Author Note: You ever watch a television series and feel like an episode is more of a filler to get from one part of the story to another but some setup needs to happen? Well, that's how I feel about this chapter but I hope it holds you over =P::: I thought about splitting it into two chapters, but since the events are almost happening at the same time, I figured it would make sense just to keep them together. Perhaps once Chapter 29 is done I might rearrange, not sure...have to write Chapter 29 first ;)
Qipao= [Mandarin Chinese] A body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women, also known as a 'cheongsam'.
Hakken = [Japanese] discovery
Awa = [Japanese] foam
I don't own Sailor Moon, Mai-HiME, any brand names, or any songs and have tried to the best of my ability to site my references.
Takeuchi, N. (1991). Sailor Moon. Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha Ltd.
Obara, M. (2004). Mai-HiME. Suginami, Tokyo, Japan: Sunrise Inc.
Alexander, J. and Steinberg, B. (2012). Give Your Heart A Break [Recorded by Demi Lovato]. On Unbroken [CD], Burbank, California: Hollywood Records.
Caillat, C., Fagan, T., and Reeves, J. (2009). Out Of My Mind [Recorded by Colbie Caillat]. On Breakthrough – Deluxe Edition [CD], Santa Monica, California: Universal Republic Records.
Mercedes-Benz is a division of, and belongs to, the Daimler AG Corporation (cited June, 2015). The brand is used merely as a descriptor for this fiction piece.
The 'Okage Foundation' that appears in this work is fictitious. Any resemblance to real businesses, existing or defunct, is purely coincidental.
Chapter 28:
- On Sunday, you went home alone. There were tears in your eyes. I called your cell phone, my love, but you did not reply. -
The sound of a popular pop song filled the cabin of a certain black Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard but didn't reach the ears of a certain raven-haired archer who was staring out the window at the passing cityscape.
Rei was wearing red heels and a flattering, red, short-sleeved qipao that went down to her shins and had a slit that came up just past her knees. Gold embroidery accented her dress and danced in the setting light that shined through the car window as they drove to the gala.
She turned her attention away from the window for a moment to pull her phone from her purse and flip it open: No messages. She sighed dejectedly as she shut her phone and tossed it casually back into her purse to return her rare, amethyst gaze out the window.
She had stayed with Haruka and Michiru after Natsuki's track lessons to help with last-minute logistics for the gala and decided not to disturb Minako by texting her so late at night regarding her plans for today. Instead, she texted the gorgeous blonde in the late morning, knowing how much Minako liked to sleep-in, to let her know that she would only be available before the evening to hang out as she would be going to the Okage Foundation gala as a favor to her unofficial mentee.
At first, she thought Minako had just not gotten the mesage yet. She tried to keep herself busy by running errands, going to the gym, and cleaning her place. As the day went on to the early afternoon, Rei started to get a little anxious. She decided to call, but was only met by Minako's bubbly voice message.
Well, Minako did mention that she would be hanging out with her sister and friends until all hours of the night. Perhaps they stayed up for quite some time and she was exhausted and resting for the day?
Yeah, that was probably what happened,Rei tried to convince herself.
She continued to keep herself occupied with miscellaneous tasks, showered, and got ready for the evening event. Nobuo picked her up and they were currently on their way to the gala. It was now 6:45pm and the archer still hadn't heard from the woman who was now consuming her every restless thought.
What if there was something wrong with Minako's phone and she didn't get her text? What if she was upset because she thought Rei blew her off? She couldn't bear the thought of hurting or disappointing Minako. Or worse…what if something happened to Minako? What if she was hurt somewhere and couldn't call for help?
To some extent, Rei knew that these thoughts were silly…but it was also unlike Minako to not contact her back. This fact continued to lead her thoughts down a trail she was too afraid to let her heart entertain: What if Minako did got her message and just…chose to ignore it? What if she had taken the time away from Rei to think about what happened the other night and it scared her enough to make her…want to avoid Rei? In Minako's fragile, emotional state, what if this way her way of…running?
