Two Body Problem (Complete)

[Asoko_Desu]

Story Title: Two Body Problem
Link to the first post: Two Body Problem
Author: Asoko_Desu
Type: "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'" -- Emi’s Path from Rin’s perspective .. and then some.
Status: In progress
Word count: ~117,000
First Post: 2023/01/08
Last Post: 2023/04/26
PoV-character: Rin; Emi; Someone New, mostly
Pairings: Rin x Someone New
Begins: Before `Bundle of Hisao`
Warnings: Social anxiety / awkwardness, uncertainty, magical thinking
Remarks: Follows: The Years That The Locusts Have Eaten

--

Welcome to Yamaku Academy
March 02, 2007 - Friday


A fat envelope had arrived in the mail, addressed to him, which in itself was unusual. More unusual still was the palm-sized collection of brightly coloured foreign stamps and Japanese text underlying the English addressing on the front.

Folded and scraped from passing through many hands and being stuffed into too-small pigeon holes, the envelope had none the less arrived with its contents intact.

Inside was a sizeable four-colour brochure in English, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, and, of course, Japanese - materials he already had - and a letter, written on official-looking letterhead, which was new. It began:

Welcome to Yamaku Academy - Japan’s internationally recognized diverse-needs educational institution.

This is your letter of acceptance - parents, guardians, and students: please read thoroughly.

Yamaku Academy is a Senior High School (HS Grades 1-3), operating on a trimester system based on the April-March Japanese school year."

“That's grades 10, 11, and 12 here,” he thought, “Although I’ll just be attending for the last year - happy birthday to me.”

Within walking distance of a convenient Japanese regional town, and under 15 minutes to world-class medical facilities, Yamaku boasts an internationally diverse student population with a wide range of skills, talents, languages, backgrounds, and needs.

Situated on a campus with ample green space and a high teacher to student ratio, Yamaku promotes academic excellence, while providing round-the-clock medical staff to treat chronic and acute issues through direct treatment, physiotherapy, and dietary accommodation.

While primarily focused on serving students with a variety of physical disabilities, Yamaku recognizes that physical challenges do not exist in a vacuum - as such, trauma counseling and behavioural therapy are available on a limited case-by-case basis.

Yamaku is also open to students without physical challenges - unfortunately bursaries and scholarships are unavailable to non-diverse needs students."

He read further:

.. community engagement with two festivals annually, inviting local members of the surrounding towns to meet and interact with the student body.

Yamaku offers courses tailorable to all future career paths such as preparing students for university entrance exams, professional apprenticeships, or entrepreneurial pursuits. Education is in the Japanese language, with remedial language tutoring available to students with a developing understanding of written and spoken Japanese. JSL is used in classes for the hearing impaired with limited ASL support. Sign language interpreters are available on a limited basis outside of the classroom for interactions with the community or medical professionals. Students should bring their own support tools as assistive technologies (e.g. TTY/TDD, braillers, etc.) are available on short-term loan from the Resource Centre.

Students are strongly encouraged, although not required, to explore Yamaku’s variety of student-run clubs and teams catering to: visual art, sport, literature, music, photography, bird watching, ikebana, and origami - among others. Students are also encouraged to directly participate in the administration of student activities by running for positions of class leadership and student council.

On arrival you will be met by a member of staff who will conduct your campus orientation and review your course timetable with you.

Fees are due in advance, payable in Japanese Yen, and are non-refundable. Fees may be remitted via bank order or bursary credit."

And that, other than the address of Yamaku and directions how to reach it from major international centres, was all.

--


Contents

Book 1: First Contact

Flight
Hello My Name Is
Journal Entry - First Day Minus Two
Journal Entry - First Day Minus One
What’s Class Got to Do With It?
Journal Entry - First Day
Journal Entry - Clubs Day
Postcards Home I
Journal Entry - Utter Failure
Journal Entry - Time to Lift
Brothers in Iron
Dear Diary - Whatever the Heck


Book 2: The Student Council

Making Friends - Or Not
You'll Never Know Until You Try
After The Math


Book 3: One Times One Makes One

The Cards In Your Hand
One is the First Number
Dear Diary - Why Do People?
Time Flies
The Waggle Dance
All the World's a Stage
Journal Entry - Feeling Festive
Quantum Entanglement


Book 4: A New Hope

Return to the Hive
Proper Etiquette
Is Festival!
Be Careful What You Wish For
Fireworks


Book 5: Out and About

Tea for Three
At the Track Meet
Sprinting Basckwards into the Future
Fugue State


Book 6: Unpacking

Writing Home II
Opening Boxes
Unpacking Boxes
Closer


Book 7: Ephemeral

The Second Novel in the Trilogy
Can't Get it Out Of My Head
Writing Homeless I
Writing Homeless II
Writing Homeless III
Writing Home Redux
Afternoon Tea


Book 8: Fresh Air

Dust Bath
Properly Out
Leaky Furniture
Boy Trouble


Book 9: Ganbaru

I Could Lie to You and Tell You it Doesn’t Hurt
Shopping Trip
Dinner Conversation for One
Book Learning
A Picnic in the Park
Falling Leaves
You're Hired
Shark Tank


Book 10: Opposition

Stairwell
Tetsu
Nurse
Misha
Principal
In the Food Court of Public Opinion
The Tribunal
Testimony
Shizune
Mutou
Decision
How This Ends


Book 11: All Downhill and Gathering Speed

Exhaling Dust
A Show of Hands
Spoilers
A Personal Therapy
Weekend at Hakamichi's


Book 12: Charming

Solomon of the Homeroom
Lo Fi and Chill Out
And The Beautiful
Moonlight Ballet
Waking Up
Coming Attractions
A Game Called Patience
Mechanics of the Work
Showdown at the Shanghai Corral


Book 13: The Road to Yamaku

Second Stealing for First
All the Shots You Don't Take
Epiphany du Jour
Happy Jack the Lantern
Designer Threads
Roll the Bones
Still Getting the Hang of This
You Should be Dancing
Love Needs No Disguise
Apres Dance
Roses are Red
First Monday of the Rest of Our Lives


Book 14: Uncertainty Principle

At the Feeling Wall
Stealing for Home
How Can We Understand Us?
The Incredible Vanishing Rin
Afternoons in December
Me and What Army?
Winter Break Away
Home Phone for Sweetie
Sweetie Phones Home
No Time Like the Presents


Book 15: The Week Away

December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 - Boxing Day
December 27 - The Morning After
December 28 - Preparing for Departure
December 29 - Check Out
December 30 - Dear Diary


Book 16: T is for Tezuka

December 30
December 31
January 01


Book 17: What Would Rin Do?

