Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights to respective owners.
A/N: New chapter! FINALLY RIGHT?!
I plan out chapters very slowly and I have to connect and lace in clues and make it flow, plus this writing style is a bit more different than my other stories so it's a process doing a chapter XD Slow burns, they kill ya don't they?
I'm sorry if the chapter wasn't worth the wait but I'm hoping next chapter will improve so continue this journey with me and I promise it will get better?
Anyway enjoy and pretty please tell me your thoughts and feelings about the new chapter! Your reviews literally fuel my writing!
Warning also: There is some more harsher language in this chapter but seriously it just slipped in there and I felt that it fit in those places so please grow up and don't take offense to it XD (It's two words, you'll be fine XD) Also a more steamy scene thrown in there for kicks.
Chapter Six
"So Mamoru isn't-"
"Nope."
"Like at all? Are you sure?"
Usagi examined the spoon full of frozen yogurt with lazy interest, then she popped it into her mouth. "Yup," she mumbled while savoring the treat.
The tall brunette straightened the last piece of cake left on the silver platter that was resting on the cleaned counter. "I mean maybe-"
"Mako, Mamoru Kashio is not my mystery chess boy," the blonde spat out with annoyance as she stuffed another chunk of birthday cake-flavored frozen yogurt. "He's just a womanizing playboy who has lots of money and LOTS of interest in college girls."
"Honey!" A tall handsome man wobbled out of the kitchen door, boxes tittering dangerously in his arms. "Where?!"
Makoto huffed furiously as she took in the helpless sight her husband made. "I told you to drop the boxes off at the freezer you idiot!"
"I thought you said they wer-"
"Sweetie-pie don't you see I'm helping our poor Usagi-chan with her hopeless romantic life that is non-existent besides the unknown chess opponent she has that is avoiding to reveal himself to us!"
While the brown-haired man stared bug-eyed and slowly retreated to the safety of the bakery's kitchen, Usagi massaged her forehead and muttered "subtle Mako-chan."
"Anyway," the brunette addressed the blonde after turning back around, "Your love problems."
"I do not have love problems Mako-chan," the grad student defended, shoving the filled spoon in her mouth again.
"Acceptance is always the first step Usa."
"Mako!" The audacity that one of her dearest friends would say that - then again, even she had to admit that the statement held some weight and wasn't far off.
Makoto giggled at the angered expression her adorable friend attempted to make. "Usagi-chan you can't seriously tell me that you think your love history is the most healthiest or successful."
The pig-tailed blonde darted her eyes back and forth, scrunching up her face. "It's not the most…..ideal, yes."
"I'm just saying that maybe this chess boy is just another lost cause," Mako stated bluntly as she wiped the counter mindlessly. "Don't-"
"-get my hopes up, don't pull a 'Usagi' yada yada yada," Usagi twirled the plastic spoon around with a bored face, "It's like hearing a broken record with you four." Rage-filled, she scooped out the last of the frozen treat that remain at the bottom and plunged the spoon into the depths of her mouth, shivering as the cold sensation spread through her chest and bit into her head. "Mako-chan, give me two slices of the chocolate cake."
Her friend's emerald hues widened immensely. "But what about your pledge for decreasing calorie intak-"
"Just give me the fucking chocolate cake Mako!"
A plate, that held two slices of pudding-oozing-cake and a clean fork, were slid in front of the twitching blonde.
Feeling eyes - multiple sets of eyes - Usagi swiveled around in her seat to see the handful of customers that stared at her in fear and bewilderment, making it very obvious that they had overheard her obscene exclamation.
A tinge of pink rose in her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly at the gawking elderly and young. "Sorry, just going through some stuff. That time of the month and such…."
Still, they continued to stare. "Cramps," she spat, "Continue on with your meals."
Usagi came back around with a red face but a determined look as she dug into her treat, wolfing down the cake slices as Makoto walked away, shaking her head and mumbling how Usagi didn't need the extra sugar in her blood.
"Your favorite book?"
"Hard choices with literary works like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Dickens, etc.
"You are such a nerd."
"We all have our interests Odango."
She chuckled out loud, taking a sip from her coffee cup, smiling a little as she moved another chess piece in front of her. Though she cast a dark look at all the white chess pieces that were captured by him, Usagi still felt a shimmer of hope no matter how small.
He was good. She wasn't.
