"Ok, she'll meet you in front of the Crown Game Parlor at 6:00,"
Makoto said. After "Hello" those had pretty much been the first
words out of her mouth after Kenjo had answered the phone.
The young man checked his watch. It was 4:30. "That will work
out great, Mako-chan. Have I thanked you for doing this for me?"
"Yes, but not enough," Makoto chided. "Personally, I think the
whole thing is silly. She's clearly too beautiful for you and
you're definitely too nice for her. She seems to prefer
dangerous boys, like pop singers."
Kenjo laughed, "Just because I am not dangerous to _you_ doesn't
mean I can't be dangerous when the situation demands it, and no
one has ever booed me off of a karaoke stage." Slowly, something
she'd said registered. "Hey, what do you mean she's too
beautiful for me?" He grunted in mock disgust.
"All I am saying is that you are not used to being with someone
as beautiful as her. You'll have to get used to the fact that
boys stare at her all the time," Makoto warned.
"But Mako-chan," he replied in a sickeningly sweet tone, "I am
used to that from hanging out with you."
Makoto snorted skeptically.
"Besides," Kenjo continued, "didn't I hear you say the other day
that you preferred brunettes to blondes?"
"Well, that doesn't mean that I don't know which of my friends
are beautiful, Kenjo-chan. In fact, they are all beautiful in
their own way. Usagi is the sweetest girl you could ever hope to
meet; her joy and kindness radiate in her features. Rei is
exotic and mysterious while Minako has a more classical beauty.
And Ami..."
Kenjo tuned in carefully for this. As Makoto's pause lengthened,
he smiled to himself and added it to his internal compilation of
evidence.
"Ami," Makoto eventually continued, "is just incredible. Her
hair glows, her eyes sparkle, and her skin is so fair that you'd
think she was made of porcelain. I wish I was half as beautiful
as she is."
Kenjo heard her sigh and could just imagine the look on her face
right now. It was probably the same one she used to get whenever
she'd see someone who reminded her of her ex. "I'm sure she
thinks the same thing about you, you know," he suggested gently.
A harsh laugh indicated that she thought nothing of the sort and
that, despite his caution, he'd broken the spell. Kenjo decided
he'd best change the subject.
"So, how was the rest of your dinner?" he asked.
"It was fun," Makoto replied tentatively.
Kenjo picked up on her uncertainty immediately. "I'm glad you had
fun. What did you guys talk about?"
"Oh you know, girl stuff. Mostly we listened to Usagi pine for
Mamoru," Makoto laughed. More seriously, she added, "Rei was
pretty quiet. I don't think she and Usagi fought once. It was
like she was watching me, or Ami, or something."
At the moment, Kenjo really didn't care what might be going on
with Hino Rei. "How's Ami?" he asked, trying to sound
nonchalant.
Kenjo could hear Makoto's fond smile through the receiver.
"Quiet, as usual. She made me laugh a few times, though. She
says the funniest things sometimes, but usually quietly enough so
that only I hear." Makoto paused. "She did perk up at one point,
though, right after I asked Minako if she'd go out on a date with
you. You should have seen her smile. Rei too, come to think of
it. I guess they were both afraid I'd ask them to date you,"
Makoto teased.
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that!" Kenjo complained. He
made a mental note to try to figure out what that all meant
later.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Usagi complained that no
one ever tried to set her up with their cute boy friends. Minako
reminded her about Mamoru, though, and that brought up another
round of pining."
Kenjo laughed. "Sounds like you guys had a good time. So, 6:00
huh? Well, as much as I love talking with you, I need to start
getting ready for this date."
"You never really explained to me why all of a sudden you wanted
to have dinner with Minako," Makoto pointed out. "I think you owe
me that much."
"I promise, I'll explain it all to you on Saturday. You take care
and I promise to give you all the dirt then," Kenjo assured her.
"Oh, one last thing! When you asked her at dinner last night,
I'm sure that she had some questions about me. Is there anything
I should know going in, as far as what she's expecting?"
"Oh no, Captain Mysterious. You want to keep your secrets till
Saturday? Well, then so do I." Makoto chuckled wickedly. In a
more serious tone she added, "Just be yourself, Kenjo-chan, and
all will be well. She's a sweet girl and you're a great guy."
"Thanks," Kenjo replied a bit nervously, "I'll talk to you
later."
