Congratulations to Melanie H., the winner of the Lolitawork Libretto Short Story Contest! Here is her story in its entirety, titled "Marmalade Sky."

There was news that said that Kanon Wakeshima was going to perform in a concert that was sponsored by Maru Music in Los Angeles. I was very excited to hear that my idol was going to perform in the city where I live. My mother agreed to take me to the concert because she knew how much I adore Kanon Wakeshima. As we were driving to her concert, I looked up to the marmalade-colored sky. The color of the sky made me feel how lucky I was to be able to see her perform live, but at the same time, I also felt sad because I wanted him to be with me.

The concert had begun and Kanon Wakeshima appeared on stage. Everyone was cheering and clapping. She then began to perform her first song. Her cello playing put me in great awe. The sound of her cello playing was beautiful live as it was in her CD’s. Each note that she bowed reminded me of the marmalade sky that I had seen. I really wished that he was here to enjoy the wonderful concert with me right now.

I have known him since we were young and we joked around with each other a lot. He acts like he’s all cool by joking around all the time, but deep down he’s a sweet person. When we grew older, I began to realize my feelings for him. Who knew that I would end up falling in love with him with his stupid remarks? There were many times when I wanted to tell him that I loved him, but I feared that if I told him about my feelings, he might not feel the same way and everything would turn out awkward.

Kanon Wakeshima had finished performing her first song and everyone was applauding. She bowed to the audience and her face was lit with a sweet smile. Looking at her brilliant smile, I felt very touched and it made me think about his smile.

Because of my love for him now, my feelings turn upside down when we joke with each other. Each time he jokes around with me now, I could not help but take him seriously. He sometimes wonders why I act different when we play around now. I tell him that it is nothing and sometimes I do not know how to answer. Each time he smiles, it makes my heart beat faster and I begin to blush so I had to turn away. I could not let him see my reaction to his smile or else he would find out that I have feelings for him. I did not want our current relationship to end up awkward. I then realize that, because we have been through a lot together, I had seen every side of him: his happy side, his sad side, his angry side, and at times, his serious side.

Now, Kanon Wakeshima had finished performing her last song. She thanked everyone for coming and bowed. I did not want her concert to end so quickly! It was very exciting to see her perform her songs and play her cello. I walked outside and to my surprise, the marmalade-colored sky was still there as the sun was setting.

The moment was very beautiful but sadly, I could not be with him and hold his hand and watch the sunset with him. At this moment, I imagined him being here with me instead. I felt that fantasy was less painful than reality. Sometimes I regret not telling him that I love him, but I will keep my secret feelings locked up inside. I cannot afford to lose my current relationship with him right now. He may ask about my feelings, but I will never tell.