The story so far:

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

Chapter I, Subpar – Serena resolves to win the love of someone she admires by altering herself.

Chapter II, Calamity – The wellbeing of Naru's mother, Mayumi, is called into question when her cruise vacation is cut short by a sudden epidemic onboard a luxury liner.

Chapter III, Tryst – Serena's unusual morning ends off with meeting a strange girl and a controversial item in her possession.

MARIONETTES

Part I: Disingenuous

- IV -

Friction

The morning air was unusually cold. It shot straight up Serena's skirt, sending a chill up her legs. It was very uncomfortable and walking quickly only exacerbated the problem. She had not been out of the house for more than a few blocks and she was already dreading the rest of the walk to school. As far as she was concerned, there was still plenty of time to get there, but Naru would have none of it. Punctuality was something her friend had mastered and she knew better than to argue with Naru, especially about slowing down.

Their morning had been rushed. The alarm clock rang at the usual time and Serena had wrestled with it with her left arm - the only part of her to come out from under the sheets. The bed was just too comfortable, as it was every morning. Only when she realized that it was not her mother who was shaking her awake but Naru, Serena had actually arisen. Eyes barely open, the sense-numbing grogginess had been difficult to combat. By contrast, her friend was already wearing her uniform, every pleat in her skirt perfectly pressed and her top wrinkle free and immaculate.

Evidently, Serena's mom and Naru had come home very late at night. Serena had stayed up as late as her body allowed her, but had neither heard them come in, nor had she woken up when Naru came to sleep on the futon at her bedside. While Serena already knew she was a heavy sleeper who dreaded mornings, it was also becoming increasingly clear to her that she had no appetite for late nights either.

Serena had rushed out of the house, knowing that Naru had no patience when it came to dealing with her constant tardiness. It was only now that they were actually out of the house and on their way to school that she could have a conversation with her friend, who had remained tight-lipped all throughout the time she waited for her to get ready. All Serena knew was that Mayumi was alive and accounted for.

"So how was your mom? I'm sure you were excited to see her," Serena inquired, struggling to keep pace next to the shops while Naru briskly walked on her other side, closer to the rush hour traffic.

"I was very happy to see her but she seemed a little out of it."

Serena looked at her Naru, realizing the same could have been said about her. She was noticeably sleep deprived - her voice was quieter, her eyes duller and redder than usual. Yet, somehow she remained alert and functional. Whatever little sleep she had gotten the day prior had likely been while uncomfortably sitting upright and in cramped quarters as she waited for further news of her mother's well-being.

"I don't blame her, especially after what she's been through these last couple of days. She didn't want to talk about what she saw on the ship - I get that. It must've been scary. Now that she's back on land, they put her and all the other survivors under constant surveillance, though. Doctors performed all kinds of tests on her. That's pretty scary, too."

"Doesn't sound pleasant," Serena responded, though not surprised; she had learned about the details of the quarantine on the cover of yesterday's newspaper. This information had become known to her only because she had no alternative but to stare at her father's newspaper in between slurps of yet more ramen, as neither herself, her brother or father had opted to cook in Ikuko's absence. There was nothing but silence between the three of them, which was fine by Kenji, as it better allowed him to immerse himself behind the newspaper throughout the meal. By reading the headlines and bylines, Serena had become aware that the survivors from the cruise were being quarantined as a precautionary measure before being released back into the general population. It sounded familiar, perhaps something that had been mentioned on the evening news when Shingo had first broken the news to them, but the shock of Naru's mother being in danger had caused her to tune out much of what she had heard.

"I'm sure it wasn't pleasant at all," Naru shook her head, resounding her friend's comment.

"She'll be coming home soon, though, right?" Serena asked, eyeing the store displays to her right as she walked.

"Yeah. Maybe later tonight."

"That's great!" Serena was glad that her friend's mother was alright but disappointed that her friend would be leaving to go back home; Naru would definitely be going home to spend time with her grief-stricken mother as soon as she was released. Both girls had eagerly looked forward to the extended sleepover throughout the duration of Mayumi's trip, but the disaster aboard the vessel brought a premature end to Naru's fanciful visit.

