p id="docs-internal-guid-57e910af-7fff-b774-b319-48acb1b3cd47" dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Ayano Aishi does not know what love is./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"She has never experienced the bloom of warmth in her chest nor the explosive euphoria of reciprocation./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Her mother says that one day, when she meets her special someone, she will know it. Though Ayano doesn't say it, she does not believe her mother./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"The first time she ever experienced something akin to love was when mother nearly broke the arm of a too-touchy doctor. She had felt at ease when mother carried her away, gentle fingers running through her hair and sweet comfort whispered in her ears./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"The second time was when mother had left to visit family and it was just her and father. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Her father was a confusing puzzle to Ayano, stiff and tired yet so caring all the same. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"This was a time before she learned to clean up on her own, almost going to school with a birds' nest for hair before father saw her and sat her down, a dainty comb in hand./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"It was pretty, a pale glittering pink with a single rose etched on the handle./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"He had gently brushed through her hair, braiding it with a blue ribbon and kissed her head before dropping her off at school, a silent affirmation./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"I love you./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"No, Ayano Aishi does not know what love is but she's beginning to /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"understand./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Love is a warm embrace and soft-spoken sweet nothings, Love is a hair comb and a kiss on the head./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"And Taro Yamada is not love./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Which is why she doesn't move or speak or breathe as she watches him embrace the girl with long sunset-orange hair beneath the cherry blossoms./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Her 'heart' twists, crying out in agony but Ayano herself feels nothing./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"This is not love, so she will let him go. She feels a sort of relief at the blushing cheeks and beaming smile of Najimi but she pushes it aside as she makes her way to the school gates./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"And if her gaze lingers a little too long on a shy boy who covers his face with his hair and has scarred fingertips from sewing, then no one has to know./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"She has never experienced the bloom of warmth in her chest nor the explosive euphoria of reciprocation./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Her mother says that one day, when she meets her special someone, she will know it. Though Ayano doesn't say it, she does not believe her mother./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"The first time she ever experienced something akin to love was when mother nearly broke the arm of a too-touchy doctor. She had felt at ease when mother carried her away, gentle fingers running through her hair and sweet comfort whispered in her ears./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"The second time was when mother had left to visit family and it was just her and father. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Her father was a confusing puzzle to Ayano, stiff and tired yet so caring all the same. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"This was a time before she learned to clean up on her own, almost going to school with a birds' nest for hair before father saw her and sat her down, a dainty comb in hand./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"It was pretty, a pale glittering pink with a single rose etched on the handle./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"He had gently brushed through her hair, braiding it with a blue ribbon and kissed her head before dropping her off at school, a silent affirmation./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"I love you./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"No, Ayano Aishi does not know what love is but she's beginning to /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"understand./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Love is a warm embrace and soft-spoken sweet nothings, Love is a hair comb and a kiss on the head./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"And Taro Yamada is not love./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Which is why she doesn't move or speak or breathe as she watches him embrace the girl with long sunset-orange hair beneath the cherry blossoms./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"Her 'heart' twists, crying out in agony but Ayano herself feels nothing./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"This is not love, so she will let him go. She feels a sort of relief at the blushing cheeks and beaming smile of Najimi but she pushes it aside as she makes her way to the school gates./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0.0pt; margin-bottom: 0.0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"And if her gaze lingers a little too long on a shy boy who covers his face with his hair and has scarred fingertips from sewing, then no one has to know./span/p