Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago

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Everyone knew who Ayano was. She was the pompous, glamorous girl who everyone would move for. When she did anything, everyone stared in anticipation.

And she hated every single bit of it.

To be honest, Ayano isn’t her real name. Well then, what was it? Well, it was Eshima.

She was always Eshima, and she was always Ayano. It wasn’t a split personality or anything, it was just a mask she’d put on at school. But what was the reason for that?

Eshima was born in Japan to a single mother living with her parents. As she grew, she was accustomed to her mom saying “you look just like your father” in a compassionate tone. It was strange, however, when her grandparents would complain about him.

When she was old enough to go to school, she was able to make as many friends as she wanted. But she never brought them to meet her mom, due to her grandparents’ complaining.

One day, she asked about her unknown father’s side of the family. Her mother said nothing about her father, but she did talk about her great great grandmother, Ayano. She told her that she grabbed life by the sun and never apologized, interested in building a name for herself.

She always wondered if she could become like her one day.

Then, one the first day of high school, it happened.

She woke up late, and had to rush out in order to make it on time. As fast as she could, she got changed, brushed her hair and her teeth, got her stuff, and left the house.

The moment she entered the classroom, she had forgotten her own name. When asked what her name was, the first thing that came to her mind was her great great grandmother’s name, Ayano. So, in her haze of confusion, she said Ayano.

She didn’t realize it until the second day of school, when people started calling her “Ayano”. Nobody knew her as Eshima. So, in order to keep up appearances, she decided to emulate her great great grandmother, while toning down her negative actions.

Soon, Eshima was just a blur. The school only knew Ayano. Pompous, glamorous, petty Ayano. Eventually, she made the decision never to tell anyone who she really was, as they would feel betrayed.

Eshima soon only existed within the confines of her family home. It wasn’t safe to be herself outside of school anymore. They all saw her as Ayano. They all knew her as Ayano.

Nobody kept a secret for five minutes. If they found out, she was done for.

She did find some friends she could place her trust in.

But that’s for a different tale, isn’t it?