Even if I’m healthy, and living with them …

That wouldn’t comfort his parents. Rion wasn’t sure when he’d realized this, but he had become certain of it.

He was more sporty than his peers. But even that made his mother wonder why. ‘Why is the younger brother so much stronger than his older sister?’ ‘If only a little bit of that good health could have rubbed off on Mio …’

‘Rion-kun is quite amazing, isn’t he? I heard a scout’s coming from a club team to check him out,’ one of the other mothers had said to Rion’s mother.

But Rion’s mother downplayed it. ‘He’s not that good …’ she said, shaking her head. ‘He does it because he enjoys it, but it’s not as if that’s what his father and I want for him.’

RION WAS SURE HE’D CONTINUE to play football in a club team with his friends, and go to the same junior high together.

But when he was in sixth grade, his mother handed him a brochure. ‘Have a look at this,’ she said.

The brochure was for a school in Hawaii.

When he saw it was a boarding school, Rion’s heart froze.

He despised the very thought of it.

‘I thought it would be a huge opportunity for you,’ his mother said.

She stared at him solemnly, and he suddenly realized. His mother wanted him far away.

‘WOW, A SCHOOL IN HAWAII?’

‘Some professional players went to that school, right?’

‘Rion, you’re amazing.’

The more his friends commented, the harder it got for him to back down. And he himself started to think maybe this was all for the best.

‘I’m sure it’s a good school, but what did Rion say about it?’

‘He said he’d like to go.’

He overheard his parents talking one evening. His father had just got home from work. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked. ‘Kids still in elementary school don’t know what they want. They just do what their parents tell them. Are you sure that’s what he said?’

‘He did. He said he’d like to go.’

Listening to his father, Rion thought, No, Dad, you’re wrong.

Elementary school kids do know what they want.

Even I can see that if I stay here a moment longer, it’ll only cause you both more pain.

And I feel the same way – I want to get away from you.

I don’t know what to do, Mio. I’m sorry.

I kept well, but I wasn’t any use.

HIS MOTHER HAD COME TO visit him at Christmas, and baked him a cake – then she’d gone home.

She hadn’t said a word about taking him back with her for the New Year holiday.

It was late afternoon, and he was lying on his bed in his dorm. He stared at the dead mirror, hoping it would start to shine. He gave it a stroke – ‘Come on, shine, mirror, shine.’