Sleeping Princess

 

The sun was beating down on the warm Saturday afternoon. There I was, standing in front of the house. Awkwardly, I searched the streets. There seemed to be nobody around but the fact that I’m just sitting like a stone out here won’t go away. I felt as though I needed to be doing something. So, I took out my phone to look as though I was busy. I promised I’d wait patiently and not take the train to the Jinda Highschool.

The wind blew, flapping my clothing. The temperature has been getting a bit colder lately and eventually, I’ll have to stop wearing short sleeves. As the idle thoughts wrapped around my mind a familiar car turned the corner.

“Madoka!”

Pulling up on the side of me, my mom.

“Mom, I told you that I could just take the train.”

“Nonsense. I needed to cut some hours at work. And I wanted to take you to your exams.

“Madoka, did you eat a good breakfast?”

Sitting in the car now, mom turned back onto the road. I told her that I’d be fine taking the train to school, but she insisted that she’d take me.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And are you prepared for your test?”

“As much as I could be, mom.”

I searched the road trying to escape my mom's questions. It wouldn't matter much by this point if I was ill-prepared anyway. But that certainly wasn't the case since I had been studying since the first day I got home. I had confidence in myself to pass anything they had ready for me.

The drive should only take about ten or fifteen minutes. So, I took this time to relax and clear my head. Now that I thought about it…this is the first time in the few weeks after I came home that Mom and I are together alone. I couldn’t help but think about the past when mom was in the passenger seat and I was in the back. Dad would be the one driving most of the time.

“Mom…”

“Hm?”

“Ahm…”

“What’s the matter, Madoka?”

My mouth opened but I didn’t know what I wanted to say. I’m not sure why I called her out. So, instead of worrying about it, I closed my eyes and let the words that have been flowing in my chest come out.

“Thanks for taking me to school…and…”

I nodded, nudging myself forward.

“I want to apologize… about the other night.”

The memory of my dad might have been what made it surface. Not wanting to leave stones unturned because tomorrow isn’t granted to us. Mom was here. I was here. That made for the situation where I needed to tell her anything that’s been on my mind. Even though I questioned the choices she made while I was away…I, Nakagawa Madoka, am still the same girl I was before my coma. A girl who wants to trust her mom.

“Madoka…”

Mom put one hand on my palm. She gently squeezed it causing my chest to warm up.

“There’s a lot that’s happened that you still don’t know about. But we’ll find time to talk all of this out.”

“Just the two of us, mom?”

Mom nodded as she pulled her hand away, placing it back on the steering wheel.

“Sure, if that’s what you want Madoka.”

I felt like a spoiled child begging for attention. But that’s how I wanted it in the end. Between mom and me, there should be no secrets… And right now, there are things I don’t understand unless she tells me. Until then, I’ll never be able to see why she made such dramatic changes in her life. I want to be more open to understanding my mom.

“Oh, here we are, Jinda Highschool.”

The school melted into view. Mom pulled up to the side and I got out.

“Call me as soon as you’re done.”

“Okay, mom.”

 

The car roared into the distance. Now I had to put my personal circumstances aside and take my exams. The directions earlier told me to check in with the office, so I made my way to the front doors. The walkway was made of cobblestone. It led the way to a short flight of stairs where the entrance was. When I opened the glass doors a sensation came over me. I turned around only to see a figure standing behind me.

The middle school me stood there. She smiled endearingly then drifted away, marking the end of those years. From here on, I was a high school student and the past was behind me…

Once I stepped in there were students still loitering about. We shared glances as they passed. I was the only person their age without a school uniform on, so I stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Oh?”

“Hm?”

 

I met eyes with an ash haired girl. With hair down to her back, soft crimson eyes, she wore a gym attire. With a tall but timid figure, it made me feel as though if she moved the wrong way she might break.

“Yuko-chan, hurry up! We’re going to be late for our club!”

“…C-Coming!”

She continued to stare at me as she made her way down the hall. My chest felt tight for some reason as I kept gazing back at her. After a few steps, she finally looked away, severing our connection. She seemed so familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on where I’ve seen her before. The first person that came to mind was a girl on my basketball team. But she was much shorter and barely made the team.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Instead of worrying about it any longer, I made my way to the desk.

I’m a special case so they led me to an isolated room where I had to take a Writing exam, Japanese History exam, and Mathematics exam. They allowed me to wait in the same empty room until the grading was completed. The staff was nice enough to offer me refreshments after the grueling task.

