“Good morning, Madoka-chan…Koda-san!”

As we stepped on the morning train, our big doggy came to greet us. Hana-chan jumped up, put her hand on her head, and nodded endearingly.

“Good morning, Mihara-san.”

They were getting along. I didn’t have to worry about them anymore. It was a little sweet how Hana-chan took the reins and was actively being nice to Yuko-chan.

 

 

 

“How were your exams, Mihara-san?”

“Oh…I think I did alright. The scores should be in by the end of the week, so we’ll see then.”

She pumped her fist in a sad attempt to look confident. I know Yuko-chan was doing her best to hide her embarrassment too. Hopefully, she did well and doesn’t have to take any supplementary classes...

“Oh, Yuko-chan. Did I offer you some concert tickets for this upcoming weekend? You know, the STARS one?”

“Yes, that’s right. You said you’ll give me the tickets soon, but I haven’t got them yet.”

I held out a sparkling ticket. They were full of cutesy pictures, and I made sure to keep them in the best condition. Despite what I planned to do at the concert over the weekend, this was still a STARS event, and I had every plan to enjoy it to the fullest.

“Here’s yours.”

I chimed, handing it over.

"I'm going to chat with the others today to see how we're going to get there. It's a little too far to take the train from there and back. With how crowded it'll be afterward, I doubt we want to take a train from there also.”

That was still a problem too. How was I going to get Taylor-sensei there without her being followed? I couldn’t tell her the true reason for her to come way out there too. There was still a lot of planning I needed for the event.

I closed my eyes and thought about it.

“What about you, Onee-chan? Do you think you did well on the exams?”

This is going to be tough to do. It won’t be easy no matter how much planning I put into it. But to save these two from all this, I’ll have to start being decisive in my actions.

“Onee-chan?”

“Hm? What is it, Hana-chan?”

For a moment she looked at me with a bit of discontent. But after a brief puff of her cheek, she questioned.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind right now.”

“Yeah…sorry, you two.”

Yuko-chan shook her head round and round. She did it so harshly I was afraid it would slap me across the face like a whip.

“No, you don’t have to apologize. W-We understand.”

I crossed my arms and nodded.

"Yeah, thank you, you two."

It's not like I didn't want to tell them. Eventually, I will, but the first thing I need to do is figure out all the quirks to this before I try to execute everything. This was going to be a process that couldn’t be disturbed. One important thing I needed to do today was to chat with Taylor-sensei. However, I can’t tell her my plans. It’s just…safer that way. I’ll need to get her to the concert…without her knowing she’s going.

As we stepped off the train, my thoughts persisted. What would be the best course of action?

“Ah, Mihara-chan.”

Hana-chan interrupted my thoughts as she turned to Yuko.”

“Yes, Koda-san?”

“Do you mind if I have a minute with my Onee-chan? I have some important things to say to her before she runs to school."

Taken aback, she stepped away to the side. Thankfully she gave us a good amount of distance as she walked away, trying to find something to do. She was like a lost pet, waiting for her owner to arrive.

“…Sorry, Hana-chan.”

“Oh no, it’s nothing like that. We haven’t found the time to chat…so, what’s up?”

Hana-chan was doing just what she always did…she was supporting me, and it warmed my chest all the more. How lucky I was to have a little sister like her.

“I don’t have the time to explain everything right now…but I have a way to help Sophia-san and our school nurse, Taylor-sensei.”

She perked up as she crossed her arms.

“Really? What are you going to do, Onee-chan?”

“I’m stuck on how I’m going to get Taylor-sensei to where she needs to be…without her knowing.”

“Hm, I wish I knew the entire story... How about this, let’s chat about it at lunch?”

“Sure, if you’d like.”

We should share around the same lunchtime because Hana-chan’s school is the sister school to ours. They usually follow the same schedule, so this is going to have to work. With gratitude, I petted her soft hair. She moved with my hand like a cat. Strangely, Hana-chan was starting to get used to me doing this.