Rei reluctantly turned back to her purse, pulled her phone out, and flipped it open for the umpteenth time: Still no messages or calls. She sighed longingly, Where are you, Mina?
She shook her head abruptly, shut the phone loudly, and stuffed it back into her purse. Kami-sama…what's wrong with me?, Rei thought to herself as she sighed hopelessly. Having grown up learning meditation and martial arts from her grandpa, self-discipline was a principle she lived by…that is until she met a certain gorgeous blonde who turned her world upside-down. She always saw addictions such as alcoholism or drug-use as a sign of weakness…she never knew it was possible to become addicited to someone rather than something, How can someone affect me this much? How can I…need someone so much?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a strong and heavy sensation coming from the front of the car. She sighed in frustration, Damn Nobuo-san and his attention to detail! He must have noticed me checking my phone this whole time. She sometimes wondered if her bodyguard harbored secret abilities of his own. She cleared her throat and sat up straighter,
"Don't worry, Nobuo-san," she said, attempting to insert a confidence in her voice she didn't feel she had, "I'm-
"I know, Rei-sama," Nobuo replied knowingly as he kept his eyes on the road, "You're fine. You always are."
Rei smirked as she turned to the window again. They continued to drive in silence, save the music that continued to play from the radio.
Nobuo looked briefly in the rearview mirror at his young charge with concern before returning his gaze to the road. He always found it uncanny how she always seemed to know how he was feeling.
He knew something was up, could see the worry in her face every time she looked to her phone. But he also knew it wasn't his place to pry. He could see she didn't want him to either, wanting to deal with whatever it was on her own, in her own way. Rei could be stubborn when it came to people worrying about her.
Though she appeared standoff-ish with most of the world, underneath that façade was a caring, loyal, and loving person. She was more emotionally mature than most people he knew twice her age and had no problems with wearing her heart on her sleeve when it came to those she considered important to her, almost as if she feared if she didn't let them know how much she cared about them, she may not get another chance. He often wondered if it was because she lost her mother at such a young age.
Yes, they did have an understanding. Once Rei finally came around to trusting him, not many words were needed between them. Though Nobuo had a duty to protect her as an employee of her father's company, he mostly treated her like an equal, respected her privacy, and gave her the space to just be without judgement. He knew if she needed him, she would come to him. She always had. They were quite similar actually: deeply loyal, stubborn, focused, independent, determined, with a fiery strength of character, and showing unwavering devotion and care towards those closest to them. Perhaps that's why they got along so well.
The only difference was Rei was colder in some ways. He knew she had to be, was made to be, given her social position. If Nobuo ever had a daughter, he hoped she would be like Rei. If he ever had a sister, he imagined she would be someone similar to Rei. Since he was contently single and an only child, he saw Rei as such. Nothing more, nothing less.
I wish there was something I could do for you, Rei-sama,Nobuo thought as he sighed quietly to himself.
Thanks, Nobuo-san,Rei thought to herself. She could sense Concern and Worry in his aura but knew he wouldn't ask. She always appreciated that he knew exactly how to deal with her and allowed her to be comfortable just…being. If she needed him, she knew she could turn to him. She always had. Sometimes, she wished Nobuo was her father or even her older brother. Since he was neither, she saw him as a dear and trusted friend. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Hey, Nobuo-san?," Rei said after a moment as a thought came to her. Nobuo looked up at her through the rearview mirror curiously, "Have you ever been in love?"
Nobuo's chocolate-eyes turned serious, "Once, Rei-sama," he said quietly, "a very long time ago." He turned his gaze towards the road and continued driving.
"Mmn," Rei replied. She could tell from his white aura that he didn't want to get into it. She turned to look out the window again, "I think…I think I've fallen in love with Mina."
