A SENSHI'S HARDEST BATTLE
"She brings out the worst in her. She thought it would be easy. But Minako Aino, Princess of Venus, Goddess of Love and Beauty, is not that easy to forget... Actually, it's just plain impossible..."
CHAPTER 6 LIFE IN PICTURES
Rei felt unusually nervous as she sat alone in that especially reserved table in a private room of a fancy restaurant in Juuban District, and was waiting for her father. His call early in the morning surprised her; the two of them had been trying to mend their broke father-daughter relationship, and the priestess could say they are doing well. Senator Hino is working really hard to gain her trust again, and Rei had given him a chance. This morning, he sounded too serious though, as he requested to meet her for breakfast, which was weird. Her father really wanted to meet her early in the morning.
Then there were those men in black suits standing guard outside her shrine that she saw as she rode the limousine her father sent, as if they are on the look out for something that they expected to come anytime soon. If something bad is going on, she couldn't feel it, which sounds weirder than her being able to light fires in the most inopportune times.
Rei was lost in space when she realized that her father is already sitting in front of her, observing her. She blinked quite a few times, trying to snap out of her thoughts.
"Papa..."
"I hope I did not wake you too early, Rei." A small smile that resembles the priestess' own formed at the Senator's face. Rei smiled back.
"I was already awake. But I really don't understand why we have to meet so early. You haven't called me for breakfast before." Rei watched as her father signaled to the bodyguard not standing too far away. The tall bodyguard approached Rei, holding something in his hands, then put it in front of Rei.
A tabloid? REALLY? Rei could only gape.
She seemed to be seeing too much tabloids lately. And when she looked down, she found herself looking at herself, and Minako; they were standing too close to and staring at each other, holding Chibiusa, at the mall. That was yesterday, when they got mugged by the fans and the paparazzi.
"Unbelievable..." Rei surely wasn't happy. She turned down singing as Mars Reiko exactly for this reason; to avoid the crazy public life, and even turned down the invitation to live with her father in his palace-like home, only for her peace to be disturbed by this stupid gossip linking her to Minako? What's with the big letters headlining her to be the pop idol's newest girlfriend?
What a waste of space...
"Is that her?" The senator inquired.
"What?"
"Her..." Her father emphasized.
"Her?" Senator Hino repeated for the second time as he stared back at Rei, looking really confused and in disbelief. His daughter, whom he's trying to reconnect with in the recent months, the daughter he felt so guilty of leaving, is now trusting him and telling him about the first time she fell in love...
And she fell in love with a 'her'.
He just couldn't quite figure out how to react. He wanted to be angry, that's the normal reaction, but he couldn't. He wanted to tell Rei that she's just a kid and probably does not even know what love is. But then again Rei is not a teenager anymore. She had grown into a strong and beautiful young lady, like her mother was...
Then he realized that he had been gone in her life for so long. He hurt his daughter and left her alone to fend for herself at the shrine. She's headstrong and independent, and she surely will be able to find a man who will love her for her.
But the look in Rei's eyes, the pain and honesty so transparent, the senator couldn't help but break upon seeing the tears flowing from his daughter's eyes. And he couldn't leave her alone again; he couldn't turn his back on her again, not after what he did. Not after being able to get a second chance with her again...
Senator Hino opened his arms to embrace his trembling daughter... He fought his way back into Rei's life, and he's not going to give her a reason to push him away again.
Rei had a few reasons for telling him of the truth about her. If he really wants to know her, then she will let him know her. It was up to him whether he'd accept her or not. It might as well be a test, if he's really sincere in trying to repair the damage he had done, then he should be able to deal with the reality of her daughter's life.
And she wanted to share that part of her... That part of her that feels so alone...
Breaking and alone...
"Yes... That's her." Rei nodded as she avoided looking at her father. She unconsciously lets a frown cross her face. She was summoned this time in the morning to discuss Minako? Seriously, she's beginning to think that he's been influenced by Usagi or something.
They sat in silence for a while, and out of curiosity, Rei looked up at her father again, only to see him smiling at his own copy of tabloid.
