Nomaru-chan had to skip on breakfast. Late on the first day at your new school? Really, Nomaru? She scoffed inwardly. Of all the mornings for the battery in her alarm clock to run out! She grabbed a piece of bread and thrust it in her mouth as she ran out the door, managing a hurried "Bye, mom!" before it slammed behind her.

Gasping and out of breath, Nomaru-chan burst into the classroom just before the bell rang. A sea of unfamiliar faces scrutinized her, their reactions varying on the scale from "meh" to "ew." It was true that Nomaru-chan wasn't a ridiculously pretty girl. She was average, a bit short, kind of nerdy... there was nothing unique about her, and she expected to fade into the background as soon as her formal introduction ended.

Among the crowd of students, however, one stood out. She had skin of brilliant bronze, contrasted by her bold, cerulean eyeshadow that made her gorgeous eyes pop. Nomaru-chan's breath hitched as those orbs shifted slightly and met her own, burning with an indescribable fierceness. The mystery girl's lips twitched into a tight smirk, then relaxed as her eyes returned to gazing lazily through the window.

The moment was over, leaving Nomaru-chan's heart beating uncharacteristically quickly. What... was that? she wondered briefly, before the middle-aged lady she assumed to be her new teacher swept past and commanded the attention of the class.

Nomaru-chan barely noticed as her new Sensei brought her to the front and introduced her to the class. She was watching the... the golden girl, as she had started thinking of her. She seemed completely unfazed by their previous encounter, as though it had never happened. How can someone be so... so calm? Collected? Aloof? Gorgeous...?

"Nomaru-chan! I said, you may take your seat over there, by Osa Garu-san."

Sensei's stern voice snapped Nomaru back into reality. "Wh... what? Oh, oh of course, Sensei," she stammered. She turned in the direction Sensei gestured to see where she would be sitting.

It must have been fate. There, right next to the golden girl, that perfect specimen of womanhood... an open seat beckoned.

"Any day now, Nomaru-chan," Sensei drawled. Nomaru-chan flushed a bright shade of crimson and hurried to the seat, pretending not to notice the girl that seemed to radiate perfection to her immediate left. She opened her notebook and concentrated a bit too much on it, successfully creating an image of herself as a total dork on her very first day. Great.

About halfway through the period, though, she began to get a little bored. Her old school had been a chapter ahead of this one in geometry, so she didn't actually need to take any notes. She doodled in the margin and let her brain wander... and it did so, unfortunately, to the subject of that beautiful, golden girl.

What had the teacher called her? Osa... Osa G-something... what was it...

"Osa Garu," whispered a soft voice.

Nomaru-chan nearly jumped straight out of her seat, barely managing to somehow stifle a shriek. The golden g-Osa Garu-san, she corrected herself, gave her an amused look.

"Wh-what?" stammered Nomaru.

"My name is Osa Garu. Osa is fine. What's yours?"

This could not be real. There was no way this was actually happening. This girl embodied perfection, coolness, beauty... why was she talking to Nomaru, such a plain, average nerd?

"E-eto... my name is Nomaru," she finally managed. Her small voice cracked pathetically when pronouncing the last syllable. Osa-san didn't seem to mind, and the two then went back to their respective occupations- one gazing out the window and the other awkwardly pretending to take notes. The millisecond Nomaru's ears detected the sounding of the bell, she shot out of her seat and ran for her next class. There was no way she could stand to be in the presence of such perfection any longer.

Finally left alone to her thoughts, she allowed herself to remember her first reaction upon seeing Osa-san. Gorgeous, she'd called her... multiple times, in fact... but what did that mean? Surely it was just... platonic admiration.. right?

She shook her head. That didn't explain the way her heart had screamed doki doki when their eyes met. These reactions were textbook. The red face, the avoidance, the admiration, the heartbeat; there was no doubt.

Nomaru-chan had fallen in love with Osa Garu-san at very first sight.

