The sun was beating down on the warm Saturday afternoon. There I was, standing in front of the house. Awkwardly, I searched the streets. There seemed to be nobody around but the fact that I’m just sitting like a stone out here won’t go away. I felt as though I needed to be doing something. So, I took out my phone to look as though I was busy. I promised I’d wait patiently and not take the train to the Jinda Highschool.

The wind blew, flapping my clothing. The temperature has been getting a bit colder lately and eventually, I’ll have to stop wearing short sleeves. As the idle thoughts wrapped around my mind a familiar car turned the corner.

“Madoka!”

Pulling up on the side of me, my mom.

“Mom, I told you that I could just take the train.”

“Nonsense. I needed to cut some hours at work. And I wanted to take you to your exams.

“Madoka, did you eat a good breakfast?”

Sitting in the car now, mom turned back onto the road. I told her that I’d be fine taking the train to school, but she insisted that she’d take me.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And are you prepared for your test?”

“As much as I could be, mom.”

I searched the road trying to escape my mom's questions. It wouldn't matter much by this point if I was ill-prepared anyway. But that certainly wasn't the case since I had been studying since the first day I got home. I had confidence in myself to pass anything they had ready for me.

The drive should only take about ten or fifteen minutes. So, I took this time to relax and clear my head. Now that I thought about it…this is the first time in the few weeks after I came home that Mom and I are together alone. I couldn’t help but think about the past when mom was in the passenger seat and I was in the back. Dad would be the one driving most of the time.

“Mom…”

“Hm?”

“Ahm…”

“What’s the matter, Madoka?”

My mouth opened but I didn’t know what I wanted to say. I’m not sure why I called her out. So, instead of worrying about it, I closed my eyes and let the words that have been flowing in my chest come out.

“Thanks for taking me to school…and…”

I nodded, nudging myself forward.

“I want to apologize… about the other night.”

The memory of my dad might have been what made it surface. Not wanting to leave stones unturned because tomorrow isn’t granted to us. Mom was here. I was here. That made for the situation where I needed to tell her anything that’s been on my mind. Even though I questioned the choices she made while I was away…I, Nakagawa Madoka, am still the same girl I was before my coma. A girl who wants to trust her mom.

“Madoka…”

Mom put one hand on my palm. She gently squeezed it causing my chest to warm up.

“There’s a lot that’s happened that you still don’t know about. But we’ll find time to talk all of this out.”

“Just the two of us, mom?”

Mom nodded as she pulled her hand away, placing it back on the steering wheel.

“Sure, if that’s what you want Madoka.”

I felt like a spoiled child begging for attention. But that’s how I wanted it in the end. Between mom and me, there should be no secrets… And right now, there are things I don’t understand unless she tells me. Until then, I’ll never be able to see why she made such dramatic changes in her life. I want to be more open to understanding my mom.

“Oh, here we are, Jinda Highschool.”

The school melted into view. Mom pulled up to the side and I got out.

“Call me as soon as you’re done.”

“Okay, mom.”

The car roared into the distance. Now I had to put my personal circumstances aside and take my exams. The directions earlier told me to check in with the office, so I made my way to the front doors. The walkway was made of cobblestone. It led the way to a short flight of stairs where the entrance was. When I opened the glass doors a sensation came over me. I turned around only to see a figure standing behind me.

The middle school me stood there. She smiled endearingly then drifted away, marking the end of those years. From here on, I was a high school student and the past was behind me…

Once I stepped in there were students still loitering about. We shared glances as they passed. I was the only person their age without a school uniform on, so I stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Oh?”

“Hm?”

I met eyes with an ash haired girl. With hair down to her back, soft crimson eyes, she wore a gym attire. With a tall but timid figure, it made me feel as though if she moved the wrong way she might break.

“Yuko-chan, hurry up! We’re going to be late for our club!”

“…C-Coming!”

She continued to stare at me as she made her way down the hall. My chest felt tight for some reason as I kept gazing back at her. After a few steps, she finally looked away, severing our connection. She seemed so familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on where I’ve seen her before. The first person that came to mind was a girl on my basketball team. But she was much shorter and barely made the team.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Instead of worrying about it any longer, I made my way to the desk.

I’m a special case so they led me to an isolated room where I had to take a Writing exam, Japanese History exam, and Mathematics exam. They allowed me to wait in the same empty room until the grading was completed. The staff was nice enough to offer me refreshments after the grueling task.

My head was hurting a bit after the fact. But I put my all into the test, that's what mattered. In about an hour or so the results came back, and I scored high in all areas. I’ve always been good at studying, so I didn’t think I’d fail. I was even tested on high school level but because I missed some fundamentals, they ensured me it’ll be best if I start as a 1st year. I’ve already expected as much.

So, I accepted the offer and was greeted with open arms. My start date would be the following Monday. Now leaving the school, my pounding heart finally subsided. I was officially a high school 1st year…age 16.

The night went by with nothing of note and before I knew it Sunday came. The day when Mae and I planned to meet. I took a bit more time on my looks because this would be the first time seeing her in person since…well, a bit of time before my accident.

