College Life
Part 20: Haruka's Rival


by Greenbeans <gbeans@tyrlen.org>


Mild cursing.

Comments, thoughts, complaints compliments, ramblings, and flames
are all accepted. But the latter two stand a serious chance of
being printed out and turned into paper hats.

All characters are property of their respective holders. I belong
to myself, thank you and have a nice day :)

********** Thursday afternoon, early February **********

It would be a gross understatement to call college life boring; 
there was always something to catch your attention, or distract 
you from that 20 page essay you really should have started two 
weeks ago. Especially if said paper is due in 12 hours, and all 
you've got to run on are leftover books from the library (the 
good ones having already been picked clean by other students) and 
a 24 pack of Jolt cola.

But Haruka didn't have to worry about a paper. She didn't have to
worry about any of her classes for that matter. Granted she had
homework due in all of them, but she was ahead enough in her
studies that she could afford some time to just wander the campus
between classes. She would have preferred to drive, but there was
still snow all over the place.

"It's like being in Sapporo," she murmured to herself.

That didn't make for the best driving conditions, and she knew
Michiru would scold her for being so reckless. Not to mention
Haruka wasn't about to abuse her precious vehicle in this kind of
weather any more than she absolutely had to. Which meant she was
relegated to wandering around the various buildings.

Haruka was quickly discovering that if she didn't have a project to
concentrate on, she had very little else to do in terms of options.
There were no clubs she had signed up with, so there was no one to
track down and shoot the breeze with. Likewise she was walking
around by herself, and wasn't exactly desiring to strike up a
conversation with a gaijin stranger.

[translation note: gaijin means foreigner]

Venturing outside and braving the cold for a few minutes, Haruka
wandered over to one of the other facilities. Namely the athletics
building. The library had proven to be unnervingly quiet, and
Haruka felt that if she had sneezed everyone's heads would explode
from the shock of hearing actual noise.

Likewise there was nothing at the Student Union that was able to 
hold her attention. A trio of F-1 Racing games had been set up, 
but there was no one around for her to play against. Haruka had 
found herself getting nostalgic in seeing the faces Minako made 
whenever the blonde girl got her clock cleaned in the "grudge" 
matches they always held.

'Maybe that's what is making me so restless,' Haruka thought to
herself. 'I'm getting homesick.'

It was an odd thing to consider, but as Haruka thought about it a
little more, this did make sense. She was starting to miss the
sights and sounds of Tokyo, and especially all the friends they had
left behind. What was their Hotaru-chan doing now?

Well... Hotaru was probably sleeping, given the difference in time
zones.

Email and telephone conversations were always able to bridge the
gap, and thankfully they had never needed to worry about the 
long distance costs. But even just a voice or a picture can't stack 
up against the real thing. For now, Haruka looked forward to the 
Spring Break, when she and Michiru would have a week to escape and 
be back with old friends in Tokyo.

The only problem was keeping herself calmed down between then and
now. 'With any luck, something here should grab my attention for
the next hour,' Haruka thought as she walked down one of the halls.

In one of the gymnasiums, a group of guys were playing some casual
4-on-4 basketball. At least Haruka assumed it was casual, given how
they were wearing sweat shorts (or sweatpants) and T-shirts. However
they were playing like the fate of the planet depended upon the 
outcome of their game. Sneakers squeaking against hardwood echoed 
across the gym, broken sporadically by loud shouts of "I'm open!" 
or "Shoot it!"

The players were only using one hoop, and the three-point line
looked to be their makeshift half-court. Someone from the other
team got a hold of the ball, they crossed over the 3-point line and
then turned right back around as if it were now on their side of
the court.

Haruka glanced around and saw barely anyone else in the gym. A few
were watching the game. Others in clusters of two or three were
on the bleachers doing what was probably an assignment. This looked
to be a dead hour; obviously these guys were taking advantage of
that fact.

With a sigh, Haruka ventured over to the wall and put her back 
against it. This wasn't her idea of entertainment, but it would do 
for a while anyways.

Ten minutes of sweat and dribbling passed without any real sign of
the players tiring. They continued relentlessly in their plays and
their shots. And then, from what Haruka could tell, there was a
tangle of players beneath the hoop. Someone had gone up for a slam
dunk (probably showing off, she thought), and collided with a
guard.