"What's so funny?" Rei sounded annoyed. Her father had a genuinely amused look on his face.
"I'm not laughing. I'm smiling." It was one of the rare moments that Rei had seen her father loosen up.
"So what are you smiling about?" Rei kept her stance and played around with the senator as she suppressed the threatening smile on her face.
"She's beautiful." Senator Hino sincerely commented, and it made Rei blushed. Upon seeing this, the senator laughed. The bodyguard who was standing at the door of the room couldn't help but be surprised.
Ryoji Hino never laughed as much as this before...
"Papa, you did not call me to discuss just THAT, did you?" Rei narrowed her eyes, albeit still blushing, at her father. He looks a bit guilty.
"Actually---"
"Senator Hino..."
The voice that interrupted the senator from explaining made both Hino's turn their heads. It was distinctly familiar that it could not belong to someone else but---
"Venus?" Rei looked on in surprise. She didn't even hear the door open. Then she realized her father was looking strangely at her. "I mean, Minako. What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't say no to an invitation by the senator." After bowing her respect, Minako stated the obvious. She stood in front of their table, not really knowing what to do. She didn't know Rei was going to be there. How can Rei's father forget to mention that little detail? The pop idol had never really met the politician on any previous occasion before, but she had heard of him. She was intrigued of what's left of Rei's family, of why she used to hate her father, and how ironic it is that they are too much alike.
"Oh please, sit down." Senator Hino motioned to the empty chair on his left, and on Rei's right. He noticed that Rei wasn't smiling, but remarkably, she still has that blush on her face.
"Uhm... I hope I wouldn't sound rude, but I think I know why you called me here, and before anything else, I want you to know that it's not true." Minako felt nervous inside, but did not let it show. Who wouldn't be? She's sitting on the same table with the greatest love she had ever known, and her father. Fortunately, she is a good actress, and the senator did not see through her.
Before the senator could even call, Sacho beat him to it by admonishing her over the phone. Though he wasn't as harsh as when the first article about her and Aya came out. The manager sounded a bit pretentious at being angry when this new gossip about her and Mars came out, which was a bit suspicious.
"Of course it wasn't. It's just a photo." Rei was staring down at her plate, before turning a glare at her father. The senator did not flinch, but was instead amused at his daughter.
"It was worth asking." The senator gave Rei a meaningful look, as if telling her to look at the photo again. Rei held her father's gaze, and resisted the urge to look down at the copy of the tabloid in front of her. Sure, anyone who doesn't know them would think that there was something behind the way her and Minako were looking at each other. But the paparazzi just got lucky. It didn't mean anything.
It meant nothing, at all...
"Really, Papa, why did you call us here? I'm sure Minako has a lot of things to do, and I do have a shrine to oversee, and a goddaughter who needs me."
"I'm fine, Rei. Where's Chibiusa?" Minako realized that Chibiusa wasn't in the room. So who could possibly be taking care of their goddaughter?
"At the shrine." Rei replied casually.
"What? You left her alone?" Minako's was horrified.
"Of course not. I'm not mentally retarded. She's with Ami." Rei rolled her eyes, while Minako looked really surprised.
"Ami's at the shrine?" Minako's eyes narrowed. Rei could swear she sensed a twinge of jealousy in the pop idol's tone, but dismissed it to be just a product of her recently growing imagination.
"Well, we both agreed to take care of Chibiusa. I don't like Usagi's house, and Ami's house is too far, so she decided to stay with me at the shrine... What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Rei frowned at Minako.
Instead of answering, Minako focused her attention back at the senator, who's looking expectantly at her.
"I called both of you early before a group of press people hounds you." The senator shifted his gaze from Rei to Minako and back to Rei again.
"Is that why your people are outside the shrine this morning?"
"They might harass you for information, Rei. You wouldn't like it." Her father sounds really worried. Minako intently looked at Rei, waiting for her answer that she somehow knows.
"I think I can handle them myself. I don't even have to pay attention to them. Pull your people out, Papa. They'd be scaring people away from the shrine." Rei said smugly, which got Minako rolling her eyes.
