Once we stepped inside our home, Hana-chan rushed up the steps, throwing her bag to the floor. I wanted to scold her, but I didn’t have the energy to do so right now. Instead, I walked into the living room and saw the expected person on the couch.

“Oh, what are you watching?”

“Some western drama.”

It seemed to have featured that same African American actor from the previous movie she was watching before. However, this time it was a romance, and the woman he was romancing was beautiful. Apparently, they were on a date of some kind, living it up in a rich yacht.

“How was your day, Madoka-san?”

“…I can’t lie, I’m glad it’s over, Mari-san.”

We both sighed as I made my way inside. All I wanted to do was relax, so I sat down on the floor and leaned my back against the cushions.

“Where’s mom?”

“Off with Mary again. They are preparing for the wedding, and she needed her help with designs.”

For a moment we sat in silence. Sadly, the only thing that was flowing in my head was Taylor-sensei’s words…That nobody was there to save her in the past…but the one she loves. That she doesn’t believe in fairytale love…because this cruel world showed her it doesn’t exist. Now my head was beginning to hurt. So, I removed my glasses and put them in my pocket. But that didn't relieve this constant pain throbbing in my head. It was...relentless.

 

“Are you okay, Madoka-san?”

 

 

My eyes perked up as I turned to her. Sitting on the couch, she leaned down and looked me in the eye.

“You seemed to be troubled about something…and I wouldn’t mind helping you if I can.”

Tenderly, she asked. As if to not invade my personal space, yet she wanted to be an active part in it too. I thought about it for a moment before I opened my mouth.

“Ah…I don’t know what to do, Mari-san.”

“About?”

“Well…I have a friend and…”

I didn't know how to sugarcoat this situation. My mind was too hazy thinking about all of it.

“You know…I’m going to just tell you the truth.”

It was Mari-san, someone I used to confide in before my coma. I…didn't want to make another gap in our relationship that used to be there when I woke up. I…wanted to be open and honest with her. So, I explained to her the situation between Sophia-san and our school nurse, her stepsister. Mari-san listened as she turned the television down. The next thing I knew, she was on the floor with me as we chatted about it.

 

 

“What a situation…”

I nodded. That was all I could do...was nod and accept that this situation was complicated...

“So from what it seems to me, Madoka-san…your friend, Conway-san doesn’t feel the same for her sister. But her sister loves her beyond anything.”

 

 

She crossed her arms and nodded.

“But the biggest hurdle here…is that her family is threatening to ruin her and won’t allow them to have contact.”

“Yeah…but it’s a bit more complicated than that now. Since I know about Simpson Eleanor-san and how she’s struggling to get by…”

 

 

Mari-san nodded.

“You’re afraid that your actions will cause her to be in trouble?”

“Yeah. I…want to help Sophia-san and Taylor-sensei. That’s what’s in my heart…but I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing…when it could hurt Simpson Eleanor-san too.”

She went quiet for a bit before looking back at me.

“From how it sounds to me, Madoka-san…you have two options here…”

“Hm?”

“You even leave things how it is and let it sort itself out. In the end…it’s their problem to figure out. You are just a third party in all of this.”

I slumped my shoulders.

“So, what’s the next option?”

She giggled.

“I knew it wouldn’t be that easy for you to just give up. I can’t remember the last time you just…let things be.”

We smiled at each other. It was simple...how we actually expressed ourselves to each other by doing this.

“The next choice would be to get them in one place so they can work it out and solve this problem together. As for Simpson-san...she'll have to realize the pain she's causing them by not doing it. I suggest you focus on Conway-san and Taylor-san for the time being.”

“That’s easier said than done, Mari-san.”

She looked up at the ceiling as if she was bringing the answers down.

“Well…think about it like this, what’s the real issue that’s keeping them apart?”

“The real issue? Wouldn’t that be their family?”

With a shrug of her shoulders, Mari-san's expression was a tad conflicted.

“Well…not really the family, but the potential of a scandal regarding the two sisters being in a romantic relationship.”

“But that shouldn’t matter. What does it matter that they like each other, Mari-san?”

 

 

She held my hand, calming me down. Only then did I realize I was getting riled up over this and did need to relax.

“Probably nothing.”

“What?”

