Rolling out chapter 6 to you already! Hope you enjoy it!

Beej88 and Revy679 are always my betas and they always do a fantastic job! Thank you, ladies, for everything you do for me!

Anyone remember what the next step is in Minako's devious little plan? Hurt, anger, realization, denial, acceptance. Remember what stage we're coming up on?

~*~v~*~

Mamoru walked down the side walk, his hands buried in his jean pockets as the wind slightly blew his already ruffled hair. He sighed as his feet hit the pavement, moving almost of their own accord, leading him ...somewhere. He wasn't even sure where he was headed. His mind swirled with too many other things to worry about figuring out a destination.

Things like Usagi and Motoki. Usagi and Motoki! How had that even happened? His best friend and his...well...the girl from the arcade who drove him insane. He wasn't sure why he was having such a reaction to the two of them getting together. Maybe it was just the shock of seeing them together, knowing that they were going on dates, picturing them kissing...the image automatically elicited a building bitter feeling, laced with anger that made his stomach churn uncomfortably.

Why did he even care that they were together? It didn't affect his life in the least!

He thought about what Reika had said. "I bet you he's using her to get over me and she's using the fact that we broke up to finally get with him." He couldn't get that sentence out of his head. Surely it couldn't be true! Motoki using Usagi as a rebound? He couldn't be that cruel, knowing damn well Usagi used to have feelings for him.

Used to. It was used to, right? She'd even told him she'd grown out of that silly crush. Could she have been lying to him? What if she really was using his hurt over losing Reika to finally go out with him? Mamoru's anger inexplicably began to boil. How was this happening?

His feet began to hurt and he realized he'd started stomping. He stopped and released a slow, steady breath as he looked toward the sky and rubbed the back of his neck. He shouldn't be getting this angry. Why did he even care?

He took another deep sigh and looked around. He'd been so lost in involuntary thoughts of misery that he had no idea where he'd ended up. With another sigh, one of frustration this time, he briefly scanned his surroundings. His gaze halted at the sight of his own reflection in the window of the shop he was standing beside. His brows drew together into a frown, and he dropped his hand from his neck to peer inside.

His eyes widened, startled, as sitting at a table against the window was none other than the girl that had been occupying his thoughts. "Usagi?" he whispered to himself. What was she doing here? This was a little bakery, blocks away from the arcade. He'd never known Usagi to go anywhere but that silly arcade.

His frown deepened as he realized what she was doing. She was...studying? On the table in front of her sat an open laptop, a notebook, and a muffin on a plate that she was picking at. The pencil in her hand scribbled random things as she looked from it to the computer in front of her. Mamoru blinked a few times in confusion.

Never, in all the time that he'd known her, had he actually witnessed her doing any kind of school work. He knew she'd somehow managed to get into college, probably by the skin of her teeth, but he'd never bothered to find out what program, and courses, she'd actually ended up taking.

He grimaced, internally torn between going into the bakery and just walking away. Why did he even care? Curiosity got the better of him though, and he headed into the bakery and made a beeline for her table. She didn't even look up; only speaking when she felt the presence of someone near her.

"I'm still eating my muffin right now, Naharu. But I wouldn't mind a chocolate milk," she said nonchalantly as she stared at the screen. Naharu? Was she here so much, that she knew the waiter's name?

"The hell are you doing, Odango?" he asked, and plastered the cocky smile he always reserved just for her onto his face. She jumped, startled by his voice. He was clearly the last person she'd expected to find her here. Her eyes widened and she inhaled sharply as the pencil she'd been holding slipped from her hand and rolled across the table before falling onto the floor with a soft 'clunk'.

She blinked in confusion, her blue eyes peering up at him from beneath long eyelashes. "Mamoru?" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here, baka?" she asked, confusion laced into the melodic tone of her voice.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned and raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "I never thought I'd see you somewhere other than the arcade."

She sighed with irritation, rolled her eyes and bent over to pick up her fallen writing utensil, blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders with the movement. He watched as long, slender fingers curled around the pencil and she straightened, readjusted herself in her seat, and looked back up at him.