The basketball harmlessly bounced into a roll somewhere behind the
hoop. One of the guys quickly scooped it up before inspecting the
aftermath of the mid-air collision. In total, three guys had gone
down, sprawling out on the floor in a mess of legs and arms.
However, only two immediately got up and dusted themselves off.
The third guy, who had tried to out-jump the shooter, was wincing
in pain and carefully probing the muscles and tendons of his ankle
with his fingers. "Damn, I think I twisted something." He flashed
the others a tough-guy grin. "What? I'll be fine. I might limp for
a few days, but I'll be good enough in no time. I can still play."

The captain of one of the foursomes shook his head as he appraised
the injury. "The last thing I want is a pulled ligament from you,"
he stated. "It looks like just a sprain, but I don't exactly want
you making it worse. You can sit out and hobble around after. If
you want, I'll take you to the campus doctor and have it checked
out."

The captain scratched his head of jet black hair as he watched his
comrade get helped over to the front row of the bleachers. "Well
now the playing field's uneven," a teammate of his remarked. "Three
against four."

Another chuckled, "Nothing like a challenge, eh?"

The captain scanned the basketball court for someone else. He
spotted what he thought was a tall guy with blondish hair milling
around on the sidelines, watching the game in mild interest.

"Hey!" he called out, nodding in the guy's direction. The 'guy'
looked at him with an almost amused and defiant stare. He launched
the basketball in Haruka's direction, and the blonde caught it with
ease. "You play?"

Haruka shrugged and strolled onto the court, dribbling the ball.
She had her sports bra on, so that wouldn't be a problem. And her
clothes were as close to casual as she could get with Michiru
patrolling her wardrobe; it wouldn't be that bad if she got a
little sweat on them.

"I play a little," she replied.

"We play a lot," the captain replied simply. "We may not be on the
college team, but that doesn't stop us. Mind if we give your skills
a test run?" He thumbed over his shoulder to the opposing team.
"We've got fifty bucks worth of pizza riding on this match. I for 
one would like them treating me to dinner tonight!"

He crouched down slightly, his eyes locking with Haruka's. There
was no mistaking the challenge he was giving her: he wanted her to
try and get around him, and then score. Not sure whether she should
be amused or insulted, Haruka decided to oblige him.

She bent her knees and dribbled the ball a few times in her left
hand. Suddenly she switched to her right and then charged towards
the man with a burst of speed. He was visibly surprised by her
momentum, but still reached forward to slap the ball out of her
possession. Haruka easily bounced the ball between his legs and
ducked around him, effortlessly going back to dribbling the ball
before making a lay-up and an easy 2 points.

"Do I pass?" she asked with a wicked grin, enjoying the surprised
looks on everyone's faces.

The captain took a few steps towards her, trying to catch his
breath. "You're good," he said. "You're damn good!" His eyes darted
down Haruka's chest, and took abrupt notice to some shapely
features he hadn't quite noticed before. But now the sweat on her
shirt was certainly making one thing apparent. "You're a girl," he
said, blinking a few times in surprise.

"And?"

His eyes glanced back down at her chest, and then back up to her
stern gaze. "I was just beaten by a girl?"

"Yeah?" Haruka inquired, her eyes narrowing. Shimatta, was this guy
going to get all defensive about his male pride?

He suddenly laughed and straightened up, pushing back his mop of
sweat-drenched hair. "Are you available?" he asked with an
optimistic smile.

That was the last thing Haruka had expected to hear.

*****

I yawned as I strolled out from my humanities class, ruing the
fact that I really could have spent that last hour doing something
more productive with my time (like sleep).

"Aw, did that last lecture tucker poor Mame-chan out?" came a
playfully chiding voice. And in Japanese, no less.

Not really having the energy or desire, I kept my conversation in 
English. "No," I sighed, turning around and nodding to Michiru.
"Just bored stiff and in need of a nap. So, what brings you here?"

Michiru was dressed in a stylish ski vest pulled over a warm
turtleneck and clutching a small bag at her side. I could only
presume it held whatever books she'd just had from her most recent
classes. "My private lessons for the afternoon were cancelled
because the professor is ill," she replied. "I wanted to surprise
Haruka before she goes to her next class and tell her that she
doesn't have drive out to the college to pick me up."

We both wandered down to the building where I knew Haruka would be
having her next class. "I don't have another class now," I
volunteered. "I could keep you company until Haruka finishes up and
takes you both home."

