AN: Hello again! Well, I'm posting another OHC (One Hour Challenge) story. This one has 4 chapters and I will post one a day. Yes, I am still working on The Princess Problem. I expect the third chapter out in a week from today, hopefully sooner. This story was a Dare OHC, which meant I had to combine several elements another author chose for me. 1-4-07
Chiba Mamoru had amazing will power. If not, he never could have gotten so far in his life, in his dream to become a doctor or in his daily visit to Crown Arcade. If he were of weaker will, one of two things would have already happened. He would either have bailed on his long-time friend, Motoki, and never come back to Crown Arcade to study or he would have walked over to that irritating blonde and shut her mouth the best way he knew how. He fought off the haze that trail of thought brought on and lamented yet again that he found Tsukino Usagi so attractive. He'd even gone so far one day as to list all the reasons he shouldn't be attracted to her. He had successfully restrained himself from posting it on his refrigerator door for fear Motoki might one day see it, but it had become a litany for him. Every time she crashed into him, every time she stuck that pink tongue out at him, every time she gave him that shy half-smile when he'd accidentally been nice to her, he would recite in his head a few of her faults. They never failed him, especially the one he thought of in bold red capital letters: SHE'S 14!
Still, it wasn't exactly easy to stay seated on his stool, head apparently buried in his texts, and hear Usagi and her friends sighing over some idol. Whoever this "drop dead gorgeous" guy was, Mamoru bet that in real life, he just didn't measure up. So many of these pop icons were created by studios, he thought contemptuously. Okay, so maybe the guy had some decent qualities, but did the girls seriously believe that if he had a beautiful singing voice but looked like Quasimodo the studios would have wanted him? He smiled mirthlessly, having some knowledge of the entertainment world personally. He had been a model once; made good money, too. But it was a jaded, heartless world and when too much of that truth became reflected in his eyes, the agency had roundly scolded him. Mamoru had decided then and there that if he had to pretend to be something he wasn't, he didn't want to pose. After all, they'd hired him for the tragic look that haunted his features, but they had been the ones who had jaded him.
Sighing, Mamoru attempted to re-focus his attention off the group and back onto his Human Anatomy text. He had to know all about the endocrine and glandular systems by Thursday. Why his teachers preferred to give tests on Thursdays was beyond him. Since they covered new material on Fridays, it certainly didn't give the students any free weekend time. He rationalized that the teachers might want them to continue to work hard over the weekend, but personally, he felt he needed a day off every week. That was his excuse for why he took Saturdays off from his hard studying. Saturdays were the best time to indulge in his favorite weakness, Usagi-spotting. He actually enjoyed running into her all over town, though he wasn't sure why. He figured it was just a harmless pastime. Plus, seeing her turn bright red was always a good reward. He smirked arrogantly at his textbook for a moment before banishing a blushing Usagi from his mind and trying to pay attention to his studies. However, at that moment a loud voice suddenly let out a decidedly unladylike shout, "Yeah, baby! Rock-hard abs and buns of steel!" Mamoru choked on his coffee and raised startled eyes to Motoki's. Motoki dropped his broom. Both men swiveled to stare at the only group from which that exclamation could have come.
Kino Makoto was standing up, head bent over a picture in the magazine. A hand, Mizuno Ami's hand, was clamped over the girl's mouth. Everyone was staring at the brunette in absolute shock and utter silence. Slowly, Makoto raised embarrassed green eyes to Motoki, her not-so-secret crush. Then they wandered about the room, noting all the eyes pinned on her. Her face reddened, but her eyes showed traces of amusement beneath the embarrassment. Beside her and across the table from her, two girls burst out in peals of laughter, while Usagi could only stare at her friend in empathy. She knew exactly what it was like to say something potentially embarrassing just when there was a conversational lull. Ami tore her hand away from Makoto's mouth, turned several shades of red, and attempted to sink below the table.
Makoto turned to look at the mortified Ami and then grinned irrepressibly at Motoki, who continued to boggle at her. Feeling slightly hysterical, she threw herself back onto the booth's bench seat as she dissolved into uncontrollable laughter. It almost looked as if she was having a seizure of some sort! Usagi tried to calm her friends and Ami tried even harder to disappear. Neither Motoki nor Mamoru could tear their eyes off the infamous five, though most of the patrons had returned to their video games.
But Makoto was not finished bringing embarrassment to the group. She was reclining back in the seat, one long leg wrapped about the single pole supporting the movable table. Her laughing spasms were causing her to shake the entire table, a fact that hadn't yet concerned any of the girls. Hino Rei, giggling herself into a state of breathlessness, placed her head in her arms on the table, while Aino Minako half-slid out of the booth, both hands over her mouth to smother her laughter. Usagi was pinned in next to the window and only the top of Ami's head was visible over the table. As Usagi glanced concernedly from friend to friend, her attention never rested on the Coke dancing across the table in a sloppy fashion until it was too late.
