FLCL

had kept repeating how she'd never caused an accident or committed a crime, sulking like a child. Despite the fact that the secretary was so weak that being scolded by the police for her misdemeanor shocked her, Ninamori's father had happily entered into a relationship with her.

Ninamori understood the woman's attitude to an extent. Perhaps that was the biggest reason Ninamori disliked her. The secretary unabashedly believed that she alone was more special than everyone else.

When Ninamori scanned the photos in the magazine, staring at the face of the woman who was linking arms with her father and laughing with her mouth open wide; it reminded her of the study desk ad she'd been in. The woman wore the same idiotic smile.

Maybe I'm not very special, Ninamori thought.

Ninamori had nowhere to escape, but she wisely left that place before being spotted by the paparazzi.

The sun slowly sank behind the MM factory, which had apparently been built under the guidance of Ninamori's father.

Ninamori predicted that when night fell, the journalists would also disperse—or that her father would do something to make them leave.

In an effort to avoid her house, and with nothing else to do but waste time, Ninamori had been loitering around town. Feeling just miserable enough to think calmly about everything, she almost started to cry. She was dejected and angry, wondering whether her father would regret anything if she were to die that night. When Ninamori imagined her father bawling and repenting, she felt a little better—but then she reconsidered. No, if that happened, it would make the crazed journalists even happier.

Reports of Ninamori's father's scandal were probably already on the evening news. As she walked amid the pedestrians at dusk, Ninamori suspected that all the people she passed were staring at her. She felt an unbearable weight, as if she were a fugitive.

Ninamori decided that she needed to be where no one else was present until it got dark. The riverbank would be perfect, considering it was deserted and quiet, as well. On the way to the river, she bought a curry roll and a Crystal Pepsi. Her father had always told her, 'junk food is bad; good girls don't eat that,' but today was the right day for a minor rebellion.

As Ninamori had predicted, the riverbank was devoid of people at dusk. Sitting down on the concrete bank, she put down her school bag. 'I don't have a home to go to anymore. All I have left is this useless cat…'

Suddenly, words Ninamori had memorized for the play came spilling from her mouth. She recalled the tragic hero, lost, with no place to go. She felt as though the protagonists circumstances somewhat matched her situation now, and that made her even sadder. Far more tragic than the play was the reality that Ninamori had no one on her side. She didn't even have a cat.

I can't lose, Ninamori thought. I'm special. I'm a special girl. A scandal like this only makes me more special.

Holding back the tears that threatened to trickle down her face, Ninamori took a huge bite out of her curry bread. She resolved that there was no way she was going to cry today. Hmm, this is pretty cool. I'm much cooler right now than that mouthy secretary who ran away.

'The class president shouldn't be eating junk food,' proclaimed a familiar voice coming from behind Ninamori.

When Ninamori turned around, Naota was standing right behind her. She was utterly confused as to why Naota was there, but the sight of a familiar classmate made her feel better. Naota's unexpected appearance must've been the work of God.

Keeping her thoughts to herself, Ninamori addressed Naota in the tone she always used as class president. 'You skipped rehearsal. What were you doing?'

Naota pointed to the curry bread in Ninamori's hand. 'Junk food! I'm going to tell Miyaji.'

'Naota, sometimes I think you're a delinquent.'

'Well,' Naota replied with satisfaction.

'That hat looks awful on you,' Ninamori blurted out, although she thought Naota was quite cute when he pouted his lips.

'Perhaps,' Naota started, sitting next to Ninamori, 'something's happened at home?'

'It doesn't have anything to do with you,' Ninamori asserted.

With Naota sitting next to her, Ninamori really did feel stronger. Despite the fact that she'd been trapped in an unpleasant flow, like an escalator descending slowly toward sorrow, she now felt as though things were returning to normal little by little.

BE HERE. SIT HERE. STAY WITH ME FOREVER! Ninamori shouted in her head.

'Don't worry about that gossipy article,' Naota urged.

'All of it was pretty much true,' Ninamori replied.

It's all right, though, she thought. I'm not going to lose. And Naota, you're with me now, too.

Of course, Ninamori wasn't aware of the kind of play Naota and Mamimi had recently engaged in.

A bus passed the two of them, stopping at the nearby bus stop. It was already getting dark, and the bus lights seemed to create a small opening into another world.

Where do I want to go? Ninamori pondered. She didn't want to be where she was any longer. She wanted to go somewhere else, together with Naota, as she was at that moment.

'I have a lot of money. I'm the mayor's daughter,' Ninamori declared. Her next words flowed from her mouth so naturally: 'Hey, do you want to go somewhere?'

'Now?' Naota asked, a little annoyed. 'Where?'

Ninamori immediately regretted her spur-of-the-moment words. Cmon, what was I thinking?

'Naota, you're Puss in Boots, right?' Ninamori inquired to cover up her embarrassment. 'Therefore, you have to listen to what your master says.'

'I'm waiting for someone.'

'Oh, who?'

'Our housekeeper,' Naota replied.

It was true. Naota was meeting Haruko to show her the way to the supermarket where she could buy Star Prince Curry.

That means you'll go away? Ninamori wondered in horror.

As Ninamori fell silent, overcome by the sadness of being left on her own again, she and Naota heard the sound of a motorbike.

'She's here,' Naota said, standing up.

Glancing in the direction of the sound, Ninamori saw a Vespa speeding down the small path cut into the bank, and she assumed that the girl riding it must've been Naota's housekeeper.

The approaching scooter was traveling at an amazing speed, and Naota couldn't help but remember the scene of Haruko fixing her bike this morning. 'This isn't good…'

It wasn't by design that Haruko was whizzing toward the duo at breakneck speed. It was because the brakes on her Vespa didn't work.

Sensing the obvious danger, Ninamori stood up. The approaching headlamps illuminated her and Naota's figures right before the quiet riverside became the scene of a riotous accident.

'Get out the way!' Haruko's penetrating yell overlapped with the sound of the explosion that echoed throughout the area.

As Naota had expected, the Vespa's brakes were stuck, and it was barreling directly toward him and Ninamori.

How many times has this happened? Naota asked himself as he soared through the air. Humans sure can get used anything!

Naota and Ninamori simultaneously rolled onto the bank. Due to the force of the explosion and the rough landing, Naota's hat blew off, revealing his cat ears underneath. As he bumped heads with Ninamori, there was a momentary flash of light. The Vespa had chaotically tumbled away after launching the pair to their new