Anezaki Mamori was a tall, motherly figure. She had a warm, welcoming face with blue eyes and brown hair. Though she was unmarried without any children of her own, she definitely had a mother’s connection with children. It made her classroom more of a family room. Currently Anezaki was wearing a blue turtle neck with a pair of black slacks. Over this ensemble was a pink Rocket Bear apron.

 

            Saburo Haruka decided she liked Anezaki’s way of teaching. Saburo was an elderly woman with a face like a wrinkled cherub and head of silvery hair. She was a small, frail woman with a fierce gaze. Currently the elderly woman was wearing a conservative blue dress.

 

            “Good day, Anezaki-chan.” Saburo bowed in greeting.

 

            “Good day, Saburo-san.” Anezaki bowed back. “I’m looking forward to meeting your granddaughter today.”

 

            “Emiko-chan has been very excited about coming to school.” Saburo explained with a laugh. “She didn’t want to go to bed last night!”

 

            “Oh my!” Anezaki laughed with the elder woman. “Say, where is Emiko-chan?”

            “She’s just saying goodbye to her father, she’ll be along any moment now.” Saburo looked behind her to see a little girl running towards them. The little girl had her hair tied up in two pigtails with red ribbon. Her hair was black and her face was heart shaped. Emiko had big brown eyes and a pointy nose. The little white dress she was wearing already had a bit of brown dust about the bottom. When the girl got closer Anezaki noticed that her ears were pointy. It was a curious trait in a child, but Anezaki thought nothing of it.

 

            “Hello there, Emiko-chan.” Anezaki greeted the child. “I’m Anezaki-sensei.”

 

            “Nice to meet you Anezaki-sensei.” Emiko had a light, cute voice. She bowed quickly, as if she had almost forgotten to do it.

 

            “Now, Emiko-chan, you have a good day at school, okay?” Saburo wished her granddaughter.

 

            “Okay.” Emiko nodded to her grandmother.

 

            “Let’s go inside and meet the other students, okay?” Anezaki held out her hand. Emiko stared at her hand, clearly a little confused.

 

            “Do you not want to hold hands?” Anezaki asked.

 

            “Do we need to?” Emiko was a little confused. “Papa and I never need to hold hands.”

 

            “No, why don’t you follow me then?” Anezaki was experienced with dealing with children from several different backgrounds. Emiko was not from a standard background, that Anezaki could already see. She led the girl into a classroom and had her sit down in the chair by the window. Emiko looked around the room once, her big eyes taking in every detail and committing it to memory.

 

            The classroom had a total of 13 students, six boys and six girls and Emiko. Anezaki had arranged the seats in three rows of four seats, but with Emiko’s arrival Anezaki had to fit another desk into the classroom. Anezaki had simply stuck the 13^th chair on the end of the second row, with no desk in front or behind it. Later that day, Anezaki planned to shift the second row a little so that Emiko’s desk didn’t stick out as much.

 

            All the current students were staring at Emiko, specifically at her pointed ears. Emiko didn’t look at them but instead continued to take in the cute alphabet poster Anezaki had ran along the top of the walls. There were several little posters with big letters that advertised things like ‘sharing’ and ‘playing fair’ around the classroom. Emiko’s favorite poster was the one that had all of the names of the colors written in their respective colors.

 

            “Today we have a new friend, Emiko-chan.” Anezaki addressed the class. “Please welcome her warmly, she’ll be with us from here on out.”

 

            School had been going for two weeks when Emiko joined the class. Because of a paperwork error and some confusion on the part of her parents, Emiko didn’t finish her school registration until the second week of class. The other students continued to stare at the new girl like she had come from another planet.

 

            “Emiko-chan, could you tell us about yourself?” Anezaki asked the girl, who’s wandering eyes finally stopped on her.

 

            “…Why?” Emiko asked with a small voice.

 

            “Pardon?” Anezaki hoped she had not just heard what she thought she heard.

 

            “Why should I tell you about me?” Emiko asked. “Does it matter?”

 

            “Emiko-chan, we’re all just trying to get to know one another better, so knowing what someone likes and doesn’t like helps.” Anezaki explained. “You are certainly full of questions.”

 

            “I like to go to the park with Papa.” Emiko answered simply. “I don’t like going to Grandma’s house.”

 

            “Um… what is your favorite game?” Anezaki asked, hoping for an answer closer to what would help the other kids her age get to know her better.

 

            “Minesweeper.” Emiko answered being completely unhelpful.

 

            “Is your head broken?” One of the boys asked. Mamori opened her mouth to protest but Emiko beat her to it.

 

            “What if my head wasn’t broken but everyone else’s was?” Emiko asked, stunning the class. “What does it mean to be the only working thing in a world full of broken?” The class looked to Anezaki, hoping for an answer.

 

            “It would be lonely.” Anezaki answered.

 

            “…I suppose so.” Emiko looked out the window longingly.

 

            And that was how Anezaki Mamori met Emiko.