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Yoshiko was a fallen angel who was expelled from heaven for her misdeeds, and she landed in the human world, born as a human. She lived her life without any of the powers that most angels would have possessed; instead, she had the normal capabilities of a normal human, though her body would stop aging at twenty-five years old. When her human body reached the tender age of five, her parents sent her to the first public school she had ever attended. Even though Yoshiko had lived through many eons and witnessed many more dramatic events, her immortal mind would always remember this day; it was far more life-changing than any other and etched into her memory. That day, the sakura blossoms were in full bloom around the school. The campus was lively, with students and parents alike entering and exiting. While many of the humans at the school were slightly put off by her eccentric personality, one particular person did not care that Yoshiko thought she had descended from heaven or was an outcast angel. That person was named Riko Sakurauchi. She was neither tall nor short, and she had pink hair that she wore in short twin tails. When Yoshiko first met her, Yoshiko thought she would leave after Yoshiko expressed her personality. Instead, she approached the fallen angel. “Hello,” she said, “my name is Riko Sakurauchi. What’s your name?”
Yoshiko was stunned at this girl’s openness. “I am a fallen angel cast down to this mortal plane, granted the name Yoshiko Tsushima! Thank you for your kindness, little demon!”
“That’s nice! Would you like to be friends, Yocchan?”
“Y-yocchan?” Yoshiko quietly stuttered to herself, too quiet for anyone to hear. She regained her composure. “Of course, little demon; I would be glad to have you accompany me on my journey,” she said.
They both enjoyed a little laugh, having made their first friend. While Riko’s parents were initially skeptical of Yoshiko, they eventually relented and let her get closer to Riko. Over the years, the two of them grew closer than ever, attending the same elementary school and middle school. While they grew up together, they often did things together, whether in their homes or outside. When Yoshiko went over to Riko’s house, she would receive a hearty welcome and go up to her room, where she would listen to Riko play piano for hours on end or read yuri manga, particularly kabedon, together. Yoshiko didn’t mind her best friend’s weird obsession with lesbian manga; she let herself indulge in her fantasies once in a while. Sometimes, Yoshiko would even try her hand at musical instruments, and Riko would watch as her best friend would hysterically laugh at her ineptitude. When Riko went to Yoshiko’s house, they played video games or cosplayed together. When Yoshiko began streaming her video games, she would invite Riko over as a guest, and they would play together. They regularly joked about their incompetence at each other’s hobbies, though they were still the best of friends in their hearts.
They instantly began having even more fun when they got their first phones. They took selfies and tried to catch each other with weird or funny faces. They also sent each other images they found funny, though sometimes their tastes in humor were incompatible. Despite all of their differences, they remained inseparable. Yoshiko would have trouble with her schoolwork, and Riko would help her. Riko would have trouble being more confident, and Yoshiko would speak out for her.
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They both went to Uranohoshi High School together. When they went, they went inside the school with their arms linked, having the time of their lives, talking about their future. After looking at the class lists and seeing that they were both in the same class, they were ecstatic; it was another school where they would be united.
Unfortunately, Riko had a slight stomachache during the beginning of class, so she missed the self-introduction. During the self-introduction, Yoshiko introduced herself as a fallen angel who was cast down from heaven for her misdeeds. While she was in middle and elementary school, the students there were more accepting of her, thinking she was just in her chuunibyou phase; however, the high school provided her with a tougher crowd. When she concluded her self-introduction, many of the students, many of whom had just escaped their own chuunibyou phase, began hurling insults at her, giving her a new nickname: “Yoshitko.” They began calling her that and describing her as “immature” and “a criminal.” The teacher was unable to deescalate the intensity of the insults against Yoshiko, and it quickly spiraled out of control. The students turned from verbal attacks to physical attacks; they began throwing food, such as tomatoes and eggs, at her and then started physically bullying her. By the end of it, Yoshiko had scars and bruises covering her body.
Riko was a closeted lesbian; she hadn’t told anyone, not even Yoshiko. When she saw that her dearest friend was assaulted by her classmates, she became engulfed by rage. “How dare you all do that to MY Yocchan?” she shouted, startling all her classmates. She saw the students leading the charge against Yoshiko and addressed them. “You all, explain yourselves; why are you assaulting my Yocchan?” When she received no reply, she walked over to them menacingly. No one moved an inch. Then, she delivered a few good kicks to their heads, knocking them out. She grabbed Yoshiko and brought her to the classroom door. “Teacher, we’ll be excusing ourselves for the day,” she said, taking them to an ice cream shop not far from Uranohoshi.
At the ice cream shop, Yoshiko cried a seemingly endless stream of tears onto Riko’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Yocchan. You’re alright now,” Riko said, comforting her friend.
“Thank you, little demon Riri. I don’t know what I would do without you,” Yoshiko said, feeling her heart beat faster. She had always questioned her sexuality, though this moment had sealed the deal; she wasn’t straight and had feelings for her best friend and most loyal little demon.