Victory Lap
Mama Bears
Good Home Cooking
There's a Trick To It
A Digression
What's Mutou Got To Do With It?
Biologies
It's Only Natural
Break up for What
And Every Love Remains
Fears
Tears
Apres Tears


Book 18: The Breakfast Club

My Ojisan Has a Country Place That No One Knows About
Dear Diary
March 14, 2008
Rip the Bandage Off
All Games End
Four the Future


Book 19: Exeunt Omnes

From Friday Until the End of Time
Afterword



--

[Asoko_Desu]

Flight
April 08, 2007 - Sunday


“Time to go. I think I have everything - what I don’t, I can probably get there,” he said to his mother.

“OK. Well if you’re going to go, then go.”

Kind of a foregone conclusion, given they’d paid the deposit and gone through the long-distance telephone interview process, submission of medical history records, school records, language tests, vaccinations, personal references, clothing measurements, and plowed through the mountains of official paperwork for a student visa, but that was just her way of saying goodbye.

“Don’t do anything stupid and don’t let anyone steal your things,” was her parting advice.

“If that happens, it happens,” he thought. “I suppose I could do nothing but stand guard over my stuff and not go to class - wouldn’t that be fun?”

He shrugged and hauled a large suitcase, his carry-on, and his shoulder bag down the hall to the elevator without looking back.

In the cab he checked his notes - on arrival he’d have to transfer from his international flight to another flight to a smaller regional airport. Once there, he’d be met by a shuttle bus that would take him to Yamaku.

Once at the school he’d be greeted by a member of the staff for a brief orientation session on the campus - classrooms, medical facilities, athletic facilities, and so on; get his school uniform and be assigned a dorm room.

Uniform - that was new. It wasn’t something he’d had to worry about at his past high school; hopefully the uniforms were built tough - he tended to be hard on his clothes, but whatever. “Should probably see if I can’t take a sewing class - might come in handy,” he thought.

He’d have a lot of free time on the flight to Japan; he'd brought books to read and language practice to keep him busy on the way.

Of course, having been seated in an empty row near the back of the plane, in the dark of a night flight, the droning of the engines, and the background hiss of the air circulation system, he mostly slept for the entire trip and had to be woken on arrival by a flight attendant.


--

[Asoko_Desu]

Hello My Name Is
April 09, 2007 - Monday


“Good morning - welcome to Yamaku!”

So far, so good - the language self study had prepared him for this moment at least; he understood what the school administrator had said. Responding, however, eluded him - as he had expected it might.

He had been dreading this moment. At home, a shyness so concrete as to almost be tangible choked off his ability to speak to anyone but the few people he interacted with on a regular basis - a vanishingly small few.

He had hoped - from the safety of home - that here it wouldn’t be a problem; just practice the language and ignore the stares, the expectation to be articulate - to be understandable at all - and just speak.

Of course it wasn’t better here - it was worse.

He opened his mouth and no sound came out. He closed his mouth and stared at his shoes.

“Hm.” The administrator flipped through papers attached to clipboard. “Selective mutism - anxiety triggered - OK. I see you’re on a waiting list for a therapist - once assigned, they’ll work with you to help you deal with your anxiety. Your written Japanese test results are good enough, but need to get you into some remedial language lessons to improve your comfort level with spoken Japanese - you may not be speaking it yet, but you will be hearing it. Until then use this to communicate for now” - and handed him a pad of paper and a pen. “I see you also know some ASL - good foresight to familiarize yourself that, but you haven’t been tested for, or studied, JSL; you’ll need that if you’re going to interact with hearing-impaired people here in Japan. Fortunately we have excellent after school JSL classes - we’ll sign you up for those.”

“Name: Kaiyou, Tetsu.. the copy of your birth certificate says something different; a rather long name .. Hm. I see here you have a filed a request for an alteration of your registered name in consideration of `cultural accommodation`. I can see why you chose to do that - your name of record is almost unpronounceable in Japanese. Why make things harder than they need to, yes?”

The administrator smiled, trying to lighten the situation and not doing a bad job of it - their work brought them into contact with students requiring - and coming to terms with - all kinds of accommodations.

“Let’s get you your timetable for this trimester. We could put you in 3-1, the hearing-impaired class, with instruction in sign, but you’re not hearing impaired and your JSL probably isn’t up to it. It says your interests are physics, chemistry, electronics, and photography, and your marks in the sciences are quite good.. We could put you in class 3-3, but your Japanese language skills might make the advanced course content difficult. Math and Science will be on your schedule, but let’s make your home room 3-A - Practical Arts; shop class I think you’d call it. I’ll show you where that is, then show you to your dorm room.”

The administrator paused, looking into a large, mostly empty cardboard box -

“Before we do that, we have one problem - we received your measurements in your application, but we have no uniforms in your size. We have no jackets that would fit you, which is fine - blazers are only required for special events and we can have one made for you before that becomes a problem. You brought your own white dress shirts, which is good. Where we do have a problem is trousers - we have none remotely near your size - clothes in your size in Yamaku livery are simply not common, and we don’t get enough international students to keep stock of all sizes. Fortunately you also brought your own dress shoes as we don’t have anything in your shoe size either.”

