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pg. 71

Picture: Emi, Hina, and Touko, arms linked and smiling.

pg. 72

Narration:

A different "liking" from all the others.
A special "liking."

I "like" you best of all.

pg. 73

[From another picture book.]

Story:

So it happened that a certain bear moved in right next door to a little bear.

He was a very tall bear who wore glasses and always had a scary expression on his face. It was said in the town that long ago this bear had done very bad things, and everyone believed it.

Only the little bear was unable to believe.

"Has that bear really done bad things?"

"Yes," everyone would answer.

"Did you see him doing them?"

"We didn't, but there's no doubt," they said, refusing to give way.

"If you didn't see it happen, how can you say that there's no doubt?"

"Just look," they would say to the little bear.

pg. 74

Story:

"He won't see anyone or talk with anyone. He always looks angry, and he never cracks a smile. There's no doubt that a person like that is a bad person."

But the little bear tilted her head to one side.

"Just because he doesn't talk, does that make him bad? Just because he doesn't put on a happy face, does that mean he's no good?"

Nodding, everyone said, "When you can't tell what he's thinking, when you can't understand him at all, a guy like that is definitely no good."

"Saying he's no good just because you don't know him is kind of strange." The little bear refused to accept what the others said. "I just want to know what kind of a bear he is," the little bear said cheerfully. "So I'm going to try to talk with him. Maybe that way I'll get to know him."

pg. 75

Story:

"Don't do it," everyone said, trying to stop her. "If you go, you have no idea what could happen. You might never come back."

"It'll be fine," the little bear said. "One time, when I was looking in the window of his house, he saw me, and he didn't do anything mean at all. And besides," the little bear added, smiling, "Behind the glasses, his eyes were really kind."

"Don't go. That guy is no good."

Leaving the voices of the others behind, the little bear headed for the house next door. She wanted to meet the bear with the glasses. She wanted to try to talk with him. Why, she didn't know. But no matter why, the little bear wanted to get to know the bear with the glasses. Even though everyone else said he was bad, she somehow wanted to know what kind of a bear he really was. She could not forget the gentle eyes she had seen that one time behind the glasses.

pg. 76

Story:

The little bear arrived at the house next door where the bear with the glasses lived. With her heart racing, she knocked on the door.

"Hello?" After a time, the tall bear with glasses opened the door and came out.

"What do you want?" The bear with glasses looked as grumpy as he always did.

The little bear smiled and said, "I came because I wanted to talk with you."

But the bear with glasses said, "We have nothing to talk about," and closed the door loudly.

The little bear knocked again and again at the door. "I really did come because I want to talk with you. Please, open up."

But there was no answer.

Since there was nothing else to do, the little bear said, "I'm sorry. You must be busy. I'll come back tomorrow."

pg. 77

The voice of the bear with glasses came from within: "I'm busy tomorrow too."

So the little bear answered, "Then, the day after tomorrow."

"I'm busy the day after tomorrow too."

"Then, the day after that." The little bear could not help being overjoyed that the bear with glasses had answered. "I'll come until you're ready to talk with me." The bear with glasses made no reply. But since he didn't say "Stay away," the little bear was very happy. Promising herself that she would keep going to that house until one day she would be able to go past the door and go in, the little bear looked forward to that day very much.

To be continued.

[End of picture book.]

pg. 78

Hina is perched on a tree branch, wide-eyed and smiling as she gazes down at the book she is holding.

Hina: ...The bear with glasses in this new book is so much like Asou-sensei... (Hee hee.) I guess the little bear is kinda like me? (At least in being small.) But I really like this story. I wonder, will the little bear get to talk to the bear with glasses!?

pg. 79

Hina: *heart beating* Will she ever get to go inside the house? Will the bear ever start to like her?

She hugs the book.

Hina: I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL--!

Voice [Touko]: HINATA--

The other girl is wandering around below, looking for her. Hina swoops downward from her branch, hanging upside down.

Hina: WHAT IS IT!?

Touko: ACK!

pg. 80

The two of them are soon standing beneath the tree.

Hina: *smiling* I haven't seen you look that surprised in a long time.

Touko: *sweatdrop* (To have you suddenly pop out from a place like that, anyone would be surprised.)

Hina: Not since I told you I was going to live all by myself.

Touko: ...Two years ago, wasn't it.

Hina: Yep! At our old school, we were always together in the mornings, so I told you then.

Touko: ...I remember.

pg. 81

Hina: *still smiling, a little rueful* It was after the ninth time. When I came back, Dad was so angry, he scolded everyone. That's why I decided to live alone.

