“Sophia-san…”

I murmured as I took her hand again. Now knowing the weight of her past, I wanted to not only be a partner for Linda but for Sophia-san as well. Sophia-san lowered her gaze to the side and admitted…

“…I don’t want to go back to my room, Madoka-san…”

Horsley, she spoke.

“I ruined the night for everyone…because I couldn’t keep my temper down…or my emotions in check...”

“…That’s not true, Sophia-san.”

“No…it is.”

Those burning crimson eyes dimmed down as she calmly expressed herself. 

“I envy you sometimes, Madoka-san.”

“Hm?”

Whipping her golden hair back, she faced me with a miserable expression.

“Despite all you’ve been through with your coma and…your stepmother who you still…have feelings for…you can still keep your cool.”

Before I knew it, Sophia-san put her head on my shoulder. She was all too worn out to realize that by this point. As if she yearned to touch me to comfort herself now.

“…That’s just how I look on the outside. I’m…an emotional mess inside, Sophia-san.”

Surprisingly, she giggled…then burst into laughter. It was a tad mean and made me want to pull her cheeks…so, I did just that.

“Eh?”

“Heh…got you.”

 

 

I pulled on her dumpling-like cheeks earning a wide-eyed response. Her face went bright red before her fist clenched, making me fear that she was going to lunge at me.

“Nnngg…”

Sophia-san cried as she flapped about. This actually made my heart throb a little. She was super embarrassed and probably on the border to beat the living daylights out of me.

"Hehe...Haha."

I couldn’t help it as I began laughing louder than her a moment ago.

Tenderly, I let go as we stared into each other’s eyes. 

"Gosh, Madoka-san..."

She complained.

However, the corner of her lips raised.

Kindly, she gazed back at me.

“You’re…easy to talk to. A bit of an idiot at times…but you…make me want to change, Madoka-san. You…make me want to change.”

“Sophia-san…that’s…very sweet.”

We looked at each other silently before she stood up and looked at the door.

“…I want to start by apologizing to…my friends. I have…really good friends here in Japan.”

Red-faced, she turned back to me.

“…But I’ll need your…help.”

She wanted to apologize but found it hard to. My friend…was begging for my support, and I would give her just that.

“We’ll apologize together then…”

 

Hand in hand, we walked to the door, but before we reached the steps, Sophia-san gripped me tightly and tugged at my arm. When I turned around her small lips touched the side of my face.

 

 

With the hint of cinnamon engulfing my world, those pink lips melted along my skin. I wasn’t sure how long this lasted for but when it was over, she backed away with her arms behind her back.

“…Thanks for hearing me out.”

Warmly, she thanked me.

“…Now, let’s get moving.”

 

With that, the shark rubbed her reddened eyes and whisked past me. Once she reached the door at the top of the stairs, she turned back to me and said something I wasn’t expecting.

“…You make me smile, Madoka-san…”

 

 

Her cheeks rosy-red, she giggled in the cutest way possible, before making her way out of my view. I stood there still in shock at what happened. My body was warm…almost hot…and it was Conway Sophia-san that made me feel this way, strangely enough.  Knowing with certainty that Sophia-san felt that way about other girls…I had to calm my mind. There was no other way to interpret that show of affection...

“…She’s certainly something, isn’t she?”

Lately, I’ve been trying my best to distance my feelings from Mari-san. So, my mind has been actively looking at others in more of a romantic sense. Even Sophia-san…had a type of attraction that I found charming in its own right. As if she was someone I wanted to protect. She wasn’t mature…or playful like Mari-san. No, she was a completely different creature…And that’s actually fine…Sophia-san has her own allures that I wouldn’t mind protecting.

 

As we passed the kitchen, I looked at the clock on the wall revealing the time of 12 AM in the morning. Following her slender back, as we walked up the steps, the moment was tense. Sophia-san’s stride was brought back to how she usually is. Once we got up to the hallway, I followed her until we reached her room.

“…Before we go in…”

She whispered to me. Instead of entering her room, she turned to the door a bit further down the hall. Alone, she walked inside.

 

 

Curiously, I peeked to see her leaning over Simpson-san’s bed. In a light snore, her guardian was in deep sleep, likely exhausted from the long day. Knowing how much she did for us during the day...I felt a bit guilty seeing her in this state.  Gently, Sophia-san leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

“…I’m sorry, Eleanor.”

She whispered softly. Even though they had a fight only a few moments ago, Sophia-san wanted to make amends. One thing I’ve come to notice about Sophia-san is she has a hard time showing this side to herself. But it’s not like she doesn’t. When the time calls for it, Sophia-san hardens her resolve and expresses herself clearly. It made me realize that I like seeing this side of her. Underneath that rough exterior…is a soft, lovable, emotional girl that I hate to see broken.

