"Why can't I drive?" Usagi asked, her eyes big and taking on an innocent shine. Makoto kept her eyes on the road and her hands firmly on the steering wheel. "You know why. You almost killed us fives times in the past two weeks, including those two times with Rei and Minako. I know you've been really excited since you finally got your driver's license three weeks ago, but maybe you should just let me drive. Stick to driving Mamoru around... But not chibi-Usa!" Usagi puffed her lips up into an indignant pout. "Mamo-chan loves my driving." Makoto gave a slight chuckle. "And how do you know that? Did he tell you?" Usagi crossed her arms. She opened her mouth then closed it again, obviously hesitating. "Well...no, but I can tell he does by the way he smiles like this!" They stopped at a red light just at the right moment, and Makoto looked over at her odango-haired friend imitating her husband's 'grin' which looked more like a terrified child's mouth right before they let out a horrified scream. Makoto stifled the huge wave of laughter threatening to erupt from her lips and snapped her eyes back to the road. The light turned green and she gently hit the gas pedal, resuming the girls' journey to a certain doctor's residence. "What do you think Ami will do when she hears our plan?" Usagi inquired, her own eyes on the road. Makoto shrugged. "I'm pretty sure she'll point out every flaw in it, or stay quiet, which means there's more flaws than we can count and she doesn't want to offend us. Or," she drug out the word, "she'll sit back and stay quiet." Usagi raised her dark eyebrows. "You don't think she'll try to help us out? She's the only other person besides us that knows about Minako-chan's feelings for Rei-chan. And Ami-chan always wants to help!" "I know, Usagi, but she'll probably feel like she's intruding on their lives if she secretly tries to get them together. Next to Minako, Ami-chan's the closest to Rei. She knows her boundaries and I don't think she'd want to cross them." Usagi sighed and sunk back into her seat. It was silent for a few moments, but then she grabbed Makoto's arm and shouted, "MAKO-CHAN! IT CAN'T BE!" The car swerved to the right, then to the left, and Makoto pulled her arm away from Usagi to regain control back over the light green punch-buggy. "Usagi!" she exclaimed, various car horns sounding all around them. "Are you TRYING to kill us?!" Usagi didn't answer but instead held onto her seatbelt for dear life, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. As Makoto finally steadied the car and got it back into the proper lane, she took a deep breath. "Man, Usagi... How are we ever gonna take you anywhere?" Usagi lowered her head with a sniff, puffing out her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, Mako-chan. I can't control myself sometimes. I'll try harder from now on to be a better driver and passenger...I promise!" Makoto tried to suppress a smile, but she couldn't. The smile she was fighting turned into a grin, and she laughed. Usagi slowly turned her eyes up to Makoto. When she saw Makoto had returned to normal self, she beamed happily. "Alright, as long as you promise. Now what was it that you were going to tell me? And don't grab me this time, please... For both our sakes," Makoto pleaded. "Well..." Usagi bit her lip and turned her head from Makoto. "What if... Ami-chan is in love with Rei-chan, too?" Makoto's eyes grew considerably in size, and she slammed her foot on the brakes. -- Makoto dropped her hand from her throbbing head into her lap. She winced as she leant back into the comfortable reclining chair located on the left side of Ami's long coffee table. Her hand wandered back to her forehead, and she rubbed her brow. Ami watched from her spot on the loveseat, located on the other side of the coffee table as she sat next to the (somehow) hyper Usagi. "Wow! I can't get over how big this apartment is, Ami-chan!" the odango-haired girl exclaimed, her usual Cheshire grin in check, even with a silly bandage wrapped around her head. But Ami's focus remained on Makoto, who had a white bandage resembling Usagi's wrapped around her head as well, her bangs hanging over the front of it. The flower-shop owner just had a coin-sized bump, but Ami recommended keeping the bandage on for a few more hours. The pressure from the bandage would help the swelling go down quicker. Usagi, on the other hand, well... She wanted a bandage because she thought it made her look "cool"... However, what troubled Ami most was the fact it was Makoto who had been driving and gotten into the small accident. If Usagi was in the driver's seat, then sure, Ami would believe that as being more probable. But Makoto...? Makoto liked to drive fast sometimes, but on an ordinary day she was as careful of a driver as Ami herself—excluding the whole clown/Mio incident which had occurred years ago. What would give Makoto the urge to simply stop in the middle of the highway? "You must get lonely living here all by yourself." Usagi turned her head away from the dark-haired doctor before standing up and examining the lavish-and expensive-looking- computer