“You could take two or three regular uniforms and just sew them together”, thought Tetsu, while keeping those thoughts to himself.

“For trousers, we do have one option - some of the female students wear men’s shirts and trousers due to preference, or .. for other accommodations. If you would be willing - we do have skirts that would fit you.”

“I can’t talk to you, but I can let my face talk for me ..” Tetsu thought.


“I can see you’re not thrilled with the suggestion, but trust me - there are far more visually .. noticeable accommodations amongst the student population than gender non-conforming dress. While you might be the only male student wearing ‘female’ bottom garments, there are several female students wearing trousers - I would suggest you consider it only to be an issue if you make it an issue.”

“Well, I figured I’d get into a few fights anyhow as the new kid - may as well give them a reason to start them so I don’t have to,” he thought. His JSL was enough that he could sign that he reluctantly agreed.

“Good - I can see you’re, if not enthusiastic about the idea, at least willing to consider it until we can have trousers made for you.”

A thought crossed Tetsu’s mind - “Let’s hope I remember how this is supposed to go.”

Tetsu wrote: { Does the blazer come with a vest? }

“It can - it usually doesn’t, but since we’re making a blazer for you we can also make you a vest.”

{ Do you have heavy knee-high socks? }

“Yes - the field hockey team uses them.”

{ May I wear them with my uniform? }

“Hm. Since we’re already in uncharted territory we can allow that.”

{ Thank you. Can the skirt be knee-length, and worn higher on my waist? }

“The skirts are designed with extra cloth to accommodate women - individuals, sorry - of differing heights; we can hem it at your knees, and you can wear it at any height you like if that makes you more comfortable.”

“Looks like signing up for the sewing class is going to come in handy after all - I doubt the skirts come with belt loops, and mine are going to need them. Good thing I brought a heavy belt.” Tetsu thought.

{ Thank you. One last question - do you know what a ‘Sporran’ is? }

“No.”

{ Let me explain .. }

--

[Asoko_Desu]

Journal Entry - First Day Minus Two
April 14, 2007 - Saturday


Having unpacked his clothes, books, shoes, medicine, blank paper, notebooks and pens, Tetsu uncovered the portable typewriter he’d wrapped in layers of clothing and packed carefully at the bottom of his luggage. A manual model, and very quiet; it was a connection to the world he’d created for himself at home - a mote of familiarity in an unfamiliar new world.

He took out a fresh sheet of blank paper from its box and put in the typewriter, rolling the bar until the paper peeked up just past the level of the ribbon. He began to type:

First Day - Minus Two

Now that I'm here, maybe Ill I'll start that journal I always planned to rwrite. her Here's to my future self.


Here I am - cast away on Yamaku Island; an isolated patch of land in the south seas, not far from the coast of Japan.


There are other people here. It will be hard making friends though - talking is such a barrier; I just clam up, but you know that already. Also, I don't understand the local language well, but the the locals are willing to teach me (aka remedial Japanese classes).


Computers are getting popular at home, but they aren’t prevalent here yet. Still, there are typing and business math / law classes. Not hugely helpful for back home, but if I never get far from Yamaku they’ll come in handy.


Probably will come in handy anyhow - basic principles don’t change, although the computer keyboards are quite different from back home. My understanding of the written language is only just better than the spoken language - which isn’t saying much, but my muscle memory about where things are - plus handy icons - goes a long way to making what computer technology has washed up on the Yamaku shoreline usable.


I can't say how happy I am that I suffered the additional weight of my portable typewriter with its QWWERTY keyboard. On it I can easily put my thoughts down, but I realize that every time I use it is a time that I’m not practicing Japanese, so these typed journal entries will be strictly rationed (plus I don’t know how much life this ribbon has in it / where to get more - I brought a spare, but doubt I’ll get a year out of it.)


Most other inhabitants of the island arrived here approximately two years ago. I’m coming in at the start of the third year of their 'coming of age' (graduation) cycle, but having gone through similar things at home, I’m not unfamiliar with the ritual.


I’m told I can decorate my room - I can paint the interior any colour but black and put art on the walls, and there’s a lock on the door to protect my belongings.


Thus ends my first day on Yamaku island, arring safe after a long journey. Tomorrow I will explore my surroundings - I have arrived during a break, just before the start of the trimester, and I will use this time to prepare as best I can.


-/\\-

--

[Asoko_Desu]

Journal Entry - First Day Minus One
April 15 - Sunday

The Administrator, who met me on my arrival, introduced me to the Nurse (can't pronounce his name - said it was OK to just call him 'Nurse'), who checked me out, reviewed my records, and pronounced me fit to join Yamaku society.


My timetable starts off with home room (shop - 2 periods), then local language and literature lessons, lunch, math and science, then business. There are after-school classes as well - they start after a short break and end before dinner; I signed up for Japanese Sign Language - which I need to brush up on, as I only really know American Sign Language well. Well-ish. Mostly. Sorta. Every other day I take remdial spoken / written Japanese in alternation with JSL.


I elected to avoid physical ed - my back problems allow me to skip it and take the class as a study period, which is fine - I hate team sports. The Nurse let me know that I'm strongly encouraged to use the athletic facilities before and after school.


These facilities, primarily, are the weight room, the track, and the pool. There’s a lifeguard at the pool - so not strictly unsupervised - but I was told in no uncertain terms that the weight room and track were unsupervised and that access was is a privilege and not a right; should I injure myself or others, the privilege would be taken away.


Fine.


Before leaving, I started spending time in the weight room at my old school - I really enjoyed it, and I think I’ll continue. Also, it couldn’t hurt to take up running - I hear it’s good for the heart.