Nobuo casually looked up at his young charge again as she sighed, "But she…she's so…she can't…"
Rei sighed again, allowing the sentence to be left unsaid. She turned and hung her head slightly, her intense lavenders staring down at her hands in her lap, "I guess I'm just worried. I haven't heard from her since I last saw her yesterday morning. She's usually really good about getting back to me."
Nobuo's eyes turned to concern before he returned them to look towards the road "Aino-san seems to care about you a lot from what I could tell," he said comfortingly as he took a right down a busy street, "Perhaps something came up."
"I thought about that, too," Rei said, her voice filled with concern. She shook her head slightly, "I don't know…I'm just being silly."
Nobuo looked up at his young charge. As his kind gaze took in the image of how distraught Rei was, he made a decision right then, "Rei-sama, it's my duty to use any and all means within my power to protect you and keep you safe from harm." He returned his eyes to the road as a smirk came to his lips, "If that means taking on another charge to ensure the safety of your peace of mind and emotional well-being…then so be it."
Rei's rare, violet eyes looked back towards her bodyguard with astonishment as she began to comprehend what her bodyguard was saying, "W-What? N-No, Nobuo-san, it's ok. You don't have to-,"
"I'll report back once I have information, it shouldn't take long," Nobuo said confidently, his dark-brown eyes reflecting determination. He pulled into a u-shaped driveway up to the entrance of a lavish, event hall. The name 'Hakken' was printed in large, gold letters on the side of the building.
Once Nobuo brought the car to a stop, he went around and opened the door for his young charge. As Rei gracefully stepped out of the vehicle, she shook her head hopelessly, "Mataku, Nobuo-san," she said with a huff, "You're so stubborn."
"Takes one to know one, Rei-sama," he quipped back under his breath as he shut the door behind her.
Rei smirked as she playfully pushed Nobuo with one hand, causing him to take a step back as he let out a low, amused chuckle. A small smile came to her lips as she looked up at her friend and bodyguard, "Thank you…Nobuo-san."
"My pleasure, Rei-sama," Nobuo replied back sincerely.
"Just…don't go overboard or do anything stalker-ish or creepy, alright?," Rei said in a clarifying tone as she eyed Nobuo skeptically, "I just want to know that she's ok, that's all."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Rei-sama," Nobuo said in an innocence tone with a hint of sarcasm as he smirked at his young charge.
Rei rolled her eyes at him as he let out a low chuckle. She flicked her hair with her hand and crossed her arms, "What am I going to do with you?"
Nobuo chuckled quietly to himself as he saw a small smirk pull at the corner of Rei's lips, "Sorry, Rei-sama, that I can't help you with."
"Long time, no see," a low, husky voice called to them. Rei and Nobuo turned to see Haruka coming down the stairs of the entrance to greet them. She was wearing a royal-blue suit jacket with black velvet lapels, a white button-up, royal-blue bowtie, and black slacks.
"Not long enough," Rei replied snarkily with a smirk.
"Oooh, someone's feisty today," Haruka sang playfully with a smirk, "But who was talking to you, asshole?" She went to Nobuo and patted him on the back jovially, "It's good to see you, big guy. It's been a while."
"Likewise, Haruka-sama," Nobuo nodded with a kind smile. He turned to Rei, "Please go on ahead with Haruka-sama to the gala. I'll be in once I've parked the car and taken care of some business."
"Mmn," Rei replied with a nod, "Don't take too long."
"Yes, Rei-sama," Nobuo replied with a nod, knowing how much his young charge hated socializing with the conceited, pompous aristocrats that usually attended these events. He went around to the driver-seat as Rei and Haruka began ascending the steps to the event.
Nobuo closed the driver-door of the Mercedes and paused for a bit to ensure his young charge and her best friend walk into the facility safely.
I wish you were here to see her,Nobuo thought fondly. A sad smile forming on his lips, She's growing up so fast. It's amazing how much like you she is.
