An American Man on the Road, Part 3
1597 Words
After bringing Soren's baggage inside, the landlord excuses himself and leaves.
Soren then tells us...
“So... Gunpei and Harumi... thanks for helping me with my things.”
“You're welcome.”
I take a look at his things, and I then comment...
“You went to Akihabara?”
“Yes.”
“I've always dreamed of going there. But then, school gets in the way.”
“You'll have your chance someday.”
“Say, is there a nearby place where I can get snacks? I'm getting kinda hungry.”
“There are some food stalls along the nearby waterway trail.”
“Ah, I think I've caught a glimpse of that. Thanks.”
He promptly leaves to get some grub.
Five minutes later, he comes back with the promised goods.
Specifically, three pieces each of chili dogs and three glasses each of red velvet bubble tea.
We get one each as we take our seats in the unit he's staying.
“Aw, bummer. Why didn't you get me some cotton candy instead? I usually see the guy selling at the waterway every weekend.”
“Harumi, I didn't see the cotton candy man you're talking about today. Maybe he's taking a rest or something.”
“Well, guess these will do for now.”
I then cut in.
“So, Soren, you've introduced yourself as a computer technician. Can we please take a look at your previous projects?”
“No prob. Lemme set up the Wi-Fi first.”
After connecting his phone to the free local Wi-Fi network, he presents to us his humble little website.
The Infernal Gunner PC Repairs and Mods
Proudly serving the Windcoast, Oregon area
Below the text are pictures of gaming PCs he has worked on.
Many of the builds utilize brand-new cases with the requisite RGB lighting, but there are some that use older cases and have less prominent or no lighting at all. There are also cases that are clearly built from parts that would otherwise be bound for the junk heap.
The interiors of his builds are clean and organized, despite the limitations of some cases that have little to no cable management at all.
Some of those builds also sport customized decals and paint jobs as well as other features such as vertical GPU mounts and PSU shrouds.
Needless to say, Harumi and I are amazed by his craftsmanship.
In a sense, he uses both the technical and artistic sides of his brain to create those masterpieces that his clients, both enthusiasts and ordinary users alike, will hopefully enjoy for a long, long time.
Long story short... he is Harumi and I... combined.
So far, the dreaded language barrier between us and Soren is nonexistent, due to the fact that we continually receive good English sessions even through college.
“And yes, as for the reason why I came to Japan in the first place... a half-Japanese acquaintance of mine tipped me on some amazing deals on used computer parts and accessories I can take advantage of. You'll get to witness brand-new builds using the parts I acquired here in the Land of the Rising Sun.”
Harumi's as thrilled as I am.
“Yes! I hope you'll let us bear witness to one of your builds so I can see the awesomeness first-hand!”
“Sure, why not? But for now... I'll have to set up my things first. I'll see you later, guys.”
“Yup, later.”
We then leave Soren's temporary unit for our own.
But not before I shout the following:
“And once you're done setting up, we can introduce you to our units!”
Harumi follows suit.
“Yup, you can take a peek at my impressive living space!”
Soren just nods enthusiastically to our proposals.
And here we are, all chilling on this idyllic Saturday afternoon.
Minding out own little businesses while also making sure not to forget our studies, all while munching on the snacks Soren graciously gave us.
On my end, in particular, I've already started building the prototype for my micro-controller irrigation system.
First off, I need to tell the micro-controller what it should do, and therefore programming comes into the picture.
With my own laptop, I start punching in the particulars.
The micro-controller fortunately employs a popular programming language, and it's the same one I've encountered back in high school; so this part of the project is a cinch.
So how is Harumi employing her own way of chilling?
As far as I know, she doesn't have any projects or homework she's working on at the moment.
And what do I hear?
Music.
Music that's undoubtedly coming from the radio.
I recall her favorite radio station being 89.9 Eiyuu FM.
Right now, the song being played is “Thawing Feelings” by Tomoko Kitakami.
It's about a woman whose feelings for her boyfriend are getting cold... in a day that's definitely cold – i.e. winter.
And after the song plays, the DJ announces the time and the current sponsor.
“The time now is 3:08 pm. That time check is brought to you by... The Mystery of Manco... c-coming very soon... hahahahahaha!!!”
Upon realizing who the sponsor is, the DJ unexpectedly breaks out laughing.
