Konnichiwa! Next chapter is here! Hope you like!

LunaGirl

Secret Santa

Still December 20, Saturday

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Chapter 3

Usagi walked through the crowded mall unhappily. She trudged along with her head bent down, staring at the small piece of torn paper in her quivering hand. 'Mamoru' was scrawled across it in Makoto's rushed handwriting.

'This could be my chance! My chance to show him how much I care! The bad part is…what do I buy the damn guy? He's so distant that no one really knows what he's like. Much less, what he would want for Christmas…maybe I should ask someone for help…someone who knows him better than anyone else…someone…MOTOKI! Hey, it's worth a shot!' She ran out the side entrance she had just come in, shocking everyone around her as she hurried by.

Usagi kept running like she was on fire until she reached the arcade. Quickly stepping inside and savoring the warm feeling and sound of tinkling bells, she shouted for Motoki.

An unfamiliar face stood behind the counter. "Sorry, babe. He left about twenty minutes ago. But maybe I can help. Coke ™, milkshake? It's on the house." The man sitting in front of her was not at all like Motoki. He looked sinister, almost like a criminal. She glanced around. There was no one else there. No wonder.

"Uh, no thanks. Did Motoki say where he was going?"

"Yeah, he said he was going to the mall to do some Christmas shopping."

"Back to the mall!" She shouted, and ran out the door, leaving the guy at the counter baffled about their short conversation.

Usagi ran the two blocks back to the mall and collapsed onto a bench outside a bookstore. "Phew!" She sat and rested for a minute, and then slowly started to walk through the mall, looking for a glimpse of blonde hair and a tall frame amongst the crowds of people and many decorations.

She walked into the food court, and with a cry of joy, skipped up to a table where Motoki sat, eating a burrito. She sat down in front of him.

"HEY, Motoki-kun!"

Motoki nearly choked on his dinner. Swallowing, he exclaimed. "Usagi-chan!" What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you! I need some help…"

"Wow, me, too! Can you help me? I have no clue about what to buy Minako-chan…"

Usagi smiled. "You got Mina-chan! That's so sweet!"

"Um, yeah…what do you need help with, Usa-chan?"

She blushed. "Well…you see…I got Mamoru-ba---san…and I don't have a clue what to buy for him!"

"Ah, so you came to me for help. Ok, good. You help me, and I'll try to help you."

"Great!"

"Okay, let's get Mina-chan's present first. She's an easy one." Usagi walked into a perfume store, Motoki cringing behind her.

"Isn't perfume…expensive?" He asked, suddenly becoming red in the face. He was holding his breath. "It stinks in here!" He wheezed.

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Quit holding your breath! It smells wonderful in here! To answer you question, yes, sometimes perfume can be expensive, but the kind we're getting isn't that bad."

Motoki slowly pulled his hand away from his nose. "What kind are we getting?"

"This kind! La Blue! It's blueberry!" She held up a box set complete with body wash, lotion, and perfume. "It smells great, and it is Minako's favorite! Plus it's only 3000,0 yen!"

He looked over it a moment. "Ok, let's go check out!"

Usagi sighed. "I thought you said you could help me."

"I can! Or…er…kinda…ok, not really." Motoki crossed his arms and sat on a bench beside the mall fountain, situated in the very middle of the mall. Water spouted up through many different angel figurines, and bits of money lay on the bottom of the image.

Usagi joined him and sat down. "Ok, then. How about a book?"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't try it. Mamoru's got every book from here to America."

Um…cologne?"

"Hates it."

"A CD?"

"Nope. I tried that once…just don't do it…"

"A movie?"

"He wouldn't like that too much…"

Usagi sighed. "The only thing you're good for is telling me what he DOESN'T want!"

"Look…Usagi…" Motoki shrugged. "Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this, but listen, Mamoru's different from most people. He doesn't really like much. He likes his work, his extensive library of books, his friends, and for some odd reason, roses."

"That's it? He must have had a bad childhood for those to be his only interests." Usagi watched as Motoki flinched. She raised an eyebrow. "How bad was it?"

Motoki gulped. "Pretty bad. His parents were killed in a car accident when he was eight years old. He was the only one to survive, but he has a mild case of amnesia. To this day, he doesn't remember his parents at all."

Usagi gasped. "He's an orphan? Oh, poor Mamo-chan…"

Motoki looked up and grinned. "Mamo-chan? Is that a nickname or something?"

Usagi's cheeks suddenly turned to a rosy shade. "Well, um…yeah…"

"You're in love with Mamoru! Aren't you?" Motoki exclaimed joyfully.

She sighed and stood up, and went over and splashed water from the fountain onto the floor. "You tell a soul and I will personally arrange you a funeral service."

"You got it, Usagi-chan!" Motoki reached up behind her and kissed her cheek. "I'm not helping you much, so I think I'll head home. You take care, ok? I'll see you tomorrow!" Giving her another quick peck on the cheek, Motoki gathered his coat and bag containing Minako's gift and walked out a mall side entrance, waving to her.

She waved back halfheartedly. After Motoki left, she continued to walk through the mall dejectedly, searching for anything that she could give to Mamoru. As she walked by a jewelry store, she was stopped by a sparkle coming from the window. Walking up, she gasped and looked at a beautiful diamond necklace. Around the bottom portion of the piece, a glimmering yellow diamond moon entwined with a ruby red rose twinkled with an amazing shine.

"Wow…" She breathed. "That's gorgeous…" She looked at a price tag hanging on the top of the necklace. "40000,0 yen?" She sighed hopelessly. "Never in my life would I have enough money to buy that."

Someone walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Beautiful necklace, Odango. You going to buy it?"

She gasped and turned around. "Mamoru-san! What are you doing here?"

"Trying to fulfill Secret Santa duties. You?"

"Same thing. Even though, I'm having a tough time finding something."

"Yeah, me, too. Who came up with this idea in the first place?"

"We can all blame Mako-chan." She laughed. "It would've been a lot easer for me, though, if I had gotten Rei. I'd get her this hat with feathers that she saw the other day when we were here. It almost killed her having to walk out without it. But, nooo…."

He laughed. "No such luck here, either. I've walked through the entire mall and haven't seen anything."

She smiled. Glancing at her watched, she gasped. "Oh, no! My mom's going to kill me! I missed dinner! Gotta go, see you, Mamo-chan! Bye!"

She sprinted out the door as fast as her legs could carry her.

Mamoru watched her go, confused. "Mamo-chan? Where'd that come from?" He shrugged and walked into the jewelry store. "Well, at least I finally found what to buy her. 40000,0 yen or not, it's absolutely perfect."

Another chapter completed! Remember to review!

LunaGirl