It started out as a bright, sunny day, seemingly full of promise. A blond girl dressed in her school uniform was singing cheerfully, "It's just another manic Monday…" As she entered the kitchen, Miyu was belting at the top of her lungs, "I wish it was Sunday… 'cause that's my fun day…"
Kanata smiled at the sound of her voice. "Breakfast. I made waffles and OJ."
Miyu was dancing around goofily. "IT'S JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY!!"
"I better bring my umbrella to school." He said seriously, drinking orange juice.
She finally stopped singing as she started to munch on her waffles. "Why? It looks like a clear day."
"Well, if you keep singing, I'm sure there'll be a thunderstorm later." He grinned as she pouted. "Hurry up, idiot, we're going to be late for school."
The moment Miyu stepped out of the temple was the moment it all went downhill.
As she walked beside Kanata, she stepped in a mud puddle and had to clean off her right shoe. As soon as she cleaned it, her left foot stepped into the same mud puddle!
She was muddy, sweaty-faced and panting when they arrived at school. Kanata had just told her off for being so clumsy ("Miyu! You clumsy baka! You made us late!"), so she was in a bad mood.
Apparently, Miss Mizuno was in a bad mood, too. Instead of her usual cheerful telling off when someone was late, she barked at Miyu and Kanata, "You're late, again! Take your seats. You're disrupting the class. And hand in your homework."
Miyu was surprised at her teacher's temper. She was even more surprised when, after fifteen minutes of frantically rummaging through her bag, she discovered that her homework was missing. Damn it! She had worked on it for hours with Kanata, until she understood the concepts. And now her hard work was useless.
She raised her hand. "Mizuno-sensei, I lost my homework."
Her teacher's eyes narrowed. "Miss Kouzouki, you haven't even bothered to make up an excuse for not turning in your homework. Go outside and stay there until recess."
Miyu protested, "But Miss Mizuno--! There's an important lesson in second period--"
"--and it will be discussed without you," said Miss Mizuno unkindly. "Go outside, Kouzouki."
Miyu plopped down on a bench and glanced at her watch. "Eighty minutes until the next class!" she muttered to herself and scowled. This is so unfair! Miss Mizuno is taking out her temper on me. It must be that time of the month again. She had spent a good twenty minutes mentally abusing her teacher when the bell rang.
To Miyu's dismay, Aya walked right past her without a glance. Miyu then waved at Nanami, who only returned the wave and then rushed off. She didn't even stop by Miyu.
She was feeling really ticked off by then. Why are my friends acting weird?
She was searching her pockets for food when out of the blue, Kanata walked over and sat next to her. "How are you? I can't believe you lost your homework. We worked all night on that!"
She sighed. "Don't remind me."
"Miyu-chan, don't be like that. Here, have a cookie."
The food seemed to cheer her up lots. She said, "This is just the beginning of the day. It'll get better."
He smiled at her as the bell rang. "Come on, idiot, let's go to class."
It did not get better.
Third period was Math. They were required to bring protractors for a geometry quiz, but when Miyu pulled hers out of her bag, it broke in half. She got a zero.
Next was Social Studies. Everyone brought a picture of an important Japanese person in history and give a report on it. Miyu realized too late that the picture she brought was in her locker. Unfortunately, her teacher didn't allow her to retrieve it. She also got a zero.
Miyu felt like she was screwing up every class. Even Language, her best subject, became a disaster when she wrote a beautiful essay on "Romeo and Juliet"--only to find out that the topic was "Hamlet".
Miyu was relieved when lunchtime came. She couldn't wait to hang with her friends and laugh her troubles away. She sat down at their usual table expectantly. After a few minutes, she spotted Nanami. "Nanami!" she called.
Nanami was apologetic. "I'm sorry, Miyu, I can't sit with you today. The student council is having a meeting, and as secretary, I have to record the minutes." She rushed to the table where the student council was sitting, Kanata among them.
Okay, I still have Aya. Miyu started eating her PB&J. She had eaten half when Aya showed up, breathless. "I can't eat lunch today. I'm super busy with this play I'm working on!" Her eyes twinkled.
Miyu tried to be supportive and happy for her friend. "That's great, Aya! What's it about--"
But Aya was already dashing off to the auditorium.
