Well, here is the next chapter. I hope you like, and please leave a review!
LunaGirl
Secret Santa
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Chapter 6
December 22, Monday
Usagi sat happily as the woman behind the counter put the finishing touches on her nails. Usagi sighed dreamily.
"Can you put little beads on the nails, please? Diamond ones?" She asked, inspecting her pink nails cheerfully.
"Sure can!" The woman replied, pulling a bag full of beads out of a drawer. "So, miss, you've never had your nails manicured before?"
Usagi shook her head. "No, but my mother said that since tonight is a special occasion, I deserve to LOOK extra special." At the woman's curious look, she continued. "You see, I'm going to this Christmas ball at Chiba Corporations tonight, with Chiba Mamoru himself." She grinned proudly, the woman baffled.
"Wow! I've heard so many rumors about him…what is he like? He is young, hai?"
Usagi smiled. "Yes, he is younger than most would expect of a high executive like he is. He's twenty years old and still gaining one final college degree."
The brunette woman finished putting the diamond sparkles on Usagi's nails. "There we are. Now your nails look fabulous!"
Usagi held up her hands and gasped in pleasure. "Arigatou! They look awesome!"
The woman smiled. "You're welcome. Have fun at the ball!"
"Arigatou!" Usagi paid for the manicure and left the parlor, heading for the temple, her Christmas present for Mamoru tucked safely under her arm. 'It's a good thing I left so early to have my nails done. This way, I can get to Rei's on time, for once!' She thought, grinning.
As she trekked up the wide, stone steps, a wave of nervousness overwhelmed Usagi. 'What if Mamo-chan doesn't like the rose?' She paused for a moment and stared up at the temple looming ahead in her view. 'I guess I'll have to find out.' She ran the rest of the way up, which wasn't far, and straight into the temple to Rei's room.
"Rei! I'm here!" She yelled.
"I'm in the living area!" Rei called. Usagi walked into the living room past Rei's room and sat beside Rei in the same place Mamoru had sat only two days before.
Rei looked up from her Teen Japan magazine. "Konnichiwa, Usagi-chan. You're on time, for once."
"I know! Isn't it great? Look at my nails Aren't they fabulous?" Usagi dangled her right hand in front of Rei while setting her Secret Santa gift on the table next to Rei's.
Rei grabbed her hand. "Wow! They look really pretty! You're really going all out for the ball, aren't you?"
Usagi nodded enthusiastically. "You bet!" She took notice of Rei's outfit. "Whoa, Rei-chan, you need to change! If it was only us girls, that would be fine, but Mamo-chan and Motoki-kun are coming!"
Rei looked down at her gray sweatpants and white t-shirt. "Whoa! I totally forgot to change! Thanks for reminding me!" She jumped up and ran to her room. Usagi followed and plopped down on Rei's futon bed, grabbing a hair brush and running it through her disarrayed blonde hair. She pulled a compact blush out of her purse, dabbing it on her cheeks. She set the purse with white bows around the top on the floor, and stood.
"Rei! Do you have any pink lip gloss? All I have with me is clear. I forgot to swap all my other gloss over to this purse." Usagi stood in front of Rei's floor-length mirror, taking off her pink coat and straightening her white miniskirt and blue top. Her skirt frilled out at the ends, while her baby blue blouse matched her purse, having a bow that tied around the back. The shirt was an off-the-shoulder top and showed Usagi's pale white skin. She had topped off the outfit with some light blue high-heeled pumps.
Rei came out of her bathroom that was adjoined with her room, tying her hair into a bun with two black chopstick styled hair pieces. "Yeah, check the top drawer on my vanity. Hey, does this skirt look okay or should I change it?"
Usagi grabbed a pink tube of gloss and turned to inspect Rei's outfit, a deep blue silk halter top and a hip-length blue skirt that was edged at the ends with navy fringe. She was wearing black boots, with short heels. "Kawaii! I like the skirt! Maybe I can borrow it sometime."
Rei laughed. "Sure, Usagi-chan. Just let me borrow that green tube top of yours. You know, the one you never wear?"
