A/N: Ahhhhh! WOW! The response to this story is overwhelmingly positive, and it means the whole entire world to me! I know I should wait to post this - I just posted two chapters after all- but I'm so excited! Thank you all for the lovely reviews, the follows, and the favourites! I promise that I am going to go through each review one by one to reply to each of you individually ! BUT THANK YOU!
As always, the biggest shout out to my favourite Moonie girls, and bae-tas in the whole world! LOVE YOU GUYS! Ninjette Twitch and Revy679!
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Chapter 2
There were three sounds that she loved to hear more than anything in this world. In no particular order, she loved the sound of the buzzing games at the Crown Arcade, Mamoru's deep baritone laugh, and the shrill sound of the school bell indicating the end of another long, mundane, school day.
Luckily, the bell's welcoming ring pierced through the classroom and interrupted Sensei Haruna mid-sentence. Usagi sighed with relief, imminently grateful that she'd reached the end of another day of classes and pop quizzes that she probably should have felt more confident about.
She lazily stretched slender arms above her head, and her heart skipped a beat excitedly at the thought that she'd be able to hear her other two favourite sounds in approximately fifteen minutes. Or, you know, as long as it took her to get from here to the arcade without tripping or falling victim to some kind of interesting distraction. She dropped her hands and grimaced at the thought. Truthfully, she did get distracted a lot, which would probably explain why she hated school so much. There was so much more that she would rather be doing than sitting in a classroom.
Her grimace melted into a tender smile as she pictured Mamoru's look of exasperation every time he scolded her about daydreaming, in that chiding I'm-trying-to-be-serious voice, that always made her laugh. She chuckled out loud, and shook her head, then stopped with a sharp intake of breath and a muttered curse as it occurred to her. He was right, of course, as evident by the fact that the bell had rung about five minutes ago and she'd remained seated, like an idiot, daydreaming.
She promptly pressed her palms onto the top of her scuffed pupil's desk and used them to push herself up into a standing position. She'd done it too quickly of course, and she winced as her knee painfully knocked the edge of the steel corner, and her wooden chair skidded backwards and hit the floor with a resounding smash that was sure to bring attention to her clumsiness.
The classroom had mostly emptied of students, though, and those that remained only shook their heads, thoroughly amused by her clumsy antics. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she knelt down with a sheepish grin on her face, and gingerly pulled the chair back into an upright position.
"Are you breaking things again, Usagi-chan?"
The question had been posed in a lovingly amused tone by her friend, Osaka Naru. Usagi chuckled with embarrassment as she twisted around to face the brunette who had undoubtedly patiently waited for her with a delighted smile on her delicate features.
Usagi shrugged and returned her smile with a bright one of her own. "Ah, well. You know me!" she chimed with an elated giggle. "There's a reason they call me hurricane-Usagi, Naru-chan!" She exclaimed as she leaned down to pick up her black-leathered book bag and safely secure the strap onto her shoulder.
Naru chuckled and shook her head as she turned to leave the emptied classroom. "Nobody calls you that, Usagi-chan," she said brightly, and Usagi had to skip quickly to catch up. "Is it alright if Umino comes along to the arcade with us as well?" she asked, glancing sideways at the odangoed, bubbly blonde beside her with an indulgent smile.
Usagi nodded, her cheeks red with excitement at the prospect of being joined by another friend. She'd always considered herself pretty social. She liked talking to people, and though sometimes she might find herself talking too much, as a result, she'd amassed a fairly large-sized group of friends.
Though she enjoyed the company of every single one of them, there was only one friend that she considered her very best friend. Dark-haired, intelligent, and slightly brooding, Mamoru Chiba held a special place in her heart above all of the others.
They made their way down the hallway towards the exit, and Usagi smiled and waved her goodbyes to several school acquaintances as thoughts of her ebony-haired friend swirled at the back of her mind. She missed his silly stoic expressions now that he'd moved into his own apartment and she didn't get to see him in the morning before they went to school anymore.
