Why You Shouldn't Seduce Your Boss Chapter Six. By EternalSenshi. I don't own SM. Please R&R. I don't want any reviews telling me I'm a murderer because they're eating veal...
"I made him swear not to tell anyone, okay?" Mamoru told me after he threw Mr. Furuhata out.
I quickly threw on my shirt. "How could he break into the locked room?" I demanded.
"One of his special talents." Mamoru said. "How does he know you?"
"He's my math teacher." I said, making sure my skirt was on without it getting stuck in my underwear.
"Your teacher?" Mamoru said, surprised.
"Yeah."
He let out a low whistle. "That sucks."
"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." I said dryly.
He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "Tonight?"
"Yes." I said, not giving it a second thought. If I'd given it a second thought, then I'd probably give it a third, then I'd never get through it.
"Great. Take the rest of the afternoon off. See you at six." He ran his fingers through my hair, then, hit pushed my butt lightly towards the door.
"Hey!" I protested, but ended up smiling. I walked out the door to find Mr. Furuhata there, looking at the mounds of stuff on my desk.
"So you're the little girl that's been keeping Mamoru busy. I never would have expected it to be you, Miss Tsukino."
I glared at Mr. Furuhata, but continued walking to the elevator. This was HORRIBLE! The worst math teacher on campus was my seducer's 'best friend', and had seen my practically naked!
This would be one of those things that you tell your friends, so they can give you advice and help you out. But if I told my friends, then I'd have to explain the whole thing -- including Mamoru, sex, and seduction. Wouldn't be good.
Oh, well. As long as Mamoru kept Mr. Furuhata away from me, I'm sure everything would be fine. Just as long as he STAYS AWAY.
***
As I closed my eyes, I could hear Naru walk inside the room. She paused as she saw me. "Why are you back so early?"
"Got the afternoon off." I said. I sighed. "Naru, those movies you watch aren't that reliable, are they?"
"They most possibly are." Naru said huffily.
I giggled. "Relax, I'm not making this another 'Lifetime' roast. Have teachers ever blackmailed their students?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh."
"Why?"
"Oh, story idea."
Suddenly, the phone rang. I picked it up and held it up to my ear. "Hello?"
"Are we still on for tonight?"
"Oh, hello...Serena."
Naru smiled, remembering my pen pal from the United States.
"Serena?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. How are you?"
"Who do you think you're talking to?"
"That's great! Wow!"
"I think I've got too low of a voice to be a girl."
"The coffee shop? Down by the corner? Okay, I'll meet you there."
"No, I want you here. At my place."
"Okay, see you soon." I hung up before he could protest. "Hey, Naru, remember Serena? Well, she's in town, and I better go see her."
"But you need your rest!" Naru cried. "You look exhausted!"
"I've just been working hard at unexpected things." I said. "Naru, I better go."
The phone rang again as I left the room. I paused, wondering if it was Mamoru, trying to clarify what I had just done. Naru picked it up, and said, "Hello? Hold on a sec." She looked up at me. "It's Minako."
"Tell her I'm on my way out." I said, and almost bolted down the hallway. I didn't want to talk to Minako. I couldn't talk to her. I was scared to.
"Usagi? Usagi!" Naru cried behind me.
As I ran outside, I tried to hail a cab when I felt tears running down my cheeks. I was avoiding my best friend. I was letting her die without even talking to her. It started raining as I finally got a cab, and let the rain wash out my tears, disguising them; cloaking them.
I walked to his door, sniffling and sobbing. I knocked. He didn't answer. I almost turned around and left, feeling horrible for just leaving my friend to die alone, when the door opened. "Usagi?"
I turned, finding him with his hair tousled and no shirt on. "M-Mamoru..." I whispered.
"Hey, I had just finished my workou -- are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Mamoru!" I threw my arms around him and held him close. His body was tense with confusion, when if relaxed under my touch, and melted against me. He held me close to his heart, where the steady beat was keeping me relaxed as I cried against him. We stood there, motionless, when he turned my face to his, and kissed me. We shared one long comforting kiss, which led to a longer kiss, which led to another...
***
Our bodies lay naked and sweaty, twisted in his dark blue silk sheets. The breeze from the screen window was letting us cool off. It was supposed to be peaceful, but all I could do was think of Minako. I left him sleeping beside me, and stood up from the bed.
