by Kayla Morgan
Paper Dream
Kayla Morgan
Copyright © 2020 Kayla Morgan
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456
Cover design by: Art Painter
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America
For my friends and family who supported me during this journey
And to my best friend, Erin, who I wrote this for first
chapter one
Tokyo, Japan. A city of 13.35 million people. A beautiful place where the past and present blended together in perfect harmony.
Emily had been preparing for this moment her entire life…and she was already lost.
“Oh my Omasu,” she groaned. “why didn’t I remember to charge my phone on the bus?”
But, of course, she knew why. Emily had been so awestruck taking in the skyline of Tokyo on the hour-long bus ride that she had never replenished her phone battery from the four hours of bingeing YouTube during her layover.
If only the limo bus from the airport could have taken her all the way to Yume Inn. But because of the inn’s small size, the bus didn’t make stops there.
So there she was— stuck with a map like it was the freaking 1990s.
The lines of streets zig-zagged all over the paper until she could see nothing more than a blur. Emily had always been complete shit at reading maps. Plus, being awake for the past 28 hours had turned her brain into a sloshy jet-lagged mess.
Emily took a deep breath and sighed. “Okay, seriously. You can do this, Johnson. You’re just going to have to ask someone for directions. Let’s go see if those six years of Japanese actually pays off.”
Standing on tiptoe to peer over the crowd, Emily finally spotted a kind-looking elderly man resting on a bench as he perused his newspaper. She took one more deep breath, for good measure, and began maneuvering her way through the rushing pedestrians. Her brain constantly rehearsing exactly what she was going to say.
Emily shuffled over to the side of bench and gave a nervous little bow. “Um, sumimasen,” she asked. “Can you tell me where the Yume Inn is?”
The old man glanced up from his newspaper and seemed surprised to see her standing there, as if he hadn’t been expecting to see an American girl speaking to him with such fluent Japanese. Nevertheless, he gave her a warm smile and answered her question, pointing her in the right direction. She thanked him with another bow and edged her way back into the crowd.
Now that she knew she was finally headed in the right direction, Emily allowed herself to relax enough to take in the sights around her. It was almost surreal to pass by the towering buildings, train stations signs, and high school students decked out in their school uniforms. This was the place she had been dreaming about for years! And the fact that it actually existed, outside of the shows and books that she obsessed over, was absolutely surreal. Emily was so busy beaming at the bustling city that she almost missed the quaint, albeit slightly run-down, wooden building nestled in between all of the skyscrapers. The words “Yume Inn” were printed at the top in bold blue letters with yellow stars dotted all around. Emily picked up her speed and headed towards her destination. As she opened the door, she was greeted by a warm “Irasshaimase”.
The entrance room was full of dark brown wood and delicate blues that accented the walls. It filled her with an inviting coziness that she usually only experienced while she was visiting her favorite coffee shop back home. Her heart actually ached a little knowing she would only be here for a week.
A stout Japanese woman, heavily aged with wrinkles, was standing there with a broom in her hands and a large grin on her face. Her hair was speckled with a silver-gray that almost resembled starlight.
The woman bowed and began speaking to her in English. “Welcome to the Yume Inn! I am Kenzou Kimiko. You must be Margaret's granddaughter! I just got off the phone with her a little while ago, and she informed me you’d be here soon. We’re so excited to have you staying with us!”
Emily smiled at the thought of her Grandma Margaret. She had been Emily’s only real friend back home, which she realized was pathetic. But she wouldn’t have changed it for the world. Emily’s grandparents had been wealthy business owners when she was little. They owned one of the largest jewelry stores in Chicago that Emily’s father, their son, took over after her grandfather’s death. But before she settled down, Margaret decided that she wanted to see the world. Grandma Margaret had filled her bedtime stories with the many wonders that she had experienced all over this big, blue planet. And she always told Emily that Japan was her favorite place to visit, mostly because of her wonderful friend, Kimiko, who ran the inn that Emily would be staying in until she could move into her dorm at Tokyo International University next week. It was an honor to finally meet the woman Grandma had spoken about so often.
Bowing deeply, Emily responded in Japanese, “Hajimemashite. My grandmother spoke highly of you, Kenzou-san. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Oh my!” Mrs. Kenzou responded back in Japanese. “An American who can speak Japanese? And to speak it so well! What a blessing you must have been to Margaret! You know, your grandmother and I had such good times together while she was here!” She cackled quietly to herself. “But I’m sure she’s told you all about that, right Clarissa-chan?”
Emily squinted in confusion. Clarissa? Clarissa was her mother’s name. Had Mrs. Kenzou confused her with her mother? She shifted uncomfortably. How would she be able to correct her without coming off as rude? Politeness was far more important here in Japan than it was in the States.
I should at least try to correct her though.
But before Emily could even open her mouth to mention the mistake, Mrs. Kenzou continued on, “So Clarissa-chan! What brings you to Tokyo?”
“Oh! I just got accepted into Tokyo International University. I’m a transfer student,” she replied with a smile, choosing to ignore the mistake for now.