I sat outside the pastry shop, our meeting spot. Waiting there I could smell the deliciousness of baked pleasure. Since I’ve been sitting around often my figure had to have changed. Growing conscious of that fact, I decided I might go easy on the food in this little outing of ours.

Growing a tad bored I started people watching as I waited. Everything looked pretty much the same from two years ago…aside the fact that my phone is way smoother than before. It’s still hard to believe that I missed two Christmases, two birthdays, graduation, and other things of equal value. But the more I thought about it the more depressed I got. So, I shook off those feelings and continued looking around.

“Oh?”

I caught eyes with a distinctive looking girl. Deep crimson eyes and dirty blonde hair trickling down her back. In her hand, one of those bubble teas that are so popular with the teens today. Her head angled to the side then abruptly, she tossed her bubble tea on the ground.

“What?! You got a problem, punk?!”

“Eh?!”

“Oh, she’s violent!” I murmured, looking away. But the damage was already done as she approached, putting her nose in my face.

“Violent?! Where do you get off, staring like that at me like that?”

Her shark teeth snapped at my nose.

“Quite cheeky, aren’t we?!”

“Ahh…”

"What, you got cotton in your ears?"

She whipped her long hair back like a weapon. It spun around the back of her neck. How did this escalate so fast? I stepped back without a word.

“H-Hey!”

Hopping off the train, her blueberry hair bristled in the wind. There she was, in a school jersey and a smile from ear to ear. My childhood friend Watanabe Mae. With her arms held high, she raced towards me. Her timing was impeccable.

“Ma-chan!”

I escaped, rushing over to her.

“Watanabe-san…”

“Eh?”

We looked at one another, now dumbfounded.

“Oh, it looks like I’m the last one here...”

Mae tilted her head. Confused, I look back at the ferocious girl.

“Y-you know her?”

“Who is this, Watanabe-san?!”

We both point at one another now. Mae, apparently trying to medicate the situation, sprung up, flipping her hand back and forth.

“Nakagawa Madoka-chan, please meet Conway Sophia-san.”

She presented her like a treasure. I could see shines radiating from behind the blondie's back.

“Conway-san is an exchange student from England. London to be precise! She's a 1st year at our school, Jinda Highschool. "

“Tsk.”

She spat to the side as if slandering Ma-chan's introduction. I haven’t met many people from other countries. So, this Conway-san person wasn’t making a great impression of them for me. She’s short but violent. It’s a bit scary how much she’s a contrast.

“Ah… Well...welcome to Hiroshima, Japan?”

“Hmph.”

The tiny beast puffed her cheeks and turned away. If she was more on the cute side like her outlook entailed…Conchi might have been a cuter nickname for her. But I’m going off the subject now.

“S-so, how do you know her?”

Slightly annoyed, I turn to Ma-chan. She pushed her fingers together as her eyes peeked to the side.

“Well…I kinda spilled soda on her uniform the first week of school and she threatened to beat me up.”

Horrified, I turned back to her.

The Conchi…I mean Conway girl’s face lit up like a red streetlight.

“Wah? Listen, you! It didn’t happen that way. It’s only natural that the one who makes the mess cleans it up. Naturally, I told you to wash it and bring it back.”

She sounds like a handful. I’m not sure why in the world Mae-chan decided to bring her along, but it’s slightly irritated me that she had to be here. I kind of wanted some alone time with a friend of mine but…what could I do now?

“I-It’s…nice to meet you Conchi-san.”

I blurted it out, carelessly.

“Conchi-san?”

Her face shot red once again.

“Is…that like a nickname?!”

Her short, cute statue made me just want to give her that name…kind of like when you see a puppy and automatically want to make it cuter somehow.

“S-Sorry…I just kind of came up with it by looking at you.”

“It’s dumb! It’s stupid! I hate it, N-Naka-giwa-san!”

Her face spun feverously to the point I thought her head was going to pop. And she called me Naka...giwa-san? Japanese certainly isn’t her first language.”

“Still have that bad habit of saying what comes to mind, eh Mado-chan?”

I rubbed my head. I couldn't hide it from Ma-chan in the end.

“S-sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it, C-Conway-san.”

However, she didn’t stop puckering her lips. Even with her winey, violent personality, she's cute. I…might keep picking on this one, I decided silently. Could this be how Koda-san feels when she messes with me? That thought made me nauseous and I forced it out of my mind sooner than it came.

“Well, where to?”

Ma-chan pondered.

“Well…”

Conway-san stepped in between us with her hands on her side.

“I want to go to the Japanese game stores. You know…the arcades.”

Conway-san seemed to be more direct unlike Mae and me. With us two we would have mindlessly wandered into places for enjoyment. This might be a different take on our hang out if anything.

“Shall we get going already? We’re losing daylight.”

“Arcade it is then.”

I stepped forward halfheartedly before halting.

“Eh…I don’t know where one is...”

I scratched my cheek.

Conway-san sighs as she brought out her phone. The screen lit up, revealing a GPS app of some kind. It seems it was already in her database as she just pushed the start button.

“I-It can’t be helped! I guess I’ll have to lead the way.”

Conway-san put her nose up to the sky as a voice in English pointed us off. My English isn't great so I could barely make out what it was saying. So, blindly, I followed the shark's lead...