Author's Note: This is for UsaMamo Week 2020 Day #5: AU. Or at least, this first chapter is. See, I thought maybe this could be a one-shot. Then I fell in love with this world, and I want to write more of it. THEN I got some help fleshing out exactly how I want to make that happen, and now I have to sit down and plot out how that's all going to work. So I probably won't be writing more of this for UsaMamo Week, but the good news is that there will be more. I hope you'll all be ask excited by that as I am!
I've been describing this AU to friends as an antique store/cafe AU with a meet-cute to start it off. And, yeah, that's pretty much how it goes for this chapter. So please enjoy!
Updated note: There are a few small tweaks to this chapter thanks to Ninjette-Twitch, who was unfortunately unable to help during UsaMamo week because of real life commitments.
Never mix business with friendship. That was a favorite saying of one of Usagi Tsukino's closest friends. And just then, she was fervently wishing that she'd listened.
As a personal shopper, she was used to the occasional wild goose chase with a picky client. Usually, those picky clients paid extremely well, though, so she didn't mind so much. In fact, she was so well known for her ability to find just the right thing for her wealthy clientele that she'd been able to branch out into her own small business just six months prior.
And she enjoyed her job; really she did. Next to reading manga, this was probably the most enjoyable career she ever could have chosen. Few other people could say that they got to shop for a living. And not just shop, but browse for some of the most exclusive, luxurious items in the entire city of Tokyo.
This particular wild good chase, however, was not at all pleasurable. Earlier in the week, her friend Ami had pleaded for her help in finding the perfect gift for her mother's tenth anniversary as chief of staff of Mita Hospital, the largest medical facility in Minato City. Ami, unlike the rest of their friends, detested shopping. Unless it was for books, of course. Usagi had done her a few favors over the years, small ones like updating her wardrobe with just a list of her favorite colors-every shade of blue, for the most part-and her measurements. That sort of thing was as easy for Usagi as breathing.
However, helping Ami find a gift for her mother had turned into a nightmare in one short day. For starters, she insisted that what she wanted was an antique. Not Usagi's favorite thing to shop for, but she'd been through worse. But Ami also had no idea what type of antique she wanted for her mother. This was when alarm bells had started going off in Usagi's head. Looking back, she should have insisted that Ami accompany her on this particular trip, at the very least for moral support but also so that she could get an idea what she really wanted!
So, with her long blonde hair barely tied up in her usual bun-and-pigtail style, having thrown on the first outfit that came to hand, Usagi had hopped on the Namboku Line at Azabujuban Station, at the ungodly hour of seven in the morning on a Sunday, and made her way to her first destination via a transfer onto the Ginza Line. She'd staggered off at Shimbashi Station and made her way to Ginza 6, the home of one of the best antique stores in all of Tokyo.
Well, it was supposed to be one of the best. Usagi had found several treasures there herself, always for distinguished clientele who knew exactly what they were looking for. Thankfully, the shopkeeper recognized her and was willing to help when she explained her predicament. However, two hours later, every picture that Usagi sent Ami of delicate Japanese tea sets, elaborately carved jewelry boxes, and small ornate statues were proclaimed to be "not quite right."
And there were many pictures from Ginza Antique Mall alone. So many.
Finally, Usagi thanked the kind shopkeeper and promised to return soon, hopefully for a more decisive client. She got onto a different train at Ginza Station and took the Yokosuka Line up to Tokyo Kokusai Forum, where she was able to walk a couple blocks to the largest outdoor antique market in all of Japan, the Oeda Antique Market.
She thought for sure Ami would like something there. After all, it housed hundreds of stalls with thousands upon thousands of antiques. There was no way that something wouldn't catch Usagi's eye and then be deemed suitable by Ami.
After three hours of wandering the market, taking pictures to send to her friend, and ending up empty-handed, Usagi really just wanted to call it a day. This was her weekend! Of course, she could just compensate by taking the next few days off. That was one of the joys of working for herself, after all, and she didn't actually have any orders to fulfill just yet. The idea of a couple more days to relax, along with the reminder that Ami was one of her oldest and dearest friends, persuaded her to try one more spot.