“Hey…we can solve anything together, right, Onee-chan?”

“Right, Hana-chan.”

“Okay…now, don’t keep that girl over there waiting, Onee-chan. And when the time comes…make sure she can trust you too.”

I turned to see Yuko-chan in the distance. She walked around aimlessly, waiting for me to come and relieve her of her guard duty. I had a beam on my face, looking at her over there. She certainly is…a good friend, isn’t she?

“Yeah, I promise. You have a great day, Hana-chan. I’ll chat with you at lunch.”

“Right!”

The noble flower cried out as she walked her way to school. Her figure got smaller before I turned back to Yuko-chan and approached her. Her eyes perked up as she straightened her back at me.

“Thanks for waiting, Yuko-chan. I’ll…explain it in due time, is that alright?”

“Oh, yeah…that’s fine. W-Whenever you’re ready, I’m here to listen.”

We began walking again. One thing was certain, Yuko-chan was becoming more confident day by day.

“How’s work?”

She asked, turning slightly away from me.

“It’s great. I’m making decent money for a high school girl with no responsibilities, my coworkers are nice, and the customers are friendly. I have little to complain about, Yuko-chan.”

She put her finger to her lip and tilted that cute head of hers. She always reminded me of an animal and today was no different.

“Oh…where do you work again?”

“The Red Roses. It’s a small restaurant in the nearby shopping district.”

She nodded, harshly.

“Is the…ah…food good?”

I snickered.

“Are you planning on coming to eat there any time soon?”

“Oh! Ah…I didn’t mean to do that. I was…just thinking that it would be…y-you know…interesting.”

“Interesting, how?”

I teased, going in front of her. Now walking backward, I faced her as she attempted to escape my gaze.

“Ah…nothing.”

“Well, it didn’t sound like nothing. Come on, tell me what you meant.”

“Ah…I was just wondering…how it would feel…for you…to….”

Her face was getting redder by the second, but I wanted to keep pushing, so I nudged her a little.

“Come on…tell me what’s on your mind!”

“Ah…what it would feel like for Madoka-senpai…to…serve me?”

I wasn't expecting her to say something like this. How the idea of me being her maid popped into my head. Was it true that maybe Yuko-chan…had a bit of a fantasy about me in that way? I didn't know how to respond to it so I just clammed up and turned around.

“Madoka-chan?”

The blood in my body felt like fire rippling within me. That…was far more embarrassing than I could have ever imagined, and it was coming from someone like…Yuko-chan.

“I-I didn’t mean it! I…I…It…ah…was…a…joke?”

I highly doubted that this was a strange joke. She literally forced herself to say it. It wouldn’t be true if it was a prank. Now that I thought about it…Could it be that Yuko-chan might have wondered how it would feel to be on the side of the bully instead? She’s usually the one who is being picked on.

 

 

The thought of Yuko-chan bullying me like Risa-san or Mari-san came to mind. It was hard to wrap my head around, but it did come to mind regardless. I…could see this tall beauty have her way with me to the point that it caused me a slight bit of anxiety. Maybe putting me in a cute maid outfit and having me dance to her tune by telling me what to do. Just the thought caused my head to start to spin...

“Fine, if you come to the Red Roses one day…I’ll personally serve you, Yuko-chan!~”

I did my best to flash her a cunning smile…but that was easily overshadowed by the warmth of my face. With a cough, I turned around and proudly marched my way to school. I heard a timid giggle from behind, it made me want to turn around, push her playfully, so I did just that.

“S-Stop!”

I cried, giving her a slight push. All she did was laugh wholeheartedly. Just a few weeks ago, Yuko-chan wouldn’t be able to hold her own with me, but here she was with her ability to tease me back. She was slowly getting more confident as I said earlier…and it was great to see.

“Thanks for making me laugh, I…really needed that, Yuko-chan.”

I took her hand in mine and we both made our way into the school gates.

“Sup.”

Sophia-san cried as she rushed over. With her hand on her hips, she looked us up and down.

