“Ah, there you are.”

The voice of the English woman filtered in as Sophia-san walked over as we passed the school gates. Again, she looked as though she was a bully ready to beat up the girl with glasses for lunch money. Little did she know though, I don’t get paid until this upcoming Friday, so she’d be out of luck. Kidding aside, she smiled as she met my gaze. In a comfortable-looking grey hoodie that covered her school attire, and stockings to keep the cold out, Sophia-san was all geared up for the winter months.

“I see you’re coming in with Mihara-san today.”

“Yep.”

I chimed. Mihara-san just nodded.

“Good on you, Mihara-san.”

 

 

I didn’t get this strange sign they signaled to one another. Did something happen on my days off that I’m unaware of? But instead of letting that sit in my mind, I shrugged again and looked at her.

“I was wondering if you might want to get together and have a study session, Sophia-san?”

Sophia-san’s face shriveled at the thought.

“Ehh…yeah, it’s getting close to that time, isn’t it? God, I hate midterms.”

The shark kicked a pebble as if that would solve all of her educational problems.

“Yep, I was thinking we’d get Mae-chan too. Despite how she acts, she’s surprisingly good in academics when she puts her mind to it.”

“Watanabe-san is?”

Mihara-san questioned as if she didn’t believe me. I guess with her bright blue hair and dorky personality, it would be hard to see that. Despite her studies giving her troubles in the past, beforehand, Mae-chan and I would study together regularly. I take it the enormous stress is what made her grades start to drop.

“Yep, and she’s a 2nd-year student like you, Mihara-san. Maybe…if you'd like…we can all study together?"

Sophia sighed, harshly.

“Make it a study party? Are you sure we’d get anything done if we did that, Madoka-san?”

Confidently, I nodded.

“Certainly. I won’t let anyone fall behind.”

With a pump of my fist, I declared. I was confident when it came to school for the most part. The only subject that I was iffy on was that no good English language. I’m not sure why English was even required. It’s not like I had any desire to leave Japan and go to America or any other English-speaking part of the world. Honestly, I could live without English! English is dead to me!

Sophia-san sighed, breaking my inner monologue.

“I’m not against it. We just need a proper place to do it. What about you, Mihara-san? Are you up for it too?’

Mihara-san stood tall and nodded sharply.

“I-If that’s what Nakagawa-san would like…I wouldn’t…mind.”

“Good. Now we have to get that blueberry on board then.”

With that, the shark clicked her heels around and began walking. Mihara-san and I followed her as we got to the shoe lockers.

"Do you guys think today would be good for it?"

Sophia-san questioned.

She tilted her head curiously and pulled off her loafers. Dangling it off her fingers as she lifted one shoe off, she looked back at the two of us.

“I’ll have to call my mom and see if it’s alright.”

I added. 

Thinking about it, I wonder if mom would get upset if I suddenly changed plans with her and told her I was going over to a friend’s house today. Would she get upset? Would she question me to the ends of the earth until I gave her every little detail? I sighed thinking about the outcome.

“What about you, Mihara-san?”

The delinquent questioned as she finished tying her laces.

“M-My parents wouldn’t mind. I…have clubs after school though, but I can cancel those today.”

I perked up and questioned Mihara-san.

“Clubs? I’m surprised they’re still doing those with exams so close.”

She shrugged, dejectedly.

“Saya-san wanted us to do a big project for the new year’s. She…doesn’t take studying all too seriously.”

My head began to itch, thinking about Saya-san failing all her classes.

“Saya-san doesn’t take studying seriously? Do you think she would need help too, Mihara-san?”

The ghost glared at me like a specter planning to hex me. I wasn’t actually sure why she was giving me such an aggressive look either. I…wanted to hide behind Sophia-san even though that probably wouldn't have been the best place. She’s so small, I’d stick out like a sore thumb.

“Saya-san…? When did you start calling Saitou Saya-san by her given name, N-Nakagawa-san?”

Like a ton of bricks, it hit me. Sophia-san and Mihara-san wouldn’t know that I was on a family trip…with Saitou-san and her older sister. Now the eyes began to peer on me…especially Mihara-san’s.

“Mado-chan! Everyone!”