"Deal!" Usagi giggled.
They went to sit in the living area again. Rei piled their gifts on the counter that joined the kitchen with the living room, and sat at one of the stools that were at the counter. She poured several cups of green tea, getting ready for the rest of her guests.
Minako and Ami walked in that moment, both dressed in coats and boots. Shivering from the cold, they took off their coats and threw them in Rei's room with Usagi's before walking into the living area. Ami looked cute in a pink sweater, blue jeans, and boots, while Minako had been a little more daring with high heeled white boots, a white top with fuzz around the collar, and blue jeans.
Makato and Motoki both came running in, looking frozen. Makato's charming green ensemble was definitely festive. She had decided on an emerald colored skirt that came up to her hip, with a green sweater. She had added a pin of a Christmas tree and bell earrings that tinkled as she walked.
Motoki, on the other hand, looked incredibly comfortable and cute in khaki's and a navy sweater.
Usagi took their gifts and piled them with the others, while Rei poured everyone tea. Everyone sat and waited for Mamoru, chatting and sipping tea. Usagi went into the kitchen and grabbed a box of cookies, bringing them and setting them on the table, taking three for herself. She sat on the sofa with Motoki and Rei unhappily, staring frantically at the hallway, hoping any minute that Mamoru would come walking through. After what seemed to be hours (it was actually only five minutes), a knocking sound came upon the door.
Usagi jumped up, yelling that she would get the door. She threw open the door seeing Mamoru holding a humongous box in front of him.
"Konnichiwa, Usagi-chan." He said, smiling.
She smiled back. "Konnichiwa, Mamo-cha---Mamoru-san." She held the door open for him, letting him inside. "Straight ahead, first door to your left, in the living room."
He carried his present in, where Rei took it and set it with the others. Usagi came in and sat down beside Motoki and Rei again, scooting over to make room for Mamoru beside her. He sat down after he took off his coat and laid it over the back of the plush navy sofa. Usagi looked up at him, admiring his tight black sweater and jeans. She definitely appreciated the way the sweater accentuated his many muscles.
Makato sat up excitedly. "Alright! Secret Santa time!"
Motoki raised his hand. "Me first!" He ran to the presents and grabbed out his. "Mina-chan, this is for you!"
Minako gasped delightedly and took the box from him, ripping off the festive wrapping. She squealed. "How did you know that I wanted this, Motoki-kun?"
"I told him!" Usagi laughed.
Motoki beamed with pleasure at Minako's happiness. She stood. "Well, it's my turn, I guess. I had you, Motoki-kun!" She handed him a small box wrapped in red paper, which he instantly tore into.
He laughed. "How very perfect for me!" An alarm clock shaped like a bell twinkled up at him.
"Me next!" Makato ran and grabbed a gift. "Here, Ami-chan!"
Ami blushed and gently unwrapped the box. She held up a set of books that she had been dying to read. "Oh, Mako-chan! Arigatou!"
Makato beamed with pleasure. "You're very welcome Ami-chan."
Ami smiled. "I guess it's my turn. I had you, Rei-chan." She stood and fetched a medium sized round package and handed the excited priestess the box.
Rei threw off the lid and gasped happily. She shoved the red furry hat on her head, turning and hugging Ami. "Arigatou, Ami-chan! Arigatou!"
Ami smiled. "I knew you wanted that hat."
Rei nodded. "Yeah, I have been dying for it. Now it's my turn! Mako-chan, here's your present!" She reached over and grabbed one of the few boxes that were left.
Makato ripped into it. A pair of dangling earrings twinkled up at her. She laughed comically. They were shaped like a tree of cookies! "Just perfect, Rei-chan! Now I can take my love of cooking wherever I go! Oh, what's this?" She lifted up a huge cook book with a picture of a cookie cutter on the front.
Rei grinned. "I thought maybe we could try out some of those recipes one day."
Makato smiled happily. "Hai! I'll have lots of fun trying out all these recipes! This is one thick book!"
Minako looked around. "Usagi! It's your turn!"