Maybe, by pursuing my interests, I’ll end up meeting people with similar interests and we will learn to communicate with each other.


And monkeys might fly.


-/\\-

[Asoko_Desu]

What’s Class Got to Do With It?
April 16, 2007 - Monday


Tetsu entered class 3-A and took a seat at the back.

A strong, subtle workshop smell permeated the classroom - the smell of oil, wood, ozone, leather, rubber, glues, solvents, wood, chalk, books, and that indefinable ‘dusty’ smell that all old classrooms have.

Familiar smells, Tetsu thought, and they put him at ease - here his hands could really speak for him.

The class itself was plain - high ceilinged with fluorescent lights and a wall of windows that looked out on the shop space. The students - four plus Tetsu - were situated around four large rectangular work tables suitable for drawing out plans or cutting materials, if the residual scars on the table tops was any indication - two boys at one table, two girls at another, Tetsu alone at a third, and a table empty. It seemed the class had been designed to hold a larger number of students than it held now - perhaps once it had, practical arts falling out of fashion over the years.

In addition to the window wall, one wall was given to an array of well-worn tools, each mounted in a clearly indicated location. The next, a wall of chalk boards behind the teacher’s desk, the last was covered in all manner of safety education posters framing the door back to the main school building. A low, pervasive hum from the filter fans filled the class; loud enough to be perceptible, but not loud enough to interfere with hearing.

There were five students in the class, including Tetsu - two boys, and two girls; the girls looked similar enough to be twins.

Once everyone was seated, Tetsu looked to the instructor standing at the front of the room. The instructor bowed and addressed the class -

“Good morning. I am your instructor; you may address me as Sensei or Kurosawa-sensei. Welcome back those of you from last year, and welcome to our new class member for this year. Since you all mostly know each other, we’ll dispense with the ritual of introductions and get on with work."

With that, Kurosawa-sensei began the lesson with a review of the shop safety posters along the wall and shop safety practices dealing with eye protection, hearing protection, and other health and safety measures such as the location of the fire extinguishers and eyewash stations. The other students had plainly heard it all before and were doing their best to appear attentive and not bored, however the doodling in their notebooks somewhat gave the game away.

—

[Asoko_Desu]

Journal Entry - First day
April 16 - Monday pm


Classes started today - it's been a long day and there was almost no ramp-up; it was straight into work. This is the start of the third year; the class content was new to almost everyone - so at least in that respect I'm on equal footing with the other students.


(Sorry - no time / energy to indulge my conciet of being washed ashore on an island - maybe next time.)


I’ve tried to introduce myself to the inhabitants of the island (OK - a little conceit) and, as with my experience of the staff (all of whom have been very patient) I have been unable to express myself verbally and barely in writing. Was this all a mistake?


I guess you never know how deep the water really is until you jump in it.


Fortunately my class, 3-A "Practical Arts", is largely hands-on: we get a brief instruction in shop safety; an demonstration on how to use the tools. Then we take an assignment from the bins at the front of the class and start work on it.


I'm trying really hard to not translate the assignments into English before doing them, but I think I need to a bit at the beginning. At least the tools are very familiar - there are only so many ways to make a saw, chisel, lathe, or soldering iron.


"Shop" isn't really the right word for this class - I think I'm translating it wrong; it's more like "Artisan Training". Our teacher - Kurosawa Sensei - appears ageless; he's a small man, bald, intense, but kind. He appears to have limitless patience.


While my classmates make an excellent job of ignoring me, nobody ignores Kurosawa-sensei when he calls the class over to observe a particularly well executed piece of work - or how to operate a tool.


Occasionally he’ll take over a machine to show how a tricky cut or assembly is to be performed. In his hands, sheet metal can fold like origami - a drill press can become a sewing machine. It’s at times like this - when I see Kurosawa-sensei at his best - that I realize this is why I’m here; to witness the sublime, and learn from it.


About the after-school JSL class - It’s a very small class - just myself and two other students. Most of the the hearing-impaired students know JSL already; the two other students in my class seem to be taking it out of passing interest given they don’t pay much attention or bother with the exercises - electing primarily to read Manga, which is cool, but not the purpose of the class. Makes the group work difficult though, as they're almost never paying much attention.

=/=

--

[Asoko_Desu]

Journal Entry - Clubs Day
April 18 - Wednesday


Today is the club memberhsip drive day. There were a bunch - there’s some “heart pitter-patter” (“Doki-Doki” in the local lingo) young adult literature club which apparently is quite popular.


There’s also clubs for track and field, art, music, drama, and calligraphy - and there’s Student Council.


Student Council could have promise since people would have to communicate with me, but it’s only open to class reps, which I’m not - also the elections were all at the end of last year, so there's that.


There’s a bunch of other clubs - paper folding, stamp collecting, whatever - none really interest me much, plus some are only 2-3 students who are already friends and have set themselves up as a club to get funding for their hobby. In the spirit of not over-doing things, I think I’ll just stick with my course schedule, JSL and Japanese classes, the weights room, and run on the track after dinner when things are a bit cooler out - tropical lattitudes do tend towards the .. tropical, after all.


-/\\-

Wish I could make mup my mind about the little text-graphic I want to use to end my journal entries

--

Postcards Home I
April 19 - Thursday


"Hi Mom - I'm writing you from school. I've arrived safely - you should know this since they would have contacted you if I hadn't. Getting into the swing of things here - very busy, but enjoying it. Hope you're well - you can mail me at the address below; Yamaku has its own small post office and students corresond regulary with home / pick up letters and parcels there.

Running out of room - hope you're keeping well."

--

Journal Entry - Utter Failure
April 21 - Saturday


I’ve tried to introduce myself to people here, but - with the exception of participating in class work - I have been almost unable to express myself. Most students don't have time to stop and read what I've written down - some just pass by without noticing, others giggle shyly. The rest, when they bother to acknowledge me, call me 'Oni'; I had to look that one up - Ogre. Given that I'm almost twice as big as any of them, I can't really blame them - still stings though.


