Why is it I'm the only one in this town that's normal? It seems like Namimori is the only place I've ever been to that is crazy and full of strange people. I've lived in other towns and cities around the world due to my study abroad programs and yet Namimori is the only place this insane. It all started when my family moved to the town three months ago. Namimori is the town my mother grew up in while my father grew up in Osaka. I was born in Tokyo. We were a plain, normal family with normal jobs. My mother is a nurse. My father is a salaryman. I'm Shiori Mori, an almost seventeen year old student. I have short dark brown hair and hazel eyes. I like how plain I look. Because of it, I can blend in almost any place I go. My grades were above normal which wasn't something I hated. My parents pushed me and made me go to different cram schools since I was five. It was thanks to my smarts I've been around the world studying. Despite my initial distaste in traveling, I've learned a lot and can speak in a few languages, but I'm not quite fluent. I can only hold a few conversations. While I was unpacking my things into my new room, I saw a few men in suits talking to my parents outside. I opened the window in hopes to hear something.

"We will be adding more to your monthly payment for protection." One of the men said. Why would we need protection in such a small town? It didn't seem like crime was big here.

"How much are we talking about?" Dad asked.

"It's just three hundred more on top of everything." I let out a scream in my mind. That was a lot, an unnecessary amount.

"What will you protect my family from?" Dad questioned the men. Mom put a hand on dad's shoulder before he could ask another question.

"It's best not to ask questions, dear." Dad looked between her and the men. He gave out a sigh.

"Fine." The men left which was my cue to let out my held breath.

"Is this town run by the mafia or something?" I questioned myself.

What I didn't know then was yes and no. This town was controlled by one family to 'keep us safe'. We didn't even need to give protection money in Tokyo. Oh well. Hopefully, it shouldn't be too much of a burden financially. I had most of my things unpacked by the next day. It was a weekend. Mom brought me to the school to get my uniform and other things. Everyone was nice, except for a few teachers. They only glared at me. It might be because I studied in the city. It was because of living in Tokyo and traveling, Namimori decided I'd be better in a lower grade instead of a higher grade. It honestly irritated me, but I was warned by my teachers in Tokyo this would happen. I've noticed some people from small towns don't like city folk like me very much. The door opened and a guy around my age walked in. He stared at me and then the receptionist.

"This is Shiori Mori. She's a new student starting this week." He looked at me with cold eyes. I felt right at home. This was what I was used to from the city.

"Stay in line and you won't get bitten to death."

Did he really just say what I think he said? Why does everyone else seem accustomed to this? Shouldn't they at least make a face or roll their eyes? When we left, I couldn't help but think how strange that guy was.

"What's the matter?" Mom asked.

"Are you really asking? What the hell did that guy mean?"

"That's normal for him, sweetie."

"Just because that's normal for him doesn't mean that's normal for everyone else. Plus, everyone in the room seemed just fine with what he said." Mom chuckled lightly.

Why did she just brush me off like that? She'd never do that. It was like whoever entered this town was put under a spell like that one show. Instead, I'd call it Namimori syndrome. I shivered. If people start to attack me and have that crazy look, I'm out. I'll go live by myself in another country. I don't want anything to do with that. Hopefully, this will be the only strange thing about this town. Mom looked at me from the corner of her eye and smiled even wider. It creeped me out.

"Don't worry about anything. You'll be just fine. Just obey the rules, okay?" She said.

"Why wouldn't I obey them? I always follow the rules." "I know. I just like to say it."

When Monday came, I got ready in my new uniform. It wasn't the prettiest I've been in, but it was by far not the ugliest. A certain bright yellow uniform came into my mind, sending a shiver down my spine. I do not want to be near that again. I put a ribbon in my hair and made a bow that hung itself on the left side of my head. The bow looked cute on me and sometimes it was the only thing that distinguished me from a crowd. I walked down and saw breakfast and bento at the table. My parents must have left for work. I ate and packed my bento in my bag. After locking the door behind me, I closed it and started walking to school. I wasn't nervous per se. I've had a lot of first days before. This shouldn't be any different. Though, seeing others in the same uniform walking together made me feel a little bit excited. As instructed, I went to the office when I arrived. The receptionist smiled when she saw me.

"The uniform looks adorable on you."

"Thank you." As I waited, I could hear the footsteps and hardly any chatter. Why was that? Usually, there would be chatter from students about their vacation and other things. The door opened and a prefect walked in.

"Where's the new student?" He spoke in a smug manner.

"I'm right here." I stood up and noticed how short I was. "You don't look like anything special. Follow me." He basically glared at me. I wonder if he's just acting tough.

