Chapter Three
It's Never a Coincidence...
She'd better not have followed me...Ami hated lying to her friends. She hated it even more that she had become so damned good at it in the last week, and it seemed that the doornail of the pack, Makoto Kino, was the one who seemed to see right through her the fastest. Just like Usagi, Makoto could pick up on things if she really put an effort into it, and not having to think too hard but rely on instinct and experience helped. Just like cooking or reading Ami's little giveaways, Makoto had both on her side in spite of the two's silent falling out.
Well, no sign of Usagi. The morning's warm late August breeze ran tenderly through her short blue hair as she sat down on a bench under the shade of a tree. She had taken a train to Akihabara to make sure she would have a bit of time alone. The sensation of the wind rustling her hair and grazing her bare legs and arms went unnoticed because of her concentration on the scenery around her. She was hell bent on thinking about anything but what she should have concentrated on as a Sailor Senshi and the small hand guide to nature and art that she had read forwards and backwards would help her get to that mental state of escape she so desperately craved.
It failed miserably for the first time she could remember. Then again, an agitated look on her brow and her eyes in a book would hopefully repel any wandering strangers from starting an unwanted conversation with her. With all of her summer assignments for school completed the day after they were assigned and studied to near memorization within the next day, she had continued her trend of studying art and nature rather than re-studying crap she had practically memorized. After so many years, she was tired of just studying and studying. What the hell was the point?
It was Sunday, August 23rd, 1998 and her final year at Juuban High would start the following day. The only reason she hadn't started college at the age of fifteen was because her mother was determined that she grow up surrounded by children her own age so she wouldn't become a prestigious doctor with no social skills and die alone in an ocean of regret. For someone who despised art, her mother could come up with some visually stimulating narratives.
For the second time, her plans on studying in Germany were on secret, unofficial hold as once again the calling of Sailor Mercury had her held in place within Juuban. She kept herself from smiling at the thought. Although she would have loved spending her first year of college studying premed in Germany, her mother and best friend were in Tokyo, and Tokyo University wasn't anything to scoff at when, not if she got accepted. She silently pushed the thought of missing Ryo when he finally came back from America. Germany would never happen. It was just fate. May that be the worst of my worries!
Her Ryo had left in mid-July and would not return until after the summer semester of Berlin University started. Even though this was no longer an issue, thoughts of ending her relationship with Ryo plagued her mind. They still had so much in common and might still be friends. She doubted it, though...
Ami sighed and hit the book against her forehead. She would get no inspirations for poetry or music despite the pleasant scenery and the brilliantly written book she had read several times over due to her overactive brain spinning way off course. She was plagued by so many thoughts, so many new pieces of information to analyze and over-analyze as life tried to fly by her. She wanted to think about pursuing something new, or perhaps someone new. She loved Ryo, but he had made it apparent that he didn't quiet love her the same way she loved him. Why wait for something that probably wasn't even there? But did she really have the guts and the meanness required to send him that dreaded 'John Deer' letter? Or was is a 'Dear Jim' letter? Minako would know...
While she had had an eye for Ryo for years, there were other potential suitors, but none of them ever panned out and the last one had turned out to actually be a woman from another world. In the end, a surplus of curiosity and hormones with an overall lack of adult supervision and the catalyst of a pending separation had led her and Ryo to a secret shared experience. It was such a strange thing, such a penny-novel way to start a romantic relationship, but it had happened, and only they and Usagi knew about it. It was all she had ever known in the realm of love. Could she really walk away from it?
Ami stared unseeing at the cover of her book as she focused on her best friend. For all her faults, shortcomings, screw-ups, foolish notions, childish beliefs and all around idiocies, Usagi Tsukino had irreversibly changed Ami's life for the better. Despite her lack of manners, grace, sophistication, table manners or social tact, she shined like the light of the moon. It was not a coincidence as she was, in fact, the Sailor Senshi of the moon itself and future queen of Crystal Tokyo.
Before that fateful day at juku when Ami had learned that she was the reincarnation of Sailor Mercury, her life had been an ongoing cycle of studying, cram school, acing pathetic 'tests' and berating herself incessantly the few times she got an answer wrong. While it had its advantages at first to help her cope with her parents divorce by ignoring it, it ended up consuming nearly six years of her life. Even after becoming a Senshi, she had squandered so many opportunities because cram school and studying always took priority.
