"Some people say that the key to enjoying life is to take risks, be brave, and experience new things... But why even bother, my life has been up until now a series of predictable events. I knew what was going to happen in middle school or kindergarten. These predictions gave me comfort. No surprises, no unexpected scenarios, no random encounters... Unexpected plans are overrated. Why would you waste your energy on things you cannot predict? That's just asking for chaos. And now suddenly I got thrown into this student exchange program, which kinda threw me off. What the hell am I supposed to do here? Completing this stupid checklist?" thought Benjamin to himself.
It's 5 p.M. A warm summer evening inside the house of the Hirayama family. Benjamin arrived in Japan a few days ago, and he already seems bothered by everything that surrounds him. He doesn't want to be here, and he knew without a doubt that he never signed up for some student exchange program in the first place. His mother dragged him into this unwillingly, and as a result, he is now stuck here in Japan for an entire year. He tried endlessly to get an answer from his mother, but he couldn't manage to get anything. After some last attempts, he finally gave up.
"Have you already decided on what to do first on your list?" asked his uncle Hiroki.
"How about this one?"
"That is the backside of the paper, and it's empty..."
"Exactly."
"Look, I know your mom didn't tell you about the exchange program, but think about this trip as a new fresh experience. Besides, it isn't as bad as you make it. Have some fun while you're here."
"Please... like that's going to help. I'm spending here in a country that I last visited when I was two years old. I know barely anything here, and I don't know anyone inside that shabby high school."
"Alright, now you're exaggerating. You're going to make new relationships and maybe see a bit more about Japan! Isn't that great?" said his uncle with a smiling expression on his face.
"No." replied Ben without hesitation. He has heard that phrase time after time and started to turn a deaf ear to it.
"All I'm saying is that at least try to lighten up a bit. Since you're here for an entire year, why don't you start to take part in the clubs that they offer at the school?"
"Fine, I'll take part in some club." Benjamin begins to get irritated further and further. It seems that there wouldn't be a way out of this. He thought about the many activities that the school presented. He went on the webpage to sign up for a club, but nothing captured his attention. He scrolled up and down the entire website. Benjamin looked at the list he got provided by his German high school. He is supposed to complete a bunch of tasks by the end of the year. These include also joining two clubs at his new high school. After some consideration, he decided to join the music club for now.
"There, you happy?" said Benjamin with quite a pesky tone.
"Now that wasn't so difficult, was it? I promise that these clubs will be such an amazing experience. When I was your age, I also attended clubs. My friends and I would do all sorts of stuff. If you're looking forward to making connections, clubs are the best way to do so. And maybe you'll find a girlfriend here, huh?" Benjamin didn't see it that way. He is only in Japan for one year.
"I hope you're wrong. I'm not looking for friends. What I want is to go home. I mean, I still don't know why my mom even signed me up for this."
"*sigh* I can't seem to persuade you otherwise. I wonder from where you got that stubbornness. Anyway, I'm going to start making us some dinner. I will call you when it's ready." After he left the living room, Benjamin made his way up to his room.
His room is right next to one of his cousin's rooms. Hotaru hasn't returned from his club activities yet. Therefore it is more undisturbed than usual. His cousin can sometimes be very energetic, as he is part of the sports club and has received many trophies for his excellent contribution to his team. Benjamin lies on his mattress, reminiscing again on the days that led up to his departure from home. He still speculates about why his mother hadn't told him the actual explanation why he was left out of the loop about the student exchange program and the purpose of his time here.
"Yoo! What's up, everybody! I'm back!" shouted Hotaru as he walked into the living room. He had just gotten back from his club and is still as energetic as before leaving the house earlier today. Benjamin wonders how he manages to keep up such an upbeat attitude.
"Benjamin where are you? I got exciting news for you!"
"This better be good..." mumbled Benjamin to himself as he walked down the stairs. He found Hotaru standing in the living room with a big grin on his face.
"Why are you grinning?"
"I told my classmates about you. They all freaked out when they heard you were a foreigner. They are dying to meet you. I bet you'll get ladies swarming at you the minute you step foot on your campus!" Benjamin got a frowning expression on his face. His initial goal was to keep a low profile. To not stand out. Although he moderately knew that being a foreigner would deny that plan.