She hated that they went to different schools now, too. She was very proud of him for actually enjoying school and excelling academically. Especially enough to be accepted into a private high school. But truth be told, she missed seeing him in the hallways. That, and she was sure he'd forget to eat if it wasn't for her and her lunches. It broke her heart when she recalled the days he'd come to school with nothing to eat when he'd lived with that awful family. Luckily, between her and her mother, she always made sure that Mamoru had lunch, but now that he was in a different school, she had no idea if he was eating.
The thought disheartened her, but she perked up considerably as she made her way outside with Naru to join Umino and their friend Makoto. She was going to see him now, anyway. She planned to order extra fries, just to make sure that he ate something today, as she was sure he'd forgotten.
She was practically skipping, eager to arrive with her friends, because she knew he was sitting in his usual seat, waiting for her, just like he did every day. Hopefully with a strawberry milkshake for her, too!
They were halfway to the arcade, and Usagi was thoroughly amused by Makoto, who had taken it upon herself to gently tease Naru and Umino. Their faces had turned a lovely shade of red, and Usagi laughed when they were interrupted by another group of friends that she recognized in passing, from school, though she couldn't quite recall all of their names.
A small flare of irritation momentarily coursed through her as they firmly planted themselves in her path, and she frowned at the intrusion. She was excited to get to the arcade, and the sweltering sun beating down on them was relentless.
One of the boys, the one whose name she thankfully did remember, stepped forward. Ginga Seijuro towered above her, and she needed to crane her neck to peer up into his sharply angled features and the almond-shaped eyes that were filled with amusement as he stared down at her. "Usagi-san, it's nice to see you again!" he said with a laugh and half-smirk.
She supposed with his Romanesque features, he could be considered handsome in his own right. Though she didn't really think of those kinds of things, and if she did, she knew that she'd prefer darker hair. He was tall, which she did find attractive, but not that tall. She preferred boys who stood perhaps only a foot or so taller than her. Like Mamoru. Now, Mamoru was the perfect height.
Still, she plastered a smile onto her face. "It's very nice to see you again," she lied, as she could not for the life of her remember the last time she'd seen him.
He smiled, leaned forward, and lightly grazed her arm with his hand. "Would you like to join me and my friends? We're going to the mall. I'd love for you to come along, Usagi-san," he said, and she was probably imagining it, but it felt like he was really close.
Either way, she stepped back, uncomfortable with the way his warm breath hit her face, and offered him an apologetic smile. "I'm very sorry, Ginga-san," she began, opting to address him formally. "I'm on my way to the arcade. I couldn't just leave my friends behind," she said and tilted her head to the side to stare longingly around him. She really just wanted to get to the arcade.
She did feel a bit guilty at the crestfallen look on his face. "Oh, well, your friends can come as well?" He said, and Usagi cringed at the hopeful tone in his voice. What was the wrong with him, anyway? She barely knew him, and by the looks of the small following that was patiently waiting, he had more than enough friends to keep him company at the mall.
She shook her head, and forcibly held back an exasperated sigh. "No, I'm sorry, Ginga-san. My friend is already there, waiting for me," she said, and her tone was a bit firmer this time, and she hoped that it properly conveyed that she wanted to go.
He frowned, and stepped towards her again, "Surely you can call-"
The russet-haired boy was promptly interrupted by Makoto, that hooked her arm through Usagi's and pulled her away. "So sorry, Ginga-san, but we really need to go," she said, her tone sickeningly sweet, with an overly friendly wave, as she tugged Usagi swiftly around him.
When they'd made it out of Seijoru's line of sight, Usagi offered Makoto a grateful smile. The brunette grinned in return, and reassuringly squeezed her arm. Makoto was much taller than her, which meant that her strides were much longer, and Usagi needed to really concentrate to avoid tripping over her feet, but she still didn't miss the strange, knowing looks her friends exchanged.
"Well that was certainly interesting," Makoto said from beside her, a smirk on her lips.
Usagi frowned in confusion at the murmured comment that was clearly laced with some kind of double meaning. What was interesting?
