He looked up, making actual eye contact with Mei for several seconds. "The notion that you're somehow lesser than people older than you because you're a child is a pernicious and annoyingly persistent lie that only preserves to protect the fragile egos of people who peaked in their early twenties and decided to make it everyone else's problem. I know people not much older than you whose paintings are on display in the most prestigious art galleries in Tokyo. I know a girl who regularly hacks into government websites for fun. A professional model at sixteen. An internationally-competing gymnast at fifteen. The only thing stopping you is not wanting it bad enough and adults who think children are property."

He stood up. "I'm getting more tea. I'll be back."