Chapter I: Nichijou
31 July 0904 JST
Tokyo, Japan
Tomomi went for her computer soon after her dad had left. "Don't be on there all day. I need to do some stuff on it too." said Michitaro. "I won't be." Tomomi replied sounding a little frustrated. The computer booted up and she went onto her Facebook page and checked if a certain someone was online. "Oh come on, it's only 7 in the evening over there. He should be on." she said hopefully to herself. When she saw the indicator showing he was logged onto his phone she was elated. She completely disregarded the post from "I Fucking Love Science" on her newsfeed that stated "Newly discovered planetoids near Jupiter on a possible collision course with Earth's moon leading astronomer claims." She had only really liked that page to boost her nerdiness level a few points and rarely clicked on anything it said. Alas the person she was looking for was not online at the moment so Tomomi left herself logged in and waited. She watched a couple of random YouTube videos and checked in on her Harry Potter online roleplay group where she was known as "Bellatrix." Also logged onto the group was "Severus Snape" whom in the real world was known as Ben Mason, a shy, bookish kid about 4 or 5 years younger than Tomomi who lived in Boston. The two of them were close friends online and shared an obsession with Harry Potter among other things. He was really shy around girls in particular much in the same way Tomomi was around boys and if not for the supposed anonymity of the internet neither of them would have had the courage to speak to each other. Indeed the two of them were quite alike in that regard and in other ways as well. If only he was older he very well could have been Tomomi's internet crush. If that were the case she would have been applying to colleges such as MIT or Cambridge, where Ben's father was a professor; a fact that certainly wouldn't hurt her chances for acceptance. Nevertheless the stars simply didn't align that way and Ben and Tomomi's relationship had been strictly platonic from the start, and then she met Justin, which was where her affections had been directed ever since. It wasn't long after she logged on that he messaged her over the groups chat server. Then the following conversation flashed onto her screen:
SNAPE: Hey, what's up?
BELLATRIX: Nada, you?
SNAPE: Same. The group's kind of dead tonight I was about to logoff and go to bed until you got on.
BELLATRIX: Bed? It's only 7pm over there.
SNAPE: 8, and Hal's got a game tomorrow, me and Dad were going to go watch.
BELLATRIX: Ah, that's nice you get to spend time with your dad, mines always working.
SNAPE: Well the school year is out and he's got no summer classes to teach so if we don't keep him busy he'll probably go stir crazy.
BELLATRIX: lol, good point.
SNAPE: So how are you and the would be boyfriend? Have you told him yet?
BELLATRIX: Oh staaahp it, Ben. And no, no I haven't.
SNAPE: Well you've got to tell him or someone else might come along and steal him from you.
BELLATRIX: I know, but it's hard.
SNAPE: I feel you there.
SNAPE: Well it looks like I've got to go. My dad needs the computer for some research. Catch you online around the same time tomorrow? I think we'll have our Dumbledore and Ron then too.
BELLATRIX: See you then. Goodnight.
SNAPE: Goodnight.
She then logged off and closed that window on her screen. A few minutes into a video game review on YouTube the alert bell chimed that Justin had logged on. Tomomi wasted no time in messaging him only to regret pouncing so quickly. "I know this must make me seem so desperate, play it cool girl, play it cool." she told herself. This time the messages on her screen showed their real names.
Tomomi: Heyyyyy!
Justin: Hey, how have you been?
Tomomi: Good and you?
Justin: I've been better. We had the crazy uncle from Georgia come visit us today; you know the one that claims to have been abducted by aliens I told you about.
Tomomi: Yeah I remember that. That's some crazy stuff.
Justin: Yeah, he was raving about how the aliens were coming here today and we would all know he was telling the truth. He had a bit to drink so it wasn't exactly worded that well, and he also went on a tangent now and then about boobs and stuff.
Tomomi: LMAO! At least this time we only have to wait till tomorrow to laugh at him, unlike that blood moon thing where we had to wait a whole month.
Justin: True.
Tomomi: Yep. Oh and I have some awesome news!
Justin: What is that?
Tomomi: You and I are going to be going to the same school this year!
Justin: Really?! That's insane.
Tomomi: Yeah I know. I just got the acceptance letter today and my dad gave the go ahead for me to go.
Justin: Wow. Why would you want to come out here to boring old hicksville? I would much rather come over to Tokyo with you and go to school there.
