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Minori always dreamed of being a guardian, guiding humans and protecting them. She sat on the side of the bed, thinking about her future as a guardian. A piece of folded light blue card was in her hands, opening up into some kind of pamphlet, with dark blue text and large pictures. Reading over the pamphlet again, her mind wandered to what kind of person she would watch over, granted that she even became a guardian.
She studied, trained, and yet, every year, her name was never on the list. All she could do was study some more, train some more, and pray to god that she would one day leave the invisible castle in the sky, home to the guardians, and visit the surface.
Today would be the day the list was unveiled, and afterwards, one-on-one consultations would reveal assignments. Minori planned to check it soon, but didn’t feel like rushing down to the signboard, however, she should probably get going.
She walked down from her room, and went down the railway, passing by her neighbors, possibly coming back from checking the list. Most of them had sunken faces of disappointment, while some were impossibly bright. A few others held a look of disinterest. Although Minori didn’t quite know them, she still smiled and waved to each stranger, and before she knew it, she made it to the bottom of the tower.
The courtyards were decorated with white flowers and fluffy feathers floated around. Minori stared at her reflection in the water-like ground, before steeling her fretting nerves and walked towards the signboard, where a crowd was already gathered.
Pushing and squeezing her way through, folding her wings in completely for compactability, she made her way to the front, her gaze moving down the list, then to the right, and down again.
And there, as if written in gold ink and haloed by shimmering rainbows, was her name. Minori let out a shriek of elation, and couldn't keep herself from jumping into the air right then and there.
Admittedly, the news kept her in a great mood for the rest of the day, but by the next she was down from her high, realizing she would have to meet an Archangel for her assignment. They were scary, okay! When she saw them at the yearly processions, they intimidated her with their huge wingspan that made them look like a white wall of feathers. The morning after she was accepted, a letter was delivered to her room decreeing she would meet with the Archangel this afternoon in the library. A surprisingly mundane place to conduct such an important meeting, but perhaps her superior just had a preference.
Hours passed by like minutes, as Minori anxiously prepared for the meeting. She carefully considered what she was going to say, rehearsing everything from her greetings to her goodbyes. After all, if she messed up now, the Archangel could decide to fire her then and there - a genuine fear - and it would be another year of waiting.
Finally, her legs took her to the library, which, unlike a mass of white and fluff - such as the courtyards or her room, was a mahogany brown, with multicolored books lining the shelves, neatly sorted. Ladders were propped up against the books, allowing some of the more vertically challenged angels to grab the higher-up books from the shelves. Minori noticed the Archangel sitting near the window, reading a book with two bunnies decorating the cover. The book was transparent, and Minori briefly wondered how they were reading it.
The angel was dressed in something noticeably different from Minori’s standard angel garb. They wore a purple dress, and dark stockings, along with dark purple hair, wildly curly but well kept. Their clothing immediately identified them as Mafuyu Asahina, the resident library keeper, and a retired guardian angel. Minori knew her only from official documents and announcements, as well as seeing her name among the procession of Archangels.
Minori slowly strode up to Mafuyu, before bowing and enthusiastically greeting her, “Hello, Miss Asahina, I’m Minori Hanasato, the one you called to meet at this hour. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” She tried to be as polite as she could, though it was a difficult task for one as excitable as herself.
The Archangel in question laughed a little, “Don’t be so uptight, Hanasato. You can call me Mafuyu, we’re only here to discuss the details of your assignment. Congratulations on becoming a guardian.” She reached her hand out for Minori to shake, the corner of her lips slightly upturned.
Minori eagerly grabbed the librarian’s hand, and shook it vigorously, while Mafuyu remained unruffled, and sat down in the seat across from her.
Reaching into a bag in the seat next to her, Mafuyu put back her rabbit-adorned book, and swapped it for a white folder. She spread the folder’s contents over the table, and separated the papers for Minori to see.
Sliding the first sheet towards herself, she read the contents vigorously, “Here. You will be the guardian of Tenma Tsukasa, a young highschooler. More details are on the sheet.” True to Mafuyu’s words, details such as school, address, age, as well as other important information, such as what he liked, disliked, and feared, were printed on the paper. A small photo taped onto the page depicted a blond teenager, with bright orange eyes. What caught Minori’s attention the most, however, was the occupation. Wonderlands x Showtime…? It sounded like some performing group.
After scanning the first paper quickly, Minori moved to grab the second one. To her surprise, there was another photo on the page. Light green hair, framed into two pigtails over her shoulders. “As you know, guardians not only act as protectors, but also the guide to satisfaction, meaning, true love, for humans. She’s what we think will make a good match.” Her name seemed to be Kusanagi Nene. “You already know this, but do your best to pair them together. I’m sure you already know what that entails.” Mafuyu ended with a slightly withdrawn expression. It was clear to Minori that her superior didn’t like this particular part of being a guardian angel.
Minori looked between the two teens, they attended the same high school, and only were a year apart. That made her job convenient, to her relief.
After she put the two papers back into the file, she noticed the third one, which was about Tsukasa's relationships with his parents, his sister, and his group mates, and some classmates. Nothing of particular note, but it looked like Tsukasa had a tight knit close group of friends at school, which made Minori smile. She was happy that Tsukasa already had some good friends to rely on, as well as a supportive family.
Mafuyu, staring silently, decided to speak once Minori finished the third paper. "I trust you have a good sense of who you will be guarding, now. I have faith in you,” she said not unkindly. The Archangel then stood up from the table, retrieved her bag, and made a quick goodbye before departing, leaving Minori alone with the file. Minori hastily returned the goodbye, before organizing the file and taking it back to her room to pore over its pages some more.
Minori brushed her wings gently, letting the full span of her feathers reach out. Her fluffy feathers straightened out, and she tested stretching her wingspan to the fullest, since she needed to fly all the way to Tsukasa soon. Speaking of Tsukasa, she needed to make a good first impression, since he might panic and run, leaving Minori to search for a panicking teenager in the middle of Japan- a worst case-type of scenario.
“Hup!” She sat up from her bed, and put a clip in her hair, green and orange, with a white wing decal. Finally, she straightened out the creases in her skirt, gave herself a quick final glance over, and deemed herself presentable.
Stepping out of her room, she took off into flight, and looked back at the floating castle in the sky, before she dived straight down to the human world. Tokyo was bright and colorful, alive and bustling, a nice change of pace from her home, which was always quiet, and never saw much color besides the sky. People walked and ran along the streets, and large illuminated posters and signboards were plastered on tall skyscrapers.
