Prologue

Hi, there, my name is Tsukino Usagi, daughter of Ikuko and Kenji, older sister to Shingo. Everyone always seems to have the misguided impression that I have an idyllic life. That is far from the truth. Getting locked out for bad grades is not an isolated incident. Most parents would help their children to study, or hire them a tutor if them studying on their own is not working. My parents never did that for me, it has always been assumed that I'm lazy. If asked to recite a math problem out loud or give the answer aloud, then I have no problems with that. I am one of the students that have fallen through the cracks, as it were, when it comes to being undiagnosed for learning disabilities. I'd probably still be unaware if not for taking a test at a special cram school designed to find those with learning disabilities.

Thanks to this cram school, which I now attend everyday after school, my grades are more respectable. You would think this would satisfy my mother, since the Cram School is free. They don't even have to pay for me to attend, yet I find I still fall short of their expectations. Shingo could literally bring home an average grade, and he would get sympathy since he's an A/B student most of the time. He's allowed to have an off test or two while I am held to an unfair standard by our parents. Being told that I'm lazy all the time is not a good thing. Being compared to Umino, all the time, and coming up short is damaging to my self-esteem. If these would be isolated incidents it would be one thing, however they are not isolated in nature. Everytime I bring home a grade that is lower than Umino's my mother's comments always follow the same vein, 'Why can't she have a more responsible daughter?' Even Shingo has commented on my being locked out numerous times. How does that not raise up red flags for anyone about how I am treated at home.

As it is, I am sincerely hoping I can earn a scholarship to an art school outside of Japan. I might actually do better away from my mother and her demoralizing influence. I do my damnedest to bring home good grades, found a place where I can get the educational assistance I need, for free, and I still am considered not good enough? Fortunately my interest in languages has opened up that avenue of escape. A school that focuses on art while teaching the other things necessary as well. That's what I need, and I will work hard to gain the grades necessary to earn my way out of Japan. I may love my home country, but I need a break before I break. I have taken to reading books in French, English, and Italian as those are the languages I am most focused on. Here's hoping I can escape, and finally manage to heal from all the damage my family has done to me.

I read manga because it's not boring, it holds my interest unlike those boring books I am forced to read for Juuban Municipal Middle School. My Cram School uses different books that are actually interesting to read, they keep us unique students involved. Well, I need to go study so I can secure my education outside of Japan. I've already filled out the forms for a student visa that does not require parental permission. My primary teacher at Cram School, Tomoko Mitsumi, has met my parents, and decided to help fill out those forms. With my teacher agreeing to act as my legal guardian when I'm abroad learning, there is no need to involve my parents. After all, my parents had proven they don't care to help me with my educational needs.

My paternal grandmother has agreed to allow me to leave, as I am her heiress. Apparently none of her children had the right temperament, and until Shingo showed that he could make decisions for himself without worrying about parental approval he wouldn't even be considered in the line of succession. Grandma had agreed to let me legally change my name, of which I had chosen Naeva Albarn, I'd rather be an Albarn than a Tsukino right now. Little did I know that my decision to study abroad would have far reaching consequences.