Oh dear, thanks for all the support everyone, I mean..just reading, following, favoring or mentioning it makes my day, I love you guys!

Already, I plan to start uploading Utopia Pretty Cure episodes after Monster Mania is finished...I just wanted to put the first chapter as some kind of...preview.

Also, I'm actually not really sure If this can be counted as a real 'episode', It's a little...in between thing that reveals a little back story of a few characters...and it's a little dark.

(italic = flashbacks)

But anyway, enjoy!

''Alright guys! That's enough for today!'' Hideo called his team together, the basketball-loving youngsters circled around their coach, waiting for him to say some motivating words.

Their next game would be in around two weeks from now and, according to Hideo, they were doing pretty good.
''Good work today guys, keep it up and we'll surely win!''That was all he had to say for today, the boys all got to the changing room while talking excitingly with each other, Hideo stayed behind as he closed the room they used to train in, which was in the community center.

Hideo was sure that they'll would win this time, their teamwork had been better than ever.

It didn't take long before all the boys were completely changed and waved goodbye to their coach.

Since it was raining, Hideo decided to stay inside the community center a bit longer, he took a seat and ordered some coffee.
He then saw a familiar face.

''Noriko? Noriko Morino, is that you?'' Hideo spoke as he approached the blue-haired woman, sitting at a table next to him.

''Oh my...Hideo Akagawa, right?'' She said, big eyed as she recognized her old classmate. And boyfriend.

OP: 'Halloween Night' by Aya Ikeda

Episode 21: Memories of long ago...Our friendship was too short...

''How long ago was it since we last spoke?'' Hideo asked as he sat down next to her.

It really was long ago since they last saw each other.

Noriko let out a short laugh.

''Well then you should come to parent's days'' She teased, taking a small sip off her own coffee.

''How is Yuina doing?'' Noriko asked, changing the subject slightly, when Hideo didn't reply.

This time he immediately answered

''She's great, often away with her friends''

''I noticed, she really has been getting more social lately'' Noriko smiled, she really was glad that Yuina (and Miku as well) were getting more social and becoming friends, from their first year the two had always been the...oddballs of an already not-so-close class.

The two adults talked for a quite a long time, about their time together and how much they hated some of their old teachers (particularly their English teacher, who Hideo had once thrown a chair at for some reason he himself didn't really remember)
It was after Hideo had messaged his wife, Kotone, that he would be what later today, that the two started drinking some...heavier drinks.

''Hey! Remember Kirika?'' Hideo eventually asked.

Both instantly fell quiet.

''I do''

''Well class, we'll be getting a new student today, she's all from Kirameki Town and just moved here with her parents'' The teacher, Mr. Haruno, told Class 2-B of the Fukutoku High School.

The new girl entered the classroom with slow movements, she looked quite uninterested at the class as she introduced herself softly.

''I'm Kirika Uzumaki, Nice to meet you'' The first thing many noticed were her cross-eyed expression.

''What's with your eyes?'' One student asked quite loudly,

''Hello, I asked you something!'' The student repeated when Kirika didn't reply.

Kirika signed and ignored many questions as she sat down on her designated chair, next to Noriko.

''Kazumi, calm down, she's just shy!''

Noriko defended her new neighbor, she could hear her boyfriend, Hideo, as well some others giggle.

''You liked her, didn't you?'' Hideo spoke softly as he just then noticed he and Noriko were the only ones left in the community center.

''I wanted to be her friend, Hideo! I tried to so hard to become her friend!'' In an instant Noriko slapped her fist on the table as she bit her lip.

Kirika used her long, pitch-black hair to obstruct her eyes but it was already to late as she had already earned the nickname ''Cross-eye''

Noriko really did try to become her friend, she felt so sorry for her, day in and day out she was harassed by her classmates as well other students, Noriko didn't know why but the whole school seemingly hated this particular girl, who was always quiet, never made a fuss and was always alone.

''Hey Kirika, I'm going jogging today, want to come too?'' Noriko had asked her, after class.

''No thanks'' She said simply, not even bothering to look up.

''Babe, let's just go'' Hideo put his arm around Noriko as the couple kissed a few times rushed outside.

No matter how many times Noriko asked, Kirika didn't want to do anything.

''I was really annoying maybe...''

''Maybe?''

