on a happy occasion like this, you two can find a way to annoy each other. You're incredible!" she laughed. "Well I think this calls for a celebration! I'm sorry I only have sandwiches and fruit juice to offer instead of champagne but at least we have wine glasses to hold the juice. I'll go get them! Minako-chan, would you help me? And please try not to break any!"
Minako and Makoto returned with seven long-stemmed glasses and placed them around the table. After they were filled, Mamoru held his up. "I'd like to propose a toast to Ami and Ryo. May your days be long and happy together, and may they be forever filled with love."
After a small celebration for Ami and Ryo, thoughts began turning to the journey home. While everyone else was packing, Minako crept back downstairs and after ensuring no one had noticed her, into the doctor's office. A minute later her work was complete and she snuck back to her room clutching a plastic bag. She waited until Usagi had finished her packing, then walked casually into the odango-haired girl's room.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Mamoru-san, but I just happened to look outside and I noticed something strange about your car. Maybe I'm seeing things, but it looks to me like your passenger window isn't completely closed."
"Usako, did you remember to close your window after we came back from the restaurant today?" Mamoru gasped, picturing his car now filled with rainwater.
"Of course, Mamo-chan! I'm sure I did... I... think I did..."
"I'd better check" Mamoru sighed. He hurried from the room with Usagi trailing behind, apologizing in advance for what her boyfriend might find.
"Mamo-chan, if I didn't, I'm really sorry... It was an accident! But I'm sure I closed..." As the voices faded, Minako rushed across the hall to retrieve the plastic bag from her bedroom.
"Minako-chan, what's in the bag?" Makoto asked.
"Oh... nothing much, Mako-chan. Just a little gift for Usagi." Without waiting for any further questions from her roommate, she dashed back to Usagi's room, opened the blonde's small weekend bag, and placed an object deep inside. Ensuring Usagi's clothes covered the surprise, she quickly zipped the bag closed and made it back to her own room just before Mamoru and Usagi reached the top of the stairs.
Mamoru stuck his head around Minako's doorway. "It looks like a false alarm, Minako-chan. The windows were all closed. Maybe a reflection from the clouds made it look like one was open."
"That's great to hear, Mamoru-san! I'm so relieved to know your nice car didn't get all wet inside."
After Mamoru left, Makoto pulled Minako aside. "What was that all about?" she whispered. "Minako-chan, are you up to something?"
"Who, me?" Minako batted her eyelids. "Well, actually I am, Mako-chan."
Makoto grinned, "Ok, what did you do?"
"Let's just say that when Usagi gets home and reaches in to unpack her bag, she'll be shaking hands with an old friend." An evil giggle ensued and Makoto shook her head in disbelief.
"You put one of the skeleton's hands in Usagi's luggage, didn't you? She'll kill you, Minako-chan!"
"I don't think so, Mako-chan" the blonde disagreed. "Not if she blames Rei first!"
"But... that will start their war all over again!"
"I know! Won't it be great?"
. . . . .
As the friends walked out to their cars, everyone thanked Makoto for inviting them to share the weekend at her home. "Mako-chan, any time you'd like to come back, I'll be more than happy to drive you" Ami volunteered.
"Arigatou, Ami-chan. And if there's ever a weekend or holiday that you and Ryo would like to stay here and I can't make it, please feel free to take my house key and use the place. No sense in having it sit empty all the time."
"Thank you so much, Mako-chan!" Ami replied gratefully. "That's very generous of you."
"The same applies to you, Rei-chan. And to everyone. My home is your home."
Usagi hugged the brown-haired girl. "I'm so happy to have such a dear friend, Mako-chan. Thank you."
Makoto checked one last time to ensure the doors of her new house were locked, and the seven teens reluctantly left the peace and tranquility of the countryside to return home to the bustle of Tokyo.
. . . . . . . . . .
Note: The next episode in the series is 'Moon Revenge'.