I'll Protect You (part 17 of 24)

a Sailor Moon fanfiction by rune stine

Back to Part 16
--Prologue--

The awaited day of the Minako's concert came. There are about fifteen 
thousand people waiting inside and out of the concert theatre where 
Minako's homecoming concert is going to be held. The ones left outside 
ran out of concert tickets so they'll just watch from a huge TV screen 
provided outside instead. Different police officers from the districts 
of Tokyo came to help the TNPH officers to prevent the crowd for 
whatever unwanted actions that may occur. The head chief instructs the 
bomb experts with their canines to inspect every suspicious individuals 
lurking. He also instructed his own men to inspect the upper box of the 
theatre for there might be a hidden bomb or sniper assassin. Every 
police all over the place have radio or ear phones to contact each 
other, they also wear uniform clothes for identification

In Minako's dressing room came her parents with her friends from high 
school. Minako's friends are really glad that they finally had the 
opportunity to see her again. Minako really missed her friends that they 
chat for a little, while the people backstage arrange the decorations 
and curtains. The dancers are warming themselves up, their faces has red 
and white face paint with different designs from each of their faces. 
The concert director is yelling at the men who are pulling the flat 
screen TV upwards the top of the stage covered by a curtain where the 
mini movie introduction of Minako's concert will be shown.

The people at the audience seat are yelling and whistling, they are 
really getting excited and impatient at the same time. All the police 
inside the theatre made a last minute inspection, after that they all 
settled down to guard the area at the corners of the theatre, some of 
them proceeded at the back stage

Wendy, who came from Minako's dressing room, went out of the backstage 
to join the producers in the front row seat. Then minutes later Minako's 
parents and friends followed and take their respective seats, the 
producers greeted them

All that are left in the dressing room are Minako, her staff, Rei and 
two other female cops from different police headquarters who were 
assigned to also assist Minako

--End of Prologue--

The channel 6 media, who are one of the major sponsors of Minako's 
concert, insisted to take a video clip of Minako in the dressing room 
before the concert. But before they could enter they were prohibited by 
the head chief of TNPH. So they just lend a mini video cam to Minako and 
asked her to take the video herself

"Hey look here Heather, smile! You're on video!" Minako said as she 
focuses the mini video cam to Heather who is busy spraying the pop 
star's head with hair spray

"Hey, quit that! I'm not photogenic!" Heather said as she jokingly 
sprayed the lens with the hair spray

Minako refocuses the video to herself

"As you can see I'm still here in my dressing room. The concert will 
start ten minutes from now and I'm as excited as the people out there 
waiting for me. For the meantime let's mess out some people here in the 
dressing room-" Minako starts to stand up and focused the video cam 
around, Heather growled and followed Minako while spraying the pop 
star's head

"Minako hold still first, will you?"

"Wait, I'm taking a shot on Sophie"

"Crap, Minako don't point that thing on me while I'm re-ironing your 
last wardrobe! And don't move too much or that suit you're wearing will 
be ruined!" Sophie yelled

Minako whined and pointed the video cam to herself again

"Hmph! They don't want to be on cam! Oh well, let's try other people in 
here..."

Minako focused the video cam to her two newly assigned bodyguards; the 
first one is a short and thin woman, estimate 35 years of age, black 
haired and she has a smug look on her face. The second one is a little 
taller than the first one and had an average body, she seems to be as 
old as her fellow bodyguard beside her, and she had a short hair but 
looks a little nicer than the first woman. Minako focused the camera on 
both of them while murmuring

"Look, both of them are my bodyguards for tonight's concert. They look 
mean..." Minako giggled then she turns her head to search for a certain 
raven haired girl

She found Rei standing near the door, staring absent mindedly at her 
black close shoes. Minako smirked, then stealthily, she walked towards 
the young bodyguard who doesn't have any idea that she is on camera

"This is what I call an ideal bodyguard. Staring at your feet instead of 
me, Rei-chan?" Minako said with a mix of cute and sarcastic tone. Rei 
jumped at her place and blushed furiously when she realized Minako 
focused the video cam on her

"Hey, when did that thing got here?" Rei asked while pointing at the 
video cam Minako is holding, still looking embarrassed

"What? I've been running this cam around for about five minutes while 
making everyone noisy and you didn't even notice I was using it?" Minako 
asked as she turns off the video cam and looked at Rei with disbelief

Rei looked taken aback but thinks of a quick reply

"No-I mean, when you were focusing that thing on me! I saw you carrying 
that thing minutes ago of course!"

"Well this 'thing' that you were referring to happens to be known as 
'video camera' Rei-chan" Minako teased then she turns the video cam once 
again

"I know what that thing is called-Wha-don't..."

