Title: Forest Fire - Part III
Author: Viper Inferno
E-mail: viperdvman@gmail.com
Genre: Action Drama
Rated: PG

Author's Notes: I recommend reading Brother of Fire and Five-Alarm Fire 
before reading this fanfic, since they are part of a series and provide 
quite a bit of the background for this fanfic.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

                                 Forest Fire
                              By Viper Inferno

                                  Part III


	Azabu Institute of Technology, the next day...

	Makoto waited patiently outside of the practice field at the 
Azabu Tech Stadium as practice was in session. As much as she would have 
loved to have to have seen Kyodai practice, she was turned away by the 
university's guards. They had informed her that today's practice was a 
closed practice due to the nature of their practice for the upcoming 
scrimmage. Disappointed, she had decided to walk away from the stadium 
and wait at a spot where she figured Kyodai would easily find her. It 
wasn't the practice field, but it was at a rather nice location at the 
university, namely the large marble fountain surrounded by many colors of 
marigold. It sat between the practice field and the commuters' parking 
lot where Kyodai's old coupe was parked. So she sat on a bench facing the 
fountain in the direction of the practice field, with her arms rested on 
the back of the bench.

	Numerous students were walking about the university. Some were 
walking to and from their afternoon classes, some were walking to and 
from their dorms, and a few others headed toward the nearby cafeteria for 
an early dinner. A couple of girls, which Makoto figured by their age 
were also Azabu Tech students, jogged around the fountain before heading 
in the direction of the practice field. Makoto let out a dreamy sigh as 
she gazed at the centerpiece of the fountain as it sprayed water into the 
air and water cascaded down its sculpted sides. 'I bet it'd be great to 
go to school here,' she thought to herself, 'I'm seriously going to have 
to ask Kyodai-kun what life is like here. I bet it's really amazing.' As 
dreamy as she was, reality quickly hit her, and she let her head hang 
down in defeat, starring at her feet. 'But if life is so great here, why 
did Kyodai-kun move back to the Hikawa Jinja?' she wondered. As she 
continued waiting, she drew circles in the concrete with the toe of her 
flat slip-on, wondering when Kyodai's practice was going to end.

	"Is this one of Odango Atama's friends here at the Azabu 
Institute of Technology?" a familiar voice directed at Makoto said, 
grabbing her attention. She lifted her head up and looked behind her to 
see Mamoru smiling at her and waving to her. 

	"Oh, good afternoon, Mamoru-san," she greeted.

	"I never figured any of Odango's friends would be hanging out 
here," Mamoru said, "So what are you up to?"

	"Oh, just waiting for Kyodai-kun to get out of practice," she 
replied.

	"Kyodai-kun, huh?" said Mamoru, "Since when did he become 
familiar enough with you for you to call him 'Kyodai-kun'?"

	"Since yesterday when Rei-chan brought him over to my 
apartment," Makoto replied, "Did you know he's a good cook?"

	"Yes. He's told me about how his aunt taught him how to cook," 
Mamoru replied, "So Rei-san introduced him to you too, huh?"

	"Yeah, I can tell she's really proud of her brother to introduce 
him to us. But I'm glad to have met him. He's such a handsome and 
interesting guy," Makoto explained.

	That spelled it all out for Mamoru, as he chuckled under his 
breath, and then replied, "Now I understand. You have a thing for him, 
don't you?"

	"Yeah, something like that. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of my 
old flame who broke my heart," she explained.

	"I understand," Mamoru said as he turned to continue on his 
way, "Do be careful, though. It's not good to compare anyone with an 
ex-boyfriend. Good luck. See 'ya." He waved to her as he walked in the 
direction of the commuters' parking lot.

	With Mamoru gone, she went back to starring at her feet as she 
resumed drawing circles in the concrete with her toes. "Yeah, I guess 
you're right," Makoto said to no one in particular, "But someone who is 
as smart, athletic, yet humble as Kyodai-kun represents my ideal man. 
And my old flame that left me had a lot of that too. Maybe my old flame 
is my standard for a boyfriend... or is he my drawback?"