"And why would you do that?"
"Come on. Isn't that great? To be the only guy from the west at your school, that's kinda special don't you think?"
"You just want to brag to your friends that you got a foreign cousin."
"Well yes, but-"
"*sighs*"
"Look, I think your school will have the same reaction as my friends. It's not common to have foreigners around here, especially a 16-year-old."
"What is wrong with you?"
"I gotta take a shower. See you at dinner." said Hotaru as he ran off to the bathroom. After hearing that, the fear of standing out shoots into his head. In reality, Ben never stood out back in his German high school and middle school. He was a nobody, and that was enough for him. He has gotten used to it, like always.
"Good evening, everyone!" said Chieko. Benjamin's aunt was the complete opposite of what his mother is. Chieko has always been the cheerful one out of the two sisters. On the other hand, his mother has always been strict, stone-cold, and serious. At least, in Benjamin's eyes.
"What's with the long face, Ben? Did Hotaru say something ridiculous again?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. He seriously needs to stop that."
"Well, it can be hilarious at times."
"Weird does not equal funny."
"Look, we know you're not very happy being here. I understand, I'd also feel angry if I were to get dragged overseas, miles away from home. But making a sad face all day isn't going to help." said Chieko as she went to the dining room. They gathered together and prepared for dinner.
After dinner, Benjamin went back to his room. He is already lost in his thoughts again while lying on his bed. His mind can't stop thinking about tomorrow. The thought alone of having to introduce himself to a class he never wanted to enter at first makes him aggravated. In his opinion, all his new classmates are without a doubt going to dislike him. A foreign high school student like him doesn't belong here. Just like Hotaru said before, there aren't many foreigners here in this area. Benjamin is presumably the only foreigner in this town. Although he speaks Japanese fluently, he doesn't want to engage with anybody in school. The fewer people confront him, the better. The only goal he has in mind is to end his exchange year as fast as possible and return to his monotonous life in Germany. He doesn't mind the way his life has been going until now. In fact, he likes it that way. He has never been the one to engage in all sorts of fancy activities his school presented him. Studying at home and being on his own is the only way he knows how life is. Although, he occasionally imagines what it would be like to be more outgoing.
His old class has many students from different backgrounds. Now he is the only one with a different background here. He never imagined himself to be in a situation like this.
It is the next morning. A sunny day outside with multiple birds already soaring through the wind and singing. The sunlight shimmers right into Benjamin's room onto his face. His room is fairly empty. He hasn't bothered to open some of his suitcases yet. The past few days he has been wandering around the house not accomplishing much except playing some video games. He took a glance at the checklist that lay opposite his bed, and the more he looked at the checklist, the more he thought about shredding it into little pieces.
He woke up earlier than he actually required to. He intends to get to his classroom early with no one inside, so Benjamin can select an ideal place to sit and doesn't have to bother asking his classmates. He often plans things beforehand to avoid any unnecessary complications. His backpack and uniform have all been prepared. The reddish school uniform is something that he still hasn't gotten used to. At his German high school, and generally speaking his entire school life, he had never worn a uniform before. It feels bizarre for him. The yellow white-striped necktie that lays next to his uniform had been lost for three days. Benjamin found it just in time for his first day.
He went to the bathroom to shower. While doing so, the thought of having to introduce himself to an entirely new class came into his head again. He never liked situations like this, although today should be different.
"I woke up early and prepared everything in advance. Now I just grab something quick to eat, and I will be on my way without any complications. Normally, I hate introducing myself anywhere, but I got the feeling I won't have to do that today..."
Benjamin ran down the stairs, immediately heading to the kitchen. The night before he told his aunt to prepare a simplistic breakfast. He told her that a simple sandwich should be enough.
"Are you sure this is enough? You will get hungry for sure." asked Chieko for the ninth time.
"Yes, it is enough. Don't worry," said Benjamin.
"You already look skinny. Didn't your mother feed you properly? I need to call her again!"
"Eh?"