She'd only been to this particular antique store once before, but she remembered that it held some very unique items. Maybe what Ami needed was something outside of the norm, something you couldn't find at every other antique store and market in the city. And if Usagi was right, she knew just the place.
Usagi practically ran to Yurakucho Station. She jumped onto a train on the Keihin-Tohoku Line and rode it all the way up to Okamiachi Station. Then she had to walk almost fifteen minutes before arriving at Dentsdelion Antiques. By the time she arrived, out of breath and grumbling to herself about how much Ami owed her, all she wanted to do was find a good ramen shop. Somehow, she'd managed to make it well into the afternoon without eating more than a rushed breakfast, possibly for the first time in her adult life.
First, she set her chin with determination and walked the last few steps toward the store, ready to do battle with one stubborn, blue-haired friend and convince her that yes, this time she really had found something worthy of her amazing mother. Something that would bring tears to Dr. Mizuno's eyes and that she could display proudly in her home or at her office, whichever she chose. Because Usagi was done. This would be the place.
Just as she stepped up to the door, something in the window caught her eye. Resting on a bed of blue velvet, a locket the shape of a star gleamed in the bright sunlight. Mesmerized, Usagi stepped closer. She lifted her fingers to barely brush the glass separating her from it, while in the back of her mind her mother's voice echoed.
"A long time ago, my grandfather gave my grandmother this locket to remember him by. It passed to my mother, but she died unexpectedly, and when I went to collect her belongings, it wasn't there." Usagi remembered staring at a picture of what seemed to be this exact same locket as her mother told her the whole story, time and time again.
There was no way this could be the same piece of jewelry. After all, it had been lost long before Usagi was even born. She'd never known her great-grandparents. Still, part of her itched to look at the back, just to see if the inscription was there, the one her great-grandfather commissioned specially for her great-grandmother on their wedding day.
Eyes a bit teary, she began to turn away to head into the store. At that same moment, an elderly woman moved into the window from inside and plucked up the locket. Their eyes met for an instant, but then the woman walked back into the store, locket in hand. Feeling a strange panic, Usagi pulled open the door and charged in. But she was too late.
The woman handed the locket to a tall, black-haired man, who handed her money in return. A hefty stack of money at that. Even though she'd just found the locket, Usagi mourned its loss, or at least the loss of the opportunity to find out if the bright golden star really was the lost family treasure that meant so much to her mother.
Maybe there was still a way, though. It couldn't hurt to ask to take a peek, right? She took a deep breath to gather up her nerve then kept moving forward. Both the shopkeeper and her customer turned to Usagi as she strode up to them.
With a small bow of respect to the elderly woman, Usagi looked up at the man standing next to her. She allowed her eyes to take in a very trim figure accented by a jacket in the ugliest shade of green she'd ever seen, although he filled it out nicely. When her gaze reached his face, her breath caught in her throat and all thoughts flew right out of her head.
He was the handsomest man she'd seen in a very long time. Maybe ever. Bright blue eyes under black brows and a shock of black hair, chiseled cheekbones and jaw, pointed chin, and just the nicest nose ever. She had a thing for noses. She'd never been able to date a guy with an ugly one, no matter how nice he was. But this man's eyes were what really drew her in. She felt as if she could drown in them, although right at that moment they were staring at her in obvious confusion.
"Can I help you?"
Could he? With a voice like that, he could do pretty much anything he wanted. But the words shook Usagi out of her haze just enough to remember the locket he still held.
"Sorry, it's just, I saw that in the window and it really caught my eye. I was wondering if I could look at the back of it? Just a quick little peep?" Usagi widened her eyes a little, hoping that would make her look innocent and not like the kind of crazy person who would just snatch the locket he'd just bought out of his hand.
The man cleared his throat and nodded slightly. "Uh, sure."
When he turned the locket over and Usagi saw the inscription there, she barely managed to contain her squeal. This was it! It really was her great-grandmother's locket! Hands clasped under her chin, she allowed herself the smallest of sighs before looking back up into those amazing blue eyes.
"I know this is going to sound crazy. Really, I do, because you just bought this, and I'm sure wanted it since you paid money for it. But would you let me buy it from you? Please?"
