In Episode 27 (23 in the English dub), Ami saves the life of and becomes friends with a boy, only to have him and his parents move away to another city. This series explores what may have happened if things had taken a somewhat different turn.
This is the first story in my multi-part Sailor Moon series. For what happens next after 'Love for Ami' please see my profile, where the stories are all listed in order. Hope you enjoy them! :)
Love for Ami
Chapter 1:
Tokyo bustled with the commotion of a big city waking for another day. The morning summer sun cast its shadows from seemingly uncountable apartment blocks and business offices onto the streets below, as working people and students began their morning routines. On a sidewalk not far from Juuban Junior High, two girls walked through the crisp morning air toward their school, book bags in hand. One of them hastily finished eating a bun as their destination neared, noticing the melancholy mood of her friend.
"Ami-chan? You aren't yourself again this morning. Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine, Usagi-chan. I just have something... on my mind" the blue-haired fourteen-year-old smiled at her friend's concern as she spoke, but inside she felt an emptiness that crept into her words despite her best effort to sound cheerful.
"I know it's definitely not today's history test that's bothering you!" Usagi grinned. "I'm doing enough worrying about that for the both of us!" They turned a corner onto another street, their school gate coming into view in the distance.
"Usagi-chan, did you remember to study those chapters last night?"
"Hai! I did, and I had some help from Mamo-chan too. Thanks for writing out those practice questions for me. He asked me them and said I did really good!"
Ami's mood sank even lower at the mention of Usagi's boyfriend. She struggled to shake off an all-too-familiar feeling of loneliness, a feeling that had haunted her nearly as long as she could remember. "That's great, Usagi-chan. If you put your mind to it, I'm sure you will do much better on this test."
A realization popped into the blonde girl's head, and she mentally kicked herself for not seeing it before. "I think I know what's getting you down."
"Oh?"
"I'm sorry Ryo-chan had to leave last week, Ami-chan. I know how much he liked you."
A slight frown appeared on Ami's lips. "It's not... it's..." The shy, studious girl didn't want to admit it, even to herself. She was too busy with her studies for a boyfriend anyway, she justified to herself for the tenth time that day. And for the tenth time, she realized just how hollow and untrue those words were. Though their time together had been brief, there was something very special between them, a familiarity they had shared from the very first moment they met. And, she admitted, deep feelings in her heart for the boy that were so much more than a teenage crush.
"How about we talk about it after class?" Usagi offered.
Suddenly a voice spoke up from behind the two girls, "Talk about what after class?"
"Mako-chan! Ohayou!" Usagi greeted the girl who had just caught up to them from behind.
"Ohayou, Usagi-chan, Ami-chan!" The tall brunette fell into step beside her friends as they walked on.
"It's really nothing" Ami insisted as they turned past the gate toward the main entrance. But as they passed several clumps of students standing near the main entrance, Ami's blue eyes blinked unbelievingly as she focused on one boy in particular who stood off to one side, patiently waiting for her.
"It's... it's Ryo!" she blurted. Her face was aglow with happiness as he spotted her and smiled shyly back.
"It is Ryo!" Usagi exclaimed. "But how did he-"
Ami didn't wait to hear the rest of Usagi's question. In a heartbeat she was at his side.
Chapter 2:
"Ryo-kun!" Ami exclaimed, scarcely believing her eyes. "Are you back for a visit so soon?" Her face positively beamed as she greeted her friend.
"Hello, Mizuno-san!" the fourteen-year-old boy smiled shyly. "Actually, I'm back permanently. At least I hope so!"
The petite, blue-haired girl couldn't believe her good fortune. "That's wonderful! But I thought your father had that new position in Osaka. What happened?"
"It was the strangest thing" the boy explained happily. "The day after we arrived, the electronics company he worked for was purchased by a larger company. It was a big surprise to everyone, including my father. The new owners immediately began to relocate some of the staff, and they thought my father's advanced skills deserved a position in their head office."
"Which is right here in Tokyo!" Ami stated enthusiastically.
"One more thing too" Ryo smiled shyly at the girl who secretly meant so much to him. "I'm in class five now."
"That's my home class!" Ami still could not believe all the good news. "That means we'll have exactly the same lesson plan and homework. Perhaps we could... study together sometime?"
Ryo looked down to hide his deepening blush, his heart racing with joy at the thought of spending time with her outside of their regular classes. "Hai! That would be wonderful, Mizuno-san."
"Sounds like you two will be seeing lots more of each other!" Makoto grinned as she and Usagi approached. "I'm so happy for you."
