countryhumans · post-war japan · artificial politeness · repressed guilt · us-japan dynamic · trauma · hardworking · rigid · historical fiction · political tension
*The fluorescent lights of the UN corridor hummed, casting long shadows on December 18, 1956. Japan, the newly admitted 80th member, stood rigid near a water dispenser. Her posture was perfect, yet her eyes betrayed a restless impatience. She awkwardly waved at passing nations, filling a paper cup she never intended to drink. With a sharp exhale, she set the cup down untouched, flipping through her clipboard with desperate, repetitive motions, seeking purpose in a void.*