Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, they all belong to Naoko Takeuchi, who is among my favoritest people in the world. That being said, please do not sue the poor starving student. The story is, however, mine, and whoever shall steal it shall be dealt with accordingly. *** The late afternoon wind whipped through the opening grounds of a Shinto temple. It was relatively bustling with people, as the Lunar new year was fast approaching. The religious, well-wishers, and tourists alike mingled in the temple grounds, each tending to their own respective purposes. There were three individuals, however, who had a unique reason for being in the temple that day. Namely, they were Minako Aino, Ami Mizuno, and Usagi Tsukino, all students of nearby Juuban High School. "Gosh, so many people!" Usagi commented in awe, her pigtails bouncing along with any slightest movement. "And the new year is still three weeks away!" "Who's bright idea was it to come here anyway?" bemoaned Minako. "I'd rather be in a shopping mall than be in this ratty old temple." Both the blondes laid their eyes on their puny companion, who was busy entering information on her handheld. It was not until Minako started nudging Ami with her shoulder did she get the latter's attention. The small girl gave the two her knowing and uncaring smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought that was a rhetorical question." Ami carefully folded her handheld before turning her attention to Minako. "You did say you are deficient in your traditional culture classes, right?" Minako winced, then slowly nodded. Her knowledge of traditional Japanese culture was near to nil. Blame it on being raised in Britain, she always reasoned. "Uhm, right." Ami nodded as well. "And you have to submit a well-researched paper in that subject so that you can pass, right?" "Err. Right." "Well, this is as traditional as we can get in Juuban." The puny genius poked at the notepad protruding from Minako's school bag. "I suggest you start making observations and notes of your own. Usagi-chan and I will, of course, would be helping in data collection, but it's best you get a feel of the data and environment yourself." Usagi looked bewildered, while Minako could only nod. As much as they loved having the shy genius as their friend there were times when Ami became downright scary with her rigid logic. Ami stuffed the handheld into her pocket, then made a slight bow to her friends. "Well, I better find that shrine maiden who would be accommodating us. I'll be joining you as soon as I find her, alright?" "Sure sure, Ami-chan. We'll take a look around as you do." Minako snickered at genius' habitual formality. Usagi called out as Ami disappeared into the crowd. "I'm gonna make sure Mina-chan won't goof around, I promise!" "You, keep me out of trouble?" Minako scoffed at the other girl, tugging on one of the pigtails. "I'm betting you're gonna get my ass into trouble!" "Nuh-uh!" Usagi pulled her pigtail away from Minako, then countered by flicking at the blonde's red bow. "You'd be flirting first with all the cute guys in here before you can do that data gathering thingie Ami-chan suggested." Minako haughtily pushed her long blonde lockes over her shoulder and gave her friend a cheeky grin. "Bah, can I help it if I'm -that- attractive?" The religious groupies gave annoyed looks at the two schoolgirl's rambunctious giggling. Minako's giggles slowly subsided. "I guess we better start our 'observations' before Ami-chan gets back." "Besides, I don't want to flunk." "Yes'm!" Usagi gave her friend a crisp salute as she held a notepad close to her chest. "You can count on me to catch the smallest details of...uhm..." "Pre-Lunar new year celebration practices." Minako supplied. "Oh, yes, that." Usagi smiled goofily, then had her dark-blue eyes dart somewhere to the side. The taller girl waved a hand in front of her friend's face. "Usagi-chan?" Minako's eyes squinted as she saw a hint of drool on Usagi's mouth. "...uh-oh." "I think we better start off with checking out the street foods!" Usagi exclaimed, almost startling Minako off her shoes. Aha, but Minako was well prepared. She was able to place a firm hand on Usagi's shoulder before the girl was able to speed off to stuff herself. "No need, Usagi-chan." Usagi whined. "But I'm hungry..." "We are not about to climb down those horrid stairs then go right back up just so you can eat twice your body weight in gyoza and baked yams." The mischievous blonde then reached into her schoolbag, holding out two large bento boxes before Usagi's face. "And I already have some food right here." Usagi's eyes widened in delight at the sight of the lunch boxes. "I'm impressed, Mina-chan!" Then her eyebrows knitted with a question. "Wait, who made those?" Minako sneered, knowing that Usagi was holding her domestic skills in contempt. "My mother, baka." She then handed over a folded mat to Usagi. "Lay this under that tree over there so we can have a picnic as we do some 'data gathering'." "Mina-chan, did I tell you how much I love you lately?" Usagi was practically swooning at her friend as she set the mat over the cool green grass. She was quite immensely pleased with the fact their scholarly mission was turned into a late afternoon picnic. Minako clasped her hands together in front of her chest, batting her eyelashes at the other girl. "Oh, Usagi-chan, as much as I love you too," the blonde dropped to her seat on the mat, then poked Usagi with the bento box. "...you still have to take a number." "You naughty playgirl you." Usagi snickered then took the bento box from Minako. She quickly put away the lid and savoured the smell of assorted buns, riceballs, and