The entrance ceremony looms ahead, and with it comes the noisy crowd of students striding toward the gym. The buzz of anxious laughter and chatter fills the air, creating a suffocating atmosphere that I can't help but find entirely uninspiring.
As I arrive at the assembly spot, several students from my class start to group together, some chatting excitedly, others silently contemplating the future. Our footsteps echo against the pavement as we leave the school building, just as classes are letting out.
I walk along, hands stuck in my pockets, feeling overwhelmed at the thought of enduring the most mind-numbing, energy-draining event imaginable.
"I just want to go home, grab a bite, and take a quick nap—oh, what a pleasure~!" I mutter to myself, gazing absently at the sky. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Sotomura, who's already mingling and laughing with other classmates.
"Well done," I nod to myself, secretly proud (and betrayed) that my geek friend is finally making connections and challenging the laws of nature.
As I walk beside the auditorium, a short guy with a mix of brown-green hair and bangs sweeping to one side bounds up to me. His brown eyes shine with excitement, and he carries a friendly, carefree vibe.
"Oi! Shiroi-kun!" he calls out, grinning broadly and quickening his pace until he catches up with me and starts walking beside me.
"Huh? Who are you?" I ask, slightly puzzled.
"You seem a little forgetful, are you?" He mocks, a glint in his eyes as if he's plotting something. His whole demeanor seems suspicious.
"But I don't blame you. We had those class introductions, remember? I'm the guy who's actively looking for a cute girlfriend, so you could say I'm quite memorable." He shoots me a smirk, playfully resting his right hand over part of his chin, his index finger extended. It's as if he's posing for a picture.
"Ah, the guy who got teased by the girls. Yeah, I remember you now." I respond with a sly grin, covering my mouth to suppress the laugh.
With that 'generic harem protagonist' hairstyle, I'm not surprised girls treat him like a comedy filler.
"So, why did you come over?" I ask, cutting through the small talk like a skip button.
"H-how cruel...! And I wasn't teased, they even called me cute. Remember, I'm Ike Kanji—Ike Kanji!" he repeats, clutching his chest in a dramatic gesture of exasperation.
He lets out a slight sigh and continues.
"Anywho, I just came over to chat. You seem like an interesting guy, and I thought it'd be fun to get to know you better. Nothing serious, just a casual conversation." His tone is easy and carefree, his words lacking any hidden meaning or ill intent.
Interesting? I'd say I'm more of a 'supporting character with unexplored trauma' than 'someone interesting'.
Well, maybe I'll humor this guy and give him a chance to prove he's worth my time.
"Thanks, I guess..." I respond, getting a bit uneasy.
"By the way, you said something about having Latin American roots, right? That's pretty cool. So, where are you from?"
Chan. The moment of the truth has come, time to see if my Duolingo Spanish is up to par to keep my little lie intact.
"I don't exactly know my country, my dad's from there. But he is quite the mysterious one, ya know? He never really told me which one, but I do know a few words in Spanish, though."
The guy gives me a slight frown, puzzled by my ambiguous response, but his upbeat attitude doesn't waver.
"Oh, I see. Mystery country, huh? That's intriguing," he chuckles before continuing.
"But you know some Spanish, right? That's pretty cool! Do you speak it fluently or just a few words?"
"Oh, sorry, but I just know a few words. I've lived here in Japan all my life, so I'm not fluent."
He nods. "Yeah, no surprise there. When did you pick up those few words? Was it from your dad, or somewhere else?" he asks, his tone friendly despite the teasing undertone.
He appears like a dumb guy and well, he is certainly not the brightest person, but his ability to hold a conversation and keep it engaging is not something I should overlook.
"Yeah, my dad taught me," I nod.
His curiosity grows as he asks. "That's cool! Learning a language from a parent can be a unique experience. So, I bet your dad taught you some interesting phrases, right? Any that stand out?"
I snap my fingers, mulling it over. "Hmm... you know what? Let's do a little test. Say a word, and if I can translate it to Spanish, I'll say it out loud. How about that?"
Ike nods, intrigued by the idea. "That's a great idea! Give me a word, any word, and I'll do my best to repeat it in Spanish. Then you can translate it and see how close I get!"
"Actually, the game works the other way around. You should be the one saying the word, and I'll try to translate it in Spanish." I jokingly correct his misunderstanding, chuckling at his accidental mix-up.
"Oops, my bad. Guess I got a bit ahead of myself there." He sheepishly grins, rubbing the back of his neck.
"So you want me to say a word, and you'll tell me its Spanish translation? Sounds good!"
"Yeah, exactly." I simply respond, forming a slight smirk that screams 'this ends in tragedy'.
He takes the lead and says. "Alrighty, here goes. First word: 'tree'."
