AN: Nothing much new to say really! Thanks for the reviews though, guys. They're lovely!

*Usual disclaimer applies.

One day previously...

Mamoru took a final glance around the quiet avenue before pushing open the glass door and jogging up the creaky wooden staircase. With every step he took, the wood beneath him cried in protest, its high pitched squeal reverberating in the narrow space. He reached the third floor and knocked on the unlabelled door.

"Come in," a gruff voice called. Mamoru stepped inside and crossed the room to the desk. The room was staler than he remembered. There was more of a smokey haze to it, and the smell of tobacco and something else lingered in the air. He politely clamped his mouth shut and tried to not inhale too much.

"Ah, Mr. Chiba," the investigator began. "Good, you received my message." But Mamoru sensed from the man's body language that he wasn't pleased to see him. In fact, he seemed... nervous. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to refund your money," was what the man said as Mamoru thought this. "It seems... Well, I don't mean to imply anything about your little girlfriend, but she is one hard target to follow."

"Excuse me?"

"One minute I'm tailing her, the next, I have absolutely no idea where she is."

"Are you sure?" Mamoru found himself asking. "I mean, she eats a lot, so it's not like -"

"I'm sure," the investigator said loudly, in a deep and final voice. "It's like she just vanishes into thin air." He narrowed his eyes and stared thoughtfully at the young man before him. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you, Mr. Chiba? About her inability to be tracked? That is why you came to me in the first place, isn't it?"

"No," Mamoru backtracked, wondering if the man would attempt to tail him as well. Lord, if anyone found out his secret identity... Well, they'd be sorry. "I'm just too busy with school right now. That's all. Look," he found annoyance starting to swell up within him. "If you found this job too difficult or you yourself are not adequate enough to follow a fifteen year old girl, then I'm sorry. I'll take my business elsewhere."

"I am plenty adequate!" the man exploded before him, leaning across the dusty desk to glare up into Mamoru's eyes. Mamoru remained cool and calm, showing no fear. "But Usagi Tsukino is a target I wouldn't wish on anyone! One minute, she's talking into her phone, the next, she's turning a corner and then gone! So unless you're suggesting she has super speed or is able to jump to the roofs of buildings and run from there, then I think it is you who will have the problem."

Something was starting to click in Mamoru's mind. Old clog wheels were churning to life, beginning to cycle through this new information and what it meant. He held out his hand. "The money, please."

The man grumbled and reluctantly pushed himself back off the desk, leaving clean handprints in the dust, and pulled open his top draw. Moments later, a thick envelope was exchanged.

"Thank you," Mamoru said, turning to leave. The faster he could get to somewhere quiet, the faster he could think.

"Wait!" the investigator yelped as the door clicked shut. But when he opened the door again, Mamoru was already gone.

"Thank you so much," Usagi whispered to Miu. "You'd really be helping me a lot."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Usagi-chan. I'm glad to help. Even if I don't understand why I'm doing it."

"Oh! Oh, okay here he comes! Can you see him? Tall guy. Dark hair. Wearing that hideous green blazer that don't even match his stupid purple pants..."

"I see him. Phew! Usagi, you never said he was so attractive!" Miu pretended to fan herself, watching as Usagi started to turn red.

"HE IS NOT ATTRACTIVE!" she spat out in a yelled-whisper. "Don't back out on me now, Miu-chaaaaaan!"

"I'm not, I'm not. Calm down, Usa. Yeesh! Okay, here goes!"

Miu stood to full height and stepped around the bush, melting into the sidewalk as if she'd spent her whole life on it. As the distance closed between Miu and Mamoru, Usagi shuffled after them, her hands and knees staining green from the grass, and a crick in her neck beginning, due to having to duck extra low. "Stupid odangos," she muttered as she opened a slit in another bush to peer through.

Miu was already working her magic.

"Please, sir? You are absolutely perfect for the role! And this project accounts for a quarter of my grade!"

"Trust me when I say I'm no actor," Mamoru said politely. "You really should find someone else."

Miu, ever the theatrical, suddenly started spouting the waterworks. "Oh my gosh," she said in between her tears. "I'm going to fail this course and my sempei will call my mother, who'll pull me out. You know, she always told me I was no good for drama. She said I should learn how to make beds and cook for my family, but I told her no. That this was my dream! And I'm never going to achieve it, all because of one lousy assignment! Thank you for your time, Sir."