Not talking can have some advantatages - if you don't speak, people think you can't hear, which is how I overheard that the girls in my class are twins. That explains their physical similarity - they were co-joined and separated before coming to Yamaku, which explains their extreme closeness.


I need to work on not taking things personally - and being patient - I'm new here, after all.


Still stings.


-/\\-

[Asoko_Desu]

Journal Entry - Time to Lift
April 22 - Sunday


Dear diary - it's been a week; I've mostly settled in and am sleeping at night, more or less. Class keeps me bsuyxxx busy so I'm pretty exhausted by the end of the day.


I promised myself I wouldn't put exercise aside for class, so I've found the weight room and tomorrow I'll lift from what seems to be a small selection of weights.


That done, next week I'll see if the track isn't free after schol school for running. Time to lay out my gear and catch a shower before bed.


-/\\-

--

Brothers in Iron
April 23, 2007 - Monday morning

Next day, before the sun was properly up the alarm clock rang -

*beep*
*beep*
*beep*

“Couldn’t I have arranged to leave that behind? Well, I’m up now - let’s get dressed and down to the athletic facilities.”

The walk from the men’s dorm to the athletic facilities wasn’t far - Tetsu had scoped the location out in advance the day before and fortunately the door was open. Unfortunately, there was someone already in there.

“Hey - name’s Miura; call me Miki. I could use a spot - care to work in with me?”

This Miki looked very athletic. Dark-skinned and very tall for a Japanese girl, probably around 5’5” or 5’6”; she could have played women’s basketball if, a) Yamaku had a women’s basketball team, and b) she wasn’t missing her left hand, although, to be honest, she didn’t look like she’d let that stop her.

“Here to lift or here to gawk - I know I’m pretty buff but still ..”



“Shit,” thought Tetsu, and he blushed and shook his head “Also shit - I didn’t think to bring my pad and pen .. gonna hafta wing this.”

[ Sorry ] he signed to Miki “Would it be too much for her to understand sign?”

“Ah - deaf. Sorry,” she said, distinctly, facing Tetsu directly. “I don’t sign,” she said, shaking her head.

Tetsu shook his head - pointed to his throat and made a chopping motion, then his ears and made a thumbs-up.

“Oh - mute?” Tetsu nodded vigorously.

“Ok - I can work with that. We’re here to lift and not make chit-chat anyhow. You good to spot me?”

Tetsu gave Miki a thumbs-up.

“Where do you want to start?”

Tetsu looked about the gym - a good quality gym with a decent, albeit small set of exercise machines and free weights, hardly used. There was a weight bench over by the far wall, equipped with stands and solid-looking safety catches. Tetsu pointed over there and mimed a bench press.

“Bench? Figures - boys always focus on the chest,” observed Miki - she looked at Tetsu with an infectious smile and Tetsu couldn’t help but smile back, despite blushing.

Making their way to the bench, Miki scooped up a set of spring-clip collars from where they rested on a piece of equipment. “How much to start?” She asked.

“It’s been a while,” thought Tetsu “Let’s start light.”

“1-3-5” he signed.

“Two 45’s?” Asked Miki - Tetsu nodded. “Going for a max right off the bat?”

Tetsu gave her his best Serious Frown and held his hands at chest height, palms facing forwards to say “as if.”

Miki and Tetsu set to finding the plates and stacking them by the bench rack. As one they picked up a pair of 45 lb. plates and hefted them up at the same time - neither wanted to see the bar flip up in the air from an unbalanced load. Tetsu appreciated her attention to gym etiquette - and how she lifted a 45 lb. plate with one hand.

Pointing to her arm, the plate, and giving her a thumbs-up he expressed how much he was impressed with her strength.

“You practice, you get strong,” observed Miki.

The ring of the steel plates as they slid into place on the bar was a comforting sound, as was the sound of the spring clips scraping across the rotating bar end to hold the plates in place.

“You’re up. Oh - hang on.” Miki pulled something out of her gym bag - a solid-looking adjustable arm sleeve with a heavy duty spring-powered clamp on the end. She fitted the adjustable part over her stump, and pulled the heavy velcro straps tight. “There - I’m not about to spot 135 one-handed.”

Tetsu sat on the bench and, hooking his feet under it, lowered himself back into position - hands above his head to feel for the location of the bar. Once down, he pulled himself under the bar and lined it up with his eyes. He cracked his knuckles, then bent his head side-to-side to crack his neck.

“Enough with showing off - lift already.”

Tetsu snorted and grabbed the bar with both hands and gave it a quick push - it lifted off the rack easily and he lowered it to his chest in a comfortably controlled descent.



“Looking good so far big guy!”

Bar resting on Tetsu’s chest, he turned his head to the right, closed his eyes and pretended to snore.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake - two people at this school lift and one of them’s a show-off!”

“You’ve got plenty to show off yourself,” thought Tetsu, given his perspective looking up from the bench. For once he was glad there was no chance he’d say that out loud.

With that he squared his back on the bench, tightened his grip, and snapped the bar up for six quick repetitions - ringing the plates at the top each time. He paused at the top of his last rep, then did two more before setting the bar back on the rack and exhaled from deep in his chest.

“Well - I'll be .. one thirty five wasn’t a max. What is your max, big guy?”

Tetsu signed “1-8-5”

Miki just shook her head. “I don’t even think we’ve got that much weight in here.” Tetsu just shrugged - they’d cross that bridge when they got to it.

“They make them strong where you come from, don’t they,” observed Miki. “Well, glad to have you spot me, ah - I don’t even know your name ..”

Whether it was Miki’s approachability or the rush of the lift - after all, nothing raises your confidence like getting under a bar and throwing it around - Tetsu simply said “Tetsu” aloud.

