The sun rose on another crisp morning at Mizuhara International Academy. Htet walked into the classroom, greeted by the familiar scent of freshly polished floors and the faint hum of students chatting. As he stepped inside, the usual scene of Liam attempting to balance his pen on his nose was underway, drawing amused glances from the other students.
Hana (smirking): “If you put as much effort into studying as you do into goofing off, Liam, you might actually impress someone.”
Liam (defensive): “Hey! This is a valuable skill. What if there’s a pen-balancing contest in the future? The almighty me needs to be this talented.”
Htet (dryly): “Let us know how that works out for you.”
Liam dropped the pen with an exaggerated sigh and turned his attention to the morning routine.
---
As the clock struck 8:30, Mr. Nakamura entered the classroom, his crisp, formal attire a sharp contrast to Liam’s perpetual disarray.
Class (in unison, standing): [きりつ！](Kiritsu!)
(Stand!)
The students stood respectfully as Mr. Nakamura gave them a slight bow.
Mr. Nakamura (calmly): [おはようございます。] (Ohayou gozaimasu.)
(Good morning.)
Class (in unison, bowing): [おはようございます！] (Ohayou gozaimasu!)
(Good morning!)
The routine felt natural now, a blend of discipline and tradition that set the tone for the day. The homeroom period and daily attendance check went as usual.
---
Class Scene: Math Period
~Patterns and Puzzles~
Ms. Saito walked in shortly after the homeroom period, her usual warm smile in place.
Ms. Saito (cheerfully): “ Minna-san! Today, we’ll be exploring the Fibonacci sequence. Can anyone tell me what it is?”
Hana raised her hand confidently.
Hana (explaining): “It’s a sequence where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. It starts with 0 and 1.”
Ms. Saito (nodding): “Excellent! And can anyone tell me where we see this sequence in real life?”
Liam (whispering): “ Woah! Hana knows everything. She's superb! ”
Hana glared at Liam to remain silence.
Htet hesitated, then raised his hand.
Htet (thoughtfully): “Umm..in nature? Like in the arrangement of sunflower seeds or the spirals of a shell?”
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Ms. Saito (impressed): “Exactly. The Fibonacci sequence isn’t just mathematical; it’s universal. Any other examples you have in mind, Htet?”
Htet (taking a moment brainstorming) : “Umm… the other common example would be computer algorithms where Fibonacci numbers are used in algorithms like dynamic programming and recursive problem solving. We can also witness it in Arts and Architectures where the sequences are linked to the Golden Ratio. The last example I could think of would be the stock market analysis, although I don't know much about it to explain.”
Ms. Saito (happy and proud): “Perfectly answered Htet. Thank you very much! Minna-san take notes of what htet just answered.”
Liam (confusingly amazed): “ Woah dude did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? Oh I know, blink twice if someone's commanding you in shadow.”
Htet (clearly amazed by Liam's imaginations): “Just pay attention to the class, Liam.”
The class spent the next hour solving problems and discussing the beauty of math in everyday life. By the end, even Liam managed to solve a problem, though his celebratory dance earned him a stern look from Ms. Saito.
---
During the lunch break, Htet found himself sitting with Hana under a cherry blossom tree. She was sketching something in her notebook, her concentration evident.
Htet (curious): “[おつかれさまでした] (Otsukaresama deshita). What are you drawing?”
Hana (smiling): “Just doodling. It helps me relax.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Htet spoke again. Occasionally taking a peak at Hana's sketch which is also well covered by Hana.
Htet noticed some letters written in Korean on Hana's notebook.
Htet (thoughtful): “Hmm…you know Hanguk? That's quite amazing you already know like what…3 languages? That's cool Hana.”
Hana paused, then looked at him with a curious expression. She then look at where Htet was glancing and realized something.
Hana (softly): “Oh I see, I know what you might be thinking but.. hey Htet, guess my Nationality.”
Htet (confident): “Japanese of course, your names Hana, you are very kind and respectful like what I knew of what Japanese are ... .or…don't tell me that you aren't japanese??”
