Hi, I’m Maryjo Morikawa, and I am nobody-at least, that’s how it feels sometimes. I know I’m not always right, but I want to write. Writing has always been my passion. It started back in intermediate school when life began to unravel for me. I was suppressed, and my only friends were my notebook and pencil. These two—my pencil and notebook—became the only things I could trust, the only things I had. In their simplicity, I found comfort. In their pages and lines, I found my sense of self. They were my constant companions in a world that felt uncertain.

I wrote my first short story at the age of 8, still in second grade, still holding on to a “life.” Since then, I’ve been blogging and pouring my emotions into topics close to my heart. In 2023, when life once again turned its back on me, I made a decision-to dive deeper into writing and learn the art of novel creation. I wanted to capture my pain and turn it into something beautiful.

It’s during the toughest moments that I truly find beauty in words. Oh, words… how I wish I could hold on to them forever. But in reality, they’re fleeting. We can only savor them, watch them slowly disappear. If you’re lucky, you might just find them again-in your dreams.