"Guess he doesn't know yet," Naru said, and Usagi twisted her head to the side to fix her gaze on Naru, who'd quickened her pace to walk beside her. The brunette leaned forward a bit to catch Makoto's gaze. "Well, he is relatively new at school. So, he wouldn't have heard," she continued and shrugged nonchalantly.
Makoto nodded, with another knowing look glinting behind the green hues of her eyes. Usagi's frown deepened, and she gritted her teeth in irritation. What were they going on about? Their remarks were annoyingly cryptic, and furthermore, they were speaking to each other as if she wasn't sandwiched between the both of them.
Usagi sighed loudly, and purposefully, "What are you two going on about? I'm right here, you know!" She snapped, her tone laced with irritated exasperation.
Her friends didn't respond, but they did share another infuriatingly knowing look that was really beginning to annoy her. "Guys?" she questioned, her tone rising to a shrill octave that made her inwardly cringe.
Surprisingly it was Umino, who'd been trailing behind, that interjected as he strode in front of them, and twisted his short body around to walk backwards. "Well, Usagi-chan, coming from a boy's perspective, that hears things, boys are usually afraid to approach you," he said, a knowing glint in his gaze as he stared at her from behind thick round glasses that slightly magnified his eyes.
Usagi's frown deepened into a scowl. It was true that most of her friends consisted of girls, but wasn't that the case for them as well? Judging by the looks they were all exchanging, she was going to guess that was a big resounding no. It was apparently not a normal thing to rarely be approached by someone of the opposite sex.
She pursed her lips, and averted her gaze, feeling a little bit hurt now. What was that supposed to mean anyway? "What are you even talking about, Umino-san?" She snapped, swallowing around the ball of emotion that bubbled up involuntarily into her throat. It was not like her to feel insecure.
The others must have noticed her stricken expression because they offered her apologetic looks tinged with sympathy. "Usagi-chan, it has nothing to do with you!" Makoto exclaimed reassuringly, as she, thankfully, slowed her pace until she came to a complete stop.
"Oh!" Umino exclaimed, his big eyes round with the realization that she'd attributed his thoughtless comment to herself. "Of course it has nothing to do with you! Trust me, they want to approach you," Umino reassured, his chin tilted upwards with that infuriatingly suggestive look on his face.
Naru shifted her weight from one foot to the other beside her, and her facial expression was filled with uncertainty as she carefully considered her next words. Usagi pressed tightly clenched fists into the billowing fabric of her pleated skirt. Their cryptic comments and expressions were really starting to get on her nerves. "Usagi-chan, they're afraid of Mamoru-san," Naru said, slowly, carefully, with a furtive look to study her friend's reaction to her confession.
Usagi tensed, and her eyes widened in confusion. Of all of the things that Naru could have said - that she was unattractive, too clumsy, a bit irritating- that was the very last thing she expected her to say. Who could possibly be afraid of Mamoru?
She shook her head, her blonde pigtails twisting around her body, as she pulled her arm out of Makoto's and propped her hands on her hips. "What are you guys talking about?" She demanded, "Mamo-chan is the nicest guy on the whole entire planet. Who could be afraid of him?" She stated, in a matter of fact, slightly defensive, tone. Truthfully, it made her angry to hear anyone speak of Mamoru that way.
Makoto chuckled softly, as Naru and Umino exchanged another smirk, and their eyes glinted brightly with amusement. Usagi couldn't help the indignant huff of disbelief. "That can't be it!" She quipped in response to the looks on their faces. There was no way!
Umino snorted through a bark of laughter. "What about that time he threw Jimu over the fence?" He questioned and crossed his arms with a grin widening on his face.
The statement did deflate Usagi's righteous indignation a little bit. Her face reddened and her scowl melted into a frown. It was true. Mamoru had thrown Jimu over the fence… but it was completely justified! "Jimu deserved that! He kept tripping me on purpose, then calling me a klutz so that everyone would laugh at me!" Her face began to burn at the awful memory of the many times that boy had humiliated her. "Then he purposefully pushed me down, hard, in Gym class, and I twisted my ankle!" She exclaimed, waving her hands animatedly as she spoke.
