Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Just Be Yourself ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Summary: Miaka is worried about Nuriko still acting like a girl, & wants to think of a way to remedy it. Meanwhile Usagi frets about Haruka still playing out a guy. The two girls devise the perfect solution. Set their friends up on a blind date... with each other!

Rating: PG

Notes: To get this story to work, I had to get a lot of the cast to act rather out of character, though I tried not to overdo it TOO much. I also have no plausible explanation for why the Suzaku Seven suddenly appeared in modern-day Tokyo, it just kind of... um, happened. So now that I have stretched the believability of this story to its absolute limits, please enjoy!

Chapter 2

"What!" Haruka exclaimed, her voice nearly knocking Usagi off her feet. "Odango, what the heck do you mean you got me a date?" Usagi had decided it was best to tell Haruka about her little plan as soon as possible, so the next day after her talk with Miaka, Usagi was over at Haruka and Michiru's apartment sharing the good news. Only, unlike most other times, Haruka didn't seem too thrilled to have her there.

"Calm down, Haruka," whispered Michiru.

"Like I said, I got you a date," Usagi repeated happily. "His name is Nuriko, and he's a really handsome guy, so you'll want to make sure you dress really pretty, if you know what I mean..." She gave Haruka a mischievous wink. "He'll be here at 7 on Friday to pick you up."

"But..." Haruka stuttered, looking desperately towards Michiru as if to say, Tell her I don't want to do this. But Michiru only smiled.

"Thank you, Usagi," she said. "I'm sure Haruka appreciates it." Haruka's jaw dropped. And with that, Michiru showed Usagi out the door.

"Michiru..." Haruka whined the moment Usagi was gone. "What did you have to go and do that for?"

"Usagi means well," Michiru said. "And I think she worked hard to try and set this up. I couldn't make her feel bad."

"Do you want me to do it for you?"

"Haruka!"

"Sorry..." Haruka let out a long sigh. It looked like she was stuck with this ridiculous date on Friday, whether she wanted to be or not.

* * * * *

"A date? Miaka, are you sure about this?" Nuriko looked skeptically at his friend, who had brought Tamahome with her to share the good news about Nuriko's future love life.

"Sure I'm sure about this," said Miaka with a bright smile. "She's a really beautiful girl, I think you'll like her a lot."

"Not more beautiful than me," Nuriko thought to himself, but decided not to say it out loud.

"You're going to meet her at her apartment this Friday at 7," Miaka went on, handing the address over to Nuriko, who looked it over doubtfully.

"Haruka?" he asked, reading the name aloud. "Doesn't that mean distant or something like that?"

"Yup," Miaka nodded. "Now remember, she's a really high-class kind of girl, so you can't be doing the cross-dressing thing. You going to need to dress, look, and act like a man..." Miaka began to pace about the room, thinking about just how she was going to accomplish this.

"Nuriko... look like a man?" Tamahome thought to himself. "Yeah, that'll be the day."

"Hey, I've got it!" said Miaka with a snap of her fingers. "Tamahome can help you out!"

"Me?" Tamahome exclaimed.

"Alright!" said Nuriko, slapping his hands together. "Come on, Tamahome, you tell me all about how you impress the ladies." Tamahome sweatdropped. This wasn't going to be easy.

While Tamahome worked his best to train Nuriko in the ways of macho-ness, Michiru was trying just as hard to pass some of her female advice onto Haruka, right up until the night of her big date.

"Okay, now let me hear you giggle," she said, taking one step back to look at Haruka's outfit for the evening. "All girls giggle at least once on a first date. Like this..." Michiru let out a bubbly little laugh that was nothing short of delightful and charming. Haruka tried to do the same, but from the way Michiru's face fell, she guessed it didn't come out quite as good.

"Oh no, you sound like you're dying," Michiru said. She sighed and massaged her forehead. "Okay, forget the giggle, just..." Before the conversation could go any further, there was a knock at the door.

"Okay, I'll get it," Michiru said. "Don't forget everything I told you Haruka. Just remember, try to act feminine."

"Easy for you to say," Haruka muttered gripping her arm nervously. Michiru walked up and opened the door to see Tamahome standing there alongside a young man with braided purple hair who was nervously wringing his hands.

"You must be Nuriko," Michiru said pleasantly.

"Yes... and you're Haruka?" Nuriko asked. He thought the others all said his date was a blonde. The girl at the door giggled.

"No, I'm her roommate, Michiru. Won't you come in?" Michiru stepped to the side, showing the two men into the main room, where Haruka sat, trying to smooth her dress out over her legs. Michiru cleared her throat and Haruka jumped up like a soldier to attention.

"This is Haruka," Michiru said to Nuriko.

"Hey," Nuriko said, trying to force a smile.

"Hi," Haruka replied. The silence in the room was exasperating.

"Well, you two love birds better get on your way," said Tamahome.

"Right," they both muttered.

As they walked out to the car, Haruka was about to get into the driver's side until she remembered. "Right. I'm supposed to be the passenger. And he's supposed to open the door for me. Sheesh! Why do girls have to act so helpless?" Nevertheless, Haruka stood by the passenger door, waiting patiently for Nuriko to come around and open it for her.

Nuriko was a bit behind, walking nervously towards the vehicle, trying to remember everything it was Miaka taught him. Stay to the road, stop when the light turned red, use the turn signal, and what else...?"

"A-hem!" Nuriko glanced up to see Haruka standing next to the door on the other side.

"Oh right, sorry!" he exclaimed. Haruka rolled her eyes as he opened the door and she stepped in. As if she wanted to be helped out in the first place.

"Well, let's get going," said Nuriko cheerfully, getting in the other side. He put the key into ignition, started the engine, and pressed the gas, but nothing happened.

"Aren't you going to put the car in drive?" Haruka asked.

"Right," Nuriko muttered. "Sheesh," he thought to himself. "I know she's a girl and everything, but at least she could work this machine better than me..."

The drive to dinner was unusual to say the least. Haruka kept fingering the purse in her hands, not quite sure what else to do with them when they weren't on a steering wheel She also had to remind Nuriko about three separate times on basic rules on driving, to the point where she began to wonder where this guy got his driver's license. If only she knew.