“You two are getting closer and closer by the day, aren’t you?”

 

 

“Eh?!”

Yuko-chan cried and held me tighter. I stood up for us as I walked in front.

“What’s so bad about holding my friend's hand, Sophia-san?!”

“What are we, five? Whatever…anyway, ah…I’d like to chat with you a bit before class starts, Madoka-san.”

“Oh, sure. Ah…Yuko-chan, I’m going to go with Sophia-san. I’ll catch you later?”

She nodded and let go. With a beaming smile, she waved us off. When I turned back to her, I caught Saya-chan and that other girl, Takade-san, approach her. Thankfully, she wasn’t left alone like last time. Before we went inside, I caught that blue-haired lightning hugging Yuko-chan from behind.

Now in the shadow of the room, Sophia-san plopped her body against the cement. She took a deep sigh and turned back to me.

“We talked over the phone, but I want to talk about the plan once again.”

“Well, not really much of a plan right now. But I know what should happen.”

I closed my eyes and gathered everything in my head.

“The biggest problem between both of you is your inability to have time to sit down and work everything out.”

She nodded.

“…Sure…I guess.”

“Because your parents are actively keeping you apart…and even planning on ruining your sister’s life if she keeps it up, things need to change before it’s too late.”

Like a heavyweight has been pushed on her shoulders, she leaned down and looked at the grass. The shark rubbed the back of her head and nodded sharply.

“Right. You’re…right. If things don’t change, Linda will be ruined.”

“Yeah, that’s why I think this opportunity is one of the few chances we’ll get.”

She leaned on the wall and I followed suit.

 

 

“I can’t lie…I didn’t sleep well last night, thinking about all the garbage I put you through.”

“Sophia-san…you shouldn’t worry about that.”

She bit her lip in seeming frustration.

“Shut up and listen to me…”

Confused, I turned back to her.

“As you know…you are very important to me. If my family is willing to destroy the life of their own daughter, haven’t you ever considered what they’d do to someone they don’t know?”

As I felt before, like a large blanket was hovering over my world now…it was too late to get out from under the shadow. I already set in motion a plan that was too big for one person like me. That’s why I’ve slowly concluded that I need help. I would need Risa-san’s financial power to even have this option. I needed Mari-san’s wit to think of something this grand. I’ll need my friends to help execute this…

“Yeah…I’m thinking about it every minute of the day now, Sophia-san…”

Her shoulders pushed against me and after a few seconds, she relaxed.

“But ever since that night we shared a connection together, Sophia…I’ve been thinking a lot about how both of you are in pain.”

It was becoming easier…speaking my mind now. Thanks to these two for showing me that I could. So, I expressed myself as best as I could.

“I am afraid…but I know if things turn out right…you and Taylor-sensei will be freed of the things that happened in the past…like me with Mari-san.”

In the shadows of the school, where nobody could see we spoke our honest feelings.

“You with Mari-san?”

I nodded.

“Because I was able to clearly express myself to Mari-san…thankfully I’m able to try and move forwards. I know…that I don’t want to go back to being who I used to be.”

Now caressing her hair, I confessed.

“Thanks to you and Taylor-sensei…I know who I want to become. I…want to be there to support my friends. To support and protect you, Sophia-san.”

Her cheeks flared up as we met eyes. I was beyond embarrassed saying all this…but it's what was going through my heart right now. This wasn't just me sticking my nose in other people's business. No, this was going to be a monumental moment to help me change. To show me that I can take on the pains of others and become stronger.

My old self couldn’t be strong and that led to my inability to cope with my trauma. Mari-san had to make such a major sacrifice to ensure I would be okay when I woke up. But now wasn’t the time for me to be coddled any longer.

“I will help you two.”

My determination peaked. Like with my family…eventually I’ll figure this out. I’ll be beside Mari-san when she confesses what happened between us with mom. And…I’ll find a way to wade through all that chaos to make sure our family is happy in the end.

But right now…I needed to show myself that I can become emotionally stronger, that when I set my mind to something, I can succeed.

