Miki was in the music room, playing a beautiful song on the piano. As he was playing, he didn't notice someone standing by the piano and listen to him play. Suddenly, he stopped playing.

The person started to clap for him, causing Miki to look up to see Saya clapping with a smile on her face. She stopped her hands and said, "Your piano playing is wonderful, Miki. The pride of the school. Thanks to your performance, that party the other day turned out wonderfully. But why did you drop out of the competition? The teachers were really disappointed."

Miki looked down at the piano and played a note. "This piano's little off key." He said.

"Really? It was just tuned recently." Saya stated.

He played the same note again and sighed to himself. "Then maybe I'm the one who needs tuning." Miki started to play the same song again.

Saya noticed something from the corner of her eyes and looked to see the same music book Miki always have with him. "You always play this song whenever you're alone." Saya picked up the book and looked inside.

"The truth is…this is the only song for the piano that means anything to me. Because, if I keep playing, I hope that she will hear it." Miki said.

Saya looked away from the book to Miki. "She?"

"But I can't get the song to be what I want yet. No matter what I do, I can't find the right note to follow."

Saya looked back at the book. "I'm sure you'll find the right note. You just have to keep looking for it and never give up on what you're looking for." She noticed something on a certain page.

"It's a song about how I can't express the eternal beauty I feel inside."

Saya smiled at the picture of Anthy watering the flowers in the rose garden. "And what's the song's name?"

"The Sunlit Garden."

"Great! This is the worst score I've ever gotten!" Wakaba exclaimed when she looked at her exam.

"Really...Sucks to be you." Utena said while looking at the window next to her.

"I just wish I could get mostly 99's in math."

"You just have to cultivate a sense of logic for that."

"But my mother always told me something: A real woman can force her logic onto any man." Wakaba stated.

"Oh, really."

Wakaba sighed. "I wish I could be as good at math as you." Utena showed Wakaba her exam which had a score of 38, which shocked Wakaba. "No way…You don't usually do that bad at it."

"I got lazy." Utena said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Shame on you. You should have cultivate a sense of logic." Wakaba joked.

"Hey...Anyway, I'll have to take a make-up exam with this score."

"Suck to be you."

After a while, Utena noticed Anthy was walking outside with a boy by her side. "Hm?"

Wakaba looked at the same direction Utena was looking at. "What?"

"Who's that boy with Anthy?" Utena asked.

"Oh, that's Miki!"

"Miki?"

"Don't you know about him? Miki Kaoru, a freshman. The handsome boy who fences and plays piano at the national level. He's a total genius who's studying the college curriculum even though he's a middle school freshman." Wakaba explained

"Wow..."

"He's really popular, even with the older girls. Mitsuko and the others are just in love with him. But..." Utena looked at up at Wakaba. "What would he be doing with Anthy Himemiya?"

Saya and Juri were walking in the library, looking for Miki. Juri found him sitting at a table working on something. "Found him."

Both of the girls walked over to him and placed their hand on Miki's shoulders, grabbing his attention. "Hi." They both said.

"Miss Juri. Miss Saya."

"You weren't in your dorm or at the council so we figured you'd be here in the library studying." Juri said.

"Correcting somebody's test paper?" Saya asked while looking at the paper in front of him.

"Yeah, sort of."

"Hmm...Unusual for a boy like you, who never gets close to others." Juri said.

"Miss Jury, Miss Saya..." The girls turned their attention on Miki. "Happiness can sometimes be surprisingly close by, can it?"

Both of them were confused by Miki's question. "Hm?"

"Anyway, that's quite a test you've got there. Whose is it?" Saya asked.

Saya and Touga were standing by the piano in the music room, listening to Miki's music.

"You're playing well today. Your technique's intensity isn't as overpower as it tends to be." Touga stated.

"There's a richness to the sound." Saya said. "Could you have found that 'shining thing' you told us about once?"

"Yes, I may just have. I may finally be regaining what I lost so long ago..." Miki finished the song before looking at the picture of Anthy and smiled.

"I envy you." Touga said.

"As do I." Saya agreed.

"If you do regain that 'shining thing' be sure you tell us what it is." Touga added.

What they didn't know was that Nanami was listening in on their conversation from outside the music room.

'What do they mean by 'shining thing'?' Nanami wondered.

A doorbell rang through Utena and Anthy's dorm house.

"Coming!" Utena opened the door to reveal Miki with Saya.

"Sorry I'm late. I thought I'd invited Miss Saya over to help you guys out also." Miki said.

"No problem, I've been waiting. Come in."

"Well, you see..." Nanami came out of nowhere from behind Miki.

"Mind if I tag along?"Nanami smiled.

"Wait, aren't you..."

"I'm Nanami!"

"Your girlfriend, Miki?" Utena teased.

"No way!" Miki exclaimed with a hint of red on his cheeks and Saya giggled a bit.

"Well, come in. Anthy's waiting inside." Utena said before she took a step to the side to let them inside.

