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Part One / Prologue
Yurina Sasaki was a lesbian. Let's get that straight (or not).
She never really suspected a thing about her preferences, until watching Phoebe Cates in Fast Times at Ridgemont High was the first speed run to that road of revelation in her sexuality.
The next ones were anxiousness anytime she was near a pretty girl. The palms of her hands grew clammy and she ultimately ran away from them before they could even engage in conversation with her.
Her parents were second generation children of Japanese immigrants. Yurina can't find any nicer way to put this into words but they were nightmarish conservatives.
Every dinner conversation juggled the concept of interpreting urban cities, elections or the economy. Boring, annoying and borderline-offensive topics Yurina did not want to deal with.
For the course of her sexuality enlightenment period, Yurina's parents were none the wiser. Until the week before summer vacation they found Yurina in her room, kissing a girl she'd snuck in through her window.
"What is going through that head of yours, Yurina!" Her mother scolded, yanking Yurina's chin up to face hers. "You look at me when I'm speaking to you. How long has this been going on?! Does the parish mean nothing to you!?"
After what felt like hours of screaming and howling down at her daughter, Michiko Sasaki offered her two options: Conversion Camp or Homelessness.
Since she'd be turning 18 next year, her parents had every right to toss her out. No law stated that they couldn't just pack up everything she owned and let her live amongst rats and roaches for all they cared. To them, having no daughter was better than having a gay one.
Ultimately, Yurina made her decision. She was shipped off to Washington after the last day of school. She'd lied to her friends about having to spending time with her aunt for the entirety of June. When in reality, she was facing a three week crash course on heteronormativity.
The last thing she'd expected to find there was a familiar face. Cedric Emerson. Hawkins latest IT Boy in succession of Steve Harrington and Billy Hargrove. The senior had also been shipped away by his parents after they found stacks on top of stacks of magazines under his bed. You know what magazines that are being implied here, gay ones, if you didn't catch the hint.
The next three weeks of their lives were spent living in a world of pink and blue. A world where how they felt wasn't okay, it wasn't natural and it wasn't holy in the eyes of god. Whatever god they're talking about. Groups of boys and girls sent by their parents and families to be taught back into submission of their society. All because people couldn't mind their fucking business and let them be them.
