The Yakuza???
One of my students seems to have gotten herself into some sort of trouble. There was a little bit of drama today at school because of it. The story is as follows:
Just after lunch at school
Ass-Kicking Rule Enforcer/Soccer Coach (AKRESC): Have you seen Ruri?
Art Teacher: No, why?
AKRESC: Her parents say she didn't come home last night.
Art Teacher and random kids: She hasn't been here at all.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Later in the day
RURI COMES WALKING INTO THE TEACHERS ROOM IN NORMAL
CLOTHES TO COME TALK TO THE RULE ENFORCER DUDE. SHE
COMES OVER TO ME AND ASKS ME IF SHE CAN BORROW MY CELL
PHONE TO MAKE A CALL. I TELL HER NO. SHE PROCEEDS TO
TALK WITH THE TEACHER.
Ruri (to AKRESC): I have a problem.
AKRESC: What the hell is wrong with you? Where have you been? What's going on?
Ruri: I need some money. Like a lot of money.
AKRESC: About how much are we talking?
Ruri: About $3000.
AKRESC: What?1!!@#! How does a regular junior high school student come to need something like $3000?
Ruri: I can't tell you why. I just need it. PLEASE. Help me. That's all I'm asking. Please!
AKRESC: I don't have that kind of money to give, and I'm certainly not going to give it to you if I don't know what's going on.
Ruri: Please! All I need is like $600 from five people. That's it. Can't you ask the other teachers?
AKRESC: What am I supposed to say when they ask why you need that much money?
Ruri: Just tell them that I need it, PLEASE, just ask.
AKRESC: I'll ask but I can't do it until you tell me what's going on.
Ruri: Just do it!!!
A SLIGHT PAUSE AS RURI STARTS TO CRY
Ruri: My leg hurts. Like seriously, my left ankle hurts so bad. I had to jump off the second story of my apartment building.
AKRESC: What why did you do that?...
Ruri (quickly changing the conversation): Seriously...they're dangerous. Those guys.
AKRESC: What? What guys? Have you been getting into dangerous things?
Ruri: I haven't, but they have.
AKRESC: When do you have to pay this money back?
Ruri: By 7pm tomorrow.
AKRESC: What? How long have you know about this?
Ruri: For a while.
SHE STARTS TO CRY AGAIN
Ruri: Can you give me a cigarette? Just one? Please! I need one bad.
AKRESC: No.....
________________________________________________________________________________________________
This conversation proceeded to go on for a while. She then started talking about how last night she went out to Kyoto and met this Thai guy who took her and some other people out drinking.
It turns out that she was at her grandmother's earlier today and when her mom and sister came looking for her she ran away from them and jumped off the second story of a building. Then she came to school and started telling these wild stories.
I'm not sure what's true, but I'm thinking she just has some trouble at home and wants to run away and wants money so she can do that.
Either way it's a pretty crazy story and was a real exercise of my Japanese skills.
Just after lunch at school
Ass-Kicking Rule Enforcer/Soccer Coach (AKRESC): Have you seen Ruri?
Art Teacher: No, why?
AKRESC: Her parents say she didn't come home last night.
Art Teacher and random kids: She hasn't been here at all.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Later in the day
RURI COMES WALKING INTO THE TEACHERS ROOM IN NORMAL
CLOTHES TO COME TALK TO THE RULE ENFORCER DUDE. SHE
COMES OVER TO ME AND ASKS ME IF SHE CAN BORROW MY CELL
PHONE TO MAKE A CALL. I TELL HER NO. SHE PROCEEDS TO
TALK WITH THE TEACHER.
Ruri (to AKRESC): I have a problem.
AKRESC: What the hell is wrong with you? Where have you been? What's going on?
Ruri: I need some money. Like a lot of money.
AKRESC: About how much are we talking?
Ruri: About $3000.
AKRESC: What?1!!@#! How does a regular junior high school student come to need something like $3000?
Ruri: I can't tell you why. I just need it. PLEASE. Help me. That's all I'm asking. Please!
AKRESC: I don't have that kind of money to give, and I'm certainly not going to give it to you if I don't know what's going on.
Ruri: Please! All I need is like $600 from five people. That's it. Can't you ask the other teachers?
AKRESC: What am I supposed to say when they ask why you need that much money?
Ruri: Just tell them that I need it, PLEASE, just ask.
AKRESC: I'll ask but I can't do it until you tell me what's going on.
Ruri: Just do it!!!
A SLIGHT PAUSE AS RURI STARTS TO CRY
Ruri: My leg hurts. Like seriously, my left ankle hurts so bad. I had to jump off the second story of my apartment building.
AKRESC: What why did you do that?...
Ruri (quickly changing the conversation): Seriously...they're dangerous. Those guys.
AKRESC: What? What guys? Have you been getting into dangerous things?
Ruri: I haven't, but they have.
AKRESC: When do you have to pay this money back?
Ruri: By 7pm tomorrow.
AKRESC: What? How long have you know about this?
Ruri: For a while.
SHE STARTS TO CRY AGAIN
Ruri: Can you give me a cigarette? Just one? Please! I need one bad.
AKRESC: No.....
________________________________________________________________________________________________
This conversation proceeded to go on for a while. She then started talking about how last night she went out to Kyoto and met this Thai guy who took her and some other people out drinking.
It turns out that she was at her grandmother's earlier today and when her mom and sister came looking for her she ran away from them and jumped off the second story of a building. Then she came to school and started telling these wild stories.
I'm not sure what's true, but I'm thinking she just has some trouble at home and wants to run away and wants money so she can do that.
Either way it's a pretty crazy story and was a real exercise of my Japanese skills.