''No wonder, she didn't like me!'' Noriko felt tears swell up in her eyes, her whole face had become red from the drinks.

''Oh Kirika...I...I...'' She sobbed.

Noriko's requests where all denied and the bullying continued.

However one day something happened and she just couldn't say 'no'

''Class, we're going to do a new project, the theme will be toys and I want you to make something your selves, It can be a board-game, an action figure, anything you want'' Mr. Haruno once said as he started to give out.

The exiting whispers quickly turned into growls when Mr. Haruno continued.

''I'll make the pairs''He walked around the class and appointed every pair.

''Morino and Uzumaki, you are a pair''

Noriko couldn't help but smile at her neighbor.

''Guess we're going to work together, right?

To her surprise Kirika smiled too.

''Yes'' She spoke softly.

''So any Ideas what we're going to make?'' Noriko asked as the two read the papers their teacher had given the class.

Pretty much everything Mr. Haruno had explained stood on it, as the well the deadline, which was next month.

''Oh, why don't we make a doll, I can sew'' Noriko was quite startled by Kirika's sudden enthusiasm.

''You can sew? That's kinda neat''

It was actually really dumb.

But Noriko didn't say that out-loud of course, she was really happy Kirika started to open up to her, the next month they had found themselves slowly becoming friends, Kirika now did go jogging with Noriko and would often visit her newfound friend (however Kirika's parents always seemed to be away when she visited)

Kirika would also gladly show her collections of dolls and stuffed animals she had made herself.
Well Noriko had to admit, the things she made were really good.

''I'll make one for you too If you want''

''Really? That would be awesome!''

''You still have it?'' Hideo, face also red, asked as he put his hand on Noriko's.

''Of course!'' She sobbed, the small unfinished stuffed rabbit was still standing in Noriko's bedroom, even after all those years.

''Why do you hang around with Cross-eye so much?'' Hideo asked his girlfriend as he put his arms around her waist and kissed her softly.

''Her name is Kirika, we're project partners but I...''

''You feel sorry for her?''

''What? No!'' Noriko crossed her arms and gently pushed Hideo away, while he was partly right, at first she had felt sorry for her but after doing so much with her Noriko had come to really like the quiet girl.
And now the girl seemed to like being around Noriko too, while, at first, she had been having the same uninteresting look she often had in class.

''Sweetie, how many times have I told you...you don't need to help everyone'' Hideo signed.

''I know but we're friends''

Soon their project was done.
Their dress-up doll (which Kirika had dubbed 'Roberta') was finished after long hours of work, Kirika had learned Noriko to sew, although she wasn't very good and often needed help from her friend.

Tomorrow would be the day they had to show off their projects and the pair was more than ready.

''Noriko, this one is yours, it's not finished yet though...'' Kirika revealed a blue-colored stuffed bunny, which currently only consisted of a limbless body and one ear.

''Oh wow..'' Noriko was genuinely speechless.

It looked so adorable already.

''Do you have a name in mind?'' Kirika asked her, smiling.

''A name?''

''Why yes, If you don't give it a name then the bunny would be very sad, I give all my dolls names, this one is Charles, this is Elsa and this is little Petra'' Kirika continued to point at her endless collection in her room while Noriko decided to think of a simple name.

''Hi-kun'' She said after a short while, using the nickname she had given Hideo, her boyfriend.
She just loved him so much.

''Hi-kun?'' Kirika frowned for a moment but almost instantly brought her smile back while turning to the rabbit.

''Alright, Hi-kun will be your name, isn't that nice Hi-Kun''

''This is absolutely great, you two definitely get a good score!'' Was Mr. Haruno's final verdict of the girls' project, the doll Roberta.

''It looks really stupid and old, Cross-eye made it right? What are you? An old-hag who sits in her chair all day knitting?'' Hideo spoke up, causing most of the class to agree and laugh.

''Hi-kun!'' Noriko warned her boyfriend, shooting him a dangerous glare.

Kirika kept quiet and stared at Noriko with an unreadable expression.

After class was over, the first thing Noriko did was slap Hideo on the head.

''Why did you do that?'' She hissed.

''Well excuse me'' He simply said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

''Can't you stand me hanging out with someone else?''

''That's not it'' He began, fumbling his hands together ''But why Cross-eye?''

