All of us decided to leave outside together, just to head home. After all, it’s 10 PM on a Wednesday. A school week. It’s rare that a social event like this happens. It’s even more rare that nothing happened. Well, that I know of. Getting shown your childhood friend's panties is probably a rare event too, right? 

Of course, I know the answer. 

It’s so common that it’s certain to happen to everyone. 100%. 1:1.

Right?

Yamaki decided to head out first. She lived on the opposite side of the avenue. Just right off Takabata Park. The other side. If this was a turf war, I’d be riding on a bike and throwing water balloons at the residents or something. But I’m a grown… teenager. Yeah. Not quite a grown man, yet.

She gave me and Minoru a quick hug. As for her beloved Omai? You could argue it was bordering on a frisky forbidden love, except it’s no longer forbidden because it’s the 2020s now.

“See you guys soon! Love you, Omai!” Yamaki-san shouted out, disturbing any neighbour in the vicinity of her voice. Which must’ve been a 10km radius. She blew a kiss towards Maipie. I responded too, of course. It pays to be polite! Give me a medal.

She walked home on her own. Leaving me, Mai, and Minoru to loiter in the same street I live in.

“You guys want to get a drink from the vending machines?” I asked.

In unison, they both exclaimed “Yeah!” Okay. I’m exaggerating for Minoru-san. He said “Sure.”

After the cold temperature finally settled in, I realized that… I quite like the smell of a spring night. I’m not even sure why. It smells like damp grass with an earthy essence. Cold, but not quite freezing. Just a middling chill. 

May had now just approached, so the perfect temperatures were going to arrive here in this extravagant city of Nagoya. Known for sights such as a port and miles of industry.

You can tell how much I love my home city.

Minoru’s phone quickly rang. He rejected it almost instantly.

“Which drinks do you both want? Any surprises for me since I’m buying?” I waved the 1000 yen note like I was a fisherman to the eels. What a terrible smile. My homeroom teachers should put me out back and shoot me. 

Preferably, Tateishi-sensei.

Minoru-san basically flailed his arms to stop me from doing that. “It’s degrading man, stop.” I conceded. Yeah, it is a bit insulting. Mai didn’t seem to mind. 

Even in her school uniform, you could practically see her still donning her choker and extra-frilled dress. At first, I got second-hand embarrassment but now I’m both proud and ashamed that I can’t be as stylish as her. 

Pale skin that was like marble without the imperfections.

I’m objectifying again, aren’t I?

Mai looked at me.

“I. Want. Iced. Coffee.”

Why did she enunciate every word and stress it out? But fair enough.

“Sure, what about you, Minoru?”

“Eh. I was gonna get the same but I’ll get the Pocari instead.”

Good choice, Minoru-san.

As for I, dear person-who-I-made-up-in-my-head. It’s a secret. 

I lied.

I’m a sucker for orange juice. OJ. Mandarin Water. Yeah, I made that last nickname up.

Mai’s eyes widened. She has now transformed into an alien and is ready to kidnap and probe me. Just kidding. Mai was surprised that I chose such a whimsically childish drink. What’s her problem? “What are you looking at?” I asked in a non-confrontational tone. Just kidding again! I was a bit miffed but I smiled through it all.

She gave a chuckle. How many chuckles do people give?

“It just doesn’t seem like something you’d do Honzo. Drinking orange juice at 10 PM. I thought you’d be the type to be serious and make some monologue about drinking coffee. Or maybe at this time, you’d rather be watching some AVs?”

I spat my orange juice. Minoru-san seemed to choke on his drink. Each cough got worse than the last until it just stopped. Mai began to laugh even more.

“You guys are so easy to tease. I wonder why you both have the reputation of being hard to walk to.” She put her fingers to her lips and then gestured as if to point at the sky. “It’s because you two are afraid to speak to girls sincerely.”

“Why am I getting lectured alongside… him?” Minoru-san had his arms out, pointing at me. How cruel. I thought we were trauma bros? Okay. Maybe I shouldn’t say that in my head. That sounds quite wrong.