Tomomi: That sounds like something my dad would say lol. Besides Tokyo isn't what anime makes it out to be, you wouldn't find giant robots or Pokémon over here. But no, it'll be fun. We'll actually be able to hang out together and stuff.
Justin: Damn it, but I really wanted to catch 'em all!
Justin: Seriously though, I'm flattered that you would totally reorganize your whole life around just to spend time with me. I really don't know what to say.
Why couldn't she just tell him, Tomomi thought, frustrated with her own inaction. She knew it was weird falling for a guy halfway around the world that she had never seen face to face. A lot of people met online these days, she told herself. She might have gone overboard but now was as good of time as any to take that chance. If he rejected her then at least she could change her school, she thought. That wasn't reassuring in the least. She didn't want to be rejected at all. "Damn it Tomomi, tell the boy!" she muttered to herself. "Well her it goes." she continued.
Tomomi: Well, we've known each other for going almost two years now and I enjoy talking to you online. You're a good friend, and that's saying a lot coming from a girl that doesn't call too many people her friends. It only stands to reason that I'd enjoy spending time with you in person even more so.
"A good friend, really Tomomi, that's the best you can do?" she grumbled.
Justin: Awww, that's sweet. I don't know if you could tell over the time we've known each other but I'll go ahead and confess, that way I don't scare you off when you get here. My feelings for you go a little deeper than just wanting to be friends. As the weeks and months went on and we clicked together I got this crazy idea that you and I should be together, but of course that couldn't work out. We're so far apart and the whole thing just seems a little on the creeper side. You might as well be living on Saturn with my luck. Still, I much prefer your company to the shallow girls my friends try and set me up with. I even turned down a few ladies, ones easy on the eyes to boot, just because in my own twisted little world I thought me and you had a chance. What I'm trying to say is that if you come here, things could go a little further than you might want them to and if you just want to remain friends and not let things get all weird it might not be the best idea for you to come over here just to hang out with me. I've loved you from afar for a while now, there, I said it.
Holy shit, he did the hard part for me! Tomomi gasped, letting Justin's message go unanswered for several minutes. She even started to cry, though they were happy tears. It's not like she was oblivious to his flirtations in the past she just thought they were being cute with each other; that and her obvious hesitation to show her own feelings.
Justin: If that was too much for you I'm sorry. I understand if you don't want to talk right now.
Tomomi was silent in amazement so long that she forgot how much time had elapsed since she had received his message. She just realized that she looked like a total bitch ignoring him for close to twenty minutes when they had been going back and forth almost instantly.
Tomomi: OMG I'm sorry. I wasn't ignoring you, I'm just sooooooo happy! You said the exact thing I've been wanting to say to you forever; maybe not in the same words I would have used but I totally feel the same way about you. It wouldn't matter if I was from Saturn, you and I could still be together.
Justin: Oh thank God I didn't scare you off. I guess you can say we're a unit now?
Tomomi: A unit indeed. Earth and Saturn joined together this day in a dynastic marriage.
"Oh dear god that sounded cheesy." Tomomi said to herself.
Justin: Baby, you're from another planet; one I want to invade.
He's being cheesy too, way to go boy, Tomomi thought. The two of them continued to converse over the internet for several hours until Michitaro reminded her of the other things she had to do today.
Dr. Kusanagi walked in to check on one of his patients that was recovering from surgery. On the TV was one of those morning shows talking about who was dating who in the celebrity world. The topic of conversation switched on the show to a two minute diatribe concerning the "new moons of Jupiter" that were discovered earlier in the day. Quickly enough the topic switched back to traffic reports and tabloid journalism. Dr. Kusanagi paid no mind to the TV; instead he quickly checked his patients chart and made sure everything was going well. "How are you feeling today Mr. Uematsu?" he asked. "Quite well sir." the older gentleman in the bed replied. "By your latest X-rays I see we've removed the entirety of the skull fragment and there's no residual scar tissue. Should be in for a full recovery." Dr. Kusanagi explained. "You're not having any lapses in memory or motor skills are you?" Dr. Kusanagi asked. "No I feel normal. Still can remember all my children's names if that helps." Mr. Uematsu answered. "Good. That's something you don't want to forget." Dr. Kusanagi said. "Got to watch those falls. Don't want to hit your head like that again." Dr. Kusanagi warned. "Well you take it easy for now. I'll be back to check on you again before you're released." the doctor said before leaving the room.
