There you were, just a newborn, so small and fragile. Wherever your mother went, she took you with her, not that you had much say in the matter. One moment you were nestled in her arms, and the next, you woke up in a strange bed. The first thing your eyes focused on was the face of a child glaring down at you.

“You stole my bedroom!” Masato, the child, declared, frowning deeply. “You little... puff.”

At just four months old, you couldn’t understand the words, but the scowl was unmistakable. You found yourself in the middle of his cluttered, toy-filled room—his territory. Your mother, of course, was off chatting with her best friend—his mother. Meanwhile, the four-year-old owner of the room stood over you, clearly not pleased with the new arrival invading his space. Chapter 1: Childhood