My head was hurting a bit after the fact. But I put my all into the test, that's what mattered. In about an hour or so the results came back, and I scored high in all areas. I’ve always been good at studying, so I didn’t think I’d fail. I was even tested on high school level but because I missed some fundamentals, they ensured me it’ll be best if I start as a 1st year. I’ve already expected as much.

So, I accepted the offer and was greeted with open arms. My start date would be the following Monday. Now leaving the school, my pounding heart finally subsided. I was officially a high school 1st year…age 16.

 

---

The night went by with nothing of note and before I knew it Sunday came. The day when Mae and I planned to meet. I took a bit more time on my looks because this would be the first time seeing her in person since…well, a bit of time before my accident.

I sat outside the pastry shop, our meeting spot. Waiting there I could smell the deliciousness of baked pleasure. Since I’ve been sitting around often my figure had to have changed. Growing conscious of that fact, I decided I might go easy on the food in this little outing of ours.

Growing a tad bored I started people watching as I waited. Everything looked pretty much the same from two years ago…aside the fact that my phone is way smoother than before. It’s still hard to believe that I missed two Christmases, two birthdays, graduation, and other things of equal value. But the more I thought about it the more depressed I got. So, I shook off those feelings and continued looking around.

“Oh?”

I caught eyes with a distinctive looking girl. Deep crimson eyes and dirty blonde hair trickling down her back. In her hand, one of those bubble teas that are so popular with the teens today. Her head angled to the side then abruptly, she tossed her bubble tea on the ground.

“What?! You got a problem, punk?!”

“Eh?!”

 

“Oh, she’s violent!” I murmured, looking away. But the damage was already done as she approached, putting her nose in my face.

“Violent?! Where do you get off, staring like that at me like that?”

Her shark teeth snapped at my nose.

“Quite cheeky, aren’t we?!”

“Ahh…”

"What, you got cotton in your ears?"

She whipped her long hair back like a weapon. It spun around the back of her neck. How did this escalate so fast? I stepped back without a word.

“H-Hey!”

 

 

Hopping off the train, her blueberry hair bristled in the wind. There she was, in a school jersey and a smile from ear to ear. My childhood friend Watanabe Mae. With her arms held high, she raced towards me. Her timing was impeccable.

“Ma-chan!”

I escaped, rushing over to her.

“Watanabe-san…”

“Eh?”

We looked at one another, now dumbfounded.

“Oh, it looks like I’m the last one here...”

Mae tilted her head. Confused, I look back at the ferocious girl.

“Y-you know her?”

“Who is this, Watanabe-san?!”

We both point at one another now. Mae, apparently trying to medicate the situation, sprung up, flipping her hand back and forth.

“Nakagawa Madoka-chan, please meet Conway Sophia-san.”

She presented her like a treasure. I could see shines radiating from behind the blondie's back.

“Conway-san is an exchange student from England. London to be precise! She's a 1st year at our school, Jinda Highschool. "

“Tsk.”

She spat to the side as if slandering Ma-chan's introduction. I haven’t met many people from other countries. So, this Conway-san person wasn’t making a great impression of them for me. She’s short but violent. It’s a bit scary how much she’s a contrast.

“Ah… Well...welcome to Hiroshima, Japan?”

“Hmph.”

The tiny beast puffed her cheeks and turned away. If she was more on the cute side like her outlook entailed…Conchi might have been a cuter nickname for her. But I’m going off the subject now.

“S-so, how do you know her?”

Slightly annoyed, I turn to Ma-chan. She pushed her fingers together as her eyes peeked to the side.

“Well…I kinda spilled soda on her uniform the first week of school and she threatened to beat me up.”

Horrified, I turned back to her.

The Conchi…I mean Conway girl’s face lit up like a red streetlight.

“Wah? Listen, you! It didn’t happen that way. It’s only natural that the one who makes the mess cleans it up. Naturally, I told you to wash it and bring it back.”

She sounds like a handful. I’m not sure why in the world Mae-chan decided to bring her along, but it’s slightly irritated me that she had to be here. I kind of wanted some alone time with a friend of mine but…what could I do now?

“I-It’s…nice to meet you Conchi-san.”

I blurted it out, carelessly.

“Conchi-san?”

Her face shot red once again.

“Is…that like a nickname?!”

Her short, cute statue made me just want to give her that name…kind of like when you see a puppy and automatically want to make it cuter somehow.

