In this dark room (この暗い部屋の中)

Hey there. My name is Matsumura Momoe, I’m 15 years old. I’m from Miyagi, which is a Japanese prefecture north of Tokyo on the East coast of Honshu island.

I lived with my mom, my dad left us when I was 3 for some other woman, so it was just us. Growing up, my mom always told me that my name meant a hundred blessings or something. She always took this seriously, which I still don’t know why. But it’s not like I’ll suddenly get a hundred blessings out of the blue and be able to get out of this wretched lifestyle of mine.

You see, my family was poor, like really poor. I kept trying to convince my mom to let me get a phone but she said it was too expensive. She told me to focus on my studies so I could be successful one day, but I didn’t think she knew that being 15 without a phone was lame. Although I knew I didn’t need it to survive, I always thought that it would help me do tasks more conveniently.

Anyway, I just got transferred to a new school in Tokyo. Why? Well, I got bullied in my old school. The students there would make fun of me, because of my old shirt, messy hair, and a bunch of other stuff every day. It wasn’t just verbal assault, though. My classmates have physically assaulted me, as well. It was not…pleasing, at all. I always came home with bruises all over my body and a broken lip. This kept happening until one day, my mom had enough.

She decided to use all of her savings and sent me to a school in Tokyo, called Yamato high. Obviously, I had to live in the school’s dorm because my house was in Miyagi, but I didn’t think I’d miss my home very much. The bullying affected me and left a deep scar in my heart. However, I tried to stay bright so the people around me won’t feel down.

All I wanted was a friend. Someone to go to places with, someone I could trust and go to when I needed help. That’s all I had ever wanted. But the opening day of my new school was quickly approaching, and it meant a fresh start. And my goal for my first new year of school? Find someone to be my friend…

because one would be great.