	"Hey Mako-chan," a man's voice called out to her minutes later, 
breaking her from any thoughts she was having. She quickly looked back up 
to see Kyodai waving at her.

	"Kyodai-kun!" she said gleefully as she leaped up from the bench 
and dashed at Kyodai with the speed of one of his soccer opponents. She 
then threw herself into his open arms, pushing him a meter back and 
nearly knocking him to the ground, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm 
so glad you found me," she said before giving him a passionate kiss on 
the lips.

	"I'm sorry," Kyodai said after breaking the kiss, "I didn't know 
we were having a closed practice today."

	"It's okay. I found a nice place to sit here by the fountain," 
Makoto said as she let go of Kyodai and took his hand into hers. The 
couple then began their walk toward the commuters' parking lot. "This is 
a pretty school you attend here," she commented.

	"Thank you. Mamoru-kun, Motoki-kun, and I all chose to attend 
this school. Although our dreams are separate, our education is extremely 
important to us, which is why we chose one of Tokyo's finest schools for 
Science and Technology," Kyodai explained, "And our soccer team is pretty 
good too."

	"So are you here on a soccer scholarship, or an academic one?" 
Makoto asked, remembering that Kyodai was not only the star soccer player 
at Juuban Municipal High School, but also received many academic honors 
much like her friend Mizuno Ami was receiving.

	"Well, the scouts from the Azabu Tech soccer team were quite 
interested in me, but numerous organizations both here at the university 
and outside also offered me scholarships due to my academics," Kyodai 
explained, "So you can say I'm here on both. Even though I'd love to be 
on Japan's National Soccer Team and play in the World Cup, I have to have 
something else to do with my life besides soccer. I can only play for so 
long, you know."

	"I understand," said Makoto.

	Moments later, the couple arrived at Kyodai's old red coupe. Once 
there, he removed his keys from his pocket and slid them into the 
passenger-side door lock. And just as he was about to open the door for 
Makoto, she placed her hand somewhat firmly on his wrist, stopping him. 
"It's okay, Kyodai-kun. You don't have to open the door for me," she 
politely said before letting go of his wrist.

	"Ah, no worries," Kyodai replied, thinking nothing of it as he 
removed his hand from the door handle and proceeded to walk around the 
back of his car. Makoto then opened the door and climbed into the 
passenger seat of Kyodai's car. She pulled her long skirt out of the way 
of the door before pulling it shut, not wanting to get it caught in the 
door. She then leaned over toward the driver-side door and unlocked it 
for Kyodai just as he had made it to the driver's side. She then sat back 
down and readjusted her skirt, laying it perfectly flat against her lap 
and legs, before buckling her seatbelt.

	"Thank you, Mako-chan," Kyodai said as he climbed inside.

	"You're welcome, Kyodai-kun," Makoto replied.

	Once Kyodai had settled in and buckled up, he slid his key into 
the ignition and started the engine. It's rather aggressive, yet placid 
growl drew some interest from Makoto, as if being inside his rather old 
yet very clean car wasn't enough to peak her interest. "I like you car," 
she commented as she ran her fingers along the dash in front of her.

	"Thank you," Kyodai replied, "It was a gift from my uncle for my 
18th birthday, even though he gave it to me months before. He taught me 
how to drive in it before I was old enough to get my license."

	"Yeah, I can't wait until I'm old enough to drive," Makoto 
commented as she leaned back in her seat. Kyodai then backed out of his 
parking space and drove cautiously through the packed parking lot, being 
mindful of the other commuting students as they too were leaving the 
university for the day.

	"So what kind of car is this?" Makoto asked as Kyodai fell in 
line behind a few other drivers waiting to leave the parking lot.

	"This is a '79 Datsun Silvia," Kyodai replied.

	"I didn't think it was quite that old," Makoto commented, "But 
it looks like you've kept this car both clean and in good shape."

