The story so far:

Prolog – Mayumi Osaka finds herself in a horrific situation while on a pleasure ride aboard a multimillionaire's yacht.

Book I

- Disingenuous -

- I -

Subpar

The sun was remarkably bright in the pristine, cloudless sky and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees, making leaves dance delicately on branches. A light rainy season had come and gone early, and summer had come earlier, too. Although the weather had been pleasant for some time, it was the arrival of droves of cicadas and their ubiquitous humming - a chorus of long, drawn-out 'me-me-meeeeeeeeee' mating cries - which signaled the true beginning of summer for most Tokyoites.

It was an ideal day that even academically ambitious students wished they could be outdoors rather than in school. In all of the city, Serena Tsukino was perhaps the most wishful of all these students. She had hoped the excitement of moving back to Azabu-Juuban, Minato, after many years in dull Sapporo would mean attending a more enjoyable school, but her desires had gone unsatisfied. Much like at her old school, she sat quietly at her desk, longing for freedom as she stared out the classroom's large windows. At the very least, these ones were much bigger, spanning the entire eastern wall. She had a window-side seat, though she was not sure whether it was entirely a good thing; the lovely weather beckoned her even more intensely than ever before, whisking her away from her present surroundings.

Serena rested her chin on her palm, pencil dancing freely in her other hand. She had too much on her mind, none of it related to school. Sometimes it was video games, her passion; other times, it was guys, her obsession. Today, as it had been for a while now, it was a marriage of the two. She had sunk countless hours finding a good arcade to spend her time, but the few that there were in the neighbourhood had paltry offerings; sticky buttons and unresponsive joysticks were suddenly the banes of her existence. Just over a week ago, she discovered a new place which, much to her delight, came with a thrilling bonus - an arcade staffed by an attendant who was tall, handsome and whose delicate eyes she had to look up to see. Since then, every day after school she depleted her allowance at that location and admired the attendant from afar, stealing a glance whenever his attention was drawn elsewhere. Serena could not help but smile with glee whenever she caught sight of him. No longer eager to pump in token after token into the machines, she did not mind waiting her turn on the popular games as it gave her time to check him out from every possible angle. Every stolen glance felt like the first. Delirium. Serena pictured his smile and a warm feeling emanated from within her and radiated outward, flushing her cheeks with delight.

The infatuated teen looked at her rosy cheeks in her reflection in the window. Does he feel this way about me too? she wondered, envisioning his comely facial features. He's so good-looking. Does he find me attractive? Serena inspected the rest of herself, wondering how he might see her. Her long blonde hair, which was completely down and cascaded over her shoulders, stopped shy only centimetres above the top of her wooden desk. The golden strands covered most of the blue neckerchief of her uniform, leaving just the short-sleeved white top to be seen. The knee-length blue skirt she wore was hidden by her desk, but the tips of her lustrous Mary Janes still peeked out from under it. The translucent doppelganger mockingly reminded Serena of her average looks and sadistically threw her back into the dreary classroom.

Serena shuffled around on her uncomfortable chair to ease the discomfort in her posterior. (Stupid school chairs had the annoying habit of interrupting her thoughts that way.) Looking at the clock mounted above the door, Serena sighed restlessly. Another twenty minutes... It was the last period of the day and her attention span had reached its limit two periods ago during math. Since then, she had auto-piloted herself through the hallways and classes. While soothing the numbness in her legs, she glanced at the besmirched calendar at the front of the classroom, reminders for important due dates and upcoming exams written in large letters with unmissable red ink, which charted the course for the next few weeks. The end to her first Grade 11 semester could not come soon enough. She yearned for the freedom to do nothing that came with every summer. A lazy, uneventful summer was all she wanted. All she ever wanted.

A summer with Motoki...

That was his name. Motoki Furuhata. She had learned it by eavesdropping. Since that day, the pages of Serena's diary and workbooks had suddenly been overrun with equations involving their names and hearts as though they were an infestation of errant weeds. It might have seemed juvenile, but in her mind, it reified their relationship. Truthfully, she did not have much else. Admiring from afar is what Serena did most, though not by choice - she was incredibly insecure and shy around him, not knowing how to approach him casually. Before, anyway - she had gotten more daring as of late. When she received her allowance, she made sure it was in bills so she had a reason to approach Motoki more often. Another trick she had devised was to ask only for a few tokens at a time, as it gave her yet more excuses to see him repeatedly. Even then, though, it was a monumental task to just work up the courage to ask Motoki to exchange her bills into tokens after so many times.

