I'm a 15-year-old gloomy and introverted person.
A good-looking guy who wasted his appearance by giving up on what so called life.
I am not like this before; I was a total normie who studied there and had my first girlfriend in the Philippines.
I've loved her so much back then and everything went smoothly.
However, my school/romantic life ended up as a mess. It was just like chewing a sweet bubble gum then spits it out when there's no taste.
That day was all about me being depressed.
Bad rumors of me were spreading around the school, it hurts even if it's just a word.
Sometimes, if I walked in the hallway and on my way to the classroom. I can notice some people's gaze at me, I can even hear their negative sayings towards me.
that doesn't mean that everyone there hates me. maybe they were just dragged into that big lie.
I didn't even know who was the person who spread the rumors until I moved away.
my best friend is treating me like were not close or in other words, I was like a total stranger to him.
I don't know why do I considered him as my best friend.
As I remembered the last part of my pain. next to him, a beautiful girl, she's my ex-girlfriend who ignored me and sometimes staring at me with her cold stare.
After having an eye contact with her cold stare, she looked away.
I didn't expect that something wrong would happen to me.
Thinking that made my heart broken. Thinking what did I do wrong? Even myself can't tell that I did something wrong about her.
I went away and I'm alone all the time.
I listened to the class like I was such a person who is good for nothing other than study then read some books in the library and immediately went back home if the class is over.
I often take a look at the clock and I'm so impatient to play my favorite gacha game.
I arrived at home and my dog always wiggle his tail every time I arrive. [as usual]
There were no shoes or any foot wear near the door.
Looks like my parents will arrive home late again.
I patted the head of my dog and went to my room to change.
When entering my room, I suddenly saw the picture where the two of us are together. That picture was taken by my best friend.
I didn't remember that I kept this picture. Maybe I hid this and I forgot or I didn't found this a long ago.
When I saw the picture, it made me remembered all the time we spent together and I also remembered what happened after she dumped me.
The me in the picture is having a normal face while me today is like man who's given up on life. I may be gloomy right now but I always remember the worst things of my life.
This is something I don't want to remember now.
Bad things already happened that's something cannot be turned back now.
I will burn this picture.
I will burn it.
After thinking, I took the lighter and burnt the picture.
Finally.
From the time she dumped me in a harsh way.
From the time the bad rumors have spread and the time I lost my good reputation from being falsely accused.
Remembering my first friend betraying me.
Then after remembering that, I changed clothes.
I closed my eyes in a few seconds and breaths heavily then I opened my laptop and was about to play a gacha game.
Didn't care about my reputation, grades and love anymore. Maybe I should move on now.
Now I'm thinking what to do next. I was scratching my hair then yawned like a person who just woke up and wanted to go back to sleep.
I was so excited to play my favorite gacha game earlier then I changed my mind.
I guess I have to take some snacks and watch anime.
3 hours later.
…Then after that, I watched a whole season of an anime, I just finished in three hours by skipping anime openings…
I turned off my laptop and lied down to the bed. covering my eyes with my left arm.
My stomach rumbles and I'm getting hungry, maybe I should cook for my dinner even I ate snacks while watching anime earlier, I'm still hungry. I wonder why
I don't have any intentions of increasing my weight so I forced myself not to eat my dinner.
What should I do next, I've watched countless of anime and mostly there's no season 2. There's no more anime I could watch. The manga had also a monthly release for one chapter or a two.
I'm not in a mood to read light novels. I've been reading some books in a library so reading so much texts will blow my mind.
I'm alone, bored, had nothing to do.
I am on my way to the living room to chill myself or going out with my dog.
While I was about to go out of my room, my phone vibrates.
I wonder what is it, a delivery or a notification or something.
My phone has been silent for a half year. Haven't even received any messages from my classmates, friends and I even left a group chat.
while holding my phone, I went out of my room then sat on a sofa.
The person in contact list haven't even reached at least 10. Maybe there's a new event on a gacha game then sent some notifications.
I guess I had to take a peek
It was a message.
A message from my best friend.
It was a picture.
A picture where they both him and my ex-girlfriend dated. Mostly, they kissed.
Why does he need to send it to me?
I had nothing to do with it. I guess I have to mute him after all.
The battery is at 2% so I decided to turn it off and felt the air of an electric fan.
I heard a small sound of a car engine and I can see the flashes through the window.
The door creaks.
A decent looking Japanese man with a Filipina beside him.
My father, Ichinose Hayato, owner of a restaurant.
The woman beside her is my mother, Lea Ichinose, a housewife.
"good evening"
"…uh, . good evening .."
Even replying to a greeting, I can't speak well. I lost my interest in speaking to others even my relatives.