That didn't end until after the cataclysm that split up the Senshi for a year. During the isolation, Usagi and Ami had gravitated to each other, Usagi's spark of life rubbing off on Ami and helping her come out of her shell while she was able to imprint some of her study habits on Usagi. It was wonderful and horrible all at the same time. Ami hated admitting to herself that she almost preferred not having to deal with all the others as they naturally pushed her aside without even realizing it. Obviously she was the one with the problem, and once again she was forced out of her comfort zone. Maybe she really was perfect for someone like Ryo…
"Excuse me," a young man's voice said, shattering her concentration like a light bulb hitting the sidewalk, "but what are you doing reading on a day like this? School doesn't start until tomorrow."
Ami gazed up from her closed book and saw a foreigner. "Ahh...Hello. My name…is Ami Mizuno." Although not as fast or fluent as Minako, she was proficient in her understanding and speaking of English as it was Europe's primary shared language, and Germany was smack-dab in the middle of Europe.
"Mai neimu...iizu...Tetsuya Journey. Herro," The stranger mumbled poorly in English as he smiled a charming smile. "I don't speak English all that well."
"Oh, what nationality are you?"
"Japanese."
"Huh?" What are you trying to pull? Ami arched an eyebrow at the remark.
The young man chuckled. "You asked my nationality, which is legally Japanese. My family name is Journey. It's...uh, British. However, I was born in Chiba, and I've never really even left the main island before. My name is Tetsuya. It's nice to meet you for the first time, Ami." Tetsuya bowed to Ami, and she bowed back from where she at on the bench. "Back to my question."
"Oh, I just had a lot on my mind." And now I have you on my mind. Tetsuya was about her height, which meant he was probably in his first year of high school or even still in junior high. He had a lean build, which was probably why he had a long-sleeved skater shirt on. His jeans were loose but not saggy and the cuffs were hemmed, but not by the manufacturer. Definitely to allow you to grow, kiddo. Alright, Romeo, Jr. I'll play your little game for now.
"That probably isn't helping your efforts to absorb the words by hitting them into your forehead."
"Oh...well..."
"Besides, books are for cold and rainy days."
Thanks for not leaving me to hang after calling me out, twerp. "Then what are sunny days for?"
"Making good use of young and healthy limbs. Would you like a slightly more interactive distraction from the world?"
Ami chuckled, still slightly embarrassed about the forehead remark, but at least she had grown out of breaking out in hives when trying to talk to boys or read a love letter. "I have more than enough troubles to forget and I guess I could use the reprieve."
"Okay. Say, where do you go to school?"
"Juuban High. It's my senior year."
Tetsuya's eyes lit up. "Hey! I just transferred from Narashino High. I'm a third year student as well."
Ami's smile remained in place due to sheer willpower. I don't appreciate liars. It's my turn to call you out before I chuck you out! "You mean Junior High?"
Tetsuya pouted slightly. "Not all gaijin are six feet tall with blue eyes and blond hair." He produced an ID card from Narashino High. "162 centimeters, 49 kilos, seventeen years of age."
Ami smiled a lopsided grin at him. I guess you check out, after all. Maybe his parents are waiting for a delayed growth spurt. "Well, if we're in the same class, we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."
"That'd be fun."
"Hai." Ami then had an idea. "Say...Tetsuya...what are your plans for now?"
"Me? Return to my apartment by eight so I can check in with my parents by phone."
"Do you wish to meet some of my friends who also go to Juuban High over lunch?"
He smiled warmly. "Sure. Where are you eating?"
"Just a small deli near the Hikawa Shrine back in Juuban."
"Well, when do we eat?"
"About one." Ami looked at her watch. "So, in two hours time. How about we go window shopping for awhile and get to know each other better?"
"You bet!" Tetsuya was grinning from ear to ear.