I grabbed his bathrobe from a hook near the closet, and wrapped it around myself. It was a tad bit big, but I used the extra room to breathe in the scent of his cologne, not familiar to it's scent. I stepped out on the veranda, where the rain had become quite heavy. I let the rain wash over my face, mixing with my newly formed tears. I couldn't stop crying, no matter how hard I tried. I mean, if Minako hadn't...then I could enjoy being a normal teen with a male suitor. I could enjoy this without feeling a little bit guilty. I wanted to be attracted to Mamoru without any strings. I wanted to stop feeling like Minako's marionette, and go back to being me.
It was raining so heavily, and I was crying so forcefully, that I didn't hear the sliding door open. I jumped as I felt his arm on my shoulder. I turned to see him wrapped in a sheet from the bed.
"Usagi, you shouldn't be out here. Not like this." he said, pulling me close to him.
I tried to pull away, but he pulled me closer.
"Come on, there's nothing you can do out here except get sick."
Grudgingly, I let him lead me inside, sniffing softly.
"Hey, Usagi, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting me down.
I sobbed openly on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm an awful crybaby-"
"Don't worry about it," he said. "I don't like to see pretty girls cry."
"My best friend is dying."
"Dying?" he asked, surprised. "That asshole, your ex, did he-"
"No. No, he didn't hurt her. He doesn't know her." I said. "She's sick."
"With what? Can it be treated?"
"With -- with AIDS." I stuttered. "There's no cure."
"AIDS?" he said softly.
I nodded. "And I'm being horrible about it."
"Horrible? How so?"
I explained the whole thing -- how Minako and I made a promise, how she broke that promise, how I was scared to get close to her, how I made my own promise, and how he walked into my life and let me break it.
"I wouldn't say that you technically destroyed it." he said.
"Yeah, but I'm not in love with you. This is just business, remember?" How I wished it otherwise.
"I'll keep that promise if you do," he said. "Look, just talk to her once. I'm sure she's dying to talk to you."
"Dying!" I choked out.
He blushed. "Maybe that's the wrong choice of words."
"I'm scared." I said. "I'm scared that I'll get close to her, and then she'll die."
"Well, we all take that risk when we get to know people." He gave me a quick squeeze, then turned away to put on his pants. "Have you eaten anything?"
"It all flies out of my mouth, remember?"
"Well, I'm going to trust you to eat one of my excellent dinners. You need it." He ran a hand through his tousled hair. "Do you mind veal schnitzel?"
"Veal what?" I asked, following him.
"Veal schnitzel." he said. "One of my favorites."
"Well, you're the cook." I shrugged. I sat down at the kitchen table. "How do you know how to cook?"
"Who says I wouldn't know how to cook?" He walked over to the fridge.
"Because you're a chauvinist."
He smiled. "So that's what you think of me?" He laughed. "Doesn't mean I don't know how to cook."
"Oh."
"I've had to learn to fend for myself for a long time," he said. "I was nine, and my parents died in a car crash. I was with them."
"Oh." I said, horrified.
"I managed to survive, even though the car flew off a cliff. I was a miracle." He pulled out a plate from a cabinet, put something on it, then put it in the microwave.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it." he said, setting the timer. "Anyway, I learned to cook and clean, basically all the stuff I need to survive. I was sent to boarding school while my grandfather got everything to make sure I'd still have money, house and company."
"Company? You inherited your company?" I asked.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Unfortunately?"
"I didn't want to be an architect." he said. The timer went off, and he pulled the plate out of the microwave. "I wanted to be a chef."
"Like on the Food Channel?"
"Well, I'd want to keep my dignity, so it would just be in a restaurant." he said. "Lemon?"
"Um, sure." I said. "Then, why'd you become an architect?"
"My grandfather made me. He wanted me to hold onto the family business. He told me I wouldn't get a cent if I didn't become part of the family tradition."
"That's complete BS!" I cried. "You should follow your dream, not a stupid inheritance!"
"Yeah, but don't forget that I was a starving college student with nothing to show for my pains except great grades in culinary arts. So, I changed my major, and became the man you see before you."
"Just think, if you hadn't become an architect, you never would have me over for our business relationship."
"Ah, that's one of the things I'd miss if I became a chef." he said, sitting down and handing me my plate. "I made this last night out of boredom. Hope you enjoy it."
