She has risen
Hotaru watched the faces of the girls and boys who were sitting at their desks waiting for her to speak.
She recognized a face or two from Mugen Gakuen Middle School.
She didn't mind though.
Every one of the girls was dressed in the white shirt with royal-blue collar and skirt Sailor Moon and her friends wore when she got to meet them back then.
It was kind of reassuring.
Now - one year later - she was standing in front of her new class dressed in the same Juuban Middle School uniform.
"My name is Tomoe Hotaru," She bowed briefly. "I like butterflies, panthers, soba noodles, and strawberries. And I dream of becoming a medical doctor when I grow up."
The thirteen-year-old paused for a second and, with a gentle smile, watched each of her new classmates in turn.
"I lost my mother at a young age in an accident that severely undermined my own health.
Due to this situation, I was bedridden for much of the time I studied in elementary school and I was unable to attend school for several months last year."
Many of the girls and boys listening to Hotaru's introduction opened their eyes wide and felt a pang of pity in their hearts at those words.
Hotaru observed the change in them. She was grateful that there was more to her story than the sad past she just shared with them.
"But thanks to the help of a few very kind and loving friends I made in hospital, I was able to overcome the illness that crippled me for so long."
The brightness of the smile she flashed next sparked a fire in quite a few of her male classmates' hearts.
"I am back," She cheerfully concluded. "Hoping to start the path towards making my dream come true and make lots of friends among you. Please take care of me."
Eight hours later the second-year junior high student walked home at a leisurely but energetic pace.
Watching the cherry blossoms fall from the trees on the other side of the street, Hotaru imagined the fruit those trees would soon be adorned with.
A sound behind her made the girl with the black bob glance over her shoulder just in time to see a flashy yellow convertible Toyota 2000GT park alongside her.
The vehicle's front seats were taken up by a blonde tomboy dressed in a black T-shirt and dark-yellow jacket and trousers and a young woman with long curly teal hair who sported a pink knee-length coat.
"Sorry we missed you at school," Haruka called out to her young friend from the driver's seat.
"You didn't tell me you were coming to pick me up," A pleasantly surprised Hotaru remarked. "I don't mind walking home from school. Especially in this season."
As if to underline her statement she started walking again, prompting Haruka to follow her at a snail's pace.
"Surely you didn't expect us to let you go home alone on your first day of school?" Michiru inquired with an arch grin. "Just humor us and hop in.
You know we have loads of questions."
"Hahaha!" Hotaru laughed. "Alright then. I'll play along."
The moment Haruka stopped the car, the thirteen-year-old took Michiru's request literally and bounced into the back seat.
"Hey there!" Haruka grimaced as the blood froze in her veins. "I told you before to be careful with the interior. You have any idea what that upholstery costs?"
"Sure do," Hotaru smiled.
"You made her memorize the price," Michiru reminded her lover.
With a police officer walking up to them from the sidewalk the blonde put her foot on the pedal and made her car join the traffic.
"So did you make any friends today?" She asked Hotaru while looking at the girl in the rearview mirror.
"No," The blackette said as she gazed at the cars they drove past. "Not yet. I had a few talks with other girls and boys. That's all."
"It's only the first day of school, Hotaru-chan," Michiru tried to comfort her young friend. "Don't worry about it. Nobody makes friends on their first day of school."
Hotaru frowned and rested the tip of her pointer finger on her lower lip.
"I don't know if that's why I didn't make any friends today though," She mysteriously remarked. "I think there might be a deeper lying cause."
Intrigued and concerned, Haruka and Michiru leaned closer together while expectantly observing the blackette in the rearview mirror.
Approaching the house the three of them inhabited together with Setsuna, the two elegant young women wondered at the curious grin that dawned on the younger girl's face.
"I think I might have developed some trust issues," Hotaru teased. "I wonder how that might have happened."
Michiru and Haruka cringed. Their faces fell in comical exasperation.
"Again? They are never going to let us off the hook, are they?" Haruka sighed as she parked the car.
"Nope," Her lover exhaled to Hotaru's amusement. "Not a chance."