Miki Hiiragi had met Kanata Izumi during high school in the day of the freshmen's orientation. The velvet-haired girl had a bit—okay, a lot of trouble finding the auditorium. It was quite a big campus, and everyone around her seemed to have run by so quickly.

And she had intended on asking for directions.

It was ten minutes until the orientation starts, and she was nowhere near to finding the darn building. She was completely alone, everyone most likely inside sitting down and waiting for the program to start. She felt utterly frustrated at the predicament she was in.

"Why couldn't I have gone with my friends?" she asked herself.

Prior to taking the entrance exams her friends had decided to enter another school together, whilst Miki attended this one alone. It wasn't due to the level of expectations both schools had for their students. They were in fact the same.

It was the distance that was the problem. Wherever her friends were going to be studying at was pretty far from where she lived. If she were to commute to school it would take her two train rides and a bus to get to the campus.

That would amount to a total of two hours. And that is time she could not afford. And she most certainly did not want to wake up at four-thirty in the morning to catch the earliest train.

But if she had gone with her friends she probably wouldn't be having this problem right now.

Before long she had found herself in the middle of the campus. She looked around and reckoned that the school was apparently divided into four buildings, along with three non-academic facilities. She had wondered just how many students went to such a big school.

She let out an exasperated sigh as she sat on a bench in the middle. "It's no use. I can't find it anywhere. And if I did manage to I would be late anyway…"

A gloomy shadow loomed over her eyes. She was not a happy girl at the moment.

Her face wore a dejected expression as she stared down at the ground. Her first day here and things were already going downhill. This was supposed to be a new start for her, a chance to make good impressions and meet new people.

What would they think of her now that she's missed their year's orientation?

She buried her face in her hands. "This sucks…"

"Oh dear, are you alright?"

A voice in front of her snapped her out of her moping. She looked up and surprised cerulean met concerned emerald. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the girl before her.

Those beautiful green eyes were almost covered by bangs of long blue hair that went all the way down to her thighs, which may not be so lengthy given the small, almost petite frame of the girl. Her snow white skin shone with radiance under the morning sun, almost giving her an ethereal glow. Soft peach-colored lips formed an 'o' to further empathize the concern written on her face.

She wore the same uniform as her, albeit smaller due to her size. She had immediately identified her as a student of this school. But that came as a disbelief to her.

After all, this was a high school. Why would a kid be studying here? Did she skip a few grades?

Surely that should be the case. If not then why else would someone as young as her be studying in this school in the first place? That is unless she missed some important piece of information like this place also offered an elementary division…

"Um…miss?" the girl spoke again.

She was shaken out of her thoughts. "Y-yes?"

The bluenette put a hand on her cheek as she frowned. "You've spaced out for quite a bit of time there. Oh my, perhaps you're not feeling well after all. Would you like me to take you to the school infirmary?"

Heat spread throughout her cheeks as she frantically waved her hands in front of her. "N-no! No I'm fine! I just…"

The girl leaned closer. "Really? Your cheeks are red. Do you have a fever?"

W-why am I getting all flustered?! she thought to herself.

"Really, I'm fine! I was just surprised, that's all. I thought I was all alone here…"

"I see." She tapped her chin with her finger. "Are you perhaps a new student here?"

Her eyes widened. "Wha—how did you know?!"

She giggled, her voice ringing out like a gentle bell. "You seem to be giving off that vibe."

"I…see…"

"But then why aren't you over at the auditorium for your orientation? Surely it should be starting by now."

She stiffened and paled at that. Her head hung in utter shame, lips opening and closing. She had tried to find the words to respond, and yet she couldn't.

"…Could it be…that you're lost?"

Again, she couldn't say anything. She did shrink down a bit. But for the sake of courtesy, she at least gave her a response in the form of a nod.

She could not bring herself to look back up at the girl. She couldn't even utter a single word to her. The embarrassment and shame weighed on her greatly for some reason.

The sound of soft laughing filled her ears, and curiosity had taken over her and forced her to glance up at her. The girl had attempted to suppress her laughter, a hand covering her small mouth. Her round cheeks were tinted pink and eyes shut.

"S-sorry!" Miki apologized. "I-it's just I haven't even gotten a full tour of this place yet! The faculty was on a tight schedule when I had enrolled and no one was around to show me—"

"No, no!" the girl interrupted. "It isn't that. It's just…"

"Just…?"

She finally calmed down and straightened herself, smiling sweetly at the velvet-haired girl. "Because I too have gone through the same predicament as you when I enrolled last year."

Her eyes widened as she stared at her with surprise. "R-really?"