She took note of one, an advertisement for some hair product, which declared in big bold letters “Kiratani Haruka loves Angel Wing, a 2-in-1 shampoo! Your hair will be as soft as an angel’s wings!” Minori chuckled at the irony of the advertisement, playfully wondering if her wings would be even softer after using the shampoo on her feathers.
On the poster was the girl herself, with a short blue cut, in a white and green outfit, whose hair certainly looked as if it was as soft as angel feathers. Minori couldn’t help but stare a little longer than intended on her face.
Suddenly mortified that she got distracted so easily, she quickly turned away. Sorry, Kiritani, I’ll be back, she thought wistfully.
Swiftly leaving the poster, she flew around, attempting to navigate her way to Tenma household. While flying around, she looked at the other billboards. Some had similar advertisements, and to her shock, Tsukasa was on one of them; she recognized the Wonderlands x Showtime logo from her files, and realized it was just his job in the show business, a surprise.
Eventually, she made it to the house, cautiously opening the front door, making sure no one would watch a door mysteriously open by itself. According to the clock, Tsukasa, and his sister, Saki, were currently at school, and their parents were out working. The house was practically deserted, so Minori took the time to observe her new living quarters.
All in all, the Tenmas were well off, with a warm, comforting home; quite different from Minori’s plain room, white and flat and smooth, just like everyone else’s. A plump tan couch placed in front of a large flatscreen tv, and a tile kitchen with wooden counters. She walked up the stairs to the second story, where she was greeted with two doors. One door had a yellow, pink, and blue paper taped onto it, decorated with glitter and sparkles with the name “Saki”, and the other had a simpler orange paper with the name “Tsukasa”, although sparkles were also neatly drawn on in white marker.
Opening the door to Tsukasa’s room, she was greeted with a plain bedroom, but there were still some notable details, such as posters of… himself. Minori was definitely dealing with someone of character, alright. His room also had stacks of papers - scripts - and a bed littered with plushies and blankets.
“Saki, I’m home!” That must’ve been Tsukasa, Minori ran down the stairs excitedly. A surprised-looking Tsukasa managed to get out a “hey, looks like she isn’t her-” before the angel jumped towards him, smothering him in a hug.
Minori pressed back, standing right before him, “Hello! I’m Minori Hanasato, your guardian angel!” She winked, and her voice reverberated with energy.
“Oh, did the cosplayers break in again… Aren’t the fake wings a little much? I know I’m a star, but this is a little too close.” He waved his arms around in a flurry, putting distance between him and Minori. “But if you want an autograph, you can meet me at Phoenix Wonderland! We’re doing a show tomorrow!”
“Cosplayer? This isn't cosplay,” she replied, confused. He looked at her doubtfully, which made Minori feel indignant. Fake wings, huh? She stepped back further, and proceeded to launch herself into the air. Although her wings snagged onto a stray umbrella, which fell to the ground with a thunk, she rose up elegantly, her wingspan covering nearly the entire length of the hallway.
Tsukasa suddenly looked winded, his brain immediately short circuiting. “A-ah. I see.”, he managed to stutter, before weakly swaying to the couch, putting a hand to his forehead as he broke out in a cold sweat.
Minori cheerfully took a seat next to him, kicking her legs against the couch, before deciding to speak up. “As your guardian angel, I’m here to protect you from any danger!” And a little too enthusiastically, she added, “I’m also here to guide you on your journey of love and happiness!”
Somewhat calmed-down, Tsukasa nodded, “So, how long will you be here? And what do you mean by ‘journey of love and happiness?”
“I’ll be here as long as my goal is fulfilled, which is the journey I mentioned! Essentially, I’ll be pairing you up with someone who we, us angels, think is the perfect partner for you!” Minori explained, still sounding perhaps a little too excited for her first job. Who could blame her, she’s been waiting forever to give a briefing like this.
He seemed to understand a little better, “Could you tell me who it is?” He looked as if he was trying to hold back his interest, but Minori could tell that he was curious.
“Sadly, I can’t tell you just yet, but they’re perfect for you! Probably.” She whispered the “probably” at the end, not wanting to doubt her superiors, but there have been cases where the designated partner wasn’t the right one, and the guardian angel had to wing it. No pun intended.
Tsukasa took a deep breath, “Alright, alright, I believe you. You can stay in the guest room, I guess, but keep quiet. I don’t think my parents want a third problem child. Especially one with wings.” Minori nodded in agreement, and he stood up, walking up the stairs to the guest room with her close on his tail.
“Here.” Minori took a look around the room, which was empty save for a bed, and a closet. There was a wooden desk in the corner, with a desk lamp, as well as a shelf with some aged books. “It’s not much, but I don’t think I could’ve prepared for this anyway... he sighed, resignation in his voice.
Minori squealed, knowing that no one besides them was in the house. “It’s perfect!” Warm and cozy, with a windowsill and a bookcase, she’s dreamed of having a room like it! Tsukasa couldn’t help but smile at the angel, like she was his own younger sister.
At dinner, Tsukasa tried his best to hold in what happened that day, knowing that an angel was sleeping right above his head. He spooned mouthfuls of soup into his mouth hastily, and wiped off the splatters with a handkerchief.
“School was so fun today! We learned all about exponents and what-not!” Saki laughed, cheerfully smiling while shoving soup in between sentences, while their parents listened intently, pleased that their daughter was finally able to laugh so energetically again.
Tsukasa continued to tense up, as Saki rolled through the rest of her exciting day as he felt the ever-growing urge to interject and talk about his encounter with an angel. His face scrunched up into a pout, crossing his arms, desperately trying to keep his mouth shut.
However, he was no match for the observant eyes of one Saki Tenma. “Tsukasa, what’s wrong? You look upset. If you want to talk about it, I’m right here.” She looked at him with concern. “Are you tired? I know you have a show tomorrow, maybe you should rest and call the show off?”
Panicked, hHe immediately latched onto the excuse she made for him “You know I can’t, Saki, these shows aren’t just mine, but for Wonderlands x Showtime! If I were to call in sick, when I just need some sleep, I’d surely be ruining it for the rest of them!” He continued, adding further emotion, as if he was concerned for Saki, and not the other way around, “I’ll just get some early rest tonight, I’m already finished with dinner.”
It was, admittedly, not his most honorable application of his acting skills.
After Tsukasa finished consoling Saki about his assumed tiredness, he put the bowl in the sink and walked up to his room. He thought he wasn’t tired, but he went out like a flashlight.
