"Everyone loves my father."

That's what Socorro Mota thought for most of her life. Socorro loved her father more than anyone else in the world. He was a well-respected man in the city she used to live in, but all of that changed when she was 16 years old.

Appearance wise, Socorro was a young girl who was short, thin, had light brown skin, large hazel-colored eyes, and shoulder-length straight black hair that had a single lock of hair on the side of her head tied in a braid midway down - leaving the upper parts of her hair and bangs untouched.

Socorro was an extremely shy person, she didn't like to speak to people more than she needed to. Despite this, she was not afraid to speak up around the people she holds dear to her. She was especially close to her father, who raised her with good manners and made her into the person she is today.

Her family lived in the city of Salvador, Brazil. She grew up there and spent her whole life living in that city. It was a well-known city that lies on the eastern coast of Brazil right by the Atlantic Ocean. The city was known for its colorful architecture, gorgeous coastlines, and cultural diversity. Socorro herself loved the city as well, she loved the atmosphere and the people within it. She attended a good school and made excellent grades, becoming one of the smartest students in the grade.

Though she had her troubles with shyness, Socorro was more than satisfied with her life. She just turned sixteen, graduated from primary school, had good grades, was about to start high school, and had a great family that loves her. "My life is perfect, it can't be better than what I already have.", she thought. What could go wrong?

Socorro's father worked as a real estate salesperson. He would sell houses to people after showing them around the property and making a deal. He was an excellent salesman, he was very charismatic and he would always try to understand what the customer wanted instead of trying to sell a product they didn't like. He would never be upset if someone declined his deal, he would empathize with them and try to help them find what they desired in a new home. He was well-liked in the neighborhood his family lived in, known for his friendly nature and his love for making his daughter the best person she could possibly be.

Not everyone liked him, however. Some people were extremely jealous of his successful career. Some other salespeople tried to compete with him aggressively, but his laid back and kind demeanor of his job caused him to be vastly more successful than his envious rivals. Unfortunately, one woman was finally able to ruin his career.

…

One young woman, about 24 years old, never liked Socorro's father. She always hated how his life was more fulfilling than hers, she wanted revenge for a long time. Instead of trying to better her own life, she decided to use the justice system against him. It would effectively be the best way to ruin his career while keeping herself from getting in trouble. So one day, she called him up to help her look for a house she wanted to purchase. He met her at a house for sale not too far away. He started to show her the interior of the house like he usually does. When out of nowhere, the young woman started to yell at him and hurl insults as well. Socorro's father tried to reason with her and get her to calm down, it did no good. She then started to assault by slapping him and pushing him down over and over again. Socorro's father had enough, he was worried about his own safety. He then got up quickly and gave the young woman a punch in the stomach out of self-defense, sending her to the ground.

For a moment, the woman laid on the ground shocked and speechless. Neither of them said a single word. After a minute, she jumped up and pulled out her phone. She started to call the police and report Socorro's father for assault.

"Please don't call the cops...", Socorro's father begged.

"This is what you get, you don't hit girls!", the young woman yelled pridefully.

"But you just hit me first!", he retorted. "Like they'll believe you.", she answered back.

She started talking on the phone to the police, giving the address and explaining her own twisted version of what happened. Socorro's father kept trying to reason with her. As he crept closer to her, she yelled, "Don't you fucking come near me!" , loudly so the person on the other end could hear her. She then proceeded to bash his head with the phone she was holding, sending him to the ground. She kept hitting his head with the phone, trying to hurt him.

He started to fear for his own life. He then sat up and swept kicked her legs, knocking her over. She hit her head and started to violently scream in pain. She picked up the phone and started to scream into it. "HE'S ATTACKING ME!", she shouted over and over where the operator could hear her.

Realizing the horrible mistake he made, Socorro's father felt intense guilt. He tried to help the woman up and treat her injuries, but she kept screaming when he got anywhere near her. He then heard police sirens outside, realizing it's too late and nobody will believe his side of the story, especially after people look at the injury on the woman's head.

…

Socorro's father was immediately arrested without him being allowed to explain himself even a little bit. He was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car. He was then put into police custody until the trial for the incident would take place.

When Socorro and her mother were notified of what happened, they were mortified and confused. They went to the police station to see Socorro's father. He sat behind a barrier with a glass pane separating the two sides of the room. They were allowed to talk to him for a little while. He then explained his viewpoint of the incident. Sadly, Socorro's mother did not believe him and started chastising him for his actions. Socorro, however, believed her father and was horrified that her own mother doesn't support her own husband's statement. The trial was coming up and no one wanted to side with her father. Socorro, believing in her father more than anyone else in the world, decided she was going to side with him in court.

