You Are My Protagonist

Chapter 4

Around two hours later the event finally ends and after cleaning up, Chen and I decide to grab lunch at the Einstein Bagels on campus. I order a three meat and cheese one for myself and I notice that Chen just grabs a plain bagel. 

"Is that all?"

"What?"

"No protein?" He shoots a look at my sandwich.

"Well I can't eat all that." I pinch his fleshy arm and laugh. "No wonder there's no muscle here!" He pulls his arm away and blushes, causing my laugh to awkwardly trail off. I scratch the back of my head.

"So...why Sensei?" I ask as we take a seat at one of the tables.

"Well...they refer to authors as Sensei in Japan..."

"Are you Japanese?"

"Huh? Oh no, I'm Chinese. However I do love anime - Anyway, it started out as a joke by one of my friends, eventually everyone started calling me that." He shrugs with a smile. 

"So you write fantasy?"

"Well...fiction and primarily historical, with an occasional bit of fantasy, and supernatural added in. With occasional sci-fi, romance, realism, or horror"

"Huh, so then a bit of almost everything?" I ask with a smile. 

"Well..." he blushes, then opens and closes his mouth twice. "I like to write...about dreams."

"Dreams?" I cock an eyebrow.

"Yes, I find it interesting how people, whether in the past or present, continue to have the same desires, the same wishes or dreams which are universal throughout any era." I scrunch my eyebrows, puzzled.

"Well, well take the Romeo and Juliet case. That same idea of not being able to marry who you wish because of familial constraints has been repeated over and over throughout popular culture. Take Crazy Rich Asians for example. And while it's based on a stereotype, all stereotypes have a basis in reality." I flinch, a nice Tamil girl. 

"So, what about you? What are your dreams? Becoming a writer?"

"Well..." his eyes flicker. "My family was against me becoming a writer."

"But now they're not because you're successful? So you've achieved your dream?"

"I...something like that." I scrutinize his expression but he avoids my eyes. I shrug.

"I'm a business and computer science major." He looks up and his eyes brighten.

"Oh really? Why that?"

"Well, I've always had an interest in math and problem solving, at least I prefer it to liberal arts. Eventually I just found myself naturally going into business. So I just decided to do that along with computer science. "Since," I chuckle, "as my parents continually remind me, it's where the money's at right?" I glance towards Chen and notice that he's looking down.

"Not that there's anything wrong with being a writer. I mean, you're successful." I hastily add.

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

We sit there in silence for a moment, chewing our bagels. 

"So, so you want to go into business?"

"Consulting for now, yeah. I just got hired by McKinsey, they're a firm based in New York."

"New York? So...you're going to New York soon?"

"Huh? N-"

"So you're going to New York. I should go." He sharply stands and strides out of the room, still clutching his half eaten bagel, and I watch him leave. What's his problem? He didn't even let me finish talking and he was distracted the whole time. Wasn't it him who asked me out first? Wait, was that even a date? Oh I give up. 

Sighing, I grab my phone, wallet, and keys and exit the shop.