※日本語の説明は英語の後にあります。

#First step.

Her name is Aya.
Her parents gave her a vivid name that means "colorful." As her name suggests, she longed to be in the world of vivid costumes and became a costume designer.
When she told her parents that she was going to move to Tokyo to become a costume designer, they were very much against it.
The only one who agreed was her grandmother, who was always nagging her and was not very good at it.

She said, "You people! My child is about to try something new. Don't you think parents are supposed to push their children to try new things?

My grandmother was furious, and my parents reluctantly agreed.

Her grandmother was always nagging her, which was a surprise to her because she honestly didn't even like her.
When my grandmother came to talk to me, I prepared myself for what she would say.

She said, "You thought I was a nagging old woman, didn't you?"

I didn't think that much of her.
When she shook her head, my grandmother laughed gaily and said, "Ha-ha-ha.

"Ha-ha-ha! I don't care, but remember this. I don't say anything to people who don't have a chance, because it's useless.
Aya, you can do it, I guarantee it. There are going to be a lot of people who are going to get in your way and say mean things to you.
You can do it, Aya"

Then my grandmother gave me a hug.
I don't know why you're so confident... but she was more worried about her anxiety, and this baseless confidence seemed to save her.

"I'm not basing it on anything... but thank you... I'll do my best..."

...Hey...Grandma was this small...

"I'm going to miss you..."

She didn't hear the last murmur of her grandmother.

On the platform of the station, still chilly, with her grandmother's words in her heart, she got off the train and stepped out.
This is the first step.

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#ファーストステップ

彼女の名前は彩。
色どりと言う意味を持つ鮮やかな名前を両親に貰った、そんな彼女は名前の通り鮮やかな衣裳の世界に憧れ衣裳デザイナーを目指すようになった。
そんな彼女が上京して衣裳デザイナーを目指すと言ったとき両親は猛反対した。
その時賛成してくれたのはいつも口うるさく苦手だった祖母だった。

「あんた達！我が子が新しいことに挑戦しようとしてるのに何だい！こういう時は背中を押してやるのが親ってもんなんじゃないのかい！」

すごい剣幕で怒る祖母に両親も渋々了承したのだった。

祖母はいつも彼女に口うるさく正直彼女は疎ましくさえ思っていたので以外だった。 そんな祖母が話しかけてきたので何を言われるのか身構えると

「あんたあたしのこと口うるさくていやなババアだと思ってたんじゃないかい？」

流石にそこまで思ってない。
彼女が首を横に振ると祖母は豪快に笑って言った。

「はーっはっはっ！構わないさでもねこれだけは覚えておきなよ。あたしはね見込みのない奴にはなーんにも言わないのさ無駄だからね。
彩あんたなら出来るよあたしが保証してやる。これから色んな奴があんたを邪魔したり心無い事言ってきたりするだろうさ。
でもそん時はこのババアを思い出しな、このあたしが認めたんだからね折れるんじゃないよ！」

そう言って祖母は抱きしめてくれた。
何でそんなに自信満々なんだろう…でも不安の方が大きかった彼女はその根拠のない自信に救われた気がした。

「何の根拠にもなってないよ…でもありがとう…頑張るよ…」

…あれ…おばあちゃんこんなに小さかったんだ…。

「さみしくなるねぇ…」

最後の祖母のつぶやきは彼女には聞こえなかった。

まだ肌寒い駅のホーム、祖母の言葉を胸に今彼女は電車を降りて足を踏み出す。
これが最初の一歩だ。