Way to go, Ami. Playing it cool! Ami smiled. She found Tetsuya to be somewhat attractive, although she wasn't too keen on his buzz haircut. Maybe he only did that during the summer to keep cool, but the lack of length in his hair and legs made him a sharp contrast to Ryo along with his bright personality. She also wondered if she was entertaining her thoughts of breaking up with Ryo a little too seriously. Then again, she was almost a grown woman, perfectly capable of making her own decisions. She looked into his hazel eyes which almost looked green because of the green shirt he was wearing. "You like electronics?"
"Hai! My dad used to call me 'chibi-destruct-o-boy' because I kept tinkering with things as a child. Never could get the 'reassembly' part down..."
"Well, promise me you'll behave yourself and we'll go window shopping."
"I'll do my best..." Tetsuya offered his hand, but Ami stood on her own.
"Oh, sorry, but I have a boyfriend. Just so we're clear."
Tetsuya's smile died down slightly. "Oh. I'm sorry, too. But that doesn't me we can't still be friends."
"Of course."
"So does Mr. Mister also go to Juuban High?"
"He's studying abroad."
Tetsuya's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "...a-ha!"
Ami winked at him with a cute-annoyed smile. "No."
"...ah." Just as quickly, it was December 26th in his twinkleless eyes. "Well, you can't blame a guy for trying."
*.*.*
A few shops with agitated and disappointed shopkeepers started their morning. At noon, the two caught a train back to the Juuban area and took a leisurely stroll with a stop for ice cream. Oddly, the only flavors had been green tea and sweet potato. Tetsuya tried a scoop of each. He tossed the green tea and smiled as the yam flavored cream saved the day. Ami felt the same way about the ice cream. Just another thing the mismatched odd couple found they had in common. The two tossed their sub par cones simultaneously as they entered a small American deli called Subway. Tetsuya looked at the group assembled before him. Including himself, there would be eight people seated at a table capable of seating nine, a rather odd number. It was a fleeting thought that would be forgotten as the old definition of odd would keep becoming normal as newer, odder oddities continued streamlining into play...
"Mina-san," Ami chimed, "this is my new friend, Tetsuya Journey. He's a transfer student to our school and a third year student."
As Ami and Tetsuya sat down, the blonde with two pig tails and buns similar to Sailor Moon's hair style shot Ami an inquisitive look that got a glare back from her. Girls...go figure... Tetsuya and the group performed their bows and introductions. He explained to them about his unique citizenry before entering into a sea of small talk and banter with a group of strangers and one friend he knew almost nothing about.
Tetsuya sat between Ami and the raven haired Shinto priestess Rei Hino. She went to a private school and was immediately seen as off limits as she opened up about her 'dearest' Yuuichirou Kumada. Despite this, Tetsuya caught her giving him strange stares throughout the opening round of chatting. She was in a very ridiculously attractive red outfit that left her belly button exposed. 'Cute' was not the word that came to mind as her color seemed to be red. As much as Tetsuya would have liked it, he knew that her glances and stares weren't out of that sort of an interest in him.
Directly across from him sat the couple of Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba. The way the two looked at each other made it seem like they had just hooked up, but they had actually been together for nearly four years. Although she was incredibly pretty, Tetsuya put those thoughts even further away than with Rei. Usagi and Mamoru were getting married and starting a family, and nothing would stop that as long as they both drew breath. He felt an odd protectiveness of the two but ignored it. It wasn't his place to be their guardian angel. Usagi wore the exact same outfit as Ami. Either the two were really close or bitter rivals. Mamoru wore slacks and a Polo shirt that showed off his build, making Tetsuya feel a bit under dressed even though it was a fast food deli.
Next to Usagi sat her childhood friend Naru Osaka and her long term boyfriend, Umino Gurio. Umino went to school in Shinjuku while Naru had moved and transferred to Narashino City in Chiba. For some odd reason, she never made small talk about how they had 'switched' schools and she might run into his old friends, old friends he had never seen before. Perhaps it was a guardian aspect of the identity spell he had cast earlier that morning. Naru was in the same 'off-limits' area as Rei and Usagi. Naru wore a blue dress with a green ribbon that beautifully complimented her red hair and crystal blue eyes. Umino's choice of khakis and sleeveless button up shirt made Tetsuya feel shorter, scrawnier and even more of a scrub. By shaving off his facial hair, his voice was the only remaining mark that he had even reached puberty...
