“Ooooh, I’m so tired.”

Mae-chan laid her body on the table, sprawling her arms out like an octopus. I removed my glasses, sighed dejectedly, and massaged my temple. Setting my glasses aside, I spoke to the crying teenager.

"Sorry to say Mae-chan...but you put this burden on yourself."

 

 

“I know, Mado-chan. I didn’t realize how much material we went over while I was gone. I’m swamped, Mihara-san…save me.”

The crying high school girl begged as she tugged at the ghost’s sleeve. However, Mihara-san scooted her chair closer to mine. We literally touched shoulders now as she confessed to my childhood friend.

“...I’m st-struggling a little too, Watanabe-san.”

Shamefully, she admitted. They weren’t in the same class it seemed, but the subjects were basically mirrored. Meaning if Mae-chan didn't understand something and Mihara-san didn't either…they're out of luck for sure. I kind of wanted to give one a pat on the head…and the other a bonk for good measure.

“Today’s gonna suck.”

Sophia-san complained as she ate her pasta. Again, she had a completely different kind of meal. I wondered if she made her own food. Today she had lasagna and salad, and it looked like restaurant quality.

“Hm, do you want to taste, Madoka-san?”

The shark suggested.

“Oh, no that’d be rude of me.”

She shrugged.

“Eleanor makes the best foods from England you can think of. It’s better than most of the food here in Japan.”

Mae crossed her arms.

“Eh? That’s a low blow, Sophia-san!”

“Well, it’s true.”

The shark retorted.

“Sure, I’ll try it then.”

Curiously, I spoke up. With a nod, Sophia-san cut off a bit of lasagna. Sauce ran on the plate in an appetizing fashion. She lifted up her fork and pointed it my way.

“Come on, eat up. Hurry it up too, I want to get back to eating.”

Annoyed, I complained.

“Don’t be a bully, Conchi-chan.”

“Don’t call me Conchi, and don’t add -chan to it.”

 

 

Aggressively, she shoved it in my mouth. Despite how violent she was, the flavor was fairly light and delicious. I've had lasagna before, but it felt as though the entire dish was foreign in its own way. Like flavors, I don't normally have in my pallet washed over me.

“That’s good.”

“I told you. I’d eat this over yakisoba any day of the week.”

She laughed like a villainess who just got her victory as she lifted her fork again.

“Hey, try this, Madoka-san.”

Oddly, Sophia-san was getting a tad excited. Like a magician revealing her grand finale, I watched her unleash a bright brown muffin from her bag. She broke off a piece of it with another unused fork and offered it my way

“A-Are you sure? I still have a meal here.”

“Come on, I want you to experience the taste of England.”

I didn’t know England had a taste until now. So, I took the piece and chewed it. A blast of fruit and cinnamon took me over. It wasn’t the first pastry I ever had. But like the lasagna, it had a feel of a different country to it. It…was hard to describe. It's like when one smells a spice that they haven't smelled in a long time. Memories pop up that echo what that is.

"Good, isn't it, Madoka-san?"

“Nnng…are you going to…f-feed Nakagawa-san all lunch, Conway-san?”

For a moment I forgot that Mae-chan and Mihara-san were here. But now that I became aware, the ghost’s body was slightly pushed up against my side. Like she was a soldier, she guarded me. Not wanting to upset my knight, I sat back in my seat like a proper woman.

“Sorry, guys. That was inappropriate.”

Mae-chan just laughed, holding her stomach as she did so.

"Why are you apologizing? We're all friends here, Mado-chan. Now, are you going to share with me too, Sophia-san?"

“If I shared it with you too, all my food would be gone. I’m a growing girl, Mae-san.”

“Eh? You’re a glutton and you know it, Sophia-san! Give me some!”

“How rude!”

As they assaulted one another, fighting over the delicious meal, I turned to the side to see Mihara-san in deep thought. She’s been pretty quiet this entire time. It made me wonder what was going through her mind. Mischievously, I gave her a sharp poke on the shoulder.

“Eh?!”

She leaped as she turned back to me.

“Is everything alright?”

“Oh, y-yeah…I’m just thinking of something.”

She murmured before nibbling at her meal. She reminded me of a mouse attempting to eat food when nobody is around. Now that I've thought about it, I wonder if this might be too much for her. Usually, she eats alone, or with her club members.

“Thanks for eating with us, Mihara-san.”

I added, with a slight tilt of my head.

“Huh?”

She lifted her head and caught eyes with me. Those pinkish lips of hers pursed and rose into a slight smile.