"That's sweet of you. Thank you," Michiru smiled.

I knew Haruka well enough to know that in such weather, she'd be
wandering about indoors due to all the snow outside. The first
place we checked was the student lounge adjacent to the building
lobby. Sure enough we found Haruka there--as well as someone else
unexpected.

"Nicholas?" I asked, unable to fully contain my surprise.

Michiru looked from Nicholas and Haruka, and then back to me. "Do
you know him?"

I nodded. "He's an Electronics major. I've had a few classes with
him."

Michiru nodded as she listened, and then drawled, "Then perhaps you
could explain what he and Haruka are up to."

As it turned out, Nicholas was busy arm-wrestling Haruka, and it
was a near miracle that she was indulging the guy. 'Of course,' I
reflected, 'the maniacally ridiculous expression his face certainly
made the challenge worth it.'

Currently Haruka was holding him at bay, and she looked casual
about the whole deal. Nicholas on the other hand was sweating,
clenching his jaws and turning purple from holding in his breath.
Not to mention he was also using both his hands in an attempt to
push hers down by placing as much of his weight as he could on it.

Sighing from what sounded to be boredom, Haruka turned and saw us.
"Michiru!" she called out happily, instantly slamming Nicholas'
hands onto the table. "What are you doing here?"

Nicholas' eyes bugged out immensely as the back of his left hand
was smashed against the table. He made an exaggerated face showing
just how much pain he was in, but let out little more than a
squeak.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

Nicholas gingerly lifted up one hand with the other. "She killed
it," he sniffled, feigning hurt.

"Baka," I replied, purely out of reflex and before he got a chance
to ask me to kiss it better. He gave me a confused expression, but
it was just as well for his wounded pride that I didn't tell him
what it meant.

"Who's your new friend?" Michiru asked Haruka in Japanese, as they
embraced.

Replying in the like, Haruka delivered a wicked grin and replied,
"God's gift to idiots." Switching back to English she asked, "What
are you doing here? I'm just about to go to my class."

Michiru explained about her professor's illness, then she and
Haruka made quick plans on where and when to meet after Haruka's
class. That settled, the two exited the lounge with me in tow.

"I'll be seeing you on the courts again, right?" Nicholas called
out as we left.

I could only presume it was to Haruka, as I had no basketball
skills whatsoever.

*****

"So who is this Nicholas anyways?" Michiru asked me once we were on
our own again.

I shrugged as I leaned back in my chair. We had returned to the 
student lounge in hopes of finding some peace and quiet away from 
all the other bustling students.

"It's his third year here," I explained. "He's on a science
scholarship, but he's also very good at basketball. Plays it with
anyone interested if he has the free time. Every year there's an
intramural five-on-five tournament that's entered by all the major 
departments, and he's always been the Electronics department team's 
captain."

"Do they always win?" Michiru asked.

I shook my head. "They usually come second or third, but he's just
in it for love of the game. An adrenaline rush of a hobby, I
guess."

Michiru leaned forward and gave me a careful appraisal. "What are
you smiling at?"

I couldn't wipe off what must have been a catty grin on my face.
"He usually doesn't talk much to girls. But Haruka beat him at
basketball, and now he's quite interactive." I laughed at the
notion. "That was his way of challenging her to a one-on-one
rematch. Nothing overly serious, but he still wants to beat her."

A curious smile crept across Michiru's face. "So Haruka has a
rival, does she?"

*****

"C'mon, Beans, you're an organized person!" John scowled at me.

"Have you seen my closet lately?" I retorted.

It had come time to plan for the not-yet-traditional Spring Break
beach cookout.  Personally, I wanted to spend the break catching
up on my sleep, but John had other plans...

I shrugged.  "You don't need me to help you organize things."

"No, but I do need you to get us a spot at the beach before the
jocks claim it all," he tapped the end of his pencil on his
clipboard.

"You just love me for my car," I grumbled good-naturedly.  Having
my own wheels often got me volunteered to shuttle people around or
act as our scout.

"That and your charming wit," he grinned.

I shook my head with resignation.  "Flatterer.  Fine, fine, I'll go
stake us out a spot.  Want me to go for the one we got last year?"

"That would be great!  Thanks, Beans."  Having accomplished his
mission, he gave me a jaunty wave and left.

Ah well, at least I knew how I'd be spending part of my Spring
Break now.