Rei became speechless and frozen when the video cam refocused to her, 
she begun blushing furiously again

"Mi-Mina-chan, is that going to be televised?" Rei asked nervously

Minako smirked then jumped beside Rei and focused the camera to both of 
them

"And the last person inside the dressing room, is my personal bodyguard, 
her name is Rei-chan. She's beautiful right? But no one can deny I'm 
sexier! Say something to them Rei-chan"

Rei panicked and made lots of ridiculous faces when Minako is waiting 
for her to speak at the camera

"Er...Hi?"

"That's all?" Minako asked

Rei nodded and hid behind Minako

"Yes before I embarrass myself further, I know I will look like an idiot 
when it's televised, I swear I will!" Rei whispered, blushing as red as 
crimson. Minako turns back at the camera and giggled

"Sorry about that, she's too shy I guess. Well, this is the end of it. I 
got to start the show now! Bye-bye!" Said Minako to the video cam then 
turned it off

"Such a kill joy Rei-chan!" Minako pouted as she hands out the camera to 
Rei then spoke again

"Take this back to the hosts of channel 6 news media, they're the pair 
waiting for this thing outside"

"Okay, better prepare yourself now. They're bringing out your wardrobes 
already. I'll wait for all of you outside after I give this back" Rei 
told her as she reaches for the door knob of the dressing room

"Rei-chan" Minako called her lover in a soft voice

Rei turned her head to see Minako looking around, as if making sure no 
one looks at her. Then she gave her lover a cute flying kiss and 
whispered

"I love you, be at my sight when I'm performing alright?"

Rei smiled then nodded

"I love you too, so much. I'll be waiting for you at the backstage when 
it's finished-and don't look at me too much, you might loose your 
concentration" She stuck out her tongue then got out of the dressing 
room, but before Minako can turn her back Rei came back with her head 
peeking at the door

"By the way, your abs is visible in that rubber-looking suit and you 
look yummy and gorgeous. I might get furious if I see men fancying you, 
I better watch out for that" Commented Rei and she finally disappeared 
from Minako's sight. Leaving the pop star blushing while looking at what 
she's wearing

--

-Outside the dressing room-

"Now where could those people be?" Rei asked to herself as she seeks for 
some people from channel 6, then a woman wearing a vest with a small 
font of the word 'channel' and a huge number six printed behind it, and 
then a man followed behind her, wearing the same vest. They showed their 
identification card to Rei and then claimed their video camera

After the couple from channel 6 left, a finger tapped Rei's back. Rei 
turned her head and saw a pale but unsuspicious-looking man handing out 
a piece of parchment to her.

"What's this mister?" Rei asked, but the man didn't respond. Instead he 
walked away from Rei slowly, like he's sleepwalking

She read it immediately since it only has two sentences:

"Be careful. We will wait until everything's finished today so that we 
can talk about your departure."

"W-wait, mister why are you-"

Rei was distracted when the door of the dressing room behind her opened 
and the police outside gathered to assist Minako's staff. Finally, 
Minako walked out of the room with the new bodyguards both at her sides 
escorting her. A woman wearing glasses approached Minako, telling the 
pop star that she only has three minutes left and the mini movie is 
already playing. They all hurried their way to the back stage, leaving 
Rei behind. She sighed and hurried herself to follow them, to follow 
Minako

--

-Backstage-

Half the numbers of the dancers are on their respective positions, 
waiting while the other half is doing the dance intro on the main stage. 
Minako sighed, lifting her chin up for concentration. She wanted to hold 
Rei's hands for support for the last minute before she can come out of 
the stage but she couldn't do it, not in a place full of people around 
her. The music outside the backstage is deafening her, even though it 
was only the background music of one of her songs. In an instant second, 
something in her mind told her that something is not right

The concert director called her

"Okay people, time for Minako to come out!" The concert director yelled 
and the crew prepared for the lights, effects and sounds

"Good luck, Aino" Minako muttered to herself then fixed the microphone 
she's

--

-Audience seat-

Rei stood beside the head chief a little far from the stage at the 
corner. The whole place is dark and only the bright and different colors 
of light from the stage are seen together with the dancers on the stage. 
While waiting for Minako to come out, the head chief took the 
opportunity to talk to Rei once again

"I already know about you and Aino-san" He said without looking at her. 
Rei didn't reply in an instant, she choose her words carefully before 
she speak for she was talking not to the head chief, but to Hino Namada, 
her uncle

"Minako said she confessed that to you last Thursday night. I was scared 
to tell you. I don't know how you'll feel, or react or what you'll say. 
Disgusted? Pity? Ungrateful? Or that I have a mental problem and I need 
help?" She replied. The head chief was about to talk when she continued

"Uncle, what do you think of me now?" Rei asked, the head chief was 
surprised with that question, and he was definitely not prepared to 
answer that

