[ Now it's Ann's turn to turn a little pink in the cheeks, because she's really not used to being complimented like this, at least, not in such a genuine manner. She smiles, almost nervously, and giggles, shaking her head. ]

Yeah, a lot of the girls were pretty nasty, but the boys were, too. Lots of bad rumors, always the last to be picked for team activities... it was like that no matter what country I lived in. Except for America, but I wasn't there long enough to really make friends.

[ And Japan... as beautiful as the country in, she can't wait to get out. She has no idea where she'll go after high school, but she's certainly not hanging around there. ]

Thank you, Parsee-san! That's very kind of you, and it means a lot!