“S-Sorry…I just kind of came up with it by looking at you.”

“It’s dumb! It’s stupid! I hate it, N-Naka-giwa-san!”

Her face spun feverously to the point I thought her head was going to pop. And she called me Naka...giwa-san? Japanese certainly isn’t her first language.”

“Still have that bad habit of saying what comes to mind, eh Mado-chan?”

I rubbed my head. I couldn't hide it from Ma-chan in the end.

“S-sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it, C-Conway-san.”

However, she didn’t stop puckering her lips. Even with her winey, violent personality, she's cute. I…might keep picking on this one, I decided silently. Could this be how Koda-san feels when she messes with me? That thought made me nauseous and I forced it out of my mind sooner than it came.

“Well, where to?”

Ma-chan pondered.

“Well…”

Conway-san stepped in between us with her hands on her side.

“I want to go to the Japanese game stores. You know…the arcades.”

Conway-san seemed to be more direct unlike Mae and me. With us two we would have mindlessly wandered into places for enjoyment. This might be a different take on our hang out if anything.

“Shall we get going already? We’re losing daylight.”

“Arcade it is then.”

I stepped forward halfheartedly before halting.

“Eh…I don’t know where one is...”

I scratched my cheek.

Conway-san sighs as she brought out her phone. The screen lit up, revealing a GPS app of some kind. It seems it was already in her database as she just pushed the start button.

“I-It can’t be helped! I guess I’ll have to lead the way.”

Conway-san put her nose up to the sky as a voice in English pointed us off. My English isn't great so I could barely make out what it was saying. So, blindly, I followed the shark's lead.

As we walked, I found myself comparing heights. Conway-san was the shortest, I was in the middle, as Mae was the tallest. My shorter statue is another reason why playing basketball took my full commitment. Because being outdone by people taller than me was a given.

As the GPS barked orders Conway-san would wave us to follow her. The only thing I could clearly understand was when it spoke out the street names in Japanese. The smirk on Conway-san’s face was vibrant. She searched the morning streets like it was a jungle full of mystery. Well, she is a foreigner from London. I wonder if she doesn’t go out much. Suddenly, my shoulders were grabbed, breaking my mindless thoughts.

“Mado-chan!”

“Huh?!”

Ma-chan held onto my side making it hard for me to walk straight. She shuffled to the side making our pair look questionable at best.

“I’m so glad to see you…again.”

Conway-san glared to us with a strange expression. With a sigh, she turned back.

“I-I’m glad to see you too Ma-chan.”

“Mado-chan, you look so slim!”

Mae let go of my body and started feeling my arms.

“And like I said over the phone, you sure are prettier still Mado-chan.”

“What are you going on about?”

Seemingly annoyed, Conway-san looked back at us. However, the GPS spoke again in English causing her to advert her attention back to the sidewalk.

“Anyway…”

I interjected.

“I’ve been sitting on my butt since I got home. If anything, I’ve gained weight. And like I said over the phone…You Ma-chan are the prettier one.”

As strange as this may sound to an outsider, Mae-chan and I always did this kind of pointless bickering when we were younger. Maybe it gave us a bit of a confidence boost if anything.

“Oh please.”

Conway-san muttered loud enough for me to hear at least.

“Well, now that we have a third person to finally break this endless struggle…”

Was she seriously thinking of putting Conway-san in this meaningless back and forth? Mae cupped her hand over the side of her mouth and sang to the shark leading the pack.

“Oh, Conway-san!”

Conway-san turned around, seemingly unamused.

“Who is the prettiest here?”

“Frankly, that’ll be me!”

With that, Conway-san spun around and kept walking, stepping on our pride all the way.

“There’s your answer, Conway-san wins.”

I gave it a light chuckle. She had a backbone for sure. Or maybe that’s just the way she is.

We followed her as she led us to a busier street. To the right, we could see a large shopping center. It being a Sunday the crowd was thick as we entered. As we walked into the mouth of the mall my nose caught a whiff of sweet teriyaki coming from a store nearby. Suppressing the urge to wonder over, I leaned closer to Ma-chan. After a few more minutes we came to a sign with the neon lights. Digital noise blared from inside the establishment. It was easy enough to see that it was an arcade gaming center. The sign read, “Galactic Potatoes.”

“There it is!”

Conway-san screamed, racing over to the door.