Her small feet tapped across the carpet as she made her way out the door. Once in clear view, she pursed her lips, grit her teeth, and threatened me with a stare that felt like a dagger to the throat.

“N-Not a word about that, Madoka-san.”

“Sure thing, So-chan.”

“S-Shut up…idiot.”

Her expression was deep red as she coughed and cleared her mood. We walked back to her room and opened the door.

 

 

“Oh?”

The redhead jumped as we open the door. Huddled in the corner of the room, the remaining four girls in a quiet debate. They had a flashlight propped up on the floor, shining upwards like a candle in some kind of strange ritual. Like deer in headlights, they all turned back to us as if they were caught like criminals.

“Ah…Welcome back?”

 

 

Mae-chan warily said as we stepped inside. They watched us awkwardly as I shut the door behind us.

“You girls were awake that entire time, huh?”

I questioned, earning a nod from all of them. Yuko-chan shuddered in the corner as if she was scared that she was caught. All Sophia-san did was take a deep breath and exhale ruggedly.

“I needed to talk with Madoka-san alone. No reason to beat around the bush about it…I wanted to use the time without Eleanor hawking over me to tell her things.”

Harshly, she told the truth as if it was no big deal. But then her strong demeanor began to fade as her shoulders dropped. So, to give her the strength to continue, I touched her small finger, earning a blush from her.

“Arrgg…you guys…”

Her voice came out shaky. With all the eyes pressed on her, she bowed slightly.

“…Sorry for acting out earlier. Eleanor said something, and it angered me…But I took it out on everyone else, a-and that was r-rude of me.”

Her voice was trembling the entire way, but to my surprise, she lifted her head and faced the middle schoolers first.

“Ah…I-I-I…was hoping to play more…g-games with you two tonight…but…I ruined that. I-I really was having fun with you both.”

She struggled to get out her feelings…but she did. I wanted to pet her on the head, but now wasn’t the time for that. She…was being honest to us, and I needed to respect that.

“Oh, Sophia-san, that’s not true.”

Hana-chan spoke up, approaching her slowly.

“N-No, it is true, Koda-san. I acted out…and there was no reason for me to yell at…my friends.”

Sora-san rubbed the back of her red hair.

“The four of us woke up…thinking about a way to cheer you up when you two got back. But we didn’t come up with a plan in time.”

She slumped her shoulders. Yuko-chan patted her on the back as she expressed her concerns.

“W-We figured that you both were talking about personal matters, C-Conway-san…a-and we couldn’t think of a way to help.”

Yuko-chan sighed, letting all the tension in her body out.

Mae stepped up next and bowed slightly.

“Yeah, Sophia-san. We all came to one resolve…and that was a way to make you happy. But…we couldn’t think of anything in such a short notice.”

The shark’s eyes went wide as she searched about the room. It was apparent, everyone was worried about Sophia-san. Like she said earlier, she has great friends, and this was a testament to that. It looked as though everyone was worried for Sophia-san. Her slim shoulders shook as she turned around and faced me. With her head down and a slight beam on her face, she admitted to me…

“You know, Madoka-san…I was popular back in England…”

She stated, warmly…

“But…I don’t think any of my friends were as nice to me as you all are right now. You all…are my true friends, aren’t you?”

That’s when she squared up to everyone and opened her heart to them.

“…Would you give me time to tell you all what I’m s-struggling with? Madoka-san…is helping me right now…a-and it was painfully hard for me to tell her my troubles…but eventually I would love for everyone to know too.”

In the warm room, surrounded by friends, we all gave her a gentle answer with our smiles.

“Sure, Conway-san.”

Hana-chan, out of everyone, approached Sophia-san first. Her dark hair flapped as she bounced over to Sophia-san. Being a tad shorter than her, it was a cute scene, seeing them bond in this way.

“If my Onee-chan is helping you with your struggles…I want to help you too, Conway-san.”

“…Oh, shut up, kid.”

Sophia-san stated warmly as she petted her head. Hana-chan’s cheeks bloated in annoyance, but I felt as though they were getting closer too. My kind little sister was doing her best to get closer to my friends. We all were…growing that much closer.

“Is anyone tired?”

Sophia-san asked, looking about the faces of everyone.

“Not really, I’m roaring to go!”

Mae-chan jumped; Sora-san grabbed onto her suddenly though. They tossed about in the room in a useless struggle of power. Everyone just watched as they flipped the mood of the night from a dreary sad…to a hopeful one. Mae-chan…was always good at changing the mood, wasn’t she? So, I suggested…

“Well…how about we all watch a movie or something? Try to end this night on a better note?”

