THE SWEETEST CUP OF COFFEE

The crisp sound of cutlery and plates along with the many inaudible conversations greeted Mamoru as soon as he walked past the crystal doors of the Crown Parlor. It was a Wednesday, and clearly, a very busy day; he stood there watching the waitresses coming and going from table to table taking orders, cleaning, and serving others with a very practiced patience and friendly attitude.

He stood there for a couple of minutes not sure what he was doing there, or, better said, why did he agree to be there in the first place. With a frown, Mamoru noticed there wasn't literally a single vacant chair for him to take and reconsidered his decision on coming since he wasn't too fond of being in crowded places.

He tightened his grip on the handle of his school bag and decided it was best if he better left this little outing for some other day when a red-haired girl approached him with a big smile on her face, "Hello! Welcome to the Crown Parlor!"

Mamoru looked at her and gave her a weak smile, "Hi,"

"Are you looking for someone in particular?"

"No, I am not meeting with anyone just..." He pursed his lips and looked around, "I was looking for a place for myself." He exhaled softly, "But I guess you're full?"

"We have seats available at the bar!" The girl, whom Mamoru guessed was probably around sixteen, gave him a kind smile as she poorly tried her best to hide the intense flush on her cheeks, "Though, it's a little secluded from the rest, sorry,"

"That's okay," Mamoru smiled with relief, "That's not a problem for me,"

"Alrighty! Come with me!"

The girl was wearing an orange dress with white stripes and a neon pink apron, making it impossible for Mamoru to lose sight of her as she led him to the end of the long wooden bar at the very back of the parlor. She handed him an oversized menu listing countless list of options, "Would you like something to drink while you decide on what to order?"

"Actually..." Mamoru put the menu aside and smiled at the girl, "I was told the coffee here was worth trying, so, I am just here to see if said hype is true."

The girl chuckled, "One cup of coffee right up—Oniisan! Coffee!"

Mamoru answered with a polite smile as he turned to put his bag on the empty stool next to him. He took another look around the busy parlor with curious eyes. He knew AzabuJuban was very hyped and popular but this was the first time he actually had taken the time to really experience what it's like to live in the area. He knew the snobbish places, the expensive ones; something that didn't reflect what he really cared about. He had to admit this was out of his comfort zone. For starters, he had coffee at home, he could just have gone back to his apartment and made himself a cup if he wanted to, yet, here he was.

The last couple of weeks had been a little too hectic for him. He was in the middle of his mid-exams, and while keeping his thieving adventures looking for a secret treasure; right now, going home was not an option for him. He wanted to relax a bit, but he still wasn't sure why coming to such a crowded place was the best idea to do it.

"Hey, you came!"

Mamoru turned to see a tall blonde man grinning at him and quickly recognized he was the same one working at the arcade. "O-Oh, hi—" Mamoru blinked a little ashamed for not remembering the guy's name. The blonde chuckled and leaned closer from the other side of the counter, "Furuhata Motoki,"

"Right! Right—Furuhata-san," Mamoru smiled, "My memory isn't the best... I'm sorry,"

"It's cool, don't worry about it," Motoki waved his hand, "I actually didn't get your name last time we spoke,"

"Well, I guess we're even then," the dark-haired answered with a light chuckle, "Chiba Mamoru,"

"Nice to meet you," Motoki chuckled, "So, Chiba-san, what can I get you?"

"Just a cup of coffee," Mamoru smiled, "You insisted so much the other day, I had to come and see if your claims are true,"

"What can I say? I recognize those who like to drink coffee as much as I do. You may call it a gift." Motoki said with a grin and turned to grab a white cup and put it in front of the dark-haired young man, "And we do serve pretty good coffee here. So, it's my duty to spread the word," Motoki arched his brow with a knowing smile, "I am guessing no decaf for you?"

"I don't consider decaf coffee, coffee, to be honest," Mamoru smiled.

"Yeah, I figured," Motoki chuckled with a nod, "Cream?"

"No,"

"Sugar?"

"No,"

"Milk?"

"No,"

"Black coffee."

"Straight up, black coffee."

"Wow!" Motoki smirked with interest, "You're serious about it then,"

Mamoru chuckled, "You can say that." He glanced down at the dark liquid filling his cup and then up at Motoki, "So, you work here too?"