The last member of the group present was the cheery, confident and randomly flighty Minako Aino. She seemed to go from being irrelevant to absolutely engaging depending on the subject being discussed as the group awaited the arrival of the last two members. She was very talkative and after a few minutes, Tetsuya knew she was yet another senior at Juuban High, the captain of the Girls' Volleyball team and a flounder in her studies. She was also going to a dance in three weeks with 'that one guy.' Tetsuya never caught his name as she went off onto another silly tangent. Perhaps she was taught to act that way by her parents. Not all aspects of all cultures value a smart woman. Then again, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to hit a ball and count to three...
Everyone at the table with the exception of Mamoru was a third year student and with the exceptions of Rei and Mamoru were current or former members of the Juuban school system. The group had stayed close and Tetsuya felt a sense of peace and security knowing he had been adopted into the group by Ami, who was eventually confirmed as a close friend and not a bitter rival of Usagi's. Tetsuya was interested in finding out how Rei and Mamoru had been 'adopted' into the group as they weren't part of the Juuban 'clan.' He never got the chance to ask as another young woman approached the table and gave him an inquisitive stare after observing only one remaining empty seat...
"Please forgive my late arrival," an unfamiliar voice said.
"Konnichiwa," the group resounded. A ponytail-braided girl with sea green hair wearing round glasses, jean shorts and a green halter top walked in. A shiny ring on her left fourth finger, called the ring finger on Earth, made it clear that she was in the off-limits group with Usagi, Rei, Naru and Ami. He wasn't too convinced about Minako, though...
"Hi everybody. I see Mako-chan is still not here. Oh," she looked at Tetsuya and bowed before recounting the number of seats, "do you understand Japanese?"
"Actually," Tetsuya said, bowing in return from his sitting position, "I'm Japanese by birth. My parents moved here from America. I've never left the main island. As a matter of fact, my English isn't very good. They raised me to be Japanese, so they never taught me their birth language."
"How interesting. My name is Tomoko Takase. Nice to meet you. How do you do?"
"I'm Tetsuya Journey. Nice to meet you. How do...Tomoko Takase?"
"Hai."
"Oh, I just finished your second novel this morning."
"Really? Well, would you like an autograph?"
Tetsuya looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Only if you don't mind." He pulled the book out of his bland black backpack.
"Not at all." She then arched an eyebrow. "You read romance novels?"
"It was a dare from one of my old flings in Chiba. I ended up liking this book, though."
"It wasn't too mushy for you?"
"Well, I liked the insight into a female's point of view."
"Aha! I see. But, don't the other boys razz you about it?"
Tetsuya shrugged and smiled. "I'm a foreigner. I get razzed all the time. Japanese people call me gaiko, and other whites call me egg for some reason. As long as it doesn't come to blows, I think nothing of it." Egg? Tetsuya comprehended Earth and Japan on an instinctual level thanks to the power of the spell the now disintegrated microchip had helped him cast that morning along with his weird emulation abilities. Comprehending them on a more conscious level would take time and getting used to. What the hell did eggs have to do with anything?
The group sat down again and started to discuss topics when Tetsuya noticed what Tomoko had been looking at. "Everybody, uhh, I believe that since my invitation was not properly communicated, your friend Makoto doesn't have a place to sit."
The group looked at the full table of nine as Tomoko stood up. "Makoto is probably late because of me. I'll pull up a chair to the edge of the table."
"That's okay," another voice said, "I'll pull up the chair." Makoto Kino, a tall, athletic girl with curly, auburn hair then made eye contact with Tetsuya and a pink glow with a hint of irritation crossed her face. "Uhh, Hai. Mai neemu izu..."
Tetsuya smiled. "I don't understand English very well. Please speak Japanese."
"Wow! I can't even tell you have an accent."
"I don't. My parents moved here from America before I was born. I've lived here all my life. Never even left the main island." How many times am I gonna have to say this? Maybe I should've just landed in New York City...
