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Against her better judgment, Usagi hadn't opened her laptop since the evening her father returned home. Instead, she wanted to attempt to enjoy the time she had at home. Once she stayed a few days, she became aware how homesick she grew over time.
After Mamoru left the night before, her brother and father pulled out a deck of cards and they played a few rounds of Rummi. As always, their father took them to town and back every round before Usagi ducked out to bed. They never could beat him, but that is because he learned the tricks of the game as a kid and Shingo and her never had interest in learning the game.
This morning, they ate spinach frittata together before Shingo left for his shift at the local daycare as part of his curriculum in college. Usagi is proud of her brother wanting to become a teacher but can't for the life of her understand why he wants to be around a school all day. Their parents haven't criticized him though, they've bene utterly supportive of him following his dream.
Usagi hurried back upstairs to shower and dress. She pulls her blonde tresses up in a bun and pulls on leggings, socks, a knee length knit skirt and and a Henley covered with a button up cardigan. She grabs her purse, cell phone, and ankle boots before hurrying back down and announcing, "I'm going to the Arcade to see Motoki!"
"Be safe." Ikuko says bringing laundry around from behind the stairs and watches as Usagi walks out of the door.
...
Usagi stepped out of the uber in front of the Arcade. She could've walked had she wanted to. She peeped in through the windows to see the back hall lights were on and Motoki stood at the counter with his back turned toward the entrance. She grins as she watches him stretch his arms overhead.
Same ole Motoki. Just a bit older though.
She walks over to the door and notices they've changed, they slide open automatically which is a nice change considering it is flu season. The inside of the Arcade barely changed. There is new paint on the walls, a few posters advertising upcoming video games and laminate flooring covers the area where the stationary video game systems set.
I suppose this means they've done well for themselves.
"Technically we don't open until 11:00 and it is only 10:00." Motoki says through a yawn, still not turning around.
"Well I'll take my business elsewhere then." Usagi stops mid stride and tilts her head, watching as he bolts straight up and spins on his heel.
"Holy potato! Usagi Tsukino!" He exclaims not believing what he's seeing. "You haven't been here in forever!" She nods and continues walking to the bar stools and perches herself on one. She really looks at him, no gray hairs among his dirty blonde hair. His eyes are still bright green and not a wrinkle on his face except a few crows feet at the corners of his eyes.
"Dad was ill. I couldn't not come home."
"True. So how have you been?" He asks half turning back to the brewing coffee pot behind him.
"Good, I practice law. I specialize in family law. I mostly handle divorces. Life has treated me well."
"Divorces?! Wow, that is dark." Motoki says cringing. "How do you sleep at night?"
"Pretty damn good if I do say so myself." Usagi responds smiling at him sweetly. "How have you been?"
He finally removes the hot pot and sets it on the counter behind him before turning back around and taking her in. It has been years and neither of them had seen each other. Usagi stayed away from the Arcade when she decided to make life altering changes. "The original Arcade owner died a few months ago. No family so I took over. Turns out this place was circling the barrel while he saved most of the profits back." He sighs and looks around before leaning in closer, "He left it all to me, beat it all."
"What?!" Usagi squeals in amazement. She claps her hands excitedly, "That is great, Motoki! I am so happy for you."
"People still dig this place and I've added in some new coffee beans, some seasonal specials. I do really well." He explains, trying to maintain his humble ways but deep down he is bursting at the seams because he is proud of this place.
"Congratulations." She tells him, beaming with happiness. She always knew he would do great things if given the opportunity. Owning a business and making it grow, was just the opportunity he needed.
The two friends gabbed for another ten minutes about their shenanigans and have a good laugh. Motoki especially laughs when she tells him about the leak at work. He actually cries when he begins laughing hard.
"Christ, how could they not see that coming?" He groans as he wipes tears from his eyes. He clears his throat, becoming serious all at once and Usagi sobers up herself. She knows what is coming. He couldn't not ask and she couldn't avoid this conversation with him.
"Get it over with, Motoki."
"What are you talking about?" He feigns innocence, looking baffled at her accusation.
"You want to know if I've managed to avoid Mamoru since returning home."
"Oh? Well since you knew I was going to ask, have you managed?" He turns the tables and leans forward on the counter once again, looking like a teenager.
