Chapter 1
It was a beautiful afternoon as Haruka and Michiru walked through the city park. Butterflies danced from one plant to another, pausing only a moment to flash their brilliantly colored wings to passers-by. The sweet aroma of budding apple blossoms filled the air. Michiru clung tightly to Haruka's arm. Haruka glanced down at her skeptically as Michiru gently laid her head on Haruka's shoulder.
"MUST you do that?" Haruka mumbled. Michiru looked up, disappointment hanging in her aquamarine eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Haruka sighed. Michiru knew perfectly well what was wrong."You're calling attention to us again," she mumbled.
"Am I?" Michiru asked, tightening her grip all the more.
Frustrated, Haruka pulled her arm out of Michiru's grasp. "Yes, and you can stop it now," she said firmly, and probably more loudly than was necessary. A few people turned around to glance at her.
"Who's calling attention to us now?" Michiru laughed.
Haruka sighed and glanced down at her wristwatch. It was 4:30. "We'd better get going," she told Michiru. "Don't forget we promised the kittens we'd grace them with our presence at their study group today."
Michiru nodded. "You're right. Let's get going."
"Guess what! Guess what!" Usagi ran screaming like a small child at a toy store into the room where her friends sat studying.
"What is it, buns-hair?" Rei asked, looking up skeptically from her textbook. They may have passed the high school exams, but that still didn't mean that studying wasn't important.
"Today is the day!" Usagi announced happily. "My two year anniversary with Mamoru!"
"Two years?" Rei asked. She thought for a moment, counting the months out on her fingers. "Wow... to think all that time, and Mamoru still hasn't gotten tired of you."
"What's THAT mean?" Usagi wanted to know.
Ami sighed. "Has it been two years already? My how time flies..." She looked dreamily off into distance. Perplexed, Rei reached her hand over in front of Ami's face and snapped her fingers. "Hello? Ami?" she asked. Ami shook her head. "What? Oh, I'm sorry..." she said, her cheeks turning a bit pink. "I was just thinking..."
"About Ryo?" Rei finished.
Ami's face went from pink to red, and Usagi cocked her head, wondering what the reaction could mean. "What's going on with Ryo, Ami?" she asked.
"Didn't you hear?" Rei asked. "Ryo has moved back here! He's transferred into our high school, and he and Ami are in the same class."
Usagi glanced over at her scarlet-faced friend. "Really?" she asked. "That's so wonderful, Ami! Congrats!"
"That's not all," said Rei, holding up her pointer finger like a TV announcer. "Ami and Ryo are also going out tonight to celebrate." Usagi's eyes widened as she listened to Rei's words and kept her eyes locked on Ami's face.
"Is that true?" she asked.
"Well, yes..." Ami answered hesitantly. "I mean, it's not a big deal or anything. We're nothing like you and Mamoru."
Usagi beamed and grasped her arms together. "No one's like me and Mamoru," she said. Just then, there was a light tapping on the door and Yuuichirou entered the room, walking directly over to Rei.
"Are you ready for tonight?" he asked, stepping up behind her and massaging her shoulders. "I suppose so," Rei answered. She glanced over at Usagi, who was eyeing her mischievously. "What's tonight, Yuuichirou?" she asked.
To that, Yuuichirou beamed. "The celebration of three wonderful months Rei and I have spent together," he announced proudly. "I'm taking Rei out to Satoshi's Sushi House for a special dinner." Rei blushed. Talk about time flying. Had it really been three months since Yuuichirou first asked her to be his girlfriend? Since she accepted? Rei at first had not told anyone about it. She worried Usagi would tease her. Rei had always pushed Yuuichirou aside, why let the feelings suddenly show? But as Rei observed, her relationship with Yuuichirou was last on Usagi's mind.
"Sushi House!?" Usagi exclaimed. "You said you're going to Satoshi's Sushi House?"
Yuuichirou stared at her. "Um, yes we are. Something wrong?"
"Something wrong?" Usagi pouted. "That's where Mamoru and I are going tonight." She let out a tragic sigh. "I was hoping to spend a romantic evening alone, just the two of us together."
"There's nothing the matter with it," Ami said. "We can all go and enjoy ourselves. After all..." she reached into her purse and pulled out a reservation ticket, holding it out for everyone to see. "That's where Ryo and I are going tonight."
A sweatdrop formed on the back of Usagi's head. But before she had a chance to respond, there was another knock at the door. As Usagi got up to answer it, Yuuichirou kissed Rei on the cheek. "I've got to go and finish my work now," he said. "But I'll see tonight you, okay?"
Rei nodded, and Yuuichirou left just as Usagi slid open the door.
Makoto and Minako stood in the doorway, Makoto giving a peace sign and Minako with a small broad as a canyon. "Hello there, Usagi!" she said in a singsong voice. "How are you on this marvelous day?"
"Fine," Usagi answered, letting the girls in. They both sat down at the table next to Rei and Ami.
"What's up, Minako?" Rei asked. "You're so happy. Did you win the lottery or something?" Minako shook her head.
"Nope. Better!" she said. Everyone stared at her, waiting for her to finish, and Minako paused just a moment to enjoy the suspense. "Okay," she said. "Get this – Asai and I are going out!"
"Asai?" Usagi asked. "The boy on your old volleyball team? But I thought he had a girlfriend."
"HAD is the keyword, Usagi," Minako said. "They broke up a few weeks ago. And today, Asai asked me if I was interested, and I said yes!" Minako was bouncing up and down with every word she spoke. "He should have known he could not resist the goddess of love!" she called out triumphantly.
"Hey, goddess of love!" Makoto teased. "Don't brag so much. You're not the only one who has a new romance blooming in her life." Everyone stared at Makoto. "You?" Rei asked. "Well, nothing's official yet," she said, playing anxiously with her fingers. "But Shinozaki's back in town this week, and he wanted to know if I could go out and do something."
"Oh, that's so cute!" Minako squealed. "Do you know what you're going to do?"
Makoto just shrugged in response to Minako's question. "I... don't know exactly. This was a kind of a last second thing. I guess we'll just get together and my apartment and I'll make some dinner or something."
"Oh no," Minako said, her face falling. "You two haven't seen each other for so long, Makoto! You should do something special."
"Like what?" Makoto asked. Usagi looked innocently around the room. She had a suggestion, but was hoping it would not be made.
"I know!" said Ami, snapping her fingers. "Rei, Usagi, and I are going out tonight for dinner. Why don't you and Minako come with us?" Usagi fell chibi-style down on the floor. So much for her romantic evening alone.
Rei just shrugged off Usagi's childish reaction and turned her attention to Makoto and Minako. "I think that would be a great idea."
Makoto pondered over the possibility. "Sounds good," she said. "But do you think we can still get reservations?"
Ami nodded. "If you hurry, I don't see why not."