It is because “Manco” very much sounds like the term for a woman's privates.
Because his laugh is uncontrollable, the station does the wise thing and cuts to the radio commercial of said sponsor.
At the end of the commercial, there's a disclaimer that the movie is rated for all audiences and does not contain any of those puerile references, particularly to the thing down there.
A minute after that goof-up, Soren then approaches our units.
“Hey, guys. I've just finished setting up my stuff. You can take a look at the unit I'm staying.”
Harumi and I non-verbally agree as we heed his call.
Once we enter the unit, we're given a better look at his Akihabara acquisitions.
Some computers and computer parts and accessories, as well as old games and figures.
I comment, “You sure have great taste.”
“Hah. Don't mention it. And by the way, since I'll be staying here in the meantime, can you please also refer to me some shops where I can get great deals on used PC parts? I can also opt for those same parts that are being thrown away, too.”
His proposal gets me thinking.
If I recall, Natsukawa Technical College is planning to sell off its older computers as it plans to upgrade to much newer systems.
They can't just throw away these PCs due to e-waste concerns; but at the same time, everyone here in the town hesitates to buy or even get them for free, even though the school will earn at least some money selling these off in the first place.
And so...
“My school actually wants to sell off their PCs due to systems upgrades. Maybe... you can fancy getting them?”
“Sure! I'm down for it! Thanks, Gunpei!”
“OK. You can come along with me this Monday.”
Harumi cuts in.
“And I'll be sure to see you both off this coming Monday morning!”
“Yes, it'll be my pleasure, Harumi.”
And back to me.
“Now that we've taken a glimpse at your stuff, we'll do you a favor and have you visit our units.”
“Thanks, I have time to kill today, anyway.”
First off, Harumi and I show Soren her unit, since it's practically right next to where he's staying.
Truly, her unit exhibits femininity at its finest.
Pink and red and white all over, with flowers and plants in strategic places.
Harumi explains proactively.
“And before you ask, the plants and flowers here are all natural, not artificial.”
There are also some art materials being stored in easy-to-reach places, as well as framed artworks.
Soren can only say...
“Yup, this kind of ambiance is appropriate for an art student like you.”
We all then move to my unit.
I can't forget the day where I had a lapse in judgment and overlooked that naughty magazine that Noemi eventually spotted – and reacted positively to, to my surprise.
Therefore, from that day, I make sure to leave no stone unturned in having my lewd materials hidden from plain sight.
Soren is amazed by everything tech in my humble unit.
PCs old and new, robots, and drafts of both PCs and robots.
“Wow! This pad sure screams 'tech genius to me' at first sight! And that thing over there... is that your project?”
He is, of course, referring to my prototype that's sitting on the drafter's table.
“Of course. I'm a robotics student, so I must apply the wonders of automation to help solve common irrigation problems.”
“And you have quite the great selection of games, Gunpei! Most of them are... dating sims? Visual novels?”
“Yup. I play them once in a while to deal with my feelings of loneliness.”
“I'm not gonna lie. My late friend Lianna also had these types of games – but they're aimed at women instead.”
“How'd you know them?”
“When she passed away, her parents and cousin entrusted her entire game and music collection, as well as her own PC, to me; believing I have the will to carry on her legacy. And I still do so to this day, taking care of her stuff as much as she did.”
“Our condolences.”
Harumi and I sympathize with him.
“Thanks. I know she's smiling down on me as we speak. Anyway, since you have your own game collection, you have anything you're willing to part with?”
“Well... I have this... uh... generic RPG for the DreamStation. Beat it a long time ago, and I don't have any profound memories of it.”
I then show him the game in question.
“Wow... The Legend of Totolandia?! This has been on my bucket list for so long! Are you going to sell it off?”
“Of course. Since it's used but still in good condition, I can part with it for just a thousand yen.”
“Great. Thanks!”
No sooner does he hand me over a crisp 1,000-yen bill in exchange for the game.
“It's nice seeing your awesome units. They really reflect your dreams and aspirations in life. Well, anyway, I have to attend to my business. See you tomorrow, then.”
“See you, too, Soren.”
Harumi and I see Soren off as he returns to his unit.
The upcoming week sure will be an interesting one with a friendly American by our side.
- Writer