***** About a week and a half before Spring Break *****

I glanced down at my wristwatch and absently wondered what was
taking Haruka so long to join Michiru and me in the coffee shop. As
of late, Haruka had been spending these cold, snowy days indoors.
But what had taken me by surprise was that she more or less stayed
to the gymnasiums if she could get away with it. And since it was
Haruka, she got away with it on a regular basis.

Michiru sat across from me in the booth, cradling a cup of tea in
her delicate hands. Even though it was freezing outside (I felt 
like changing the lyrics of that one Christmas carol to 'Jack Frost
ripping off your nose.' Stupid wind chill factor.), I wasn't a fan of
hot drinks. They had a tendency to scald my tongue. I'd lose my 
sense of taste for a few days until my poor taste buds recovered. As 
a result, I went with just a Pepsi.

Michiru chuckled over my order. "You are certainly a curious 
individual," she said with a trace of amusement in her voice.

"Hey, I like what I like," I defended myself. This was not the time
to further lose face by drinking my Pepsi with a straw. If Haruka
were here she'd already be teasing me to no end and forcing me to
sharpen my wits a little more.

Speaking of Haruka....

"Haruka seems a little late," I remarked, taking yet another glance
at my watch. Michiru and I had sat down fifteen minutes ago and 
nothing indicated that Haruka would be here soon.

"Oh, she won't be joining us," Michiru said simply before taking a
sip of her tea. "She's with Nicholas right now."

I could feel the warning bells going off in the back of my head.
Haruka had wound up in the proverbial doghouse once already, when
she had spent more time with James working on motorcycles than with 
Michiru. Was it happening all over again with Nicholas? Would Michiru 
be as forgiving the second time around?

Would I be able to take the stress of being in the middle, for that
matter?

Michiru must have noticed the worried look on my face no matter how
casual I tried to appear, and flashed me a knowing smile. "It's not
what you think," she drawled. "Nicholas only plays against her when
they both can afford the time--and that usually happens during the
day when I'm at classes anyways."

"Have you been keeping Haruka on a short leash?" I hazarded to ask.

Michiru shook her head when she heard the question. "Not really.
Sometimes a mistake made once can work to your advantage; Haruka's
become somewhat paranoid of overlooking me since that time, so
she's very careful what else she schedules in to our days."

With an audible sigh of relief, I slumped back in my half of the
booth.

"I'm just impressed Nick is alive in the first place," I remarked.
"It boggles me to think that she's entertained him this long.
Haruka doesn't strike me as the type to string someone along just
for the fun of it."

Michiru didn't say anything.

I've never had a rival before, not unless my brother counts. I 
wondered what it was like, and whether or not it was a good sort
of rivalry between the two. "How's Haruka taking it?" I had to ask.

Michiru stared into her coffee. "Surprisingly well, actually."

"Does she even consider him a rival?"

"That's what I meant by 'surprisingly well'." Michiru looked up
from her reflection in the tea. "However, we didn't come here to
talk about Haruka. I asked you here to talk about you."

I blinked in surprise. "Me?"

Michiru thoughtfully regarded me before nodding. "Where do you see
yourself in the future?"

"Ah..." I scratched the back of my head nervously. "Well, after I
graduate I'll go to work for some company I assume..."

Her expression didn't change. "And what about you and Andy?"

Again, I was at a loss. He was a nice enough guy and all, but I
didn't know where things would lead. "I'm just kinda going with
the flow, y'know?" I answered truthfully.

A small, knowing smile crossed her face. "You don't have a clue,
do you?"

I looked down at the table. "You're right," I admitted.

Her hand crossed the table to rest atop mine. "It's a subject that
you should give some serious thought to. You've wasted too many
days already with idle indecision. Decide where your dreams are
and chase them!"

My eyes met hers when I looked up again. She had such a gentle
expression on her face, it was as if she glowed. I didn't spend
much time wondering what brought this up all of a sudden. No, she
had a point. I did need to think more about the future and what I
intended to do with myself once I was out of college. I couldn't
drift through life forever.

******

"And I win again," Haruka stated, not even bothering to hide the
broad grin on her face as she spun the basketball on the tip of her
index finger.

"If it wasn't for the fact that I think my lungs are going to burst
any second," Nicholas panted as he bent over, gasping for air, "I
would grab that ball to make you stop gloating."