That was certainly not Mamoru's fault. She hadn't even wanted to tell him, convinced that she could handle the bully on her own. It wasn't his fault that he'd heard the rumours whispered in the hallways. Mamoru was instinctively protective! It was one of his very best qualities.
Makoto chuckled again as she shook her head, her glossy chestnut brown ponytail fluttering behind her with the movement. "Well, there was that time that Mamoru-san threatened Asahi-kun," she said, amused laughter laced into the tone of her voice. "Apparently, he scared him so badly, that Asahi switched schools!"
This time Usagi scoffed. Tanaka Asahi was a slimeball, pure and simple. Mamoru had done the female population of their middle school a favour by threatening that jerk. "You can hardly use that as an example, Mako-chan! He was disgusting towards all of the girls. With his salacious remarks and the rumours he'd start about girls that wouldn't…." her face burned hotly as she choked on the words.
Makoto's grin only widened, and she tilted her head to the side. "That's true, Usagi-chan, but Asahi had been doing things like that for a long time. Mamoru-san only began to care when it was happening to you," she said expectantly as if she was trying to convey something that Usagi just wasn't getting.
Umino chortled, then gasped with a new memory. "Oh! Oh! Remember when Mamoru-"
Usagi had heard enough, they clearly didn't understand her friend. "That's enough! There is no reason anyone should be afraid to talk to me. Mamo-chan doesn't even go to our school anymore!" She said loudly, her tone harsh and firm, as she, god help her, actually stomped her foot in frustration.
Which, of course, only elicited an array of laughter from her so-called friends. "I don't think that matters, Usagi-chan," Makoto said, and Usagi shook her head and, in a flurry of blonde hair and the fabric of the blue pleated skirt of her school uniform, she swept past them.
They simply didn't understand the kind, good, protective qualities that Mamoru possessed. They were wrong. He wouldn't do all of those things just for her.
The three of them quickly caught up to her, and luckily, the topic of conversation switched to something else. She barely heard the rest of what they had to say, though, because she couldn't for the life of her figure out why the thought of Mamoru protecting just any girl bothered her so much.
oOo
Her disconcerting conversation with the others was almost completely forgotten when she stepped through the Arcade doors and was immediately greeted by the welcoming 'whoosh' of cold air-conditioned air, the tinkling sound of the bell fixed above the door, and the low buzz of conversation intermingled with the pops, dings and clicks of the Arcade games.
She literally felt the tension uncoil from the tightened muscles in her shoulders as the corners of her lips lifted into a relieved grin. The Arcade was truly one of her favourite places. It was perfect, really. Mamo-chan could sit at the counter and drink his gross coffee, studying for school, and she got to play all the Arcade games! It was totally a win-win situation.
The first time they'd discovered the Crown Arcade was when she was ten and he was twelve, and the park no longer held the appeal it once had. She'd originally lured Mamo-chan in here with false promises of mutual counter studying. That had never come to pass, of course, but they'd kept coming nevertheless.
Though he would never admit it, she was pretty sure he'd come to enjoy it, too. Especially since Furuhata Motoki had started working here part-time. Which, come to think of it, was the only other person she'd seen Mamo-chan willingly interact with.
She frowned at the thought, thoroughly confused by it, when her gaze finally fell onto the familiar ebony-haired head in question. His back was turned towards the door, and he sat in his usual seat, undoubtedly hunched over one of his super boring chemistry books,
Her elated grin was firmly back in place as the others left to play their usual games and she skipped across the room, dodged a few overly eager teenagers, and closed the distance between them. Her smile faded though, her nose scrunching up into a grimace as her eyes narrowed onto what he was wearing. She was sure she'd thrown that abomination out!
With an exasperated sigh and a shake of her head, she flopped down into the seat beside him. She stumbled just a little, and his hand immediately shot out and clasped her waist to steady her.