The words were out of her mouth before she even realized she was going to say them. She wanted to groan and smack herself at the panic that entered his eyes. He took a step backwards and glanced at the shopkeeper, who stared at both of them as if this was the most entertainment she'd had in a long time. Maybe it was.
"I'm sorry, but did you just ask to buy this locket from me?" He sounded as if he couldn't quite believe his ears. And he probably couldn't.
Usagi hung her head a little, looking up at him through her lashes. "I did. I'm so, so sorry. I normally wouldn't. I shop a lot. It's what I do. But see, that locket? It belonged to my great-grandmother. It was a gift from my great-grandfather. I grew up with stories about it, and it was lost a long time ago, and I think if I could buy it for my mother she'd probably finally let go of the fact that I never went to university and don't even have a boyfriend."
That was the stupidest thing. She wanted to kick herself. Why were these words coming out of her mouth? And yet somehow, he wasn't running away. Maybe he just hadn't figured out a good escape plan. He did keep looking at the door, the shopkeeper, anywhere but her.
"I really...no, I'm sorry. I'm sure that those would be good things for you, but I did buy this locket, and I mean to keep it. I have an extensive collection of celestial-themed jewelry and collectibles."
His eyes widened, and she wondered if he considered that reasoned, calm explanation as wildly inappropriate as she did her own babbling. It was endearing, actually, and Usagi felt her heart melt a little bit. Still, she wanted a chance to try and talk him into selling the locket to her, now that the idea was in her head.
"Look, this is probably going to sound even crazier, but would you join me for lunch? I can at least tell you the story of that locket, so you'll know where it came from. And maybe I can still talk you into selling it to me." She grinned at him, trying to find just the right tone to convince him-and herself, and probably the shopkeeper-that she wasn't totally insane.
His mouth dropped open. She could tell that he had no idea how to answer, and really, what was she expecting? She sighed and deflated a little. No, she had definitely come off as too bizarre. It was a pity because she felt a stronger attraction to him than to anyone she had ever met. She cursed herself internally as she started to turn away.
"Yes."
Usagi whipped back around. It was her turn to stare at him, unable to believe her ears. "Yes?"
"I'd like to hear the history of this item. It's a rare opportunity to have first-hand information like that." She watched him lift a hand and run it through his hair in just the cutest manner.
"Great!" Usagi squealed, then she tried to tone it back down. "I, um, saw a cute cafe on the way here."
"Sounds like a plan." He nodded to her and then bowed to the shopkeeper. Usagi bowed as well and led the way out.
Once they were on the sidewalk, Usagi ran a hand over her neck and grimaced. "Oh, I should have introduced myself. I'm Tsukino Usagi."
"Chiba Mamoru," he replied, nodding to her.
They walked in silence for a minute or so. Usagi busied herself taking in the various shops and apartment buildings surrounding them, looking anywhere but at him. He had to think she had a few screws loose, but at least he was coming to lunch with her. She could console herself with that. And it wasn't every day that she got to go to lunch with a super hot guy. In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time she went on date. She'd been way too busy with work.
She was starting to regret not taking more time to get ready today. Inside her head, she wailed about her disheveled hair, the plain pink t-shirt and jeans that had seemed like perfect weekend shopping clothes but weren't exactly flattering, and the sensible white sneakers she'd shoved her feet into before heading out the door. But how could she have predicted that she'd end up on a quasi-date for the afternoon? At least she was wearing her favorite cute jacket, a slim-fitting white denim with little black cats embroidered all over. She'd bought it a year ago because it reminded her of her cat, Luna.
Not that this was a date or anything. She was just going to have lunch with this extremely hot guy and tell him about her great-grandparents. That wasn't exactly romantic. But a girl could dream!
Still, the silence was getting pretty awkward. So Usagi turned to him and smiled. "So what do you do for a living, Chiba-san?"
He blushed adorably. "Oh, ah, I'm a doctor."
"Really?! One of my best friends is studying to be a doctor. She's super smart and almost done with medical school two years early! Her mother is a doctor as well, so I like to tease her that she got a head start. But she really is genius level," Usagi chirped. Then she realized and smacked her head. "Oh no! Ami was the reason I was at the antique store! I'm supposed to help her find a present for her mother!"