"You need the right amount of nutrients to make good progress in school. A healthy and good meal in the morning is crucial-"
"Please stop..." mumbled Benjamin while shoving his sandwich into his mouth.
"-you need to start putting on some weight, darling. What are the neighbors going to think when they see you? You still haven't greeted them since you got here. That is very rude."
"Alright, I'm done. See you later." said Benjamin as he finished his breakfast and headed outside.
"Do you want me to drop by and bring some lunch?"
"NO!" yelled Benjamin while running towards the door.
"That boy is something else..."
Benjamin walked down the streets of his new environment. The streets of this town are entirely dissimilar from what he was used to. The different architecture of the houses here on the road stuns him. Although he intends to get to school early, he can't help himself but take a glance at his surroundings. He ran as fast as he possibly could. Constantly keeping in mind his goal to reach class early.
Benjamin stopped at a red traffic light. While standing there, he could feel that people around him are staring at him. They are talking about him being a foreigner. Benjamin thought he wouldn't stand out because he blended in with the school uniform. Then he remembered its red color and it was understandable that he would attract attention to himself.
''Pretty obvious that people would stare at me. Why did I think it would be different. But it should be different once I get to campus."
Benjamin walked towards the school gate that he could see right around the corner.
The Tatsuya International High School is a high school like no other in this town. The school has some European elements that can be easily detected when looking close. To Benjamin's surprise, it is bigger than he expected. The long pathway to the entrance has multiple big trees on both sides. The number of plants he has seen until now compared to his German high school is quite high. His high school back home doesn't have much to offer when it comes to nature. There were some trees here and there but that was it. It was rather plain and modest. But here the school went all out even at the entrance.
However, instead of expecting an absolutely empty campus, it was packed with students. Everywhere he looked he could see a person in a red uniform. In every possible corner, someone was looking at him. Benjamin could see how they were talking about him.
"Wh-What the hell? Why is everyone already here? The campus is completely flooded with students. I made sure I was exceptionally early, and it still didn't work? Huh, this is fine so long as the classroom is empty."
Benjamin made his way up to his classroom, all while the whole school's attention was focused on him. He stood before the classroom with the sign '1-3' and anxiously takes a deep breath before entering.
"You gotta be kidding me..." said Benjamin as he stood before a completely full classroom of students. Every single seat has been taken by someone. There are only two left and coincidentally one of them has a little card with Benjamin's name on it. The entire class starts looking at him as he walks to his seat.
"Great. Looks like I gotta sit here. I wonder who sits at the other empty seat. That person is the only one absent. Maybe they're late?" thought Benjamin to himself.
While Benjamin sat in the room, he could hear the different students gossip about him.
"That's the foreign exchange student right?"
"Man, this guy is insanely tall..."
"Does he even speak Japanese?"
"Can he understand us?"
"He's cute."
"Should we talk to him?" questioned one of the students.
"No way. Do you actually think he speaks Japanese? What if we approach him and he doesn't speak Japanese then that's gonna be embarrassing as hell."
"Maybe. But that won't stop her from approaching him."
"Let's see."
Benjamin was perplexed. Who did they mean? The class president? Or a teacher? It had to be a girl it seems. This means that it couldn't be his new teacher called Mr. Yoshihiro. However, before he could even finish speculating someone bursts into the classroom:
"I-I'm here! What did I miss?" said Mizuho whilst catching her breath.
"You're late. Again."
"I know. I know. My alarm doesn't work apparently- *gasps* Oh! You're here!" said Mizuho to Benjamin while running towards him. Her face stares right into his face as she stood close to his desk.
"T–Too close, too close, way too close!" said Benjamin.
"You must be the new exchange student. So, ahm, my name is Mizuho Sakiyurai. It's a pleasure to meet you! For the last few days, we've been hearing a lot about you. The entire school pretty much knows you at this point. It's only been a day and you've gained popularity in an instant. So that's probably why everyone is that early here today. We figured that since you Germans have a thing for being punctual we all gathered here early. Well, except me... I tried. But that's unimportant... Hey, do you speak Japanese by the way?" Overwhelmed by all the talking of Mizuho he answered quickly:
"Yes, I do." after hearing that, the entire class sunk into embarrassment as they realized that Benjamin understood them the whole time.
