"Mhhmmm mmmmm mhmmm mmmhmhm!"

Humming softly to himself, Mamoru pushed open the door to his apartment and stepped into the Genkan of his stylish, orderly place. In his hand, he held a can of ice-cold cola. After cheerfully entering, he kicked the door shut with his heel, causing it to slam closed with a light bang. He made himself comfortable on his couch and opened the can with a satisfying crack. He took a leisurely sip of his refreshing drink, sinking into the soft cushions of his furniture.

Today was a great day.

Mamoru had passed one of the hardest exams in his entire course with the highest possible score. He really was a genius! His professor had also mentioned that he had a bright future as a doctor ahead of him, as he had rarely met such a diligent, intelligent young man like him. Alas, life couldn't be much better in his otherwise quiet and orderly existence. It wouldn't be long before he was Dr. Mamoru Chiba, and his big dream would come true. Before that, he might do a semester abroad; America was his first choice. Boston or somewhere like that. However, that was still some time away. But... today, he had come one step closer to his big goal.

For now, the end of the semester was near, and he was looking forward to the holidays with a new student job he would start today at a film production company called 'Pierrot.' Mamoru enjoyed doing something entirely different from his studies for a change, and besides, the company was near the Game Crown Center, where his best friend Motoki worked in his spare time.

The last few months had been filled with many stressful study sessions, so he welcomed the upcoming slowdown in his life. At least the studying would be on hold for a few weeks, as the rest was almost too much for Mamoru's taste. If he wasn't busy with his studies, he was encountering a cheeky schoolgirl he had met about two months ago in front of a jewelry store.

Since that strange event, where she had thrown a miserable English test at his head in the form of a paper ball, she kept appearing whenever he was out and about in the streets of Tokyo. She was an annoying brat, but Mamoru liked teasing her because their little squabbles always made him forget the pressure and loneliness he felt most of the time.

However, she wasn't the only crazy person in this huge metropolis.

A few moments after meeting the blonde dumpling head for the first time, he had encountered an even crazier girl. She was obviously mad and probably escaped directly from an asylum, because besides having the same hairstyle as the middle-school girl (only in bright pink), she had told him on the open street that she was his daughter and that he should burn his beloved green jacket. She even knew his name, which was the most frightening fact for him. The people living in Tokyo were really strange. He was lucky he hadn't run into her since. After babbling more weird stuff, like needing to jump back to the future to have a serious word with the Guardian of Time, she turned on her heel and disappeared back into the jewelry store.

He definitely preferred the numerous, random encounters with the little airhead, whose real name was Usagi Tsukino (as he had coincidentally learned from Motoki, since she had recently started appearing at his second home, the Crown).

Mamoru was still lost in his thoughts, enjoying the sweet, refreshing drink when a dull thud against the door suddenly brought him back to reality.

"Mhm, who could that be? I'm not expecting any visitors today, and I didn't order any food. Maybe a neighbor?"

Mamoru put his cola can on the coffee table, got up from the couch, and slowly made his way to the Genkan. Before placing his hand on the doorknob, he glanced through the peephole.

He froze.

From the little he could see, he recognized dark pink hair styled into heart-shaped buns.

'This can't be happening! The crazy girl? How does she know where I live? This can't be real, can it?'

His terrible suspicion was confirmed when he heard an annoyed, high-pitched voice loudly calling through the door,

"Mamoru, open up! I know you're in there!"

'What the hell?!'

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG - the forceful knocking on the door made him jump back clumsily.

'Oh man, Mamoru Chiba, get a grip! It's just a little girl. A crazy teenager. You can't let her intimidate you. Stay calm and politely but firmly send her away. You're a grown man. That out there is just a schoolgirl. Clearly off her rocker.'

He swallowed hard and, bracing himself for what would come next, Mamoru bravely opened the door. Standing before him was the girl he had expected. Unfortunately. The nutcase with the two heart-shaped hair buns.

"Finally!"

She looked him straight in the eye, her face slightly annoyed. Before he had a chance to respond to her cheeky comment, she extended her right hand and held the small golden key he had noticed last time right in his face.

"As I suspected, I did everything right! I'm in the right time!" she exclaimed with a triumphant grin.

"Hey listen ... um ... Usagi" - 'was that her name?'

"My name is KOUsagi, Usagi is the other one, and don't you dare put a 'Chibi' before my name or even make it 'Usa'! I'm not Chibi-Kousa to you anymore, I'm 14 years old. Almost a real woman!"

'Okay, she's DEFINITELY escaped from an asylum!'

"Alright, listen to me... Kousagi."

Mamoru was an aspiring doctor. He knew he should calm her down so she might accept that wandering alone in this big city and bothering innocent people like him was not an option, but that it would be much better to go straight back to where she had escaped from. She really needed some psychiatric medication as soon as possible.