He let out a heavy sigh, filled with longing, I miss you…Risa-chan.
He cleared his throat softly, forcing back his emotions, as he put the car in gear and drove it towards the parking garage in the back.
- You called me on the phone today,said those words you always say, and I cried. I've gotta figure out what's going on inside this head of mine. I try. I'm going crazy thinkin' 'bout the way I shouldn't have left it all behind.But, now, I'm gone and somethings wrong.I changed my mind.I'm so in love with you.I don't know what to do this time.And though you're out of sight,you're never ever out of my mind.I saw you just the other day. Those feelings never went away,and I smiled -
Jingle Jingle!
The high-pitch ringing of a door chime cut through the lulling beats of the music that played from the overhead speakers.
"Good evening, welcome to Awa Laundromat!," A cheerful male voice called from a back room. A tall, baby-faced man with short, blonde hair emerged soon after and walked up to the service counter. His head was tilted downwards as he adjusted and tied the apron he had over his dress shirt and faded jeans, "Sorry for the inconvenience, our detergent vending machine is broken today. But if you go next door, you can-"
"Motoki-kun! I need your help!," An urgent melodic voice brought the attention of his big, green, puppy-dog eyes away from his apron and up towards the stunning blonde at the service counter whose countenance matched her tone.
"Hey, girl! Weren't you just here earlier today?," Furuhata Motoki greeted cheerfully, until he registered the look of anguish on the woman's face and immediately became concerned, "Hey, are you ok? What's wrong, love?"
"I lost my phone!," A distressed and slightly panicked Minako replied as if she was about to cry.
On account of the alcohol and late-night movie marathon, Minako's phone had nearly died last night while she stayed over at Karin and Azumi's place. As she drove home in the early morning, she planned to leave it for the day to charge while she decided to get some errands done and distract herself while she waited for her phone to come back to life and for Rei to text her.
She took her laundry to the Laundromat, put away her clothes, went for a run, gone grocery shopping, showered, all the while patiently waiting for her raven-haired beauty to contact her.
Well…actually she was anxious as fuck, but didn't want to burden the archer with her neediness. Didn't she say she had something to do yesterday while Minako was out with her friends and sister? Rei wasn't very clear on what it was she planned on doing and Minako didn't want to pry. Perhaps she was still busy with that commitment?
Yeah, that must be it,Minako tried to convince herself.
As the day dragged on, she had done such a good job of trying to occupy herself that it wasn't until almost 5:00pm when she realized she hadn't heard from Rei. When she finally gave in to the burning temptation to check her phone to see if perhaps she didn't hear any incoming messages or calls, she went to her nightstand only to realize then that her phone…wasn't there!
She looked everywhere for it in her apartment, in the car, practically tearing both apart for a couple hours, but to no avail. She could have swornshe had it with her!
Though she racked her brain of the day's events to try and recall where and when she might have misplaced it, this wasn't the reason for her panic. She was usually very good at returning the archer's calls or texts. Now, her mind became her nemesis, conjuring up all sorts of horrible and unspeakable possibilities. What if Rei tried calling her and thought Minako had blown her off? What if Rei was anxiously waiting for Minako to contact her and was upset or worried when Minako didn't respond? The thought of hurting the beautiful woman unintentionally was unbearable!
Or worse…what if something happened to Rei and Minako had no way of knowing?
Somewhere in her adrenaline-driven search and worry, a more logical side of her knew that she was most likely overthinking things. Rei knew her better than that, right? She'd know Minako would never intentionally ignore her calls. Why would she? She adored hearing the sound of the raven-haired beauty's smooth voice that had a way of magically comforting her and making her feel unquestionably safe and warm. It was like curling up with a fleece blanket near a romantic fire on a cold winter's night.
But one train of thought seemed to continue to slither past her logical defenses: What if Rei…didn't call? Not because she was busy, but…because she didn't want to? What if Minako's reaction the other night caused Rei to second-guess their relationship?
