Feb 2002

 Disclaimer: I don't own the characters I'm just borrowing them.  The Story
 however is mine.

Family Secrets
Chapter 1


	Usagi settled into her booth at the Crown Arcade, Naru sliding in
 across from her.  She'd been in Tokyo for just over two months now and was
 frequently at the arcade.  She'd made a few friends, and no enemies while at
 the school, Naru being the closest.  Her classes were going well, though she
 was starting to think she'd have to get a math tutor if she wanted to bring
 her grades up.  Naru had offered to help but since her grades weren't much
 better she'd declined.  To Naru's complete surprise, Usagi had also gotten
 herself a weekend job at the local college, helping in the art department.	

	Naru glanced around her, "I can't believe you didn't let Umino come
 with us, Usagi-chan, what's this all about?"

	Usagi glanced around her, her eyes straying to the golden haired
 college student standing behind the counter.  "Do you know him, Naru-chan?"

	"Motoki?  Sure, his sister works in the diner upstairs.  She's in our
 gym class.  She's the one you beat to get your spot on the gymnastic team."

	Usagi blushed, "Oh."

	Naru's face suddenly lit up, "Do you like Motoki?  Oh gosh!  do you
 really?"

	"Shhhh," hissed Usagi, glancing at the college student, "He'll hear
 you!"

	Naru laughed, "You have such good taste, Usagi-chan.  Motoki is the
 hottest guy around.  Not to mention the nicest."

	Usagi blushed even redder, "He's good looking, but his smile is great.
  I can't very well tell him how I feel, Naru, I'd be too embarrassed."

	Naru shrugged, "So don't.  Write him an anonymous love letter and slide
 it under the door to the arcade first thing in the morning."

	"And the surveillance cameras won't catch it?  Come on, Naru-chan, I do
 pay attention sometimes."

	"Well... hmmm..." Naru glanced at Motoki as he smiled, waving a hello
 to a dark haired man as he walked in and towards the counter.  Usagi glanced
 their way and watched as Motoki and the stranger exchanged a couple of words,
 Motoki laughing at something said as he poured a cup of coffee.

	"Who's his friend?"

	"Mamoru, I think," Naru shrugged, "They're always seen together. 
 They've been friends forever, from what his sister, Furuhata Unazuki, tells
 me.  Mamoru is an orphan."

	Usagi's eyes widened, "An orphan?  How sad!"

	Naru grinned, "Well, he's not let it affect him much, if what she says
 is true.  He's into his fourth year in medical studies at the college and he's
 only 20.  Can you believe that?"

	Usagi looked Mamoru over critically, "He looks stuck up."

	Naru laughed, drawing both of the men's gazes.  Usagi fought a blush as
 she waved at Motoki, shrugging helplessly.  Motoki grinned and winked at her,
 motioned for them to both come over.

	"Naru-chan, get control of yourself."

	Naru smothered her laughter with her hand as Usagi tugged her out of
 the chair and towards the counter. 

	Motoki smiled as they approached, "How are my favorite customers today?
  You adjusted to Japanese life yet, Usagi-chan?"

	Usagi grinned, leaning against the counter as Naru took a seat, "I'm
 getting there.  A lot of the customs are different from what I grew up with
 but I'm getting the hang of it, I think."

	Motoki motioned a hand to his friend, "Chiba Mamoru meet Tuskino Usagi.
  Usagi-chan, this is Mamoru-kun."

	Usagi turned towards him and offered her hand, meeting his gaze
 squarely, "Pleased to meet you, Mamoru-kun." her smile was dazzling as she
 looked into his dark blue eyes.

	He accepted her hand, shaking it briefly before nodding to her,
 "Likewise, Usagi-chan."

	She shivered, feeling like she'd been electrocuted, as she shook his
 hand.  When he let it go she folded her hands together, trying to get it to
 stop tingling.  His face was handsome, but tight.  He gave away nothing by his
 expression and his eyes were mirrors, only reflecting her image and feelings
 back at her, the wall between him and the outside world firmly in place.

	Usagi turned back to Motoki, "You know my friend, Naru-chan, right
 Motoki-kun?"

	He nodded, "She's friends with my sister."

	Usagi blushed, "Could you tell her I'm sorry I beat her out of top spot
 on the gymnastic team?"