Rei looked directly at the head chief, but he couldn't look straight 
back at his niece. All he ever wanted for Rei is to become a fine woman, 
just like her mother. There, he stood silent in front of Rei. The longer 
the time Rei stares at her uncle speechless and not looking at her the 
more pain she felt. She finally spoke, knowing the answer already

"I see. I have failed you" Said Rei as she slowly walked past the head 
chief. She didn't allow a single tear fall from her eyes. She ignored 
the voice of the head chief calling her back, telling her that it's not 
what he meant to tell her

Rei stood near the stage where Minako can easily see her. She watched 
there silently. Suddenly the music faded and the whole stage became dark 
except for the spot light at the center of the stage. Rei noticed that 
there is a track that looked like a line at the floor of the stage. She 
jumped when the all the people inside the stadium yelled and screamed 
with joy and excitement when Minako finally came out

Minako starts singing her dance song while lying contently in what looks 
like an Indian-inspired bed full of pillows with different embroidery 
designs and exotic colors, and it was moving like a car, though it was 
slow. Now Rei realized that the line track is for the moving bed Minako 
is lying at.

The dancers gathered around her to help the pop star stand up, which is 
part of their dance step. Now Minako's appearance is free for all to 
see. Her long blonde hair is wildly loosened, with the help of few 
special scented baby oil and hair spray it now had a wet look on it. Her 
eyes were surrounded with black face paint, designed with silver face 
paint that formed like connected curls. Her lips wear solid purple lip 
polish, matching her nails. Finally, her fitted red and white long 
sleeve suit, which is responsible for the audiences' wild screaming, had 
a see-through plastic-like garment in the middle part of the suit. 
Making Minako's smooth and flat abdomen exposed, and also exposing a bit 
of skin above her pelvic bone. It also has a low V-shaped neckline and 
showed some cleavage. Her suit is colored red vertically and the half 
vertical part is white down to her high heels that seemed to be 
connected to her suit. So it appeared like half the color of her body is 
red and the other is white. Her left high heel boot is colored white 
while its pair is red. These colors represent her hometown

Rei is completely enchanted by her lover's appearance, and doesn't care 
about the noise of the crowd anymore. This is her first time seeing an 
actual concert. There are huge banners around the audience saying 'I 
love Minako' and 'please marry me, Minako Aino!' There are little 
banners too but Rei couldn't read because there isn't enough light

Minako, while dancing and singing, is searching for her lover. Every 
time she stops to sing only, her eyes scans corner by corner and place 
by place. She can't wait for the next song number to see Rei

'I thought I can easily find her out there, even if the audience were 
this many! Where are you Rei-chan?' Minako thought and she almost forget 
her song line with that but she immediately covered it with a shout for 
the crowd, making the audience yell back with joy

Wendy sighed in relief at her seat, knowing that having Rei in Minako's 
thoughts distracted and made the pop star uneasy. She hoped that Rei is 
in the pop star's sight right now

--

The audience might have not notice Minako's mental blocking but Rei 
surely did. She was sure Minako is looking out for her

'I have to find a way to make her see me or she'll mess her own concert 
up, but how?' Rei thought. She looked around her and then her view 
seized at the middle walkway of the audience. No one's walking through 
it but the police guards lurking around. The path leads to a cat walk in 
the middle connected to the wide stage where Minako and her dancers are 
performing. Rei felt her stomach turn upside down with the idea that 
struck her mind

'Walk straight to the aisle, that sounds easy...but...argh!'

Rei gathered her courage and walked straight to the aisle of the 
theatre, not looking at both her sides. She stopped five meters away in 
front of the cat walk, and heaved

Minako is starting to get furious as she continued her song and dance

'If I still don't see Rei-chan for the next ten seconds-'

As Minako and her dancers make their way to the cat walk for the special 
slow part of the song, her heart beat faster as she saw Rei standing 
five feet in the aisle in front of her, Rei's mouth is slightly opened 
not because of surprise but with joy and amazement. Minako felt her self 
blush and her insides and mind filled with warmth, bliss and love

'Rei-chan, you came in the front aisle for me!' Minako Said in her 
thoughts. Now her voice became a lot livelier and she winked at Rei who 
held both her hands together up to her chest and sighed deeply

--

-At the upper box of the theatre-

"Nice performance so far, have you seen your pretty little cop out 
there, Edward?" Said a tall blonde man as he enjoys the view

The hazel-haired man standing beside him sighed

"Henry, I'd say you're really enchanted by the lights" Said Edward 
hopelessly as he pointed Rei standing in the aisle

"I don't fancy lights, feather face. I'm just making sure that Hino girl 
won't do anything nasty like trying to escape or something" Pouted Henry

"Mark and I know she won't do anything like that. Even the cleverest 
person on earth wouldn't even dare to cross Sanctuary" Replied Edward 
calmly

"I will never understand you both. What did Mark say again before we 
parted?"

"...He said that we wait" Said Edward

Onwards to Part 18


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