Mamoru stopped, causing her to pause as well. "Do you need to go back?"
Scrunching up her nose, Usagi sighed. "No, probably not. She didn't like any of the things I sent her this morning anyway." With a roll of her eyes, she shook her head. "I've never known her to be so picky about anything! But her mother is about to celebrate ten years as the head of Mita Hospital, so I guess she's nervous about the gift."
Eyebrows raised, Mamoru actually smiled a little. Well, it could sort of be called a smile. "Mita Hospital? Are you talking about Dr. Mizuno?"
Usagi bounced a little on her toes. "Yes! Do you know her?"
"This is an amazing coincidence, but I work at Mita as well. I'm in my second year there."
Mouth dropping open, Usagi's wide eyes took in his earnest face. "That is so cool! Have you met Ami before, too? She's not interning at Mita, some conflict of interest thing, but she visits her mother a lot."
Mamoru shrugged. "I may have seen her there. I'm usually pretty busy in the pediatric ward."
Usagi's heart melted. "Oh, you work with kids? That's so special! I've always thought that it must be the toughest job in the world, to be a doctor to children. My heart would break seeing them in pain or scared."
With a gesture to continue their walk, Mamoru sighed. "That's pretty difficult, I admit. But when you've helped them, healed them, and the pain is gone? They're the most appreciative patients out there. Much better than adults."
She nodded as they started back up towards the cafe she wanted. "I can believe that. My dad is super cranky whenever he has even a cold. My mom never gets sick, but I can imagine. She's very opinionated on everything, so I bet nothing would be done to her standards in a hospital."
"You mentioned her earlier. Are you close?"
Usagi's smile softened. "Very. My mama is the best. She does let me have my freedom, no matter what I said before, and only lectures sometimes. Especially now that I'm out of the house!"
"Will she be mad about the locket?"
"Astonished, maybe. I doubt she would have expected for me to try to buy it back from you!" Usagi laughed at the thought. "In fact, she'll probably be scandalized when I tell her. But maybe not. She's used to my crazy ideas."
"Oh, so this isn't your first?"
Was he teasing her? Usagi peeked next to her and tried to make out any expression on his face, but it was still calm and pleasant. Eyes narrowed with suspicion, she shook her head. "Oh, no. And when my group of friends gets together, we're a force to be reckoned with. Mama says that most of her gray hair came from our teenage 'escapades,' as she calls them."
"It sounds like you have a lot of friends."
Usagi shrugged, unsure about the wistful tone in his voice. Maybe he was lonely. Maybe that's why he accepted an invitation to lunch from a stranger.
"I do have a lot of friends, but four best friends. We've known each other for years, since we were fourteen. I don't know what I would do without them. Two of them are my roommates."
Their conversation tapered off then, but thankfully Usagi spotted the sign she'd been looking for, a blue square with bright white lettering. "Oh, look! There it is! I looked in the window on my way by, and it's just the most adorable place. And it smelled delicious even from the street!" she cried.
For some reason she grabbed his arm to pull him faster along with her. Then she dropped it and blushed. Would she ever learn to think before she acted?
"I'm so sorry! I get a little carried away," she stammered.
His smile reached his eyes this time. "No problem. You must be very hungry. It's almost two o'clock."
"Oh, I am. I barely had time to grab a quick breakfast before heading out to catch my first train," she told him as they stepped up to the cafe entrance. Painted green and surrounded by tall ferns and potted flowers, it reminded Usagi of her roommate, Makoto, who insisted that live plants in the city were necessary to truly enjoy life.
Mamoru reached for the door at the same time she did, and both of them startled a little when their hands bumped. Usagi shivered at the feel of his warm skin, blushing. He seemed unable to look her in the eye after that, so she gestured him forward with a little laugh to show it hadn't bothered her. He opened the door and went inside, holding it for her so that she could enter, too.
