AN: I'm moving tomorrow! Today has been very hectic, but I thought I'd post this while I was thinking of it. I may not update for a while as I settle in, but I'll do my best! Reviews really help give me the push I need :)
Chapter 3:
Usagi fumed.
The normally happy, friendly blonde was walking down the street as if on a warpath, leading men, women, and children to jump out of her way in fear. Usually she was so aware, greeting everyone she saw with a smile, yet today even her friends may not have recognized her. But she didn't care.
The man who had taunted her, teased her to the point of tears on numerous occasions, belittled her existence any chance he got, was here in Tokyo. Acting as if no time had passed and she was still the same stupid, klutzy, crybaby teenager she had been before. And the worst part was, as soon as he started treating her like that, it was like she suddenly was again! When was the last time she had been so tongue-tied? And her balance! She hadn't tripped over her own feet like that in-in years! What, in the name of all that was holy, was that Baka doing back here? She thought he had left Tokyo for good. She thought she had finally been free.
A small part of her brain tried to remind her how disappointed she had been to learn he was moving to America, how much she had missed their daily fights, but she quickly squashed the voice into oblivion. Let's chalk it up to adolescent masochism. That's a thing right?
Chiba Mamoru.
She just couldn't believe it.
But there he had been, looking at her with that same twisted grin that spoke of amusement and condescension. Well she was glad he found her so entertaining!
Damn his superior attitude. Damn his cocky smile. Damn his deep, sexy voice.
Wait, Usagi froze in the middle of the sidewalk as if struck dumb, ignoring the indignant mutters of the citizens who now had to move around her. Where did that come from?
She shook her head to clear her mind and then continued walking, this time at a more reasonable pace.
Is Mamoru attractive? Well, of course he is, she thought rationally, Even I can admit that, but that doesn't mean anything. So he looks like a he could be a model. So his voice makes my very bones vibrate. So what? That doesn't change the fact that he's a horrible, disgusting human being.
Usagi nodded resolutely, glad to have cleared that up. Imagine her finding that jerk attractive. She scoffed out loud, causing an elderly man to jump and drop his cane. As if.
Having cleared that up, Usagi felt a lot better. After all, Tokyo was a huge city. What were the odds she would even see him again? The fact that she hadn't even heard about him in years meant there was a pretty good chance he was only visiting the city on business. Perfect, she thought, brushing off the small twang in her chest as heartburn. I'll be happy never to see him again.
At that moment, her phone rang – it was Minako.
"Hey, Minako-chan! What's up?" Usagi sang sweetly into the phone, very ready to turn her day around. It had started with so much promise.
"Hey girl! I just checked into my hotel!" Minako's voice rang out from the phone.
"What?" Usagi gasped, "But you told me you wouldn't be getting in until Friday!"
"I decided I didn't need that shampoo commercial. I mean, I've done how many of those before? It was just getting ridiculous."
Usagi smiled and rolled her eyes. "So, in other words, you didn't get the part."
"They decided they wanted a brunette instead," Minako moaned, "Which is ridiculous because I'm pretty sure the girl they picked had split-ends, Usagi. Split ends."
Usagi muffled a giggle. "That's quite tragic."
"It was," Minako exclaimed dramatically, "It really was. Buuuuut" her voice quickly changed from morose to excited, "now this means we can go shopping and pick out some totally killer outfits that will have Rei crowing with jealousy!"
Usagi laughed, "I'd love to Mina-chan, but I have work!"
"Play hookey!"
"I can't," Usagi groaned, "I'm on my way back to the office right now so I can get some paperwork in order. I just had a meeting with an outside consultant and it went really well – "
"That's great!"
"Yeah, except that you won't believe who ran into afterwards!"
Minako gasped, "Leonardo DiCaprio?"
"Ugh, I wish! No, this was much worse."
"Well, don't leave me hanging!"
"Minako, do you remember Motoki's friend, that really annoying upper-classman, Chiba Mamoru?"
"You mean the dreamy, dark-haired hunk with killer eyes?"
Usagi gasped, "He was not dreamy!"
"Oh yes he was! Anyone with eyes could see that."
"But you never – I mean you never even flirted with him or anything!" Minako not flirting with a boy she found attractive was like...well like something that never occurred!
"Well, it's not like he would have paid any attention anyways. He was always too busy flirting with you."
"What?" Usagi yelped, "What the heck are you talking about?"
"Oh please, Usagi-chan. He paid more attention to you than the rest of us combined." Minako stated, sounding rather bored.
"Yes, because he made fun of me constantly!"
Minako snorted, "Okay, so he flirted like a nine year old boy, give the guy a break!"
"It was not flirting!"
Minako sighed, "Usagi. Why are you so bent on denying this? Any other girl would have given their right arm to have Chiba Mamoru even talk to them."