	Motoki laughed, "You're the one that beat her?  Oh ho!  Relax,
 Usagi-chan, she's not angry.  She only tried out because she was curious to
 see if she'd make it.  She likes her job too much to give it up."

	Usagi breathed a sigh of relief, "Phew, I'm glad.  I didn't want to
 make her an enemy."

	Motoki turned to Mamoru as he stood, "Leaving so soon?"

	Usagi glanced at Mamoru, feeling a little uneasy as he glanced back at
 her, "I have to study for an exam tomorrow.  I'll see you tomorrow
 Motoki-kun."

	Motoki nodded as he left.  "Gomen, Sorry, he's not usually so rude."

	Usagi shrugged, taking the seat Mamoru had vacated, "Well, maybe next
 time he'll stay and talk with us.  So how are your studies going, Motoki-kun?"

	Motoki smiled as he cleared the coffee cup away, "Most of my classes
 are going well.   Mamoru-kun is my math tutor.  Thanks to him I might actually
 pass with honors this semester."

	Usagi looked to where Mamoru had disappeared, "Do you suppose he'd help
 me with mine if I asked really nicely?  I'm not so great with it either."

	Naru giggled, "You want a college student to help you with your
 homework?"

	Usagi smiled a half smile at her friend, "Well, why not?  What do you
 think, Motoki-kun?  I could pay him from my part time job."

	Motoki shook his head, "Gomen, sorry Usagi-chan, but Mamoru-kun doesn't
 help people for money.  He helps his friends.  He doesn't have the patience
 for anyone else."

	Her face fell, "Oh.  Well then I guess I'll just have to keep looking."

	Motoki leaned across the counter, "I'll ask, Usagi-chan, but I don't
 guarantee anything, alright?"

	She fairly beamed at him, "Gomen nasi, Motoki-kun!" she twirled in a
 circle and hugged herself before the clock on the wall caught her eye, "Aie! 
 I promised my brother Shingo I'd help him with his homework at the school
 today.  His teacher said we could borrow the science lab.  I'll call you
 later, Naru-chan!" she grabbed her bag and ran out of the arcade.

	Naru met Motoki's gaze, "Is it just me, or has her speed of activities
 increased drastically since last week?"

	Motoki chuckled and went back to wiping down the counter top, "It's not
 just you, Naru-chan, that girl is turning into a whirlwind!"

	*						*						*

	Usagi stopped at the end of the street leading to her brother's school,
 glancing at her watch.  Her sprint had gotten her ahead of her schedule and
 Shingo would still be with his Japanese tutor.  

	She sighed, walking towards the school slowly.  Her brother was a
 problem.  He'd been sent home a half dozen times already in the last two
 months for assorted reasons.  First of all were the fights.  He refused to
 take any kind of criticism from his peers and talked back continuously to his
 teachers.  His homework was sloppy, if done at all and he was fighting having
 to learn the language at every turn.  

	Usagi shook her head to clear her thoughts.  He'd learn to live like
 the rest of them had and carve out his own niche or he wouldn't last long in
 this city.  Shingo's grasp of the language was shaky at best and he talked
 English to everyone, heedless of the insults implied by his words or actions.
  Sometimes Usagi wished she could shake some sense into him.  Her father had
 tried.  Her mother insisted they all speak Japanese at the house.  Shingo had
 been grounded from the third day at his new school and hadn't been allowed out
 since.

	She walked into the school and looked around, reading the Japanese
 signs with a smile.  Slowly, she walked towards the lab.  

	The halls were deserted save for a single Janitor sweeping the halls. 
 The sound of the band playing came from somewhere ahead of her as she
 shivered.  The school was cool after the warm air outside and gave her a
 creepy feeling.  How Shingo could stand going to this school day after day she
 didn't know.  Not that he was here a lot of the time.  Maybe the eerie feeling
 was part of the reason he was acting so strangely.

	She stopped outside the lab just as something inside smashed to the
 floor.  She reached for the handle before stopping.  Two voices inside were
 having a heated argument.  One of them was very, very familiar.  Her lips
 tightened as she threw open the door, "Tuskino Shingo!" she yelled.

