"Okay class, today we'll be doing a science experiment," the teacher announced. "Everyone, please pick partners for the project, and then we'll get started."

Everyone got up and began to look for partners. Chika walked over to Keiko. "Wanna be my partner?" she asked.

"No, I'm already partners with Mika-san," Keiko replied. "Sorry, Chika-san."

"Oh, it's no big deal," said Chika. "I have tons of friends who would be my partner." What a lie. Chika walked over to another girl, Momoko. "Hey Momoko-san," Chika said. "Wanna be partners for the project?"

"No, I already have a partner," said Momoko.

Chika's smile disappeared. "Oh, okay," she said quietly.

Chika walked away from Momoko and noticed a familiar pigtailed girl running over to her. She stopped in front of Chika and said, "Hey Chi-chan, let's be partners for the experiment!"

"Oh, I already have a partner," Chika said quickly.

"Yeah right," said Miu. "I'm your only friend in this class!"

Chika looked annoyed. "Well I'd rather do this experiment with someone who knows what they're doing. You would most likely ruin the experiment."

"Aw c'mon, it'll be fine!" said Miu. "You can do all the work so that I won't ruin anything, okay?"

Chika sighed, giving up. "Okay, fine."

The teacher told everyone to arrange their desks so that they were sitting across from their partner, the fronts of the desks against each other. Once that was done, the teacher went over the instructions for the experiment and everyone got started.

Chika and Miu put on their safety goggles, Miu's upside-down. Chika turned Miu's glasses the right way and put them back on her. "Oh, everything is so much clearer now!"

Ignoring that, Chika read the first step on the lab paper. "Okay, we need to pour this into here," she said, picking up a flask with a clear liquid in it. Very slowly, she began to pour it into the other container. When she was done, she put the container back down and was about to read the next step when Miu screamed.

"Oh no!" Miu said. "Some got on the table!"

Chika looked where Miu was pointing and saw a tiny drop on the table. "That's no big deal," she said.

Apparently Miu thought it was a pretty big deal. "No, we can't afford any mistakes!" Miu raised her hand high in the air, jumping out of her seat. "Sensei, some of the stuff spilled on the table! It's acid! It's burning through the table! What should we do?!"

Both Chika and the teacher facepalmed.

The class had looked up at Miu when she'd stood up, but now they were all looking at Chika, who had her head down on her desk. Chika finally put her head back up and gave Miu a look. "C'mon Micchan, let's get back to the experiment, okay?"

"But the mess isn't cleaned up!" Miu pointed out.

The teacher came to their desks with a paper towel and quickly dabbed up the little drop. "Better?"

"Woah, what a relief!" said Miu.

Nothing much happened while they were on the next few steps. Miu looked bored though. Probably since she wasn't helping with the experiment. She was just letting Chika do it all, as she had said. But sitting for such a long time is boring. So Miu kicked Chika under their desks. Chika gave her a look. Then she kicked Miu back. Miu kicked her again, and Chika retaliated. This went on for a long time before the teacher said, "Matsuoka, Itou, don't play footsie during experiments."

Chika was confused, then blushed. "No Sensei, it's not like that!"

Everyone looked at Chika again. Chika's head was soon back down on her desk. How embarrassing!

Chika looked back up and noticed Miu was reading the instructions. She picked up a test tube. "Hey, what are you doing?!" Chika shrieked.

Miu looked up. "Oh, hi Chi-chan! I thought you were trying to sleep, so I was trying to do the experiment for you."

"I don't sleep during class!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really! When do I ever sleep at school?"

Miu looked like she was thinking about it. Then she held up one hand, and began to slowly put fingers up, silently moving her mouth as if talking silently.

"Huh?" said Chika. "Hey, are you counting something?!"

Miu looked up at Chika. "Yeah, all the times you've fallen in sleep during class."

"I don't fall asleep in class!"

"Oh yeah you do," said Miu.

Chika hit Miu in the head. Miu fell to the ground really slowly and dramatically. All the students stared.

The teacher stood up from her desk. "That's it! Both of you get detention!"

"What?!" said Chika. "Why?"

"You for slapping a student, and Matsuoka for distracting the class!" the teacher said. "This kind of behavior is unacceptable! I'm not really surprised by Matsuoka's outrageous behavior, but you're such a good student, Itou! I'd expect better from you!"

Chika lowered her head. "Yes, sensei."

In detention, Chika gave Miu the silent treatment (as childish as it was) and Miu stared at Chika, in an attempt to get her to say something. There was no teacher in the room.

"I hate this," Chika said finally.

