NAKAMURA RIKAKO<br/><br/>I listened politely as he spoke although he appeared to have some sort of nervous twitch or other affliction which caused him to look away in random directions as I talked to him.<br/><br/><em>Poor thing, he should get a specialist to treat that, it makes him look very strange.</em><br/><br/>Nevertheless, as was polite when speaking to people you have just met, I held eye contact with him throughout his strange orbital meanderings so that it didn't appear that I had noticed it and thus upset him. He may be one of those sensitive types. His words struck me as odd. He was clearly Japanese yet, it seemed, had never been educated in Japan since he was apparently ignorant of how schools here function and the duties of student council members both on and off campus. This, and his attitude made it seem to me that he probably wasn't Japanese at all despite his looks. Korean, maybe? Or Chinese? Or plastic surgery? Bad plastic surgery... That might explain the weird eyes and shifty behaviour. Yes, a failed face job might invoke that sort of arrogance to try and cover his shortcomings. I felt bad about this, he was struggling under so many burdens... It was certainly impossible for him to be Japanese and not be aware that paying due deference to your seniors and placing the community above your own needs at all times is the way we do things here, and have done for millenia.<br/><br/>Ah.<em>Gaijin</em>. That explains it. He wishes he were Japanese and puts on airs to try and fit in, only he can't.<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"A student council...shouldn't there jurisdiction stop the moment you leave the academy? If you wish to be lead around like cattle...then dismiss my words."</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><em>Yes. No idea at all. How odd.</em>As he was so ignorant I did at once dismiss his words, though not because I was cattle, but because I was Japanese, and he clearly was not. merely trying to be.<br/><br/>I felt sure Mana would correct him in due course.<br/><br/>As he gave me a small bow that once again demonstrated only his lack of understanding of Japanese ways I bowed deeply and respectfully to his retreating back and forgave him his funny behaviour.<strong>"Enjoy the meal..."</strong>I was about to say his name when I realized he hadn't told me his. Yes, that implied he had to be foreign. No well brought-up Japanese boy would ever be that rude. I sighed and could only close with<strong>"...<em>Gaijin</em>-san."</strong><br/><br/>He would learn. Quickly if he was bright, slowly and painfully if he was stupid.<br/><br/>As he walked away I felt only sympathy for him. Poor lad.<br/><br/>I turned to see the rest of the group being ushered across the road by Mana but then the boy I'd seen earlier caught my eye. He was watching us hesitantly from the pavement. I turned and on an impulse went over, bowing and smiling.<br/><br/><strong>"<em>Konnichiwa. Sumimasen</em> - are you with Sendai High?"</strong>I smiled, trying to put him at his ease.