As if she hadn't had enough of yesterday running away from those paparazzi...
Minako shook her head. The Princess of Mars is one excessively stubborn individual...
"We are here to decide whether to deny or to confirm your relationship." Senator Hino said casually. Rei choked on her coffee, and Minako was fast enough to go to her side and help her recover...
As if she could really help... Her touch on Rei's back is making it worse, so Rei made sure to shrug Minako's hands away.
The looks her father is giving her is making her face burn...
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Rei tries her best to squeak it out. "Papa, I don't need to explain anything to anyone. And I don't plan to have anything to do with those press people, and I had enough of them yesterday to last for a lifetime. I don't care what they think or what they say or what they write about." Rei was relieved when Minako reluctantly returned to her seat.
"You'll have to speak up, Rei."
"No I don't."
"You have to clear the issue once and for all."
"Let it die down."
"It will not just die down."
"Well, can't they ask Minako? She'll tell everyone who she's dating. I think it's pretty obvious that she's with that girl from that stupid soap opera." Rei retorted.
"She could. But the press will not stop there. You are my daughter. They will never leave you alone. Would you want those people camping out of the Hikawa Shrine everyday?" The senator was surprisingly calm. He seemed to be more patient than Rei, as Minako observed, although a first impression of him would mislead you.
The priestess sighed.
"Minako and I are just friends. I know what you're saying, Papa, and I do understand your point. But I want you to know that they are not going to get anything out of me. But you can tell those foolish, so-called press people that they should be embarrassed of themselves for being so unintelligent, they couldn't distinguish between friendship and romance." Rei got out from her seat and headed out of the room.
Minako and Ryoji Hino sat silently on the table. The senator offered breakfast, but Minako refused to order. She has to attend a dance rehearsal later anyway.
"I'm really sorry for dragging Rei into this." Venus bowed her head, preparing herself for an anticipated onslaught of words that didn't come.
The senator shakes his head. He turns to look at Minako.
"You're apologizing for something you had no control of?"
"Well, it was undeniably my fault."
"Public life is a consequence of being a public figure, Ms. Aino. It's not the first time that my daughter has to go through something like this, and she really hates it. Unfortunately, she's associated with people like us, so she doesn't have much choice… And Rei knows better than to blame you. Trust me, I know." He gave her a reassuring smile.
Minako couldn't help but return it. Unbelievably, the he has the same smile as Rei's.
"You know, during my early years in politics and Rei was five years old, I always invited my colleagues at home. I've always wanted to show off Rei, my beautiful and brilliant daughter, but she keeps hiding in her room. Everytime I invite people over, she hides. She was so shy." Senator Hino smiled dreamily at the memories, then continued.
"But she's the exact opposite when there were only the three of us. I mean, Rei, me and her mother. She's very sweet. You should have seen her pictures when she was younger, very adorable." The senator reached for something inside his right pocket, pulled up his wallet, opened it, then showed something to Minako.
It was Rei's picture when she was around five or six years old. It was taken at the park, and she was sitting on the swing, with her mother behind her. Rei had that big, rare grin on her face.
Minako giggled.
"She's really cute." Minako handed the wallet back to the senator.
"Don't tell her I showed you that. She wouldn't be too happy." He pleaded, but still smiling.
"I can imagine." Minako is really starting to relax. It's as if she's talking to her own father. The authority that she was slightly afraid of when she first stepped into this room was gone. The fear of being around Rei's father was gone…
And Minako was glad.
"She was also a pesky little kid." The senator shakes his head again in mock disappointment.
"It's not really that hard to believe." Minako was laughing. It's really fun to talk about Rei when she's not around, and with Rei's father, she can just ask anything without being reprimanded about it. Rei is too private, it's hard to get information from her sometimes.
"There was this time when she wanted to learn how to ride the bike, and eventually, after a very short convincing, thanks to her tantrums, she managed to force her mother to buy her a small one. She fell at her first try, and she cried like a baby."
