"I think my family is stricter than other families," I thought.

"Reina," my mom said, "Show me the test you brought home today."

"Yes, Mom!" I answered.

"Hmm," she said, looking at the test, "Perfect score. That's amazing, Reina."

"She's our daughter, of course she's amazing," my dad added. "Good job, Reina."

"Hehehe... I'm amazing, right?" I asked, playfully.

"Yes," my mom said, her smile fading, "But you can't be satisfied with this. You need to become more perfect, Reina."

"Perfect?" I questioned.

"That's right. You need to become the best at everything so everyone will respect you," she explained.

"Okay! Reina will be the best!" I declared, determined to please them.

I loved being praised by my mother and father. So I studied hard, wanting to be praised even more.

My father and mother both held high positions at their companies, so they weren't home much. But those times we spent together were precious to me, even though I was little.

I studied harder than other kids, but there was one time when I didn't do well on a test.

"Reina," my mom asked, her voice was very sharp, "What's with this score?"

"I, I'm sorry," I stammered, "I, I was playing with my friends..."

"So that's why you got this score?" she said, her disappointment evident. "That's unacceptable."

"Reina," my dad chimed in, "it's okay to play with your friends, but you must never neglect your studies. You'll become a failure if you keep this up."

"Y, yes," I mumbled, "I'm sorry, Mom, Dad."

"Once you become a failure," my mom warned, "You'll never be able to become perfect again. Remember that."

"Reina," my dad added, "if you get another score like this, you're forbidden from playing with your friends."

"...Yes," I whispered, my heart sinking.

I saw the disappointment in my mother and father's eyes. Was it really necessary to look at me like that after one mistake?

I needed to get good grades on tests, I needed to rank high in sports, to make them happy, to avoid those disappointed eyes.

I had to study harder than anyone, practice harder than anyone, and always be better than everyone else.

...I had to be perfect.

"...It was a horrible dream," I muttered, waking with a startle.

I was tired from studying, so I took a short nap, but I remembered something unpleasant and woke up feeling awful.

I looked at the clock and saw it was almost dinner time, so I headed to the living room.

"I was just about to call you, Reina," my mom said. "Come sit down. Dad will be here soon."

"Okay," I replied, feeling a sense of dread.

Dinner was already set on the table. I sat down and waited. Soon, my father came in. For the first time in a long time, the three of us were having dinner together.

"Reina," my dad said, "you have your club competition soon, right? I'm expecting you to win."

"Yes," I answered, "It's the final competition, so I'm going to win for sure."

"Club activities are important," my dad continued, "But how is your studying for the entrance exams going?"

"It's going well, Dad," I said, trying to sound confident. "I got an A rating on the last mock exam."

"That's great... As expected of our daughter," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"We're so proud of how perfect you've become," my mom added.

"...Yes. Thank you," I mumbled, feeling a strange mixture of relief and unease.

The conversation between the parents and child at the dinner table... Do ordinary families have these kinds of conversations? Are they all this uncomfortable?

I hardly touched my food and went back to my room right away, feeling trapped in a cage of my own making.