Disclaimer: I don't own SM, MG/HYD, etc.
Note: A SEGMENT OF THE PLOT IS BORROWED FROM A MANGA/DRAMA! And this is not HYD and will not be the same as HYD. Sorry… my eyes are to weary to check for typos…
Summary: AU Chiba Mamoru, King of Azabu Tech, is a temperamental and stubborn rich brat who is loved and worshipped by all. UNTIL Usagi came along, and they start WWIII which results in Mamoru falling for Usagi. But, uh oh, don't tell me she likes his best friend! What a tangled web we weave…
Demando: (since many of you asked) he is… well… you'll just have to see…hehe. But Usagi will, as always, be ignorant.
Thank you for the kind words of encouragement, dear reviewers, or this chapter wouldn't have been possible! chibimoonEmEm: LOL. I can only say that I plan and hope to finish this story. RebelQueen: I am afraid to put more characters into the story as it is… sorry, looks like the rest of the generals will not make an appearance.
Poor Little Rich Boy
Chapter 5: The loveliest day of the year…
Usagi was a big fan of Valentine's Day.
Well, actually, she was a big fan of the large quantity of sweets retailers sold on occasions such as Valentine's Day.
But never did she dream she would receive any of the said sweets from someone at Azabu, given the fact that she was hated by Mamoru and ergo the rest of the student body, and that she was too poor for their liking.
It was a shock to find not one but two boxes in her locker.
One was prettily wrapped, with a velvety bow. Upon turning it over she noticed the inscription 'IMPORTED FROM BELGIUM – LIMITED QUANTITY (Only 150 made)' and a red note attached read: 'Karma…'
The other was rather large, and contained an immense number of her favourite chocolate bars, and a small note that read 'Be my Valentine' was written prettily in gold calligraphy.
Her face was scrunched as she bit her bottom lip.
Who? Who would send her expensive chocolates? And who would know her well enough to send her a box of her favourite chocolate bars?
"…would dare send her a present?"
"…she probably bought it herself…"
"…did you hear about the new guy?"
"…hope it's poisoned…"
"You look awful!" Jadeite exclaimed after having laid eyes upon their temperamental leader.
Mamoru gave him a piercing glare.
"Wild night, huh, buddy?" Nathan asked with a wide lecherous grin.
"Please! We're talking about Mamoru here."
Mamoru did not dignify them with a response as he drank his coffee and massaged his ghost-like face.
"What made you stay up all night out of your own free will? Or should I say – who?" Motoki asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
"I DID NOT SLEEP WITH A GIRL!"
"Dude, keep it down. We didn't know you swung that way…"
The coffee cup was crushed to its maximum.
Jadeite and Nathan ran for cover.
"I was doing some research on the computer."
"The whole night?"
"On what?"
"Why?"
Again, he did not feel the need to dignify them with a response. He let the coffee cup fall to the ground.
"Since when did you do research?"
"Please tell me it had nothing to do with poisonous chocolates!" Jadeite begged.
Mamoru gave him a wild confused look.
"Usagi-chan got Valentine's Day presents…" Nathan explained in a sing-song voice.
"Two of them…" Jadeite supplied.
"Maybe she has admirers?"
Mamoru's eyes hardened. "Do you really think anyone would like her after I tagged her?"
"Well…what about Demando?"
"Damn…" Mamoru muttered, "…poisoned chocolates, you say…"
"It wasn't from you?" Motoki asked. His twinkling eyes were beginning to aggravate Mamoru.
"Ha! If I gave her anything she would think I liked her and start following me around like a lost little puppy." Mamoru declared ever so pompously.
"I don't think that's going to be a problem…" Motoki muttered softly.
Mamoru frowned as his cell phone began to vibrate.
"What about –" Jadeite began but was quickly cut off as Nathan tackled him to the ground.
Ignoring them, Mamoru just rolled his eyes as he walked over them towards an isolated area.
"Xnay on the unnybay, dumbass." Nathan gritted out, in a desperate act of self preservation.
"Hello, mother." he answered coldly, with no ounce of emotion.