desk, with an equally impressive computer resting on top of it. Her big, brown eyes scanned over the new-age technology, ending their observations on a small stone sculpture. It was a mix between a gargoyle and a human, along with a horse. Usagi let out a small shriek as she backed away, pointing a wobbly finger at the "abomination". "W-What is that, Ami-chan?! It's so...so scary! How can you sleep with it j-just sitting there?! Watching?!" Makoto clenched her teeth and slammed her eyelids closed at the sound of Usagi's high-pitched voice. She let out an irritated mixture between a sigh and a growl and smothered her face with one of Ami's light-blue throw pillows. "And I just got my license back, too..." Makoto cried, her voice muffled by the pillow. "The guy said I'd be suspended from even touching a steering wheel for the next seven months." "Oh, that's right! I'd forgotten you had it suspended for speeding before." Ami raised her eyebrows at Makoto. "Is that why you were in an accident?" Makoto removed the pillow from her face and set it in her lap. She shook her head as she let out a sigh. "No." "No?" That's when Ami heard someone cough next to her. She watched Usagi take her seat back next to her, but left a good amount of distance between them. The odango-haired woman folded her hands together then stretched them out in front of herself, yawning as she did so. She looked away from Ami's general direction, gazing innocently at the ceiling. Ami smiled. "What is it, Usagi-chan?" Usagi's eyes grew and she turned them to Ami. "What do you mean, Ami-chan?" It was obvious that Usagi wanted to say something by the way she was acting—anyone could see that. Makoto's impersonation of Rei's evil death glare aimed at the young mother gave more proof to that. "I didn't get into that accident because of speeding," Makoto said, her voice dangerously low. Usagi gulped loudly, but still refused to look at Makoto. "Go on, Usagi. Tell Ami what you told me." At this point, Ami was completely clueless. Makoto's headache was obviously getting the best of her, but she'd never spoken so harshly to Usagi before. Then again, she'd just lost her pride and joy for another seven months. Next to making food and flower arranging, driving was something Makoto loved. And, as it seemed so far, it was the former Moon princess' fault that she'd lost that privilege. "Usagi-chan?" Ami asked softly. Usagi bit her lip and then slapped her hands onto her thighs, signifying she'd finally broken down. "I...I, uh... Well, Ami-chan... You and Rei-chan are close, and I..." Usagi made eye contact with her friend but was quick to break it. "Argh!" Makoto sighed and leant forward in her seat. "Usagi asked me, 'What if Ami-chan is in love with Rei-chan?', and that caught me off-guard, so I just slammed my foot on the brakes. The car behind us crashed into me, and the care behind that one crashed into the one behind us, and... Well, I think you can put everything else together." Ami's jaw dropped. Her...in love...with Rei?! "Me...in love...with Rei-chan?" she spoke aloud. Usagi grinned at her nervously and shrugged. Ami took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "Where on Earth did she ever get that idea...?" Makoto grew wary when Ami didn't answer. She examined the dark-haired doctor closely, struggling with her words. "A-Ami-chan?" she asked softly. "You're not...are you?" Ami smiled. "Of course not. Rei-chan is nothing more than a good friend of mine, just like you and Usagi-chan." "Have you ever been in love, Ami-chan?" Usagi suddenly asked, catching both Makoto and Ami off-guard. Ami found herself slipping back into her old teen-aged habits. She turned her head down to her hands in her lap, watching them cross and uncross repeatedly. She wasn't sure if she could really answer that question. What she felt before... She still questioned whether what she felt all those years ago was indeed love, or just a strong attachment to that person. Ami knew the moment she looked into Usagi's big, brown eyes she would cave in. Lying was something she was never particularly good at, and when it came to Usagi, it was as if the whole concept of even a white lie was preposterous. And after all, it was the owner of those innocent eyes who put the question of whether or not love existed into the young doctor's heart. So instead, Ami looked at Makoto as she answered. "I...don't think so." She bit her lip and shook her head. "No. I haven't." Usagi frowned sadly. "We need to find a boyfriend for you, Ami-chan!" she exclaimed. "When Rei-chan and Minako-chan get together, you'll be the only one still single." Usagi balled up her fists at her chest and shot up from the couch, startling her friends. "We can't have that! Mako-chan, it looks like we'll be doing over-time for the next couple of months!" "Oh, no," Makoto waved her hands in front of herself. "Your 'Operation: Minako-chan and Rei-chan: love-love' thing is enough excitement for me. Let Ami find someone on her own, alright?" Usagi crossed her arms and plopped back onto the couch, pouting her bottom lip out. "'Love-love'...?" Ami