After a period of about ten minutes the girls had finally come around and, once the shock of Mamoru’s revelation had worn off, agreed to discuss at length the possibilities of Usagi and him getting together. They agreed to meet at the temple the next afternoon to come up with ideas; not a single one of them could resist the thought of trying to set Usagi up with her so-called "worst enemy", especially Minako. As the Senshi of Love, matchmaking was her specialty, and if Usagi could have looked into Minako’s mind and seen all the plans the girl had in store for her, she no doubt would have turned tail and run screaming for the hills. As it was, Usagi was already safe at home and perfectly unsuspecting that her best friends were consorting with the enemy.

Usagi walked dejectedly into the arcade the next day, dragging her feet. She was bored, bored, bored! It was Saturday afternoon and she had nothing to do. Naru had gone with her mother to another city for a jewelry show, and for some reason Usagi couldn’t find a single one of the Senshi. It was like they had vanished off the face of the earth or something! She’d checked everywhere; the malls, their favorite shops along the street, even the library in case Ami had actually managed to drag them into it for a (heaven forbid!) study session. Not a glimpse. She’d even tried to call them on the communicator—something that was strictly forbidden for non-Senshi matters and would no doubt earn her a scolding later on—but nobody answered. Now her only hope was the arcade, and by then she was steamed enough to give them a good scolding for ditching her like that!

Maybe Mamoru-baka will be there and I can take it out on him, she thought hopefully, scowling as she surveyed the territory. Thoughts of Mamoru—of the near-kiss yesterday when he’d been taking care of her so kindly—caused a blush to rise to her cheeks. What had gotten into him, anyway, she wondered. That he had been acting…well…wierd was sort of an understatement, but it certainly did describe his behavior lately. Not that she was really complaining or anything—it was kind of nice to have an actual conversation with him instead of taking all his insults—but it was also disconcerting, and she just didn’t know how to deal with him like that. He knew it, too, she thought darkly, which was probably why he did it, to make her nervous.

To her eternal disappointment, there was not a sign of the Senshi or Mamoru anywhere. She sighed and fell back into her foul mood. She was supposed to have gone shopping with Rei, but apparently the Miko had ditched her. Even though she was annoyed, however, Usagi also felt a little twinge of worry. Sure, she and Rei fought like cats and dogs, but Rei would never just ditch her like this. She wondered if something was wrong. Maybe I should find Luna and ask her to help me find them, she thought.

Until it occurred to her that Luna had been missing that morning, as well.

Usagi’s frown deepened. Mou! What on earth is going on around here? she thought irritably. Everyone she knew seemed to have vanished off the face of the world. As a waitress passed, Usagi reached out and gripped the other girl’s arm. "Is Motoki-san in today?" she asked hopefully. Motoki seemed to know everything that went on. Surely he would be able to help her!

"Iie, not at the moment. He was, until that black-haired guy he always hangs around—you know, Chiba-san—came in earlier and said something to him. Then Motoki-san got really excited, told me that he was taking off early, and hightailed it out of here. He mentioned something about going to the temple," the girl explained.

"The Shrine? You mean the one on Cherry Hill?" Usagi stammered.

"Hai, that’s the one. Why?"

"Oh…no reason. Arigatou," Usagi hastily replied, letting her go and turning to leave the arcade. Her brow furrowed and she chewed her lower lip as she walked slowly away. Why in the world would Mamoru-baka go to the temple with Motoki-san so suddenly? she wondered. She paused, then frowned as a sudden epiphany hit her—something that most likely would have shocked her friends senseless had they known about it.

I wonder…could this have something to do with minna vanishing today? Are they all at Rei’s place or something? Demo…why wasn’t I invited? Feeling unaccountably miffed, Usagi’s face took on a determined expression as she quickened her steps, heading unerringly in the direction of Rei’s home. Somebody had some serious explaining to do, and she wasn’t gonna give up ‘till she got some answers!

"I still can’t believe this!" Motoki exclaimed, shaking his head as he grinned at his best friend. "All this time I knew there was something going on between you and Usagi-chan, but even so…I’m shocked speechless!"

Mamoru raised an eyebrow as he regarded the anything-but-speechless arcade owner. "Ne, Motoki, I invited you here to help plan, not to gloat," he sniffed, taking a careful sip of the tea from the cup Rei handed him.

"Demo, it’s all so romantic!" Minako squealed, large hearts throbbing in her eyes as she leaned against Makoto’s side, hands clasped together in front of her. "It’s just like a movie! The heroine’s arch rival falls in love with her and tries to seduce her, and she resists him, but she falls for him in the very end after all his effort and they get married and live happily ever after!" She trailed off in a dreamy sigh as Mamoru sweatdropped, suddenly wondering if letting the girls in on this had been the most brilliant of tactics.

"Minako-chan, you’re drooling on my shirt," Makoto commented with a chuckle, playfully shoving the blonde away from her. Minako pouted and would have made a snide comment, except for the fact that she suddenly found a handful of homemade cookies being shoved into her mouth, compliments of the tall brunette. She shot her fiercest glare at the other girl, although it didn’t look particularly threatening what with the way her cheeks were bulging out like a gluttonous chipmunk’s.