“S-Sure…”

Playfully, I nudged her shoulder. To my surprise, all she did was blush harder as she buried her face into her bento box. She’s super shy…but even she was trying her hardest to change. Yes, to change. That’s what the two of us certainly needed right now, isn’t it?

Mae-chan and Conchi-san continued their battle for food for the majority of the lunch period. I had to give them a wave goodbye early because I promised to meet with a certain professor.

“Well, I have to go check in with someone. I’ll see everyone later in the afternoon?”

Conchi nodded, pushing Mae-chan’s face away as she did this.

“Yeah. My ride will be waiting outside the gates. Finish up your business then meet me there.”

“C’mon Sophia-san! Give me a taste of that pastry!”

“Fine! You can have it, you obnoxious blueberry!”

Finally, Conchi shoved a piece of lasagna in Mae-chan’s mouth. It made me burst into laughter as Mae’s face filled with bliss. This reminded me of the days when she and I would eat together in elementary school. We would share food regularly and she’d always have this look on her face when she tasted my meal…even though most times we’d be eating the same thing.

“Ohh, the taste of England.”

Mae-chan cried, likely teasing Sophia-san by this point. Conchi-san growled before turning to Mihara-san.

“Hey, would you like a taste too?”

I guess she finally gave in and decided to feed everyone. Mihara-san shook though and turned away with a…

“N-No thank you, Conway-san…I-I appreciate…the offer.”

She then turned back to me.

“We’ll catch you later, Mado-chan.”

“Catch you guys later.”

With that, I put my glasses back on and made my way out of the cafeteria. The bustle of students going everywhere as the lunch period began to reach its climax was apparent. Girls chatting about going to mixers and trying to find a boyfriend before Christmas was a constant theme.

“Mixers, huh?”

Despite me not looking for a “boyfriend”, I didn’t feel that out of touch with everything. Even though my love didn’t work out the way I’d hope…

 

Yeah…it didn’t work out…did it?

 

 

The pit of my stomach grew all that larger. But I’ve already done my crying. I told Hana-chan that today we’d have a good day. That means even if I had to harbor these feelings all day, I was going to keep a smile on my face during it. As I was lost in my thoughts, I reached the nurse's office. Now that I've thought about it, the regular nurse was rarely in when I came. It took me a moment to find who I was looking for. There she stood over a student I knew a little too well at this point.

“Hm…I don’t think you’re sick at all.”

“I really need to get excused for the rest of the day. I’m about to throw up here.”

Taylor-sensei hawked over Okabe-san. She paced around for a moment then released a long, drawn-out sigh.

 

“Listen, you’re a known skipper and the faculty warned me about you trying to weasel your way out of class every now and then.”

She was candid about it as she accused. Okabe-san perked her head up and sighed in frustration.

“Listen, if I don’t get this excuse, I’ll be in detention next week. And if I skip that I’ll be suspended. I-I…really need to go, Taylor-sensei.”

“Where are you going? You can’t wait until after school?”

I didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, so I stood a distance away. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but it just happened.

“My…little sister came down with a fever and there’s nobody else who can pick her up from school.”

The nurse crossed her arms and tilted her head in suspicion. For good reason, her excuse wasn’t the best. To me, someone who knows how much she takes care of Nagumi-chan, I believed it though.

“What about your parents?”

“…It’s complicated. So, it’s either you help me out or I’ll just say screw it and deal with it myself.”

For a moment Taylor-sensei stood there, glaring at the pleading high school girl. I was certain she’d send her back to class. However, Taylor-sensei walked over to her desk and did the complete opposite. She took out a slip and wrote for a moment.

“This is the first and only time I’m excusing this. Next time you’re going to have to figure this out a different way.”

“…”

Okabe-san bowed deeply. I never thought her back could bend so far with how prideful she is all the time.

“T-Thank you! I…I don’t ask for much so…I have the utmost respect for you right now, Taylor-sensei.”

"Oh stop. No, go before I change my mind and get your parents involved...”

Like a jackrabbit, she raced out the door. Briefly, we caught eyes, but it seemed like she was far more focused on something else. She just mentioned picking up her little sister. I could only assume that’s where her mind was now. As I watched her back, she rushed away. For the first time since I met her…I heard her sound panicked…even desperate.

“Nakagawa-san?”

“Oh, Taylor-sensei.”

Out of nowhere, she gave me a big hug. I shook because I wasn't expecting this. Her breasts pushed up against mine and her soft body was nice to the touch. That probably sounded wrong now thinking about it, but it’s what happened. She reminded me of a soft warm pillow as I wrapped my arms around her too.

“Ah…”

“I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.”