"Oh?" Haruka retorted. "And who's the one who challenged me to this
match?"

There were a few others playing in the gym, but nothing serious.
A group of basketball players had claimed a hoop of their own on
the other side of the court, and some female students (cheerleaders, 
most likely) were practicing their tumbling routine at center court.

It was good to actually work up a sweat these days. She felt alive
with her blood racing and her body almost as light as a feather. A 
few times she had to catch herself from moving almost a little too 
fast and make Nicholas suspicious of her speed and grace.

Nicholas finally conceded defeat, collapsing to the floor and
letting out a loud, exhausted sigh. "Okay, you win," he panted.
"But next time--"

"--we'll see who's laughing," Haruka finished off the guy's running
motto ever since they'd first started to meet for their one-on-one
matches. Nicholas was more of a way to pass the time--not that he
didn't give her a run for her money. There was nothing serious
between them except for trying to push the other in terms of skill
and stamina.

At least it had better be nothing more than that.

Haruka idly wondered what Michiru would do in such as case, as she
made her way to the ladies' locker room. She could shower once she
got home. Maybe invite Michiru to join her too.

"So when do I get to try to salvage the last lingering shreds of my
dignity?" Nicholas called out after her, abruptly sitting up as if
he'd regained a second wind.

Haruka waved nonchalantly. "Probably on Friday afternoon."

Nicholas grinned as he picked himself off the hardwood floor, and
bounced the basketball a few times. "I'll hold you to that," he
stated.

******

Michiru drove me back to the campus after our conversation and
picked up Haruka in front of the dorms.

"Nick managed to tire you out?" I inquired in passing.

Haruka's grin went wolfish. That meant a retort I wouldn't be able 
to one-up was coming. "Oh, I'm sure Michiru will find a way to
revitalize me once we're home."

Unable to contain my laughter at her brazenness, I gave her a
playful punch in the shoulder and then waved again to Michiru. She
waved back as she slid into the passenger seat and allowed Haruka
to take command of the wheel.

My thoughts went back to our talk in the coffee shop. At the very 
least I could poke around online and see what kind of jobs were 
out there. Maybe there was something that would catch my attention.

Thinking about work was easier than thinking about other things,
like Andy. Settling down into a housewife type role had never
appealed to me. I didn't even know what form my future family
might take. Could I even see myself pregnant? Gyah! That was
definitely wasn't something that I wanted to think about.

I plopped myself down in front of Yggy and pulled up a job search
engine. I'd barely gotten started when my concentration was
broken.

"Knock knock!" someone said as they rapped on my door. I turned
around and saw Nicholas venturing to poke his head inside. "It safe
for me to enter the hallowed halls of the Bean goddess? Or are your
hours from nine to five like everyone else?"

I rolled my eyes. "Come in, Nick."

"What, that's it?" he lamented, trying to give me his best
angelic/puppydog look. "No 'Nick, so glad to see you!' No offering
of candy? No kiss?"

"You want to become aquarium fodder?" I retorted scathingly. He
knew full well Andy and I were an item, even if it didn't seem to
stop his harmless flirting.

Though Nicholas didn't notice, the fish tank burbled in what I
think was insult at having to sample him. And Nicholas being
completely oblivious to the true implications of that remark just
laughed.

"You're getting better at your comebacks," he said.

"I've had a good teacher," I replied. Namely, Haruka. Much to my
surprise, the first thing he did was set a can of cold Pepsi down
on my desk. "A peace offering," he said.

"You mean a bribe, don't you?"

"Well... the words are interchangeable, yes," he admitted. He was
trying to be casual, but I could tell he had a specific reason for
coming. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it probably had
something do with Haruka. Maybe getting me to deliver the latest
notice of challenge.

Electronics majors usually had this bizarre sense of humor. Of
course, the 'geeks' like me tended to run on the same wavelengths,
so it kind of evened out in the end.

"You seem good friends with Haruka, Beans," he said. I nodded as I
started to drink back my Pepsi. "So then, you should know better
than anyone: are Haruka and Michiru an item?"

And with that I promptly choked on the soda. "What?" I sputtered,
coughing on my drink.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Nicholas sighed. "Damn, and Haruka was
cute too... in a tomboy sort of way." He saw the look on my face and
tried to defend himself. "Hey, I just wanted to know where I stood
with her before I accidentally got my face punched in. Haruka's
always shot down any of my offers to go out, even for coffee. But
she's never outright said she's taken--though I've seen her walking
around with Michiru a few times. I just want to make sure of any
official thing between them."

