I've spent the afternoon putting fliers for the py up on campus. I just finished putting them up outside the auxiliary building, and I'm stopping to use the restroom before heading to the athletic fields.

  Just as I'm about to leave my stall, I hear someone else enter the bathroom. She turns on the faucet and the hand dryer, confusing me at first. But then I hear the faint sound of her sniffling.

  She's trying to make sure people outside don't hear her.

  Should I just stay here and let her have her privacy? Or try to help?

  Just as I'm thinking about this, I accidentally drop my bag.

  “I-is…someone in there?”

  I sigh and push open the door, “Y-yes.”

  The girl I see by the sink looks very familiar but I can't pce her. I'm also surprised to see that she's shorter than I am, not something I see very often. She has bright green eyes and light brown hair in twin tails. She looks younger than a high school student but she’s wearing a Yamaku athletic outfit, so I know she is one.

  I also quickly notice that she has some kind of prosthetic on both her legs. But they don't look like legs like most of the ones I've seen on other students. They are curved and very thin.

  She crosses her arms, “Normally this bathroom is deserted in the te afternoon. It's not very nice to hide in there when a girl is trying to have some privacy.”

  “I-I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if I should come out or leave you alone.”

  She sighs and turns off the faucet and air dryer, “It’s fine.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I'll be fine. Got in a fight with my boyfriend and…going to have to dump him. Kind of sucks.”

  “O-oh…do you…want to talk about it?”

  To my surprise, she snaps at me, "Talking won't solve anything. It isn’t something you can fix.”

  Then she smiles broadly like it never happened. With exuberance she says, “I'll be just fine. I always am.”

  Now that she's smiling, I know who she is.

  “U-um…okay. Congratutions, by the way.”

  She makes such a confused face I can almost see floating question marks around her.

  “For…dumping my boyfriend?”

  I ugh, “No. Your track records.”

  “Ohhh. Uh, thanks. Do I…know you?”

  I shake my head, “I just recognized you from the newspaper.”

  “Oh, right. Hmmm…” She looks closely at me, “I've been thinking you look familiar this whole conversation. What's your name?”

  “Nagisa. You're Ibarazaki, right?”

  She nods, “Just Emi is good. So we've never met? Even though you look familiar?”

  “Nope.” I pause for a moment, “Oh!” I reach into my bag and pull out a flier, “You might have seen this somewhere. My clubmates and I are putting them up today.”

  She snaps her fingers and then takes the flier from me, “That's it.” She studies the flier, “You're a ghost and I met you in the bathroom.” She giggles, “I'll have to tell Rin I met a very different Hanako, today.”

  “Huh?”

  She waves her hand, “Nothing, just a stupid joke with a friend. Okay well…maybe I'll try to come to this.” She sloppily folds up the flier and bounds towards the door. I now see the prosthetics she’s wearing are very springy.

  “Nice meeting you!”

  You'd hardly know she was so upset a minute ago.

  I'm in Akane's room. We're about to walk to css like we do every morning. She's putting on her shoes.

  “Can I go to lunch with you today?”

  Akane’s eyebrows shoot up, “Of course. Why, though? Feeling nostalgic? Or…did stuff with Daiki get awkward after all?”

  I shake my head, “Things are good with him. I just wanted to invite your friends to the py in person. A-and it's been awhile since I’ve seen them.”

  She nods as she stands up from putting her shoes on, “I was probably projecting a minute ago. Because stuff with my friends right now is awkward.”

  “I-it is? Because of…unrequited love?”

  She ughs, “Maybe that's a little bit of it. But…the main thing right now is…Lilly and Shizune got into a huge fight the other day.”

  “Oh. About student council?”

  Akane grins, “You only ate with us for like a week and a half and picked up on that little conflict, huh?”

  I nod.

  She sighs, “I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s been an ongoing thing with them. They've always bent without breaking in the past, though. Said sorry to each other and moved on. But now…Lilly quit the council. I don't know the details, but they are both very stubborn people. One of them finally pushed the other too far – probably Shizune, if I had to guess.” She shakes her head, “Anyway, Misha is trying to repair things and Shizune is mad that she’s trying to do that. She thinks they should just focus on the festival and forget about Lilly.”

