Chapter 15

There was nothing that set Caleb's teeth on edge quite like the forced banter of bro talk. Granted, that wasn't exactly what it was called in Japan. As far as he knew, there was no exact translation there. Not that it mattered, they were all the same breed of animal. The jocks, the preps, the lads depending on the region. The only way they seemed to differ in Japan was that grades became a component in establishing oneself at the top of the social hierarchy. Not just athletics or social ability.

It made sense. Academics were far more prominently pronounced in the Japanese school system than athletics were, unlike in the US. Boys who made the best grades went to the best colleges, got the best jobs, made the most money, which netted them the hottest wives. In Japan, your potential earnings spoke far more than being able to kick a ball into a net or dunk one in a basket ever could.

At first, it was almost a refreshing change of pace for Caleb, being considered one of the jocks instead of one of the outcast losers like he often was back in the US. Of course, back then, he'd yet to hit his growth spurt and spent most of his time pretending to be a severely traumatized mute, so no one would suspect when he gouged another student's jugular vein out with a pen. All the same, he did genuinely enjoy his time spent at the top of the social ladder.

Or at least he did for a time. But even an impressively intelligent jock like Ryuji was still that same breed of asshole he remembered all too well. And this became all the more apparent by the way he treated their first-year students. What made it particularly bothersome was that his 'best friend' was simultaneously enough of a prick he genuinely wanted to stab his eyes out but also clever enough to make that something of a challenge. In moments like this, he almost missed being a loser; bullies in America were so much easier to goad than in Japan. Just lure them out to a secluded spot, wait behind a tree, and then knock their brains out with a hammer.

Simpler times.

"Alright, I know what you're thinking right now," Ryuji insisted as they walked through the courtyard during lunch hour.

I wanna rip your tongue out of your head, pickle it, and then serve it to our friends with a side of nato and miso soup.

"Oh really?"

He nodded. "That far-out stare can only mean one thing. You're wondering if you and the prez need to go official or not."

Caleb smiled. "Sharp as always."

"Dude, I'm telling you, there is no rush. Take it from someone who knows, my friend, and your future is already set. Keep playing the field while you can. And if you really want to get Sana-chan in your back pocket, just make her a promise for the future or something. Girls in this school go crazy for that sort of thing."

He tapped Caleb on the shoulder and pointed over towards a set of cherry blossom trees.

"See that one in the middle there? There's an old school legend that any couple who kisses under that tree when it blossoms will be destined to get married one day." He laughed obnoxiously. "It's all superstitious crap, of course. But it doesn't stop the girls around here from believing in it."

Okay, despite his best efforts, Caleb couldn't help himself. "You seem to have a very shallow opinion of the women we attend this school with."

Ryuji just laughed at that before turning to the rest of his buddies. "Hey, you know what they say about a girl with a good personality?"

"It's compensation for a lack of tits!" one of them responded.

They all laughed. Caleb, meanwhile, was already apologizing to his mother in advance. There was no way he was getting through this semester without another incident.

As he looked over at the cherry blossom tree Ryuji pointed out. He noticed something that caught his eye. It was that girl from the hallway, the one who didn't so much as look at him while quietly muttering to herself. She was reading a textbook, and...it looked like she was pretending to eat out of an empty bento box?

He found himself subconsciously narrowing his eyes at her, coming to a dead stop in the courtyard.

"Hey, Caleb! You alright?" one of his friends asked.

"Who is she?" he asked curiously. "How is it I've never seen her before?"

Ryuji gave him a curious look before glancing over at where he was staring. "Oh her? That's Toriyasu Akane. A second year. She's top of her class right now in grades. Decently pretty but...kind of a loner."

A loner, huh?

"She might make a decent...what do you Americans call it again...side piece?" He spoke the words' side piece' in broken English. "I'm sure she's desperate enough."

He wasn't listening to a word he said. Something about watching this girl...an isolated loner much as he often felt like...pretending to eat invisible bento with a pair of old chopsticks really struck a chord with him. She was just going through the motions, faking it, much like he was.

Whimsy was not something he could ever confidently say he'd been struck with before, yet Caleb found himself intrigued all the same.

"Hey, guys? Go on ahead without me. I'll catch up."

Ryuji snickered at him before nodding. "Whatever you say, man." He gestured for the others to follow. "Alright, boys, let's let the master work."