"See ya!" Makoto replied before disconnecting.
As he hung up the phone and started to lay out some clothes for
dinner, Kenjo reflected on the conversation, and also the one
from Monday. He really didn't doubt now that Makoto was in love
with Mizuno Ami. Though she tried very hard to hide behind her
various walls, he knew all the secret gateways; there was no way
she could hide something like that from him. The question then
was, had she hidden it from herself. He knew that while his
friend had a very strong sense of self, she still had areas of
great insecurity. The most glaring of these was her complete
inability to believe that someone could love her. Despite how
she talked about her friends, he knew that a part of her still
had lingering doubts about her importance to them. It had taken
him years to really convince her that he loved her for who she
was, not some false image, not someone he wanted to bed, just as
Kino Makoto.
Of course, the second big question was, did Ami return those
feelings. Hopefully, dinner tonight would shed some light on
that question. He really had no objection to going out on a date
with someone like Aino Minako. He'd met her a couple times and
could still vividly recall each occasion. He hoped that Mako
wasn't right, that Minako wasn't too beautiful for him. 'All
guys should have such a problem,' he reflected. That beauty, plus
her obviously kind nature, certainly made tonight's 'mission' a
very manageable burden. Still, he was a bit surprised at how
nervous he suddenly felt.
Kenjo sighed and moved into the bathroom for a quick shower and
shave. Even if Ami returned Makoto's feelings, it would take
something pretty serious to help Makoto see that. From the
little Kenjo knew about Ami, he didn't think she was the type to
come on that strong. In fact, she appeared to be quite similar
to Makoto in that sense: very reserved in dealing with others,
very private, very careful.
Standing there, gazing at himself in the mirror, he recalled all
the times that Makoto had been there for him: nursing him through
a fever when his parents were out of town; offering a shoulder
when his heart had been broken for the first time, then the
second, and the third; knowing instinctively how worried he'd
been about moving to Kyoto and saying all the right things to
help him adjust to the idea. If there was anything he could do
to make her happy, to help her find someone else who could be
everything he tried to be for her and more, then there was no way
in hell he would fail to do it. With a firm nod of his head, he
commenced with his preparations.
----------------------------------
A moment frozen in time, complete with soundtrack. Kenjo stood
at the designated spot. He'd just glanced down at his watch. It
was 6:02 pm. Looking up, the moment.
The image hit him first, of course, but the song came unbidden
soon after from an old Fred Astaire movie he'd seen at school.
Someday . . . when I'm awfully low
when the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
and the way you look tonight
From bottom to top: knee-high black leather boots; white tights;
a woolen skirt, plaid but predominantly red; layered blouses, red
silk over lacy white-cotton, with a red sweater draped over for
warmth; blonde hair hanging down, kept back with a red band
trimmed in gold. Draped over one shoulder, a black suede Chanel
bag, the interlocking Cs and gold-chain strap brought back sudden
memories of hours spent trying to master the "Love-Me-Chain" and
"Venus Crescent Beam" attacks in the latest Sailor V videogame.
'Mako was right, she is much too beautiful for me, or anyone,' he
pondered briefly, before re-engaging conscious thought processes.
"Shinozaki-san," Minako called, smiling at his reaction.
Clearly, the outfit was a success. "I hope you weren't waiting
long."
To his credit, Kenjo regrouped quickly. "Not at all, and, please,
no need for such formality. I've heard so much about you, I feel
I already know you." Kenjo bowed and began to walk down the
street.
Minako laughed lightly, "Very well, Kenjo-kun. I hope you
haven't believed everything you've heard." She fell into step
beside him.
"Only the good things, Minako-san," he replied, darting a wry
glance her way. "Thanks for coming."
"Makoto mentioned something about rakish charm," Minako teased.
"I see she was not too far off. Given that, how could I resist?
So, where are we headed?"
"Well, there is a new place that opened a few months ago. I've
never been there, but Mako-chan assures me it is excellent.
Mostly French cuisine, with some other European stuff as well."
Minako noted the 'Mako-chan.' She'd known that Kenjo and Makoto
were close and thus, was not really surprised. Still, his use of
it seemed to indicate that he wanted her to know about that
closeness. Minako knew a lot about dating (being the Senshi of
Love had its advantages, after all), and one thing she knew was
that most guys had an agenda when they went on a date. Usually,
the agenda was depressingly predictable. So far, so good, on
that count, but it was early yet. She really hoped she wouldn't
have to slap Makoto's friend, but would if necessary.