“I-I’ve never been in one before. I heard there are all kinds of games in Japan’s gaming centers! Much more than Europe and the States!”

She noticeably shacked in excitement. If she had a tail it would be wagging uncontrolled. With a beam, she turned back to see Mae-chan and I watching her alien movements.

“Eh?!”

Her face turned beet red as she crossed her arms.

“W-Well h-hurry along. We’ll play a few games here then we’ll be leaving! We have much to do today.”

Conway-san clapped twice like a proper young lady.

“We do?”

Ma-chan tilted her head.

“O-Of course we do!”

Her voice squealed as she squared up to Ma-chan. The difference in height made Mae-chan seem like the dominant in their relationship. But that was certainly an outsider's perspective.

“I just wanted to look at it and maybe play a few games…I-it’s not like I wanted to bring a friend to play here with me or anything...”

“Do you have to explain yourself, Conchi-san?”

“S-shut up you!”

Well, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that Conway-san’s been eager to play the arcade games. But for some reason, she didn’t want to go alone. Maybe she didn’t want to look like a bull in a china shop? Well, whatever the reason is in the end…we are here, and Conway-san is here.

As if answering to my conclusion on the matter, Mae lifted her hands in the air.

“Let’s have some fun, girls!”

Before triumphantly marching inside.

Conway-san and I went in after, looking around both ways. The starlight of the games shined in the darkroom. Plenty of teens our ages were here too. It being Sunday, that was to be expected. Thinking about the last time I came into an arcade was certainly sometime in middle school. I was with Ma-chan and we played a few games before running out of money and wondering elsewhere.

The outer space atmosphere drew me in but what truly caught my eye was Conway-san’s expression. As if trying to take in everything at once, her eyes were extremely big and her mouth was open wide. If she could see herself from my perspective I wondered if she’d become self-conscious? Well, not that I wanted her to be flustered or anything.

“Let’s go over there…”

The shark gasped. Her body moved as if being controlled by the devil of the arcade. We rushed behind her and stopped in front of a wide-open game machine. It was a large machine that was open from both sides. There was enough for at least five or six people to step inside.

Once the three of us made our way in we had free movement. The floor lit up with our steps. There were five guns laid out in holders. In front of us, the surrounding walls had the screen concave as if pulling us in the game’s world. The name of the game filtered on the screen. “Zombie’s Bane!” fazed in and out in English letters.

Conway-san picked up a gun and pointed it at the screen.

“Let’s play! C’mon, put in money Watanabe-san!”

Mae-chan chuckled warily. The price was 200 yen per player. But before I could pull out my wallet, Mae-chan had already chucked in enough for all of us.

“Okay girls, let’s kick some ass!”

Mae-chan cried.

“Let justice be done!!”

 

To my surprise, Conway-san even got hyped and cried a victorious shout as she pointed her rifle to the screen. Now that I looked closer at it, we all had different kinds of weapons. I had a pistol, Mae-chan had a shotgun and, Conway-san had a rifle. Looking at her from the side, with her foreign outlook she reminded me of a cowgirl from a western movie. Maybe a bias on my part though.

As I imagined this, Conway-san turned my direction and our eyes met.

“Hey, look at the screen Nakagawa-san!”

“R-right!”

Now attentive, the zombies started approaching us. Conway-san took the ones on my left. I covered the front as Mae-chan covered Conway-san’s right. Probably not the best strategy but we had a rhythm going. But despite our efforts, eventually the mansion we were in started to get overrun with hordes of undead.

“Nakagawa-san, keep up!”

The commander cried as she took out two more zombies approaching my side of the screen. My attention was starting to wane due to how disorienting the game was becoming. So many things were happening at once that my head began to spin. It was like World War 3 and I couldn’t keep my focus on one area.

Mae would let out grunts every now and then but she’s dead focused. Conway-san was making expert shots like a pro. Not a drop of sweat could be seen on her. It’s as if she’s done this a few times.

Reluctantly, my fingers stumbled, and the zombie demolished my side of the screen. The glass had the appearance of breaking. I slumped my back, defeated.

“I screwed up...”

I failed in the zombie war.

“I’ll avenge you!”

Mae cried as the number of her shots from her shotgun increased. Conway-san didn’t break her pose as she continued to meticulously slaughter the zombies. I glanced to the side to see Conway-san moving closer to the panel. A faint light reflected in my right eye and before I knew it Conway-san had inserted another 200 yen into the machine on my side.

