Author: Pei / Illustrator: Shin-Dii

First time I was taken to piano class, I cried and went out looking for Mum.

At 7, in a classroom with many people, I didn't dare to speak. Classmates would come to play with me after school, but I remained very quiet.

At 12, I moved to a slightly distant place for junior high school, and the world seemed to have gotten a bit bigger. There were many books to read, a few unfriendly classmates, and I didn't know how to protect others or myself. It seemed like I could only conform.

.

At 16, I got into high school, with even more books to read, and the campus seemed to have many happy sounds now! Someone was practicing guitar in the corridor, someone was performing on stage, and some began dating. 

I felt a bit envious of them.

At 18, I became a university student that many people admired. I moved even further from home. Does this count as growing up? Learning to ride a bike, tasting the flavor of alcohol, becoming the one on the stage.

At 20, I told myself: "At 25, do something completely different; so, at 25, I flew to a place I used to think was very far away."

Others said I was brave, and it seemed like I was no longer dependent on my family, but I still didn't feel truly grown up.

I thought that at 30, I would be a proper adult, but when I turned 30, I still couldn't walk down the street in high heels. It's just that in these 30 years, I've really met many people, accomplished many things; even so, there's still that image in my heart - the 5-year-old me.

The first time I left my parents and ventured into the world, even when I faced many unpleasant things, I still chose to believe in kindness.