Ms. Thompson introduced a new transferee to the whole class. His name was Akihiro—half Japanese, half American. The girls swooned over him, saying he looked like a Japanese idol, whatever that meant. Akihiro had a classic Japanese look with a small face, but his cheeks were plump, and his jaw was oddly chiseled for his age. He seemed like those broken kids who are kind and plain in front of people but had a mischievous side when nobody was watching. He smiled at the class, bowed, and asked to be called Aki. He had a short speech about him wanting to be friends with all of us, and that we should all persevere for our future. At the end of his unsolicited speech, he said ""Ganbatte Kudasai" What a clown this one. Future...really? A ten year old kid's supposed to think about the future? It's what I was saying, this cool kid is trouble.
Aki sat beside me and introduced himself with eyes almost closed in gentle meekness. He said he wanted to be my friend and we can bond together or something. Are Japanese kids usually this friendly and borderline weird? Social interactions aren't my forte, so I just nodded. There was something about his smile that made my skin tingle. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's detecting bullshit, and I sensed some bs with this kid. I just couldn't quite put my finger on it.
During class discussions, Aki wasted no time making an impression, voluntarily answering science questions. Volunteering to recite in class when half the class would hide, and the other half would wish for the earth to swallow them. The other half included me, the last one to be specific. Aki got praise from Ms. Thompson and a lot of cringe-worthy swoons from girls. Not that I was jealous or anything, but Aki gave off a villain vibe, like those guys in anime who smile a lot but hide something sinister. Or maybe I just didn't like him. He had a certain energy that made my hair stand for some reason.
****
Pororo and I were at the canteen with Rowie. We were eating lunch while Pororo played games on my cellphone inside my bag, getting beyond pissed at his losing streak. Suddenly, Aki joined us. He asked if he could sit beside me. I didn't answer right away, but Rowie invited him to sit with us. His presence made me uncomfortable.
"What's inside your bag?" Aki asked.
"Oh, my bag you ask? It contains a none of your busness," I told him sarcastically.
Rowie shot me a disapproving look, but I shrugged it off.
"Isee. I thought you were hiding some magical beast," Aki said, casually.
I choked on my food, shocked at what he just said. When I looked at him to see if he was for real, his cold, half-ass eyes gave me the heebie-jeebies. Even Pororo, though I couldn't see him inside the bag, felt something off about this new kid in town. Deep inside, I knew this kid was something else beyond what he was showing. I just couldn't quite put it together, but I knew he wasn't a normal kid.
The more time I spent around Aki, the more uneasy I felt. His friendliness seemed too calculated, his smiles too perfect. He had a way of saying things that seemed to pierce through the facade he presented to the world. And the fact that he casually mentioned magical beasts? Does he know something about me, about Pororo? Like who the hell is this kid?