Formal Nails

I woke up at 7 AM, and today is the start of my second week at school, if this is not my last day…

My father told me that he would come to school and sign me out of Avion Seven Academy.

As I had finished showering, I had a bad feeling about what will happen today but I quickly cleared my mind of all those bad thoughts and started to dry myself down with a towel.

“He will do it, he will do everything in his power to let me stay in school,” I said in a believable tone.

I kept thinking about the promise the director said to me.

‘I can keep you at this Academy.’

At the moment that’s all I care for, I don’t want to leave the country and go study abroad. I’ve never been outside Japan. It’s not about the language barrier, that’s certainly not the case as I excel in multiple Asian and European languages. It’s just that I would like to have a normal school life here in my home country…

Traveling and exploring countries, the thought of it is nice. But for me at this time and age is too soon. If I complete my school life by getting a degree in university, then… and only then, I see myself on a plane to a new destination.

PART ONE

It was lunchtime, the class has finished and I stored my books in my locker at the back of the class. I heard the voices of Matsuda-kun and Noah talking to each other.

“Heya Noah after school we go play this game in this new place that I have found out! It’s a ‘Fun Center’ where you can do all kinds of things.” Matsuda-kun slammed Noah’s desk in excitement while he said that to him.

“I’m sorry (In English), I can’t I have work after school,” Noah said while fixing his bangs.

Matsuda-kun eyebrows raised when he heard that he had a job. “Since when do you have a job?!”

Noah’s face made a dumbfounded expression when he heard his question. “I told this to everyone back when we introduced ourselves to the class!” He looked upset and continued, “did you even hear everyone's introduction?”

I could see that he felt a little embarrassed when Noah asked him that.

“Never mind, but we can go another time when we both have some time,” Noah told Matsuda-kun.

They left the classroom together and walked towards the cafeteria. I too walked towards the classroom door to leave, but Nakata-kun blocked the doorway once again.

“Can we please have lunch together?” Nakata-kun asked.

“I’m having lunch with someone different already,” I replied with a cheap lie, I wanted to be alone.

“Great then I will join you and we will have lunch together all three of us,” he said with a smile. He knew that I lied because I didn't have any friends to eat with together.

'Sigh'-- "Alright, Let's eat together. But only the two of us, you understand? Even your girlfriend can't sit with us.” I told him strictly.

“Yeah, yeah. Let's go!”

(10 minutes passed from that moment.)

“What do you look at first in a girl?”

That is a question asked by a person that got told that she and her friend can sit at our table when they asked if they could sit with us. Nakata-kun accepted these two individuals, his girlfriend: Medo Umi, and her friend: Sashi Mai.

And I strictly told him not to let anybody sit at our table.

This guy...

But why did she just ask that random question? Asking a guy in front of your boyfriend what you like in a girl is strange, but the fact that Nakata-kun was also interested in this question seemed odd.

“Why the curiosity?” I asked Medo-san.

“I just wanted to know where you would look at first, for example, most boys look at the ‘upper chest’ first.” She stopped for a moment to look at me.

“There are occasions where they look at our ‘rear ends.’”Again she glanced at me when she said this kind of part.

She wanted to see if I would let out some kind of expression to see what I like in a girl.

“Or are you the typical boy that looks at the girl’s face firs...” I stopped her talking midway.

“Her nails,” I said.

All three of them were in shock to hear my response and immediately started to look at their fingernails.

“Nails?...-- Why’s that Nage-kun?” Nakata-kun asked astonished.

The nails of a human being can tell much about themselves, like if they work a job or their hygiene. If girls look after their nails they are more likely to have good hygiene if some nails are for example dirty, broken, or bit into then this girl does not look good after herself.

That means that if she doesn't have time now when she is a young woman to look after herself to be ‘presentable’ then she will never do a good job of taking care of her boyfriend/husband.

That's a hard no for me.

“Now that you are talking about hygiene, you’re skin looks really soft. Are you using some kind of créme?” Nakata-kun looked at Medo-san a bit irritated when she brought up my skin.

“You also smell nice,” this soft but audible compliment was from Sashi Mai, this girl blushed the instant I looked at her, she couldn't keep eye contact.

“I don't use any crème, I do use some cologne but that's about it,” I replied.

It was strange, the promise from Nakata-kun that we were going to eat by ourselves, the personal questions, this girl that didn't dare to look at me...

There is more to it than it seems...

*Ding, Ding, and Ding.*

The lunch bell rang again to let us know that lunch is over, time for the next class. I stood up from the table and walked towards the cafeteria doors.

