Chapter 1
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No sooner do I take a bite out of my sandwich does Takashi tap me on the shoulder. I nearly choke from the surprise.
 
Hisao: "What the hell, man?"
 
Takashi: "Sorry. Hey, you gotta take your lunch over here. Guy meeting."
 
Hisao: "What?"
 
Takashi: "Guy meeting. come on."
 
I give a sheepish look towards Miki and Suzu. Miki whispers something to Suzu, who giggles. I'll never know what it was because Takashi nearly drags me to a table where Akio is talking to Lezard, Taro, and Haruhiko.
 
Hisao: "What's this about? This better be good. I'm missing lunch with Miki for this."
 
Hisao takes his seat. Akio closes his eyes and places his cane across his lap. He tents his fingers.
 
Akio: "Don't worry, it's more important that you're informed about this. We have a problem. Have you noticed how many lesbians there are in this school?"
 
There are an unusually high number of lesbians for this school, but the thought never stayed on my mind long enough to question why or go deeper into it.
 
 
Hisao: "Well, yeah, so?"
 
Akio: "So, it makes our chances that much lower for relationships. We, as men have needs. Emotional needs, raw, physical needs. I've brought a specialist to help explain the situation. Keep it short, kenji."
 
Palm meets face as I groan. Kenji takes out a piece of notebook paper with a pie chart on it.
 
Kenji: "I can't stay here long. The cafeteria is wired with cameras. There may be listening devices under the tables too. Basically the girls outnumber us. They can attack at any-"
 
Akio: "Ok, ok, that's enough. See, hypothetically, any man here has a wide variety of girls to choose from. The more lesbians there are, the higher our chances of loneliness rise."
 
I spot Natsume and Naomi two tables down. Naomi shoots me a death glare and I quickly look away.
 
Taro: "So what do we do?"
 
Akio: "We rise. As men we take our place and make ourselves irresistible to the women of Yamaku! We turn them from their lesbian ways and secure a girlfriend for each male at this table."
 
Lezard passes out small sample bottles of some cologne, which Taro desperately drenches himself in. You'd think he found the Holy Grail from the look on his face.
 
Akio: "Good luck gentlemen, and may we all find our good ending."
 
 
 
Miki: "Aw PU, what's that awful smell, Hisao?"
 
Miki holds her nose as I come back to the table.
 
Hisao: "I..."
 
I hold a finger up, but am interrupted by yelling from Naomi. Poor Taro. This is not going to end well. More voices raise in the cafeteria. It's happening.
 
Jen Namura: "Why didn't you say something before?"
 
Lezard is in. Of course it's Jen though (http://realcoldacid.deviantart.com/art/KSOC-Contest-Entry-Namura-Jen-157535940), so that doesn't say much. She moves her crutch up Lezards leg under the table. My eyes dart over to Takashi, who's flirting with Molly. She's obviously not in the mood for it now. Situation normal. I can see Haruhiko standing over that green-haired girl who's on the track team. He has his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. Ever the tsundere, he refrains from sitting down next to her. She seems ok with talking to him, but this is a little awkward.
 
Miki: "Uh, what's going on over there?"
 
My head turns in a flash to see Akio talking to- is that Misha? He has his hand in his pocket and seems to be keeping his cool. What a contrast from Misha's boisterous personality. Opposites attract though, so maybe there's hope. I overhear a small portion of their conversation.
 
Misha: "You know, I had a funny dream last night too. I was eating the BIGGEST cupcake in the world. It was about as high as a tractor trailer."
 
Akio: "Funny how dreams work, isn't it?"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chapter 2
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The next day at lunch, I'm called away once again to the guy's table for another meeting. Kenji is absent this time. That begs the question, where does he usually eat lunch? I've never seen him on the roof and he thinks the cafeteria is bugged. Outside maybe? It's a big campus.
 
Akio: "Results report. How did we do?"
 
Takashi lazily rests his head on his left hand and looks for someone to go first.
 
Akio: "Nobody?"
 
Haruhiko: "I had a conversation, but we haven't spoken to each other since yesterday."
 
Lezard lights up.
 
Lezard: "That's good. You talked to her. That's usually the hardest step."
 
Haruhiko: "It's not like I like her or anything. She'd better not get any funny ideas and think I need her or something."
 
Taro hangs his head ashamedly. I don't blame him. After yesterday's outburst, he must have had a rough rest of the day.
 
Akio: "What about you, Lezard? Any luck?"
 
Lezard proudly raises his head.
 
Lezard: "I'm fairly certain I can lunch was a success, and the afternoon afterwards."
 
Takashi: "Give us some details, man."
 
Lezard: "Well, let's just say Jen's very experienced."
 
Takashi: "The one-legged girl with the crutch? I'll bet. You know she's a slut, right?"
 
Lezard slams his fist on the table and looks Takashi right in the eye.
 
Lezard: "Watch what you say. I'll tear your soul apart if you enter combat with me."
 
Akio: "Cool it, fellas."
 