	The two figures had frozen close together, fists raised, as the door
 had slammed open.  Both sets of eyes came to rest on the small woman standing
 in the doorway, her hands on her hips.  The younger of the two men's eyes went
 wide, his anger draining away, "Usagi!  What are you doing here?"

	"I'm here for your lesson." Her blue eyes went to the broken glass
 beaker that was smashed across the floor, "Is this your mess?"

	Shingo swallowed hard.  He knew that tone in his sister's voice.  She
 was angry, so angry her voice was soft and she wasn't screaming at him.  Her
 eyes were almost obsidian with her anger.  He backed away from his teacher and
 faced his sister entirely, "Yes, Usagi.  This is my mess." Her saw her eyes
 narrow as he spoke to her in English.

	"Then I suggest you clean it up.  I refuse to teach someone as ill
 mannered as you with such disrespect for an authority figure.  If you persist
 in speaking in English with me I will take my books and walk out of here.  You
 can learn your subjects on your own if you do not conform to their
 regulations."

	Shingo felt his blood burning.  His sister was turning against him,
 forcing him to give up the life he loved in favor or learning something new. 
 He hated Tokyo, he hated this school and worst of all he hated the language! 
 He swallow hard and, with a nod, went to clean up the broken glass.

	Usagi closed her eyes and counted to ten.  Nobody she knew could make
 her temper flare like her brother.  He was so... obstinate. She opened her
 eyes to find him sweeping up the glass fragments.  She turned to his teacher
 and bowed low.  The man was staring at her stunned.  

	"Tuskino Usagi?"

	She nodded and looked up, "Hai.  Gomen nasi, I'm very sorry about my
 brother.  I shall endeavour to help him with his studies," she glanced at
 where the brown haired pre-teen was crouched on the floor, "and with his
 manners."

	"My thanks to you, Usagi-chan." The man smiled, "I would have hated to
 inform your parents of another indiscretion.  When you are done with the lab,
 the doors will be open for you to leave.  If you have any problems, there is a
 button on the wall that can reach me in my office."

	"Arigato, Sensei-sama."

	Shingo's teacher returned her bow and then left the room, shutting the
 door behind him.  Usagi turned on her brother as he was putting the glass into
 trashcan.  She crossed her arms over her chest and waited until he put the
 broom and the dustpan away.  "Shingo."

	He met her gaze and slowly walked over, taking his seat at the table. 
 "I'm sorry," he cut himself off, swallowing hard and then slowly began to
 speak in Japanese, "Gomen nasi, Usagi-chan."

	She sat across from him, "Get your homework out, Shingo." She took her
 books out of her bag and placed them on the table, "Tell me what you need help
 with and I'll help as best I can.  When we get home, you can tell mom and dad
 what you did here."

	Shingo swallowed and took out his books.  Slowly he opened his books
 and began, in his slow Japanese, to tell her what he needed help with.

		*			*			*

	Usagi closed the last of her books, "You don't really need help with
 this stuff, Shingo, you just need to pay closer attention to your teachers."

	He made a face, "Usagi, you know I have trouble with the language. 
 It's hard to learn when you can't understand what the teachers are saying. 
 They all talk too fast."

	She grinned, stuffing her books into her bag, "Everyone here talks
 fast.  If you spoke to them in English and they were just learning it, they'd
 think you talk too fast too."

	He shrugged, slowly putting his books away, "I guess.  I just get
 so..." he fought to find the right word, "angry when they won't take the time
 to help me understand."

	Usagi sighed, "You haven't made it easy for them, Shingo.  Give them a
 chance, you might find you like them."

	He sighed in return, shaking his head, "Go on home, Usagi, I'll see you
 later.  I'll tell mom and dad about what happened today with my teacher."

	Usagi smiled, "I'm glad to see you're going to take some
 responsibility, Shingo.  I've gotta run, but I'll see you at home later,
 alright?"

	He nodded as she grabbed her bag and left the room.  As the door closed
 behind her and her footsteps disappeared, his face darkened.  His sister was
 so preachy, what did she know about his problems?  His bag flew across the
 room, shattering a glass cabinet front and the beakers behind it.  He'd make
 her pay; he'd show them all that he wasn't meant to be here.  He'd show them
 all they couldn't make a fool out of him.  



Author's Notes: Comments... anything at all you want to tell me, write me at 

Jademax@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading!
Jade_Max