I glanced over my shoulder while looking back at the three, and saw the couple talking to Sashi-san.

PART TWO

Classes ended today and my teacher Misaki-sensei told me to go to the Director’s Office.

As I walked into the hallway I saw our concierge putting up some posters, “do you need any help?” I asked politely.

“Hmm, If you can hand me that poster and hold the ladder while I put it on the main board that would be great.” He said.

I took the poster and scanned what was written on it while I gave it into his hands, “Monthly vote for the most popular boy and girl?” I questioned.

He nodded while he put the poster on the board, “yes every month the students can vote for the most popular boy and girl, these two popular students get access to some privileges from the school, for instance, the bell that was used at your introduction ceremony.”

This school does have some strange rules, a single bell can make you do everything that the user wants. It even made me go topless in front of the whole school, of course, a certain person made this happen.

I wonder which other privileges are gifted to these popular students.

I waved goodbye to the concierge that I started to have a friendly connection with and continued my walk to the Director’s Office.

Closing the door behind me while entering the room, I saw that my father had already arrived.

“Ahhh, Nage-kun now that you are here we can start.” The Director said with a smile.

My father looked at me for a second and started speaking, “there isn't anything to discuss here! I’m taking Gazo out of this school!” He said with a dangerous tone.

I didn't want that to happen and looked at the director for a small moment and slightly nodded for him to start his plan.

He understood this.

“Hmm, have you asked Gazo’s opinion on this, Sir?” He asked my dad.

“While I’m still breathing, I make the decisions for my son! He doesn't have any say in this!” Father screamed in anger.

“I see, but in this school, it's a rule that if the student doesn't want to leave and is forced by their responsible person to sign out. They need a government formal document that you can request at the city council, this document could take months to acquire.”

This was the director's plan, my father needs a formal document from the government to sign me out, and to acquire that he has to wait a long time for the process. The director told my father this because he knows that he won't wait that long.

That means that I can stay here in Japan, and continue studying at this Academy.

I almost wanted to smile but then I glanced at my father that was rather quiet...-- He wasn’t acting ordinary, suddenly he started laughing but this was not a normal laugh. It was kind of evil. He picked out a white document from his bag and trowed it at the director.

“Fhhhhaafhhhmuhahhh...--- I know that you need the documents from the city council if Gazo wouldn't volunteer to leave the school. So I called a good friend of mine that works in the city council and ordered him to make me the formal documents that you need so badly, director.” Father told Omura-sensei.

The director didn't expect him to acquire those documents and looked in full disbelief at me.

My father then stood up and wanted us to leave but I quickly picked out a document from my back pocket. “This document can change my responsible person, I just need your sign director,” I said.

I didn't think that I would have to use this document, I only had this as a last measure. I gave him the document and he overlooked it.

“This is an agreement for a change of responsibility for a student in this school. How did you know about this Gazo?”

“I took a look at the parenting rules from the school and found this out,” I replied.

My father looked very unhappy. And took the document in his hands, “let me see that!” He said in anger.

He quickly scanned the document.

“Ahaa! A director can’t be responsible for a student! It clearly stated it here, who is going to be that person for you ahh, Gazo?” He said with an evil smile.

Any second now...

“Ohellooo, y'all I'm not late right?” Aunty, Shirai Midori, said with a bright smile after she came into the director's office.

“She will be responsible for my time here at this Academy,” I said calmly.

Both my Father and the Director looked at me with their open mouths, they couldn't believe it.

Last week I have gone to visit my Aunty and to ask her for a favor, to be my responsible person.

"I had a brief conversation with Gazo, and I will be responsible for him from now on. You shouldn't control your son like this if he doesn't want to go study abroad you should let him be." Aunty said to my father.

My father looked furious at me, I have never seen him this angry before.

“If you continue to humiliate me, Gazo. I will kick you out of your apartment. Also, I won't be sending you money anymore so that will be a problem too. Are you sure you are going through with this!” Father said to me.

I calmly looked at my father and told him, “Yes father, I want to stay at this school and get my diploma. Don’t worry about me I will live with my Aunty and will start a part-time job.”

Father looked at Aunty for a moment and began to speak, "Fine since you're the one who's going to be responsible for him, I will comply and leave him in your hands for now, but if he messes up once I'll be dragging him overseas to study there." My father has great respect for his wife's older sister.

“That sorts it out!” the Director said happily.

After my father left the Director's Office, my Aunty and I signed the document and the director approved it. Now I will have to live with my Aunty and Azumi for the rest of my school years.