°˖✧Gaijin✧˖°

°˖✧We Don't Have to Dance✧˖°

The walk to Salt Middle School, for lack of a better term, freaks her the hell out. She can feel the eyes of the locals on her as she passes by, for one, but also that of her fellow students as she walks past them. Megumi floats beside her, fiddling with a lock of her hair as if she's contemplating. "Did I tell you that you look good in the uniform?"

Ari looks down, a slight smile gracing her features. "Thanks," she murmurs so no one that she's passing by will be able to hear her. It gives her a tiny bit of ease to hear the compliment, sure, but all the nerves don't cease to buzz around in her body.

"I've never seen a Gaijin in real life before..." She hears a girl say to her friend, and she winces at the name. Gaijin. She can't even count how many times she's been called that in the short time that she came to this place. She hates it.

She walks onto campus and to the shoe lockers that are just outside of the school itself. She glances at the little note she has in her hand, making sure she has the correct number for her locker, and makes a b-line towards the one that belongs to her. This is something entirely new to her, since she's used to walking to school in the same shoes she left the house in. If anything, though, the fact that there seems to be almost no public trash cans in this country is more egregious.

Once she's changed into her indoor shoes, she walks just outside of the class that she's been assigned to, though she hesitates. She can hear everyone chattering in there, and she's suddenly overcome with a sense of anxiety. If how she's been treated before she even made it to class is an indicator, she knows it'll be the same or even worse in here...

"Oh, Anaya-chan," a voice from behind her makes her pause. She looks behind her, relaxing slightly when she sees it's a teacher - likely her homeroom teacher by the looks of it. She gives her a little bit of a bow, a polite smile on her face. "I've been told that you're able to understand and speak Japanese like a native speaker. That makes our communication much easier."

She hesitates for a quick moment before she nods, giving her a bow back, since it's the polite thing to do. "Yes, ma'am," she says cordially. She doesn't exactly plan on telling this woman that the reason she's able to communicate so efficiently is because of supernatural means, so... "I've worked very hard to learn Japanese so I can make friends better."

Her teacher smiles at that, adjusting her folder under her arm so she can inch closer to the sliding door. "You ought to be very proud of yourself, young lady. Learning another language is quite the feat. One that often takes years of practice," she expresses before reaching for the door's handle. "Now, follow me. I'll introduce you to the class."

She swallows the lump in her throat and nods timidly. She gives a little bit of a glance in Megumi's direction, to which she gives her a thumbs up. She trails behind the woman as she walks inside the classroom. Almost instantaneously, the chatter ceases. She watches with wide eyes as all the students stand up and bow to her. "Good morning, Matsuoka-sensei!" They exclaim in unison.

Oh, yeah. Way different than what she's used to.

"Good morning, class," Mrs. Matsuoka greets them back, giving them a little bit of a bow as well, although not quite as deeply. She's learned so far that the deeper the bow, the more respect is associated with it. "I have an announcement to make. We have a new addition to our classroom from now on." She gestures to Ari. "I trust that you will treat her kindly."

She flinches when, suddenly, so many pairs of eyes are on her. She feels like she's shaking a leaf. She's never been good in crowds, especially when she's the center of attention. "U-Um... h-hello." She bows, trying to keep herself from having a nervous breakdown. "My name is A-Anaya Ari... It's nice to meet you," she stammers out. She tenses up a tiny bit more when she immediately hears people whispering and making noises of surprise.