"The arcade is my favorite place in the world, but it's also noisy and distracting, and I can't study there. And I can't really study at home because of Shingo," she said her brother's name with a grimace and disdain layered in her tone. Mamoru couldn't help but chuckle at that. "So, I come here when I have to do some work." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why are you here?"

The corners of his lips quirked up into a smirk. "I was just walking by when I saw you in the window," he motioned to the glass window beside her, "And had to come inside. What are you working on?"

She huffed as her eyes returned to the computer screen in front of her. "I have to write a paper for my Cognitive Development class. I'm just doing a little research." She moved her mouse around, clicking various different links and scrolling through them.

It took a moment for her words to register, and when they did Mamoru's heart began to hammer in his chest and he willed it to calm down. "Cognitive Development class?" It was then that he realized that he didn't even know what she went to college for. Without thinking, he took the seat across from her. Her eyes widened in confusion and he couldn't help the flip in his stomach as her eyes met his. What was wrong with him?! "What are you majoring in?" He asked, forcing these unknown feelings down.

She looked as though she was studying him now; trying to discern exactly why he was here. He wondered the same thing himself. "I'm majoring in Child Care right now. I want to work with kids. Especially kids in need. You know...some of these kids are thrust into the system with nobody to help them. I want to be their somebody. I know it might sound silly, but-"

"That's amazing," he blurted without thinking. He could feel his face heat up and watched as a blush tinted her cheeks. "I mean...it's just...it's pretty cool...that you want to work with children." He couldn't believe he was stuttering. He'd never been a man at a loss for words, especially when it came to Odango. But he was used to insulting her; not complimenting her. Why had he never complimented her before?

"Thanks," she said with a blush as she brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He felt the sudden urge to do it himself and struggled to hold himself back. She looked at her watch and her eyes widened. "Oh man," she groaned as she closed her laptop and pulled a bag from beside her and began packing her things. "I'm going to be late, again!"

Mamoru's heart dropped to his stomach. "Going out with Motoki again?" He could hear the disdain in his voice but didn't care to hide it.

"No, I have a meeting with my professor. But I'm meeting up with him afterward!" She paused for a minute as she stood, as if contemplating what she would say next. "I can't wait to see him again, though. We've been having such a good time lately. I don't know why he and Reika broke up, but it kinda worked out in my favor." She gave him a wink and his blood started to boil once again. "Later, baka!" She called as she secured her bag over her shoulder and bounced out the door.

Mamoru sat there, stuck in his seat, jaw clenched angrily, and his gaze glued to the door where she had just disappeared. Reika was right. Usagi was using their breakup to finally get with Motoki! He couldn't believe it. He never would have thought of her as that type of person. He felt let down, hurt, and …pissed off!

He stood quickly from the chair and bolted out of the door. If Reika was right about Usagi, was she right about Motoki? Was he just using Usagi as a rebound to help him get over Reika? His anger boiled over as he found himself at the arcade, bursting through the door and almost shattering it. Motoki stood at the counter his eyes wide as Mamoru charged him.

"Hey, Mamoru. What's-"

"What the hell are you doing?!" He yelled, catching the attention of the whole arcade as he reached the counter. Motoki's eyes couldn't get any wider as he stared at his friend in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" He asked carefully.

"You're just using her to get over Reika, aren't you?" Mamoru spit through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with rage.

"Mamoru-" Motoki tried but was promptly cut off again.

"She's just your little rebound you can play with until you're done with her and then toss her aside for someone better, isn't she?"

Motoki gasped, his face flushed with indignation. "Hey! That's going too far, Mamoru!"

"Have you fucked her yet? Is that the plan? Just fuck her until you're over Reika?" Mamoru sneered.

Motoki's eyes narrowed furiously. "Get out, Mamoru," he replied icily, as he pointed a finger towards the door. Mamoru scathingly looked him up and down, fighting the urge to punch his "best friend" in the face before he turned and marched toward the door. He didn't even notice Usagi walking in as he threw himself over the threshold and down the sidewalk.

oOo

Usagi walked into the arcade, hung up her jacket on the hooks just as Mamoru rushed past her. She frowned as she watched him go before making her way to the counter to see a very angry Motoki. "Hey," she began, her tone tinged with concern. "What's going on?" She asked as she glanced over her shoulder toward the front door.

"Mamoru is being an ass," Motoki growled angrily.

