The moment the girl said that she was Chad's wife, Rei's eyes widened in shock and she dropped the broom on to the ground. It made an echoing noise when the bamboo hit the stone pavement. "You're…..his…..wife?" Rei stuttered.
"Yes…that's correct. Umm, are you alright, sweetheart?" The older girl asked, concerned by Rei's strange reaction. "Are you feeling okay?"
Rei then grabbed her stomach and started to laugh uncontrollably, as she tried to keep herself from falling back. She was laughing so hard that it almost hurt. "You….you're…..Chad's…wife….haha…hah! That's…hilarious!" Rei laughed out. It was so funny that she almost had tears in her eyes. She wondered if this was some sort of weird practical joke Chad was playing. It didn't make a lot of sense but it sure was hysterical.
"Umm, did I say something funny?" The girl asked. She was very confused by Rei's behavior and was starting to wonder if this girl was right in the brain. "This is very important; I need to see Yuuichirou right now. So please, take me to him."
Rei stopped laughing and looked up at this strange girl. She seemed dead serious. Maybe she was just a good actor, but Rei followed along. Rei nodded and said, "Alright then, I'll take you to…'Yuuichirou'."
Rei led the girl in to the shrine and looked around for a moment before she found Chad and her grandfather. She found them in the main temple. "Hey Chad, you have a visitor, a lady who is asking to see you. She says she's your….heh….wife." Rei said, she couldn't even say it with a straight face. She didn't know what was going but it was funny.
The girl had been walking behind Rei, and when she saw Chad her eyes lit up and she threw her hands up in the air. "Yuuichirou! Darling! Where have you been!?" The girl called out enthusiastically and then ran up to Chad. She threw her arms tightly around his neck.
"K-Kasumi!? What are you doing here?" Chad asked in shock as the girl appeared and ran up to him, hanging on to him without warning.
Rei's eyebrows furrowed a bit and she crossed her arms as she watched the sight in front of her. This had now officially stopped being funny. Rei's grandfather's reaction though was just a tad bit different. He saw the gorgeous young woman walk in and his pervy instincts couldn't help but take over. He grinned playfully and looked the young woman up and down for a bit. "Well now! What's a pretty young thing like you want with my bumbling apprentice, here?"
"Like I said, Yuuichirou here is my husband." Kasumi said happily, a big smile spread across his face.
"Kasumi, what are you talking about? You're not my wife!" Chad said, his face blushing red.
Rei's ears perked up and she looked straight up when she heard this. She knew what the girl was saying was a load of bull, it was all a lie. Rei didn't know why, but she felt relieved.
"Sounds to me like you two have some history together. Why don't we all go in to our living room and you can explain the whole thing." Rei's grandfather said eagerly and took the girl's hand and led her in to their home. Rei soon found herself sitting in their home on the floor at their living room table. Rei was across from Chad and his 'wife', who was sitting as close as possible to him. Rei's grandfather was sitting on the side closest to Kasumi.
"First off, I just wanted to thank you both for looking out for my sweet Yuuichirou here. I know he can be a lot to handle, heh." Kasumi started.
"Yeah yeah, so are you two really married or what? Because I don't see either of you wearing rings." Rei asked. she had quickly become annoyed with the entire situation at hand. She couldn't believe that Chad was possibly married this entire time and hadn't told them.
"Oh yes, I'm sorry about that. It's just a habit of mine. You see, we're not married…yet. But we might as well be. We've been engaged for years now. You see, Yuuichirou and I have been the best of friends ever since we were small children." Kasumi began and then paused to run her hand over Chad's stubble a little then continued, "Despite his…rugged appearance, Yuuichirou here actually comes from a very wealthy and prosperous family; and so do I. Our families have been great friends for generations, and so they decided when we were both young that the two of us shall be happily married. I'm so sorry to say, but I'm afraid that I have come to take him back with me. I do so hope you two will wish us all the love in the world."
As Rei listened to the story, under the table her hand that sat on her lap started to clinch, and her fingers curled in to the fabric of her skirt tightly. "You don't say….so you're Chad's best friend?" Rei asked. There was a hint of doubt in her voice.
Kasumi smiled and nodded then replied, "Oh yes, of course! We used to do absolutely everything together. We even bathed together as children."
"Gee….that's just great. I'm so glad you shared that with us." Rei said sarcastically. Her eyes locked on Chad.
"Kasumi! You didn't need to tell them that kind of stuff." Chad said, embarrassed.
"That's nice, that's very nice. Don't you mind them." Rei's grandfather said with a bit smile. He had a bit of drool leaking out from the edge of his mouth.
Chad sighed a little, his bangs covering his eyes like always. Rei wondered what kind of look he had in his eyes at that moment. The young man looked over to his betrothed and said, "But Kasumi. It isn't time for me to leave yet and I still have plenty of time. Plus I can't leave Rei and Sensei right now. I've made a commitment to them and this shrine. It'd be wrong of me to take off like this, just out of nowhere. Now please, go back and explain the situation to my parents. There's still much I have to do. Tell them I'll be back once I'm done, and not sooner."