'Okay focus, focus, focus, focus, focus, focus, focus….Jean Piaget - swiss cheese dude - is most known for his theory of cognitive development that observed the notion of how children develop intellectually throughout their phase of childhood and coming into young adult. His theory was triumphantly helpful to blah blah - blah blah…..'
Usagi's fingers dug circles into her aching temples, bloodshot eyes fluttering in an attempt to stay reading and learning. Scribbled papers, open binders, crazily highlighted textbooks laid on the bright white desk with a lone shade lamp lighting it all for the one library straggler.
It was a perfect, clear Friday night that her friends were probably taking full advantage of, dancing and drinking the hours away until the break of dawn, and here in the Tama Art University library did her grad student butt stay glued to a chair, hunched over a semester's worth of material that had to be learned within a two day span.
Her environment was definitely stimulating with the elegant white curves of the high ceilings, impeccable architecture, and the dazzling starry night overlooks, showcased by the window right in front of her desk space, but - for all that was good and holy in the world - Usagi wanted to leave and never come back to learn the horror that was Professor Shiro's study guides.
She chugged down a shot of espresso from her paper cup and threaded her fingers back in her hair, refocusing on the words that seemed to keep moving on her page - or maybe they weren't moving and she had finally hit her insanity point?
A text ding rang out at the wrong second as an elderly librarian was passing then, giving the blonde a pointed look and a sharp 'shush'.
Usagi waved a hand in apology and flipped the phone to reveal the lit screen, also snapping off her volume.
"Whatcha doin?"
She smiled and that warm fuzzy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach again. It was annoying and unsettling but, not uncomfortable. More just exciting and thrilling.
"Just totally breaking my neck and eyes trying to study over a stupid test my stupid professor set up. Yay me."
Her eyebrows raised, remembering his text of being in school for medicine - a.k.a. dude is smart in her eyes.
"Oh I'm sorry. I'll let you get back to it then ;)"
"No," she belted, cringing when a harsh 'shush' rang out again.
"I mean we can keep talking. Just casual. I might need help or something."
It was a full, stressful, nail-biting minute later when a coy response came.
"What do you need help wittthhh?"
Asshole, she thought while grinning. "Well I don't know if you're versed in the ways of psychology."
"I know a thing."
"Or two."
She spent the next two hours in the thin light of one lamp, deep within the pages of notebooks and textbooks. Usagi scribbled and penciled in lines, diagrams, charts, data while analyzing the informational messages on her phone that provided tips and definitions that would aid her.
Even though she was still floundering and shaken for the upcoming hell test when she was ushered out of the closing library, her blushing grin stayed in place.
She arrived home and the man was still sending her links and screenshots of studying material, musical scores that were proven to stimulate brain cells, anything remotely related to her studying, he snapped and sent to her - and for the first time ever in her life, she was actually smiling after a grueling study session all because of a nerdy chess boy who was so desperately trying to help her.
With a raised eyebrow, she thought how it could be one of the most romantic things anyone had ever done for her and then pitifully smiled at her pathetic excuse of a love life.
Gentle fingertips traced patterns into her shaking thighs, petal-soft lips fluttered on her quickened pulse at the crook of her neck.
"Usagi…" She shuddered as the voice whispered in the shell of her, their breath creating goosebumps down her entire body. It was all so blurry and unclear but she felt her body hot and flush against someone else's - hard and warm was the embrace and she had absolutely no desire to leave it anytime soon.
"Usagi, Usagi." Over and over would the quiet, deep voice repeat her name, like a mantra, and each time she felt her nails digging deeper into the flesh of their strong arms. "Usagi.."
His mouth latched onto that special spot of her neck where she would cry out, groan, and her eyelids fluttered like crazy because my god was it one of the most amazing feelings.
"Please," she ground out, desperate to hold onto him, the fantasy and pleasure his mouth was doing to her skin.
His hands skimmed the top of her thighs and when those cool fingertips dipped further to her inner thighs, her breath quickened immensely. "Please…"
Her hands dug in further and his voice, unknown but deep and velvet like she imagined, rumbled as he chuckled against the skin of her neck, his smirk pressing into her. "Not so fast Blondie."
The mere name made her eyes peel open and have reality crash back down into her trembling being. His head moved from her neck and she shook not with pleasure but grief.
His face was a mess of haze and fog, dizzy swirls of a dream, because she didn't know what he looked like, he was a complete mystery in appearance to her. Did he have light or dark hair, what color eyes? Was he tall or short? Lean or thick? Does he smile a lot?
Who was he?
