// T h e F o r e i g n e r \\ M.C

// n e w b o y \\

Kumiko's POV;

The wind was pushing harder second by second, it took all the strength in my tiny bony arms to keep the umbrella hovering my body. I knew I shouldn't have stayed in after-school lessons for so long, it was already passed 8 and I needed to be home as soon as possible.
My umbrella slipped out of my hand once again for the third time, as I jumped back to quickly grasp it. Standing up, a huge body image was seen trudging in the sidewalk with huge slow steps. I froze. I knew he was a foreigner. Definitely a foreigner. And not the one who taught at her high-school. This must be the new Australian schoolboy.

I tried walking quickly, but the wind kept my movements slow. I could feel every bone in me vibrate, like wind chimes after each blast.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the giant approaching. He was completely soaked, and his shaggy hair made me think of how my schnauzer after a bath. I wonder why he didn't have an umbrella, but he was a foreigner and it was expected that foreigners be a bit weird. Its not like my umbrella was helping anyways, since the wind made the rain come as much from the front as from above.

His huge legs brought him beside me and he slowed his plodding steps. I could feel him eyeing me. His grey-green eyes looking at me feel different. Not always bad, but just so strange. The gaze of his felt calculating, He was going to say something. I knew he would say something. Foreigners liked to hear their accent, and he wasn't going to get the sound of it from anywhere but his mouth.

He did speak, is voice sounding like arrhythmic gravel falling from a shovel onto cement.

"Where are you heading, all by yourself?" he asked, his pace slowing.
"H-home" I squeaked in return, letting my head droop low.

He quickened his pace for a moment, just enough to walk in front of me. Then slowed down to match my speed. As soon as he strolled in front of me, I felt that strange calm that comes with getting out of the wind. It was much easier to walk now.

He was only just ahead of me, and I could smell him. He smelt like freshly microwaved frozen pizza. Maybe what my friends said about foreigners eating pizza breakfast, lunch dinner was true. It was a pleasant and familiar smell, everyone liked pizza.

I've heard about this new Australian boy before. The grocery clerk had told me that, even though he was a teen, he still bought lots of milk to drink. He bought four one liter cartons each day since he's gotten here whenever he would pass the store. There must be very little room in his fridge for anything else besides milk.

I stiffened and nearly stepped into a gigantic puddle. He was doing something kind for me, and all I could think about were the rumors about him. I needed to show my appreciation somehow.

With my free hand, I reached into my backpack, making a rustling noise as my hand felt against an old McDonald's cheeseburger wrapper. There was also an empty bento and a math textbook in there. Nothing else. Nothing small I could give him to show my appreciation.

i could feel my cheeks turning a dark shade of red, as I worried about seeming appearing impolite towards the foreigner.

Would he think that all Japanese kids are ungrateful? That shame would be too great. I would have to do something.

I closed my useless umbrella and threw it in my backpack. Then, took out the cheeseburger wrapper and began folding it.

I finished just as we arrived to my home. I poked the foreigner to let him know I would be leaving his company. As he turned back to look at me, I offered him the paper crane that I had folded from the wrapper. As he took it from me, I stammered out a "thank-you", turned bright red and ran inside.

The wind was strong and the rain was heavy, but the foreigner held up one of his massive hands to protect the small gift safely tucked onto the palm of the other.

I had recycled his culture, refined it with my own and then given it to him.

It was just so Japanese.