“Oooh! Oh! I’ve never seen a school before! This is so cool!” Minori exclaimed, sparkles in her eyes, as she hovered behind the back of Tsukasa.
It really was cool! Minori hadn’t had a school or anything like that in her life. For all she knew, one day she had woken up, 13 years old, and extremely confused. There had been no school or anything, just a large orientation, with other angels as lost as her. Soon enough, she found her cog in the machine that was the castle, and gradually got used to all the blinding white.
Angel school… Minori thought about what that would entail… flying classes, behavioral tests, it was a fun fantasy to think about.
Tsukasa yelped While Minori was daydreaming, Tsukasa let out a sharp yelp and she was immediately pulled back to reality.
Tsukasa, and another girl- Nene, she reminded herself- crashed into each other, with their textbooks scattered about. Minori was glad she wasn’t there to hinder Tsukasa, since this was a perfect moment for romance to foster.
She watched as Tsukasa immediately mumbled out an apology, and reached to grab some of his textbooks, and once he was done, a hand reached out to pull him up. Perfect! Way to go, Nene!
The hand was Kamishiro Rui's.
Ah. Way to go, Kamishiro… way to go.
Nene was already walking away, looking a bit ruffled from the bump. It seemed like only Tsukasa had fallen to the floor, so she had grabbed her books and swiftly escaped.
However, another person was here to help, and decidedly not the person Minori was looking for.
She remembered reading up on Kamishiro Rui, an eccentric boy with flair for the theatrical, and good friend to Tsukasa. Rui was supposed to be the supporting cast to Tsukasa and Nene's blossoming relationship, just as everyone else, not the star of the show!
Looking back, Tsukasa let the corners of his mouth tug into a small curve, and stood up quickly while still grasping onto Rui's hand, light pink dusting his face. Minori couldn’t tell whether it was from embarrassment or just being flustered. Tsukasa didn't even notice how his ears were a little red. Where even was Nene in this whole scene, Minori wondered desperately. Perfect partner, where are you?
Rui finally spoke, cutting through the awkward tension, "My, my, Tsukasa, you should be more careful. What if you got hurt, then today's show wouldn't go on, no?" He smirked a little, not an ounce of shame from the very, very, explicit hand holding.
"Haha! Don't worry, Rui, nothing will stop Tenma Tsukasa from performing today!" He replied, and then whispered into Rui's ear, "Saki's watching today, with her friends."
"Oh, how delightful!" Minori thought that Tsukasa's dedication to his sister was commendable, it made her wish she had a big brother like him as well. "However, classes are about to start, so perhaps you should break off the hold you have on my hand… unless you'd like to walk into class like this? Quite bold of you, Tsukasa."
Did he just…? Minori thought. He didn’t just- well played, Rui.
If Tsukasa's ears had been red, they were steaming now, "Right!" He swiftly unclenched his hand around Rui's, and took off, waving back to him as a quick goodbye. Minori chased right after him, still confused about that exchange.
Eventually, they both made it to the classroom, where Minori finally spoke up, "Tsukasa, you should be more careful next time! As your guardian angel, I’ll protect you, but please protect yourself too." She worried and flailed around, while Tsukasa sighed.
Still, what was that? Had Rui been… flirting? It was still unclear.
Well, Mister Rui Kamishiro, Minori is here and she is ready to fight!
Before Minori knew it, it was already afternoon and she noticed that Tsukasa wasn't going home, before she remembered that he had a performance today at some amusement park. She followed him, and let him ramble on about his performing troupe.
"Rui's our director, he always makes the best scripts! He also makes all of our props, and they always look so co- oh, we're here!" Tsukasa stood in front of a large archway, leading into a tiled space, and pulled out a badge that said "staff" on it. He showed it to the booth, and they let him through, sashaying in like he owned the place.
Hastily following, Minori took in the scenery. Young children were scattered about, some with parents holding their hands, others chasing after them. A few teens were enjoying snacks of hotdogs and ice cream near the food cart, and people screamed in excitement on the roller coasters and rides. The chatter and clamor of people surrounded Minori, and he bright colors were almost overwhelming,
It looked like…. no, it was….fun.
But before she could stay enraptured to the scene any longer, Tsukasa dragged her by the arm - which must've looked a little concerning to any passing strangers - and pulled her to the stage in the back.
"You're here!" A young girl- Ootori Emu, Minori recalled- rushed straight into Tsukasa, and crashed right into him. The result resembled a pile of limbs and clothing on the floor, with Tsukasa's dazed face sticking out, stars spinning in his vision. Emu looked like quite the bundle of energy, and Minori thought she could get along with her quite nicely, until she realized her current state as a floating invisible angel stalking (with consent) a young blond teen. Yeah, she could really only watch, to her dismay.
Tsukasa pushed her off, dusting his shirt, faking offense, “Of course I am, who would I be if not the great upcom-”
“Yeah, yeah, we already know. Just change, the show’s going on in 20.” Nene, who had been watching, briskly walked away, leaving to fiddle with the props, and the blonde looked a little hurt. Ouch, Nene, you’re really killing your chances here. Make this easier on me, Minori thought.
Emu watched her stride away, before her eyes widened with newfound energy. “Nene… c’mon, liven up a bit! Wahahah!” Chasing after the girl, Emu switched her assault to Nene, and smothered her with a hug, her wide smile contrasting Nene’s resigned, but relaxed, look.
This left Rui and Tsukasa at the front of the stage, and Rui decided it was a good time to hand Tsukasa his costume, before waving him off to the changing room behind the curtains. Minori didn’t dare to follow him, reasoning that he could handle himself for a little while, and decided to observe the new scenery.
The stage was surrounded by forest, all dark green and cool pine brown colors, while the stage itself was painted with numerous bright colors- the hot pink of flamingos, the color of Emu’s hair; fresh green like grass, the purple of Rui’s own locks; the same color as lavender and lilacs, yellow like the sun, and shining like gold; and most prominent of them all,a bright orange. The sky was painted in blues and yellow, and the wind brushed past her ear, flowing against her hair and her clothes, tickling her legs and her arms.
The breeze was cool, and a welcomed sensation to offset the burning sunlight, the sweltering heat daring to make the performers precipitate even before the play. But not her, her mind supplied gleefully.
She took a seat at one of the benches near the back, reasoning that most kids would choose the front-most seats, and waited. Eventually, people filed in from the paved path, kids running through and eagerly sitting down, while parents consulted flyers, and checked their watches for the time when the performance started.
