Rei sat at the Crown with her friends, head buried in her arms
on the tabletop. She had been like this for a full five minutes.
Minako, who was sitting closest to her, tapped Rei’s shoulder.
“Come on, Rei, tell us what’s wrong.”
A mumbled sentence was all they got.
Minako sighed and leaned close to Rei’s ear. “Try again, Rei.
You know you want our sympathy, so out with it. Be coherent this
time and Usagi will buy you a milkshake.”
Rei looked up with an evil grin on her face. Then she
remembered her predicament. Frowning, she said, “I’m being traded.”
“What do you mean you’re being traded?” asked Makoto. “People
don’t just generally trade in their children for newer models.”
“No,” answered Rei, “but shrines do. Grandpa has a friend who
wants his apprentice to study under him, so the apprentice is coming
here and I’m going there.”
“But why you? I’d think he’d send Yuichiro.”
“I asked the same thing. But Grandpa gave me a stupid speech
about me making a better showing for the shrine. He’s right, but
still…”
Usagi looked like she was on the verge of tears. “Are you
going away forever?”
“No, Usagi, just for summer break. But it might as well be
forever. My whole summer has now officially been shot to hell.”
Rei’s head landed back on her arms as she mourned her loss for all
it was worth.
Minako laughed at her girlfriend’s overreaction and put an arm
around her shoulders. “Poor Rei. Well, I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll even send you a postcard with Buckingham Palace on it.”
“You’re going, then,” said Ami.
Minako leaned back in her seat. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I
didn’t have the heart to tell Katerina I wouldn’t come to her
wedding, even though she said she would understand if I didn’t want
to. Besides, once I really thought about it, I realized I do want
to be there for her.”
“Helps that she said you could be maid of honor,” smirked
Makoto.
“That, too.”
“You and Ami are so lucky,” said Usagi. “I wish I was going
to another country. Or at least that we were taking a plane to my
grandparent’s place.”
Makoto frowned at the blonde. “I wouldn’t call the plane
rides a plus. Those things are overcrowded, under ventilated
deathtraps.”
“That’s better than 13 hours in the backseat with Shingo. And
then it’s eight more hours to my father’s relatives and another ten
to get back home,” lamented Usagi.
“At least you’ll be able to roll down a window,” said Ami.
“Ami,” said Rei, head up and indulging in the chocolate
milkshake Usagi would be paying for with the last of her allowance,
“do I detect a phobia of planes?”
“It isn’t that, really. It’s just that Germany seems awfully
far away, and it’s a long time to be on a plane.” Ami smiled. “But
the trip is worth it. Mom’s been planning it for months, and her
letting me help with the research on the project more than makes up
for any cram school I’ll miss.”
Minako laughed at that. “Ami, you are the only person I know
who worries about missing school during summer break.”
Ami’s smile became shy as she cast her eyes down.
Makoto bumped her shoulder gently against Ami. “It’s okay,
Ami. One of us needs to keep from going brain dead over break. As
long as it makes you happy.”
“What about you Mako-chan?” asked Usagi.
“What about me?”
“Have you made any plans yet? We only have a week of school
left.”
“Yep,” smiled Makoto, putting her hands behind her head and
leaning back. “I’m going to kick back, relax, and enjoy what’s left
of my youth. That’s what summer’s all about you guys.”
“You could come with me.”
Four pairs of eyes turned to stare at Ami.
Ami’s cheeks grew warm under the sudden scrutiny. Embarrassed
by her small outburst and almost wishing she could take it back, Ami
hurried to stammer out an explanation. “Um, I mean, I’m certain my
mother wouldn’t mind if you came with us. So you don’t have to be
alone, Mako-chan.”
“Don’t worry about me, Ami,” answered Makoto. “I’ll be fine.
You need some time for just you and your mom – we all know that’s
the real reason you’re looking forward to this trip so much. And
aside from the fact that there isn’t enough Dramamine in all of
Japan to get me on that plane, someone needs to be here in case
something happens.”
“It’s been quiet for months,” said Rei. “Nothing in my fire
readings either. This summer would have been perfect.”
This time Rei’s forehead landed on Minako’s shoulder. Minako
stroked Rei’s hair as the blonde murmured baby sympathy words to the
miko.
Makoto watched as Usagi leaned over and whispered something to
Ami. Ami went wide-eyed and her lips formed a small “o” as Usagi
giggled. Rei and Minako were enjoying their game of mourning and
comfort, not paying attention to anything but each other for the
moment.
Makoto took all this in, but didn’t feel the comfort her
friends’ actions usually brought to her. For the first time in
three years things were quiet. No youma to fight, no evil plots to
foil, no danger posed to her princess or friends. In a week, summer
vacation would start. Six whole weeks to sleep in late, be lazy,
and enjoy life. Six whole weeks she now knew she would be spending
completely alone.
~Rei was right,~ thought Makoto. ~This summer would have been
perfect.~
* * *
Hands in her pockets, Makoto walked absently along the
sidewalk, kicking the occasional stray pebble. She watched as a
pinkish stone bounced off a crack in the pavement, noting that it
did absolutely nothing to alleviate her boredom. She was actually
wishing a youma would show up and try to kill her just so she would
have something to do.
