𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙀𝘿 on the 𝙎𝘼𝙈𝙀 𝙎𝙆𝙔 - 𝚔𝚎𝚒 𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚊

1 - Eyes

"Lorraine, our service is here." Mom announces as I gaze at her. She's standing beside me with a quite stoic face.

"Yes, Mom." I answer back, closing the catalogue I've been reading about Japan's tourist spots.

I stand up on my seat, then compose myself, checking if there are ruffles on my coat. And I think, I look fine.

As soon as I stand beside mom, I pull my luggage and we start walking towards the exit of the arrival area. We have just arrived here in Japan few minutes ago, and unluckily, we don't have a someone to drive us to our new house.

It's not that we are new to Japan. I was actually born here, but migrated to America when I was still a kid, I guess. We moved back here again—to a small town called Torono, Miyagi Prefecture—because of business matters.

We reached the outside. There's a car parked in front, and a man wearing a business suit. Maybe, I'm correct that he's the driver that Mom called from the company where she works.

Mom goes straightly to the car, as the man immediately opens the door of the backseat. She climbs in, and I go next.

After a while, the car starts moving. I sigh on my mind as the air of silence hurriedly coats the whole place. No one is talking. I can't hear any other noise aside from the noise of the car's engine.

Mom will not probably speak, I'm sure of that. I won't speak either. It's not that there's an ugly bond in our relationship. But mom only talks nothing but business and perfectionism.

Yes, talk about perfection.

She wants to be perfect according to her own taste. Every moves, ways, or acts should be perfect. She's the type of person who will manipulate people and wrap them to her fingers.

And I'm here, not meeting any of her expectations. To her eyes, I'm a disappointment. Well, if I were to be asked, to my own eyes, mom's perception is beyond laughable.

I don't have a father. They got separated. Likely, because of mom. I don't have any siblings either. Summary, it is just me and her.

"Anyway, Lorraine." Out of blue, my mother speaks. I eyed her. Her eyes are cold, marking an high authority to her gaze. "I have enrolled you to your new school, Karasuno High School." She says sophisticatedly eloquent.

"Sure," I reply with a small shrug. I don't care whatever school I'm in. Life is still the same, though.

Later that day, we finally reached the house. Typical modern Japanese style house. And I can tell, this house will be like an empty shell . . . again.

In my fifteen years of being alive, I'm always left out in place where I can't even call a home.

We all get out of the car. I observe the house. All I can say is it looks so lonely. It is painted gray, designed with white wood claddings and canopies. A pretty big house only for two persons. I mean, for me only.

I check the time, and it's 27 minutes before 6 P.M. The sun is slowly fading as the nightfall is near.

I feel so tired right now. Jetlagged. I wonder if Mom will sleep here tonight.

I pick my luggage and walk straightly to the main entry. Mom have already opened the door, as she goes inside the foyer.

I carry my luggage up to the three-steps riser of the outside stairs, and then follow mom inside.

I inhale a huge amount of air to my system as I sense the sleepiness. I want to rest already.

I'm about to close the door, but immediately halt, because the man who was driving for us comes back rushing to our doorsteps.