Everyone was so old…

Hidden underneath a large table, back pressed against the wall, Junko was counting the intimidating big people that worked their way into the room. 

At first she had just wanted to sit there until somebody arrived for her to talk to. Her mother had brought her here and told her to wait patiently before giving her a firm kiss on the forehead and both cheeks. Then, just as quickly as the woman had come to drag her out of school, she disappeared. It was all very frightening.

Through her boredom and terror, she worked her way into an imaginary fortress under the table.

The first girl that had entered the room with her attractive purple hair was fuming silently about being dragged here. If there was any reason for her to not leave the shadows of the table, the girl that unconsciously stared daggers in her direction would definitely be it. She reminded Junko of her mother when she didn’t get enough sleep. Terrifying and cranky. 

Fearing being scolded for no apparent reason, she sat silently and watched the girl from a distance.

Silence seized the room as all could be heard was the periodic mumblings or shifting positions of the purple-haired girl. Then a soft knock came from the door. Scurrying back closer to the wall then she had initially been, she waited until the figure stood still and started talking to the purple onee-san before peeping out. 

The standing girl seemed to be attempting to communicate with fearsome onee-san. The respect Junko had for the stranger rose significantly. What a brave soul! Not even Papa dared engage Mama when she was silently sulking about work. She held her breath, hoping that purple-nee-san wouldn’t start yelling as a result. The thought was enough to send Junko’s heart into a nervous frenzy. 

It was for that very reason when the door suddenly opened to give way to a blonde-nee-san, Junko jumped, bumping her head against the table. Rubbing the bump scornfully all the while fighting hard to push back tears and stop the trembling of her lower lip, the girl looked out to see if anyone had noticed her.

Luckily, it seemed she was still in the clear.

The crowd of possibly angst-filled teenagers was too much for her innocent ten year old self to handle. The unconscious fear of pimples and other facial blemishes held her back as she continued to watch trio silently. 

Yet the poor girl did not know the horrors in store…

She felt a heavy atmosphere coming from the door before suddenly, more and more people streamed in. Even the youngest among the group that had arrived was likely just a few years older than her! Left trembling as the once silent room now bustled with anticipation, annoyance, and teenage angst, Junko brought her knees to her face. 

She knew nothing of what they talked about. Not to mention there were three foreigners…

There was no way she could possibly peek out now that everyone had settled down.

So she simply waited under the table that housed the tasty desserts brought by a kind man. What she was waiting for exactly, she didn’t know. She also had no idea how the box of desserts had gotten itself onto her lap.

What she did know, however, was that the desserts were well made, better than anything her mother had ever bought her. 

Sitting there in the shadows, the carefree ten year old started to stuff her face with both hands.