Inside, the cafe was as charming as the glimpse she'd caught earlier. Plants dangled from the ceiling, mixed with strings of lights the size of her fingertip. Each table was separated by a spray of ferns, making them little oases and shielding them from each other. It was a surprisingly intimate setting, and Usagi began to regret suggesting it. But she forged ahead after him anyway since he barely seemed to notice. Maybe it wouldn't bother him. Maybe he came to places like this all the time with women he'd barely met.
The idea rankled, and Usagi wasn't even sure why. She barely knew him. Had only met him less than half an hour before. With a shake of her head, she brought herself back to the present and the table he led her to. They settled down and looked at the little menus tucked to one side of the wooden table in adorable vine-covered ceramic pots.
"Oh, they have curry! It's been ages since I had a good beef curry!" she cheered. "That is exactly what I'll have." She looked up to see him smiling slightly at her again and blushed.
"I haven't had curry in a while, either. Maybe that's what I'll have as well," he said mildly, putting his menu back at the same time she did. Their fingers brushed again, and this time she tried not to jerk away but just enjoy the momentary sensation.
The waiter came and took their order, along with apple juice for her and coffee for him-coffee, of all things, in the afternoon! But then, Ami also liked to drink coffee at all hours of the day. Maybe it was a doctor thing. She dismissed it from her mind.
"So, Doctor Chiba, are you ready to hear the story of that locket?" Usagi asked, allowing a little teasing smile to blossom. He was so serious, she felt like he needed it.
Mamoru just nodded, although he grimaced as well. "Please, though, call me Mamoru," he offered.
Hiding a triumphant grin because she'd fully intended on doing so, Usagi nodded. "You can call me Usagi, or Usa. That's usually what my friends call me."
A strange look flitted across his calm features, one that almost seemed like-yearning? But she wasn't going to dwell on it. Now was the time to pull out all the stops to maybe, just maybe, convince him to sell her his newly purchased locket. She cleared her throat.
"It all began just after World War II. My great-grandfather was a gaijin, a soldier in the United States Army. He met my great-grandmother at a tea shop, and they began a relationship shortly after. That was really scandalous back then, you know?" She shook her head and smiled softly. "But they were very much in love and didn't care what anyone else thought. Eventually, he received orders to return home. He asked my great-grandmother to marry him, but she refused because she didn't want to leave her elderly parents."
Usagi sighed wistfully. "So he went back to the States, for a little while. They exchanged a few letters; he had learned kanji for her. The letters are very sweet and moving, but what he didn't tell her in them was that he was working on the visa process so that he could return. A year to the day after he left, he showed back up at my great-grandmother's doorstep in Tokyo. Only she wasn't there."
Mamoru frowned. "What happened?" he asked, obviously absorbed in the story, to her utter delight.
"Her father had taken a turn for the worse, so she'd moved with her parents back to their home village. Thankfully, one of their old neighbors saw him as he was leaving and remembered him. She was an old busybody, at least that's what Mama says her grandmother always called her, and she told my great-grandfather which village they'd moved to. He traveled there and surprised her."
Her attention wandered as she pictured what it must have been like, her very blond great-grandfather, or so the pictures showed, showing up in traditional clothes and beginning to woo not only her great-grandmother but her elderly parents as well.
"My great-great-grandparents weren't thrilled to see him again; they were in the middle of negotiating a marriage for my great-grandmother. But they were impressed by his willingness to adopt Japanese ways and language, not to mention his persistence in tracking them down. They allowed him to stay, as long as he was willing to be put to work helping around the family farm."
"Sounds like a practical solution," Mamoru commented with a quirk of lips that might have been a smile. At least, Usagi chose to take it that way.
She shrugged. "Sure, but it was fueled by love, which is pretty romantic, if you ask me. And a year later, my great-great-grandparents agreed to his courtship. That's when he returned to Tokyo with my great-grandmother, to have wedding clothes made. He also commissioned that locket, from a dream he had of the moon shining down on their wedding. And they got married under the full moon, as well."
Their food and drinks came just then, and Usagi stared at it greedily. But while as a girl she might have torn into her food, she'd learned some manners in the interim. Plus, she really wanted to impress Mamoru. She found talking to him even easier than looking at him, and that was no mean feat. So she waited for him to take the first bite before scooping up curry and rice with as much decorum as her growling stomach could manage.