I took a few moments to study his expression. He seemed pretty
sincere about just keeping whatever he and Haruka had a platonic
thing. For the sake of his currently intact body, I hoped so.

"You've got more brains than one would be lead to believe," I told 
him. At least he knew when to keep back and just plain back down. 
Michiru might have let him get away with it for a little while, but 
I wasn't sure how Haruka would react. At least Nicholas wasn't going
after Michiru; that would have guaranteed the rivalry going very
sour.

Nicholas claimed the seat on the bed for himself, arms folded
across his chest. "And here I thought I got all those A's and B's
in my courses because of my charming personality," he quipped.

"Be serious," I chided him.

"Look, I like what she brings to the match," he told me. "Haruka
has... I don't really know how to describe it. She has this vibrancy
that I can feel whenever I play against her. It's this raw power
and emotion, like I'm playing against the wind. And that makes me
want to play harder. It's been a long time since I've found someone
who can get me going like that."

He smiled, more to himself in what he'd found than at me. "She
doesn't have a passion for basketball per say, but whatever she
does have is infectious whenever I'm facing off against her."

I nodded. Haruka and Michiru did have a strange sort of magnetic
personality. If you were able to get close and actually talk with
them--something I was grateful for every day--they always seemed 
to brighten up any room they walked into. You couldn't help but 
take notice of them. Maybe it had something to do with those odd 
costumes they'd worn on Halloween. Maybe not. I wasn't about press 
the issue.

Nicholas caught sight of the clock on my desk. "Damn. Looks like I
have to retire to my dorm room and finish up a paper. Due tomorrow,
only have five of ten pages completed thus far. You know the whole
song and dance."

"At least you have five pages," I answered. "You're probably five
pages ahead of some of your classmates."

"I don't doubt it," Nicholas agreed, getting up and heading for the
door.

"You interested in coming to the Second and Hopefully Annual Dorm
Getaway Party?" I asked. Nicholas might have not been a computer
geek like the rest of those already planning on going, but he was
a pleasant enough guy to get along with. It never hurt to ask.

"When is it?" Nicholas inquired, his interest piqued.

"Um... we're not really sure," I admitted. "The day and time usually
gets finalized a few days prior. But it will probably be during
Spring Break."

Nicholas winced and shook his head in apology. "Sorry, but no can
do. Friday night I fly out to Boston to hang with my folks. I'd
love to though... especially if I could take on Haruka in a beach
volleyball match. Thanks for the offer, at least."

I shrugged. Well, no one could say I didn't try to recruit people.

"Incidentally," he added before he strolled out, "it's not Haruka
I'm worried about accidentally offending. Michiru is the scary
one."

He was definitely smarter than he looked, I decided.

*****

It was Michiru's first time venturing deeper than the lobby into
the school's athletic center.  Haruka asked her to come to the gym
after class so that she could meet Nick.  A helpful person at the
front desk pointed Michiru in the right direction.

Michiru found her partner engaged in a game when she entered the
large gym.  It was a game of one-on-one.

"Hey, you're here already!" Haruka waved at Michiru with the hand
that wasn't dribbling the basketball.  Nicholas attempted to steal
the ball while Haruka was distracted.  She blocked him with her
body and then gave him a disapproving look.

"You can't blame me for trying," he said with an impish grin.

Haruka smirked and picked up the ball, calling an abrupt end to
their game.  They walked over to where Michiru was waiting by the
bleachers.  Haruka made the introductions while Nick wiped his
sweaty hands off on a towel before offering one to Michiru.

"Thanks for letting Haruka come out to play with me," the playful
grin never left his face.  He obviously knew the nature of their
relationship and enjoyed taking what pokes he could at the woman
who frustrated him on the court.

"You haven't sent her home battered and bruised yet, so it's okay,"
Michiru chuckled.

Haruka sighed at their teasing of her.  "And now it's time for me
to go home.  I'll finish wiping the floor with you tomorrow."  She
passed the ball back to him and left with Michiru.

"He's kind of cute, in a hapless sort of way," Michiru commented in
Japanese as they walked out from the gym. "What do you think of
him?"

"I think," Haruka replied in the like, "that he makes for a very
entertaining distraction."

