After he changed, the next person was already waiting for him. Tauno sat in his seat, grinning at him and eating a portion of ramen, while John busily whizzed around him with the mop, cleaning up the remains of the broth. “Hi there!” 

Taro raised his hand in greeting. 

He had to pull himself together not to look hurt and sat down silently with him.

When he finished his meal and dabbed his mouth with a black cloth handkerchief, Tauno initiated a conversation. “Well, Taro, have you settled in well? You’ve been with us for a month now, and I’m sure there’s still a lot that’s new and confusing to you.”, he winked at him.

Taro shrugged and propped his head on his hands. “It’s different, but yet somehow the same.”

Tauno nodded. “Mhm. It’s not like you suddenly landed on another planet where everything is upside down.” He cleared his throat. “But honestly, do you miss home? Surely you have someone back home waiting for you and getting lovesick. Don’t you?”

Taro looked at him questioningly. “Why would my parents and sisters be lovesick?” 

Tauno tried to express himself more clearly. “Surely you have a girlfriend at home? Or a boyfriend? When you’re here, all alone, don’t you get a little lonely sometimes?” He pulled two magazines out of his pocket and put them on the table. 

Taro still didn’t understand. 

Tauno cleared his throat again and pointed at the magazines, which were clearly for adults. “That one, or that one?” He tapped on lightly dressed ladies and gentlemen. He seemed to had a lump in his throat. “A… And please don’t ask me where I got the construction worker magazine! I’ll take the sexy ladies, of course!”

Taro jerked uncomfortably. “They’re all naked!” For the second time that day, he jumped up from the table. 

Again the chair fell over. But this time John reacted immediately and caught it. 

Tauno grinned mischievously at him. “Come on, you can exchange such things among sauna brothers. John, for example, he likes …”

“Hey!” The Hispanic interfered and raised his mop threatening. His ears had turned bright red. “Leave me out of this!”

Tauno shrugged. “Whatever. I thought we could get to know each other a little better. After all, I don’t want to embarrass you or hurt your feelings in case I end up making some grown-up remarks someday. That’s why I wanted to discreetly ask which way the wind was blowing.”

“Oh, that’s what you mean!” Taro slammed his fist into his hand. His eyes flashed with delight. “I’ll be happy to show you what I like! Give me ten minutes!” 

Within seconds he dashed out of the log cabin and ran to his room in one of the three-story apartment buildings to the north of the school complex. When he returned a little later, he not only had a large bag with him, but had also thrown on one of the new outfits Anders had bought him the other day.

When he caught sight of him, Tauno’s face turned pale. What would happen now? Different scenarios played out in his head, all of them always ending with an alien tentacled monster bursting through the wall and devouring them all alive after a thorough examination of the human anatomy and a colonoscopy.

Taro grinned with delight. “Sit down!” He gestured Tauno to sit on the sofa in front of the TV. 

Before Tauno knew what hit him, he also had a controller in his hand and was staring at the cover of a romantic dating game. 

“This is InuRaku! A game full of cute dog girls just waiting for you to meet them! Even with English subtitles!” He patted him on the shoulders. His eyes shot stars at Tauno. “Please play this and tell me how you liked Pochimi! Alright?”

Tauno looked confusedly and helplessly at John, but he just smirked triumphantly and turned his attention to washing the dishes.