Troubled Heart
Haruka was in the living-room, happily reading a sports magazine she had bought early in the morning. Sitting on the sofa, with her feet on the table and the knot of her tie loosened, she was enjoying a perfect moment of peace. Hotaru was also in the living-room, and had Haruka not been so absorbed by her reading, she would have immediately noticed that her daughter was trying to tell her something.
- Haruka-papa, I…need advice.
- …
- Haruka-papa?
- Eh? Oh, Hotaru. Sorry; I was so focused on this magazine that I didn't hear you. Do you need something?
- Y-yes. I was wondering if you could give me some advice…
- If you need help with your homework, why don't you wait until Michiru comes back? She usually enjoys doing these things (and this article I'm reading sure is interesting).
- No, not this kind of advice. What I need is, well, love advice.
- Love advice?!
Haruka promptly closed the magazine she had been reading, and threw it to the side. In one fluid movement, she removed her feet from the table, adopted an ergonomically-correct position, and adjusted her tie. For Haruka to react this way, Hotaru wondered for a second if Michiru had arrived home without her realizing. However, Haruka was not looking at the door, she was looking at Hotaru.
- Hotaru, I'm all ears.
- Haruka-papa…your sudden enthusiasm is scaring me…
- Oh, did I overreact a little? I apologize, I apologize. It's just that for my little Hotaru to come to me with a troubled heart…this doesn't happen every day you know? So, what's the situation?
Hotaru sat next to Haruka. Looking directly at her while talking proved to be difficult, so she lowered her head.
- So…there is a person that I like very, very much. I'd like to confess my feelings to that person but, if I do it and I get rejected, I'm afraid this could ruin our friendship. And that's the last thing I want. What should I do Haruka-papa? That person has given me so much already, is it okay for me to desire even more?
Haruka smiled. A classic risk vs. reward conflict, and of course her Hotaru was risk-adverse.
- I think I understand. (Boy, being a teenager sure is tough!) Before going any further though, aren't you going to tell me who this person is?
- Haruka-papa, that… that would be too embarrassing! Please let me keep that person's identity a secret for now.
- Understandable (but a bit disappointing). So Hotaru, let's approach this situation as if it was a battle.
- A battle?
Hotaru raised her head and looked at Haruka, doubt painted on her face.
- Yes! A battle for your happiness no less. You see, you can't make rash decisions in the battlefield. So, before you make a decision you need to gather information. In other words: you need to know how this person feels about you before you decide whether to confess or not.
- That makes sense but, how could I possibly...
- Well, that depends. Just to make sure: this person knows that you exist right? This is not one of those totally one-sided crushes from afar correct?
- Eh?! Of course she knows I exist! Didn't I tell you that we are friends? Haruka-papa, are you even listening to me?
- Oh…so that person is…a she. Interesting.
- …
- Ha-Haruka-papa, you tricked me! That was awful of you!
- My bad, my bad.
- …
- But you did well Hotaru! Even after my little trap you only let out that person's gender. I'm impressed you know? I was totally expecting you to yell 'of course Chibiusa knows I exist!'
- Wh-what are you saying? Of course I wouldn't be so careless as to…as to…
Hotaru raised her eyebrows when the realization struck her: two traps in a row. An intense blush painted her cheeks, and it grew even stronger when a sly smile appeared on Haruka's face. Unable to resist it, Hotaru lowered her head again, and covered her face with her hands.
- Ho-ta-ru? Hotaru?
- …
- Are you mad at me?
- N-no. But I'm hurt. I came to see Haruka-papa because I trust you, and yet all you've been doing is teasing me for your own amusement. That's too cruel!
Haruka could hear Hotaru sob. Her smile vanished. Had she made a terrible mistake?
- Hotaru I…I apologize! I didn't mean to…
As Haruka got closer to Hotaru with the intention to comfort her, Hotaru's sobbing died down. And then, suddenly, it turned into laughter.
- Haruka-papa, goooot you!
- T-that was a performance? Ah! Michiru! You learnt that from Michiru didn't you?
- Correct! It only seemed appropriate after being teased so much.
Haruka mercilessly messed up Hotaru's hair, and then started laughing as well.
- Gosh, you got me good! I can't possibly deal with two Michirus in my life so please don't take after her too much. That aside, I have to say that the identity of your love interest was obvious from the start my little actress.
- Eh?! It was?
- Of course. You said that the person you liked was a friend.
- So?
- Well, how many friends do you have?