	"Yeah, I like this car a lot," Kyodai explained, "She may not be 
much, but she does get me from point A to B, and also has some sport to 
her as well. And she's taught me a lot of things too."

	"Oh really? Sport, you say?" Makoto knowingly said.

	"I think it does," Kyodai replied, "You want me to prove it?"

	"Sure," Makoto quickly and enthusiastically replied. 'Oh how I 
love to see the athlete in him, even if it's just through his car,' she 
thought to herself.

	"Hang on," Kyodai warned as he looked for oncoming traffic, then 
stomped on the accelerator, causing his rear tires to scream like a 
banshee as they launched his old coupe out of the parking lot and onto 
the unusually sparsely-traveled city street. Makoto's heart picked up the 
beat as Kyodai quickly drove his car past the posted speed limit, 
shifting through the gears like a Formula 1 racer, before letting off the 
accelerator. He slowed back down to the speed limit after showing off 
just how sporty a car as old as his sister is can be.

	Once she had quickly settled down from that rush of excitement, 
Makoto turned to Kyodai, smiling, "Wow, not bad at all."

	"Yeah, she's not the fastest car around. Obake-kun's new Civic 
will handily outrun it, but then again his car is the sportier version of 
the Civic," Kyodai explained, "I've had a lot of good times with this car 
in the year that I've had it, and I've learned how to handle driving a 
car in it."

	"It sounds like you like your car despite how old it is," Makoto 
observed.

	"Yeah, I like it a lot. It's my first car, you know. You never 
forget your first car," Kyodai replied, "Your first car is what gave you 
the freedom to travel anywhere you wanted... on your own schedule. You 
didn't have to walk for so long to get to places, and you didn't have to 
rely on public transportation. And sometimes, you just threw point B 
right out the window and enjoyed Japan's beautiful scenery. At times 
like that, it's all about the drive."

	'The way he explains it... is so romantic,' Makoto thought to 
herself as Kyodai told his story, with her eyes sparkling as she glanced 
at his profile while he kept his eyes on the road. As interesting as it 
all was, it was something she could only dream about at her age. "Yeah, 
it must really be something. That's why I can't wait until I get a 
license. But as interesting as it all is, as much as I like your car, I 
really don't know all that much about cars."

	"Not everyone does. But it doesn't take away from the experience 
of driving in one, or even just riding in one with friends or family," 
said Kyodai.

	Makoto sat silent for a moment, with thoughts drifting through 
her mind. A lot of what Kyodai was saying made sense to her. She was 
enjoying being in the car with Kyodai. And the arrangements they had 
made for where all they possibly wanted to go was just going to have to 
wait. "Hey Kyodai-kun," she said, breaking the silence.

	"Yes?" said Kyodai.

	"Can we drive around for a while?" Makoto asked, "I like riding 
in your car."

	"Of course," Kyodai replied. He was about to ask where she wanted 
to go, out of all the places they had discussed last night. But driving 
around was perfectly fine for him. After all, it was all about the drive. 
"Rei-chan likes riding in my car too, even though Gabianni used to drive 
her places a lot."

	"Well, she likes having her brother around. It's one of the 
reasons I want to ride around in your car, just like Rei-chan," said 
Makoto.

	"And what are the other reasons?" Kyodai asked.

	Makoto only stared down at the floorboard in front of her, a 
little hesitant to answer that question. "Well, ever since they died, I 
haven't ridden in very many cars," Makoto explained, "We used to drive 
around and go to all kinds of places, even if it was just taking me to 
school. Now, with me living by myself and not being old enough to drive 
around, I usually just walk or take public transportation everywhere I 
go."

	"How old were you when they died? Your parents," Kyodai wondered.