I pause, my gaze falling to the floor before lifting back up. "I think it's... 'Árbol,'"
With nimble fingers, he types the word 'tree' into his phone's Google Translate and then nods. "Bingo! 'Árbol' is correct. You're off to a great start. Next word: 'dog.'"
"Perro," I respond confidently.
"'Perro' is also right! Looks like this thing isn't necessary anymore," he jokes, slipping the phone back into his pocket.
Ike leans forward, his excitement evident by just looking at his eyes.
"Look, ever since your introduction, I've known you'd be a cool person to talk with. Just imagine all the possibilities, man," he exclaims, his voice filled with a somewhat strange anticipation.
Why the sudden interest in Spanish? It's just another language, not some magic spell. We're not in a language class, for god's sake. What's his real agenda? Is he just trying to impress the girls with a couple of sentences? Or worse, did he catch wind of my lie and is this whole game just a pretext for an interrogation?
Nah, very far-fetched. He just gets excited like a kid with a new toy, no malice involved.
In the end, it doesn't matter. If he's just playing with translations, there's no risk. After all, there are no Spanish speakers around here, for sure. Besides, he'll get bored when he realizes I'm not as 'exotic' as he thinks.
"Yeah, who knew a few Spanish words could lead to this kind of fun?" I comment while chuckling.
I take a deep breath and enjoy the moment, thinking this is all just innocent banter—nothing can go wrong, right? But then Ike stops dead in his tracks, sporting a mischievous grin.
"Hey, let's try one last word to really test your Spanish skills. I've been curious about this one particular word. Hope you don't mind"
"Sure, go ahead. Actually, I'm having fun with this game, so don't hold back," I reply. Meanwhile, we walk alongside the crowd and leave the auditorium behind, veering straight upwards the road to continue, you can see a sports ground on your left and a baseball field on the right.
"Really? You mean it? Alright, you asked for it," he says, leaning in and wrapping his arm around my neck as his voice drops into a conspiratorial whisper.
What's going on? Why is this guy acting like he's planning a bank robbery?
"For the last word. Tell me—how do you say 'tits' in Spanish?" His hand tightens around my shoulders, and his body presses even closer to mine. A sly smile spreads across his face as he finally spills the request.
Ah, there it is. I should've known this was coming. The ultimate prize of teenage stupidity: the gleam in his eyes wasn't from curiosity, but from ill-disguised lust. Seriously, couldn't he have looked around to see if anyone was listening?
"W-Wha!? Oi, seriously, what on earth are you asking?" I exclaim, moving away as if his touch were radioactive.
"Huh? What's the big deal? We are men, all we think about is tits and asses." he retorts with a cheeky smirk, rubbing his hands like a black marketeer offering 'merchandise'.
Is this guy this idiot because he fell out of a bed when he was a baby or did he learn that from his parents?
Before I can form a proper response, he adds without missing a beat.
"Take one for the team, Shiroi. Are you really gonna pass up this chance to embrace youth to the fullest? Imagine all the possibilities! Having the freedom to say whatever you want without getting caught cuz no one understands your language."
'Live your youth to the fullest'. The phrase sounds like a slogan from an energy drink commercial. I cross my arms, feeling the weight of his stupidity drag me toward an existential abyss.
He leans back slightly, "And if you help me out, I might just trade you my contact info. What do you say, Shiroi? You up for it?" He raises his eyebrows in a challenge, his eyes locked on mine as he speaks.
Oh, right. The contact. My gaze shifts to his phone, the number half the class would kill to have. Is it worth selling yourself for a contact info?
An idea sparks to life in my mind, as if a cartoon lightbulb has suddenly lit up above my head.
I raise an eyebrow, amused by his audacity. Sensing an opportunity to mess with him a bit, I lean forward with a sly, mocking grin.
"Alright, alright. I'll tell you but that's only because you're so excited about it."
"Hurry up, Shiroi, c'mon—I can't wait any longer." he urges, practically bouncing with anticipation.
"Okay, but I'll say it in a whisper so no one else hears. This gotta be just between you and me, got it?"
"I swear, I swear! Now say it!" He nods eagerly, hanging on my every word without even hearing what I said.
I lean in until our breath competes for the same air. For a second, I see my reflection in his glittering eyes: that of a low-budget villain about to ruin his life with a single word.
"Listen carefully..." I whisper, covering my mouth with my hand as if it were a state secret.
"'Tits' in Spanish means... 'Pito'"
I recite those cursed words and, for a split second, his eyes widen in confusion, as if I'm pulling his leg.
"Hold up, you're actually telling me that 'Tits' in Spanish is 'Pito'... Is this for real? It gotta be a joke, right?" he asks, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
With a playful wink, I respond, "Consider that our friendship seal."
Alright, let's see what kind of show you've got in store for me. This ought to be entertaining.
"Yeah!"
