Love is in The Air

Maya called me to see her in the shopping district, I don't talk to her often, so it's weird that she called me. I arrive, and I see her, “Hi Maya, did something happen?”

“Hello, well Meiko. This is a weird question but is there a panda following you, or am I crazy?”

“What? Can you see it? Then there's a demon or well, a creature who follows you?”

“Yes, I was going to tell you when we ate ramen the other day, but I was so shy to say it, plus I thought I was crazy.”

This is a weird coincidence, maybe today is my lucky day because I found two of the demons.

“And where is your demon? or well, the little animal that follows you and grants your wishes,” I'm looking around.

“Ah, the squirrel is on my house, I told it to stay there,” she still looks shy while talking.

It looks like she and Hana told their demon to stay at home and they obey them, not like Pakya, who always follows me.

“I see and how often you need to do a wish,” I ask out of the blue.

“Once every three days, if not I will lose everything or something like that.”

Her demon has some rules like Pakya, but they are different. I then explain all my situations and why I need to stop the demons.

“I see, I don't mind losing the ability to make a wish,” she is very understandable, “in my case, to stop the curse I need to wish the same thing I wished the last time.”

“Are you serious? With my diary, that's actually easy, if you want, you can make a wish and then tell me what it was, with knowing what you wished we will break the curse easily.”

“That's fine with me, but... I want your help with something, and then I will help you,” she now looks embarrassed and with a blush on her face.

“What is it?” I hope is nothing too complicated.

“I'm in love with Kentaro, I know he kind of likes you but in a rival sort of way, so I want some advice to win his heart.”

“Ah, I think I can help even though I'm not someone good at anything related to love. By the way, I'm starving, do you mind if we go for ice cream while we talk?” I'm tired, and I need sugar.

“Sure, I wanted one too.”

We buy some ice cream, and we sit on a bench to have a chat while eating.

“Kentaro is obsessed with winning, but for some, reason he likes a woman who can beat him, so maybe you should try to get better grades or get good at a sports competition,” I'm talking while eating, I hope she understands what I said.

“I see, that's useful, but the problem is that I'm dumb at sports, and while my grades are good, I don't think I will get better than him by just studying.”

I think she has a self stem problem just like her brother Takeshi, but maybe his brother can help, “I think you should try, at least on sports, maybe Takeshi could help you with the training.”

“That's true, but he has a lot of confidence, and I lack that, I don't think I will get good.”

“And why don't you wish to be better at sports or have better grades than Kentaro?”

“At first I planned that, but if he's gonna fall in love with me, I want it to be in a normal way and without the help of any wish,” she looks determined.

“I get you, well even if you said no before, I think you should at least train with Takeshi. If you don't try to train, then you would never know how good you are.”

“You are right, I think I will ask Takeshi for help.”

The next morning, Maya starts her training with her brother. Every day since then, I have noticed that she is tired because of that.

Time passes. and we had a race in our school where all our classroom classmates compete. I got fifth place, Maya got third place, Kentaro second, and Takeshi first.

After the race, Maya talks to me while she pants, “Meiko, I think he didn't notice me, the training was useless!”

“But at least you got a good place,” I'm tired too, but I try to give a smile.

“Yeah, but I'm still not a rival to Kentaro, he won't notice me,” Maya starts crying.

“Calm down, if you want, I can help you with your studies, maybe if you get a better grade than him, you will get his attention.”

“Thank you, Meiko, maybe you are right, let's study then.” Maya is now smiling.

That same day we start to study, and after some days we finally have our partial tests. But unfortunately, Maya got second place even though she studied a lot, Kentaro first place as always.

After we get the test results Maya talks to me while crying, “Meiko no matter what I do I can't get better grades or be better at sports, Kentaro won't notice me.”

I put my hand on her shoulder, “I'm sorry, I would love to know any other way to help you, but I don't.”

“And now what will I do? I'm so useless”

“I never asked you, but what do you like about him?”

“Well, one time maybe, two years ago, I notice he was studying on the rooftop alone, for some reason I thought he had a natural talent and that he was just a genius, but I was wrong, he works really hard.

This school year, when Ms. Yukari asked for a volunteer for vice president of the class, I raised my hand because I hoped I could get closer to him.”

I give her a smile, “I see, in some way, his hard work made you fall for him. And do you talk to him often? maybe you could get closer to him if you talk him more.”

“I talk a little with him, I love when we talk, but lately, he's been distant.”

I tried to calm her down, but I couldn't, then Kentaro got closer to us and starts talking while moving his left hand in circles, “Maya, what happened to you, did Ebihara did something bad?”

“It's not that. I can't get better notes, and I suck at sports, I don't know how to get better at them,” Maya talks to him, part of what she says is true, but she is not only sad because of that.

“Don't worry, I didn't tell you, but I did notice that you were studying hard and even practicing sports, I just didn't want to interrupt you. I feel like you could be an honorable rival,” Kentaro moves his hands like if he was explaining something.

“Do you think so?” Maya stops crying and sees Kentaro directly in his eyes.

“I do! If you need help because Ebihara is a bad teacher, then I can help you.”

“Are you sure? I would love that you help me.”

I think Kentaro hates me. Kentaro gives a smile to Maya, and they talk for a little bit, then he left the hallway.

“Meiko, this is not what I expected but thank you anyway, maybe I can be closer to him even if he doesn't love me,” Maya is crying but happy at the same time.

“Well, I hope that everything goes well, good luck Maya.”

“Ah, and about the squirrel demon today, I will wish that you find the rest of the demons soon!” I write in my diary what Maya will wish today.

Some days later, I finally see the demon, is a squirrel with one horn. I tell Maya what she wished some days ago because she couldn't remember, when she repeats the wish the demon starts to disappear like if it was dust.

Maya thanked me again, and then she left with Kentaro.

That night I have another weird dream, it looks like if it's the 1970s. In this dream a woman is waiting at a bus station for someone, maybe someone she loves, in the dream I only see her sitting on the bench while aging as if she never moved from there. Sadly that person never came so she waited there until she died.

It was a sad dream, but I couldn't understand it. I then write everything in my diary because it might be a clue.

Some days have passed since I helped Maya, and every time I see her she's walking with Kentaro, they look a lot closer now, and some people are saying they look like a couple.

And about the squirrel demon, I talked to her and she told me she can't remember most of the things related to the demon squirrel because the memories are blurry.

Time passed, and I finally get a call from Hana, “Senpai, I think I'm ready, so help me to find something that person wants. Can you come to my house at 4:00 pm?”

“Sure, I will go.”

Now is the time to help Hana so I can stop the curse of the duck demon.