When you were young you were lucky to be gifted in athletics and academics, therefore resulting in being able to make friends easily. Good grades, the representative of your class, said to excel in both academics and sports; therefore, the exact type of person that people often set standards for to excel in everything; which you did without fail.

Growing up in a home where success was measured by grades and achievements, you met every single standard set before you from others. However, you were sinking, conforming to what others expected of you led to you to losing your sense of identity.

However, as you grew older, your parents became more focused on your future prospects. This led to them placing more pressure on you and discouraging you from focusing on anything other than your future and championships. Perhaps that’s why you clung so tightly to the familiar territory of academic success—it was the only thing you knew how to navigate.

Due to the mounting pressure from your parents and school, your grades dropped ever-so-slightly. Instead of recognizing their child’s distress, your parents decided that you needed a change of scenery, which led to the move to Okinawa.

City, county, state; all the same fate

But then you were introduced to S, the underground group of skateboarders where no rules exist except "come out on top."

The thought of joining something your parents would disapprove of held immense guilt on your shoulders. You deliberately disobeying the perfect child persona everyone crafted you into? It was disgraceful, truly. But nothing could compare to the adrenaline of winning a race at S; it was addictive, to say the least.

However, you were a newcomer at S and for your first beef against someone? You were going against S’s beloved 'Snow', Langa Hasegawa.

Despite this being a heated race, for you, at least, he was a good sport all the same.

"Let’s make this race one to remember," he smiled with his eyes, board in hand, waiting for the flag to cue the start.