MBA Wheat Chronicles — Chapter 1: An Unexpected Ordeal

📗 Japanese version is available here. → ［MBA 小麦譚：第1章］

When I first entered graduate school, I had already decided to apply for a GA — a Graduate Assistantship — to stabilize my life.
The reason was simple: It paid far better than any part-time job.
No idealism, no pride — it was purely for survival.
I had heard a rumor that “If your GPA is above 3.2, you might have a chance.”
With nothing but momentum, I marched straight into the dean’s office.
So I said it straight: “I want to be a GA.”
Looking back, I’m amazed I could say that so boldly, given how shaky my English was at the time.
In reality, the dean clearly disliked how often I showed up in his office.
“You’re not the only one who wants a GA position, you know.”
He said it with open irritation.
Even so, I kept pushing — because I had no alternative.
In the end, the fact that my GPA was higher than the other candidates seemed to win out.
The dean reluctantly took me to the office of the professor who would make the final decision.
So far, so good.
The real problem began after that.

◆ The “battle” I overheard outside the professor’s office

Right in front of the professor’s office was a small copy room.
The dean told me to wait there for a moment, so I just stood still.
Then—
I heard voices from the next room.
The professor and the dean.
No — they were raised voices.
I couldn’t catch everything.
My English wasn’t good enough; there were unfamiliar words, and I couldn’t grasp the full meaning.
But one thing came through loud and clear:
“Dean, what I want is a student who is capable.”
“If American students can’t handle this job, how can a foreign student possibly manage?”
…Hello?
This “foreign student” is standing right here in the copy room.
I froze.
I didn’t know whether to move, or pretend I hadn’t heard anything.
And truthfully, with all the fear and tension of those early days abroad, I had no mental space left to judge the situation.

◆ The first words he said to me

Eventually, the professor called me in.
I sat down across from him.
The first thing he said was:
“Can a foreign student really handle this job?”
It was our first meeting.
But in his voice, there wasn’t anger.
There was something else — a sharp, almost overwhelming sense of seriousness.
He was genuinely weighing his decision.
All I could say was:
“I will do my best, sir.”
That was the only answer I had.
And at that moment, it was the only thing I could offer.
And with that, I was hired as a GA.

◆ What I understood later

Looking back now, I realize something.
The tense conversation I overheard in the copy room,
the intimidating gaze of a professor I had never even met —
They were the beginning.
The beginning of a process where I would tear myself down and rebuild, piece by piece, through the long, uncertain journey of studying abroad.
It was the very first step.

Next Episode — Chapter 2: The Desk of Silence
The GA position I fought so hard to earn
came with a single, terrifying condition:
“If you can’t memorize this, you’re fired.”
A thick manual.
No guidance.
And a desk waiting in complete silence.
Tomorrow, the real struggle begins.

📗 Japanese version is available here. → ［MBA 小麦譚：第1章］

■ This story is now available as a published book

A complete, expanded edition of this series is now on sale.
If you prefer reading everything in one sitting, I would be honored if you picked up the book.

In addition to the MBA chapters, the book also includes a second arc about my university rugby days.
Plus, seven original short episodes—available only in the book—have been added exclusively for readers of the published edition.

If you find any part of this story meaningful, I hope you will consider giving the full version a read.

📘 **Wheat Chronicles – Student Years:

A Five-Year Journey Shaped by Rugby and America**

📗 Kindle Edition