Sun and Moon- Tsukishima Kei

Chapter 2

"God is trying to punish me." I mumble to myself, holding up the blue card on my desk. I look back at Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who are both frowning. One holding a green card, the other a blue.

"Okay class, I would like you to sit with the person you'll be doing this project with. And remember, it can be about anything. It won't be due until later on this year, but it's very important." The teacher says and people start moving seats.

The assignment is apparently part of our midterm. We have to study something with our partner that we have a common interest in, and write a poem or something about it. I was just blessed to get Blondie as my partner.

"Oh! I forgot to mention, you can individually work on your own as well for extra credit. But I want you to really study whatever it is that you're going to write about. I want something meaningful! What's beyond the outside of whatever it is, okay?" The teacher clasps her hands together, gives us all a smile then sits down.

All our lessons have already finished, so this is what we're doing for the rest of the day.

I sit in my seat for a minute longer, not willing to move. I huff out a breath, finally gathering my things and walking to the back of the class where Tsukishima is sitting. I sit to the right of him, since the other seat is occupied by Yamaguchi who's talking with his own partner.

"Let's try to get this done as quickly as possible so we don't have to spend much time together. I don't have much time outside of club activities, and I would rather not spend that time with the likes of you."

"How sweet." I say sarcastically. He looks at me and tilts his head. "What?" I frown. He stares at me for a second longer, then narrows his eyes.

"I didn't want to say anything yesterday, but it's really bothering me now. Do you have a speech impediment?" He asks seriously. My eyes widen and I stare at him in shock.

"Why would you...?"

"Yamaguchi and I were talking about it yesterday. But you sound kind of weird." My shoulders slump and I look at my desk, eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't have a speech impediment, and that's really disgusting of you to joke around about something like that. It's just an accent." I say, the corners of my lips tugging down. "I moved away from Japan when I was 12, I went to the U.S. I just came back a few months ago."

"That makes a lot of sense. You're basically an American now." I didn't need to look at him to know he was smirking.

"That's not funny." I say quietly.

In America, I was bullied for being Japanese. Bullied for having an accent, and not pronouncing words correctly. It really hurt, but I was proud of where I came from- I still am. Nonetheless, being desperate to find friends, I still tried really hard to become better at English, I was so dedicated to the point where I refused to speak Japanese to my parents for 6 months straight. Since I moved back here, almost everywhere I go- whether it's the grocery store, a restaurant, book shop- literally anywhere, someone is always quick to point out my 'accent' when I speak. I didn't think I had an accent, I felt like I sounded the same as everyone around me. But I guess the time where I tried to forget my own language really paid off, huh?

It makes me feel like I'm not accepted in my home country, or any other county either. And here this guy is, making fun of that.

"It is. I think I'll call you Gaijin-Chan. No, you're not cute. How about Gaijin-San?" He leans over, tilting his head in front of mine so he can see my expression. "Aw, you look so upset. How nice."

I shift my body so I'm sitting sideways in my seat, my back to him. I blink away the tears threatening to spill from my eyes and take a deep breath. This guy is seriously evil.