episode_0000

About 10 years ago, when I was a 6-year-old child with many questions.

I begged my parents, who were diplomats, to go to a place called the ‘Japanese Embassy in Korea’ near my house.

The reason is simple curiosity.

In a history book I came across, it says that Japan had a lot of fights with Korea, and I happened to find out that Japanese people were at a place called the ‘Japanese Embassy in Korea.’

So, I wanted to go there in person.

If you think about it now, it’s a really absurd reason, but what does a child who is only 6 years old know?

At the time, I followed my parents without even knowing what their job was as a diplomat, why there were Japanese people at the Japanese embassy in Korea, or that my parents taking me there could be a major diplomatic disgrace.

And there I happened to meet a kid my age.

Her name is Fujiwara Aki.

It was a girl with pale pink hair that I had never seen before, and blue eyes that sparkled as if they were set with jewels.

Maybe that’s why, with a child’s unique curiosity aroused, I walked forward without fear.

“Hey, hello.”

Putting aside my worries about what would happen if I couldn’t understand Korean, I just walked up to the girl who looked pretty and spoke to her confidently.

“I am Korean, are you Japanese by any chance?”

Among the people I met when I was six years old, Aki Fujiwara was the girl with the most mysterious and exotic aura.

The first thing she said when she looked at me, whose cute short hair really suited her, was:

“From Bukan, from South Korea?”

“… … Huh?”

… … It was a somewhat odd question.