She waved to Motoki, who was just coming from the kitchen when Mamoru swivelled towards her, his usual smile firmly in place, as he snapped his book shut. Chemistry. Just as she'd suspected. "How was school, Usako?" His tone was gentle, kind, and she really didn't understand what the others were even talking about.
She didn't respond, simply raised her eyebrows, and casually reached out for the strawberry milkshake that was waiting for her. She loudly took a sip from the straw, the glass cold against her palm as she stared down at his ugly, green jacket pointedly.
He frowned at her non-responsiveness and followed her gaze to the jacket in question. His lips curled into an amused grin, as he swivelled back around to the counter and reopened his book. "I like this jacket, Usako," he said with a chuckle, amusement twinkling in the pools of cobalt blue eyes as he gave her a sideways glance. "Despite your attempts to get rid of it," he said, smirked, and casually lifted the white ceramic coffee cup to his lips to take a sip.
She huffed, lifted her arms in exasperation, and rolled her eyes skyward as if praying for patience. "I did you a favour when I threw that thing out! How did you even find it!" She exclaimed, thoroughly exacerbated, though she couldn't help but feel slightly amused.
He rolled his eyes and turned the page in his book. "Because you didn't throw it in the trash, Usako," he began, and she huffed. "You probably meant to, but you must have become distracted because I found it on the kitchen counter," he said, a self-satisfying smirk still splayed out on his lips.
She opened her mouth, fully prepared to protest, when the memory of actually throwing out the jacket popped into her head. She snapped her mouth shut, as her cheeks reddened, and a sullen scowl washed over her face. She'd gotten distracted by her mother's freshly baked castella cakes.
With her silence, a clear indication that she knew she was wrong, Mamoru glanced up with expectantly raised eyebrows.
It was the satisfying smirk that made her backpedal, though. "Why do you even like that thing?" She exclaimed, and leaned forward with narrowed eyes, taking a sip from her strawberry milkshake, this time from the rim of the cup as the whipped cream kept clogging up her straw.
His smirk turned into a genuine smile. "You bought it for me, Usako," he replied, simply, sincerely. There was no way!
She gasped indignantly and slapped her palm onto the counter with a vehement shake of her head. "I did not!" She practically shouted, thoroughly insulted.
He tipped his head back and had the audacity to laugh. "Yes, you did, Usa," he said lightly. "Remember? You were eight, and you'd just received your first allowance, and we stopped at that yard sale?" He prodded, and Usagi's brow furrowed. She sort of recalled something like that. "You could have chosen between the oversized green jacket for me, or the slightly bleached Hello Kitty bag," he said, and her frown turned into a defeated glower.
He was right. She did remember that. She didn't
remember the jacket being that ugly, though. She'd seen the jacket several times over the years, and she'd hummed and hawed about its sheer ugliness every single time, definitely attempted to toss it on several occasions. He'd never once mentioned, or reminded her, that she was the reason for the atrocity!
She shook her head in disbelief. "I should have picked the bag," she muttered, though her tone was lightly spoken with resignation.
He smiled, leaned over, pulled a napkin off of the counter and handed it to her. "As I said, Usako," he quipped brightly. "I like this jacket," he chuckled, and ruffled her hair. "And you have whipped cream on your lip." With that, he turned back to his book, with a small half-smile still on his face.
She threw her hands up in defeat, swiped the napkin across her lips, and bounced off the stool. Motoki, who'd been silently watching their interaction while drying glasses, was also smirking.
She shook her head in exasperation at the both of them. "Maybe you can talk some sense into him, Motoki!" She said, then playfully stuck her tongue out at Mamo-chan who was doing his best to ignore her. Though, she could tell he was trying not to laugh.
"Okay, Mamo-baka," she teased with an unbidden giggle. "I'll be back when I beat my top score at Sailor V!" She announced brightly, then twisted around and bounced into the fray of Arcade players to join Naru and Makoto who were already competing with each other.
With her face turned, she felt it was safe to allow herself to smile warmly. It was kind of sweet that he'd kept that jacket, actually. Though, she wished she could go back in time and scold the eight-year-old version of herself for her horrible taste in clothes.