“I don’t know. Just felt like putting you on the same as Honzo. So he’s not lonely.”

“Gee,” I said. “Thanks, Maipie for your astute analysis. Any more things you have to say about me?”

“Yeah. Honzo, you need to change your perception and become the most popular person in school.”

“No thanks,” I responded. “I give that open position to my close friend, Minoru-san.”

“Did you just call me a close friend but still add the -san?” Minoru said deflated now. “That’s not very nice.” He gave an exaggerated saddened face. A frown that could even make a monk laugh at how stupid it is.

All three of us kept on joking until the last volume of fluid in our drinks disappeared. Then, there was really no excuse to stay in the night cold. It was already 20 past now. Maybe in twenty years, we’ll be the town drunks? A frightening but, I guess, funny prospect.

Minoru waved goodbye. “I’ll be heading home now, take care, you two.” That was rather sweet of Minoru-san. 

I waved back and said, “See you tomorrow.”

He headed for Takabata Station.

Next, Mai spoke. “I’m going to head off too. Don’t think of me when you watch AVs. I’ll tell Nishi and Sayako and they’ll be after your head. In many ways more than one.” She then pulled her eye and gave a tongue taunt at me. 

I laughed. You know what, I have to give it to Mai. She is actually funny, at least to me. 

“For your information, I’m a few days clean. Stay safe, Mai.”

“I’ll just leg it home, wanker!”