And when the fuck did Minako become so paranoid about simply dating someone!? She had to find her phone! If anything, she needed to alleviate the haunting speculations conjured from her desperate state of mind.
Now here she was, standing at a service-counter, tapping the fingers of one hand anxiously on its worn, linoleum top, the other absently worrying the locket hanging from her neck as she looked with pleading sapphires at her friend, "I don't remember if I had it with me when I came here earlier. Did you happen to find it or did someone turn it in?"
"Your phone?," Motoki asked as he looked up slightly to think, "Mmmmm…not that I can recall," He looked at Minako and shrugged apologetically, "Sorry, love."
Minako's shoulders slumped as she let out a dejected sigh and hung her head, her bangs shadowing her face. She mentally kicked herself for the umpteenth time for her carelessness. As the gleam of hope in her enchanting, cerulean gaze fading, she felt as though lead had crept into every corner of her being, disappointment weighing heavily on her.
She took a deep breath in an attempt to revive herself as she lifted her head to meet the worried, puppy-dog eyes of her friend,
"Ok…," she sighed softly, trying to keep her voice from trembling. She slowly pushed herself away from the counter and let her arms fall heavily. She gave a small, lethargic wave as she turned and sulked towards the door to head to her car, "Thanks though, I'll see you la-"
"Wait, Minako-chan!," Motoki said suddenly, stopping her in her tracks. He leaned down behind the counter and the music in the Laundromat cut off abruptly and he straightened. He reached into his apron and pulled out his cellphone and began typing a few keys, "Just because I didn't find it and someone didn't turn it in doesn't mean it's not here. If you really did lose it here, then we should be able to hear it."
"I don't know, Motoki-kun," Minako replied despondently as she turned towards him and leaned her forearms on the service counter, "My battery was almost dead and-"
Brrrrrrrp…Brrrrrrrp…Brrrrrrrp…
The sound of the ringback tone from Motoki's phone as he put it on speaker interrupted Minako's words. Both were silent as they listened. With every passing second, Minako's hope began fading, I guess it was too much to hope-.
Doo da da Doo da da Doo da da da!... Doo da da Doo da da Doo da da da!...
Minako's eyes widened as the familiar sounds of her ringtone interrupted her thoughts. The sound was muffled and distant, but it was indispuitably her phone. She snapped her head around in an attempt to see where the sound was coming from within the facility.
Doo da da Doo da da Doo da da da!... Doo da da Doo da da Doo da da da!...
Minako immediately darted towards the sound, which seemed to be coming from the numerous rows of washing machines. She couldn't recall exactly which one she had used earlier that day and began walked quickly as she followed the sound. She turned down an aisle of machines and listened as the ringtone slowly became louder. She hunched over ever so slightly as she focused on the digital sound that was steadily growing louder.
Doo da da Doo da da-!
Silence. Minako groaned in frustration at the abrupt halting of her ringtone. She was so close!
"Let me try calling it again," Motoki said from behind her, startling a loud yelp out of the already frazzled blonde. She was so caught up in her irritation that she didn't notice the footfalls that approached from behind.
"Fuck, Motoki-kun!," Minako yelled with aggravated annoyance as she brought a hand to her chest in an attempt to stop the pounding of her heart. She turned towards him and leaned against one of the machines, taking breaths to steady herself, "Gods, you scared the shit out of me!"
"Sorry, love!," Motoki replied sheepishly as he raised his hands innocently. Minako huffed as he looked down to his phone and press a button.
Brrrrrrrp…Brrrrrrrp…Brrrrrrrp…
Both were silent once again and Minako's attention went back down the row of identical machines, anxiously waiting to hear the sound of her phone, praying to the Gods that her battery hadn't-
Doo da da Doo da da Doo da da da!... Doo da da Doo da da Doo da da da!...