Mokoto bowed. "My name is Makoto Kino. Nice to meet you. How do you do?" She didn't seem too sincere, but maybe she just didn't feel comfortable around strangers. Despite the cold reception, Tetsuya felt at ease that one person hadn't dressed up for the meeting. She had well broken in shoes, knee length black gym shorts and a gray t-shirt that said 'Party Like It's 1999.' To finish the mismatch, she wore an absolutely beautiful pair of pink rose earrings. They didn't shine like a gem, but they clearly weren't made of plastic, either. He almost felt as if they had a magical aura about them...
"Tetsuya Journey. Nice to meet you. How do you do?" This girl looks familiar to me. Perhaps I saw her in the streets, maybe when I pocketed that electric razor. No...her?! Tetsuya looked at the faces of Makoto, Usagi, Rei, Ami, and Minako. Amazing. I'm in the very presence of all five Sailors. It wasn't their faces, but their auras that matched, and the earrings and hair styles didn't help hide their identities. When he looked at them again, they looked exactly like the five girls he'd fought earlier that day, and nothing at all like them on a follow up glance. An identity obscuring spell like that required very powerful magic, and one wouldn't normally be able to see past it unless they already knew the hidden identities. One of many perks of having his life being destroyed by his Klijargan captors...
Not that it mattered, though. Boogey men were their problem, not his. He mentally thanked the brutally effective counter magic training he had received from the Klijargans, especially when it came to obscuring identity. If a boogey man did appear, he could make himself scarce or pretend to be knocked out so the Senshi could transform and do their thing. It was hard enough trying to keep a secret identity a secret, after all.
It also meant that they weren't emulators at all, as Earth had no actual comprehension of magic. Rei, who kept weirdly eyeballing him, was just naturally attuned to spiritual auras and was probably sensing his own aura. She'd probably had a dream or vision and was able to learn a few words from him, but why had she spoken in Klijargan rather than the language of his home world? He was anxious to get away from her as she would undoubtedly be nothing but trouble to him.
"Now that we're all here," she said to the group before boring into Tetsuya's soul once again with her gentle yet piercing glare, "why don't you tell us a bit about you?"
Sorry I rammed into you like that. Please don't eat my soul, I'm still using it. "Third year high school, transferred to Juuban High, Japanese citizen, American and English parents, stuff like that."
As if on cue, Ami smiled and cut in. "We met this morning. We seem to have a bit in common so we walked around Akihabara for awhile."
Usagi gave a concerned look to Ami but Ami merely glared back again. Tetsuya wondered what the stares were about. Girls…Always varies between planets and cultures. Either way, can't understand them.
Usagi switched glances. "Rei-chan," Usagi asked, "how's Yuuichirou?"
"He's great," Rei replied with a smile after breaking off another stare attack at Tetsuya. "He feels bad about not being able to make it to lunch with repairing the steps of the Shrine and all, but he's moving at full speed again. He promised me we'd go someplace nice for a date next week."
Lucky guy. Tetsuya turned his attention to Minako Aino. As the conversation drifted, Tetsuya began to eye his sub sandwich. It was an elongated piece of bread stuffed with vegetables and meats. Although rather odd in shape, it was tasty and filling.
"Hey, Minako," Usagi asked, "any luck with that one guy, or are you still working on him?"
'That one guy' again? Does he even have a name?
"Oh, yeah," Minako replied with a grin. "Next Sunday afternoon. We'll go see that new Pixar movie Antz."
"I always think of Pixie Sticks when I hear that company's name..." Usagi sighed. "I wonder which cloud gave life to that idea."
Ami rolled her eyes. "This again?"
"I'm convinced that there is a world on another plane of existence where the ideas for candy come from and no one is going to convince me otherwise."
"Like a collective dream consciousness," Tetsuya asked.
"Nah, more like a series of ideas floating around."
"Just like Queen Mab," Minako interjected. Tetsuya hung onto every word she spoke as she went into the details of the mythological character and her portrayal in Romeo and Juliet as Minako tried to validate Usagi's crazy theory. Tetsuya found himself liking 'smart' Minako enough to not be put off by 'silly' Minako. Mr. That One Guy probably wasn't important like Mr. Mister, anyway...
After a half hour of small talk and banter about everything and nothing at all, the group started to leave for their own final destinations of the day.
