The Nail That Sticks Out

Chapter Eight: Scalps

Kai Fukuda

"Alright, ladies and gents, I present..." Dr. Davis picks up a glass slide and lifts it in the air. "Tissues from the scalps of balding men!"

I catch a few horrified looks around the classroom.

"Right, you all have microscopes on your tables so I assume you know what to do." Dr. Davis hands me the slides. I go around, distributing them to each table. 

"The point of today's class is to make sure all of you know how to use a microscope properly. These babies cost over four thousand yen each, so if you break 'em, you pay for 'em."

I round the room and as I arrive at the last table in the front corner, I catch a pair of dark eyes. She sits furthest away from the rest of the members on the table. I guess it's not easy to find people to talk to in Waseda if you're not fully Japanese. It's almost as if people can sense you sticking out from the crowd, but that's what happens when everyone's the same.

I place the slides carefully on the table before returning to Dr. Davis' desk.

"Right. Now as I said, the slides on your tables are tissue samples obtained from bald scalps. Today, you'll be identifying all the nitty-gritty parts of the reticular layer. Anyone care to remind us of what these parts are?"

Crickets. As per usual.

"We went over this last class," Dr. Davis prompts.

I watch as heads turn away, students no doubt avoiding getting called on.

"Sweat and sebaceous glands..."

I glance up curiously to find Olivia facing Dr. Davis, her sweet voice filling the room.

"...hair follicles and shafts, and hair."

I knew she was clever. Not so shy after all.

"Thank you, Miss..."

"Olivia," she provides.

"Miss Olivia. You listed the parts perfectly. Although with today's slides, we wont be seeing any hair under the microscope!" He laughs. "Okay. Let us begin. I will be reading off the instructions while Kai demonstrates up front."

I take over the microscope sitting on the long table at the front and follow Dr. Davis's step-by-step instructions. Having worked here for this long, I could probably do this shit in my sleep. But it seems like I'm not the only one.

Olivia slides her tissue sample onto the stage of her microscope long before Dr. Davis is done explaining how the light is adjusted.

I watch her as she buries herself in the lens, her teeth toying with her lips in concentration. The sight of her is somehow simultaneously nerdy and hot.

"Fukuda-san," I hear a girl call from the back.

"Hannshakyou no chosei wo tetsudatte moraemasen-ka?" (Can you help me adjust the reflector?)

I stride to the end of the room and see a girl with short, platinum blonde hair peering up at me through her long lashes. The other girls on the table beside her are hiding their faces, whispering and giggling.

I lean over and check her reflectors. My brow ticks as I notice how she hasn't even turned to the right lens. I prep the microscope without bothering with any explanations. This girl's probably not interested in learning how to use it anyway.

"Arigatou-gozaimasu!" she exclaims, placing a dainty hand on my arm. (Thank you!)

I nod and head back to the front table and catch Dr. Davis shooting me a sympathetic look.