Socorro's father looked scared, worrying about what was going to happen to him. Socorro then pressed her hand against the glass pane and said, "Don't worry Father, I'll make sure that jerk doesn't get away with this." He smiled, "Thank you, sweetie. I know you will. You have always been there for me and I know you will continue to do so. You are turning into a fine lady, just like how I taught you.", he said gleefully. Socorro was determined to get her father out of this predicament.

The trial took place three days later. Word had spread about the incident and nobody wanted to believe Socorro's father. Even in the courtroom, all the people that once admired him were now disgusted and wanted to see him punished. Socorro was there as the sole witness for her father, her mother did not even show up. The young woman was there as well, having somehow obtained a really good lawyer. Socorro's father was brought out and the trial began.

"Your honor.", the young woman's lawyer started, "My client was physically assaulted by Mr. Mota after an argument that he started about the house she was trying to purchase. He punched her in the stomach then proceeded to slam her head onto the floor of the house. He then threatened her with rape while she tried to contact the police. He also proceeded to try to attack her again, but then she used the phone as a blunt weapon to defend herself, hitting him in the head a few times. She was able to hold him off until the police arrived, them finding Mr. Mota standing near her trying to hurt her again." The other people in the courtroom looked shocked and started to look at Socorro's father hatefully. The young woman smiled, looking satisfied at her work.

Socorro was furious at this statement, she knew her father would never do something like that. "Objection!", she shouted. "My father would never hurt someone purposefully, let alone threaten rape.", she stated. "All of you in this room know my father and know that he is better than this. You know he is kind and considerate, he only uses his business skills for good intentions." Socorro was surprised, she was overcoming her anxiety for a little while, for her father's sake. "She's right!", her father stated, "My daughter knows me better than anyone else, she would never lie about me. I would never hurt anyone, that woman attacked me first and I simply defended myself!"

"Silence!", the woman bellowed, "You hit me, an innocent woman, simply cause' you didn't like how the deal was going and then threatened to rape me! You make me sick!" The jury seemed to agree with her and almost started cheering. "No, she doesn't even have any evidence!", Socorro's father said.

"Order! Order in the court!", the judge said while banging her gavel on the table. "Mr. Mota, please remain silent until you can give your side of the story or you will have charges pressed against you.", she said. Socorro's father silently agreed with an angry look on his face. "Now, where's your evidence?", the judge asked.

The lawyer stood up. "Your honor, there is a wound on the back of my client's head from when Mr. Mota slammed her head into the ground.", he said. The young woman stood up and showed everyone in the courtroom her wound on the back of her head. People gasped and were surprised at how bad it looked. The woman and her lawyer sat back down.

"Thank you.", the judge said. "Now Mr. Mota and Ms. Mota, present your side of the case."

Socorro's father stood up. "Thank you, your honor.", he said respectfully. He then presented his account of the incident with Socorro assisting him. After they were done, no one in the jury changed their dirty looks at Socorro's father.

"Thank you, Mr. Mota.", said the judge. "It's now time to reach a verdict. Everyone, decide who you're with.", she said. The jury went to the backroom and were gone for a while. All the while, Socorro was getting increasingly nervous about what was going to happen to her father.

The jury came back and the result along with them: every single one of them found Socorro's father guilty of physical assault and threatening of rape. "With that, I think we've reached a verdict.", the judge said. "In the court's favor of women, I find the defendant, Mr. Mota, guilty of first degree assault and threatening of rape.", she looked at him, "You are sentenced to 15 years in prison and forced to pay liability damages to the victim." She raised her gavel and said, "Case closed!", before banging it on the table one final time. The young woman looked happy, more than satisfied with her work. A couple of guards handcuffed Socorro's father and took him away.

Socorro was horrified, she couldn't believe this was happening. Her father, one of the most respected people in town and the person who made her into what she is today, Socorro's inspiration and most important person in her life, was put in prison for something he didn't even do. Socorro felt like beating up that woman who lied about her father's actions, she'd never been so furious in her entire life. She didn't know what to do now, her father was the light in her world. How would she live without him?

…

Life was hard for the next few weeks for Socorro. She wasn't allowed to see her father, the prison thought it was too dangerous for her to be around him. No one wanted to talk to her, they all thought she was a psycho. Being the only one who sided with her father, they thought she was crazy. All of her few friends abandoned her, saying they don't want to be friends with the daughter of a "sexist, rapist psychopath". She tried to explain it to them, but no one wanted to believe her. They only went by what they heard from other people.