They ate in companionable silence, something Usagi rarely managed with anyone. She thought maybe he was more familiar with the concept of a quiet, judging from his quiet demeanor. However, based on the way he seemed startled sometimes when he looked up to find her across from him, she also believed he might not share many meals with others.
The curry disappeared quickly from both their plates, making Usagi feel better that she'd suggested a meal in the first place. Surely he'd been as hungry as her! As they sat there sipping their drinks, Mamoru suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out the locket. He placed it on the table between them, tracing the inscription.
"Forever in my heart," he murmured, looking up at her.
Usagi lost herself in his gaze for several moments, wondering what she'd said that made him look so sad. She wanted to reach over and take his hand, even if that would be wildly inappropriate, and reassure him somehow. But she wasn't even sure what she would have been comforting him about.
"What happened to them?"
She smiled brightly, trying to raise his mood. "They married and had three children. My grandmother was the youngest one but the only girl, so she inherited the locket. My great-grandparents lived out their lives on their farm, and my oldest great-uncle was the same after their deaths. It was a simple life, although pretty prosperous because their farm was large. But they were very happy."
"It must be wonderful to know your family history."
Usagi stared at him, wide-eyed. Her lips trembled at the pain she saw in his face before that calm mask slipped back up, concealing his thoughts. "I've never thought of it like that, but you're right. It's a special thing," she said gently, wondering what or who had hurt him so.
But then he smiled, a true smile this time, and the shadows lifted from his eyes. "You've convinced me, Usagi. But I won't take your money for the locket."
Usagi stared at him in bewilderment, unsure what he meant. If he wasn't going to let her buy it from him, how had she convinced him of anything?
Mamoru held the locket out to her. "I would be happy for you to have the locket so that it can remain in your family. That is so much more important than a simple collection of antiquities."
Her eyes moved from the locket in his hand up to his eyes, once again reflecting that flash of pain and sadness, and back down to the locket. Her lips firmed. She raised her hand to his and closed his fingers over the locket, once again enjoying the tingle of his skin against hers.
"No," she said, shaking her head. She looked up at his surprised expression. "It's fair that you keep it. You bought it. Besides," and here she allowed her mouth to get carried away ahead of her brain again, "Maybe I can come see it at your home instead, along with the rest of your collection. I'd love for you to explain it to me." She blushed but refused to look away.
Mamoru drew in a deep breath. She'd managed to chase away the pain in his eyes, alright, but she wasn't sure what had replaced it. She started to pull her hand back, unsure if she'd been too impetuous and misread things, but he dropped the locket to the table gently and caught her hand before she could pull away.
"I'd like that." His voice was hoarse, and she thought maybe his pulse was racing as much as hers at his grip.
Usagi licked her lips and smiled, a tentative thing compared to her normal ones. She'd only known a few people as intimidatingly intense before, and although she could admit it was as sexy as hell, she wasn't sure if she should tone down her own exuberant personality. Then again, the man had followed her out of an antique store and into a cafe to have lunch and talk about a historic love story right after she practically accosted him in said store. So she wasn't sure that she could come out looking any worse than she already did.
"So, what are you doing the rest of the afternoon?" she asked.
His eyebrows rose, some of that intensity waning. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well, we could go back to that store, and you could help me pick out Dr. Mizuno's present. Maybe you'll be able to find something that Ami will actually like," she said, allowing her normal grin to break free.
To her surprise, he chuckled. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed, releasing her hand.
He scooped the locket back up and put it in his pocket. Then they paid for their meals and wandered back out into the street. This time, Usagi allowed herself to drift closer to him as they retraced their steps. It came almost naturally, surprising her yet again.
"You said earlier that shopping is what you do. What does that mean?" he asked, glancing down at her as they walked.
Usagi giggled. "I'm a personal shopper. I started just before the end of high school, and it kind of became my thing? I got some pretty big-name clients, kept them happy and got to shop for some amazing things, great my rep, and eventually I struck out on my own. Now I'm an independent shopper with a very select list, if I do say so myself," she admitted proudly.
"I've never known someone who shops for a living. Does it get boring?"