"Everybody," Ami started, "who here doesn't have a date to the Community Dance in Shinjuku?" Nobody raised their hand, much to Tetsuya's chagrin. He'd either have to steal away Minako from 'that one guy' or go solo and try and pick up a wallflower.
"Wait," Tetsuya said in a whisper. "What about you?"
"Boyfriend's abroad," she whispered back, "so I made other plans for the evening."
"Hey Ami-chan," Makoto said from the exit, "do you have one?"
"Well, you see..."
A smile crept onto her face. "Is he standing next to you, Ami-chan?"
"Uhhh..." Ami started to blush slightly, "Tetsuya is a nice guy, but I have plans that evening, so we won't be going as friends since I'm not going at all. Are you going to the dance this year Mako-chan?"
The smile died away. "Why? Why not? I don't really care. Never mind...Is our study date still on for tonight at your house with Usagi?"
"Yeah. You don't mind if Tetsuya comes, do you?"
Tetsuya started to retort but Ami stepped on his foot. "I...YOW...uhhh...would like to get to know you better, Makoto." Tetsuya bowed, and Makoto bowed in reply, poorly hiding the familiar combination of pink and irritated.
"See you at the train station, Mako-chan!"
"Later, you two" Makoto replied. "Have fun."
Unknown to Tetsuya, Makoto wasn't going to Ami's house to study but rather to do battle with the demons that had left a giant chasm between the two of them. Usagi would have been a perfect mediator, but Tetsuya would have just gotten in the way of things. Then again, if Ami was having guy trouble with Ryo, the two of them might find a little more common ground. Of course, that all depended on her being able to take the train to Ami's...
*.*.*
"You say your mother is a doctor," Tetsuya started, "right Ami?"
"Hai."
"Does she treat feet?" Tetsuya smiled and Ami giggled a bit.
"Sorry. I was just thinking on my feet."
"You were thinking on my feet."
Ami chuckled. "Okay. But, uh...Tetsuya? Do you...uhhh..."
"Yes?"
"Girlfriend?" Ami sputtered out.
"Huh?"
"Do you have a girlfriend back in Chiba?"
Tetsuya frowned. "Yes, that's why I was trying my luck with you this morning..."
Ami rolled her eyes and smiled. "Let me rephrase. Is there a particular girl you're interested in pursuing?"
Tetsuya smiled slightly. "Yes, although she's allegedly taken."
Ami scowled. "Allegedly?!"
Tetsuya put up his hands. "Easy, I wasn't talking about you."
The scowl remained firmly in place. "Um...you're not thinking about trying to pry one of my friends out of a relationship, are you?"
"Does Mr. That One Guy even know he's going out with Minako?"
Ami blinked a few times. "Oh. Well, I just thought, I mean...I was thinking...uhh..."
Tetsuya stared at her for a moment waiting for her to complete her sentence. "Okay...what are you trying to do?"
Ami blushed slightly. "Well, what are you doing in three weeks?"
"Nothing, really."
"Uhh..." Ami started fidgeting with a question in her mind.
And then it hit him. "Oh. You want me to go with Makoto?"
"Hehe, you guessed it."
"You really aren't good at this cupid stuff, are you?"
"Not really. I'm surprised I was even able to hold a conversation with you. I'm normally not good at stepping up to the plate when it comes to boys I just met."
"Just stepping on them."
Ami smacked Tetsuya in the shoulder. "Chigayo!"
"Hey! Easy there, slugger."
Ami playfully stuck her tongue out at Tetsuya.
"My turn."
"Oh?"
"Why are you dressed like that if you're not trying to get a guy's attention?"
Ami winked at him. "No."
"You enjoy shooting me down? Bring a video camera when Makoto laughs at me."
Ami frowned. "She's just, um, shy."
"Blatantly disinterested. She's just like some of the girls from my old school when I came back at the beginning of second year and hadn't grown a millimeter, and I honestly don't blame her. We wouldn't see things eye to eye, if you get my drift."
Ami ignored the awful pun. "Come on. Give her a chance. She'll warm up to you."
"You got some sort of angle on this?"
"Let's just say I owe her one. Please don't tell her that, okay?"
Tetsuya shrugged. "Okay, buddy."