Regardless, she'd just decided that, even though it was ugly, she wouldn't give him a hard time about the jacket again.
oOo
She let out a loud, exaggerated huff as the front door slammed behind her and she gingerly stepped into the genkan. "I'm home!" Usagi cried out loudly as she unceremoniously tossed her book bag, where it just narrowly missed the oak post of the stairwell that she'd meant to loop it over. She hastily yanked off her black mary-jane shoes and slipped on the fuzzy pink bunny slippers that she pulled from a wicker basket near the door.
She was like a bounding tornado of silky hair and billowing fabric that skipped into the living room where her dad was leaned back comfortably in their brown leather recliner, reading a newspaper. (Always the journalist at heart, he refused to use the tablet they'd bought him for his birthday) Shingo sat cross-legged on the floral patterned sofa, firmly entrenched in the Nintendo switch he'd conned their mother into buying for him.
Without even looking up from the screen, and still furiously mashing the buttons, Shingo smirked. "Why do you insist on screaming like that? Nobody cares that you're home," the annoying little twerp muttered.
Usagi graced him with a hot glare, which was pointless, because he didn't look up to actually see it. But it made her feel better, and she smiled as she skipped to her dad's side, lovingly popping down to kiss his forehead. "Hi, Papa!" she chimed brightly, then twisted around, a little ungracefully, and bounded onto the other side of the sofa, curling her long, bare legs beneath her, and smoothing out the pleated skirt on her lap.
There was the distinct sound of shuffling paper as Kenji peered over his glasses to give his daughter a tender smile. "Hello, Usa-chan, welcome home," he greeted lovingly, and she preened warmly under his gaze.
"Oh! Usagi! I'm glad you're home, darling," lavender-haired Ikuko exclaimed sweetly as she stepped into the living room, clad in a white apron with a spatula in hand. Usagi's mouth was already watering as the scent of dinner wafted in from the kitchen.
Her mother's smile faded into a concerned frown as she quickly scanned the room with her gaze. "Oh. No Mamoru tonight?" she questioned, the inflection in her tone deflated with disappointment.
Usagi smiled apologetically and shook her head. "No. Sorry, Mama," she said and shrugged nonchalantly. "He apparently has this super boring school assignment that he needs to get done," she chimed and grimaced at the thought. Mamo-chan was really good at school… like really good. So the assignment must truly be urgent if he was skipping out on dinner.
"You know, Usa-chan. It wouldn't hurt if you took a page out of Mamoru's book," Kenji interjected, his voice slightly muffled from behind his newspaper. Usagi's brow furrowed with annoyed dismay. "That boy has a solid head on his shoulders. I'm very proud of him," he murmured, almost absentmindedly as he licked the tip of his finger, and used it to turn to the next page of his paper.
Ikuko laughed brightly, and Usagi's gaze snapped over to her. "Oh! I'm so proud of him! That school he's gone to is very prestigious! Do you know what the acceptance rate to the University of Tokyo is for Moto Azabu high school graduates? 86%!" Ikuko exclaimed proudly, as she animatedly waved her spatula in the air. "I picked up a couple of pamphlets about their campus at the dentist's office on Tuesday," she said proudly, a wide grin on her face. "Do you know where he's applied to yet, Usagi?"
The question caught her off guard, and she frowned thoughtfully. There weren't any secrets between her and Mamoru. They told each other everything. He was her greatest confidante, and the first person she went to with anything that might be bothering her. So why hadn't he mentioned applying anywhere to her yet?
A flash of guilt blossomed in the pit of her stomach, and she inwardly grimaced. She should have thought to ask. He was a senior, after all, and he'd be attending a University next year.
The idea that Mamo-chan wouldn't be going to University was laughable, and the guilt intensified as she couldn't help the secret part of her that was dreading the change. Though, as a University student, maybe she could convince him to bring her to all the fun parties? Plus, UT campus wasn't that far... Keio was even closer! So it wasn't like things needed to change that much!