I cut off a small piece, put it gingerly in my mouth, and chewed. "Mmm! This is good!"
"Glad you think so." he said. "Hey, Usagi?"
I was shoving veal in my mouth, and paused. "Umgh?' I mumbled.
He laughed. "You know, you're the first person I've ever told all of this to."
"Neferira?" I mumbled, then swallowed. "Not even Erika?"
"Not even Erika." he said. I gently put down my knife and fork.
"You know," I said slowly. "You're the first person I've ever told about Minako. The whole story, I mean."
He smiled. "Well, I guess business partners share a lot of secrets."
I smiled back, and finished my meal as he sat and smiled.
***
The next math class I had was one of the hardest ones of my life. I sat there, sweating bullets, hoping that Mr. Furuhata wouldn't do anything. At the end of class, I threw my notes and books into my bag, and was ready to be the Roadrunner and bolt out of there, when a voice said, "Miss Tsukino?"
I cringed. "Yes, sir?"
"Can you stay behind? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Ami shook her head. "If you'd pay more attention to your studies, then-"
"Ami, this is Usagi we're talking about. You couldn't make her study anything, except the flavor of food." Rei said.
"Shut up, Rei." I said through clenched teeth.
"Guys, you're being unfair." Naru said.
"Naru!" I cried happily, hugging her.
"She wouldn't even remember that much if it were on a quiz."
I think I fell over in embarrassment. Ami and Rei laughed.
"You're all horrible, horrible people!" I whined.
"Miss Tsukino?"
I sighed. "Yes, Mr. Furuhata. I'm coming." I turned to the others. "You are so getting it when I come back."
"Ooh! I'm scared!" Rei said, laughing. "Come on, guys. Off to anatomy."
I stayed behind, willing myself not to shake of fear or anger. Or both. "Yes, Mr. Furuhata?"
He sat down on his desk, and looked at me carefully. "How long have you know Mamoru?"
"I dunno. Two weeks, give or take a couple of days." I said. I was feeling uncomfortable.
"And do you know hoe long Mamoru has known Miss Yuriko?"
"Who?"
"Erika."
I shook my head.
"Three years."
He put up with that bitch for that long?
"And you think you can just step in the middle of them?"
"HEY! He came on to ME, not the other way around!" I cried.
"And you fell or him, didn't you?"
"NO!" YES! I LIED!!
Mr. Furuhata shifted his weight a little. "You know that Mamoru and I are best friends, correct?"
"Uh, yeah. Maybe." I said, getting nervous.
"So, a best friend looks out for their friend's interests." he said firmly. "I'm warning you, Miss Tsukino. Leave Mamoru alone."
"Why should I listen to you?" I demanded.
"You will only be getting yourself into trouble, and messing with one if the most stubborn and dangerous women in the world-"
"Erika."
"Exactly." Mr. Furuhata said. "I'll write you a pass."
I stayed silent as he was writing, then said, "I can handle a challenge."
"She's not a challenge, she's instant death." Mr. Furuhata said, handing me the pass.
I took it, and held it between two fingers. "Instant death?" I said thoughtfully. "Well, I'm going to take my chances. No one tells me when to stop."
"Miss Tsukino, you're messing in things you shouldn't be messing in." he said. He returned to the other side of his desk. "Go to class." He glanced at the clock. "You're almost ten minutes late."
"You hate me, don't you?" I asked.
"Get out of here, Miss Tsukino." He kept writing in some sort of notebook, ignoring my question.
I turned on my heel, and walked out of that classroom, hoisting my bag strap on my shoulder. Who was he to tell me where my interests were supposed to lie? He had no right -- Mamoru's best friend or not.
I stopped at the door of my anatomy room, made sure I wasn't still fuming, and walked in the room. Mr. Chiseki and the whole class turned to my direction. "Ah, Miss Tsukino, so nice of you to join us." Mr. Chiseki said.
"Sorry, sir. I have a pass from Mr. Furuhata." I said, handing it to him.
He scanned the pass quickly, then beckoned me to take a seat. I quickly walked to my usual spot next to Naru, and Mr. Chiseki went back to his desk.
"What did I miss?" I whispered to Naru.
"Just more summarization of cancers," she whispered back. "No biggie."