Before long, a great big cheer and explosion of applause marked the beginning of the performance.Tsukasa stepped on stage, loudly introducing himself as the prince, looking for a princess. He wore a long, fluffy cape, and a small crown on his head. Minori thought his acting was superb, his face contorting and twisting into different exaggerated expressions, laughing and crying as the script dictated. At least, Minori thought so, since there weren’t any plays or acting where she was from.
Eventually, Nene appeared as the lost princess hidden within a tower of secrets, while Emu played the dragon, having a bit too much fun with the oversized costume. Nene sat down and sang a tune, her voice sounding absolutely heavenly, and called out for a prince to save her. Tsukasa then ran on set, holding his prop sword, to slay the dragon.
He held out Nene’s hand, and Minori was loudly cheering for them. Maybe she could do this! But the hand-holding was short-lived, as they both broke it off to bow for the play’s conclusion. The performance had been entertaining to watch, with a simple yet enjoyable premise, and Minori realised why the kids liked it so much.
“Now, after we’ve congratulated the actors, let’s say thanks to our amazing director as well!” Tsukasa went off stage, and came back dragging Rui out from behind the curtains, holding both of their hands up in the air, “Thank you for watching, please come again!” And they bowed in sync, Rui looking a little frazzled by the sudden movement, and just to add insult to Minori’s injury, they held hands walking off stage, as Emu played with Nene’s hair behind them.
“Hey, Tsukasa, will you come and watch the movies with me?” Nene asked, offhandedly, like it was an on the whim decision. She rested her palm against her chin, looking as if she wanted to leave as soon as she could, and with the other hand, she held out a movie ticket. Minori could take it as a win.
Tsukasa responded with enthusiasm, “Of course!” Minori had to wonder why Nene had chosen him, of all people, but happily concluded that it was fate at work. Her superiors were always right, and the perfect partner assessment was correct. However, she still couldn’t help but scrutinize Nene, trying to detect any hint of an ulterior motive, like a prank or a stand up.
And as soon as she saw the name of the movie they were going to watch, she immediately noticed the ulterior motive. Although inconspicuous, she remembered reading about it in a magazine, and was wholly scared for Tsukasa. But she decided to keep her mouth shut, not wanting to interfere in any romantic affairs. After all, maybe Nene could jump into Tsukasa’s arms, as he protected her throughout the movie.
The reason she picked up the magazine in question - embarrassing to admit - was because Haruka was on the cover; she couldn’t help but be attracted to those blue locks, with the angel sporting a feathery white dress that really made her look like an angel on earth, while beautiful doves flew in the foreground. She ended up secretly stealing the magazine when no one was looking, and combed through it in the comfort of her guest bedroom.
Honestly, she was so tempted to take one of those posters of Haruka from the More More Jump merch store, and put it up in her room, forgetting the fact that she was a guest. Unfortunately, if Saki or anybody else in Tsukasa’s family saw the poster, they might get suspicious, or worse, get the wrong impression of his tastes.
Speaking of posters, holy cow, did Haruka look good in this movie. Haruka was holding a saber, clearly standing in the middle of some kind of fantasy, with blood smeared on her face. Hot, her mind supplied, and then shaked those thoughts away, keeping them from becoming indecent, unbecoming of an angel. Hey, she couldn’t help the fact that Haruka was so fetching, with her blue hair flowing behind her in the wind, the wild yet determined expression on her face so beautiful- no! Minori was on a job!
Sadly, they were not going to watch the movie Haruka was in, and instead, she groggily trailed Tsukasa into the movie lobby.
There was Nene, holding a large bag of popcorn, and a soft drink, nagging on someone. Her self-proclaimed nemesis, Rui. Rui had successfully stolen Tsukasa from Nene a total of two times now under Minori’s watch, and she was sure she wouldn’t let it happen again! Not on her - well, immortal - life!
They exchanged greetings, and had some small talk, just about school and upcoming performances, before Nene tugged at the two of them, signaling that the movie was about to start. They filed into the theater, a few others already inside, and Tsukasa placed himself in between Rui and Nene, as if to demonstrate Minori’s current turmoil over his love life.
The movie started, and everyone took a few sips of their drinks, as Minori settled down to watch the movie. It was just a standard highschool thriller, something about a serial killer being let loose during prom. The plot looked fairly boring, with no elements of horror or gore quite yet, so Tsukasa sat comfortably, and Minori felt a little bad for the shock he was going to witness.
Then, Tsukasa decided to take a sip of a drink. Not his drink, but Rui’s drink. It was dark, and nobody really knew whose drink was who’s, but still, that’s an indirect kiss! An! Indirect! Kiss!
Curse Minori’s interest in human affairs and entertainment, she was too distracted to catch Tsukasa in time, so he ended up drinking straight from Rui’s straw! Rui wasn’t even paying attention to him, also watching the movie with observant eyes.
The blood started. The first stabbing from the masked serial killer had Tsukasa shriek, as he jumped from his seat in fear. Shaken, he slowly sat down, embarrassed from his sudden fright. He was trembling a little from the horror, arms shaking a little, and Minori started to feel really guilty that she didn’t warn him.
Luckily, someone put an arm around him, and hugged him warmly, rubbing circles on his back. That someone being, goddamn - excuse her language! - Rui Kamishiro.
Nene didn’t even care, enraptured by the movie, eyes only at the flashing screen, while she shoved her hand into the popcorn. If Minori could, she would be shaking the shoulders of the petite girl violently, telling her to “go get her mans”, as the internet crudely put it.
Tsukasa looked relieved once Rui wrapped an arm around him, nudging his head against the other’s chest, and eventually stopped shaking. Albeit, he was staring not at the movie, but at Rui’s fascinated face, wholly intent on burning holes into Rui’s eyes.
Minori decided to just watch the movie, it was better for her mental state to just forget it ever happened. She tried to ignore the words exchanged between the two. She tried to ignore the intimacy. She tried to ignore it all.
Before she knew it, the movie ended, with the final girl moving away from the town, and the killer locked up in prison. Tsukasa and Rui immediately sobered up and separated, now that the lights were on and everyone could very clearly see what they were doing during the showing. Minori squinted at them with scrutiny, while Nene, who was just looking, didn’t betray anything from her expression. Her impassive face saying, they do this every day, as if she got used to it.
However, to respect Tsukasa, Minori decided to not comment on it, and instead just talk about the movie. “I really liked the protagonist! She was so brave!” Well, it was more like Minori ranting while Tsukasa did subtle gestures of response, since nobody else could hear or see the angel.