I followed the prefect through the halls. He stopped at a door. "This is your classroom." "Thank you." The teacher opened the door and saw me.

"You must be the new student."

"Yes, sir." He was one of the teachers that glared at me a few days ago.

"Well, come in." I could feel him looking at me up and down as I walked in. The students just stared at me. I gave a small bow.

"I'm Shiori Mori. I'm originally from Tokyo. It's nice to make your acquaintance." I introduced myself like I did for so many schools.

"Does anyone have questions for your new classmate?" Why didn't he use my name like other teachers? A few hands rose.

"What's it like in Tokyo?" "It's unique and fun." I replied.

"What are your sizes?" I clicked my tongue in disappointment. Was that the only thing he could think of to ask?

"She's really plain looking." Someone said quietly, but it was heard by everyone.

"Kyoko Sasagawa is one of our best students. If you have any questions, ask her. Kyoko, raise your hand." A girl with orange brown hair raised her hand with a smile. I got the typical good girl vibe off her immediately. I sat down in the only empty seat which was near the door. Once I sat, we started the lesson. Half-way through, I realized I knew everything. It was everything I learned in cram school two years ago. This must be what my advisor warned me about.

In my cram school, each student was assigned to a faculty member who would help us plan our future. When my advisor found I was moving here, he warned me about a few things. I'd always be years ahead of everyone. The education here will drag out. I'll look into finding a good online school when I get home. I needed something to challenge me. When lunch came, I wasn't approached by anyone. No one wanted to sit with me. I took out my lunch, almost perplexed. It didn't bother me. In fact, it made me give a small sigh of relief. I was normal where no one noticed I was new. I happily ate my lunch as I read a book I got as a gift from my host family in America. It was a novel about a mental asylum with many strange characters and how they tried to escape to asylum. I got through a chapter just as lunch was over. The entire day was like this. It was slow and uneventful. I didn't even run into that weird guy either. So, today was a plus. Instead of going home, I went to the convenience store for some snacks. My usual snacks consisted of something sweet, salty, and healthy. So, I grabbed a bag of chips, a chocolate bar, and an onigiri. I picked up a bottle of unsweetened green tea and went home.

In my room, I went straight to my room and sat at my computer. I opened the bag of chips and ate one. I turned the computer on and started to search for an online school. Weird enough, I couldn't search for that. I looked up a bank I saw on the way to school and couldn't find anything. I shut the computer off. If there was anything I was taught in America, it would be some basic programming and other tech related things. They were simple things, though. It was nothing too extravagant. Though, I was interested in security which I began to teach myself on the side. I kept as quiet as possible and went to the router. There was nothing off about it. So, I went to the storage and found a screwdriver. I walked back up and unscrewed it. Inside, I found something that wasn't supposed to be there. A small box was placed inside. The only reason I knew this was because my host father in America was a technology junkie. He made me sit with him as he worked on computers and routers. I took the box off and put it on my windowsill. I turned my computer on. Everything was reset to its factory settings. I let out a sigh. "Great." The little box destroyed everything. It was a good thing it was a new computer. It still annoyed me I had to download everything again. So, I chose not to download anything in case something like this happened in the next couple of days.

A week went by. Everything was the same as the first. This is how everything went. It was one endless cycle. However, my parents asked me a weird question one night.

"Are you not happy with your education?" Mom asked. She looked worried about me.

"Where did that come from?" I questioned.

"Well, we were approached by some men. They found you were looking for cram schools. They said if you weren't happy, to talk with them." Dad replied. He didn't look too happy with the men watching us like hawks.

"Why would I talk to them about my education? Shouldn't I talk to, you know, an actual teacher?" I said logically. Only an educator would know how to put me on track for the future. Mom looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn't and kept eating her food. That's weird. "Dad?"

"It's nothing to worry about. Finish dinner so you can do your homework." He had a small smile on his face. Something was off.

Sometimes, my parents were oblivious. I knew they loved me and wanted the best for me, but they don't understand me. It's why I felt like I was alone most of the time. Because of moving all over, I couldn't really make any lasting friends. I just really had myself. When I finished eating, I went to my room. I changed into my pajamas and went straight to the computer and looked for cram schools. No one will change my mind about wanting to look for a better education.

The next day, I knew Namimori syndrome was real. A boy in my class was running down the street in his underwear. The craziest part was he had a flame on his forehead.

"I will pronounce my dying love to Kyoko!"