Minako bolted towards the sound. As she continued down the aisle, she heard it becoming louder on the right side before suddenly falling behind her. She came to a sudden halt and turned her head to the right as she began slowly taking steps backwards until the sound got louder and was right next to her. A flash of something caught her cerulean eyes from the dark crevice between two machines, a soft light that blinking in time with the ringtone.
Doo da da Doo da da-!
Silence. The battery had finally died, but survived just long enough!
"There it is!," Minako exclaimed as she pointed towards the crevice, too narrow for a human hand to access, but just enough for other smaller items to slip through, Like my fucking phone, she thought wryly to herself.
Motoki approached and leaned over to see exactly where the device was and examine the situation,
"Wow, it's really way back there, isn't it?," he said, "Stay here, love, I'll see if I can find something to pull it out with."
"Mmn," Minako replied, keeping her sapphire sights on the now dark outline of her device, not bothering to look at her friend as if looking away from her phone would suddenly cause it to disappear. She heard his footsteps fading away quickly, followed by the random clattering and banging of shuffled supplies.
Soon the sounds of footsteps approaching came and she allowed herself to pull her attention away from her phone to her friend who was holding a lobby broom. She stepped back to allow Motoki space to maneuver the broom into the narrow space and coax the gadget out.
"Aaalmost…," Motoki said softly more to himself as he carefully steered the broom with both hands. Minako fiddled with her necklace anxiously as she heard a soft scraping sound from her phone being nudged from its hiding place towards freedom. Motoki pulled the broom out from between the machines and rested it lengthwise over the top of them before he got down on his hands and knees and reached his fingers in between the appliances.
"Got it!," He exclaimed triumphantly as he pulled out Minako's phone with the tips of his fingers. It was covered in a good amount of dark-grey lint and tangled hair from being dragged across the floor, "Eeeewwww! That's just nasty," he said as he wrinkled his nose.
"Thank the Gods! You're the best, Motoki-chan!," Minako exclaimed as she practically pounced on him trying to reach for her phone. Motoki abruptly brought his other hand up and pushed her away, keeping her at arm's length away from her phone,
"Oh, honey, heeeelllllll no! I am not letting those pretty, little, manicured hands touch this filthy thing until I get it cleaned up for you!," Motoki said with disapproval as he began walking towards the service-counter, holding the implement away from himself in disgust, still dangling it in between the tips of his fingers, while swatting at it gingerly with the other to get the larger pieces of offending filth off of it.
"Motoki-kuuuun!," Minako whined with annoyance and followed him towards the front of the store.
"This'll just take a second, love," Motoki replied reassuringly as he leaned down behind the counter and grabbed a tube of disinfecting wipes with his free hand while Minako returned to her place on the other side of the counter, leaning over it with her forearms. He popped the top open and pulled out a sheet. Twisting his hand so that the sheet lay flat in his palm, he placed her phone in the center of the wipe. He grabbed another wipe and began brushing the gadget vigorously. Once he was satisfied with his work, he flipped the phone over and repeated the action to the other side. After he finished with that task, he threw away the used wipe and took the phone in his free hand, flipping it open. With the wipe he used to hold the phone, he gently wiped the keys and the screen. Smiling, he snapped the phone shut and threw away the remaining wipe,
"There, see?," Motoki said as he made a show of presenting her phone to her, "Good as new!"
Minako rolled her eyes and smirked, "Thanks, handsome," she replied with playful sarcasm. She straightened and took her phone, "But, seriously, I owe you big time for this."
"Oh, please, girl," Motoki waved his hand as if to brush the comment away, "What are friends for? And, plus, what I want you could never give me." His eyes lit up, "Speaking of which, how's my tall drink of sexy hotness doing?"
"Still straight and still super in love with Usa-neechan," Minako chuckled and shrugged apologetically, "Sorry, hun."
