“Well, what do we do now?”

A sudden feeling caressed my hips. I was in shock. Was someone bold enough to assault me like this? As I turned around to catch a glimpse of the person in question, I met eyes with no one. After panning my head downwards, I caught eyes with the culprit.

“What the heck are you doing, Hana-san?”

I whispered, still trying to keep my composure.

“I’m lining you up in a good spot.”

After lining me up she snaked around to the front of me. With all her weight, Hana-san laid her body up against my chest, pushing me to the walls of the train.

“This is uncomfortable.”

“But this way nobody can touch you...but me that is.”

Hana-san shifted back more. I could feel her back brushing up against my rib cage. My back wedged into the bars of the doors. Pain crept up in me.

“Hana-san, this looks weird. People are looking at us strangely.”

“I don’t care…”

“Well, I do!”

“This is for your own good, Madoka-san.”

It’s like a battle between a buck and a mule. Neither of us will back down with this ridiculous exchange. So, I held my head up high and leaned away, looking out the train’s window. This was going to be a long ride…

I bet if Koda-san told Hana-san to climb Mount Fuji with a boulder strapped to her back, she would. No questions asked. Despite the discomfort, there was one thing that stood out to me. A fragrance of morning dew after a rainy day. Flowers dancing about a field. It took me a moment to realize that it was coming from Hana-san’s hair. The same scent from her bedroom. That smell calmed my nerves if anything else.

After a few minutes or so we got off a few stops later and walked down a street. Hana-san signaled to me that she was taking the turn to her junior high. From there I had to walk the rest of the way alone.

As I entered the gates the school was bustling compared to when I came on a Saturday afternoon for the exam. I go right to the faculty office as I was previously instructed. My new teacher was there. A man with a rough goatee and a gentle face. His name was Takanaki-sensei.

He smiled at me and explained that he was going to introduce me first period and all I had to do is tell them my name and hobbies. I didn’t have to go into my previous medical conditions if I didn’t want to,

“Students, please settle down, we got a new student today.”

Takanaki-sensei called me in. Before I knew it, my head was holding itself down. With all my might I lifted it and faced forwards. I made my way to the chalkboard and wrote my name out.

“Hello, I’m Nakagawa Madoka. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

I could hear the chatter of the class. A few girls in the back turned to one another, pointing their fingers at me. That alone set a stuffy feeling in my stomach. I searched around and met eyes with a certain someone. Her eyes darted away as if trying to escape but I caught hold to her with a tilt of my head.

“Conchi-san?”

The class squealed in unison.

“Conchi-san?!”

Oh, I accidentally blurted it out. The class chimed in after me. Conway-san’s face contorted as she crossed her arms in disgust. She sank into her chair like a turtle hiding in its shell. I silently cursed my impulse to throw out words without thinking.

Takanaki-sensei luckily pointed me to the seat behind Conway-san, to my delight. Now I could properly apologize to her. I sat down and whispered to her.

“S-sorry, that just came out.”

“Hmph!”

I guess she didn’t hear me, so I decided to give her a light tap on the back.

“Eehp!”

“Do you have something you’d like to add, Conway-san?”

Takanaki-sensei scowled in her direction.

“Ehh…No, Takanaki-sensei.”

I slumped my shoulders. Perhaps I made the situation worse? Dejected, I focused on the class. During the next break, I’ll properly apologize.

Once the bell rang, I stood up and made my way to the other side of Conway-san’s desk.

“Sorry about that, Conway-san…”

“I heard you the first time…”

Conway-san puffed her cheeks and glared at me.

“Why did you have to be in my class…”

It was reasonable that she'd be mad at me this time. With that I made my way back to my seat, defeated.

“Nakagawa-san?”

A girl approached me with short ivy hair that stubbornly made its way down to her neck. Both her ears were pierced with rugged iron rings hovering in them. But what stuck out most was her almond-shaped eyes.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Ah, it’s nice to meet you too…Ah…”

“Okabe Kasumi.”

She lifted her bag over her right shoulder and tilted her head at me. Reaching out her hand we shook, forming the new bond between us.

“So, where did you come from?”

“I’m from Hiroshima. I lived here my entire life.”

“Oh cool, me too. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

Now interested I take it; Okabe-san pulled up a chair from a nearby desk to me.

“I’m an only…”

I stopped mid-sentence. No, that wasn’t true anymore. I'm not technically an only child per-say.

“Actually, I have a step-sister I guess, but I am an only child.”

“Is she older, younger?”

