He stood solemnly at his desk before a half filled cardboard box, fixated on the clover bookmark he held. Looking down a moment, his eyes closed before re-sheathing it in the book perched atop the pile. He left silently, shifting through corridors before reaching for his keys in reception.
"You're in early Kai! It's nice t-"
The young girls' words were no more than a muffled buzz to him. Without making eye contact, he placed his keys down and all he could manage was to shake his head and murmur;
''Sorry.''
He could only just hear his name through the rumbling in his head, but he had to leave quickly. He had to escape before his emotions got the better of him.
Arriving back in a dark studio, his chair creaked as he sank down into it, looking for other teaching positions. He sat staring lifelessly, blank faced, until the light that crept through the gap in his blinds had changed from morning white to a dull orange.
Eyes strained and unblinking, the screen buzzing back at him unchanged, he quietly rose and began gliding calmly out the door. It was dark outside, cold according to the condensation from his breathing. In the sky, a dull pink-orange slowly being strangled to death by the dark of the night.
He walked through the overbearing yellowed brightness of old streetlights, slowly dragging his feet on what seemed to be a familiar route to a quiet bridge overlooking an even quieter road down below. Leaning on the railing, he stared at the city sprawled before him. He continued staring down below in a sort of dull nagging frustration. He didn't have the courage to do it.
Heading back, he stopped by the corner-shop for a six pack of liquid sleeping aide before heading home again. By about his third drink and between browsing forums he hastily applied for several jobs, half murmuring the details of questions asked and making short work of his answers, short, positive and half-assed.
At the point he was just about done, one job in particular caught his eye, the green numbering indicating a salary two levels greater than standard;
Teach and make a difference working with a classroom of kids with complex needs for a highly regarded government intervention program. All applicants meeting the national minimum qualifications framework to be considered.
The first two sentences seemed normal enough but as he continued, Kai developed a little mor interest;
Applicants must be willing to stay exclusively in on campus accommodation on an 8 month contract for the remainder of the school year with the possibility of renewal pending performance. Interview success is highly determinate on compatibility with students. Paid removalist and storage fees as well as bond early exit fees will be provided to the successful applicant.
Kai stared at the screen a moment longer...
"Huh..."
He applied, the system automatically attaching his resume. He was surprised to see what their application form consisted of;
A single question requesting his starting availability.
No other questions surprisingly, good, because Kai didn't really care. It was a specialist job that good was a long shot at best.
He clicked 'Finalise' and was done.
Days quickly blurred into each other as he began his research, searching for other jobs and even attending a couple of interviews, however all of his efforts appeared to be unsuccessful in the end, well, that is until...
He was lying down dead to the world, empty beer cans scattered about the floor when his phone rang out aloud. Struggling and scooping his mobile up, he noted the time was 10:11am, an unknown caller.
Kai cleared his throat, straightening his posture and drawing a deep cool breath through his nose. He answered in his most professional tone possible.
"Good morning, Kai speaking."
A clear and sharp young woman's voice rang back at him.
"Mr Fukami, my name is Akane, I'm with The Japanese Mental Acuity program and I wanted to call to congratulate you on reaching stage two in your application for the teaching position you applied for."
What? You're kidding right?
Was what he was thinking, but of course such an answer wouldn't bring him the solution he was attempting to manufacture himself. In a cheery voice, he replied with apparent restrained enthusiasm.
"Why thank you so much, I appreciate your interest. I see, yes. I can attend then, no problem. Thank you very much for the opportunity!"
After ending the call, his strained smile withered and he laid down paralysed in indifference. After about two hours staring at the ceiling, he decided he should go out to celebrate. A slow lunch at the bakery and a trip to the barbers, swinging by the corner-store again on the return for another self prescribed sleeping aide and he was all prepared for his interview the next day.
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