2 The Introductions

I ran out of the room as soon as I got the chance, I didn't even say 'see you soon'. Yes, one of my professors taught us that saying 'goodbye' to someone meant not seeing them for at least a month and saying 'see you soon' is the appropriate term especially for people you have to see like Professor Kovacs. Truth be told, I don't want to see that fellow again, he gives me the shivers.

I'm glad my next class is in another hour so I still have time for breakfast. I ate at the nearest dumpling store which also happens to be budget friendly for misers like me, considering that my grandpa did all the cooking back home and and I was his little assistant, but never got the chance to cook because the ingredients are too expensive - also I never knew my parents and never really bothered to find out. Grandpa Batas is my only family.

"I wonder if I could come home after this semester ends. I miss grandpa's steamed buns and soy sauce rice" I said while checking my balance on through the source net bracelet on my wrist.

"If i only eat once a day then I can come home for the break!" I said resolutely. Pretty handy, this source net thing which is like a multi-purpose watch to view and receive messages, calls, watch porn, do research, pay and transfer funds, watch porn, record and capture audio and video, and most importantly, watch porn. Hey, don't blame me I'm a growing boy, I have needs too!

The source net isn't necessarily pure science and technology it also has elements of magik into it to prevent hacking and tampering, absolutely no one has ever achieved such a feat of tampering the source net due to multi-layered firewalls and curses added into it. There were even rumors going around that a guy tried to tamper with the source net to increase his funds and ended up inside out, and that's just nasty, I'd really rather not try and show the world that I'm handsome on the inside like that fellow.

"Yo, Ray! wait up!" a skinny boy with a yellow umbrella that doubles as a cane and had shoulder length hair and glasses yells from across the street. I stop and wait for him to cross the street, but his crossing is taking a bit longer than other people due to his limp.

"Took you long enough." I said sarcastically with a half smile. This unkempt boy happens to be Sulayman, my close friend since the start of the semesrer, he's an education major so the look doesn't really qualify him as an educator, maybe in the future he'd look more respectable.

"I have a limp, or do you want 'that' to occur again?" he replied and flashed a malicious smile. I froze at his reply, the event he was referring to was when we first met during the freshman orientation, the administrators grouped us into five so thay each member of the group is of a different major. I happened to be the group leader and I called out to Sulayman because he was in my group, together with Ammi, a communication arts major; Hiro, a physics major; and Petra, a biology major. He hurriedly walked towards me and I was even showing off a benevolent air in front of the pretty girls in the other groups with my arms opened wide to receive him with a hug... The bastard fell down and grabbed at the nearest support, which happened to be my pants. So there I was, my hands outstretched and my pants pulled down, revealing my not so tighty wighties. We're not that well-off like other people so my underwear is a bit on the heavily used side.

I wanted to smack him and beat him with his umbrella at the time, but showing a half naked boy in his bacon briefs beating a cripple with his walking umbrella won't do well with my curreny situation, I decided to let him off and beat him when there are no witnesses.

I shudder at the thought of being stripped again and held a firm grip on my trousers. "Shut up, don't remind me or I'll skewer you with that cane of yours." I said. He laughed and patted me on the back, "C'mon, I was just messing with ya!" he continued "How about I treat you to some nice warm ramen tonight?"

I hesitated for a bit, but decided to take him up on his offer due to my current financial situation. "Fine, but I'm getting the extra special one!" I said. "Ok, ya got me there, friend." he replied and had given up on the arguement "So, will you join me on my journey?"

"What?!" I shouted, "I meant to my next class, I'd hate it when people look at me with pity, walking alone and shit. Ya feel me?" he said in a hushed voice trying to hide his feelings of discontment and anger at those who look at him with pity. I looked at him in the eye to ascertain his sincerity in his words. "Ok, I got your back. I'll walk you to class." I said and followed up with "-race ya!" as I walked briskly towards the biology building. "Ya douche monkey!" he smiled and cursed loudly as he tried to keep up with me.

{End of the day} said the voice in my head in a cool and lazy tone as my last class for the day came to a close. This voice in my head, which I initially thought to be a system set up by the gods as a gift for my peculiarity and to help me through my struggles and provide the good life that my grandpa deserves. I thought I was special back in middleschool when it first happened during PE saying that I levelled up and telling me what my next objectives are. I immediately tried doing those objectives such as studying biology and chemistry books, and doing chores to see if I would level up again, and I did according to the system I'm a level 13 novice. I told my grandpa about this cool voice in my head like it was talking to me. He panicked and had me checked by doctor Chen, who specializes in pediatrics and treating psychological disorders in the community. I told doctor Chen about my experiences and ran some tests on me, hooking me up to various machines I had no idea what was for and scanning my brain for activity of this voice while performing actions that may lead to me "levelling up", and it did, my brain did light up. Doctor Chen called us in trying hard to stifle his laughter as he said "Son, there's nothing to worry about, it's nothing serious. From my line of work we refer to it as 'thinking'." he couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing with tears welling up in his eyes. "Eh?" both grandpa and I were dumbstruck, "thinking?" grandpa Batas asked in a daze, "Y-You mean to tell m-me t-that in the 12 years of this c-child's e-existence, this is he fi-first time he came up w-with a thought like that?" Grandpa Batas, the seemingly mild-mannered and tranquil old man stuttered as words fail him.