“…I’m grateful to have you as my friend.”

The delinquent confessed out of her small…cute lips. Now with her hand on my cheek, she smiled brightly.

“Alright, no more doubting. It’s time to end all this craziness between me and Linda.”

We stood up as she announced her feelings.

“Madoka, I love Taylor Linda, my stepsister. I love her from the bottom of my heart…”

She sighed…

“And at one point of my life…I believed I was in love with her but that isn’t true at all. I just…wanted her to be happy and was willing to sacrifice everything for that.”

Now with conviction, she stood up and confessed what was in her heart.

“But she needs to know that I don’t love her that way. And…it’s okay that I don’t love her that way! That our loves are different, and that’s okay…”

I could see the tears starting to well up in her, but she held them back with a sigh.

 

“And if she hates me for it…so, be it. As long as she’s free of all this chaos, I’ll be happy.”

 

 

“Sophia-san.”

She beamed now…it looked a bit pained, but she smiled regardless.

 

“I’ve always been afraid of facing Linda, Madoka-san…”

She turned to me and put her hand on her side.

“But you…give me the strength to do it. I’ll…I’ll do everything in my power to show her what my love means to her.”

“I’m happy to hear that, Sophia-san.”

 

---

 

The first bell rang causing us to fall back into the time called reality. So, I helped her up, and we stood there in each other’s hands.

“Well, let’s get going.”

Sophia nodded as we made our way back to class. When we entered, Okabe-san was sitting on her desk. In her hand was her phone. She perked up and looked at me as I approached.

“Oh, Nakagawa-san.”

She waved; Sophia-san huffed as she made her way to her seat. I approached curiously.

“What’s up, Okabe-san?”

 

 

“You don’t work today, right?”

“No, I don’t.”

She moaned. With a scratch of her ear, she looked to the side.

“Hm…Well, that’s too bad. Nagumi-chan wanted to do homework with you today. She’s…really been looking forward to doing that again.”

With a shrug of her shoulders, she sat in her seat.

“Next time for sure, Okabe-san.”

“Yeah…I guess so.”

The times when she visited Taylor-sensei came back to mind. It seemed that Okabe-san wasn’t close with anyone…but she might have taken a liking to Taylor-sensei…

“How did you do on your test by the way?”

Curiously, she asked. It felt a tad forced…like she was trying her best to find a way to speak with me. Awkwardly, I replied too.

“I think I did fine. I’m sure English was my lowest grade, but it shouldn’t be too bad.”

“That’s good…as for me…I’m going to have to take supplementary classes. I really screwed up.”

She groaned as she scratched the side of her cheek.

“Honestly, the reason why I called you out was to ask you something a little…important.”

“What’s that?”

If I do have to take classes…I won’t be able to get to work until an hour after. Ah…I explained to Nagumi to just do what she does until I arrive.”

“You want me to take care of Nagumi-chan on the days you can’t make it early?”

She crossed her arms, leaned back a bit, and nodded.

“Listen…I can’t ask for help from anyone else. If she can’t go to the Red Roses, then she'll have to go home with her dad, and…that's a problem. So…"

I found myself twisting my hair in my fingers as I nodded softly. It sounded as if Nagumi-chan needed my help for sure. Who would I be to turn her down?

“No, I think I understand.”

Risa-san mentioned that Okabe-san might have a lot of problems when it comes to her household. After a bit of thought, I decided that Nagumi-chan shouldn’t have to feel a certain way. I don’t want her to have to deal with more problems than she should at her age.

“…You know…”

She started before taking a deep breath and pushing out…

“Thanks, Nakagawa-san. That’s…a big help. It’ll only be for a few weeks, but it really helps.”

A look I could only compare to relief cast off her. I couldn’t lie, it was a bit strange seeing this expression from Okabe-san.

“If you need anything from me…let me know, alright?”