Miyu felt lonely. She nibbled a corner of her sandwich.
Suddenly, Kanata turned up. "You shouldn't be eating lunch by yourself like some kind of loser."
She was surprised by his presence. "Aya and Nanami are busy. I feel weird sitting with other kids at lunch." Her voice was despondent, bordering on pathetic. "How come you're not at the meeting?"
He shrugged. "They can live without me for one meeting." He grabbed the rest of Miyu's sandwich and started eating it. "You know, you looked really pathetic sitting here alone. I feel sorry for you. You looked like a lost puppy."
Angrily, she said, "Shut up, Kanata! It's been a hard day for me. I screwed up every class. My friends deserted me. And now you're teasing me. This has got to be the worst day of my life."
He polished off the PB&J. "I remember the worst day of my life," he said quietly.
"Oh? When was that?" she asked curiously.
He cracked a grin. "The day you went to live to the temple."
She glared at him. "Stop smiling."
He only grinned wider. "Why?"
"I said, stop!"
"Why? You don't want to fall victim to my charms?"
Miyu laughed in spite of herself. The thought of her falling victim to Kanata was ludicrous. "It's not that, you moron!"
"Then what is it?"
"I don't want you to smile because I'm not in a smiling mood. It makes me jealous that other people are happy and smiling." She explained.
He was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Oh, you get jealous of my smiles? I didn't knooow thaaat." He said the last two words with a huge grin.
"Stop it, you moron."
He continued making faces until Miyu was laughing. "Stop it! Oh, I have tears of laughter in my eyes now. My stomach hurts."
He beamed.
Miyu's good mood lasted sixty seconds from the instant she entered the classroom with Kanata. They were laughing at each other's jokes when Miyu stopped abruptly after seeing the words 'LONG QUIZ TODAY' scribbled on the board.
She turned to Kanata in panic. "There's a test today? A big freakin' long quiz? didn't study! I'll fail! This is 15 of the final grade!"
"Cool it, Miyu-chan. I'll let you copy."
"What?" She wasn't certain she'd heard correctly. "But you've never let anyone copy in a long quiz. Ever."
He grabbed a desk. "A guy can change, Miyu-chan. Sit beside me, idiot, so you can copy off me."
Dismissal! Miyu almost yelled with joy. The school day is over, and so is my suffering!
She waited for her friends by the main door of the school. They had agreed to go shopping after school, and she really needed a stress release.
Kanata was on his way home when he saw her. he ambled by and asked, "Did you see my answers clearly?"
She nodded. "It was really nice of you."
"What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for Aya and Nanami."
He frowned. "I'm pretty sure Nanami stayed at the library to write up the backlog of minutes, and I saw Aya holding auditions in the auditorium. I don't think she'll be finished anytime soon."
Miyu's face fell but then set determinedly. "I told them I'll wait for them."
Kanata didn't leave her side, though. He waited with her, for a long time.
After three hours, it was getting dark, and still no sign of Aya or Nanami. Kanata held Miyu by the arms and steered her away. Miyu didn't object; she just kept quiet.
"Miyu-chan? I'm sorry you had such a bad day."
She didn't answer.
"Miyu, I know this has been a really hard day for you."
Still no reply.
Kanata's frustrated voice rang through the air. "Goddamnit Miyu! Will you just smile already?" He started walking faster. "I have been telling you jokes, being nice to you, and even letting you cheat just to make you happy! Hell, I even skipped out on a student council meeting just to talk to you! Do you think the student council liked what I did?" He stopped in his tracks and glared at his blonde companion. "And you know why I did all those? I don't like seeing you sad! Yet you don't seem to appreciate--"
Suddenly, Miyu stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips.
"What was that?" Kanata asked her, totally dumbfounded.
"A kiss," replied Miyu simply.
"I know, idiot. I was asking what that was for."
She smiled a little. "Because you've made me really happy today. In fact," she said, smiling wider, "you always make me happy."
A grin was making its way to Kanata's face now.
"What?" demanded Miyu.
"I was right."
"About what?" She felt a cold drop fall on her hair.
He grinned. "That your singing was going to make it rain."
Ironic. Miyu laughed, enjoying herself, letting the rain wash away the bad memories.
The worst day of her life turned out to be the best.