The morning sun poured through the windows of Htet’s dorm room, casting a soft golden light over everything. It was the second day of school, and as the city of Tokyo began to wake up, Htet sat at his desk, sorting through his textbooks. The feeling of being in a new place was still overwhelming, but there was something exciting about the unknown. It was a fresh start, a blank canvas.
Htet (thoughtfully): I guess today will be better. Don't know what will be on my plate today.
He’d spent the night lying awake, thinking about all the new experiences he was about to have. Even though it was just the beginning, he was already noticing subtle changes, his thoughts had started to shift from fear to curiosity. The school was an entirely new world, and despite the language barrier and his initial nervousness, he was starting to look forward to what the future might hold.
—
The day started with Mr. Nakamura’s Japanese class. Htet arrived early, hoping to settle in and not draw too much attention. As he entered the room, he was greeted by the usual bustle of students finding their seats. Hana was already sitting near the front, her eyes scanning a textbook.
Hana (smiling as Htet entered): “Good Morning, Htet! Surprise me. You made it on time!”
Htet (grinning sheepishly): “Just Barely. I’m still trying to figure out the schedule.”
Hana (laughing lightly): “Don’t worry. It takes a while to get used to it. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”
Htet nodded and made his way to an empty seat next to Hana, taking a deep breath. His eyes drifted to the board where Mr. Nakamura had written a few kanji characters.
Mr. Nakamura (cheerfully): “Good morning, class! Let’s begin. Today, we’re going to focus on kanji readings, starting with the basics. We’ll go over the radicals and how they form characters. I know it’s a lot to take in, but just try to follow along.”
The class fell silent as Mr. Nakamura continued to write on the board. Htet flipped open his textbook, and the page immediately seemed like a jigsaw puzzle. The kanji characters were complex, each one a mixture of lines and shapes that didn’t look anything like the alphabetic writing he was used to. He glanced at Hana, who was already writing down notes.
Hana (whispering): “Don’t worry, Htet. We’ll go over this slowly. Kanji is tough at first, but it gets easier the more you practice. Trust me.”
Htet (quietly): “I hope so. It looks… complicated.”
Mr. Nakamura (calling on the class): “Okay, let’s start by reading these characters together. The first one is 人 (hito), meaning ‘person.’ Everyone, try reading it aloud with me.”
The class repeated after him. Htet followed along, trying his best to pronounce the characters.
Mr. Nakamura (encouraging): “Good! Now, the next one is 学 (gaku), meaning ‘study’ or ‘learning.’ Together, please!”
Again, the class repeated. Htet was surprised at how quickly they all knew these characters. But as the lesson progressed, he began to understand the logic behind it, the characters were built from smaller components, or radicals, that had their own meanings. If he could learn the radicals, perhaps the kanji wouldn’t seem so daunting after all.
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As the lesson continued, Htet felt more at ease, his anxiety slowly fading with each character they studied. The class wasn’t as intimidating as he had feared. Everyone was supportive, and Mr. Nakamura made sure to explain things clearly.
—
Class Scene: Math Period
After Japanese class, the next class was math with Ms. Saito. She is a tall woman with sharp features, and her no-nonsense attitude was evident from the way she walked into the room. Her gaze quickly swept over the students, her eyes lingering on Htet for a brief moment before she turned to the board.
Ms. Saito (authoritative): “Alright, class. Today, we’re going to review quadratic equations. I know some of you might have learned this before, but let’s go over it again to make sure everyone is on the same page.”
Htet sat up straighter, trying to shake off the grogginess from the previous class. Quadratic equations weren’t something he had studied in-depth back home, so he was both curious and a little nervous about understanding the material.
Ms. Saito (writing on the board): “A quadratic equation is in the form of ax² + bx + c = 0. The solution to this equation can be found using the quadratic formula: x = [-b ± √(b² - 4ac)] / 2a.”
