"You were studying so hard just a month ago! What happened?" Usagi looked away, clenching her fists. "I don't know. It's just not so easy anymore. It was easy a month ago, and now it's hard." "So you stopped trying?! Usagi, are you trying to fail?" Usagi winced at the steel in Rei's voice. "It's so hard, Rei. I'm not smart." "Yes you are," Rei hissed, crumpling the failing test up and throwing it over her shoulder. An offended grunt spun both girls around, and Usagi gasped at the tall, black-haired man standing there, her test in his hands. "I remember you! You're Chiba Mamoru." Mamoru raised an eyebrow, his eyes fastened on the test. "And I remember these horrible test scores. You must be that Odango Atama." He looked up as Rei snatched the paper away, already angry and ready for some sort of violence. "Keep your nose out of our business," she snapped. "Neither of us asked you to comment." "Sorry," he apologized, hands held up defensively. "You really are protective of her. Are you her sister?" "That's none of your business!" Rei turned to Usagi, suddenly realizing how her young friend had greeted the unwelcome guest. "You know him, Usagi?" "I met him a while ago. Also with a bad test. I don't mind what he says, Rei; I am stupid." "No you're not! Is she?" Mamoru raised an eyebrow at the question, glancing significantly at the test in Rei's hand. "I don't have to say anything; her test scores tell the tale." He was on his back in five seconds flat. Rei, a master of martial arts, knelt by the man's head, hand on his throat, a fire in her eyes that Usagi had never seen. Rei was a fighter, but she rarely had a target. "What was that?" Mamoru knew better than to make her any angrier. "Um, test scores aren't anything. Even royals must do badly sometimes." "Princess," Usagi whispered, eyes distant, hands clasped in front of her heart. "That sounds so familiar, Rei-chan." Mamoru looked up at the blonde girl, and something in her stance, the light pooling around her, reminded him of something from his past . . . she looked like a princess . . . the image vanished when Usagi reached her hand down to help Mamoru stand up. Taking her hand, unable to look away, he pushed himself to his feet. "Sorry, Odango Atama. I'm sure there's someone at your school who can help you study. If you need, I could tutor you." Rei snorted at that offer, but she stayed silent as Chiba Mamoru walked away. Usagi watched him leave, hands clasped over her heart again. "I know him, Rei-chan, I'm sure of it. From some other place or time, I know him." "And?" Usagi touched her lips, feeling warm hands on her neck and back. "So warm . . . he and I were very close, Rei-chan." Rei felt a surge of protectiveness, but she was afraid to frighten the younger girl. She rested an arm across Usagi's shoulders, lending support without inhibiting. "Usagi, I don't know what life you keep remembering, but here he's a jerk. Let me take you home now, and you try to study a bit harder tonight than you did last night. Okay?" "Okay." *~*~*~*~*~*~* "Ten'ou Haruka-san?" The tall blonde, packing her stuff after her race, turned at the sound, her short hair shifting in the breeze. One of her opponents in the race she just one, a dark-skinned, rose-haired girl named Elza Grey stood there, a smile on her face. She raised an eyebrow, and the other girl chuckled. "I had heard that you were good; I never imagined that you were so very fast. There is someone here who wants to meet you." Elza bowed and stepped back as an aqua-haired young woman no taller than five four took her place, a sketchpad held in front of her, light blue school uniform accenting the sapphire in her deep eyes. Haruka, easily four inches taller than the stranger, let a smile spread across her face, attracted instantly to the woman's gentle beauty. "Hello, Ten'ou Haruka. My name is Kaiou Michiru and I've heard a lot about you. I saw you race today, and your speed was unbelievable, almost like you were trying to merge with the wind. I know you can hear it calling you. Elza-san was very kind to introduce me to you." Haruka smiled and turned fully toward the young woman, turning on her charm. Attracting women was easy and quite an interesting game with which to pass the time, but Michiru wasn't anything like any of the women Haruka had dated in the past. "Why did you want to meet me, Kaiou-san?" "I wanted to ask you if you would be so kind as to pose for my next drawing." "You're an artist?" Haruka caught herself and nodded imperceptibly. "Yes, I remember now. I went to one of your exhibits. You're very good. Why me?" "Because you look so . . . powerful out there. I want to try to capture that." Haruka bowed, feeling that she had some reason to be wary of this gorgeous woman, but she had no idea why. "I would be honored, Kaiou-san."
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