Also by way of eavesdropping, Serena had learned that Motoki had finished high school two years ago and was working to save up money to travel abroad before settling back down and enrolling at nearby Keio University, one of Japan's foremost institutions for higher education. She strongly hoped her muse would not depart, as she would miss his dyed orange hair, tall stature, affable nature, and gentle, soft-spoken voice. Perhaps, if I charm him enough, when I finish high school, he'll take me with him on a romantic voyage... It was an alluring fantasy. (Her parents' approval and her own post-secondary education were non-factors in this fancy). Not like I'll be getting into university with my grades anyway. Evidently, her preoccupation had developed from a burgeoning crush to full-on, romantic wish-making.

"I sure hope we're getting our grammar tests back today," whispered Umino from the adjacent desk, interrupting Serena's thoughts. She glared at him for doing so, but could not see his eyes through the reflection on his thick glasses, which were held up by tiny ears that stuck too far out from his head. Umino was kind-hearted and meant well, though his perpetually disheveled hair and bizarre fascination with the minutiae of technology definitely made him stand out. Evidently, his intent to start a conversation was not dissuaded by Serena's palpable preoccupation and she had a feeling that her taciturn disposition would do little to prevent him to continue speaking, as was his wont. "I want the Sailor V fanfiction I'm writing to be the best one ever written!" he declared enthusiastically.

Serena rolled her eyes at the unsolicited remark from the class misfit. "No one cares about your stupid fanfic," she replied tersely. "I know what perverts like you write about," Serena added, her dismissive criticism reflecting that she was painfully aware of the overabundance of trashy literature written in thinly-veiled attempts to place popular female characters in homoerotic situations. It disgusted her, even more so because Sailor V had been her favourite hero in her tweens.

"On the contrary! My fanfic will be so good and get so popular that even Minako Aino will end up reading it!" Umino fantasized out loud. "I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to use it as the basis for the screenplay for her next movie!"

The eponymous heroine's smash-hit TV show had spawned countless other commodities, including games, manga, and merchandise, all of which Serena had wantonly consumed. But Sailor V's forays into the silver screen had always been something to look forward to, almost as much as the live concerts that showcased the music of all those products. Serena remembered traveling back to Tokyo on the shinkansen in order to proudly attend the Sailor V concert at the Tokyo Dome a few years ago, although not having the chance to meet her idol then had been a huge disappointment at the time.

"You'll definitely want to read it too!" Umino stated with certainty. "I know you're a fan of hers."

"Oh, please," Serena scoffed, rolling her eyes to disguise the fact that Minako Aino, the Japanese-born actress that found success overseas as Sailor V, was still one of her most revered idols. However hokey and trite the flagship show might have become, Minako was still undeniably determined, talented and, above all, wealthy. There was no shame in wanting to be all of those.

The desire to emulate her idol stretched far back. At the age of ten, Serena used to run around the house pretending to be Sailor V, striking all of the heroine's trademark poses - although she would be hard-pressed to publicly admit to this now. She had wanted to be just like her idol in every conceivable way and relished the day when she had persuaded - though perhaps 'pester' was a more apt word choice - her parents to allow her to bleach her hair blonde to look more like the international superstar. Despite having since moved on from watching the show and idolizing its titular heroine, Serena still kept bleaching her hair. In a comforting, nostalgic way, it was a part of her childhood that followed her everywhere.

"No, no. You'll really like it. I swear!" Umino persisted.

"Ugh. Just stop talking to me," Serena snapped at him, already irritated by his inability to pick up on her cues; he was usually completely oblivious to anyone's body language, never cluing in that most of his classmates wanted nothing to do with him. The last thing she wanted was for people to see was them talking together - or worse, perceive them as friends. Umino was too much of a nerd, even for Serena's liking, despite that she was a bit of an outcast herself. Although she was convinced that there was nothing special about herself - average looks, poor grades, and no talents that set her apart - she was nevertheless certain she was a few steps above Umino in the social ladder. That had to count for something.

"I already have a small following on the internet!" Umino stated, hoping to add a degree of credibility to his prior statements.

"Don't you ever stop talking?" At least I know when to shut up. "Just leave me alone, ok?" Serena dismissed Umino directly, turning her body away from him, hoping no one would see them conversing. Irritated that he had interrupted her musings, she was now forced to contend with the mundane reality of the classroom once more. Her eyes fell on her teacher, Ms. Haruna, whose lesson Serena had tuned out entirely. Sure, Ms. Haruna made for a pretty sight - she was definitely attractive for a teacher in her early thirties - and Serena knew most of the boys in her class had a crush on her. Yet, not even the eye-catching, pink cotton suit and matching pleated long skirt her teacher wore had been enough to maintain Serena's fleeting attention.