The thought cheered her up considerably, and she smiled up at her mother. "I'm not sure, Mama. I'll have to make sure to ask him," she reassured brightly.
Ikuko nodded, satisfied with her response. "Good, you make sure to tell him to eat. I worry about him on his own," she said as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, a look of concern etched into her face. "You know how he is. He'll forget," she said worriedly and propped her hand onto her hip as her eyes fixed onto a spot on the wall as she undoubtedly became lost in her thoughts. Probably trying to come up with a way to get Mamoru some dinner.
Usagi nodded solemnly, in agreement with Ikuko. "Don't worry, Mama! I made sure he ate before we left the Arcade!" She said and tilted her head up, with a proud smile.
Ikuko smiled, "Oh! That's wonderful! Please make sure he comes to dinner tomorrow, though. Won't you, darling?" She requested sweetly, then twisted around to return to the kitchen.
Usagi nodded her assent, content because Mamoru was a part of their family. Her parents loved him as much as they loved her and - she glanced sideways at her brother that was currently picking at something on his face - maybe Shingo.
Her mama always made sure he ate and getting him pamphlets was so … she frowned with a sudden realization. "Hey Mama!" she shouted loudly toward the kitchen. She didn't wait for her mother to acknowledge her before continuing. "How come you didn't get me University pamphlets?"
Her only response was Shingo, who burst out into an annoying bout of laughter. "You? Come on, Usagi!" he guffawed loudly, which deepened her scowl. "There is no way that you are going to University! Man…" he choked on his laughter. Unfortunately, it didn't choke him to death. "Why does Mamoru even hang out with you? You're so brainless!"
Usagi gasped, her face red with indignant rage. "Shut up, SHINGO!" She spat through gritted teeth, then leaned back, and kicked out her leg so that her foot collided directly with his hip.
She was pleased to see that she'd effectively silenced the little twerp's laughter, as he inhaled sharply, flinched, and hissed painfully through his teeth. "Dad! Usagi just kicked me!" he snitched, and she promptly, sort of childishly stuck her tongue out at him.
Stupid Shingo. He didn't know what he was talking about. Mamoru loved her. They were best friends after all.
oOo
It was only later as Usagi brushed her teeth, and carefully studied her reflection in the mirror that she went over the conversation she'd had with her friends on the way to the Arcade. Her eyes were narrowed as she scrutinized the contours of her face, the childish pink pyjamas, and the sparkly bow hair ties that firmly held her pig-tails in place.
She'd never really given much thought to boys like Seijuro or… well anyone else, for that matter. She'd always been relatively content exactly with the way things were. But Makoto and Naru's words and suggestive expressions definitely made her pause. Should she be thinking about boys, the way that the other girls seemed to be?
She leaned over the sink and spat out the remnants of the mint toothpaste, then turned on the tap and gingerly filled a glass with water to rinse out her mouth. Her friend Minako had dated several boys already. It was strange, but whenever she thought of dating, or who she might like to date, she only ever thought of Mamoru.
Usagi frowned, padded out of the bathroom and flicked off the light as she went. It was probably because Mamoru was her favourite person in the world. He made her feel safe.
She yawned as she crawled into her bed, and burrowed beneath her comforter, settling comfortably onto her pillow. It was raining outside and the gentle pitter-patter sounds it made as it hit the roof and her window were quickly beginning to lull her to sleep. Maybe it was about time that she at least tried to date a boy. Though, not Seijoru. That particular boy made her uncomfortable.
She'd just fallen asleep, her breathing even and steady, lacy black lashes fanning the tops of her cheeks when a loud booming sound tore her from her slumber. Her eyes flew open and, just like she always did at the sound of thunder, she froze, completely paralyzed in her irrational fear that she'd never been able to rid herself of; no matter how hard she tried.
At that moment, thoughts of any other boys were completely absent from her racing mind. The only person she wanted, no, needed to see - the only person with the ability to make her feel better during a storm - was her protector and very best friend. Mamoru Chiba.
oOo