They waved Nene and Rui off as they walked into the distance, and Minori stared longingly at the Haruka poster. Tsukasa seemed to notice her gaze, and proposed an idea, “You want to watch that? It’s showing in 10 minutes.” And if Minori was happy from watching human entertainment, there were fireworks in her eyes now.
He rushed to pay for another ticket, and sat down with Minori in tow.
“Even if this isn’t my home, I’ll make it mine…” Minori mumbled, floating behind Tsukasa.
Tsukasa whispered back, “Still on that movie? Minori, it’s been 3 days.” He sighed, he wished he didn’t have to whisper back to Minori, but if he suddenly started talking to himself, his reputation would go down even further than it already was.
Minori immediately started sputtering and waving her hands frantically in panic, “No, no, I’m not I swear!” Honestly, she watched the movie because Haruka was starring in it, but the message had still deeply resonated with her.
She was having so much fun with Tsukasa and his friends in the human world, she almost forgot she would have to go back as soon as Tsukasa fell in love with Nene. The human world was so fun, so colorful, so alive, compared to the silent halls of the white palace. Back home, there was nothing interesting in the blindly blank courtyards, her room was small, cramped, oppressive in mood, and everybody else was stoic or shy, only sharing neutral greetings and making small talk such as the weather. As if she had eaten the forbidden fruit from the garden of Eden, she couldn’t go back.
She was lost in her daydream of thoughts; being able to stay on Earth really did seem like a dream, until she was broken out when Tsukasa thought to himself out loud, “That new sweets shop... I should check it out for Saki!” He balled his hand into a fist, pumped up to go take a look.
However, he immediately realized how awkward it would be to go by himself. “Minori, who do you think would go to a sweets shop with me, y’know, hypothetically, of course!” He whispered to Minori, while putting his books back into his backpack, to go to lunch.
Minori saw the opportunity and latched onto it tightly. “Hmmm… How about Nene? I’m pretty sure she likes sweets.” She wasn’t sure if Nene liked sweets, but she did catch Nene sneaking candies into her mouth occasionally, so she was sure she at least didn’t dislike them.
“Ah, that’s a good idea! Let’s ask her during lunch then!” Tsukasa whispered-laughed to her, somehow able to both laugh energetically yet quietly in his affable mood.
Eventually, the day passed by in a blur, and suddenly Minori was following Tsukasa to the new sweets shop he mentioned. The door opened with a ring of a bell, and Tsukasa sat at a table for four, waiting for Nene. The cafe walls were a pale blue, ice and bright spring skies, and bountiful plants and flowers lined the walls. She could recognize a few, pastel pink peonies, lavender lilacs, multicolored orchids. He took the seat towards the window, with Minori sitting next to him, excitedly talking about which sweets they should order. Despite not needing human food, Minori could still eat it and taste it, so they had planned to order “extra” and then take them home as leftovers for her to try.
Another ring by the doorbell, and Nene was arriving… with Rui on her heels.
Minori wanted to slam her hands on the table, if not for causing a commotion, and probably getting Tsukasa in some pretty hot water. How was he supposed to explain a sudden slam, when he didn’t even move his hands?
Rui took the seat in front of Tsukasa, while Nene sat herself next to him, and exchanged pleasantries before deciding on what to order. Tsukasa spoke up, “I think I’ll have the lemon chiffon cake, and a raspberry tart.”
Rui’s eyes widened a little, “Isn’t that a bit too much, are you sure you can finish?” He said with worry, however, Tsukasa reassured him, saying he would just take it home for Saki if he didn’t finish. With his concern dissipated, he went back to ordering, as well as Nene.
In the end, they had a wide spread of different desserts and pastries laid upon them like a royal banquet. As much as Minori’s mouth watered, she couldn’t eat any, lest she let Rui and Nene see a floating fork loaded with cake. She just resorted to watching Nene eat with vigor, more excited about her parfait then this “date” with Tsukasa, in which Rui and Minori were supposedly third-wheeling.
To her dissatisfaction, but not surprise, Rui and Tsukasa were acting more like sweet hearts than Nene, who was just taking bites in between her games. She saw Rui taking a piece of cake with a fork and putting it into Tsukasa’s mouth, how dastardly! She should smite him with holy lightning for this, just like the heroes did in all the comics.
She decided to distract herself by listening to the background music, and staring out the window, views of city streets and cars filling her vision. She recognized the music, a tune from More More Jump - prominent upcoming idols - that also starred Haruka, so she looked into them.
As Rui and Tsukasa shared a float with two straws, ‘Ai No Material’ started playing.
“I know the sympathy of love, I know the material of love,” Rui made a joke that had Tsukasa chuckle a little.
“The future that you were gazing at, I don't know if I can take you there. I hope I can support you and keep walking with you." Tsukasa held Rui's hand, looking at him fondly. Rui returned the stare, taken aback by the sudden, yet slow, movement. The realization began to dawn on Minori, as she slowly sank to the floor, her face falling into her palm.
“May our feelings always be connected. May our hearts always be filled with warmth.” Minori facepalmed. She was an idiot. A dense, dense, idiot.
Minori stood next to Tsukasa, shaking his shoulders behind the school lockers, “C’mon, you can do it! Just give it to him!”
Tsukasa fumbled with a bouquet of flowers, carnations, Minori knew. She helped him pick them out, after all. Orange, just like the color of the tips of his hair. She knew that roses were terribly overrated, and read in another magazine that carnations meant fascination and distinction. A perfect fit, if she could say so herself.
It had been a perfect school morning, a clear, bright blue sky not unlike the ones she would wake up to every day, a cool breeze offsetting warm sunlight on skin. Hallways and classrooms were painted with color, and Tsukasa was cheerful, his strides full of energy and his face plastered with a wide smile.
Of course, that smile was gone once he realized the gravity of his present situation, but Minori decided to ignore that fact and call it a perfect school day. A perfect school day to end her adventure on.
Tsukasa delicately placed the bouquet in his locker, not wanting to crush or snap any of the stems. Flowers bloomed from the opening, before he carefully closed the locker door.
Classes were always a bore for Minori, since she couldn’t really care less about what was being taught, but despite that, she felt captivated to pay attention to the lecture. She even made a habit of sitting in the empty desk behind Tsukasa’s, watching the teacher draw chalk shapes on green-tinted blackboard.
She learned back then that Tsukasa was studious when it came to his academics, to her surprise. Considering how he acted, she thought he wouldn’t pay attention and end up doodling or sleeping in the back, but he was surprisingly alert and always asked questions. Minori thought she might have trouble keeping up with his class.