Motoki nodded and put the hot coffee pitcher back in the coffee station. He leaned back on the counter, "My family owns this business, the arcade too." He replied with a smile, "I usually spend more time at the arcade but there are times we need extra hands around here, so I come and give my little sister and mom a hand at serving the bar from time to time. Waiting tables is not really my thing."

"Is it always this crowded?"

"Most of the time. It gained popularity quickly," Motoki smiled and nodded, "Which is good,"

Mamoru smiled as he took his cup to take his first sip, arching his brow right after, "Huh. You were not kidding when you said the coffee here is good."

"I told you," Motoki chuckled, "I am not joking around… Most of the time."

Mamoru chuckled, putting his cup down, "I admit it was strange to get invited for coffee so out of the blue. Not that I mind, because it's good coffee. But, we barely know each other."

"Well, for starters, you look like you're new in the neighborhood."

"Oh?"

"I was trying to bring more customers here,"

Mamoru arched both brows in awe and smiled, "I see what you did there… Smart move, Furuhata-san,"

Motoki laughed and eyed the half-empty mug, "More?"

With a nod, Mamoru pushed his cup toward Motoki, "Yes, thank you."

"You know, people come here because of our parfaits–they're famous around here. It's unusual to see someone coming just to drink black coffee," Motoki turned to grab the hot pitcher again and filled the cup, and put it back. "Which makes me guess even more that you're new here,"

"I am not much of a sweet tooth." Mamoru took another small sip, "But you're not mistaken. I moved here recently, about... Eight months ago or so? I think I am starting to lose count."

"Ah, I got a good eye," Motoki said with a grin, "May I ask, where did you use to live?" He served himself a cup of coffee as well and took a quick sip after concocting his perfect blend. Mamoru put his cup down, "Not too far—MotoAzabu,"

"And it looks like you go to a very exclusive school given that uniform you're wearing,"

"Ah… Yeah..." Mamoru took another sip of his coffee and frowned, "I assume you're not a high school student?"

"No, college student. I go to Tokyo U," Motoki smiled, "I just started Med School. Although, Between us two, that's not what my family was truly expecting me to do, because well, the family business and all,"

"I know what you mean, trust me." Mamoru pursed his lips, "I'm planning to apply for Med School next year too,"

"Really?! Oi! That's awesome!" Motoki widened his eyes with excitement, "Any university in mind?"

"Tokyo University too. They have the best profile for Medical School,"

"Yeah. It's tough, but it's ranked as one of the best worldwide," Motoki took a sip of his coffee, "It also has more options in case you want to move abroad and study a specialization. They have tight connections with other prestigious universities across the globe,"

Mamoru found it interesting to find someone with as much interest in the field as him. He nodded and smiled, "I am applying next year, so we'll see what happens."

"If you got into Moto Azabu, you can easily score an entrance at T.U." Motoki grinned, "But hey! If you have any questions about the entrance process, feel free to ask,"

"Thanks," Mamoru smiled, "I might take your word on it,"

"Of course," Motoki eyed him with a small grin, "I have to be honest, Chiba-san."

"Yes?"

"When I saw you at the arcade the other day, I didn't think you were into gaming. But I've seen you're friends with Usagi-chan, so that gave me the idea that I could reach out and invite you here too,"

"Who?" Mamoru frowned confused, Motoki arched his brow, "Usagi-chan,"

"Uh... I'm sorry, I don't think I am following." Mamoru shook his head and narrowed his blue eyes, "Are you sure you're talking to the right person?"

"I am pretty sure," Motoki laughed, "I've seen you two talking,"

"Uh..." Mamoru shook his head, "Wow. I am very confused right now."

"Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding!"

"I really don't know who you are talking about."

"Sure you do—long blonde hair, big clear blue eyes with super long lashes. She's quite petite but has a big personality. She wears two buns at the top of her head… " Motoki chuckled when he saw Mamoru's deep blue eyes widen with realization, "Ah see? You do know who I am talking about,"

"Miss Bun Head?" Mamoru frowned, surprised. "That's who you are referring to?"

"That's what you call her?"

