• The slightly different strategy of making friends •

That evening I talked to my uncle about how much I hated Japan!
"But, but ... calm down first, Feli.", He had said.
"But these Host Club Futzis are so ... ARGH!" I only grumbled.
I glared at him, but I didn't mean it because I just wanted to intimidate him a little. This scratched his bald pear and looked at me nervously.
He always did that, scratching his head - or rather his bald head when he was nervous. And mostly I was the reason for it. I didn't really mean it, but it's his fault that I went to this stupid school. So he had to feel it too!
"Have you already made friends there?" Asked my aunt, who had already joined us.
I crossed my arms tightly over my chest and puffed out my cheeks in indignation.
"No! I'm glad if everyone would leave me alone there!" I grumbled.
"It would be easier for you there if you found some friends, Feli." My uncle spoke up again, but was silent when I gave him a venomous look, which he avoided and looked at my aunt for help.
She just shook her head and frowned.
"You should really decide what you want!", She said before I got up and disappeared into my room.

Yes. that was how it had happened the previous evening. And now, unfortunately, a new day began. When the doorbell rang for the long break, I was the first to leave the room. Fortunately, I was the closest to the class door.
And there I sat, bored, under a tree in the schoolyard. Around me I heard the annoying voices of the Japanese and briefly grumbled something insulting to me. That was of course addressed to all of Japan! As if I would make a friendship here! Never ever!
I leaned against the tree and closed my eyes. Luckily this was the lunch break. So I could rest a little. I enjoyed the silence, I'll leave out the many, annoying, Japanese voices, and that went on for about ten minutes before I just heard a "RUMMS" and was startled. About 4 meters in front of me was a girl, I think she tripped, on the floor. I wanted to leave them freezing cold at first, I hated the Japanese, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to bring it up. it didn't look like it was from the Ouran either. So I got up and walked over to her with hasty steps, kneeled in front of her and helped her up.
"Everything ok?" I asked a little worried and looked at her.
She rubbed her left arm briefly and finally grinned at me.
"Sure!" She said.
Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that! Her left arm was covered in blood! I looked at her pissed off and then she confused me.
"What is it?" She asked.
I pointed to her arm.
"You're fine!" I snorted.
"That happens when you play soccer," she muttered, rolling her eyes."Soccer?" I asked, slightly surprised.
"Yes why?"
"Well ... football is great!"
"That's why I'm playing!" She laughed.
"Where's the ball?"
She looked around, then pointed in a direction where the ball just stopped rolling.
"You play alone?" I finally asked.
"Yep.", She answered shortly and ran towards the ball, followed by me.
"Is not that boring?"
"Mh ~ I'm just practicing something."
Then she picked up the ball and there was a silence.,. That I broke after a few minutes.
"Does it hurt?" I asked.
"Who?"
"Well, your arm, you bowl!"
"Oh, that ... something," she admitted.
"Then you should-" I began, but got no further because the doorbell rang and the break was over.
It was probably less than 10 minutes after I closed my eyes.
"Oh no ..." I groaned. "I have to go back in now." I said and looked at her.
She gave me a slightly funny look and cocked her head.
"Well, me too.", She said and started walking.
I followed her quickly so that she could run alongside her.
"You go on the Ouran here too?" I asked, surprised.
"Sure. Tell me, do you like Tako-Yaki?"
"Tako-Yaki?" I repeated.
"Yes! Tako-Yaki!" She enthused.
"I do not know."
"How about you come to me after school. My mother makes fabulous tako-yaki!", She said and grinned.
"I uh ... o-okey," I mumbled, rather surprised.
"Okey! Then we'll meet you again after school, okay?"
"Clear!"
"See you later!", She said before she dashed in and I blinked after her. This girl was weird. But somehow I liked her ... Wait! But she was a Japanese!