Mr. Chiseki was now facing us with a clipboard. "Now, today I want to see how far you're coming along with your projects. I had the computer put your names in random order, and when I call out your name, I want you to tell me one fact about your topic."
Oh, God, the project. I hadn't even thought about it, and it was due next week. Well, I'd thought about it, but I hadn't even started it.
"Let's see, let's see..." Mr. Chiseki said, tapping his chin with his pencil. "The first victim is...Mr. Kurozu."
I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't even want to go today. Plus, there were people like Itou Kurozu who love to talk about anatomy for hours and hours on end. Others, like Kira Tsukume, would be at the end, because she thought that this would be a class where you could look at porn and pass. Even if I was in the middle, I'd be fine, because Mr. Kurozu would go on and on, and on -
"Thank you, Mr. Kurozu. And thank you for keeping it short." Mr. Chiseki said, interrupting my hope-inflated thoughts. "Ah, next is our very own Miss Tsukino!"
'Psssssh' went my over inflated thoughts. "Uh, yeah?"
"Tell us a fact about your project."
Everyone looked at me as I turned crimson. "Uh, my project." I said.
Mr. Chiseki nodded. "Go ahead, don't be shy."
I cleared my throat. "Uh, my project. Well, my project is on, um, male and female reproductive parts."
Mr. Chiseki nodded, beckoning me to keep going.
"Uh, well, they're used in reproduction, and...sex." I stammered.
Again, he beckoned me to keep going.
"And, um, sex is...fun." I said quietly.
Everyone began to laugh. Mr. Chiseki sighed. "Thank you, Miss Tsukino. Next is..."
"Nice one, Usagi." Naru said.
"Usagi, haven't you even started your project?" Ami asked.
"How do you know that sex is fun?"
"Oh, people only do it for the pain, Rei." I snapped. I put my head down on my desk, not listening to anyone. I kept it down for most of class, so people wouldn't laugh at me.
At the end, Mr. Chiseki said, "Remember, your projects are due next week. I hope you will put a lot of work into these -- some more than others." He gave me a stern look. "Dismissed.
We packed up and left. "Are you sure you want to go to work when you haven't even started on this project?" Ami asked.
"Probably." I said. "In fact, yeah, I'm going to go work on the project. Can you guys hang out somewhere for a while?"
"Will do." Naru said. "Come on, Ami, let's go to the library. Coming, Rei?"
"Can't. Got a date with Yuichiro at the Kimagure Cafe." Rei said. "Coffee House Performance Day. I'm looking forward to seeing Matt Caplan from the U.S."
"Big fan?" Ami asked.
"He was Mark in RENT when I went on my trip to the U.S. last year." Rei said. "I have to go. See you."
"Gotta call my boss." I said.
But as soon as I started researching my project, I forgot to tell him I wasn't coming. I was hard at work, when the phone rang. I scrambled to answer it. "Hello?"
"Hey," Mamoru said.
"What?"
"Where are you?"
"Up to my eyeballs in info on a stupid anatomy project." I said, shuffling through some pages in a book. "Sorry I forgot to call."
"Do you need some help?"
"Oh, like you can help me?"
"I got perfect scores in anatomy."
"Great. Wonderful. For you." I snapped.
"Which are you studying?"
"I'm not going to tell you."
"Usagi, I can help you."
"More than you think."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
"Look, I can help you."
"No."
"What are you studying?"
I stopped typing, and threw my hands down on the table. "Reproductive systems." I said.
"One of my specialties."
"Which is why I didn't want to tell you."
"Do you want to come over and study?"
"Study?" I laughed. "I'd hardly be studying."
"Trust me -- first hand experience isn't going to hurt you."
I gripped the phone. "So, if I did come over, you'd help me study?"
"Bring all you need. See you in half an hour."
"Yeah, but-" It was too late. He hung up on me. I threw down the phone. "Fuck!" I said softly. I picked up the phone again, and called him back.
"You're worried?"
"How'd you know it was me?"
"Guess."
"Look, I need to get this project-"
"I know. Just bring your laptop, and your lime green underwear, I'll provide the condoms, the bed, the food, and the lesson."
"O-okay."
"Don't call me back."
We hung up. Suddenly, the phone rang again. "Hello?"
"Don't be scared."
"Hey!! You can call me, but I can't call you?"
"See you."
"AAAUGH!" I yelled in the phone. I hung up, grabbed my stuff, and was ready to sprint off.
