ce. Being called ice boy, or icy was a phrase that Noah was all too familiar with. But it was more than a phrase or a phase. It was his life. Ever since he was brought into this world, the warmth was something that he envied. Why couldn’t he receive love as all the other kids did? Why couldn’t he have that sibling-like love? Why didn’t he have any friends who saw him more than just a school friend? Why wasn’t he loved? To explain his story, let’s rewind to 2002.

 

Noa Kazama was born on a cold December morning, in the bustling city of Kyoto. However, his celebration of life was followed by the mourning of death. His mother barely had time to hold her baby in her arms, before she shortly passed away. The only time that Noa felt such intense love and warmth was from a time that he could never ever recall. The death of his mother heavily changed the dynamic of the Kazama family. Plans changed, family relationships became strained, and most importantly, Noa’s father changed for the worse.

 

With Noa’s father falling into depression, he decided to use alcohol as a coping mechanism. To be fair, anyone can at least empathize that losing the love of your life can destroy you, and break you down. It became a problem when family members started to question his behavior and if he was in the mindset to take care of a five-year-old and an infant. However, Noa’s dad pushed them away. The breaking point was when his dad made the decision to move to Canada. His dad wanted to leave everything behind in Korea. He only wanted to be with his children. And so, just around the age of one, Noa became a resident of Canada. The family resided in Quebec, the famous French province, in Canada.

 

Life appeared to normalize for the Kazama household. They all began to work hard in their own respective ways. His sister did her best to provide care for her younger brother and worked hard in school, while his dad worked grueling hours to support the family of three. While Noa(now known as Noah) himself began to show his aptitude for sports. Football(soccer) and hockey were natural for him. In fact, whenever he was on the ice rink, he raced around the kids his age. His natural, agile abilities helped him to shoot past defenders and shimmy his way to bypass them and make goals. Though, he truly shined when he was by himself on the rink. And his dad took notice. At the very young age of eight, he became a figure skater. He started out for the local youth team that he soon outgrew. It was clear that the young boy was exceptional at skating. After participating in a tournament, a private trainer offered her services to train the youngster. Within time, skating became more than a hobby, more than a passion, it was a job. Practices were long, dull, and unfortunately not fun. His father became so obsessed with his son to become successful that he took him out of school to be homeschooled, so he would have more time to dedicate to his trade. This was the restart of the dark path his father took.

 

As mentioned earlier, his father began drinking to resolve his emotional distress from the passing of Noah’s mother. But a decade later, it continued. It got progressively worse over time, to the point where a pack of beers was gone in hours. The stench from him reeked from his mouth to his clothes, and it made Noah gag every time he had to stand in front of him. Unfortunately, that was very mild to what he and his sister went through. (Slight Trigger Warning Ahead).

 

Noah’s dad was always a strict parent. Grades were a priority, as it was for most parents. But his father took it to an extreme. Even in elementary, anything lower than an A meant punishment. And no, not an A in general, an A average or plus. The manipulation tactics he used to pressure his kids to do better, harmed them in ways a youngster should never have to deal with. Noah was threatened that not only would he not be able to participate in tournaments and competitions, but also he would consistently blame it on him for wasting the trainer's time. While for his sister, hurtful, derogatory words were hurled at her. And when things got heated, it got physical. It got to the point that one event led to Noah defending his sister from getting slapped. He ended up getting slapped, punched, and kicked to the gut. That led to a broken rib that nearly punctured his lung. You could only imagine the excuse his father came up with. But that one event changed the way Noah looked at his father and his sister.

 

His sister was the only calm in his life. She provided nearly everything for him. Help with school, chores, personal issues, food, and the list goes on. His sister in essence became the mother he never had. But one day after he came home from practice, his sister was nowhere to be found, which was odd since she was never home late. And even if she was, she would leave a note(since Noah wasn’t allowed to have a phone). When his father got home around midnight, he came in with a bottle in his hand and sat down. “She left. Your sister is gone.” That line frightened him. He wasn’t sure what scared him more, the fact that his sister left home without telling him and leaving nothing behind, or that his dad did not bother to look for her. Noah cried for hours that night, wondering why he couldn’t escape from the prison he called home. His father even slapped him for crying. It was after that night, that Noah decided that he was tired. Tired of just trying to be perfect. Tired of being so good-hearted. Tired of being treated as if he was no one. So from that day on, Noah decided to become the person no one expects him to be. The person he wanted to be.

 

Noah only lasted one more year in ice skating. He finished his last competition with a gold medal, leaving it with his trainer before returning home. Once he got home, he started going outdoors to find peace. Hiking offered him a chance to collect his thoughts. In time, he decided on his new path in life. Singing. In sense, he already knew the basics of singing through choir, he just needed polishing. So he took classes online via Youtube. However, these practices were unbeknownst to his father. Had his father known that he was trying to become a singer, and not some athlete or some other “hard-working” job, he would probably be crucified. So he would wake up early in the morning and or stay up late at night, using the excuse that he was simply exercising. Over time, Noah solidified his singing, even starting to write basic songs. One day, a flyer in bold words wrote, “Onyx Entertainment Global Audition.” Noah wondered what it would be like to be a trainee, more so an idol. The more he pondered, then he became more and more enticed with the idea of being an idol. He even monitored the performances of the current generation and previous generations of Kpop groups. Within three days, his mind was made. Noah would become an idol. 

Though, one thing stood in his way, his father. What would he say to his father that he could be potentially moving to Seoul to become an idol. More so, what would his father do to him if he revealed his plan? That’s when Noah decided to leave a long note detailing what he would be doing and why it was his time to depart. With that, during the day while his father was working, he packed his bags and left. He was confident that he was going to pass. When it came time for his audition, he had to explain his story to the examiners. With that, not only did he pass the first round, but they gave him a hotel room to stay in on the same day. The next morning, he was on his way to Seoul. Life in Seoul was and is still rough for the boy. His Korean was somewhat raw, and in addition, he didn’t exactly know the proper customs and traditions. But within time, he is sure that he could adapt now that he was away from all the trouble in his old life. He could begin to finally anticipate his “new life” as Noa Kazama, the Japanese-Canadian trainee.

oa is a weird one. Any would expect someone like him to be bitter at the world, Bitter at his father(while he hates his guts, He still that familial attachment), and whatnot. But he remains optimistic about life. If he has learned anything, he has been granted so many chances in his life, he views each chance as precious and a chance to start anew.

Sed, just because he is optimistic doesn't mean he has some negative traits. He can be brash and bold at times. His rather blunt, stubborn attitude oftentimes rubs people the wrong way. He is firm in his opinion and while he is optimistic, it's only when it's his idea or a similar one. Add his ambitiousness, he hardly tends to let anyone derail his thoughts or ideas. But don't fret, he's nice and doesn't let differing opinions determine his friends.