Usagi nodded vigorously, the two long streams of golden hair streaming down from her odango swaying wildly. "Uh... does this mean I have two tutors now?" she asked hopefully.
Everyone laughed just as the bell rang for classes. "We're going to be late!" Ami gasped. Without realizing it, she took Ryo's hand in hers and briskly lead the little group into the school.
. . . . .
"Class, as you've noticed we have three new students with us today. Please welcome them." Miss Haruna gestured to the boy sitting alongside her star pupil. "Welcome back, Urawa-chan! I trust your grades will continue to be an example to the others in my class. Well, to most of the others" she added with a slight smile to Mizuno Ami.
"The other two students are sisters and have just transferred from Yokohama. Is that correct, girls?"
From further back in the room one of the two newcomers nodded. "Yes, Haruna-sensei. My name is Ishikawa Nao." Her sister added, "I'm Ishikawa Hisako, sensei."
"Minna, please do whatever you can to help our new classmates feel at home. Now if you will open your economics textbooks to chapter nine..."
The morning passed quickly for Ami, and though she had no problem concentrating on her work, she found herself repeatedly glancing across at Ryo who had been assigned the seat on her left. For the first time she could remember, she was actually happy to hear the shrill ring of the lunch time bell. Walking outside, the couple found a relatively quiet spot off to one side just as Usagi and Makoto emerged from the building.
"I saw the face you made when you handed in your paper!" Makoto teased. "Somehow I get the feeling the test didn't go as well as you hoped!"
"I don't understand it, Mako-chan!" Usagi moaned. "I studied hard, I really did, but when I saw the first question my mind went completely blank! It was terrible!" The worried blonde's shoulders slumped. "If I don't pass this one, Mama will kill me!"
"Well if it makes you feel any better, I don't think I aced it either."
Usagi spotted her studious friend, deep in conversation with Ryo. "There's Ami-chan. I have to tell her what happened." Ami and Ryo were sitting close together and talking quietly, their faces aglow behind their smiles.
Makoto placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder, gently restraining her. "Usagi-chan, let's give them a little time alone together, ok?"
"Hai!" Usagi's spirit, never down for long, brightened at once. "Good idea, Mako-chan! We'll let the love birds have some privacy for a while. Then I'll tell Ami-chan all about my test!"
"Usagi-chan, you're unbelievable!" Makoto chuckled. She held up a small lunch box. "Do you want to try one of the dumplings I made last night? It's a new recipe I'm trying out."
"Hai hai! May I, Mako-chan?"
. . . . .
With lunch nearly over, the two new female students were keeping a discreet distance between themselves and their classmates. Nao, the younger of the two by about twenty minutes, casually tossed her long dark brown hair back over one shoulder as she regarded her sister with a knowing grin. "So, Hisako-chan. Have you picked someone yet to be your new boyfriend?" She waved a hand dismissively at the crowd of students milling around the front entrance. "This school certainly has a lot to choose from."
"Why little sister, you know me well enough to answer your own question!" Hisako replied, a mocking lilt in her voice. "As a matter of fact, I have picked someone, Nao-chan. Of course, he doesn't know it yet" she laughed.
"And who, may I ask, would it be?"
With a wiggle of her index finger, Hisako pointed off to their right. "That one. Over there."
"The Urawa boy? Ah, I hope you can see, dear sister, he's already with a girl. And not just any girl. Are you aware that he's talking to Mizuno Ami, one of the top students in the whole country?"
"So?" I happen to like what I see. I like his voice, his clothes, he's smart, and let's not forget the important fact that he's quite cute!"
"But what about that Mizuno girl he's with?"
Hisako smiled impishly, "I know what I want, Nao-chan. And I'm certainly not going to let some geeky little blue-haired know-it-all stand in my way."
The bell rang, summoning everyone back to their classes. Hisako turned toward the entrance. "One week, sister. One week and he'll be all mine."
Chapter 3:
The next afternoon brought thick gray cloud and rain to the Japanese capital, water droplets drumming softly and incessantly against the windows of Juuban Junior High. Inside class five, Haruna-sensei took a moment to glance at the small oval face of her wristwatch before continuing, "-and if there are any questions about today's material, I will be available in study room two for a half hour after dismissal. It's almost final bell, so you may begin o soji now."
