Episode 1 – The Confession

It was as though I was talking to her for the first time.

I finally told him. I told Kotaro I liked him. Like all the girls who confessed to Ten-chan, I was so nervous. Unfortunately…

"Kotaro-kun, can we talk?" I asked him, my face red but serious as I could be.

…Just like all the girls who confessed to Ten-chan…

"Of course." He smiled and waited. I gave Ten-chan a look and he took the hint to go on ahead. "What is it, Koboshi-chan?"

I took a deep breath and spoke. "I love you, Kotaro-kun. A lot. Would you go out with me?" Not once did I stutter; not once did I divert my face to any direction but his. He stared at me for what seemed to be the longest two minutes of my life. Finally he cautiously looked away, sighed, and turned back to face me.

"Sorry, Koboshi-chan but…I just want to be friends." He gave me a sympathetic look. I however was too heartbroken to respond. I stood there for about five minutes before he decided to leave me in my sorrow.

…Just as Ayonokoji refused the advances of his admirers, Kotaro had rejected me.

Somehow, I ended up at my desk. I don't know if I was late. I didn't care. I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't want to be there. I didn't want to see anyone. I didn't want to hear what the teacher was saying. I didn't want to hear Ten-chan and Dai-chan fighting childishly. I wanted…

"Little girl!" A voice broke my train of thoughts. "It's time for P.E.! Are you ready to show your overwhelming but un-girl-like physical prowess?"

Who is it, talking to me right now in that annoyingly haughty voice? Can't he see I don't care about P.E., his stupid competitive attitude, and…myself.

"Go away, Dai-chan."

"Eh? What's that, little girl?"

"GO AWAY!" I screamed as I stood up, my face red, contorted in anger, and I could feel the tears starting to well up. It was enough to scare him off.

I was alone. Alone. Is this what I want? No. I want…I want to die. Horrified with the thought that had just occurred to me, I started to cry. I put my head down on my desk, hoping I could just pass out.

"Kotaro-kun!" A loud, impossibly upbeat voice interjected my sorrow. I knew to whom it belonged. It must have been Misha at the 2nd story window, looking for…him. I heard footsteps next and then felt there was a presence next to me.

Go away. Go away. Make her go away. Make it go away. Make me go away.

"Koboshi-chan, why are you crying 'su?" the older female asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." I didn't want to talk to her most of all.

"But Koboshi-chan, you don't look happy 'su."

"…I'm not." Not that she should care, her job was to make…him happy, and no one else.

"What happened 'su?"

"It's not important." I couldn't understand why she still persisted. Given her short attention span to all things other than… him, I was in disbelief as to if she was actually there.

"Of course it's important 'su."

"Why?"

With the most sincere voice she has spoken to me, she answered, "Because, Koboshi-chan, you are my friend."

"…W, What?"

"You're my friend, Koboshi-chan. Friends care about each other 'su and listen to each other 'su and cheer each other up when they're sad 'su."

"F, Fine. But can we go somewhere else?" I didn't want anyone else to see me crying, especially…him.

"Alright 'su!" On impulse she grabbed my hands and led me to the window.

"Misha-san, what are you doing?"

"We're going to the roof 'su!"

"But the stairs..." Before I could finish she had dragged me out of the window.

I was so scared. I tried not to look down because I knew how high up we were. I didn't want to think about how the pain of falling to the ground would feel. When Misha pulled me close to her into a hug, I looked up to see her face and saw her wings.

I had forgotten she was angel. I had forgotten she could fly.

I was no longer lost in my previous thoughts; I had only one thing on my mind – I was flying! It was so amazing; the rush of the wind against my face and the speed at which we were traveling was so exhilarating that I was a little disappointed when we landed on the roof.

"Are you okay 'su?" She asked calmly.

"A little better now." We were alone. I was a little better, but I was still a little hesitant to tell her anything. Still she waited for me to speak. "I told…Kotaro I loved him…," my voice began to break, "but he rejected me." I couldn't hold it in anymore and I cried again. I felt like a baby. I turned away from her, ashamed. Misha then surprised me once again, pulling me into another hug. I laid my head against her, getting her blouse soaked in the process.

"It's alright, Koboshi-chan. Kotaro-kun may not love you back the same way you do, but he still likes you. He still cares about you. He would be sad if you weren't friends anymore."

I looked up at her, questioning the truth behind her words. "I don't care."

"That's not true, Koboshi-chan."

"How do you know?!" I yelled as I pushed her away. I walked to the railing and leaned on it. Looking down, I could see Ten-chan and Dai-chan arguing on the track field. As I scanned the P.E. classes, I couldn't see Kotaro.

Why am I looking for him anyway? I said I don't care.

"Koboshi-chan?" I turned to see Misha leaning on the railing. "We can still be friends, even if you don't like Kotaro?" She then proceeded to give me one of her famous and sincere smiles. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Of course, Misha-san."

"Yahoo 'su!" She tackled me in another hug that almost sent us over the railing.

I have to admit, I like her hugs. I hugged her back.

"Thank you, Misha-san," I whispered.

"Koboshi-chan, wait up!" Ten-chan called out. I sighed deeply, and took a glance over my shoulder. Kotaro wasn't with him. "Kotaro told me what happened."

"He did, huh?!" I said a little too angrily, Ten-chan taken aback. "Sorry."

"Ah, don't worry about me. I'm just worried about the two of you."

"There is no us." The silence followed was interspersed by the sounds of the other students getting out of school.

"I'm not going to pretend like I believe you."

"It's true!"

"...Could you at least talk to him? He feels really bad."

"…Maybe…tomorrow." I needed to cool down. "You can walk with him by yourself right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." My feet proceeded to lead me home. I felt like crying again.

"Koboshi-chan 'su!" I turned to see Misha running after me.

"Misha-san, what are you doing?" I was surprised to see her, but a little glad nonetheless.

"I'm walking home with my friend Koboshi-chan."

"But your apartment is the other way."

"It's alright 'su. This is what friends do." She smiled. I smiled back.

It was as though I was talking to her for the first time. I didn't believe I would actually like her as a friend. But she's more caring than I thought to give her credit for. I can't wait to talk to her again.