"Tell me who you are," she breathed out to the faceless figure, desperate and pleading for his long awaited confession. Even if it was a dream, she needed something to hold onto, to keep her sanity in check.
A rumble of what seemed to be a chuckle, came from him as the fit figure leaned forward again, puffs of breath hitting her ear, "It's not that easy Odango."
Her body shuddered as his warm tongue dipped into her collarbone and groaned loudly as he repeated that nickname, that stupid nickname…..
"Odango, Odango, Odango….."
A door slamming sent a sweaty Usagi sitting up in her bed, the same fuzzy, bunny-printed blanket tangled in her long, but still, short legs.
"Usagi-chan," the familiar, strong female voice vibrated through her small apartment, clacks of heels hitting the wood floor accompanying it. "Get up lazy pants!"
Through the loose strands of her hair, Usagi blearily watched as Rei strutted into the musty, darkened bedroom in full lawyer-pantsuit-and-briefcase-glory that only she could pull off as normal.
"Geez you're a mess," she muttered with a disgusted look, doubling taking at the stringy blonde hair bun and hollowed out face.
Usagi shrugged, stretching out her legs. "This is what happens when the devil wants you to take a make-it-or-break-it test on short notice. Here, I am displaying a grad student on the bleak of sanity," she uttered groggily, spotting the highlighted words in open textbooks and notes in disarray at the edge of her bed. "God why did I do this to myself..."
The black-haired woman sighed as she withdrew the pink curtains to let the sunshine flow through. "Odango, always being Odango…."
The blonde rolled her eyes at the comment without fully realizing what exactly was said in an usual phrase. "Yea silly ol-," her entire being froze. 'Odango, Odango…'
"REI!" The rumpled up woman bounded from her bed and up to her friend, who nearly fell backwards if it wasn't for a pair of hands landing on her shaky shoulders.
"Wh-Wha-What?!"
"That n-name, th-that nickname," Usagi stuttered nervously, "Where did you get it from?!"
Rei blinked a few times and was the perfect image for 'deer in the headlights'. "Where did I...get it from?"
"YES! WHEN AND WHY DID YOU START CALLING ME ODANGO WOMAN!?"
"Usagi calm-"
"I NEED TO KNOW," the wide-eyed blonde cut off, shaking Rei back and forth.
"Usagi relax! It's something I have always called you remember?!"
"There's no way you're THAT clever!"
"Mayb - hey! I too can be that clever baka!"
Usagi sunk onto her knees, eyes blinking and almost shaking. "B-but it has to - then h-how….."
"Usagi what are you talking about honey?"
"Odango Atama because the buns look like little odangos…."
Was the toll of grad school finally hitting her to the point of insanity? Did chess boy even exist or maybe it was her way-over active imagination brought on by stress and malnourishment over her exams? Had it gotten this bad?
"He calls me Odango Rei," Usagi whispered, "How common is that?"
"Wellll….."
The askew blonde closed her eyes in defeat with the sounds of Rei's calm and calculating voice ringing in the back of her mind, lost to her thoughts. Her fingers threaded through the white hairs of her faux fur rug, trying to grasp onto something as her brain churned in her thick skull of a head.
'Why is it familiar so suddenly? The feeling is almost nostalgic and heavy but light…'
Years of Rei, all her friends, calling her that stupid hair nickname and never, did it affect her until in this particular situation. How did they all pick it up?
Despite her friends' repeated claims of one of them coming up with the name, Usagi knew in the back of her mind, somewhere deep, that the name was something else, it meant something else at a different time. Why has the meaning for it suddenly changed?
Then it clicked.
It's because he changed it.
"What's your dream?"
"My dream?"
"Your purpose, your goal, the future you fantasize."
"My dream."
"Its to eventually pass through grad school and advance in my social work field, find a good job and be settled in that said job."
"Blondie, this isn't a work resume."
"I want to know more over what you want to be in life mentally than physically. What does your mind think about when you let it wander?"
"I-I think about, being happy."
"Be happy in my job and then eventually I want to be happy in life. I have that simple and boring image in my mind, you know the one with a husband and like 2.5 kids and a big house with a white fence and my whole clan would wake up, get down to breakfast, maybe he would look over the comic section with the kids and we would laugh and smile and just be perfect."
"Boring huh?"
"No."
"Your dream sounds beautiful."
'What's your dream?'
She thought over the usual but slightly unusual question as she walked back from class, the bustling downtown of Tokyo invading her senses loudly.
'Why does it sound so familiar?'