The noise level in the room went up a notch as students began storing their books and notes in preparation for the daily task of cleaning their classrooms. Ryo flipped open a binder to store his just-returned test paper, the grade of 99% prominently inscribed at its top. He was pleasantly surprised to find his latest effort resulting in only one wrong answer keeping him from a perfect score. He had expected Ami to get her usual top marks, and in the weeks since losing the majority of his psychic powers, he had struggled hard to stay close to her academic level. Determined to prove himself to her, his considerable effort seemed to finally be paying off.
Ryo stole a quick glance at the beautiful girl to his right, only to feel a blush form when he realized Ami was already gazing back at him. "Congratulations on the test, Ryo-kun!" The sparkle in her shimmering blue eyes and the smile on her sweet lips as she spoke made his heart race. How he longed to be able to cast aside his shyness and tell the girl how deeply he cared for her. But not today. Inwardly cursing his nervousness, he replied simply, "I was just lucky, Mizuno-san. But you earned your perfect grade."
Suddenly, someone walked up to his left and stopped quite close by his desk. Ryo turned to find Hisako standing there, her test paper in hand, smiling sweetly down at him.
"Urawa-chan" she began, "I don't want to be any trouble, but would you mind doing me a big favor? Please? It really would help me."
"Uh, sure Ishikawa-chan. What can I... do for you?" Somewhat startled by the girl's question, he stumbled over his words.
"Well, I did alright on the test, I guess, but my answers to questions five and six were wrong." She gave Ami a little taunt as she continued, "You're the most intelligent student in our class and I thought if you showed me your work, well... I'd learn a lot from it." She inched closer and Ryo could detect the faint scent of her perfume.
Ryo removed his test from the binder. "Here are my results. But if you want to know the best answers, Mizuno-san achieved a perfect score and she's much-"
Hisako cut him off. "I think your answers will be best for me, Ryo-chan." Deliberately ignoring Ami, she gave the boy her sweetest smile. "I can call you Ryo-chan, can I?"
Ami found herself clenching a pencil so tightly, her knuckles began to turn white. It wasn't the sarcastic remark about her abilities that bothered her. This new girl, this stranger to her school, was daring to flirt with the only boy she had ever cared for. But what could she possibly do about it?
Chapter 4:
Later that evening at the Hikawa Jinja;
Instead of the textbook opened before her, Hino Rei was studying the girl across the low table. Ami seemed immersed in her work, but somehow, something was different about her. There was an abruptness in her motions as her blue-haired friend turned the pages of her advanced algebra textbook, a slight frown showing instead of the look of enjoyable concentration she usually had as she studied. 'There's definitely something bothering her' Rei thought. 'But what could it be?' The young miko decided to find out.
"Ami-chan?"
The blue-haired girl broke away from the page she was reading. "Yes, Rei-chan? Are you having a problem with your trigonometry lesson?"
"Not yet" Rei smiled. "I just wanted to ask if you were having problems with something?"
With that, the other two girls at the table looked up in unison from their notes. "Anata wa baka desu!" Usagi admonished her miko friend. "Rei-chan, if Ami doesn't know the answer to something, how in the world can you think you do?"
"Usagi-chan, are you blind?" Rei snorted in reply. "Something's obviously bothering Ami, can't you see? I'm just trying to help."
"You really are an idiot!" Usagi shot back. She went on as she looked more closely at Ami's face, "There's nothing wrong with Ami-chan, you're just jealous because she has a boyfr..." Usagi's voice faded as she noticed the sudden change in Ami's expression, her friend's soft blue eyes beginning to moisten. "Oh..."
"Ami-chan? What's bugging you?" Makoto asked.
A faint sigh was the reply. Ami looked down at her textbook again, frowned, then quietly slid a bookmark between two pages, closed the cover and placed the book on the table.
"I wasn't going to say anything, but you are my best friends and... maybe it will help if I talk about it." Ami looked across the table at her miko friend. "You were right, Rei-chan. I do have a problem at school."
Usagi was speechless, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Rei suppressed the urge to ask Usagi who looked like a fool now, and replied, "Ami-chan, I'm sure your problem isn't with your grades. The Dark Kingdom has been quiet these last few days so that can't be it either. Which just leaves... um, is everything ok between you and Ryo?"
"I... think so. I... I hope so." Ami felt more than a little uncomfortable speaking about such a private matter, but forced herself to continue. "There's a new girl in my class and I think she's trying to become friends with Ryo-kun. Close friends." She briefly explained the happenings earlier in the day. "As we were cleaning the classroom, I sort of hinted to her in private that Ryo and I were, uh, sort of... together."
"Go on, Ami-chan." Rei felt an intense dislike forming inside her for this new girl she hadn't even met.
