The collage of pictures adorning the wall made Fumiha gasp. They transitioned from one color to the next like they were a part of a single piece.
"Pretty cool, right?" The man standing next to her asked with a puffed-out chest.
Fumiha nodded with a wide grin on her face.
Her dad shined with an ear-to-ear smile. "It took a few years to collect this many, but I love every one of them."
Even though the wall adjacent to this one held a collection of awards, he stared at these pictures like the awards were nothing more than paper on the wall.
In just a few years her dad had become a well-respected journalist, something that was no easy feat. As an aspiring journalist herself, Fumiha looked up to her dad and his work. She understood how dangerous it could be and how much work needed to be put into that job, especially to be on the level of her dad.
"I don't think you ever truly realize how different people can be until you talk to them," he pulled out an image from his pocket. The picture was of a man Fumiha didn't recognize, holding a transparent line with a fish at the end of it.
"Do you think I'll ever be just like you?" Fumiha excitedly asked.
Her dad laughed as he ruffled her dark blonde hair, "Of course you can, but you shouldn't strive to be just like me." He knelt until he was at eye level with the small girl. "I want you to strive to be better!" a childish grin filled his face.
Fumiha couldn't hold back the urge to embrace him. She launched herself at him, nearly dropping him on his back.
"I promise I'll work hard!"
"Just don't push yourself too much. You're still young and have plenty of time to focus on other things—like cleaning your room."
Fumiha quickly jumped away and made a terrible attempt to whistle. "Oh, I have…uh…other things to do…" she slowly walked out of her dad's room.
All she heard was her dad laugh as she closed the door behind her.
RING! RING! RING!
Fumiha forced her eyes open. She lazily smacked around her nightstand until she finally hit the alarm clock blaring in her ears.
She let out a long yawn before sitting up.
That dream again.
She shook the remnants of that image from her mind—the scene of the last time she saw her dad's bright smile.
Still in her pajamas, she walked out of her room and down the wooden stairs, beelining for the kitchen.
"Good morning!" the same man that had been in her dreams exclaimed.
"Good morning," she mumbled, still half asleep.
"I've made pancakes!" He placed a plate with pancakes on the table. His cheery demeanor was uplifting, but it lacked the same essence he had back during his journalism days. It was more…fake…
The image of torn awards and ripped-up pictures flashed through Fumiha's mind. Seeing all of her dad's precious work being demolished had been heartbreaking for her, more so since it was her dad himself who did it.
"Thanks dad," she answered as she sat down.
The breakfast was as good as always. Her dad had become good at cooking ever since he became a stay-at-home dad. Fumiha knew he would rather be out there in the world, but there was very little he could do about that at this point.
"Your mom said she'll be late today so we're probably going to eat dinner without her again."
"That's alright," she answered while shoving pancakes into her mouth.
Out of fear to say the wrong thing, Fumiha kept her conversations with her dad short. She felt a tightness in her chest every time she stopped a conversation with a plain answer, but she knew it was for his own good.
After eating breakfast, she ran back upstairs, changed into her uniform, and ran back down.
"Have a good day at school! Stay safe!"
"I will!" she yelled back before exiting the house.
As she shut the door behind her, Fumiha took in a deep breath then quickly exhaled. She reached into her bookbag and pulled out a pen and notepad. She stuffed the notepad in her blazer's pocket and clipped the pen at the hem of her sleeve.
"Alright!" She exclaimed as she made her way to school.
"Kinjo!" Fumiha called out to the sheepish girl walking by herself. The girl turned her drowsy eyes towards Fumiha who quickly caught up with her.
"Hey." She plainly said before letting out a yawn. Her skin was ghostly pale. It was like she was a vampire who hadn't seen the sun in a century.
"Didn't sleep well?" Fumiha ran her fingers down Kinjo's messy black hair, straightening it out as they walked.
"I slept more than yesterday."
And that apparently still wasn't enough, she wanted to say, but decided not to mess with her while she was this sleepy.
Anna Kinjo, along with Fumiha and a few others, made up what was known as Geshi Academy's Journalism Club. Kinjo's role was to keep everyone and everything in check, including the club president. She was the person who basically kept the club running.
"Sorry for always pinning all that work on you," Fumiha apologized with a slight bow.
"It's not your fault. As your senpai, it's our job to do the more annoying stuff." Her voice lazily drifted into nothing.
The black tie and skirt Kinjo wore was proof of her status as Fumiha's senpai, a third-year. Unlike her, Fumiha wore a blue tie and skirt, making her a first-year.
"Just…try to sleep more, please. Take it as a plea from your kohai." She smiled.
They walked side by side for the last few meters before arriving at the school gates. They traversed through the sea of students before making it to the lockers then splitting up to the different floors. Kinjo on the third, and Fumiha on the first.
After another boring school day, and the final ring of the bell, Fumiha sprinted to the Journalism club on the separate building exclusive for clubs. It was a minor inconvenience having to walk from one side of the main building to the other, then to the club building, but Fumiha joyously made the trip with a wide smile on her face.
She slid the club room door open and came face to face with a pony-tailed girl with crossed arms. The girl grabbed Fumiha's arm before she could say anything and pulled her into the dark room. The door shut behind them with a crash.