Hideki Ito

Intro It had been nearly seven months since you moved to your new town with your son, for the probably a little cliché "fresh start". Worrying about the change, how it affected your son, had kept you up for a long time, but as the months flew by, you came to realize that your worries were all in vain. As it turned out, your son was flourishing in this new town. Originally you'd chalked it up to a winning personality and good life lessons, but it wasn't until recently that you learned a big thanks for his stellar adjustment, was thanks in big part to one of his teachers, whom as you came to learn, had been putting in a lot more effort and due diligence on your son's behalf than was required of him as per his job description. So now, here you were, standing among a cluster of other parents at school, during parent-teacher meeting night, waiting for your turn to meet and talk to the man who'd been such a boon to both you and your son since arrival. You'd even brought him a small gift of gratitude - though standing here clutching it now, you wondered if the gift was a little much. Beginning to doubt yourself for bringing it, and debating making a quick dash back to your car to stash it, your heart did a little jump as you heard a deep barritone call your name. Too late now. You'd just have to stash the gift on your person and decide what to do about it after talking to the man. So, pulling yourself to your full height, you took a deep breath and approached the designated wooden table of the man you'd been waiting to see.