“Ha! You can talk!”

Tetsu shrugged, as surprised as she, and held up his hand, holding his index finger and thumb close, but not touching - aka “just a little.”

“You should do that more - you have a nice voice. Ok - let’s get these weights off; I’m going to go for a substantially more lady-like weight.” Tetsu snorted and started stripping the weights off his side as Miki removed hers.

They worked through their set - bench, upright-rows, and squats, then called it a day.

“Time for class - see you tomorrow?”

Tetsu nodded.

“C’mon - you can do better than that; I heard you before.”



Tetsu blushed and signed - [ shy ]

“I think I know what that sign means and I don’t care. See you tomorrow?”

“Sure,” he thought - “Why not?” He was feeling really good about himself for the first time in what felt like a very long time and was not a little high on adrenaline.

“Sure .. Miki.”

“That’s more like a guy who rings 135 like a door bell! See you tomorrow!”

--

Dear Diary - Whatever the Heck
April 23, 2007 - Monday evening


Dear diary - great day today; class wasn't much to write home about, but lifting in the morning was aweseome - and I found a spot buddy; the only girl in the gym - the only person in the gym - and I talked to her! Her name's Miki - and I talked to her1! Not much, but it was something!


(Slow down there - no need to type so fast! Just relax..)


If only I could have the adrenaline rush from the bench all day long, I could join the debating club!


Bed time now - had a good meal; lots of protien - the caff got my dietary restrictions list and they worked it out pretty well - almost flavourless, but healthy. The administrator said there was a room on the third floor that some students use to cook their own meals in - I think I may try doing that when I get a chance.


Back to the gym tomorrow morning - maybe curls, legs, and nose-breakers. We'll see - something to look forward to.


=/=

--

[Asoko_Desu]

Making Friends - Or Not
April 27, 2007 - Friday


A couple of weeks in to the trimester, the Student Council held a meet-and-greet event to introduce themselves to the students and announce some preliminary plans for the summer festival.

Tetsu noticed one of the Student Council members was deaf, and had a pink-haired interpreter - their names apparently being Shizune - the Student Council President - and Misha, her interpreter - who incidentally also was a student at Yamaku. Tetsu’s mutism only affected his voice - not his hands, which was one of the reasons he'd studied sign language at all. Given that Shizune used sign, Tetsu thought he might have something in common with her - or be able to communicate with her at least.

After the formal presentation, which Tetsu was only just able to follow - mostly - Tetsu approached the student council president at the informal meet-and-greet and waved. “What can your Student Council do for you?” the pink-haired girl, Misha, half-hollering, interpreted on behalf of Shizune.

Tetsu haltingly signed - [ Hi - I’m Kaiyou, Tetsu. I’m new to Yamaku this year - is there anything I can do to help out with the Student Council? ] mostly in ASL, but with enough JSL he hoped, to be reasonably clear.

Misha looked a bit confused - [ What are you trying to say? ] she signed.

Shizune clarified - [ It’s ASL; he’s speaking a different sign language, but with bits of JSL thrown in - his accent is terrible! ]

Tetsu addressed Shizune, who at least appeared to get the gist of what he was trying to say - [ Sorry if my signing is hard to understand - I don’t know much JSL - yet ] This much Tetsu felt he was able to say - he had made sure to learn enough JSL early on to be able to say he didn’t know a lot of it.

Misha spoke and interpreted her own speaking as she went along - “That’s ok - I need to practice my ASL as it’s more used internationally than JSL.” Then she turned to Shizune who was impatiently tapping her foot. Shizune signed, and Misha interpreted -

“Thank you for your community spirit in wanting to help the Student Council, but SC business is restricted to SC members only, and you need to be a class rep to be on the SC. Please enjoy the events we organize for you and remember to vote in the next SC elections!” Tetsu was struck by the fundamental weirdness of something so administratively dry being delivered in a such a chipper tone of voice.

“No good deed goes unpunished - thanks for coming out.” Tetsu thought to himself. “I’ve been told the effort counts, but that doesn’t get me any closer to having friends.” Tetsu shrugged internally.

With that, Shizune turned to address a circle of SC members, almost physically dragging Misha with her. Before Misha was swept off her feet, she turned to Tetsu and called out - “My name’s Misha - nice to meet you!” and then she was gone.

—

Later, after the scrum, Misha turned to Shizune -

[ I think he wanted to be friends Shicchan - that foreign boy ]

[ Busy - no time for friends - you know that ]

[ But I’m your friend .. ]

Shizune let out a huff - possibly unintentional.

[ No time for dating? ]

[ Maybe ]

[ I thought you liked boys ]

[ Cute boys only ]

[ He wasn’t cute? ]

[ No - No fatties ]

[ He wasn’t fat - he’s just big ] - Misha felt a bit stung by Shizune’s blunt words and felt obliged to push back, if only a little bit.

[ That’s your perspective - no fatties ]

[ I understand - no fatties Shicchan ]

Shizune hurried off at a near jog and didn’t bother to look back to see Misha’s deflated look as she tagged along.

--

[Asoko_Desu]

You’ll Never Know Until You Try
May 11, 2007 - Friday afternoon


[ Here - empty ] Shizune signed to Misha, upon finding an unused classroom. They entered to strategize for the upcoming Student Council meeting.

[ The student council won’t appreciate these changes .. ]

[ These changes are for the best ] signed Shizune.

[ Shicchan - do things need to change - things are working well right now ]

Shizune responded with emphasis - [ Better - the student council could be much better - if it can be it should be ]

Misha looked unconvinced, but was cowed by Shizune’s determination.