Before Kasumi had a chance to reply, there was a knock on the door. "Oh, that must be the others." Rei said and quickly jumped to her feet. She then headed to the door to open it. Talk about perfect timing, Rei was hoping for an excuse to get out that room. She opened the door and led the other four sailor scouts in, along with the cats. Everyone said hello and Rei welcomed them in, but then quickly guided them in to her room without explanation. When they reached her room, Rei sat down near the door which she kept cracked open. She kept peeking her head out the door to try to listen in to what was being said in the other room.
The scouts watched Rei's strange behavior with curiosity and interest. "Rei? What's going on?" Usagi asked.
"Shh, keep it down. I can't hear what they're saying." Rei said, waving her hand. They weren't saying anything at the moment it seemed and Usagi wouldn't shut up. Rei sighed and quickly gave the other sailor scouts and update on what was going on.
Minako peeked her head out with Rei, taking a look at the new girl and said, "Wow, she's really pretty."
"I hadn't noticed." Rei said bitterly. Rei knew it was true. Kasumi was a gorgeous girl who most guys would only dream about.
Usagi grinned a little and elbowed Rei playfully, then asked, "Hm, a new girl is moving in on your boyfriend, huh? What are you going to do about it, Rei?"
"Will you shut up!" Rei exclaimed angrily right in Usagi's face. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Chad is not my boyfriend and there is absolutely nothing going on between the two of us. It's just…."
"Just what?" Mako asked.
"It's just that…well ever since that girl showed up, Chad hasn't seemed very happy for two people who are supposed to be such good friends. In fact, I think something is really bothering him." Rei explained, "Now let me listen."
Rei closed her eyes and focused on trying to overhear the conversation again. She could only hear Chad and the new girl, so she guessed that her grandfather had given them some privacy. She heard the girl talking, "There's absolutely nothing I can do about it, Yuuichirou. Your parents were very specific; they demand that you come back with me now. They tried to give you time do this whole 'finding yourself' thing and wanting to better yourself. But they've decided to no longer humor you anymore, Yuuichiro."
"I keep trying to tell you, I can't leave. I just can't. Rei and Sensei took me in and let me stay here. They're good people and I have to repay their kindness." Chad insisted.
"Your parents don't believe that there is anything at all for you to gain by working in this old shrine. They had enough of you avoiding your family obligations, your destiny. They're ready for you to step up and take your part in the family's business. Plus they, I, and everyone else are all missing you. They don't mean to be harsh, but they told me to let you know something very important. If you refuse to come back soon then they're going to disown you, their only son, forever." Kasumi told him gravely.
"An ultimatum huh? Sounds just like them." Chad commented. Rei felt her heart sink after hearing all of that. It sounded like Chad was in a really difficult predicament. His parents sounded just like her father.
Luna chirped in quickly before things went further to try to get the scouts back on track with their business. It seemed that over the past several nights, there were men being found around the city who seemed to have had all the energy drained out of them. Luna and Artemis were sure it was the work of a youma and the scouts needed to track it down before it attacked again.
Rei listened to everything that was said between the scouts but kept her focus on trying to listen in to Chad and his fiancé. It turned out that the girl had talked Chad in to going out to a fancy restaurant with her that night, to try to convince him to go back with her and leave the shrine. Rei's eyes narrowed when she heard this. She quickly made up her mind that she needed to go along as well and keep tabs on what was going on. There was only one problem; she had heard of the restaurant they had mentioned and Rei knew it was reserved for couples only. She wouldn't be able to get in by herself. But that was alright; Rei knew exactly what to do. "Usagi, get a dress from your house. We're going out tonight."
"Rei! We know you're feeling down right now but I don't think a drastic life change is really the best way to handle things." Minako said.
"That not it!" Rei said, rolling her eyes. "Tonight those two are going out to a restaurant and they only let people in pairs in. So I need a date."
"You could always ask Mamoru to go with you." Ami suggested.
"No! No deal! Not happening!" Usagi protested quickly.
"I'm actually with Usagi on that. I'd rather not have to try to explain being there with a guy, if I get caught." Rei told them.
"So you'd prefer to be caught with another girl?" Usagi asked.
"Look, if you go along then I'll pay for your meal, Usagi. So are you going to help me out or not?" Rei asked, starting to get a little desperate.
Usagi looked at Rei suspicious for a moment then asked, "I can get whatever I want, right?"
"…The way you eat? …It might take all my savings but, fine!" Rei replied.
"Hehe, you don't have to be rude." Usagi said with a small grin on her face. Usagi would be lying if she said she didn't find this whole thing a little amusing. She loved to tease Rei about her little crush on Chad, even if she'd never really admit to it. Actually, maybe it was because she'd never admit to it that it was so much fun.
