Disclaimer:I don't own the anime series Sailor Moon or any of its characters, they belong to their respective owners. I'm merely borrowing them for this story. If I did own it, Usagi would've end up with Seiya. The only character that I own in here is Mizuki Yokoyama.
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Summary:AU Meet the Kou Brothers---a trio of hot, drop-dead gorgeous bachelors who are back from the States. They wreak havoc among the female population and thus, are never safe from swarming women wanting to land one of them as a husband. Will they ever find their special someone? Love seems to be found in the most unlikely places…or rather people…
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A Love Like No Other
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Chapter 3: Problems Come In Bundles!
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Last time…
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"Mizu-chan!"
"What the heck?!" Mizuki choked out, trying to push away the person hugging her. It took her a moment to recognize who the owner of the voice that had called out her name was.
Almost afraid that she was right, she slowly looked down at the person's head. 'Dear god in heaven, do you really have something against me or do you just want to give me a heart attack?!'
Her eye twitched violently. 'It can't be…there's no way that it could be possible…this is just an illusion, a dream, or maybe even a nightmare…' Her thoughts trailed off as she her eyes locked with a pair of bright blue ones filled with unshed tears.
Her own pale azure orbs widened in shock and surprise, her jaw dropping open as she gaped at her visitor.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, suddenly feeling faint. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
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Now…
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"I'm so glad to see you, Mizu-chan! You don't know how hard it has been for me this past week! I decided to visit you to—you know, get off the stress and such." The blond woman sitting across from her on her living room couch, sipping hot chocolate in one hand while she gushed out animatedly and gestured with her other hand to emphasize the meaning of her words.
Mizuki listened to her talk warily. Taking a huge gulp from her own mug of hot chocolate, she leaned on her own seat and steeled herself for the next few minutes she was about to spend listening to her blond companion's tirade.
'What the hell is she doing here in Tokyo anyway? Isn't she supposed to be at a gown boutique or something? Rehearsing at the church? Preparing? Planning some more of the details? At one of those flower shops to choose the bouquets they'll be using? So what the hell happened to make her come here—at MY apartment, of all places—and at this time?!'
Schooling her expression into one of patience, she silently contemplated if she had come because of them. She flinched, dismissing the idea not only because her companion was too innocent and a bit too gullible at a fault—which was not necessarily a good thing at this particular kind of situation since she tended to be easily manipulated—but because she knew that she ought to have been too busy to let anyone, let alone any of them, to convince her to come at Mizuki's place for the sole purpose of forcing her to find out if Mizuki's life has improved—meaning, if she 'finally crawled out of her silly shell to find a decent man and get married pronto'—their words, not hers.
'Ha! Not gonna happen any time soon!' Mizuki thought sardonically.
Oh, how their feathers are going to be ruffled when they see her without a date at the wedding! That should trigger their disproval followed by another onslaught of endless scolding and boring lectures about matrimonial bliss. Puh-lease, she could do well without a man in her life, thank you very much.
'Who needs those jerks, anyway? They only keep you when they need you then toss you away like a filthy piece of trash when they get bored with you. I am better off without one.' she thought bitterly, the old hurt and bitterness resurfacing.
"Mizu-chan? Mizu-chan? Hello? Anybody there? Are you even listening to me?" A hand was being waved up and down in front of her face.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. My mind just…wandered about. Sorry, Usagi."
"Hmph!" Usagi crossed her arms in front of her and pouted. "You're always off in your own world. We haven't seen each other for months and months now and you ignore me? You're really so mean!"
Mizuki sighed wearily. "I know. I'm sorry. What brought you to Tokyo anyway? Shouldn't you be busy with the preparations back at home?"
For a moment, Mizuki could've sworn that her second-cousin and childhood friend's face had paled and she seemed to be on the verge of crying again. But when she blinked, the face smiling at her was all sunshine and gayness.
Was she just imagining things?
"I told you, I came to visit you! Honestly, you haven't been listening to a word that I've said at all!"
Rolling her eyes heavenwards, Mizuki retorted, "Yeah, right. What kind of bride in her right mind would leave a week before her wedding just to 'get off the stress and such'? I'm not stupid and I know you better than that so spill it already. What's the problem?" Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "Did the groom ditch you or something?"
Usagi refused to answer, averting her face from Mizuki's sharp scrutiny and turning her blue-eyed gaze around the room as if suddenly finding them extremely interesting, studying every inch of the furniture and appliances on it.
"Well?" Mizuki prodded insistently.
Usagi simply ignored her, continuing her scrutiny of the room.
"U-sa-gi!" she hissed, glaring at her. "Don't tell me that good-for-nothing asshole-of-a-fiancé of yours jilted you a week before your wedding! I swear I'll kill that bastard if he did!"
"Mizuki!" Usagi gasped in shock. "Mamoru did not dump me!"
"Oh, really? Then why the hell are you here instead of being there with him?!"
