After a bit of backtracking, the train came to a stop. Takade-san and Mae-chan ran out in front of the group. It was like watching two children play tag as they ran about, screaming and shouting. Bystanders were annoyed, and it was hard to believe they were in high school acting this way.

“Nagumi-chan!”

They both called out to the nervous mini-Okabe-san. Nagumi hid behind her sister, occasionally peeking at both of them. When she looked past her sister's thigh, it was as if she was hoping the two of them would vanish into the cold winter afternoon. Nagumi was panicking.

“Over here, little Nagumi-chan!”

 

 

With her pink hair whooshing from side to side, Takade-san attempted to call her towards her, arms stretched out. Mae-chan mirrored this action with her hands stretched in front of her like robotic claws. Nagumi-chan wasn't budging, though. Her older sister was her rock, her safe place, and there was no way she was coming out of her hiding spot.

“It’s okay, little Okabe-chan. They’re both nice people.”

Saya-san crouched down to the green-haired mouse. Sora-chan and Hana-chan watched alongside Sophia-chan and the ghost, Yuko-chan. I could tell she was anxious, looking around. It made me wonder if Nagumi-chan got a lot of attention at school. Rarely, if ever, did she say anything, and having new faces fight for her attention might have been getting to her.

“Nnnnggg…”

Okabe-san sighed and looked back at her little sister.

“Are you okay, Nagumi?”

The older sister asked in a whisper. Instead of speaking, she closed her eyes and shook her head softly. I felt terrible, knowing Mae-chan and Takade-san only had good intentions when trying to break her out of her shell. But this overstimulated her, and Nagumi-chan was on the verge of shutting down. I wanted to say something, but I was interrupted.

“Don’t pester her.”

Okabe-san, seeing her precious little sister confused and overwhelmed barked at them. Nagumi-chan held her sister's leg tight and closed her eyes as if that would make her disappear.

“Oh geez, she’s such a siscon.”

Sora-chan teased. She then turned to her best friend and smirked.

“Kind of like you, Hana-chan.”

The flower, not taking her best friend's abuse, fought back the only way she knew. She lightly punched Sora-chan’s chest.

“S-Shut up, Sora-chan! I’m not a siscon! I just love my Onee-chan very much!”

“Ouch!”

Sora-chan cried with tears rolling down her cheek. Well, maybe it wasn’t that hard of a hit, but Sora-chan played it well enough. She rubbed her left breast, and Hana-chan did get a good hit off on her.

“Oh, is that a confession of love?!”

Takade-san latched on to Hana-chan’s words.

The confession was out… even though I'm sure she's said this more often. Takade-san, who wasn't around Hana-chan too often, made her way to the both of us. Love blossomed from her aura to the point that I could see the hearts in her eyes.

“Nakagawa Madoka! Your stepsister just confessed her true feelings to you! W-What’s your answer?!”

Sophia-chan and Yuko-chan coughed loudly as they both turned away in unison. Mae-chan and Saya-san held each other's hands. They pushed their cheeks closer, anticipating the sudden love confession's answer. Even the Okabe sisters were curious to see what would happen between Hana-chan and me. Sora-chan… was still rubbing her tender part. Hana-chan got a good hit on her.

The group of girls, eager to tease and poke fun at me, awaited my response. My eyes darted around, and I could feel the warmth of my body get just a slight bit higher as I retracted my neck into my scarf.

“Ah…”

Everyone was silent, and it caused my heart to throb like a drum. I turned to see… those incredible dark eyes facing me. This atmosphere was striking as the wind blew Hana's hair softly, creating a picture-perfect moment.

Mae-chan was the first to start snickering. The devil wouldn't even allow me to properly embarrass myself before showing me her true, devious colors. So, I ripped it off like a band-aid and said what I wanted to… back to the blushing little flower in front of me, all flustered.

Takade-san was probably the only person here who truly believed this was a romantic confession happening in front of her…

“I love you too, Hana-chan!”

