Really, it was just bad luck. It had to be the worst string of bad luck! Maybe it was the stars.. maybe someone in the heavens really, really hated Haruka. It defiantly was not "That time of the month" because it never gave her this much bad luck.

She'd like to think it was luck rather than chance at this point... and if it weren't for the two bad events.. it wouldn't have been so bad.. she wouldn't be in this stupid predicament.

First a week before, when she was actually enjoying herself and feeling like herself she had the first piece of bad luck.

It was reported on the news that it would be a really warm week, but it was just warming up for Haruka.

Haruka was getting ready for Minato Juuban High School she would be attending with Michiru. So, they were taking some classes to get ahead a bit, so they could plan the trip next year and be free to ride around Japan as Michiru wanted. It wasn't easy since Hotaru was a handful to take care of, and kept breaking things, but Haruka felt relaxed about it, especially since Queen Nehallenia had finally been beaten.

She was waiting for Michiru outside of her classes that she was attending, minding her own business, when a really cute girl came out. EVERYONE knew that Haruka loved to flirt, and hey, she just happened to be dressed up like a boy... so what did it hurt? She may as well flirt with this girl while she was waiting for Michiru, since these days her teacher tended to keep her longer after school to discuss the new art show they wanted to coordinate.

The flirting was harmless.. it started with a standard bumping into her by umm.. mistake.. and then the girl looking up at her and thinking she was a really cool guy.. her eyes shining like they had stars in them.

She said, "Hey, you're Tenoh Haruka-san, right?"

Haruka smiled mysteriously at her.. as she always did and said, "Yeah."

The girl bowed low and said, "I'm Aoi Dousei... it's nice to meet you finally! You're that famous racer!"

Haruka was surprised and then blushed. Of course this girl would know her.

Dousei said, "Tenoh-san! I've heard so much about you! You and Michiru are a couple, right?"

Haruka shrugged and said, "Nahh.. not really we're just raising an orphan girl together."

Now, Haruka really didn't mean to say that. Who cared anyway? Hey, she was flirting and as far as she knew Michiru wasn't around. She honestly loved Michiru, and would do anything for Michiru. She'd even just the previous night rubbed Michiru's feet after a concert.

Even though Haruka, honestly, thought it was discusting, though she was careful to not tell Michiru that.

Dousei's eyes widened and said, "Oh! How cute! You're so sweet.. I'd always heard you were stiff. But now I know you're really caring... but what about those rings you wear?"

Haruka smiled crookedly and said, "Those are for the promise we had together to raise the orphan... they mean nothing more than that.. Meioh Setsuna-san has one too."

Dousei's eyes widened more and said, "Meioh-san?! I've heard of her work in physics.. my brother adores her work.. He said that he would pick me up today, but he's late."

Haruka said, "Hey then, you're alone? No boyfriend?"

The girl looked at her surprised for a moment and then blushed and said, "Of course not!"

Haruka gave her the best Haruka flirting smile she could muster. The one that made the women really swoon over her.

She said, "I'm surprised about that. How could anyone not like a pretty girl like you? That's pretty heartless of them."

Dousei said, "He's not usually late."

Haruka countered and said, "No one should ever be mean to a pretty girl like you."

It was a bit thick, but the girl was falling for it.

Dousei finally said, "I heard you have a Hyperion! I love cars!"

In truth, Haruka thought of Dousei more like Odango, it was completely harmless. So, since the girl appreciated her car.. how could she not say, "Hey, want to ride in my car sometime.. in the front.. we can ride all over Japan if you want."

That's when it happened. Now, most people wouldn't guess that the gentle graceful Michiru.. perfect violinist has a temper. She has a temper that you never want to deal with. When she gets mad, she stays mad for a long, long time. Haruka knew this all too well.

Michiru happened to be right there. It would have all been fine had it not been for the fact that she was completely silent. No expression lined her face, but Haruka could see the storm brewing in her eyes in utter anger. Haruka was praying that she would yell, talk to her or say something. It was better that way when Michiru was angry at her.

Michiru simply pulled Haruka by the ear and then dragged her to the car. She said firmly, "You will drive me home now."

Haruka fumbled while she rubbed her ear, "Hey Michiru, I didn't mean anything. Really, honey."

Haruka always fumbled when Michiru was this mad.

Michiru flashed her a look that made Haruka feel like a child inside. Haruka knew that she probably shouldn't have called Michiru "honey" after flirting with another girl.

Michiru said evenly, "You will still drive me home. I will be in the front seat, where you promised no one else would sit there."

Haruka still couldn't understand why Michiru was so mad.. it wasn't as if she hadn't ever flirted with anyone else before. Sometimes Michiru flirted too. Haruka had often offered rides.. though admittedly it wasn't in the front seat where Michiru usually sat and it wasn't an offer across Japan. Haruka weighed the options while she obeyed Michiru's orders, not wanting to get her really mad. Michiru really mad was not a sight anyone wanted to contend with.

Michiru managed to kick Haruka out of Haruka's room and onto the couch. Despite their relationship they kept different rooms. It had gotten to the point that Hotaru didn't ask questions about it anymore. Setsuna often left the couple alone to their own devices. Haruka knew that Setsuna was secretly a bit afraid of the Ocean Senshi when she was mad.

The next day was rough on poor Haruka. Michiru still hadn't told her why she was angry. Haruka knew that even offering the front seat of the car didn't warrent Michiru being this mad at her for so long. Any longer and Haruka knew she would see Michiru's vengeful streak. If it didn't stop by the end of the day, she knew she was in trouble.

