The witch
Yoshiko's eyes are fixated on the page she has in front of her, following the movement of her pen as she draws a perfect black feather on her notebook.
As she does it, she can't help but let her mind wander back to those days in which she used to proclaim proudly to everybody who was willing to listen to her how she was a fallen angel sent directly from Heaven in a mission to mingle with mortals and get to know more about their mundane habits.
She sighs and traces another line of the feather she's currently drawing, recalling herself saying those words standing high up on a wall, showing proudly a black feather to everybody situated standing below her, a symbol of the majesty of her wings.
- She really is a fallen angel, zura!
She remembers fondly how Hanamaru used to exclaim, pointing at her and looking up at her wide eyed.
But ever since her childhood friend moved away, the astonished and excited exclamations she used to hear, turned into murmurs and laughs, pointing out how demented she was by thinking she was a fallen angel. Her words and feathers turned into a symbol of how she fell in disgrace, the hit of her fall turning to be almost as hard as her metaphoric fall from Heaven.
The proud little kid she was once, proclaiming out loud how she was a fallen angel, eventually grew silent, ashamed to utter those words proudly anywhere she went unless it was in the safety of her room. The proud kid she used to be, grew silent to the point of not wanting to talk anymore...
- Okay class, today we are going to decide who will be the main roles of our performance of Snow White.
Yoshiko's gaze leaves the page in front of her to look up at her teacher, a purple haired woman in her late twenties with sparkling emerald eyes capable of piercing somebody's soul and undressing them with just one single glance, yet unknowingly, they always manage to make Yoshiko feel safe.
She somehow feels as if Nozomi, her teacher, is always taking care of her, as if she knows something about her even when she hadn't told her anything about herself.
Their eyes meet, and immediately, Nozomi smiles reassuringly at her before she turns around to write the roles on the chalkboard.
Yoshiko sighs alleviated at seeing the role of a tree written and thinks about how she'll probably get the role of the tree for another consecutive year so she goes back to her drawing.
She's so engrossed drawing that she ends up missing completely who will be the seven dwarfs or the Snow White, but she's soon brought back to reality as the role of the witch is announced.
- Now, who wants to be the witch? – Nozomi asks, her gaze wandering over her quiet students, until she sees a hand raising up abruptly.
- Sensei! Yoshiko-chan wants to be the witch!
A kid says effusively, hiding a wicked grin behind her hand as one of her buddies raises Yoshiko's hand up.
Yoshiko struggles with the grip on her wrist, trying to free herself of it but she lacks of strength to do it.
- No! I don't!
She yells frantically, pleading to be left alone and just get her stupid tree role. Nozomi upon noticing this, nods at her before she talks again.
- I don't think Yoshiko-chan wants to be the witch, so any other volunteer?
The kids start to get worked up at this, murmuring between one another.
- But Yoshiko-chan volunteered.
- What do you expect, she's the teacher's preferred kid.
Nozomi sighs, palming the chalkboard to gain the kids' attention.
- Okay kids, class is dismissed until tomorrow. Think about somebody else who wants to be the witch.
As soon as she ends up talking, all the kids quickly gather their things and bags to leave in a rush, leaving Nozomi and Yoshiko alone in the classroom.
- Sensei...
Yoshiko starts saying, her eyes watering up before Nozomi kindly wipes her tears away.
- Don't worry Yoshiko-chan, I won't oblige you to be the witch if you don't want to be.
Nozomi's reassuring words and comforting smile are enough to calm Yoshiko down and even manage to make her smile softly.
- But… in my opinion, I think you'd be an amazing witch, just like you're a wonderful fallen angel.
Nozomi says, winking at her and Yoshiko can't help but gasp.
- How…?
- Oh, I always know everything – Nozomi says mysteriously, letting out a soft giggle and Yoshiko can't help but blush lightly – Now go back home before it gets late and talk to your mom about this. You can tell me about your decision whenever you're sure of it, okay?
Nozomi smiles reassuringly at Yoshiko once again, squeezing her shoulder encouragingly before she turns around and gets back to her desk.
Yoshiko stays there for a bit, deep in thought.
- W-What if I want to do it? – she asks her hesitantly.
Nozomi opens her eyes in mild shock then furrows her brows in concern.
- Are you sure of it, Yoshiko-chan? You don't have to be the witch just because they obliged you to.
Yoshiko bites her lip at the question.
Is she sure? No, but she feels like she can do it.
- N-No, but… but maybe it's cool. I-I won't be a fallen angel but witches are cool too.
- They're too – Nozomi says, a fond smile playing on her lips – in that case, I'll help you to be the best one.
She ends up saying, winking at Yoshiko and patting her head.
- H-How would you…?
Nozomi places a finger on her own lips, giggling.
- That's a secret.
And with that, she heads out of the classroom, leaving Yoshiko by herself before she also goes out, walking back home lost in her thoughts about being the witch.