"Sounds lovely," she said aloud. "Can I ask you why you wanted to
take me to dinner? I know we've met a couple times, but to hear
Mako-chan tell it, you've been resisting her attempts to set us
up for a long time now." She peeked over to gauge his reaction
to her comment.
Kenjo looked around conspiratorially and then leaned closer. "Can
you keep a secret?" he whispered.
Intrigued, Minako nodded.
"Well, I have an agenda, with multiple layers," he began. "Most
importantly, and the reason for doing this tonight instead of
some other time, is that I needed to talk to one of Mako-chan's
close friends."
Minako's eyes narrowed as she glared at Kenjo. "Why would you
need to do that?" Suddenly, an idea occurred. "She's not in any
sort of trouble, is she?" Anxiety replaced suspicion in her blue
eyes.
"No, no, nothing to be worried about and nothing bad either, I
promise you," Kenjo reassured her. "It's a little complicated,
but I will explain completely, later."
"So, is that all I am to you, an information source?" Minako
asked in an overly-dramatic aggrieved tone.
Kenjo laughed, "I think not. Like I said, multiple layers.
Mako-chan comes first, but I am neither stupid nor dead. Taking
an interesting, beautiful young woman to dinner is certainly no
chore."
"Hmmm." Minako considered his response. "I suppose that is a
decent enough save, but I really am not used to being someone's
secondary consideration on a date." Again, she feigned annoyance
that she didn't really feel. In some regards, it was a relief to
be out on a date where the focus was not on her, her, her. It
certainly took the pressure off of living up to unrealistic
expectations.
Kenjo stopped and turned to face Minako. She was startled by how
serious and earnest he looked. "I am sorry, Minako-san. I really
do not want you to think that you are secondary in any way. I
have heard so much about you and, for a long time, I'd been
trying to get up the nerve to let Mako-chan 'set us up'. It's
just that, I'm only home for a week and there are some things I
have to do before I go back to school. For her. I thought I
could 'kill two birds in the same bush', as they say, but that is
probably not very fair to you."
Minako cocked her head to one side and considered this odd young
man before her. He really was not unattractive at all. Dark
hair and dark eyes set off by a black button-down shirt and gray
slacks; he was certainly her type. Searching his expression, she
could see the concern in his eyes. He really did have something
he needed to discuss regarding Makoto, but right now, he was
mostly afraid that he'd offended her. A warmth began to overtake
her and she could almost feel herself blushing.
"I think the expression is 'two birds with one stone'," she
gently replied.
Kenjo chuckled, still uncertain. "Sorry, I'm really not very
good with proverbs."
A sudden burst of light shone in her eyes and spread through her
whole visage. "Hey! That's the first time I've ever gotten to
correct someone about something like that!" She touched him
gently on the shoulder. "I think I like it the way you said it
better anyway. That's the problem with proverbs. Whenever you
try to improve them, someone comes down on you for getting it
wrong!" Minako smiled, to let him know everything was fine, and
began to walk again, slowly so he could catch up.
For a moment, Kenjo simply stood there watching her. When he'd
realized how mercenary he had been in setting up this date, he'd
felt simply horrible. Yes, there was little he would not do for
Makoto, but he had been so focused on her that he'd failed to
consider how Minako might feel about it. The direct way in which
she'd expressed her concern, and the ease with which she'd
accepted his apology and moved on, made his heart race for some
reason. 'She truly is beautiful,' he considered, without one
thought of her appearance. Dragging himself from his reverie, he
hustled to catch up to her.
For the rest of the walk to the restaurant and over dinner,
Minako and Kenjo spoke not at all about Makoto, or any of the
other senshi. They discussed schoolwork (both did it, neither
liked it much) and life at college (they both loved it, except
for the schoolwork). She asked about life in Kyoto and they
spent some time comparing the two cities. They talked about the
prospects of the Japanese volleyball team at the upcoming Pan-
Asian games and also about politics and the latest movies and
music. As they waited for coffee and dessert, Kenjo realized
that he'd completely forgotten about Makoto, about everything
really other than this fascinating young woman in front of him.