“It can’t be helped, Nakagawa-san. Stick to protecting me and I’ll protect you!”

I wasn’t expecting Conway-san to pull me a lifeline. And I was honestly content with just watching them play but I took the gun again and did as she told. The war continued as things became tense.

“Watanabe-san protect the door! Nakagawa-san you stay on my back! Got it?!”

“Right!”

Mae screamed in my ear. I turned to her, puffing my cheeks. I could have sworn that she did that on purpose.

“Nakagawa-san do I have conformation?!”

Was Conway-san super into this game? That thought aside, I put air in my lungs.

“Yes.”

But that’s all I could muster for my war cry.

The end was near now. Or at least it felt that way. The mansion was flooded with the flesh-eating dead and somehow the place caught fire. I don’t know what that was about but that wasn’t the important part. The climax was here, and our characters were planning a daring escape via a helicopter. They’ve just destroyed the lab where the zombies were created, and the hoard was coming close.

“Watch out!”

Mae heroically used her last grenade, shielding Conway-san and me from the newly formed hoard, leaving her wide open. We tried our best to save her, but her side of the screen cracked and filled with blood. Unlike before where mine broke but was still visible to see through, it seemed we were at a point in the game where putting in money was out of the question. Making the climax that much harder.

The screen looked irregular with a deep red blotch taking up the camera's room.

“Good luck guys.”

Ma-chan slumped over as Conway-san and I zoned in. The mansion exploded as our characters were on the roof now. They climbed in the helicopter, escaping certain death.

The music of victory played out as we all relaxed. "This game isn’t good for my health," I said, in my head. I turn to Conway-san who had a satisfied look on her face too.

“Yes, we won!”

She cried out, tossing the gun to the floor. I felt that if a staff member saw her do that she'd be scolded.

Just then a zombie opened its mouth ready to bite the unsuspecting heroine's head off. After twenty or so minutes of reflexes at work, I lifted my gun and pointed it behind her, blowing the brains out of the zombie who seemingly snuck into the helicopter before takeoff. Kind of corny but with all that happened in the game so far, it wasn’t going to win any awards for originality.

“Ahhh?!”

The victory screen at last played. Mae clapped with pleasure as Conway-san looked at me in a seeming daze. Her face turned a reddish pink. She must have been flushed from the drama of the game. I’m sure I looked the same. My cheeks curved as I flashed a grin. It took me a bit to get into the game, but I felt accomplished.

“Hehe, I got your back Conchi-san!”

I rubbed the warm gun next to my face. My trusty pistol saved the day this time.

“I-I didn’t ask you to save me, Nakagawa-san!”

But for some reason, Conway-san blurted out a rebuttal.

“But that’s…part of the game. Isn't it?”

I couldn’t bother to find a less direct response. Feeling the abnormal tension in the air I take it, Ma-chan stepped in. Her blueberry hair created a wall between us.

“Anybody hungry?!”

She suggested, breaking the strange friction.

“I am! And Nakagawa-san is paying since I spent money on her!”

“I-It was only 200 yen!”

“Hmph!”

The blonde shark kicked her heels and marched away from the game. Her rifle laid wasted where she was. I wasn't sure what that was all about, to be honest. Did I do something wrong? Mae shrugged at me shyly as we followed her hot trail. I could literally see the steam seizing from her ears at this point. So, I decided to let her trail off, maybe that would cool down her temper?

“Oooooh!”

I stopped to see Mae looking at a stuffed cat in the bright blue game machine.

“Wait, guys, I wanna get this!”

Conway-san turned around with her arms crossed. It seems her ruddy tone died down and now what was left on her face was a light scowl.

“Hm, hurry it up then. I’m hungry, Watanabe-san.”

We all approach the machine with various merchandise. There were even foods like pocky and plenty of things you’d find in a DASIO store. But there were also high-end figurines of popular anime too. I don’t watch anime, but Hana-san does, and seeing the shows she watches every now and then I could remember some faces.

“Here I go!”

Mae put in 100 yen and the UFO crane began to move. With all her might, she aimed for the stuffed cat in the corner. The crane dropped down but missed.

“C’mon…”

Mae tried again…and again…and again until I could see the spirit in her seeping out of her mouth. Conway-san shook her head in contempt.

“There’s a trick to these games and you seem to not understand it, Watanabe-san.”

I stepped in; a tad excited I’ll admit.

“Let me give it a try.”

