The Gauntlet

---------It's deceptively pretty, but horribly awkward---------

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This is the Gauntlet. It's the most terrifying part of living in my dormitory. It's the only way in or out, and it's long and unforgiving. There are roughly 400 gaijin (foreigners) living in my dormitory, and being the sociable boy that I am, I'm sure that I must have met at least half of them when I was in one of my hopelessly inebriated states. So walking along the Gauntlet adds a special touch of awkwardness to my day when I meet someone I know I've met somewhere before, or they just start talking to me, but I just can't bloody remember their name. Mostly, the conversations I have when I encounter someone walking along it will involve me mumbling quickly - "Hi.... how are you?", and just pray that I don't have to introduce them to someone else. And either my mind is playing tricks on me, or there are 5 guys called Raphael living in this dorm - all of whom I appear to be on good speaking terms with (though I can't ever remember meeting them)... I've decided that I'm just going to call everyone Raphael...