asked. Makoto nodded. "Yeah. It's the title of Usagi's love mission for Rei and Minako. She won't leave well enough alone as usual, it seems. But... They're kind of why we're here." "Hey! You're the one who called and told me you'd help me, Mako-chan!" Usagi retorted. Makoto rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we need your help. We have a plan, but we needed your approval." "My approval?" Ami cocked an eyebrow curiously. "Why mine?" Usagi grinned. "Because you're the smart one! And you know better than us what kind of date Rei-chan would be into. Minako-chan is the senshi of love, so I don't think she'd object to any date we set them up on." She sighed dreamily and leant back onto the couch. "It'll be so romantic... Rei-chan will have to admit her feelings!" Ami smiled at her former princess. She found it endearing how Usagi only wanted the best for everyone, regardless if they were good or bad. Her friends were the luckiest, though, since she was constantly striving to make sure that they were happy. Generosity and kindness were definitely traits from Princess Serenity Usagi had retained when she was reborn on earth, and Ami was grateful for that. "What's the plan, Usagi-chan?" Ami questioned. "Well," Makoto chimed in. "Usagi and I will watch over the shrine some time this week so they get to spend the whole day together." "And," Usagi continued on, "We'll set up pre-paid dinner reservations for the two of them at that really fancy restaurant that just opened up in Central Juuban. Then... Well, we haven't gotten that far yet." Usagi and Makoto grinned sheepishly and turned to see Ami's reaction. Usagi was stunned but Makoto wasn't when Ami didn't jump up and down to praise them endlessly. "Well... Rei-chan and Minako-chan spending the whole day together sounds like a good idea, and dinner as well, but... Something has to come before the dinner." "Like an appetizer?" Usagi eagerly asked. Ami giggled. "Yes, Usagi-chan; like an appetizer. I would say a movie, but Minako-chan would have a higher risk of getting swarmed by fans there, and Rei-chan doesn't really enjoy anything that has to do with the entertainment industry that much. Definitely not a concert." Makoto scoffed. "Could you even imagine Rei at a concert? Sweaty people slamming into her, loud noises, fights... Heh, that'd be a sight to see." "Rei-chan doesn't like anything! How are we ever going to come up with an appetizer?!" Usagi shouted. Ami thought back to the night she and Rei had slept at Crown, when she was avoiding her mother and Rei was avoiding her father. They'd talked so much that night, and it was the first time Ami had opened herself up to someone so much. She liked to think it was a first for Rei as well. She never could have imagined Rei could be such a care-free adolescent much like Usagi, and just simply be happy. Even with her father's men lurking outside of the Crown karaoke, she lived it up as if the moment would last forever. They'd talked about everything from school to the senshi; from Rei's dislike of singing to Ami's interest in medicine. Then the topic of Sailor Venus, or rather Aino Minako, had come up. Rei'd been dancing around it for most of the night, but when she finally started talking about her, it was easy to see she'd been thinking about the idol the whole night. She seemed frustrated, angry, irritated. She couldn't understand Minako's brainless actions, and why she wouldn't join the senshi. "If she's the leader," Rei had said, "then she should be standing next to us when we fight. I'm not going to be led by someone who I can't trust." And much softer, "...someone who can't trust me." After that discussion, the two teen-agers had a lengthy silence come between them. Ami knew what, or rather who Rei was thinking about, but she felt it'd be best to let the subject drop for the time being. It wasn't until Ami began to doze off that Rei had spoken up again. She asked Ami if she'd ever seen a Kabuki performance. Ami hadn't, but Rei was happy to explain every detail of it. She'd gone on to say how her mother would take her to a Kabuki show every other weekend until she became ill. When her mother finally passed on, her father dropped her off at her mother's father's shrine and promised he'd be back for her when the "time was right". Apparently that time never came. Rei tried to give off the impression she didn't care all that much; that she was better off at the shrine anyhow. But, Ami knew that the wound her father had given her was still fresh, and pushing Rei to talk more about it would just be pouring salt all over it. Ami herself had an absent father, but she at least had her mother. "How about Kabuki?" Ami said aloud, and both Usagi's and Makoto's heads perked up. "Kabuki? Is Rei into that?" Makoto inquired, and Ami nodded. "Yes. She mentioned to me once that's she very fond of it, but hasn't seen a performance since her mother passed away. If she were open to it, I think it'd put her in a really good mood and perhaps things between she and Minako would progress more smoothly through dinner and afterwards." Usagi gasped. She broke out into a