Sayaka met her best friend, Kitsune Tanaka at the mall and they spent much of the day window shopping, gossiping with friends they met and taking a stroll around town. "So when are you meeting up with Kenzou?" asked Kitsune as they were waiting in line for slush drinks in the food court. "I dunno, sometime this evening. We're going to see a movie and then hang out until my lame older sister drags me home." Sayaka replied. "Ah that sucks, probably would want to be out all night with him huh?" Kitsune said. "Well we have to sleep sometime, but we could cuddle up and fall asleep in each other's arms." Sayaka said longingly. "That would be so adorable." Kitsune said. They then ordered their drinks and walked back to a table together making small talk the entire way. Before they could sit down they crossed paths with another one of the "popular" girls in Sayaka's circle of friends, Natsuko. She and her friend Saori, who was more of a hanger-on than anything, were only nominally friends of Sayaka's. It was more of a schoolyard politics kind of thing, been seen with the cool kid, become the cool kid yourself. While Sayaka could be a little prideful at times, Natsuko was full-on full of herself. When the two pairs of girls met, Natsuko intentionally bumped into Kitsune making her spill her drink all over herself. "Bitch, you better watch where you are going." snapped Natsuko. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Kitsune apologized. All the while Sayaka glared at Natsuko, she knew she did it on purpose. "Damn, Sayaka I don't know why you hang out with this loser all the time." Natsuko said. "She's more pleasant to be around than your skanky ass." Sayaka replied. "I know you did not go there." Natsuko laughed, pretending to be playful about it. "Come on, let's not bother them. It's clear they just want to sit there and make out." Saori spoke up, trying to defuse the situation whilst throwing a poor excuse for an insult in Kitsune and Sayaka's direction. "Fine. Laters." Natsuko said. The two girls then went back to whatever it was they were doing before. "I don't know why she has to be mean all the time." Kitsune said as Sayaka handed her handfuls of napkins to clean herself off. "She thinks bringing other people down is the way to build herself up." Sayaka explained. "I pity her, I really do." Sayaka continued. After Kitsune cleaned herself up Sayaka went and bought her another drink and they spent the rest of the day together until Kenzou showed up to take Sayaka to the movies.
That night just before Tomomi was supposed to pick her up, Sayaka and Kenzou were in a park making out on the grass behind a row of small shrubs and an old tree, away from the prying eyes of any passers-by. They were kissing passionately; still deeply entrenched in that moment forever they had just shared. Sayaka and Kenzou broke from their kiss and stared at each other longingly for a moment frozen in time. Kenzou rolled off from on top of her and laid down on his back beside her. Sayaka and Kenzou laid down in the soft grass and looked up at the moon together. "This is wonderful." Sayaka said. "I don't want tonight to ever end." she continued. "It doesn't have to; you'll always have the memory so tonight will always be with you. This won't be the best memory we'll make either; just think we'll pick up where we left off tomorrow and the day after, and the day after that and so on. We have our whole lives to make happy memories together." Kenzou said. "Awwww..." said Sayaka. "That's going to be a long time too. I plan on becoming a crusty old man someday, the crustiest and the oldest." Kenzou joked. "Eww, don't ruin the moment by saying crusty." Sayaka laughed. "Krusty Krab, Krusty Krab, let's eat at the Krusty Krab!" said Kenzou. "Let's not and say we did." Sayaka replied, giggling afterwards.
He saw shadows suddenly appear over the moon as he was daydreaming with Sayaka gazing up at the night sky. There were six of them in total, like smaller moons around the moon. "What's that? Those black spots on the moon?" Kenzou asked. "I dunno baby, Sailor Moon?" Sayaka said cheerfully. "No really, Seriously, I'm not messing with you they just appeared right now. It's like the moon had babies." Kenzou said in astonishment. "Moon babies?" asked Sayaka. Just then Tomomi drove up and honked her horn three times. "Damn it! I've got to go." Sayaka complained. The two of them got up and Sayaka gave Kenzou a quick peck on the lips. "See you tomorrow baby." Sayaka said before she left and got into the car with Tomomi. After she left and Kenzou was all alone he looked up towards the sky again. It was real alright, something new had appeared on or around the moon.