Luck, unfortunately was not on Haruka's side. It was the next day that her luck really ran out and went into a downward spiral.

It was one of those days, truly boring days. The weather had been perfect for the last week, as Minako recalled. That meant she'd done everything she could outside.. 4 times, and now it was stinking hot. It was so muggy and discusting that once you took a shower, two seconds later you felt dirty. The air was drowning of heat and humidity. The heat from the sidewalk bent the light.. but it was too humid to fry an egg on the sidewalk.

The air conditioner was broken at the Crown Game Center, so it was closed for repairs. Minako had ridden the bus with Makoto about 5 times before the creepy men came on the bus, and the bus driver seemed to be glaring at them hogging the air conditioner. Besides, it was getting crowded in there. The sheer weight of the breath caused a stinky humidity.

There was nothing else left to do except lay on the floor of Hikawa Shrine indoors around the table that the Sailor Senshi Meetings were held, and stretch out on the mats in a slump.

True, Rei really hated it when the girls came over to explicitly lay out on the floor, because it made it hard to sweep and clean up. She resented the idea of using the shrine to just sweat on the floor, which was against the Shinto philosophy of being clean. The only one not to lay out on the floor was Ami, because she was either in summer school, or some special program, besides she was far too modest to do such a social faux pas. But Makoto, Usagi, and Minako had no trouble doing this, because laying out on the floor like this just struck the feeling right.

You'd think with these boring hot days that some monster or demon would appear by now, but it was still that boring that even the monsters didn't want to come out. It just went on and on.

Finally, Minako stretched out on the mats, came up with this idea. She thought she'd think over her years as a senshi. It was better than thinking about how bored she was, though on her conscious mind she was still thinking she was bored.

She was still moaning about how bored she was with Makoto, and Usagi (who was actually there because her mother said to get out or help her with the chores, and Mamoru had insisted that he needed to study, and Chibiusa was out playing with Momoko, Kyuusuke, and Hotaru.).

Minako was thinking about the time that Haruka had tricked Mamoru and Usagi into thinking she was a boy. Minako had even fallen for it.. in fact they all had. Every single girl that saw her was convinced she was a guy. Then a thought came to the front of her head with such force that she jumped up and ran out of the door (though she was still moaning that she was bored.)

She got on the bus and went to Michiru-san's, Haruka-san's and Setsuna-san's while her brain cycled the facts more clearly. Haruka had never really appologized for almost breaking up Usagi and Mamoru. She'd never apologized for fooling Makoto and defeating her. In fact, Haruka had tricked almost all the girls at Juuban Junior High School, and also at her school. It got the bored Minako so enraged that she didn't notice that she was already on the bus on the way to Haruka's.

She thought that if Haruka was dressed like a girl and tried to flirt with girls, she wouldn't act so tough then. She wouldn't have tricked anyone with her show of affection. No one would have paid attention to her as a girl. She would just be an awkward tall girl.

Her feet carried her to Haruka-san's house. Hotaru was no where to be seen. She knocked rapidly and then decided to bang loudly on the door with both fists, feeling the rage coming on and boiling within her.

Haruka had the bad fortune to be the only one downstairs, so answered the door. She knew Michiru wouldn't since she was still angry at Haruka.

Minako sweat dropped as her brain finally realized that she was at Haruka's Empire house. The place was enormous (at least by Japanese standards). She faced Haruka, but still felt the rage boil in her.

Minako said rapidly, "I bet that you couldn't wear a dress for a week and successfully get another girl to flirt back with you! That's besides Michiru-san or anyone else that knows you are a girl."

Minako really wasn't thinking about what she was saying, as far as she was concerned, she was still in Hikawa Shrine being bored. She continued and said, "If I win, you apologize to everyone at Juuban when High School starts, in a dress with make up. If you win, I will wash all of your vehicles and wax them."

Minako's brain was still partially at the Hikawa Shrine with Rei passing by with a broom getting ready to kick them out at a moment's notice.

Haruka was taken by surprise. Minako's brain kicked in and said, "Well, since you tricked us, and it's been boring... and I originally thought you were a boy when we met and you never appologized, I want to see you survive a week of wearing a dress and make-up."

Haruka was about to laugh and forget about Michiru, who was still in a huff over her flirting with that girl from her class, when Michiru said, "She'll accept! She needs her vehicles washed because she's been driving all over Japan a lot."

There was a scary edge to Michiru's voice, but Minako seemed too dazed to realize it. Michiru was smiling. She wasn't only smiling, but she was smiling that smile that she used just before she attacked her enemies. Haruka knew that smile all too well, but she was too concerned with the fact that Michiru had actually said something about her and accepted the bet. Haruka, thinking that Michiru would forgive her if she took the bet, took it. It couldn't be that hard to find a girl who would like her for her charms.

Minako smiled.

Of course Usagi, Makoto and Rei had followed Minako at a safe distance and watched the whole thing.

Usagi, Makoto, and Rei all jumped out to say they were witnesses to the bet and neither of them could back down. Haruka was just relieved that Michiru had opted to talk at all.

Minako walked away satisfied, not so bored anymore, and returned to the shrine. It was 3 hours later when she realized what she'd done and called Haruka, but Michiru answered saying that Minako couldn't retract the bet.

Thus the torture and bad luck of Haruka began.

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