"So, anyway, we’re here to help me come up with ideas on how to get Usako to fall for me," Mamoru hastily stated in order to ward off any incoming cat-fights. "Ano…any ideas?"

"Us’kooo?! K’waaaiiiiii!" Minako squealed, managing to spray cookie crumbs across the table amid the protests of the other girls. She ignored their ranting and swallowed, clapping her hands together and stating in a dreamy voice, "You should just walk up to her, sweep her into your arms, and kiss her breathless! She’ll never know what hit her!"

A large sweatdrop slid down Mamoru’s head. "Erm…as entertaining as the idea is…I don’t think so," he stuttered. "I was going for something a little more…um…subtle."

"Just remember," Rei stated with an evil grin, sipping her tea calmly. "This is Odango-baka we’re talking about. Anything less subtle than a freight train at full speed would probably go straight over her head."

"Rei-chan, please!" Ami protested, glaring at Rei briefly. "Attempt to say something kind about her for once!"

Rei merely sniffed and nibbled delicately on a cookie.

Usagi was still grumbling as she sneaked onto the temple grounds and looked cautiously around, creeping with all the stealth of a lame elephant toward the small room where Rei normally entertained her guests. Sure enough, several moving shadows could be seen through the rice-paper walls, and the voices that drifted through the thin door were definitely familiar, although it was hard to make out individual words. Usagi scowled and moved away from the door, sneaking around to the other side of the building until she came to an open window just above her head. Their voices drifted out to her, much closer this time, and she balanced precariously on an overturned bucket to get a better view of the proceedings.

Yup, there they were. All six of them…and two cats. It seemed like they were having some kind of a meeting. Of what, she hadn’t the foggiest notion, but that’s what she was there to find out, right? If it’s something so secret they couldn’t even tell me about it, then it’s only right that I eavesdrop on them! she told herself guiltily. It’s their own fault for being so sneaky! They know how big a snoop I am! They shouldn’t have left me out! I am their leader, after all! Therefore, feeling quite self-justified, Usagi braced herself against the wall just beside the window and began to listen in on the rather…intriguing conversation.

Mamoru sighed as he listened to the girls and Motoki arguing back and forth over what to do about Usagi. Luna and Artemis were silent, due to Motoki’s presence, but he knew they had a few opinions of their own that they were dying to share. He was starting to wonder what had possessed him to ask these people for help. Sure, the girls knew Usagi and what she liked better than anyone, but they couldn’t seem to agree on what the best tactic would be to seduce her. Maybe Minako’s first idea held some merit after all, he thought, staring rather dreamily into his teacup. Maybe he should just go up to the girl and kiss her breathless. He’d certainly enjoy it, and it would definitely get his point across.

When Makoto suggested that Mamoru sneak into Usagi’s bedroom to serenade her, he finally decided that enough was enough. Setting his cup down with a thump, he announced dryly, "Mou, I want to woo her, not send her screaming for the hills! I need to do something that tells Usagi how much I’m in love with her, not lead her to believe that I’m a deranged stalker or something!"

Before anyone could reply to that comment, they heard something that resembled a muffled yelp from right outside the window, followed closely by a dull thud. Startled, they all looked toward the open window, and Rei rose from her seat to check it out. The miko stuck her head outside and looked around suspiciously, eyes narrowing as she sought the intruder. If it was her grandfather snooping around again…

She wasn’t particularly surprised to see a long streamer of blond hair vanishing around the corner of the building, and a sly grin touched her lips. So the Odango showed up, after all, she thought smugly. It’s about time. Now the real fun can begin! She turned around and shrugged when she noticed the curious eyes on her. "Must have been a cat," she stated calmly, taking her seat again. "More tea, minna-san?"

Usagi stared at the dirt beneath her feet in complete befuddlement as her heart pounded loudly in her chest. She was aware of a vague ache in her backside from when she’d fallen off the bucket and landed, but frankly, the shock of what she’d heard that made her fall off in the first place was the first thing on her mind.

Chiba Mamoru was in love. With her.

"I…I must have heard wrong," she muttered, shaking her head so that her ponytails danced about her shoulders. "I could not possibly have heard that right! Mamoru-baka…in love with me? It just isn’t possible!"

Was it?

She swallowed and closed her eyes, remembering the last several meetings she’d had with him, when he’d acted so differently toward her compared to his normal behavior…especially in the back room, when he’d almost tried to kiss her. She’d thought it had been an act to throw her off her guard. She was almost certain he’d been playing with her, but now…she wasn’t so sure. What if he’d been serious about kissing her, after all? She hadn’t really stuck around long enough to find out…

And now he was asking her friends to help him seduce her?!

There was something seriously wrong with this picture…

Holding her breath, Usagi crept back to the window and balanced on the bucket again, listening with renewed intensity. It had to be some kind of a joke! She was sure of it, although if her friends were in on it, she’d moondust all of them in their sleep! So intent was she on what they were saying that she missed the sly glance a certain fire-tempered miko cast her way.

