Snippet #2615621

Attention, School Hall, announcements, and running,. Besides the simpler words, those were all that the Farelli boy picked up. If not for the fact that Johnny identified the speaker as a teacher with a megaphone, he would not quite have figured out what the amplified speech was supposed to mean. The subsequent movement of students also helped clue the foreigner into what was happening.

He slapped the book shut and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder. He kept his book out in case he needed it for what was to come. Until he got a translator, the book was his best option for understanding other students remotely. Johnny stood to his full height, easily towering over all save for the only other tall student. Despite being closest to the door, he was the third one to enter.

As he crossed the threshold, he bumped his head on the top door frame. “Sonuva…“ he hissed in a deep baritone, as clean and clear as an untouched glacier-fed freshwater spring, as he clutched at the struck area. The sharp pain subsided almost as quickly as it had arrived; his incredibly fit body already got to work to recovering the light bruising. Thankfully, the light injury was hidden by his thick, brown hair. As he massaged the struck area on his head, Johnny ducked slightly and cleared the door proper. He continued to follow the two students in front to the School Hall.

The interior was relatively cramped. It reminded Johnny of the smaller Jr. High school, and only made him long for the larger hallways of the many American high schools he visited before. He wasn’t terribly worried about his claustrophobia. He lasted through Elementary and Jr. High, he can handle this.

The floor was freshly waxed and polished, as befitting a brand-new school year. The budget seemed to be well-placed for a school such as this. Johnny could almost see his reflection in the tiles… almost… The foreigner continued scanning the corridors he and the two students in front of him travelled through. He got a good look at the many lockers, the windows revealing the courtyard he and the other students were leaving.

A tiny girl with violet hair (Yuuki) passed by Johnny, seemingly hell-bent to be among the first students in the hall. He recognized the girl as the one who was chewing out the “Coldplay Kid”. Seeing the dedication and speed put into the girl’s power-walk to get ahead of the crowd, Johnny felt a little inspired… Or, he thought, maybe it was just social awkwardness… Come to think of it, the foreigner couldn’t really tell which it was. He did like the idea of dedication, however; it helped with the whole “give me a challenge” angle he wanted this school to pose.

Johnny ducked his head slightly as he entered the school hall- a gymnasium with chairs set up in two large groups, cut down the middle with a single aisle. The platoon of chairs stood at-attention for a podium on a raised stage. Above the stage was a rolled-up net, which would typically be lowered to prevent the balls of many sports from getting knocked onto the stage, leaving students to rush up and recover the balls. Close to the rafters, amongst the rows of fluorescent lights, were a set of folded-up basketball backboards with hoops lined with fresh, white-as-teeth netting.

Being mindful of the shorter students, Johnny opted to take one of the black seats closer to the back, by a wall. The small number of rows meant he got a seat one behind and to the right from the violet-haired girl. In that seat, Johnny had no worries about blocking the view of others with his lean, yet imposing upper body. The chairs had padding, and were quite comfortable. Yet another display of the school’s impressive budget.

Though Johnny was incredibly excited about what was to come, he hid it well under his rubbing the doorframe injury. He was not entirely sure how 'excitement' was taken in Japanese culture… For that matter, he did not know what a deadpan, neutral demeanour meant either. He grimaced at the annoying sting and also the inevitable confusion that he knew would only just begin.

His parents mentioned a dedicated translator, would the translator be present to this important assembly? Until he had an answer, Johnny once more opened his little book and continued reading.

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+1 Popularity to Yuuki.