‘What’s that another new student?’ Hikari gasped.

‘We only just got Mizuki-chan now another one.’ Daiki said.

Midori gets up in high spirits. ‘I hope it’s a boy!’ She smiled self-satisfied.

Hikari got up ‘I thought you liked Yuya! I can’t win with you!’

‘I thought you didn’t want me liking your brother!’

‘Well don’t give up on him as if he’s nothing Midori!’

‘Stop arguing it gives me a headache this early’ Chinen got up just to push them back down.

‘Stop trying to act cool. Chii~’ Hikari leant forward to him and poked him in the cheek.

Chinen blushed and looked away. ‘Hikari-chan do you have to…’ He moaned and blushed a bit more.

With that Mizuki came running in thinking she was late. ‘SORRY!’ She yelled out forgetting that Junno-sensei was at least 5 minutes late every day for homeroom anyway.

‘Mizuki-chan did you hear the news!’ Daiki got up. ‘There’s another new student.’

‘Really, that’s great!’ She smiled and sat in her seat. Looking at the seat behind her she continued to smile.

 ‘Okay everyone take your seats our new foreign exchange student is here.’ Junno-sensei came in with a big smile. ‘Everyone this is Abbi.’

Then a small dark haired English girl walked through the door and looked up at everyone. ‘Hello everyone I’m Abbi. It’s nice to meet you all.’ She said brightly with a smile. She spoke fluent Japanese.

Without hesitation Daiki rose up from his seat mesmerised. ‘Hello I’m Arioka Daiki! It’s nice to meet you too.’

Eri smacked him in the back of the head. ‘You’re not the only person here you know.’ She said coldly.

‘But call me Dai-chan… everyone else does.’ He smiled cutely.

‘He carried on…’ Hikari said confused.

‘He’s impossible.’ Chinen said.

But Abbi laughed at him and said, ‘hi Dai-chan.’

He fell back in his seat and gazed her for the rest of the day, she was assigned the seat next to him that was empty, which he was extremely happy about.

At the end of the day, they all gathered at the shoe lockers and started talking.

‘Ahh… She’s so pretty, don’t you think?’ Daiki started.

‘She is really nice I was talking to her at break outside by the canteen and she seemed lovely why don’t you go for it Dai-chan… you’re a lot alike.’ Mizuki said smiling.

‘Do you think she would like me?’ He said slowly putting on his shoes.

‘Of course why wouldn’t she’ Hikari reassured Daiki too.

Everyone nodded at him.

‘Well in that case I’m off home first!’ He jumped up, waved to everyone and started a sprint down, out the front gate and home.

Everyone laughed.

‘Aww, he’s grown up Chii’ Hikari said grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door. She turned back quickly, ‘hey guys in celebration lets’ eat ramen at my parents shop!’

‘Yatta!!’ Everyone yelled.

With that Abbi walked out and grabbed her shoes. ‘Hi, Mizuki-chan thanks for the talk earlier I feel a lot better settled in now’ She smiled sweetly to her.

Hikari looked back at her. ‘Hey Abbi we’re going for some ramen at my parents shop want to come. Mizuki-chan did on her first day too! Right, Mizuki-chan?’

‘Yes I did.’ Mizuki smiled at Abbi.

‘Okay then. I’ll text my parents quickly.’ She put her shoes on and texted at the same time.

‘Hey, Chii, Text Daiki see if he wants to come too. If he finds out we haven’t told him he’ll be upset.’ Hikari said concerned.

‘Dai-chan?’ Abbi shot up. ‘Will he be going?’ She looked nervous all of a sudden.

‘He might. But don’t worry, Daiki isn’t crazy or anything I think he was excited about the new student this morning. He’s rather simple minded you see…’ Eri laughed at the thought of this morning’s goings on. ‘But I can’t go Hikari-chan I forgot I’m meeting Ueda-kun tonight.’ She smiled.

‘Ueda-kun… you mean the university student you’re dating.’

‘Woah! Why didn’t I know about that Eri-chan?’ Mizuki suddenly looked shocked.

‘Don’t say it like that Hikari-chan, we’ve always been together since Elementary School. He’s 2 years older than me. He’s in his first year of university, Ueda Tatsuya.’ She smiled again. ‘Sorry Hikari-chan!’

‘It’s okay I know you don’t see him much because of his studies.’ Hikari nodded approvingly.

Eri ran out of the school gates to Ueda who stood waiting.

‘Ah, she’s so lucky to have always had Ueda.’ Midori said brightly. ‘Yuya! Here I come!’

‘Hold on just this morning you wanted a male transfer!’

‘But instead we got Abbi… and now I’m going to put my best efforts in for Yuya!’ She smiled. ‘Wish me luck Hikari-chan!’

As they continued to bicker with Chinen in the middle, Mizuki told Abbi everything about Yuya and Midori, and what Hikari thought of the two.

They walked out the gates together and laughed all the way to Hikari’s ramen shop.

‘Daiki isn’t coming he said he ‘has to think of a great plan’’ Chinen told everyone.

Abbi looked a little relieved and also a little upset.

Midori looked over to her. ‘Do you like Daiki by any chance Abbi?’

Abbi stared at the group that was now staring at her. ‘Well, when I first saw him stand up and introduce himself he kind of made me feel at ease.’ She smiled just a little to herself.

‘It’s totally love’ Midori replied.

‘Like you’d know love Midori-chan’ Hikari butted in laughing.

‘I can teach her love!’ Yuya came through with the ramen order staring at Midori.

She smiled back at him and said, ‘I think I know already…’ looking up at him.

Looking into Midori’s eyes Yuya got distracted and dropped the food all over himself. ‘Ahh I better go get cleaned up.’ He said looking disheartened.

‘Baka!’ Hikari said to him as he walked away.

After eating the ramen, everyone went their separate ways home. Mizuki walked slowly even though it was getting dark. After walking all the way to her area she decided to sit in the neighbourhood park on the swings for a bit. Backwards and forwards she swung, slowly and peacefully, leaning back and holding on tight she looked out and saw a dark figure sat on the wall that ran the way around the park. She stopped quickly and turned to look over to it. But when she did it was gone… Mizuki heartbeat picked up speed and she looked around the park quietly.

‘Is there someone there?’ She said a little scared.

Then someone grabbed her from behind and hugged her tightly.