Pic Fic- Make Katawas Great Again

http://i.imgur.com/FOhIYi8.png

The afternoon was a pleasant one spent in quiet company with Lilly. We each had our own books, me a spy novel I found tucked in the back of a bookshelf at the library, Lilly with another intriguing and indecipherable braille book from her growing collection. Individually we were reading in silence but together we were enjoying our shared company. We often let our time alone together slip away in silence with the mere enjoyment of the presence of one another. This is what we really considered a date most of the time rather than some event or activity. We went into town often enough but dinner at the Shanghai got commonplace after a while and there are just some days when a walk outside wasn't in the cards, as today was with the rain pattering away at the window to my dorm room. That and money was a major limiting factor, making a evening at home a nice, and cheap, alternative.

We were both in bed comfortably reclined next to each other, one of my arms around her shoulder while I held my little ratty book with it's frayed cover. She had both of her hands occupied with the act of running her delicate fingers over the pages of her own book, but she was nestled in the crook of my arm with her head on my shoulder. I relished it when she would lift her head slightly as she got wrapped up in her story, her neck and face tensing at a particularly interesting line before relaxing once more as she melted back into my side in a warm embrace.

That was turned into a sudden gasp and startled jump when a loud, piercing scream broke through my wall, jarring her out concentration and me out of my comforting revelry.

"He's at it again," I mumble under my breath, "He's been doing it all day..."

Lilly gives me a tight smile and a pat me on the chest.

The last several weeks, months by now I admit, Kenji has been even more of a bother than usual. Most of the time I only have to worry about running into him in the hallway and suffering one of his bizarre rants, but recently he's been cooped up in his room all day, barely coming out at his normal hours. I had started to get worried about his state of mind but a check with Lilly revealed that he had still been attending classes at his normal though often tardy schedule. It was nice at first not having to worry about encountering him every day but it was replaced by a new and strange series of bizarre practices; he would be up at all hours of the night with a television or radio loudly playing in the background, carrying on worrisome one-sided conversations with himself and, most annoying of all, these outbursts alternating between cries of anguish followed by depressed mutterings and manic bouts of laughter and shouts of joy. This one seemed to be the happy kind and louder than normal and as I observed its been happening all day with increasing frequency. This last one was the final straw for me.

"I can't stand this anymore," I say, slapping my book shut in annoyance, not caring that I lost my place.

Lilly has recovered from the shock of Kenji's cry and lays a soothing hand on my shoulder. "It's fine, you shouldn't get so upset."
"I have every reason to be upset," I argue. "This is my hallway too! I shouldn't have to be worried that at any moment he's going to start screaming at the top of his lungs and scare the hell out of me. I wish I had a broom, so I could pound on the wall and get him to shut up! If he does it again, I'm going over there."
"He's not hurting anyone, he's just excitable."
"I have a condition! Being startled is bad for me!" Even I think my reasoning is lame, but I take comfort in my indignation.

Lilly gently tugs at my shirt, pulling me back down next to her as I try to rise from the bed. "Don't start an argument you don't need. Kenji has always been... odd. He seems to be fine in class, though Teacher Miyagi has commented on how tired and distracted he looks. More than usual, that is. I must admit, I myself have been worried about him. He seems so much more withdrawn... more than usual, even."

"He's becoming a nuisance."
"Becoming?"
"More than usual."
"Have you spoken to him recently?"
"Not at all. Most of the time I try to avoid him."

Lilly's pout expresses her disapproval. "He may be going through something and he could use a friend. It isn't good to close off people when they might need someone to talk to."
"Don't you spend a lot of time avoiding him in class as well?"
She hesitates only slightly so I almost don't catch her at it. "There's a difference between avoidance and politely ignoring someone."

I'm about to press her on her deft interpretation, but another shout comes up, this one accompanied by the sound of something, or someone, falling over and howls of elation.

"That's it, I'm done. I'm going over there." I gently extract myself from Lilly's assertive embrace.
She sighs and sets her book down on the bed joining me, a hand on my shoulder. "Don't be too harsh, he may be upset about something."

I stomp out into the hall, Lilly close behind me and we step in front of Kenji's door. He's still shouting at something and seems to be chanting a word I can't quite make out.

"Do you hear that?"

Lilly's head slightly tilts in concentration. "I think he's speaking English."
"What is he saying?"
Puzzlement passes over Lilly's features as she tries to grasp what Kenji is chanting. "I don't know. Something about a card game, I think."
"What is he doing in there?"

I turn back to the door and knock several times, using my fist so it's especially loud. A clatter of objects comes from inside the room and Kenji nearly rips open the door, his hair and clothes in an even more outrageous state than normal. "Who is it? Can't you hear I'm celebrating!?"

"Kenji, what the hell is going on in there? What are you shouting about?"

I feel Lilly's hand still on my shoulder, griping me softly in gentle persuasion over my harsh tone.

"Hisao? Is that you?"
Kenji steps out into the hall and peers right into my face, his breath worse than usual. Then he swivels his head like a lamp towards Lilly. "Who's this with you?"

"Hello, Setou. It's Lilly, from class," she says, cutting me off with a gentle, diplomatic tone. "Hisao and I heard some loud noises and were concerned about you. Is everything all right?"