"I understand that you think I'm somehow important to you, which is why you're following me, but really, this won't work. You see something in me that I can't be for you, I'm afraid."

'Uhh, that was a mature, appropriate approach to this situation.' Mamoru mentally patted himself on the shoulder for this excellent reaction.

Kousagi just looked at him in total disbelief.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Mamoru? Just let me in so we can talk properly."

She waved her right hand, signaling him to move out of the way. Mamoru stood stoically in the doorway, thinking for a moment.

'Okay, obviously that didn't work. What should I do next?!'

"Uh no, you definitely can't do that. This is my apartment, and you should go home immediately," Mamoru tried to add a firm tone to his command, still blocking the entrance defiantly.

But Kousagi didn't seem satisfied with this reaction. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, and before he knew it, Kousagi started crying like a banshee in front of him.

"Wuaaaaaahhhhhh!"

A wailing child under a waterfall was nothing compared to what Kousagi was pulling off in front of Mamoru's apartment door.

"Uhhh how can you be soooo mean to me? Buuhuuuhuuu, it's not fair! I didn't do anything wro-ong!" she sobbed, and as she was about to let all the floodgates break, Mamoru hurriedly pulled her into his apartment. This time, he mentally slapped himself for this stupid, completely thoughtless action, but it was the better decision; otherwise, the whole neighborhood would have witnessed Kousagi's hysterical crying while he stood next to her like an idiot, watching her cry helplessly.

'It might not make the best impression if a teenage girl collapses in tears in front of my closed apartment door. It would look like I had just broken up with her! No, that wouldn't look good for me!'

A moment after Kousagi had been pulled inside by Mamoru, her crocodile tears had already dried up. Instead of crying, she took off her shoes, placed them neatly next to each other, and cheerfully danced into his living room, now with an excited expression on her face.

"Wow, so this is where you live!" She twirled around in awe, curiously inspecting every detail of the room.

Mamoru was simply speechless at her sudden mood swing. He had never seen anyone like her. Well, maybe except for the blonde Usagi-girl, who bore a disturbing resemblance to this crazy girl. Besides the waterfall-like crying, Kousagi had the same sky-blue eyes, the same weird hairstyle, and the same strange personality.

'They could really be sisters!'

"Kousagi," he began hesitantly, with a warning tone in his voice. The pink-haired girl turned her gaze back and gave him an earnest smile.

"What was that just now?!"

Kousagi shrugged helplessly: "What? It worked. Otherwise, you would never have let me in." She twirled around again and then gave him an expectant look: "Soooo, where can I sleep?"

Mamoru stared at her in total disbelief. "What?" Panic immediately set in 'Okay, now she's gone too far. I need to get this strange girl out of my apartment immediately!'

Mamoru's eyes darkened, he put on a serious and determined face, and finally declared: "Listen to me, Kousagi. You can't stay here. You're clearly mentally ill and need urgent help. Please go now, or I'll have to call the police."

"Mamoru, I'm not crazy. At least not more than you are. I understand this must be a bit confusing for you—'a bit?!'—but I can really explain everything—"

"No... just NO!" He almost yelled at her, reaching for his phone and was about to follow through on his threat when something suddenly caught his attention.

A faint, familiar, melancholic sound—not originating from this time or even this planet—reached out to him and his heart.

After a few moments, the small music had filled the entire room.

"It's the melody of the star locket!" said Kousagi, holding a small golden music box in her hand.

Mamoru was paralyzed by this lovely music.

Kousagi looked up from her hand and spoke to him.

"No matter the time, place, or situation; I will always and forever remember this melody... because it touches my heart so deeply."

In a soft voice, she added, "I actually just quoted you. You once told Mama about this locket."

Slowly, something began to make sense for Mamoru, but he didn't know why. Again, something clicked, but he just couldn't explain what it was. This was all more than confusing. The entire situation was totally, TOTALLY different from anything he had ever experienced.

At least as far as he was aware.

"Oh my God, what is wrong with me?"

He took a deep breath in and out. Mamoru finally gave in. This melody paired with the puppy eyes of this more than strange girl in front of him was just too much for his mind.

"Okay, you can stay... BUT under two conditions!"

Before Kousagi could begin to shout her happiness, he continued in a harsh tone.

First: You sleep on the couch. Second: Stay out of my business!!! Okay?"

"Ohhhhh thank you thank you thank you thank you, Mamoru! God, this is all sooooo exciting!!!!"

Kousagi clapped her hands enthusiastically and twirled around, squealing loudly.

"Don't worry, Mamoru, we'll have lots of fun and an insanely great time together."

Kousagi was pretty much alone with this promise, as Mamoru was not sure if he would instantly regret his unwilling invitation. At the same time, he knew he could never refuse Kousagi a request.

Mamoru couldn't do anything about it because the music from the girl's music box had magically enchanted him.