“She’s younger than me and super cute!”

I found myself hopping from my seat. I need to control these impulses when dealing with cute things. Okabe-san chuckled. I did get a bit excited there and had that coming. But I can’t deny that Hana-san is nothing short of adorable.

As I turn to Conway-san in response, our eyes meet as she darts away looking back into her manga on her desk.

“So, why did you transfer to our school, Nakagawa-san?”

My lip puckered a bit.

“Well, you see…Because of some medical problems I started school late.”

“Hm?”

“I’m actually 16 right now…”

“Wow, you started high school one year late?”

“Medical problems?”

A voice from outside the conversation filtered through. Conway-san turned to me, now interested I take it. I nodded. It seemed the class had gotten a bit quieter too. Not as though they were listening to me, just by chance if anything.

“Well, I was actually in a coma for the past couple of years…”

I scratched my cheek. Okabe-san’s almond eyes grew wider. Conway-san however seemed genuinely concerned as she tilted her head.

“Wow, that’s crazy. What happened, did you like, hit your head or something?”

I shrugged, haphazardly.

“Yeah, that’s what the doctors told me. So…”

She closed her eyes.

“That’s so wild. How did it feel? You know…being in a coma and all?”

“I don’t recall much. Like…a really, really, long dream, I guess?”

Her mouth opened slightly.

“How did it feel…knowing all that time passed afterward?”

Hm…I guess that would be a natural question, wouldn’t it? My thoughts about mom resurfaced. I don’t think she had any malintent. Just curiosity, yet my heart ached. I found myself looking away from her for no reason.

“Ahh…”

My chest started to boil…How did it feel that I’ve lost so much time? There were words I’ve been holding back circling in my mind. Like, “It isn’t fair.” or “Why did it have to be me?’… I looked at my legs and the thoughts of that spoiled child…the princess in me started to wail back up and I hated it.

“Are you seriously going to ask that ignorant of a question, Kasumi-san?”

I turn to Conway-san who’s now posted on the side of her desk.

“Can’t you see that Nakagawa-san is having a hard time speaking about this? Learn some tact, idiot.”

To my surprise, the shark once again threw me a lifeline. Maybe on the aggressive side though. Calling your classmate an idiot isn’t subtle in any way.

“I’m talking to Nakagawa-san, not you, blondie. And don’t call me, Kasumi-san.”

Conway-san puffed her chest out.

“Stop using Nakagawa-san’s problems for your entertainment, Okabe-san.”

Conway-san leaned on her desk and shook her head.

“You girls are all the same…”

The ivy head turned back to me with a slight smile still on her face.

“You know…Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Nakagawa-san. That wasn’t my intention like she made it out to be.”

“Oh no, I know that.”

I waved my hand, trying to brush passed the mood.

She then turned to the person in question.

“But, here’s a tip for you, Nakagawa-san, choose better friends. Conway-san isn’t good people to hang around.”

Like fire, she torched her enemy. With a lift of her bag, she strolled out, leaving a heatwave where she stood. The class was about to begin so I couldn’t understand why she was leaving.

“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass.”

She screamed in a fit. Conway-san’s demeanor brought me back to when I first laid eyes on her.

“Don’t mind her, Nakagawa-san.”

Conchi-san glared behind me to see the class staring in our direction. Most of the class shifted their eyes in a panic. Detached from their gossip, she continued.

“She’s such a disgraceful person. She’s always been like that.”

“…Thank you, Conchi-san…”

I found myself whispering this as if wanting to hide from the world.

As I looked around the class everyone seemed to have already established themselves in their respective groups. Girls who seemed to be into make-up and fashion all relaxed in the corner of the room. They shared kits and glosses, cheerfully.

A group of three who seemed to be average by their standards played card games, enjoying each other’s company. It was easy enough to conclude that most of them had found their comfort zones.

Even listening to the lecture today I found myself apart from the flow. Takanaki-sensei just started up class. The river was already in motion and I found myself waiting for the right time to jump in. I gazed down at my notebook. Even the notes I took start mid-way in another lesson, so they feel incomplete.

Detached from reality. Like I didn’t belong in the world they’ve already created. Or like I’m just a spectator playing the part of a student. But…thanks to Conway-san being here it made a transition like this bearable. I didn’t want to imagine how it would have been if she wasn’t here.

“You shouldn’t thank me. I’m probably the reason why nobody wants to approach you, to be honest...”

She scratched her cheek, timidly.

“I don’t mind that…as long as I can chat with you, Conchi-san...”

