Chapter 1

Volume 1- Senpai

I woke up one Monday morning. Papa's voice was echoing all over the house. He was talking to somebody over the phone. Mama was yelling at my twin sisters to finish their breakfast. 

I dressed up for school and came down for breakfast quickly. I'm a Japanese girl who lives in Kanagawa prefecture. I have a big family, two sisters who are twins and two older brothers whom I don't like at all. Not that I like my sisters, too. Mama's a nurse and Papa's a pastor. He used to work as a ICU technician, too because he had a medical degree but he later left the job 'cause he couldn't keep up with his pastor life. 

Right now, we're having breakfast and we're talking about a topic I don't remember a single thing about. My eldest brother, Ichiro, is still in bed because he goes to college and his classes are usually at 9:00 am. Meanwhile, Junnosuke is one year older than me and he's still in school, just like me. Fujiko and Jiro are three years younger than me. So, they're in school, too. As for my name, it's Taki Toushiki. Toushiki's Papa's name and my Mom's name is Noriko. I have Papa's name after my name. So do my sisters. But, my brothers have our surname. Weird, right?

"We're moving, y'all," Papa said. 

Everybody stopped their activity and looked at him. 

"What do you mean by that, Papa?," Junnosuke asked him. 

"Where are we going? Korea?," Jiro asked. 

"We're going to Tokyo, kids," Mama said, completing Papa's sentence. 

"So, that's what Papa was talking about earlier?," I asked. 

"Yes, and it's very amazing," Fujiko said.

"Does Ichiro know?," Junnosuke asked. 

"Of course he does. How could he not," Papa said. "This was his idea after all.

"What idea?," Fujiko asked. 

"This idea that I should apply for a job and your Papa did that, too and we got the jobs really easily," Mama said. 

"But what about Papa's ministry?," Jiro asked. 

"I can continue it there. Maybe, I could partner with my friend Mr. Miura there, in his church," he answered. 

"When are we going? When do we leave?," I asked. 

"Tonight, at 1:00 am," Mama answered. 

"But, today's my biology exam and tomorrow is physics. What am I gonna do?," I said, complaining. 

"Don't worry. You don't need to give these exams because you'll be studying in Tokyo. So, it's fine," Papa said. "You don't even need to go to school today. Or I guess you should, because you'll say goodbye to your friends today." 

My world was crumbling apart bit by bit. Moving to a new place was fine. But, the departure being today and me not being able to continue my exams was too much. I wasn't that excited at all but I still wanted to go to Tokyo. It was a great city but it didn't have to be like this! Give me a whole year first and then take me to Tokyo. I don't wanna go this early. Stop!