It had been just over three weeks since Makoto and her friends
had completed their latest school term. They’d spent that night
celebrating both their survival of it all and the temporary freedom
they’d been granted.
Ami had begged off early, blaming her plane leaving at three
the next morning as the cause. As the blue-haired girl hugged her
friends goodbye, Makoto began to feel an unpleasant pressure
building in her chest. She felt it again two days later as they all
stood at the bus station saying their goodbyes to Rei (Minako’s
rather enthusiastic farewell drawing stares, a girlish giggle from
Usagi, and mutters of “It’s just a phase” from Rei’s grandfather.).
Too soon afterwards, Makoto found herself saying goodbye to
both Minako and Usagi. Usagi had been the last of the group to
leave, and Makoto had stood there watching as her friend’s car
pulled away just after dawn. She had remained there for a time,
even though the car was long gone from her sight. The pressure and
tightness in her chest was there again, stronger than it had been
for a long time.
“You’re being stupid, Makoto,” she’d said to herself.
“They’re not leaving you. In a few weeks they’ll be back. They’re
all coming back.”
Since then, she’d done everything she could think of to occupy
herself. Makoto’s usually clean apartment was beyond spotless.
Every stray dish had been cleaned, every article of clothing washed
and pressed. Her kitchen looked like a bakery. She had even
finished all of her summer homework, though without Ami there to go
over it with her, she couldn’t guarantee its accuracy. All these
chores, combined with her daily workout, had kept Makoto’s mind and
body sufficiently occupied.
Then, three days ago, she received a postcard from Minako. It
was a kind and simple thing; just a note to say hi and let her know
she hadn’t been forgotten. Yet it had put Makoto in a slump that
she couldn’t quite pull herself out of.
She needed to talk to someone or just see a familiar face.
Mamoru was off in America trying to make up the schooling he’d
missed during the whole Galaxia affair. Three of the outers were
away -- Michiru touring, Haruka and Hotaru along for the ride. She
thought about trying to find an excuse to visit Setsuna, regardless
of the fact that they didn’t really know each other well enough for
casual visits. The Senshi of Time would be grateful for the company,
Makoto finally decided. So she’d wrapped up a generous number of
cookies and went to the house, only to find it empty.
The birds in the park had liked the cookies, at least, thought
Makoto as she worried the little pink stone with the toe of her
sneaker.
A metallic crash and the sound of glass breaking nearby
grabbed Makoto’s attention away from the pebble she’d been torturing.
Her mind automatically switched to battle mode as she headed for the
source of the disturbance. Henshin pen in hand, she was two seconds
away from transforming when she spotted her youma.
Sprawled on his backside, plates, glasses, and a café table
scattered around him, was Umino. Naru, her face bright red, was
trying to simultaneously apologize to a waiter who was face down in
the mess and help Umino out of it.
Makoto’s shoulders relaxed as she came down from her battle
alert. She shook her head and sighed, slightly disappointed at the
lack of a fight. Then a small smile came to her lips. She watched
as Naru continued to apologize to the waiter, other guests, and
owner. The redhead pulled her boyfriend up and let him lean on her
as she led him out of the café.
“Love in all forms,” said Makoto quietly.
“I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”
Startled, Makoto spun around. Smiling at her was a boy just
slightly taller than she was. He seemed somewhat familiar, but she
couldn’t put his face with a name.
“Kino, right, from class three?” the boy asked.
Makoto nodded, then remembering her manners said, “Kino Makoto,
yes. I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to remember your name.”
“Yuu. Yuu Satoshi, class one.” Satoshi extended a hand,
which Makoto took in a brief shake. “That little scene was the most
exciting thing that’s happened all week. Who would have thought
that Tokyo could be such a boring place?”
Makoto found herself agreeing with him. He continued to talk
to her, Makoto answering or adding something when he gave her the
chance. His smile was pleasant, she thought. Nothing spectacular,
but nice just the same. And the casual familiarity he was showing
to her, rather than seeming like a rude turn-off as it usually would,
was also somehow pleasing.
“Say, Makoto… It is okay if I call you that, by the way?”
“Sure,” nodded Makoto.
“Great. Then it’s only fair that you call me Satoshi. Anyhow,
I was wondering if you had any plans for this afternoon?”
“No, not really. My friends are all out of town, so…”
“Want to have lunch with me?”
Makoto stared at Satoshi in stunned silence. This wasn’t how
it usually went.
Satoshi frowned just a bit. “I’m being too forward, aren’t I?
I’m sorry about that. It’s just that I thought we were hitting it
off pretty well and…”
“It’s okay,” interrupted Makoto. “Actually, I’d like to have
lunch with you.”
The smile was back in full force as Satoshi said, “I know this
great place on Forth Street. Come on.”
Makoto’s mind was spinning as Satoshi took her hand and led
her away from the chaos Umino had left in his wake. Part of her was
glad to have something to do and someone to do it with, even if she
had just met the boy. Another part continued to remind her that
this wasn’t how things were supposed to work. She was the one who
was supposed to be chasing after her sempai. He was never supposed
to come after her.
~That makes no sense, Makoto,~ she chastised herself. ~And
it’s just lunch, so stop thinking about it and be glad you don’t
have to spend the rest of the day alone.~
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