"Oh, detention is no big deal! I've had it plenty of times before!" Miu reassured her friend.

"Are they gonna tell our parents?" Chika wondered aloud.

"Probably," said Miu.

Chika glared at Miu. "This is all your fault."

"You're the one who lost your temper," said Miu.

"But the way you behave is inexplicable!" said Chika. "Why?"

"Hm... I might know why if I knew what inexplicable means..." said Miu.

"Impossible to explain. No one knows why you act so crazy."

"Well, that's just how I am," said Miu. "I have as much a personality as you."

"I thought you said I had no traits," said Chika. "That I have 'no real personality'."

"Well, nothing that makes you stand out," said Miu. "But you know... You get good grades, you can cook really well, you're helpful and friendly, you like music, sometimes you're kinda sarcastic..."

"Micchan, are you trying to make me less angry by complimenting me?" said Chika.

"Maybe sorta."

Chika had to resist the urge to slap Miu again. Miu noticed her pained expression and quickly said, "But you know, I really think all that about you!"

"You do?"

"Yes! And I've always liked being your best friend!"

"So... is that why you forced me to be your friend back when we were little?"

"Oh, I didn't force you," said Miu, laughing nervously.

"You were pretty forceful," said Chika. "And for a long time, you wouldn't even let me have any more friends. It was a long time until you let me talk with Matsuri."

"Well I get jealous!" said Miu. "Because I want you to pay attention to me more than anyone else!"

There was so much more Chika wished she could understand about Miu, but most likely, it would be a long time before she really understood any of it. Maybe she'd never understand.

"I wish I understood, Micchan," said Chika.

"We've got our whole lives to understand each other," said Miu. "No rush! You'll always have me, Chi-chan."

Chika just gave a tiny nod.

Chika and Miu heard the door creak and looked up. Their teacher walked into the room and sat down at her desk. "I called both of your parents," she said. "I hope the two of you understand why you're in trouble."

"'Cause I was messing around and it was distracting the class," said Miu.

"And because I slapped Miu for it," Chika mumbled.

"That's right," the teacher said. "And I don't expect to see this happen again." She stood up and walked to the door. "Your parents will be here to pick you up soon." She left the room again.

Once the teacher was gone, Miu and Chika sat quietly. Then Miu kicked Chika under the desks again. "Not this again," said Chika.

"Aw, why not?" said Miu.

"Because we're already in enough trouble as it is," said Chika.

"But we can't be disrupting anything if there's no one in here," said Miu.

"I guess so..." said Chika. She kicked Miu back.

This time it went on longer than during science. Just a repeated pattern of kicks under the desks, neither one of them hurting each other or anything. It was kinda peaceful really.

Neither noticed the figure in the doorway for a long time. And once they did, Chika's face turned a little red. It was their teacher.

The teacher smiled gently. "I'm glad you're getting along better now," she said. "Your parents are here."

Chika gulped nervously. "Why can't we just walk home?" she asked.

"Because your parents can discuss your behavior with you on the way home," the teacher said.

"It's no big deal!" said Miu, smiling. Chika kicked Miu again, this time more roughly. Miu winced.

Miu, Chika, and their parents walked back to their street together. Chika's mom gave her a lecture half the way, then stopped talking. Chika and Miu began to lag behind a bit, and soon they were a meter or so behind their parents.

Chika said, "Miu, what did you say earlier about being jealous?"

Miu got an odd expression on her face. "Oh, nothing much."

"Really?" said Chika. "Because for a second, I thought maybe..."

Miu looked a bit nervous. "...yeah?"

"Oh, nothing," said Chika, blushing. "It's nothing. Must have been my imagination." Because for a while, Chika thought. It really seemed like maybe she... maybe she's... maybe she has a...

Miu noticed Chika was deep in thought. Trying to distract her from thinking too long about this, she quickly said, "Hey Chi-chan, do we have any homework?"

"Yeah, math," said Chika.

"Hm..." said Miu. Chika was clearly thinking hard again. Miu could practically see gears turning in her head. And maybe soon a light bulb is gonna appear? Miu thought worriedly. "Are you okay, Chi-chan? You're... um... thinking too much..."

Just then, Miu thought she saw Chika's face twitch a little. Then Chika said, "Yes, I'm perfectly fine." Then she did something a little unexpected. She grabbed Miu's hand. Miu blinked, looking at their hands.

"It's okay for best friends to hold hands," Chika said quickly. "Nothing weird!"

Miu smiled. "Good, because I really like holding your hand."

Chika stared at Miu for a while, then smiled and nodded. "Yeah..."

Chika and Miu lagged further and further behind...