After composing themselves, Unazuki stood and gathered all the cups she could before she headed to the back room. Luckily the Arcade had locker rooms for the employees that included showers. "After I'm done, I'll take over and clean up what you don't get, ok?"

"You've got it", Usagi said as she started gathering the mess into a pile on the floor. She stood to grab a trash can and a mop, but immediately slipped on the tray that she had forgotten about. It was made slick with the chocolate shake mess that was underneath it. Usagi clamped her eyes shut and held her breath to prepare for the impact, but opened one eye when it didn't come. She looked around and realized that Mamoru had caught her right before she fell and helped her regain her balance.

"Thank you," Usagi said with a smile as a blush grew across her face because of his touch. He felt his heart tug with that single smile. He smiled back and thought he noticed the blush, but attributed it to her being embarrassed over her almost falling. Mamoru saw that this was going to take her a while, so he started helping her clean up the mess.

"This is really sweet of you, but it isn't your mess to clean."

"It isn't yours either," Mamoru replied with a smile as he finished mopping the floor while she wiped the wall clean of chocolate.

"Well," she sighed, "it's clean!" Usagi raised her hands and brought them down to her sides with a slap that was simultaneous with a sigh. Mamoru sighed. She's so adorable.

Usagi took the mop from Mamoru and went to put it away. Usagi shook her head in disbelief and raised her eyebrows as she thought to herself, I can't believe he just helped me clean up that gigantic mess! Him! Chiba Mamoru, star quarterback, the most popular guy in school, and easily the most attractive. Why is he helping a nerd like me? It has to be some weird charity case. Yeah; it's a bet from his friends or extra credit for some class.

Just as Usagi finished her thoughts and headed back to Mamoru, Unazuki walked in from the women's locker room; void of all things chocolate and sticky. "Okay Usagi! It's all yours!" Unazuki smiled and headed towards the customers that started coming in. It's was starting to be their busiest time.

Usagi smiled at Unazuki, repeated her thanks to Mamoru and started walking to the back of the Arcade. 5 minutes later at 4:50pm, Ami, Minako, Rei, and Makoto walked into the arcade looking for Usagi. They had received a call from Unazuki before she had taken her shower and asked them to bring Usagi some clean clothes to finish her shift in. They agreed since they were going to go to the Crown for Usagi's break at 5pm anyway. Unazuki got Motoki's attention once she spotted them and asked if the girls could bring Usagi her clean clothes to her in the locker room.

"They're not employees. They're not allowed back there. You take the clothes to her!"

"I've got 6 tables waiting on me until Usagi gets back, Motoki, if you're so concerned about employees only going back there, why don't you take them to her?"

"I'm busy with this broken machine and I have to be here when the ice cream machine stops or else it could overflow!" Motoki was always frustrated with the various issues the Odango brought to his Arcade. He couldn't argue with her work ethic though. She was always early, cleaned up after herself, and the customers loved her personality.

"I'll take it to her," chimed Mamoru. 6 heads turned to look at him like he had gone mad. "Look. I've been coming to this place since it opened and have helped with various things during that time. I'm practically a volunteer employee. I'm pretty sure I can take some clothes to a damn room."

Annoyed at the situation, Motoki yanked the clothes from Minako's hands and threw them at Mamoru. "Fine. Just hurry up and don't get me into trouble."

Mamoru had overheard the squabble and didn't like the idea of Usagi having to put the gross clothes back on after showering. He didn't understand why Motoki wouldn't let her friends bring her the clothes, but he figured he could solve the problem by volunteering. He didn't, however, think about the possibility of her being naked in the shower until he got up to the entrance of the locker room. When he paused, he heard something that he didn't expect.

He heard singing. Not just any singing, but an exquisite melody that almost caressed his ears. Is that Usagi?

In a trance, Mamoru forgot about the possibility of Usagi being naked and opened the door halfway so he could hear her more clearly.

The locker room had small white tiles on the floor and walls with florescent lights that illuminated the 8 available employee lockers, 4 stacked in a row over 4. The changing room and the shower were around the corner from the lockers. Mirrors were on either side of the lockers and he saw Usagi standing with a towel wrapped around her in front of the one that was closest to him. Mamoru's eyes widened at the sight. What a vision. What a goddess. She was brushing her long golden hair and singing a song he'd never heard before. *Ahem* Mamoru cleared his throat and knocked on the door.

Mamoru's knock had startled Usagi and brought her singing to a halt. Before she had the opportunity to turn to see the intruder, Mamoru spoke.