Eyes collectively shifted across the classroom as the teacher removed a stack of papers from her leather book bag, which she had dramatically placed on her desk. Much to Serena's chagrin, it seemed Umino's hopes were about to be answered. A nervous hush fell over the class as Ms. Haruna walked up and down the aisles, handing back tests face-down to each student.

Serena turned around to face her best friend, Naru Osaka, who sat two rows back and to her right. Their mothers had been friends since high school, and as a result, the two of them had been friends as far back as either of them could remember. Serena prided herself in being a good friend, and when her family had moved to Sapporo, she worked hard to make sure that they managed to stay in touch regularly.

When Serena had left for northern Japan, they had been kids, just shy of reaching their double digits. The two of them had been so identical and alike in demeanor that they had been mistaken for sisters on occasion. Upon returning to Tokyo, Serena was surprised at how much her friend had changed. In the last few weeks since her return, she realized that she had become slightly envious of Naru, whom she now felt was both prettier and smarter than she was. Her friend also had softer features, which matched her quiet, studious disposition; their friends often joked they had never seen such a quiet Osakan in their lives.

Although Naru's dad had passed away while they were very young, Mayumi Osaka, Naru's mom, had made a comfortable life for herself and her daughter selling fine jewellery from her upscale shop on Jingu-mae, in the very heart of trendy Shibuya. Serena often fantasized about the day she would be able to afford the kind of expensive jewellery Mayumi sold. For now, the diamond set Mayumi had given her almost a decade ago as a parting gift when the Tsukino family left for Sapporo would have to suffice as her only prized possession.

Naru examined the revisions on her test, her shoulder-length auburn hair grazing the paper. It hung down loosely, with the sides of her bangs peeled back, held in place by a tiny green bow pinned at the back of her head. Serena had immediately noticed that her friend's hair was always neat, never a stray hair to be seen. A look of relief and contentment spread on Naru's face and she flashed her grade to Serena with an accompanying thumbs up to let her know she was satisfied with the mark she had received. Serena simply smiled back, knowing that her friend cared more about good grades and had done much more to actualize stellar marks than she ever had.

On her first day at Juuban Municipal High School, Serena had felt at ease with Ms. Haruna, for she had conflated her prettiness with lenient marking and easy grades. (The false assumption was not entirely her fault; a lifetime of manga and movies with unsightly and misshapen villains had taught her to equate ugliness to miserliness and villainy). However, Serena soon learned that this teacher was ruthless in her grading, often deducting points from answers for the slightest technicality. Combined with Serena's sloppiness and lack of attention to detail, it was a recipe for one disappointing grade after another. It was no surprise to anyone, then, that Serena, who had a deep-seated aversion to studying and hard work, was performing poorly in the course.

Ms. Haruna came to a stop in front of Serena last of all, her flowing brown hair skirting the edge of her desk. "Better try harder if you want to pass this class. You won't get a freebie just because you transferred here." Her voice was soft but the words were solemn as she handed Serena back her graded test and then proceeded back to the front of the classroom. The teacher's remark was unsurprising. Serena was, after all, the proverbial underachiever of the class - regardless of whether she was in Sapporo or Tokyo. Her performance on this particular test apparently merited extra scorn and she found herself wondering just how poorly she had done this time to earn that special distinction. It evidenced her growing suspicion - as generally clueless as she was - that she was doing even worse at this new school than at her previous one. Even Naru was eyeing Serena, no doubt curious to know if her friend had set a new bar for scholastic underachievement. The two made eye contact and Naru mouthed the word 'And?', gesticulating accordingly. It was at her behest that she reluctantly lifted the test from her desk. The large 30% on the top right corner, written in red ink and circled for extra emphasis, almost caused Serena to burst out laughing in class. After all the hassle and chaos of moving back to Tokyo and feeling alienated from her surroundings, the dismal grade was a reaffirmation that her life was starting to get back to some semblance of normalcy. She truly felt like herself.

To the confusion of her classmates, Serena wore that 30% as a badge of honour with unfettered pride for the rest of the school day. She felt good - incredibly good, in fact - and with this sudden and unexpected burst of joy and vigor, decided that today would be the day she would confess her romantic feelings to Motoki. Today was the day to make her move, she was certain.