"Usagi!" So lost in her mind, Usagi couldn't register the man addressing her until his arm hooked around hers, causing her whole body to stutter and whirl around on the tall heel to face him.
"Hey what's the big dea- you." Her whole body stood straight and she had a strong urge to gag uncontrollable, to run away and hide under her covers. "Wh-are you following me now?"
His long, strong arm was curled over hers and he looked horrible with sagging skin under his bloodshot eyes and his entire being ashy pale. Black greasy hair hung over his piercing gaze and though his body had always been lean and fit, the jerk had slimmed down a few pounds. She beamed in satisfaction over his appearance but more so she wanted to get the hell away from the repulsive touch of his hand that was holding her.
"I just wanted to talk to you," he explained, frustrated, "And you won't answer the phone or-or even see me!"
"Maybe because I don't want to see you or even think of you jackass!"
He gaped at her. "So you're just going to forget everything that we had those months Usa?"
She scoffed. "You think I'm just going to forget about everything that you did to me, what you did with them? Think I'm going to forget all the problems we had even before then? How do you expect me not to react?"
"You're being unreasonable-"
"I'm the unreasonable one!? You're the one who cheated on me! You're the one who blamed everything on me because I was too 'boring', and too 'clingy'. And I was stupid enough to actually believe you and blame myself!"
"You have no idea how I feel right now. I wish I can take everything back!"
"Yea, only because you got caught."
He sucked in his bottom lip, his dark eyes roaming around the area as if trying to find the answer on one of the store fronts or bustling buildings. It was hopeless to really defend himself in this situation and his head fell in defeat at her words.
Usagi scoffed, ripping away her hand, and whirled away from him. She knew that he was not worth her time, he never was.
"Usa!" Rough fingers caged her thin wrist again and pulled her back slightly. "Just listen-"
Usagi's eyes flashed in intense anger at the foreign feel of ragged skin on hers. How dare he touch her? "You take your hands off me or you're about to wake up in a hospital."
"I just need you to listen for one damn time in your life Usa," he pleaded, his own eyes flashing with anger and a sliver of fear ripped through her.
"And I need you to listen and let go of me," she ground out through clenched teeth, struggling against his grip on her arm. Her best course of action judging by the placing and situation, would be a sharp kick to his 'boys' and then an uppercut to the chin. He'll never have kids and probably have a broken jaw, but the assault charge would be well worth it.
In the midst of his pity speech, she geared up her foot, pooling every furious emotion in her body into that one limb, ready to finally have an outlet of complete rage for once.
She was just a second away from letting the foot snap -
"I think you should listen and let go of her."
The smooth, familiar voice sent bursts of delight all over her body like never before, relief flooding her senses but also confusion. She didn't even need to fully turn to spot the brilliant mop of sandy blonde hair or the soft warm green eyes she used to get lost in when she was a teenager. He had always been there to save her, if it wasn't needing a milkshake in her darkest of school days or just someone to talk to, now it was helping fend off creeps. Weird evolution.
"This isn't your concern," the shelf of a cheater spat with anger at Motoki and his grip worsened on her wrist, "It's between me and my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend," Usagi asked incredulously and disgusted, for a moment forgetting the strain on her arm. "I broke up with you almost three months ago!"
"Listen sir," Motoki mocked, hand coming up to grip the offending arm, "I suggest you leave her alone or you might find yourself in some pain, and not from me." His green eyes slid to a fuming Usagi.
His dark beady eyes remained hard but to the blonde's relief his fingers retracted and her wrist was free from his hold. Usagi stepped back and gave him daggers that she hoped looked venomous. He glared, backing off, walking away.
"I get it, fine," he fired out, "Go ahead and have fun fucking with your golden boyfriend over here Usa."
Usagi shook her head and rolled her eyeballs to the sky, more than thrilled that he had at least left and she didn't have to be charged with any violent crimes.
"How do you always trip into trouble," Motoki breathed out in a puff of cold air.
She chuckled. "Oh please Toki-chan, trouble finds me, I' m the helpless victim."
"Oh yea sure," he deadpanned as he stepped closer and embraced her small figure, her arms wrapping around and coming to a warm hug that felt so close and so long overdue.
"I see you haven't changed that much."
Usagi paused in her frantic eating to gaze up at an amused Motoki, making her sheepishly dab a napkin at her messy mouth. "S-sorry Toki."
"No, no, no you're fine Usagi-chan," he laughed. "It's good to know that adulthood didn't change my favorite customer too much."