I watch him with veiled amusement, anticipating his reaction. Suddenly, as if his brain short-circuits, he starts parroting back, "Pito! Pito! Pito!" with growing enthusiasm. Several surrounding students begin to cast curious glances in our direction, wondering what the commotion is about. Even the wind seems to stop so as not to miss the spectacle.
However, Pervy-kun carries on his clownery with ignorant happiness, totally oblivious to how much of a fool he's making of himself.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!" I can't help but burst out laughing loudly at the sheer absurdity of it all. I hold my stomach, trying to catch a breath.
"Fu~! Holy shit, man! You're something else. You've really outdone yourself, haven't you?" I say between fits of laughter, my eyes streaming with tears.
Before I can even process what's happening, he blurts it out, his words tumbling out like a waterfall. "I mean—I'd love to grab and suck a good—"
Oh geez, he's about to make a complete fool of himself. I need to step in before it gets any more embarrassing.
Before the words escape fully, I quickly cover his mouth and shout, "Hey, stop it, bakayaro! konoyaro!"
His eyes widen in shock as he freezes, his face flushing with confusion. For a long moment, he stands there, caught between confusion and mortification.
"—Mmph?! What's wrong? Didn't you said that 'Tits' means 'Pito'?" he stammers.
Haha! He's so gullible. This is just too good, he definitely made my day today.
I break into a smirk, though a hint of guilt tugs at my conscience. "Nonono... let me explain, it's just a joke, Ike. In Spanish, how can I say it... 'Pito' isn't exactly something you'd like to say out in public..."
"H-Huh?"
Taking a deep breath to fortify my resolve, I decide to come clean and explain the reality of his mistake. Without taking the easier path this time. "'Pito' actually means 'Penis', not 'Tits'. I was just messing around when I told you otherwise."
For a moment, his brain finally catches up, a look of shock spreading across his face as he realizes his mistake, his jaw practically dropping. "WHAAAAT!?!? That means 'Pito'—" he blurts out, his face turning crimson as he recoils from my hand. He looks around nervously, for a second, I swear his soul is leaving his body.
Earth, swallow me whole. Please.
"Stupid! You tricked me! I can't even believe it! You said 'Pito' meant 'tits' and now I'm standing here yelling 'Pito' like a freaking fool in front of everyone!" He snaps, pulling his hand away from mine forcefully, his expression is now filled with anger.
I can tell... he has every right to be mad.
"How can I trust anything you say now?" Pervy-kun's expression is a mix of frustration and disappointment.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"You made me look like a complete fool!" He starts to shake with embarrassment, but now it's more of an angry flan than a threat.
"I thought you were cool, Shiroi, but now I'm not so sure. I'll never trust you again! You're a... a...!" He looks for the adequate word, but his limited vocabulary only allows him to spit—
"A J...Jerk." he manages to utter through gritted teeth, struggling to come up with the appropriate insult.
"A jerk? Seriously, you can do better than that, Ike."
His face contorts in frustration as I laugh, as if adding salt to the wound.
"This isn't funny, you made me look like an absolute moron! The girls are probably laughing at me right now!" he complains, pointing at a few giggling girls nearby, then he stops walking and collapses on a nearby bench, his face redder than... enough with the pointless comparisons already.
The bustle of campus fades as the crowd begins to enter the gym, leaving us in an awkward silence. Ike is slumped on the bench, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands smothering his face as if trying to erase himself from reality. His shoulders tremble slightly, not from crying, but from that silent rage that only comes from self-humiliation.
I sit down next to him, the wood of the bench creaking as if protesting the tension. The words pile up in my throat: 'I'm sorry,' 'It was a joke,' 'I didn't think...' They all sound fake, like the dialogue of a supporting character in a RPG videogame.
"Ike..."
"You know what the worst part is?" He breaks the silence, his voice hoarse, though he doesn't meet my gaze.
"It's not that you made me look stupid. It's just that... I trusted you."
Hmph. Don't try guilt-tripping me, I never forced you to start yelling. No matter what I say, Ike would probably just yell 'tits' at the end of it all, so why should I be forced to be in a lose-lose situation, where either way I'd end up getting blamed.
I swallow, searching for a comfortable outlet in my repertoire of sarcasm. "Well, that was your first and major mistake. Trusting a complete stranger."
He exhales, a sound somewhere between a bitter laugh and a sob. "Yeah. Einstein."
The distant laughter from the gym reaches us distorted, like a reminder of how easy it would be to join them and leave him behind. But I don't get up.
"Look..." I frown, staring at the floor, which seems more interesting than ever. "I didn't mean for you to feel this way. It was just... a joke? A test of how far you'd go? I don't know."
Ike lowers his hands, revealing a crooked smile. "So? I passed?"
We look at each other. I should make a mockery, a sharp comment. But in his gaze, there's something new: a vulnerability that doesn't deserve to be stabbed.