Motoki had only brought Ami her ice-cold soda moments ago, back when all five girls had been silent in dreamy worship of Hikaru's perfectly formed face with bedroom eyes and pouting lips. Now, spurred on by the a-rhythmic motion of Makoto's convulsive laughter, it was making its way towards the hapless Usagi. Catching sight of the enemy too late, Usagi could only shriek in freezing agony as the entire 32 ounce drink tipped over, the plastic glass bouncing almost of its own volition to ensure that Usagi was completely soaked, from bow to socks. Ice somehow found its way even into her shirt and the front of her skirt was completely drenched in the sticky caffeinated beverage. Usagi jumped onto the seat and before a pole-axed Mamoru, did a wiggly little jig, trying to get the ice off her lap while attempting to find the nasty little piece that had landed inside her shirt. Desperate, she pulled her wet shirt away from her and jumped good and hard, knocking Rei to the floor in the process. The ice cube flew out, unnoticed by the twice-silenced crowd.
"Odango, what was that for?" Rei snapped angrily from the floor.
Usagi wailed, looking ready to cry, "Mako-chan got ice in my bra!"
Every girl in the building winced in sympathy. Every guy got a funny look on his face. And Mamoru's jaw wouldn't close. "Usagi-chan! I'm sorry!" Makoto wheezed out, her giggles fading in sympathy for her friend, who was dripping Coke all over the seat and table.
Ami poked her head out and gasped when she saw Usagi's shirt. "Usagi-chan, sit down!" she hissed. Usagi looked down at herself and wailed again, clutching her arms around her body and huddling on the wet seat, sitting on her heels. She sat with her head bent forward, pigtails obscuring her face and Mamoru was fairly certain the little blonde was crying.
Makoto kept apologizing. Minako ran to get paper towels and Motoki went to fetch a mop. Ami vainly attempted to clean up the mess they had made, trying to scoop up the ice all over the table and put it back into the cup. Rei was still on the floor, magazine in hand, mournfully staring at it, another victim of the spilled Coke. Usagi didn't make a sound. She didn't look at Makoto. All her thoughts were centered on Mamoru, that gorgeous jerk who made her stomach flutter. She was always trying to make her best impression on him and something always happened to screw it up. But, she swore mentally, this had to be the absolute worst, most embarrassing thing to ever happen to her. He would never let her live this down. He'd probably make some horrible remark about it every time he saw her from now on! Not to mention that with her shirt plastered against her body and the bedraggled, ruined bow too limp to hide anything, she'd have to sit here until she dried enough to race home. More than anything, she wailed mentally, she wanted to disappear. All those people just got an eyeful and her self-confidence was in the basement.
Mamoru couldn't resist her plight. He stood up and walked over to the booth, gingerly claiming the spot that had been Rei's, avoiding the puddle of Coke on the plastic seat. "Odango Atama?" he asked softly, infusing a gentleness into the nickname she had never imagined possible. She sniffed and peeked out from behind sticky bangs at him. His gut tightened at the unshed tears that made her eyes even more beautiful. He forced himself to blink. "Usagi-san," he tried again, desperate to chase those tears away. "it's just Coke." He struggled not to think of the ice cube and its lucky path. As he forced that errant thought away, he strained to catch the meaning of her mumbled words.
"No, it's not. I can't go" she sniffled, "home like this!"
"Home like what?" he asked, dumbfounded. It was just Coke; so she might get a few odd stares, so what?
Usagi didn't know what possessed her to show him, but she did, dropping her arms and pointing to her shirt. His eyes riveted on the now sheer fabric, plastered to curves he was certain a 14-year-old girl shouldn't have any legal right to. Now he knew what that bow hid! His eyes darkened and Usagi felt a little afraid and a little intrigued and a little too warm.
It took Mamoru a moment to pull his mind out of the gutter, which promptly angered him because he knew any guy who saw her in this state would probably be all too happy to wallow in fantasies inspired by those curves! Usagi flinched at the anger hardening his face and found herself wanting that sweet, kind look he'd worn only a moment ago, or even that intense, almost hungry look of a few seconds ago. She recoiled from him, shrinking further back against the sun-warmed window, her arms tight about her chest. But Mamoru stood; pulling his jacket off him and putting it on her in what seemed like one fluid movement. "Ami-san, take her home!" he practically ordered. Usagi's eyes flew up to his and recognized a protective look in those deep, amazing blue eyes. That look seemed so . . . familiar. She almost sighed, caught it and blushed to the roots of her hair.
He glared at the other three, vaguely wondering why Rei didn't get up from the floor and help her friend. Minako, standing near him with paper towels gave him a weak grin that faded under his glare. Makoto jumped up and took up a position in front of Usagi, as if to shield her from curious glances. Minako mumbled an apology to Motoki for the mess and darted after them, Rei finally on their tail. Mamoru just stood there, watching the sunny girl he felt so strongly about disappear wearing his jacket and looked forward to the next time they ran into each other. He prayed it would be soon. After all, she had to give him his jacket back. He smiled confidently, oblivious to Motoki's contemplative glances.