Mizuho giggles and says to Benjamin: "You know, you could have said that a bit earlier."
"I'm not much a talker and I hate introducing myself." argued Benjamin
"I absolutely love introducing myself to other people. There is so much to talk about when you first meet someone new. You'll see what I mean."
"I believe you mistake an established friendship and a first encounter. There isn't much to talk about on the first meeting."
"Ah-ah, that's where you're wrong. The first encounter is already the beginning of that friendship and therefore qualifies as an establishment of friendship." replied Mizuho while tapping her index finger on Benjamin's forehead.
"Wh-What are you doing? And what do you even mean I didn't unders-"
"I believe your time here will be quite the spectacle, Benjamin." said Mizuho as she sat down in her seat next to Benjamin.
"Hurray...."
"Here is some advice for you..." said Mizuho.
"I didn't ask for any." replied Benjamin.
"Too bad. I'm gonna tell you anyway. My advice is you should probably stay inside the classroom during break time. I'm sure the whole school will go after you and we can't lose our exchange student on our first day."
"What...?"
During breaktime, Benjamin got hungry. It seems that the simple sandwich earlier in the morning wasn't quite enough. His stomach was growling relentlessly. It was like a wild animal inside him.
"Normally, a no-frills sandwich was enough back in Germany. I never had this before. Why am I suddenly hungry? Seems like my body used more resources than normal. Likely because I was so nervous. Dammit, I didn't take that into account. And I didn't even bring some money with me. Now I can't buy something in the cafeteria or outside in some shop. Dammit, Chieko." thought Benjamin to himself.
He skimmed around the class. Everyone has their own little box with food. While he observed the others, he realized that there were students outside the classroom peeking right into the room and looking at him. Out of sheer uncomfortableness, he got up and left through the second door. He roamed around the hallways attempting to divert himself from the hunger but he couldn't. Every single student of the Tatsuya Highschool knew he was finally here and they observed him from every possible angle. This, combined with his hunger, didn't make the situation any better. He wandered around a corner and unexpectedly, Mizuho ran into him. The two clashed together and Mizuho plunged.
"Ouch! You need to watch out tall guy! Other people are walking down here. And didn't I tell you to stay inside the classroom?" spoke Mizuho jokingly.
"Are you making fun of my height?" asked Benjamin while reluctantly stretching his hand out in order to help her get up. As the two stood at the corner of the hallway, Mizuho notices the huge amount of students scrutinizing Benjamin. The students witness Mizuho and Benjamin talking to each other. Until now she was the only one to approach the new foreign student.
"Look! Mizuho is talking to the foreigner!"
"So does he understand us?"
"What are they talking about?"
Mizuho could hear the gossip from miles away, and the students approached them to confirm their suspicions. They were getting closer and closer, almost like gossip-zombies. Abruptly, Mizuho takes Benjamin's hand and says:
"They're coming. Quick! I know a place where we can hide!"
"Wait... what? Hold up-" without ending his sentence, Mizuho pulled Benjamin by his hand as seemingly hundreds of students pursued them from everywhere.
After an entire pursuit through the complete Highschool, they managed to reach an unused room and hid there.
"Puh. We escaped. See what I meant by 'popular'?" said Mizuho while looking around and making sure they were safe.
"What the hell was that? Does this happen to every foreigner?" asked Benjamin while out of breath.
"Hm... I don't know. You're the first foreigner here."
"I don't know whether to be proud or sad about that statement..."
Benjamin's stomach began to make noises again. So loud that even Mizuho could hear them from the other side of the room. He sat down next to a desk and put his head on it. Trying to suppress the hunger. Suddenly, a half-opened granola bar slid over his desk.
"You look hungry too. I also didn't have time to eat today. So I just bought this granola bar earlier with the money I had left. I was in such a rush this morning I didn't even take my purse with me. Here. You can have half of it." said Mizuho with a smiling expression.
"Uhm, thanks." said Benjamin as he reluctantly accepted the bar.
