"Congratulations," said Heiji with a kind of overblown solemnity that would have given him away even if there hadn't been mischief in his eyes. "It's your first step to greatness."

The teenager looked around wildly, as if maybe he'd been expecting his mom to come striding down the beach, accusing him of skipping class. When he spotted Kenzi, however, his face only looked confused. Why was this lady calling him out.