wide grin and clapped her hands together. "Great idea, Ami-chan! Ah, you're so amazing! I wish I could be that smart!" Ami blushed. "You are smart, Usagi-chan." "So, now all we have to do is set everything up," Makoto said. "Rei's going to be reluctant at first, but maybe with a little push, she'll give in. She's been more protective of her shrine than usual lately, but I'm guessing it's because of the lack of sponsorship. All we have to do is make sure we take good care of it." She looked at Usagi, who was glancing around the room and blowing air through her lips. "Here that, Usagi? And we can't go snooping around Rei's room either," she paused. "Well, maybe a little bit of snooping wouldn't hurt..." Usagi grinned mischievously, her eyes sparkling. "What ever happened with Rei-chan and Minako-chan last night anyhow? Did Rei-chan happen to go into any detail about her dream-memories?" Ami asked. Makoto shook her head, her light brown ponytail swaying slightly with the movement. "Nope. And if she did, Minako didn't tell me anything about it. But it's so strange... A good chunk of our memories were restored when we needed them. But hers... I guess like Luna said: she didn't want them." Usagi looked between her two friends, debating whether she should let them know what was on her mind. Something big was going to happen very soon, but the feelings she had about it were scattered. She wasn't a psychic like Rei, or as book-smart as Ami, but it was easy to see the normal life they had now would be changing not too long from then, and quickly. It was only a matter of time before the change begun. She shook her head. They were having a nice get-together despite the small accident. Why ruin it? -- She could hardly think, let alone feel much of anything. All she could feel was a distinct and unfamiliar burning on her lips. The more she thought about the lingering of the idol's soft lips on hers, the hotter the room became. She opened her eyes and looked into the mirror. Yes, Hino Rei's face was completely flushed. She brought her right hand from it's resting place on the sink counter and ran her index finger over her reddened lips. "So... That's what a kiss is like. I guess it's...not so bad," Rei thought to herself, running her finger back and forth over her bottom lip. "I hadn't really expected it. Why did she do it, anyway? Maybe she thought I wanted her to... But still, she's never been one to do what I want to do. Not that I wanted her to! Well..." The image of Minako's lips hovering above her own sprang into her mind. Her stomach did numerous flip-flops and she found it hard to breathe all of the sudden. She gazed into the mirror, watching as her lips parted slightly so that she could fill her lungs with some much needed air. She realized at that moment she was still the Hino Rei she'd once been. She was no longer an awkward, struggling teen, but rather a grown, somewhat awkward and struggling woman. She hated the fact she'd grown so much yet matured so little. But maybe that was it. She'd matured way before her time in her teen years because of the situation she had grown-up into. Besides her grandfather-who she rarely saw as time went on- there was no real adult guidance in her life; no one to show her how to mature. All she really had was her duties to the shrine. And that brought her back to her present 'dilemma'. Had she grown up with her mother, or at the least her father, would she still be feeling these torrents of unfamiliar emotions over a simple first kiss? At the age of twenty-two, no less? Or would things in her love-life had come out differently altogether? Rei pried her eyes away from her image in the mirror, forcing them on the otherwise uninteresting stone tile which covered the bathroom floor. "So many people want to kiss her, but she kissed ME... It makes me wonder... Does she kiss people often? It may have been my first kiss, but something tells me it wasn't hers. It only makes sense though that it wouldn't be, I suppose... She's a pop-idol, and I'm betting there's a lot of pressure to be romantically involved with other various celebrities or—ick, politicians. And from what I catch from Usagi's babbling when either I go to her house or she bothers me here, Minako's probably... She's probably..." Rei's eyebrows furrowed. "Has she...gone further than kissing?" Rei let out an irritated growl. "But why wouldn't she? That's what women my age are 'supposed' to do; fall in love, sleep with a couple people, and get hurt repeatedly by those who supposedly 'love' them." She pushed herself off of the sink in one movement and faced the door, unconsciously taking a deep breath. She reached for the door handle, lightly taking hold of it. She exhaled slowly, and with a flick of the wrist, the door was slid open. Minako sat there with a manga in her hand, looking uncharacteristically interested in what she once told Rei she considered 'childish'. Rei raised an eyebrow and then walked over to the side of the low table, opposite to the idol. She ungracefully plopped onto the ready and waiting maroon cushion and crossed her legs together. "I didn't