Disclaimer: What do Sailor Moon, Shrek, a shiny new BMW, and the country of Liechtenstein all have in common? This: I don't own any of them.

Explanatory note: Major train stations in Japan (particularly Tokyo) are kind of like shopping malls. There are restaurants, lots of shops, and often major department stores that you can enter without leaving the station. It can get extremely confusing--I got trapped in a department store for about half an hour once, trying to get out of Shinjuku station—I couldn't find the exit!

Anyway, I've been missing Japan lately, so I thought I'd add some realism! Oh, and in chapter 2 I mentioned Sogo department store, which is a real place. Somebody told me that the one at Yokohama station is the biggest department store in the world. I don't know if that's true, but it's the biggest I've ever been in! And yes, you can buy cheesecake at department stores. The first floor or basement usually sells food.

Dontcha feel all edjumucated now?

The Year of the Onion

by Jessyca Thornbrook

3. Confession Under Duress

Other than the sound of her voice when she was unhappy, Usagi's hair was probably the most recognizable thing about her. Mamoru reflected on this as he threaded his way through the crowded station, mainly because it was more comfortable than meditating on why he was following the aforementioned hairstyle as it bounced through a sea of weary commuters.

She disappeared down a short hall between two small boutiques. Mamoru hesitated mentally, considering whether or not to follow any further, but his feet had already made the decision for him. He went through the glass doors at the end of the hallway and found himself outside on a little terrace with several tables, benches, and flowers growing in large pots everywhere.

Over by the railing, three small children were chasing each other around a bench, while their mother talked on her cell phone a few feet away. Usagi was sitting on one of the other benches, watching them with a smile. As a train came rumbling into the station, the two older kids ran over to watch. The littlest boy kept chasing himself around the bench for a few moments, unaware that his companions had gone. Usagi burst into giggles, and Mamoru found himself smiling, too, though at the little boy or the teenage girl, he wasn't sure.

The smile was still there when Usagi looked up and noticed him. He thought he heard her breath catch, though he was too far away to be sure. He walked toward her, with no idea what he was going to say to explain his presence. Fortunately, habit kicked in.

"Did you actually leave school on time today, Odango? I'm impressed. I thought you always had to stay late!"

"What are you doing here?" She had asked him that or something similar plenty of times in the past, but it had always sounded like an accusation before. This time it didn't. She sounded surprised, but not unpleasantly. He almost thought she was. . . glad to see him?

"Oh, I'm just watching where you're going, so I can dodge," he replied smoothly. He was trying to sound sarcastic, but somehow it came out more like friendly teasing. What's wrong with me lately?

Usagi giggled. "Have you discovered the secret of the onions yet?"

She looked up at him, eyes sparkling, head cocked slightly to the side, golden hair dancing gently in the breeze. Something about her, the pretty picture she made there among the flowers in the spring sunshine, made Mamoru's insides give a strange little leap.

Suddenly, his inner goblin got loose.

"You know, Odango," he said, sitting down beside her, "I don't think I really trust this 'clue' of yours. How do I know you're not just making it up off the top of your head, just so you can laugh at me?" He slid closer so that his arm, resting on the back of the bench, touched her shoulders. He felt her stiffen in surprise. The goblin chortled gleefully.

"Anyway," he continued, apparently oblivious to her discomfort, "'Onions' isn't enough to tell anyone anything. If you're going to go around hinting at things, you should at least give decent hints."

"I—it—" she stammered, looking up at him, then seemed to recover. "It's not my fault if you can't figure out my hints! You're supposed to be so smart. . . ." He smiled charmingly, and she trailed off and dropped her gaze to her lap.

"C'mon, Odango, you can give me a better hint than that. What about onions?" His arm slipped from the back of the bench and wrapped around her shoulders. She glanced at him again, wide-eyed, then resumed her study of her fingernails, her head turned slightly away from him so her hair partially shielded her face.

"O-dan-go," he repeated in a sing-song half-whisper, "tell me about onions!" He leaned forward, craning his neck to try to look her in the face. "Tell me, Usagi-chan!"

He definitely didn't imagine her sharp intake of breath this time. Suddenly those brilliant blue eyes filled his vision, and he realized how close they actually were.

His body had evidently decided not to wait for instructions from his brain today. What are you DOING? his voice of reason screamed, as he raised his hand to trace one finger lightly down the side of her neck. She shivered, her eyes fluttering shut, and his other arm tightened around her. He would barely need to move to kiss her...

"Ogres," she whispered, just before his lips reached hers.

"Hmm?"

"Ogres. . . are. . . like onions."

His eyes opened. "Ogres are like onions?"

She nodded, her eyes opening as well. "That's the whole clue. You have to figure out what it means." And before he could say another word, she leaned forward and brushed her lips across his in a brief, sweet kiss.

Then she slipped from his arms and ran.