"Thanks, guy."
"Anytime, pal."
"You're gonna kick and scream the whole way, aren't you?"
Tetsuya nodded. "If it actually happens, let's keep the whole Minako thing to ourselves."
"Deal."
*.*.*
"Tetsuya," Makoto started after an awkward silence, "what do your parents do for a living?"
Thanks for 'missing' the train, Ami! "My father is a computer programmer. My mother used to teach English at a high school before meeting my father. Now, she teaches piano lessons."
"Do you play the piano?"
"No. I kind of surprised her when I told her I was learning to play the flute. She was even more surprised when I brought home a wooden Japanese flute." It's amazing how similar Japan's wooden flute is to the one I learned to play where I was born.
"She expected the metallic one?"
"Yup. Does Ami often miss trains?"
Makoto did something odd; she smiled. "Nah. She used to come into school half an hour early to study. If she ever did miss the train, she would just be able to catch the next one and hurry to school without being late."
"Never been late, has she?"
"Not once. But starting sometime last year she started to withdraw a bit. Her grades then fell to a high A average. This was low for Ami-chan. Apparently, she was having an identity crisis. Hell, we all were. It hasn't been a bed of roses for all of us."
"I had an identity crisis once."
"Yeah. All I did was distance myself from everyone. Minako-chan didn't get the hints and barreled her way back into my heart. She's really something else." Makoto's eyes seemed distant for a moment before she realized she was talking to an almost-stranger. "Oh, um, what did you do about it? Your crisis, I mean?"
Tetsuya shrugged and looked away. "I accepted the fact that I was a foreigner, and would always be seen as one, even if I never have left the main island."
"It hurts when people judge bases on rumors and appearances, ne?"
"Hai."
"Listen, Ami's boyfriend is in America and I really don't think she actually has plans for the evening of the dance. So why don't you ask her to go with you as a friend? I'll even do all the badgering so she doesn't get upset with you." Makoto stopped when she saw Tetsuya smiling and stifling a laugh. "What is it?"
"You two are really good friends, you know that?"
"We used to be before I pushed her away."
Tetsuya said nothing. All of his training as a Scout in the Klijargan military was utterly failing him as he had started to blush slightly. Had it been an actual mission, he'd be dead. His hypothetical demise aside, he was thrown off a bit by Makoto's admission of her fault in straining the friendship.
"You know, your pale complexion doesn't help you hide when you're blushing."
Back to the matter at hand, Tetsuya steeled himself as best as he could. "Uh...well...That's what she asked me to ask you."
"What?"
"Ami...wants me to...oh, it was so easy in my mind." He knew the mantras to magically alter his perception and give him a false sense of confidence, but he wanted this to be genuine.
"Huh?"
"I'm nervous about this stuff, and you being so cute doesn't help me much. I'm...supposed to ask you out."
Makoto had a slight look of surprise on her face. "You were going to ask me to the dance?"
Tetsuya shrugged. He had always been good with girls as long as three particular words were never uttered. But since he was actually trying to interact with a girl he liked for the first time in his life and not ignore her to minimize hurt, things were very different. "I guess Ami missed the train so I could get to know you just a bit."
"Thanks for the compliment, and no offense, but the last thing I need right now is a boyfriend."
Ah, so you think you have to save the world again, Sailor Jupiter? "Busy with things?"
"Yeah. Things might get pretty intense over the next few weeks for me."
With saving the world from me? Tetsuya shrugged as he turned it into a fight in his head. Throw her off balance and then press the advantage. "Yeah. Sometimes, life'll smack you in the back of the head with its sword hilt."
Makoto had a slight shock on her face but managed a smile. "You might say that."
"I know how you feel. You feel like your trapped in an ally and you swing a blunt metal object at life, thinking you can ward it off."
"Uhhh..."
"Then it gives you the foul tasting, groggy kiss of death, worse than six weeks of morning breath, throwing you utterly off balance." Makoto started giggling very nervously. Tetsuya pretended not to notice. I'd better stop before I give the poor girl a heart attack.
"Wow. You...uhh...sure know a lot about life, Tetsuya."
"It often wears a mask, but you have to get past that to learn about it."