  “Wow. That’s…so sad. Shizune and Lilly are family. They should make up.”

  We leave Akane’s room and start heading towards css, “I agree. And maybe they will? But I wouldn’t count on it any time soon.”

  …

  Akane warned me about this, but nothing could have prepared me for it. Things in the cafeteria are very different than they were at the start of the trimester.

  First, there's Misha's new hairstyle. She has bubblegum pink hair that is styled into spirals that hang over her shoulders. I had seen a pink-haired girl on campus from a distance but I had no idea it was her.

  But even more surprising than that is how quiet everything is. Shizune and Misha greeted me when I got here and we exchanged basic pleasantries. But since then no one has tried to say anything to anyone. In sign nguage or otherwise. We're all just sitting quietly and eating. There is one less girl here, but Lilly was hardly the source of most of the noise.

  Every now and then Shizune looks up at Misha, but as soon as Misha tries to return her gaze, Shizune looks away.

  Just as I'm thinking this might be a bad time to invite them to the py, Akane pokes me in the side and gestures toward them.

  I guess she still thinks I should do it. And she knows them better than I do.

  I get out two fliers from my bag and say, “U-um…I wanted to invite you both to the drama club's py.”

  I slide the fliers over to them, and Shizune looks up while Misha signs to her. They both pick up their flier and Misha immediately grins. She puts it down and signs while she loudly says, “You're even on the flier. You're gonna be famous! Wahaha~!”

  I ugh, “I don't know about that.”

  Akane pats me on the back and then signs to Shizune when she says, “Yamaku famous, at least!”

  Shizune signs something and Misha says, “Shicchan is gd you found a club and are participating in Yamaku school life so much. She was worried about you at the beginning of the trimester. Aw, you were Shicchan? I guess I missed her first few days.”

  I nod, “I was having a hard time back then. But I have really enjoyed drama club and Yamaku too. I…don't think I would have gotten off to such a good start without you two. Thank you so much.”

  Shizune smiles and starts signing and Akane ughs and rolls her eyes while Misha reys the message, “Shicchan says she was right about you. Your hard work in drama club proves you would have been a good addition to the student council. Your talents would have been very welcome.” Shizune's hands stop for a moment and then she resumes, “But she's very happy to see that you're doing so well. Adjusting can be hard.”

  “Th-thank you, Shizune.”

  She nods and smiles before signing again, “Shicchan says she wouldn't be a good student council president if she didn't go to the py. So we’ll be there.”

  “I-I'm very happy to hear that.” I frown when I realize something, “Will it be…hard to follow?”

  Shizune gives me a small nod and starts signing, while Misha says, “Shicchan says that me and Akane will keep her in the loop, but acting is about a lot more than words, isn't it?”

  “I-it is. You're right. But…if I could get you the script, that would probably help, wouldn't it?”

  Shizune nods and then Akane cps me on the shoulder, “Hey, that's a really good idea!” Then she signs to Shizune, “We’ll make sure there are scripts for all the hearing impaired students.”

  I nod, and Shizune gives Akane and me a thankful nod.

  The bell rings and we start to gather up our things. Akane gets close and whispers, “That was the least awkward lunch in a week. Thank you.”

  I ugh, “You're welcome. Should I ask Misha about Lilly?”

  Akane nods, “She is the only one who knows where she’s having lunch.”

  I turn around and see that Shizune has left but Misha is still packing up her things. That's good, because I didn't want to upset Shizune by talking about this.

  I approach her and say, “Misha, can I ask you something?”

  She smiles ear to ear but I also see a little concern in her eyes, “Sure!”

  “Do you know where Lilly eats now? I wanted to invite her too.”

  Misha frowns and then sighs, “She's been eating in an empty cssroom on the second floor. By the library. If you go tomorrow you'll find her there.”

  “Okay, thanks, Misha. I'm sorry things are tough right now for the council. Hopefully you can get them to make up.”

  She frowns, “Hopefully! They are both soooooo stubborn, though. I don't like my chances."

  I'm standing outside what I think is the room where Lilly has been eating her lunch. There's only one way to find out though.

  As I slide the door open I hear Lilly say, “Hanako?”