Hana (giggling): Relax, you are not entirely wrong or right. I’m not fully Japanese. My mom is Korean. Apart from School officials only you know about it now.”
Htet blinked in surprise.
Htet (surprised): “Really? I never would’ve guessed. You’ve never mentioned it before.”
Hana’s gaze shifted to the cherry blossoms swaying gently in the breeze.
Hana (reflecting): “It’s not something I hide, but people just assume I’m Japanese because of my name and where I grew up. My mom’s Korean, and my dad’s Japanese. They met when my mom came here for work.”
Htet nodded, intrigued.
Htet (curious): “Sooo..Do you speak Korean, then?”
Hana (grinning): “A little. My mom insisted I learn, but I was more interested in playing outside as a kid. I regret it now, though. There’s so much culture and history in the language.”
Htet (smiling): “Yeah I get you. I wasn't a fan of my mother language either. My Grandpa and I always communicate in English and you could say I just learn Burmese because… I am Burmese haha. Never actually learnt it systematically.”
Hana (grinning): “ Pfft! Really? You sound more terrible than me. But I guess learning English at an early age is very advantageous. I had a terrible time spending years just to learn it.”
Htet (nodding): “ Yeah you could say so, but hey your English is perfect. I don't know how bad you were in the past but all that effort bore fruit, right?”
Hana nods in silence while also appreciating how supportive and understanding htet can be.
Hana leaned back against the tree, her tone turning more reflective.
Hana (softly): “Growing up, I felt a bit… split. Like I didn’t fully belong to either culture. But my parents always reminded me that I get to experience the best of both worlds. My mom taught me to make kimchi, my family would gather with huge plastic bowls, vegetables of choices and spend a happy time making Kimchi. The freshly made kimchi also has its own value. My dad is strict but in moderation of course. He taught me many valuable etiquettes, traditions and values of almost everything.”
Htet listened intently, appreciating this deeper glimpse into Hana’s life. He can relate it completely when someone is truly reminiscing the good times that took place in their heart.
Htet (thoughtfully): “That’s… really cool. It must’ve been challenging, though.”
Hana (smiling): “It was. But it also taught me to appreciate different perspectives. Maybe that’s why I like drawing, seeing things from different angles.”
The two friends talk a bit more about their own stories and get to know each other a little bit more. It was a time well spent together.
---
Afternoon Class Scene: Japanese Period
In Japanese class, Mr. Nakamura introduced a new lesson on keigo (honorific speech).
Mr. Nakamura (enthusiastically): “Today, we’ll focus on using respectful language in conversations. For example, how would you politely ask someone to repeat what they said?”
The class looked puzzled, but Elena raised her hand.
Elena (confidently): [もういちど言っていただけますか？] (Mou ichido itte itadakemasu ka?)
(Could you please say that again?)
Mr. Nakamura (smiling): “Perfect, Elena! And why do we use ‘itadakemasu’ here?”
Elena (explaining): “It’s a polite way to ask for something, showing respect.”
Mr. Nakamura nodded, then turned to Htet.
Mr. Nakamura (kindly): “Htet, could you try using polite language to introduce yourself?”
Htet hesitated but eventually managed:
Htet (nervous): [わたしの名前はテットです。よろしくおねがいします。] (Watashi no namae wa Tetto desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.)
(My name is Htet. Please treat me kindly.)
The class clapped, and Mr. Nakamura gave him an encouraging nod.
Mr. Nakamura (encouragingly): “Well done! Remember, practice makes perfect.”
---
As the day wound down, Htet sat at his desk, jotting down notes from the day. His thoughts wandered back to Hana’s story. It reminded him of his own experience of feeling out of place, trying to adapt to a new culture while holding onto his own.
Htet (thinking): “Maybe we’re all just trying to find where we belong. After giving it a good thought…maybe that’s okay.”
He smiled to himself, feeling a little closer to understanding his classmates and himself.
—(End of Chapter 15)---