Shohei let out another exaggerated sigh. “Man, you don’t have any backbone at all, do you?” “I mean, do I really need one?” “If you wanna be successful in life and not get bossed around all the time? Yes. Hell, just look at the new girl. You could learn a thing or two from her.” “Pretty sure that amount of backbone only causes more problems in the long run. Besides, it’s not like I’m totally spineless or anything.” “Oh yeah? How’s that?” “It’s more like I’ve turned being spineless into my primary defense mechanism.” “And that makes it less pathetic how, exactly?” “Well, think about it like this. Did you know that most utility poles are actually hollow on the inside? It’s because that makes them sturdier and less likely to fall over under their own weight in the event of an impact. I’m basically doing the same thing. By being spineless from the get-go, I’ve got nothing to lose. No matter how hard someone might hit me, I’ll only bend— never break. I know it might sound counterintuitive to someone like you, but it’s actually a pretty high-level strategy.” Shohei looked extremely dubious. “You’re screwin’ with me, aren’t you?” “Mostly, yeah.” He immediately kneed me in the thigh. “Ow! All right, all right! Cut it out!” I whined, barely managing to dodge out of the way as he went in for a second strike. Phew, that was close. One might be forgiven for thinking a simple knee to the femur wouldn’t hurt that bad—but boy, did it ever. “You’ve gotta start takin’ this crap more seriously, dude,” said Shohei. “That was a cheap shot, man…” I was still rubbing my thigh in a vain attempt to make the pain go away quicker when we arrived at the student store. I hurried over to the freezer, belatedly remembering that ice cream products always sold out fast