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pg. 113

Picture: Hina is lying on her bed, drawing on some photographs of Asou [giving him dog ears, whiskers, etc.]

pg. 114

[Narration.]

A coincidental "liking."
I "like" all these coincidences.

My "liking" is getting stronger and stronger.

pg. 115

Hina wakes up in bed, rustling under a plaid flannel blanket.

Hina: Good morning, Waka! Tono!

pg. 116

She throws open the curtains to the balcony door and goes outside.

Hina: It's WAAARM! Spring already, huh-- (I can go to school without a coat today!)

She gazes down at the tiled roof of the house next door.

Hina [thinking]: I wonder if Sensei's up already. It'd be nice to see him.

pg. 117

From beneath the now-leafy branches of a tree, a figure emerges, looking up towards Hina.

Hina: .......Ah. SENSEI--!!

Asou: (That was loud.)

She immediately climbs into the tree and scuttles down. Asou sweatdrops.

pg. 118

Hina: *standing in front of him in her pjs* GOOD MORNING!

Asou: ...Just like a monkey, aren't you?

Hina: A monkey? You mean because I'm good at climbing trees!?

Asou: (Or something.)

Hina: (Waaaaah!)

Asou: ...Are girls normally happy about being compared to monkeys?

Hina: Why not? Monkeys are cute!

Asou: And you're wandering around in your pajamas. (A high school student.)

Hina: Yeah, with only pajamas it's still kind of cold. (Brr.)

Asou: ...That's not the issue.

pg. 119

Hina: Huh? Then what's the issue?

Asou: *sighing* ...You really are just like they say, aren't you.

Hina [thinking]: He heard something about me and remembered it?

She blushes.

Hina [thinking]: I guess I've gotten into Asou-sensei's head just a little bit. I'm so happy!

Asou: What is it?

Hina: *sprouting dog ears* I was thinking how happy I am!

pg. 120

Asou: Why?

She merely smiles and folds her fingers.

Hina [thinking]: It's warm out and I got to see Sensei and I got to talk to him-- I'm so happy. I really do love this.

pg. 121

Outside the school.

Hina [singing]: (The white bear and the black bear and the brown bear are friends. The cake shop in the forest-- please give me one of those-- keep the change-- right away--)

Emi: Singing freaky songs like always, Hina?

Hina: Emi-chan! Good morning--!

Emi: Ah, chipper yet again, huh?

Hina: Yeah! 'Cuz it's sunny and warm!

Emi: The maiden celebrates the coming of spring, huh? (AHAHAHAHA!)

{The "coming of spring" is a euphemism for sexual awakening. Emi has punned on this a couple of times. ^_^;}

They arrive at room 1-D.

Hina: GOOD MORNING!

Emi: (The entrance of Hina & Co.!)

Students: (Morning!) (Hey, Hinata.) (Hey!)

Touko smiles at Emi and Hina as they approach.

pg. 122

Hina charges with ears flapping.

Hina: TOUKO-CHAN!

Touko: Hi, Hina.

Hina looks at her closely, then smiles.

Hina: I'm glad!

Touko: What for?

Hina: You've been kind of down lately, but today you're back to being smiley-Touko-chan, just like always.

Emi: "Smiley-Touko-chan"? What the...?

pg. 123

Hina: Touko-chan's smile. It's nice and soft and warm. I love smiley-Touko-chan. But lately even when you were smiling, it was different from usual.

Touko: *blushing slightly* ...Hina.

Three of the other students start waving to Hina.

Student: (This is due today!)

Student: (Asahi--! Come show us how to do this problem!)

Hina: (Okay--)

She goes over.

Hina: (Oh, see, for this one, you have to plug the answer to this calculation into x.)

Students: (Hm, hm.)

Emi and Touko look on, Touko smiling slightly.

pg. 124

Emi: I guess she is pretty sharp once in a while. (That kid.)

Touko: Yeah...

Emi: You're looking awfully pleased about it, Touko.

Touko: (Eh? Eh?)

She blushes and covers her face.

Emi: *snickering* Just 'cuz a genius idiot girl says she was worried about her, a peerless beauty from the city of cherry blossoms goes ga-ga, huh--?

pg. 125

In home economics class.

Emi: *watching Hina* (That wok is heavy-- be careful--!)

Hina: (Yeah, yeah.)

The stove beeps.

Hina: I DID IT--!

Emi: (N-not so loud--)

Hina: (Woohoo! Woohoo!)

Students: (All done, Asahi?) (Good job, Hinata.)

Emi: Is she really that thrilled about having made Buddha's Delight?

Touko: (Well, you know, it's Hina, after all.)

Hina runs up to them with the dish.

Hina: Try some!

pg. 126

They taste.

Touko: It's delicious.

Emi: Yep. When you make it, it's pretty good.

Hina: REALLY?

Touko: Really.

Hina: I've learned to make one more dish now!

She smiles proudly.

Hina [thinking]: I wish I could have Asou-sensei try some, too.

pg. 127

Later, as school hast just ended.

Emi: Hey, let's go have some ramen on our way home.

Hina: Sorry, but I have to go somewhere. To the bookstore.

Emi: Books? What, you're not smart enough already?

Hina: To get a picture book.

Emi: Oh. Typical Hina.

pg. 128

Emi: Just like a kid.

Hina: (Heeheehee-) But it's really cool! It's by one of my favorite authors! The new one is supposed to come out today!

Touko: By the same author as the one with the bears that you showed me before?

Hina: Yeah!

Touko smiles fondly.

Hina: Sorry I can't come, Emi-chan.

Emi: S'okay, we'll do it another time.