"Yeah, it's great to finally have some good news. She'll be glad to sleep at home, I bet. She's been real tired ever since she got back on land - not much chance to rest between frequent blood tests and stuff."

Serena shuddered. She hated needles. And Mamoru. And black cats.

"She'll be back to her regular self after she gets some proper rest, I'm sure," Naru reassured herself, palpably upset over her mother's discomfort.

"Oh, definitely," Serena agreed, partly distracted by the electronics display in the store to her immediate right. She did not intend to be rude, she simply had trouble focusing on just one thing at a time. No doubt Naru had grown accustomed to having only her partial attention during even the best of times.

"Anyway, I'm just glad that she's safe. I was just so worried... I hope I didn't worry you too much yesterday. I left in such a rush and didn't even think about my phone," she cupped her hand over the exterior pocket of her bag, checking to make sure that she had indeed brought it with her this time.

"Don't sweat it. I had a busy day myself, actually."

"Oh?"

"For your information, I saved a life," Serena boasted, well knowing the claim to be a gross exaggeration.

Naru let out a short laugh. It was good to hear her friend be jovial once again. "You? Please! I'm your best friend and I wouldn't even trust you to catch me if I fell backwards!"

"Hey! Just what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, chill out. You know I'm only joking." Joke or not, the point was clear enough to Serena; not even her closest friend saw her as dependable. As much as she hated admitting it, though, she had not been one to develop a reputation of being reliable. Naru could probably even compile a lengthy list of reasons to support her position on the matter...

"Well, I'll have you know that I stopped a bunch of good-for-nothing boys from tormenting a helpless girl."

"Is that why you were late for school yesterday? The way I hear it, you walked in at the end of second period," she turned to face Serena, whose expression always gave away what she was thinking.

There was a puzzled look on Serena's face. "How'd you know?"

Naru pursed her lips together in disapproval. "You know, I still do get texts when I don't have my phone on me, right? You took your sweet time getting ready this morning. I had more than enough time to have breakfast and look through them all."

"Yeah, well… for your information, I was only twenty minutes late for second period when I arrived, thank you," Serena took pride in that fact as though it were an actual accomplishment. She did not want to talk about school, though. She wanted to talk about her heroic act, but Naru had dismissed it as something completely trivial. I was a hero yesterday...

"Let's see what Ms. Haruna's expression is like today when you actually arrive early!" Naru smirked. She could almost imagine the look of awe on their teacher's face. It would be delightful. Naru wanted Serena to feel pride by meeting what was expected of her. It would make helping her friend in her academically weak areas less of a challenge, though she was certain Serena needed help in virtually all subjects. Arriving at school on time was a small stepping stone along that path. Her friend was unusually quiet about her plan. Turning, she realized Serena had become engrossed at a store display. "Um, what're you doing?" Naru questioned as she pulled up next to her distracted friend. The two of them had walked by this particular store numerous times before and neither of them had ever given it much attention, yet this time her friend had come to a complete halt in front of it.

Serena did not answer. It was not unusual for her to be so consumed in her own thoughts that she did not respond. As she waited for a response, Naru eyed the display of the adult boutique with a critical eye. She was wary of places that showcased lingerie and provocative cosplay outfits.

"C'mon, let's keep going. The last thing we need is some perv otaku coming up to us," Naru stated.

Serena remained almost entirely motionless.

"Neither of us would ever wear this and we're too young to be looking at this kind of stuff anyway," Naru stated, making no apologies for her innocence. When Serena did not respond yet again, she decided to see for herself just what was so important. "Just what's got you so frozen in place, anyway?"

