Michiru stared at the board where the numbers of those who passed the Mizusawa entrance exam were posted. She had no doubt in her mind that she had passed. The question was whethe Chihaya passed.

Chihaya reached and grabbed Michiru's hand. Three years of studying. Six months of cram school. No karuta since she started running track All to find a school where she could find a karuta friend.

As much she loved Michiru that had been the reason she chose Mizusawa. Michiru was her best friend. Studied with her Shopped with her . Ran track with her But Michiru did not play karuta

Chihaya had studied like crazy just to get into a school where she might find karuta friends. She had run track which she was good at simply because no one but Michiru would talk to her The coach tried to get her a recommendation to a sports school.

Chihaya rejected that As much as she loved Michiru she did not love track. She wanted to spend the next three years playing karuta not running track. Michiru did not know. Chihaya had not told her.

Michiru gasped and pointed. Chihaya looked where she was pointing There was her number. She had made it to Mizusawa home of her karuta friends. There was no one to play in middle school, but in MIzusawa all she had to do was post a club notice and they would come running to her. She knew what happened in middle school,but it was a new day A new school

Chihaya reached out and hugged Michiru " Thank you for helping me reach MIzusawa Without your help I would not have made it Thank you for being my friend when no one else would talk to me. Thank you for inviting me to track club."

Michiru blushed " Thank you Chihaya, it was fun running track with your and studying with you. Now we can spend the next three years together"

The two good friends said goodbye to each other at graduation. These three years had passed so quickly Still they would see other again as soon as spring break was over. As Michiru said goodbye, Chihaya headed for Dr Harada's karuta club.

She had spent the last two years runing track With track finished, it was time to move up a class in karuta Chihaya had a good feeling. There was a Class C tournament over spring break. She had not moved up in class since her freshman year when she quit karuta for track.

It was time for a change. She was no longer a track star. Chihaya intended to make her mark in the karuta world Her goal was still to be queen Michiru had always kidded her about that as her career on the career goals, but she was a karuta player and the only way to be Queen was by becoming a Class A player. Class B was simply a stepping stone on her way there.

Michiru stared at the email from Chihaya " Won Class C karuta tournament . See you Monday" She was not sure what the new year would bring. Karuta meant nothing to Michiru. She knew the pain that it caused Chihaya in the past and hoped that Chihaya had put it behind her.

Michiru sighed It had been hard taking care of Chihaya when she could not play karuta. Being a friend was hard work Especially when she knew that Chihaya would rather have been playing karuta. She hoped that Chihaya had gotten over karuta, but apparently not. Hopefully, the two of them would enjoy the next three years just as much they had the previous three.

Chihaya stared at Michiru's congratulations in reply to her email. She realized that Michiru wa the only reason she survived middle school. The only reason she made it into MIzusawa. Michiru The person who gave her everything and demanded nothing It was lucky that she had found a best friend like Michiru. Whatever happened at Mizusawa she knew that Michiru was someone she could always depend on to be her friend