Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Lily's arm shot out from under the covers, blindly smacking the snooze button before her fingers found the phone. She squinted at the screen, the harsh light making her eyes water. 5:00 AM.
She groaned softly, rubbing her face with both hands. She had set the alarm early on purpose, but her body begged her to reconsider. You barely slept, a little voice whispered in her mind. And it was true. The night had been a blur of folding her uniform just right, organizing her bag three separate times, and obsessively checking the bus schedule.
And then there was the late-night conversation with Claire.
Lily's thumb hovered over the chat app, opening the last string of messages between her and her best friend.
Claire: You're going to crush it, Lil! First day, new school, new people—it's like a movie!
Lily: More like a horror movie. You know how bad I am at meeting new people.
Claire: Stop it! You've got this. Just smile and don't overthink it.
Claire: (And send me pics of the uniform! Bet it's adorable.)
Lily: It's fine, I guess. Kinda… stiff? Definitely not like the stuff we wore in Seattle.
Claire: That's because it's ASIAN CORE! You're living my K-drama dream, girl. I'm so jealous.
Lily: Yeah, yeah. You'd last five seconds in this heat, by the way.
Claire: Whatever. Call me after school, okay? I want ALL the details. Love you!
Lily: Love you too. I miss you.
She smiled faintly at the screen, scrolling back up to look at the picture she'd sent Claire: her uniform laid out neatly on the bed. The navy pleated skirt wasn't too short, but definitely shorter than she was used to, paired with the crisp white short-sleeved blouse. It was clean, sharp, and undeniably iconic, just like Claire had said.
Her heart fluttered with nerves as she slid out of bed, her bare feet meeting the cool wooden floor.
"All right," she murmured to herself.
"First day. Let's do this."
The bathroom light buzzed faintly as she flicked it on, squinting at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, tangled from tossing and turning all night.
With a sigh, she grabbed her brush and worked through the knots, her mind already racing with possibilities.
What if I trip in front of everyone? Or say something stupid? Or worse—what if no one talks to me at all?
"Stop it," she whispered to her reflection, shaking her head.
"Just smile. Be yourself."
Her routine was efficient, the kind she'd perfected back in Seattle: brush teeth, wash face, some aloe mask to bright up her skin. She kept her makeup minimal—just a light layer of BB cream , some mascara and a touch of lip balm. Anything more felt unnecessary.
Finally, she slipped into her uniform, smoothing out the creases as she buttoned up the blouse. The skirt swished lightly as she turned to look at herself in the mirror. For a moment, she hesitated.
"It's not bad," she admitted, tilting her head. The outfit felt different, but not in a bad way. It was almost… exciting.
She adjusted the uniform, making sure it was perfect, and grabbed her bag from the chair. Just as she was slipping on her socks, a booming voice echoed up the stairs.
"LILY! BREAKFAST IS READY!"
Her heart jumped at the sudden shout, and then—
"Oh, crap! I burned the eggs!"
The faint smell of something burnt greeted Lily as she made her way down the stairs, her footsteps light but deliberate. She adjusted her skirt tucked a stray strand of her soft blonde hair behind her ear.Her heart was racing—not from excitement, but from the bubbling nerves that seemed to grow stronger the closer she got to the kitchen.
Her father's voice boomed through the hallway, loud and cheerful despite its slightly raspy edge.
"Good morning, sunshine! Look who's up and ready to conquer the world!"
As Lily stepped into the kitchen, Kenji's face lit up like a child spotting fireworks for the first time. He stood there with his usual disheveled charm: his shirt wrinkled, his hair sticking out in every direction, and his beard looking like it had given up on being trimmed. Dark circles hung under his eyes, but the grin he gave her was brighter than the sun streaming through the window.
"You look amazing, kiddo," he said, setting his spatula down with dramatic flair.
"That uniform—wow. You're going to knock 'em dead."
Lily felt a soft warmth bloom in her chest at his words. She gave him a shy smile, her fingers brushing the hem of her skirt. "Thanks, Dad."
Kenji leaned against the counter, crossing his arms as he eyed her with a mix of pride and mischief. "Seriously, though. Did you wake up extra early to make sure you look this perfect? The hair—very classy. Who taught you how to be so put-together?"
Lily rolled her eyes but couldn't help laughing softly.
"No one. I just didn't want to embarrass myself on my first day."
"Embarrass yourself? Pfft, not possible. You're a natural," he said, waving her over to the table.