Naru had seen the large smile on Serena's face and immediately sensed that wheels had been turning in her friend's mind, a sign that was not altogether a good thing; Serena was prone to half-baked ideas. Naru caught up with her friend, who had been quick to exit the classroom when the dismissal bell rang, by the shoe lockers at the school's entrance.

"Just what're you up to?" she inquired with concern. Serena was impulsive and Naru worried whenever ideas came to her friend, particularly quiet ones that slipped into Serena's mind during times she should otherwise be preoccupied with schoolwork. Those were the most half-baked of all. "Don't forget, we've got extracurriculars now - I've got dancing and you've got art," she stated, trying to influence her friend to play the role of 'good student.'

Serena smiled back in defiance. "Nope, not today," she absolved herself of any school-related responsibilities. "I've got more important things to do." Out from the top corner of her book bag, she nonchalantly flashed the heart-adorned edges of the letter she had written to Motoki, but had not had the courage to deliver earlier.

Naru gasped. "You're actually gonna?!" Despite her best efforts to control her reaction, she was excited about the prospect of Serena finally delivering the letter. After all, Naru was intimately aware of its contents, as Serena's writing left much to be desired, and she had provided assistance in writing the love note when Serena had come to her. She supposed she could overlook her friend's unabashed truancy for something like this. It was an odd place to draw the line, she knew, but Serena needed the boost in confidence this would give her.

"Mhmm. Today's the day," her friend nodded enthusiastically, unusually self-assured.

"And you can go through with it without my being there?" Naru made her skepticism obvious, adding a suspicious glance to match her words. It was not the first time her friend had not lived up to her promise to present Motoki with the note.

"Trust me," Serena reassured her, slipping on her outdoor shoes. "Although, you're more than welcome to skip dancing today if you have any doubts."

"No thanks. I'll leave the skipping to you," Naru took a jab at Serena's lax habits. "You're on your own for this one."

"Alright, if you say so," Serena placed her indoor shoes into her locker. "Just don't be begging me for details later," she teased, already fluttering down the hall and toward the large, oaken doors leading out of the school.

"Yeah, right! I want to know everything!"

Serena just smiled, already relishing the moment in her mind. "I'll see you back at my place after," she called out as she exited the building.

"I've got juku tonight," Naru called out a reminder. "And don't text me, either - I want details in person!"

The walk to the arcade was not short but Serena was overjoyed and did not mind the distance, in spite of the heat of the afternoon sun. Plus, bus fare cost money and she needed all the money she could muster up for video games. Soon enough, she found herself under the arcade's cool blue marquee. Crown Game Center, it read in plainly stylized, canary yellow katakana which were outlined in a vibrant red. The doors opened automatically as a small group of teens passed Serena. The cool, air-conditioned breeze brushed past Serena's leg, sending a chill up her body. It was only then that she realized she had worked up a sweat in getting to her destination.

I probably look like a mess! Serena thought with horror. She leaned in and carefully inspected her reflection as best she could on the glass window of the adjacent McDonald's. She paid no mind to the patrons dining inside as she removed a handkerchief from her book bag and dabbed away at the beads of sweat on her brow. She emptied the final bits of her refresh spray, the only cosmetic item in her bag, on her arms and neck. Sapporo had been much cooler and she had never needed such an item. Now, it was her lifeline. Her hair was frayed, she noticed, and cursed herself for not being more girly and carrying a brush in her bag. As much as possible, Serena ran her fingers through her long blonde hair to tame the stray hairs. It was far from perfect but it would have to do.

Content with her appearance - as much as she could be, anyway - she readied to head inside once more. Naru's earlier remark had chipped away at her determination but she would not be deterred. Nevertheless, seconds passed and she could not press forth. Instead, she found distractions to keep her outside the arcade. In the process of stalling, a captivating promotional poster ensnared her attention.

"Oh, the new Sailor V game is out today," Serena muttered with delight as she eyed the advertisement encased in the display. Sailor V smiled back at her brilliantly from behind her cherry-red winged glasses that matched the bow at her chest and fringe of her fuku, which was cropped over her exposed midriff. At her hips, she wore a pleated miniskirt that scarcely covered the upper part of her thighs. Her long, blonde hair danced around her waist as she artfully dodged the gunfire from two black-clad figures from the Dark Agency, the nefarious villains of the Sailor V series. Serena was surprised to see just how sexualized the titular heroine had become now that she had grown older.

