Akemi sighed, looking up at the ceiling of her room. Being sixteen was never easy for any teenaged girl, especially as she struggled with her sexual identity. She knew for a fact she didn't like guys, she just knew. But what about girls? This was where she swore her brain went nuts. She couldn't decide. Did she like girls? Was she a lesbian? She curled up on her side, tears in her eyes. How the hell would she figure this out?
Where do you even start? Akemi reached for her tablet, laying back on her bed after wiping her eyes. She brought up page after page, search after search well into the night until she finally discovered.
"I'm a lesbian."
Having finally figured herself out, Akemi realized she happened to like a girl, a fellow Chinese student named Ming. She caught herself staring at the girl many times. She slapped her face and blushed. After a short amount of time, Akemi realized that Ming didn't really have a lot of friends, that she was mainly made fun of for the hearing aids she wore. Not that it bothered Akemi. They were sitting down in the mall for lunch when the topic of sexuality came up.
"Parents hate me right now."
"How come?" Akemi asked, taking a bite out of her pizza, "I know they're strict, but they can't be that bad, can they?"
"Mother snooped, found my diary. Found out I'm gay."
Akemi's heart jumped to her throat. She didn't know how to respond, or in what fashion. The girl she liked just happened to be gay as well.
"That's...not a bad thing. At all."
"My parents are really religious. They threatened that if I ever got into a relationship with a woman, they'll kick me out, whether I'm eighteen or not."
Akemi looked down at her plate. She didn't know how to say anything, except only one thought, came to mind.
"Mine don't even know..."
"Mom! I'm going out to the mall!"
"Again!?"
"Bye!"
Akemi ran out the door, hardly double checking to make sure it was locked, let alone the initial door, leaving it to Hajime to shut it entirely when he went in. She was excited, able to see her new girlfriend yet again. She clambered up to the monorail, sitting inside, eager to make it to building five's section to meet up with Ming. She rode the train, looking outside, licking her lips. She threw herself at Ming who fell over, laughing, having to put her aid back in.
"You are so hyper!"
"Can you blame me?"
"Sometimes I wonder about you."
"What's there to wonder about?!"
Ming replaced her hearing aid, sweatdropping.
"Next up; the mall!"
"Wonder what movies they're playing. You have your dad's pass, right?"
"Course I do!"
Excited, the girls spent hours at the mall and the movies. By the time they were finished with their outing, it was the night. Akemi looked behind her as always when they walked back to the monorail. Every time they had gone out, she wanted to kiss her, but never found the perfect opportunity. There had been many missed ones, but as usual, there were people there. She made a face and turned her head back.
"Hey...Akemi?"
"Yeah?" They stepped onto the nearly empty monorail section, seeing a guard from building three.
"Do your parents know yet?"
"Nope. Yours?"
"Not about us."
Akemi knew the story behind that one, but her own parents? She was afraid. For once her tiny mother and normally teddy bear of a father were extremely intimidating to her. She didn't look up, didn't notice Ming's hand slipping under her chin to make her look at her. By the time she noticed, the other had her lips pressed against hers. She froze, eyes wide open.
She returned home after, holding her lips as she walked by her mother.
"Akemi? You alright?"
"Yeah..."
She decided once and for all. Akemi would tell her mother. Miki was less likely to be annoyed, that and her father still thought of her as his little girl. She peered around the corner, seeing her mother standing on the counter then went up to her, "...Need help shorty?"
"Dammit, Akemi!"
Akemi stuck her tongue out, helping her short mother. Miki jumped down, looking up at her child.
"Something you want to tell me, Akemi?"
Her shoulders spiked. How did she know!?
"U-Uh, y-yeah..."
"What is it?"
"Well uh...I uh...I-I'm..." Akemi reached up, slapping her cheeks gently to fire herself up, "I'm gay!"
"Alright."
"Y-you're not mad? O-or upset? Or disappointed that your child isn't straight?"
Miki looked up from the box in her hand, wide-eyed, "Why would I be any of that?"
"B-Because it's not...well..."
"You're my child, I'm supposed to love you no matter what, and I do. Have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah.."
"Is it the girl you've been meeting up with all week?"
"Yes."
"Do her parents know?"
"N-NO!" Akemi shot her hands out, scared.
Miki jumped, hand over her heart, "Oh...they're like that..."
"Yeah..."
"So have you told Yamato yet?"
Akemi once again froze up, "I will soon..."
Course telling her father would take longer, after all, he worked longer hours than Miki would, being the building deputy supervisor. Akemi sighed as she made some ramen, waiting for her father to come home.
"Akemi, I'm taking Hiroyoshi for a walk. Yamato should be home soon."
"Alright..."
After finishing her dinner, Akemi gathered up some carrots and apples, grabbing a couple of sugar cubes from the jar and placing them in her basket she used. She slipped out, deciding to wait until later to tell her father, and continued on to where they kept Yamatomaru. She yawned a bit, slightly tired after having taking an exam for an online college for her teacher's degree. She continued on. It had only been a few years, but to tell him was still nuts. After all, her father had a tendency to freak out if marriage was mentioned for Akemi.
She just stepped into the stable when she heard his voice, surprised. She didn't' realize Yamato might go down to Yamatomaru sometimes. She looked at the basket in her hand, then towards the stables, continuing in. Now was probably the best time.
"Daddy?"
Yamato leaned out, smiling, "Akemi! What are you doing down here this late at night?"
"Well, I thought I'd bring something down for Yamatomaru to munch on." She said, holding up the basket and looking at it.
"Something on your mind?"
"Uh...yeah..actually. Can I talk to you?"
Yamato blinked, but nodded, his smile disappearing. He hoped everything was ok. He put down the brush he as using on his horse before going to sit on the hay bales with her. He looked at the horse, then at Akemi, seeing her face.
"Something wrong?"
"I hope not...you're the last to know-"
"Please tell me you're not pregnant..."
"BLOODY HELL DAD! I'm gay!" Akemi instantly covered her mouth, blue eyes wide.
Yamato stared back at her in a similar fashion, "Gay?"
"Y-yeah...I'm...I'm a lesbian..."
Yamato let a sigh of relief out, and smiled, "Don't do that to me...I thought you got yourself pregnant at a young age."
"...So...You're fine with this then?"
"Of course I am." He said as he got up, returning to the white horse, "Your sexuality doesn't define you in total, just as it is, your sexuality. You're still my daughter. You're still Akemi. Just...dont' give me heart attacks?"
"Aw."
Akemi looked out the window, hand interlocked with her sleeping girlfriend in her room. She had her hand on her face, smiling softly. She was glad that her parents accepted her, glad to have this girl as hers. Course there was those who didn't like it, but what did she care? She was proud of who she was, and that's all that mattered.