"Why is she being so nice? Even with the little expenses she had left, she still gave me half of her granola bar. She doesn't know me and yet, she shares her food with me."
Both of them sat in the abandoned room and shared the granola bar in silence. Every now and then, Mizuho tried to break the silence by asking Benjamin queries about all sorts of stuff.
"Dwo youw like cookwing?" asked Mizuho while stuffing her mouth with her last bit of the bar.
"Uhm, I don't know. Maybe?" said Benjamin in an unsure voice.
"I looove cooking. There is so much that you can do. So many combinations and so much freedom. It's amazing! Wanna try the café near our school? It's supposed to be very good." asked Mizuho.
"Nah, I think I'll pass."
"Come on, I'm guessing you've never tried a traditional Japanese dish before. So let's go!"
"Nope."
"Buzzkill."
"I think we should head back to class... Those rascals out there probably gave up by now." said Mizuho.
Both of them left the room. The students who chased them have already given up and returned to their classrooms. Both strolled down the corridors of the Tatsuya Highschool. Benjamin told Mizuho that he would go to the restroom.
"Okay, I'll wait here."
"That is highly unnecessary. Just go to class."
"Uh-uh, I'll wait here so I can escort you to class. Can't have our foreign student get lost on his first day."
"Whatever..." expressed Benjamin annoyingly.
Benjamin went inside and out of the blue Ijichi Kowagori and his little gang walked by Mizuho.
"So has that foreign jerk arrived? The whole school has been talking about him. That seriously pisses me off... The whole day has just about him. How infuriating can one guy be?" said Ijichi.
"Can you at least make an effort to be less insufferable?"
"Wh-what? Y-You're cold..."
Ijichi tries to be what many people would call a cliche bully. But he fails horribly in doing so. Instead of trying to suppress others, he instead creates awful awkward conversations.
"You've been glued to his shoes since this morning. I need to teach this guy something about how things work here in Japan!" said Ijichi as he and his gang walked into the restroom. They lingered at the stall door, trying to catch Benjamin when he went out. However, when Benjamin walked out of the stall, they all turned to rocks. For whatever reason, they hoped someone about their height, but Benjamin's height of 1,80m staggered them. The height difference was immense and his cold demeanor scared them to bits.
"I-I... ahm, eh, we a-" stuttered Ijichi.
"Nope, I chose life."
"Yep, me too." said both of his friends as they left Ijichi alone in the room. Benjamin stared right into Ijichi's face with his cold, dead eyes. Or at least that's what he would tell his classmates later.
In reality, Benjamin was just waiting for an answer from Ijichi.
"P-P-Pardon the intrusion Sir, w-we ahm I just... Never mind!" said as he abruptly walked out of the restroom. He shifted to Mizuho:
"Dude, he is even colder..."
Benjamin came out of the restroom.
"What the heck happened in there? Ijichi looks like he just got mentally scarred." said Mizuho.
"Please tell me that three boys waiting outside a bathroom stall aren't included in this high school welcoming committee."
"No, he just sucks at bullying."
"Am I supposed to feel bullied?"
Mizuho looks at Benjamin at shares a little laugh.
"You're funny tall guy."
"Please stop immediately calling me that."
"Nope!" said Mizuho while grinning. They went back to their classroom.
Hours pass, and Benjamin's first school day in japan comes to an end. He packs his books into his bag. As he exits the classroom, Mizuho notices a piece of paper ditched by Benjamin. It was his checklist of things he needed to complete while in Japan. She chose to carry it with her.
"H-Hey! Are you going home?" asked Mizuho while trying to catch up with Benjamin.
"Uh.. yes? Where else would I be going after school? It's not like I have stuff to do." said Benjamin in an annoyed tone.
"Usually we go to cafés here after school. Have you done something like that back in Germany?"
"No." snapped Benjamin back quickly.
"Hm. That's a short answer. Do you really have nothing to do after school?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."
"Sure?" asked Mizuho.
"Yes. I think I'd know..." said Benjamin while his annoyed tone was getting more and more apparent.