The alluring curves of Sailor V were noticeably absent in her video game avatar, however, who was a stocky chibi. The screenshots on the advertisement boasted that this game was a throwback to classic, 2D side-scrollers, but with modern, flashy graphics mixed in for good measure. She was excited to try the new game, with Motoki right at her side if she played her cards right. This is certainly my day.

With delirious anticipation, Serena eagerly stepped past the sliding glass doors, into the refreshingly cool interior of the arcade. The place was fairly busy but Serena had still managed to beat the afternoon crowd. Soon, the place would be swarming with students from various other schools. Until then, Motoki's all mine, Serena smiled slyly. She walked down the rows of cabinets, the music and sound effects of the countless games cacophonously ringing in the air simultaneously. She snaked her way around the numerous UFO catcher machines, replete with their tantalizing prizes, and eventually spotted Motoki. He was in the adjacent aisle, his back was turned to her, completely unaware of her presence.

At present, Serena felt daring. Rather than calling out his name, she decided to give him a surprise hug from behind. Just the other day she had playfully slapped his shoulder - after careful planning, of course - so a hug today would not seem too out of place, she figured. The noise of the arcade would provide the perfect cover for her stealth operation. To that end, Serena crept past the glaring screens and high scores, ready to ambush Motoki as she rounded the corner. Just as she was about to pounce, however, Serena froze dead in her tracks as she realized he was stooped over some other girl who was seated at the machine, playing the new Sailor V game. The two of them were laughing heartily as she frantically tried to dodge enemies and on-coming fire. They seemed to know each other well, judging from how comfortable they seemed so close to each other. That's my guy and my game! How could it be that Serena had never seen this girl before?

"Alright, my turn," Motoki declared, attempting to wrestle the chestnut-haired girl away from the controls.

"No way!" she pushed back against him with one hand, the other hand still tightly clutching the joystick.

"You couldn't even beat the first level!" Motoki derided.

"Yeah? So? You can play this game whenever you want! Stop being a greedy game hog," she tickled Motoki's side until he retreated, declaring surrender.

She's flirting with him! The effervescent delirium Serena had carried in her chest to the arcade transmuted into charred clumps of hope that torched her insides. She had no idea Motoki already had a girlfriend. This ruined everything!

Part of her wanted to simply barge in between the two of them and demand Motoki to explain himself. Not until after punching the girl in the face, of course. That would show her. Despite her rage, even Serena knew that was a horrible plan - she did not know how to throw a punch in the first place, for starters. For now, she would have to find another recourse. A red MVS cabinet of an ancient 2D fighting game provided the perfect cover for her to take a closer look at the two.

Although Serena could see the girl only from her side, she could discern that she was fairly attractive and from the grey uniform she wore, along with white knee-high socks with a red band at the top, knew she attended the private, all-girls Catholic school in nearby Roppongi. Much to Serena's dismay, the girl was very slim, much thinner than she was. Although the girl with Motoki was rather flat-chested, her arms were very slender, along with what Serena could see of the girl's legs.

Up until now, Serena had never really thought all that much about her own weight or appearance. In light of this new competitor for Motoki's affection, her size suddenly seemed to present an aesthetic obstacle. No wonder Motoki never cared to flirt like that with me - I'm a blimp compared to her! Serena thought with disgust. A visceral pang of disappointment overwhelmed her, prompting her to make a hasty exit back onto the streets before either of them noticed her spying on them.

The sunny day was a contrast to Serena's inner gloom. Her day had suddenly become far less enjoyable. She rested her back against the grey exterior of the building for support, feeling as though she were about to drop to the ground from anguish. Sailor V stared at her. I bet Minako Aino never had this problem, she convinced herself. The thought of Naru asking about the letter, which she only now realized she still held firmly in her hand, and whether she had delivered it made her feel sick. She was certain her friend would accuse her of making up stories to hide the fact that she had wimped out... again.

Perhaps if I wasn't such a chicken to begin with... Serena lamented. She was tired of people thinking of her that way; of being a letdown to others. Today was different though. There was something inside her today that simply would not allow this defeat. I'll show that skinny, little bitch who's in charge, Serena reassured herself with a devious smile. I'm going to go on a diet and look ten - no, a hundred times better than her! Motoki won't even remember her name when I walk in front of him next time!

Serena, though defeated, walked home relishing the taste of her strong conviction and anticipation. When she wanted something badly enough, she could be surprisingly resolute.

Motoki won't stop to even think twice about leaving her for me.

AN - Loved it? Hated it? Doesn't matter! Leave me a comment! :)

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