"I…don't you want to see me…?" Her voice quivered, big blue eyes widening further and filling with tears.
"Don't change the subject, damn it!" She ran a frustrated hand through her long hair. She expelled a frustrated sigh and looked away. As she turned her face, she caught sight of the discarded folder lying on the floor.
Oh my god.
Fury flared inside her as she remembered its contents. She snatched it and held it up, her hands shaking in anger. "This—did you two break up?" she demanded coldly, keeping a tight leash over her emotions.
Usagi's eyes widened. "W-what are you—?"
"This folder contains the data that my office has gathered for an article on our next issue of Bachelors' Galore. It's a special article that will be titled 'Top Ten Hottest Bachelors of the Year' and I was assigned to cover this issue. Oh, and take a wild guess who's candidate number eight?" She didn't wait for an answer, her lips twisting cynically. "Surprise, surprise—Mamoru Chiba! How odd. Isn't he supposed to be getting married in two weeks time? Would you care to explain this to me, Usa-chan, hmm?"
"Well…I…uhh…"
"Usagi," The word came out as a weary sigh. "Just tell me the truth, okay? Please? Or I swear to god I'll call back home and ask them what the hell is going on!"
To her surprise, she heard her laugh, but when she met Mizuki's bewildered gaze it was with an expression that was clearly more desperate than amused.
"It's over," Usagi choked out, burying her face in her hands, her shoulders sagging and trembling as wave after wave of emotion rolled off her.
"O…ver…? You mean…you mean…"
"Yes! The wedding is not taking place anymore! He's gone! We broke up!"
"Oh." Pause. "Where did you say he was staying at again?"
"I didn't tell you." Usagi stared at her with a deadpan expression on her pretty face, giving the older woman a pointed look.
Mizuki shrugged. "Well, you can't blame me for trying, can you?"
Usagi simply wailed.
"Woah, don't—no, no, just cry and let it all out. You'll feel better afterwards, I promise." Mizuki stood up, grabbed a box of tissue from the table, and sat down beside her, wrapping her arms around the sobbing girl.
"There, there now," she cooed. "Would you like to tell me about it?"
Usagi nodded her head slightly.
"Okay. Blow your nose." She handed her the box of tissue. "Do you want some water?"
She received another small nod.
Mizuki stood up and went to the kitchen walking back to the couch a moment later and handing Usagi a glass of cold water. "Drink up before you try to tell me anything. Now, tell me if I get anything wrong, alright?"
Usagi nodded again.
"Let's see, you two were engaged to be married for four years. He left you for three years back when you were in high school to pursue his dream. And you, foolish lovesick idiot that you are, actually waited vigilantly. And now when you two are finally getting married it's announced that he's single AND available according to my resources. Now, please kindly explain to me what went wrong so that I won't get a migraine that will be terribly troublesome for me because I won't be able to concentrate and I happen to have a lot of work to do."
"Okay," Usagi sighed in resignation. "His old professor back in Harvard recommended him to the head surgeon of a prestigious hospital in the U.S. and he was offered a job there. He was so elated—it was such an honor, he said. He asked me if I could…if we could move the date of our wedding…if we could get married when he got back…"
"Let me guess, you didn't like that," Mizuki said dryly.
"Listen, I know you don't like him—you never had since that day he left me to follow his dream—and you don't even take any pains in trying to conceal your ill feelings towards him—but I really did love him…or rather…I thought that I did…" she paused, frowning thoughtfully. "It was only at that moment when he asked me to let him pursue his dream again, that I realized that I…well, that at this rate, we'd probably finally get married when I'm already old enough to be a grandmother."
Mizuki raised an eyebrow sardonically.
"And I finally realized that I absolutely did NOT want THAT to happen to me. I soon saw the truth—that my feelings for him were only infatuation…that was the first time in the eight years that we have been together that I really thought about my feelings for him—that I doubted their depth…if it really was genuine…and…I just simply couldn't picture us together, married and settled down with children ten years from now…I think we were too young, no, I was too young…too full of dreams…and I rushed things…"
"Wow," Mizuki blinked at her. "I never thought I'd live to see the day YOU would say that. Ever."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, you're a really great friend," Usagi muttered sarcastically.
It was Mizuki's turn to shrug. "So…what do you plan to do now?"
"Uhh…" Usagi scratched her head, smiling nervously. "Actually, I was thinking of staying here with you for a while."
"You're gonna crash at my place?" Mizuki stared at her blankly. Then she groaned. "Don't tell me. Please don't tell me that nobody else knows that the wedding is canceled?"
Usagi laughed nervously. "Alright. I won't tell you."
Mizuki glared at her.
"I'd help with the chores and stuff," Usagi offered hopefully.
"God help me, why does this kind of things always happen to me?!"
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Author's Notes:
It's been a REALLY long time, ne? I finally updated. But I'm not satisfied with this chapter. I don't know why though. I just don't. (sigh) Oh well, I've lost my touch I think. My writing skills are pretty much rusty.