Road to Recognition

Four

As soon as the school day ended I was prepared to help with the cleanup until Mr. Takara showed up.

"Don't worry about today, all right, Zenjiro-kun?" He smiled. Then he called another student who came in with a bucket of water. "Kirishima-kun! Matte!" The older man rushed to the student he called out to and started talking to him in their language. I picked up the bag I was given at the office with my uniform and looked out the window. There was the baseball club assembling and students rushing back and forth with buckets and other utilities for cleaning. I sighed. Everyone is so well disciplined here yet back home... I shook my head. No use thinking about home. All I can hope is that nobody is giving Hide a bad time.

"Zenjiro-kun, meet Kirishima-kun," catching my attention was the energetic teacher with an arm around the shoulders of said male. "He will accompany you to the station and home since he lives in the same neighborhood. I would like you two to get along since he will walk with you every day until Aoki-kun comes back."

I slowly nodded with uncertainty. "Okay. Um, arigatou." Satisfied with my response, Mr. Takara scurried away to either help the students or do some teacher work, leaving me with the unfamiliar male.

"Ano, Leyes-kun," he said uncertainly as well. I am so glad I'm not the only one feeling this way. Funny how native Japanese speakers can't pronounce the r. I've noticed this in Hide's and Mr. Takara's speech. "Les go," he said slowly as if he can't speak English well. He probably can't I realized.

I followed the slightly taller male out the class and after bidding goodbye to the people who invited me to sit with at lunch (they all were very energetic despite rushing everywhere at once), we exited the building. Even though I've seen these trees on my way in, I couldn't help but admire them. They are so beautiful and well cared for. The trees planted in front of my school are almost always bare.

The walk to the station was short and quiet. I don't know if I liked that but I guess I do. I'm not much of a talker anyways either. We walked up to the rail and Kirishima passed by without a seconds hesitation. Of course, it was then that I remembered I needed my rail pass to cross. I fumbled around in my bag which made the people walking behind me get upset and went around. My face started turning pink as I swiped and crossed much like the others. Thankfully, or rather unthankfully, Kirishima waited for me but that meant he saw my little circus. I think I saw him giggle into his hand to the side. I refused to look so I can't say for sure.

The station was full of people. I guess it's rush hour. While we stood to wait for the train I quickly grew bored. I mean we aren't talking so might as well look around. I did so and noticed so many groups of girls and guys hanging out, giggling and laughing and having a good time all with either my school uniforms or from other schools. I smiled. Japanese life seems so fun and easy, huh.

"Zenjiro-san," I heard Kirishima say over the noise. I whipped my head to give him my full attention. This seemed to startle him but he didn't say anything about it. "My Engrish is not very good," he said slowly again. Huh, so they can say the r. Their r's and l's sound so similar though. When I realized he wasn't going to say anymore I let out a small and quick 'oh'.

"Um," I tried to remember what I learned. "Ore wa--" When the words turned blank, I stared off into space, trying to grasp at the words. Letting out an irritated sigh, I suddenly got an idea. I held up a finger to signal him to wait. I dug through the book bag for a spare sheet of paper along with a pencil. Once I pulled both out, I started writing. Kirishima looked curiously at the sheet as I slowly and carefully marked what I wanted to say.

I passed him the slip quite proudly and watched his eyes flit across the text. He smiled and asked for my pencil which I gladly gave it to him. He wrote something more and passed it back. It was then that the train pulled up and the doors opened. We walked in along with the swarm and I read what he wrote.