It seemed she was in a position where she couldn't be her usual self. My thoughts about Okabe-san weren’t the best, but what I could see right here is an older sister who needs help. Nagumi-chan isn’t like her older sister; she doesn’t deserve to be treated coldly, for sure. So, I’m only doing this for Nagumi-chan.

“Sure, Okabe-san…”

The rest of the class went by like normal and when lunch arrived, I got on the phone with my little flower. I had to find a nice, isolated spot to do so, though.

“Onee-chan, how is your day?”

“Really good so far, what about you, Hana-chan?”

“Great, class has been pretty easy going today. I guess most of the teachers are burnt out by the test.”

I leaned on the wall. The cold windy day caused my hair to dance about. It was a tad relaxing, though, as I embraced the breeze.

“You wanted to know what was going on this morning, Hana-chan?”

 

 

I could hear her kick and mess around from the other side of the phone. I take it she was outside, likely in a place far away from the other girls so we can have a private chat.

“If you don’t mind…”

I thought about it momentarily before deciding to explain to her gently.

"Yesterday…I went on a date as I said. It turned out…the person I went on a date with…was Saitou Risa-san.”

I could hear her literally choke on the air. I didn’t want it to be a bombshell, but it was just that.

“You mean m-mom’s boss, Onee-chan?!”

I grumbled. No matter how I would have explained it…it was nothing short of strange that I went on a wonderful date with someone like Risa-san. I couldn’t imagine what was going through my little sister’s mind right now?

“Yeah…it was her.”

“I…have a lot of questions about this, but…ah…what else?”

I went on to explain to her the tickets and how they could help in the situation with Sophia-san and my school nurse, Taylor-sensei. She silently listened to me as I explained everything. When it was over, I pretty much told her what I had so far.

“So…you’re trying to find out how to get Taylor-sensei there…without her tail knowing? That’s…really hard, Onee-chan.”

“Yeah…”

“Well…what if she disguised herself like in a manga!”

My little sister sounded a bit excited; she apparently wasn’t taking this all too seriously but then…

“Disguise…”

What came back to mind was her glasses. The fake glasses she wore when I was chatting with her on my bed. She teased about being…incognito, didn't she?

 

 

“Wait, Hana-chan…you might be on to something?”

“Hm? I was just thinking about a manga, Onee-san.”

As I suspected, but I let it go as I continued.

“What if we disguise her so her tail won’t know it’s her when she leaves?”

I heard Hana-chan groaned in protest on the other end of the phone.

“Well…if she needs to get to the concert, wouldn’t they notice if she left because her car would be missing?”

“You’re right…that’s not a good idea, is it Hana-chan?”

“But…what if she came in a different car?”

I crossed my arms and thought about it deeply. Getting her in a different car? That might work…but there’s the problem with whose car she can get into. Not only that, what if her tail notices her? Everything will be ruined.

“What about this, Onee-chan. Why don’t you suggest meeting her somewhere close but instead she rendezvous with someone else who takes her to where you want her to go?”

“I’m not following, Hana-chan.”

“Well…if she leaves her house and her tail follows her, she gets to the place where she is supposed to meet you then she disguises herself and rides with someone else to the concert.”

A light came in my head as pieces started coming together. What Hana-chan suggested could help her ditch her tail…and stay incognito until we get her on stage.

“I see…”

If I could lure Taylor-sensei casually to a spot…maybe, we can…

“Hana-chan, you’re brilliant!”

“I just read a lot of manga, Onee-chan! We have some time…let’s plan this out properly. And I'm here to help whenever you need me. Conway-san is just as much my friend as she is yours."

“Thanks, Hana-chan. I’m sure she’d be happy to hear that.”

I hung up the phone with a smile. Now the next thing to do would be to talk with Taylor-sensei about…this upcoming chance. Feed her into the idea that she’ll meet me there. It might seem a little low…but the ultimate goal is to get them together in the end.

So, with a new level of conviction, I made my way to the nurse’s office. My steps were quick as I excitedly had what to do in my heart.

“Oh, Nakagawa-san!”

