Sylvia Sanchez (Suzume) - Yakazawa District Wednesday, March 30th

The pounding of my heart propelled me forward as I ran down the street. Behind me, I could hear the echoes of gunshots. I kept going until I spotted a familiar patch of orange hair. "Hiro!" I shouted, getting his attention. He waved with one hand, his other kept its steady grip on his gun.

"You ready to go?" he questioned.

"Whenever you are," I puffed. He smirked and took off at a sprint down an alley. I followed after him trying to not lose too much steam. I could only keep running for so long before the fatigue became too much.

When we eventually were at the foot of Hiro's car I let out a sigh of relief. I grabbed the keys from my front pocket and climbed inside. I immediately put the key in the ignition and felt it come to life under my fingertips. I clipped my seatbelt on and impatiently drummed my fingers on the wheel while Hiro rolled his eyes and did the same. "You're such a mom sometimes," he grumbled when he finished.

I immediately stepped on the gas and then the brakes to make the car lurch forward violently. I braced myself while he wildly grabbed to the side of the car.

"That's why I make you clip your seatbelt dumbass," I hummed while pulling away.

"Just shut up and fucking drive," he growled in response.

"Fine asswipe," I chirped back. I looked in the mirror and frowned. A black car was following us. I changed lanes suddenly and it copied my actions. I did it again, earning a honk from nearby cars but ignored it. The car again mirrored my movements.

"I take it we have company?" Hiro asked pulling out the briefcase we had in the backseat.

"Use the yellow smoke bombs," I ordered. "It'll stun them long enough for us to get away and won't cause too much of an accident."

"You got it," he answered. I sped up to get away from the general traffic. A small smile graced my lips as I saw a sharp curve ahead. I let myself augment my speed again and the car followed.

"Now!" I shouted as I stepped on the brakes. I heard the boom before I could see it behind us in the rearview mirrors. The car was nowhere in sight as we pulled out of the curve.

"I think we lost them," Hiro remarked. I looked at my mirrors and checked my blind spots before nodding my head.

"I think so too," I agreed. I connected my phone to the car's radio and turned up the music so that it would blast at full volume. Hiro whooped as the bass vibrated through the entire car. I let myself laugh a little while coming to a stop at a light.

My eyes glazed over the streets. I remembered how crowded and loud Los Angeles was in comparison to here. There were people dressed in all kinds of fashion and taste. Many had big dreams and hopes, while others were disappointed with their lot in life.

Here people were like paper doll cutouts. When I saw the small suburb that was going to be my home when I first arrived in Japan, I knew that this place wasn't ever going to be my home.

I wanted to run back home to LA but that wouldn't happen as long as I lived.

Marianna Lorena - Yakazawa District Wednesday, March 30th

I looked at my new apartment in awe. It was quite cramped and small but it was actually mine. I took a deep breath and looked down at my hands. Even though I was a whole ocean away from America, I still felt a small wedge of paranoia. It was silly though. I was safe here.

"Where should I put this box?" Kagame-san asked.

"Oh you can leave it on the couch if you like," I answered him. He smiled and nodded, placing it down.

"Will you need any more assistance?"

"I can handle the rest on my own," I reassured him.

"Then I shall see you tomorrow at Ouran Academy. I left you a map of how to arrive. It takes 30 minutes walking and 10 minutes by train," he recited. "We will be having an all day staff-training that will start promptly at 8 am."

"Thank you," I smiled. He bowed and I returned the gesture a little awkwardly. It felt odd to bow frequently but I suppose I would have to get used to it. When the door closed behind him, I let out a sigh. It would take a long time to get unpacked and get this place cleaned up.

I pulled out my phone charger and connected my small device to it on the kitchen counter. I played some music before I began to hum to myself as I started putting my clothes away. The majority of my clothes were business casual or formal so I made sure to carefully hang them. I didn't have an iron so I would have to be careful to not wrinkle my clothes.

My phone buzzed and I looked down at the caller I.D. I bit my lip and contemplated whether or not I should answer before deciding to ignore it.

The music continued to play so I let myself fall back into the rhythm of the next song. I unpacked my laptop and scrolled through my email. There was a long list of unanswered emails and I ignored those too. Why didn't anyone understand that I just wanted to disappear? There was nothing else to it.

I cracked my neck and looked down at one of the boxes I left untouched. I spotted an old photo album. Slowly, my finger brushed through the first few pages before my hands violently threw it back in the box. The box was taped again and shoved to the side of my closet.

I shut off my music and grabbed my apartment key. I opened the front door and stepped outside. There had to be a park somewhere around here where I could just sit and think for a few moments. Anything was better than staying in the apartment which now felt suffocatingly small.

I looked around the different houses around the neighborhood. They were quite pretty and quaint in their own way. Bits and pieces of Japanese floated through my ears and easily slipped through as well. I tried to make myself as small as possible by stuffing my hands deep in my pockets and shoving my neck further into my coat.

After crossing the street I spotted a small little park. There was a swing set, a slide, and a small bench. I sat down and watched as a couple played with their two children. I closed my eyes. "I need to stop thinking about him," I grumbled to myself quietly.

Out of the blue, I spotted something odd. It was a little boy with a tall high schooler. The boy carried around a stuffed rabbit in his arms. He was talking very animatedly with a very cute voice. I let a small smile grace my lips as I watched the boy. It reminded me of some of my favorite students back home. I frowned and shook my head. I had to stop thinking about home. I wanted to run far away from home, yet here I was making a poor attempt to distract myself.

I looked at the boy once more and looked away when he made eye contact with me. My eyes turned to the sunset which painted the sky a deep red. It was weird how no matter where you go, sunrises and sunsets somehow look the same.