After watching her attempts I wanted to give it my own. I think I understood by Conway-san’s demeanor that she knew of the trick. So, before she could take over and win, I wanted the chance to get it. With that, I put in my 100 yen and the crane was in my control. Instead of going directly for the stuffed feline, I tilted the UFO to the right a bit then let it drop. The crane missed the target completely and picked up a black box with a bottle inside instead. Out came the shoot, the foreign object.

“What is it?”

Conway-san tilted her head.

The dark label made it hard to read but after turning it around I found its name.

“Lemon Essence?”

“A cheap 100-yen perfume?”

All of us stared at the bottle as if saying “Do not want.”

“Well Nakagawa-san, it’s yours now. Now, if you please. I want to get food so I’ll get this toy for Watanabe-san.”

Without another word, Conway-san put in the money and angled the crane in an odd position. The crane lagged and reached in, grabbing the stuffed cats head. It lifted and tilted the beast to the side before being tossed in the prize box.

“Wow! On the first go?!"

Mae squealed as she held her new stuffed animal.

"Thanks, Conway-san!”

Mae smiled, bringing a hint of joy to me as well.

“I needed you to play enough games so I could understand the way the crane worked.”

Conway-san’s nose held high as she pushed out her chest.

“The crane will behave the way I needed it after a few rounds. I’m glad it’s value wasn’t thrown off because of Nakagawa-san’s successfully failed attempt.”

She laughed out loud like a villainess from a romcom. It was kind of cute.

“You seriously studied the arcades, haven’t you Conchi-san?”

Conway-san glared at me but before saying anything, her eyes veered away. Instead of commenting, she crossed her arms.

“Now, let’s go eat. I’m famished!”

Without waiting for a reply, she walked off. I chuckled before checking the time on my phone.

“Uh no…”

It seemed I had 12 miss calls all from…mom. In a panic, I called her back.

“Honey! Madoka, are you alright?!”

“Eh, y-yeah. I’m okay, Mom.”

“You weren’t answering the phone and I got worried.”

I scratched the back of my head. The sounds of the retro games filtered back into my ears as I strained to hear her.

“S-sorry…I got caught up in playing with friends.”

I could hear something in her voice. She hiccupped. Was mom…crying? My chest tugged.

“Mom, are you okay? Is everything alright.”

“I-I just got so worried that you didn’t pick up and started to panic. I was on my way out the door to look for you.”

“Mom, everything’s okay. I’m just out with Ma-chan like I said I’d be. Remember?”

“Are you sure everything is fine? Want me to come and pick you up? Where are you now, Madoka?”

Mom was sounding strange. I’ve never heard her like this before. Something was certainly wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on what. So, I decided for the time being it was best to just soothe her worries.

“Mom, I’m okay. I’ll be home by dinner. Right now, Ma-chan and a new girl I met are going out to get lunch. We just had fun at the arcades.”

My lungs filled with air, calming my own heart.

“Everything is just fine.”

I never had to explicitly tell mom everything I was doing before. But to make sure that her mind was at ease too, I did so.

“O-Okay, Madoka.”

I could hear mom adjust her body. It seems she’s sat down. That calmed my nerves. Was mom really about to leave the house to look for me?

“Make sure to answer your phone when I call. Okay? Do you hear me, Madoka?”

My head hanged back briefly before I gave her a nod. Even though she wasn’t there to see it.

“Yes, mom. I got to go.”

“…Okay. Be safe. Bye Madoka.”

She said this but I could hear her faint breathing still on the other side. So, instead of waiting, I decided to hang up as she seemed to have no intention of doing so. I checked my phone once more to look at the calls. They weren’t even minutes apart from the next. My heart sank as though it was digging into my stomach.

“Nakagawa-san, hurry up!”

Conway-san’s growl woke me up and instantly the arcade sounds bled back into my ears.

“O-oh right. I’m on my way.”

I jogged up to Mae and Conway-san as we made our way back to the mall.

 

“Three teriyaki sticks please.”

“Oh, and three taiyaki cakes, please!”

Conway-san pushed her way in, adding to the order. She’s lucky I got a good allowance from mom earlier this week else she’d be paying for that. After our food was done, we sat on the wall of the mall.

“Can you eat all that, Conchi-san?”

“Stop calling me, Conchi-san!”

Every bit of my teasing counted after she forced me to buy that taiyaki.

“Thanks for the food, Mado-chan.”