She giggled with him, sipping at her iced tea before swiping up the last gruesome remains of her omelette, and blushing when she burped at the end.
Motoki Furuhata in the flesh, or rather a handsome dark blue tailored suit and a long black overcoat. Her first crush and best (male) friend. After her teenage puppy love wore off when his relationship with Reika had been solidified, she grew to love him more as a brother and dear friend who always shared in her crazy antics and obsessions, even becoming her milkshake dealer, they used to joke. Though she had to notice that aging to his 20s had done wonders to his boyish features, becoming more sharp and mature, taking handsome to different levels. Totally platonic thoughts, of course.
"Thank you so much for the dinner," she said, smile a million watts, "I so needed it after the day I had."
"Yea I noticed," Motoki said, eyebrow raised in curiosity, "So who was the guy you were about to murder?"
Usagi waved her hand, dismissing it. "Ito Youi, revolting, cheating ex-boyfriend that won't stop trying to talk to me. He's all bark, no bite."
"You actually went out with that guy," Motoki questioned, shocked.
Usagi half-smiled. "Well he seemed perfect when we first met. He didn't look that….disturbed in the beginning."
Motoki bit out a laugh, those precious eyes twinkling. "Well, I'm just glad that I stepped in before you could make a scene on the sidewalk."
"What do you mean a scene?"
"Oh please Usagi-chan, I saw where your foot was going," he chuckled.
She shrugged, twirling the ice at the bottom of the glass with her straw, "Saves the next girl a lot of trouble."
"He could have called the cops and got you arrested for assault or battery Usa."
"All bark, no bite," she repeated with nonchalance.
He smiled wide, and those last flames of teenage love ignited in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't believe that it had been at least five months since she had seen her favorite arcade worker and personal milkshake maker. Ever since she did start college years ago, little by little, she forgot many important times and people in her life. Her mind wandered, a lot.
Besides the occasional social media comment or even an update from her mother, Motoki had become lost to her memories. Had her life become so hectic that she was forgetting the most important people in her life, old friends?
When was the last time that her and girls truly sat down or went out (without the involvement of alcohol), and had genuine fun like when they were high schoolers.
"Thank you again so much for taking me out Motoki," Usagi said, face sober but grateful.
"Of course," he bellowed out, "It's been forever since we hung out and I'm actually kind of happy your ex-boyfriend did try to confront you on the street."
She comically widened her eyes, "Oh yea so am I."
"Well only because he gave me the opportunity to have some breakfast with you," he added on, gaining him a smile from her.
"Oh hey how's grad school," Motoki asked, "Your mom told my mom."
Usagi rolled her eyes at her talkative mother - who would never skip a chance to brag about her daughter's little accomplishments. "I mean it's okay - if you could call torture that."
They both chuckled and Usagi in turn asked him how he was doing, being a scientist researcher and all with Reika.
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I mean it's a process. Reika is doing phenomenal but….you know I was a whiz with science in high school and college but somehow actually being with real scientists just - makes me feel so-"
"Out of place, small, stupid, unfit, unintelligent, a sorry excuse for a young adult," she supplied, "Join the club Toki."
"You gotta give yourself some more credit Usa," Motoki countered, almost pleading, "You're an amazing, smart, bright person, then AND now. You just need more confidence."
The pig-tailed blonde solemnly blinked, looking down, wondering where her confidence did really go. Maybe in the mix of professors stating that she would never, ever become anything worthy, much less help children in distress. Or maybe it was gone on those days she felt like nothing after finding those girls in their beds, the texts, calls, pictures - when it felt like she was never good enough.
Again, her slim shoulders rose and dropped in a careless shrug. "Well, I suppose all great happiness is a little sad."
His blonde eyebrows furrowed a little. "That's from 'This Side of Paradise'," he stated, "You read F. Scott Fitzgerald."
Usagi clicked open her phone to see the time. "Yea," she confirmed, stuffing her phone in her bag, "A friend recommended him to me."
"Smart friend," he commented with a grin. "You know Usa, speaking of friends, I-"
"Motoki, I'm so sorry but I gotta get going," she lamented, straightening and fixing her skirt, "Finals coming up and all and I have to get somewhere-"
Motoki stood up with her, panicking. "-oh okay sure but Usa I really think you should meet this frie-"
"-but thank you for the breakfast, it was delicious," she gushed, giving him a quick hug, smile, and slipped on her thick wool coat within seconds, Motoki looking dumbfounded as he watched her back leave the chic restaurant in record time.
