Chiyo and Sakaki arrived at school just in time to see Osaka trip and fall flat on her face

in the courtyard. At least, Chiyo had assumed she'd tripped. However, upon seeing Osaka stand up, dust herself off, then do another belly-flop onto the lawn, she wasn't so certain. Rising again, Osaka's furrowed brow conveyed puzzlement. Suddenly, her countenance brightened. Then, holding her arms straight out to the sides, she ran across the courtyard, leapt into the air . . . . . . and hit the ground like a pancake.

As Chiyo and Sakaki approached, they overheard Osaka's soft muttering.

"Guess running start isn't enough."

"Er, good morning."

Osaka smiled. "Oh, Chiyo-chan. Good morning."

"Um, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to fly."

Chiyo hesitated for a moment, realizing that her friend probably wasn't joking. "I really

don't think you can do it that way . . ."

"No, no, this will work. My dad has this book, translated from English. It explains how

people can fly. All you have to do is fall and miss the ground."

This seemed pretty ludicrous. Even for Osaka. "What book is that?"

"It's called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or something like that. It's full of good advice. But don't worry. I won't do anything foolish. My dad already explained to me that hitchhiking is very dangerous." She spread her arms and ran across the courtyard again.

"Wait!" Chiyo chased after her.

Flump! Again, Osaka lay face down in the grass. She sat up, staring at the green stains on her knees. "I wonder why it's not working." She frowned. "Oh! I know! I bet I keep hitting the ground 'cause I'm looking at it! Maybe if I can't see it, I'll forget where it is." On her feet again, now with eyes shut, she took another running leap.

Fwap! This time, she landed on the paved walkway. Rubbing her scraped nose, she groaned.

"Well, that's no good."

"Maybe," Sakaki offered softly, "you should stop for now. It's almost time for class to begin."

Osaka sighed, looking terribly downcast.

"I guess you're right." By the time she made it to her feet, inspiration seemed to have struck again. "Oh! This time, I've got it!"

"Oh no." Chiyo cleared her throat. "What is it?"

"You know how the farther back you stand from a target, the harder it is to hit?" Osaka held her arms as if she were drawing a bow. "I just gotta start from farther away from the ground. Then I'll be sure to miss it." She ran toward the main building.

"She wouldn't." Chiyo's eyes widened. "Oh no, she would! Sakaki-san! We have to stop her!" Flailing her arms, Chiyo broke into a run, but Sakaki quickly overtook her.

Osaka gazed over the courtyard below. "Three stories ought to be enough. Especially if I close my eyes." She squared her toes at the edge of the roof and spread her arms wide, fanning her fingertips like feathers. Eyes shut, she waited a moment, feeling the wind move around her. Then she leapt into the air.

It didn't feel at all like falling. In fact, the wind felt exactly the same as it had while she'd been standing still. Maybe she was hovering. Her feet definitely weren't touching ground. The only strange thing was a firm, warm pressure on each side of her waist. That had to be some weird effect of wind resistance or something else she vaguely remembered hearing about in physics class.

She opened her eyes and looked down. Her feet dangled free in the air, and she giggled . "It really worked! I'm flying!" She concentrated on swooping forward, but for some reason she drifted backwards. The moment her feet touched the roof, the strange pressure was gone from her waist.

"Huh. I wonder why I didn't go in the direction I wanted to."

"It's time to go to class," came a deep, soft voice from behind.

Osaka turned around. "Oh, hi, Sakaki-chan. Guess what? I flew! It's great! You oughta try it, too."

Sakaki held up one hand, looking a bit nervous. "Er, no . . ."

"You're not afraid, are you? There's nothing to worry about. It's easy! Watch!" Closing her eyes, Osaka leapt again.

Once more, she had the odd sensation of something clamped around her waist. She opened her eyes, as amused by the sight of her dangling feet as she'd been the first time.

"This is the best!"

But when she tried to fly forward, she again drifted back. But this time, she didn't land on the roof. Turning in a lazy arc, she ended up facing the stairwell just in time to see

Chiyo emerge, gasping and panting, hanging on the door frame. She stared at Osaka, as if in shock.

"Look, Chiyo-chan!" Osaka flapped her arms. "I'm flying! Even without pigtails! Now we can fly together!"

"Um, Osaka-san . . . you're not . . ." Chiyo rubbed her face with one hand. "Oh, never mind."

"Whee! I feel like a bird!" She floated toward Chiyo. "Huh. I can't control it, though. I guess I have to go wherever the air currents take me, like a balloon." Chiyo headed back downstairs, and Osaka bobbed along behind her, gliding through the hallways and eventually right into the classroom. All of her classmates, as well as the homeroom teacher, fell silent. Yomi's glasses slid down her face. Kaorin looked like she was having a heart attack.

"I learned how to fly, everyone! I can show you how after school!" Slowly, she sank until her feet touched the floor. The pressure released from her waist. Osaka rubbed at her aching sides. "Although it does kinda knock the wind outta ya a little."

Tomo grinned widely. "Looks like fun! I'm in!"

Yomi backhanded her, knocking her back into her seat. "Don't encourage her."

Chiyo tugged on Osaka's sleeve. "I really don't think you should do that again."

"Why not?"

"Um . . ." Yomi whispered in Chiyo's ear, and Chiyo's face brightened.

"Oh, yes!" She held Osaka's gaze intensely. "It's against the law."

"It is?" Osaka's shoulders slumped.

"Oh, that makes sense." Tomo nodded sagely.

"It does?" Yomi glanced sidelong at her.

"Sure. If everyone was flying all over the place, we'd be getting in the way of airplanes and helicopters and stuff. It would be a big mess.

" She smiled, triumphant in her knowledge.

"Oh, and I bet we'd show up on radar. The Self-Defense Forces might even launch missiles."

Yomi groaned, but Osaka clasped her hands together with concern.

"Oh, that would be bad!" She nodded.

"Okay, I won't fly anymore. I don't want the school to get hit by a missile."

Tomo's expression was blank for a moment, then her eyes gleamed.

"Wait, if the school gets blown up, then we get an extra vacation, right?"

"Are you really that dumb?" Yomi murmured under her breath.

Yukari bolted from the front of the classroom. "Vacation, you say?" She grabbed one of Osaka's hands, and Tomo grabbed the other. They pulled her to the door. "Come on, you're teaching us how to fly!"

With a thunderous bellow of "You idiots! Get back here!" Yomi tore after the trio.

Chiyo followed close at her heels. After a moment of silence, the rest of the class rose from their desks and went after them as well, with murmurs of "I gotta see this" and "Do you think it could really work?"

As Osaka and the others reached the roof a helicopter landed and an official looking man emerged

"Im here on the word of the Japanese government "

"Really ?" squealed Chyo in disbelief

"were is an Osaka? " asked the man

Osaka? "huh never heard of her "said Osaka " Names Ayumu Kasuga

You dumbass" added Yomi " you grow a goddamn brain when its convenient for you