think someone like you would have such a large amount of manga," Minako said, her gaze remaining on the book. Rei wasn't sure if she should be offended or not, but she kept her mouth closed nonetheless. "I was surprised by it the last time I was here. I saw you as more of the 'Learn to Read Palms Like a Pro in Five Simple Steps' kind of girl." She looked up at Rei and smirked, to which Rei responded by rolling her eyes and snorting. "I don't need a book for that. Priestess' should be able to read people by their body language, their way of speech, and most importantly, their eyes. You could read anyone by focusing on their eyes." "Really? How's that?" Minako asked. "Well... It's simple. Whenever a person begins to think, their eyes usually dart around, pause on something, then move around again. But if you watch closely, you can see dozens of emotions run across their eyes within those few seconds. When they look back at you, at least two of those dozens of emotions stick in their eyes. You just have to observant and be able to identify those emotions." "Is that so?" Minako closed the manga and looked straight into Rei's dark eyes. A slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "So... Have you ever done that with me? Tried to...identify my emotions?" Rei shrugged as she turned her head away. "Does it matter?" "I'm curious. Humor me." Minako took notice of the tiny blush forming under Rei's cheeks and how she fidgeted. "Yuuichiro probably needs help with dinner. He's most likely already made a huge mess-" As Rei started to stand up, Minako leant over the table and grabbed her wrist. Rei shot her a questioning look. "On a first name basis already?" she teased. "I'm sure your boyfriend's doing just fine. It's cute how he got here only this morning yet you're terribly worried about him already. When's the wedding? Am I invited?" Minako didn't think Rei would catch the jealous undertone in her voice since Minako herself could barely recognize it. She admitted she wasn't amazing at acting-singing was more her forte- but the small roles she'd played in various Japanese soap operas really paid off. Then again, maybe she did have some talent in the craft of acting. She did, after all, convince a generally smart group of teen-aged girls that she was the Princess of the Moon for a good five, six months. She was sure she could have kept up the façade until the day she died too, but just because she could didn't mean she would. Pretending to be someone she wasn't had kept her secluded for far too long. Minako didn't like to be alone. Her over-load of concerts and benefits, chance meetings with Usagi, and of course, her constant teasing of Rei to bait her to chase the idol were nonchalant ways to show that. Millions of screaming fans and ill-tempered priestesses were the only things that kept her sane after her tumor was discovered. "He's not my boyfriend," Rei said, a glower directed towards Minako as she sat back down. "I don't trust him in my kitchen, that's all." Minako continued to smile at Rei, further irritating the priestess. "Why are you here, anyway?" Rei asked. Minako re-opened the manga and pretended to read. "I had nothing to do after a local radio interview and I thought maybe we could talk some more about your memories. Plus, you sort of invited me." "There's not much to say," Rei replied. "Besides the fact they've been giving me huge headaches." Minako closed the manga. "That tends to happen. Try having a brain tumor and then those memories prying their way into your brain. It's not fun." Minako leant on her left hand while her right grabbed the manga so she could place it back into it's spot on the short bookshelf next to Rei's beside. Rei glanced over, her eyes trailing down to the smooth skin being exposed by Minako's hiking shirt. The shirt stopped shyly above her bellybutton, giving Rei a perfect view of the idol's firm stomach. She tried to rip her eyes from the sight, but she couldn't. It was just her stomach... But still, the skin looked so flawless, and for a moment Rei wondered if the rest of Minako's body looked that smooth, that flawless... She thanked the gods the table was hiding the idol's legs, because if it weren't, she'd get a full view up Minako's skirt. Her heart sped up and she once again tried to pull her eyes away, but she couldn't. It didn't help that time seemed to be going slower and slower with each passing second. Minako slid the book into it's proper resting place and sat up, pulling her shirt down. She looked at Rei, who was still staring at her. She raised a well-groomed eyebrow. "Rei-chan?" Rei was startled from her day-dream and shifted her eyes to Minako's. "Hai?" "You were staring." Rei blushed and turned her head away. "Sorry, was I?" Minako nodded, wondering if she should pursue her curiosity and question Rei or change the subject. She decided on the latter. "So, can you actually read palms? I'm sure the shrine customers ask you to do that sometimes. Or did you bring up reading people by their body language and eyes because you can't read palms?" Rei crossed her arms and sighed. "Of course I can. But I