It was the middle of winter. As Tokyo's weather went, it could be considered to be freezing cold outside, even though there wasn't much snow on the ground. But it was nice and warm in Rei's room at Hikawa shrine where the girls now in their last year of high school had gathered. Luna and Artemis napped on a soft pillow under the table, not paying much attention to what the girls were talking about. After all, this wasn't a meeting for the sailor soldiers, but completely ordinary young girls. After the battle with Galaxia it seemed that the war was finally over for good and all the sailor soldiers were free to continue on with their normal lives.

"Just a few months more and I'll never have to study again." Minako fell slowly on her back on the floor with a content sigh. "No more homework, no having to stay to study after school..."

"...No more teachers yelling at me for being late," Usagi continued where Minako had left off while still eating a piece of the cake Makoto had brought to their little meeting. Normally they would have met at the Crown Fruit Parlor, but it was closed today. Something about a broken heating system. And in this weather nobody wanted to be anywhere with broken heating anyway.

"I'll start going to idol competitions and anything and everything else that will advance my career as a pop idol the day I don't have to go to school anymore," Minako announced from the floor. Not that she hadn't gone to some before now, too, but her career just hadn't started yet. She had even passed the final round once, but back then it had been more important to her to be with her friends. And they'd had enemies to fight, too...But now it had been peaceful for over a year, and since everybody else was probably leaving to pursue their own dreams too, she could chase hers to her heart's content. Although she would definitely miss everyone if she ended up going abroad.

"What are you going to do once we graduate, Usagi-chan?" she then asked, deciding to stop worrying about unknown future. She'd just do her best and see what happened.

"I'll be Mamo-chan's bride, of course!" Usagi laughed, all caught up in her own happy dreams.

"We've already heard that a hundred times at least," Rei muttered, but Usagi continued without paying her any mind.

"And Neo-Queen Serenity, too. We already saw that in the future, right? But before that I'd like to be a model. And maybe an actress too. Or a kindergarten teacher. No, I just can't decide~! I want to be all of them!"

"Shouldn't you study a bit more first, Usagi-chan?" Ami asked, looking up from her cram school book. "Mamoru-san graduates from university, after all, so it would be better for you to be a little closer to his level."

"Now that you mention it," Minako commented, "That letter Chibiusa-chan brought from Neo-Queen Serenity did have a note asking Usagi-chan to study harder..."

"Hah! Being future Usagi, she should have known how hopeless it was even to ask," Rei stated coldly.

Usagi looked from Minako to Rei to Minako again, almost in tears.

"Now, now, Usagi-chan will find her own way in life," Makoto tried to soften the blow. "It doesn't need to involve more studying."

"Mako-chan!! At least you understand me!" Usagi wailed, hugging Makoto tight.

A vein on Rei's temple throbbed rather visibly. "You're spoiling her, Mako-chan. She's not a kid anymore."

"Come on, Rei-chan. Don't tell me you're going to study more," Minako butted in.

"Whose side are you on?" Rei snapped back. That girl...Just a minute ago she had been saying Usagi should study more, too.

Ami slammed her book to the table. "Please don't fight, everyone!" At that outburst everybody turned to stare at her, and she blushed furiously. "Eh..." Now that she definitely had everybody's attention, she didn't know what else to say.

Usagi broke the tension with her usual carefree attitude by snatching another piece from the cake on the table. "This is yummy, Mako-chan! You should have a cake shop of your own once we graduate!"

Makoto blushed slightly at the compliment. "Maybe I will." It was one of her long-time dreams, after all. She should at least try it out. "A cake and flower shop, where people would be happy to come to. And maybe someone like my old sempai at my side..."

"That's right!" Usagi announced. "Every girl's dream is to marry someone they love! And of course have a grand wedding! Oh, I just can't wait to wear a beautiful white dress and walk to the altar with Mamo-chan..."

"Speak for yourself. And tone it down," Rei commented, rubbing her ear – the one on Usagi's side.

"Come on, Rei-chan," Usagi gave her a nudge on the ribs, "You want to be a bride, too, don't you?"

"Well..." Now it was Rei's turn to blush. "Maybe...There are lots of things I want to be. A singer-songwriter, a model, a wonderful voice actress...I want to travel all over the world. And...maybe I'd like to be a wife to someone I love too..."

"Like Yuuichiro?" Usagi asked teasingly.

"No!" Rei instantly panicked. "Well...He's...I don't really..."

"You love him!" Usagi announced.

"No, I don't!" Maybe she did, just a little bit, but she wasn't about to admit it to Usagi. Knowing her, that idiot would just blurt it all out to Yuuichiro or – even worse – try to play a matchmaker between them. And Usagi's attempts at matchmaking always ended in a disaster.

Ami was grateful that the attention had turned away from her, even though now Usagi-chan's and Rei-chan's argument was getting so noisy that she couldn't concentrate on reading anymore. But it seemed like she would be the only one who would continue studying. Although it probably wouldn't have made any difference even if the others continued in some other schools. She would still be the only one entering a medical school, to pursue her dream of becoming a great doctor. As for becoming a bride...She blushed again behind her book. Maybe...someday...