"Ara, just a distraction?"

Not having any clue as to what they were talking about, Nick gave
the basketball a couple testing bounces as he watched them go,
smiling to himself.  For a while now he was beginning to pick up on
the fact that Haruka was holding something back in their matches.
Couldn't figure out what, but it was something that definitely put
her beyond his skills. He'd get his chance to play her for real
soon enough. Spring Break was coming, and after that was the
Intramural Sports Tournament. Then he'd be able to see just how
good his 'rival' really was.

*****

A letter from Tokyo was waiting for them in their mailbox when they
arrived home, their address scrawled as neatly as possible by a child's 
hand.

"A letter from Hotaru-chan," Haruka said, grinning as she inspected
the surprisingly heavy envelope.

She found a letter opener and cut open one of the sides. Not only did
they receive a letter written by Hotaru, but also a large volume of 
photographs sent along with it. Haruka and Michiru spent the next few 
minutes sitting down on the couch, flipping through the pictures one 
by one. More often than not they'd stop and admire how cute Hotaru 
looked, or how adorable Minako was in her stroller.

Michiru sighed a lot as they saw Setsuna, Hotaru and Minako touring
the Tokyo Tower, playing in their private swimming pool, or
dressing up in kimonos for a visit to the Fire River Temple. Haruka
found herself smiling when they came to a section where all the
Senshi were enjoying an afternoon at the café Makoto ran. It had
only been a few months since they'd left Tokyo, but everyone seemed
to look a little different, a little older. Of course, Setsuna never
seemed to change no matter the day any photo was taken.

Haruka's personal favorite was a photo of a toddler Minako sitting
in an F-1 racing booth; the little blonde seemed to know exactly what
to do, and was loving every moment of it. Haruka felt a pang of
nostalgia as she recalled how often she and Minako used to duel on the
F-1 arcade racers.

"That was wonderful," Michiru said quietly as they set the last
picture aside on the coffee table. "What does Hotaru's letter say?"

"If you give me a moment, we can find out," Haruka said with a
smirk.

Michiru laid her head down on Haruka's lap and snuggled up close
to her lover. "Read it aloud to me, please," she said, her eyes
closing. "I want to picture Hotaru saying this."

Unable to deny Michiru anything in life, Haruka stroked the long
strands of Michiru's aqua-green hair and began to read.


	Ohayo, Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama!

	How are you two enjoying America? All those photos you sent
	last time were so cool to look at, especially the ones of
	Michiru-mama putting on that special performance at the college.
	I think I saw a couple of pictures with your new friend,
	Mame-chan (very strange name, ne?), trying to hide in the back-
	ground. She doesn't like getting her picture taken, does she?
	But I think she's pretty. And she can speak Japanese too? We
	put the best pictures up on the fridge, next to my drawing of
	you, me and Setsuna-mama going out for a picnic.

	I'm doing okay here with Setsuna-mama, but I really miss both
	of you. Setsuna-mama has been teaching me a lot, and I'm doing
	good at all my studies. Except for math. I still don't see when
	I'm ever going to use quadratic functions for simplifying
	advanced derivative equations. But Setsuna-mama insists, so I'm
	trying to do better for my next test.

	I'm also reading a new book too. You'll be so proud, I finished
	Dante Aleghiri's Divine Comedy last week! There's a new manga
	out by Naoko Takeuchi too, something called 'PQ Angels' 
	Setsuna-mama bought it for me yesterday as a reward for finishing 
	Dante.

	It's also fun having a little sister. Minako-chan looks so
	kawaii all the time, and Setsuna-mama even lets me hold her! I
	wonder if she has a lot of her old memories, like I do. We'll
	be taking Minako-chan out to the zoo in a few days, so I'll be
	sure to have Setsuna-mama take pictures for you.

	Usagi and the others are doing well too. She's taking classes
	at Tokyo University with Ami, while Mamoru-san is starting
	his hospital internship next month. Makoto's café is doing
	really good, you'll be happy to know. She even got a great
	review in the newspaper! Rei has taken over managing the Fire
	River Temple, and we all go over to visit her at least once a
	month. She really likes to play with Minako-chan. And she
	always keeps looking at Yuichiro funny, like the way you and
	Michiru-mama look whenever you two think I'm not looking and
	sneak a kiss.

