"Hey! Over here, math dweeb!"

Sho Minamimoto hesitantly turned around, a stack of college-level math textbooks piled in his arms. Adjusting his trademark thick-framed glasses and his baggy cargo pants, Sho averted his eyes from the gang of ruffians. School was out for the day, but this particular group made it a habit to remind him of how lowly he was before he headed home.

Why can't they just leave me alone? Sho thought bitterly to himself. Their insults bounced right off of him, as he had heard them all before more times than he cared to count.

Dork. Geek. Nerd. Loser. It was no secret that he was the school joke, shunned by everyone for what his teachers had coined "an unhealthy interest" in the field of mathematics. They didn't understand – no one did – but that suited him fine. Numbers wouldn't laugh at him, call him names, or treat him like an outsider. He was always welcome in their mysterious world, and for that reason alone every free moment he had was spent buried in page upon page of equations. He liked all kinds, solving each with equal fervor. Numbers were his life, and he preferred to keep it that way; social interaction was just a pointless tangent, with little to no benefit at all.

And this encounter was proving especially nasty. They surrounded him like a pack of wolves hunting their defenseless prey.

"Where's that math assignment you promised us, pi face?"

"Yeah! Mine was due a week ago!"

"It's not like you're busy doing anything else!"

"Hahaha!"

Sho whimpered upon colliding with the floor, throwing his wiry arms up to shield himself from the flying punches and kicks. He screwed his eyes shut and began to mutter the quadratic equation under his breath, a distraction he often used in painful situations.

"Get up! You're such a wuss!" the leader of the bullies mocked him. Sho winced with each merciless blow to the gut, curling tighter into his protective ball. The other students passing by either shook their heads or cheered his attackers on. Nobody did anything to help, leaving him bloody and bruised after the bullies had finally lost interest. Shuddering, Sho wiped the tears from his dull golden eyes, pondering his predicament.

I barely even look at them! Why do they have to be such jerks? Sometimes I wish they'd just—

"Disappear?"

Enchanted by the melodic, but foreign voice, Sho lifted his head. Standing above him was a smiling silver-haired boy, his pale hand outstretched to Sho.

"I wish that I could do that sometimes, too," the boy confessed. "Come on. Why don't we get you cleaned up? The restroom's right around the corner."

Sho didn't quite know what to say. Slowly, he sat up, reaching for the hand. His own quivered midair, uncertain of whether or not to trust the captivating stranger. He only smiled wider. His misty gaze seemed to reflect a gentle heart.

"I promise I won't hurt you," the boy gave his word. Something inside of Sho believed him. Still silent, he nodded in his detached style, grasping the inviting hand. An abrupt jolt ran the length of his spine at contact. Sho shivered, but dismissed the strange sensation. For reasons unknown, he felt his trust bubbling back to the surface. The presence of the boy eased him, and for that much he was grateful.

"My name is Yoshiya Kiryu, but I go by Joshua," he said as he pulled Sho onto his feet. "And what about you?"

Sho said nothing, staring at his beaten white tennis shoes. He walked beside Joshua down the hall, content to listen rather than speak.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me just yet. I know how cruel they've been to you. I'd intervene if I could, but…"

Sho's eyes shot to Joshua's face. His mouth hung agape, trying to form words of thanks, but in the end he couldn't find the courage. Joshua chuckled, his laughter akin to silk.

"Yes, really. Unfortunately, I'm not built for… physical confrontation, per se. But I do know a thing or two when it comes to mental jousting. Or at least I'd like to think so."

Joshua winked at Sho. Sho smiled shyly in return, edging a bit closer to his new found companion. He radiated a constant warmth, one that Sho was inexplicably drawn to. He didn't question it like his more logical side would've done, following Joshua into the restroom. He pulled up a rusty stool from the corner and prompted Sho to sit in front of the sink. Joshua dug around in his pocket for his handkerchief, wetting it under the faucet. He offered light conversation as he cleaned Sho's wounds with care.

"I hear you're quite a fan of numbers. I share a certain fondness for them myself. To me, there's nothing more satisfying than working your way through a difficult problem and achieving the correct solution. But what I like most is that there's no ambiguity when it comes to math. The answers are always straightforward and always absolute. It's too bad the same can't really be said for people."

His tone was remarkably pleasant considering that most people who confronted him over his mathematical fixation did so only to tease him about it. The thought of meeting someone his age that shared his interests excited him. And it was true, what he said; math just made sense, whereas socializing ended up a guessing game more often than not.

"You like… you like math?" Sho piped up at last. His voice carried an involuntary tremble, a true sign of how withdrawn he had become. Joshua nodded.

"You're not alone by any means. As a whole, mankind is naturally fearful of what it doesn't understand. Math can be challenging for the average person to wrap their mind around, hence why they have trouble wrapping their mind around you. It's basic logic," he concluded his explanation with his infectious grin. Sho was baffled at how easy Joshua made things understandable, things that he struggled to come to terms with for years.

"I'd never thought of it that way," Sho admitted. "You're zetta amazing, Joshua! Uh… I mean… you're pretty amazing."

"Zetta, huh?" Joshua laughed. Immediately Sho felt his heart sink. "Ah, no! It's not like that at all! I find it pretty clever, actually. 24 zeroes, right?"

"Y-yeah!" Sho exclaimed with unprecedented enthusiasm. "No one's ever gotten it before! That's so cool of you!"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. Hm… I don't think this stain's going to be coming out…"

Joshua motioned to the blotch of blood on his black-and-white sweater vest. Sho frowned.

"Father gave this to me before he left for America," he said quietly, fingering its fraying threads. Joshua thought a moment, then reached into his breast pocket, revealing a shiny black pin bearing an intricate insignia.

"I collect them," Joshua supplied. He leaned over and stuck the pin directly on the stain, covering it up entirely. He smiled triumphantly. "There! How does that look?"

Intrigued, Sho touched the pin. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, and drew in a sharp breath, "Wow!"

"It really suits you. It's one of my favorites, but I have more than enough of them at home. It's yours to keep. I think it matches rather well, too."

True, it was a bit odd to wear a sweater vest and a pin together. But if Joshua liked it…

"Thank you," Sho said. "I really… appreciate it. Everything."

Joshua dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Think nothing of it. Let's hang out some other time, alright? I've got some business to attend to this afternoon."

"Hang out? Really?" Sho felt like he was in a dream. He contemplated pinching himself, just to see if he would wake up.

"Of course, silly," Joshua giggled. Sho noticed his eyes sparkled when he laughed like that. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Sho was on the verge of tears for the second time that day, now for a completely different reason. He nodded vigorously, his features lighting up with genuine joy.

"Right! Friends!"

"See you around," Joshua waved, turning to leave. Sho grabbed for his wrist before he was out of sight, halting him in place.

"Ah! Wait!"

"Yes?"

Sho mimicked his wide smile. "It's Sho! Sho Minamimoto!"

"What a lovely name," Joshua said softly, sauntering over. Guiding a finger to Sho's lips, he traced their upward curve, his expression devious. "And an even lovelier smile."

Sho blushed in reply, once again at a loss for words. He staggered outside shortly after Joshua's departure, and floated on a cloud all the way home.

to be continued