Full Moon wo Sagashite 2

Chapter 3: "To Find Takuto and Madoka's Gift!"

Mitsuki's gloom was evident past the smile on her face as she trudged up to the group of friends with which she had so nearly collided not so long ago.  The three were standing, talking excitedly, at the street corner near her house, and as she sauntered innocently into their view they began chatting lightly as if no Mitsukis had recently flown past them at incredible speeds.

"Hi, Mitsuki," called Wakana as Mitsuki approached the group, her glum expression lightened by the sincerity of their friendship. 

"Hello," Mitsuki remarked back to all three of them.  

"What were you in such a rush for?" asked Tomoe.

Mitsuki was startled by this question as it refreshed the pain of Takuto's rejection.  She could barely utter, "I was going to meet someone, but he wasn't really there."

"Ooooh"  "Mitsuki has a boyfriend" "Who? Who!" the trio spoke all at once, forming an arc around her.

Bewildered, she held her arm behind her back in a karate chop, a teardrop forming at her temple as her eyes closed into pigeon claws.  The three pressed, however, and soon Mitsuki was forced to think about Takuto, causing her a heavy sadness felt distinctly by the others.

"I guess things didn't go well, maybe we should leave her alone," whispered Kumi just too loudly, and Mitsuki apologized profusely as they walked off, bowing low, her gaze averted.  Soon they were gone and she was left alone to continue her walk home, a gentle breeze soothing her spirits as she stepped through the gated entrance. 

Wakamatsu Madoka was sitting in the living room chatting with Mitsuki's grandmother, and to Mitsuki's immense surprise, she could hear Madoka humming a tune to which her grandmother was tapping her fingers! 

How people can change, thought Mitsuki to herself, and stood just inside the doorway listening for a time to the odd melody, before finally walking inside the room.  Madoka sprang up, abruptly cutting the flow of music.

"Oh, Mitsuki!  I didn't know you were here!" she exclaimed, and in spite of her evident initial dismay, she hugged Mitsuki tightly and showed her the vase with flowers which she had brought. 

"Are you feeling any better, Mitsuki-chan? I brought these for you. Can you cheer up so you can cheer for me?" 

Madoka seemed so exuberant about some mysterious something, she practically goaded Mitsuki to ask her, "What was that tune you were humming, Madoka-san?"

Madoka pouted and a slightly exasperated sigh expelled along with her breath, "Oh, so you heard it, huh?"

Finally, Mitsuki's grandmother, who had been quietly sitting back until then, spoke up, "Madoka, weren't you here today to give Mitsuki a present?" obviously indicating whatever was hidden between them.  Even Tanaka seemed in on things, smiling broadly as she peered into the room from which she was carting the now empty teapot.

"'Kay, well, I guess I'll give it to you now, but I had hoped to surprise you with it."  Madoka fumbled inside a purple backpack she had evidently just bought for herself, and finally extracted a small white box wrapped with an orange and golden ribbon.

Orange and gold? Mitsuki thought to herself, trying hard not to let her amusement at the color choice show.  She graciously accepted the gift and put it aside as she had always been taught, placing it to the side of the table so as to be polite until she could open it away from the eyes of the giver.

"Hey, ya can open it now if you want, ya know," spoke her grandmother, to Mitsuki's surprise, and somewhat to her dismay, as she was slightly nervous of opening it in front of Madoka.

Here goes, she thought as she carefully removed the ribbons and wrapper, out of the corner of her eyes noticing Madoka's eager smile, hands on her knees waiting patiently for the present to appear.