***
Cliffie! See you soon.
*~*EternalSenshi*~*
"I made him swear not to tell anyone, okay?" Mamoru told me after he threw Mr. Furuhata out.
I quickly threw on my shirt. "How could he break into the locked room?" I demanded.
"One of his special talents." Mamoru said. "How does he know you?"
"He's my math teacher." I said, making sure my skirt was on without it getting stuck in my underwear.
"Your teacher?" Mamoru said, surprised.
"Yeah."
He let out a low whistle. "That sucks."
"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." I said dryly.
He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "Tonight?"
"Yes." I said, not giving it a second thought. If I'd given it a second thought, then I'd probably give it a third, then I'd never get through it.
"Great. Take the rest of the afternoon off. See you at six." He ran his fingers through my hair, then, hit pushed my butt lightly towards the door.
"Hey!" I protested, but ended up smiling. I walked out the door to find Mr. Furuhata there, looking at the mounds of stuff on my desk.
"So you're the little girl that's been keeping Mamoru busy. I never would have expected it to be you, Miss Tsukino."
I glared at Mr. Furuhata, but continued walking to the elevator. This was HORRIBLE! The worst math teacher on campus was my seducer's 'best friend', and had seen my practically naked!
This would be one of those things that you tell your friends, so they can give you advice and help you out. But if I told my friends, then I'd have to explain the whole thing -- including Mamoru, sex, and seduction. Wouldn't be good.
Oh, well. As long as Mamoru kept Mr. Furuhata away from me, I'm sure everything would be fine. Just as long as he STAYS AWAY.
***
As I closed my eyes, I could hear Naru walk inside the room. She paused as she saw me. "Why are you back so early?"
"Got the afternoon off." I said. I sighed. "Naru, those movies you watch aren't that reliable, are they?"
"They most possibly are." Naru said huffily.
I giggled. "Relax, I'm not making this another 'Lifetime' roast. Have teachers ever blackmailed their students?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh."
"Why?"
"Oh, story idea."
Suddenly, the phone rang. I picked it up and held it up to my ear. "Hello?"
"Are we still on for tonight?"
"Oh, hello...Serena."
Naru smiled, remembering my pen pal from the United States.
"Serena?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. How are you?"
"Who do you think you're talking to?"
"That's great! Wow!"
"I think I've got too low of a voice to be a girl."
"The coffee shop? Down by the corner? Okay, I'll meet you there."
"No, I want you here. At my place."
"Okay, see you soon." I hung up before he could protest. "Hey, Naru, remember Serena? Well, she's in town, and I better go see her."
"But you need your rest!" Naru cried. "You look exhausted!"
"I've just been working hard at unexpected things." I said. "Naru, I better go."
The phone rang again as I left the room. I paused, wondering if it was Mamoru, trying to clarify what I had just done. Naru picked it up, and said, "Hello? Hold on a sec." She looked up at me. "It's Minako."
"Tell her I'm on my way out." I said, and almost bolted down the hallway. I didn't want to talk to Minako. I couldn't talk to her. I was scared to.
"Usagi? Usagi!" Naru cried behind me.
As I ran outside, I tried to hail a cab when I felt tears running down my cheeks. I was avoiding my best friend. I was letting her die without even talking to her. It started raining as I finally got a cab, and let the rain wash out my tears, disguising them; cloaking them.
I walked to his door, sniffling and sobbing. I knocked. He didn't answer. I almost turned around and left, feeling horrible for just leaving my friend to die alone, when the door opened. "Usagi?"
I turned, finding him with his hair tousled and no shirt on. "M-Mamoru..." I whispered.
"Hey, I had just finished my workou -- are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Mamoru!" I threw my arms around him and held him close. His body was tense with confusion, when if relaxed under my touch, and melted against me. He held me close to his heart, where the steady beat was keeping me relaxed as I cried against him. We stood there, motionless, when he turned my face to his, and kissed me. We shared one long comforting kiss, which led to a longer kiss, which led to another...
***
Our bodies lay naked and sweaty, twisted in his dark blue silk sheets. The breeze from the screen window was letting us cool off. It was supposed to be peaceful, but all I could do was think of Minako. I left him sleeping beside me, and stood up from the bed.