My saving grace came from outside and put her arms around me. Dressed in a dark blue jacket, mirroring out school customary colors. With her dark blue school attire skirt and short gym pants underneath likely to keep the cold out, Mae-chan played the part of a tomboy for sure. Like a wild puppy off her leash, she sniffed my hair.

“W-What are you doing Mae-chan?!”

“Making sure my Mado-chan’s scent hasn’t changed!”

“Stop being weird already!”

I knocked her on the head. This was becoming all too common now. But instead of letting me go, she began to spin me around.

 

 

We swirled together like a spinning top with no sign of stopping. The girls around us started whispering harsh words. It was obvious that we were annoying them.

“N-Nakagawa-san! Ahhh…ahhh…”

But the twirls kept coming, and I was starting to feel sick by this point.

“Mae-san, she gets the picture, let her go!”

Finally, at the command of the English woman, Mae-chan let me go. I wobbled about and rested my hand on a soft shoulder.

“Are you okay…Nakagawa-san?”

“I…think I’m actually going to be sick.”

I complained as Mihara-san gently patted me on the back. After regaining my composure, I shook my head and squared up to the idiot known as my childhood friend.

“I’m going to hurt you!”

I threatened and tugged at her shirt. All she did was laugh and pet me on the head. She was seriously going to get a beating at this rate. Once all the commotion finally died down, the four of us walked to the split-off for 1st years and 2nd years. There we stood in a cluster.

“So, you guys want to have a study session today?”

 

 

Mae-chan asked, now caught up with our plan.

“Yeah…that’s the case. Madoka-san and Mihara-san are keen on the idea. You’re the last link.”

Nodding confidently, Sophia concluded.

“Sure, I have no plans. I have to catch up with my studies anyway because I skipped so often this year.”

“Oh geez…we’re going to have our work cut out for us, aren’t we, Mihara-san?”

“Nggg…yeah, it looks like…it.”

Dejectedly, her shoulders slumped. That reaction was far more extreme than I imagined it needed to be. Sophia-san nodded before coming to a decision.

"I think it'll be best if we do it at my place then."

Out of the blue, Sophia-san decided it. I wasn't going to say no so I just nodded in agreement. It seemed everyone else felt the same way as we all silently accepted what our fearless leader, Conchi-san decided. As if wrapping up our chat with a neat bow, Mae-chan pointed down the 2nd-years hallway.

"Well, our classes are this way. Are we meeting up for lunch, guys?"

Sophia-san answered for me with a brush of her long hair and her hand placed firmly on her hip.

“That’s the plan. Let’s go, Madoka-san.”

“Ah…Ma…Nakagawa-san…”

Before I could part ways, Mihara-san ran up to me. With the tilt of her head, her lush ash-colored hair fell to the side. In a whisper, she pleaded to me…

“Ah…remember that…I’m going to sit next to you...o-okay?”

This awkward moment persisted as Mae-chan and Sophia-san watched us from the side. I was getting a tad embarrassed so I lowered my gaze and nodded gently.

“Yeah…you get to sit next to me.”

"O-Okay! S-See you at lunch!"

The joy on her face couldn’t be mirrored as she literally bounced away with Mae-chan by her side now. As if stars were glittering in her eyes, she glimmered like a shooting star. With every step, she would make a quiet "kyuu~" sound that would make my heart leap with joy. Needless to say, Mihara-san was having a great day it seemed.

 

 

If a little embarrassment was the cost of seeing Mihara-san happy like this, then who was I to say otherwise?

“That girl…”

Sophia-san scorned, however she had a smile on her face. With that, she put her hand behind her head and began walking. The next thing I knew, I was following behind her. Since when did she become the “leader” of our little pack?

“Hey, I was speaking with Taylor-sensei last night.”

“Oh, what did she mention?”

“…I have a few things to talk to you about when you get the chance…but that aside, she told me about her number being blocked.”

She shrugged.

“Yeah. I can unblock it, but Linda would just get in trouble for it.”

“…They really are trying to cut your ties, huh?”

Sophia held her wrist as she looked back at me.

"I think they're honestly more afraid of the Christmas Holiday. If it was England then we'd get a tree, have a small party, and that's it. However here in Japan…it's a more intimate day for couples."

