Faye stepped from her father's shiny black car, one of the newer Japanese models (though she couldn't name it to save her life), and grabbed her bags in both arms. Her father stepped from the car and walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She nearly flinched away from the touch, but she was doing her best to try allowing him into her life; it would just take a while.
"I'm so proud of you, mon amie." He said, his pronunciation as awful as ever, but she appreciated him for trying to speak some words in her native tongue. "It makes me so happy to have you in my life and to come all the way here to spend your high school years with me."
"Thank you, father." She said in her calm and almost siren-esque voice that was like honey to foreign ears.
"I can't wait to spend the breaks with you... though I don't know how well I'll... uh... transition into Japanese schooling."He gave her a comforting smile and patted her shoulder. "You're a very bright young woman, Faye. You'll most likely struggle with speaking, but your reading and writing of Japanese is nearly impeccable. I've heard that this school is filled with many talented and bright young women that would be more than happy to welcome you into our culture."
Faye looked towards the shining pinnacle of hope that was the academy.
"Thank you, F-Father..." With that, he kissed her on the forehead and they said their goodbyes--simple, yet heartfelt. She couldn't believe that after all these years, she'd finally met her flesh-and-blood father, yet he still had a long ways to go until she could call him "father" comfortably.
The young French woman then grabbed her bags and headed through the gates, gazing around at the blossoms falling around her as if she were in one of the fairy tales that Hugo had once read to her as a child. Her heart throbbed, but it didn't linger as long as it once had.
Don't worry, Hugo... I'll still become the knight that you longed for me to become. It's been a few years, but a true knight never forgets the vows they have taken.