As she sat down, he plopped a bowl of miso soup and a plate of rice in front of her, sliding into the seat across the table.
"So, uh, slight change in breakfast plans," he said, gesturing sheepishly to the trash can, where the burnt remains of two eggs sat in a napkin. "But this is way better. Classic, simple, and impossible to mess up."
Lily smiled faintly, picking up her chopsticks. "I guess it's safer this way."
Kenji watched her take her first bite, his expression softening.
"You're getting really good with those, you know."
She blinked up at him. "With what?"
"The chopsticks," he said, nodding toward her hands. "I noticed it last night at dinner, too. You barely dropped a single grain of rice. That's impressive."
Lily laughed lightly, covering her mouth as she chewed. "Well, it only took me what? Ten years of practice?"
"Hey, better late than never," Kenji said, grinning. "Next thing you know, you'll be teaching me how to use them."
She shook her head, a small smile lingering on her lips. "I doubt that."
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, the clinking of chopsticks against bowls filling the room. Kenji glanced at her bag, neatly propped against the chair, and cleared his throat.
"So, uh, what time's the bus?" he asked casually, though his tone betrayed a hint of nervousness.
"Seven-thirty," Lily replied, glancing at the clock.
"Want me to drive you?" he offered immediately, leaning forward. "It's your first day. I could be your chauffeur—very classy. Roll down the windows, blast some cool tunes, maybe embarrass you a little in front of your new classmates."
"Dad," she said, her voice soft but firm. "It's fine. Really. I'll take the bus."
Kenji frowned, his brows knitting together. "You sure? I don't mind—"
"I'm sure," she said, though there was a hint of hesitation in her voice. "I'll be okay."
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a dramatic sigh.
"Fine. But you know I'm going to give you the usual speech, right?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Nope," Kenji said, straightening up like a general about to address his troops. He cleared his throat.
"Rule number one: Stay safe. Rule number two: Don't talk to weirdos. And rule number three: If anyone gives you trouble, just tell them your dad's a badass photographer who—"
"—is totally washed up," Lily finished for him, her voice teasing.
Kenji gasped, clutching his chest like she'd just stabbed him. "Excuse me, washed up? I'll have you know I'm in my prime, thank you very much."
"Sure you are," she said, standing up and gathering their dishes.
As she placed them in the sink, Kenji stood and ruffled her hair lightly. "I'm serious, though, kiddo. You're going to do great. Just be yourself, okay?"
She nodded, though her chest still felt tight with nerves. "Okay."
Kenji watched her as she slung her bag over her shoulder, her steps hesitant as she made her way to the door. Just before she stepped outside, she paused, turning back to look at him.
"Thanks, Dad," she said softly.
He gave her a lopsided grin, waving her off. "Go get 'em, sunshine."
Lily took a deep breath, gripping the strap of her bag as she stepped out into the warm morning air. The faint chirping of cicadas greeted her as she made her way to the bus stop, her heart thudding in her chest.
"Be myself," she murmured under her breath, her father's words echoing in her mind.
And for the first time that morning, she allowed herself to believe that maybe—just maybe—she could.
(*・∀・*)人(*・∀・*)
The door clicked shut behind Lily, leaving the house eerily quiet in her absence. Kenji lingered in the entryway for a moment, scratching the back of his head before letting out a heavy sigh.
"First day of school, huh?" he muttered to himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "She's growing up too fast…"
Shuffling back into the kitchen, he grabbed his laptop from the dining table and plopped down into his chair with the grace of someone far too familiar with this routine. The screen blinked to life, revealing an inbox flooded with unread emails—requests, commissions, follow-ups. The sheer volume made his head spin, but he leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head.
"Man, these people are relentless," he groaned, staring at the screen. "Don't they ever take a day off? What am I, some kind of vending machine for art?"
His gaze shifted to the fridge. A flicker of hesitation crossed his face before he pushed himself up with a lazy stretch and made his way over. Opening the door, he grabbed a can of beer, the cold metal familiar against his hand.
Popping the tab open with a satisfying hiss, he chuckled to himself as he took a long sip. "One won't hurt, right? Gotta fuel the genius somehow."
The faint hum of his laptop filled the air as he sat back down, beer in hand, scrolling through his emails with a mix of apathy and mild annoyance. His signature lopsided grin faded into something softer, almost weary.
But then he shook his head, taking another swig. "Get it together, Kenji. You've got this. Can't let her see you slipping."
And with that, he cracked his knuckles and started typing, the sound of his fingers against the keyboard filling the empty house.