Usagi Tsukino got off the bus and opened her umbrella, looking around the deserted streets of this little corner of Tokyo; her corner, Azabujuban, the neighborhood she had grown up in. It was the middle of July and the crazy summer heat seemed like it would finally be tamed, as a big thunderstorm was on the verge of taking place.

Usagi jumped as the menacing sound of thunder erupted dangerously in the background.

"You have got to be kidding me," Usagi murmured under her breath, thinking back on the light showers weather report for that day.

Usagi clung to her umbrella and moved frantically, as the sky darkened and the wind blew wildly. She started trembling. In her 22 years of existence, Usagi could not remember a single time where she was not completely terrified of thunderstorms; a fear that started early in her childhood and followed her well into her adult years. She knew it had everything to do with the nightmares she had as a young girl – of a distraught princess fearfully running away from palace grounds, soaking wet, as the storm around her raged on and on. The princess's face was always a blur, yet her delicate white dress was clearly visible – completely tainted by blood and mud. The dream would usually end with angry voices in the distance getting closer and closer … until Usagi awoke sobbing.

Thankfully, the nightmares were few and far in between, eventually stopping altogether. Her fear of thunderstorms, however, lingered on into adulthood. Usagi learned to label this as an irrational fear of hers. As scary as her dreams had been, they were only dreams, after all.

Heavy rain started to pour and a flash of lightning followed by a crashing noise made Usagi scream and drop her umbrella. Her signature look – long blonde pigtails, held together by a pair of buns – was quickly coming undone. Usagi grabbed her umbrella off the floor and ran for cover. In a seemingly never-ending row of residential houses after houses, Usagi finally found shelter under the entrance of a random apartment building.

The storm showed no sign of stopping.

Usagi closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.

Okay, calm down Usagi. It's just another storm. Think happy thoughts. Strawberry milkshakes. Chocolate milkshakes. Chocolate cake. Carrot cake. Carrot. Yuck. Usagi squirmed. Hate those. Ok…what else what else? Kittens! Luna snuggling on your lap…Naru in her wedding dress…His green jack – Usagi opened her eyes all of a sudden. "I told you happy thoughts," she said quietly to no one.

Before Usagi could close her eyes again, she noticed a mother and daughter duo crossing the street, heading towards her direction with no umbrella. Usagi's heart immediately softened at the sight of them, momentarily forgetting all about her fears. As soon as the pair took cover under the roof, the mom, who was holding her toddler in her arms, gently placed her daughter on the floor. "Just for a second honey," she said, stretching out her tired arms.

Almost immediately, small sobs erupted from the little girl, prompting Usagi to lean down at her.

Usagi reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of pink tissue paper. "Hang in there, it will get better," said Usagi with the warmest of smiles, the kind she was usually known for having, the kind that could brighten up any room.

The little girl couldn't help but return her smile. She took the tissue paper from Usagi's hand and blew her nose, making a big sound. Both she and Usagi laughed. The mom, who had been watching them, smiled, and bowed slightly at Usagi, in a gesture of thanks. Moments like these were part of Usagi's everyday life, as practically everywhere she went, she was able to make people feel at ease.

And just as Usagi was starting to feel better herself, she glanced at her watch – 8:32 already? Her waitressing shift had started half an hour ago.

Usagi smacked her forehead, which made the little girl laugh, and reluctantly opened her umbrella. There were no more buses along her route, but she was just half a mile away from her workplace. In any given day, it would take her less than 10 minutes by foot to get there. Usagi bit her lips. Just how hard could it be?

As she took a step forward, she suddenly turned back, remembering that the mother-daughter duo had no umbrella of their own. Usagi handed her bunny-printed umbrella to the mother, and before the mom could protest, Usagi waved goodbye and stepped back into the rain.

Another car drove right past Usagi. Another car that wasn't a cab, like Usagi had hoped to find on her way.

"This is a terrible terrible idea," she said, picking up her pace while clenching her fist. Here she was, putting her very life in danger, when she could just wait out the storm somewhere. She knew it'd be fine by her manager. Even with no storm, Usagi could still afford ringing in late; she was a good and reliable employee, who was practically always on time. If her teenage self could see her now, she wouldn't believe her eyes, Usagi would catch herself thinking at times.

Yet, as two lightning struck the ground in the span of a millisecond, Usagi's inner crybaby teen started to come out. "Just what the heck am I doing here?"Usagi wailed.

But still, she had to keep on going. She couldn't understand it; it just felt like an invisible force was pushing her forward.

Usagi shivered as she ran.

And as the rain kept pouring down on her, a memory suddenly flashed through Usagi's mind of when she was 14, of when she had evaded a storm just like this one, yet had failed to evade him:

Usagi entered the arcade in relief. A storm was coming and she had escaped just in time. A handsome older boy with ebony black hair looked at her from the stool he sat on, sipping on his coffee. Usagi's heart started pounding wildly at the sight of him, though she hated him, she couldn't control her reaction.

He stepped down from his seat and walked towards her.

"Scared of the rain, Odanga Atama?"

Their height difference was so big that Usagi had to look up to him to make eye contact, which she did, as defiantly as she could muster.

"Well, aren't you the proper alley cat?" He looked down at her with a grin. "I always did think you reminded me of something, now I know what."

Usually, Usagi would shout back equally mean things at him, and the two would continue their verbal sparring until one of them won. But on that particular day, Usagi was already feeling pretty defeated. She had just failed another English test, which she had for once, actually studied hard for. Usagi looked at her nemesis sternly, she knew he was waiting for her to say something back. They stood in stalemate for a few seconds, until her stern façade started to crumble, as her eyes filled up with tears. Usagi bit her lips, in an attempt to salvage her pride and keep herself from crying, yet it was no use, and hot tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Why do you always have to be so mean?" Usagi said as she brushed right past him.

A gentle hand wrapped around her waist, which sent her heart racing and made her entire body tingle. Usagi turned around to see her nemesis visibly shaken. She had never seen him like this, so unguarded – head down, wide eyes staring straight at her, and his thick ebony hair just a little over his eyebrows. It took all of Usagi's willpower to hold back her hand from pushing his hair back. Why did he have to be so damn attractive?

"Usagi, I'm sorry," he said, releasing her from her haze, his voice sounding so earnest.

"Forget it," she replied coldly, trying to hide her nerves. "Just let me go, baka."

He shook his head and released her.

Usagi blinked a few times as she continued to literally brave the storm. Mamoru Chiba. Why was she thinking of him now? It had been six whole years since he left Tokyo for Boston, to study at Harvard. Last she'd heard, Mamoru was thriving there – exceling in his studies, as always, and dating some girl just as brilliant and gorgeous as himself. A flash of his magnetic smirk came to mind. Usagi shook her thoughts away. She was picturing him all too easily now.

Little did she know, in a pretty little coffeeshop, Mamoru Chiba had just sat down for a cup of coffee, with troubling thoughts of his own. He put down the newspaper he was failing to read, and ran his fingers through his hair.

Where is she? He glanced at the front door, as the storm outside raged on.