Usagi giggles gently at his antics, "No, actually I haven't. He was at the hospital when I got in. My mother invited him to dinner as well."
"He was close with your father. He worked under him for awhile." Motoki reminds her. "Did you expect he wouldn't be interested in your father's wellbeing?"
She purses her lips and thinks for a moment. She supposed that Mamoru may genuinely be worried about her father once he heard he had been rushed to the hospital. Motoki had a valid point. She couldn't fault Mamoru for being in his room that night to check on his progress. "Okay, you have a point, Motoki."
He nods, he knows he is right. "Have you talked to him about what happened years ago?" This is a touchy subject from what Rei and Ami revealed to his wife last night. He eavesdropped, he couldn't help it. These were two people who clearly needed to talk about something that hurt them both. He watches as she shifts uncomfortably on the bar stool and looks everywhere but at him. "Usagi, talk to him."
"I don't want to. Why can't we just let it go and go our separate ways?" She asks, no hint of jesting in her voice. No youthful playfulness about it. She looks at him seriously and he can't help but wince for his friend, Mamoru.
"Take his feelings into account." Motoki says straightening up, matching her tone with equal seriousness.
She furrows her brow and and clicks her tongue against her teeth before she speaks. She squares her shoulders, prepared. A nasty habit she has when she's itching to win an argument. "Because he thought about my feelings when he sat on his ass and let Anne tongue fuck his throat for everyone to whistle at and cheer for?" She watches as Motoki bites his lip and slouch at her words. "I wasn't imagining it. I'm not deluding myself. His hand was on her ass cheek in that horribly short dress. Her hand was on his."
"I'm not saying you're delusional, Usagi. I'm just asking you if it is possible that Anne planted his hand on her ass cheek that night? Is it possible she took advantage of him? Is it possible she was jealous that Mamoru asked you and not her?"
Plausible. Every bit of it is. If it is true, that makes me irrational for not listening to any of them. Why would Anne be jealous of me? I still don't understand why he asked me and not her.
Usagi opens her mouth but snaps it shut again and groans in frustration. "I hate losing arguments, you know. Okay, it is entirely possible Anne drummed all of it up to ruin the night."
Motoki smiles. He always knew how to talk to Usagi when the girls couldn't. It wasn't magic. He just knew because he watched her hang out with the girls before she even began talking to him like a friend. He picked up on a lot just observing her. Also, he picked up on a lot because when Mamoru seemed bothered, it usually had something to with him bantering with Usagi.
"Mamoru should be taking his first break in thirty minutes if you want to talk to him." Motoki suggests, a grin plastering on his face.
"Oh stop. Everything is not going to be magical and just go back to how it was before all of this." She waves him off, knowing that suggestive tone. Sure, he made great points but her teenage crush on Mamoru Chiba had eroded with time. She isn't sure there is anything Mamoru or Motoki can do to change that. She would talk to him and likely let it all go and return back to her apartment and new life without a second thought to Mamoru Chiba. Suddenly, the thought of returning back to her new life and leaving all this newfound peace with her old life didn't sound appealing.
She stands and offers Motoki a smile and nod before walking out as the first few customers of the day start crowding in. She mulls her thoughts over and chews on her bottom lip. She can keep her friends in her life. She knew now that it was a horrible mistake writing them off. Only terrible people write off their friends. She'd come home more when she could and spend time with them and her family.
What about Mamoru? Could she be friends with him even if he apologizes? Could they get beyond what happened and can she look at him as just a friend? Her mind paints his picture in her head vividly, ebony hair rooted on his head, brushing his eyebrows, clean shaven face, storm ridden eyes, broad shoulders, no sign that he actually aged at all, his voice deepened a bit more. He didn't look at peace where she had been concerned. Maybe all these years had mentally taken it's toll on him as well.
She stops as she hears a siren close by and realizes she'd been walking to the hospital all along. It isn't a far walk either. She knew this route because she walked it with Ami before once when she volunteered with the children on the Pediatric unit.
She releases a breath she doesn't realize she's holding. I'm in over my head. Her hands become clammy and the jitters return. Nothing else in her life made her feel like this unless it concerned Mamoru Chiba.