She loved Motoki, no doubt, but his friends - not so much. The blonde sourly reminisced about the friends she knew from high school and prayed Motoki hadn't actually kept in touch with some of the disgusting ones. Plus being set up by mutual friends never played out right - Usagi shivered, remembering Minako's futile attempts.
In the warmth of the breakfast bar, Motoki sat back down, running a hand through his sandy blonde locks. He cursed under his breath, wallowing in defeat and misery. Here he had been hoping that maybe he could finally fix a past wrong.
"Jeez how long has this been going now," Wasu asked, personally delivering the hot paper cup to the blonde sitting at the chess table.
Usagi let the strand of gold hair she had been twirling with go and happily took the cup. "Well going by the day that the chess piece was first moved, I wanna saaaayyy one month, four days, and-" she raised her phone to her eyes "-four hours."
His eyebrow quirked.
"But who's counting," she added with a joking smirk.
"Ohhhh so you're the girl," another voice chimed in, making both of their heads turn in the direction of a man a few feet away from them.
Usagi narrowed her eyes at the worker, a soggy mop and water-filled bucket in his hands. "What do you mean 'the girl?'"
"You know, the one who's obsessed with the guy who is supposedly playing ches-"
"Rue don't you have dirty bathroom floors to clean," Wasu nervously cut off.
The man then furrowed his dark eyebrows at his co-worker. "But she is the girl that you and all the others were tal-"
"Dirty floors man," Wasu repeated, glaring but also pleading.
Usagi stood, looking from both coffee house workers with daggers. "Wait, wait, wait - the whole staff knows of me. You guys talk about me?!"
The - she supposed - janitor boy shrugged his broad shoulders. "Yea, of course. Sometimes they put bets on whether or not the guy is real or if you're just plain crazy."
"What," Usagi growled, flashing her eyes at Wasu, who choked out a laugh.
"I mean it's all fun and games! Nothing personal! We get bored!"
"What about that time-"
"Rue I swear to god if you keep talking, I'll make sure you're on cleaning duty so much that you'll taste bleach every time you swallow," Wasu threatened with an iron stare that made his co-worker freeze and quickly walk away towards the restrooms.
"Usagi look I'm sorry-"
"You know what, it's okay," she sighed, plopping back down on her chair, elbows on knees, chin in hands, "Sometimes I think I am crazy."
His hand touched her shoulder. "I really do hope you find him. I put my money that he was real and that you'll find him," he informed with a gentle smile.
She returned it with a half-grin. "Thanks." He left her to tend to some customers and she murmured one last part in her head. "I hope I find him too."
For once, she just needed a happy ending.
She had been played, cheated on, led on, humiliated, broken in so many ways because her foolish heart carried on hope that she could still get that fairytale ending and breathtaking love that she always dreamed about.
Now, her whole heart was hardening except for one stupid, vital area, where that hope continued to beat. It held to the belief of that a little girl's, whose dream was to have a Prince Charming, on a white stallion, proclaiming his love for her, and only her.
Yes she had many who loved her but still, she felt lonely.
To her, being lonely and still loved by many was rooted to the conclusion that even with so much love, you may not be someone's one and only - that one person who cares so deeply about you that you have a place in their heart that no one else could ever take, time be damned.
She looked to the chess pieces sadly. Funny how life is like chess - one wrong move, and you could lose a piece of yourself.
Who was he?
Leaning in her chair, Usagi thoroughly looked at her limited clues.
1) He knows/has seen her
2) Comes to this coffee house
3) Was here on caffeine night
4) In med school
5) Smartass
6) Has super nice handwriting
7) Good at chess
8) …?
She could always comb through their texts, collect any other possible hints she could have missed in the excitement of it all. 'It's not like people put this type of information on their Facebook or Instagram page.'
Usagi shook her head. 'No think Usa, think! Who do you know fits at least some of those qualifications? Who was here that night? Who has nice penmanship? Anyone acting up when it was brought up? Who could it freaking be-'
Her eyes slowly lit up.
Who knew her, who could have easy access to the chess table, who has nice handwriting because of practice on coffee cups, who has been mysteriously helpful in the mess of all it, been nice to her - could have seen her move that very first chess piece in the beginning.
Her lips parted and no sound came out as her brain processed.
It was him along.
Yea hopefully the cliffhanger saved the chapter? Love it, hate it, tell me nicely in the reviews pretty please!?