"As I said, we're not acquainted," Mamoru gave Motoki a nod. "What did you say her name was?"

"Tsukino Usagi,"

"Oh, so there is a reason why she has buns on her head then. She's a bunny on the moon; I see..." Mamoru said with studied awe. Motoki chuckled and arched his brow, "Oh, so you really didn't know her name?"

"Didn't know until now. I don't know her, really." Mamoru took another sip of his coffee, "We've crossed paths a few times before, yes, but I wouldn't dare to say we're friends."

"Huh, that's interesting..."

"What is?"

"I thought you were,"

"Friends?"

"Yeah,"

"Why?"

"Because the few times I've seen you talking it looks like you two know each other very well. I can't really put it into words but there's always this shockwave going on between you two. You're always so... I don't know how to put it… Intense."

"Intense?" Mamoru chuckled, "Ah… Well, there might be another reason to justify that intensity you are talking about." Taking another sip of his coffee, Motoki was left wondering with genuine curiosity, "What do you mean?"

"I don't think she wants to be friends with me."

"Why not? " Motoki gave the dark-haired man a puzzled look, "You seem like a nice guy,"

Mamoru put his cup down, "Let's just say we started off on the wrong foot,"

"Really?"

"Yes,"

"Well, that's a first," Motoki bit his lower lip, "Usagi-chan is very friendly and approachable to everyone. She's a very nice girl."

"I don't blame her," Mamoru sighed softly, "To be honest, I don't think I would like to be friends with me,"

"Why?" Motoki channeled his brotherly side and narrowed his eyes at Mamoru, "Are you bad news?"

"More like the boring kind," Mamoru shrugged one shoulder carelessly, "I am kind of a loner, a nerd if you will… Among other reasons."

"I see. So there is more to that mysterious vibe you have going on," Motoki smiled with relief. Mamoru shrugged his shoulders and cracked a chuckle, "I'm not very social, as you can clearly see. You could attribute said mystery to that,"

"That's not a bad thing. You do you." Motoki leaned his arms on the counter ready to put his two cents on the matter and give Mamoru a brotherly piece of advice, "However, you could give Usa—"

"—Oniisan,"

The same red-haired girl that greeted Mamoru walked over to Motoki with a soft grin, "Dad wants to see you in his office. He's asking about the new merchandise for the arcade, and wants to know if it will arrive—" she turned to Mamoru and then back to Motoki and widened her eyes with surprise, "Oh, you two know each other?"

"Yeah," Motoki motioned his head at Mamoru with a grin, "This is Chiba Mamoru,"

"O-Oh, hi!" She smiled, leaning closer and bowing her head in the same friendly and carefree manner Motoki did a while ago; all while fighting the flush in her cheeks once again. "I'm Motoki's younger sister, Unazuki,"

Motoki sweatdropped, "You had to mention you were younger, didn't you?"

Unazuki laughed back, "Well duh, of course!"

Mamoru chuckled at the sibling's playful nature, "It's nice to meet you, Furuhata-san,"

"Likewise, but you can call me by my name. Unazuki is more than fine," The girl waved her hands with a giggle. Motoki grinned, "Yeah, there is no need to be so formal, we kind of like to keep things casual around here,"

"Noted," Mamoru smiled, turning to the red-haired girl, "Unazuki-san,"

Unazuki blushed, "You're new to this place, right? I have never seen you come here before."

"You could say I'm new, yes," Mamoru chuckled, "But you'll start seeing me coming by more often. The hype is real, your coffee is very good."

"Ah, that's great!" Unazuki grinned, "I'm sure my big brother had to do something with that hype you mention, huh?"

"Of course. It was a recommendation from one serious coffee drinker to another," Motoki turned to his sister with a sigh, "So, he wants to see me in his office?"

Unazuki replied with a nod and quickly distracted with a customer ready to pay; quickly dashing over to the cashier. Motoki sighed again, this time showing annoyance as he turned to Mamoru with an apologetic smile, "Ah, I'm sorry. I gotta go. But I hope to see you more often, you're more than welcome to come here for more coffee. On the house,"

Mamoru's eyes widened, "O-On the house? You're giving away your coffee to a stranger?"