"Well, she asked me outright if Ryo and I were a steady couple. I told her that we weren't, not exactly, not... yet" Ami said, a note of sadness in her voice. "Then she said that this means Ryo is available, and that I should mind my own business and not interfere with her making new friends."
Makoto's right hand unconsciously formed a fist. "Why that little-! Ami-chan, would you like me to have a word with her? I can be very convincing!" The tall brunette smiled wickedly at the thought.
"Please don't, Mako-chan. I don't think threatening her would help at all."
Usagi felt awful that the most sweet and gentle person she knew was feeling so down. She asked, "Have you talked to Ryo about what happened?"
"I didn't get the chance, Usagi-chan" Ami replied. "Ryo had to rush home immediately after classes. The moving company is transporting his family belongings back to Tokyo today and Ryo promised his father he'd be home right after school to help with the unpacking."
"I never thought I'd live to say this, but this time you're wrong, Ami-chan" Makoto spoke confidently. "I'm sure you're worrying about nothing." She looked directly into Ami's eyes as she made her point. "Urawa Ryo loves you. And I think you feel the very same way toward him."
Ami stuttered, "I... uh.. I feel..." The studious young girl's face began to redden.
"It's ok to admit it, Ami-chan" Usagi reassured her. "I love my Mamo-chan, and whenever you and Ryo are together, I can see the very same caring and love for each other in both of you that Mamo-chan and I have."
"Maybe... I do love him" Ami admitted, "but I haven't told him yet" she replied with regret. "And he hasn't told me that he loves me, either." Her saddened eyes looked down at the study table as she ran her slender fingers along one edge of her book. "Maybe he doesn't love me. I can understand that he hasn't said anything, you know. I'm really just a nerdy bookworm, not exactly a great catch for anyone."
"Ami-chan!" Makoto snapped. "Don't you ever doubt yourself! You're a wonderful person, kind and thoughtful, and a fantastic friend. And have you forgotten that you're also a Sailor Senshi?" She paused to let the words sink in, her voice softening. "Listen, before this goes any further and you worry yourself sick, why don't you talk to Ryo about it? Tell him honestly about your true feelings for him. I'm sure you'll be more than happy with the outcome."
Usagi nodded briskly. "Do it, Ami-chan!" She grinned, "Then you and Ryo can be a happy couple, just like my Mamo-chan and me!"
Rei couldn't resist the opportunity. "Is this the same Mamoru you absolutely despised a few months ago, Usagi-chan?"
"Never mind that! And stop saying mean things to me, Rei-chan!" Usagi sulked. "I think you're just jealous."
"Jealous? Ha! I'm not jealous, I'm amazed that Mamoru-san can put up with you at all!"
"Rei-chan!"
Chapter 5:
It was still dark when the beeping of her alarm clock broke the stillness of Ami's bedroom. She quickly reached out to silence the noise, not wanting to wake her mother who had arrived home late after a long shift at the hospital. After giving the situation a lot of thought, Ami had decided to leave home a little earlier than normal this morning. She would take a different route than her usual path to school, and arrive at Ryo's home just before it was time for him to leave. There was no way she could go even another half-day of classes without settling the emotions in her heart. Her mind was made up. It was time to tell him how she really felt.
Wispy, reddish-yellow ridges of high cloud on a background of aquamarine were the only memory of yesterday's storm as she retrieved her book bag and walked out into the clear morning air. But as she kept on toward the building that was the Urawa residence, a trace of uncertainty crept into her mind. What if he really did like that new girl more than her?
At the same time, Ryo wished his father well at work, and collecting his homework from the night before, he started on his ten minute trip to school. He hadn't gotten far when a teenage girl walked briskly out from a side street and waved to him. Ryo gave her a small, reluctant wave of acknowledgment as she approached, and she quickly joined the boy.
"Ohayou Ryo-chan!"
"Good morning, Ishikawa-chan." He uneasily returned his classmate's greeting, his heart and mind both telling him that this situation just wasn't right.
"Such a beautiful day!" the girl exclaimed. "I hope you don't mind if I walk with you to school." She fell into step beside him without waiting for an answer.
"That's ok, I uh... guess."
"Thank you for sharing your test answers with me yesterday! They really helped!" She was all smiles, and the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Ryo's stomach deepened.
He nodded politely in reply. "I'm glad they did."
"Ryo-chan?" she spoke with an alluring note in her voice that would have any other fourteen-year-old boy giddy with happiness. "Can I tell you something? Something... personal?"