	"I was 9 when they died," Makoto replied, "They died when their 
plane crashed at Haneda Airport"

	"I'm sorry, Mako-chan," Kyodai said, placing his hand on 
Makoto's. Makoto then responded by turning her hand and taking a hold 
of his. "At least you got to enjoy all kinds of car rides with your 
family," said Kyodai, "Rei-chan and I, however, never really got to 
ride in cars very much. Father was always busy with politics and 
everything, so we never got to ride around in his car very much. And of 
course, when Mother died, we moved into the Hikawa Jinja with Grandpa, 
who never drove around anywhere. And when I lived with my uncle, I didn't 
really ride in his car all that much. So I used to walk to school all the 
time with Mamoru-kun since he didn't live that far from my uncle. But now 
and then, my uncle would drive us to school. When I turned 18 and got my 
license, I started driving myself everywhere except to and from school."

	"So now you see a major reason why I like riding in your car," 
Makoto replied, giving Kyodai's hand a gentle squeeze, "Not only is it 
with the man I really like, but it also brings back some of those 
memories I had as a child when my parents and I used to drive around."

	"And it also makes for a great place to hold a private 
conversation without anyone overhearing us," Kyodai added, "In fact, 
Rei-chan and I sat for a little bit and talked about things before we 
came in to see you yesterday."

	"So that's what took so long for Rei-chan to arrive," Makoto 
said, giving Kyodai a gentle and teasing punch to his left arm.

	"Yeah, Rei-chan likes being with me, especially in my car," said 
Kyodai.

	Upon coming up to a red light in the Roppongi district, Kyodai 
let go of Makoto's hand so he could downshift as he came to a stop. As 
they sat and waited at the light behind 2 other cars, Makoto broke the 
short silence. "Hey Kyodai-kun. When I was waiting for you, I was 
thinking, and I wanted to ask you," she said.

	"What?" Kyodai responded, turning to her and raising his eyebrow.

	"Well, after looking at all the sites and seeing all the students 
walking around, I got to wondering: What's life like being in college?" 
she asked.

	"Well, it wasn't exactly mandatory for me to live in the dorms 
as a first year, though a lot of first and second years like to live in 
the dorms away from their parents," Kyodai explained, "I liked living 
with Uncle Saki and Aunt Reika. But I wanted to be closer to the college 
so I could have a place to both study and practice for soccer, as well 
as experience college life."

	"And how was it?" Makoto asked.

	"Dorm life was interesting," Kyodai explained, "Although 
education was important to us, a lot of students could be more carefree 
since high school was over and they weren't living with their parents. 
Some of the students liked to party and go on dates with girls. As for 
me, I didn't party very much except for a couple of gatherings with the 
other guys on the team. And I never went on dates with the girls. Most 
of my time living at the college was spent either studying or at soccer 
practice. I did enjoy college life for the few months I lived there, 
though."

	"I can see how that is," said Makoto, "Ami-chan likes to study 
a lot too and doesn't really pay attention to much else. She probably 
wouldn't do much with a college life either."

	"And Mamoru-kun's the same way too," Kyodai added, "Only he 
actually has an apartment of his own. He too spends a lot of time in his 
studies. But he also finds time to go out a lot, whether it's by himself, 
with me, or some of the other students."

	"So if college life was great for you, why did you move back to 
the Hikawa Jinja?" Makoto asked, which was what she was wondering since 
she was waiting for him.

	"Well, as much as I enjoyed college life, I didn't get to visit 
Rei-chan as much as I used to when I was in high school," Kyodai 
explained, "After I moved out of the shrine, I'd visit her and Grandpa 
every few weeks. And she and I would spend a lot of time together when I 
visited. But when I started college, I didn't get much of a chance to 
visit her. And after a few months living in the dorms, I started to 
really miss her... and Grandpa too. So I decided to move back in with 
her."

	"You and Rei-chan must share a very special bond," Makoto 
observed, "That's another reason I wished I had a younger or older 
brother or sister to share that kind of bond with."

	"Yes, so now I can see Rei-chan as much as I'd like, go to 
college, play soccer, and study and everything," said Kyodai.

