Summary: Young Eiri is looking forward to his new and better life in New York City.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and situations are the property of Maki Murakami, Gentosha Comics Inc., and Tokyopop Inc. This fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.
"Hey, look, it's the Uesugi boy, Eiri."
"Doesn't he look mixed? Isn't that cute?"
Eiri's hands tightened around the straps holding the bookbag while he glanced at the two girls he heard whispering about him as he walked by. They attended his school, but he didn't know them well enough to talk to them. Besides, Eiri didn't like to speak with people who talked about how he looked. He continued walking.
With his pale skin and light hair and eyes, Eiri knew he didn't look like other Japanese boys. He knew this very well. Almost everyone he had ever met had told him so, either through words or actions. Eiri hated it. He hated that he looked different from others. He hated that others treated him differently. It wasn't just other kids either. His teachers, his parents' friends, and sometimes even his parents would look at him strangely or talk about him. Once he overheard a visitor to the temple say that Eiri couldn't be his father's son. Eiri didn't understand exactly what the visitor meant. All he knew was that when he asked his mother to explain, she told Eiri to forget he had ever heard it. But Eiri couldn't forget. His mother's anger made it impossible for him to forget.
The contents of his bookbag shifted, reminding Eiri why he was bringing the borrowed books home. He smiled slightly. Soon he would leave Japan to live in the United States. Seguchi Tohma was moving to the United States and had asked Eiri's parents if Eiri could live with him there. Eiri wasn't surprised his parents had agreed. The Uesugi and Seguchi families were close friends, and Eiri's parents respected Tohma san. Tohma san believed that in the United States, Eiri's non Japanese looks would be less of a problem. Eiri's parents hoped he was right.
So did Eiri. In the United States, everyone looked the same because everyone looked different so no one was really different looking at all, he reasoned. The thought made him giggle. He was happy to be moving there next month. He looked forward to seeing the new country. Ever since his parents told him the news, Eiri read whatever he could find about the United States and specifically about New York City where Tohma-san and he would live. The books in his bookbag were the latest he had found. Eiri wanted to know as much as he could about his new home before he arrived.
In addition to reading about the city, Eiri had been intently studying his English language schoolbooks. Tohma san said that he would hire a Japanese speaking tutor to help Eiri with his studies, especially with his English. Eiri was eager to impress his tutor with the English he already knew. Two of the borrowed books were English language books. Eiri was determined to be able to read them before he left Japan for his new life.
'A new life in New York City,' Eiri thought cheerfully. 'It has to be better there.'
End
Author's Notes: This fiction was inspired by a flashback scene in Track 8 (volume 2) of the manga. The girls' opening lines are borrowed from Tokyopop's English translation of the scene.