When I first moved to Tokyo I always thought I would struggle to blend in with the crowd, but the more time passes, and the more I grow into the culture I realized my mothers Asian genes were a blessing and a curse, my fluency in the language and my ability to read a room let me become transparent to the Public. Sometimes I feel like people are able to see right through me, leaving me to myself, when school started I really had outcasted myself, I was involved in a sports injury back home and it never healed properly leaving me to need a surgery before flying causing me to miss the first few weeks of school. I was left with a huge scar on my shoulder and no one really asked me about it, rumors started to come up and everybody thought I had been involved in some violent fight back home. Gradually people started to give me my own bubble, nobody wanted to talk to me, except a lab rat, Fukoshi.
Fukoshi was never fond of listening to the people outside and what they had to say, he was always keen on seeing whatever it was they were talking about for himself. he spent more time in the science lab recreating experiments then any sane person, just to see the outcome for himself. He is so far the only person outside of my family to witness the scar. I remember him asking "does the metal get cold at night when you sleep" instead of creating his own explanation for it.
Arriving at the south-east gate once more I make my way down the steps, swipe my card and plugged my ear buds back in tuning out the outside noise, and proceeding to the crowded train platform. That girl was still fresh in my mind. then it hit me, like a Pidgeon flying into a stainless glass window. She was wearing a sweatshirt from my university, but i still couldn't tell why she was different I gripped the ice cold metal pole and let the train pull out of the station, and the train of thought levee my mind aswell.
I was in the zone all the way up until my phone buzzed and startled me a bit, it was Fukoshi.
"meet me at the student hall in an hour, I want to meet up early"
originally I was planning on going back to my place and watching some YouTube or read some before participating in social interaction, but I guess that was off the table. maybe he would know about the girl I saw today. The rest of the train ride I was annoyed with my ear buds, one side wasn't working, making me mad at how cheaply made they were. fighting with the cord trying to get it in the right place so I could listen to the music in both ears.
I had arrived at the student hall early I wanted to eat my onigiri before they got too cold. I enjoy Japanese food so much, maybe too much, I didn't get much of it back home and it doesn't cost that much to eat out here. it's actually cheaper to just eat outside food every night instead of cooking at my dorm apartment, in a small kitchen. Unwrapping the onigiri carefully I indulge myself in the first bite when I feel someone sit down right next to me on the bench and grab my other onigiri. I was about to yell or do something to get my food back, but I realized it was Fukoshi and I immediately dial down "you really showed up to the hall early to take my food?" I ask him. "I cant believe my best friend would be trying to hide convenience onigiri from me... you think you know a guy" he replies, copying exactly how i unwrapped and ate my onigiri. "so why are we meeting so early? doesn't the party start at 8, it's only 5." I ask trying to change the subject off of the food. "I haven't hung out with you outside the lab since our first year here". "Well Eto that's gonna change, are you scared?". knowing in my head that I am beyond scared, and didn't want to admit it, but Fukoshi was right and thinking about it if I didn't try to make friends now I will forever be an outcast here originally I was okay with that but now that just sounds like a nightmare I would never want to live through. "no of course I'm not scared" I finally reply with my mouth full of the last bite of. "yea that's a lie" Fukoshi murmured under his breath. "anyways Eto, I really like this girl-". "hold on" I interject "you are forcing me into this situation because you like a girl at our university, but you don't go outside the lab, who is she, are you cheating on me Fuko" I say in a over dramatic tone " I thought I was the only one who visited you in the lab" " I'm surprised you weren't in drama club" Fukoshi replies finishing his last bite, "well anyways originally she would swing by every now and then, she taught me how to make tea over a burner in the lab, she invited me to the party we are going to and told me to invite my friends and your all I got Eto, so please don't back out now." Fuko says desperately. "ah what the hell, what building is the party at? "I reply knowing I am way to far in to back out now. "if we leave within the next ten minutes we should be there on time" "wait I thought the party was here, in a campus apartment." I ask beyond confuse on what trap I just walked into . "nope its in Fujisawa we are going to have to catch the 5:30 train if we want to be there on time, so you better go change into those party clothes you bought and get ready to run to the station. "Fujisawa?! I really do hate you sometimes Fuko" I grab my bag and head to the bathroom close to the hall.
YOU ARE READING
I never thought about Oranges in winter
RomanceEtoshi is a third year in Tokyo university going through a rough patch in his life, struggling with self-harm in between his transition years between high school and college he slowly starts to acclimate the consequences of his parents abandonment...