He listened to her as she made false apologies and explanations about not being able to come home the next month, and grunted occasionally as she dictated several tasks for him to do in her absence.
It just wasn't a special occasion unless one of his parents, or even his sister, phoned him.
Ah… he still remembered last Christmas…
"Yes, I miss you too, mother…No! Say hi to father for me… Alright, good bye."
No trace of any emotion was visible on his face.
Normally, parents were supposed to love their children and raise them to be proper adults.
Mamoru's parents were busy people. They were good people, he supposed – well it really depended on the state of the stock market. And they always had better things to do than to be with him. Like make money, and lots of it.
They spoiled him rotten, he admitted, and he did have a decent childhood. But as grew into his teen years, they became busier and busier with their business, leaving Mamoru alone in a house full of servants.
He clenched his phone tighter, hoping it would break.
He though of Mikado and all the other children in the paediatric ward.
They were always so cheery, and bright.
Like Usagi.
It made him sick.
How could somebody be so cheerful when they had so little? It was unnatural.
He knew he was being selfish. That the only reason he couldn't stand Usagi was because she was always so happy, regardless of her surroundings.
He was jealous of how, he, with all his money, could never be as happy.
"What are the chances of it being a prank?" Usagi asked the genius as she shoved her gifts onto the table.
Ami assessed the situation in silence. "I would give it 5 to 1 possibility. For both gifts – I would say 7 to 1."
"Aw! Usagi-chan… the rumour is true." Reika exclaimed with glee as she hugged (more like chocked) the confused blonde from behind.
"What rumour?"
"That you have admires, silly!" Reika grabbed one of the boxes with her perfectly manicured hands and started examining it.
"Don't be too glad. Ami just told me there is a great possibility that it's a prank."
"Gosh, Usagi-chan! Why would someone go through all the trouble…?"
"To kill me." she answered simply with absolute seriousness and a straight face.
"These are very expensive… I doubt someone would–"
"That's because your too naïve, Reika. And everyone loves you; they would never do that to you…"
"But Usa-chan, what if they are just chocolates?" Ami asked
"Ami-chan, you yourself taught me that things at Azabu are not always what it seems…"
Ami sighed. "Why do you always remember the useless things… now, if our physics sessions went this way…"
"Ami-chan's right – it could be just harmless chocolate–"
"So they weren't joking…" Motoki muttered to himself as he joined the group.
"Oh, Toki-kun! You can tell us, is this a prank?" Reika asked with a face so sweet most people in a 10 m radius turned to mush.
She wasn't a good skater.
And of course, the gym teacher seemed to know every single one of her weaknesses.
So, skating on the pond they went.
And so far, Usagi only feel twice! It was a record!
"Oi, Odango! Get off the ice before you crack it! And while you're at it, you might want to lose a few pounds before the Gala!"
Make that three times.
Usagi's anger swelled. "I happen to like the way I am, asshole. And I think you should take your own advice, wouldn't want you to not be able to fit into a tux that's worth more than a third world country's debt."
She slowly got up with Motoki's help, enjoying his warmth and tenderness.
Mamoru was a little less smug but otherwise remained unfazed, "I'll have you know I didn't pay a single cent for it. You see – the designer thinks I'm a better model than the ones he has."
Usagi felt the need to roll her eyes in disgust.
"Mamoru, you have to stop being so rude to Usagi-chan. She's a nice girl, I'm sure you could be great friends if you tried. I wish you could just settle your differences." Reika implemented innocently.
"Do you know what she did to me?" he half yelled half whined.
"Mamoru-" Reika tried again more soothingly.
"It's alright, Reika. He doesn't know how to admit he's wrong. In fact, that word is not in his vocabulary." Nathan commented wisely.
Mamoru now had a very nasty look on his face. "And pray tell, how I am wrong?"
"Ooooh, this is too good of an opportunity to pass up!" Usagi exclaimed with glee as she skated towards them with Motoki's help. "Remember that time you accidentally had a couple drops of soda spilled on you? And how you could never let go, even though it was never meant to happen-"
"You ruined my shirt-"
"Which is why I offered to buy another!"
