Lesson Learned

An Uncomfortable Subject

"You're too young to be doing that!" Mom looked terrified. "You shouldn't even be thinking of that yet. You're still a child!"

Mitsuko felt more embarrassed and uneasy. "The law says I'm old enough to do it...and I want to—"

"Absolutely not," dad said sharply, looking like he'd be sick. "You are too young, and that goes for Gakushuu as well. Whether he's with a girl or boy--"

"I'm not even in a relationship!" Gakushuu objected and then turned bright red. "And what do you mean girl or boy?!!"

"Regardless neither of you should be engaging in that activity until you're eighteen," dad insisted, the signs of panic showing. "I won't allow it."

Her stomach churned when she felt a rise of shame come up and grow. "But dad--"

"You are children," dad said sternly, appearing disgusted by the thought of it. "Engaging in that type of behaviour before you turn eighteen is disgusting."

Both Mitsuko and and her brother cringed, looking uncomfortable.

"Um, I don't think this is helping," Dr Yokoyama said tiredly. "Chairman, Mrs Asano, out of interest, have either of you sat down and talked to your children about puberty or relationships?"

There was a long stretch of silence again.

"Um, yes, of course!" Mom said nervously. "The basics at least..."

Both Gakushuu and Mitsuko looked at their mom in disbelief.

"Mom, when I first got my period you literally threw a box of tampons on my lap and just told me I was a woman now, and then left my room," Mitsuko said dryly. "I had to search the internet to find out why I was even bleeding."

Mom blushed. "Well...I just...I didn't want to embarrass you."

"When I asked you to buy me a razor to shave, you burst out crying," Gakushuu commented.

"It was a lot to take in!" Mom argued, frowning. "You're my babies, I don't like the idea of you growing up!"

Their therapist sighed. "I understand it's an uncomfortable subject, but Gakushuu and Mitsuko need to understand why they have to be careful."

"We're perfectly aware of the biology of it," Gakushuu said impatiently. "We're not idiots."

"There's more to relationships than just the mechanics of sex," Dr Yokoyama tried to explain. "There are the emotions, the comprehension of consent and healthy behaviour." He looked at Mitsuko. "When you have a problem do you talk to your girlfriend about it?"

"Uh...sometimes," she replied, shrugging. "What kind of problems do you mean?"

"Well, let's say Nakamura did something hurtful to you that made you upset such as..." He drummed his fingers against his notebook. "Let's say you were going on a date but she never showed up. What would you do?"

Mitsuko picked at her nails. "Um..." She looked down. "Well, I'm sure she'd have a good reason for showing up so I'd let it slide." Then she quickly added. "I'd ask her why but there's no use getting angry about it..."

"And if it kept happening?"

"Well, I don't know." Mitsuko shrugged uncomfortably. "I'd keep asking—she hasn't done any of this stuff so why are you asking?"

"I'm creating a hypothetical situation because I want to understand how you view your relationship," he replied evenly. "So we all can understand how balanced the relationship is."

"Oh...okay..." Mitsuko replied hesitantly.

"For instance," he continued. "Mitsuko, what are your first thoughts when Nakamura is upset?"