Miu, sniffling and shuffling her feet, brushed past Mamoru and began walking away. A wicked grin carved itself on Usagi's face. Even she knew Mamoru could not resist a crying girl. Especially if he thought it was his fault. His conscience wouldn't allow for it.

"W-wait," Mamoru ended up calling to Miu's back. Miu stopped and stood there, her shoulders shaking. But she didn't turn around. "I'll... I'll help you on your project. What do you need me to do?"

Miu squealed and ran full force at the man, latching herself around his neck and babbling happily about how he'd saved her from a miserable life of housework.

"Okay, you can let go now," Usagi whispered under her breath as the seconds ticked on and Miu still had not released her target.

Miu did indeed release Mamoru, and beamed up happily at him. Usagi felt her stomach clench and unclench unpleasantly. This hadn't been a good plan after all. What if he fell for Miu? What if he liked her? Usagi's low groan drowned out part of Miu's speech.

"And all you have to say is the lines, while I film it, that way when I go home, I can play them back on my computer, work on my storyboard properly, and then reshoot the thing on the weekend with you in it! Okay?"

"Okay," Mamoru shrugged. "Do you want to do it on the street?"

"Sure," Miu chirped as she brought out a video camera from her bag. "Why not?"

"Okay. So what are the lines?"

"So in my product advertisement, I'm doing 'manly shower gels'. The kind that heroes use. That's my angle. Got it? Good. Okay, so in my ad, I'm going to have a girl clinging to the side of a building, and the dashing hero – who is just a regular joe – comes and rescues her. But fails. And then I'm going to show the product, and reuse the scenario, but this time if he'd used the gel. He saves the girl, she swoons a little and they end up together. Like Superman and Louis Lane!"

"Or like Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon?" Mamoru asked. Usagi froze. They were not together, excuse her! Wait... There'd been something in that tone... But she could put her finger on it.

"Or... Yeah! I guess like them. Hey! Yeah! Just like Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon! Good one! Okay. So you're line is 'Are you alright? Hang on, I'm coming!'"

"Are you alright? Hand on, I'm coming!" repeated Mamoru dutifully. Miu smiled and nodded, flipping open the camera and pressing the record button.

When Usagi later met up with Miu in a nearby cafe, the girls crowded together over the small digital camera. Usagi listened to Mamoru's lines, which Miu had made him repeat over and over again for half an hour, but although they sounded just like Tuxedo Kamen's heroic calls and encouragement, she could not tell if they were the same or not!

Miu giggled and looked at Usagi, who looked downtrodden.

"What's wrong, Usa?" she asked quietly. "Did your prank not turn out the way you planned? Did I do something wrong?"

Usagi sat up in her seat, fixed her new friend a dazzling smile and put an arm around her shoulder. "Of course not, Miu! No, I was just thinking... about all the homework I have to do when I get home! Oh, ugh. Homework, it's a killer, right?"

"Right," Miu agreed. She opened the camera and took out the small video tape. "Well, then I guess this is for you." Usagi took it. "And I guess I'll catch up with you and my dear old cousin Minako sometime soon, okay?"

"Sure," Usagi chirped as Miu stood up to go. "Oh, wait! Are you coming to the arcade's party tomorrow?"

"You mean the one Furuhata Motoki works at?"

"Yeah! It's an annual party, but this year's theme is superheroes. Ironic, huh?"

Miu considered this. "Well, I guess I could try to come. If I find a costume in time that is!" she giggled again and placed her hand on Usagi's shoulder. "And thanks for the fun this afternoon! It was great working on my improve skills!"

"I guess acting must run in the family," Usagi grinned, thinking of all Minako's theatrics. "You're a natural."

"Thanks, you're so sweet! Well I have to run if I want to catch my bus, and you have all that homework to do. So maybe I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow!" Usagi called as Miu excited the cafe. "And thanks once again!" Miu raised a hand to say she'd heard as she stepped on the street. Usagi happily waved until her friend was out of sight.

She slumped unhappily in her chair. If only they hadn't broken Ami's Mercury computer. Then they could have used the voice stress analyser...