- …
- Wait! That came out wrong. I didn't mean to imply that you are bad at making friends. But rather that you don't see the need to make more. As long as Chibiusa is you friend, you are content. Isn't that right?
- Yes, that's true. And it's the same with many other things as well; I have one Queen to protect, one father and one mother who I admire, and one friend who I love. Having more than one Queen would be a disaster; divided loyalties never end well. And certainly, I would never want to have more than one father, mother or friend. Do you know why Haruka-papa?
- Why Hotaru?
- Because by having more than one I'd be accepting that any of you can be replaced. And nobody could possibly replace Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama and Chibiusa in my heart.
- Okay, stop.
- What?
- I need to hug you now.
- Eh? Why?
- Because you were too adorable (and I can barely contain those tears).
- …
- So…better?
- Yes! (I did manage not to cry; good job Haruka, good job).
- So Haruka-papa, earlier you suggested that before I confess I should learn how the person I like feels about me. Well, what do I need to do?
- Eh? You don't need to bother with that anymore. It's obvious that Chibiusa loves you back so go confess to her already.
- Eh?! H-how can you say that? Please don't start teasing me again!
- I'm not. There is plenty of evidence you know?
- Like what?
- When was the last time you brought Chibiusa home for a sleepover?
- Mmm…it was last Friday so…two days ago.
- Right. Now please describe what you two did.
- Well, before having dinner with you and Michiru-mama, Chibiusa and I took a bath…
- Together?
- Yes.
- And did you wash each other's backs and hair?
- Well, yes.
- And after the bath did you comb each other's hair too?
- Haruka-papa, w-were you peeping on us?!
- Of course not.
- …
- So, what happened after dinner?
- We just went to my room and talked for a while.
- About?
- Eh…the usual? We talked about the past and the future I guess; like…the last time we went to the amusement park, some of the battles we fought together… we even ended up remembering the first time we met. Chibiusa was so surprised when I used my powers to heal her you know? But definitely not as surprised as I was when she didn't fear me as a result. And then, the future…things like what movie we will go watch next week and, I don't know, can I stop now? This is getting embarrassing.
- Oh yes, that's plenty. So, basically, you only talked about how you have spent time together and, for variety's sake, about how you will spend them together.
- Y-yes (was that sarcasm?)
- And after that?
- Well, we slept.
- Together?
- We always sleep together. That's why it's called a sleepover right?
Haruka had to make an effort no to laugh. Hotaru was starting to have the annoying impression that their conversation was going nowhere.
- So, Haruka-papa, why did you make me describe my evening with Chibiusa?
- Let me ask you this, Hotaru: do you think that what you just described is how two normal friends spend an evening together?
- Well, yes?
- See, that's the problem of having only one friend. You have no idea what's normal and what's not.
- And what is this supposed to mean?
- Neither you nor Chibiusa may have realized it yet, but you two are already acting like a couple. A very enamored couple to be precise.
- …
- Indeed, your evening with Chibiusa is not that different from my evenings with Michiru (certain additional activities notwithstanding). That's why I told you to go confess already. If Chibiusa is fine doing all this with you, she must love you too. There is no way around it.
- But, but, but what if she doesn't?! I'm introverted, the kind of intimacy I share with Chibiusa is a big deal for me, and I wouldn't feel comfortable doing those things with anybody else (except for Haruka-papa, and Michiru-mama). But Chibiusa is extroverted; maybe she can do the things we do without giving them any second thought.
- Mmm…this is actually a fair point. Chibiusa is the daughter of our beloved Queen after all, who, admittedly, can be a bit of an airhead. Although Chibiusa seems to be more perceptive than her mother, maybe she does share some of her naivety as well.
- Yes! Chibiusa can be very naïve at times (I think that makes her even lovelier though…)
- That's it then. We are going to use this to our advantage.
- Eh? How?
- Simple; you are going to ask Chibiusa if she would feel comfortable doing the things she does with you with other people. Being who she is, she will not understand the implications of the question.
- I…I see.
- If she tells you that she wouldn't feel comfortable, take it as a sign that the intimacy she shares with you is a big deal for her too. In that case, you should receive a positive answer if you confess. Else, all you need to do is to avoid confessing.
- Haruka-papa, that…that could work!
- What could work?
Haruka and Hotaru saw Michiru looking at them front the door of the living-room. They were so focused on their conversation that hadn't heard her arrive.
- Ah Michiru-mama, eh…you see…
- Michiru, we were discussing our battle plan. It seems it's finally ready (I'll explain later).