	"I see now," said Makoto, "As for me, I'd love to experience 
college life. The way you tell it, and the way I saw everyone at the 
college when I was waiting for you, it's making me want to experience 
that for myself. But for now, I'm just looking forward to finally making 
it to high school. I'm only in Grade 8, you know."

	"That's very true," said Kyodai, "Just study hard, whether by 
yourself or with a good study partner, keep your grades up, don't slack 
off, pass your entrance exams, and you'll get to go to college too 
someday."

	"Okay, I'll do that," Makoto replied, smiling at him as they 
continued their drive about the lively Roppongi District.


	Roppongi District...

	After their leisurely drive, and being in the Roppongi District, 
the district of the Minato Ward lying north of Azabu, Kyodai began to 
look around for a restaurant for him to take Makoto to. Roppongi was well 
known throughout Tokyo for its bustling nightlife, and was filled with 
not only various restaurants, but also numerous night clubs, strip clubs, 
bars, and other nightlife establishments that wouldn't be the most 
appropriate for a junior high girl, yet was quite attractive for not only 
college-age people, but also foreign tourists. Kyodai partied here on 
only a few occasions with the other members of the soccer team, one of 
those times involving some barhopping as initiation for the first year 
players. But many of the restaurants around Roppongi were perfect for 
Kyodai to take Makoto to. So he looked for a restaurant that wasn't too 
high-class, yet one that wasn't cheap either.

	It didn't take long for Kyodai to find a mid-class Italian 
restaurant for which to take Makoto on his date. So he pulled into the 
parking lot and quickly found a place to park since it was only early in 
the evening. The clock on his dash read only 6:14pm. They had driven 
around for a little over an hour, sharing their thoughts with each other. 
And throughout the ride, Makoto looked at Kyodai with her eyes sparkling. 
She was going on a date for the first time since before her last 
boyfriend had left her. And never once had a guy taken her to dinner at 
any restaurant, let alone an Italian restaurant in the Roppongi District. 
So she was more than excited about having dinner with Kyodai. But she 
then began to question whether she was properly dressed for her date. 
Even though she couldn't really walk back to her apartment to change, she 
would much rather have worn one of the few dresses she had on her date 
with Kyodai rather than the uniform of her old school.

	Once Kyodai had parked and shut off his engine, Makoto unbuckled 
her seatbelt and immediately opened her door to step out. Kyodai only 
glanced in her direction as she shut the door, with his mouth hanging 
open. 'Wow, she seems even more carefree and independent than Minako-chan, 
and more so than even Rei-chan,' Kyodai thought to himself, 'Either that, 
or she's just really excited about something.' With thoughts about not 
only how independent Makoto really was, but also how seemingly mature she 
was for her age, he hadn't noticed Makoto walking around the back of his 
car and to his door. There, she gently tapped on his window, breaking him 
of his thoughts and grabbing his attention. He then turned to see her 
smiling face through the tempered glass that separated them. "Hey Kyodai-
kun, are you coming or what?" she said.

	"Oh, sorry, Mako-chan," he replied as he unbuckled his seatbelt 
and reached for his door latch. Makoto backed away as Kyodai opened his 
door and stepped out. "Hey Mako-chan, I was going to let you out," he 
said.

	"That's okay, Kyodai-kun," Makoto replied as she walked up to him 
and wrapped her arms around his left arm, "You didn't have to."

	And then, the couple began their walk out of the parking lot and 
down the sidewalk amongst the many people walking the streets of the 
lively Roppongi District. The crowds here made those in the Juuban 
Shopping Center seem rather tame. It gave them the sense of just how big 
and how densely populated Tokyo really was, as if the mall that Kyodai 
and Minako had visited wasn't enough of a reminder. Although it was 
crowded, the pedestrian traffic actually flowed very nicely, making the 
couple's walk somewhat pleasant rather than an uphill battle.