''I'm sorry'' Now Hideo was getting tears in his eyes.

''I was such a...jerk back then...''

Noriko put her arm around him, trying to comfort him, while she herself arguably felt worse then Hideo did.

The bullying continued after the project.

''What is this, Kirika dear?'' Kazumi grabbed the notebook, Kirika had been writing in, from the girls' desk.

For the first time Kirika stood up and glared daggers at Kazumi as she reached for her notebook.

''Give that back!'' She hissed with a low voice.

Kazumi quickly took a peak at it, her eyes grew wide and she almost immediately threw the notebook into Kirika's face with an audible slap.

''You're crazy...'' Kazumi cried, taking steps backwards where she was surrounded by her friends.

''What was in it, Kazu?'' One asked worriedly.

Kazumi took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down.

''What's the meaning of that Kirika? Are you insane?''

''Kazumi! What is it?!'' Hideo barked at Kazumi.

''In that book where all of our names and...!''

Kirika stared at the ground with big eyes, immediately most classmates surrounded her and snatched the notebook out of her hands, Hideo searched for his name and frowned.

'''Hideo Akagawa, he should be burned alive while screaming in agony, like they used to do with so called 'witches' in the middle-ages''' He read the entry at his name, most other classmates names were written in it as well (even Noriko but her 'how she should die' entry was empty).
Disgusted he threw the book on the nearby table, instantly picked up by curious other classmates.

However, somehow, Kirika had gotten away, both Hideo and Noriko ran after her, searching through the school but she was nowhere to be found as If she had disappeared into thin air.

''You're 'friend' is insane!'' Hideo barked at his girlfriend, standing next to him with a confused expression.

''Well'' She finally managed to say ''Like you all didn't give her reason to hate you''

Kirika entered her house, she was totally out of breath.
And like always, her parents weren't home.

Going up to her bedroom, she threw her bag on her bed, opening it and took Roberta out of it.
For quite a long time, Kirika stared into Roberta's pale blue eyes and eventually clenched the doll tightly against her chest.

''I made a mistake..''

Unknown to Kirika, Noriko had gone to her house and climbed up her window to see the scene.

''Kiri?'' She gently tapped on the window, however Kirika was visibly started, she rushed to the window with a panicked expression.

''No! Go away!'' She cried, becoming noticeably pale, she locked the window and closed her curtain.

''Please, Kirika, open up, I'm not angry!''

''I know I'm not normal! I know I'm weird! I know these though aren't normal! I know it already, please shut up!'' Kirika snapped as she sank at the ground, crying.

''No, stop that, you aren't weird, they are mean to you, they make your life hellish'' Noriko still hung in front of the window, while she actually did think what Kirika had written was...well weird.

But Noriko now knew that Kirika was one of those people who had been pushed to far.

''I'm moving, maybe transferring schools or quitting it all together'' Kirika suddenly said

''What?'' Noriko couldn't hold on much longer, her hands started to hurt.

''Nobody's gonna miss me'' For a moment, Kirika peeked through the window as she closed her eyes and gave Noriko a last smile.

Then Noriko fell down, luckily the bushes saved her fall but Noriko didn't mind, she still stared up the closed window.

''That's not true'' She bit her lip.

''I will''

The next day Mr. Haruno had some bad news.

''Kirika Uzumaki won't come anymore, I'm afraid''

Mr. Haruno sat a small pot with a flower on Kirika's table and most instantly knew what happened to their classmate.

''Did she...?'' Kazumi asked, baffled and wide-eyed.

Mr. Haruno merely nodded.

Noriko was the first to start crying and she didn't stop until a few hours later when all her tears were dry.

''Oh Kirika, why did you do that, you are so...'' Noriko's head sank to the table, her tears flowing and flowing.

''Stupid, as Yuina would have said it'' Hideo answered grimly.

Then they started drinking more and more, trying to drown the painful passing of their old classmate, the two cried and cried.
Then Hideo pressed his lips on Noriko's and what happened after that, would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Yuina had already gone to bed, Kotone Akagawa was worried sick about her husband.

He did say he would be later...but it was already past midnight.

Kotone clenched her fist and felt a big previously under pressed hatred burn up inside her.

ED: ''Sea of Trees'' – Noriko Rikimaru (Kirika Uzumaki)