It was all Nodoka could do, to prevent the pen from dropping out of her shaking hand. A tear splashed onto the paper in front of her; she hated that she had to do this, but she couldn't find another way to do it. Slowly, she placed the pen onto the paper, and began to write, her true feelings flowing from her heart…

To my dear Negi-kun,

As the tears slide down my face, and my memories of you flash into my mind, for what will probably be the last time, I just wish I could have loved you longer. It was quite the surprise that day, when I stumbled and fell down those stairs; I thought for a second that I was going to die. But then, I felt a pair of strong arms underneath me, and then I knew- I was safe.

How surprised was I, when I found out that the one who had saved me was a man- and my new homeroom teacher, at that? But, as I thought about it more and more, as I relived that horrifying moment, I came to realize something- I didn't care that I had come near a regular guy. I usually stayed as far away from guys as I could, but somehow, I found myself drawn to you. And it wasn't long, before I realized why:

I loved you.

It was hard for me to accept, at first, me loving you. But then, we got to know each other so well; you actually reached out to me, something that not many people did. And I started to branch out a bit- it was because of you that I stopped trying to hide from everyone, that I began to simply style my hair a bit differently, so that people could actually see my face.

It was because of you, that I got the courage to tell you that I loved you. Until then, I was determined to keep it a secret; I could tell that you had your share of problems, trying to keep your identity as a mage from leaking out. And I knew that you were my teacher, and that something like that wouldn't be right. But still, I loved you.

I will never forget the first time we kissed. It may have been an accident, but it was the happiest day of my life. Just the way your soft, tender lips pressed against mine… it is something that I will cherish forever. And our next kiss, during the MahoraFest… I felt braver then, than any other time before. That's when I realized, though, that no matter what I wanted, or how badly I wanted it- it could never be.

And that is why I write this now, as I prepare to do the worst. I've loved you from the beginning, Negi-kun, and I wish you the best on your journeys, both as a teacher and as a Magister Magi. I loved being your partner, for the short time we were together, and I will forever cherish those memories. Don't be too sad. This is for the best.

With all the love in the world,

Nodoka

Slowly, she put the pen down and glanced at the letter she had just written. She'd finally done it- she'd poured out her feelings on the paper, feelings that she could just never bring herself to say to anyone. She got up from the desk, and looked out the window; the sun was just beginning to rise, and the shadows of the night were being chased away by the sun's warm rays.

A tear slid down her cheek, as she thought of him for one last time. She pressed her lips to her hand, then blew the kiss she'd made, out into the world. Maybe someday, Negi would get it.

She closed her eyes, and let the tears flow. "It's time."