"Yeah...uhhh...err..."
"So, uh, what do you think about dancing with a guy who's shorter than you?"
"So you are asking me to the dance?"
"...Yeah...?"
"Listen, you're new to Tokyo. I don't think others would take it too well if you were hanging around with me. I'm seen as a bully. I used to get into lots of fights."
"Used to, am I right?"
"Well, yes."
"Then I've got nothing to worry about. Besides, it's just like I said. I'm white, so I'll always have a vocal minority thinking poorly of me. Not that it matters to me, because in one more year, I'll be attending the one and only Tokyo University."
"Tokyo University? That's really hard to get into."
"Well, I studied hard just like Ami did. I didn't have too many friends so I kept my nose in the books."
"For a bookworm, you seem, well," Makoto sized up Tetsuya, "somewhat fit for your size, and you don't seem shy unless you're trying to actually ask someone out. Then it all just collapses. But you made it sound like you got along with the ladies before you stopped growing."
"When you have curly hair," Tetsuya looked up at his short hair, "well, at least when it's not buzzed, getting a date with a Japanese girl is easy. Friends, well, that's a different matter. And as for my body, it's an excellent tool when exercised. My brain does better from it."
"Maybe hit the weights a bit more and eat more protein after your workout. You look like you'd get carried away in a typhoon...Um, look, I don't want to be mean, but I really don't care about dances anymore."
Tetsuya cut her off before she could elaborate. "Ami told me that you had changed over the last two years."
"Oh?" Makoto looked slightly irritated. She crossed her arms in a way that unintentionally emphasized her bust.
Play your cards right and you'll be hugging that. Play them wrong and you'll be chewing asphalt, and unless Minako likes playing nurse, that'll be out the window, too. Memories of his nearly disastrous duel with her were very fresh in his mind. "She told me how you used to be a boy crazy girl, always thinking how guys reminded you of your old boyfriend."
Makoto's expression softened up as she looked off to the side. "Well, I guess I still find myself making that comparison." She looked back at him. "You're completely different from him, and yet you remind me of my Sempai, Shinozaki Uzaki, in a way."
"Sempai? A good friend?"
"Yes. He was always there for me in my darkest moments."
"Where is he now?"
Makoto looked away and kept her expression neutral. "He died eleven months ago. He was killed in an explosion. There weren't even ashes left of him."
"I'm so sorry." That's what happened to...
"When he died, part of me died with him. Guys just don't make me excited anymore."
"Listen, I don't know what it's like to lose a good friend, but, I'm willing to listen." Try my entire family. Twice.
"You're different from other boys."
"Not to run the 'white factor' into the ground, but how could I possibly grow up like a normal Japanese boy? But, we are truly different, you and I."
"Yes. Sempai was different, too. I guess that in all my crushes, I never realized that the reason I felt different about him was because I loved him. I just didn't know it."
"Makoto, please don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure you're not hiding?"
Makoto closed her eyes, leaned back and sighed. "I am hiding. I guess it's hard to walk in the rain alone without an umbrella." Makoto looked over at Tetsuya and smiled. "I think I want to know more about you as a person. You seem to be good with giving advice. Do you heed it yourself?"
He frowned. "I hope so."
Makoto regarded Tetsuya for a second, not sure what to make of his comment. "Listen, Ami-chan seemed set on us going to that dance. I've always wanted to dance with a handsome guy in a pretty dress."
"You want me to put on a pretty dress?"
Makoto started laughing. "That's terrible!"
"Sorry. I get it from my dad. He was a Marine before he moved to Japan. You know how those guys are."
"Well, I guess my mouth isn't very clean, either. Listen, I'll go with you, okay? Just don't get any ideas. We're going as friends, okay?"
I'll take that. "You don't mind dancing with a shorter guy?"
"Just as long as you don't mind dancing with a taller girl."
"By the way, can you teach me how to dance?"
Makoto blinked several times. "You can't dance?"
"Nope."
"You're asking me out to a dance but you don't know how to dance?"
He smiled. "Not that I'm complaining, but this wasn't my idea."
Makoto was very pretty when she smiled. "Well, that'll change. I'm sure Ami-chan will be more than happy to show you."
Ami?