After closing my eyes for a moment and open them again. I stare thoughtfully at the gym and say:
"I'm sorry." he tenses as he hears my words, but I continue. "Not for the joke... but for not stopping when I should have."
"Wait... you're saying you're sorry?" he asks, his tone almost skeptical, as if searching for subtext.
"I'm saying that if you keep believing everything you hear, you're going to end up jumping into a well just because everyone says doing that will give you eternal life."
"What the hell? Jump into a well? I ain't doing that! What kind of idea is that?"
I let out a frustrated sigh, thinking that trying to explain anything to this person is a lost cause.
"Nevermind. Next time someone tells you 'pito' means tits, check it out. Or better yet: Don't ask."
"But you knew you were lying..." He accuses, his eyes half-closed.
"Is that so? Did I force you to believe me? Did I force you to make a scene like a lunatic? Who is the bad-guy here? This place is full of people who will use you if you give them the chance. Don't be their free clown."
"Damnit, man, I get it... I messed up, okay? Now you're rubbing it in." He looks away, avoiding my gaze.
"Hey, don't be like that. That was hilarious! Besides, now you know that even friends can be assholes."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better? You are the worst friend in the world." He hits the bench with a loose fist.
"Thank you. That's the best compliment I've received in years." I pat him on the back just before he can speak.
"And talking about compliments, you're the best clown." I smile, staring right at his eyes.
"You're impossible, you know that?" He rises hastily, looking down at his shoes and then, he kicks an invisible pebble, his ears still are completely red.
"Maybe I got a little excited. But you started it!" He turns sharply, avoiding my gaze but without moving away.
A moment of silence ensues, the only sound being our own breathing. Then, with a sigh, he relaxes and softens his tone, rubbing his neck.
"Just kidding. You know, sometimes I just blurt out whatever comes to mind without thinking. I guess I pushed it too far this time, so it's kinda my fault too. Thanks for stopping me, though. Who knows what I would've done next."
Interesting, so he actually has a humble side? Who knew?
I nod. "I promise—I won't do it again."
With that, the tension fades, I avoid eye contact, pretending to check my phone. Ike, still irritated, but less so, leans forward with a hint of mischief.
"Hey, I've got an idea! If you really wanna make it up to me, let's do this to Yamauchi! He deserves it, hahaha!" he proposes, his earlier embarrassment now replaced with a playful enthusiasm.
Yes, of course. Because what I need is another supporting clown.
Then, with an upbeat grin, he adds, "Why not exchange contact info? We're getting along well, and it'd be great to keep in touch. Who knows, maybe we could hang out sometime? Whaddya think?"
"Really? But I—" I stop, not knowing what to say.
In what parallel universe is this called getting along?
"No need to worry. It's all in the past now. In fact, I actually find you a pretty cool guy to hang out with." he insists, his tone friendly and sincere.
I shrug, giving in to the inevitable, my tone more accepting. "Well. Why not?"
His excitement reaches new heights as I agree to the idea. "This is going to be great! Let's swap numbers real quick. We can message or text each other whenever we want. " He pauses, his tone shifts from cheerful to stern.
"But if you play dirty with me again. I'll get you back real good. You got my word on that."
I smirk while grabbing my phone. "I promise the next lie will be about something less..." I make quotation marks with my fingers "Explosive."
Ike enthusiastically pulls out his phone, ready for the exchange. In a matter of seconds, we swap numbers.
"Hell yeah! We're connected now. I'll text you soon. Can't wait to chat and hangout, too. I've got a bunch of friends who'll definitely enjoy meeting you, trust me. Let's meet up real soon."
"Yeah, sounds thrilling. We should keep in touch." I stand up and adjust my backpack. At least if I say that he'll leave me alone.
"Cool, see ya later!" He waves over his shoulder as he walks back, mingling with his friends.
As he rejoins his group, I give a small wave, feeling a weird mix of relief, amusement, and a lingering hint of embarrassment. I resume my walk towards the ceremony, with my hands in my pockets again.
Did I really want to be friends with this guy? He's impulsive, loudmouthed, and a total fool. But there's something about him too: he's honest, funny, and surprisingly understanding. Maybe stepping out of my comfort zone wasn't such a bad thing after all. At least now I have a human shield against boredom.
Friendship? I don't know. But I do know that today, for the first time, I didn't feel like a spectator in my own life. For a second, I was part of the joke, not just the one writing it in the shadows.
As I continue on my way to the entrance ceremony, I think about our unique 'language' interaction, still knowing that we got a new friendship. There's still some rebuilding to do, but maybe this is exactly the kind of honest, messy, youthful moment that makes life worth living. Moments where I could just distract myself and laugh without thinking about anything else.
I don't regret choosing this school. Here, amidst the chaos and antics, I found something I didn't even know I was looking for: someone who isn't afraid to break the order. And maybe... just maybe... that's worth it.