It seemed the group took a liking to that as everyone beamed.

“Oh, let’s watch this anime movie over here!”

Sora-chan rushed over to the shelf.

“Hey, slow down before you break something, kid!”

“Sora-chan! Let’s watch this one instead!”

Hana-chan even joined in. Apparently, Sophia-san had everything Hana-chan could ever dream of here. It was like being in a candy store for my little flower. As I watched Sophia-san’s expression…I could honestly say that she loved being the “Onee-chan” of these two.

“Hey, Mado-chan.”

Mae-chan called out to me silently.

“I take it she told you more about her and Taylor-sensei?”

“Yeah…her struggles are…far deeper than I initially thought. We have to be there…for both of them, Mae-chan.”

Mae-chan nodded before racing back over to them.

“Oh, why don’t we watch a horror movie?!”

“Eh, heck no, Ma-chan!”

I cried out. Even Yuko-chan was worried too as she approached warily.

“I-I’m not…good with that kind of stuff.”

Yuko-chan timidly tried to tell everyone, but nobody was listening. They were all in a heated discussion about the media for tonight. It…made me giggle.

“Okay, it’s decided! We’re watching a fantasy 2-part movie about demon slayers.”

Proud of herself, Sophia-san put her hand on her small hip as she raised the two movies in her other hand. Mae-chan clapped with excitement, Hana-chan and Sora-san jumped with joy too. It seemed Yuko-chan and I were the two odd ones out because we didn’t react all that much. As long as we were having fun, I didn’t mind what we did. So, I helped Sophia-san bring out a bunch of pillows from her closet. We set up everything on the side of the wall. With a bunch of futons, we made a fort that faced the large TV.

“Oh, sit over here with us, Mihara-san!”

Sora-chan cried out. Reluctantly, Yuko-chan sat next to her. It appeared as though Sora-san wanted to use her tall body to prop up pillows. It was a tad mean of her, but she looked comfortable, so I didn’t want to say anything. Hana-chan rested in front of Sora-san. I was on the left side of Yuko-chan and Mae-chan. Before the movie began though, I needed to grab my glasses, else I'd be straining my eyes. Sophia-san was in the front with Hana-chan, likely because she was too short to see the screen otherwise. We were all…close and comfy. 

"I'm starting the movie!"

The shark cried as she pushed the play button. Like a hammer hit the wall, the volume was louder than we expected, causing everyone to jump at the first clash of blades on the screen. 

"Ehhh, turn it down, C-Conway-san!"

Yuko-chan cried as she shook back and forth. Sora-chan jumped on her as if trying her best to calm her racing heart down. However, it looked to do the opposite as she tried her best to tug her away. 

"I-I'm trying, Mihara-san! The last thing I want to do is wake Eleanor."

Sophia-san complained as she tuned it down to a medium level.

"Hey, isn't this a prequel to Demonic Slayer, Conway-san?"

Hana-chan questioned, looking at the expert. The shark crossed her arms, nodded her head, and stuck her nose up proudly.

"Yep. Pay close attention, and you'll catch all the cool little details."

Mae-chan jumped up, pushing my sides on purpose.

"Ohhh, I have no idea what this about, but it's super cool!"

"S-stop it, Mae-chan!"

I complained, pushing her back. For a moment we shared a giggle as we turned back to the movie.

 

 

The movie was beyond gory and felt like a sick person's fantasy more than anything...but that didn't matter. Everyone was having fun. Sophia-san and Hana-chan would chat in between fight scenes. Mostly about the powers of the main characters and his party members. Sora-chan would be squealing in excitement even during sad scenes. Yuko-chan would hide when the blood began to spray...I would too, so we'd grab onto each other for support. Mae-chan just sat quietly and enjoyed it for the most part, to my surprise. Something told me that Mae-chan had a few things on her mind right now too.

These moments where we could just be teenage girls without worry were monumental..and I've started cherishing them all the more.

Sophia-san was struggling with something greater than her…but I knew she would get through it with everyone who supported her now. Together, we will certainly find a way for both my partners to be happy because they love one another more than anyone can imagine…And in this cold storm of emotions…there had to be a way to make both of them happy…I just had to find it.

 I’m not sure when I passed out…but I’m sure none of us stayed awake long enough to watch the entire thing. Briefly, I woke up with the movie still on the title screen. I removed my glasses, reached for the remote, turned it off, and closed my eyes again.

"Good night, everyone,"

I whispered. They replied with light hums that soothed my heart.

Surrounded by my friends that I've grown to love now, I felt we could accomplish anything together. So I closed my eyes, got comfortable between them all, and went back to sleep.