Takashi: "What's the matter? You know she's the horniest chick in this school, right? Landing her isn't a big deal."
 
Lezard: "Oh? And I suppose Molly's just falling over herself to get to you?"
 
Takashi: "It's a work in progress. Good things take time. If you were an artist, you'd know that."
 
Hisao: "Still chipping away, huh?"
 
Takashi: "Huh? yeah."
 
Takashi suddenly gets the inspiration for a sculpture at the words "chipping away". Taro is doing his best to hide his face from Naomi. She and Natsume are talking about something and they don't look too happy about it.
 
Lezard: "She's not a slut. And get off the table. What are you doing?"
 
Takashi is leaned backwards over half the table as he trades insults with Lezard. Half of which I missed because I was watching Natsume and Naomi while lost in thought. I kind of feel sorry for Taro. He's not exactly stud of the year.
 
Akio: "How about you, Taro? How did you do?"
 
Taro: "Uh, I didn't really-"
 
Hisao: "He went for a direct assault. Pretty brave if you ask me."
 
Taro is surprised at my words coming to his defense and begins to cheer up.
 
Hisao: "Don't worry, bro. It takes more than a direct approach. It's like chess in a way."
 
An epiphany came upon Taro.
 
Taro: "Maybe that's why Lelouch started getting so much attention right before he left for that other school. When did he get so good at chess anyway?"
 
I didn't have the answer to that question myself. I heard talk about him being attracted to Hanako. She plays chess. Maybe he practiced it so he could play with her. I know he wasn't very good at speaking due to his disability. Of course hanako isn't one for lengthy conversation either. Maybe he resolved to work on that too. Maybe got to where it was no longer a problem, and that's why he left the school. I wouldn't know since I never really talked with him.
 
It's amazing how a girl can motivate you to turn your life around. A few months ago I wouldn't have believed it, but since my tenure here, my pessimism has been for the most part, purged. It's hard to believe I was ever the person I was when I was in that hospital bed. Akio clasps his hand together, signalling his readiness to speak.
 
Akio: "My conversation with Misha went well."
 
Hisao: "What did you talk about?"
 
Akio: "...Food..."
 
The whole table burst out laughing.
 
Akio: "Hey, I may work it into setting up a dinner next time we talk."
 
Hisao: "Good strategy."
 
Takashi: "She's got a little too much meat on her for my tastes."
 
Akio points his cane in Takashi's direction.
 
Akio: "She is not fat."
 
Takashi: "Whatever, bro. Nothing wrong with being a chubby chaser."
 
Hisao: "Can we please stop talking crap about our respective girlfriend prospects?"
 
Lezard: "He's right, we're better than this."
 
The table reaches an accord. Funny how only after a day, we've formed a sort of bond. Through shared experiences we've become brothers. I'm about to get up when-
 
Akio: "How are things with you and Miki?"
 
I nearly forgot I was being included in this group since it's not like I just got up the nerve to talk to her yesterday like the others.
 
Hisao: "Pretty good. Next time though, I'll pass on the cologne."
 
Taro: "What's wrong with it? This stuff smells great."
 
Hisao: "In small doses maybe. She wasn't too thrilled with it though. In her words, it reeked."
 
Everyone looked around the table. It seemed we ran out of things to say.
 
Akio: "Good work, all of you. Meeting adjourned."
 
 
And with that I head over for the last two minutes of the lunch break back to Miki's table.
 
Miki: "what do you guys talk about?"
 
Hisao: "You know, guy things. How about you?"
 
Suzu: "Girl things."
 
Miki: "You'd better not ditch us tommorow. This is getting ridiculous."
 
Hisao: "I'll make it up to you."
 
Miki: "What did you have in mind?"
 
Miki's eyes take on a seductive stare. The bell rings before the conversation can go any further however.
 
 
 
 
Most of the afternoon passes uneventfully. I'm doing the math problems Mutou has assigned us when a projectile hits me in the head. I see a grinning Miki, who innocently turns back to her work as I retrieve the folded up note she flicked.
 
"Let's have dinner in town tonight." it reads.
 
Suddenly my mood picks up. I know I don't have money for much more than a noodle shop, but going out with Miki sounds like a lot more fun than any other way I could have spent the night. I tear off a piece of notebook paper and scribble down a response. Mutou is too deep into the book he's reading to pay me any mind as I alley-oop the folded message into Miki's lap. Not on purpose of course. She laughs into her wrapped left arm and casts back an entertained smile at me. The ticking of the clock tells me to get back to work. Just as I've lowered the pen to my paper, the note comes back, landing squarely in front of the problem I'm working on. Just below my reply, saying I'm in the mood for noodles, she writes simply, "8pm". I look up to see her anxiously waiting for my reponse. I wink at her and she clasps her hand and stump to her heart in a mock faint. It looks like it's a date.
 
It doesn't take long to finish the rest of my classwork and soon enough the bell has rung and students are packing their things for the day. I wait for the crowd to thin out before I make my exit.