Nene’s classes made a lot more sense to her, the math and literature easy to understand, since it lined up with what she mostly knew of those subjects.
Dreaming of rainbows and music, she tried to ignore the impending thoughts that she would be sent back to muted, quiet, sadness soon enough. Her eyes traced the ground and the windows, but not focusing on anything in particular. She looked up to the clouds, but to her dismay, couldn’t make out any shapes.
When Tsukasa was focused in class, she could sigh and rest her head. Dealing with him was like a never ending headache, but she didn’t want to make the pain stop just yet.
She thought of unicorns in the sky, flowers blooming on vines, sunlight streaking across a sunset-lit highway, warm smells in a cozy cafe, the feeling of old leather bound books in a library. Suddenly, a sharp shriek of a bird broke her tranquil, and it was lunch.
Tsukasa quickly dashed down to the lockers, and then ran up the stairs to the rooftop, and so Minori ran after him. She was panting and out of breath once she made it to the top, as was he.
She decided to go on her tiptoes, and whisper him good luck, before letting him approach the two students. Luckily, after a glance at his determined face, Nene got the memo and walked away, sending him a thumbs-up behind Rui’s back, discreetly.
However, Minori had to see this out, as Tsukasa’s guardian angel! She did spend a lot of time mulling over what flowers he should get for Rui.
Tsukasa had a light dusting of Saki’s pink glitter on his face, as he held the bouquet behind him, before clunkily stepping towards Rui, like a robot.
“Oya? What have you got there, Tsukasa?” Rui looked towards Tsukasa’s arms, tightly zipped behind his back, concealing the present. He smiled casually, like he always did during their banter.
Minori watched Tsukasa’s face go a few shades redder, as he mumbled about being stupid and nerves getting to himself, before finally letting it all out in a shout, “This is for you, Rui!” In a most cliche, yet certainly heartwarming fashion, he closed his eyes and a splash of orange suddenly made itself clear in Rui’s vision. His smile faltered as he started into yellow eyes, his mouth muttered a little “oh”, as Tsukasa was looking away, clearly too flustered to look him in the face.
However, Rui immediately changed his tune as a warm smile split his stupefied expression, “Oh, is this a confession? You know you’re supposed to say ‘please go out with me’, or ‘I love you’, no?” He said with mocking tones, but not insultingly.
Tsukasa scrambled for a reply, mumbling “shut up”, but with no energy or resolve for the retort to be biting. After gathering himself, he properly replied, “I love you, please go out with me.”
“Two for one? My, my, how courageous.” Rui clasped his hands together, “But of course.” And even the cool, calm, collected Rui couldn’t keep himself from getting Saki’s glitter all over his face.
Invisible to the both of them - Rui, because of her guardian status, and Tsukasa because he was busy staring into Rui’s eyes - Minori let out an exuberant cheer, more delighted than any other time she knew.
Going back to the invisible castle in the sky was boring. Blue and white filled her peripheral vision, with only the occasional yellow. The green she’d come to love so much, filled with more life than white would ever contain, and orange, the spirit of flustered feelings and confident, yet anxious, actions she’d always remember, were nowhere to be seen.
She tightly gripped the papers she was holding, almost crumpling them in her fist. That report has taken her a night - not because it was overly difficult, but because she had been filled with distracting thoughts and constantly gazed at the moon. It had been a cloudless night, after all.
Landing on a platform of clouds, she waved to one of the gatekeepers with her files, and they let her in, nodding to her completed job. She didn’t nod back.
The courtyard was the exact same as she left it, white flowers, white feathers, and just as empty as it always was. Only a few angels littered the scene, just pacing around, or staring at the garden. Minori wasn’t sure what there was to stare at in particular. Everything just blended in with the rest of the blank, colorless background.
Remembering her schedule, she stopped her blank staring, and walked over to the library, where she would report to Mafuyu. Her movements were static, like a robot, not quite in the embarrassing way that was Tsukasa’s, but nevertheless betraying the fact she’d rather be anywhere but here right around now.
Meeting with Mafuyu and giving her the rundown was a blur. Hand over the report. Mafuyu praises her with loaded compliments that don’t mean anything. Say goodbye with about as much sincerity as she can muster from the empty well that is her heart. Mafuyu says goodbye back, with a smile that could’ve almost fooled her, if not for the multitude of genuine smiles she had seen on Earth.
Afterwards, she ended up dragging herself to the high court, distantly remembering the note she left on the desk.
Minori knocked on the door of the Tenmas’. It was late, as the sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon and been replaced with a bright orb in the sky. It’s a view she never saw often, since back then, the only thing she would ever see when looking up was a bright blue sky, and a blinding sun. The mix of blues and purples like watercolor, dotted with specks of white. The city seems more alive than ever, lights spilling out of skyscrapers and billboards, creating a glowing, colorful, atmosphere amidst the dark backdrop.
Contrasting the city, with its neon blues and pinks, the Tenmas’ household exuded a warmth, a kind gentleness, yet excitable energy within. It was a fact known well, but further exemplified by the yellow light streaking out of curtains, and happy banter loud enough to be heard from the porch.
She knocked on the door, waiting for what seemed to be like hours, before pressing a finger on a white button - the digital doorbell - and waited for even longer.
Standing before the confused man at the door, she quickly introduced herself, “Hello! I’m Minori Hanasato! Nice to meet you!” Tsukasa’s face, staring at her, was one crossed between confusion, relief, happiness, and exasperation, while Minori did a small wave with her right hand, tightly gripping her luggage in the other.
They let her in after Tsukasa said he knew her, and she sat down at the dinner table.
That night, Minori became part of the Tenma family.
The guest room was unceremoniously declared as Minori’s, and she admired the space of the cozy atmosphere all over again. The books that had magazines and comics stuck between the pages, a desk filled with charms and mini-idol merch, a bed that was still disheveled from when she last used it. A bed stand with a piece of paper still on it.
She took her clothes out of her case, which she bought earlier in the city before coming to the Tenmas, and shoved them into the closet. A cute pink blouse, orange skirts, green jackets. She was pretty proud of her tastes, although some of the customers had looked at her like she was some alien when she took them to checkout.
Holding up a poster of More More Jump, she plastered it on the wall next to her bed, and carefully made up the blankets and sheets.
Remembering her diary, she placed it right where it used to be, under the desk lamp. It was orange and had stickers of bunnies and cats on it. A gift from Tsukasa, him saying he thought she might get bored while watching the play that was his life, so he told her to record anything interesting in there.