Both the senator and the idol laughed at the image of Rei being a cry-baby.
"But she never gave up… And after a few bruises and scratches, she learned. And I was very proud of her." Senator Hino stared at Rei's former seat, smiling in space. Minako watched him, and realized just how loved Rei is. Maybe it's not that easy to notice. Maybe Rei's father is exactly just like Rei, who isn't so easy to read. Maybe Rei refused to have anything to do with him before because she never knew about how much her father really cared for her.
And maybe Rei knows now.
Only if Rei was fair enough to give her a second chance…
"Then she had a talk with her grandfather one time and all of a sudden she wanted to learn archery the next." The senator continued reminiscing. Minako is just contented listening to stories about Rei. "Is she still very good?" The senator inquired. Rei was six when he last saw her practice.
"She has perfect aim." Minako grinned. Archery came in handy to Rei in their mission as sailor soldiers. Her perfect aim dates back, also from the Silver Millenium.
"She always has." The senator trailed off.
The two proceeded with their breakfast in silence. It was the good kind of silence, when you feel comfortable, like being around someone you knew for a long time. It felt that way.
"I hope I am not boring you." Senator Hino looked apologetically at Minako.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm actually glad to hear some rare information about Rei. You know her."
"Yes… She's not very trusting, is she? I guess I contributed to that…" He let out a deep breath. Somehow, Minako regretted leading to that topic.
Although it's true that it was partly his fault.
"It's not very easy to get this second chance." Senator Hino continued. This time, it was Minako who sighed.
Trust me, I know…
Minako echoed what the senator had said just a while ago. She didn't realize that her eyes were focused blankly on her half-eaten plate of breakfast, and the senator had been watching her.
"She told me about you, you know..." Senator Hino smiled. Minako slowly looked up at him.
"She did?" Minako, as much as she was avoiding talking about Rei, couldn't help but be curious.
Meanwhile, Rei had been waiting long at the limousine. The chauffeur refused to leave without the pop idol. Rei would have argued with him, but she felt too exhausted. Apparently, the idol had arrived in the senator's car, just like her. Rei is not very patient, and she would have gone home, only if she had money in her pocket, which was totally empty. Had she known that she wouldn't be the only passenger today, she would have at least taken her wallet.
Doesn't Minako have her own limousine?
That's the question she'll ask later. Right now, she just wants to go home and start her chores at the shrine, and see Chibiusa and Ami. Ami's probably preparing for work now. Minako should be finished eating her breakfast, because she really needs to go, and---
Rei looked at the time in her celphone. She had been waiting an hour.
What could she possibly be discussing with my father?
Grudingly, Rei left the limo and marched back into the restaurant. Only to stop at the door of the private VIP room, and hear Minako talking to her father…
"I would never hurt her… It's too late to say that, but…" Minako told the senator with all honesty, as she looked sincerely at him, meeting his eyes.
"I wish I could take it back. I wish I could undo the things I did and take back the things that I said. But as they say, it's been said and done. I caused her pain and she moved on…" Minako sighed. "I would never hurt her again…"
"I believe you." The senator smiled.
"But… It would be selfish not to let her go, right?" Minako asked, and the senator's reply was too inaudible for Rei to hear. After a few more minutes, she heard Minako finally getting up of her seat and saying her goodbye. Rei, in panic, made a run back to the limousine, earning the suspicious look of the chauffeur. Scowling, Rei pushed the button to activate the divider between them, and tried to sit calmly on her seat at the back, waiting for Minako to come.
Her heart was pounding on her chest, she wished no one would hear it…
Then the limousine door was opened by the chauffeur for Minako, and Minako climbed inside, and sat beside Rei. As their knees touched, Rei almost jumped out of her seat, away from the idol, as a flash of her most recent vivid dream with Minako flashing in her head.
She blushed furiously.
And Minako looked strangely at her.
Rei looked away.
Minako gave the chauffeur some instructions and asked to be dropped off first, before proceeding to ignore Rei by focusing on her i-phone. Rei sulked beside her.
I waited like a saint, and she gets to be dropped off first?
