Chapter 4: Denial
Michiru stood in front of the mirror, softly humming to herself, while she made sure that everything about her appearance was perfect. She checked her watch – ten minutes to seven – and finally was satisfied with her looks. Just before she left the bathroom, her mother came walking in, her eyebrows raising when she noticed her daughter's smile. "A date?" Yukio asked, returning her daughter's smile. "Yep!" Michiru replied, giggling happily. "With Haruka, the new one I told you about!" Yukio laughed and patted her daughter's shoulder. "Way to go, daughter. Show him your best side, and he'll be head over heels for you." Michiru smiled and replied: "I hope so. He's just…I don't know…special." Yukio giggled at that statement, and that was when the doorbell rang. "That has to be Haruka. I'm so excited!" With that, the aqua haired girl hurried down the stairs and opened the door. Haruka stood in front of it, smiling, looking simply great in his black tuxedo, the white shirt and the matching black and grey tie. "Hello." The blonde spoke, returning the bright smile Michiru gave her. "Hi, Haruka. Can we leave?" Haruka nodded and offered his arm. Michiru smiled and accepted it, and the two of them walked over to where Haruka had parked her car, a 1968 Toyota GT Convertible. Being the perfect gentleman, Haruka held the car door open for her date, and Michiru smiled and got into the car. Haruka got in herself too and drove off.
The blonde stopped her car in front of the restaurant, but when Michiru reached for the handle of the door, the blondes voice stopped her. "Wait." Michiru looked at her date, wondering what was going on. "Michiru…there are a few things you should know about me before you go on a date with me." Michiru gulped, wondering what would come next. Haruka now looked at her, his eyes suddenly full of grief and – fear. "Yesterday night, you were attacked by a demon, right?" the blonde suddenly spoke up, causing Michiru to stare at her wide-eyed. "Yes…how can you know that? There was nobody around…except for…" "Except for Sailor Uranus." Haruka finished the sentence for her. "Or, better said, except for me." "Now you're joking." Michiru replied, slightly annoyed at Harukas odd sense of humour. "Uranus is a woman, and you're…no." The aqua haired girl looked at her date in shock. "No." she then repeated. "You're not female. You're male." Haruka slowly shook her head, her eyes never leaving Michirus face. "I'm not. I'm female…I'm Sailor Uranus…and you are supposed to be my partner in fighting, Michiru. Sailor Neptune." "You're drunk." Michiru accused her date, her voice shaking. "Me, a sailor senshi? No way!" "Michiru, please, you have to believe me!" Haruka begged, her voice shaking. "You are Sailor Neptune. It was my prior mission to find you and to make sure that you are awakened." "Stop talking like that!" Michiru suddenly yelled at the blonde woman. "I'm not Sailor Neptune! You are wrong! You made a mistake!" "I did not." Haruka softly replied, reaching out to touch the aqua haired girls shoulder. "Don't touch me!" Michiru cried out, moving away from the blonde until she felt the car door in her back. "Michiru…" Haruka started, but got interrupted when Michiru opened the car door and jumped out of the car. "You bastard!" she screamed at the shocked Haruka, her eyes filling with tears. "You come to our school, posing as a boy, make me fall for you, and then you tell me that you're female! Well, I can tell you one thing: forget me! I'm not a dyke like you, and I'm not Sailor Neptune! So leave me alone!" Haruka just looked at her, a hurt expression in her eyes, and didn't say anything at first. But one second, before Michiru slammed the door of the car close, she heard the blondes soft voice once more, and what Haruka said scared her. "Even though your head denies it, your heart says something else."
Yukio looked up from her lap top surprised when she heard how the front door opened and closed again. After checking her watch, she frowned: it was half past seven. That couldn't be Michiru, but on the other hand, who else should it be? Masanori was on another business trip and wouldn't come home until next week, so… "Michiru?" Yukio now called out, the only answer she received being a strangled sob coming from the hallway. "Dear God." The elderly woman whispered to herself, raising from her seat and hurrying out of her working room, swearing to herself that she would kick that Tenoh guy's butt from here to next Sunday if he hurt Michiru in any way, may it be physical or mental. Michiru stood leaning against the front door, crying her eyes out. "Michiru, dear, what's wrong?" Yukio asked while her eyes searched her daughter's face and body for any visible signs of mayhem. "Haruka…he…he's a girl!" Michiru finally managed to stammer out between to heavy sobs. Yukio stared at her daughter in shock. "A girl? You mean…a lesbian?" Michiru nodded, by now sobbing so heavily that it was impossible for her to speak. "How odd." Yukio now mumbled, deep in thought all of a sudden. "And he…pardon, she…just told you right before you went on a date?" Michiru nodded again, wiping her tears off. "How could she do that to me?" Michiru now asked, her tears slowly stopping their flow. "Why did she make me fall for her…and didn't tell me from the beginning on?" Yukio sighed and shrugged. "I don't know, darling…I can't read her mind, you know. But she probably feared your reaction…which was a justified fear, seeing the state you are in now." Michiru sighed, too, and buried her face in her hands while she slowly slid down the door until she ended up sitting on the ground. "I hate her." She spoke, her voice coming muffled since she still hid her face. "I never want to see her again…I should tell everyone at school about her!" "No!" Yukio shot back, causing her daughter to look at her surprised. "You shouldn't do that." The elderly woman now spoke on, her voice gentle again. "You would make her life a living hell…and I don't think that she deserves that. Don't tell anyone, Michiru, you hear?" Michiru let out a sigh and nodded. "If you say so, mom…I won't tell anyone. But still…how could she do this to me?" Yukio gently put one hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Maybe you should talk to her again tomorrow. And let her explain herself." Michiru shrugged and nodded, though she was still filled with anger. "Maybe…anyway…I'll be into my room." With that, the aqua haired girl came to her feet and walked upstairs, while Yukio was left behind and just sighed at her poor daughter's trouble.