"How utterly tragic," Motoki sighed as he dramatically brought the back of his hand up to his forehead as he looked forlornly at the ceiling, "I guess I'm just destined to pine the rest of my life away for that man and continue my role as martyr for the sake of my beloved friend's happiness."
"And I'm sure Usa-neechan appreciates your sacrifice," Minako replied sarcastically as she smirked at her friend's antics.
"Althooough," Motoki sang as his eyes twinkled with mischief. He brought his hand to his chin, stroking it in thought as he suggestively wiggled one of his eyebrows, "Isn't there a saying? 'Just because there's a goalie, doesn't mean you can't score?'"
"Motoki-kun!," Minako half-giggled, half-chided as she leaned over the counter and smacking his upper-arm disapprovingly, "That's terrible! And, in any case, Mamoru-kun doesn't play for your team!"
"Ow!," Motoki whined in a high-pitched voice playfully as he swatted at her retreating hand, "I was just kidding, you brute!"
"You better be!," Minako said with feigned reproach as she wagged a finger at him, "Or no more free highlights or haircuts for that pretty little head of yours!"
Motoki let out a high-pitched, dramatic gasp as he brought his hands to his chest, laying one hand on top of the other, "No! Don't ever threaten a gay man's hair!"
Minako couldn't contain herself any longer and let out a full laugh at her friend's shenanigans. She could almost feel all the heaviness from the day melting away as she laughed. Motoki smiled warmly at his long-time friend as he leaned over the counter on his forearms casually, placing a hand on hers, "Well, I'm glad you're smiling now, Minako-chan. You looked like shit when you first came in. Brooding doesn't suit that gorgeous face of yours, love." He raised an eyebrow at his friend, "Does it have anything to do with a certain someone you're dating?"
Minako abruptly stopped laughing, shock covering her face, "Wh-What?"
"You were freaking out about your phone being lost," Motoki replied casually as he raised his eyebrow, "And you keep touching that fabulous necklace you have on, which I assume is new. Were you waiting for a special someone to call?" Minako averted her gaze to the counter as she blushed darkly.
"Ooooh, I know that look," Motoki teased as he casually slapped Minako's hand, watching the gorgeous blonde's reaction to his speculations, "Meanie! Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone new?"
Minako looked sheepishly at her friend, "W-Well…" she trailed off and shrugged apologetically.
Motoki smiled knowingly and straightened, "Don't worry, love," he said comfortingly, "I get it, a girl's got to have her secrets, right?," he said playfully as he winked.
"M-Mmn," Minako nodded shyly.
"There's no need to be embarrassed, love," Motoki reassured. He pulled out his phone, flipped it open, and held it up to Minako, "Speaking of secrets, want to see the new addition to my collection?"
Minako looked up to see what Motoki was talking about and she nearly fell over when she saw a picture of a shirtless Mamoru draped across a luxurious couch, wearing only an expensive pair of jeans. The photo was obviously taken from the cover of a fashion magazine.
Motoki sighed dreamily as he turned the phone back to stare longingly at the photo, "That man is so delicious! If I looked half as good as him, I'd go out and find me a hot young thing and make him bend me over like a-"
"As much as I'd love to hear how the rest of that sentence ends," Minako interrupted Motoki's musing in a playful sarcastic tone as she rolled her eyes, "I've got to go." She stuffed her phone into her pocket and leaned over the counter to peck her friend on both cheeks in a European air-kiss fashion, which he returned.
"I'll call you later so we can hang out, ok?," she called over her shoulder as she headed towards the door, "Thanks again for helping me, hun!"
"Sure thing, love! Toodles!," Motoki called cheerfully as he waved to his friend. He whistled happily to himself as he headed towards the back room to continue working.
Author Note: A reviewer mentioned that the last couple chapters made them think of Yaten. I've never really been a fan of the Sailor Starlights so I didn't plan for them to appear in this story. I hope that doesn't deter any of you from continuing to read! =(
Constructive feedback/reviews would be greatly appreciated.
(updated 06/2015)