Chapter 1
EVERYTHING started one fine spring Sunday afternoon just as the cherry blossom trees began to bloom. With only three more days until her university entrance ceremony, Yuki idly spent the rest of her spring break stretched out on the sofa, gazing absentmindedly through the window. Past the deck of her condominium on the fourteenth floor she could see the clear blue sky above Tokyo Tower.
Her mother, Nobuko, was cheerfully packing clothes in the dining room, which Yuki assumed was her putting away their winter clothing now that spring was here. Her father, Kaito, was reading his newspaper at the dining table as he sipped his coffee. Kaito’s gray hair shimmered silver in the gentle sunlight shining through the windows.
It was a peaceful day. Yuki was oddly excited as feelings of curiosity and anxiety built over what awaited her in university. She hoped she could continue to relax until the entrance ceremony—there was a lot she had to fret over in the coming days.
Yuki looked nothing like a college student should. No matter how someone looked at her, they would only see a girl no older than ten, which was to be expected—she hadn’t aged a day since she turned ten. Several months after her tenth birthday, Yuki noticed her hair hadn’t grown at all. She reached her eighteenth birthday without growing another inch taller or gaining a single ounce.
Luckily, her parents didn’t have a problem with her unique situation and often supported her, so she grew up without developing an inferiority complex.
She avoided curious eyes and rumors for most of her childhood thanks to attending an escalator school from preschool until high school. Everyone assumed her growth period ended early. However, university meant a massive increase in the number of people who didn’t know her or her condition. That was one reason why she felt depressed on this fine spring day during her vacation.
“Nice weather we’ve got today,” Kaito muttered to no one in particular, flipping the page of his newspaper.
“It really is,” Nobuko chimed in cheerfully.
Nobuko and Kaito were a couple who always got along no matter how much time passed. Yuki took great pride in her parents’ relationship.
“It’s the ideal weather. I’m glad we chose to do it today after all. Don’t you think so too, dear?”
“It really is.”
“Oh? Is something happening today?” Yuki asked. Her parents exchanged looks. Nobuko glared at Kaito with a dubious expression.
“You didn’t mention it to Yuki, Kai?”
He chuckled in embarrassment scratching his head, “Nah, well, you know how hard it is to find the right way to bring this kind of topic up, right? Remember the day I told you?”
“Good grief,” Nobuko admonished, puffing out her red cheeks.
Yuki had no idea what they were talking about. They almost seemed embarrassed.
“Fine, then. I thought it’d turn out this way. Yuki, dear, we have something important to discuss with you, so come here.”
Urged on by her mother to sit at the dining table, Yuki sat down, curious why her parents were being mysterious. She felt weird sitting at the table with her whole family when they weren’t eating.
“Yuki, have you ever thought there’s something weird about Kai when you look at him?” Nobuko asked, looking Yuki straight in the eyes with a curious expression.
Yuki assumed her mother finished packing, because her attention was focused on Yuki now. Yuki glanced at Kaito sitting opposite of her with a stern expression. He watched Yuki with stunning violet eyes.
“Something weird about Papa? Yeah, like his eye and hair color.”
“That’s right. Until now, we told you that Kai’s eye and hair color are caused by a genetic disorder and that you inherited the same disorder. We assured you there’s nothing strange about any of it.”
“So, what? Are you saying that’s not true?”
“Yes. You see, Kai is actually…from another world,” Nobuko confided.
Yuki froze for a full minute before releasing an over exaggerated sigh. “Oh, come on. Another joke? I’m going to be a college student soon, you know? You can’t trick me anymore.”
“I’m sorry. I wish it was a joke, but it’s not, so we can’t joke about it.”
“Huh? What? Is it a joke or not?” Yuki asked, confused.
“Yuki, the reason you’ve been so listless lately is because of your body, right?”
“……”
“See, I knew it,” Nobuko said to Kaito.
“Sorry about that, Yuki. I didn’t notice until Nobuko mentioned it to me,” Kaito apologized.
“So I discussed it with Kai. And he said, ‘Maybe she’s more suited to that world and that’s why she can’t age in this world.’ You know how children with parents from different countries end up more like one ethnicity than the other, right? Like how you can have a child who ends up looking more Japanese or more American. So we thought maybe it’s that way for children with parents from different worlds too,” Nobuko explained.
“…Huh?” Yuki was confused. They were basically saying she couldn’t age because she wasn’t suited to Earth. It’s not like she could casually reply, “Is that so?” after hearing her mother’s convoluted explanation. But Nobuko fervently rattled on without noticing the dumbfounded Yuki.
“That’s why I’m super, incredibly pained and saddened by this decision,” her parents glanced at each other before staring at Yuki, “after a great deal of discussion I decided we should send you to his world. And do it today.”
“Haah,” Yuki rolled her eyes.
“I’m certain you’ll become a beautiful and grown woman if you go to that world, Yuki. You’re my and Kai’s daughter after all. It’s only obvious. You’ll definitely enrapture men with those eyes you’ve inherited from Kai.” Nobuko winked. Kaito nodded beside her.