She wrote it all out with neat precision, and Htet copied the equation into his notebook. It looked familiar, but the quadratic formula itself was something new.
Ms. Saito (explaining): “Now, let’s break this down. You have the coefficients a, b, and c, which are just numbers. You plug them into the formula and simplify to find the values of x.”
She gave an example, plugging in the values of a, b, and c. Slowly, Htet followed along as the class worked through the problem together.
Ms. Saito (guiding the class): “Let’s try this example. If a = 1, b = -3, and c = 2, what are the solutions?”
After a few moments of calculation, Htet raised his hand, his mind working through the problem.
Htet (tentatively): “Is it x = 2 and x = 1?”
Ms. Saito (nodding with a smile): “Exactly! Nice work, Htet. You’re catching on quickly.”
Htet felt a sense of pride at getting the right answer. It wasn’t easy, but it was manageable. The moment felt like a small victory, a sign that he could handle this.
Ms. Saito (firmly): “Now, let’s do another one. I’ll give you a few minutes to work on it in pairs.”
Htet looked to his left and found a boy sitting next to him, scribbling away at his notes. He smiled nervously.
Htet (asking softly): “Um, would you like to work together on this?”
The boy glanced up from his notebook, his expression friendly. He had spiky sandy brown hair and glasses.
Liam (grinning): “Sure! Let’s do it. You’re doing great, by the way. I had a feeling you’d catch on fast.”
Htet (surprised by Liam): “Oh wait it's you Liam, I didn't notice since you were so down to earth to your notebook. And what's with that glasses?”
Liam (playing with his glasses): “This is my student mode, you’ll be surprised by how braniac I am”
Htet (concerned look): “Yeah I'm definitely not buying that”
Htet smiled back, feeling a little more at ease. Liam’s confidence gave him a boost, and together they worked through the next problem, double-checking each other’s answers.
—
Class Scene: History Period
The final class of the day was history with Mr. Suzuki. Htet had always been interested in history, but today’s lesson was a little different. They were studying the Meiji Restoration, a pivotal moment in Japan’s history.
Mr. Suzuki (passionately): “The Meiji Restoration, which began in 1868, marked the end of over two centuries of isolation for Japan. This period saw the country open its doors to the world again, transforming from a feudal society to a modern state.”
Htet listened intently as Mr. Suzuki discussed the major changes that occurred during this time: the abolition of the samurai class, the establishment of a centralized government, and the rapid industrialization of the country.
Mr. Suzuki (explaining): “One of the most important reforms was the introduction of Western technology. Japan began to import new ideas and systems from the West, revolutionizing its economy and military. But not all of it was easy. There were conflicts, both internal and external, that shaped the path to modernization.”
Htet thought back to what little he knew about Japan’s history. He remembered hearing about the samurai and the great battles they fought, but learning about how Japan transitioned into the modern world was fascinating.
Htet (raising his hand): “Sensei, so, did the changes during the Meiji Restoration create any opposition within Japan?”
Mr. Suzuki (nodding): “Excellent question, Htet. Yes, many people were resistant to the changes. The samurai class, for example, lost much of their power, which led to a series of rebellions. But the new government was determined to push forward, and ultimately, Japan became one of the most powerful nations in Asia.”
—
As the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Htet felt mentally exhausted but satisfied. He had survived another day and learned a lot more than he expected.
Hana (grinning as she packed her bag): “So, how was day two? Feeling a little more at home?”
Htet (smiling): “Yeah, definitely. I think I’m getting the hang of it. Thanks for showing me around yesterday. It helped a lot.”
Liam (walking up to them with a grin): “You’re doing great, Htet. If you ever need help with anything, just let me know. We’re all in this together.”
—
As Htet walked back to his dorm that evening, he couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of belonging. The days ahead were still uncertain, but with each passing moment, he was becoming more a part of Mizuhara International Academy.
And with that, the slowburn of his new life in Japan had truly begun.
—(End of Chapter 3)---