Natural Gaijin

"Where do you have the money for airfare? I only a small amount of yen from working at my
local shop."

"My parents have been wiring money to me for a while now, and I've also been doing a bunch of odd jobs. I potentially could have enough for another ticket if you wanted to follow me, but then I think I won't have enough for food and stuff." Leo nervously smiled.

"What's mother going to do with me gone?!" Hana fretted and tugged at her locks once more. "Caul-ah-eu-un?"

"Didn't you turn eighteen recently? If you persuade your mother, that's good, but you can always run away and talk to her occasionally through the phone." Leo nodded to himself. "Yeah, calo-forna."

"I doubt she'd let me go to the Americas without making a big deal from it." She slumped back
into the chair and pulled her coat around her mouth. "I just want to sleep and forget I have to live
like this." She stood up and clicked a second too late before she collided with something. She
stumbled back and growled at herself. "You really need to clean this place, Leo."

"What's the point of cleaning it up if I'm going to leave soon afterward, Hana? I'm sure the landlady will clean it up herself and give the room to a bigger pig than me." Leo said as he began to laugh and snort like a pig. The sound of pigs were heard from the floor beneath the two.

Hana shook her head, "If I could see where I am right now, she'd probably faint. I'm putting my faith
in you to not have me killed before the week is over." She clicked and navigated around the
tiny rat hole. "What is there for us in the Americas?"

"My pen pals in America told me that freedom is apparently there. I don't know exactly what they meant, but freedom's there. I'm sure you'd like some freedom, Hana?" Leo said as he stood up laughing and walked toward the mask across the room to grab it.

"Freedom? What kind of freedom? I'm very well comfortable here, I have never been required to venture away from Japan." She knit her thin brows together. "As long as I can... not be persecuted... then I suppose I'll be fine in the Americas." She felt a random wall up after she had spoken.

"I don't think persecution is a thing in America. But we'll see when we get there, right?" Leo unhung the mask and felt the worn-out front of it with his skinny, long fingers. He felt surprised that he could still wear the mask in a perfect fit after so many years. "Hana, may I ask you something?" Leo said in a soft tone.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"The moment we are in the Americas, I want you to call me a different name from that point on. So, don't call me Leo, but... what was that old cartoon figure with the big hair and the crazy mask... Koya Shimusura? Yeah, him. May you call me that when we're there?" Leo chuckled.

"Why?" Hana found her way to Leo and waddled close to his back.

"Family reasons. Don't question why, but family reasons. Can you do that?" Leo stopped Hana before she could inadvertently push him to the wall.

"If you say so... Koya." She tested the name and screwed up her face. "Can I just call you a koi
fish?" She giggled and threw herself at the man haphazardly. "So this will be like an
adventure?" Her ears folded neatly against the top of her head.

"Ah! Woah, not the television!" Leo quickly grabbed Hana from possible danger toward herself and the television as the red mask fell away from his hands. He showed a sigh of relief before realizing that he was closely hugging Hana. "Y-yeah...I guess so." After a brief moment of silence, Leo precariously blushed as he released Hana. "Do you, uh... need a way back home?"

Hana went boneless dramatically and flopped to the ground without sufficient support. "I can't go
home to mother! Not like this!" She probably could, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

Leo picked up his mask from the dirt-stained floor as he looked back toward Hana. "Oh. I guess you can help clean this place up with me then. I'll open up a window and you can just throw the garbage out there. Just don't touch my clothes."

"This wasn't my vision of an ideal lazy day at home while avoiding exams." She folded her arms
tightly and scowled up at him expectantly.

"Well, I can just throw you out the window instead if you want." Leo went toward the window and opened it, letting in the chilly breeze of outside and the sound of howling wind.

Hana pulled her jacket closer and fumed even harder.

This is nothing like in an anime romance... stupid foreigners.

"I guess I am just trash!" she moaned helplessly.

Leo facepalmed at the sight of his blind friend. "If you move two steps to your left, my blanket and pillow is there. You can nap while I clean up." He picked up an empty ramen cup and threw it outside as the wind easily carried it toward one businessman's forehead.

“What the!? What’s the big idea!? Who did this!?” The businessman yelled, but no one replied.

Hana lazily dragged her body over to his pillow and felt around it. She collapsed on it and
grumbled. "You know it's better to actually use a place dedicated for trash! Like your mouth for
instance!"

"Oh really, Hana?" Leo clumsily took off his sweaty right sock and threw it toward Hana's face. "Maybe your mouth is better suited for trash!"

Hana screamed at the offending sock and threw it far away from her. She curled up into a protective ball and wept, "I hate you."