"I'll see you tomorrow, OK?"

"B-y-y-y-y-y-e-e!"

Maria waved to her classmates. She stared ahead, straight in front of her, at the route back to her house. Maria gave the stretch of sidewalk one last glance—and turned left.

Yozora was probably waiting for her several blocks ahead. To be honest, Maria had figured out Yozora's method of stalking her. It was a little unnerving, the care with which Yozora had memorized Maria's route home.

Instead, Maria was going to hide out until Yozora got tired. To wait, Maria had decided to pick the most familiar place she knew.

Maria pushed open the large oak doors to the cathedral. She had come here every week, and usually more often, since she could remember. It was her little sanctuary. Maria walked down the altar, passing the wooden pews and sitting up at the very front.

"So you found me here, did you?" Maria did not turn her head. She did not need to look to see whose the shadow covering her, blocking up the stained-glass window to the side, was.

"I talked to your sister," said Yozora. "She told me everything, including where to find you."

"Kate-nee-chan? How was she?"

"Every bit as rude and annoying as you were."

"And arrogant. How much did she tell you?"

Maria slumped over, looking slightly haggard from spending almost two weeks dodging Yozora. At the same time, she was a little relieved that it was all finally over.

"Everything. I also found out that there was an unspoken agreement not to talk about you in the school. I guess it was really good of your sister to tell me what she did."

Maria nodded. "So you know that they found out I was underage."

Yozora rolled her eyes in disgust. "How couldn't they? You look five."

"I'm ten!"

"And so, they removed you and put you in a school—where you belong—and decided not to talk about it."

Maria sighed. "I didn't know what was going on. But one day, a group of priests came over. Then, there was this old man who came up to me. He told me his name was Okada-san* and that he was there to fix a problem. The next thing I know was that I got questioned by all these priests about how I became a teacher and how they were treating me."

Yozora shook her head. "I'm glad someone other than me also thought a ten-year old nun was ridiculous."

"Now you know. What are you here for? To say goodbye?"

"No. You're the only sane member of the club I can talk to. Well, Kobato, too, but she's not that bright. To tell the truth, I don't know if you are, either."

"Try me!" Maria instantly sat up, intent on hearing whatever it was Yozora had to say, even though she had been completely wary of Yozora just seconds ago.

"Problems with Kodaka. Club might dissolve. Stuff like that."

"You wanted to talk to me. You're going to have to do better than that," said Maria.

Yozora flinched. Maria was annoying in her perceptiveness. If only she had been a little more like that when she was at the school.

"You know how I'm going out with Kodaka, right?" said Yozora.

"Yeah. Stuff I don't understand yet," said Maria. "They told me that at the school so many times."

Yozora suddenly lowered her head and grasped Maria's hands. "Forgive me, sister, for I have sinned."

"You can only do that with a priest!" cried Maria.

"Whatever. You're the closest thing I've got," said Yozora.

Maria sighed. "And it has to do with Kodaka-nii-chan?"

Yozora nodded. "At first, I thought it was great that I was finally going out with him. It's been my dream for ten years."

"You only met him last year."

"No, we first met when we were both in elementary school. But I looked different back then. He didn't recognize me at first."

"You had a crush on the same boy for ten years?" Maria began guffawing. Yozora decided not to anger Maria this time, and instead of hitting her, simply waited for her to calm back down.

"It was a dream come true," said Yozora again. "But now…there's someone else."

"Oh, that's what they call adultery, isn't it?" said Maria. "The sisters wouldn't tell me a lot about that one. They told me about all the other sins, but not that one. That, and sodomy. I don't really know what those two are."

Yozora stopped, astonished by Maria's interjection. Then, she continued. "Um, anyway…I don't know what to do now."

"So you decided to ask a ten year old?"

"Well, I don't know who else to ask, like I said."

Maria sighed. "Do you really like this person more than Kodaka-nii-chan?"

Yozora nodded. "I thought I hated them at first. It was kind of fun messing with them, too. And then after awhile I was just doing because I thought they looked so cute when they were crying."

"Wow, that's messed up."

Yozora did not object to Maria's observation.

"Now…I don't know what to do."

"I don't really know about love, you know. Now that I think about it, they just stuffed my head with books. I really don't know that much about the world. I can't really help you with this, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Yozora got up. "I feel better now anyway, though. Thanks."

Maria glanced at Yozora in surprise. "Um, you're welcome."

…

The next week, Kodaka was the only person who came to club besides Yozora. As predicted, they both sat on opposite sofas, not really talking to each other.

"A lot's gone on in the last few months, huh?" said Kodaka.

"Yeah…"

"So, that's what happened to Maria."

"Yeah."

"Not much of a chance she'll come back, then?"

"It's a pretty long walk from the elementary school to here."

Kodaka crossed his arms. "So, is that the end?"

Yozora remained morosely silent. She didn't want to say it out loud, because that would make it official.

Kodaka got up and sat next to Yozora.

"You know, I've been following you along with everything ever since this club began. I think it's time I say something on my own before it all ends."

Yozora could not tell what Kodaka's intentions were. She was genuinely a little scared at whatever he might say next.

"You're the most amazing person I've ever met. I don't think there are a lot of other people in the world like you, if any."

Yozora gulped. There was a strange feeling rising up in her throat.

"Honestly, I don't want to lose you, even after this club ends. And I'm losing you right now."

Yozora nodded. She felt something cool and slippery on her cheeks. "I know what you're going to say."
"Yeah."

"You're right. You're the first friend I ever had, you know."

"You were, too, ten years ago."

"Yeah. Ten years ago."

Yozora sniffed. She could barely see Kodaka, her eyesight was so blurred. Even despite all the arguments they had and what Yozora had confessed to Maria, this moment was incredibly bittersweet.

"I love you, Yozora. So I'm breaking up with you."

"That's the stupidest line I've ever heard."

Yozora wiped away her tears, touched Kodaka on the lips, and kissed him.

"So…that's it."

Yozora and Kodaka sat side by side now.

"So, wanna go get something to eat or something?"

"Yeah." Yozora realized that this was the first time she was doing something like this with Kodaka in over a month.

"Let's wait until you're done crying. You look like you just got dumped."

Yozora looked at Kodaka. The corners of his eyes were glistening as well.

"Yeah, you too."

…

*The Most Reverend Peter Takeo Okada is the current Archbishop of Tokyo. As the employing of a ten year-old as a nun is rather serious, it seems natural for him to get involved.

Also, I did not make Kate-nee-chan up. She actually appears in the light novels as Maria's older sister, and she is every bit as uncouth as her sibling is.