Usagi's lips curled into a knowing half-smile. "Yeah, well what's new there." She rolled her eyes and seated herself at the counter.

Motoki forcibly calmed down, focused fully on Usagi, and smiled. "I thought you were meeting with your professor?" He questioned, quickly changing the subject.

Usagi shrugged, "Yeah. He called and postponed," she sighed, then glanced back towards the door again distractedly. "Maybe I should go see what's wrong with him?" She murmured with concern, stood, and turned away from the counter.

Motoki's smile vanished. "Don't. He's very angry, right now. He's going to yell at you," he said as he reached for her.

She stepped out of his reach and waved dismissively. "Used to that!" Usagi called out airily as she headed for the door.

"He's going to be a real asshole, Usagi!" Motoki warned loudly. "Don't go!"

It was to no avail. The blonde was a flurry of nonchalance. "0 for 2, 'Toki! He yells and is an asshole to me all the time. I got this!" She quipped, and with that, she headed out the door.

oOo

"Baka! Bakaaa! Mamoruuuu!" he heard her calling as he marched down the sidewalk. He was too angry to talk to her right now. He couldn't. He was going to say something wrong and he knew it. But when he heard her running footsteps approach and she grabbed his wrist, he couldn't help but stop with a sigh as he turned to face her. He automatically felt the tension in his shoulders lessen with her slender fingers halted him.

He turned softened eyes to her confused ones. "What's been going on with you lately, Mamoru? You've been acting so weird," she asked, her voice full of concern.

He immediately felt his anger return. He was the one acting weird? Was she kidding?!

"I'm acting weird?!" he spat as he yanked out of her grasp. She blinked in surprise, her eyes widening as she took a slight step back.

"Yeah? I mean, ever since me and Motoki-" she started, but his sneering laugh had her stopping mid-sentence.

"You and Motoki...right…" He rolled his eyes as his stomach flipped, this time making him nauseous.

"I don't understand why you're so…so..." she motioned to his stance and attitude, "...like this! Just because we're dating? What does it even matter to you?!"

"It matters because…" he paused. Why did it matter?! He still hadn't figured that out really. "It matters because you're using my friend!" Yeah. He would go with that for now.

Usagi paled a little. "U-using him?"

"Yeah," Mamoru continued. It was obvious by her shocked expression that he was right and his anger spiraled out of control once again. "You've always had a thing for Motoki. That "little crush" you had, you've just been waiting for him and Reika to break up so you could jump all over him!"

"Wait...what?" Her face had turned into one of confusion and he didn't believe it for a second.

"Were you just waiting? Watching? Hoping they would break up so you could just swoop in and pick up the pieces of his broken heart, right?" Mamoru's voice got louder as he spoke, his anger lacing every word.

"No, that's not…"

"You know, Motoki wouldn't talk about why he and Reika broke up. Was it because of you?" He demanded with an accusing tone.

"What?!" Usagi's face reddened with embarrassed anger.

"You had something to do with them breaking up, didn't you? Did you go prancing around him in your short skirts like a little slut?" He knew the minute that the words came out of his mouth that he'd gone too far. Her eyes widened, filled with tears as her hand came up and slapped him across the face.

Mamoru touched his stinging cheek as he watched her run off, immediately filled with regret. He knew she was not that type of girl. He'd gotten too mad; gone way too far. He sighed as he looked around, and finally noticed the audience that had gathered. The women looked at him with disgust while the men watched Usagi run off. He shook his head and decided to drown his feelings as he headed home.

oOo

Usagi ran into the arcade, tears streaming down her face. Motoki's heart dropped as he made his way around the counter in an attempt to reach her as she grabbed her jacket from the coat rack.

"Usa, what happened? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. He'd seen Mamoru make the blonde cry before, but this was different. There wasn't just anger in her eyes; there was heartbreak.

"You were right. He's an asshole," she muttered through her tears as she pulled her jacket on and moved toward the door.

"Usagi, wait!" Motoki begged as he reached for her. But she slipped away from him and hurried out the door. With a deep sigh, Motoki pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the number of his co-conspirator. She picked up on the first ring. "Minako. Remember the anger you were talking about? It's that time."

Dun, dun, dun! It's getting good now, huh?