don't really believe in it. It's more for amateur, wannabe-psychics than anything." Minako shrugged. "I think you're saying those things because you can't do it. You just don't want to admit that you yourself are in fact an amateur." This produced the desired effect for Minako. She heard Rei grunt and watched as the priestess stood up and marched over to her, her miko robe swishing. Rei sat on her legs, directly facing the side of Minako. Minako rose her eyebrows and feigned confusion. "What is it?" Rei grabbed Minako's right hand with more force than she intended to, but Minako barely reacted. The idol smirked to herself. "Teasing always works with her." Rei studied the lines on Minako's hand closely, looking for the littlest ones first rather than the more obvious big ones that represented life and love. It was true she didn't believe in the whole concept of palm reading, but Minako had challenged her, and Lord knows she could never back down from a challenge brought on by the singer. Rei was determined to prove to the woman that it was all a hoax. She ran her index finger over a small line running down from Minako's ring finger to her life line. Rei wanted to avoid her life line for as long as she could, but her curiosity (and concern) got the best of her. Her finger began to trace down the rather long life line, Minako's chocolate-brown eyes watching her closely. Minako tried to ignore the urge to shiver; not only was Rei unintentionally tickling her, but any touch from the priestess was enough to make Minako's heart do triple flip-flops. Rei narrowed her eyes. "This is strange..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Minako heard it. "What is?" Rei gulped and shook her head slightly. "Your life line... It-It's longer than any I've ever seen." She took a look at a few more of the lines, noticing how the little ones were showing how Minako enjoyed singing, attention, performing, and...love. Rei traced her finger over Minako's extensive love line, the pitter-pattering of her heart increasing rapidly. That's when Minako's hand gently enclosed around Rei's own. Rei's lips parted as her breath caught in her throat. Minako ran her hand over Rei's before slipping her fingers through the priestess' and intertwining their fingers together. Rei watched as her own closed around Minako's, her body acting to it's own accord. She turned her head and the idol's eyes crashed into her. "Minako..." Their grip tightened on each other, and Minako's thumb gently caressed Rei's. "So...Do you still think palm reading is a hoax?" Rei blushed and turned her eyes back down to their hands. She hesitated, opening and closing her mouth every few seconds. Finally, she found her voice. "I-" "Hino-san!" came a voice from the other side of the door. Rei jumped up, she and Minako's contact broken. "Hino-san! Dinner's about ready! Hino-san!" Rei whispered curses to herself and hurriedly rushed to the door. She flung it open and saw Yuuichiro standing there, apron tied around his waist and that goofy grin plastered on his stubbly face. "What?!" He didn't even so much as wince at the priestess' tone of voice, or even seem to notice Minako fiercely glaring at him from behind the table. "Dinner's ready. I assumed Aino-san would be eating with us, so I fixed a place for her next to you. Since we haven't seen each other in a while, I wasn't completely sure if your eating habits changed or not. From what I vaguely remember, you could eat a whole lot, so I made various different sorts of food. Oh! And I remember how you especially liked vegetables, so I fried up several different kinds of them. Is asparagus still your favorite?" Rei furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "I hate asparagus." Yuuichiro's energetic smile vanished into a sad frown. "Darn... I made a lot. Maybe it was grandpa who liked asparagus..." As Rei watched Yuuichiro's facial expression turn more and more pathetic with each passing second, she felt a small twinge of guilt. It was true he'd just interrupted a moment between she and Minako that part of her (Mars, perhaps?) had been waiting for, and he'd also ruined a chance for the two of them to talk about Rei's recovered memories, and why ALL of them seemed to involve the former Venusian princess. However, it's not like he could have known. He barely knew Rei for Kami-sama's sake. And come on! He thought she actually LIKED asparagus! "Although," she thought to herself, "he was right on target with grandfather. He loved that hellish vegetable." -- Minako blew air through her lips as she listened to her manager prattle on about how staying even a week longer than planned in Tokyo wouldn't, and couldn't possibly ever happen in this lifetime. They both knew that in the end Minako would win out though, but she allowed her manager to carry on and his little 'rant' about how her popularity would drop, record sales would fall, the apocalypse would come, this, that and the other thing... She heard him take a deep breath, and it notified her that he was finished. "Ok, Minako-chan. You win. We can linger around Tokyo a bit longer if you'd like, but only