I grabbed his bathrobe from a hook near the closet, and wrapped it around myself. It was a tad bit big, but I used the extra room to breathe in the scent of his cologne, not familiar to it's scent. I stepped out on the veranda, where the rain had become quite heavy. I let the rain wash over my face, mixing with my newly formed tears. I couldn't stop crying, no matter how hard I tried. I mean, if Minako hadn't...then I could enjoy being a normal teen with a male suitor. I could enjoy this without feeling a little bit guilty. I wanted to be attracted to Mamoru without any strings. I wanted to stop feeling like Minako's marionette, and go back to being me.
It was raining so heavily, and I was crying so forcefully, that I didn't hear the sliding door open. I jumped as I felt his arm on my shoulder. I turned to see him wrapped in a sheet from the bed.
"Usagi, you shouldn't be out here. Not like this." he said, pulling me close to him.
I tried to pull away, but he pulled me closer.
"Come on, there's nothing you can do out here except get sick."
Grudgingly, I let him lead me inside, sniffing softly.
"Hey, Usagi, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting me down.
I sobbed openly on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm an awful crybaby-"
"Don't worry about it," he said. "I don't like to see pretty girls cry."
"My best friend is dying."
"Dying?" he asked, surprised. "That asshole, your ex, did he-"
"No. No, he didn't hurt her. He doesn't know her." I said. "She's sick."
"With what? Can it be treated?"
"With -- with AIDS." I stuttered. "There's no cure."
"AIDS?" he said softly.
I nodded. "And I'm being horrible about it."
"Horrible? How so?"
I explained the whole thing -- how Minako and I made a promise, how she broke that promise, how I was scared to get close to her, how I made my own promise, and how he walked into my life and let me break it.
"I wouldn't say that you technically destroyed it." he said.
"Yeah, but I'm not in love with you. This is just business, remember?" How I wished it otherwise.
"I'll keep that promise if you do," he said. "Look, just talk to her once. I'm sure she's dying to talk to you."
"Dying!" I choked out.
He blushed. "Maybe that's the wrong choice of words."
"I'm scared." I said. "I'm scared that I'll get close to her, and then she'll die."
"Well, we all take that risk when we get to know people." He gave me a quick squeeze, then turned away to put on his pants. "Have you eaten anything?"
"It all flies out of my mouth, remember?"
"Well, I'm going to trust you to eat one of my excellent dinners. You need it." He ran a hand through his tousled hair. "Do you mind veal schnitzel?"
"Veal what?" I asked, following him.
"Veal schnitzel." he said. "One of my favorites."
"Well, you're the cook." I shrugged. I sat down at the kitchen table. "How do you know how to cook?"
"Who says I wouldn't know how to cook?" He walked over to the fridge.
"Because you're a chauvinist."
He smiled. "So that's what you think of me?" He laughed. "Doesn't mean I don't know how to cook."
"Oh."
"I've had to learn to fend for myself for a long time," he said. "I was nine, and my parents died in a car crash. I was with them."
"Oh." I said, horrified.
"I managed to survive, even though the car flew off a cliff. I was a miracle." He pulled out a plate from a cabinet, put something on it, then put it in the microwave.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it." he said, setting the timer. "Anyway, I learned to cook and clean, basically all the stuff I need to survive. I was sent to boarding school while my grandfather got everything to make sure I'd still have money, house and company."
"Company? You inherited your company?" I asked.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Unfortunately?"
"I didn't want to be an architect." he said. The timer went off, and he pulled the plate out of the microwave. "I wanted to be a chef."
"Like on the Food Channel?"
"Well, I'd want to keep my dignity, so it would just be in a restaurant." he said. "Lemon?"
"Um, sure." I said. "Then, why'd you become an architect?"
"My grandfather made me. He wanted me to hold onto the family business. He told me I wouldn't get a cent if I didn't become part of the family tradition."
"That's complete BS!" I cried. "You should follow your dream, not a stupid inheritance!"
"Yeah, but don't forget that I was a starving college student with nothing to show for my pains except great grades in culinary arts. So, I changed my major, and became the man you see before you."
"Just think, if you hadn't become an architect, you never would have me over for our business relationship."
"Ah, that's one of the things I'd miss if I became a chef." he said, sitting down and handing me my plate. "I made this last night out of boredom. Hope you enjoy it."
I cut off a small piece, put it gingerly in my mouth, and chewed. "Mmm! This is good!"