Looks like they're on a date.
But why this day, it's weekdays.
Well, there's no need for me to pry.
Mom went to her room immediately to change and dad was about to go either but he stopped.
He was staring at the extra room.
He closed eyes and sighs then went inside to his room while mom was changing.
They're married so it's fine.
I decided to go back to my room to lie down and do nothing.
While I was on my way back to my room, my dad suddenly told me that he wanted to talk to me.
A few minutes later, I sat on a sofa and I faced him.
"looks like you've been looking down all this time after she dumped you.
Called you a molester in a loud voice that made multiple people heard it then started to spread bad rumors.
You lost your reputation, you've been betrayed.
What would you do now"
What should I do? Getting hit by a truck intentionally then got reincarnated into another world or something.
The truth is I hugged her in the back when she's feeling down and before that she told me with a straight face that she hates me.
Well, now is not the time for me to think about that and I must continue the conversation.
"Nah maybe I'm just living my otaku life and I finally realized that being alone is great."
"there's something I want to ask you"
Dad asked me with a straight face. While mom is at her room browsing data.
The atmosphere has changed.
Looks like he wants to say something not good for me.
"do you want to study abroad?"
I expected him to ask me like I was guilty but it's not. Hearing that makes me confused, asking something out of the blue.
"what?"
"you've been facing a lot of troubles in here, I've heard that you've been having a bad time here and
I found out that you're an otaku which means there are more anime, manga and light novels there."
"…."
"I'm worried about you, I'm your father so I will help you with all I had and it is my duty as a father to make my family happy"
Hmm sounds great. I was grateful that he is my father.
It is also a great chance for me to live a new life.
Dad taught me how to speak Japanese and how to write hiragana and katakana since I was a kid.
Well, it's fine anyways.
Only three months left for the next school year.
I cleared my throat and faced him with a serious face
"Yes"
"I see, let's continue the conversation later"
"understood"
He gently smiles and he went away to drink water.
Study abroad huh, I've lost my interests in studying.
There're only few things that made me want to go to japan. It was Comiket then go to Akihabara buying some otaku stuffs.
I also heard that otakus were called nerds in japan. Which made me disappointed a little.
It's not like I'm a die-hard otaku. All I had to do is hid my otaku side and It would be fine I guess. well, it's just a rumor for non-Japanese otakus.
Only 3 months left, I can't wait to go there and to live a new life.
waiting for the last quarter exam then soon it will be over.
__________________________
The time has come, my school life here is done.
Perfect.
....
A day for my departure.
5 hours before the schedule of departure. I was fixing my appearance, making myself look decent then wore a hoodie and preparing all things for departure.
Good thing I had a hoodie with a decent design. Most of my hoodies had an Ahegao design.
Should I wear an Ahegao hoodie at the airport.
nah wearing a decent hoodie would be a best option, I should pick up a taxi right now.
….
At the airport, after few processes are done then it's good to go.
Teenager like me are now allowed to go overseas alone these days. It won't be a problem.
I sat on the waiting chair and reading a manga on my phone to buy time.
The manga I was reading was an erotic manga. I've got some guts reading something like this in a public area.
Mom and dad are so busy to send me off or accompany me all the way to the airport terminal. I was riding a taxi to arrive here.
When I was about to finish the whole chapter, there was a person who just sat beside me. I took a glance at her.
A brown-haired girl, with blue eyes, long slender legs and medium sized breasts. she's a total cutie.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw her.
Is this love at first sight?
She looks like from the same age as me and she's alone.
Should I ask her, I want to start a short conversation with her. I lost my confidence to talk with strangers until now.
Think. Think then try to improve your communication skills.
"uhm…, ___did you come here alone?"
After asking a stranger, I was shaking.
I wonder if she looks at me like I was a creepy person.
"_______ uh, no, I didn't come her alone, my parents are at the washroom"
I just noticed that she was about to read a light novel with a book mark in it.
"I see, sorry to bother you"
"it's fine"
Just what I saw earlier, was a light novel with a fancy illustration and it was the light novel I finished three days ago.
"is that a mystery light novel?"
"yeah, how did you know?"
"I just noticed the cover and I also finished the series. The story is interesting"
"Oh, don't spoil me"
"….."
I took off my eyeglasses with my left hand, it was computer glasses and I can see clearly without it.
she was blushing when she saw me without my eyeglasses. I wonder why.
do I look bad to her?
I thought she continued to read a light novel.
When our eyes met. Her eyes are so beautiful. She's so cute when her face is getting red
"what's wrong"
"uh it's nothing"
"just continue reading and don't mind me"
"it's fine, I will read this when I arrive in japan"
She quickly turned away her glance at me then suddenly saw the manga I was reading. I set my screen to stay open when I'm reading a manga.