Nomaru sighed. Osa-san was way out of her league. The sooner she got over these fruitless emotions, the better. And yet... it didn't seem like that would be easy. Osa-san was too perfect to just brush away. Ugh, why was romance so hard? Why couldn't she fall for someone as lame as she was? Why did everything SUCK so much? Why...?

Oh, speak of the devil, Nomaru-chan thought, there she is-! Sure enough, Osa-san was strolling through the hallway opposite her, walking in her direction. She had probably taken a more direct route, since Nomaru was unfamiliar with the school layout and was terrible at reading maps. Osa-san's platinum hair flowed behind her, and she was sporting a pair of classy shades since she wasn't in class. Nomaru didn't think it was possible, but she looked even better than she had before, since she was standing and in full view rather than seated. Her bold tanlines framed her strong, sloping shoulders, and her small shirt and smaller shorts revealed more than the dress code probably allowed.

Nomaru-chan was normally a stickler for rules, but in this case, she couldn't have minded less. With a body like that, Osa Garu had every right to flaunt it.

"Hey, Nomaru-chan. Why'd you leave class so quickly? I mean, I understand the need to get away from math, but man. Talk about speedy."

"I... I just... well," produced Nomaru eloquently. Osa-san just laughed it off and grabbed Nomaru's shoulder.

"Hey, chill out. I'm only messing with you. I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to go out for pizza after school; I'm usually pretty bored. Everyone else has their clubs and shit but I'm just not into that." Osa's proximity made her strong perfumed scent very evident to Nomaru, who might have fainted if not for the strong arm on her shoulder keeping her anchored in reality.

"Oh... uh, well, I guess I'm free... yeah, sure! Sure, of course!" she decided. Nomaru made an inward deal with herself to be as not-awkward as possible, and agreed to join Osa-san. They made a plan to meet after school and head over together.

That was the first of many great days Nomaru spent in the company of the cool, popular, wonderful Osa Garu-san. They joked about things, Osa let her in on the secrets and traditions around the school... it was a pretty average teenage hangout, but to Nomaru it couldn't have been more perfect.

After a few months, however, Nomaru-chan began to suspect that her feelings (that had, if anything, gotten stronger as opposed to fading) might actually be reciprocated. Osa began subtly hitting on her after a while. It seemed like a joke at first, but there was an air of sincerity about it that Nomaru just couldn't shrug off. She was flattered and flustered but mostly just confused. Then, Osa began to hug her a lot more often, openly showing affection, and at one point they even held hands to avoid getting separated when they went to an amusement park together! After the fifth time Osa kissed Nomaru on the cheek, she decided it was finally time to act. She could never forgive herself if she let this opportunity pass by.

They were at Osa's house, in her room, sitting on her bed. They had been discussing the (less than desirable) teaching capabilities of their math Sensei when Osa cracked a crude joke, causing Nomaru-chan to become flushed, which Osa thought was so adorable that she kissed her cheek affectionately as she had done four times before.

Not that Nomaru was counting or anything.

Nomaru-chan fell silent, and after an awkward minute or two of inward contemplation, she had found her resolve. Tonight was the night.

"Eto, Osa-san.."

"Call me Osa-chan. But only when we're alone," her crush replied.

"Ok, then, uh... Osa-chan... there's something I need to tell you, and I really hope it won't ruin our friendship."

Osa-chan's face softened into a knowing expression. Nomaru wasn't entirely sure how to take it, but it didn't matter, because no matter what she was going to continue.

"I- I like you! Like, like like you. As more than a friend. I'm sorry, but from the first moment I laid eyes on you... I just-!"

Cherry lips pressed against Nomaru's own before she ever got the chance to complete her last thought. Shock and anxiety flushed through her every nerve and she sat awkwardly and rigidly, until Osa's hand reached behind her neck and softly supported her head. The warm affection emanating from this gesture calmed Nomaru, and she relaxed into the kiss, returning it and opening her mouth slightly.

Slowly, their arms wormed their way around one another, and they sat entwined in sweet bliss as their lips danced an inspired waltz of pure emotion.