Luna tried to protest and explain that they needed the two of them to help try to find the youma that had appeared but Rei wouldn't hear anything of it. Much to Luna's despair, the other scouts backed Rei on the decision. Artemis then reasoned with Luna that they still had three scouts, and that if they needed Rei and Usage, then they would know where to find them. Eventually Luna gave in and the scouts headed home about an hour later. Usagi stayed around at Rei's house; she planned to use her magic pen to create a dress.
The two girls had to wait for Chad to leave so that they could sneak out and follow along. While they waited, Rei walked through the hall once Chad's fiancé left. She noticed Chad standing in his room in front of a mirror, trying to get ready. He was wearing a beige shirt with a dark sports coat and matching pants. Rei laughed a little as she watched him continue to struggle with the tie around his neck. Of course his hair was still as disheveled as always, and he still had the stubble on his face. Chad heard her laugh and looked over to the door. He smiled a little and said, "Oh, hey Rei."
"Is that how you're going to go on your date? You look like such a mess." Rei told him, sticking her tongue out at him, playfully.
"Oh uhh, you heard about that huh? I'm just not very good at these sorts of things." He explained as she continued to try his best to tie the necktie, never even getting close.
"Here, let me help." Rei said and walked in to the room towards him. She made him face her as she reached up with both of her hands and began to fix his tie. In a few seconds the tie was done perfectly in a beautiful knot, and Rei was adjusting it around his collar. All the while, she couldn't help but wonder why she was helping to make him look better for going out on this date. She hadn't known that girl for very long, but Rei already didn't seem to like her. So why bother making Chad look better for her sake? No, it wasn't for her sake. She was doing it to help Chad.
"Whoa! You're really good at this." Chad complimented, very surprised that she knew how to do it.
"Well my father has to wear a lot of formal stuff like this….My mom used to have to help him sometimes too. So that's where I learned." Rei explained. She really didn't want to think about her parents at the moment though, so she changed the subject. "So you're telling me that you come from a rich family, and no one ever taught you this?" she teased.
"Heh, well they tried to. But like I said, I'm just not good at these sorts of things." Chad told her honestly.
"I see, well you need to get finished. At least shave and do something with your hair so that it's not in your eyes." Rei instructed as she finished setting his tie in to place. She then reached up and pushed his bangs out of his eyes. She couldn't help but blush a little and look away when she caught sight of his big brown eyes staring down at her. His eyes were always hidden away, but they were beautiful. "Your eyes are really pretty, you know…So, you should show them more often, and not hide them behind these bangs."
Chad blushed shyly and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh heh, you really think so?" He asked. Rei nodded and grabbed a small comb that was sitting on a nearby table, and then handed it to him. Chad nodded and started to comb out his hair a bit. There was a small silence between the two of them before he said, "By the way, I really wanted to apologize for Kasumi. They way that she just showed up out of nowhere and made a big commotion; that wasn't fair to you and your grandfather. I had no idea she was coming."
"Don't worry about it, really. Like you said, you couldn't have known." Rei replied then added, "So….are you excited? You're going out with a beautiful girl who is obviously crazy about you. Sounds like you two have a lot of catching up to do."
Chad remained silent his eyes looked away for a bit as he replied, "Uh, I'm not really sure. This was really out of the blue." He then finished combing his hair, and started to trim his facial hair with an electric razor. He looked at himself in the mirror and Rei noticed he had a strange look on his face. It was as if he didn't like what he saw.
"Is something wrong, Chad?" Rei asked, tilting her head a little to the side.
Chad brushed his finger over his face for a moment, the lack of stubble feeling foreign to him. He looked over to Rei. Wanting her opinion, he asked, "Well you tell me? It feels really weird, but do I look alright?"
Rei looked him up and down for a moment then smiled. "Yeah, pretty as a picture." Rei told him. She was amazed by how different he looked than usual. He looked so strong and his long hair made him look wild. Yet he also looked gentle and noble at the same time.
"Oh really? Heh, thanks a lot for your help, Rei. I must look pretty good if you think so." Chad said, thanking her. "Oh yeah, you wanted to talk about something earlier, right? So what's up?"
Rei suddenly remembered the way she had acted earlier that morning and started to feel guilty again. She looked down at her feet for a moment, then back at him and said, "Oh yeah, about that. I just wanted to apologize for the way I snapped at you this morning. You were just trying to help me after I had been forgetful. It was nice, and I didn't even thank you. So thank you, Chad. And I'm sorry."
Chad just smiled a little and said, "Oh that? It's not a big deal, so don't worry about it. Well, I think it's time for me to get going."
Rei watched Chad head for the door and nodded, watching him leave. As he reached the doorway, Rei called out, "Have a good time, okay?"
Chad looked back at her and smiled a little then replied, "That'll be pretty hard, but I'll try my best. Since you asked me to."
Alright, that's a good place to stop for now. This chapter went longer than I meant for it to. I thought of having Usagi watch the whole last part and comically crying big faucets of tears but it would have killed the mood. Anyways it's the last day of spring break so I don't know when I'll be able to update. Thank you very much for reading, and leave a comment or review if you want. ^.^ I'll be back...eventually.