She nodded. "Mhm! It was frightening, really. I had wandered around campus for a good two hours and a half just trying to look for the auditorium. Like you, I too wasn't given a tour of the place beforehand.

"By the time I found the building, the orientation had already ended. And even if it hadn't, you still wouldn't be able to get in if you were late. The doors remained closed until the program was finished."

Miki sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. "So it really is pointless to go now…"

"Seems that way."

"How long do these orientations last?"

"For about three hours."

Her jaw dropped. "Three hours?!"

She nodded. "Uh huh."

"That's… Really, this is not turning out to be a good day for me."

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment, eyes appearing to be looking elsewhere. "Well, if you want you can kill some time until it ends."

"And how do I do that?"

"By letting me give you a tour of the school," she said sweetly.

She blinked twice. "What?"

"Since you haven't had a tour of the school yet, perhaps I can show you around myself. You are experiencing what I had gone through last year, so I feel obligated to make sure things go easier for you than me."

"Oh! No, you don't have to—"

"I know I don't. But I want to."

Her heart thumped in her chest. She frowned. What was that?

"I…uh…"

"It'd be a waste to not use this time to get to know the school a bit more. After all, with how little you know about this place right now, you may have similar problems in the future until a few weeks into the term. It's best that you try and familiarize yourself with the campus grounds when it's still early."

That was a sound reason. It made perfect sense. She had three hours left free so what better way to spend it than to look around and get familiar with the school?

But did she really want to take precious time away from this kind little girl? Surely she also had other things to do. Also, it felt wrong for her to rely on someone much younger than her to show her around.

Though she was beyond desperate to make use of what time she had now. And she was sure she couldn't do this task alone. And if this girl really was familiar with the grounds then it would be wise to take her up on her offer.

With a hesitant nod, she stood up. "A-alright. Please show me the way…uh…"

"Kanata," she said. "Kanata Izumi."

"Miki Hiiragi," the taller girl replied with an awkward smile and bowed. "Pleased to meet you."

Kanata returned the gesture in kind. "Likewise."

"I greatly appreciate this, Izumi-san."

"Kanata."

She blinked. "Huh?"

"You needn't use my last name. I feel like you and I have some sort of kinship regarding your current situation, as I have gone through the same thing before. So please, call me Kanata."

Her cheeks flushed even redder. "T-then…Kanata-san, you can call me Miki."

"Very well, Miki-san," she said with that same sweet smile.

This girl is so nice… Perhaps like things aren't looking as bad as I thought they would.

The girl turned on her heel. "Well, shall we head off?"

"Yes, let's."

As Kanata walked on Miki ran up to her side. She felt a wave of relief wash over her knowing that she had found someone so kind so soon on her first day. And she wasn't even in the same year as her. And obviously not in the same division.

"So…what grade are you in?" Miki asked.

Kanata looked up. "Pardon?"

"I mean, I thought this was just a high school. But maybe they also have an elementary division here as well? If so then which building is it?"

She got no reply. The girl had stopped walking, and the look on her face was blank. Miki had wondered if she had said something wrong.

"Kanata-san?"

"…What…grade…I am?"

"Y-yes?" she said, uneasy.

The girl stared at her with the same expression before bursting into adorable giggles. The look on Miki's face was brimming with confusion. She was starting to wonder if whatever she said was that odd.

"You…hee hee…you thought I was…"

"W-what? Did I say something funny?"

Her giggles died down and she walked up to her and stood on her tip toes. "Sorry Miki-san, but you seem to be mistaken."

"Mis…mistaken?"

"You see, I'm a second year high school student in this school."

…

…

…

…

"…Eh?"

She covered her mouth as another wave of giggles came. "Yes! I'm a second year, Miki-san."

"Wha—but! Y-you look so—I mean…" The taller girl took a breath. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen, why?"

Her expression twisted into utter disbelief. "You're…older than me…"

She nodded. "That's right."

Miki stood there, registering everything she had learned just now. Her eyes never left the small girl's, and Kanata could practically see the gears in her head turning ever so slightly. She really was trying to come into terms with this newfound information.

Before she could say anything, Miki had gone into a full-out bowing and apology spree. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so terribly sorry! I didn't mean any disrespect, Kanata—I-I mean, Senpai!"

Kanata was now doubling over. "Miki-san, you're so funny!"

With a sigh, she took one long bow. "I am so…sorry, Senpai…"

"Miki-san, look at me."

