Motoki had organized a campfire hangout and invited Mamoru, Usagi, Ami, Mako, Rei, and Mina. It was initially the prospect of spending more time with Usagi that had prompted Mamoru to accept Motoki's invitation, but he had not anticipated the nerves that now gripped him.
When the girls arrived, laughing and rambunctious, Mamoru gulped. It was hard seeing Usagi glowing and happy. Nothing could diminish her good mood, not even the sight of him. Mamoru couldn't help but feel ignored and lonely. Arguing was better than this, but Motoki had made him promise not to aggravate her.
So rather quickly, Mamoru slid into a bad mood, though no one seemed to notice. When the fire crackled to life and Usagi laughed in delight, he wanted to reach over and take her hand. When she ate a half-melted marshmallow and smeared sticky sweetness all over her chin, he wanted to wipe it away with gentle fingers. When darkness fell and she began to yawn, he wanted to cradle her in his arms.
But he was forced to sit still throughout all of that. When Rei stood up to use the restroom, Mako said, "Let's tell scary stories." At this everyone, except for Mamoru, and Rei, who'd already left, perked up. Usagi clapped her hands in excitement.
"I'll start," Ami said serenely, the flickering firelight shadowing the contours of her face. "Once upon a time, there was a girl and a boy who were best friends. Over time, the girl fell in love with her friend. But she was afraid to tell him the truth, lest he leave her. So she decided to keep it a secret until the time was right."
Usagi was leaning closer to Ami, enraptured. Mamoru, however, wasn't feeling too good. This story was hitting a little too close to home.
"Years passed and the girl kept waiting for a sign that the boy was returning her affections. Until one day when she found out that her best friend was in love with someone else. She had waited too long, and now she had missed her chance. Her heart broken, she ran away to the forest, her only refuge.
"She was crying in sorrow when a little witch approached her. The witch had lived in the forest for many, many years, and her power had become weaker as time passed. She needed something to rejuvenate her, something the girl possessed and no longer had a need for." Ami paused for dramatic affect. "The girl's broken heart."
Usagi gasped, and at this point even Mamoru wanted to hear more.
"The girl, desperate to escape her pain and grief, accepted the witch's offer. But she should not have trusted the witch. For while it was true her heart restored the witch's power, the loss of her heart turned the girl into a spirit. You see, what makes us human is our heart, our capacity for emotion. Without that, we are only an echo of what we used to be. And so that is what the girl became: an echo of her former self."
Behind them, Mamoru thought he heard a twig snap, but when he looked, he only saw tall, solemn trees, standing guard. No one else seemed to have noticed anything unusual, so he shook his uneasiness off and refocused on Ami's story.
"Her pain did not disappear, instead turning to regret. It wasn't long before regret turned to anger, and anger turned into the desire for revenge. The witch abandoned her in the forest, which the spirit could not leave. They say that she still haunts the forest, searching for a heart to replace her own, thereby condemning another soul to haunt the forest . . . for all eternity."
Something cold touched the back of Mamoru's neck, leaving behind ice that slipped down his spine. Usagi shrieked, seeking protection from whoever was closest, which just so happened to be Mamoru. She jumped into his lap, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face into his coat.
His pulse rocketed and for a few moments, he forgot how to breathe. He didn't know what to do with his arms either, until comprehension hit him like a wall and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around a still quivering Usagi, sucking in a gasp of air. His heart pounded erratically, sending a flood of warmth to his cheeks.
Mamoru looked up only to see Rei step out of the shadows, holding up wet and dripping hands. Everyone save Usagi and Mamoru, who was still trying to get his heart rate under control, burst out laughing. Rei grinned mischievously. "Got anything you'd like to confess, Usagi?"
Usagi sat up, and realization dawned on her. Blushing furiously, she clambered down from Mamoru's lap and shook her head violently, prompting another round of laughter. Mamoru ducked his head, hoping to hide both his blush and disappointment.
Needless to say, he failed on both counts.