"Yeah, well he didn't talk to me, did he? He teased me and-and made me feel awful about myself. I mean he was a total jerk! No girl would have wanted that."
"Oh c'mon, Usagi. Don't tell me you didn't think the guy was attractive."
"That has nothing to do with anything," Usagi sniffed, "He was horrible to me and that's all that matters."
"Horrible becaaaaause," Minako sing-songed, "He liked you. I mean couldn't you ever feel it? Underneath all those jokes and teases, couldn't you tell? I mean, sometimes even just the way he looked at you..."
Usagi wanted to roll her eyes and shrug this off, like she did most of the things Minako said, but she couldn't help but think back to when, not fifteen minutes ago, Mamoru had stepped close to her in the elevator and...and what? Usagi still wasn't quite sure what had happened, but she did know she had suddenly felt very, very uneasy. His breath on her skin had made her heart beat faster and her palms sweat. If anything, he had looked almost...predatory. Not that that was completely new. He had always unsettled her a bit and neither of them had ever been afraid of getting in the other's face. So why had it felt so different this time?
Perhaps it had been the shock – seeing him for the first time in almost ten years – or perhaps the fact that he looked older – filling out his suit in a way she had always imagined he would someday, his hair a little sleeker, his facial features just a bit sharper.
And his eyes. They had seemed darker, somehow. Hungrier.
Minako made a noise like a shiver, "If we didn't know you hated him so much, we may have been worried about your virtue. Makoto wanted to sock him a good one anyway, of course..."
Usagi scoffed, and surreptitiously wiped her palms on her pencil skirt. "Whatever. I still say he wasn't flirting with me and wouldn't I know best? I mean I was the one on the other end of his attention every single day. BUT" she continued, cutting Minako off as she started to protest again, "we aren't talking about what happened then, we're talking about now."
"Okay, well what happened now?"
"The exact same thing!"
"Oooookay?"
Usagi stomped her foot at the curb as she waited for the light to change. She could see her office building in the distance meaning she was only a block away now.
"Minako!" she whined, "He treated me exactly like he did when I was fourteen! He made fun of my intelligence, called me klutzy, and used that dreaded nickname he enjoyed so much!"
"The one Rei uses?"
"Yes! Damn her," Usagi muttered. "My hair hasn't looked like that since high school!"
Minako made a humming sound as if in agreement.
"Ugh, Minako-chan, it was awful! He smirked, he-he teased me, he called me his little Odango – "
"He what?!"
" – I mean yes I'm small but that doesn't mean he needs to point it out!"
"But, Usagi, he said – "
"And as if that wasn't enough, he made me trip! It was so embarrassing. I mean I can't believe the nerve of him to come in and act like I'm the exact same klutzy crybaby I was before. And then I did cry. Oh god, I'll never live that one down."
"Yes, Usagi, but – "
"And I had such a good meeting too – I could even get a raise it was so good – but he completely ruined that, of course."
"You know what, you're right!"
"Wait, what?" Usagi stuttered, confused at Minako's sudden change in attitude.
"Yes! I mean, how dare he see you after how long it's been and act like nothing has changed! He should have at least commented on how beautiful you are now!"
"Minako, I don't think – "
"And to see you for the first time in so long just to ruin your day! I mean, really!"
"Well…yeah." Usagi wasn't sure why, but suddenly having Minako argue her case had caused most of her frustration to drain away.
"Well," Minako huffed, "you know what this means right?"
Usagi opened her mouth thoughtfully, but came up blank.
"Retail therapy!" she squealed, excitedly.
"Oh, Minako," Usagi laughed, as she dug inside her bag for her ID, though the security guard waved her past as soon as she came inside.
"No, really! It'll be great. We'll get our nails done, talk about how stupid guys are, do a little shopping, and then get dinner!"
"Okay, okay. You win!"
"Really?" Usagi could picture Minako bouncing up and down in excitement.
"Yes," she smiled at a few of her coworkers as she made her way to her office, "I still need to finish up some paperwork after this meeting, but I think I can probably convince my boss to let me off a bit early, since my part of the job is pretty much done. But it probably won't be until closer to three."
"Perfect! I'll have my car pick you up at your apartment at three-thirty!"
Usagi thought about reminding Minako that she wasn't sure that she'd be done by then, but decided against it. She didn't want the other blonde coming into her office to find her. That wouldn't be good. "Alright, sounds good."
"Ciao!" Minako chirped.
"Ciao." Usagi giggled back, hanging up her phone and collapsing into her desk chair.
Maybe Minako was right. She just needed to sit back, relax, and pretend the Baka-incident had never happened.
She nodded. I can do that.
But first, she needed to do her paperwork.
AN: I had meant to have more happen in this chapter...but Minako and Usagi are just so damn talkative!
Review please! I'm thinking a conversation between Mamoru and Motoki might be in order. Yes?