The diary was almost already full - in fact, there was only one page left. She picked up her clover topped pencil, and using smooth strokes like ink on parchment (she had to practice that art for months), she wrote. Words flew out like water from a faucet, yet, she could find them drying up near the end of the page, the diary finally complete.
She placed the diary below the desk lamp again, and wondered what to do next, and then decided rest might be the best idea. Tucking in for sleep, she closed her eyes and let her dreams lift her to a world of wonder.
Waking up felt exhausting, as she recalled how strange human bodies were, she felt more tired in the morning than at night. Light spilled into her room, and she changed into a comfortable shirt and shorts, before walking down the stairs to the kitchen.
“Minori!” Saki held her tightly in a hug, Minori didn’t feel too good about lying, but Tsukasa and her morphed and twisted her story to convince Minori to stay with the Tenmas. After all, they couldn’t really say she was an angel from heaven, and she couldn’t prove it now.
Minori felt her insides being squeezed. “Hrk!” Saki was just like her brother, a wild ball of energy, perhaps even more so than Tsukasa.
“C’mon, let’s go get breakfast!” She pulled on her hand and led her to the kitchen counter, and started preparing breakfast for five. Minori tried to help out, but with her past experiences, she didn’t know much about cooking, instead opting to set the table.
Eventually, everyone else came down, Tsukasa yawning, placing his hand above his mouth. She noticed how he was wearing his school uniform, and realized the problem of school for herself - she wasn’t enrolled in any academies yet.
For some reason that was initially unclear to her, Saki and Tsukasa went to different schools. Minori later learned that Saki wanted to join her friends, so the siblings had agreed to part ways. Minori also learned that Haruka, as well as the other members of More More Jump attended Miyamasuzaka Girls Academy, and suddenly she had set her sights on the school. Sorry, Tsukasa, your guardian angel wouldn’t be able to protect you during class.
She watched Saki and Tsukasa bound out the door to catch the bus, and was bummed that she couldn’t follow them like she used to. Opening the door to her room, she wasted time looking at her new phone and reading magazines, letting the sunlight stray over her face. She disliked having nothing to do. It reminded her of her time in the castle in the sky.
However, her boredom quickly evaporated when Tsukasa slammed her door open. “Get dressed nicely, we’re going somewhere.” He said with a smile, a positive lilt to his commanding voice, then, he quietly closed the door again, and Minori was starting to get excited. She put on her pink blouse and a gray skirt, with a yellow cardigan layered on top. Rushing out of her room, she joined Tsukasa who was waiting near the front door.
As they walked out, she asked Tsukasa where they were going, but he said it was a secret. Minori couldn’t keep waiting, so she quickened her pace against the streets of the city. She certainly had a different view as a grounded mortal, than as a sky high angel, but she didn’t dislike the new perspective. She saw the glowing sun above the center of a complicated crosswalk, with people passing through and fro on the painted lines. Eventually, Tsukasa led her onto this crosswalk, and they tried to not get lost in the sea of people.
Eventually, they made it to a small building - a rented studio, as Minori noticed from the sign. Tsukasa opened the door, where there was Rui and Nene already waiting, while Emu played with something in the background.
“Hello, friends!” Tsukasa boomed in his typical loud voice. “This is my friend, Minori Hanasato, I wanted to bring her along as a guest for this party.” A party? Minori wasn’t warned of this. To be honest, she really was akin to a socially inept kitty at this moment, wanting to scratch at anything that came within her “safe space” (which would be her wingspan).
But it was fine, she could handle the rest of Tsukasa’s troupe. Even though she had never met them, she knew all of them more than they expected - okay, nope. Do not open with that, Minori.
“Hi,” She fumbled with her words, deciding how best to greet everyone, “I’m Minori, my favorite color is blue, and my speciality is making catchphrases!” With an inward sigh, she wondered why she even mentioned that, as Tsukasa whispered about not making false promises.
Of course, Emu would be the first to respond, “Heya! I’m Emu!” She smiled in that large, doofy, grin that she always had whenever Minori saw her, and suddenly she felt so much more in place. Minori was glad she could smile back at the laughing teen.
“I’m Rui Kamishiro, pleased to make your acquaintance,” Rui, of course, bowed. Did she expect anything less?
Finally done acting like a prickly cat, Nene peeled off of Emu’s shoulders and looked at her with mild curiosity, albeit with a bit of a challenge in her eyes, “Nene. Nice to meet you.” Minori beamed back at her. Although Nene still stared, her expression softened and her eyes lost their bite.
It was a little awkward getting introductions from people she’d already known for the better part of a month, but it was heart-warming that she at last got to meet the cast of Tsukasa’s life.
Soon enough, the party started. The word“party” was both an understatement and overstatement, since it was just five people having fun in a rented studio, but with the antics of the eccentric members of Wonderlands x Showtime, it was just as lively as any bigger party. At least, compared to the parties of the romcoms she’d read.
They played games of tag - don’t ask why they did it inside, just know that when Emu wants to play tag, they will play tag - tried a few of Rui’s party inventions (some just were fancier party poppers, while some were a bit more, explosive) Minori joined Nene for a competitive round of Mario Kart, one that she was desperately losing to. She even tried some improv with Tsukasa and the crew, a discussion that more or less ended with abstract commentary on the human psyche, its apparent hypocrisy, and its effect on the society as a whole. Thanks, Rui.
She was all in her element, having fun with Tsukasa’s friends, until a few knocks sounded on the holy barrier to her anxieties- aka, the door. Tsukasa mumbled something about them finally being there, and Minori pieced together she’d have to get comfortable with a bunch more people. Of course there would be more people, you couldn’t have a party with just five kids!
Of course, all stress left her body - or more stress added, she couldn’t tell from her rapidly rising heartbeat, once she saw who was standing in the hallway.
Blue hair like the deep ocean, and eyes that held the refreshing breeze of salty sea springs, Haruka Kiritani (Haruka! Kiritani!) was standing right there. Right in front of Minori. Minori stared right at her, feeling her face burn up.
She quickly whipped her face back to the screen, absentmindedly eyeing her 12th place, her kart stuck on the side of the track. Pretending she was focused on the game, she quickly went back to rapidly pressing buttons at random, trying to get back on the track. She turned her back to Haruka, glad that her haircut covered her ears from behind.
Her heartbeat pounded, reverberating within her ears and her head, and all she could think about was light blue coasts and sandy beaches, neon blue lights and sapphires. Darn itm she cursed.