  Didn't I hear that name somewhere else recently?

  “U-um…no, Lilly. It's Nagisa.”

  Now that I'm in the room I see that she is sitting at a table with her back to me. She has a tea set in front of her. The room has a window with a nice view of the woods outside campus.

  “Ah, my apologies. I had invited someone to meet me here. Unfortunately, I don't think she’s coming.”

  “Oh. Do you want me to see if I can find her? Maybe she's trying to find the room?”

  “That's quite alright. There was only a low chance she would come, I think. Come in and have a seat. Would you like some tea?”

  I take a seat in front of her and say, “Um…sure.”

  She starts delicately moving her hands until she locates the tea set in front of her.

  “I…can do it, if that helps.”

  “Nonsense. You’re my guest, and I’m quite capable, I assure you.”

  She locates a cup and loops her fingers around the handle before moving it to the side. Then she picks up the tea pot and pours the tea into it. Somehow, she stops when it's just the right amount of full.

  She picks up the cup and pces it down in front of me with a smile, “There is milk and sugar. Help yourself.”

  “Thank you.”

  I notice the tea smells quite different from the Japanese teas I am used to. Then I remember Lilly’s western heritage.

  I’m not sure I’ll like this.

  I put as much milk into the tea as I can without overflowing the cup and take a drink. Even with all that milk, it has an earthier, more bitter taste than I am used to. I am probably making a face, but I am gd Lilly can't see it. However, she’ll notice if my cup is still full when I leave, so I just have to drink it.

  “It has been some time hasn't it?”

  I put my tea cup down, “Y-yes. It has.”

  She smiles as she sips some tea, “I suppose you have a reason to seek me out here.” Her voice sharpens ever so slightly, “Did Misha decide to send someone else to try to get me to come back?”

  “N-no. I’m not here for that.”

  Lilly sighs in relief, “Thank goodness.”

  “I wanted to thank you for being so welcoming when I got here. During my first few days, you and…the other girls really helped me adjust.”

  She smiles, “You’re very welcome.”

  “I also wanted to personally invite you to the drama club’s py.”

  I hold out the flier. She searches for it with her hand and she takes it with a bemused grin.

  “I…just realized that the flier isn't very useful for you. Sorry.”

  We should probably make some Braille ones.

  Lilly ughs softly, “Yes. It feels like a very nice piece of paper, though.” She puts it down and then folds her hands and says, “Why don't you tell me what's on the flier?”

  “U-um…well, it's me in my costume for the py - a purple monpe made from kimono scraps. But I'm a little transparent. My character is a ghost.”

  “Interesting. So it's a ghost story?”

  “Um…sort of. But it isn't the scary kind.”

  “What's the py called?”

  “It's called Living With Mother…based on a py by Hisashi Inoue called Living With Father. It's about a young woman who survived Hiroshima, but her family didn't. The py mostly focuses on this woman falling in love, and trying to sort out her feelings by talking to the ghost of her mother.”

  Lilly nods thoughtfully, “It certainly sounds compelling. Who else is in the cast?”

  “Chiyo Asashi is pying the young woman, and Ken Oribe is the man she's in love with.”

  “Sounds like a good cast. I know Ken a little. Which also means I know Chiyo, of course.” She ughs softly, “It doesn't sound as if their roles will be particurly challenging for them, though.”

  Does everyone at this school know they are in love? I guess it's pretty obvious. Even when you can't see.

  I ugh, “You…might be right.”

  “When is it?”

  “It's at 5 on the day of the festival. In the auditorium.”

  “Okay. I will be there. Thank you for the personal invitation.” She smiles warmly, “I'm very gd you got to do a py like you wanted.”

  I can't help but smile back, “Me too. Um…will watching a py be hard for you?”

  “It's true I can't watch it the same way most can. I suppose it's more like listening to a radio drama for someone with sight. But I actually quite like pys, especially the cssical English ones. And this one sounds very interesting.”

  She looks like she's weighing something for a moment and then she says, “This may sound a bit strange…but we’re friends and I think it will help me during the py. Would you let me feel your face? It's…really the only way I can experience what you look like. And I will be able to better perceive your facial expressions while you're acting.”