Although the boutique was closed, a few workers were busy unloading items in cardboard boxes from the truncated Hino cargo truck and into the store. Before the door to the boutique could close, Naru caught glimpse of what had enraptured Serena's attention. Inside the dimly lit boutique, several revealing costumes were modeled on curvy mannequins. Naru could only see three of them. The first two, a police officer and a nurse, - neither of which resembled their real-world counterpart accurately, as they covered too little up top and fishnet stockings made up for the skirts' deficits below - were not of any importance to Serena. It was third one that she eyed with a queer fixation. Just a casual peek of the ensemble out of the corner of her eye had been enough to cause Serena to pause in her tracks.

The captivating outfit had the look of Sailor V, but it more closely resembled a seifuku than that of the ubiquitous heroine. The hybrid outfit had a canary yellow choker, which adorned the mannequin's delicate neck. The figure was barefoot, but on a small plastic pedestal next to it was an expensive set of cerise pink, knee-high boots with lace-up fronts and modest heels. The mannequin's arms sported tight white gloves that reached just beyond the elbow, and were rimmed with a slim band at their ends that matched the boots. An ornate, heart-shaped brooch, cinched to the center of the bust, was pinned over a modest red bow, itself in front of a blue neckerchief that slung over the shoulders and went partway down the mannequin's back. Although Sailor V's top was cropped above the belly-button and hung loosely around her waist, the fitted bodice of this costume was a matte white corset with yellow, flat steel boning across the abdomen. Its bottom end was fashioned with a thin gold band - also adorned with a miniature heart, though this time just north of the crotch - and was attached to a white mini skirt which hugged the hips half way down before the pleats separated from the body. A thin yellow band, then a blue one, ran all along the distal fringes of the pleated mini skirt. It was noticeably shorter than Sailor V's distinguishing blue miniskirt with orange fringes. It was very neatly pressed and attractive, but even from their vantage point, the girls could deduce that it did not offer much coverage, particularly at the rear.

Curious, Serena wanted to take a closer look to inspect the outfit's finer details, but she did not dare step into the boutique, nor would her friend allow her even if it was actually open. Serena felt Naru hook her arm around hers before she gave her a good yank toward school, away from the alluring costume. Surely, she had been irritated by her sudden muteness and unwillingness to budge, but she could not help it. There was something so... magnificent about the costume. It quickly disappeared from her sight, but she did manage to catch sight of its price tag. The entire outfit was incredibly expensive and completely beyond her means, but it did not shatter her hopes. She could still fantasize.

Maybe one day for Motoki...

The meticulously arranged bento box was full of delicious items. Ikuko sure had a gift for preparing food. Over a decade of packed lunches and still every one was touched with delicate grace and love. Her mother's talent was only natural, Serena figured, given how much time she spent in the kitchen.

An assortment of vegetables adorned the edges of the packed bento box. In the center, rice had been arranged to make a round face, complete with two black beans for eyes, a thin seaweed strip for a mouth and a nose made from a slice of carrot. (Thankfully, it was the only bit of carrot; Serena could never stomach them). Two long, rounded rectangles made of rice had also been affixed to the top of the circle to make ears. Altogether, they made the face of an adorable rabbit. Where her mom had found the time to make such an elaborate presentation, she did not know.

Serena was on her diet and was not keen on having lunch, let alone one that was prepared as though it were for a seven year old. She knew her mom meant well, but it was about time she started treating her like a proper seventeen year old. Sure, her 17th birthday was still a little while away, but she did feel older, which somehow seemed to make the presentation of her lunch even worse.

Despite having had no breakfast - again - Serena only glumly toyed with her food as she sat with Naru on a bench under a large sakura tree at the rear of the school grounds. Although it had already bloomed and lost its attractive pink colour, its plain canopy still provided a cool shadow. Thankfully, the sun had come out and the day had warmed up a bit since morning. The sunlight gently kissed Serena's legs as it peeked around the cold grey exterior of the school.

"What's the matter? Aren't you gonna eat that? You've just been staring at it," Naru criticized. Ikuko had packed her an identical lunch, of which she had already eaten the veggies, along with the eyes and ears of the rabbit.

Serena lazily poked at one of the rice ears with her chopstick. "Not very hungry, actually," she lied. In truth, she was starved and hoped her stomach would not rumble and betray her. I could really use one or two... okay, maybe three ... no, four small bites...