Mrs. Kenzou’s eyes lit up. “Tokyo International University! That’s where my Akio-chan goes! Akio!” she shouted into the back section of the inn.
A tall young man with side-swept black hair came walking out of the back room, and Mrs. Kenzou pulled him the rest of the way in.
“This is my grandson, Kenzou Akio. He is going to become a world-famous photographer!” she squealed with delight as she pinched the young man’s cheeks.
Akio’s face burned red as he gently removed his grandmother’s hands. “Obaa-chan, kudasai…”
Not seeming to mind her grandson’s embarrassment, Mrs. Kenzou turned her attention back to Emily. “So what are you studying Clarissa-chan?”
Emily’s heart started to race, and she began to panic. The truth was that she had come to Tokyo to become a mangaka— a manga illustrator. Manga was sort of like the Japanese version of a graphic novel but embellished with its own sort of flair. It had been her dream for as long as she could remember. Unfortunately, her parents had different plans. Their goal was to see Emily, their only child, take over the family business. Her parents were under the impression that she had come to Japan to finish studying the Japanese language and receive her business degree. Only her grandmother knew the real reason why she was here.
Akio caught on to Emily’s frantic expression and stepped up. “Obaa-chan, we just met this girl. Maybe
she doesn’t feel comfortable divulging so much information to a complete stranger, unlike some people…,” he tapered off, giving his grandmother a look of accusation.
“No, no! It’s okay!” Emily waved her hands in front of her, not wanting them to think she was being rude. “I’m, um, a business student with a minor in Japanese.”
Mrs. Kenzou gushed, “Oh business! How elegant! I bet you’re in the fashion business with that little purple streak in your hair! Very fashion-forward, I think!”
Emily put her hand up to the stripe of purple in her short dark brown hair. After yet another blow-up with her parents, Emily had gotten fed up and dyed the stripe into her hair. She had just started college, and it had been her tiny way of rebelling. A way for her to stand out from the beige world her parents so desperately wanted her to be a part of. She was so used to it that she hadn’t even thought about the effect it would have here in her new life.
Guess it’s going to make me stand out even more while I’m here. As if being an American mangaka student wasn’t enough. The thought made her insides jittery.
Mistaking Emily’s nervous energy as discomfort, Akio spoke up. “Obaa-chan, maybe it’s time to show Clarissa-san to her room?”
Once again, Emily went to politely correct them about the name confusion, but she was interrupted by Mrs. Kenzou.
“Of course! Oh, but—,” she began. An ornery look passed over her wrinkled features, and she suddenly grabbed her own arm with dramatic flair. She looked between the two young people and announced, “Actually I think I pulled something…in my arm… just now.” She feigned extreme pain and flopped onto the stool near her. “Maybe you should take her, Akio-chan,” she continued with a dramatic sigh.
Akio pursed his lips and squeezed his eyes tight in quiet annoyance. It was obvious that Akio was only too familiar with his grandmother’s antics. “Of course, Obaa-chan. I will take Clarissa-san, but when I come back, I will definitely be checking on that injury of yours. So don’t move.” He glared pointedly at her.
“Yes, of course!” she replied, cheering back up again. “Oh, what a good grandson I have! Isn’t he just the best, Clarissa-chan?”
Emily stared at Akio as he gathered up her things. He certainly was handsome— not in a J-pop idol way but more in a boyish-artistic kind of way. He reminded her of the guys from her favorite shoujo manga, the ones with super cute boys that were kind of tailored towards girls, which made her even more nervous.
“He seems like a wonderful grandson, Mrs. Kenzou,” she replied quietly, careful not to make eye contact with him. Akio offered to carry her suitcase, but she clasped the suitcase handle even tighter. “No really, it’s okay. I’ve got it,” she mumbled over her bucket full of nerves. As she followed Akio towards her room, she could have sworn she heard Mrs. Kenzou chuckling behind her.
They strolled down the hallway in complete silence until Akio finally cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry about my grandmother,” he said. “She has a tendency to be a little…over-zealous.”
“It’s not a problem! Seriously, my grandma acts the exact same way. Must have been why they got along so well,” she replied with a reassuring smile.
He stared at her smiling for only a second and then quickly looked away. Was that a little blush on his face? No way. She had to be imagining things.
“Well, if you need anything, just let us know.”
“I will.”
Akio stepped back into the hallway and began to walk off. Emily turned to start unpacking her suitcase. But a heartbeat later, he was back at her door, “Clarissa-san?”
She started at his sudden reappearance. “Yes?”
“I know school doesn’t start for another week, so if you need any help getting around the city in the meantime, I’d be happy to show you around.”
A blush crept over her face. “Oh! Um, well, I...”
Before Emily could finish her sentence, Akio smiled and quickly walked away around the corner again. This time she was absolutely certain there had been a blush on his face as well.