“The entire thing between Conway-san and Taylor-san is probably nothing. But it’s the potential of a scandal that makes it worth hiding from the world.”

Now I wanted to explode, lash out at anyone for such a ludicrous reason to make them suffer like this. They were actively ruining Taylor-sensei’s life, they were slowly driving my best friend mad with hate for herself…because of something that might not even be worth it?

“I don’t get it then, Mari-san!”

“Before you get angry…think about it calmly.”

 

 

She soothed my anger as she spoke tenderly.

“The fact of the matter is if the public sees that these two are together in a romantic relationship, it could have adverse effects for them. Two sisters in an incestuous relationship with family in political positions. Those ideas could stick to  their company in public opinion.”

“…I guess.”

I understood what Mari-san was getting at. It’s like when a person is arrested for a crime they didn’t do. Even when they beat the charges, public opinion is still on them for it. It will be a target of strange scrutiny if the media labels them as incestuous, despite them not being blood-related.

“…What political bullshit.”

I spoke, earning a look of surprise from Mari-san.

“I never expected to hear that from you, Madoka-san.”

“I’m just…pissed, Mari-san. So, what should I do?”

She curled her finger in her hair before speaking.

“If you want to help them…you’d get them together. You see Madoka-san, there will always be scandals in big companies.”

She looked me in the eyes.

“I used to be a scandal, you know?”

“You did, Mari-san?”

She nodded.

“Yep. When I snuck out and got pregnant with Hana-chan, you should have seen how many people came to my parent's door asking if it was true that their daughter was a whore?”

 

 

“…That’s disgusting.”

“It’s politics.”

She giggled, but I knew she wasn’t feeling that way. Mari-san was likely passing off her anger as comedy. I wasn’t going to fault her in that either.

“But…eventually that scandal died, and they went on to the next family. I fell into the shadows, had Hana, and here I am today."

“So…what are you saying? To just let the scandal happen?”

Annoyed, I crossed my arms.

“Even if I got them together, wouldn’t their family just isolate them instantly…isolate me from them, and cover the entire thing anyway? Wouldn’t it be pointless?”

“Yeah, it would be.”

Now super annoyed, I turned back to Mari-san.

“You’re not helping, Mari-san.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that. What I meant to say was…it would be pointless…if all you did was put them in the same room.”

She was speaking in riddles, and I wasn’t sure if she was doing it on purpose either. I think Mari-san’s mind was working out a solution, and she was trying to articulate her thoughts clearly to me. So I waited as she explained.

"The reason why they have the power to control everything is that the entire situation is isolated. For example, if you made Conway-san meet up with Taylor-san, they will be forced apart, Taylor-san will be punished, and you will likely be isolated from Conway-san to prevent that from happening again.”

“That sounds like a fair scenario.”

I agreed. This situation seems even more complicated now.

“But the only reason why they have that power…is because it’s an isolated situation you would be putting them in. The family can control that.”

 

“…Are you saying…”

It clicked. What Mari-san was hinting at. I think she wanted me to come to the conclusion myself…

“Do you get it, Madoka-san?”

“You want me to get them together…in front of everyone?”

 

 

“That’s the only way I can think about it. If they come together in a place where there’s no escaping the eyes of everyone…the family will have to accept the consequences of them being together.”

My heart was pumping, thinking about it.

 

“So…there will be no way they can cover it up. Is that what you're getting at, Mari-san?”

“And not only that, there’s a lot more support around the world for this kind of thing now. Think about the media explosion it would be if the Conway’s were caught punishing Taylor-san…for loving the person she loves.”

She snickered.

"The Conway's hands would be tied pretty tight if their company was treated for being so brutal to Taylor-san in the open. It sounds to me that they would be forced with two options of their own…”

I lifted my leg in excitement, looking at Mari-san.

“Either they show support for Taylor-san's love for Conway-san…or they shut the hell up about it and leave it alone. Nobody in their right mind would touch a media sensation like those two. It would be political suicide.”

“That’s…scary that you thought about that, Mari-san.”

She giggled once again. Only then did I start to see how politically versed she truly was.

“Your only problem to make this happen is…how will you make a big enough audience that even the Conway’s won’t be able to push down all the media attention regarding them.”

I shrugged.

“Mari-san…I’m just a high school girl. There’s no way I could make that big of a scene for them.”