She moaned.

"I think they want to make sure Linda doesn't get any grand ideas about coming to see me or trying to offer me out on a date."

“Do you want to see her though?”

She planted herself outside the doorway. With her shoulder on the wall, the delinquent side of hers was in full display.

“Admittedly…yes. I would love to see her on Christmas. Maybe not in the way she’d like to…but I would love to give her a gift…”

Like a stake to the dirt, she pushed her shoes on the ground and rubbed them back and forth.

“I mean…she’s family, you know?”

“Yeah…family is important.”

Now was the time I needed to not only listen to their struggles but be supportive of them too. Maybe their love is different, but that doesn’t mean they both don’t love one another.

“…We can figure something out.”

“Hm? Like what? Eleanor has been given instructions clearly to not let Linda anywhere near me after school hours.”

That name, Eleanor again. Taylor-sensei told me that she is her ex-boyfriends’ little sister. I didn’t know anything about her, but it seemed that she was Sophia-san’s guardian and a good one at that.

“I never met Eleanor before.”

"Well, if you're coming over to my place after school to study, you're going to meet her, like it or not."

She crossed her arms and lowered her gaze. 

“And if you do, Madoka-san…don’t mention that you are good acquaintances with Linda. She’ll put you on a list that you don’t want to be on.”

That felt like a warning. Not sure how to react, I just nodded as we walked into the classroom. It seemed that this Eleanor person was a large obstacle for the two of them to at least see one another after school. As Sophia stated beforehand, the faculty does a good job at separating them inside of school.

 

But one thing is certain…

They need the time to meet and talk out their feelings at some point.

Like me with Mari-san. Even if it doesn’t yield the outcome either of them wants, just the idea of having the time to sort out their feelings might help their situation, even if only a little.

 

---

 

As we sat down in my seat, surprisingly, Okabe-san walked in after us. She made her way right to my desk. In a blue school jacket unzipped to her chest region, a grey sweater neatly tucked underneath, and the signature school attire skirt, Okabe-san showed off the fashion of the winter wear flawlessly. I never expected this from a delinquent of her status, but just the way she used her rugged exterior made her clothing fit all too well. 

“Sup.”

“Ah, hello, Okabe-san.”

 

 

She glared at Sophia, and the shark did the same. Finally, they broke contact as she turned back to me.

“Hey…ah…thanks for taking good care of Nagumi-chan as you worked yesterday.”

Unlike before, when she thanked me for helping her little sister with her math homework, this felt…honest. A strange word when using it on Okabe-san, for sure.

“Oh…that’s no problem. She’s a good kid and basically took care of herself.”

She sighed as she rubbed the back of her head.

“She mentioned that you bought her another snack while I was in the back. I…scolded her and told her not to ask you for anything again.”

Surprised, I tilted my head.

“Oh, I did that on my own. You shouldn’t be mad at Nagumi-chan...”

“No, she shouldn’t be taking handouts like that. She knows better. So, next time she wants something make sure to tell me. I appreciate the kindness though.”

With a sigh, she sat in her seat. This conversation was strange, to put it lightly. The calm-mannered Okabe-san was different from the one I know so well now. She crossed her arms and leaned back.

“I mean…for some reason all she did was talk about how nice Onee-san was. You know that girl still can’t pronounce her hiragana correctly.”

She shrugged.

“She kept trying to pronounce your last name until she got home. She’s pretty dumb.”

“What?!”

Nagumi-chan never talks! But she talked with her Onee-san about…me? Now I wanted to give her the world the next time we met. I started mentally planning out my kidnap attempt now.

“Eh, why are your eyes shining? Are you hallucinating about my little sister?”

“She’s just…you know…cute.”

Sophia-san flipped her dirty blond hair as she broke into our conversation.

“You think everything is cute.”

She scorned. It seemed like she got sick of overhearing our conversation and decided to join in. Conchi-san was cute…

I groaned…

“N-Not everything! When did I ever say everything was cute? Where are you getting this slander from?”

“Anyway…”

Okabe-san ignored Sophia-san’s remark and tugged at my jacket almost timidly. When I turned back she had her arms on her desk now.

