Chapter Text
“I visited Kyosuke yesterday.”
“Oh how was he?” Madoka replied to her friend. The two girls walked along the sidewalk to school. It was near Summer so the walk was a bit hotter than normal, Madoka fanned herself with her hand.
“Fine. Still depressed about y’know…everything,” Sayaka laughed, then looked off in contemplation. “I gave him a new CD. Honestly I’m not even sure if he likes them or if he’s humoring me. God I wish I could do something..”
“Sayaka…You’re doing all you can, you’re a great friend!” Madoka smiles, and squeezes her friend’s hand. “Have you heard from Hitomi?” She questions.
“She’s sick today, the flu or something. I dunno, she called earlier and sounded pretty rough.” Sayaka shrugs, pressing her bag closer to her.
Madoka nods in understanding. “How about we visit her after school?”
Sayaka nods and mumbles a quick ‘kay’ and they walk in silence for the rest of the way. Madoka stares at the clouds as she walks.
Cat.
Apple.
Dragon.
Can of soda.
She named the shapes as she walked.
Cheese wheel.
Ribbon.
Ballerina.
That one looked like her little brother.
Airplane.
She saw an actual airplane next.
They arrived at Mitakihara soon after. Madoka parted ways to head to her locker to grab her things. Sayaka did the same.
Madoka shut her locker and headed to her home room. A flash of dark hair and braids caught her eyes. She stopped in her tracks. Braided, purplish-black hair rushed past her. Red glasses framed the girl’s face nicely, at least with the fast glance Madoka got at her. Madoka’s face flushed and she looked down, shuffling her feet, she walked into her home room and took her seat. Madoka finally breathed in again, wondering to herself ‘who was that girl?’ She fiddled with her fingers in excited amusement, smiling a little to herself.
“What’re you smiling about Madoka?”
She heard the voice of her senior and looked up.
“O-oh..Mami, good morning,” Madoka bowed in her seat.
Mami raised her eyebrows at the other girl’s flushed face. She cleared her throat. “I have a marksmanship competition coming up, I was wondering if you were going to come.”
Madoka nodded, “Yeah, ‘course Mami! Sayaka’s in that too and it’d be nice to surprise her…”
Mami smiled, ruffling the younger girl’s hair. She got close to Madoka’s ear and whispered, “You like someone don’t you?”
“What?!” Madoka squeaked. She blinked and composed herself, shaking her head. “No…I mean…I saw someone..? She was just pretty s’all!” Madoka laughs and shrugs.
“Hm.” Mami grins. “I’ll see you later than Madoka..” Mami waves as she walks out of the classroom. Madoka sighs and rests her head on the desk. She shuts her eyes and escapes into her mind. I wonder who that girl was. I hope I see her again. Did she see me too? Did she feel like I did if she did? What’s her name…I wish I could’ve introduced myself. Did I imagine her?
“Madoka Kaname?”
“Eh?”
“Ah good you’re here.” Her home room teacher sighs and shakes her head. Madoka looks down in embarrassment. She had spaced out. Sayaka gave her a look and mouthed, ‘you okay?’ Madoka shook her head yes fervently.
“Right, Akemi you can come in.” Her teacher motions to the door and it opens. A nervous looking girl with two braids and red glasses framing her purple eyes shuffled in.
“Some of you may have heard but we’ve received a new transfer student. Ms. Akemi, would you like to introduce yourself?”
The girl nods, fiddling with her braids, tightening the little bows that hold them together tighter, “I’m Homura Akemi…I’ve been homeschooled up until now…I um, look forward to meeting you all.”
Madoka was star struck. Her voice was so sweet, and the way she carried herself was adorable; Not to mention, she was beautiful. Madoka could get lost all day in those eyes.
“Excellent. There’s an empty seat behind Ms. Kaname, you can sit there.”
Madoka jumps, looking towards the seat behind her. The girl, Homura, takes her seat there and smiles nervously at Madoka.
“Oh…um hey. I’m Madoka Kaname. Homura, right? Wow you were homeschooled? That’s so cool! My friend Hitomi was homeschooled for a while but she transferred here in 5th grade!”’
Homura nods, “I see… It’s nice to meet you Madoka.”
Madoka takes her hand and shakes it rapidly. “Yeah! It’s nice to see a new face.” Madoka’s teacher glares at them, telling them silently to ‘shut up.’ Madoka gulps and turns around, grasping her hands together and listening attentively.
-
Homura had been nervous to finally go to school. A real school. Not her room on her chromebook. Split screen with her school assignment and Touhou Double Spoiler on the side. Truth be told she cried this morning. She was happy with the result of her hair though. This much effort was never put into her appearance; she was worried public school would be like those cheesy movies she watched, and because she was smart and appeared nerdy her worries multiplied.
You couldn’t deny Homura was a nerd though. She had her game boy in her school bag, and her anime posters stared down at her with their large eyes (how meta) She kept a collection of clocks in her closet, and some began to spill out into her room now. Her wardrobe was t-shirts and her uniform.
Back to her hair, she spent 15 minutes today calming it down and getting it into the double braids that went down her back. She picked two purple ribbons to tie into bows.
After her morning spent getting ready, she took too long so no breakfast, she walked to school. Homura counted the steps she took to school, making sure not to step on any cracks or lines on the sidewalk. It was bad luck and that was something she did not need.
At school she was whisked around by an older girl she forgot the name of for a while, then promptly dumped off at her home room class. Homura had met with the teacher before, Ms. Saotome. She was nice enough but she complained to Homura constantly about her boyfriend dumping her when they met.
“I’m Homura Akemi…I’ve been homeschooled up until now…I look forward to meeting you all.” Homura speaks quietly. Everyone stares intently at her and it freaks her out. A girl with pink hair up in pigtails is staring at her quite a lot, Homura finds out that’s who she’s sitting next to and sighs to herself, As she takes her seat the girl starts ecstatically rambling to her. Homura manages to catch that her name is Madoka, other than that it was in one ear and out the other.
The rest of the day passes quickly. At lunch Homura grabs her bag, preparing to head to the library and read for a bit.
“Hey! Homura! Do you wanna sit with me and my friends?”
The girl, Madoka, taps Homura's desk.
“Er, sure?” Homura stumbles over her words. I hope I didn’t come across as rude. Madoka grabs her hand and quickly leads her through the school. Homura’s breathing heavily when they arrive at the rooftop, admittedly she hasn’t been in the best shape as of late.
“Hm? Madoka, who's this?” A girl with yellow hair neatly tied up into spindles speaks from her seat on a bench. A girl with short blue hair, musical hair clips in her hair looks up as well. Homura could make out a forte, and maybe a treble clef. Their eating out of yellow hairs pristine looking lunch box. Are they drinking cups of tea? Homura thinks.
“Oh that’s Homura. Mami, she transferred into class with me and Sayaka.”
Yellow hair, Mami, nods and stands up. Sayaka does the same. The girls go through formal introductions real quick and then settle into their lunch. Homura sits next to Madoka, who’s eating bento she said her mom prepared for her.
“Here, Homura, let me feed you!”
“W-What?” Homura sputters as an octopus sausage is gently pressed into her open mouth. Madoka laughs at her surprised face, to which Homura blushes.
Sayaka and Mami side-eye each other. Homura chews quickly. “You didn’t have to do that. I’m not hungry so don’t worry about me..” Madoka nods. The girls head back to class a short while later, parting ways.
Homura’s day went fine after that, nothing major: more introductions, packets handed to her, and notes taken. She walks home, her bag noticeably heavier than before.
I have a lot of work to do…Atleast I made a friend?