Sawada Shin

Hanna's return.

A few years have passed since Kagumi's departure. She had finished her middle school life in America. She was now in the middle of graduating her second year of highschool. Hanna was excited to graduate since she'd be spending the rest of her highschool and university life back where she grew up in. She had made an agreement with her parents to let her go back to Japan to live independently with her grandparents of course, she knew her parents won't agree on her living on her own in such a big crowded city. A few days left before she graduates, she had already said her farewells to her new friends and classmates as well as the nice old couple down the street where they live, they had a beautiful garden and Hanna would spend her time there painting the beautiful garden.

Finally, end of second year. Graduation had passed and she had took a couple pictures of her and her friends with her to bring back to Japan. She planned to tell her grandparents and Kumiko chan all about it. Her flight was tomorrow, an early morning. The night before she made sure she had everything important ready; her clothes, pictures, camera, art supplies, bags, souvenirs, her necklace which was still around her neck by the way. She didn't sleep that night overwhelmed with such excitement, instead she drew in her sketchbook. She watched the sunrise pierce through her window, her mother opening her bedroom door letting her know that breakfast was ready.
The trip to the airport was calm and short. Surprisingly the states didn't have that much traffic so early in the morning. As her father put all her belongings down she was hugging her mother goodbye, more like clutching, same she did to her father. Just like a few years before she disappeared behind the airport doors, a new beginning waiting for her.

When she arrived to Japan the first thing she did was breath in the air. Right when she walked through the doors she saw her grandparents waiting for her. She didn't think twice and bolted towards them leaving her belongings in the middle of the airport exit. The drive back to their home was different from the drives back in the states, this time it was nothing but familiarity and also nostalgia. When she first stepped foot in the house she smiled, she was home. She went to her old room and saw almost nothing change the only big change there was, was the place got smaller for her, made sense of course it has been years.
A few days after her arrival she visited her old friend Kumiko chan. When she rang the doorbell, Tetsu san came out and looked very intimidating.

"What is it? Who are you?", Tetsu said with a monotone and intimidating voice, Minoru followed behind him.
"It's me Tetsu san, Kagumi Hanna.", I said smiling at them.
"Ha? Who?"
"Hanna chan.", I said quite disappointed.
"OH! Hanna chan?", Minoru asked surprised.
"Ha~i", I said with a beaming smile.
Tetsu san soon smiled as well as Minoru san.
"Hanna! You're back from the states?"
"Yes, I'll be staying here from now on.", I said proud. They invited me in and I happened to meet Kumiko chan's Ojisan we talked for a while.
"Okaeri, Hanna chan." Ojisan told me, I smiled at them.
"Tadaima."

" Ojisan where is kumiko chan?", I asked since I don't see her anywhere.
"Kumiko is at Shiroken academy in the middle of her meeting with her new school colleagues.", he said.
"School? Colleagues?"
"Yes, Kumiko decided she's going to be a teacher while she thinks about taking over the family business.", I was surprised. I never expected Kumi chan to be a teacher.

I remembered my grandfather talking about being a teacher at the same school Kumiko was going to start teaching. While I was there I catched up with them, there was quite a lot that happened. While we were talking a certain someone came home.

"Tadaima..", the person said souding very exhausted.
"Okaerinasai, ojousama."
She walked in to the living room and was confused to who was the young lady sitting with her grandfather.
"Ojisan, you have a visitor?", the woman asked. He only laughed at her confusion.
" Kumiko this is Hanna chan, she's back from abroad and came to visit you.", he said as he gestured to the young lady across from him. It took a minute for Kumiko to register who the person her grandfather was talking about, but then it hit her.
"OH! NANA CHAN!", she gasped.
"Hai!", the young lady responded. She dropped the bag she was holding and ran to the young lady embracing her tightly, a huge smile across her face as well as the person she was embracing.
"Nana chan it's been so long" finally letting go of the lady and getting a good look at them.
"You look so mature now and beautiful.", she said.
"So do you Kumi chan.", she smiled. And with a gentle and sincere voice Kumiko said to her,
"Okaerinasai, Hanna chan", Kumiko said smiling very widely to which hanna smiled back.
"Tadaima Kumi chan."

The whole time Hanna was there they laughed and looked back to their old memories together, Hanna told them about her new school she'd be going to which scared her a bit since it would be different from her past school. Kumiko reassured her and it made her feel a bit better.
The next day Hanna and her Obaasan went to her new school to get settled. It was an all girls school and she felt out of place already. In a week or so, the first day of class would start, Hanna was often just laying around painting here and there, reading her textbooks, sometimes going to kumi chan's house. She also thought about returning to her Judo classes. She asked her grandparents about it as well as her parents, thankfully this time they fully agreed.

Tetsu san and Minoru san accompanied her to her new Judo class and stayed with her until she was comfortable enough to be by herself. A few days has passed and she was happy to be back doing action again, thought it'd be another long time for her to get back to what she once was and that was fine, she had all the time in the world to come back up. A week has passed and tomorrow is the first day of her class in her new school, the night before, her Obaasan made her try her new uniform in case it needed fixing. She tried on the skirt, blouse, and blazer. Her Obaasan thought it'd be better if the blazer was a bit more smaller, since you're hands were barely visible. While she made a few stitches here and there she decided to draw her grandmother in her sketchbook to pass the time, once her grandmother was finished the blazer was a perfect fit. Her grandmother gave her a warm smile and made Hanna sleep early. Before she slept she wrote a letter for her parents back abroad, she wrote all the exciting things that happened so far and wished them well. Then she fell asleep.

Unedited
Hanna's return.