She laughed again. "Sometimes, but not usually. Especially not now. I take a commission on the total cost of the purchase, and back when I was buying anime figurines and books and clothes? That was boring sometimes. Well, not the collectibles. But now I get to go shopping for luxury items and all sorts of really interesting things! I have a couple clients who have become friends, and they just had me shop for a helicopter for them, believe it or not."
Mamoru shook his head. "That's amazing."
Usagi wrinkled her nose. "What, do you expect the fabulously wealthy to shop for themselves?" she joked.
He chuckled. "I guess not." They both looked up to see the Dentsdelion sign ahead. "Looks like we're here."
"Do you think that she'll say anything about earlier?" Usagi whispered before they reached the door, leaning over to him.
He shrugged. "Maybe not."
Mamoru was wrong. As soon as the shopkeeper saw them enter, she began cooing over them. It was almost embarrassing, but Usagi tried to brush it off. This time, instead of explaining what she was looking for, she just followed Mamoru around the store. He would pick an item up, examine it, and put it back down, always explaining why he didn't think it would be quite right and giving her a mini-antique lecture at the same time.
Finally, he saw something that caused him to beeline across the store without her, leaving her to trail in his wake. It was a small rectangular box, not anything that seemed special to Usagi. He flipped the lid open and sighed.
"This. This is perfect, Usagi. Your friend won't be able to say no to this," he told her, reaching out to take her hand and pull her closer.
Usagi looked down to see several long, bone-handled tools in the box, neatly arranged. It didn't mean much to her, but she supposed they did look like some sort of doctor's tools, the sort of thing you might see in a modern office just made of different materials. She snapped a quick pic and sent it to Ami with the text, What about this?
Ami's reply was almost instant. YES!
With a sigh of relief, Usagi nodded and pulled her hand reluctantly from Mamoru's, reaching out to pick up the wooden box after he closed it carefully. She stowed her phone and went to pay the shopkeeper while he meandered through the store some more. Once she was done, she turned to find him by the door.
Aware of the shopkeeper's keen eyes on them, she gestured for him to follow her out onto the sidewalk. Once there, she turned and looked up at him, blushing.
"Um, I guess I need to get home now," she stammered, suddenly shy.
"Are you taking the train back?" he asked, looking down at her with the softest expression she'd seen yet.
Usagi nodded.
"Would you mind if I accompanied you?"
Would she mind? Of course she wouldn't mind. But she tried to play it cool, Minako's voice in the back of her head warning her not to give too much away at once.
"Yeah, that would be nice."
They spent the walk to Shin-Okachimachi Station with her prodding him for details on his "celestial objects" collection. She'd never been all that interested in antiques or astronomy, for that matter, but since this had brought them together, in a way, she figured she might as well learn.
And she discovered that once she got Mamoru on a topic he was enthusiastic about, he opened up a great deal more. It was fascinating, in a way, far more interesting than the topic at hand, if she was being honest. She found watching him as he talked about astrolabes and jewelry inspired by the planets, the sun, and the moon, all fashioned centuries ago, uniquely fascinating. His eyes brightened, his lips curved up in his excitement, and really, he was entirely adorable.
They once on the train home, spent the rest of the trip back to Minato City talking about more neutral things. She discovered that he actually lived closer to Tokyo Tower, a sensible choice given where he worked, while she and her roommates had opted to live as close to Roppongi Hills as possible. So he would be getting off the train one station before her, not a huge loss and only a few minutes difference, but she found herself disappointed nonetheless.
They exchanged phone numbers, with Usagi insisting on entering hers into his phone so that she could pick a cute avatar to go with it as he watched her with more indulgence than she expected. And when the train arrived at Akabanebashi Station and he had to get off, they said goodbye with what she hoped was an equal amount of regret.
Usagi gripped the wrapped package with Ami's purchase closer to her as she walked through the streets leading to their apartment, hardly noticing anything around her. Thankfully, both her roommates were home when she practically flew in, bright pigtails bouncing and blue eyes sparkling. Minako and Makoto looked up, eyes wide, as she kicked off her sneakers and squealed.
"Ladies, you will never guess what happened today!"