"The beginning is always the hardest part, in almost everything, starting is almost harder than succeeding sometimes, here it is also the same, how should I manage to get contact to them, maybe go in the liberty?!"
Julian went into liberty and even saw some from that class but there was not a different obstacle, how should he do now, go up and just introduce himself?
"I already thought about if I may join a club where some of them are members but I cannot join for every class I want to become popular a club, not only I can manage to attend to them all but also it get weird over time if I leave I club and join a different one very often…so this is not really an option, there is not much else besides one gets bullied and I help him or if I see someone reading a manga, maybe I ask what about the manga is or if its good or if I know it that it's a good one, but what if all those things are don't happen? And should I really wait that someone gets bullied and even hope for it, that is even almost for me too much!"
He really had no ideas beside that, straight going up to them seemed weird for him, he also thought for a short time that he maybe should maybe someone incite against them that they get bullied and he could step in as a white knight, that was even to extreme for him, so there isn't much left there.
Some days passed, it was not good for Julian because he wants to become the most popular in the whole school and is after three months not even in the top nine-hundred, he doesn't knows if his father agrees to stay another year in Japan before moving back to America, that means he only still has left around seven months before the school year is over, it was already December, that means soon are also the holidays, he really has not much time, you could say that he managed to get in the top one thousand in the whole school in about more than two months, but the progress becomes slower and slower over time, it is the same as if you start with something new, at the beginning fast big progress but the more advanced you become the harder you get to the next realm.
Julian held his calmness and determination, he already calculated at the beginning that he would need longer than one year, so he already knew that he needs to pursue his father to stay another year, but the relationship between them doesn't seems to be in a good state right now, his father became cold, even indifferent towards Julian, the other question was should he focus more pursuing his father or becoming more popular?
"This is a tuff question, but I need to complete first to come in the top nine hundred, after that I can concentrate on pursuing my father." He mumbled.
"Wait I got an idea maybe, what if I don't wait until someone reads something and I approach them but what if I read something and they approach me, that means I don't hunt, I only bait!"
With this plan he was buying himself a manga after school he wanted to read anyways but there is still another question, where does he set this bait? And how does he set the bait without it looking unnatural or like he placed himself there on purpose?
"I was buying a manga I heard that one of them said is his absolute favorite, they all said some of their favorites, but I intentionally bought the ones favorite because it seemed as he was the most extroverted and quirky from them."
In lunch break he placed himself somewhere a group of the class would often spend their lunch; no other place than the liberty, he was already there before them because like that they maybe observe more about who everyone is there, seeing Julian with the favorite manga of the one guy gives him a bit higher chances.
"They are coming in!" He trembled, if this wouldn't succeed, the only way would be to come so often until maybe he goes up to him, or really to wait until one get bullied or something else.
A group of five, they were down to the same table always, he knew that, so he also sat himself near to that table.
At the beginning Julian saw in his eye corner that he was sometimes nervously looking at him but not only nervously but it also looked as he had the urge to go up to him, at the same time he was unsure if he should, Julian noticed it instantly and thought "Come you can do this, go up to me, I need to act as the guy who just reads and doesn't notices his looks at me…wait, am I dumb, why would I need to act as the fool? What if I just go up to him and ask him if anything is, okay?!"
Julian walked up to him with a warm gentle, expression, the guy got nervous because he thinks that Julian maybe things now that he is a creep or something, but Julian only said, "Is everything okay?" He kept his kind expressions.
"Y-yes, why you ask?" He really hoped that he doesn't asks him because he was observing a bit.
"It felt as you gave me some nervous looks?!"
"S-sorry it was just, this manga is my favorite, I was just wondering if you like it!?"
"It's pretty good."
"Okay good…"
Julian walked away afterwards, it was a bit awkward, Julian was also unsure now.
"Shit, what was this, this was also bad from me, but should've I do, continue the conservation randomly, that would've been weird, does he like me or was he only interested for a short time in the manga…but wait…its true if I would try to continue the conservation it would be weird but…they are also weird?!"
"In the end they are all a bit weird and quirky and outsiders for the rest of the school! This means I can or maybe should even show my weirdest parts of me to them, my weird sides are already weird but from what the rumors are saying they are much weirder and quirkier then I could ever be, but that's okay, but anyways, I think I am going to approach him when he is alone and start a conservation."
In a later break he was wandering a bit through school to see the same guy alone, he was going up to him to say "Hello, again, I am new in manga´s, you have any other recommendation?"
Ten minutes later
Ding, dong, ding.
"Hu, too bad, class already begins, could we exchange numbers, quickly?!"
"Sure!"
"In which class do you go?"
"2-2, and you?"
"2-6, see you!"
Julian wanted to lay himself just on the dirty floor to sleep but he also needed to go to his class.
"This was exhausting and not only a bit, he talked ten minutes straight and did not stopped once only for taking a breath, but I think he likes me, his eyes shined, he was fully in his element, this was a big success but not for my energy!"
After school was over, he texted Julian to ask if he maybe wants to go drink something, there will also be others from his classmates, they mainly want to talk about manga, Julian agreed knowing that he will have a headage quickly.
Julian was also told to wait at the main gate and there he came with some classmates, Julian almost instantly regret it but only thought "if I need to do that for becoming the most popular in school, it is what it is…sigh…"
Already on the way to the café they talked without a pause, but Julian still had his expression on his face like at the beginning, and this kept on for hours!
Hours later
"Oh, my mother texted me, oh my god, it's already late, I better go home now, bye!"
"Man, I wish I was that guy, if I get whatever notification on my phone, I instantly say it my mom and go!"
Julian got unluckily no notification, in the end only he and the guy who invited him were there, he still didn't know their name from each other!
"Hey weird question, what´s your name, I think we forgot to ask, Hehe!"
"What, oh yeah, my name is Nakamura Daichi, and yours?"
"My name is Mercer Julian."
"Oh, I remember, you are the transfer student and your team almost one the relay race, right?!"
"Yes!"
"That means you are actually pretty popular right?!"
"Yes why?"
"To be honest most of the popular ones in school never treated us nice, or overall, the most outside our class…"