"Oh, please! Like you could afford it!"
"Mamoru! Please, Usagi kindly offered to pay for another shirt. Isn't that enough?" Reika asked, but it sounded more like a mother scolding a child.
"And what about my dignity, huh?"
"Like you had any…"
"Mamoru… this is stupid, at least the other times they actually deserved to be kicked out. But Usagi-chan did nothing wrong, and she tried to make amends for it. She's not like them, Mamoru. Usagi-chan has a good heart." Motoki chimed in.
Mamoru glared at his friends one by one with great distaste and a look of betray in his midnight blue eyes. And with a great huff, he walked away.
They were silent as he walked away. It was unexpected. Mamoru was the type of person to yell, and rave, and scream until he got his way. He was not the type to back down from anything.
"You guys," Usagi dared, timidly, "it's was really nice of you, but I think you should go after Mamoru. I think you upset him."
"No." Motoki responded dazedly, still not fully comprehending what had happened.
"What? He's obviously furious-"
"Usagi-chan, you don't understand. When Mamoru's enraged, he blows up like a volcano…" Nathan explained silently, still staring at the snow trail Mamoru left.
Usagi walked home. Occasionally she took the bus. Or she walked to the arcade because she had a shift. But on that day, Usagi was given a ride.
"Yo, Aino!"
He was handsome, she knew – as well as the rest of the female population. But the way he leaned against his silver car, the way the light hit his face, it made him seen almost surreal.
"How was your first day back, Demando?" she acknowledged him, adding in a small grin.
"Way better than I thought it would be." he smirked smugly, "I've heard about your fight with Mamoru. It lightened up my day significantly." Demando had a private tutor while he practiced for his play.
Usagi stared at her shoes intently. "I didn't mean for it to happen. He must feel so awful…"
Demando snorted. "Don't worry about him too much, he deserves it."
Usagi locked gaze with his sparkling icy blue-grey eyes. "It was all my fault. He didn't deserve the treatment he received…"
"He wasn't betrayed. He was enlightened."
She giggled softly. "Enlightened? To what?"
"To what a great person you are. Now, come, I'll give you a ride home." The nice gesture seemed almost like a command.
"That's nice of you, but I have to get to work."
"Then I'll drive you to work." he continued smoothly.
"You don't have to, Demando. And, I bet it's in the opposite direction you're going."
"Doesn't matter. Now come on!" his smile was warm and devestatingly handsome.
She remembered getting into Demando's car, and the soft aroma of the leather interior. And she remembered talking about his play, explaining why she was dragging two boxes of chocolate around, and talking about their distaste of how the upper class carried themselves.
She even remembered feeling faint.
But for the life of her, she couldn't remember how she ended up lying in one of the arcade's parlour booth with Demando, Motoki, Jadeite, and Nathan all peering over her.
"Are you alright?"
"How do you feel?"
"Don't sit up!"
"Are you hurt?"
Her mind felt scrambled. It was sweet (and almost made her blush) that she had four handsome teenage boys worrying over her…
But her head ached badly, even more so now that they were trying to coddle her.
She raised her hand, hoping to get them to stop.
"You are alright, aren't you? Maybe we should get you to the hospital… you just fainted in the car a little before we got here…" Demando explained, with what looked like worry in his eyes.
CONTEST: alright… who do you think sent the chocolates to Usagi? Hm… well, if you guess right – both of them, then YOU will get the chance to pick where Usagi and Mamoru go on their first date! So start guessing… Isn't this exciting? LOL. Think hard!
Next chapter: Well… what did happen to Usagi? And did I happen to mention that there is an auctioning period during the Gala? Run away, Usa, RUNNNNNNNN…
Hm… well it's August, and this week will probably be my last week of freedom. Although I do have the next 2 chapters planned out, I probably won't come out till a very long time – probably the time when you forgot this story and don't want to read it… sorry, I don't have a lot of time… I wanted so badly to end this in 15 chapters but at this point it seems like even 20 will not do… and I have to write them… urgh – all the work. So…don't get your hopes up… and let's say Christmas, okay?