for an extra two weeks. I can not, and absolutely will not grant anymore time than that. Got it?" "Hai, manager-san. Alright, I will. Wait, tomorrow morning? But-- Ok. Ja." Minako slid her cell phone closed and sighed. Two weeks was nothing even NEAR to what she wanted as an extension on her 'vacation', but she would take what she could get. Even though her manager could break and give in to some demands, she was sure he would never grant her request to stay there an extra month or even three weeks more. That's when he'd lay down the authoritarian tone and ask her why she would be crazy enough to even ask such a thing and how her fans would feel. He knew that's what would really get to her. She felt the crisp spring wind blow through her chocolate locks, the setting sun showing the natural, dirty blonde streaks trying desperately to break through all the brown. The pop-idol looked towards the Hikawa Jinja, wondering how Rei would take the news. She hoped the woman would be pleased, but then again... "...You'll just have to put up with me for a month, and then I'll leave." Minako stated. Rei raised her eyebrow. "Promise?" "I promise." But things had changed over the past week and a half. Besides the little arguments here and there-and the dream-memories- the atmosphere had lightened up significantly. And with the way things were progressing that day... Minako pressed two fingers to her soft lips, the warmth from Rei's lingering still. She thought back to the many times in her youth when she'd simply stared at Rei's light crimson lips while they moved as she talked, and how she'd longed to taste them. And that afternoon, she finally had. Not fully, but it was a little preview, nonetheless. Minako didn't like to be teased and unable to retaliate. She always got what she wanted, and the gods seemed to be teasing her by dangling Rei in front of her face while sending annoying little distractions to prevent her from seeing her goal through. One of the distractions was with the object of her affections at that very moment, actually... But she would make sure he'd be moved out of the way soon. After all, Aino Minako always got what she wanted. -- Rei glanced out of the window at Minako, watching as she idly messed with her nails out of what Rei assumed to be boredom. She hadn't said much as she passed Rei on the way out, only mentioning something about how she had to call her manager and let him know where she was at because he grew worried when she didn't drop him a call every hour or so. Rei rolled her eyes and looked down to the dish her hands were preoccupied with washing. "She's a grown woman now, but he still acts as if he's her babysitter. Hmm, speaking of guardians... I know Minako has parents, but why hasn't she ever mentioned them? I'm curious, but I won't bring it up just in case it's a sore subject for her. Kami-sama knows I'm not too chatty when it comes to the subject of my parents." Without warning, her eyelids started to slowly slide closed. Her soapy hands lost hold of the dish, and it sank into the water to the bottom of the sink. She shook her head lazily, trying to get out of the dizzy stupor she was falling in to. But it was no use. Resilient dream-memories mixed with a total of four hours of sleep didn't exactly work to her advantage. Minako stepped into the kitchen with Artemis in her arms, quickly scanning the room for Rei. She found her target at the sink, but her eyes widened as she watched the priestess slowly descend backwards onto the ground. She gasped. "Rei!" Yuuichiro shot his head up, and before Minako could even step forward, he sprinted and caught Rei right before she almost fell onto the hard wooden floor. Minako hastily put Artemis onto the ground and then ran the small distance over to the pair and kneeled down in front of Rei. Artemis made a small sound of concern as he hid discretely under the dining table to watch the scene unfold. "Hino-san...Hino-san!" Yuuichiro called out, but there was no response. Rei hung limply in his arms, her head falling to the side. Her long hair fell over the side of her face, but Minako was quick to push it away. She lightly grasped the sides of Rei's face, her calm demeanor she'd adopted for these types of situations coming into play. She knew dream-memories had these types of side-effects and how excruciating the headaches that came along with them could be. At that moment, Rei was lapsing into the dream world. All that Minako and Yuuichiro would be able to do, was wait. -- Rei took a look down the long corridor that connected all of the young senshi's rooms together, her eyes scanning every dark corner she could manage to see. She was playing a game of hide-and-seek, but not willingly. Minako had told Rei to meet her at the goddess of love's room in a few minutes, since Luna and Artemis wanted a quick word with her. Rei hadn't replied; she'd simply grumbled and stormed off. The little 'meeting' between Minako and the two Lunar advisors ended earlier than Rei originally predicted it would, so when she heard Minako calling out her name from just a few paces behind her, she sprinted down