Mae tilted her head with an adorable smile. No matter what, Ma-chan sure knew how to be cute when she wanted to be. To think…it’s been two years since we’ve hung out like this. It felt as though we’ve done this just last week.

“Hm, …how do you two know each other again, Watanabe-san?”

Mae bit into her teriyaki. Delicious bliss filled her mouth. With her cheeks full of goodness, I spoke in her place.

“Ma-chan and I met in elementary school. We just happened to go to the same junior high too.”

“Oh, you don’t go to the same high school?”

I shrugged.

“Well, sort of. I enrolled in Jinda Highschool and was accepted. I start tomorrow.”

“Hm, so you’re transferring in?”

Conway-san nodded.

“Are you a 2nd year like Watanabe-san?”

My face felt warm. It was easy for me to understand that I was a tad embarrassed by this subject, but I pressed on.

“No…I’m a 1st year.”

Conway-san looked at me, quizzically.

“So, you’re the same age as me?”

“There were complications and I am joining high school late. I’m 16 right now.”

The shark took a bite of her taiyaki then turned back to me.

“Hmm? So, you’re going to be a year older than the rest of your class? What, did you get held back because you’re stupid?”

I’m not sure if it were Conway-san’s foreign way of speaking or not but she could be quite blunt at times.

“It’s a long story Conway-san, give Madoka time she’ll probably tell you all about it.”

Mae hopped in as my lifeline. Probably feeling my unease on the subject. Telling others that I was in a coma for two years might spring on a lot of questions that even I haven’t answered yet. I’m sure my class will ask the same questions as Conway-san, so I’ll have to be prepared with answers.

The blueberry hummed as she pulled out her phone. I could see her expression light up.

“Oh?!”

“What’s wrong Watanabe-san?”

Mae smiled and tilted her head at us.

“Well, I need to go home earlier than I expected. Mom’s waiting for me to come home. Guess I left the oven on and she wants to scold me, hehe!”

Not sure if that’s anything to be proud about but Mae pulled herself off the wall.

“Hm? So, now you’re leaving Ma-chan?”

Mae nodded.

“It’s a big detour for you to walk me back to the train, Mado-chan.”

Without waiting for my reply, she waved and wistfully took off without another word. Like a whirlwind, she came, and like one she’s gone.

“Hm, well I have a bit of shopping to do before I go home so we can call it here, Nakagawa-san.”

“Sure.”

This might have been a blessing in disguise. I was still worried about mom. So, I stood up and finished my teriyaki. I couldn’t finish the taiyaki as expected though.

“Oh, wait…”

I turned to the shark, still nibbling away at her free meal. But despite her calling me out she's the one who jolts. I’m not sure why she stopped me but now that she has my attention, I looked at her. Her face seemed reddish.

“Ah…I’ve been thinking…”

Conway-san muttered with her head down. I could see her slender body gain air as she puts her free hand on her hip. She pushed out her chest. With the taiyaki to her side, she soldiered up and faced me.

“Back in the…arcade. Ah…”

I found my head tilting to the side as if trying to find a better angle to hear her words better.

“B-because y-you s-s-saved me…”

Conway-san lifted her body off the wall abruptly, causing me to stagger backward.

“I deem you, Nakagawa-san as the p-prettier of…. the two of you.”

Her face was beet red now. I thought about holding an actual beet vegetable to her face to see if she'd camouflage it. I couldn’t understand where this sudden proclamation was coming from. My jaw opened slightly.

Conway-san's eyes popped open and I could feel the irritation blurring from her.

“Won’t you thank me, Nakagawa-san?!”

“Prettier of the two?”

It took me a moment before it all came crashing down into my head.

“Ohh, you mean that nonsensical game Ma-chan and I always play?”

“Huh?”

“That’s just a running gag from when we were in like elementary school or whatnot. We always mess with each other about “who is the prettiest, the coolest or, whatever.”

I chuckled, holding my stomach.

“Ma-chan once said I was worth 300 yen. Then I said she was worth 400 yen. That went on for like…ever.”

But does that mean that Conway-san thinks I’m the prettier of us two? Now that I thought about it, it was a tad embarrassing. But the shark didn’t take my gag lightly and her face contoured.

“You are so…stupid Nakagawa-san! You and that blue-haired fool!”

The violent girl screamed, turning the heads of the people around us. Without another word, she marched away leaving me alone. She still had the taiyaki in hand all the while. She’s quite the violent girl and a blast to mess with for sure. I thought to myself with a smile on my face. I took that as my cue to leave and walked back home.