I shouted with my hands on my chest. The relief of my feelings caused my body to warm up. I felt a tad relieved as the cold air cooled my mind down.

"Oh my gosh, they are officially together now!"

 

 

Takade-san squealed. She had this entire fanfiction in her mind… and I had no intentions to correct her fantasies at the moment. Hana-chan puffed her cheeks and rushed over, wrapping her arms around my hips.

“Onee-chan!”

“Hana-chan!”

“You girls are fucking weird.”

Okabe-san berated, looking away as she held her little sister too. Sophia-san put her hands on her hips and sighed harshly.

“That’s what I’ve been saying this entire time. You girls aren’t normal. None of you are NORMAL!”

Sophia erupted.

Takade-san reached in the air and spun around.

"Love is amazing! It's so true, real, honest! To think I'd witness a true love confession right before Christmas?!"

The love-struck girl began to fall. Saya-chan rushed over, reached her arm out, and caught her kouhi before she hit the ground.

“Now, now, don’t hurt yourself, Saki-chan.”

Her face lit up, the color of a Christmas ornament.”

“S-Senpai… you caught me.”

Sophia-chan, likely having had enough of our banter, stepped in and raised her voice.

"Enough! Enough! We're wasting too much time with all this… craziness. We must finish our shopping if we want to have this party tomorrow."

The shark commanded, bringing the group back into order.

“R-Right. We… don’t want to be out too late.”

Yuko-chan chimed in too.

Hana-chan and I let go of each other. I glanced at her, and she showed me a tender smile.

“Madoka…”

Hana-chan whispered my name. I tilted my head, answering her with a light smile. I didn't need to say anything to acknowledge what she was hinting at. Our bond… was closer than ever despite not being in the same household. Nothing has changed; if anything, the heart grew fonder being away for so long.

I could feel her tiny fingers attempting to wrap around mine through the gloves. Okabe-san and her little sister were doing the same when I looked to the side. They both were holding hands.

I began thinking about it. I've only known Hana-chan for around 3 to 4 months. If anything like that was happening to her… I wouldn't be able to sleep at night unless I knew she was safe. Taking that into account, as an only child, I didn’t understand what it meant to have a sibling until I met Koda Hana-chan. Ma-chan was the closest thing to a sister I’ve ever had.

I placed my arm around her shoulder unintentionally. The protective overbearing sister kicked in, and I needed to feel… as though nothing would happen to Hana-chan. I had no reason to worry. I knew she'd be safe. That was the major the difference between Okabe Kasumi-san and me.

Kasumi-san… doesn't know if her little sister will be okay tomorrow.

“Onee-chan… are you alright?”

The other girls were chatting about what to buy, leaving Hana-chan and me on the side. The Okabes were chatting with each other too. Kasumi-san was fixing Nagumi-chan’s bangs… like a mother making sure her child was presentable to walk into a store.

In a way, Nagumi-chan was like… Hana-chan. That connection gave me the idea to ask my little sister to do something meaningful.

"Yeah… Hey, could you do me a favor, Hana-chan?”

I asked.

“What is it, Madoka-chan?”

“You see Nagumi-chan over there… I think she has a hard time connecting with Mae-chan and Takade-san.”

Hana-chan nodded, agreeing with my deduction.

I met eyes with her. Those bright purple eyes feel the same as her mother's, Koda Mari-san’s. It took me off guard, likely because I hadn’t seen Mari-san in a few days. It… twisted my chest as Mari-san came back to mind.

“Ah… Madoka-chan?”

“Oh… sorry.”

I shook my head and got back on track.

“Nagumi-chan… and Kasumi-san are dealing with bad parents if you get what I mean.”

"Oh… is that why she has…."

I nodded.

"Yeah. Kasumi-san… her mother hit her. Nagumi-chan and Kasumi-san… have a lot happening at home right now."

“I see.”

Hana-chan whispered back. Her tone was dark, likely coming to terms with the situation.