I’ve never heard any Japanese person say wanker until now. I won’t let her defeat me. I’m going to stay clean. No more H.

~~~

The phone showed 10:50 PM.

Looking into my surroundings, it smelt of old tiles and sweat. The white lights above were mixed in their staining. Some of them were a clear spotless white, their luminescence shining onto every soul standing in this platform amongst the seas. Most were just a dirty off-white colour that looked like it was staining the walls near it yellow.

Meitetsu Nagoya Station.

Kikuchi Minoru just stood there.

He stood staring into the distance.

Sorry, I started staring into the distance. Sometimes, I think of myself in the 3rd person when I’m tired. There were still numerous people around me, waiting to catch the same train as me. Sometimes my mind wanders a little bit. Not that often, but this is one of those rare days.

I decided to hang out with Honzo’s friends instead of going to Ai’s house like I was planning to. She called earlier. I’m probably going to get a mouthful and learn a few Korean words all relating to ‘lowlife’ and ‘scum.’ I made my decisions and the consequences will inevitably reflect on me.

Life here is surprisingly difficult. Granted, it’s not shootings here unlike back home, but there are almost emotional shootings from different angles. There’s a weird sense of feeling like home until it just doesn’t. And it’s not triggered by someone talking or 

Opposite me, I saw a kid and his family on the other platform wearing a Nagoya Grampus shirt. How nice it would be to get scouted by them. A J1 League squad or reserve player will make enough yen to give your parents and other relatives homes of their own. Or businesses too. I think I’ll just apply to them if the school team doesn’t work out. We’re just middling, despite our academic achievement.

I didn’t even know I missed the game. Despite the name, Nagoya Grampus’ stadium is in Toyota.

Trains kept whooshing past. The noise was a typical buckle against the rails. Despite being heading into a late night, the amount of people here was astounding. Hundreds of trains terminate and begin here.

I found myself even starting to think like Honzo. Or at last, that’s what he would think like. He overthinks everything to such a degree that it must be painful for him. At least for me, I can ease the emotional pain by just heading to some girl’s house or taking my mind off by selling goods with Shin. Focus on the grind for money. Stack or starve.

Honzo’s one of those train nerds. At least I think so. He can probably name you every single type of train that goes past this very platform. I’m surprised I even became friends with someone like him. I guess changing your perspective is healthy for you.

Kindred souls, I guess.

Even though Mai, Yamaki, and I basically set him up with Erina-san, from what we could hear through the thin walls - I don’t think he initiated anything. Maybe I guess shared pain.

I guess it’s healthy to be introspective once in a while. Speaking of health, my phone was ringing. It's probably Ai-chan.

“Hi, Ai,” I said in English.

“Yo, Minoru? I thought you said you were gonna be at mine tonight?” She replied back in English.

Both of us were raised in America, but Kirino Ai was born in Daegu, South Korea. Her actual name is Kim Ji-hyun but she’d prefer you call her Ai. I guess you could say we both relate since Minoru’s not really my real name. 

Or I was just trying to remember everything she said so I could hit.

I responded to her in a quick and direct fashion. “I was with my friends at their house.” 

“After school? Nice try, Minoru-kun.” She was serious in tone.

“Baby, you don't have to add the -kun when we’re speaking in English. Who’s going to understand it?”

“Yeah, whatever Min-min. You just played me off like I was one of your silly hoes.”

I started to get a bit loud enough that people could hear. “You decided to let a 16-year-old with mommy issues hit, even though you’re 21, so you best keep quiet or I might have to call the police about ‘emotional abuse.’”

Over the phone, I heard a tinkle of giggling. “Nah, so you breaking the code of silence? You’re snitching? Guess there’s gonna be an anonymous tip about all the fraudulent merchandise in one of your stash houses that this poor girl was forced to hold for you.”

After I heard those words, I froze a little. I know she was joking, but there are many girls who would line you up over a sudden small thing. “Baby, Ai. I was joking. I’m obviously not going to tell. Why would I? It’s just a secret between us both, right?”

“Min-min. I’m from Los Angeles too. I know when gang members are being manipulative saying that shit. I’ve heard the ‘secret’ thing a million times. One of my cousins is banging some Korean gang hard too so I just know.” 

She paused to breathe in before hitting me directly in the face with an “I thought I was your ride-or-die boo? What girl from your school got it like me?”

I stood there, stone-faced. There are actually a few girls in our school that are pretty. That’s all I’m saying.

“I mean shit, I like you but you just fake big titties. At least everything else about you is natural.” As soon as I finished, she saw an opening and replied abruptly, “Them same fake titties that you were borderline worshipping a few weeks back and finishing all over them in pleasure. Shit, I know you still thinking of them right now as we speak.”

She got me.

“The train’s literally gonna come soon in a few minutes, I have to go home to Houshou.”

Suddenly, she put on her seductive and enticing voice. “You know I’m not far from Nagoya Station. Still on Grand Maison Misonoza. You know the tower.”

I scratched my head. “Fuck. You actually made me fiending. You still there? Can I come?”

“Sure. I’m always going to be here. It's my home.” She replied.

“Man, you Korean girls are funny sometimes. You speak like you’re from the slums of K-Town but your daddy is some high-ranking officer in a random Japanese conglomerate.” 

She spoke succinctly. “And you love me for that.”

The train arrived as soon as she ended the call abruptly.

As abruptly as it arrived, so too did the doors open.

In front of me was a familiar face. It was Ram’s father.

“Oh hey,” I greeted. “Mr. Gharti? How you doing?”

I opened my hands out to shake his hands. He accepted so quickly. As soon as our hands contacted, the train doors closed and the frame of the train started slowly moving until suddenly I could see the other platform again. It’s clear that I’ve made my decision.

“Minoru! What are you doing in Nagoya, so late?” He asked in good faith. “I was hanging out with a few new friends to celebrate an occasion since my other friends have been getting slightly distant since they’re all focusing on soccer and school.”

He nodded and understood.

“But anyways, what’s with you, Uncle Hiransh? How’s learning Japanese?”

He gave a pretty boisterous laugh. “Could be better. But enough that I can understand simple instructions. I’m off to my cleaning job but I might be off to a better start this year.” I gave him a congratulatory message. “That’s good, Mr. Gharti!”

“Sadly, I’m running a bit late but good luck with the lady and please always take care of my son as usual. Guide him off the streets as usual!”

I waved him goodbye. I started to deeply understand his last sentence. I’m arguably now doing the opposite, so I probably should tell him to stop.

Wait? Did he overhear that conversation on the phone? Now it’s embarrassing when a middle-aged person hears you down so bad that you don’t even want to go home.

Oh, woe is me. I guess I have to go to Maison Tower and ‘speak’ to Ai-chan.