我愛你 | DATZU

我愛你

"Nǐ huì méishì de" the voice of a caring mother sounded as she opened the back door of the family car to take the few, big suitcases out.
(A/N: 你會沒事的 [Nǐ huì méishì de]= You will be fine)

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon and the Chou familly had to say their goodbyes to it's youngest member, Tzuyu.

Tzuyu was a quiet girl, never causing any trouble to her family. Her teachers back in Taiwan would always compliment her, saying she was too smart to stay in the country and that she had to chase a brighter future abroads. They suggested a boarding high school in Korea as soon she graduated from middle school, saying it had the best minds in all of Asia and that she would easily fit in as there were students from all over the world attending.

"Jìdé yào shànliáng hé zūnzhòng!" the girl's father reminded her another time, hugging her tightly and patting her head.
(A/N: 記得要善良和尊重！[Jìdé yào shànliáng hé zūnzhòng!)= Remember to be kind and respectful!)

But the thing was, Tzuyu knew she wouldn't fit in. She was too shy and sometimes the amount of knowledge she had pushed other people away, resulting in her having no friends. Besides, there was the difficulty of the Korean language too. As smart as she was, she couldn't learn an entire language in less than a month.

"Wǒ zhēn de bìxū zhèyàng zuò ma?" Tzuyu sighed as she dragged her suitcases away from the car and walked towards the school gates.
(A/N: 我真的必須這樣做嗎？[Wǒ zhēn de bìxū zhèyàng zuò ma?]= Do I really have to do this?)

The decision for Tzuyu to move was entirely made by her parents in the span of a week, leaving her only a month to prepare for a major lifestyle and cultural change. However, she didn't admit she wasn't feeling comfortable with changing schools to her parents because deep down she knew all of this was for her own good.

"Shì de, nǐ bìxū," her mother smiled and held her daughter's hand, trying hard not to cry "Bié dānxīn!"
(A/N: 是的，你必須 [Shì de, nǐ bìxū)= Yes you have to. 別擔心！[Bié dānxīn!]= Don't worry!")

They walked to the gate of the school hand in hand, all three of them observing the size of the building and it's beauty. All walls were freshly painted in pastel colors, providing a sense of comfort to anyone walking inside of it. There was a big garden with all sorts of plants and even fruits and vegetables planted, a water fountain, as well as fields for all kinds of sports.

It seemed like the perfect school, though Tzuyu was still uncertain about her staying. She knew to never be very optimistic about environment changes and especially meeting new people.

"Wán dé kāixīn!" her parents said before leaving her on the front desk of the school, kissing her head and hugging one last time.
(A/N: 玩得開心！[Wán dé kāixīn!]= Have fun!)

The moment her parents walked out of the building, constantly checking behind their backs to find Tzuyu blankly looking at them, her mother let tears run down her face. She was keeping them for herself for long now while doubts about letting go of her child had started to bubble up. Regardless, her husband was there to get rid of those doubts, holding her hand and repeating that everything was going to be okay. That what they had done was just an opportunity for Tzuyu to find happiness and build the best possible future for her.

"Welcome, you must me Chou Tzuyu?" the female behind the desk spoke, smiling at the tall girl who stood still, taking her time to process that everyting was real.

This was not a dream--or nightmare--Tzuyu was actually in a different country, in a  school that a lot of families fought and paid lots for their children to attend. Yet she attended almost for free, given the largest ever scholarship provided by the school. And she had to accept it. Accept the fact that this was her life now, it was starting all over again and she had one chance to shape it whoever she wished to, like a block of clay that could either be shaped in a beautiful sculpture or a sad one, failing to stand proud and show off it's charm. Tzuyu had to be a good sculptor, she owed it to her family and herself.