	How do you like the photos? My favorite is the one of me in
	the red and black scarf on the Tokyo Tower. And also the one
	of Minako-chan and me eating ice cream. You should see her,
	Haruka-papa! She's really walking around now and loves it when
	we take her out to play with Usagi and the others. She also
	seems to love karaoke machines. Setsuna-mama is bracing herself
	for when Minako learns to say 'No'.

	Maybe you can sleep with the pictures of us by your bed, or even
	underneath your pillow. That way it'll be like I'm really there.
	Ne, Haruka-papa, do you still sleep with that big teddy bear
	whenever Michiru-mama has to stay late for classes? I always
	thought you looked cute cuddled up with it (even if you always
	tell me that 'cute' is not a proper word to describe you).

	All those different dresses I'm wearing were made by Setsuna-
	mama. She says I pose so well for them, I could be a model one
	day if I wanted to. I don't really think I'd want to be, though.
	Setsuna-mama has also promised that when you both come back to
	Tokyo for the summer, we can spend another week in the Caribbean,
	and I can snorkel while you and Setsuna-mama look for more
	shipwrecks with buried treasure.

	Ne, Haruka-papa, do you think that when you and Michiru-mama
	come back for Spring Break, you can let me pick stocks for you
	again? That was so fun! I'm sorry none of them panned out last
	time though.

	I really do miss you. Come back soon!


	Love, Hotaru-chan.




	P.S.: gomen ne, Michiru-mama, but Setsuna-mama was doing
	cleaning last week, and she threw out those water wings in
	your closet.


Finished, Haruka gently set the letter down on the coffee table
next to the photographs, and continued stroking Michiru's hair for
the remainder of the hour. Content and safe in her lover's arms,
Michiru drifted off to sleep.

Haruka's gaze drifted back to the pictures. "Soon enough,
Hime-chan," she said quietly. "We'll be there soon."


*****

Haruka stared at herself in the mirror of their master bathroom.
She was wearing a white nightgown that flowed down by her ankles.
Behind her and through the open doorway, the bedroom was dark and
quiet. Michiru had already slipped between the sheets and was
curled up, waiting for her.

Haruka opted to linger in front of the mirror for a few moments
longer. Her mind kept thinking over what she and Michiru had talked
about in the gym, and then later during their drive home. It had
been about six months now since they'd come here to America,
leaving behind their friends and family back in Tokyo.

These last six months had certainly been eventful, in both good
ways and bad. Yet through it all she and Michiru had held on
together like always. Haruka's eyes drifted over the curves of her
body, and on impulse she combed her fingers through her hair.

Not so long ago she had realized that while she and Michiru were
walking through this together, for the first time in a long time it
was only the two of them. Setsuna wasn't around to sit with them
for coffee or tea, and she missed the sounds of Hotaru running
through the house. Even though they didn't see Usagi and the others
on a regular basis, now they didn't see those girls at all. Haruka
sighed and shook her head.

She would tell Michiru soon enough. Soon but not quite yet.

It was true that playing basketball against Nicholas was just a
distraction, something to keep her mind off the fact that she was
really missing Tokyo and everyone else. With Spring Break coming
closer and closer still, Haruka found herself increasingly anxious.
Having to wait for the chance to fly back to Tokyo and visit with
everyone for a week was affecting her more than she thought it
would.

"Are you coming to bed, love?" came Michiru's soft voice from the
dimness of their bedroom.

Haruka smiled and turned away from her reflection. "Hai," she
answered, turning off the bathroom light as she glided out the
doorway.

In a sense, playing against Nicholas felt like she was playing with
a little brother. And while it made her feel the pangs of
loneliness at missing the family she had in Tokyo, it reminded her
of the small but caring family she had here. That alone made their
time here worthwhile and memorable.

No matter where she and Michiru went, there would always be family
and friends--even if they were peculiar, harmless rivals or quirky
little Mame-chans.


********** End part 20 **********

Long time, no fic!  We're onto the home stretch now.

Having Minako as a child is in reference to Tim Nolan's excellent
stories (with College Life based off of his timeline for the most 
part).  I have most of his stories uploaded here if you want to 
check them out: http://gbeans.tyrlen.org/homepage/fanfic.html

A number of jokes mentioned in Hotaru's letter are actually from
my Sailormoon (Mis)Conceptions Q&A section on my webpage. You can
find the real story behind it all at: 
http://gbeans.tyrlen.org/homepage/miscon.html