Rei, of course, was thrilled. Now was her chance to really liven things up a bit. She carefully set her cup down and asked in a clear voice, "Ano, Mamoru-san, I must admit that I’m curious to know…why on earth did you fall in love with Odango Atama of all people?" Another quick glance at the window told her that Usagi was listening intently, and she smiled again and turned innocent eyes back to a rather startled Mamoru.

"Wh-why?" he stammered as the other girls and Motoki silenced their conversations, clearly interested in his answer. After a long moment, he shrugged uncomfortably and ran a hand through his hair nervously. "I…don’t really know, Rei-san," he replied quietly. "I just…did. It really doesn’t matter why I fell in love with her."

"Well, what made you realize that you loved her to begin with?" the miko pressed.

He sighed and folded his hands together as he looked down at the table thoughtfully. "Honestly…I-I’m not sure," he stated quietly. "It’s as though I woke up one day and realized that the one person I thought I couldn’t stand to be near was the one person whom I couldn’t live without seeing at least once a day. I used teasing her as an excuse to be near her, to talk to her."

"It was her Silent Treatment act that made you realize, ne?" Motoki teased. "You might as well admit it, Mamoru-kun."

Mamoru grimaced. "Well…hai, it’s true, I suppose," he grudgingly admitted. "It helped me admit to myself that she really was someone I didn’t want to do without. What I really want is…is to take her into my arms and hold her, tell her that she’s loved, kiss her tears from her face…"

He stopped abruptly, suddenly realizing that he was babbling on about a rather intimate subject with a group of people who could only be described as professional gossips…and that definitely included Motoki. Male ego abruptly kicked back in and refused to let another word escape his lips as he hastily took a large gulp of tea to cover his embarrassment.

Rei was nearly crowing with delight, unlike the other Senshi, who were too busy swooning to do much else at the moment. Even Motoki was looking a little heart-struck. She took another glance at the window and was quite pleased to see Usagi’s expression as she gazed in at Mamoru, obviously not realizing (or caring) that her head was now in plain view of the entire group. Her eyes were wide and softly glowing—almost as much as the blush in her cheeks—and she had the silliest grin on her face…

Rei could have kicked herself for not thinking to bring a camera.

"I have a great idea!" Minako suddenly crowed, leaping to her feet so abruptly that she nearly tipped the table over. She managed to succeed in nearly giving the entire group heart failure, including Usagi, who proceeded to fall off the bucket again.

"What is it? And do you have to be so melodramatic?!" Rei growled, sitting up and glaring at her over-enthusiastic friend.

Minako glanced down at Rei and winked, then not-so-discreetly jerked her thumb toward the window, and the miko suddenly realized that she wasn’t the only one who’d seen Usagi. "Well," the Senshi of Love continued innocently, "everyone knows how gone Usagi is on Tuxedo Kamen-sama, ne? And haven’t you ever noticed how much Mamoru-san looks like him?"

Her friends looked at her, almost panicked as their eyes darted back and forth between herself and Motoki, hoping she’d get the clue before she blurted out something the arcade manager wasn’t supposed to know. Minako merely gave them a long-suffering look that quite clearly stated, "O, ye of little faith."

"I was just thinking that Mamoru-san should dress up like Tuxedo Kamen-sama and show up at Usagi-chan’s doorstep to ask her for a date," the Senshi of Love explained calmly. "There’s no way she’d be able to refuse him if he did that!"

"I like that idea!" Makoto exclaimed eagerly. "I’d certainly go for it if a cute guy did that for me!"

"Demo…Usagi-chan might want time to prepare herself before you surprise her with a date, Mamoru-san," Ami pointed out practically.

"Leave it to you to take all the romance out of an idea," Makoto sniffed while the other girl blushed prettily.

"Now all you gotta do is ask her," Motoki stated. "How’re you gonna do that, ne? She’ll probably think you’re joking."

"I know," Mamoru moaned. "And that leaves us right back at square one! How do I convince her that I love her, preferably without scaring her out of a few years’ growth in the process?"

"Ano…I don’t think you need to be worried about that," Rei stated smugly, "considering the Odango-baka has been listening in for quite awhile now at the window. I’m sure she’s got a pretty good idea of your feelings by now. Even she isn’t that dense."

"Rei-chaaaan!" Usagi squealed indignantly as every eye in the room abruptly settled on her. She swallowed—hard—and met Mamoru’s gaze nervously, her blue eyes wide and uncertain, their bright color clashing quite nicely with the lovely crimson hue that covered her face.

Mamoru smiled softly as he watched his Odango fidget nervously under his gaze, before turning abruptly to bow to Rei politely. "Domo arigatou for your hospitality, Rei-san," he said quietly. "Arigatou, minna, for your helpful suggestions. It’s been…quite entertaining. I’m afraid, however, that I need to leave now. It seems that I’ve suddenly developed plans for tonight, and I wouldn’t want to be late to meet my own destiny, ne?" His eyes once more met Usagi’s startled gaze, before he turned and walked quietly out of the room amid a chorus of feminine sighs.