	As they reached the restaurant, Kyodai let go of Makoto and 
reached for the door to open it for her, but she politely grabbed his 
wrist to stop him. "Kyodai-kun, you don't have to keep opening doors and 
everything for me. I can take care of myself, you know," she politely 
said, punctuating that last sentence with a wink to Kyodai.

	"I understand," Kyodai said, letting Makoto open the door for the 
both of them as they walked inside. Makoto then wrapped her arms back 
around Kyodai's left arm as they walked up to the hostess. She bowed to 
them politely as she welcomed them to the restaurant. "May we have a non-
smoking table for two, please?" he politely asked the hostess.

	"Of course, please follow me," the rather attractive college-aged 
hostess replied. She then led Kyodai and Makoto toward a small table 
closer to the booths that lined the walls of the restaurant. As they were 
walking, Makoto noticed a group of girls sitting at a booth, still 
wearing their school uniforms, although she didn't recognize what school 
their uniforms were for. However, it made her feel more at ease about 
wearing her own school uniform to a dinner date with Kyodai, even though 
she still wished she could've had the chance to change into something 
nicer for him. The couple then sat at their table as the hostess handed 
them the menus.

	They took little time deciding on what they were going to order, 
especially since Makoto knew of a majority of the dishes on the menu. She
knew what she liked to cook, and knew both of how she liked them and how 
her friends liked them, so she very quickly picked out what she wanted 
for dinner. She even helped Kyodai pick out a dish that she highly 
recommended. 'Wow, she certainly knows a lot about various dishes, even 
at her age,' Kyodai thought to himself, 'With the right practice and 
dedication, she could not only own her own restaurant, but also be one of 
the famous chefs on TV.'

	After ordering their dinner, Kyodai and Makoto stared at each 
other across the table. Makoto rested her head in her palms, propping 
them up on the table, as she gazed into Kyodai's eyes. "You're very 
pretty, you know that," Kyodai commented, noting her fair skin and bright 
smile as her emerald green eyes gazed into his. He also noted her fine 
ruby-red rose earrings, the very same ones she had worn the day before.

	"Thank you, Kyodai-kun," Makoto replied, letting a slight blush 
materialize in her cheeks.

	"I just noticed, I like your rose earrings too," Kyodai 
commented, "You wore them yesterday too. Do you always wear them?"

	"Yes, they're my favorite earrings," Makoto replied, "They were 
sort of a gift from my late mother, so I've always worn them. Rarely do 
I ever wear any other earrings besides these."

	"They look beautiful, sophisticated, and expensive," Kyodai 
replied.

	"Kind of like your obsidian jewel ring, huh?" Makoto added as she 
reached for Kyodai's left hand, on which he wore his obsidian jewel ring, 
and took that hand into hers.

	"Yeah, just like I like to wear my ring a lot too," Kyodai agreed.

	"So tell me, what are your dreams," Makoto asked as she gently 
caressed Kyodai's hand.

	"Well, as important as education is to me, and as much as I love 
the sciences and technology and everything, my greatest dream is to play 
on Japan's National Soccer team and play in the Olympics and even the 
World Cup," Kyodai explained.

	Makoto's eyes only sparkled at Kyodai's words as she gently and 
affectionately squeezed his hand. 'Kyodai-kun is such a spirited 
gentleman,' she thought to herself, 'Someone whose athletic prowess and 
competitive edge light the fires of inspiration for many who aspire to be 
athletes. And who not only makes me feel much more comfortable with my 
own athletic prowess, but also admires it, both as myself and as Sailor 
Jupiter. Yet, he doesn't even know that I am Sailor Jupiter. If only I 
could tell him. If only I could show him.'

	"How about you, Mako-chan?" Kyodai said, breaking Makoto of her 
thoughts, "What are your dreams?"