[ Shicchan - the class representatives have taken on the responsibility of their roles in addition to their school work - isn’t that enough? ]

Shizune had obviously given this a lot of thought -

[ They knew what they were getting into when they ran for office - more work - they weren’t told how much so they can’t complain they were deceived so that argument is not up for debate ]

Shizune continued -

[ We need analytics - we need to be able to see and track progress! If we don’t measure our progress how can we know how well we’re doing? How can we know if we need to improve? Whether we’re improving? ]

Shizune stood with her hands on her hips looking like she’d triumphantly made a closing argument in a court case, her eyes bright.

Shizune produced a series of presentations on newsprint from a cardboard tube.

[ Each class representative will be responsible for their classes’ success .. or failure ]

On the presentation sheet there were lists of things to be measured under the heading “Key Performance Indicators”. Each sheet had five bullet points: `Objective`, `Metric`, `Target(s)`, `Weight`, and `Results`.

[ Once the Council passes the resolution to collect analytics we will workshop the KPIs and their criteria - then the class representatives will collect that data and input it into our KPI spreadsheet (Shizune produced another sheet of newsprint that had been divided up into a grid of squares) and we will track progress through the year - underperforming class representatives will have to publicly explain their poor performance before the council - in camera of course - we don’t want to completely embarrass them - unless we have to .. ]

Misha just nodded - Shizune had lost her around `workshop`; she had a bad feeling about this, but she was entirely focussed on preparing to interpret Shizune’s presentation for the non-signing members of the council. That was her job - not to critique Shizune’s strategy - it is the lot of the interpreter to get somewhat lost in the personality of the person they’re interpreting for.

[ Student Council meeting in five minutes - are you ready? ]

Misha nodded - as ready as she was ever going to be ..

--

[Asoko_Desu]

After the Math
May 11, 2007 - Friday evening / May 14, 2007 - Monday morning


Later that evening, after the Student Council meeting, Shizune and Misha decamped to the Shanghai to debrief.

—

[ “Meaningless busywork” - those fools! ] Shizune silently raged - her face red, he hands slashing the air like a martial artist at a tournament.

[ How could they not pass the resolution? How dare they all walk out? They should be ashamed of themselves for being so cowardly - of course they are not ashamed - they are too unambitious to even care - and worst - the festival will be a total failure this year without class representatives to coordinate it ]

Shizune took her glasses off and put them down on the table next to her tea. She pressed her fists to her eyes - certainly not to hide tears, whether tears of frustration or otherwise - crying was something she’d weaned herself off of long ago since whenever she did her fathers’ contempt was plain on his face. Not her mother’s though - whenever she cried in front of her mother, her mother would .. “No - not thinking of her - if I do then I will cry and I will not do that.” Shizune commanded of herself.

Misha sat silently, watching Shizune tear herself apart internally, desperately wanting to hug Shizune’s rigid shoulders and tell her everything would be all right - that this wasn’t the end - but Misha knew how Shizune would respond to that and it wouldn’t be pretty.

Shizune’s chest heaved once and she put her glasses back on.

Misha grasped at straws — [ Shicchan - the class reps didn’t quit completely - they just quit the council - they’re still class reps - the festival doesn’t need to fail if they coordinate their classes’ activities .. ]

Shizune looked hard at Misha as if Misha was an idiot. Shizune closed her eyes and paused for a couple of breaths before replying -

[ The class reps may have walked out on the council, but we can still do the Council’s work - it will be hard work but you and I can do it - the class representatives will be responsible for their classes’ activities - the festival will not be a failure ]

Shizune sat back, smiling, and sipped her tea - evidently pleased that she’d sorted out a solution to the problem.

—

The Principal had Shizune and Misha in front of him in his office -

“The work must get done - are you certain you can do it?”

[ Yes - and I have Misha to help ] replied Shizune.

“She’s your interpreter, not your secretary - Mikado, are you comfortable with this arrangement?”

“Yes Principal-sensei-san” - Misha interpreted for the Principal and herself.

The Principal inwardly facepalmed. “Why does she have to call me that?” Outwardly he was reserved.

“I have spoken with the class representatives - they are willing to coordinate their classes’ activities - they seemed to be under the assumption that this was the plan all along .. a distinction which is unimportant as long as the work gets done.”

[ I will personally make sure they get their plans and budget requests in on time sir! ] Shizune signed with finality.

“I’m sure you will, Hakamichi - I’m sure you will,” thought the Principal to himself.

“Very will - see that you do. Dismissed.”

—

Later, in the hallway -

[ Misha - do you have any friends? We could use an extra pair of hands to take on the paperwork that the disgraceful former Student Council has dumped in our laps ]

[ Just you Shicchan - just you ]

--

[Asoko_Desu]

The Cards In Your Hand
May 12, 2007 - Saturday


Privately likening his strategy to a scavenger following successful predators on a hunt, Tetsu followed a handful of Yamaku students into town.

“Hey, if the shoe fits ..” He reflected on his strategy - if there’s something interesting in the town outside of Yamaku and the other students knew about it, then following them made sense if he was looking for a change of scenery.

Not like they were going to tell him about it. Tetsu was of two minds about his situation - his communication skills were still weak, so if someone wanted to talk to him it was going to be an uphill battle - even Miki, who’d been the friendliest person to him this far, he struggled to communicate with.

Then there was the fact that he was visibly an outsider who arrived two years after the other students had already settled into their cohort and gelled into cliques.

Lost in the midst of this rumination he almost ran into the front door of The Shanghai face-first.

“A coffee house - awesome! Well, I have some spending money - may as well go in.”

The door chime jangled as Tetsu entered - immediately he was met by a server who bowed low on his arrival.

“Welcome to our establishment!” She exclaimed, considerably more enthusiastically than Tetsu was accustomed to.

Tetsu looked around and saw the students he followed in a booth, engaged in animated conversation - no chance they’d hear him screw up his words.

“Ah - one please” he said - Tetsu was extremely pleased that his constant practice had paid off. He found it immeasurably easer to talk to strangers who he’d never have to meet again if he didn’t want to!