On my way, I was caught by a pink puffball of excitement. It was no one other than Takade-san. She bounced up to me as her feet kicked about with vigor.

“What’s up?”

Strangely, it was like a repeat from last time. I was on my way to Taylor-sensei’s room when this sprite jumped up and came to greet me before.

 

“Question, are you gay?”

 

 

“Huh?!”

As loud as she was, she asked the question in a way that was far from courteous. Thankfully, it looked like the other girls in the hall didn’t hear her blunt comment. I nearly grabbed her and pulled her to the side. But that wouldn’t be very ladylike of me, so I calmed my composure, turned to the side, and asked…

“W-Where is this coming from?”

She crossed her arms and gave me a smirk.

“I super knew it! All those hints Saya-senpai was giving me helped me discover it.”

“H-Hints?! Why is she talking about me behind my back?!”

With a wave of her small hands, she spun her pigtails back and forth as she shook her head.

“Oh no, you misunderstand, Nakagawa-san! Saya-senpai just mentioned that you and Yuko-chan are getting closer by the day.”

She crossed her arms and nodded harshly.

“By closer…I just assumed that you might be…you know, into girls. I mean, Yuko-chan is super tall and big but has a heart made of gold. So, if you two are dating….”

Now I broke my ladylike appearance as I covered her mouth. I nearly pulled her under the staircase. Only after all this wildness did I notice that I might have overreacted.

“L-Listen…we are not like that…”

“Ohoho! But you didn’t deny that you aren’t like that, did you Nakagawa-san?”

With the excitement still high in my stomach, I turned to the side.

“L-Listen, Takade-san…I…”

This wasn’t like others. I already knew Takade-san was just like me, but she’s more willing to express herself. So, it’s not like I have anything to actually fear if I told her…how I felt about other women. That’s when I gave her a brief nod.

“Recently…I discovered that I have an attraction to the same…sex.”

I confessed in a whisper. However, Takade-san lit up like a Christmas tree. She literally spun around in enthusiasm!

“Awesome! This is so awesome!”

Awesome was an interesting word for her to use. All I did was tell her that I’m attracted to girls. But she held my hand and tapped around excitedly. Her fingers were warm, as I realized that she had been blushing. Despite the level of excitement, she brought…could her heart be racing too?

“Why don’t we talk about our types! Ohhh! I’m super into girls with oddball personalities and a nice figure too! You should have seen me when I first met Saya-senpai!”

“H-Hold on…I have to be somewhere, Takade-san…”

She sparked up like a wire hitting electricity. With a sharp nod, she giggled warily.

“Oh…sorry…I didn’t take that into account. I was just super happy to hear that I knew someone…who…you know…liked the things I do.”

Her shoulders dropped. I didn’t mean to be that way, so I took her hand again with vigor.

“Oh, let’s talk all about it sometime…Hey, do you have an email I can contact you with?”

“Y-You wanna chat later tonight about it?! That would be super-duper awesome, Nakagawa-san.”

My feet began to hop a bit out of excitement. This would be the first time I could chat with someone my age about things like this. Someone who isn’t part of my family or within my close circle yet. Takade-san seemed to be a necessary part and a pretty cute girl too.

“Let’s chat later tonight, Takade-san! Here, have my number.”

For a little bit, we exchanged numbers. I could see her fingers fly on her phone as she punched my number in.

“Ohh, I can’t wait. Well, I should spend the last few minutes at lunch chatting it up with senpai. See you later, Nakagawa-san!”

With a skip and a hop, she disappeared up the steps. I was still worn out by wading through the sudden windstorm named Takade Saki-chan. So, to not waste any more time, I rushed to the nurse’s office.

When I entered inside, there she was, holding her papers as she chatted away with someone. The excitement got to me when I walked inside. Our eyes met briefly as I gave her a wave.

“Oh, hello Nakagawa-san. Funny seeing you here.”

 

My body froze as I met eyes with…her.

That pink-haired, hardened amateur detective.

 

 

“H-Hello, Simpson Eleanor-san.”