SAVING THE WORLD

He was in a good mood, expectation of something in the air of his immaculate small office in Harvard Medical School,

with "Dr. Mamoru Chiba" on the shining plate, with slim piles of his books on the table, the sunshine through the blinds.

He had a good sleep at night, today was his day planned for research, and he felt great.

He had the sense of purpose. He was on the verge on finding the solution for the problem he worked on for years.

He felt he was literally saving the world.

He chuckled a little at himself for having too pompous thoughts.

But it was exactly what doctors and scientists did, no? And he was both and he felt his life

finally made some kind of sense.

"A-hem"

A gentle cough from the door oulled him out of his thoughts.

There stood Ami Mizuno, the girl who he shared the flight here with, the one who also got an invitation,

and who he saw rather rarely nowadays.

Though th enjoyed Ami's company and talking with her, it was uneasy.

Ami was HER friend.

And he rememebered how sharp were her eyes on him on the taxi to airport. On the flight, she sat near him, and several

times did she lift her head and look at him, about to say something.

But she never did.

His parting with Usagi was a disaster.

She even wished him all things good and said she believed he would make a great doctor, but he ruined it all by

some stupid joke he couldn't even remember now.

Usagi ran off in tears with "Don't think you can make fun of stupid Usagi only because you are going

to some fancy university!", and immediately their taxi was here.

And every time he met Ami, he wanted to ask about Usagi.

But he never did.

Ami had a paper in her hand, and Mamoru winced inwardly, already trying to think of an excuse.

He heard a rumor Ami was going to marry some genius history professor.

She probably brought him an invitation.

And he wasn't a fan of attending marriages.

But she spoke suddenly and without a hello.

"Usagi's coming".

He blinked.

- You mean the Usagi? The Odango Atama?

She nodded, and he caught a flash of her all-knowing-half-amused-half-reproachful look.

A rather confusing one.

- She comes for your wedding? To visit you? - he spoke further, suddenly feeling his cheeks warm up.

Like he was teen-aged again.

- , yes, my wedding too, but... - Ami stoppped and just handed him the paper.

It was a literature school flyer.

And here she was.

Odangos and all.

More mature and even more beautiful.

And...

"WE ARE PROUD TO WELCOME OUR HONORED GUEST, USAGI "THE ODANGO" TSUKINO, THE CREATOR OF MORE THAN TWENTY

BEST-SELLING MANGAS AND FANTASTIC BOOKS, THE ONE WHO'VE BEEN CALLED A PHENOMENON IN NEW EASTERN LITERATURE,

AND ALSO A BILLIONAIRE AND BENEFACTOR, WHO HELPS FIGHT KIDS' DISEASES ALL OVER THE WORLD BY DONATING THE FAIR SHARE

OF INCOME FROM HER WORKS. MS. TSUKINO WILL BE GIVING 3 LECTURES FOR ASPIRING WRITERS, JOURNALISTS AND EVERYONE WHO

IS INTERESTED IN THE AUDITORIUM NUMBER..."

He felt stupid, he felt astonished and the very way she made him feel all these years ago.

There were also some other facts of her on a paper, and a pictures of her books he now could rememeber seeing

in his students hands.

Usagi the Odango was coming to fancy university to teach Mamoru-baka a lesson on saving the world.

Without being pompous arrogant jerk, without having no social life, by doing what she enjoyed and loved.

He had a soft click and when he looked up, he saw that Ami was taking photos of his astonished face. And then he

heard a sound of a messenger, and Ami giggled in a way he never heard from her.

- Sorry I've just violated your privacy, Mamoru-Baka - and she made an accent on Baka - but your expression was

absolutely priceless. I just had to send her this. She deserves to see.

He didn't argue.

He felt stupid, he felt warm, he felt proud.

And maybe a little...happy?