the corridor to hide. She didn't want to be around the Venusian princess longer she had to be, and the last thing she wanted was to be stuck in a room with her...ALL NIGHT. "Mars?" Came Minako's high voice. Rei peeked her head out from behind the corner to see just how close the blonde really was, and to her horror, she was two arms lengths away. Rei pulled her head back quickly when Minako turned in her direction, praying that the girl hadn't caught sight of her. Minako's eyes widened and she tilted her head when she saw something move further into the darkness. She cursed herself for being short, or else she could've reached up and grabbed one of the candles hanging from the wall to illuminate the hallway better. She squinted her blue eyes and took a step forward, and Rei pushed herself further into the corner. Minako somehow was able to see familiar long, raven-colored hair disappear behind a bend and that's when she knew she'd found her. Wanting to fool Rei into thinking she'd won their little game, Minako sighed and strutted off into the other direction. When she was sure the blonde was gone, Rei slowly crept out of the corner. She looked to the right and then to the left, the hall seemingly completely empty besides herself. She let out a relieved sigh. As she began the walk back to her room, Minako glanced out from another corner. She waited for Rei to pass her, then she went into attack mode. Rei reached for the silver handle to her room, but paused when she felt a presence nearby. "Who's-" she was abruptly cut-off when Minako leapt onto her and tackled her to the ground. They rolled down the hallway in a mess of limbs, each girl grunting as they're bodies rapidly switched places and slammed onto the floor. In the end, Rei came out on top (literally) and glared down at the princess under her. She held Minako's arms at her sides, only partially surprised she hadn't put up much of a fight. "What are you doing?!" Rei growled. Minako smirked. "Catching you before you backed out of our plans." Rei scoffed. "'Our' plans? I never agreed to this juvenile slumber party of yours. Besides, I'm busy." She made a move to get off of Minako, but Minako grabbed the collar of her coat and pulled her back down. Startled by the close contact, Rei stared at the blonde as a small blush spread over her cheeks. She was grateful there was hardly any light. "We all know you're not busy. Come on... It'd be a great way to get our friendship off to a running start." Minako flipped their positions with ease, now holding Rei's hands to her sides as she hovered above her. After about a minute of struggling, Rei gave up. She knew she could easily push Minako off if she wanted to, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do so. "I got you out of a harsh punishment from Luna and Artemis only minutes ago, so you owe me. You may not like it, but it's my duty as leader of the senshi to understand and get to know all of my comrades as best I can. Mercury and Jupiter don't seem to be too difficult to understand, but you..." Minako gazed into Rei's amethyst orbs, watching the gleam in them disappear then reappear every time she moved them. "You confuse me. You're different from everyone else here." Rei furrowed her eyebrows. "What was my punishment for?" Minako pulled back and pushed herself up. She stood up and helped Rei to her feet. "'Being disobedient and disagreeable'. The two of them seem to think that you're not fitting into the senshi as well as you should have. But I told them we all have issues... Even me. But only little ones, of course." Rei rolled her eyes at the arrogant girl before her and crossed her arms. "However, I assured them I'd take care of you. I told them about our sleepover tonight and they think it's a great idea, so... Now it's kind of an obligation for you to show up." Rei's eyes shot completely open and her jaw dropped. Minako smiled innocently and put a hand on the fire senshi's shoulder. "I'm not so sure about the others, but... I see a lot of potential in you. The only thing you need to do is awaken that potential. It just so happens that I've been chosen to help you do that. We'll begin working on your people skills at tomorrow's masquerade since that seems to be your biggest flaw." Rei shrugged the Venusian's hand off and shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe this. You did this on purpose!" she spat angrily. "You are disagreeable. Let's get a move on!" She grabbed Rei's hand and began pulling her along to her room. When Rei loosened her grip, Minako would just tighten her own. And then, Rei opted to drag her feet and slow Minako down quite a bit. But Minako was just as strong-willed and as stubborn as Rei. She took hold of Rei's other flailing hand and continued on with their short journey, this time walking backwards to face Rei. Eventually Rei fell onto her butt, but Minako didn't care. She drug the Martian all the way to her room, regardless of the kicks and threats being exchanged between the two. Saying it was 'going to be a long night' was an understatement.
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