Hi guys, I have to tell a little story before I get to the actually story. So, I think I have figured out how to keep myself interested in the Jr. high school lessons I "co-teach" - and by co-teach, I mean occasionally read from the textbook and have students repeat after me. On Friday, the students were getting their midterm exams back, which meant that I had nothing to do for the entire five 50 minute classes I had to go to. This meant that I just sat there the entire time while the teacher went over the corrections. I used some spare pieces of paper and wrote this chapter 
Of course, I was sometimes given things to correct...but that never takes very long.
Ahem, anyway. Here is the next chapter in which we finally get to see little Kurumi
★゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★ Chapter 5: Voyage
“
Kurumi! Sweatheart! You’d better hurry up or you are going to be late for your first day of school,” Yukie called from the dining room where she had a hot breakfast of blueberry pancake waiting.
“Hold on a second, mom!” RYunosuke called back as he finished putting Kurumi’s long black hair in a side pony-tail. “
Didn’t you just cut your hair last week? How is it already this long?”
“
I don’t know,” the 6-year-old violet eyed girl replied. “
Papa says I am special.”
Ryunosuke rolled his eyes as he added a white ribbon to her hair. “All set,” he smiled patting his little sister on the head.
“
Why don’t you have to go to school, but I have to,” she pouted as she jumped off her bed.
Ryunosuke hated lying to Kurumi, but his parents had insisted that it was for the best. After all, the same had been done to him and his brothers until they were ready. “
We go to a different school overseas. I am sure you will get to go there when you are a little older. Father wants us to get…uh…a more practical and balanced education.”
Kurumi pulled on her white dress and twirled around. She wanted to grow up quickly so she could go to the same school as her brothers. She was always so lonely when they were gone. “
Why are my eyes purple?” she asked as she continued to twirl around like a spinning top.
“
That’s because…” he wasn’t sure how to answer this one. Might as well go with the answer their father always gave. “
…you’re special?” It sounded much more like a question than an answer.
Kurumi giggled as she twirled out of the room and into the dining room. “
There you are,” Yukie smiled hugging her daughter but avoiding her gaze. “
I have something for you.” She pulled out a small box and handed it to her daughter. “
Go ahead, open it,” she encouraged. Kurumi didn’t need to be told twice as she ripped the box apart to find a smaller clear box that looked like it contained a pair of brown eyes. Kurumi jumped in her seat and nearly fell over backwards had her mother not put a firm hand on her tipping seat.
“
Mama…why did you give me eyeballs?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“
Those are not eyeballs, sweetheart, they are…magic windows for your eyes.”
Despite her hate for that word, it was probably the only thing Yukie could say to make her daughter use them it had been the first time since that night that she had allowed Charles to use magic. He had enchanted the color contacts to grow as Kurumi did and that it felt like she was wearing nothing at all when she had them in.
“
Magic windows? What do they do?” Kurumi asked taking them out of the clear box and holding them up to the light.
“
Well, they will give you courage,” she smiled helping Kurumi put them in. “
Remember, eyes are the windows to the soul. These will protect you and help you see others better and they will see you better in return.”
Yukie couldn’t tell her daughter that he violet eyes frightened her, or that the other kids in school would tease and hurt her because she was different…that was going to happen even without her violet eyes. It was going to be very hard for on Kurumi for not being full Japanese. Yukie couldn’t even begin to imagine what would happen if people knew she had strange eyes as well. Her sons had already gone through so much torment – that torment was the only reason she had agreed to let them attend that school. She had prayed at the shrine everyday during her pregnancy that her daughter would be spared…but that wish had not been answered. Now, she had to protect Kurumi, even if it meant lying and hiding who her precious daughter really was.
★゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★
Kurumi held her father’s hand as they walked to the end of the street where she would meet the group of kids that she would walk to school with everyday. She squeezed his hand and looked up at him nervously through her colored contacts.
“
Papa, why can’t you walk with me to school?”
Charles chuckled and knelt down so he was eye level with his shivering daughter, despite the summer humidity. “
Kurumi, this is something you have to do alone. You are a big girl now,” he smiled as he put his right hand under her chin.
“
But…I’m still so short,” she frowned looking at the ground. She didn’t understand how she could be a big girl when she still couldn’t see the top of the kitchen counter.
Charles shook his head. “
I am not talking about how tall you are, Kurumi,” he smiled putting his hand over her heart. “
I am talking about what is on the inside.”
Kurumi put her hand over her father’s and smiled shyly as her hair began turning a pale orange color. Charles, having expected something like this to happen, took out his wand, Pingo Black-ed her hair, and stuffed his wand back in his pocket before she could notice.
“
Mama gave me magic windows,” she smiled pointing to her eyes. “
Can they help me see me? Can they help me see me as a big girl?”
Charles nodded. “
Of course they can.” He then heard the voices of approaching children and knew it was time to leave his little girl before his presence became known. “
Here come your classmates. You have a good day,” he patted her on the head. He then returned back up the path they had come from and into their home.
“
Are you Kurumi Someya?” asked an older boy carrying a medium sized flag with the school logo on it.
“
Yes,” she replied in a loud and clear voice bowing afterwards.
“
I’m Takumi,” he smiled. “I will be your group leader.” He then pointed to the line of other students for her to join. “
Remember to look both ways before crossing the street.”
Kurumi looked back at her home where she saw her parents looking out through one of the sliding paper doors. She gave a gentle wave before walking to the back of the line with her shinny new red backpack. Once she found her place, another girl the same age as her with her hair in two long neat braids greeted her.
“
I’m Hitomi,” she smiled bowing. “
Are you in the Ume class too?” she asked pointing to Kurumi’s school nametag.
“
I am,” Kurumi smiled noticing the girl’s nametag. “
We are in the same class!”
The two girls took a hold of each other’s hands as the group began to move forward towards school. Kurumi and Hitomi swung each other’s hands back and forth already best friends.