Minako noticed when the spell was broken. Something had
distracted Kenjo; she could tell because for the last hour or two
she'd been completely focused on him. She knew now that there
would be no slapping tonight. The naughty part of her wondered
what it would take to make _him_ slap _her_, and that line of
thought brought a blush that she hoped matched her blouse. She
could not recall the last time she'd been with someone who took
such a genuine interest in her. Not just her body, her hair, her
face, but in her feelings, her opinions, her dreams. With a
start, she remembered what his agenda had been, and again started
to worry about Makoto.
"Minako-san," Kenjo started carefully, "I was wondering if you'd
ever noticed that Mako-chan was closer to any one of your friends
in particular."
An odd question and one that made her stop to think. Just
getting her mind out of that spell was difficult enough for
Minako, but she could see in his eyes how important this was to
Kenjo, so she considered it thoroughly. He waited patiently, if
not with a little bit of anxiety, while she formed her answer.
"We're all very close to one another," she replied eventually,
"as I'm sure she's told you. But, that said, there are degrees.
Usagi and Rei share something very special that neither of them
share with anyone else. Ami and Rei have known each other the
longest, except for Usagi, who really brought us all together.
They were all very close before I got to know them at all, but
I've always considered Usagi my closest friend. As far as Makoto
goes, well, I guess I'd have to say that she's closest to Ami."
Kenjo smiled, as if this was the answer he'd expected, but still
he gestured her to go on.
"With Ami's mom gone a lot of the time, and, well you know about
Makoto's situation, they spend a lot of time together. Almost
every night, I think. When all of us get together, they usually
sit next to each other and sometimes the rest of us catch them
whispering and laughing together privately," Minako concluded.
"Why do you ask?"
"I'll explain, I promise," he said. "First though, does Ami have
a boyfriend?"
Minako couldn't see the connection between this question and
the last, but again decided to trust him and answer to the best
of her ability. "No, not really. There's this one guy who's
always trying to go out with her, but she only wants to be
friends." Minako paused for a moment. "You know, I don't think
she's ever really had a boyfriend."
"And this guy, the one who wants to date her, is that Urawa-san?"
"Yes, but I thought we were here to talk about Makoto, not Ami,"
Minako exclaimed.
Kenjo took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do, but
couldn't shake the feeling that somehow he was betraying one of
Makoto's confidences, something he'd never done. Still, he
reminded himself, she had never told him this, it was only a
suspicion on his part, and Minako was one of her dearest friends.
Gazing over at her, he could see that she recognized he was
deliberating about something important. The look she gave him
was full of support and trust. Again, his desire to help his
friend was momentarily sidetracked by a sudden lightheadedness.
His face softened and his eyes smiled; he knew he could trust her
and that he was doing the right thing.
"I think that Makoto is in love with Mizuno Ami, but I'm not sure
if she realizes it," Kenjo spurted out.
Minako's eyes went wide and she prepared to debunk this craziness
immediately. His expression stopped her, however. Kenjo was
deadly serious, and really worried. She caught herself before
responding.
"I think she might need help, Minako-san, and I want to help her,
but I'm not sure how to go about it," he added.
Minako closed her eyes and tried to remember everything she could
about Makoto and Ami. Without trying very hard, she recalled a
variety of things which could be seen as supporting his idea.
Actually, the more she thought about it, the more sense it made.
Despite constant references to her old sempai, Makoto had not
really dated at all since they met back in Jr. High. 'Unless you
count Haruka," she chuckled. She could remember Makoto dancing
back in school...but come to think of it, that had been with Ami.
Minako suddenly remembered a few weeks ago, walking into Makoto's
kitchen after a wonderful dinner, and watching her and Ami
washing and drying dishes together. She'd said something to the
effect of 'you two look like an old married couple' and Makoto
had actually dropped a plate! 'Maybe it wasn't my voice that
startled her, but what I actually said.'
Opening her eyes, she saw Kenjo patiently awaiting her
response. There weren't many men who would actually give a woman
time to think; so many of them always seemed to be in a big rush
for some reason. "I think you might be right," she finally said.
"But, what kind of help do you mean?" That could be taken in a
number of ways, and she needed to know how he felt about the idea
of Makoto and Ami.