"You're not a stranger," Motoki shrugged his shoulders, "Not to me. You're a nice guy,"

"I appreciate it. Thank you,"

"Hope we can talk soon," Motoki smiled, "It was nice to meet you, Mamoru-san,"

Mamoru gave his new friend a complicit side smile and took another sip of his black coffee, "It was nice meeting you too, Motoki-san,"

Motoki walked to the back door, leaving Mamoru alone with his refilled cup of coffee. He turned to mind his own business and coffee when a familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts, immediately stealing his attention.

He peered over his shoulder only to confirm his suspicions when he saw no other than Miss Bun Head talking to her friends as they took a seat in a booth in the corner.

Up until now, Mamoru hadn't really had the opportunity to appreciate the adorable mannerisms she did while talking with so much excitement to her group of friends. He thought about Motoki's description of the girl and came to the conclusion that any of them really did her true justice.

There was definitely something different about her that made her special and unique. She had a calming energy that him to feel completely drawn to her that went beyond her obvious beauty and her lovely her petite figure.

As he watched her listening to whatever stories her friends were telling, he could see she had a very sweet smile that made those sparkling blue eyes of hers stand out even more from behind those long dark lashes. Her cheeks had a lovely rosy flush, illuminating her immaculate porcelain skin. Then was her hair; that curious style that let streams of melted gold fall down with such rich luster.

Mamoru narrowed his deep blue eyes with careful study. Was it the way she moved? Her gestures? The way she expressed herself?

Miss Bunny on the Moon showed to be genuine with every gesture she gave away, and it was highly contagious. Her sweet voice and bubbly laughter made everyone around mirror pure joy.

Taking another sip of his coffee, Mamoru thought over the past few times they had run into each other, some by accident, others clearly intentional on both ends. It was inevitable, Mamoru closed his eyes, letting the dark liquid warm his throat; she was a magnet for his attention.

Motoki's way of describing her personality was totally on par with what he was seeing right now. She was carefree and sweet. She showed she cared about the people around her and boy, her laughter was contagious.

Smiling to himself, Mamoru peered over his shoulder to check something on his bag and caught her staring at him with the same smitten glance confirming she too had far noticed he was there.

-O.O.O.O.O-

From her seat by the window, Usagi was dealing with her own sack of emotions at the sight of the handsome stranger she had been running into, staring at her with the same intensity she knew she was staring at him.

It hadn't been long since she first saw him outside of the Osa-P jewelry store, but ever since she did, and no matter how much she tried to convince herself, Tsukino Usagi couldn't ignore the tremendous heart flips and butterflies fluttering in her chest every single time she saw him. His voice and the way he spoke didn't help either, not to mention those eyes peeking through his lustrous black hair.

There was too much for her to handle.

Every time she happened to cross paths with him, Usagi would always get oddly nervous and shy. Her heart would race in her chest as if pleaded with her to run away before she could cause an embarrassing scene; like the one with her failed test. Her mouth would never mutter the right words and her brain would literally freeze and get captivated by those eyes that always made her feel being pulled straight into La La Land.

Usagi knew he meant no harm; he had never shown signs of being rude, but her nerves would always end up betraying her and she would end up having the silliest of arguments with him for absurd reasons. She was sincere when she admitted she would like to get to know him but the more Usagi thought about it, the more she felt convinced there was no easy way to do so.

As of now, Usagi only knew the basics. His name was Chiba Mamoru, he was a second-year high-school student from a very respected school as Ami had later confirmed from the spotless uniform he sported every day.

She also knew he was very smart. So smart, Ami knew his academic scores ranked at the top of National listings, and also competed with those of other students from many private institutions around the country, Ami included. This little piece of information was enough to crush Usagi's confidence to feel normal when around him. She didn't feel less, but even she admitted it would be practically impossible to start a conversation with him given the kind of interests he probably had.

What could she say? Usagi was smart, but her interests didn't lean on trying to find the essence of being or solving the algorithm of a problem about a reckless train. She was a girl who liked to enjoy the art of shoujo manga, who sang to pop music, and who liked to dance in the middle of an empty aisle in a supermarket.

