Masayuki's POV
I was different, since birth.People often criticized my beliefs, values, ethnicity, and thinking, wanting me to conform to their rigid societal system.But, I don't care.What I am is how I behave. Even the obligation of going to a shrine is not my style, nor what my beliefs told me.
As I grew up, I was ostracized for saying these things, and labeled me a useless outcast with no future and a stupid brat who doesn't know how Japanese society work.
But, I am a blooming white flower, the ones that are sold in the streets of the Philippines, my father's home country. As I bloom, I became more and more mature, knowing what is right and wrong from common sense, not the common sense of Japan, but the common sense of the world, more specifically, from the Philippines. I embraced my differences and had a lot of confidence in life. I can tackled the daily challenges armed with my cultural values and beliefs.
At the same time, I became more and more aware of what is going on around me, including its issues and problems. So, for years, I did a lot of research about Japan and its culture and society. I took notes, made conclusions in my private essays, and even had interviews with my father, who also went through society's expectations as a foreign orphan from childhood, whenever he has free time at home. As a result, I became more of an outspoken critic.
But still, I had some respect for Japanese culture for the sake of respect to everyone.
Now, as a blooming white flower rather than a cherry blossom, I am ready to tackle the future.
--
Hi, everyone, it's me. I used the analogy of a white flower to describe his life. If you don't know what flower is that, that would be Sampaguita, a white flower from the Philippines that was sold by poor people in the streets.