Two weeks later, he said goodbye to everything he had ever known and went to start his new life in Tokyo.


"Hinata, why did you hug that boy?"

Hinata turned to look at his mother and father, who looked sternly at him from outside the sandbox. He shrugged. The sun glared from above, casting shadows on their faces. It reflected off the sandcastle he had made. He and his friend had built it together, and it was the biggest sandcastle ever. They decorated it with pretty pebbles and leaves they had found. A beautiful princess lived in the tallest tower.

"You shouldn't hug other boys." his mother reprimanded, walking towards him. His father nodded in agreement.

"Why?" Hinata asked. "I like him. He's nice and we're friends."

His parents exchanged looks. Hinata's mother reached her hand out. "Come. We're going home."

Hinata took it hesitantly and left the playground. As they walked towards the road, he looked back. Kids were trampling over his sandcastle. He felt his eyes well with tears but held them back. His parents didn't like crying.

"Hinata, are there any girls you find attractive?"

Hinata set his bookbag down on the chair and rubbed his hands, bruised from volleyball. He shrugged, then grabbed a snack from the cupboard. "Why?"

"Well, it's about time you began to feel attraction towards girls," his mother said. "So I was just curious."

Hinata thought about it. "I don't really like them. Besides, I'm too busy with volleyball."

"Well, if you don't like girls, then who do you like?" his mother put her hands on her hips, and her voice had a menacing edge.

Hinata shrugged again. "I guess Izumi is nice. He always helps me with volleyball."

"No!" Hinata jumped, startled at his mother's reaction. He watched silently as she paced in a circle, arms crossed.

"Go to your room," she ordered.

Hinata stood stupefied before turning and walking down the hall to his room. He shut the door behind him. Outside he could hear his mother call his father, then them talking together.

Hinata regretted not grabbing his bag. He had homework to do.

"Hinata, I'm very disappointed in you."

He hadn't meant to do it. Hinata had just been browsing through the internet. He had just graduated from middle school and had free time.

Hinata saw an article. Something about LGBT. So he clicked on it. At the top of the article was a picture of two men kissing.

Then his mother walked in.

"I'm going to tell you this, and you're going to remember it," his mother said. "Homosexuality is evil, a sin. A man should be with a woman. Never consider a romance with a man. Never have lustful thoughts for a man. If you do, then you are a disgrace and a mistake."

And so Hinata went into high school despising the LGBTQ+ community and everyone in it.

"I like you, Hinata."

Hinata shook his head, clearing the memories from his head, and pedaled his bike even harder. He kept it up until he arrived at school.

He could never let his parents find out.