"You look really cute today, Odango Atama," remarked Mamoru as he dropped onto the park bench beside Usagi, wiping sweat from his forehead with a swipe of his purple-banded wrist.
"Quit teasing me, baka, and get lost. You're dripping sweat on me." Usagi inched away from the spot the glistening body occupied on the bench.
"I'm not joking, Odango," Mamoru tried again. "You really look cute today; it's your hair."
"All right, suppose I believe you," Usagi began harshly, pointing a finger at Mamoru's moist nose. "Why are you in such a good mood?"
Mamoru laughed, deep and rich, shaking his head slowly. His face spread into a wide smile as he answered. "Why not be happy, Odango? It's a beautiful, sunny spring day: warm but not hot. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and you, my dear, have a beautiful new clip in your lovely hair."
Usagi shook her head in disgust at Mamoru's answer. "Now I know you're joking, baka! And I don't appreciate it! First off, when have you ever called me "dear"? And secondly, I am not wearing a hair clip. I haven worn hair clips in ages. I wear Odango. O-dan-go!"
Mamoru could only laugh at Usagi's tirade. Her intense reactions definitely made teasing her worth his while, but this time he was completely serious. With a sigh, he set in again to try to convince her. "Look Usagi, I'm not joking. Don't you have a mirror in your purse or something? I swear to you, there's a big jeweled green dragonfly clipped just in front of your Odango."
When he pointed at the spot, Usagi defiantly reached her hand up to pat the top of her head, ending Mamoru's joke once and for all. But Usagi shrieked when her hand met something large and very un-odango shaped. There really was a dragonfly on her head: a live one! As she pulled her hand back reflexively, a large emerald green dragonfly flew away, and Usagi flew into Mamoru's arms.
A moment later, when Usagi had calmed a little, she pushed harshly away from Mamoru. "I," she began awkwardly and began to back away from him. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you," she called over her shoulder as she broke into a full run.
O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
"Usagi, is that you?" Tsukino Ikuko's voice rang out from the depths of the house as Usagi returned home hours later.
"Yeah Mom, it's me," she returned as she unlaced her shoes.
"Sweety, there's a package on the entry table for you. A nice young man brought it by about an hour ago."
"A package?" Usagi mused, eying the tiny bundle from her place on the step. With a stretch, she was able to reach the paper-wrapped parcel, turning it over in her hands repeatedly. The simple brown paper gave no indication of its contents and Usagi was quick to rip into the mysterious bundle. As the paper tore, a small metal object fell heavily into her lap and was followed by a fluttering slip of white paper.
Usagi reached for the note first, reading the brief message: "I still think it looked beautiful on you—Dear." Usagi's cheeks burned as she reached into her lap to discover an exquisitely jeweled silver dragonfly hair clip.