"Glad to come!" Miki said before he and Saya walked in the house.

"Very glad to come!" Nanami followed in.

Utena led them to hers' and Anthy's room, which was very clean despite the dorm house not being used for a long time.

"Wow, I heard this was some sort of haunted house, but it's really clean inside." Saya said while sitting down with the other four by the table.

"What a lovely room." Nanami said.

"Yeah. That's because Anthy works her fingers to the bone keeping it clean every day." Utena explained.

"You like to keep things neat, huh, Miss Himemiya?" Miki asked.

"Wow! I'm just so impressed." Nanami said. 'Hmpf! Now to show him she isn't the sweet girl he thinks she is!' She thought while pulling out a snail with tweezers from her school bag behind her back.

"You're in luck, Miss Tenjou, getting to live with such a feminine girl." Miki said.

"Is that sarcasm?"

"Anthy? May I borrow an eraser?" Nanami asked while taking Anthy's pencil box.

Suddenly she screamed in terror. "A snail! There's a snail in her pencil box!" A snail was slowly moving across the empty pencil box.

Saya, Miki, and Utena were shocked at the sight.

"That girl keeps a snail in her pencil box!"

"Miss Himemiya, I've misjudge you!" Miki exclaimed.

"I'm so shocked!" Utena exclaimed.

"I can't believe it!" Saya exclaimed.

Nanami pointed at Anthy. "The jig is up, Anthy Himemiya!"

"That's what will happen! I call it 'Operation: Oh! Anthy Himemiya is a weirdo who keeps a snail in her pencil box!'" Nanami mumbled.

"Did you say something?" Miki asked Nanami.

"No, nothing."

"Then let's start with the simple problems." Saya said, causing Utena to groan. "Don't worry. If you remember how to do them, it's like solving a puzzle."

"Anthy? May I borrow an eraser?" Nanami asked while taking Anthy's pencil box. 'Anthy Himemiya...Prepare yourself!'

When Nanami opened the pencil box, a lot of snails were in there. Nanami screamed before backing away from the table.

"S-S-S-S-Snails! There are snails in there!" Nanami screamed.

"Oh, that's my snails' home." Anthy said.

"I told you to not to keep them in there." Utena said.

"I think it's cute. It's just like Miss Himemiya to do that." Miki said.

"I think that's cool." Saya said. To be honest, insects and snails never really bother her like they do to most girls.

"B-B-But they're snails! What's so cute about snails?!" Nanami exclaimed.

"Catherine, Juliet, Marcelina, I'll see you later." Anthy said to the snails before closing her pencil box.

"I see it, Miss Tenjou. Here's where you got caught." Miki showed her how to do the math problem right.

'Well, in this case, you leave me choice.' Nanami thought while pulling out garter snake.

"My, what an adorable desk! I wish I had one like it!" Nanami said while tip-toeing her way to the desk.

Suddenly she screamed in terror. "A garter snake! There's a garter snake in there!" A garter snake was sticking out from one of the drawers that was opened.

Saya, Miki, and Utena were shocked at the sight.

"That's girl keeps a garter snake in her desk drawer!"

"Miss Himemiya, I've misjudge you!"

"I'm so shocked!"

"I can't believe it!"

Nanami pointed at Anthy. "The jig is up, Anthy Himemiya!"

"That's what will happen! I call it 'Operation: Oh! Anthy Himemiya is a weirdo who keeps a garter in her desk drawer!'" Nanami mumbled.

"Did you say something?" Miki asked.

"No, nothing."

"For triangle ACP, line BX is parallel to line CP, so..." Saya explained the problem to Anthy and Utena.

"My, what an adorable desk! I wish I had one like it!" Nanami said while tip-toeing her way to the desk.

When she opened the drawer, something came out of the drawer and bit the garter snake's head. Nanami brought the snake in front of her to see its head in the mouth of a mongoose.

"My garter snake...The one I spent all night trying to catch..." Nanami fell to her knees while the mongoose finished eating the garter snake.

"Oh, that's where Mr. Mongoose lives." Anthy said before the mongoose ran towards Saya and rubbed his head against her leg. She giggled before petting his head gently.

"I told you not to keep him in there." Utena said.

"I think it's cute. It's just like Miss Himemiya to do that." Miki said.

"He's so adorable!" Saya exclaimed while scratching his chin gently before she handed the mongoose to Anthy.

"She has a mongoose! Don't either one of you think that's weird?" Nanami exclaimed.

"We're studying now, so I'll have to see you later. Did you like eating that mean old snake?" Anthy asked Mr. Mongoose while putting him back in his home.

"Hmm...So what do I do here?" Utena asked Saya and Miki.

"Oh, you do this." Saya showed her.

"Oh..."

'Alright, if that's how you're going to play it...I didn't want to use this, but you leave me no choice!' Nanami thought while pulling out a live octopus out of her bag with rubber gloves.

