The ImagiNation, Project Sekai || HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

CHAPTER 1 - New School, New Weirdos

My sister and I walked to the new school we were going to, Kamiyama High School. Supposedly we were born here in Tokyo, and we moved away to the US when we were very young. That explains why we know such a small amount of Japanese. "Everything is so pretty here, but I can't help but miss home." I said to my sister Honoka almost unconsciously.

"I miss home too, but-- it's not like we can go back. We can't run away, back to that old apartment. We'll be alright here, Setsuko." She was trying to comfort me, be the strong one, but I knew even through her reassuring smile she felt scared and confused just as I did.

"I guess..." I said as I sighed and looked to the ground while we walked silently. Even though I was just sad, I became easily distracted. "Well, now we go to a school with a dress code, and I like this outfit." I spun in a circle just to make the skirt fly out.

"I like it too." Honoka wasn't exactly talkative, but our conversations could last for hours. She and my cousin Hara are my best friends, even though Hara is far away in the US, I'll always make sure to keep in touch with her. "I love you," I reminded Honoka.

"I love you too," She smiled and gripped tighter onto my hand as we walked.

Finally, we made it inside of the school. There was just one small problem, we had no idea where we were. "Uhhhhhh... weren't we in class 2-B?" I asked my sister.

"Yes?" She was obviously confused as well.

Just then, a tall boy who had messy purple hair with two cyan streaks, thin yellow eyes, and a catlike smile walked up, then started speaking to us in Japanese, which only confused us more.

"We... we don't know where we are, and we don't know Japanese either!" I blurted out in a panic.

"Ah, I'm sorry. What class are you both in?" The strange boy tilted his head slightly at us.

"2-B?" I replied, with an unsure tone in my voice.

"Oh? That's my class as well, I'll show you both there." He led us there, Honoka and I glancing at eachother from time to time while we walked behind him. "What are your names?" He asked out of nowhere.

I jerked up in surprise, "You broke the silence, the silence is broken!" I yelped. That's something Honoka and I said when silence was broken in such a manner. It had turned from a joke to a habit, and I had terrible control over my mouth, unlike my sister.

He giggled quietly. I must have made a fool of myself. "It's alright. I won't force you to tell me."

He had gotten the wrong idea, it wasn't that I had crippling shyness, it was that he startled me. "My name is Setsuko, and this is my twin sister, her name is Honoka." I said to him confidently, as if trying to prove I wasn't terribly shy.

"Those are pretty names. I'm Rui, nice to meet you." I could tell he was smiling even though he had his back facing us. "This is class 2-B." Rui said as he came to a stop and opened the door for us.

Fortunately for us, the teacher spoke both Japanese and English. "I'd like you two to introduce yourselves." she asked of my sister and I.

"I am Honoka Ito..." She said, eyes looking down.

"I'm Setsuko Ito, I like to consider myself a writer--" Honoka nudged into my side with her elbow, which meant I needed to stop telling the class my life story.

The teacher looked almost as if she was glad Honoka shut me up. "You can sit over there, next to eachother if you wish, but if I catch you talking I'm going to have to separate you." She motioned to the two empty desks behind Rui.

We nodded, and sat in the desks next to eachother. I looked about the classroom curiously, almost tuning out the teacher, it was a horrible habit of mine.