  I feel a little taken aback by her request at first, but then feel a little fttered that she thinks of me as a friend.

  “Oh. U-um…of course.” I get up and sit in the chair next to Lilly. She turns towards me and gently outstretches her hands. They end up on top of my head, and I ugh. So does she.

  With a smile she says, “You're…quite small, aren't you?”

  “Y-yes. I am. Especially compared to you.”

  “Why don't you guide my hands to your face, so we can avoid any further mishaps.”

  I take her hands and slowly guide her fingers to my cheeks.

  Smiling all the while, she slowly moves out from them, sometimes pausing for a moment as her hands pass over different parts of my face. This goes on for a minute or two and then she takes her hands back and nods.

  It's hard to even imagine how she perceives the world. I wouldn't have thought touching someone's face would be that useful to her, but I guess it's the best way for her to get this information.

  “You are quite pretty, aren't you?”

  I didn't expect her to say that, so I feel flustered, “U-um…I don't…think so.”

  She smiles, “Well, I think you are. You have very nice skin and delicate facial features.”

  “Th-thank you. Um…you’re very pretty too. I thought so the moment I met you.”

  Lilly’s cheeks flush ever so slightly, “Thank you, Nagisa.”

  I look around the lonely room where Lilly is eating and it makes me a little sad. She's so friendly and outgoing but eating here all on her own now.

  “I-if…you want to, I think you'd be welcome to eat lunch with the drama club. Especially if you already know Ken and Chiyo too.”

  Lilly smiles, “I'll think about it. I'm actually trying to make a new friend that I hope will eat me with here. I chose this pce with her in mind.”

  I nod, “I understand. Well, the invitation is always open.”

  I've managed to personally invite everyone I wanted to to our py, with one exception. So, right now I'm on the way to the library. When I walk through the door I'm very happy to see the girl with long, beautiful dark hair sitting on a bean bag.

  I slowly approach her, before standing in front of her and saying, “H-hi there.”

  Like st time, she holds her book in front of her face like a shield. Only this time, she's already shaking a little. I must have scared her. I tried to move slowly so I wouldn't startle her. But maybe she was engrossed in her book.

  “Sorry. I'm…that girl from a while back. The one you told about Living with Father.”

  Her body seems to rex a little. But the book stays in pce.

  She whispers, “D-did you…like it?”

  “I did. I'm in drama club, and we're going to do it on stage at the festival. I…wanted to thank you for suggestion. And invite you to come.”

  I hold out the flier. But then realize she can't see me. I slowly slide it in front of her book. She doesn't object, and the book moves slightly as she holds the flier with one hand.

  Then, to my surprise, she closes the book and puts it in her p. I think I catch a glimpse of violet eyes before the flier takes the book’s pce.

  She whispers, “L-living with…Mother?”

  “Yes. We had to change it a little because we had two girls and one boy.”

  “Y-you're…the mother?”

  “That's right.”

  She lowers the flier so that I can see her dark fringes and the top parts of her right eye. Now I know they are definitely violet. I think she’s examining me.

  She quietly says, “I…like your c-costume.”

  “Thank you. One of the other drama club members made it.”

  She pulls the flier back up and whispers, “I…I want to come see it b-b-but…I…” She takes a sharp breath. I know enough about crying to know she’s close to tears and doing everything she can to hold them in.

  This would be really hard for her. There will be lots of people. She has a hard time even looking at me. I’m so stupid.

  “I-it's okay. I understand. I just wanted you to know you inspired the drama club.”

  Just as I’m about to give up and leave her alone so she can rex, an idea comes to me.

  “I-if you wanted to, you could come to our st dress rehearsal. The night before at 6. It will pretty much be the same as the day of the py. It will just be the three of us on stage, our director, and maybe our adviser.”

  The girl whispers, “U-um…U-um….I’ll…think about it. Th-thank you.”

  She looks down, folds up the flier, puts it in her bag, and then quickly puts her hand over the right side of her face, before looking down and opening her book again and holding it in front of her face. I guess the conversation is over.

  “You’re welcome. I-it…was nice talking to you.”

  I start to walk away and hear a faint whisper. I was too far away to know for sure, but I think she said, “N-nice talking to you, too.”