Of Angels and Phantoms

Chapter 25- Memory

Chapter 25...I honestly didn't think I'd come this far. Seriously.

Idk how am I gonna finish this yet, to be honest...Well. I'll take it one step at a time. I'm not sure how long more can I keep my promise of a weekly posting ^^" But it's kinda cool to look back now and see how far you've come! Thanks for walking this journey with me :)

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"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to retrain a 10 year-old kid. You're better off with another club."

I looked down as Mum bowed to the coach again.

"Please, will you take her in? She really loves skating!" Mum pleaded, dipping her head.

"Look, she can't even speak Japanese. How am I supposed to teach her?" He brushed us off, returning to his students who were staring at me weirdly.

Mum looked at me and sighed, shaking her head. I looked away silently, following her out of the centre.

"Still not successful?" Dad asked as he drove. I shook my head quietly, looking out of the window.

"Well, we've tried almost every club in Tokyo..." Mum sighed again. "I'm sorry, June. You may have to stop skating."

I bit my lip, dipping my head.

I...I can't be selfish anymore.

-- --

"Fake Japanese!"

"Stupiiiid!"

My classmates laughed and ran away, leaving me in the puddle of mud. I got up and swept my uniform as I limped back to the classroom.

"Why are you late? And why do you look so dirty?"

"I-I..." I struggled to explain in Japanese, looking at the teacher. "My classmates pushed me." I replied in English, giving up.

"What?" The teacher looked at me ridiculously and the class burst into laughter. She glared at the students, effectively shutting them up.

"Matsumoto, you are in Japan. Please speak in Japanese."

I kept silent, looking down at my feet. The teacher sighed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"Go to the nurse's office and get yourself cleaned up. I won't accept this attire in my class."

I looked up at her blankly. What..?

She sighed exasperatedly, bending down.

"Nurse's office. Now." She repeated slowly as a few classmates sniggered.

I left the classroom, trudging to the office.

"You again?" The nurse shook her head and took out a fresh set of uniforms, checking my size. "You have to learn to get along with your classmates, Matsumoto."

I nodded, barely understanding what she said. She handed me the uniform and left the office for me to clean up and change.

If only I was in Canada...I sighed and took off my soiled uniform, wiping the mud off my knees.

"You sent her down here again?" I heard the nurse's voice.

"Yeah..." the reply sounded like my teacher. "That Matsumoto...I don't know if she's feigning it or if she's really just stupid."

"She transferred from overseas, didn't she?"

"But both of her parents are Japanese. What kind of Japanese can't even understand, much less speak her own language?" The teacher complained indignantly. "She's making my job difficult, you know?"