Nanami cried out in terror. "An octopus! There's an octopus in there!" A live octopus was sitting on top of the drawers, minding its own business.

Saya, Miki, and Utena were shocked at the sight.

"That girl keeps an octopus in her closet!"

"Miss Himemiya, I've misjudge you!"

"I'm so shocked!"

"I can't believe it!"

Nanami pointed at Anthy. "The jig is really up this time, Anthy Himemiya!"

"That's gotta be what will happen! I call it 'Operation: Anthy Himemiya is a total weirdo who keeps a live octopus in her closet!'" Nanami mumbled.

"Did you say something?" Miki asked.

"No, nothing at all."

Nanami made her way to the closet while hiding the octopus behind her back. 'This time, with this octopus I'll beat you for sure! Anthy Himemiya!'

"I'll beat you! With this octopus!" Nanami started to laugh before facing the closet. "Now!" Utena and Saya looked up to Nanami at the closet.

When she opened the closet, a big huge red octopus fell on Nanami, causing her to drop the live octopus in the process. "Octopus! Octopus! Octopus! Octopus! Octopus!" Nanami screamed.

"It's dangerous to just go and open that closet up." Utena said.

"This can't be real! This all has to be some terrible dream! How can this huge octopus be here? All these octopus tentacles...!" Nanami complained.

"That's the ad balloon they had for last year's school festival." Saya said.

"I felt so sorry for it after it was thrown away so I brought it back here." Anthy said.

"Didn't you say you were getting sick of it and it should be thrown away?" Utena wondered.

"I think it's cute. It's just like Miss Himemiya to do that." Miki said.

"So, now x=3. Now you substitute it in and find the other value." Saya explained.

"Oh, now I see! 3+y is...Hmm...And that means...All done! How's this looks?" Utena showed Saya her work.

"You got it." Saya said with a smile.

"I get you! Way to go genius! You guys make class easy to understand!" Utena exclaimed.

"Oh, it's nothing." Miki said while Saya giggled.

The three of them turned when they heard Anthy laughing at the flip book she made in her notebook.

"Come on, be serious. The exam's next week." Utena said.

"Yes, Miss Utena." Anthy said while laughing until she calmed down.

A clock in their room showed that it was seven o'clock pm.

"Wow, it's that late already? Hey, Miki, Saya!"

"Yes?" Both of them looked at Utena.

"Want to get a little snack? How about you, Nanami?" Everyone looked towards Nanami who appeared to be in a daze.

"Nanami?" Saya called out, finally snapping Nanami ou of her trance.

"Oh, yes. A snack. Right. Actually, I made a lunch box for us. I hope you all like it." Nanami pulled out a lunch box that had Chu-Chu, eating the remaining lunch. "Another animal. I suppose this is Anthy's friend too..."

"Chu-Chu! Shame on you for doing that!" Anthy scolded.

"These animals...!" Nanami's body was starting to shake in anger.

"I'm sorry! I'll make something for us instead!" Anthy stood up and left the room.

Anthy came back and gave everyone shaved ice. "It's really good when you mix the lemon with the strawberry."

"Oh really..." Everyone took a bite of their shaved ice…well, everyone except Nanami.

"She's right. It's really good." Saya said.

"This is my specialty." Anthy said.

"You don't say. You have to give my recipe." Miki said.

"Can I get a little more syrup on mine?" Utena asked.

"Nanami? You'd better eat it before it melts." Anthy said.

"You've got to be kidding..." Nanami muttered.

"You should be more polite to an upperclassman." Miki said.

"Snails in her pencil box...A mongoose in her desk drawer...A giant octopus balloon in her closet...! And now shaved ice for dinner?! You're making me sick! I have a very delicate stomach!" Nanami shouted.

"I like shaved ice." Saya and Miki said.

"Too bad you've got a weak stomach." Utena said to Nanami.

Nanami slammed the table with her fist. "This isn't about the ice or my stomach! Why does everyone like her so much?!"

"Didn't you say you wanted to be Miss Himemiya's friend?" Miki asked.

"Whatever do you mean? You're in love with her, aren't you, Miki?! Admit it!" Nanami exclaimed.

"Well..."

"Huh? Anthy's gone!" Saya said when she didn't see Anthy at her spot.

"You're right!" Miki said.

"She probably doesn't take well to study groups like this." Utena said. "I'm gonna go look for her." Utena got up on her feet.

"I'll go with you." Miki said as he stood up.

"So will I." Saya added as she stood up.

Suddenly, Saya, Utena, Miki, and Nanami heard music that filled the house and room.

"A piano..." Miki mumbled.

"That's the song you always play." Saya said to Miki before all of them followed the sound to find Anthy on the piano playing 'The Sunlit Garden'. She played just as good as Miki.

"Wow. I didn't know she could play the piano." Utena said.

Saya noticed Miki staring at Anthy with widen eyes. "The same tone as my little sister's...That sunlit garden..." Saya, Utena, and Nanami looked at Miki. "I found it. My 'shining thing'."