 

---

I entered the home and to my surprise, I was called out.

“Welcome back, Madoka-san.”

Hana-san sat in front of the tv. On the screen was one of that popular anime that was in the machine earlier in the day.

“I’m home.”

Sitting at the kitchen table with a newspaper in hand was Koda-san. She looked up at me when I entered.

“Sup?”

Casually, she grinned waving her free hand at me.

“Where’s mom?”

Still eager from the earlier conversation I had with her, she was at the forefront of my mind.

“She’s taking a rest.”

Koda-san sipped the tea near her before continuing.

“She’s had a tiring day so please give her a kiss on the head and let her sleep...”

She smiled at me before turning back to the papers. I don’t understand why but something about the way she said that made my skin crawl. Like everything she said wasn’t as sincere as she made it out to be. But before thinking too far into it, I chose to ignore my feelings and looked in my pocket for something…

“Here.”

“Hm?”

I pulled out the cheap lemon scent perfume and tossed it to her. She caught it with her free hand. It’s most likely for a child but knowing that she likes lemon she’s the only one I could think of with this taste.

Koda-san tilted her head questionably, for good reason. Looking at the dark box and bottle one couldn’t tell what it was unless they read the label.

“Lemon Essence?”

A light smile captured her face.

“Did you buy this for Lil’ Ol’ Me? That’s cute.”

“I-I didn’t buy it. I won it by mistake and you’re the only one I could think of who’d like this sort of thing.”

Now saying that aloud made me a bit queasy. I’m basically saying…I thought about you when I saw this.

Koda-san put her paper down and stood up. She opened the box revealing a deep blue bottle. With a grin, she put it up in the air. With two light sprays, she walked through the mist and twirled around. Her short hair waved back and forth, elegantly. Despite being in a tank top, sweats on, with hardly any make-up she kept her vibrant young appearance. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was like a model dancing about a studio.

“So, how do I look?”

“Don’t you mean: ‘How do I smell?’”

“Yeah, that.”

“Like cheap perfume.”

 

Koda-san stopped and leaned over to me. Her face was so close to mine that moving anymore our cheeks would hit one another. She whispered in my ear…

“I’ll only wear it for you. ♥”

Her breath trickled against my earlobe causing me to shiver.

“Shut up.”

Visibly creeped out, I huffed and made my way to mom’s room. Gently I open the door and found her lying in bed. Her breathing was soft. I walked over and leaned my head down, petting her smooth hair.

“I’m home, mom.”

I said in whispers. After brushing her hair, I gave her a peck on the forehead.

As I watched her, I reminisced about the time before my coma. At that time, it wouldn’t be strange for me to cuddle up next to her and sleep. When dad died, we fell into a situation where we had a one-bedroom apartment, barely making ends meet. Mom and I shared a room and I wouldn’t go to bed unless she was with me. We were…inseparable.

She would put her arms around my stomach, and I would squeeze her silky hair. Some nights she would cry herself to sleep, still thinking about dad or if she had a rough day at the insurance company. All I could do was comfort her and imagine the day when I could make a bunch of money…to save her from that life. How I worked hard to get that scholarship…Like that alone would save us.

My mind filtered back into reality. Alone she lied in the bed as I pet her soft hair.

“How…naïve was I?”

Now Koda-san was the one who comforts her, right? I couldn’t shake the feeling that mom might have been stolen from me while I was away. Shaking my head of those ridiculous thoughts, I checked my phone.

I wonder if mom was being a bit more overprotective of me? It was my first time going back out in a while. Unlike the time I left the house with Koda-san…I was alone. Thinking like that…Am I the reason she had such a stressful day? No, I can’t think like that else I’ll become depressed.

I tucked her in and made my way out. The rest of the night was uneventful. We didn’t eat dinner together, we all just kind of went our own ways. Mom stayed in bed and I didn’t want to wake her. I couldn’t find the will to make a meal for the others without mom being at the table either. But nights like this aren’t too bad. I had more time to think to myself as I listened to cheery idol music in bed.

My mind drifted off as the sun disappeared gently, bringing about the warm September night. Careless thoughts of how October was just around the corner filtered into my mind. Tomorrow was going to be my first day of school. So, I shut off my iPod and turned in early. Still thinking about holding my mom tight, I squeezed my pillow. My body eventually relaxed as I faded off to sleep.