childhood

cody started his life out with no apirations at all. he had never wanted to do anything, nor did he have a real goal. that, coupled with the fact his family wasn't particularly rich, meant that he didn't have much as a kid. he chose to stay indoors, focusing on writing stories while he waited for the day to pass by. at only 9 years old, his parents moved from ireland to japan due to a job opportunity his father managed to get. cody's family was big, so naturally, moving was quite the hassle, especially with how expensive a plane ride from ireland to japan was. they ended up settling in hyogo, where cody and his siblings all went to the same school. despite wanting to join the literature club, he was pushed into the volleyball club by his siblings.

teen

cody never liked standing out, but once he got into high school, he started avoiding others more. despite being generally well-received by his peers, he knew that he stood out, not only as a foreigner, but also because he was the quiet, shy kid, too. he would often get pushed around by the older students for his appearance, mainly the way he dressed and how 'emo' he looked. continuing to play volleyball did not help him open up, but he didn't quit. despite not seeing the benefits or being particularly amazing, he kept trying, figuring it was better for his health anyway.
volleyball, though, gradually starting becoming important to him. he started caring about his mistakes and started feeling frustrated when his team would lose. this made him try harder, not just in volleyball, but in everything else, too, including his own writing and school assignments.