Snippet #2514741

Seryn leaned back from his laptop. He rubbed his forehead, blinking, exhaustion from his eyes. He glanced at the clock in the corner of the screen. 7 hours. A new record. He stood up from the desk and worked the kinks from his shoulders. He glared at the final page of the report he finished. Why does the professor announce projects a month early? He knows I'm going to do them first thing. He pushed in his chair and shut off his laptop, ignoring all the pings he was getting to play DotA and and other such things. He had enough for today. Having a brother as a roomate was probably not the wisest decision he has made. Seth, when he got back from his date, was already bound to taunt him for his "Asian-ness".

He assumed it was a good thing.

Walking to his door and opening it, he left his bedroom and stepped out into the hall. The dorm room kitchen light was on. He didn't hear Seth come in. Seryn checked his watch while as closed the short distance that was the hall. He's back an hour early. He could only guess that what happened during the date. As he walked into the kitchen area, he was greeted by Seth stuffing his face with Ramen. Noticing Seryn, he swallowed the mouthful in one go. He grinned.

"Ah, the prodigal son returns. Or, brother. Whatever. Can you use that for siblings?" He said, licking his lips.

Seryn stared at him for a heartbeat, face impassive.

"Do you actually know the correct usage for that term?"

Seth laughed, nearly choking on another mouthful of noodles.

"No," he replied, "Just sounded cool." He put down his bowl, scraped clean, and sighed contentedly.

"Anyway, what were you doin in your room for so long? I got here thirty minutes ago." Seth stood up and grabbed the bowl, bringing it to the sink. He motioned for Seryn to sit down at the table.

Still standing, he replied; "Finishing Professor Goodman's report."

"... The one he talked about today."

"Yes."

"That's due in a month."

"Yes."

Rinsing off the dish, and tossing it into the second sink. Seth let out another sigh.

"Still, playing the stereotype? C'mon dude, you have to become American sometime." He popped his neck. "Or just not do reports on the first day."

"And receive a GPA like yours?"

"I have a 3.75, Seryn. That's above average here. Not like over there in Asian-land."

"If I were anyone else, I'd be extremely offended."

"Well, anyone else wouldn't know if I was joking or not. Anyway, mail's in m'backpack. Got my paychecks, letter from Mom-and your boyfriend-besides the usual." Seryn frowned slightly. Seth, grinning again, slapped him on the shoulder as he sat down on the couch.

"C'mon man, you don't hang out with any girls. Who else is that fancy red letter from? One of your gamer friends?" Seth teased as he watched Seryn sift carefully through the wasteland on folders, papers, and other things that was his backpack. Seryn took the red letter, and handed the rest of the mail to Seth and sat down on the adjacent couch. Using is index finger he opened the seal on the letter, unfolded it and began to read. Seth pretended to read through a magazine, watching his brother. The masterful ruse didn't succeed. A couple minutes passed. Seth spoke up again.

"So..." He said, teasing further, "first base? Second base?"

"It's an invitation to an academy. Scholarship, I suppose."

"Ooh. Where's it at?"

Leaving out a few rather interesting, if not concerning details from the letter, Seryn responded; "Japan."

Seth visibly stifled another joke. "You suppose it's a scholarship? What's that supposed to mean?"

"They are offering to pay for expenses, the flight, living quarters, everything."

"Ha ha! So what's the academy called?"

"Certainly none I've ever heard of."

"Oh. An all-expenses paid academy that no one knows about. Seems legit." Seth flipped on the TV. "And I can tell from that face you're planning on going. Don't worry, I'll only write about mom about it when you go missing and your spleens are on the black market." He glanced up at Seryn when he stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"The first flight available is arriving at 6:30 AM tomorrow."

"Seriously man? Right now?"

"I have to speak with the front office and my professors to get all my papers transferred."

"Whatever man. Stay safe." Seth muttered as he switched to TNT.

Seryn left without another word.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________


"Have even you slept at all, man?"

Seryn weaved in and out of the early morning buzz of the airport, Bluetooth in his ear. "Is that all you called me for, Seth?" He dodged a family hurrying past with a stroller.

"No, I was just wondering what your bank account number was. Oh, and I need an inscription to put on the headstone of your grave."

"The background checks out." Seryn lied. He had run some checks, but he came up empty-handed. But there were some things in the letter that caught his attention. He had at least had to give it a chance. "I'll be fine."

"C'mon dude, I need at least a few last words to put include in the inscription."

Seryn, despite himself, smiled. "See you soon, Seth."

"Now THAT is cryptic..." Seyrn heard just before he hung up. He deposited his Bluetooth in his backpack and stood in one of the lines. The flight was arriving 30 minutes early. Surprising He thought as he boarded. There isn't even that many people on this plane.

And just like that, he was off to Japan.