Dark to Light
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Chapter Two
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The morning sun streams brightly through the window, and you awake with a start. You blink. You're disoriented, and your dark blue eyes are still heavy with sleep. You gaze around the room and see the clock your friend Motoki gave you for Christmas. It reads seven o'clock a.m. Your sighing starts again, and you beat your head against the back of the couch. It is very unlike you to pass out. You decide that napping is not an option ever again. Look where it has led you. You spend the night passed out on your couch. You know that your back is going to pay. How could you do it, you ask yourself.
You push yourself up off the couch, and you dash to the bathroom for a quick shower. You're relieved that you didn't sleep late, because at least you'll get to class on time, even if you did sleep when you should have been studying. You quickly wash, dress, and grab your car keys. You lock the door to your apartment, and rush out. Taking the stairs again, you run down them, two steps at a time. Reaching the front door of the complex, you push it open and you're greeted by the early morning sunshine. It's bright and beautiful out, and you scowl. The morning is the exact opposite of the mood you're in.
And then it happens.
You're walking down the street to your parking complex, where you keep your precious car, when a blonde girl in a pink dress collides with you head-on, and you both fall backward to the ground.
"Oh my God!" She yells, scrambling up and grabbing the books she dropped. She looks at you with bright blue eyes and a very timid smile. "I am SO sorry!"
You stand up and brush off your pants, giving her a hand up. "It's alright." You say, feeling as if there is a brick in your stomach. You're surprised that you were even able to croak out a response. You're feeling like an idiot, and you're hoping that it doesn't show.
She shakes her head furiously. "No, really, this is what, the fourth time that I've run into you like this?"
The seventh, actually. You've counted.
"Really, let me make this up to you. Do you know where the Crown arcade is? Can I buy you a milkshake or something? I'm so sorry that this keeps happening. I'm such a klutz." She puts a hand to her face and giggles.
Meanwhile, your eyes are glazed over and you're entranced with the beauty before you. You've never actually had a conversation with her before. Usually, you run into her everyday, and she says "I'm so sorry!" and then rushes off. You wonder what made her stop today.
She's looking at you oddly, and she waves a hand in front of your face. "Hello? Are you in there?"
You snap back to reality, finally. "Oh, yes… yes, I know where it is. I have a friend who works there. He's… he's the manager, actually."
Now you feel stupid. Why, you don't know. You just do.
Recognition hits her. "You know Motoki-kun!"
You blink. "Well… yeah. He's… he's a good friend of mine."
She puts a hand on her hip and nods. "Yeah… he's mentioned you! Are you Mamoru?"
You blink again. You're going to kill Motoki, you decide. "Yes… I am."
She smiles and sticks out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mamoru! I'm Usagi… I'm a friend of Motoki and Minako's."
Minako is Motoki's wife, the blonde sprite of a girl who's always talking. You find her annoying, but you never said anything to Motoki about it.
"Oh… it's nice to meet you, too, Usagi."
Finally. You know her name. She is so beautiful.
She smiles again. You wish you had a camera.
"Well, can I treat you to a milkshake or a coffee or something?" She giggles. "I have to get to class at the moment, but how about…" She glances at her pink wristwatch. "Ten o'clock?"
You think. You'll be out of class at nine. "I would love to." You croak.
Her face lights up. "Great! Finally, I get to find out about the dark, mysterious best friend of Motoki. He talks about you all the time, you know." She laughs, and you wish ever more to kill Motoki. You're thinking up murder plans as she babbles.
"Isn't it true you were the best man at the wedding? Wow, it was a beautiful event, wasn't it? I was there, of course… but I don't remember seeing you."
That's because you mostly hid in the corner. You don't even remember seeing her there. Most likely because you stared at your feet, or at a wall, the entire time.
You hate weddings.
"Well, of course, I suppose that was because I was so busy. I was Minako's maid of honor… I had so much to do!" She giggles again, and you realize you're going to be late for class.
Thankfully, she realizes the same. "Oh, no, I have to get going! I'm going to be late! Madame Birschoff will be SO upset." She rolls her eyes. "Fashion designers. Really. I'll see you at ten, Mamoru!" She smiles and brushes past you, picking up speed and sprinting away on her short heels.
So she's taking classes from a fashion designer. After class, and before you kill him, you're going to ask about her from Motoki.
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Motoki is wiping down the counter, a job of his that has become more of a ritual, when you enter the arcade. You have fifteen minutes before Usagi arrives, and your stomach is churning in anticipation.
You sit down at the counter, and Motoki grins at you. "Hey, man."
"I'm going to kill you."
He laughs. "Why?"
"I met Usagi this morning."
"Oh, I see. So?"
"She told me you talk about me."
"So? I just told her what a great guy you are." He hits your arm playfully, grinning that witty grin of his. You suddenly wish you were more like him. He's a great guy, an all-around perfect kind of guy. He's good-looking, funny, outgoing, and always happy. It really makes you sick how very different you are.
"What all did you tell her?"
"Oh, just the normal things people talk about. She just asked about my best friend, since you know… she's Minako's. She wonders why you're never around."
"And you told her?"
"You're busy with school, and you don't like social events. That IS why you hid at the wedding?"
You cringe. He knows you too well.
"Well, anyways, what's the big deal?"
"She ran into me this morning." Oh, no… you feel your face turning red. "She asked me to have coffee with her, since she's…well… ran into me several times."
"Several, huh?"
"Eight now, actually."
"Huh… dude, is it just me, or are you blushing?"
