19. Liar
Sailor Raspberry
650 Words

The doctor hooked the final wire up to his forehead, before he stepped back and examined the bulky machine that sat in the middle of an aluminum table.

He looked down at the clipboard, eyes hidden behind thick bifocals. "Chiba Mamoru, correct?"

"Yes, Dr." Mamoru tapped his fingers against his thigh and looked around the room. The walls were bare, save for a single mirror and a door to its immediate right. A single lamp rested low on the ceiling, swaying. He moistened his lips.

The doctor sat down in the chair across from him and switched on the machine. A slow, steady beeping filled the air. "Mamoru-kun, you agreed the take this test for us, and you are aware of its side effects, am I wrong?"

"No, Dr."

"Perfect." He adjusted his glasses, and pulled his clipboard closer. "I am going to ask you a variety of questions, and it is best that you answer as honestly as you are capable."

Mamoru nodded and gave a quick look at the machine, before refocusing his gaze ahead of him.

"Your favorite flower is the rose?"

"Yes."

The machine's beeping remained as is.

"You're studying in the medical field at K-University?"

"Yes."

"You attend the Crown Arcade every afternoon for a cup of coffee, black?"

"Yes..." Mamoru shifted awkwardly, palms sweating. He wiped them on his slacks.

"Is it true that you tease a young lady, by the name of Tsukino Usagi, mercilessly?"

Mamoru furrowed a brow, lifted a clammy hand to wipe his forehead.

"Answer the question, Mamoru-kun."

"I wouldn't call it teasing, per say..."

The machine's beeping picked up, shrill and loud and echoing against the walls.

"Okay, maybe I do. But I don't understand..."

The doctor held up a calloused hand, and the beeping died down. "Is it true that you consistently bump into said Tsukino Usagi on the streets purposely, just so you can have the chance to see her?

Mamoru coughed, felt his heart skip a beat. "Excuse me?"

"Answer the question, Mr. Chiba."

"I find it irrelevant that you-"

"Mr. Chiba."

"No. I don't."

The machine's beeping increased tempo, matching the speed of his heart. The doctor's brow arched.

His tongue felt unbearably thick in his mouth. "I think your machine is broken."

The doctor ignored him. "Is it true that you've developed an attraction for this young woman throughout these past few months that you have known her?"

Mamoru's body felt hot and gangly, the lamp's light itching at his skin. "Is that appropriate, doctor?"

"Answer the question, please."

"No. I don't have an attraction to her."

Again, the machine picked up, and Mamoru's eyes grew wide. "This is absurd! I do not have an attraction to her! She's nothing but an obnoxious school girl who-"

The machine's beeping eventually drowned out his complaints, and just when he was going to rip the wires from his wrists, the door swung open.

Mamoru jerked around in his seat, jaw slack.

Usagi strode into the room, hair golden and eyes bright. The familiar teasing, "Mamoru, you jerk!" resounded off the walls.

She stopped when she was in front of him, and bent down so she was at eye level. "Why didn't you tell me you liked me, you little liar?" She bopped him on the nose, smirking.

"I... I..." He stammered mindlessly, watching as her fingers fell to his jaw bone. His throat went dry.

She giggled, slid the hand to his neck. "I wish you would have." And then, she bent close, and brushed a kiss against his lips.

Mamoru jerked awake, a fine sheen of sweat coating his neck, blankets in a heap at his feet, lips tingling, the dream still fresh.

Standing up, he walked over to the window and gazed up at the silver moon.

Usagi's words echoed in his mind.

"Why didn't you tell me you liked me, you little liar?"