Usagi was a girl who liked to tell the silliest of jokes and spent her days drawing while eating sweet snacks. Daydreaming was her favorite hobby besides sleep. She didn't need to compete among Japan's brightest scores to know the handsome stranger she couldn't stop thinking about was the complete opposite of her.

She felt an astronomical space between them, but she couldn't deny she had harbored the heaviest of crushes she's ever had over someone. Not even Motoki could distract her; this was something else.

Oh, no. Her heart began to race in its usual reckless manner the second she got caught in the line of sight. Naru's conversation about the cool heroine that rescued her the other night now ws a complete blur. She felt something happening between them after that first glance that kept them entailed in a private exchange leaving her feeling all kinds of excited.

From time to time, Usagi would turn to continue her conversation with her friends and Mamoru would continue reading the book he had taken out of his bag only to go back to it and continue their little routine.

A few more glances and Usagi watched him put his book down and started talking to Unazuki. She admitted her heart felt like sinking, giving her the sense that they were closer than she thought. She couldn't help feeling a little crushed to think it all might have been in her imagination when he watched him go around the counter, his tall frame now getting lost behind the wall behind the counter.

There she was, back to square one. Definitely with nothing in common with him, and that's okay, Usagi concluded. That's a-o-kay…

Now feeling a little jealous, she turned to mind her own business, without sparing another glance when shortly after, she saw him grab his belongings and walk out of the parlor without a sign of anything. He was hard to read, and it triggered her curiosity to no end.

Putting her thoughts to rest she goes back to focusing on the conversation between Naru and Aiko—her other friend and classmate. She finished her ice cream shake and thought it was best to call it a day. She was just not in the mood to be out any more.

"Hey guys, I have to go home,"

"Eh? So soon?" Naru gave her a sad glance, "Didn't you want us to go to the arcade after this?"

"Yeah, I bet that super cute blonde is going to be there," Akiko said with a light blush on her cheeks. "Right?"

Usagi smiled. Motoki was indeed super cute; his looks were those of someone straight out of a teen drama. But as cute as he was, she didn't look at him with those eyes, not anymore. "Furu-chan?" She nodded, "Yeah… But given my super lame test results, it's better if I go home and try to chew on those math problems. There's also that English assignment I haven't even started yet. Plus, I don't want Umino snitching on my mom about our pop quizzes."

The girls broke in laughter, "Oh my! Yes! The same happened to me last month…"

"So rude." Usagi rolled her eyes.

"I can't wait for the Summer to be here,"

"Don't mention it, I can't wait for Summer break!"

Naru leaned her chin on her hand, "Well if you need help, call me. I'll be at the store helping my mom, but I'll be home after six."

"Sure thing, Naru-chan, thanks." Usagi waved at both girls and headed to the counter to find Unazuki to ask for her check.

"Hi, Unazuki-san!"

"Hey, Usagi-chan!" Unazuki treated her with the same endearment Motoki did, "How've you been?"

"Good, good! About to head home," Usagi smiled as she turned to grab her cute little pink wallet from her school bag, "You know before it gets too late,"

"You have a lot of homework to do, huh?"

"So much it should be considered a crime!"

"I know right? I have a pile waiting for me back home too, but it's been so busy today! I think I'll have to pull an all-nighter to try and catch up," Unazuki leaned on the counter with a sigh. "I'm super far behind… And I still have to study French,"

Usagi's eyes widened, "Ahh! つごいですね! You study French?!"

Unazuki laughed, "Oui!"

"Oh, that's so amazing!"

"I mean, I try to." Unazuki chuckled with embarrassment. "There's been so much work, I failed my last test. If I want to join a student exchange program in Paris, I need to get better at it."

"Why not ask Furu-chan for help?"

"He tried. He failed. He couldn't understand enough to teach me," She laughed, "But poor thing, he's busy too. Between work and his studies at uni, he barely has time to be at home," Unazuki smiled, "But luckily I found myself a new tutor! Isn't it amazing when you randomly find something you've been looking for forever?"

Usagi giggled, "It is…"

"And he's younger than me! Maybe you saw him? He was just here for a cup of coffee. His name is Chiba Mamoru,"

Usagi's eyes rounded twice in size, "E-Eh?"