	"Well," Makoto started, but hesitated, turning away and blushing 
even more. As much as she wanted to tell him that she wanted to be a 
bride, she was far too bashful about it to share with him. However, she 
did have other dreams as well, "I would like to make great cakes for 
people. I'd make all kinds of cakes: simple cakes, birthday cakes, 
gourmet cakes, even wedding cakes. I would also like to be a famous chef, 
kind of like the ones you see on TV who cook such fine meals like it was 
second-nature to them. And I'd like to own my own restaurant and share 
with others the fine cooking I have learned. You know, I'd love to share 
my dream with others and bring happiness to them."

	'I thought someone like her would have that kind of dream,' 
Kyodai thought to himself as he listened, 'Someone who is not only a 
great chef already at her age, but is also very loving and caring toward 
both Rei-chan and her friends. She seems like the kind of sophisticated 
girl who would want to share the kind of thing that makes her happy with 
others. But something still puzzles me. As strong as she is, as skilled 
with martial arts as she says she is, and as athletically lean yet quite 
beautiful as she is, I'm surprised that she doesn't seem to put that to 
use a little more.'

	"It's a very nice dream," Kyodai said to Makoto, "Study hard, get 
yourself into a college that teaches many things that you can apply to 
your cooking, and open that restaurant. I would definitely go everyday 
just to have your legendary cooking."

	"Now stop you," Makoto playfully scolded, with her cheeks turning 
bright red, "My cooking isn't that legendary. I'm only learning, you 
know."

	"Here you go," the waitress said, getting their attention, as she 
placed their dinner in front of them, "Let me know if there's anything 
else you 
need."

	"Thank you very much," Kyodai replied before he and Makoto dug 
into their dinner.

	Halfway through their dinner, Makoto broke the silence between 
them. "Hey Kyodai, I really would loved to have seen you practice out 
there," Makoto said, prompting Kyodai to look up from his dinner plate. 
"Are all your practices this week 'closed practices'?" she added.

	"Unfortunately, I think they all are," Kyodai replied, "I'm not 
completely sure, but I'd hate for you to find out the hard way by being 
turned away by the guards everyday."

	"Yeah, that really sucks," Makoto commented, looking down at her 
half-finished plate, "I bet even Mamoru-san and Motoki-san can't even 
get in to see a closed practice, huh?"

	"No, only soccer team players and staff are aloud around the 
practice field during practice," said Kyodai, "Sports teams hold closed 
practices before a game so that other teams can't spy on us."

	"I can understand that, but it still sucks for those who like 
seeing you guys play," said Makoto.

	After a few more bites, an idea struck Kyodai like lightning. 
"Well, Mako-chan, you can still see me at the game this Saturday," Kyodai 
suggested.

	"Really?!" Makoto interjected, her emerald green eyes sparking 
wide open and twinkling like Christmas lights, "I can still watch you 
play at the game?"

	"Of course, didn't I say so yesterday?" Kyodai asked back.

	Makoto only giggled, "Well, yes you did."

	"Everyone at the shrine, Mamoru-kun, and even Motoki-kun are 
going to be there as well," Kyodai explained, "Do you have your half-day 
of classes this Saturday?"

	"Yes, unfortunately," Makoto replied, looking back down at her 
dinner plate, "But what time is the game?"

	"The game starts at 2pm, so you'll be able to go," Kyodai 
commented, "Of course, I won't be able to take you since I'll be at the 
stadium for a while, getting ready for the game. In fact, I can have 
Gabianni and Rei-chan stop by your apartment to pick you up and bring you 
over to the game. I'm not sure how Gabianni can fit 6 people in his car, 
but I'm sure he will find a way, especially with both Rei-chan and I 
insisting him to do so."

	"You're too kind, Kyodai-kun," Makoto replied, gently taking 
Kyodai's hand into hers, bringing it to her lips, and gently kissing it.

	"Anything for a beautiful girl who loves athletics like I do," he 
said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her hand back.

	After the couple finished their dinner, they took their check and 
went to the register for Kyodai to pay for their dinner. They then left 
the restaurant, only to join in with a crowd that was larger than it was 
before they arrived. However, it was no more difficult for the couple to 
navigate their way through this crowd as it was the last time. So they 
merely merged with the pedestrian traffic, with Makoto hanging onto 
Kyodai's right arm with both of hers, and her head resting on his 
shoulder.

