The Cooper household was bustling as John went through an impressive pile of letters on the kitchen counter. College brochures, summer programs, and special invitations had arrived. To the untrained eye, it might have looked like typical school mail—applications for every program under the sun.
He carefully opened the envelope one by one. John read the entire letter with a speed that even George Sr., who had wandered in behind him, hadn't expected.
"Another one, huh?" George chuckled, leaning over John's shoulder to read. "You sure you're not gonna end up running the whole country by the time you're in high school?"
John didn't answer right away. He was too engrossed, mentally checking off programs offering advanced physics, engineering, and robotics fields, and he was already beginning to master them at a monstrous rate.
"Mom's gonna lose her mind when she sees all these," Georgie added, half-joking.
Then John's attention was caught by something different. Among the offers for prestigious universities were two that stood out: an invitation to a Special Summer Program in Japan. The program, hosted by Kyoto University's Robotics and Engineering Department and Tokyo University, was designed for exceptional young minds already excelling in engineering and technology. John's heart raced. He'd know from his past life about Japan's cutting-edge technology and futuristic advancements in cities like Tokyo and Kyoto. This felt like the perfect next step.
"Dad!" John's voice broke through George's musings. He held up the letter. "This two says it's a summer program in Japan. They want me to come participate in their summer program with some of the top engineers there. I could learn so much!"
George paused, glancing from the letter to John's eager face. "Well, I'll be," he said slowly, impressed. "Japan, huh? That's pretty far."
"Japan? What's that about?" Mary said, walking in from the living room with Missy trailing behind her, focused on her doll. Her tone immediately turned concerned.
"This one was invited to a summer program for Kyoto and Tokyo," George explained.
"John's just nine. Do you think we should send him that far, especially alone? It's too much."
George, however, was already thinking ahead. "But Mary, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime. He's brilliant, and Japan, as I was informed, was the number 1 in the things that he was planning on mastering. This doesn't come around every day. He has the chance to learn from the best, and we know he's ready."
Mary shook her head, worry evident in her eyes. "I know he's smart, but he's still a child! He's only nine! We can't just send him halfway across the world. He'll be alone—what if something happens?"
"I won't be alone, Mom, I need a guardian since I'm only 9 years old," John said
Mary's gaze softened when she saw the uncertainty in his eyes. "Still, baby, you don't need to rush. You have plenty of time to learn, and I'd feel better if you waited until you're older."
George saw the hesitation and knew it was time to act. "I'll go with him, so he's not gonna be alone," he said, breaking the tension. "I'll be there, Mary. I'll make sure everything's okay. Think of it as a father-son trip. We'll explore, and John can learn in a safe environment. This is his future, Mary. We can't hold him back just because we're worried about a few months away. He's more than ready for this."
There was a long pause. John looked from his father to his mother, torn. He wanted to go, but he also wanted her to be okay with it.
Mary sighed, clearly conflicted. "I just want you to be careful, John. You're not ready for everything the world has to offer, but you will be. And you can always come back home. It'll be okay."
John nodded, the weight of her words pressing down on him. But deep down, he knew this was the right path. "Thanks, Mom," he said quietly. "I'll be careful. I promise."
Mary smiled, ruffling her son's hair. "That's my boy."
The weeks leading up to John's departure were filled with preparations. He wrote the lessons for Sheldon and Missy, making sure that they can understand it at their level of comprehension, since while Sheldon is smart like him, Missy is not, so he needs to write everything where it can be learned with fun and joy where missy won't get bored.
He was scheduled to attend the program in Tokyo and Kyoto for two months each, starting with Kyoto. It would involve rigorous coursework, building projects with other young engineers, and collaborating with Japan's top students and professionals in robotics, engineering, and artificial intelligence.
John's bags were packed, and he was ready for the challenge, but there was something that made him pause.
"Are you sure I'll be okay?" he asked one evening, sitting on the couch next to Mary before their departure. "Yes, Mom, I know it."
Mary smiled softly, running her fingers through his hair. "John, you've always been ready for whatever comes next. You've got a brilliant mind, and if this is what you want, I know you'll do just fine."
As much as Mary said this, a wave of emotion hit her. She had to let her son go on such a big adventure at such a young age. But deep down, she knew this was a chance John couldn't miss.
The night before they left, George Sr. and John shared a quiet moment on the porch, watching the Texas sky.
"Don't forget about this moment, son," George said with a smile. "And make sure you make a lot of notes. They're gonna want to hear all about it when we get back."
John's face softened. "I won't forget, Dad."
The flight to Japan was long, and George Sr. and John sat together on the plane. John had already buried himself in his engineering magazines, but George kept peeking over, finding the concepts hard to wrap his head around.
"Does that stuff make sense to you?" George asked, pointing at the diagrams in the magazine.
John nodded, eyes alight with interest. "Yeah, it's all about robotic design. They build systems to help humans in everyday life. It's cool."
George chuckled. "Well, I don't get it, but if you can, then I'll be."
John smiled back, appreciating his father's support.
When they arrived at Kansai International Airport, John's eyes widened in amazement. The airport was bustling with travelers from all over the world, and it felt like stepping into a futuristic world, one both strange and exciting.