Hina: See you tomorrow--!

pg. 129

Once she has left, the other girls' expressions turn somber.

Emi: I suppose it's okay, but she'll be eating alone again, won't she? (I thought eating out would be better than having her eat alone, but--)

Touko: ...I want to spend as much time with her as I can, but my uncle...

Emi: Hina's dad?

Touko: Hina does say that she herself chose to live alone....

Emi: *looking dubious* Herself...huh.

Touko: She doesn't want anyone to feel bad for her sake anymore. She thinks she should live alone so she won't cause trouble for anybody.

pg. 130

Emi: But is Hina's dad a good guy or not? Honestly.

Touko: I don't know. He's so busy with his work that I've only seen him a few times.

Emi: With work? Well, he's the director of this school, right? (So he's even above the headmaster.) With that, plus working for the company, I can see how he'd be busy all the time. And Hina's mom died when she was little, didn't she?

Touko: ...Yeah.

pg. 131

Emi: I hate to say it, but the guy sure does have problems. Hina's dad, I mean.

Touko: ...Yeah.

At that moment, Asou appears in the doorway of the classroom.

Students: (Kyaa! Kyaa! Sensei, what's the matter?) (Sensei, did you forget something?)

Asou: No...

Watching him, Touko frowns.

pg. 132

Asou's face darkens as he notices a particular empty desk. He turns to leave.

Students: (Ah, Sensei--! Wait, Sensei--!)

Emi: (Jeez, what's with him?) Guess Sensei didn't find whatever he was looking for, huh?

She notices Touko's stony expression.

Emi: Touko, what's wrong?

Touko: Asou-sensei. He was looking at Hina's seat.

pg. 133

Outside, Hina is skipping on her way to the bookstore.

Hina [singing]: (La la la--! Gonna buy a book, buy a book! It'll be fun to read it, fun to look at it--! But the amazing thing is that it'll be a pillow, too--!) {^_^;;;} [thinking] I wonder if Sensei is still at school... since I left early. Lately we've been going to school and coming home together all the time. Probably it's just by coincidence, but-- it makes me really happy.

She steps into Marukawa Books.

Hina: I hope they have it-- the picture book.

pg. 134

She wanders among the shelves, searching.

Hina: (Do they have it? Do they have it?) Hmmmmm. Pictures of bears, pictures of bears... (I hope they have it-- if they do I'll buy it and read it right away--)

She stops.

Hina: *loudly* FOUND IT!

The other customers in the store turn and stare.

pg. 135

She holds up her prize, which is entitled "White Bear, Black Bear."

Hina: I'm gonna go home and read it with Waka and Tono! I wonder if Sensei likes this kind of book? [thinking] If he does, I'll be really happy. I want us to like the same kinds of things. (Gotta go pay--!)

She is hurrying toward the checkout counter when she sees a familiar tall figure.

pg. 136

Hina [thinking]: It's Sensei! What a coincidence!

She steps forward, about to speak.

Hina: Se--

Voice: Sensei.

She freezes, startled.

Hina: (Huh?)

pg. 137

From behind Asou, a light-haired young man with glasses appears, smiling.

Asou: *sweatdrop* Who are you calling "Sensei"?

Tomoaki: But you are one, aren't you? At least for the moment.

He chuckles, and Asou growls.

Tomoaki: On the job you're a teacher, aren't you?

Asou: On the job... yes.

Tomoaki: Even the redoubtable Kizu was left speechless for a minute, so I'd say he was considerably surprised.

pg. 138

Asou: My current employer thinks it's just as funny as you do, Tomoaki. Once this job is over...

The younger man continues to smile.

Tomoaki: *chuckling* Until then, I intend to make the most of this.

Asou: Anyway, stay away from me, all right? I'm working.

Tomoaki: All right, all right. But I live around here too, you know. I think it'd be unnatural for me to force myself to avoid you.

Asou: *stiffly* That's coincidence.

Tomoaki: If it's led to you being a teacher at a high school for girls, then coincidence is a scary thing.

Asou: *snapping* Now look! If it weren't for this job, I'd--

pg. 139

Hina: You'd?

The two men stare at her in shock. Hina sprouts dog ears and looks clueless.

Hina: (You'd what?)

Asou and Tomoaki both sweatdrop.

pg. 140

A short while later, Hina and Asou are on their way home.

Hina: Was that person a friend of yours?

Asou: ...No. He's an... acquaintance of someone I've known for a long time.

Hina: *smiling* So he IS a friend, then!

Asou gives her a sour look.

pg. 141

Hina: He was kind of cool, wasn't he? And good-looking. (Emi-chan would have liked him. Touko says she really goes for a pretty face.)

Her companion stops abruptly in his tracks.

Asou: How much did you hear?

Hina: *turning, startled* What?

pg. 142

Asou: Of the conversation in the bookstore. Mine and his.

Hina tilts her head to one side, as if confounded by the question.

Hina: ? You came here because of work, didn't you, Sensei?

pg. 143

She looks sympathetic.

Hina: Being a high school teacher is tough, huh?

He gazes back at her as she smiles gently, then turns and swiftly walks past her.

Hina: (W-woah!)

pg. 144

She quickly returns to being as perky as before.

Hina: But coincidence really is amazing, you know! I mean, you became a teacher by coincidence, moved in next to me by coincidence, and wound up being my homeroom teacher by coincidence. It's amazing!

pg. 145

Asou: By... coincidence.

Hina [thinking]: And thanks to coincidence, I was able to meet Asou-sensei.

She stops walking for a moment to gaze after him.

pg. 146

Hina: I love coincidence!

Asou: (Huh?) You're dawdling.

Hina: *running after him* Co-ming!

To be continued.

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