Becoming accustomed to her new routine of taking pills before meals - or, at least, what passed for meals now - was a bit of a challenge and was taking some getting used to. Serena had not counted on eating lunch with someone, as yesterday had not been a problem. Something tells me Naru won't like this part of my plan too much...

Serena eyed her bag, which lay at her feet, wherein she had left the bottle of pills. It dawned on her that perhaps she should have transferred them into a more clandestine container. It was too late for that now, however. At the very least, the cotton padding inside the bottle had done an excellent job of muffling the sound of the pills. If only Naru would leave me alone for a bit...

"Your mom makes way better lunches than my mom. Count yourself lucky," Naru raised a slice of cucumber to her mouth with her mahogany chopsticks. "I love my mom to death an' all, but she wasn't made for cooking and preparing meals. No joke. Why, this one time - "

"I'll be right back," Serena excused herself awkwardly, hoping that Naru would not question her about her destination. Instead, her friend's eyes followed her closely as she reached for her bag and stood up. Serena was so distracted by the gaze that she fumbled her bag. Her lunch was still in her other hand, and despite her reluctance to eat it, for some reason dropped her leather book bag to stabilize the lunch as it teetered precariously away from her. Naru raised her arms in anticipation of the cascade of rice that loomed over her head. Much to her relief, her clumsy friend somehow managed to rescue the falling lunch, eliminating the need to visit the washroom to pick rice out from her hair.

Serena smiled, surprised by her own dexterity. "Didn't think I'd catch it, huh?"

"Oh, please! A blip in the data," Naru joked, wiping away the few errant bits of rice that had peppered her otherwise immaculate blue skirt.

"Here," Naru set aside her lunch on the bench and reached down to pick up her friend's book bag, which had toppled over onto its front.

"No!" Serena objected, only realizing then how forceful her objection had been. "I mean, I can handle it," she said, snatching away the handle from her friend.

"Ow!" Naru winced, Serena's fingers having pressed harshly up against hers, pinching them against the metal fastening.

Serena apologized, more annoyed at her clumsiness drawing attention to herself than actually sorry.

At first, Naru had planned to stay quiet over her friend's strange need to depart. However, she could smell something particularly unusual was amiss. When Serena cooked up a scheme in the kitchen, curtains often caught fire. "What've you got in there that's so top secret?"

She's on to me. For a moment, Serena's fight or flight reflexes were mired in a stalemate.

The few seconds that passed were enough for her friend deduce the veracity of her inference. "C'mon, show me," Naru urged.

There was no sense in pretending. Might as well come clean. It's Naru. She'll understand… hopefully. "OK, I'll show you, but you can't spazz out about it," Serena stipulated, setting her lunch down between them on the bench. Slowly, she placed her bag on her lap and withdrew the pills, still in their original container.

Naru was silent for what seemed like a really long time. The void during hang time always seemed extraordinarily elongated during moments when friends revealed secrets to one another.

Does she even know what they are? Serena did not like feeling vulnerable and put up her defenses. "They're weight loss pills. I'm... taking them to help me get Motoki," she admitted, hoping it would ward off a criticism similar to the one she had received from Mamoru.

"I know what they are," Naru finally spoke up. "These things aren't good for you," she said, her worry masked behind her calm brown eyes. "They mess up your system. Like, really bad." She urged Serena to put the bottle back into her book bag by gently nudging her hand with her own.

Serena had not thought of possible side effects. Surely, whatever they were, would be worth obtaining the physique she wanted. The sculpted figure of Mikan Shiratori, the famous Azabu-Juuban High School alumnus, all of a sudden appeared back in her mind. I will be like her, at any cost. "It's a calculated risk," Serena downplayed her impulsiveness.

"Yeah, but they're drugs," Naru leaned in and said the word as though Serena was peddling an illegal substance. She even looked around to make sure no passersby had heard, as though either of them could be expelled for possessing or hiding the pills on school grounds.