Slowly, she did as she was told. She was met with kind, albeit slightly amused, eyes. The girl looked quite sincere as she spoke her next words.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"What? But I—"

"You shouldn't worry so much over the little details. I understand why you would think I was a child. A lot of people have done the same thing. And I couldn't blame them.

"I really do look like a little girl. It's just that height deficiency was quite a common trait in the Izumi family. We look like little dwarves to everyone else.

"But we also try to make it known that we care little about that one little fact. That way no one would act so differently around us. We wouldn't want them to be too careful with what they say; otherwise it would only stress everyone out.

"So please, there really is no need to apologize. And to merely call me 'senpai' is a bit troubling now that you've called me by my first name a few times already. So please, continue calling me Kanata."

"But, you're my senpai! And for that I should refer to you as such!"

"Then call me Kanata-senpai if that would make you feel any better."

She bit her bottom lip. "O-okay…Kanata-senpai."

With a smile, the shorter girl nodded contently. "Good! Now, with that out of the way, shall we continue on?"

"Y-yes, please!"

"And we don't need to worry about accessing the other facilities. I have the keys to them."

"What? Why do you have them?"

"I'm the student council president."

Her eyes widened as she stepped back. "C-c-c-c-c-council president?!"

Kanata sighed. "Oh, dear…"

And this was how Kanata Izumi and Miki Hiiragi had met all those years ago. For years they have remained the closest of friends. From day one and the ones after, they were always together.

Despite their year level difference, they were nothing short of familiar with each other. They treated each other not as senpai and kouhai, but friends. Best friends.

And what Kanata had said rang true. There was a sort of kinship between them. It was special.

It didn't come naturally, though. Miki had still felt awkward with their first meeting, but she soon put that behind her the following week. In fact, it took a lot of reassurance from Kanata for her to relax around her. And that's what she did.

Many things happened during their high school days. There were things they found out about each other. Things that not even their longtime friends knew.

There was something between them that went beyond trust. It was a bond that never settled for just the title of 'friendship'. No, it went deeper than that.

With the many things they've learned about each other and gone through together, a deep spiritual connection bound them together. It was so strong that extra skinship was a natural thing to them not even one year after their first meeting.

Was it fate that brought them together? The gods? The stars?

Who knew? But they never questioned how and why they came to know each other the way they did. That mattered little to them, for they were content with the tight bond they forged together with little to no effort.

They were comfortable with each other. And it had stayed that way throughout the many years they've known each other.

So seeing Kanata Izumi right in front of her now was a tremendous joy and surprise for many reasons. The same long blue hair, the gentle green eyes, the soft welcoming smile, she remembered it all. And they were right there for her now.

But that wasn't right. It couldn't be right. After all, Kanata Izumi died eighteen years ago.

Right after she gave birth to her daughter, Konata Izumi.

Yes, Konata. She was the spitting image of her mother, save for the subtle differences in appearance and the enormous difference in personality. She wasn't a bad girl in any way.

Miki just couldn't believe she came from Kanata is all. They looked the same, yet were so different. Just talking to the girl was enough to remind her of that fact.

And again, it wasn't a bad thing.

But going back, why was Kanata here? Isn't she supposed to be in Heaven? Where her soul rests?

It was when realization dawned on her. Memories of what happened prior to waking up here flooded her head. She remembered it all…

The memories of her life. The car. The pain. The darkness…

She brought a shaky hand to her mouth. "Oh my God…"

The woman before her knelt down to her level. "Miki, I assume you remember what happened?"

"K-Kanata…" she spoke out weakly. "Am I…"

A shake of her head. "It is difficult to explain."

"W-what do you mean?"

"I've seen what happened to you. With the car. The driver was drunk and he was struggling to keep himself steady."

"I…I see…"

"You were badly hurt with the accident. But you are still alive. Though just barely…"

She blinked. "Barely?"

Kanata then swept her hand over a small area of lilies. With a soft 'ping!' in the wind, the flowers in that area blew away and a puddle emerged from the soil. Miki scooted closer, curious as to what was happening.

"What are you doing?"

"Watch…"

After a few ripples spread through the puddle, a clear image of what appears to be a hospital room formed in the water. The sound of mechanical beeping filled the air, and Miki realized what she was looking at.

On the bed, under the covers, the woman lay. She had bandages around her forehead, a small stain of blood on the right side, and her arms were also wrapped with gauze. An IV tube was connected between her hand and a bag of clear liquid hanging on a stand.

A wire was buried under her shirt, right on the chest, connected to a heartbeat monitor that beeped loudly. The pulse was faint, a deafening silence in between beeps.