Conway-san’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. Or more like a red ornament.

“Tsk. Most of our classmates are fine people, Nakagawa-san. Okabe-san just rubs me the wrong way.”

She turned back to the groups behind us.

“You should get to know them.”

Before I could reply, the bell chimed. Conway-san crossed her arms and sat back in her seat. It seemed to me that the class actively avoids Conway-san. Knowing how she can be I don’t blame them though. She certainly could be the staple delinquent, I guess. Despite that, it’s thanks to her that I feel as if a load had been lifted off me. I’m not sure if that was her intention though. If anything, I felt that Conway-san was a reliable person. A partner I could depend on…

“I just woke up…and I couldn’t get out of bed.”

Lunch arrived and Ma-chan was nowhere to be found. At Conchi-san’s suggestion, I gave her a call revealing a sick Ma-chan.

“Would you like me to come over after school?”

“…Not necessary, Mado-chan! Mom’s taking care of me since she works from home most times.”

Ma-chan’s breathing seemed normal. The tone of her voice is what made me worry though.

“Sorry. Your senpai let you down, didn’t she?”

“Don’t be stupid. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that Ma-chan hung up the phone. Conchi-san and I sat in the café. The bustle of students waved around us.

“Hm. She sure misses a lot of days.”

“Hm?”

I turned to Conchi-san who seemed to have a dish from home. It looked to be spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. Her meal even stood out from the rest.

“Your friend, Watanabe-san. She gets sick easily.”

“Really?”

“Well, since I met her. But who am I to judge when I skip class on the regular?”

Wow, even Conchi-san skips class? Maybe I am between two delinquents and shouldn’t associate with them. That being a joke anyway.

“Has she always been that fragile? She looked fine to me yesterday.”

“No…Ma-chan would never miss school in junior high.”

I thought back to the days in middle school. Ma-chan would be the one who pushed me to do things. She was always the first to jump into the room and introduce herself to others. Even now she still held that personable charm.

“Ma-chan was working towards a volleyball scholarship. She even signed the papers for it…last I remember anyway.”

“Ah yes, that memory of yours. Who to think your life was so complicated?”

Now that I thought about it…

“Hey Conchi-san, does Ma-chan still play volleyball?”

“Hm? No, she’s not in any clubs to my knowledge.”

“Really?”

“I have no reason to lie about that.”

When did…Ma-chan give up playing sports? She was so talented. I was under the impression that she didn’t change much from when I went into my coma until when I woke up. But now hearing Conchi-san, she skips school every now and then and even gave up on her sports? That should have been one of the first things I asked her about but…when I thought about sports…

I searched my legs again. They feel simply fine now until I begin exercising…The idea of being who I once was…might be out of the question now.

“Eh, Nakagawa-san.”

“Hm?”

“Are you going to eat the rest of your rice?”

“Y-You’re stealing my lunch from me now? Conchi-san, you’re a bully.”

“Oh, shut up.”

Conchi-san takes the bowl from me without another word and begins eating my rice. For someone so small she has an appetite.

“Well, it can’t be helped so you shouldn’t worry over Watanabe-san.”

“Hm…right.”

Conway-san puts my bowl of rice down and turned back to me.

“I have a question for you now, Nakagawa-san.”

“Hm, what?”

“You said you have a little step-sister…”

Her eyes shifted to the side.

“Yes, I do.”

“Tell me more about her.”

Conway-san wanted to know about Hana-san? I closed my eyes trying to gather up as much detail as I could about her.

“Her name is Koda Hana-san and she lives up to her name. She’s cute but likes boyish things. Like games and manga….”

I found myself stopping even though I wanted to continue. I couldn’t find much else to say about her. I didn’t even know her blood type. Conway-san stared at me waiting for more.

“T-that’s pretty much it.”

She looked away with a huff. It seemed she wasn’t satisfied with what I gave her, and I wasn’t either.

“How close should sisters be, do you think?”

“How close should they be?”

What a strange question. I found myself parroting her without realizing it. Conway-san looked me in the eye as if searching for the answer to the meaning of life.

“Is it okay if sisters…”

Conway-san closed her eyes and turned away.

“No, never mind. It’s a stupid question, Nakagawa-san.”

“Hm, are you sure?”

She nodded, flipping her blonde hair.

“Do you have any sisters, Conway-san?”

“Nope.”

With no hesitation, she concluded and continued eating away at her meal. Maybe she was curious to know how it is to have a sister? Either way, I felt as though I couldn’t do Hana-san any justice.