"Yes indeed, Ray is a special kid, in which he's slower to learn and formulate thoughts than most children his age." Doctor Chen responded "Then what has he been doing this whole time then?!" grandpa Batas roared angrily with veins showing on his forehead clearly displeased at the doctor for laughing at his apprently retarded grandchild. Doctor Chen coughs and says "It seems he's been on autopilot, like how he's conscious but isn't responsible for his decisions most of his actions have been relied on his instinct to move and respond to stimuli. Quite similar to breathing, we don't consciously think about doing it but we do it anyway because it's an involuntary action for us." he paused and said "it could also be a defense mechanism for the boy since he shows antisocial tendencies towards children his age and doesn't have much people to call his peers except you, his Grandfather. I'd say humor him, it's not like it's doing any harm, right?"

We left the hospital with that explanation and paid the douche of a doctor his dues and hoped not see him anytime soon. After that , grandpa Batas became overprotective of me and even walked me to school until I graduated from highschool. It wasn't until I got the agriculture scholarship that he decided to let me live independtly considering that the campus in Nueva Siti and my hometown of Tambo is separated by sea about 80 kilometers wide and a non-passable barrier mountain range. So we opted for the cheaper option, where I would live alone in Nueva Siti and he would stay behind in Tambo.

I headed to the diner to meet with Sulayman. I looked up and saw the flashing neon sign '24-hour full diner' "This must be the place." I said as I walked in, this is must be a new diner, because I've never seen this place before "Maybe I should diversify my diet, instead of eating dumplings and rice all day." I thought to myself. A bell rings as to sound the entry or exit of customers, I was greeted by a gray-haired old man who appears to be the cook. "Welcome!" he says and waves at me revealing a bit of tattoo on his wrists. I look around to see that there aren't many people here, actually it's just me and Sulayman.

"Over here!" Sulayman says enthusiastically and waving his umbrella at a table near the washroom. "What's up? Have you ordered yet?" I asked him and sat down on one of those old-timey swivel chairs.

"I most certainly have." he paused "Besides, you'd eat almost anything served to you." and flashed his signature shiny white teeth.

I grunted and went on the source net to vent my frustration on his comment, which wasn't entirely wrong, free food is good food after all!

"Hey now, going on the source net while someone's talking to you. That's rude!" he said as he swatted my wrist. "Is there something you have to say to me?" I said trying to be polite "I mean, you don't usually treat me or people out like this."

He sighs and says "food's here. let's eat."

We ate in awkward silence until I finished my ramen first and put down my utensils on the table "What's going on, man. Is there something you're not telling me?" I said finally. He looks at me and pushes his bowl away to the side, he looks at me and says "I'm gay." straight face and all.

"Ah, I see. Congratulations then!" I said, "Should we celebrate, I can wing man for you, let's look some nice and brainy boys for you." I grinned, my closest friend finally came out and he trusts me enough to actually tell it to me. "Wait, you're not gonna follow-up with you confessing your feelings for me, are you?" I asked with my eyebrows raised and skepticism written all over my face

He hits me with his umbrella and yells "As if! girls don't even like you. what makes you think gay guys woulf as well?"

"Fine, I deserve that. Why'd you have to make it so obvious the fact that I might as well die single and a virgin." I said dejectedly.

"There's something more you're not telling me though." I said to him in low tone. He tenses up and sighs "You got me. you fucking mind reader." he raises his hands in surrender and said "What gave it away?" he asks

"Your eyes, chico [1]. They betray you"

I said with a smug look on face. "This isn't scarface you dumbass." he says and laughs at the reference.

He raises his shirt to cover his face and reveals a well-toned upper body like that of a gods' glistening under the diner's light. "What are you doing." I said in surprise and apprehension.

I'm surrounded by weirdos and exhibitionists! why can't it be a pretty girl. "wait a minute, why are you suddenly muscular?" I asked as he continued to pull his shirt over his head.

"You can look now." said Sulayman

"At what?!" I scream while covering my eyes

"At me, ya dummy!" he replied

"Can I not?" I said still covering my eyes

His lean yet muscular arms grabbed me and held my head firmly, I can feel him breathing into my face as I opened my eyes.

"Your head! It's... it's a horse!"