An oxygen mask covered her mouth, providing her lungs with support for breathing. Her chest slowly moved up and down as air pumped into her via machine. The quiet wheezing could be heard within the mask.

The rest of her was hidden underneath the blanket of the bed. Yet looking at this alone was enough to shaken Miki up to her very core. She could feel tears forming in her eyes as she watched her own immobile body lie there, surrounded by medical equipment.

"God…" she whispered, hands covering her mouth.

"The driver was too drunk and afraid to aid you, so he drove off out of fear of being caught," Kanata explained quietly. "Not too long after he left though a pedestrian had found you on the road and immediately called for help. They brought you to the hospital twenty minutes later."

"So…I'm okay…?"

"Again, it's complicated. You…wouldn't be here right now if you had gotten there earlier. The doctors were struggling to bring you back and this was all they could do for you.

Miki turned to her fearfully. "M-meaning…?"

She shut her eyes, a pained frown on her lips. "Your life hangs by a thread as you lay there. There is no telling when or if you would wake up, Miki."

She gasped out a sob and she looked back at her own body. It hurt to see herself in this state. And to not know whether she would wake up or not scared her to death.

To even consider that a pun was sick.

"It all depends on whether you want to wake up or not, Miki," Kanata said, causing the woman to snap her gaze back at her. "If you decide that you want to return to the world of the living then that will happen."

"But…I want to wake up. So why aren't I awake yet?"

"It may sound simple…yet, it isn't."

"Kanata, please! Stop beating around the bush!"

She saw the older woman grit her teeth. It looks like she was having a very difficult time telling her all this. It's as if she was afraid of what would happen if she were to continue on.

"Before making a decision, you must first observe the happenings of those you are associated with. To see if what goes on there without you is truly worth coming back to. Many have come here and watched events unfold when they were in the same position as you.

"Some have gone back, while others have stayed. They have to observe everything that goes on with people they know first before deciding on what is to become of them. It's a harsh process, but it's how it's done here."

Miki was so lost. Why did she have to observe the people she knew before she could even want to go back to the world of the living? It just didn't make sense.

"It's to see if there is anything worth coming back to," Kanata said, as if reading her thoughts.

She was taken aback. "Anything…worth coming back to…?"

A nod. "That's right."

"But there are a lot of things worth coming back to!"

"Sorry, Miki. But again you must observe for now."

The look on Kanata's face showed so much pain. It's as if she had dreaded telling her all this. That whatever she had told her would make her decide on a completely different choice.

Did she know something she didn't…?

She was about to speak when she heard a door open. She turned her attention back to the image and saw several girls pour into the room. They were her daughters.

"Mama!" Tsukasa cried as she ran up to the bedside.

Kagami followed behind, placing a hand on her twin's shoulder. "Tsukasa, you need to be careful. She's in a critical state right now and shouldn't be moved around too much."

She turned to glare at her sister. "Onee-chan, why are you so calm about this?! Can't you see mama's hurt?!"

"I'm being calm because I have to! Tsukasa, please don't make things harder than they already are."

The two elder sisters walked over to them and gently pulled Tsukasa away from the bedside. She had a look of shock on her face as Inori began to lecture her.

"Kagami is right, Tsukasa," she said. "There's still a chance that she may recover, so we shouldn't do anything to lessen that chance."

"Yeah, lil' sis!" Matsuri piped in. "Just be a good little girl and mom's gonna come around in no time! And when she does you'll be able to give her all the hugs you want."

The youngest sibling sniffled. "O…okay…"

"Atta girl!" she then turned to Inori. "So, when's dad coming over?"

"He should be here by tomorrow. He wanted come back right away, but the company wouldn't give him any leeway to do so. So he has to wait until then."

"Those little shits! Can't they see his wife's hurt?! Don't they have hearts?!"

"It's the corporate world, Matsuri. Frankly they don't give a damn about their employees, so long as they do their job. And right now, dad's quite an important person to them and they just don't want to let him go just yet."

Miki felt her heart sink. So even when something like this has happened he can't come back…?

She then felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Kanata looking at her with comforting eyes. The smile the bluenette offered seemed to have eased Miki a bit, and she quietly thanked her for it. It brought back fond memories of when they were younger.

Miki would be troubled over a guy and Kanata was there to make her feel better. It took a simple squeeze on the shoulder and a caring smile to lift her spirits back up. And right now, she was doing that for her all over again.

"Just be patient, Miki," Kanata said with a soft voice.

Nodding, she wore her own smile. "R-right. Thank you, Kanata."

Their gazes went back to the image, where the girls had quietly spoken to the unresponsive shell that was Miki's body…

To be continued...