OSAKA

I really like Chiyo-chan's pigtails. A lot. They're so ORANGE, and SOFT, and FLUFFY, and CUTE. (I like it best when they bob up and down.) I sure wish that I had pigtails like that. I would tie little pink ribbons around them. And everyone would think that I was cute. Really cute. And they'd stare at me with big ol' sparkly eyes and say, "Oh, that Osaka's just so darn cute!" Just like they do with Chiyo-chan. Except if I had pigtails like that, even Chiyo-chan would be sayin' how cute I was.

And I've been thinking about something else, too: why do they even call them 'pigtails'? They don't pigs' tails at all. They look more like a horse's tail. So why don't they call them 'horse tails'? It'd sure make a whole lot more sense. Wouldn't it? But what if someone's turned out looking like a cat's tail? Or a dog's? I guess you'd have to change the name, then.

That reminds me of Chiyo-chan's dog, Mr. Tadakachi. He's so big that Chiyo-chan can ride on him. I wonder how he got to be so big. Maybe his folks fed him steroids along with his food and water. And now that he's grown up and all that, he's enormous! I wonder if I should tell that to Chiyo-chan.

You know who else is on my mind? Miss Sakaki, that's who. I wanna know the reason why she's so BIG. It's not fair! I've been meaning to ask her how she does it, you know? But I haven't got around to it. Maybe I should try some of my own experiments. Like drinkin' lots of orange juice, or eatin' tons of bread. That'd be easy, cause I like bread. All kinds too. I don't think I have a favorite, there are just too many kinds to choose from. In fact, I really don't know what my favorite thing is, either. It might just be pandas, though. Because pandas are really cute. Aren't they? I wish that I could have a pet panda. I'd name him Fred. Fred's a nice name for a cute fuzzy panda, don't you think? I sure do.

You know what?

I really like Chiyo-chan's pigtails…

KAORIN

You know what? Miss Sakaki is just too cool! I'm a really, Really, REALLY big fan of hers. If you knew me, you'd probably say that I was IN LOVE with her. And I might just be. But is it really such a big deal?

I'm fine at other times, but whenever I get around Miss Sakaki, I don't know what happens. I turn red, I stutter, and I don't know what to say, even though I practice at home in a mirror. That may seem a little strange, but so what? If you were me, you'd understand.

I really want Miss Sakaki to notice me. More than anything. Maybe if I didn't turn into such a dotard in front of her, she'd get to see the real me. But, strangely, I'm kinda afraid that she will see the real me, and she won't like it.

I might just be better off admiring from afar. But still, I really want her to notice me.

CHIYO-CHAN

No one really understands me.

Everyone thinks just because I'm eleven and they're older, I should be treated like a little kid. I'm tired of people walking up to me and saying how 'cute' I am. I want to be taken seriously: I want to be treated just like the other students.

Sometimes I think I would've been better off if I'd had stayed in the elementary school. Where I'm in the classroom with people my age. Where no one would treat me like a baby. Where I wouldn't stand out so much. If I was at the elementary school, things wouldn't seem so different. I'd get to be with my old friends again. And I could make some new ones, which would be a lot easier there. In the high school, most people call themselves my 'friend' because they think I'm cute. But no one would do that at the elementary school. But there are a lot of good things about the high school, so I guess it's okay.

A lot of people consider me lucky. They envy me because my parents have a lot of money. They get jealous because I have good grades. I must be the only one who sees Chiyo-chan, the child prodigy as unfortunate. and what makes it worse is the fact I'd mentioned before: no one REALLY understands me.

SAKAKI

I love cats. Why? I'm not very sure. It seems very unlikely that someone like me would love all things cute and fluffy. and that may be the reason after all: i'm ANYTHING but cute.

It's a shame, though, that most cats don't take a liking to me. There's this one gray cat in particular that must absolutely HATE me. I try to be friendly, I try to pet him, but I almost always end up with a bit on my hand.

Most people that I know would get mad if a cat bit them. But I don't get mad, I CAN"T. It's too hard to be angry with something so adorable, so lovable, so cute…

Usually, I loose myself in daydreams about cats. Instead of paying attention to the lessons in school, I stare outside, looking at cats. Instead of sleeping at night, sometimes I stay up and stare at my cat posters wondering what it would be like if I had a cat of my own.

But what can I say? I love all things cute and fluffy….