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— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —
June 13, 2025
You'd left Kyoto three years ago and moved back home to Miyakojima where you stayed with your dad. When you moved back you had gotten a job and took online courses to get your degrees to teach at your own studio. It wasn't as long as a process for you since you'd gone to school for dance for a little bit before moving to Kyoto.
Okay in your first few months there you'd still taken online college classes occasionally up until a certain point. Nonetheless you'd had your studio now and you hadn't regret moving back home when you did. Especially because a little less than a year after you did so, you father passed.
His passing had taken you and Ko by surprise because it was of natural causes. You were the one to find him when you came home from work which did take a toll on you. After dad's passing Ko and his family—your family—moved to Miyakojima mainly because Ko was worried about you.
There was no funeral just the four of you on the beach spreading your dad's ashes.
So now you stayed in your childhood home by yourself with your cat Koji. It was hard for you at first—adjusting without your dad but you'd visit the beach before or after work to talk to him.
Within the three years of you moving back home, you'd still kept in touch with Elora and André. Even Emiko checked in on you every now and then, which you appreciated. She told you time and time again that if you ever changed your mind and came back to Kyoto there'd be a spot for you at Hana Sasaki. Elora and André on the other hand came to Okinawa last Christmas and it was the first Christmas the three of you had ever spent together.
You knew they didn't want you to "be alone" even though at this point your brother had only lived down the street with his wife and daughter. their wedding of which was only a few weeks ago from today.
Then you're studio—the only other thing new in your life. You'd finally gotten to open the studio a little close to a year ago now and you were very happy with it. You'd actually opened it with a girl you did ballet with when you were younger. It was much more affordable that way and made the process a lot smoother.
The studio had also done exceedingly well in such a short time. Plenty of young dancers were signing up and some were even hesitant at first due to the price of the necessities you needed. But that was where your original mission excelled. You'd been able to set up programs with members of the community to provide things to the lower-income dancers to do what they loved.
You'd even decided to change the name not long after your dad's passing. The original working name was going to be Harmony Ballet Academy but was changed to Masao after your father. Masao was his first name and your co-owner had liked the idea of honoring him.
Every day when you taught class it made you happy to see certain kids when you knew their situation.
You were on your way to the studio now listening to quiet music. The dancers you were teaching were from the ages of six to eighteen and your summer production was going to be Midsummer Night's Dream. Everyone was looking forward to it and the kids had done a lot of fundraising to get a nice set.
What was most helpful so you'd gotten an anonymous donation that practically covered most of the set costs. So the remaining money went to funds for future things for the kids. You'd wished the donor wasn't anonymous though because the kids wanted to repay them somehow.
——
"Miss Y/n! Look I've been working on my turns!" A little girl—Jemei exclaims as soon as you enter the 'mini's room'. This was the class full of the younger kids from the ages of six to ten. Jemei was an eight-year-old girl who was somewhat of a prodigy. Also something of a teacher's pet according to her classmates.
She was always trying to impress you with something new she learned or how fast she had mastered it. You admired that about her though—she was very hardworking and reminded you a lot of yourself. Especially when you were younger. "That's great Jem, keep up the hard work!" You smile as you walk to the front of the room and sit your things down.
"Okay—first position," you cut to the chase and all of the kids scramble to their spots.
A smile creeps onto your face as you scan the room to make sure everyone is in the right position. Then you officially start class.
This was probably your second favorite part do the job—the first being watching them actually perform.
By the end of class, you'd gathered all of the kids on the floor in front of you and you were wrapping the day up. "Okay, you all know what time it is," you clap catching everyone's attention. You gain some sighs from some kids and claps of excitement from others.
You had started doing this thing at the end of every practice where you made the class say a quote that your dad had told you so long ago but it stuck with you. They didn't know the significance of it now but you're sure as they get older they'll appreciate it.
"Everyone together," you instruct before pointing to Jemei and letting her lead her peers.
"Do it as long as it makes you happy, and not because someone else wants you to!"
The room erupts into a fit of giggles before you join them and encourage them to head out. The quote was the same every day and it was scattered in a few places around the building. It was something your dad had told you repeatedly at the beginning of your dancing career.
It always stuck with you.
— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ — Consider voting on this chapter! NOTE— i'm gonna be real sad bc the last chapter is out the 21st :(