She whispered as she let go of me and held my hand. Her fingers were warm…everything about Taylor-sensei was warm.

“I wanted to hold you since you told me what happened. I…can only imagine how broken up you must be.”

Those feelings began to wash over me again. They attempted to stab into my heart and cause me to break down. But instead of crying I…closed my eyes and did my best to turn my sorrow into determination. Understand that it's okay that...my love for Mari-san wasn't in vain. 

I lifted my head, not with a smile though. No, I didn't want to mask my feelings like that. I wanted to show the hurt in me and press forward.

“Yeah, it still does hurt. I…I love Koda Mari so much…but…”

I sighed.

“But I love what she did for our family. She…created such a wonderful place for all four of us. I…I can’t deny that.”

Her fingers coiled with mine. Entranced by her motions, I was led to one of the four beds where we sat down together. Instead of releasing me, Taylor-sensei captured me and wouldn't let go. Her shapely body pressed against me. Our hands entwined with each other's warmth. Now captivated by her maturity she asked me...

 

 

 

"Could you explain to me what happened? I know there's not much time in this period left, but…I want to know."

Taylor-sensei, my partner, not only wanted to know but wanted to support me. I felt as though she wanted to share my pain. 

Slowly, I explained to her about mom and her attempted suicide, how Mari-san stepped in and took care of her for two years, and how that cultivated into her love.

Then I explained how she and I met at night…and all the kisses, the touches, the feelings of acceptance that…I would have to let go of. Even though I wanted to break down and cry the entire time, I stood strong as I systematically told her all that happened. She just listened. Taylor-sensei…was always a good listener.

“How sad…I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s okay…but it’s not over yet. Mari-san and I…have decided that it would be best to come clean for the sake of the family.”

“…That way secrets won’t destroy you two in the end?"

Taylor-sensei questioned.

When everything's out in the open, we can finally put this chapter of our lives behind us. Like what I’m trying to do with my coma. Yes, I lost two years of my life, yes, I lost the love of my life during them…but that isn’t what I want to define me any longer. I want to be Nakagawa Madoka, a girl who suffered loss but moved forward because she’s a strong person. Gently, she let go of my hand and held me around the shoulder again.

“Thanks…Taylor-sensei. You’re…always so kind to me.”

“It’s hard not to, you know?”

How safe she made me feel was apparent. She was mature, kind, attractive; how blessed someone would be to have her beside them. 

It made me wonder, what if  Conchi-san saw her in the same light as I did? I was still unsure how she truly felt in her heart about her sister. But what I was certain about was that Sophia-san loves her sister dearly. 

However, Sophia-san’s love was different than Taylor-sensei’s.

It showed me how different love could be...

Their entire situation was sad. It made me wish that love could just line up perfectly for everyone. But I knew better by my own experience.

I was still struggling with my love for Mari-san...but I wanted my mom and my family to be happy. Because of that, I accepted that we couldn't be together.

“Taylor-sensei…how about you? I know it’s been getting harder for you to see Sophia-san lately.”

She shrugged.

“Yeah. Certainly, it’s been a problem.”

“Well, I’m going to Sophia-san’s house to study tonight. How about I hand her the phone and you two can chat for a bit?”

She lit up as she turned to me. Her puppy dog love for Sophia-san was one that I cherished. How I wish it all worked out for both of them.

“I…I would love that. Do you think Sophia would mind?”

“I doubt it. While we’re studying, she can excuse herself and chat with you. Nobody would suspect anything too. She won’t be using her phone either, so there’s no way anyone would know.”

“…You truly are my partner.”

Suddenly, she held me again. But this time, she was more aggressive and…excited.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I at least want to tell her I love her before bed! Or…ask her how her day is…”

Taylor-sensei’s flood of emotions poured out. Is this what it meant to be her partner? To experience both her high moments and lows all the same. Like when I realized my sexuality. It was Taylor-sensei that was the first to know. When I found out my feelings for Mari-san…it was also Taylor-sensei that guided me.

 

I…like Taylor-sensei.

And I never want to betray her trust.

I want to always be there for her, regardless of it being the best of times or the worst of them.

 

“I’ll message you before I give Sophia-san my phone, Taylor-sensei.”

"Alright, Nakagawa-san. Again…thank you."

Satisfied, I left the nurse's office. In a way, I felt like I was a cupid. Of course, Sophia-san may not feel the same way. But what if one day…she wakes up just like I did and starts seeing Taylor-sensei in a different light? I…think they’d be great together.

 

But if not…

If this all turns to tragedy and heartache…

Then I will hold her just like she held me earlier and tell her…

…that it’ll be okay.