It's Toga! Himiko Toga!
Right now, I am standing in the garden of the house across the street! It's the middle of the night and pitch black, but that doesn't matter!
As for why I'm doing this, well, it's obvious. In ten seconds, I'll be thirteen years old. That's why I have to see my childhood friend, Madoka-chan, as soon as possible. I'm going to see her and make her take Toga as her bride!
Preparations: Complete! I've already confirmed that Madoka-chan's window is unlocked. Actually, I'm the one who left it open today. I figured she wouldn't bother to check the lock, so I made sure it stayed unlatched. I'm a capable woman, after all!
Three… two… one…!
Clatter!!
"Madoka-chan, let's get married!"
"You fool! Marriage in this day and age doesn't happen until eighteen!!"
I was a little worried she might be asleep, but she was awake for me! I knew it! She must have been waiting for me with the same feelings in her heart!
Madoka-chan is so kind! I love her!!!
I love her hair, which she's recently started letting grow long and soft! Her beautiful eyes! Her skin, which is so smooth it's almost unfair! Her tiny body, so much smaller than the other kids! Her face, which is so cute it's practically a crime! The gentle smiles she gives me! Her panicked face! Her angry face! The fact that she told me it was okay to laugh! The way she's always watching over me! The way she got genuinely angry at our classmates when I was sad and crying! The way she forgives me with a smile no matter how much I overdo it! Her strange way of speaking, and even the parts of her that are a bit of a clumsy mess!
Every bit of her, every single, tiny, everything! I love Madoka-chan! I love-love-love her, and I'll love her forever and ever!!
"Wait—hold on! Hey, what do you think you're doing, you brat?! Cal—Calm yourself!!"
Oof! As I lunged straight for her, she pressed her small, soft hand against my face to hold me back. I felt like my nose was going to be flattened. But I won't give up over something like this. Today is the day I get married. I'm going to marry my beloved Madoka-chan and be happy!
That's why I came prepared today! I made sure everything was ready so we could… you know… immediately after the wedding!
I scrubbed my body until it glowed, I studied very hard, I practiced all by myself—I came to Madoka-chan's room ready to offer my heart and soul! Even Rinne-chan and her father have given us their blessing!
All that's left is to get married and become Madoka-chan's wife!
And then, I'll make Madoka-chan my wife!
"Wait! I said wait, damn it! What in the world do you intend to do?!"
What? Isn't it obvious?! I can't hold back anymore! Today, I'm going to show Madoka-chan exactly how much I love her, from one to ten… no, one to a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a million, a trillion—to infinity! I'm going to teach her every bit of it!!
Because ever since that day, I've loved Madoka-chan so, so much! I've been studying all this time just so we could do this.
So… so…!
"Let's do it, Madoka-chan! Let us seal our vows as man and wife!"
"I said calm down!! Don't come any closer! Stop undressing me! And don't take your own clothes off, either!!! Good heavens, girl, will you just be still for one moment?!"
Boff!!!
Pout. She hit me on the forehead. A closed-fist punch is so mean! It hurts!
Why are you being so difficult?
You said you'd make me your bride. You promised we'd get married when today came.
And yet. And yet, and yet, and yet! Why are you acting like you hate it…? Did I do something? Did I do something to make you dislike me? No. I don't want that. Don't hate me. Don't leave me all alone. If you're gone, Madoka-chan, I'll…
"Listen to me for a moment, Himiko. This is important. You must hear this."
"No."
"Listen."
"No! I don't want to hear it!" I didn't want to listen. I wouldn't listen to any "break-up" talk. I knew what she was going to say even without hearing it. She was going to say the marriage talk was off. It's the way of the world for childhood promises to be treated like they never happened. But… I didn't want it to be like it never happened. I've believed in this promise for so long. To take it away now, after all this… Why did you make a promise like that if you didn't mean it, you moron…!
"Just listen, Himiko. First of all, marriage has to wait until we are older. That is simply how things are in this era; there is no helping it."
I knew that! But still, I wanted to get married now… today, at this very moment. I didn't have a ring or a venue, and the law and the world wouldn't recognize us, but I was determined to get married.
Did she have any idea how much I'd been looking forward to today?
Did she know how many times since my last birthday I'd wished that "tomorrow" would be my birthday again?
Finally, finally, the day had come… so why wouldn't she marry me right away…?
"There is something I must tell you. And if, after hearing it, you still say you wish to marry me, then I…"
"I'm marrying you!"
"You fool. I haven't said it yet."
"I don't care! No matter what you say, I want to marry Madoka-chan!"
So why… why was she making such a complicated face and looking away? I couldn't stand it if she didn't look at me.
"…Look. I am not nearly the 'good person' you think I am. Someday, Himiko, I will hurt you. That is a certainty. That time will surely come."
"It won't."
"It will. Eventually, I will walk that path again—a life that leads to such things. I do not know any other way to live. And at the end of it… I will likely die with regrets. I do not wish to drag you into that. You are precious to me, and so, a part of me truly wishes for you to stay far away. That is the truth. Knowing that… do you still wish to stay by my side?"
I had no idea what Madoka-chan was talking about. She talked like this sometimes—hiding something from me while trying to make me understand.
But today, no matter what she said, I wouldn't be convinced. I wasn't going to back down. We were going to get married, no matter what!
"I'm marrying you!"
"No, listen, Himiko…"
"I'm marrying you!!"
"Hey. Think about this for a second. There are plenty of boys out there besides me. One of them might be better for you, you know?"
"I'M MARRYING YOU!!!"
Besides! Madoka-chan is a girl!!!
"WE. ARE. GETTING. MARRIED!!!"
…Besides. I won't let her have any regrets. I will absolutely, definitely… make Madoka-chan happy. I'll do anything for that. No, I'll show her I can do it.
"…Sigh. You… Good grief… you really are a handful…"
"I am not! You're the one who made me like this, Madoka-chan, so take responsibility!!"
"…Very well. I shall fulfill the promise. Himiko, you shall be my bride. I will make you happy, come what may. So, just keep smiling by my side. Smile for me. And live your life with me."
"Yes! Yes!! Please make me happy! And I'll make you happy, too! I'll live my whole life with you, Madoka-chan!!"
YESSSS!!!
Marriage! I actually got married!!!