After school, as agreed, I waited by the tree. It took a few more minutes as I watched her disappear from school, and as she approached me.
"Hey!" She called, waving one hand.
I also ran up to her and smiled a little. My uncle wouldn't mind if I got home a little later.
"Where do you live?" I asked when we stood across from each other.
"Right back there around the corner!"
We set off together, initially in silence.
"... Tell me?" I think.
"Yes?"
"What's your name anyway?"
"I'm Minako Nadeshiko! Just call me Mina!", She said with a grin.
"Ah. I'm Feli.", I said and wondered if I would give my full name here.
"Feli who?" She asked and looked at me searchingly.
Déjà-vu?
"You don't really want to know ..." I muttered.
"Yes I want!"
I took a deep breath so I could pronounce the name as quickly as possible. And so that the horror was over quickly.
"Lanie Viola Valentina Maria Alicia Felicitas Felicé!"
She looked at me with big eyes.
"Are you saying you're from Italy?" She asked, grinning broadly.
"Do-yes. I'll come." I stammered and looked at her funny.
"That's great!"
"Great?" I asked, slightly horrified.Wuhu ... that's great ... just ... shit!
"I just love Italy!" Enthused Mina.
"Really now?" I asked, a little surprised.
She nodded eagerly.
"What about Japan? I mean ... do you like it here?"
"No! I always wanted to go to Italy!"
"That's great!" I shouted and the people around us looked at us strangely.
Mina smiled and cocked her head, took my hand and ran.
"Hey-hey!" I called out.
"That way we'll get there faster!" She called over her shoulder to me.
I just let it pull me and just stumbled after it.
At one point it stopped abruptly and I almost popped into it. Why did she have to stop so suddenly? She led me in and just shouted: "I'm back!" whereupon the guests all stared at us strangely. Mina didn't seem to mind and she pulled me behind the counter in a room where it smelled good. There was a small kitchen here and I looked around. She dropped her school bag and sat down at the small table by the kitchen window.
"Have a seat," said himself politely.
I nodded briefly and sat down too. Then a woman came in and looked at both of us.
"Ah, hello," she said.
"Good day."
"Hey mum."
"You brought a friend with you?" Asked her mother.
"Yep. I wanted to show her how tako-yaki tastes."
"Oh, she doesn't know? Then wait a moment."
"Okey!"
I was silent until now. I didn't know exactly what to do here either. But this Minako actually seemed quite nice. Not all Japanese seem stupid after all.
"You go to the Ouran too," I began. "Then why aren't you wearing your uniform?"
"I don't like them. And the teachers have meanwhile stopped telling me that I should put on the uniform."
"I see ...", I just mumbled and then waited.
A few minutes later our mother put a small bowl with small, round bobbins in front of us, where a toothpick was speared into each bobbin. At first I held back and looked at the skewered dumplings. Mina's mother said "enjoy your meal" before she went back to the stove and continued to cook. Mina took one of the skewered dumplings and began to nibble on it. I smiled at the sight, but also took a bite and took a bite.
Immediately my face lit up and with a big grin I looked at Mina.
"That's delicious!" I said. "What's in there?"
"Um ... just ordinary ingredients.", Mina mumbled a little quietly.
"Squid!", Her mother called in between and I swallowed.
What I ate there was squid. I felt sick. And I think that I even went pale.
"Mom! You shouldn't have said that!" Shouted Mina.
She jumped up and pulled me out of the kitchen, hurried to the toilet and pushed me into a cubicle. I prefer to spare you what happened there. When I got out I glared at her."I ate squid?" I said angrily.
I didn't want to eat such an animal! And now I have it! She looked at me apologetically and bowed to me.
"I'm sorry! But I didn't know how you would react!"
I looked at her in silence for a moment before sighing.
"It didn't taste that bad ..." I admitted. "But don't do that again, will you?"
She looked up at me again and smiled wryly.
"Sure," she replied.
I smiled at her before looking at my watch and sighing briefly.
"I ... will go home now too.", I just said and smiled at her.
"Okey ... and I'm really sorry!"
"Is good."
I ran to the door and looked at her again briefly.
"I'll see you at school tomorrow," I said, grinning before disappearing out the door and making my way home. I still felt sick. But I had to admit that tako-yaki was pretty tasty.