title: 'trees and grass'
synopsis: she made a lot of mistakes in her life but accidentally getting involved with a sports club was probably the worst one. probably. oc.
She was lucky she already had a home in Japan and did not have to suffer in an awkward home like the rest of the other exchange students. She had found living and studying in Japan was extremely different than in her home country but soon got used to it.
Wake up early, get ready for school, take public transport, walk the rest of the way to school, listen in class and try to understand as much as possible, eat lunch, continue class and then leave for home.
She was a first-year student attending a simple high school in Tokyo which she considered rather nice (since it was close to the station). There had been the option of choosing to attend some school over in Miyagi and live with her grandparents but she found the uniform (and this one guy she almost mowed down whilst she was running) too… extravagant. What kind of uniform has a pale blue dress shirt as uniform?
The people who talked to her were kind but most of the time indifferent. People often assumed she lived in Japan her whole life and was just naturally quiet but really she just had to take some time to fully understand what they were saying. When they did find out she had lived overseas they would give her the same look— the one that indicated that everything made sense now that she cleared up the misunderstanding— before offering her their assistance whenever she was confused.
Some people thought she was lying because her surname was without a doubt Japanese but the moment she spoke to them it made it clear that she, despite carrying Japanese blood, was a foreigner. Interestingly enough though, she found some things similar between the two cultures she carried. For example, both emphasised the importance of being respectful to those who were older.
However, she was used to a loud environment. Her home and neighbourhood were always noisy and filled with chatter. Sometimes, she would arrive home and find her aunts and cousins gossiping together with her mother, eating snacks and fruit to pass the time. Even taking public transport was rather loud and she had always found herself surrounded with all sorts of conversation.
It was different in Japan. Her father went back and forth for business and to see her mother, the home they lived in was quiet and whenever she walked down the streets they were usually empty and there were barely any conversations. When she took the trains it was usually silent besides the occasional whispers. Also, there were tons of bookstores and everyone was always reading (not that she had any problems with that since she lived off books).
She did not find it bad or anything. Just different to what she was used to. 'Different' did not mean 'bad' and she was slowly getting used to things (according to her father).
What she was sure she was getting used to was school. Nekoma High School was in summary 'chill' (she had no idea how to actually properly convey that without having people misunderstand so she kept the view to herself). Everyone pretty much does their own thing and are friendly when asked questions. She was only a first-year so it gave her some comfort that the school she would be attending for the next three years (counting this one) was one she actually liked.
Her friend (acquaintance?), Momo, talked to her the most and chose to sit with her and eat her lunch from the day they met. She was glad she had Momo around especially since she had left behind her other friends back home. Momo even took the time to explain things whenever she was confused and when she couldn't grasp something the teacher because it was said either too fast or too complex, Momo would help her understand.
"Takihara-san, do you want to come to the vending machine?" Momo asked, raising her purse.
"Oh, one second." She reached down into her school bag and fumbled around for her wallet. Once she found it she nodded to her friend who led her out of their classroom. "Ah, I was at the bookstore the other day after school, you know, the one near the station?" Momo began and she nodded in recognition. She usually bought her books there.
"So, there was this really huge guy standing outside! He looked around our age too." Momo and her walked down the stairs.
"Huge?"
"Tall! Like a tree!"
She hummed. Was it really that surprising to find a tall guy? She could of sworn she passed a really tall guy around school before.
When they reached the vending machine Momo pushed a coin in and pressed for some juice. "Oh, I almost forgot, Takihara-san, did you find a club you were interested in?" Momo asked.
She had forgotten she had to join one. She remembered her father telling her it was expected or something to be a part of one. She shook her head in response, "Did you join?"
Momo's juice box fell and she reached down to grab it. "I joined the handicrafts club! I'm really interested in making cool stuff so I thought it would be good, and the upperclassmen were all nice too." She said.
Handicrafts seemed to suit Momo's image in her head. For herself, not so much. "I will think about joining other ones." She replied but what other clubs were there? She should have probably paid more attention during the start of semester when there were tons of banners for that kind of stuff.
"If you give up, join me over at handicrafts! It'll be fun!" Momo smiled whilst she put in her own money into the machine. She pressed the button for some milk and watched the box fall before reaching for it. "Ah… I not so good with that." She said, poking the carton with the plastic straw.
"Eh, I think you'd be good with just some practice!" Momo said thoughtfully and she almost snorted at the idea. She would probably end up destroying something rather than creating something meaningful. They made their way back to their classroom, taking their seats and continuing where they left off with Momo continuing to eat her rice.
She brushed away her dark brown hair from her shoulder as she pulled her chopsticks up to her mouth. Chopsticks were another thing she got used to since she never really had to use them back home. She chewed her food tiredly as she glanced up to look towards the corridor and past Momo. Her eyes stared blankly at the window as students made their way through until she noticed a rather tall boy making his way across.
The first thing she noticed was how tall he was and could not help but wonder if that was the guy Momo had likened to a tree. He looked totally and completely Japanese though, but she could always be wrong. Apparently, she herself looked totally Japanese with her somewhat tan skin being excused as probably a consequence of spending too much time in the sun (she never got why they even thought she could be this tan just from walking around the sun).