To her alarm, Minori felt a feather-light touch on her shoulder, and she slowly turned her head to see Haruka’s face. “Hey, I haven’t met you before. What’s your name?” A voice as soft as angel feathers and clouds - she would know - came out of her mouth and Minori immediately found it hard to breathe. She told herself, one, two, one, two, she’s a human and she needs to breathe before she collapses and dies before the beauty in front of her and-
Suddenly, steam started spilling out of Minori’s ears.
Quickly regaining little left of her composure, she stumbled to answer the question, “Minori. Hanasato. Minori Hanasato.” That seemed like all her brain could get out before she promptly short-circuited of both being embarrassed (She stuttered. Stuttered! In front of Haruka Kiritani!) and being flustered to heaven and back.
“Minori, that’s a cute name! I’m Haruka Kiritani, nice to meet you, Minori!” Haruka saying her first name was already enough to get her flustered again, but she calmed down, not wanting to appear a fool the whole time. “Nice to meet you too!” She said quickly, too quickly, before shyly putting a hand on the back of her neck, trying not to look at Haruka. Haruka’s mouth tugged up into a small curve, looking quite amused.
Nene, blessedly noticing her dangerous position - well, dangerous for her own dignity - decided to help her out a bit. “Hey, Minori, let’s play some more! How bout Smash Bros? I can teach you the controls, if you don’t know them,” she called, gesturing at the screen. She couldn’t be more thankful to Nene for leaving an escape route for her. She quickly grabbed the controller, and turned away from Haruka, giving her a little wave of goodbye.
It was a little hard to pay attention to the new game, but she could blame her bad performance on her inexperience, at least. Nene had won their third match, as Minori’s Pit sighed in defeat.
“Here, when you fall off, you’re going to want to tilt the joystick up and press the b button, that’ll launch you upwards.” Nene demonstrated with her own character, and Luigi did a jump into the air, catching the ledge. Minori sounded oohs and aahs, and tried it with her controller. Eventually, after a few seconds of mashing buttons, she got it to work.
“That looks fun, can I play?” Blue entered her vision again, and Haruka picked up a third controller, waving it in front of Minori, who jumped in surprise. “Sure..” Minori said timidly, knowing that Haruka - in the flesh - was no good for her heart. Nene immediately switched from giving tips to Minori to helping out Haruka, who was also similarly inexperienced.
Haruka’s frustrated face is cute too, Minori thought, before shoving those thoughts away. It wasn’t really nice to think that about a stranger, even if it was a stranger she idolized. She didn’t want to be creepy after all.
As Haruka got the hang of the game, the three of them played many rounds into the afternoon, Minori and Haruka laughed together, while Nene hid a quiet smile with a cleverly placed sleeve. Eventually, Minori got comfortable with the controls and even was able to best Nene once, albeit with some help from a few items. God bless you, smash ball.
More people crowded around, as familiar faces picked up more controllers, and soon, the max amount of players were on screen. Airi, Minori remembered, would always have the funniest reactions to being knocked off screen, while Shizuku, although quiet, was incredibly skilled at the game. A few of the games were often reduced to just Nene versus Shizuku, the two of them expertly performing commands and combos while Minori watched with a little fright. All she was doing was button mashing! Random clicks! Pressing in hopes of doing something miraculous!
They all laughed as night went on, the sound of the occasional pizza box and soda bottle being opened Like all good things though, the night was over before Minori knew it. She was never told why More More Jump was here, but she didn’t care to question it.
“Ah, what are you doing out here, Minori?” Minori would never get used to how Haruka would say her name, syllables flowing like honey and glistening like water from a fresh stream. She kicked around at sea-soaked sand, and looked out into the night. The moon was full, and from here, she could see the white peaks of the castle in the sky peeking behind a bright cloud. Sighing, she shaked her cup a little, listening to the sounds of soda sloshing against the plastic.
Minori enigmatically replied, “Just thinking.” She really didn’t know if she made the right choice. Working so hard to get there, only to throw it away once she realized it wasn’t all she really dreamed of. Maybe in another timeline, she would’ve had the resilience to not run away.
Somehow, looking at Haruka’s concerned face got her to spill a little, “I’m scared, I guess. I made a decision recently, and I still don’t know if it was the right one.” She stared right into the moon, not wanting to look at Haruka’s worried face. She tried to casually laugh it off , waving aside her concern.
“Well, I’m here if you need someone to talk to.” Haruka said, and although Minori might’ve heard those words over and over again, for once they didn’t feel forced. Not coming from her. It didn’t feel like a formality, like something people said just for reassurance, but actually like something Haruka wanted to do. Minori appreciated the sincerity.
“We don’t even know each other. Not really my place to dump everything on you, especially in the middle of such a fun party.” She shrugged, trying to pass it off as just regular talk, like they were simply discussing their favorite color, or talking about school.
“Then,” Haruka moved her hand to brush a piece of hair out of Minori’s face, “We should get to know each other.”
Minori heaved a deep breath, letting the air brush against her body and turned to meet Haruka’s blue eyes. “Haruka, I-” really like you, “don’t think we should. You’re an idol, and I’m just a regular kid.” Haruka looked like she was about to interject, but Minori continued, “but, I’d really love to be-” your lover, your number one fan, “your friend. I hope-” I could watch you forever, watch you shine and sparkle, and I could be there forever in that shining sea, “we could be friends.”
You don’t know how much you’ve inspired me, Minori thought, but she couldn’t say all that. She wouldn’t say all that. One day, perhaps, but for now, she was content. She just took a sip of her drink and looked back up to the moon. The cloud had drifted on, and she couldn’t see the castle anymore.
Minori tugged at the gray uniform, the material unfamiliar on her skin. She felt a slight itch on her back and knew the uniform was a tad too small. Staring up at the steel door, she nervously waited. Her mind paced back and forth, once again rehearsing how she was going to greet everyone.
Was it too bland? Should she be unique and spice it up, or maybe it would be best to hold her head low for now. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to answer these questions, since she heard the teacher yell for her to come in.
Stepping up to the podium, she looked at the teacher, not wanting to meet the eyes of twenty or so kids. However, she avoided the inevitable, as when she looked out to the classroom, she was faced with twenty heads she didn’t recognize. However, she noticed a sapphire crown sticking out from the crowd. The girl in question gave her an encouraging nod, and she immediately felt her nerves simultaneously tighten up and crumble at the same time.
She took a deep breath, and a genuine smile lit her face.
“Hello, I’m Minori Hanasato! I hope we can get along as classmates.”