The server led him to a both on the other side of the nearly empty restaurant and asked him what he wanted - Tetsu was pretty sure that's what she asked at least.

“Menu please.”

The waitress bowed low, then hurried off almost so fast as to be running - she came back with a menu almost immediately.

“Thank you.” Please, thank you, you’re welcome, I don’t know, I don’t speak much Japanese - essential phrases Tetsu had drilled himself on every day.

Awkwardly the server just stood there, waiting for Tetsu’s order. “No pressure ..”

Reviewing the menu he found a couple familiar items - helpfully the menu had pictures to accompany the menu items.

“Tea. Sandwiches. Cake. Please.”

The waitress almost yanked the menu out of Tetsu’s hands and ran away to the kitchen to prepare his order.

“Do they only have the one menu?” He wondered - it did look pretty worn.

Settling in, Tetsu took a pad of heavier paper from his book bag, and started sketching the interior of the restaurant - he'd made good progress by the time his order arrived.

“What a cozy place - I think I’m going to make this a regular destination.” Tetsu thought the prices were reasonable and, if the place was always this empty, he could spread out his school work and complete it here.

Just to be sure he could make it back, he flipped a page and drew a map of the route he took to get to the restaurant.

--

[Asoko_Desu]

One is the First Number
May 14, 2007 - Monday morning


Communication with Miki was still rudimentary; having made a consistent effort Tetsu was able to talk to her, albeit in very short phrases only.

Lifting required concentration and focus, but Miki made sure they took a few minutes after completing their sets to `chat`, such as it was. Still being a painfully awkward speaker, Tetsu restorted to a sort of limited vocabulary by way of shorthand.

..

"Friends?" Asked Tetsu.

"Sure - I think that's the least you can say about anyone you trust enough to hold weights over your face." Miki replied.


"Thanks .. but - others - you? A lot?" Miki was outgoing - Tetsu suspected she had plenty of friends and wanted to know how she made them, or perhaps get an introduction to her circle.

".." Miki paused before replying, looking thoughtful.

"No - not really."

"Hadn't expected that," thought Tetsu, and he wondered whether to push the question further or just let it drop. 


"Nothing gained, and everything lost." He wondered whether he might just lose the closest thing he had to a friend by asking further. Fortunately, Miki saved him the trouble -

"People are attracted to me, but once they get to know me, I'm .. not what they expect. Some people prefer friends who don't have opinions - or issues to deal with - expecially if you're attractive."

Tetsu, who had never been in that position, tried to look as sympathetic as he could.

"Your opinions - interesting, me."

"Thanks - maybe one day we'll sit down over coffe and I can scare you off too."

"Not likely"

"We'll see. I'm guessing you're still not having much luck finding a group of friends - I'm kinda glad about that; it means we'll still hang out a while longer."

Tetsu was starting to see what Miki meant - scratch the outgoing exterior and you find just another person battling their demons.

"Long discussion - later"

Miki nodded as they turned to clean off their equipment before going to class.

"Good job by the way - you still have one heck of an accent, but you're coming along!" Miki playfully punched Tetsu's shoulder as a reward for his effort; he smiled his appreciation as he regained his balance.


--

[Asoko_Desu]

Dear Diary - Why Do People?
May 14, 2007 - Monday evening


"Is it bullying if people just ignore you? Are they obliged to be friendly? Maybe and no. Who knows?" Tetsu wondered whether being outgoing was a cultural thing, a personal thing, or an emotional maturity thing?

Probably all the above he concluded, and wished he didn't have the time to ask himself these questions - wished he could waste his time talking about inanities with a group of friends, but so it goes. Still, he reflected, it was their country - until he met someonewho spoke his native language, he was going to have to learn theirs. This wasn't new, but it was more real now that he was here, than from the perspective of thousands of kilometres away.

He couldn't wait for Yamaku to set him up with a counsellor so he could ask a professional these questions - Tetsu's mother had never cared much for doctors or therapists, but Tetsu was starting to think that if his mother did one thing, the smartest thing he could do is run in the other direction.

In the meantime, Tetsu spent his time practicing his language skills and listening to what the other students talked about. They tended to think, because he couldn't speak, that he was deaf, and consequently spoke more openly around him than they might otherwise have done - which is how he learned some of the names of his classmates, never otherwise having been introduced.

"Mika and Kika only really relate to each other, and don't appear to need to communicate openly to know what the other is thinking. I don't think it's telepathy - I've just heard twins can be different that way."

Watching Mika and Kika work together was like watching one person with four arms manipulate fabric and materials - Mika usually on the left, and Kika on the right. That's not strictly accurate - they did move about, but that's how they prefer to sit.

"Still haven't learned the names of the boys in my class - they show up immediately at the bell and leave with the same promptness; almost at a run. I have no idea what they do before / after class - never seen them in the dorms - and they're absolutley focused on work in class so there's no time to talk to them whatsoever.

..


Interesting note - Mika and Kika don't appear to deal well with changes to their environment; the industrial sewing machine they were working on stopped working and it totally stumped them - no, it stopped them dead. They just sat there, waiting for sensei to come by I guess, but he was busy on the other side of the shop.

I asked if I could help - that much I can say - and, as usual, no response; they just sat there, looking straight ahead. And people think of me as the weird one.. Whatever. Turns out the plug had just worked free so I waved them away, turned the machine off, plugged it back in and left them to it.

It was good to see they at least understood what I was doing and why they needed to be away from the machine when I turned it back on.

No response. No 'thank you' - they just got back to work. Too bad I can't say 'You're welcome' in Japanese - I've been missing being able to deliver snappy come-backs, but is there even any point in talking?

Tthey just talk amongst themselves like I'm furniture or something. Maybe that's why they don't respond if I try to communicate with them? "What is the walking sofa doing waving that pad of paper in my face?"

With classmates like this, who needs cats?


-/\\-

--