"...Hnnngggghh..."

Clack!

"Mhm... nhn..." I nod off as I snooze my alarm clock.

"Still wanna sleep..." 

"UWAH!"

I quickly sit up.

"Oh gosh, what day is it today?" I yawn as I grab my phone from the nightstand beside my bed, and I check the time.

"HOLY— IT'S MY FIRST DAY TO YASUTAKE!" I abruptly get out of bed and I hurriedly start fixing my bed's sheets. I then rush to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.

As I brush my teeth, I rub my eyes. With random thoughts racing in my head, the taste of my mint toothpaste kicks in while I internally start panicking, and I move with haste as I start my daily morning routine.

"Geez, calm down, Mayumi!" I yell at myself as I splash my face with cool water. "Don't panic..." I rub my face with a towel and I walk out of the bathroom, returning to my room to dress up.

Opening up my closet, I stare at my uniform. It looks so prestigious; a white blouse that comes with a black blazer which has a patch in its upper-right side that shows Yasutake's logo, and a red, checkered necktie that matches the above-knee skirt.

"...I'll actually be wearing this uniform almost every day..." I nervously mumble, and I take my uniform out of the closet. And so, I fumble my pajamas off, and I start dressing into my uniform. Fixing the sleeves of my blazer and the collar of my blouse, I walk up to a mirror to look at myself.

"Woah."

I look... so unprepared!

"Geez, wait a minute!" I fix my necktie and I grab my hairbrush. "It's because I'm not yet done dressing up!"

As I finish brushing my hair, I walk to my nightstand to open its cabinet, and I take a hairclip that Miyo gave to me for my birthday three months ago, in January. It's a really simple hairclip; it's just a white triangle that glitters. But, this is what I love about it. 

"Yeah... simplicity is the best. Miyo understands my taste when it comes to accessories. How surprising." I smile as I pin the hairclip unto my hair.

I go back to my closet to get my black below-knee socks, as well as my school shoes.

After dressing up, I pack my bag with my school textbooks and other stuff. 

"Okay..." I sling my bag up to my shoulder, and I walk out of my room to go downstairs. "I'm ready... I think."

As I walk down the stairs, I hear my mom's voice, and the sound of a camera flashing.

"Miyo~! You look so cute! Your uniform matches you so much!" 

"Mom, you're taking too much pictures!"

Reaching the living room, I see my mom happily taking pictures of Miyo with her camera. On the other hand, Miyo was in her black-and-white sailor fuku, carrying her red randoseru on her back.

"Woah, look at you. You look cute!" I walk up to Miyo.

"Cute? I prefer the term beautiful, but okay."

"Ehh... you're more on the cute side than the beautiful side, though."

"...Is that a good thing?"

"Depends."

I then look at my mom, who was looking at me with sparkly eyes.

"Mayumi... you look..." 

Her eyes tear up.

"Mom— Hey! Why're you tearing up!?"

"Because you already look like a high schooler!" She says in an emotional tone as she hugs me.

"That's because I already am a high schooler..." 

"Your uniform also suits you so much!" Mom lets go of me. "I can't believe how much you two have grown! Miyo is already in middle school, and you're already a first-year high schooler! Before, you girls were just babies, and—"

"Mom, seriously..?" I sigh.

"...Ahaha, I'm sorry! I was just feeling a bit emotional." She smiles. "But anyway, let me get your lunch." Mom hums as she goes to the kitchen. "Oh, and that reminds me! You also have toast, Mayumi! Miyo already ate hers. Yours is here, on the table." Mom looks at the dining table, pointing at the buttered toast which was in a plate.

"Ah, thanks Mom!" I then go to the table to get my toast. Taking my toast from the plate, I walk back to Miyo.

"Hmm..." Miyo mumbles in a tense tone.

"What? You feeling nervous?" I look at her as I take a bite onto my quickly-made breakfast.

"Well..."

"You're totally nervous, munch. Is it because you're worried about, munch, using a bike to go to school?"

"Eh— No!" Miyo exclaims. "I mean, it's the first day of school! Of course I'd be nervous... aren't you nervous, too?"

"Me? Only a bit, munch, but that's all. I have, munch, Ayano with me, so it kind of makes me more, munch, relieved."

"Oh... right." Miyo averts her eyes from me, and she looks down at the floor. "You have Aya-san with you."

I stop munching, and I look at Miyo with serious eyes.

"Hey... are you worried about making friends?"

"Wha— That's..!"

"Look, I know that you want to make friends at school. I mean, who'd want to feel left out? I know I don't." I chuckle. "I also understand that you don't want to embarrass yourself in Matsugaya, but Miyo, here's one thing. Just be yourself. Don't pretend to be someone you're not, because that's basically lying to people! And school isn't just about making friends, after all. Keep that in mind, and you'll be fine!" I pat her head.

"...But what if they all don't like me? What if they think I'm weird?"

"If they all don't like you... then there's nothing we can do. That's impossible, though. Miyo, you're a very likeable person! And about being weird, I don't see anything wrong about it. I'm pretty much normal, but on the flip side, Ayano is weird, and yet here we are. We've been best friends ever since, so... being a bit weird is good for you!" I smile at her.

"...You say you're 'pretty much normal', but you're actually really weird, too."

"Ouch. Did you have to hit me where it hurts? Miyo—"

All of a sudden, Miyo clings unto me.

"Thanks, nee-chan."

Aw, what the heck, Miyo? But hey, this is a pretty rare moment.

"Woah, you're hugging me. You know, this only happens once in a blue moon." I tease her.

"Shut up!"

"...Awwww~! I just went to get your bentos, but now you two are hugging each other! How adorable!" Mom walks in on us, bringing with her our lunch for school. "Eat these up, okay?" Mom hands out our bentos which were inside the cute tote bags she made for us herself.

"Thanks, Mom!" Miyo and I happily take our lunch tote bags and we put them inside our bags.

"Well, now that you girls are already prepared, it's time for the both of you to get going. Get out there and have fun on your first day of school!" Mom encourages Miyo and I as she pushes us to the door. "Bye-bye, now!"

"Ehh?" I open the door slowly, looking at Mom with a confused expression. 

"Nee-chan, let's just go!" Miyo rushes outside. "Don't you want to become an early bird? Hurry and finish your toast!"

"Oh— Yeah, good point..." I step outside, and I see Miyo preparing her bike.

"Will you be alright, Miyo? Your school is like... twenty-five minutes away by bike. "

"Hmm?" Miyo hums as she gets on her bike. Turning around to look at me, she beams a smile. "Of course I'll be alright! Don't worry about me that much. I'm a fast and experienced cyclist, if I do say so myself. I'll probably make it to school just by fifteen minutes, or even faster!" She proudly remarks.

"Geez, Miyo. You can still be full of pride at times like these..?" I look at her with a blank expression on my face. "But well, your bragging already reassured me, so... good luck on your first day! Be careful, too! Don't go too fast!"

"Yeah, thanks!" Miyo starts to pedal away with a bright smile on her face as she waves goodbye to me.

"What am I thinking?" I laugh as I continue munching on my toast. "Miyo is just a middle schooler, sure, but she's mature for her age. I know she isn't the type to get lost while going to school."

"Yumi-chan! Oi~!"

A familiar voice calls out to me in a joyful tone.

"Ah, Ayano!"

"Yo!"