"Oh, relax, will you? We won't get in trouble for having these," Serena calmed her friend as she mulled over Naru's point, which she had not considered at all. The only rebuttal she was prepared to make was against the argument Mamoru had levied at her earlier. She clumsily struggled to string together a counterpoint to this new argument. "Yeah, but... they're good drugs," she stated, utterly clueless to the veracity of her own claim. If Naru pressed the issue, she would be forced to back up her dubious claim with yet another one.

"How long have you been taking these?" Naru asked, wondering how she had not seen these before. Had Serena been sneaking away to take pills during her visit? No, she would have noticed, she convinced herself.

"Since yesterday."

Naru partly felt sad, and another part annoyed, at the response. Serena had 'conveniently' chosen a day she had been elsewhere to commence with this questionable habit. It felt underhanded. "Good. Ditch them before you become addicted," she advised, without revealing her hurt.

Serena shook her head. "No, not until..." No, I can't tell her about Mikan. Just as she had omitted the inspiration from the Sailor V poster, it would probably be best to remain quiet about this other advertisement, too. "Not until I'm skinny enough."

"It's not worth becoming dependent on them."

"Motoki is." Serena said defensively.

"No guy is."

Serena was surprised by Naru's reluctance to yield. Usually she was not so resolute. She would need to take a different approach to win her over. "What's the big deal? It's only for a little while."

"Don't you get it? They're drugs. They're addictive," she emphasized her words to underscore her point. "There's no such thing as 'a little while' with those things," Naru motioned with her head at Serena's book bag, glad that the bottles were safely out of sight.

Naru remained steadfast, making Serena question what had sparked the change in her friend. She had always known her to be acquiescent, never one to put up an argument. This was not Naru's usual temperament. Bullish stubbornness was her domain. She delighted in being unbeatable in this area. "I don't care," Serena fell back to her default response in these kinds of situations. "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Well, if you won't listen to me, I sure don't want to be any part of this," Naru said determinedly, rising from the wooden bench.

"Good!"

Naru gathered her lunch and her belongings, noticeably irritated. "No, not 'good,'" she shot back, glowering. "You're just going to come to me later when it is a problem. That's what you always do."

Serena did not often think things entirely through - that much she could admit. Yet, she hated it when others made predictions about her actions. How could Naru possibly know that these pills would be trouble rather than the boon that would give Serena her ideal body? 'Where's your time machine?' she wanted to ask contemptuously. Instead, she chose to restrain her sarcasm. "I got this under wraps."

"No, it's got you. One day in and you're already messed up by those pills. Who knows what stupid thing got this idea into your head," Naru criticized.

Thankfully, Serena had kept the promotional poster to herself - the last thing she needed was to give Naru more ammunition. "It's not 'stupid,'" she rebutted, the image of Mikan crystal clear in her mind's eye. Her words sounded surprisingly childish, however, even to her own ears. She was firing blanks now.

Serena's uncompromising stubbornness was a tiresome trait and Naru knew better than to keep pressing. Her friend would tirelessly butt heads with her all day if she cared to pursue the matter. "Come to me when you realize who was right today," she said with unambiguous finality and walked off before Serena could fire back a response.

Me. That's who. She wanted to shout out the words, but instead opted to show Naru instead. Despite her friend's objections, she was determined to proceed with her plan, even more now than ever before. She would not kowtow to Naru or any other naysayers. After all, Mikan had come to this very school and possibly even ate her lunches under this very tree; if the teen idol could have a dazzling body, then so could she. It would just take some time... a lot of pills, many skipped meals and maybe some exercise, though Serena was not yet fully convinced nor committed over the necessity of the last one. Then, Naru would see how wrong she was and would have to apologize. She'll fold. That's what she's like, Serena thought, uncharacteristically self-assured. That's how it'll play out.

She removed a plastic water bottle from her bag and downed four pills in one gulp.

I got this.

A.N. – Loved it? Hated it? Doesn't matter! Please leave a comment! (It goes a long way to keep me motivated!) Thanks! ^_^

I respond to all comments and PMs.