The flight would've felt like forever if I was by myself on the plane or with someone who wasn't as talkative as Cathleen. Though with her seated next to me, the flight went by very quickly. I also was able to sleep for a bit on the plane as it was recommended so the jet lag is not as bad when we arrive.
"It was nice meeting you Akihiko! Make sure you keep in touch!" Cathleen says to me after the plane lands and we part ways. She gave me her phone number to keep in touch and I have her mine too.
"Ok! Have a good one!" I say as she runs off into the airport to where ever it is she is going. She said her mom is picking her up and so she ran to go meet her.
"Akihiko, need to use the bathroom or eat before we leave? The drive to my parent's house if I remember correctly should be an hour or a little more," dad says to me after I say goodbye to Cathleen.
"I guess I could use the bathroom," I say since it doesn't hurt to try and if I have to go on our way there my parents will be annoyed with me.
Once I finish with the bathroom, I follow my parents out to the front of the airport. We landed in the city called Houston, Texas and my grandparents live out of the city in the more quiet area. Walking outside, we see someone holding a sign that says my dad's name, Hirohito Yagi. After walking over to him it seems my grandparents sent us a driver. He had a very expensive-looking car and once we put our trunk in the back we all sat in the back with me inbetween my parents. It was still very roomy even though my dad and I are considered large people in height.
"How come you and Uncle Toshinori have Japanese names, but your family is from the USA?" I ask my dad as Cathleen's statement about my name on the flight resurfaced in my head.
"Don't know the exact reason, but my guess is because your Uncle and I were born in Japan. Plus at the time my parents didn't think they'd move back to the US, so I guess they tried to integrate us as much as they could," dad says to me with a shrug and I guess that makes sense.
The rest of the car ride was my dad and mom explaining everything we passed, while also giving me some stories they heard about this place. We eventually arrived at what I can only assume is my grandparent's house, which looked more like a stereotypical southern farm mansion. It was two stories, had maybe ten or so bedrooms, and was painted in all white. The driveway to the house was several hundred feet too, they probably owned several acres of land. Looking out the window I can see what looks like cows and horses walking around some of the fields. The driveway was circular and in the center of the circle was a large weeping willow tree.
As we drove up the driveway, it seems my grandparents heard the car pulling in. When we parked right outside the entrance to the farm mansion, two older looking people maybe in their mid sixties, came outside on the porch. The man looked a lot like my Uncle in the face, but much older looking. He had blonde hair, sky blue eyes, and was tall compared to most people I've seen in Japan, maybe around 6'1" (185cm). The woman standing next to him also had blonde hair, with deep green eyes, and was just shorter than my mom maybe around 5'5" (165cm).
"Mom, Dad. Been awhile, how've you been?" my dad says to them after we get out of the car.
The air seemed very tense and awkward, as silence took over for a few seconds after we got out of the car. The only noise was the driver grabbing our luggage and bringing it inside the house. Though seconds after my dad finished talking my grandmother ran over to him and hugged him tightly, he hesitated to return at first but hugged her back soon after. Right after hugging him, she turned to my mom and me hesitating to move or speak. My grandfather came and shook my dad's hand after my grandmother ran over and hugged him. I could see the tension in the air when they shook each other's hands.
"Sachiko, it has been too long. Once again I want to apologize for how my husband and I treated you. I hope we can make amends and start a new better relationship," my grandmother said to mom. I can see the hesitation on my mom's face, but she gives me a quick slide glance, before sighing.
"Thank you Samantha, let's try to start anew," mom says to her and my grandmother smiles happily before giving her a hug, which my mom stiffens up at, but hugs her back awkwardly.
"You must be Akihiko, I know we've never met, but it is nice to finally meet you. Can I hug you?" my grandmother says to me with hesitation and a hopeful look. I also see everyone else looking over at us curious to see my response.
"Uh…..sure," I say not sure what to say or do in this situation. Though my grandmother hugs me tightly and I can feel her familiar love for me in that hug. I awkwardly hug her back much like my mother.
"As Samantha said, I apologize for how we treated you in the past and hope we can move on to a better future," my grandfather says to my mom as I'm hugging my grandmother. Though I can see more hesitation in my mom's eyes and even some hatred. With a sigh, she nods her head but is unwilling to shake his hand.
"Akihiko, I'm your grandfather John. It is nice to meet you and I can see you take after our family with the hair and height. Though your eyes are like nothing I've ever seen," my grandfather says to me once I break the hug with my grandmother.