Usagi blushed and reached in front of her for her long, thin box.
Motoki grinned. "Usagi-chan, did you wrap that yourself?"
Usagi shook her head. "Iie, it came custom wrapped. It wouldn't look this pretty if I had wrapped it."
He laughed.
Usagi turned to Mamoru and handed him the box, a faint blush staining her cheeks. "Merry Christmas, Mamoru-san."
He smiled softly and tentatively opened the gift. Everyone's eyes zoomed in on him, their own gifts momentarily forgotten. The crystal rose sparkled as Mamoru gently lifted it out of its box, marveling at it.
"Wow, Usagi….this is amazing!" He smiled over at her. "Arigatou, Usagi. I love it."
Usagi blushed even brighter. "I'm glad. You have no idea how hard it was to shop for you."
He laughed and pointed over to the huge box in the corner. "That would be yours, ne?"
She looked over at the box in amazement. "That's mine?" She stood and walked over to it. "What possibly could you have gotten?" She pulled the ribbon that wrapped around the box. All four sides collapsed, revealing a large, pink stuffed bunny that stared up at Usagi with big, adorable eyes.
She squealed happily. "It's so kawaii! It has to be the most kawaii bunny I have ever seen!" She picked it up, hugging it tightly. "Arigatou, Mamoru-san!"
He laughed. "You're welcome, Usagi."
Makato whistled. "That has GOT to be the biggest bunny I have ever seen." She poked its stomach. Usagi kicked her gently.
"My bunny! Stay back!"
They laughed at her antics, and all began to clean up the wrappings and mess they had created.
Soon, Mamoru and Usagi escaped outside. Mamoru looked over at Usagi, who was still clutching the bunny so tightly that, had it been alive, it would have been suffocated. "Usagi, I'll pick you up at around 6 o'clock tonight. Be ready, alright?"
She nodded. "Hai, I will. But why so early? Doesn't the ball start at 7:30?"
"Hai, but I'm taking you out to dinner first." He smiled gently down at her.
She blushed. "Oh…that sounds very nice."
He nodded. "Hai. I'll see you tonight, Usagi. Ja matta ne." He waved and started to make his way down the Hikawa steps. He stopped for a moment to smile back at her. "Arigatou, for the rose. It's going on my desk at work first thing next week, when I go back."
She beamed. "I'm glad you like it. Of course, I love my bunny! Arigatou."
He nodded and walked off.
"You know, for Mamoru to be the owner of a multi-million company, he sure did buy Usagi a cheap gift." Makato pondered, slurping eggnog on the couch in Rei's living room.
Motoki laughed. "Iie, Iie! He's not selfish, if that's what you're thinking. He told me he gave her the cheap gift today because he wants to save the four hundred thousand yen necklace for tonight at the ball."
"FOUR- HUNDRED THOUSAND??!!" All the girls shrieked, sitting up straight and staring Motoki down.
He laughed. "Hai. He said he wanted tonight to be really special. He told me he plans to proclaim his love for her tonight."
One by one, all except for Rei, the girls fell off the couch in exasperation.
Rei just grinned. "Now that is what I call a good idea. I had better get a arigatou letter from Mamoru pretty soon! I'm the one who told him to go on his feelings for Usagi-chan!"
"Hai, but I forced him to think about them. I had better get one, too!" Motoki pointed out.
They sat laughing together, the other girls still zoned out.
"Four-hundred thousand!"
"Is he crazy?"
"Sheesh. That moron! Does he not have a clue what he's doing? Flowers would have done just nicely! Good kami!"
"AMI-CHAN!"
I know, I'm leaving you all hanging about the 'big night'. Gomen nasai! Gomen, gomen! I just want to draaag this thing out to make you people go crazy! LOL, no, I'm just kidding. I just got tired of typing and called it a night. The next chapter will be out soon. Remember, no reviews, no chapter. So review if you want to see the next chapter to this Christmas romance!
THANK YOU to the anonymous reviewer who helped me out with yen troubles. I was told so many different things that I was confused. So, arigatou.
Luv ya!
LunaGirl