The sound of the morning hustle forced Emily’s heavy eyelids to open up and greet the day. According to the clock on the wall, she had been asleep for over 12 hours. She supposed that was another one of those lovely jet-lag side effects she had read about. Her stomach groaned with desperate need for the food that kept filling her room with glorious smells. Despite her small frame, she was quite the eater. It was a trait that most girls would kill for, so she made sure that she never let her blessing go to waste. Plus, after her little incident with Akio yesterday, she had been way too nervous to go out and try to eat anything. Instead, she had let her glorious new bed whisk her away to her much-needed dreamland.
After fixing herself up in one of her usual “artsy outfits”, as her mother had always referred to them with distaste, Emily walked out into the common eating area.
"Good morning, Clarissa-chan!"
Mrs. Kenzou was passing out plates of grilled fish and rice along with bowls of miso soup. Akio was there as well, passing out the silverware. The sight of Akio's messy morning hair made Emily's heartbeat kick up a notch. She knew she was being ridiculous. Just because he looked like her favorite type of shoujo hero didn’t mean she needed to act like mush around him all week. She was here to focus on her dream, not fall head-over-heels for some boy. No matter how luscious his stupid hair was.
You’re a junior in college now, Johnson, she chastised herself. This is not the time to turn into some boy-obsessed teenager.
Frustrated with herself, she avoided his gaze and sat down at the table with the other guests. Once everyone else had sat down, they all bowed and said together, “Itadakimasu!” Emily broke out into a grin, happy to join in with the Japanese custom she had seen happen so many times on her J-dramas. It was a small act, just a thank you for the food they were about to eat, but it helped her feel like less of an outsider.
“So Clarissa-chan! Where will you be headed on your first day in Tokyo?” Mrs. Kenzou asked while sipping a spoonful of miso soup.
Should she try to correct her? Now? It had been almost a day and there were all these people around. Her stomach churned with dread at the thought of upsetting her hosts so early in the trip. Maybe it was too late. After all, how could you correct such a sweet old lady?
Her resolve holding, Emily decided that it wasn’t worth it. She would just keep going with being called Clarissa. Besides, how often would she really see everyone after this week? She was going to be way too busy with her studies.
"Actually,” Emily replied, “I have to go meet with my career counselor today to discuss my class schedule.”
“Well I’m sure it will go wonderfully. Do you need Akio-chan to guide you? I don’t want you getting lost!”
Akio glanced up from his food and gave her a lopsided smile. “It would be no problem, Clarissa-san.”
Oh no. That endearing smile of his made her start to swoon all over again. She shook her head quickly and tried to laugh off her feelings. “That’s okay! Really, I’m fine! Gomen’nasai, though, for the considerate offer.”
Emily thanked Mrs. Kenzou for breakfast and then struck out on her own to find the university. Her college was in Shinjuku, a few prefectures away, and she knew that she should use the train to get there. It would be way cheaper in the long run. But truthfully, she was terrified of the train system. It made the map from yesterday afternoon look like child’s play. She had tried to prepare herself and study the train map when she was back home and almost had a panic attack trying to figure it all out. So for her own sanity, she was avoiding the trains.
She had the credit card from her parents to help pay for the taxi. And with her parents’ irritatingly pretentious personalities, they probably preferred that she took private transportation. She was a Johnson after all.
Settled into the taxicab seat, Emily’s thoughts drifted unwillingly back to the conversation at breakfast. She felt awful about being so aloof with Akio. He had looke
d a little disappointed when she turned down his offer to escort her to school. Wasn’t his fault that he was a beautiful Japanese man with soft brown eyes and beautiful black hair that she so wanted to run her hands through. Not his fault at all. It was her own stupid fault for being so ridiculously into Asian men. But then again, growing up as a secret otaku, a person obsessed with Japanese culture, especially anime and manga, what choice did she have?
The steps to her new school pulled into her line of vision and forced her feelings about Akio to the side. She was here to pursue her dream. That was why her grandmother helped to send her here —to focus on her manga career. Not to start gushing over some guy!
But, oh my Osamu, it was going to be hard with Akio.
I just won’t see him anymore after this week. I’ll make sure I avoid him if I see him on campus and that’ll be that. Crisis averted.
Feeling confident in her resolve, she opened the door to the counselor’s office. Inside, a friendly secretary guided her to the office of the school’s counselor for transfer students.
“Mr. Lockwood,” the secretary said, “Miss Emily Johnson is here to see you.”
Well at least the school has my name right.
Emily was greeted by an enormous bushy blond mustache. Behind it was a burly Englishman. The fact that he could even fit behind his small wooden desk was a surprise to her.
“Miss Johnson!” He boomed with a loud voice, the force of which made Emily jump. “A pleasure to meet you! A pleasure! Please sit down!”
Emily quickly shuffled to the chair he had gestured to and hoped he wasn’t going to talk like that the entire time.
As their meeting went on, that hope was dashed. Her poor ears winced and whined as Mr. Lockwood continued to boom on and on about the wonderful amenities the school had to offer and what opportunities the school held for a business student such as herself.
“Excuse me, Mr. Lockwood,” Emily started, “I’m sorry to interrupt. I know I said over the phone that I was here to study Japanese language and business, but the truth is I’m here to study in your fine arts program. My dream is to become a mangaka.”