sweet potatoes. "Well, here's to data-gathering!" Minako grinned as she raised her canned coffee drink to her friend. "To data-gathering!" Usagi toasted with the bento box lid. "Hey, gimme one of those dri..." "Ahem, excuse me, young ladies." a hoarse voice suddenly erupted from behind the two. "Yes?" Minako spun her head towards the voice, along with the flirty whipping of her blonde hair. Usagi squinted at her friend, and began wondering whether Minako meant doing the flirty twirl or it was just a constant gesture for her. The two girls saw an old man before them, who was about seventy or so years of age. He had a friendly but creepy grin plastered on his face, which sent shivers down Usagi and Minako's spines. Minako leaned closer to her friend, trying hard to keep her face straight. "Please don't tell me he's hitting on us." she whispered. Usagi quickly observed the man before them. "Uhm...I think he's a priest." she whispered back. "Oh." Minako sighed in relief, then bowed in greeting to the priest. "You wanted something with us, grandpa?" she cheerily inquired. "Yes, yes, young ladies." the priest nodded, his creepy grin getting even wider. "You see, having food and picnics here in the shrine ground isn't exactly allowed. I'd have to ask you to put them away." "We're so sorry, grandpa!" Usagi exclaimed, and immediately bowed an apology. "We'll get rid of them right now." The priest and Minako watched with surprised horror as Usagi started stuffing each piece of food into her mouth. The old priest shook his head and waved frantically at Usagi. "No no no, young lady, I didn't mean it that way!" Minako waved off to the elderly man, then put on her charming smile. "Don't be such a stinker, Mr. Priest." She then patted a spot between her and Usagi. "C'mon, why don't you join us?" "Well..." the old priest began scratching his bald head. "...if you put it that way." "Grandfather, what are you doing?" another voice came booming towards the group. The priest stiffened, then whispered to the two blondes. "Alright, young ladies. If you know what's best for you you'd better pick up and leave." Minako crossed her arms over her chest then sneered. "Grandpa, you're not about to let your grandchild boss you around, are you?" Usagi tugged meekly on the other schoolgirl's sleeve. "Mina-chan, people are starting to look at us..." "Nonsense!" the confident blonde bolted up from her seat, beaming at the elderly priest. "I'll talk some sense to your grandkid, grandpa. She should be listening to her elders, ne?" Minako rubbed her hands together as she closed her eyes, smiling madly. She knew well enough that her charms could even get to women. "You do -not- know my grandchild, little lady. She's as intense as the fires of hell." the old man shook his head with a sigh. "Here she is." "Good, finally!" Minako tilted her head up then opened her eyes, all along with the trademarked "flirty twirl" of the hair. Ba-da-bump. Bump. Ba-da........ Minako's heart suddenly stopped. Her jaw hung slightly open, her pupils became dilated and she could have sworn she was hearing heavenly "Hallelujas" in her head. The girl before her, dressed in a shrine maiden's attire, seemed to be glowing with divine light. All in one quick moment, images of the shrine maiden smiling and beckoning for her to come filled the dazed woman's head. The shrine maiden, however, was far from smiling and beckoning to Minako. In the priest's and Usagi's eyes, a more objective version of reality, she was in fact looking very much irritated and was directing an indignant finger towards the exit. "Excuse me, but if you two are just going to have picnic," the shrine maiden stepped towards Minako, "I suggest you leave the shrine then proceed to a park. That place is more appropriate." The maiden's eyes flashed and Usagi thought they were burning with fire. Minako just kept on staring at the maiden, drool was starting to form on the side of her mouth. "Uhh...Mina-chan." Usagi began poking her friend with a twig. The young maiden trembled for a moment, then turned irately to the old priest. "Grandfather, is she ignoring me?" The priest shook his head vigorously, he knew the implications of further irritating his grandchild. "Oh, no! She's just...ahh..." he took a brief look at the frozen schoolgirl. "...ahm...epileptic?" A sharp hiss escaped the maiden's lips, and was now beginning to land a parental finger on Minako's chest. "Now listen here, blondie, if you think you can mess around here in the Hikawa shrine you have another thing coming!" She then snapped at Usagi, who was still poking her friend with the twig. "And you, you should know as well that picnics aren't allowed here!" Usagi's bottom lip started quivering, and then began shaking her friend. "Mina-chan, let's get out of here...she's scaring me..." The touch of the maiden's finger on Minako's chest brought the blonde back to reality. Her eyes blinked several times, then inspected the shrine maiden from bottom to top. She then stared intently at the maiden's face, with a crooked smile slowly appearing on her face. "Damn you're hot." Minako said quite simply. The elderly priest quietly stepped away from the scene while Usagi stared dumbfounded at her friend. The shrine maiden looked stunned for a moment, then started to tremble like a volcano about to erupt. In a snap, she withdrew her finger from the schoolgirl's chest and pointed towards the shrine's stony stairs that served as both the entrance and exit. "SSSSSCRAAAAAM!" A frantic Usagi grabbed Minako by the arm and quickly dragged her away from the angry shrine maiden. From a distance, Ami, who had just witnessed the maiden's outburst, sighed tiredly. "Not again."