"Brat…" Rei muttered under her breath.
"What?" Minako sharply turned her head to Rei's direction, who was surprised to realize she was actually thinking out loud.
"Uh…"
"Brat." Minako said it this time, more like telling Rei that she is the brat. She was, after all, the one who walked out of breakfast that morning.
Rei rolled her eyes.
They fell in silence as the limousine stopped in traffic. Rei threw a glance at Minako, who hastily looked away when Minako turned to look at her. When Minako looked back at her i-phone, Rei tried hard to discreetly watch her.
"I'm pretty sure I don't have dirt on my face, so why are you looking at me?" Minako said smoothly, and locked eyes with Rei just before Rei had the chance to pretend that she wasn't looking.
"I wasn't looking at you. I was looking at that… Poster. Outside the window." Rei pointed at a poster of a hair product on the window of a salon. Minako did not bother to look, and focused her attention back on her i-phone.
"I'm sorry about the tabloid." Minako said without turning to look at Rei.
"It's fine." Rei shrugged.
"So… About Hokkaido---"
"I'm not going." Rei said firmly before Minako could even finish. She had sent Rei a text message last night, after they got mugged at the mall, about Haruka and Michiru's victory treat in their ski resort in Hokkaido. She would have called, if she wasn't too embarrassed of calling Rei.
"Why not?" Minako scowled at Rei.
"I don't know how to ski."
"So? They have a spot for archery and I know how much you love it. Besides, even priestesses need break once in a while."
"I don't."
"Ugh, your father's right. You're a pesky little brat."
"He did not say that!" Rei was indignant.
"Well, not exactly." The pop idol had to grin at the reaction she's getting from Rei. The priestess was trying hard not to look petrified of the possible things she had discussed with the senator. "You should go. Haruka and Michiru have a really great place up there." Minako knew it would be hopeless to convince Rei. But it was worth a try.
"I'm not really that excited to see Haruka. And I'm enjoying my last remaining Haruka-free days, thank you."
"Why do you hate her so much?"
"I don't hate her. But she's really annoying."
"To think she's the one I'm most jealous about back then." Minako laughed. Rei turned her head to face her, a horrified look on her face.
"What are you talking about?'
"Relax. The Silver Millenium is probably the weirdest lifetime we've ever had, although the one that really matters. You were bestfriends. I guess I just didn't like you spending too much time away from me."
Looking at each other, it's as if everything around them disappeared. Until they felt the limousine moving again, and Rei looked away.
"Well, just in case you change your mind, I'll be sending your tickets to the shrine tomorrow." Hearing the tone of her i-phone, Minako answered. "Arigato, Sacho?"
All the way to Minako's destination, the pop idol talked to her manager. Rei restrained the urge to look at Minako's direction, and get lost by looking at her again. There's just something, a really strong pull towards Minako, like two opposite sides of the magnet pulling each other, that's making her look. It wasn't that easy to resist, it was taking all her energy just to do that.
So she closed her eyes, tried to think of the things she has to do today, tried to block the sound of Venus' laughter as she talked to her manager…
But it was a melodious, beautiful laugh… Why is it that when she laughs, it's still as if she sings?
Kami-sama… What is happening to me?
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So, thanks for the reviews! I appreciate it a lot… I don't have to name names since you know who you are! ( " , )
Well, I wish I could improve this chapter, I took almost two weeks, but I really wanted to finish it, and it's really hard when you have your midterms and at the same time, writer's block…
But I do hope that, although this isn't the best writing I've done, I tried my best. Hahaha… If I didn't post it, it would probably had taken months again…
So, still working on the next chapter…
SPOILERS of Chapter 7:
Usagi is reading Archery For Dummies.
Makoto is giving wrong directions, unintentionally.
Haruka is doing what she does best, and Michiru makes sure to keep her on the leash.
Ami makes a discovery of the four basic elements without which life would not be possible.
Chibiusa prefers Mars and Venus rather than Moon.
Rei is definitely not a pyrokinetic.
And Minako, well, she's still dating Aya.