	'I can't believe it,' Makoto thought to herself, 'I'm actually 
going to see the star athlete in action. Oh, I can't wait to see him at 
the game. I'm actually looking forward to my half-day of school on 
Saturday. He likes my cooking, he admires a strong girl like me, and he's 
quite handsome too. He's even better than the man who broke my heart.'

	Soon, they arrived at Kyodai's old coupe. Makoto immediately let 
go and jogged over to the passenger's side. Kyodai followed behind and 
slid his key into the door to unlock it. He began to reach for the door 
handle, and then stopped himself. He remembered Makoto's previous words 
about how he didn't have to keep opening doors for her. So he let Makoto 
open the door herself and walked around to his side of the car as Makoto 
let herself in. When he arrived at the driver's side, he found his door 
unlocked and casually opened it, then climbed inside. "Where to next, 
Mako-chan?" Kyodai asked as he slid his key into the ignition.

	"Can we drive around some more?" Makoto asked, "I don't care if 
it's Roppongi, Shiba Koen, Azabu, or Juuban. I just like riding in your 
car."

	"That sounds great," Kyodai replied as he started his car, "I 
don't mind driving around at all. I feel so free being behind the wheel 
of my car. And more than that, I have someone to share the experience 
with."

	"Then let's drive around for a while, and not go home until long 
after sunset," Makoto replied as she leaned back in her seat and enjoyed 
the ride.

	As they left the Roppongi district and subsequently left the 
Minato Ward, Kyodai took one quick glance at the beautiful brunette in 
his passenger seat, and smiled. 'She seems to like riding in my car more 
than anyone else I've ever had in my car, maybe even more than Rei-chan,' 
Kyodai thought to himself as he turned his eyes back to the road, 'She 
really does seem more my age in a lot of ways. However, she seems more 
Rei-chan's age in other ways. I can tell she seems kind of dreamy about 
something. But then again, was Minako-chan any different? Aren't most 
girls overly giddy like that on their first date, whether they show it or 
not? And aren't most girls flattered by a man being a true gentleman and 
making her feel like a princess? But with her, she's quite independent 
and likes to do everything for herself, despite letting me help her cook 
dinner yesterday. It seems like she wants to prove something not only to 
me, but also to everyone. I guess that's the 14-year-old in her aspiring 
to be much more adult than even Mamoru-kun and I.'

	He then took another quick glance at Makoto, who was relaxing in 
his passenger seat with her eyes closed. He knew she wasn't asleep, but 
rather in a trance, enjoying the ride in his car along with the man she 
loved. 'I like Mako-chan, I really do,' Kyodai thought to himself before 
turning back to the road, 'But somehow, I still feel like I've rushed 
into this relationship. The thought of it makes me feel a little uneasy 
even though I very much enjoyed the times I've been spending with her. 
Perhaps I'll get over it as I spend more time with her.'

	And with those final thoughts, Kyodai continued on his drive 
throughout the streets of Tokyo with the beautiful brunette enjoying the 
ride in his passenger's seat on into the evening.


-----------------------------end of part III--------------------------


...Disclaimer: As usual, Sailor Moon and most of the characters ain't 
mine, but belong to Naoko Takeuchi. And God bless that woman for 
creating such great entertainment for all of us with a lot of free time 
on our hands to enjoy. The English dub belongs to DiC Entertainment and 
Cloverway, and I only thank them for bringing' it to America, nothin' 
more. But Kyodai Hino/Hino Kyodai, Tuxedo Inferno, Titanius, and 
Deanna Kokorono/Kokorono Meijin are MINE (in a growling voice). So, 
please don't sue me. I'm just a lonely man who ain't got anything but 
his pride. Well, y'all enjoy this fanfic and e-mail me.

Have fun Sailor Moon fans,
Viper Inferno
   (Y2V)