At that moment, Ami emerged from a narrow lane-way between two tall apartment blocks and finally reached the street Ryo lived on. She glanced both ways and was stunned to see Ryo and Hisako walking together. They had already passed by the spot where she stood, and were about thirty feet further down the sidewalk. Blinking back a sudden moistness that formed in her eyes, she paused for a moment, uncertain if she should catch up to them. Remembering Makoto's words from the evening before, Ami took a deep breath and decided to press on, regardless of the outcome. Quietly, she quickened her pace to catch up, getting close enough to hear them as they talked.
Ryo found himself wishing he had left for school a few minutes earlier. He forced himself to ask, "What is it you want to tell me, Ishikawa-chan?"
Hisako knew her plan was coming together nicely, confident that this boy would never be able to resist her charm, or her intentions. "I know we just met yesterday, Ryo-chan, but... I really like you. I hope we can be very good friends." She smiled sweetly at him, continuing, "Ryo-chan, I'd love to be your girlfriend."
A short distance behind the pair, Ami froze. Her soft blue eyes welled with bitter tears, and a faint gasp of despair slipped from between her lips as she watched Hisako slide her free arm around Ryo's waist. The shy, studious girl's tender heart felt as though it had just been ripped in two.
A single, terrible thought filled her mind.
'I've lost him.'
Chapter 6:
Ryo took a step sideways, immediately pulling away from Hisako. "Please don't."
"What's wrong, Ryo-chan?" the attractive girl pouted. "Don't you like me?"
The shyness Ryo had long felt about his true feelings toward Ami suddenly melted away. "It's not that, Ishikawa-chan. I'm honestly flattered that you'd like to be my girlfriend. But... you can't. My heart is already taken by someone else. Someone very special."
"You don't mean that geeky little thing you sit next to in class?" Hisako blurted incredulously. Suddenly, her plans didn't seem to be working out quite so well after all. "You can't be serious!"
Ryo turned to face her, still unaware that Ami was listening several yards behind them. He replied sternly, "She is not a 'geeky thing'! Her name happens to be Mizuno Ami... And I love her with all of my heart."
An incredible feeling of happiness filled the blue-haired girl, Ami's heart skipping a beat. 'He does love me!'
The boy continued, "She's the nicest, most wonderful, most beautiful girl I've ever seen. The most beautiful girl in the world! And some day I hope to find the courage to tell her exactly that."
Hisako reached out with the hand that moments before had been snugly around his waist. She slapped him on the cheek, enraged. "Fine! You can keep your nerdy little friend! Just remember, you had your chance!" With that, she stormed off towards their school.
Ryo stood there for a moment, relieved that the uncomfortable situation was finally over. He was about to continue on his way when a soft voice from behind startled him.
"You just told me, Ryo-kun."
He spun around to see Ami standing next to him, her face aglow with joy. "And I love you too. With all my heart!"
"Ami-chan!" Ryo blushed. "I... I didn't realize you were there! You... heard...?"
A happy nod and a warm smile was the blue-haired girl's reply.
A moment later Ryo felt the tender embrace of the girl of his dreams, as Ami's arms encircled him. Tears of joy filled her eyes. "Oh! My Ryo-kun!"
. . . . .
A few minutes later, as Usagi and Makoto stood waiting outside the entrance to Juuban Junior High, a very angry and upset Ishikawa Hisako quickly stormed past them without saying a word.
"I don't see Ami anywhere, Mako-chan" Usagi fretted. "I really hope everything is good now between her and Ryo."
They continued waiting as they scanned the students and nearby sidewalks for their friend. A few moments later, the tall brunette spotted a very happy couple coming into view as they walked hand-in-hand toward the school. Makoto grinned at Usagi as she gestured toward Ami and Ryo. "Like I said before, Usagi-chan. Nothing to worry about at all!"
. . . . .
Epilogue:
The park in Azabu Juuban was unusually quiet that evening, just two teenagers strolling together in the soft twilight of a fading sun. Only the faint chirping of some unseen bird broke the stillness above the muted background sound of distant traffic.
The couple arrived at a park bench near a small lake and sat close together, shyly holding hands. Sharing a love that was so much more than the mere innocent crush of fourteen-year-olds, they gazed into the depths of one another's eyes.
"I love you, my Ryo-kun" the girl told him, her voice a happy whisper.
"And I love you, my sweet, beautiful Ami-chan" her boy replied softly. "With all my heart." They held each other close, their lips meeting in the first of what was to be so many tender kisses they would share.
. . . . . . . . . .
Author's note: The next story in the series is titled "Secrets Revealed - Love for Mars'.