Touko: ...If things keep up like this, it'll be the tenth time soon.

Hina: Huh?

Touko: *seriously* If I try to be subtle, you probably won't get it, so I'm going to tell you straight.

She puts a hand on Hina's shoulder.

Touko: I talked to Asou-sensei.

Hina: *smiling perkily* About what?

pg. 82

Touko: About you.

Hina: *startled* Me?

Touko: Asou-sensei... when I asked him if he was a bad person, he said, "Obviously."

Hina: Sensei's not a bad person.

Touko: And more than that, even though he was going home from school, he said he had work to do...! He's strange! He's not a normal teacher!

pg. 83

Hina: *smiling* Sensei is a nice person.

Touko: *clenching her hands* That's what you said about all the people all nine times before.

Hina: Yeah, I did. And that's why I got to come back, and so I'm here today.

Touko's fists tighten.

pg. 84

Hina reaches out to take her hands. She smiles into Touko's dark gaze with compassion. Touko snaps.

Touko: YOU'RE TOO IGNORANT ABOUT YOURSELF!

pg. 85

Touko: Even if you think nothing of it, your father is still a rich man! There are lots of people who think badly of that! There are lots of people who want money and might do terrible things to you to get it! What are you going to do if Asou-sensei is one of them!?

pg. 86

Touko: *clutching at Hina's hands and crying* I CAN'T STAND FOR YOU TO GET KIDNAPPED AND VANISH AGAIN!

Still smiling, Hina takes off the ribbon from around her uniform collar and dabs at Touko's tears with it.

pg. 87

Hina: Thank you for being worried about me. I love you and I don't want to make you cry. I want you to be smiley-Touko-chan all the time. But you know, just as you were talking, I realized what I feel.

pg. 88

Hina: *earnestly* I want to be with Asou-sensei.

She hugs the bear book, titled "Suki."

Hina: Like the little bear in this book, I want to get to know him. I want to make sure of it and get to like him more and more.

pg. 89

Smiling blissfully, she holds up the book, which is by the same author as the previous picture book [first name Tomo].

Hina: I like him. With a different liking from everyone else-- a special kind of liking. And I want Asou-sensei to like me, too.

pg. 90

Slowly Touko lowers the ribbon from her face, though her tears do not stop.

Touko: ...You're pig-headed, so even if I try to stop you, it won't work, will it? *fiercely* But if Asou-sensei ever makes you cry, even if it's only once, I will absolutely never forgive him.

Hina: It'll be all right. Being with the person you like, you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So I won't be doing any crying.

pg. 91

Voice: That's IF it's reciprocal.

Emi stalks up, looking purposeful. Hina smiles, while Touko sweatdrops.

Hina: Emi-chan!

Emi: Hey, if Asou-cchi likes you, too, then hey, congrats, it's all good, but-- has he shown any indication of that?

Hina shakes her head cheerfully.

Hina: Huh-uh.

Emi: *indulgently* So it's just one-sided.

Hina: Uh huh!

pg. 92

Emi: *suddenly indomitable* All right, you've promised fair and square that you aren't gonna cry! What'll you do if he rejects you, huh--!?

Hina: *blushing* Well, Asou-sensei did move into the house next door to mine by coincidence, and even though I'm just a neighbor and a student, it's still true that he has done lots and lots of things I like. *serenely* No matter who he likes, the fact that he's special to me won't change!

Touko glowers.

pg. 93

Hina: *scratching her head* Although I suppose I'd be pretty happy if Sensei liked me, too! (Hee hee.)

Emi: *sagely* Well, that would be why reciprocal love is better than unrequited. Anyway, Hina, a girl from the class next door was looking for you. She has math due next period and was hoping you could explain it to her.

Hina: *sprouting ears* Okaaaay!

She turns back to Touko.

Hina: I'm sorry, Touko-chan.

Touko: *smiling weakly* ...Thanks for the ribbon.

Hina: *running off* (I'll go on ahead--!)

Touko and Emi watch her go.

pg. 94

When she has left, Emi sets her hands on her hips.

Emi: That's not like you, Touko-san. What if it had been somebody other than me who came? They could have heard everything you said to Hina.

She glances around the area.

Emi: (I guess nobody else is here.)

Touko: ...You're right.

Emi: And you're the one who decided we should keep quiet about how Hina used to get abducted all the time by people after her dad's money.

Touko: *subdued* I know.

Emi: You really dislike him that much? Asou-sensei.

Touko: *frowning* ...Asou-sensei is different from the other teachers. ...I've seen them before, eyes like that...

pg. 95

Emi: Eyes?