"What about 'trying a new Japanese dish'?" said Mizuho while holding his checklist that he deliberately left behind. He decided to give up on the list during his school day and left it behind. Benjamin stood there in a combination of shock and anger. Shocked, because Mizuho seems to care about that piece of paper unlike him. Angry because that very list is a reminder of his mother's planning. If she hadn't planned this whole exchange year, he wouldn't be stuck here having to complete this checklist.
"Why did you leave this behind? Aren't you supposed to complete this before you go travel back? And now you're lying right into my face. That's not very nice." said Mizuho with a slightly angry expression on her face.
"I mean there are so many things to complete. Why don't you start?" she continued.
The more she insists on getting an answer from him, the more his patience runs out. Benjamin glimpsed at the pond in the park where they were currently standing.
"Come on, give me an answer? Or are you just going to stand there and mull over?"
Suddenly he snapped and responded:
"What do you know? All my life I've been a loner. Suddenly, I get thrown into this other completely new foreign world and everyone around me expects me to get over it and adapt. I never wanted any of this. I never chose this. The life I have known so far is more than enough... Unpredictable things are just an invitation to chaos. I hate the unexpected."
A long pause occurred between the two. After realizing the rant that he had just gone on, he turned his head to Mizuho. Who stood there in absolute silence. Her eyes locked onto his eyes. She was speechless. Never had she heard someone talking about life that way. Suddenly Mizuho clenched her fists, her slight angry expression transformed into a full-on angry face.
"So is that it? Do you want to be stuck forever in your comfort zone? Never try new things? Never experience new things?"
"It's what I've known. I got used to it. I know what to expect. What else is there?"
"A choice."
"Choose what?"
"To choose to dive into the unknown. This list is perfect to get you out of your little comfort zone. I'm an expert when it comes to doing random stuff. I-I'll show you what it's like to experience new things! We can start at the top and work our way through to the bottom!"
"I don't get this girl... Why is she so invested in doing this stupid checklist? It has nothing to do with her, and yet she wants to help me? What's her deal? Since she came through that classroom door, she's been stuck to me and seems like she won't leave. Why?"
"Why? Why bother to do all of this with me? Why do you care? Why do you concern yourself with my problems?" asked Benjamin confused.
"I-I don't know... Maybe... something unexpected will happen." replied Mizuho.
Both of them stood in the middle of the park. Benjamin's eyes went big. They stared into each other's eyes. A slight blush surfaced on Mizuho's face. Their hair blew through the wind. Neither of them knew what to say next. Benjamin still knew very little about this girl named Mizuho Sakiyurai; the girl that quite literally burst into his life and now asks him to embark on a journey into the unknown.
"So, w-what do you say? Are you ready to begin a new experience?" said Mizuho while slowly stretching her open hand.
"All my life I've lived a life of predicting situations... however, never had I predicted that my life would turn out to be this way. Mizuho has shown me nothing but kindness today, even though she doesn't know me the slightest. And neither do I know her... So many unexpected things happened today. It was actually rather refreshing compared to the monotonous life back in Germany... I had somewhat... fun. The attention of being the only foreigner, the wild chase with Mizuho through the entire school, the awkward guy in the restroom... Even those little moments like the granola bar we shared. Or the conversation we both had in the abandoned room. Though it was mostly she that did the talking. It's been so long since I had a random conversation about something with somebody else... I can't describe how this feels... I guess not only is this country foreign to me, but the feelings that come with it are also foreign to me... Maybe it's time to switch things up. Now Mizuho stands right in front of me asking if I'm ready... Who knows... Only one way to find out..."
Benjamin stretched his hand out and takes Mizuho's. The two looked into each other's eyes and a big smile that stretched from one ear to the other could be seen on Mizuho's face. Her anger was completely dissolved. Both their faces went a little rosy. Then Benjamin says:
"I am ready."
Mizuho was overjoyed. She quickly takes her hand off Benjamin's and grabs him by his arm.
"Wait, not again!"
"Let's begin then! First stop 'Trying a new Japanese dish'!" said Mizuho as she took off with Benjamin on their way to complete their first task on the checklist.
THE END
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