Kenjo sighed, unaware till then that he'd been holding his
breath. "I want to help them get together, if that's what would
make her, them I suppose, happy, but I don't know how to help
with that. So, what can we do?"
Minako considered this, noting with relief that he wasn't going
to suggest they try to 'cure' Makoto or anything ridiculous like
that. "Well, I guess we'd need to figure out if Ami feels the
same way. She's very hard to read, at least for me. Ami is more
likely to open up to Rei, so maybe Rei would know." She snorted
with some annoyance. "They're both so silly sometimes. Even if
they weren't busy deluding themselves, they'd just start trying
to delude everyone else. Neither of them is big on expressing
their emotions openly."
Kenjo nodded sadly, "She's been hurt so badly before. Can you
blame her?"
"No, I suppose not. And poor Ami, people have been labeling her
and putting her into boxes for so many years, it's no wonder she
has a hard time figuring out her own true feelings."
"So, what can we do?" Kenjo asked again.
"I think you've done all you can," Minako replied, adding, "for
now, that is. Let me talk to Rei, and maybe Usagi."
"You'll let me know how I can help, right?" Kenjo pleaded. "I'm
supposed to be back in school next week, but I can make it back
here really fast if you need me."
Minako reached out and laid a hand gently on his. His eyes
widened and shot toward hers, just as she felt the spark shoot up
her arm. Putting that aside for the moment, she said, "You love
her, but so do we. I'll let you know, I promise, but for now,
you'd better just leave it alone. It may be that none of us can
do anything but wait for them to sort it out themselves."
"I'm just afraid that, left to themselves, they never will,"
Kenjo pointed out glumly. The feel of her hand on his skin was
warming his entire body. Bravely, he laid his other hand on top
of hers. "Thank you, Minako-san, for everything." A blush rose
over her cheeks like a sunrise.
Suddenly, something caught his eye from across the restaurant.
He had been so wrapped up; it had taken a while to register.
Leaning forward slowly, he whispered, "Behind you, at 7:00, in
the trenchcoat and dark glasses. Isn't that your friend, Usagi?"
Minako caught herself. When he'd laid his hand over hers and
then leaned forward, she'd extended her face ('Face, Minako? Be
honest! You extended your lips!' that naggy little voice in her
head chided.) Now, she pretended to stretch her neck and back,
looking where he'd indicated. Six years ago, she wouldn't have
been able to catch herself before screaming 'USAGI' at the top of
her lungs. Fortunately, age brought wisdom.
"Excuse me one moment," she said politely, standing up. Her
hands felt suddenly cold. Regretfully, she stalked toward the
back of the dining room.
Standing before Usagi's table, she deliberately unclenched her
fists. "What are you doing here, meatball-head, and what is with
that pathetic disguise?!" she hissed.
Usagi giggled and stammered for a moment. "Well, [heh-heh]..
Luna took the pen away from me after that time I used it to..."
In a flash, she smiled broadly and whispered, "He's really cute,
Mina-chan, and it looks like you guys are getting along! I can't
believe you were going to kiss him on your first date!"
Minako blanched, then blushed even more deeply than before.
Sweat appeared on her forehead as she leaned down with a
frightened look back at Kenjo. "I was NOT going to kiss him, I
was just trying to hear him better and you haven't told me what
you're doing here, messing up my date!" Gently, but firmly, she
'assisted' Usagi to her feet.
Usagi grinned, "I had a feeling that this one was special, I
could just tell! I'm going, I'm going, no need to shove!"
Minako had Usagi halfway to the door. "Get out of here, meatball
head!" Then, she remembered something. "We need to meet,
tomorrow! Can you tell Rei?"
"Sure, I'll call her from Makoto's place. I can tell her and Ami
there."
"No, just Rei, you, and I! It's important. Don't tell Ami or
Makoto!" Minako urged.
Usagi gave her a funny look, but agreed. "Ok, ok, and you can
stop shoving, I'm leaving! Sheesh!"
After removing the spy from their midst, Minako returned to the
table to find a very amused Shinozaki Kenjo.
"Hmmph, just for that look, he will have to wait till the next
date!" she thought. Approximately 2 hours later, after he'd
walked her home and said goodnight (and left without a fuss),
Minako realized that she'd not only decided that there would be a
second date, but that just about nothing would stop her from
kissing him before it was over.
Back to Best Friends Index - Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction