Day 3

Michiru reflected that she wasn't really jealous of the other girls, as she shamelessly flirted with the men in the gay bar, it was just that it really bothered her that Dousei was so naive and that Haruka preyed on it. Both of them should know much better, but Haruka had no excuse!

Michiru was not really triumphing as much as she thought she would be over the fact that gay guys were now almost crowding around her. It was already her second day, and she was semi-successful. None of them really flirted, but they certainly looked at "the handsome male in the corner.. Michirou."

She had the effect she was going for since a lot of girls on the street stopped her and explictly asked her if she was gay. Though Michiru didn't relly understand why they would say something like, "Oh!! That's so cool, will you go on a date with me?" Only it wasn't that forward. Michiru was starting to think like a guy, she figured.

Michiru forced herself to think like a girl again, and even thought in "watakushi" for a while to feel like her old self. She'd privately smiled to herself when Haruka lamented over her using "Boku" and "Ore" and "zo" instead of "Atashi", Watakushi", and "yo". She thought back to the girls on the street.

None of them were as good looking as Haruka, but it still amazed her that some of them really thought that she would be like those silly manga. She'd read some of those kind of manga herself when she was young, and also when she found out that she liked some women more than friends. She used to read some of the stories and then hide them under her mattress in half-shame. She had to hide her true self for years, but that was until she saw Haruka racing one day. Her heart raced in her cheast as she saw the determined eyes. She tore herself from that image and wondered why girls believed such fantasy.

Some of them had been downright rude to her. They'd called her a pervert for being gay, and then proceeded to point her out and give her glares, even though some of them held June in their hands openly. Michiru was not surprised at this reaction. She'd learned about it long ago, and had tried to keep Haruka from seeing the manga magazines that Usagi had in her room.

Still, she was very mad when the other senshi, somehow Chibiusa and Hotaru included were stalking her. She explictly caught them on several occasions looking at her flirting with men, and then finding that they'd already reported it to Haruka. They were siding with Haruka.

Michiru looked around to make sure no one was watching her, when she heard from under the bar, "Odango no ichiban, reporting to Bi no kin."

Michiru leaned over the bar and said, "Tsukino-kohai..."

She said it forcefully. Usagi laughed nervously and then jutted out her cheast and said, "I am your princess! Give me respect!"

The communicator blared out, "Bi no kin to Odango no ichiban, please report."

Michiru gave Usagi a glare and then said, "Princess, I would like to speak to you. You can do me a favor, right?"

Usagi looked reluctant at first, but then she seemed to be curious and then nodded.

Haruka turned white when she heard that Michiru had almost succeeded on her second day. It was already the third day, and she only had 4 more days to go. Haruka was so green at this.. all of the girls had outright rejected her and it only had gotten worse on the bus.

She'd given a lot of broken noses and black cheeks, but the perverted lechs, kept coming. When she reported this somewhat shamefully to Rei in confidence, she found that Minako had overheard. They all suddenly sympathized with her and promised to help her out.

By the time early this morning, Minako and Ami had somehow managed to actually work together. It beyond baffled Haruka how they were able to work together at all, but they managed to come up with this spiked suit that she was supposed to wear over her bra and underwear.

It was just too humilitating to wear such a device. It was bad enough that the men on the bus thought they could "convert" her. She didn't want to encourage the perverts. As far as Haruka was concerned, the lechs would think she was some kind of dominatrix. That would be even more humiliting than wearing a dress, which she already was doing. She tried to gather pride down enough to drive her car, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't even think about putting up the top. So instead, Mamoru relented, and allowed her to ride in his car. Of course, Odango came along so no one would make any mistake who was with who.

Still Haruka was still afraid that Michiru would win. If Michiru won, then all her dreams about having a pristine car would be for naught, and then her beautiful pristine Hyperion would be trashed. Michiru, while she hasd her license really never drove that much. It really made Haruka nervous.

Haruka approached another girl on the street, who immediately called out, "Gaijin no Ecchi!" Haruka didn't even have to say a word. Haruka felt completly lost in this matter, and the other senshi seemed to know it because they constantly seemed to take pity on her, though none of them really wanted her to win, since they knew Minako would find a way for them to wash the various motored beauties with her.

Haruka walked back to the bus, and then sat down on a bench. It had been a long day. She could now go home for dinner, but Michiru was about to win.

She thought to herself on questions that she couldn't understand. How could girls profess to like June when they weren't homosexual themselves? Haruka near to felt sick when Usagi decided that Haruka should read Kimagure Orange Road. It wasn't that the manga was bad at all. It was touching and beautiful, though Haruka wouldn't be caught dead admitting it... but one of the characters, a name that Haruka couldn't summon up into her concious mind, thought that homosexuality was trivial.

Luckily it was so late that very few people were on the bus and Haruka immediately gave a threatening look to every man on that bus.

She settled down and looked out the window. She'd been getting more reflective. She wondered if that meant she was settling into her role.

Even if Michiru was close to winning, Haruka had one bet to win.. but it still bothered Haruka a great deal that Michiru was still mad at her. She really didn't mean for the girls to side with her at all.

Haruka got home, tired. Michiru wasn't there to greet her. Even when Michiru was really mad, she always met Haruka to the door. Instead little Hotaru was there smiling.

The scent of Setsuna's cooking caught Haruka's nose, but it didn't smell as good as usual.

Hotaru said, "Setsuna made Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa's favorite! She made a sashimi salad. She said to sit at the table."

Haruka smiled sheepishly. It was something that Michiru had invented when they were trying to decide on food when they were sharing a condo together. It was basically a bunch of different kinds of fish on top of iceburg lettuce and a special kind of ginger soysauce. It might sound weird, but it tasted very good.

Haruka sat down to a set table. Michiru-- or rather Michirou came in. She didn't even acknowledge Haruka's presence and didn't even make any comments on Haruka, like Haruka was used to. Haruka felt the gloom set in. This bet had gone too far, if it meant that they couldn't even talk to each other.

Haruka did admit that she had been so cold, and barely said hi back, but it was better than this. She saw Michiru's face. Her full lips were set in a determined thin line.

Haruka tried to say to Michiru, "I think we should forget this bet." But the words wouldn't come out. Instead, she ended up relating her day to a cold dinner table.

Hotaru looked up at her surrogate parents in concern. Neither would talk to each other. Hotaru looked up at Setsuna for reassurance, and Setsna sneaked a wink, which was unlike her, but gave Hotaru the reassurance she needed. The dinner table was completely silent. None of the Senshi from the outer Solar system spoke over what usually was a very heated discussion table.

They all almost knew that Hotaru had wired the table at the insistence of Chibiusa, who was coerced by Minako, but the silence was more eerie that that. It was more than that. By the time it was the main meal, Hotaru ran out of the dining room, crying.

Setsuna looked at the two senshi sternly before calling out to Hotaru. Haruka looked at Michiru, feeling ashamed, but careful not to show it.

Yes, I invented the Sashimi Salad on the spot...

Oh! The person in Kimagure Orange Road is Akane. In the manga at least, according to Matsumoto-sensei, Akane doesn't really like Makoda, but admires her deeply, and because she wishes that relationships were easier, she acts like she is in love, which is common in manga. However, this does not really mean the character is homosexual, nor does it mean that Japanese girls act this way, rather it means that the social divide between men and women is wide, so that women day dream about being homosexual.