Shit.
He laughs. "Oh, I get it. Finally, Chiba Mamoru breaks. Twenty-four years old, and finally, he likes a girl. Well, I couldn't be happier for you, man." He hits your arm again. "Usa's a great girl. She's the same age as Mina, I think… wait, she's a little older, by a year, I think. Yeah, that's right. She's a year ahead of her in their fashion school. Supposedly, Usagi's on her way to becoming the next star in the fashion designing world." He shrugs. "What do I know, right?"
Minako… Minako is twenty. So Usagi is twenty-one. Twenty-one years old, and studying to be a fashion designer.
It's easy to learn things from Motoki. He's the male equivalent to a girl gossip.
"So you're meeting her here?"
"Yep." You say, staring off into the oblivion.
"Cool. Gonna ask her out?"
You blink back to reality and look at him. And the stuttering starts. "W-w-what?"
"Dude, ask her out. Come on."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I can't."
"Why not?"
"I'm not you, Motoki."
"Duh. At least I talk to people."
"Very funny."
"It was meant to be."
You sigh and look down at the counter. "I just can't. Yeah, okay, I'll admit it, I really like her… I've liked her for a while, actually." You grin wryly. "I didn't even know her name until today. But she would never have me."
"Why not? You're a great guy!"
You laugh sardonically. "Yeah, right. I'm not the kind of guy she would go for."
The sliding doors to the arcade swish open and you hear heels clicking behind you. The hair on the back of your neck stands up and you know it's her.
"Moto! Whatcha doin'?"
"Hey, Usa-chan. How are you today?"
"Good, good." Usagi comes up and sits by you at the bar, crossing her legs. The skirt she's wearing becomes even shorter. "Hey, Mamoru! How are ya?"
Red is creeping into your face again. "Fine, thank you."
Motoki is giving you a look. You clear your throat and he rolls his eyes. He turns to Usagi. "Usagi-chan, are you coming to dinner tonight?"
"Yep. I promised, didn't I?"
"Thanks." You look at your best friend, and notice the pained look on his face.
"What's wrong?" You ask.
He looks down sheepishly. "Minako's going to try cooking again tonight. The last time she did that I got food poisoning. I asked Usagi to help her. I'm too busy to get sick."
You choke on a laugh. Minako is a real idiot, you know.
Usagi tilts her head to the side. "So what are you and Mina-chan gonna do for V day? Won't it be your one month anniversary, too?"
Motoki grins. "Yeah, it will be. Valentine 's Day is special to her, too. I'm not sure yet what I'll do. I have to come up with something big, though." He laughs. "She expects it."
You frown. "That's not really right."
They both look at you.
You clear your throat. "Well, I mean… perhaps Minako is just… an eccentric girl, but… isn't it the thought that counts? Just that you tried to make it special for her? It shouldn't matter the size of the gift."
Usagi nods. "Mmm, I agree with you, Mamoru-san."
The '-san' is killing you.
She continues. "The best V day gift I ever got was from a boy who had this huge crush on me… he bought me a pink rose with all of his allowance. It was the sweetest thing."
Motoki grins. "How old were you, Usa?"
She laughs. "I was ten, living in Germany with my aunt for the year. Who would have thought the Germans were so sweet?"
"You've lived in Germany?" You ask.
She nods. "Yep. Germany, England, France, Italy, and Sweden… well, Sweden for like a month. My father was an army man. We traveled a lot. My parents are in Belize right now."
"Cool." Motoki says.
You laugh at him. He punches your arm again. Usagi grins.
You glance down at your watch and notice you need to be going. Your tour of the hospital where you'll be interning is in half an hour, and it's a twenty minute drive. You frown.
"I have to go." You say, sighing while you stand.
Usagi pouts. "Aw, I didn't get to buy ya coffee."
You wonder why she's so grammatically incorrect. If it were anyone else, it would bother you.
"Maybe next time?" You say, smiling.
"Oh, yeah, that's right, you have that hospital thing today, right?" Motoki waves a hand in your face.
You nod. "That's right."
"Hey, come to dinner tonight, if you can bear Minako's cooking."
You cringe. "Um…"
"Okay, okay, I get it. No it is."
Usagi touches your arm, and you become jelly. "Oh, please Mamoru? Don't leave me with the lovey-dovey birds. They're sick sometimes."
She removes her hand and you start to breathe again. "Oh… well… I'll try."
She smiles brightly. "Great!"
You wave to them both and leave, wishing you could change the date so you wouldn't have had to leave Usagi's company.
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Usagi watched as the man left the arcade, and then she turned to her friend. "He's so quiet."
"Yep, that's Mamoru." Motoki began to wipe down the counter again.
"He seems really sweet, though."
"Uh-huh."
"Why's he got to go to the hospital?"
"He's interning there soon, and he's taking the tour today."
"A medical student, eh?"
"Yup."
"Ah, now I get it! He's the shy, nerdy kind!"
"I guess you could say that…" Motoki looked at Usagi oddly.
"He certainly doesn't look the nerdy type." She said, mostly to herself. "He's gorgeous."
"Uh… right. Are you crushing on him or what?" Now he was interested.
"Hmm… perhaps. He is cute." She giggled and hopped off the stool, straightening her pink checked skirt. "I'll see ya tonight at dinner, Moto. Bye-bye!"
She twirled around and left the arcade.
Motoki grinned and thought up the possibilities. Mamoru and Usagi.
The sound of the name even had a ring to it.
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End Chapter Two