He then places his hand out for a handshake, after seeing my mom look at him I am very hesitant to shake his hand. Though I can see my parents looking at me from behind him and they seem to encourage me to shake his hand. After a few seconds of hesitating, I return his handshake and he smiles at me.
"I hope you all are hungry! I just finished preparing lunch and it's your favorite Hirohito, fried chicken," my grandmother says and motions for us to go inside. Once inside I can see this place is an even more stereotypical southern US home. With old fashioned furnishings, paintings, and style of the structure.
"I hope you all don't mind but we invited your cousins for a visit too. Their daughter just came back from vacation overseas and she might actually be your age Akihiko," my grandmother says to me and I have a distinct feeling I know who it is. Entering the kitchen we see a dark brown haired man and blonde haired woman sitting at the table. With a very familiar brown haired girl and a younger brown haired girl sitting with them at the large dining table.
"Akihiko! Why are you here?! Wait is Auntie Sam and Uncle John your family?!" I hear Cathleen say to me as they all turned seeing us enter the dining room.
"Hey Cathy," I say smiling at her since she told me to call her that, as all her friends call her Cathy.
"I thought she looked familiar," I hear my dad mumble after we enter.
"Oh you two already met?" my grandmother says seeing Cathy and I recognize each other.
"Yeah he is the boy I was telling you about that I sat with on the plane," Cathy says to her and her parents have already stood up and greeted my dad.
Turns out Cathy's mom is my dad's cousin. After an awkward lunch that had some small talk, but was mostly all the adults catching up. My grandparents turned to all of us kids, more specifically my grandfather.
"Cathy you still remember your way around the farm? Want to give your cousin and sister a tour around it?" my grandfather asks Cathy.
"Yeah! I want to see the horses again!" Cathy's younger sister says excitedly and our parents chuckle.
"Sure, I remember the way around," Cathy says with a shrug before her sister and I follow her outside, leaving our parents to talk inside.
"Make sure you come back before sundown!" my grandmother says as we all walk outside.
"I know!" Cathy says as the screen door closes behind us. We then follow her along the fence line to the cows and horses I saw earlier when we first drove up to the property.
"I still can't believe we are cousins! Though makes sense you seem strong like most of us in our family. Though I heard your Uncle is the strongest person in our family!" Cathy says to me as we walk along with her sister skipping ahead of us excited to see the horses again.
"Yeah my Uncle is the number one hero in Japan, though I plan on taking that spot once I get my hero license," I say with a determined look on my face, I figured she already know about my Uncle, or didn't matter since she is family.
"Yeah, I watched some of his fights they recorded on camera! He inspired me to want to be a hero too! Plus once I learned he was family, even if slightly distant I became even more determined!" Cathy says with a very excited and determined look.
"Cathy, can I go play with the horses?" Cathy's little sister asks her as we approach the field they are roaming in.
"Sure, but remember how Auntie and Uncle showed you to approach them? If they rush away don't chase them down," Cathy says to her little sister as she nods her head cutely and runs off to the horses as we walk behind her.
"What is your quirk?" I asked curious to see what her ability is.
"I call it 'New Order', it lets me change the properties of most objects by just saying their name, but I have to touch them too," Cathy says with a smile. Though I'm not too sure what she means.
"Here let me show you," Cathy says seeing my confused face. She then touches herself and says her own name. Then she jumps into the air several dozen feet and lands softly.
"That is crazy cool! What did you do? Wait, is it safe to use quirks like that here?" I say seeing her use her quirk.
"It's fine to use quirks here, since America has different laws, slightly. Since we are on private property and since our family is on a large piece of land no one will care. Though I said my name but gave myself enhanced jumping ability plus soft landings," Cathy explains to me as we look over seeing her sister laughing as two horses have come over to her and are sniffing her while she pets them.
"What about your quirk?" Cathy asks me with a curious look trying to see if she can guess what it is.
"Want to guess?" I ask seeing her look.
"Ok, what are your parent's quirks? I know that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with quirks but who knows," Cathy says to me, I tell her my dad can produce light from his body on command at various levels of brightness and my mom can heal people with one word, though only nonfatal injuries.
"You can use light too?" Cathy says her guess and I shake my head no.
"Ok, what is it?" Cathy says giving up.
"Wow giving up already?" I say with a laugh seeing her give up very quickly. She rolls her eyes at me, and motions for me to just tell her already.