Now my motivation calmed down as I leaned back.

“Hm…Well, if you don’t figure it out in a few days, I’ll tell you how.”

“Eh?! You know what I can do, Mari-san?!”

She nodded sharply.

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t have said all that if I was blowing smoke out my ass.”

I pushed her; she pushed me back. How I wanted to push her down and wrestle with her…but I knew that if I started that, my body probably wouldn’t want to stop…and I might end up doing something I’d regret.

Because right now…Mari-san was super cool. How she guided me to an answer in the fog. Will it work? Well, there was no way I would know without trying. How will I make it work? Apparently, she knew just what I had to do to make it work.

 

 

“…Thank you, Mari-san.”

“Hm?”

“…You truly are an amazing person, Mari-san...”

I confessed, earning a blush from her.

“Are you trying to get a hint from me?”

“Of course!”

 

I lied. I truly believed she was an amazing person. How I admired that smart and calm demeanor of hers. And I think I understood why she didn’t want to give me all the answers…

Mari-san…wants to help me grow. That’s how she is, she brings a person so far then allows them to go ahead on their own. Like a teacher providing their student with all the pieces to the puzzle. That’s…how Mari-san always is.

 

“I’ll think long and hard about it, Mari-san. A way to get them together…that there would be no way the family could openly attack Sophia-san or Taylor-sensei.”

“I’m sure you’ll come to it soon enough.”

 

With newfound confidence, I stood up and reached out my hand. Mari-san took it as I lifted her off the floor. As if we were in a way teammates right now, our connection felt as though it grew that might stronger. From the corner of my eye, a dark-haired flower stared from the steps. 

 

 

When we made eye contact she gasped and rushed up the steps with a surprised expression. She might have overheard us. I take it she saw us together and decided to watch us to make sure...nothing was going on. I've already concluded that Hana-chan would be skeptical, so I rubbed the back of my head and let it go. I already trusted Hana-chan enough to know she wouldn't say anything. She'd likely support me too in this matter.

"I take it you're going to explain it to your little sister, Madoka-san?"

I shrugged.

"Might as well, Mari-san. She was eavesdropping anyway..."

For a moment we waited...until I began laughing. Mari-san joined in a few seconds later. How it felt that a weight had been lifted off of me. 

"See you later, Mari-san."

I waved, and she did the same as I rushed up the steps. My feet went right to my little sister's door that was cleverly shut as if she wasn't out a moment ago. I knocked gently as I called out to her.

"Hana-chan...can I talk with you?"

"O-Oh, yes...I'm coming, Onee-chan."

She opened the door looking a tad guilty. All I did was give her the biggest hug I could and asked her.

"Would you hear me out, Hana-chan?"

"Oh...yeah, I would love to, Onee-chan..."

 

So, for some time that night, we spoke about Sophia-san's outburst and what led to it. I explained to her about the situation she was in. As expected, Hana-chan agreed to support Sophia-san too. It felt as though I wasn't alone in this anymore...

This is what it meant to be..family, right?

Maybe one day...things like this would be simple for all of us to talk about. How...I hope that to be the case one day.

 

 

---

 

As I lied in bed that night, I thought about it over and over, but I couldn’t come up with a way…that I, a normal high school girl, could make something that big happen. That’s when a chime came to my phone.

“Hm?”

I checked it and it was a message from [The girl with the nice butt.]

[Hey, you.]

Was the message title.

 

[If you’re free this weekend, want to go on a date with me?]

My heart was racing. This was going to be the first time I officially went out on a romantic date with someone. The other time…I clearly couldn’t remember. That was with Mari-san…and I knew how that turned out...But it wasn’t as though I’m not interested in Saitou-san. I...wouldn't mind going out with her as I told her before.

 

 

[Sure.]

Was the only word I could think of to not sound like a fool. As I closed my eyes, my heart pumped for many reasons. For Taylor-sensei and Sophia-san…for Mari-san’s cool analysis of the situation and giving me direction…

[Let's go out on Sunday!]

The racy woman in the red dress replied. Still, with that picture in my mind, I closed my eyes. But before I could go to sleep, that cool image of Mari-san jumped back in for a brief moment. I shook off these emotions after a while of fighting and finally drifted off to sleep.