"Glad you think so." he said. "Hey, Usagi?"
I was shoving veal in my mouth, and paused. "Umgh?' I mumbled.
He laughed. "You know, you're the first person I've ever told all of this to."
"Neferira?" I mumbled, then swallowed. "Not even Erika?"
"Not even Erika." he said. I gently put down my knife and fork.
"You know," I said slowly. "You're the first person I've ever told about Minako. The whole story, I mean."
He smiled. "Well, I guess business partners share a lot of secrets."
I smiled back, and finished my meal as he sat and smiled.
***
The next math class I had was one of the hardest ones of my life. I sat there, sweating bullets, hoping that Mr. Furuhata wouldn't do anything. At the end of class, I threw my notes and books into my bag, and was ready to be the Roadrunner and bolt out of there, when a voice said, "Miss Tsukino?"
I cringed. "Yes, sir?"
"Can you stay behind? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Ami shook her head. "If you'd pay more attention to your studies, then-"
"Ami, this is Usagi we're talking about. You couldn't make her study anything, except the flavor of food." Rei said.
"Shut up, Rei." I said through clenched teeth.
"Guys, you're being unfair." Naru said.
"Naru!" I cried happily, hugging her.
"She wouldn't even remember that much if it were on a quiz."
I think I fell over in embarrassment. Ami and Rei laughed.
"You're all horrible, horrible people!" I whined.
"Miss Tsukino?"
I sighed. "Yes, Mr. Furuhata. I'm coming." I turned to the others. "You are so getting it when I come back."
"Ooh! I'm scared!" Rei said, laughing. "Come on, guys. Off to anatomy."
I stayed behind, willing myself not to shake of fear or anger. Or both. "Yes, Mr. Furuhata?"
He sat down on his desk, and looked at me carefully. "How long have you know Mamoru?"
"I dunno. Two weeks, give or take a couple of days." I said. I was feeling uncomfortable.
"And do you know hoe long Mamoru has known Miss Yuriko?"
"Who?"
"Erika."
I shook my head.
"Three years."
He put up with that bitch for that long?
"And you think you can just step in the middle of them?"
"HEY! He came on to ME, not the other way around!" I cried.
"And you fell or him, didn't you?"
"NO!" YES! I LIED!!
Mr. Furuhata shifted his weight a little. "You know that Mamoru and I are best friends, correct?"
"Uh, yeah. Maybe." I said, getting nervous.
"So, a best friend looks out for their friend's interests." he said firmly. "I'm warning you, Miss Tsukino. Leave Mamoru alone."
"Why should I listen to you?" I demanded.
"You will only be getting yourself into trouble, and messing with one if the most stubborn and dangerous women in the world-"
"Erika."
"Exactly." Mr. Furuhata said. "I'll write you a pass."
I stayed silent as he was writing, then said, "I can handle a challenge."
"She's not a challenge, she's instant death." Mr. Furuhata said, handing me the pass.
I took it, and held it between two fingers. "Instant death?" I said thoughtfully. "Well, I'm going to take my chances. No one tells me when to stop."
"Miss Tsukino, you're messing in things you shouldn't be messing in." he said. He returned to the other side of his desk. "Go to class." He glanced at the clock. "You're almost ten minutes late."
"You hate me, don't you?" I asked.
"Get out of here, Miss Tsukino." He kept writing in some sort of notebook, ignoring my question.
I turned on my heel, and walked out of that classroom, hoisting my bag strap on my shoulder. Who was he to tell me where my interests were supposed to lie? He had no right -- Mamoru's best friend or not.
I stopped at the door of my anatomy room, made sure I wasn't still fuming, and walked in the room. Mr. Chiseki and the whole class turned to my direction. "Ah, Miss Tsukino, so nice of you to join us." Mr. Chiseki said.
"Sorry, sir. I have a pass from Mr. Furuhata." I said, handing it to him.
He scanned the pass quickly, then beckoned me to take a seat. I quickly walked to my usual spot next to Naru, and Mr. Chiseki went back to his desk.
"What did I miss?" I whispered to Naru.
"Just more summarization of cancers," she whispered back. "No biggie."
Mr. Chiseki was now facing us with a clipboard. "Now, today I want to see how far you're coming along with your projects. I had the computer put your names in random order, and when I call out your name, I want you to tell me one fact about your topic."