I blinked a few times and then pinched my hand. I wasn't dreaming. I'm glad to see everyone was just as perplexed as me. It was at school when things got weirder. The boy stopped in front of Kyoko.

"Will you be my girlfriend?!" Instead of answering, Kyoko just ran away like any other person would have.

The flame on the boy's head disappeared and he screamed from embarrassment. Did he not know what he was doing? I looked at the time. I needed to get to class before I was late. In fact, I was one of the first in the classroom. Everyone was still in the courtyard where another of my classmates approached the almost naked classmate. I shook my head. This must be part of Namimori syndrome. There was nothing else I knew that would explain this. When everyone got into class, I didn't notice that boy here. He probably went home. Everyone was speaking about a fight.

"Hey, plain Jane, are you going?" A guy asked me.

"Plain Jane?" I replied with confusion.

"Yeah. That's what I'm calling you for now on. Are you going?" He asked as if calling me 'plain Jane' was an everyday thing.

"Going to what?" I asked.

"The fight."

"I have no plans on going to see any fight."

He leaned in closer. "Why not? It'll be fun to see Tsuna humiliated."

My brows furrowed together. "I'm not interested in watching that."

"You really are plain." He turned back around.

After the final bell rang, I went and bought a small notebook. I turned on my way out of the store and saw a few men staring at me. Their gazes were cold with not a single speck of warmth to them. I kept walking home. They must be some of the local Yakuza that live around here. I got out a small bottle of pepper spray just in case they tried something. I could never be too careful. Thankfully, I got home without a confrontation of any kind. I wrote in my notebook about everything that happened so far. I even noticed mom's weird behavior. I couldn't help but sigh after everything I wrote. Mom looked at me from the entrance of my door and then walked downstairs. Even she changed when we got into town. She used to be so energetic and carefree, talking up a storm. She isn't like that anymore. Even dad was a little strange. He stopped smiling as much, but it could be from his new job. It could be stressing him out a little bit. I jotted everything down and closed the book. This should be enough for now. I'll continue tomorrow. For now, I'll apply to a school I found. I noticed how I couldn't access the internet. I looked into the router and didn't find a single thing wrong with it. Someone was restricting my access.

"Hey, dad?" I called from upstairs.

"Yes?" I ran down the stairs and saw him reading the newspaper. Mom wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Did you restrict my internet?"

"Why would I do that?" He asked with furrowed brows.

"I don't know. It's restricted."

"I see." Dad said, not exactly knowing what to do or say. It was silent between us. This was the most awkward silence I've ever experienced from dad.

"Do you think mom would know anything?" I asked.

"We both know that answer." I laughed quietly. Mom was the worst at anything technological.

"I'll find something out."

"Shiori."

I turned back around. "Yes?"

"Be careful."

I looked back into his eyes. He wanted to say something more, but he forced himself not to say anything. "I'm always careful." I went back to my room. The only thing I could think of were those men I saw the first day we moved here. They were the ones monitoring my searches through the black box I found. That means I needed to get some new equipment that hasn't been tampered with. I'll try to make a trip to Tokyo next weekend. At least then I can get high quality equipment. I finished my homework without any trouble and went to bed.

The next day, I walked by the boy that had the flame on his forehead. There was a baby standing next to him talking in full sentences. A baby that age shouldn't even talk, much less form complex sentences. I could detect a small accent from the baby. Does Namimori Syndrome also affect young children? Oh well. I made it to class on time and wrote down my findings. I wouldn't call them symptoms just yet until I have more data.

"Mori." The teacher called out

I tensed and looked up after hearing my name be called. "Y-yes?"

"Solve this problem."

I stood up, not knowing we were in the middle of math class. I guess I was too focused on writing. I examined the problem. "It's three point two percent." Everyone seemed to gasp with shock.

"That's correct. Just to see if you were really paying attention, solve the next one." I watched as the teacher wrote another problem. I tilted my head and then made a confirmation noise.

"There isn't anything I can do about one variable, so it'd have to be eleven point eight x." Again, this got another reaction from my classmates.

"That's correct. You're very skilled in mathematics."

I sat down and internally sighed. I'll always be two years ahead of everyone in this room. My parents pushed me academically where I was able to enter schools specifically for geniuses despite me not being one. I could just learn quicker than others. Sometimes, I wish I could test out of high school. I always decided against it because I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I've never put much thought into it before.

During lunch, Kyoko walked up to me. "That was amazing, Shiori."

"It wasn't much."

"Don't say that. Not just anyone could answer those questions without doing work on paper."

"Oh." I didn't want to say about my previous schooling. It didn't feel right. I'd make them feel bad about themselves.

