The Star of Night | MIYAKO

act fifteen { your body was with me, but your heart and soul were with her }

Mamoru felt his skin grow cold and sweaty with the way Usagi stared at him. Calculating. Knowing. His brows bunched when her smirk grew and he stepped back. A large hand slapped his mouth, both stopping him from saying anything incriminating and to hide his growing smile. 

"W-what makes you say that?" 

Usagi summoned the energy, hyper energy, and happy-go-lucky attitude her past self breathed with to continue standing in front of Mamoru. She popped her hip and leaned her head to the side seeing Mamoru's face turn pink. In the silence she shook her head and folded her arms. 

"I may be bad at school, but even I can tell you like her. I noticed it from the beginning, the way you looked at her or when her name was brought up in conversation. Your eyes would brighten up even when someone else was talking about her. And don't think I didn't notice you checking her out just now." 

"You know, I'm only realizing how blind I was." Memories of past outings flooded the girl's mind. Vivid memories of Mamoru looking through her to stare at her sister, ogling without drooling. Fan-girling without scream. Her mind forced her heart to remember the times she caught Mamoru and Miyako stare at each other for beats too long or shy away from each other when the group inched together. A curt laugh left her lips. Usagi--to save her heart and theirs--didn't say a word all those times. Speaking about it would've hurt her even more. 

"Even if your body was with me, your heart and soul were always with her..."

The jig was coming up for Mamoru and he knew hiding anything from Usagi would end him harder. Plus, they weren't dating anymore, so what would hiding do?

"I-I wouldn't say 'like', but I admire her--" A scoff sagged his shoulders. Hiding wasn't in his favor. 

"If you want the truth, fine. I do like Miyako, but I don't know how to tell her. 'Hey, I broke up with your sister but it's because we didn't have a connection and it's you I like you!'" 

It made sense in the girl's mind. How would she feel if the roles were reversed? If her sister's boyfriend suddenly confessed his feelings for her? 

"Well, if you didn't notice before, Miyako gets jealous, very easy. You've probably missed it because she hides it well, but I always know--maybe it's a twin thing. If you tell her something suddenly, like that cheesy comment about being safe, you'll have her off her feet. She's a real sucker for compliments." A distant look caught Usagi's eyes. Even if her heart battled vicious turmoil, she couldn't deny the childish glow she got every time she caught her sister as a deer in headlights or silently gushing about a compliment. 

Mamoru took note from Usagi, compartmentalizing them in the back of his mind before letting out a shaky breath.  

"Are you not mad, that I like your sister?"

Every muscle in Usagi's lips tensed as they pressed together. It would be so easy to shed her heart out at once, but she shook her head. She denied the question and her own feelings. 

"No, not really. I kinda knew you weren't showing me all your feelings and when I would catch you two staring at each other, everything began to make sense." Usagi bit the inside of her  cheek before stomping her foot. "Now that this whole conversation is over, I have to meet Ami and Naru at the pool. Somehow, we're all going to the same place."

To cement her final word, the girl turned to march up the stairs. She would have sprinted far away if she wasn't called again. Her heart pounded in her ears and she could practically hear the individual blood cells flow in her veins. She stopped mid-step for Mamoru to speak. 

"Thank you, Usagi, for all of this. It was fun being your boyfriend and all. I hope we can be even greater friends in the future." 

With her back turned to the boy, the girl nodded her head. She refused to turn around and show her tight-lipped smile. "Of course, it was fun with you...too. Now, I should really get going before they complain."