Eli's eyes widened in shock. "You say I should go and see that fortune teller?" she asked Nico, who had just suggested the idea. "Well, yeah, why would I have said that?" Nico frowned. "You should go, I heard she's good."

Eli blinks, sighing. "I guess I could. But what if it's a scam and she's just a liar?"

Eli was finally convinced a week later, and she hesitantly knocked on the door to the shop. "Uhm, hello...?" She walked in, looking around. "Why, hello there, I foresaw your arrival three years ago." came a voice from the very corner. "You... you did?" Eli enquired, shocked.

"Just kiddin'. My name's Nozomi." the fortune teller laughed. "Take a seat." Eli sat down, nervously eyeballing the rather busty purple haired woman before her. "What's your name?"

"My name is Eli."

Nozomi carefully shuffled a deck of tarot cards. "A-Are you gonna... read those?" Eli nervously spoke. "Only if ya want." was the answer. "Then, no... just the... crystal ball."

Nozomi put both hands onto the crystal ball and closed her eyes in focus. Eli anxiously looked on, biting her lip. The fortune teller's eyes opened. "Hmm, Eli/cchi/, it seems like... Seems like you will have good luck in the comin' days."

In the days that passed, it seemed Eli was very lucky indeed. Every time she used a vending machine to satiate her hunger for chocolate, two chocolate bars would drop. She found money in her clothes pockets, and found things she had previously lost. Eli didn't want to believe this was the work of the fortune teller, but something in the back of her mind told her to go back.

Time and time again, Eli went back, only to be told the same things. She was lucky. With hope in her heart she went back more and more times, spending more and more money on something she started to believe was failing her. Eli's belief in Nozomi started to crumble, and she decided she would try one last time for a different result from the crystal ball. Eli pictured Nozomi in her head, laughing and with wads of money behind her. Perhaps she was right, and Nozomi was just lying and scamming.

"Ah, Elicchi, welcome back."

"What does the crystal ball say this week, Nozomi?"

Once again, Nozomi focused deeply on the ball. "Well, well! Looks like you're fallin' in love...~" was the answer.

That whole week, Eli tried to work out who she was in love with. Nico? No, she was dating the shy Umi. Honoka? No, she was with some other girl.. Rin and Hanayo were together, and Maki showed no interest in anyone, and slowly Eli realised it was mysterious Nozomi she was in love with. The day she realised this, she was back at that shop, eagerly waiting Nozomi's next prediction. However, it was closed.

Dejected, Eli walked slowly back to her apartment, sighing softly. Opening a few windows, she allowed the cool summer breeze and the loneliness she felt to carry her off to sleep, in which she dreamed of life with Nozomi. A knock on the door jolted her awake. Somewhat groggily, she opened the door, to the beaming smile of Nozomi.

"Well, Elicchi, did ya fall in love?"

"...I guess I did."

"Ehehe, I'm never wrong." Nozomi pecked Eli's lips, leaving the blonde speechless and flustered. "Well, I only came to return your bag, ya left it." Nozomi handed Eli a plastic bag. "Of course, that was just an excuse to see ya. Bye!" With that, the fortune teller dashed down the hall and away.

The next day, Eli visited Nozomi's shop. "Oh, Elicchi! Today, 'cos it's a special day, ya don't have to give me any money."

"Are you sure..?"

"Of course! Now sit down and I'll get straight to readin' this thing."

Eli watched the usual focused state Nozomi entered, up until her cheeky smile dropped and her face became serious. "Nozomi. Tell me."

"Someone close to you is going to die, Elicchi."

"Going to die...? No way!"

Eli was on high alert after she left, watching her younger sister to make sure she crossed roads safely. Eli called her mother three times a day. She was unusually meticulous, her grandmother noted. Eli hoped this one time, Nozomi was wrong. Eli was tense and on edge at nights, and she just couldn't sleep.

On a Monday morning after yet another sleepless night, Eli dropped Alisa off for school, and turned her back for one moment. Somehow, she knew something was wrong, and she turned to see a huge truck speeding towards her precious younger sister. Eli instantly jumped into action, pushing Alisa and her oblivious friend out of the way and taking the impact for herself. Alisa and her friend screamed, but neither of them were first to Eli's side.

The person who lifted Eli's broken body up from the road was Nozomi. "Nnn... N-Nozo...mi... I love you... Nozomi..." Eli groaned. She was lucky she wasn't instantly killed by the huge impact. Nozomi started running as quickly as she could, taking Eli to the nearest hospital. Eli would yelp and whine as Nozomi carried her, but she knew Nozomi was helping her and she was grateful. Nozomi got to the hospital and carried Eli in, who was immediately taken from her and put into a room.

Hours passed, and Eli's family hadn't arrived yet. They wouldn't for another few days. Nozomi was finally allowed into Eli's room, and she took a seat next to Eli, holding back tears. "Hey, Elicchi? Can you hear me? It's Nozomi here. I carried you. The doctors... they say you won't be able to walk again, but don't worry, I'll take care of you, I promise." Nozomi held Eli's hand and soothingly stroked her beautiful blonde hair. She stayed all night, keeping a watchful eye on Eli. Nozomi played her some music to distract her from the terrible beeping of the heart monitor, and eventually fell asleep at daybreak. A few days later, Eli's family arrived.

"...please allow me to take care of her when she recovers." Nozomi pleaded. "I'm more than able to. I saw in the cards that you don't really have a lot of money, and Elicchi's expenses are affordable for me."

Eli's mother nodded, somewhat tentatively. "I can allow you to, only if Eli would be happy with that."

That same day, Eli died. It was sudden, and nobody saw it coming. She seemed to be fine, improving even, until that evening. Eli had just slipped away quietly. Nozomi was in shock. She felt like Eli's death was her fault for her predictions. She couldn't help but feel that way, and she was devastated. Eli's family mourned for weeks after her death, poor Alisa now no longer having an older sister to look up to. Eli's mother had lost her oldest daughter, and Eli's grandmother had lost the cute and clever Elichika.

"At least nothing will hurt you anymore." Nozomi said, to the night sky. "Nothing can, I'll make sure of it. Please, wait for me.." Nozomi balanced herself closer to the edge of the hospital's roof.

"What are you doing?" That voice, it was definitely Alisa's. Nozomi turned around.

"Admiring." was her not-well-thought response.

"I don't want you to die too, Nozomi-san. Please don't."

Alisa's words stayed with Nozomi, and that night, the two of them watched a shooting star.