As soon as she gets home, she tells her mother about it, who much to her surprise, squeals excited and hugs her really tight, almost leaving her out of breath.
- I'll take the day off and be in first row recording everything!
Yoshiko smiles awkwardly at her mom's enthusiasm yet she can't help but feel moved by her support and excitement.
Truth to her word, Nozomi-sensei helps her in everything she can, from practices to the costume and even with her singing.
Yoshiko doesn't remember that the movie had any song sung by the witch but she tries her best nevertheless.
- Yoshiko-chan, go ahead and start practicing in the music room, I'll be there shortly – Nozomi tells her one afternoon and Yoshiko simply nods and heads out first, hearing the murmuring of her classmates as she passes by.
She goes to the music room as Nozomi-sensei told her to and starts to practice her song, singing quietly yet a bit roughly.
Suddenly, the door opens revealing a timid burgundy haired girl grabbing the wood of the doorstep.
- W-Who are you? – Yoshiko says with mistrust, squinting her eyes thinking that the other girl is there to laugh at her or say something bad, but the other girl just smiles at her softly, taking tentative steps to get closer to her.
- Nozomi-sensei asked me to help you. M-May I? – she asks her politely, a light blush tinting her cheeks, making Yoshiko's heart race for unknown reasons.
- S-Sure.
The girl bows slightly to her then goes to sit on the piano bench, lifting the fallboard to start playing perfectly the witch's song.
- Y-You know the song?
Yoshiko asks her astonished, seeing the other girl nodding timidly.
- Nozomi-sensei is helping me to be less shy, s-so she thought that learning this song would help me to accomplish it.
Yoshiko hears her giggling quietly, amazed at how cute the other girl sounds and looks.
- Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I-I'm Riko.
The burgundy haired girl introduces herself, smiling timidly at Yoshiko, making the later be the one blushing.
- Y-Yoshiko.
She hears Riko giggling again, before Yoshiko clears her voice and finds the courage to starting singing out loud, hearing how well her voice blends with Riko's delicate playing and voice as Riko sings along with her, accompanying her.
Nozomi spies on both of them from behind the glass of the door, smiling widely to herself before she leaves.
Riko is a better help than she could be, she tells herself, giggling the entire way out the school.
The day of the performance finally arrives and Yoshiko can't help but tremble, nervous of messing something up, and knowing her bad luck, there's a huge chance of it.
- Yoshiko-chan.
Nozomi approaches to her with the same reassuring smile as she always gives her.
- Don't worry, you'll be great. Just take a deep breath and go and act as if you were the baddest witch of all times.
Her giggle saying that is so contagious that soon it calms Yoshiko down, making her giggle too.
Nozomi winks at her and squeezes her shoulder encouragingly before leaving with a tall and beautiful blue eyed blonde woman.
Yoshiko takes another deep breath as Nozomi-sensei told her to do, trying to get ready for her performance.
- Yoshiko-chan!
She hears her name being called out, quickly turning around to be wrapped into a tight hug. She feels an embarrassing blush creeping up to her cheeks and hears a giggling reverberating against her ear, making her heart race wildly.
- S-Sorry, I just wanted to wish you good luck. You'll be great.
Yoshiko blushes even more upon seeing Riko's sweet smile, and smiles back at her timidly.
- W-Will you watch me performing?
- Of course! I'll be watching you on first row, between a woman that looks exactly like you but older and Nozomi-sensei.
- Oh.
It's all Yoshiko can say, suddenly nervous about her favorite people sitting altogether in the first row watching her.
- Don't worry.
Riko smiles at her again and there's something about the burgundy haired girl that immediately calms her down.
- Just watch me attentively, I'll be the baddest witch of all of the times.
Yoshiko repeats their teacher's words, posing with her signature gesture, making Riko laugh before she leaves a kiss on her cheek.
Yoshiko gasps the same way Riko intakes a sharp breath of air, shocked about what she just did, and sees the pianist quickly hurrying away.
- Good luck! – Riko yells out, disappearing as Yoshiko touches her cheek still pretty shocked.
With more confidence than ever, Yoshiko steps onto the stage to shine with her performance as the witch, enrapturing everybody's hearts with her voice and acting as the baddest witch of all the times.
She bows proudly at the audience as the play ends up, gazing at the first row, observing her mother cheering up on her proudly with tears in her eyes.
Yoshiko laughs, feeling her eyes watering too. Then she sees Riko's sparkling eyes looking into hers in awe, making her blush. And lastly, she observes a proud smile on her Nozomi's face, winking at her while clapping hard.
"Thank you" is the only thing she can mouth at her, seeing her teacher's smile widening.
Yoshiko chuckles, thinking about how Nozomi-sensei actually feels like a real witch, a good one of course. Nevertheless, she can't be thankful enough for her.