Then the second thing was his hair. Did he do that on purpose? It looked crazy and messy, and she kind of wanted to just grab it and push down the one half that was up. Of course she didn't actually do that because a stranger coming up to you and attacking your hair would not be considered appropriate in any country you're in.
After a second he was gone and out of her view. Momo followed her gaze and returned to look at her with a confused expression. "Did something happen?" Momo asked.
She blinked a couple of times and swallowed her food. "Nothing, it is okay." She answered.
.
.
.
She found reading therapeutic and after school quickly made her way to the bookstore near the station after bidding farewell to Momo who had to attend club activities. She liked reading all sorts of books but found that despite all her reading, her speaking and conversational Japanese didn't improve all too much. She knew the limits to her reading abilities and never chose books with extremely difficult kanji but she could not help but ponder on how her reading only helped with her conversational speaking slightly.
Her father said he would only speak Japanese at home to help her but he was overseas visiting her mother at the moment and her only friend was Momo. She shrugged the passing thought though, it was not like she had to improve in an instant. She would be here for another three years and possibly more since college sounded like a good idea. Japan had well-known universities that were globally recognised after all.
But for now she would stick to the simple and calming Nekoma High and aim to complete her years as smoothly as possible without any trouble. Maybe she should get a light novel? Compared to adult fiction they were easier to read. When she passed the register she nodded at the familiar middle-aged woman who seemed to recognise her now since she was such a frequent visitor. The lady gave her a smile before turning to the customer she was serving and the teen made haste towards the light novels.
Recognising a popular title (Momo gave her some recommendations once), she pulled the book out and began reading the first few pages. It seemed like a good choice and the book was at a reasonable price so she made her way back to the counter and into the line. When she glanced up, she noticed the boy in front of her was close to her height (he was probably only a centimetre taller) and was wearing the male Nekoma uniform. She did not recognise him though so maybe he wasn't a first year like she was.
He had bought some study guides and had chuckled when he was conversing with the owner, scratching his short pale brown hair as he answered her questions. As quick as the conversation occurred, his transaction finished and he left the store. She placed the light novel on the counter and gave the owner a polite smile. "Good afternoon, Sawada-san."
"Ah, Dan-chan, good afternoon to you too. How has school been going for you?" Sawada scanned and Dan pulled out her wallet. "It has been okay. How is the store?"
"Oh, it's been lively! More students are coming in from your school and chatting with me so I've been very happy lately." Sawada slipped her book into a paper bag and gave her another smile, "Thank you and come again, Dan-chan."
Dan took the bag and made her way to the exit where she almost bumped into the boy who was in front of her in the line. Quickly, she bowed and apologised but he only reassured her it was okay and it was his own fault for standing so close to the exit. When she straightened herself he seemed to have recognised the uniform she was wearing.
"Oh, are you a first year? I don't recognise you." He asked and she nodded.
"I am Takihara Dan, it's nice to meet you." She introduced herself. Is he a second-year?
"'Dan'?" He gave her a questioning look before quickly apologising to her but she was used to it and gave him a small smile and telling him it was okay. "I am half-Japanese so my surname is Japanese but first name is from mother." She explained.
He nodded having understood and bowed his head too. "I'm sorry for being so rude, I'm Yaku Morisuke, a third-year."
She had to force the shock down her throat before it could appear on her face. A third-year?! This guy was a third-year?!
"So, Takihara-san, you haven't been living in Japan for long, right?" Yaku asked and she nodded. "I just come this year but will be staying for high school."
He male smiled at her, "I hope you enjoy your stay then, Takihara-san. Sorry, for being in the way earlier."
Oh, he was a very polite upperclassman. "It is alright. Thank you, senpai."
Yaku left with a wave and Dan was left by herself again. She glanced around the area and remembered what Momo had told her earlier. There were no tree-like guys around here and Yaku was definitely not a tree-tall. She tucked her newly purchased book into her bag before making her way towards the station. Maybe she'll meet the human-tree one day.
For now, Dan was concerned about what she should make for dinner and that was enough for her.
Author's Note: A number of things I want to make mention of. The protagonist, Takihara Dan, is half-Japanese but spent most of her life overseas living in an Asian country (which will be revealed next chapter but do feel free to guess). Her name is pronounced 'D-AHN' not 'D-ANNE' like one would usually hear in a western country. Because her name is pronounced the way it is, it is easily pronounced in Japanese which was the intention.
Next, this fic pretty much explores the idea of having a foreign student who cannot actually speak amazingly fluent Japanese. Whilst she is half-Japanese, as you have read above Dan sometimes butchers her sentences or says them incorrectly and these are not typos, this is just how I reflect her sometimes incorrect Japanese with English. She may get her tenses wrong but please do stick with her! Hahaha.
Also, you can probably guess who the guys were that she noticed or heard of (besides Yaku is basically introduced himself).
Anyway, reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!