"Take care, Usagi!"
Mamoru watches over the rim of his cup as Usagi blushes wildly before muttering a goodbye and tripping her way out of the arcade.
"Why are you so nice to her?" he asks Motoki when the girl is out of earshot.
"You really don't like Usa-chan, do you?"
Mamoru shrugs. It's not a secret that he finds the girl too annoying. "I'm just curious why you do like her."
"She is a cute kid." Motoki smiles a bit as he cleans the counter, buying them some time before the manager notices it's a ruse to chat with his friend. "I like being able to make her feel safe."
Mamoru's eyebrow arches in confusion. "Safe?" He sets his coffee back on the table. "Safe from what? Is she in trouble?"
Motoki looks at him for some seconds and then shakes his head. "No. Nothing like that." He sighs. "You know how she's doing at school." A hard look stops Mamoru before he can snort in amusement. "Her parents are always drilling her about that and her new friends..." Both chuckle at the memory of the intelligent Ami Mitzuno and the bossy Rei Hino. "Well, they aren't the most understanding when Usagi comes home with bad grades. This is the only place where Usagi isn't judged." The movement on the counter stops. "At least until she met you, that is."
Mamoru holds his friend's gaze for a moment, but finally drops it back to his coffee. He doesn't say anything for a long moment and then he's saved from answering to the thinly veiled accusation by a new customer. He picks some bills from his wallet and leaves them next to the cup before getting up.
Maybe, if Usagi behaves, Mamoru can try to lay off her from now on.