Touko remembers Asou's dangerous expression upon finding Hina's seat in the classroom to be empty.

Touko: Before... I've seen people whose eyes looked like that where Hina was concerned before.

Emi: And it means they have something to do with the incidents of Hina's kidnappings?

Touko: *arms folded* ...I think so.

Emi: *considering* To me he doesn't seem to be anything but a pretty good looking and single teacher, but still. It's true that he won't talk about himself, or say anything about where he used to teach.

pg. 96

Emi: ALL RIGHT! *giving a thumbs-up* Emi-chan will use her intelligence network and try to dig up the dirt on Asou-sensei! (Although that pretty much means going to the staff lounge and trying to ask the other teachers about him in a way that he won't find out about it.)

Touko holds on to Hina's ribbon, her fears unassuaged.

pg. 97

Later that day, Hina is on her way home from the grocery store after school.

Hina [thinking]: I didn't get to go home with Sensei today. Since we didn't have homeroom, either, I wonder if he was busy with something else. But he might come over for dinner, so I'll go ahead and cook for two! (Happy sigh) I like eating with anyone, but eating with Sensei is definitely the best. I hope Sensei feels the same way, too.

pg. 98

She pauses outside Cafe Piffle Princess and peers in the window.

Hina [thinking]: I wonder if Tomo-kun's there.

Lo and behold, he is sitting in his booth, reading.

Hina: HE IS!

A passerby jumps in surprise.

Moments later, she is sitting at the booth with him, drinking some sort of iced drink identical to his.

Hina: I was just hoping you might be here!

Tomoaki: I was actually just about to go home. (Good timing.)

pg. 99

Tomoaki: (Oh, that's right.)

He smiles, reaches for a package on the seat next to him, and hands it to Hina.

Tomoaki: I promised to let you know when my book came out.

Hina: YOU FINISHED IT!?

Tomoaki: The release date was yesterday, but I thought I'd wait until I saw you. (Go ahead.)

Hina: (Can I open it?)

The book she pulls out of the package is "Suki"-- the same one she was reading earlier.

Hina: AAAAAAAAAA--!

A waitress turns in alarm while Tomoaki looks blank.

pg. 100

Hina: *excited* I have this book!

Tomoaki: Eh?

Hina: I have all of Tomo-san's picture books! And I just bought "Suki" yesterday! Look!

She pulls out her own copy.

Tomoaki: *sweatdropping* I see.

Hina: *sparkling* Waa! Waa! Tomo-san is really Tomo-kun! *wagging her tail* I'm so happy to have met you!

Tomoaki: *smiling* I had no idea that a devoted reader was so close by, either.

Hina: Ever since Tomo-san's first picture book came out, I've read and loved them all!

Tomoaki: Well, thank you very much.

pg. 101

Hina: No, no, thank you for always giving me such wonderful books to read!

Tomoaki: Have you always liked picture books?

Hina: Yeah! My mother loved them, so she read them to me all the time. And then, two years ago, on the day I first started living by myself, I went to a bookstore and found Tomo-san's picture book, and ever since then I've loved them!

Tomoaki smiles fondly.

Hina: And you know, even though I've liked all of them, I think this one, "Suki," is the best!

Tomoaki: The series isn't over yet, you know.

Hina: Yeah! I can't wait for the sequel!

Tomoaki: Then I'll have to keep working hard at it.

pg. 102

Hina: *tail wagging* When does it come out?

Tomoaki: Next month.

Hina: I hope next month gets here in a hurry!

She points at a picture of the bear with glasses from the book.

Hina: Hey! Isn't this bear with the glasses a lot like Asou-sensei?

His smile momentarily vanishes, and he gulps.

Tomoaki: ...You figured it out, huh?

Hina: Huh?

pg. 103

Tomoaki: *whispering* Please don't tell Shirou about it, all right?

Hina: So, you mean the bear with the glasses really IS Asou-sensei?

Tomoaki: Yes.

Hina: Waaaa!

Tomoaki: And the little bear is you.

Hina: *wide-eyed* ME!?

Tomoaki: Yes. *smiling* I'd better treat my model. (What would you like?)

Hina: (Really? Well, um, I guess I'll have a cream puff.)

pg. 104

Tomoaki: *to the waitress* (I'm sorry, one cream puff as well, please.)

Waitress: (Right.)

Hina: I wonder if the little bear will get to be good friends with the bear with glasses.

He smiles at her kindly.

Tomoaki: That all depends on the little bear.

Hina's eyes soften.

Hina: ...Yeah.

To be continued.

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