Oh, God, the project. I hadn't even thought about it, and it was due next week. Well, I'd thought about it, but I hadn't even started it.
"Let's see, let's see..." Mr. Chiseki said, tapping his chin with his pencil. "The first victim is...Mr. Kurozu."
I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't even want to go today. Plus, there were people like Itou Kurozu who love to talk about anatomy for hours and hours on end. Others, like Kira Tsukume, would be at the end, because she thought that this would be a class where you could look at porn and pass. Even if I was in the middle, I'd be fine, because Mr. Kurozu would go on and on, and on -
"Thank you, Mr. Kurozu. And thank you for keeping it short." Mr. Chiseki said, interrupting my hope-inflated thoughts. "Ah, next is our very own Miss Tsukino!"
'Psssssh' went my over inflated thoughts. "Uh, yeah?"
"Tell us a fact about your project."
Everyone looked at me as I turned crimson. "Uh, my project." I said.
Mr. Chiseki nodded. "Go ahead, don't be shy."
I cleared my throat. "Uh, my project. Well, my project is on, um, male and female reproductive parts."
Mr. Chiseki nodded, beckoning me to keep going.
"Uh, well, they're used in reproduction, and...sex." I stammered.
Again, he beckoned me to keep going.
"And, um, sex is...fun." I said quietly.
Everyone began to laugh. Mr. Chiseki sighed. "Thank you, Miss Tsukino. Next is..."
"Nice one, Usagi." Naru said.
"Usagi, haven't you even started your project?" Ami asked.
"How do you know that sex is fun?"
"Oh, people only do it for the pain, Rei." I snapped. I put my head down on my desk, not listening to anyone. I kept it down for most of class, so people wouldn't laugh at me.
At the end, Mr. Chiseki said, "Remember, your projects are due next week. I hope you will put a lot of work into these -- some more than others." He gave me a stern look. "Dismissed.
We packed up and left. "Are you sure you want to go to work when you haven't even started on this project?" Ami asked.
"Probably." I said. "In fact, yeah, I'm going to go work on the project. Can you guys hang out somewhere for a while?"
"Will do." Naru said. "Come on, Ami, let's go to the library. Coming, Rei?"
"Can't. Got a date with Yuichiro at the Kimagure Cafe." Rei said. "Coffee House Performance Day. I'm looking forward to seeing Matt Caplan from the U.S."
"Big fan?" Ami asked.
"He was Mark in RENT when I went on my trip to the U.S. last year." Rei said. "I have to go. See you."
"Gotta call my boss." I said.
But as soon as I started researching my project, I forgot to tell him I wasn't coming. I was hard at work, when the phone rang. I scrambled to answer it. "Hello?"
"Hey," Mamoru said.
"What?"
"Where are you?"
"Up to my eyeballs in info on a stupid anatomy project." I said, shuffling through some pages in a book. "Sorry I forgot to call."
"Do you need some help?"
"Oh, like you can help me?"
"I got perfect scores in anatomy."
"Great. Wonderful. For you." I snapped.
"Which are you studying?"
"I'm not going to tell you."
"Usagi, I can help you."
"More than you think."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
"Look, I can help you."
"No."
"What are you studying?"
I stopped typing, and threw my hands down on the table. "Reproductive systems." I said.
"One of my specialties."
"Which is why I didn't want to tell you."
"Do you want to come over and study?"
"Study?" I laughed. "I'd hardly be studying."
"Trust me -- first hand experience isn't going to hurt you."
I gripped the phone. "So, if I did come over, you'd help me study?"
"Bring all you need. See you in half an hour."
"Yeah, but-" It was too late. He hung up on me. I threw down the phone. "Fuck!" I said softly. I picked up the phone again, and called him back.
"You're worried?"
"How'd you know it was me?"
"Guess."
"Look, I need to get this project-"
"I know. Just bring your laptop, and your lime green underwear, I'll provide the condoms, the bed, the food, and the lesson."
"O-okay."
"Don't call me back."
We hung up. Suddenly, the phone rang again. "Hello?"
"Don't be scared."
"Hey!! You can call me, but I can't call you?"
"See you."
"AAAUGH!" I yelled in the phone. I hung up, grabbed my stuff, and was ready to sprint off.
***
Cliffie! See you soon.
*~*EternalSenshi*~*