Dear Mom and Dad,

I really hope this letter makes it to you. Hopefully you still recognise my handwriting - I was never good with my calligraphy, even after so many years at school. Just like Dad, right?

I'm sorry it took me this long to get in touch with you. I can only imagine how much grief I caused you when I ran away from home. There's no way I can properly apologise for what I did, but I hope that this is at least enough to put your minds at ease.

First of all, I want to thank you both from the bottom of my heart. The two of you did everything you could to support my dream. Even when I lost faith in myself you were always right behind me, cheering me on when no-one else was. I want you to realise that neither of you were to blame for what I did.

As for why I left, it's like I said on the note. I couldn't handle what the modelling world said about me. I was the butch girl who could never fit into a dress. Along with the expectations of being your daughter, it was too much for me to handle.

I've been struggling with a real crisis of confidence since then. I couldn't accept how I looked and who I was, so I ran away from the problem. I buried my head in the sand and tried to pretend I was someone else. It was a stupid, cowardly option, but at the time it was the only thing I could think of.

But it's been three years now, and I'm writing to tell you things have changed for the better. It's a really long story, but I feel a lot better about how I look now. I can wear dresses without dying of embarrassment, and for lack of a better term I finally feel like a real girl.

It's not all thanks to me, though. I've met a wonderful girl who helped me when I needed it. Her name's Hanayo and she's super duper adorable. She's kind and smart and exciting and aaaaa I could be here all day telling you how amazing she is. I really wish you two could meet her, but trust me when I say you'd love her as much as I do.

(You're okay that she's a girl, right? I'm pretty sure you two aren't the kind to judge about things like that.)

Oh, that's right! I've started performing in a local idol group too! They're called µ's, and while they're not the biggest group right now they're all great people to be around. I feel like I understand how Mom felt when she did her fashion shows now. Knowing I can make people smile just by performing is an incredible feeling. I've got Hanayo to thank for that one as well. I told you she was awesome, didn't I?

Things have been going a lot better for me nowadays, and I wanted you to know that. But I'm afraid this is the only way I can tell you. I'm somewhere very far away, so letters are the only contact I can manage. I'm sorry I can't see you again in person, but I promise I'll write to you as often as I can.

I've already been rambling for way too long, so I should start wrapping up. I just want to say I love both of you so much. I didn't say that to you enough three years ago, so now's my chance to start making up for it. You'd better be ready for every one of my letters to be covered in hugs and kisses, understand?

Lots and lots and LOTS of love,

Your daughter, Rin

"Aaand there."

I folded the letter onto itself a few times before slipping it into the envelope. With my quill, I very carefully wrote out my old address, taking care not to let the ink seep out into the water.

"This is even harder than writing on the surface..."

After some effort, I'd produced a legible address. The envelope and its contents were protected with a simple charm to keep them dry - one of the first spells Hanayo had taught me, in fact. It had taken a few days of practice, but I was starting to get the hang of all this magic stuff. Now I'd just have to find a way to send it...

"Are you finished?"

Hanayo slipped through the open door. The suit looked amazing on her, like a gentleman out of an old fairy tale.

"Yeah, I'm done," I said as I rose from the desk. "Sorry for holding you up."

"It's fine. We've still got plenty of time before the show starts." Hanayo smiled. "I see you've already changed. How do you feel?"

I turned to look at myself in the mirror. Honestly, the changes hadn't been as drastic as I was hoping. I had larger hips now, and I'd grown a few inches taller. But it still took a very close-cutting dress for me to show the slightest bit of cleavage, and obviously my new fish-tail took a bit of getting used to.

But as I looked over my reflection, a small smile rose to my face. It was a simple outfit - a white and pink dress with a large ribbon on the back and flowers along the hem for decoration. Kotori had made it with me in mind to accentuate my first performance as the center of µ's.

And honestly? I thought it looked great on me. Maybe the changes to my body hadn't been great, but they meant everything to me.

"Like I'm about to get married," I replied, sticking out my tongue.

"True enough," Hanayo said with a giggle. "But I thought I was supposed to be your bride, not the other way around."

"We can take turns being the bride. We live in modern times, don't we?"

I leaned over, giving Hanayo a gentle kiss on the forehead. The warm haze that rose to her cheeks made me happy just from looking at it.

"Well, then, sir." I took Hanayo's hand. "Ready to lead me down the aisle?"

Hanayo squeezed back. "Whenever you are."

As we drifted out into the open sea, I thought back to how this had all began. My Journey of Self-Discovery had been a colossal failure, and had nearly killed me three times over. Yet looking back on it, I wouldn't have traded a moment of that adventure for anything.

So in a way, it hadn't been a failure at all. In fact, it had been a greater success than I could have ever imagined.