Socorro was heartbroken, she lost all of her confidence and became incredibly lonely. She became less talkative than she already is. She also became more withdrawn and shut inside herself. She started to lose faith in all of the people in her city. She couldn't believe it and was disgusted that the court vastly favored women. She couldn't believe that so many people who loved her father instantly turned against him when they found out about the incident, they didn't even listen to what he had to say. Socorro was disappointed that so many people just instantly hated him and wouldn't listen to him or her. She was confused on why her city, which is known for its cultural diversity, would do something as hypocritical as this. Her father raised her from birth teaching her not to judge people and be prejudiced, something she still believes in. She did not understand why people couldn't do that.

Her relationship with her mother after the incident was the hardest part. Her mother divorced her father after the incident and believes that he actually did what he was imprisoned for. She started to dislike her only child for siding with her father. Socorro's mother wouldn't even let her talk about her father, only shutting her down when Socorro brought him up. "Why is it that my mother, one of the closest people to my father, hates him just because everyone says she should? Why would she not trust him after years of marriage? Why?", Socorro constantly asked herself. The rest of Socorro's family also disliked how Socorro sided with her father, none of them believed her either. They all thought she was delusional and insane for siding with a "worthless criminal".

…

After a while, Socorro had enough. Her mother would constantly talk down and belittle her father in front of her. One day, her mother kept talking ill about him and Socorro went off on her. She couldn't take it anymore, she had to get her mother to stop. "For the last time, my father did nothing and you know it!", she screamed. "He was innocently framed and everyone was against him just because the "victim" was a woman! This biased court system favors women and he was unfairly punished!"

"You just don't want to accept that your father is a psycho!", her mother shouted. "No! YOU just don't want to accept that my father was innocent and you're wrong because people in this society don't want to look at things from a different perspective!", Socorro roared ferociously.

Her mother slapped her as hard as she could. Socorro was in pain because it hurt a lot, her mother never hit her before. "Disrespectful little shit!", her mother said angrily. "No child of mine will talk to me that way. I will not be associated with someone who supports a criminal. I'm going to send you to someplace that will put you in your place. You are going to school next year abroad, I hope you're happy."

Socorro couldn't believe it, her own mother would do this to her. She felt like crying, she was distraught that her mother would practically disown her for believing in her father. She realized that she had no choice and that it would only make things worse if she tried to argue against it.

…

Over the next few months, her mother tried to find a good place to send her abroad. Eventually, a school in Japan heard about her husband's incident and her request to send her child abroad. They agreed to enroll Socorro as part of a brand new social experiment on how well Brazilians could adapt to Japanese culture. Socorro would be enlisted as a first year student and would stay in Japan the entire year. She would start at the beginning of the school year in April of 2004. The school was ordered to not tell anyone about Socorro's past, so she wouldn't get bullied like she does in Brazil.

The school is called Nishikesu High School and is located in Nagoya, Japan. It is located in a relatively new ward in Nagoya built only about five years before. The ward is the 17th of Nagoya's city, officially called Sakin-ku due to the recent rise of it. The school has only been open for 3 years and was looking for new ways to get recognized, the social experiment was the perfect way to get a better reputation.

Socorro would be living in an apartment complex near the school and would walk to it everyday. She would have a translator with her to help her out and take notes on how the experiment is progressing. They would also be watching her grades to see if she improves at her language and culture adaptability skills.

Socorro was very nervous and frightened at the idea of going to live an entire year in another country. Regardless, she was interested in the idea and thought it would be good for her. Especially if it will make her mother calm down. She also always wanted to visit Japan, and she thought this education idea would be a good challenge for her. "At least I can get away from here and not have anyone judge me or know about my past.", she thought to herself. After what happened over the last few months, she is glad that she can have some fun while in a new country.

Before she left, she had some extremely basic Japanese language training. It mainly taught her greetings, goodbyes, common phrases, and a few cultural customs. Being able to only speak Portuguese her entire life, learning Japanese was extremely difficult for Socorro. The language was nothing like what she was used to, it inverted everything she knew about language. After she was done, she packed up for the trip. It was a lot, but she's staying an entire year after all.

…

At the end of March, Socorro left for Sakin-ku. Her mother didn't even wish her goodbye, though Socorro didn't hold a grudge against her. "That's not what father would want. She's just upset, she'll recover soon.", she thought.

She got on the plane and left Salvador behind, her new future waiting in Japan. "It's a long plane ride, but it's better than having everyone hate me just because I sided with my father.", Socorro thought to herself.

As she rode on the plane to Japan, Socorro thought to herself, "My life sucks right now, but this is an exciting learning opportunity for me."

"Maybe it won't be so bad.", she thought.