Smokin' university guys

Sitting on a bench on the train platform, I finish my conbini (convenience store) dinner & munch on some caramel popcorn. Seven or eight guys glance my direction as they slowly pass me on their way to the smoking section of the platform, about 12 feet from my bench. I could feel them watching me as they puffed on their cigarettes, a lone female foreigner, eating her dinner as she waits for the train. I try to ignore them by concentrating on the design of the double-decker parking in an apartment building across the tracks.

Just as I stick my trash into my backpack (no public garbage bins here), one of the guys sits down on the bench next to me. He confidently leans back, completely relaxed and cool, wearing purple pants. He smoothly says, "Hello" (in English). I respond with the same and notice his friends all watching us. I offer him caramel popcorn & he accepts. In excellent English he asks where I'm going, then, "Are you a university student?"

"Ah, no, I'm an English teacher."

He grins just a little, but I can tell he's shocked, "Oh! Cool."

He nods in the direction of the smoking section audience & says, "We're all university students. Today we're going on a university event."

We chat about a few more topics & when the train pulls up, he thanks me & walks back to report to his friends. We all get on a train car that is packed with more university students & again I feel eyes watching my every move. Most of the students went to the 'city' -- my destination too for a Japanese lesson -- but the guy who actually talked to me got off at the station nearest my apartment, so who knows...maybe we'll run into each other again.

It was such a funny interaction. I couldn't tell if he was trying to hit on me, if he just wanted to practice English, or if it was all a dare from his friends.