She glanced over at Kasumi-san, still holding her sister in place. She was cleaning her cheeks and… tenderly taking care of her. Her love for her sister echoed in her actions; today, that echo expands. She was crude at times, but she had a heart for the person she loved. Kasumi-san loved Nagumi-chan…

And Nagumi might have been the only person she could care about. Kasumi-san would burn the world down… if it meant Nagumi-chan would smile.

“Nagumi-chan is probably being abused too. She… might be too scared to open herself up to people.”

I squeezed her hand.

“But… you and Sora-chan might be able to help her feel comfortable.”

It was a big task to ask of Hana-chan. But I wouldn’t have put it out there if I didn’t believe she could do it. Like she did with Yuko-chan, Hana-chan opened her up, and they seemed to get along much better. Hana-chan was good at understanding people.

“Ah… you think so?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, you’re more her size.”

I teased.

“Onee-chan! That’s rude!”

Everyone turned our way. I waved awkwardly at the girls, then turned back to my upset little sister. The group giggled and turned back to continue discussing the game plan for the Christmas party.

“I get it, Onee-chan. But it’s not because I’m short that I can be friends with her.”

Hana-chan was fixated on that, and it was adorable to see.

“Thank you, Hana-chan.”

Her fingers let go of mine as she walked over to Kasumi-san and Nagumi-chan. The green-haired mouse’s eyes darted over to Hana-chan. Slowly, she retreated to her big sister as if Hana-chan was a lion attempting to eat her.

“Hey.”

Hana-chan waved. Kasumi-san was confused at first but then glanced at me. Taking the hint, she let go of her sister's hand and moved to the side, allowing them a bit of space.

“Oh…”

Nagumi-chan didn’t say a word. Well, she wasn’t known for saying a lot in the first place, but she listened to Hana-chan. Her eyes fixated on her, and it looked as though she was more amazed that someone her age was approaching her. Despite them not being the same age, Hana-chan was short, and in her eyes, a kid like herself.

Nagumi-chan wasn't running away, either. She stood there stoically, waiting for Hana-chan to speak with her. Hana seemed a bit nervous as she curled her hair on her finger. Not sure how to bring up a topic, it appeared, she took a deep breath and cut to the chase.

“You want to… be my friend, Nagumi-chan?”

Nagumi-chan’s eyes were like balloons. They were large, bright, and full of excitement. She wasn't the type to show it in her body language, but I could see it in her eyes. It was like she was saying... "Someone wants to be my friend?"

“Nnn…”

Coyly, she looked away. Her cheek went red. As simple as Hana-chan said it, it reminded me that friendships were that simple in the past. Relationships weren't as complex as they are nowadays. Friendhsips weren’t always about giving and taking. There wasn’t always a give or take of what a friend could offer. It was as simple as “this person was here… and they could be my friend”. In the past, all one needed were two people who wanted to play with them. 

Those small lips opened, but she didn't say a word. With a slight but notable nod, Nagumi-chan smiled.

“Mhm…”

Nagumi-chan accepted despite looking away. I caught that tender, sweet smile, and it warmed my heart.

“Hey… she made a new friend.”

Takade-san said to the group. Everyone was watching the sight as Hana-chan reached out her hand. Nagumi hesitantly looked at her hand with suspicion. Instead of reaching out, she turned to her older sister for the OK. Kasumi-san crossed her arm. She wasn't going to step in; this was Nagumi-chan’s choice.

Nagumi-chan looked back at the friendly flower, still with her hand reached out to her. The mouse closed her eyes, reached her hand slowly, and touched Hana-chan’s.

“Got you.”

 

 

Hana-chan said sweetly. Nagumi-chan’s eyes opened wide as they formed this sacred bond… simply known as friendship.

The cold, chilly air reflected the hardship of the morning.

But this bond was a breath of fresh air, showing that even in the hardest of times, there is a glimmer of hope.