Author's Note: Hello! So, this chapter in its revised form is a little more Yuzuki-character-building, but that's okay. I'd rather know the main character before real action happens.
Disclaimer: (Since the end of the chapter gets pretty close...) Takeuchi Naoko is the legal owner and creator of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor moon and all things affiliated with the aforementioned show. I own none of these things, including plot, characters, and ideas. I do, however, own all of the original characters, ideas, and plotlines mentioned in this story, and advise the reader not to become the stealer.
Chapter Two
Stop Following Me! Yuzuki the Track Star
"Please go away," Yuzuki said as politely as she could muster, both to the cat at her feet and the boy before her. The cat firmly planted her haunches on the ground and stared defiantly at Yuzuki, while Haruki simply smiled.
"Why should I leave? That's twice you've needed my help. I may just hang around and make sure you don't step out in front of a bus or something."
Yuzuki grumbled, stood, and promptly walked past Haruki, who stared after her in something of a stunned silence. The calico, in the meantime, padded delicately after her. Yuzuki had just reached the refreshing springtime air when her track coach ran up, calling, "Ginno-kun!"
"Oh, what now?" Yuzuki mumbled to herself, but said aloud, "Hello, Hachi-sensei."
Hachi-sensei, who was called that because of her impressive personal record of eight competition trophies in a single year, placed a hand on Yuzuki's shoulder. "Don't forget, we've got practice today. I want you to run a short sprint to show the freshmen what we're about."
"Against?"
"The clock…and Satou-kun." Hachi-sensei easily named one of Yuzuki's self-proclaimed rivals on her team, a person who had constantly strived to beat Yuzuki's record on the 100-meter sprint, and also to provide the track star with some healthy competition.
Yuzuki was by no means the greatest runner Juuban had ever seen, but neither was she the worst. She was Juuban High School's current track team captain and star runner, and she usually placed at least third in every competition she'd ever run. It was not pure talent that had awarded Yuzuki her small fame as a runner, but simply a stubborn will that refused to fail at what she did. It was the same will that pushed the burgundy-haired teen to complete her homework every night in record time and to keep her grade at a solid "B." She was not talented in any special way that she'd discovered, she just refused to back down at any cost.
"Alright, Hachi-sensei, I'll run it." Yuzuki held up her bento and smiled. "I need to eat now."
Hachi-sensei smiled and jogged away, leaving Yuzuki to finally meet Juri at their usual outdoor spot by the fountain. A slender girl was sitting with Juri, her blonde hair catching the light and reflecting it brightly. The blonde girl adjusted her round glasses and smiled as Yuzuki approached. "Yuu-chan, hello."
"What do you have today, Kaida-chan?" Yuzuki asked as she sat on Juri's picnic blanket and opened her bento.
Yamanouchi Kaida lifted one of the books she had sitting next to her. "It's a history of crystalline structures. I'm trying to figure out how Crystal Tokyo was built."
"Interesting," Yuzuki commented as she devoured her lunch. The sweet bean dango her mother had packed were delicious, and Yuzuki wasted no time indulging her weakness.
"It is," Kaida said, and put down her chopsticks. "Crystal was first used as a building substance after some explorative diggers discovered a hidden reserve of the hard crystal. Neo-Queen Serenity had some of the court singers specialize in crystal singing after it was discovered that singing to the crystals could make them react in different ways."
"And they built the Grand Palace out of it?"
"Yes, but it wasn't for many more years, after the crystal singers became proficient in their art." Kaida grinned. "Crystal is fascinating. I think I may just specialize in it."
Juri stared at Kaida, but Yuzuki went on munching. "Kaida-chan…" Juri said softly. "You can't sing."
"Oh, I know," Kaida said easily, bypassing a retelling of the time she'd auditioned for the school chorus and made the choral teacher's ears literally bleed from Kaida's horrible voice. "I'd be a crystal miner, or a crystal historian, or a synthesizer."
"I could see you as a crystal synthesizer, Kaida-chan," Yuzuki commented. "You should major in that."
"Thanks, Yuu-chan." Kaida was the only one besides her mother who called Yuzuki "Yuu-chan." Yuzuki felt honored that Kaida treasured the girl so much to call her by a shortened name, but it was a little strange hearing it from a girl of so obvious American descent.
Kaida's mother, née Julie Anderson, had moved to Crystal Tokyo when her company promoted her overseas. There she met Kaida's father, Yamanouchi Masashi, and very soon, Julie Anderson became Yamanouchi Juri. Kaida looked so very much like her mother, with a very pointy nose set on a heart-shaped face, the natural blonde hair, and the huge, round blue eyes that were magnified even more by the thick glasses Kaida had to wear. Yuzuki once mistook Kaida for an overlarge, monstrous insect, and even after years of friendship, the impression of her huge eyes struck Yuzuki every time the girl looked at her.
