Italics = Japanese
yo * = magic words
A/N: Hello World! This is a new fic I've been writing after having read the Negima series (and thoroughly enjoying all of it). Now, to be honest, this fic isn't as good as my others. If anybody who reads my other fics reads this, then this is why I haven't updated in forever, :P. As for the description of my character, I've intentionally not typed that in favor of letting you, the reader, decide what he looks like. All I'm telling you is that he is a guy, and the he's on the taller side, and a kind of skinny, that's it. Try to enjoy this, and leave me a review!
As I wandered through the halls of the "Mahora Academy for Girls" I had an epiphany. It was an earth-shattering realization that changed the way I thought from that day forward. I'm lost. I sighed and looked at the map that I had, and realizing once again, that it was completely in Japanese and that I couldn't understand a thing on it. Coming upon a classroom door (at least I assumed it to be, I couldn't read the sign above it), summoning up my courage I knocked on the door and waited for an answer, hoping that, A. there was actually someone inside the room, and B. The knew where I was supposed to be going.
The door was opened by a semi-tall blonde girl, who managed to give an air of annoyance, while smiling graciously.
"Can I help you?"
Oh yeah, I can't speak Japanese any better than I could read it.
Giving her an awkward smile I pulled up the translator on my palm pilot (It's kind of like an older I-pod touch, minus the music) and quickly found out how to say the sentence that I needed.
"Sorry, to interrupt, but I am lost. I don't speak Japanese. Is there someone in that room that can speak it?"
The blonde girl gave me a bit of an odd look before beckoning me inside and repeating my question to the full class inside. I was looking at all the students as I heard the professor call out something in Japanese.
"Class this is a great chance to practice your english, could one of you please the gentleman here?"
I saw a girl with black hair and bangs that covered most of her face timidly raise her hand. Some more gibberish from the still unseen professor followed.
"Ok, Nodoka-san why don't you go and talk to him."
The black haired girl nodded shakily and stood up as she proceeded to make her way over to me. Blondie went to a seat that I assumed to be hers.
The timid girl walked up to me and said in some shaky english, "Umm, how can I helped?"
Eh, close enough. "Sorry to interrupt your class, but I've gotten lost and I need directions."
She stared at me uncertainly.
I repeated the same question, but slower. She seemed to get it a bit better, but still seemed to unsure to answer. A quick burst of Japanese from the professor who I still hadn't seen rang out and her face immediately brightened as she realized what I was saying.
"Where do you need to be going?" her voice was timid, but the sentence was still strong.
"I need to find," I paused and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, "Class 2-A, the one with professor Negi Springfield, I'm the new Teacher's Aid."
A look of surprise flashed across her face before she responded with an equally surprising answer, "Well, then you're already here, this class 2-A."
". . . Really?"
She nodded.
Well son of gun, aren't I a lucky one.
"May I come in then?" I was a bit more confident now that I knew I was at my destination.
The shy girl nodded and stepped to the side, allowing the rest of the class to see me, and me to see the professor. Huh, so he's actually a kid. I thought the school was just pulling a fast one on me.
He must've over heard the conversation and said to me in much better english than the stuff I had heard so far, "Ah, so you're the new TA, welcome to class 2-A."
Smiling I said, "Good to be here!"
Turning to the class he said some stuff in Japanese that I figured was some kind of introduction or explanation, "Class, this man is going to be my assistant, from this day forward, I hope you treat him with great respect as he is going to be with us for the rest of the year, and possibly others."
I just smiled awkwardly and waved. Quickly remembering the one sentence of Japanese I had bothered memorizing I said, "Hello, my name is Jeffery, pleased to me you!"
I was greeted by a chorus of some Japanese that I assumed to be a greeting in response.
The class then proceeded to ask me questions in rapid fire Japanese that I understood none of.
A quick hush from Negi quieted them down, a bit, and he told them some things in Japanese that I assume to be some form of response.
'Class Jeff-san is from America and doesn't know how to speak Japanese, so please try not to overwhelm him. If you want to speak to him you'll have to use English until we can come up with something better," turning to me he said in English, "Ok Jeff, I don't actually have anything for you to do today, I've also forgotten to prepare a seat for you, so I would appreciate it if you could sit with students for today."
Smiling (Not awkwardly this time!) I said, "Sure, no problem."
Looking around I saw an empty seat next to the same girl who answered my questions when I first came in.
Pointing to the empty spot I said, " would it be alright if I sat there?"
Looking over at it he nodded saying, "Normally that's where Yue-san sits, but she has a stomach ache today and I out of class, so it should be Ok for now."
"Ok then," giving him another smile I walked over to the seat and dumped my stuff under the desk.
I saw the girl next to me cringe away from me.
Smiling to her (and hoping she would understand me) I said, "Relax, I don't bite."
I don't know if she understood me or not, but I assurance that I had no ill will toward her seemed to do nothing. I tried saying a few other things before the girl sitting behind me tapped my shoulder and just shook her head with an understanding smile.
Shrugging, I nodded and just sat in my seat for a little bit before I bored. The girl next to me wasn't cringing away, but she had scooted a little ways away and was refusing to look at me as she hid behind her bangs.
Sighing, I pulled out my deck of cards from my leather card carrier. I gave them a quick shuffle and began to practice various card tricks on the desk. (Fun fact, I do magic! That's right! I know at least thirty card tricks!)
As the time dragged by, and I practiced more and more tricks, I noticed the girl next to me looking at me curiously.
Smiling at her, I spread the cards out in a fan and gestured to her with them.
Seeming to remember her shyness she immediately cringed away, although she didn't look as mortally terrified as before. Keeping the cards out I said, "As I said before, I don't bite. I get that you're scared for whatever reason, but I'm just trying to be friendly. Now, why don't you pick a card? I find that card tricks, are a great ice-breaker."
She must've understood some of what I said, as she, ever so timidly, pulled out a card. She stared at it moment, committing it to memory, before looking back at me.
Keeping up my best, reassuring smile, I took the card from her and put it back in the deck. I then spread the deck on the desk and looked through it. Putting on a face of disappointment I said, "Huh, I can't find your card, could you find it for me."
She leaned over, just a tiny bit, and looked through the face-up cards. Looking a little surprised she shook her head. "Huh, that's odd," putting the back into a square I broke it in half and gave it a riffle shuffle saying, "Sorry, I guess I lost your car-" I was cut off by a single card from the deck flying out from my shuffle. Picking it up, and smiling mentally, I said, "Huh, that's never happened before," making a move to pick it up it actually fell off of me and a little behind her. Smiling abashedly I said, "Sorry, would you mind getting that for me?"
Nodding, still timidly, she reached over and picked it up, before she handed it to me.
Taking it looked at it, it was the 9 of clubs. Showing to her I asked, "Hey, this wouldn't happen to be your card would it?"
Shaking her head she said, "No, it was the 10 of hearts."
Taking a look at the card, I gave it a flick with my finger and said, "Oh, so this one?"
Taking a look at the card, astonishment took over her facial features as she saw that it had indeed, turned into the 10 of hearts.
The entire classroom erupted into applause, causing shy-girl to flinch and hide behind her bangs (again), looking around I saw that the entire class had stopped to watch my little trick.
"Well done, Jeffery-san, that was a really good trick! I just can't figure out how you did it!"
As I heard Negi's praise ring out through the din of the class I shouted back at him, "Oh, that question has a real easy answer!"
He looked a little surprised at my answer.
"To say it simply, I use magic!"