Dealing with change

by apple tea and sunshine

Woe to the maiden far from home. Scratch that. The hierarchy of Hyoutei is falling, thanks to a certain pest/girl that was made in America, not China. Atobe Keigo was not one happy teen, especially because this system was his own, where he was king. - Just saying, I'm a regular updater on Thursdays-except when there's a problem, but that will be mentioned beforehand.

2. The troubles of redeye flights

Leena Fei

...Well, not parent just yet, but Shotaro's more of a parent than my entire foster family (two sisters, a brother and two overly nice-slightly clueless parents). But then, he sorta left left when the major Kobe earthquake killed his older brother, Kyousuke Yukimura and sister-in-law, Naori Yukimura. Leaving his nephew, Seiichi Yukimura behind.

Just giving a heads up, instead of being: Like father, like son. It turned out more of a: Like uncle like nephew, Seiichi turned out just as sadistic but caring as Shotaro did. (I meet with him over skype and he teaches me japanese-I can keep a conversation due to his spartan training)

Anyway, a few months prior to the earthquake, Shotaro agreed to take me in from my foster family and got papers, but that, along with a lot of matters were disrupted because of the Kobe earthquake. Now, because Shotaro was here, it was either that he was picking me up, or coming here to break out the bad news. I'm considering about hugging him, but it would just cause some unnecessary attention. (despite being 29, he still looked like high school material.)

"Some guy is patronizing your artwork , are you coming or not?"

"'Scuse me?"

"Do you want me to leave you here while I go back to Japan or what?"

Sorry Shotaro, I was just trying to decipher what your vague statement meant. My mouth is just itching to make a smart comment, but what comes out is simple and a bit unintelligible.

"sure?"

.

.

.

.

.

Alright, packing up to a new country, leaving everything I've ever known behind, gifts are supposed to be meaningful, right...?

Everything in my foster family's provided room, screams: good girl (perhaps I forgot to mention that one of my foster sisters is a neat freak.)

From my first crayon drawing (splatters) to my latest online posts, all of them are stuffed into my suitcase along with three reams of high quality paper, my laptop, five drawing kits, I-don't know-how many-issues-of-manga-and-manga-drawing-books, wall and shelf decor, and my clothing.

I. Weighs. A. Ton.

While dragging my poor, abused suitcase down the small winding staircase of the family house, I yell out to no one in particular.

"Any help at all my dear family?"

"Of course, Leena Yukimura."

My "dear" foster sister, Cathy, (the one who hated me the most) slips from behind the giant potted pachira plant. This really scares me- as the family occupation is usually:

Dad: Charles, business trip.

Mom:Wendies, tea at a friends house with gossip to follow.

sister 1: Reina, in the next room , doing "things" with her boyfriend- I accidently walked in on them once. Most awkward thing I've ever done in my life.

sister 2: Cathy, complaining to her fan club(or at least she says she has one, its my goal to achieve one in Japan) about how annoying I am.

brother 1: College

Dog: Avoiding or ignoring me.

Staring blankly at Cathy, my mind is one step from pushing the flee mechanism in my head before Cathy pouts and starts to help me lug my suitcase towards the door (wow, she must have really wanted me to leave quickly.)

"Awwwwwww... so you do care Cat!..."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!- and I just thought you should, well, get going faster..."

Shoving something in my hands, Cathy breaks out in a mad dash to her room. It turns out that she left me her favorite hair band . Meaningful, huh?

"THANKS!"

I yell out in the house and hear a muffled response.

My words are a bit generic and more unfeeling than I'd like to be, but Shotaro is waiting.

tap.

tap, tap.

tap, tap, tap.

TAP-

"ALRIGHT SHOTARO! QUIT IT WITH THE TAPPING! I'LL COME OUTSIDE!"

.

..

…

….

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwnnn~."

"Tell me why we went on a redeye flight Shotaro?(no disrespect, it just feels weird to call him dad..)

I'm leaning back in the airplane seat and peering out through the window to the hilly area of the beginning of the Appalachian mountain range.

"It was the quickest and cheapest way."

"With no regard to your newest member of the family's comfort? I'm touched."

Shotaro gives me a dad-ly-shut-up-look and returns to reading his japanese novel for a minute before smiling and answering:

"I'm sorry, you'll get to rest when we reach the mansion (woah, never been in one of those!) Until then, if you have the energy to complain, why not convert that energy to learn japanese and not look like an idiot when we get there."

I oblige by giving him a grouchy look and pouting. Even though his words made sense, he didn't have to be that mean.

"Fine."