Her face turned red she saw me without my glasses.
What was in the screen was a hot spring scene. A big-boobed woman who was relaxing at the hot spring then she suddenly glanced at her breasts.
Shit I forgot to turn this off. what should I do. She would get disgusted to me.
"you're a guy so it must be normal for you, but of all things, you're reading it in public."
"oh, my bad. Just pretend that you didn't see it."
I closed the manga app then laughed a bit
"why are you laughing"
"it's been a while that I have been talking to someone like you.
I lost my confidence to talk with other people, I had no friends and my contact list is almost empty.
I was relieved that i made a short conversation so anyways, thank you"
[huh? Why did I just tell a stranger about me? is it because I managed to had a conversation.]
"oh, forget what I said earlier"
"it was nothing after all, anyways you said your contact list is almost empty. I was asking if would you mind adding me to your contact list"
"of course. By the way My name is Ichinose Kenji"
"Kara Tanaka"
I wiped my eyeglasses and wore it then I opened Layn app. I added her to my contact list through scanning QR code.
"thanks"
After that I was relieved that I finally held a conversation with another person. I gave her a smile. When she saw my smile, she looked away.
Looks like the time has come.
She began to prepare things and her parents are heading towards her. We are on the same gate with the same destination. There may be a chance to meet her again especially when I added her to my contacts.
I wore my computer glasses everywhere and using it every day even if I won't use any devices It was so comfortable to use. So, It can't be helped.
This day might be the great day of my life and most importantly, I've slowly gained confidence of talking to the strangers.
...…..
...
After all processes had done, I finally arrived in japan.
Dad told me that my uncle will come pick me up. so, I guess I'll have to wait for my uncle even though I don't know what does he looked like.
At the corner, my father sent me a message with an image.
I checked the message.
"Kenji, if your uncle can't pick you up or he can't find you. I just sent you his contact number, email address and his image.
Just in case, by the way the tradition and culture there in Japan is different from the Philippines. So if you may feel uncomfortable just deal with it.
Since you had now a big amount of money, you're also free to lure girls in the bed."
What a retard.
When I saw his face on the picture, I had a feeling that I met him in the past. Somewhere in an amusement park I guess.
"Are you Kenji-kun?"
A decent man who was around 30. Asking me if I was the person who named Kenji.
"yes, who are you?"
"I'm your uncle, I came here to pick you up. let's go"
...
In the car, uncle and I had a chat while he's driving. I somehow managed to talk to him because it's rude to ignore him.
"you've changed so much, Kenji-kun, I can't even notice that it was you."
"I see, have I met you in the Philippines before?"
"yeah, that was the time when I visited your father in the Philippines and all of us went to the resort. That was also ten years ago so I won't be surprised if you don't remember"
"I didn't expect that you are already at the terminal waiting for me to pick me up."
"As you can see, Kenji-kun. Most Japanese are required to be punctual especially for those who are student and to those who had part-time jobs."
"I see"
In Philippines, most Filipinos believed that being late may give a huge stretch. In terms of competition late induces kickstart.
I'm also a one of the people who says I'm on my way while I just woke up.
But this is different. I'm now in japan so I need to be careful with my attitude here.
"Just call me Ken or Kenji. No need to address me, we're relative. Anyways, people there always call me by my name and it feels uncomfortable to call me that."
"well it can't be helped. You're 15, you should get a girlfriend"
"girlfriend huh"
I closed my eyes in a few seconds then smirks. That girl I met on the airport is so cute, I hope I'll meet her again.
On the next day
The landlord is my uncle which made me wanted to live for free but appliances, bills aren't included. He had a call from my father and made an agreement.
I'm now living alone in an apartment. My father gave me 15 million yen for my whole high school tuition and also for my everyday budget
This is too much. I don't even know how valuable is one thousand yen here.
What I packed and brought from the Philippines was only my laptop, my money and other important things (forms, visa, i.d and passport).
Packing so much things is a waste of time.
The only thing free here is only bed. luckily, this dorm has a bathroom.
I guess I have to buy some clothes, underwear and appliances.
I went to mall and bought only clothes and underwear.
Ordering small appliances online would be a great idea and going to the stores is also good for buying the big appliances like refrigerator or an air conditioner or even a tv.
Buying a bike also necessary for me as a student.
I almost forgot to write these at to do lists. a game console, building a pc and internet installation.
….
I need someone to help me arrange or just hire someone. Maybe I should ask uncle if he can lend me a hand or he knew someone to help with.
Dad told me don't hesitate to rely on him.
After buying all the things I need to have and so on, my new life has begun.