Her introduction seems to have an effect on Kenji just as it does any time I've seen him come across a female student in our interactions. He becomes slightly less agitated and subdued while putting on a strangely polite and taciturn nature. He seems to have gotten used to Lilly since she and I started dating, but I don't know if that's because she's my girlfriend or since he knows her from class. Either way, he still puts on his normal guy act when she is around. Despite that even his facade of feigned normal can't keep his agitated excitement in check. "Hey, Lilly. Yeah, everything is fine! Actually, no, that's not true. Everything is great! Great! Great! Great!" He turns to me and grabs at my arm, fumbles a bit and clasps my hand in a too strong, clammy handshake. "This is a huge day, man! A great day! Everything's going to be all right!"

I extract my hand, wiping it on my pant leg. "Kenji, what have you been shouting about? It's been really annoying with you flipping out all the time and I'm getting sick of it."

"Oh, you heard that?" He looks slightly embarrassed, scratching his head in a sheepish manner. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to disrupt..." he peers at the two of us and coughs into his fist. "Whatever this is."

I feel Lilly tense next to me and I cringe in my own self-awareness. Girls aren't allowed in the boy dorms, but it doesn't seem to be much of a problem with the other students. Kenji has always been pretty respectful of that and there's never been any issue with Lilly staying over that I've heard of. One of the few times he leaves me alone is when Lilly is around.

"Really sorry," Kenji repeats, "but this is the best day ever! Hisao, I can't describe to you how amazing this day just got. The world has totally changed! Everything's going to be okay! I mean, I've thought that things were petty dark before, but this is like seeing the light at the end of a tunnel! And it's not a train! And I just won the lottery!"

I can't imagine what has him in such elation. He's smiling and is almost shaking with excitement. "What happened?"

"You don't know? Only the biggest thing in the history of history! The future will remember this day as the turning point where everything changed! People will talk about history from now on and refer to stuff that happened before today and stuff that happened after today! And all the stuff before will suck and everything after today will be great and amazing! The election is over! We won! We beat them!"
"I didn't think there was an election in parliament this year," Lilly comments.
"Not in Japan. In America!"

"You follow American politics?"
"I do now!"

I'm not sure whether to be impressed or worried.

Lilly's purses her lips in confusion. I think she's thinking the same thing I am. "What time is it there?"
"Two in the morning! The election just got called. I've been following it all day!"
"Don't they ever sleep?"

"Who can sleep at a time like this? This is the biggest election ever! It was a heck of a ride there for a while. I really thought we were going to lose Florida for a while, but thank God for the Cubans! I can't believe you haven't been paying attention. We came this close to Armageddon! A women was running!"
"Oh, that's wonderful to hear," Lilly says conversationally.

Lilly can't see the dirty look Kenji gives her but he knocks it off before I get offended. "Yeah, sure. That's not the point. This women was... trust me, it would have been bad. World War Three bad. Like, the sky is falling, bad. Like, stick your head between your knees and kiss your... butt goodbye, bad! Thank God for the rust belt! That doesn't matter though! She lost and the good guys won! This changes everything!"

I don't want to encourage him, but I demand an explanation for this nonsense. "Who won?"

"Only the savior of western civilization! He's fantastic! He's a billionaire businessman, never been a politician and he's going to fix everything wrong with the world! The internet is losing it's mind! Its like one of my cartoon shows come to life!"

"Why would America elect a non-politician? That sounds really dangerous. Does he even know how to run a country?"

Kenji makes a rude noise. "Politicians are the reason the world is so crap now.  It's time to fix things and stop letting the femi.... er, globalists tell us what to do!"

I'm not sure if Lilly caught his slip, but she doesn't react, only maintaining the confused expression I feel mirrored on my own face.

"Why do you care so much about American politics?"
"All nations have to stand together for their sovereignty in the fight against... globalism. Japan has the same problems as America! Damn foreigners coming and taking our jobs and ruining our country! Kick them out, I say!"
I hear Lilly make a slight grunt of offense, but I try not to smirk.
"That won't happen anymore, I guarantee you!" Kenji howls. "Our Prime Minister is a pretty cool guy, he's going to be best buddies with America's new President! The guys agree!"
"What guys?"
"The internet. I'm part of them. We helped get him elected."

I have no idea what the hell is going on and Lilly looks the same. I nod in what I hope isn't a too exaggerated okay. "Oooh, okay. Good for you. You helped."

"Yep! I'm part of a movement! This is the day everything changes, Hisao! Lets see China screw with us now that America is on our side again!"
"Was it not?"
"It is now!"
"Weren't we at war one time?"
"Nah, its cool. We're best buddies now."

Kenji vanishes into his room and comes out, a red baseball cap on his head and another one in each of his hands. He plops one on me and then one Lilly, who is a bit startled by the sudden hatting.

Kenji gives Lilly a thumbs up and a big grin. "Don't worry Lilly, you're one of the good ones. Hisao approves of you, so you're an ally of the movement. Just wear that so we'll know you're one of us."

Lilly looks utterly confused and trying not to show it, a hard task for someone who wears their emotions so openly on her expression.

He slams his door behind him and fumbles with the lock. "I gotta go tell people! This is history! I might get a rally started!"

Kenji darts off at a dangerous speed given he can barely see. When he's out of sight down the hall, I hear him shouting something about throwing someone in jail and trade agreements being bad.

Lilly and I are left in utter silence, unsure of how to react or respond. I peel the hat off my head and see that it has some letters in English on it. I don't know what it says and I obviously can't get Lilly to tell me.

"Hisao, what is going on in America?" Lilly says, her voice tight and concerned, the odd hat still perched on her head.
"I don't know, Lilly. If Kenji approve though, I'm very worried." I chuckle to myself. "Maybe we should go to Scotland until it blows over?"

"Oh, trust me," she murmurs. "It's not getting any better there either."