“Actually, Yocchan, I have something to tell you.”
“What is it, little demon Riri?”
“I’m not straight … I’m actually a lesbian.”
They both stared at each other for a few seconds in awkward silence before Yoshiko interrupted it. “Actually … I’m a lesbian too, Riri.”
“Yocchan … I have another thing to ask you.”
“What is it you wish for little demon Riri?”
“Would you allow this humble little demon to be your girlfriend?”
Yoshiko sat in her seat, stunned. After a few seconds, she replied. “Of course, little demon Riri! I would love to do that.” Yoshiko and Riko held their hands together in pure bliss, a stark contrast to their situations just a few minutes ago.
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Yoshiko and Riko had earned their diplomas from Uranohoshi, meaning they had graduated from high school. Throughout their high school years, the bullying against Yoshiko had abated, and they had happily been each other’s girlfriends. They were happier than the man who had lost his ability to feel sad. To celebrate their graduation, they went to a fancy and expensive restaurant. The restaurant was lavishly decorated, having chandelier lights and candles that only rich people used. It was Yoshiko’s surprise to Riko. When they entered the restaurant and seated themselves, Riko gasped in delight. “Yocchan, did you plan all of this for us? You’re the best!”
“Ku ku ku, little demon Riri, it is only showing proper thanks for you being my number one little demon that I bring you here to celebrate!”
Riko blushed, hoping that Yoshiko wasn’t attracting any negative attention. The waiter brought the menus over, and they had a pleasant dining experience and conversation. When they finished their meals and paid the bill, Riko stood up to leave; however, Yoshiko didn’t follow suit. “Yocchan? Is something bothering you?” Riko asked, afraid of what might happen.
Yoshiko simply stayed in her seat, fishing for an item out of her pocket. Holding her breath, she got down on one knee. “Sakurauchi Riko will you marry me, Tsushima Yoshiko?”
Riko held her breath, looking at the exquisite fine emerald ring Yoshiko had brought her; it was more expensive than a diamond. “Of course, Yocchan,” she said, bringing Yoshiko into a tight hug. The other patrons of the restaurant clapped as the YohaRiko ship officially sailed.
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For their fourth anniversary, Yoshiko and Riko planned on touring Shizuoka; they hadn’t left their hometown of Numazu throughout their whole life. Throughout their trip, they saw many landmarks, such as the Kunozan Toshogu Shrine. On the last leg of their trip, they decided to visit Hamamatsu. In the largest city in Shizuoka prefecture, they saw the wonders that modern architecture and engineering had brought them. They saw the tall buildings and marveled at the colors decorating the city.
However, one walk down a street, Riko accidentally dropped the engagement ring onto the street. Panicking, she rushed to retrieve it. However, she didn’t notice the incoming traffic. In her rush to pick up the ring, she was hit by a car. Yoshiko heard the painful crash and immediately ran over to Riko. “Riri! Oh my god, I’ll call an ambulance,” she said, distressed at her fiance’s condition.
Riko spat out blood, many of her bones broken. Her eyes began closing. “Yocchan, I don’t have much time left in this world; please, don’t feel depressed at my passing. Please, do this for me.”
“You’ll pull through this, Riri! I know this; you’ll survive and we’ll live happily ever after!”
“Yocchan, I’m not an idiot. When we meet in the next life, let’s fall in love again. Do you promise that?”
“Of course, I promise you, Riri. Let’s fall in love again in the next life, but I know you’ll pull through!” Yoshiko realized her words were in vain; Riko’s eye’s had already closed, signaling her passing. Yoshiko grieved for one hour, crying her tears out in the street, mourning her fiance’s death. She silently cursed the heavens for bringing this terrible curse upon her.
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After her fiance’s death, Yoshiko lived her life in relative isolation. She took a one-way flight to Britain, deciding to live in a relatively sparsely populated rural area, far away from Japan; the memories were too painful. Every morning, she would look at pictures of herself and Riko, reminiscing about the time they spent together. She made her basic living off the land, tending to some farm animals and crops that she ate and sometimes brought to market. She made some friends, but none of them were as close to her or could match Riko. Spending years working in a field, she wondered when she would meet her love again.
One day, a mysterious voice told her to travel to the nearby town to work as a teacher for a year. Following her inside voice, she went to the nearby town and found a job as an elementary school teacher for a year. When she entered the classroom early, she found one student. She had pink hair she wore in twin tails. She bore an almost exact resemblance to Riko. Emotional, Yoshiko broke down into tears. The lone girl approached her. “Teacher? My name is Lily; what’s wrong?”
Yoshiko looked up. Lily … Riri … could this be her? Riri … is this you? She saw that the girl had Riko’s hair. She saw that the girl had Riko’s smile. She saw that the girl had the same innocent face expression on her face. She saw that the girl had the same caring, open personality that Riko had. She saw her kindness. She saw Riko in her.
“I’m sorry, Lily,” she said, “you just reminded me of someone who was so dear to me.”