The girls finished lunch quickly and sat to chatting until they had to report to their next classes. Yuzuki found herself thinking about that strange cat, and of Haruki, who had been her savior both times, though she hadn't asked.
He's downright annoying, and that cat is weird, Yuzuki decided as she packed her bag and stood after the teacher dismissed the final class. Juri waved to her and they parted; Juri to head home, Yuzuki for the locker room to change into her gym uniform for track. She was just walking out of the locker room, straight to the field, water bottle in hand and small towel around her neck, when she heard a measure of applause coming from the stands. She looked up in confusion and saw some of the few track fangirls loitering in the bleachers, staring in awe at Yuzuki.
"Yuzuki-sama! Do your best!" they screamed together. Yuzuki sighed and shook her head, but she smiled at them.
"There you are, Ginno-kun," Hachi-sensei said, smiling jovially. "Early as always."
"Satou's not here yet?" Yuzuki said shortly, claiming her spot in the tent by setting her towel and water bottle on it.
Hachi-sensei shook her head. "No, so you have the track to warm up. But first," she gestured to the five girls and six boys behind her. "These are the freshmen."
Yuzuki peered at them. "I'd ask Hachi-sensei to tell me your names, but I don't learn names until you've been with us for two months. It's just easier that way." She blinked and smiled wryly at their stunned expressions. "Know this, at least a third of you won't make it on this team. Work hard and don't complain, and your chances will improve." She exited the rest tent, remembering how frightened she'd been as a freshman, gazing on the captain at that time, a boy named Katsuro. Slowly, Yuzuki began to stretch her legs and torso, jogging back and forth a little bit on the oval track to get her legs moving.
Yuzuki's record for the 100-meter sprint was 11.15 seconds, a record she hoped to at least maintain today. Satou tried as hard as she could, but could never seem to beat Yuzuki's determination.
"Ginno-senpai!" Another voice called, drawing Yuzuki out of her warm-up reverie. She looked up and saw Satou Eri herself: tiny, slender, with short, boyish black hair and almond-shaped rain-blue eyes. "Hello!"
"Hello, Satou," Yuzuki said as she bent over and reached for her left toe.
She grinned and joined Yuzuki in warming up. "Ready to race today?"
"No." When Satou gave Yuzuki a startled look, the taller girl continued, "If I said I felt ready, even for the smallest of races, I would be overconfident, and more likely to make stupid mistakes."
"How about those first years?"
"They're young, headstrong. Some won't make it. They are terrified of me."
Again, Satou grinned, this time remembering her own fear of the awesome star. "That's understandable."
"Ginno! Satou! To the starting line!" Hachi-sensei called in her "announcer" voice. Satou made a squeaking sound in nervousness, but Yuzuki merely stood and walked to her spot, settling herself and closing her eyes to concentrate.
Hachi-sensei held up the starter pistol. "Ready? START!" She shot off the pistol at the same moment she yelled, and the girls were off, bolting for their finishing point, 100 meters away. Yuzuki pulled ahead, but Satou was not too far behind, and several times the girls switched places for a millisecond for so. The fangirls were screaming for Yuzuki, the first-years were watching in frightened awe, and Hachi-sensei scrutinized the girls.
"It'll be Ginno-kun," she said softly to no one in particular.
As the girls drew closer to their finish line, Satou took a moment to look at Yuzuki and knew she had lost the race again; Yuzuki did not even spare her a glance, but continued moving forward, through the line and beyond, gradually slowing down and coming to a halt. The fangirls exploded.
"YUZUKI-SAMA!" they shrieked in sheer glee, rushing as a group to mob the track star, who gently extracted herself and approached both Satou and Hachi-sensei.
"What was my time?"
Hachi-sensei beamed. "Eleven seconds flat."
Amidst the excited cries of the mob, Yuzuki turned to Satou and extended her hand. "Good race, Eri-san."
Satou smiled and shook her head, grasping Yuzuki's hand. "You too, Yuzuki-senpai. I'll have to work even harder to beat your record."
Yuzuki blinked. "Work hard, and you just may. Keep your eyes on your goal, and nothing more."
"Ginno-san!" a far-too-familiar voice called in happiness. Yuzuki groaned.
"Leave me alone," she muttered just loudly enough to be audible to Eri, who stared after her captain as the taller girl pushed through the crowds in the direction of the women's locker rooms. Yuzuki managed to get dressed lightning-quick and run home before anything else could disturb her, but her wish for a sleepy evening was soon thwarted when she walked into her room…
"Good evening, Ginno Yuzuki-sama."
Yuzuki promptly fainted.