"See you later." She left to eat with her friend. I was sort of expecting her to invite me to lunch. I guess not. Oh well. I wasn't that hurt. In fact, everyone left the room.

"Plain Jane, the fight is about to begin. Are you coming?"

"I'd like to eat." I opened my bento.

He sighed. "I should have expected that."

I was the only one in the room. I ate in silence. This school was very negative towards its students. It was a domino effect. The teachers didn't like the students and the students turned on certain students that were, in their opinion, not as good or different. It was a bad mindset to have. At least this wasn't part of Namimori Syndrome. It was the faults of human ego. I finished my lunch quickly and decided to go see what the huge fuss was about. When I entered the gym, I saw the flame and boxers. Tsuna was ripping hair out of another student's head.

"What the hell?" I said and took a step back to slowly leave. That's when I accidentally bumped into a teenager with silver hair, smoking.

"Watch where you walk." The harsh tone didn't scare me. I've heard harsher before.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

"Don't give me your poor excuses." He scoffed.

Well, he isn't very kind at all. If anything, he's more like one of those annoying Yakuza wannabes. I went my separate way. Back in class, I wrote down what I saw in my notebook. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. Nothing made sense in this town. Even though my social life was the same, I felt even lonelier than usual. I went and got myself ice cream. Hopefully, it'll help cool me down. When I turned to leave, I saw the same men from the other day in front of me.

"Come with us." Everyone around us didn't even react. These men must be part of the family that controls this town.

"No."

"We didn't give you a choice." The voice wasn't kind.

I didn't like that. I got out the bottle of pepper spray that was in my pocket. "Why? I don't even know you."

"You either come with us, or we will use force." I could tell they were serious.

They really did box me into the corner. I couldn't run away. "You're expecting me to go peacefully to people who may want to kidnap me? That's a forward technique." I said, mocking them.

"We warned you."

There was no hesitation in their actions. They lunged out to me. Since I was expecting this, I kicked one of the men between the legs as hard as I could and pepper sprayed the other's face. The other than tried to grab me, but I stuffed my ice cream cone down his throat to the point where he was choking. That's when I ran for it. Sure, this wasn't the first time I was attacked, but it was still a little startling. All I wanted was to live normally, but no. This always happens one way or another.

"Get her!"

I didn't need to look back to know the three were running. Then, I heard a chorus of men yell. My eyes widened from shock and fear. This was not what I wanted to happen. Why me? I saw a group of men running towards me. They were coming from both sides. A car was parked on the side of the road filled with more men inside. I started running for the car. Thank god I was in gymnastics and track for a few years. I jumped onto the car and used it to propel myself onto the large concrete fence. One man tried to get me, but I silently kicked him in the head. I kept running on top of that before jumping down to the ground where the fence ended. They all stared with surprise. I kept running as fast as I could and yet they kept following. I don't think they'll ever stop even if I do go home. That's when I saw the marketplace buzzing with people. Perfect! My number one skill is blending in. I ran right into the crowd and took my ribbon off.

"Where did she go?" "Dammit! We lost her." The men ran passed me. I calmly walked away and then ran home when I was in the clear.

My parents could see how panicked I was. "What's wrong?" Dad asked.

"Well, other than being chased by weird men in suits, I'm fine." I explained casually.

"What?! This is stepping over the line." Dad said in anger.

"Why were you chased?" Mom asked.

"They told me to follow them. I refused and they were about to use force."

"Oh no, Shiori. What did you do to provoke them?" Mom asked with fear of what I did.

"I kicked one of them, pepper sprayed the other, and stuffed my ice cream cone down the other's throat." Dad looked proud while mom was horrified.

"You can't do that to them, Shiori. You're lucky you're not hurt." She held her hand to her head with disbelief. "What are we going to do now?" Mom said with worry. She was more worried about the repercussions than she was about me.

"Mom? What's going on?" I asked.

"We'll be fined for your actions."

"What?! We're going to get punished for them trying to kidnap me?" What kind of bullshit is this? I've known many Yakuza families and none of them have acted like this before.

"Don't worry about anything. We'll make sure it was all a misunderstanding. You were only scared, right? You didn't do it on purpose." Mom said in a hurried voice, almost trying to calm herself.

"Why would I do that on purpose? Can you not see how scared I am?"

"I'm sorry, Shiori. Go calm down." Mom said in a quiet voice. I'll need ice for my legs. I might need to run away from those men again and running with stressed muscles would only hinder me. Hopefully, tomorrow will be somewhat normal.