"The high school guy that was sitting at the bar! I didn't know he knew Oniisan. But he stopped by to have coffee with him. Just now I came from the storage room practicing my French for the test when he suddenly responded to me!" She covered her face, "And even corrected my baffling spelling mistakes,"

"O-Oh…" Usagi blinked, "That's why…" She breathed.

Unaziki didn't seem to have heard Usagi's words of realization and laughed it off, "Anyways, he offered to tutor me for the test–he even took my textbook to take a peek at what they're teaching me so he can better understand where I get lost and make my mistakes. He'll be stopping by during my lunch break to tutor me," She grinned, excited, "Isn't it amazing!? I was so sad because I wasn't going to be able to make it to midterms, but this gives me so much hope!"

Usagi felt weak in the knees. He was going to tutor her. The guy also knew French. Of course, he did. She scoffed at her own thoughts. What else he knew? …Greek?

Unazuki blushed, "Omg. I got caught up in the moment. Tell me, Usagi-chan, what can I do for you?"

With a big laugh, Usagi waved her hand for her friend not to care. "No problem! I am going home before my friends. I just wanted to ask you if you could split the check and charge me just for my stuff?"

"Your check?" Unazuki blinked for a second and beamed at Usagi with a wide smile, "Oh! No! Don't worry about it!"

"H-Huh? What do you mean?" Usagi stood there completely confused in front of a very happy Unazuki. She was so much like Motoki in that sense.

"Seriously, it's okay, Usagi-chan!" Unazuki waved her hand, casually. "You tab's been taken care of,"

"W-Wait, what?" Usagi shook her head, "B-But how?"

"Mamoru-san paid for it. Super handsome guy. We got too into our tutoring schedule, he was running late for something at school. But he asked me to add your order to his tab before he left,"

Usagi felt her knees buckling again, "O-Oh…"

Unazuki nudged the blonde's arm, "Oi Usagi-chan! I didn't know you were friends with him too!"

"T-Too?"

"Oniisan seems to enjoy talking to him. It turned out he's also super into coffee so he felt like finally, he met his coffee pal; I don't like coffee." Unazuki smiled, "In all seriousness, if Oniisan says he's a pretty nice person, is because he is; he doesn't trust easily. I could see they were getting along quite well. He also mentioned you too had run into each other a few times?"

"Y-Yeah..." Usagi blushed crimson red. Her heart felt like it had skyrocketed to the stratosphere. She just couldn't believe it. "B-But… I…"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Unazuki went back behind the wall and came back with a cute white cardboard box and handed it to a five-layer-embarrassed Usagi. "He also asked me the favor to give you this before you left,"

Unazuki grinned, "Looks like he's trying to tell you something,"

Usagi walked out of the parlor holding the small box with the most care, completely in a state of awe at Chiba Mamoru's unexpected attention to detail. She felt her legs could give in any minute and quickly took a seat to wait for the next bus close to home.

She sat with a lost stare for who knows how long, Usagi wasn't really thinking straight. Her theories about him didn't match. Her algorithms didn't come out right, this wasn't happening. This was most likely coming out of her imagination, or a joke.

"Usagi…" She mumbled to herself, "Are you dreaming again? You silly Bunny."

She was about to give herself a pat on the cheek when she remembered the small box in her hands. She glanced down to find out that in fact, it did happen.

It took her another whole minute for it to finally sink in and glanced down to pay notice to the design painted on the slice of cake. Her pale blue eyes narrowed, "Wait…" She brought the box up to her face and realized the frosting had a funny shape that resembled the shape of what appeared to be a bunny drawn with white royal icing and filled with sprinkles in the shape of tiny stars. And for what it looked like, it appeared to have been drawn on the spot.

"No way…!" She whispered, awed.

She was too immersed in the details, she almost missed there was something else sticking out from the slit of the box. Her heart stopped. With a shaky hand, Usagi pulled out the note with serious care and felt her cheeks burning and her heart doing its flips back and forth in her chest. She seriously needed to learn how to control it.

With perfect handwriting, there it was; the sign Usagi needed to know there wasn't that much of a distance standing in between. She beamed with glee, realizing she just made a new friend.

はじめまして、月野うさぎです。

"A pleasure to meet you, Tsukino Usagi."

A/N: I do not own SM, just this plot and some of the characters.