ONE.

If there’s anybody in my life who I should probably thank, it’s you, Nagamori. If we hadn’t met as children, I wonder where I would be now. Since the day we met, we’ve spent a lot of time together... even though you’re a meddler who gets on my nerves sometimes. But still, I have to thank you. You’ll always be my friend, right? But the words you said that day, that saved me... it's like they’ve disappeared. I could’ve sworn you said—

On her first day, she ended up bumping into me after turning a corner like we were in some kind of rom-com. Unlike her looks, her personality was kinda... Actually, I’m scared of what she’d do to me if I finished that thought. She always seems to put a lot of thought and effort into becoming the ideal “lady.” Maybe I should reward her enthusiasm with a copy of my manuscript? “Nanase, always chasing the feminine ideal.” Of course, “always chasing” means never quite getting there... (THWUNK!!!)

I was chilling on the sunset-dyed roof after school when a girl I didn’t know started talking to me. Her eyes were cool, but her smile was warm. I only found out she was my senior in both age and grade later. Also, what that cool look actually meant.Noticing my sudden uncertainty about how to speak to her, she whispered downcast, “Just how you normally would to anyone else.”

It was a gloomy, rainy day when I happened to leave home a bit early and met a girl holding a pink umbrella outside. That girl happened to be Akane. Turns out she was actually in my class. I didn’t think much of that encounter at the time, but I started talking to Akane a lot after that. She kept her distance from others even though all she wanted was for someone to see through her act and get close to her. At least, that’s how it felt to me. But... it also kinda did feel like she was really trying to avoid me, sometimes...

I met Mio in our school’s cafeteria. Since then, whenever I happened to look for her, she was right there, smiling up at me. If I had to describe her, I guess she was like a rambunctious little sister? I have no idea what caused her to always smile like that, but I somehow came to take it for granted. She always tried her best at everything— usually resulting in nothing but a new mess for the rest of us to deal with. I doubt she ever noticed, though...

We met her the day she lost her one and only friend. A ferret. I guess she decided we were a good enough replacement, because from then on she stuck to us like glue. However, whenever something happened, she would throw a tantrum and scream that ferret's name. She was a pain in the butt. But since it was the first time she was reaching out and getting to know other people, I couldn’t be too mad at her. Her beloved ferret might’ve died, but that death was the first step on her road to adulthood. Right, Shiina?