"Excuse me, Usagi, but your friends brought you some clean clothes. Motoki wouldn't let them come back here so I volunteered." Usagi turned to see Mamoru of all people standing there, looked down, and blushed at her state. She saw the clothes that Mamoru was holding and couldn't believe what great friends she had. Her embarrassment evaporated in place of the warmth of her friends' kindness. She set down the brush and started to walk over to him to get the clothes. "Thank you, again," she said as she took the clothes. Although Usagi wasn't embarrassed anymore, the situation caused her to be hesitant and shy towards Mamoru. Her breath almost caught before she succeeded in asking Mamoru something.

"Why is it that Motoki let you back here into a girl's locker room, but not my friends who are girls?"

She reacted in such a calm manner that it shocked him. He half expected her to scream and yell GET OUT before he could speak two words, but there she was coolly standing in front of him with her pink fluffy towel wrapped around her small frame and her long hair sticking to her exposed neck and shoulders. She hugged her clean clothes to her body the same way she did the tray earlier and he wondered if that motion was a habit of hers. He secretly hoped it was because she did a cute sigh while raising and dropping her shoulders as she did it.

Mamoru stopped examining her long enough to respond to her question. "Motoki has a weird thing with customers in the back of the Arcade. I've known him for so long, though, he trusts me." He looked to the ground to try to remain gentlemanly.

Usagi made sure to remain rational and thoughtfully said, "I see," and pursed her lips while raising her eyebrows at him. I'm not sure why I'm so comfortable with him standing there. A guy I barely know is standing in front of me while I'm practically naked, but it doesn't bother me like I would expect it to. I feel like I know him. Is that crazy? Yeah, it's definitely crazy. Maybe this is what a crush feels like, Usagi! Oh yeah, like that matters, he didn't even know you existed until earlier this afternoon! Usagi alternated between nodding and shaking her head as she mentally argued with herself.

Mamoru watched the scene before him greatly amused knowing that she was probably talking to herself. After it seemed like the argument in her head was settled, he decided to break the silence.

"Was that you singing? You have an amazing voice."

Usagi's thoughts suddenly halted at his question and her eyes shot up to his wide and frightened. He had heard me? She went pale and blushed at the same time. She strictly kept her singing to only the car or shower so no one would hear her. She didn't think she was very good, but it brought her joy and calmed her and that was all that had mattered to her. Mamoru smiled at her obvious embarrassment and loved how animated her facial expressions were. He smiled to himself thinking about how their conversations would be very entertaining and honest. He was sure that someone who showed their feelings through expressions so easily had nothing to hide. After his mental deduction of her personality, Mamoru had decided that he'd better leave before he became completely aware of the fact that Usagi was naked under that pink towel. "Ahem* "So, I'm going to leave now. Sorry, again."

Mamoru closed the door and walked back to the front of the Arcade. He sat down, had his coffee refilled, and drank it slowly in an attempt to wet the mouth that had gotten so dry the minute he saw Usagi in the locker room. He was hoping that the warm liquid would also calm his nerves. I've never felt this way before. I've never been so nervous and happy at the same time. What do I do? Mamoru looked down at his coffee and thought about how radically his life had changed in the last 6 hours.

Motoki watched his best friend's behavior with interest as he stared into his coffee mug. Is it possible that he actually likes the Odango? Motoki wasn't a fool like some thought. When Mamoru volunteered to take Usagi's clothes to her, he knew something was up. Mamoru didn't care about many people. Even within their group of friends he left them to fend for themselves. So, he gave the clothes to Mamoru and sent him to Usagi in hopes that he'd be able to further observe his theory. Motoki raised one of his eyebrows in the odd revelation and turned to continue working on the broken machine. If he likes her, I suppose it's no business of mine. She's a smart kid, just a little geeky. Honestly, I've come to see her as I do Unazuki. Wow. I do! I see her as a kid sister. Maybe that's why I'm so hard on her. "Hmm," Motoki mused aloud and then began to whistle. I think I'll be a little easier on her from now on. Motoki smiled. Especially since she's going to become my best friend's girlfriend.

Usagi had been standing in the same spot in the locker room since Mamoru left. She held her clean clothes tightly to her chest and smiled. He likes my singing. He didn't make a crude remark about my state. He's been so sweet today. I always thought he was a selfish, egotistical jock because he kept to himself. And now that I think about it, he hasn't dated anyone in our high school or given anyone the inclination that he liked them. He always stayed within his group of friends and did what was expected of him. Usagi's eyes sparkled in remembering how he had looked at her earlier. She hadn't seen anyone look at her like that before. Maybe Mamoru likes me…

Usagi smiled, got dressed, and headed out of the locker room to finish her shift.

Author's Note: This was a short chapter, I know. The next chapter will cover the "study session" Koan has planned on Saturday. I want to add and edit a few things from that so it may not be posted until tomorrow. These chapters are coming out of me fairly quickly though.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Having readers inspires me to write even more. :)