 

 

“I…just don’t want her to get her hopes up and think everything is free. So, if she wants anything…make her work for it at least.”

Could it be that Okabe-san is actually trying to teach her little sister life lessons? I've noticed one thing about Okabe-san when she's around her little sister. It feels as though she's less of an older sister and more of a…parent. 

“Sure…I guess. I can…do that for you.”

With a sigh, she leaned back to her seat. Only then did I notice how tired she looked. Okabe-san…was always tired it seemed.

“Thanks. Now I’m going to sleep. Don’t let Conway-san wake me.”

“Screw off.”

Sophia-san barked from her seat directly in front of me. I was sandwiched between them at least until the end of the school year. 

Dejectedly, I shrugged as I took out my notebook. For a brief second, I stared at my notes. The mountain of information I poured into my book stared back. There was...a lot. Like...a lot. Suddenly, it occurred to me...

"That's right!"

I poked Sophia-san on the back. It was actually really soft.

“Eeeh?!”

Luckily, the class hasn’t started so no teacher was going to scold her for literally screaming right now. I giggled, but she didn’t take that lightly as she turned around in a huff.

“Why did you do that?!”

“Do you have your notebook? Do you need to share anything with me?”

“I’m not an idiot! I…have everything.”

Annoyed, she turned to the side.

“But the English book that is. I just figured if the teacher calls me out, I’d just say it all fluently anyway.”

The shark perked up and looked back at me.

“Hey…you struggle in English, right Nakagawa-san?”

Appalled by her accusation, I crossed my arms as I leaned back in my seat.

“Eh?! I don’t struggle in English! It’s…just a difficult subject because none of it makes sense. English…is just stupid.”

She paused for a moment before speaking fluently in English…

You don’t understand a word I’m saying, do you?

“You’re mocking me, aren’t you?!”

I had no way of telling, but putting me in any sentence had to be her mocking me in some way. All she did was giggle and speak again.

Madoka is a fool who loves dumb idol music.

“Idol music is not dumb!”

“Well, you got most of it…”

She put her hand on my head to my surprise. That grin she showed me could be cocky. Now I wanted to pull her cheeks as I did with Mihara-san this morning.

“Shut up, Conchi-chan!”

“You, shut up!”

I puffed my cheeks and laid my chin on the desk. Despite how annoyed I sounded…that wasn’t true at all. It was times like these that my life was simple. I…cherish days like these, actually. How I wished times were this simple all the time. With a giggle, Sophia-san spoke fluently in English again.

You are kind of cute when you're being bullied, Madoka.

Sophia-san giggled, holding onto her stomach. It was annoying because most of it went over my head.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Annoyed now I cross my arms.

“Conway-san just called you cute.”

 

To my surprise, Okabe-san who was faking sleeping lifted her head.

“She probably actually likes you, Nakagawa-san. I mean, she has a strange taste like that."

“What the hell does that mean?”

The ivy head flipped her bangs out of her face and spewed at her.

“Don’t act dumb. You with your creepy sister complex.”

 

 

Sophia-san’s expression didn’t just sour, it nearly went red as her fist clenched. I stood up, cutting the line of sight between them. When Sophia-san noticed this, she calmed down with a sigh.

“Oh, screw you, Okabe-san. I hope you die in your sleep.”

“Whatever.”

Annoyed, they both turned away. Sadly, the situation soured in an instant. Certainly, Okabe-san didn’t have to go that far. She was being rude for sure, and Sophia didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. She brought up Taylor-sensei just to get under her skin.

But before I could speak, the bell rang, and Takanaki-sensei began roll call. To not fall behind anymore, I diligently took notes. Not just for me but for the cute little shark too.

"Cute, huh?"

I murmured.

What Okabe-san told me about what she said in English made me smile a bit. That Sophia-san…called me cute? I couldn’t have ever expected that from her. But…I remembered when we first went to the arcade together. 

She admitted that she found me as the “prettier” one between Mae-chan and me. At the time, I thought it was just a dumb joke…but maybe she actually believed that? 

I...wanted to do something for her now. That…warmed my chest. To thank her, I made my notes extra easy to understand as the class period waded away.