“Hey, Junpei. I need to talk to you after class.”
The lab is empty.
Well, mostly empty aside from one remaining student in particular. Cloth in hand, his palm swipes against a petri dish. His eyes flit to the side as he sets the petri dish and atop the counter, only to look onward and over at Junpei who had currently stood across from him.
“Guess I should start, then.”
He crosses his arms, leaning forward and against the counter. He was always one for attempting to pick others apart, even if his perception was always a bit too sympathetic and not always quite on the mark—regardless, he never exactly understood this one. If Sigma was to be honest, he was…seemingly not very well put together. No, not at all.
Yet his work had always proved otherwise.
“Your last exam. You got a 91. That’s…impressive. Really impressive. The average was a 67. You’ve either got balls made of magic or your work ethic is seriously on fleek.
I don’t want to inflate your ego too much, so I’ll cut to the chase now. Most people don’t enter this field and succeed without a purpose. A goal to strive for. For some, it’s financial stability. For others, it’s expectations and dreams that their parents have projected onto them. And then there are those folks who legitimately just want to make a difference. Or maybe it’s for the pursuit of science. Either way, it’s always different but enough to get them through the hell that’s the MCAT. So–”
“What’s up with you, is what I’m asking. What do you plan on doing?”
eg0sum
It’s his turn, this time.
His turn for the Sigma Fun Ride. They all get it, basically -- because that’s just what Sigma does. He relates to people, he acts nice, the perfect mix of casual and pushy that gets students opening up. Add onto that the spectre of TA hanging over everyone’s head, and the cohort, they just love him.
It’s pretty impressive, when you think about it. But it’s his turn, this time.
And so Junpei, he checks his watch, seating himself on the table right behind him.
His face is surprised but everything else screams let’s get this over with.
‘Woah. Is this what you did to Stella that time she got a 93?’ It’s a crack at trying to break the serious atmosphere, but not really. It’s more about him getting comfortable, sizing up where Sigma’s trying to go with this. ‘I mean... I know everybody likes bragging about how they’ll change the world, but... just because I can’t get behind that?’ He shrugs his shoulders.
Now there’s a pause. He’s got a couple choices: he could open up to the guy, deal with his terrible jokes and let him psychoanalyse him to kingdom come. He could also go with what he really wants to do -- tell Sigma to buzz off, mind his own business for once.
And so Junpei, he smooths a hand through his hair, making a useless gesture with his other hand.
There’s always door number three.
‘I guess I’m looking for something stable,’ he mutters, ‘For my brother. Things are kinda hairy back home... and I want to give him the best he can get here. -- but seriously.’
‘Why the fourth degree?’















