He Said, She Said
by Trish


Rei: "If Usagi was here, she'd agree with me."
Michiru: "Oh? You and Usagi must be really close, like Haruka and me."
Rei: "Uh... don't put us together like that..."
-Sailor Stars

"Now, just between me and you," Asahina Yuko leaned forward on the counter, bring her voice down to a whisper, "I think he's been cheating on her ever since Valentine's Day."

"You really think so?" I said, feigning interest. Yuko had a way of making everyone's life a little bit more complicated than it actually was.

"I do," she replied, her face serious, "And I think someone 'ought to tell her. She's wasting her time with him."

I humored her with a smile, "Let's just wait and see what happens, okay? He might not even be cheating." The look she gave me said that she didn't think that was even a possibility.

"Hey, Motomiya!" A voice called from across the arcade. "Stop yapping and get to work!"

If I didn't know any better, I'd think that HE was MY superior, and not the other way around. He'd been especially crabby ever since his friends paid that visit last Thursday. And who was I to oppose him? If he was this ornery when I was complacent, he'd probably rip my head off with his bare hands if I actually tried to pull rank.

"She's a customer, numb nuts!" I shouted back. Okay, I'd let him tell me what to do, but I'd be damned if I'd give him my respect while I was at it.

He grumbled something inaudible under his breath, and returned to his work (whatever that was).

"Ooh," Yuko crooned, "Is that Ishida Yamato?" I nodded stiffly, my growing agitation making Yuko's chatter less and less tolerable by the second. "He's in a killer band, you know. His best friend is Yagami Taichi. You know him, right?" She continued blabbering before I could respond, "He's the captain of the soccer team, and his younger sister is Yagami Hikari. Both your brother and Yamato's brother are toootally crazy about Hikari..."

I tried to drone out the sound of her voice. I was already well aware of the love triangle my brother was in, and I could care less... Okay, well, maybe I cared a little. I didn't want to see Daisuke get hurt, no matter how annoying he was.

'How does Yuko know all this?' I wondered. 'She probably has no personal life of her own, that's why she's constantly sticking her nose in other people's business.'

I was too preoccupied with thoughts of killing Yamato to really listen to her. What was his problem anyway? He'd always been a jerk, but lately he'd been getting upset over everything... The change machine was jammed? Meltdown! Some kid puked on the flight simulator game? Rage blackout! Ever since his friends told him about that Mimi person moving back from America, it was like he'd gone all Incredible Hulk on me.

"Hey Yuko," I interrupted her, mid-ramble, "Do you know anything about a 'Mimi'?"

"Um..." She looked deep in thought, "Tachikawa Mimi?"

Was that her name? I had forgotten. But there couldn't be that many 'Mimi's' in the Odaiba prefecture to begin with, so I guessed that it was her.

"Well she used to be best friends with Takenouchi Sora, who is a childhood friend of Yagami Taichi and Ishida Yamato. About three or two years ago she moved to America with her family, because her father's job transferred him there."

"Anything significant about her?"

"She was the Odaiba Junior High Princess. She wore a lot of pink, and I think almost all the boys liked her. She was a cheerleader, you know? Guys always fall for the short skirt and the big-"

"Do you think Yama-kun liked her?" I interrupted. It would make sense. Why else would he be so moody about her coming back? Maybe she broke his heart when she told him he was moving.

Yuko was giving me a sly look, "Why do you wanna' know, Jun-chan? Are you interested in him? He's a little young for you, don't you think?"

"Shut up, Yuko," I muttered, "I'm just concerned."

"Concerned that Tachikawa Mimi might steal your 'Yama-kun' away from you?" She giggled, "Well if you were going for a young one, I could see why you'd go for him. Cute AND in a band!"

"I don't like him that way!" I protested, "I don't even know if I like him at all! I just don't especially like seeing people upset over relationships and stuff... And I work with Yamato. When he's mad, guess who he takes it out on?"

Yuko sighed, "Alright, alright... Spoil my day, why don't you? If you did like him, that would have been some juicy gossip I'd have acquired."

I gave her an annoyed look, "Just tell me whether he liked her or not."

She clicked her tongue and rested her chin on her knuckles (her patented 'musing' stance), "Well... From what I heard, Yamato was kind of a loner. He mainly kept to himself, but a lot of girls had a crush on him... He's never had a girlfriend," Yuko giggled, "Isn't that cute?"

"Sickeningly." I replied, smiling tightly.

"There have been no rumors about Ishida Yamato ever liking Tachikawa Mimi or vice versa. But a lot of people thought Mimi would go great with Taichi, because she's a cheerleader and he's a jock. But a very reliable source has told me that Takenouchi Sora, Mimi's best friend, has liked Yagami Taichi since they were kids."

'So, he's never liked her...' I frowned, disappointed. I thought that if I knew the reason behind Yamato's frustration, I could help him work through it, he could be happy (or his equivilant of happy) again, and then I would no longer have to work in fear.

"Well, thanks Yuko-chan..." I said, drumming my fingers against the counter top, engrossed in my thoughts.

I had a weird feeling that I, Motomiya Jun would be scheming by the end of the week.


*Asahina Yuko is a character from a dating sim game called "Tokimeki Memorial". I just needed a name. There is no resemblance to the actual character.