Arrive

1779 Words
The plane slowly descends into Narita Airport, and through the window, I can see the coastline of Tokyo Bay and the floating clouds. Even when my feet touch the ground, I still can't believe I’ve actually made it. A month ago, Jason dumped me at our wedding, and shortly after, I dramatically discovered that he had been cheating on me with my best friend, Jennifer, for a long time. Emotionally, I was a mess, and my career wasn’t much better. I resigned voluntarily, unwilling to face the awkwardness of working in the same company as Jason. After that, I drifted through life in a daze until Uncle Peter and Dina returned from Europe a week ago. "You should take a vacation. A change of scenery might refresh you inside and out," Dina suggested. I remembered the trip to Japan that Jennifer and I had planned. Uncle Peter also agreed with Dina's suggestion. He was heartbroken over what I’d been through and even offered to go with me for some relaxation. But I rationally and clearly refused him. What a joke—he and Dina are getting married next month. If everything had gone smoothly, I could’ve been the one preparing everything for them. But I couldn’t stay in this place any longer. For some reason, that "worst wedding ever" video went viral online. When I went out, the lady at the supermarket checkout recognized me and sympathetically packed up all my groceries. A student at the next table in a café walked over and asked if I was the person from the video, directly asking what had happened. Even a YouTuber reached out, wanting to invite me to record an episode... I felt like a turtle retreating into its shell, cutting myself off from the internet, refusing to receive any information—whether kind, curious, or malicious. Anyway, once I made the decision, things started to fall into place. I quickly found the travel plans I had previously made, and from the flood of messages in my i********: inbox, I came across a friend, a half-Japanese, half-American girl named Masami Sakurai. She’s an influencer, and we met through a century-old Olympic clothing project. We followed each other on i********: afterward. I sent her a DM, and she quickly replied, saying she was thrilled I could visit her and that she’d love to show me around Tokyo for a day. "Thank you so much, this is exactly what I need," I replied gratefully. Tokyo doesn't feel particularly different to me. On the first day, I try to adjust to the time difference at the hotel. I can't sleep, but turning on my phone just leads to a bombardment of messages, so I turn it off and lie in bed, zoning out. Maybe I should sign up for a meditation class. I heard that the fortune slips at Kiyomizu Temple are very effective. Should I try my luck tomorrow? I think about many things, and in the end, I'm so mentally exhausted that I fall into a deep sleep. The next day, I wake up early. With a canvas bag on my back and dressed casually, I head out. I intentionally avoid tourist-heavy spots; crowded places are a nightmare for me. I look up the location of Kiyomizu Temple, only to be disappointed to find out it's in Kyoto. Kyoto. Tokyo. A rare smile curls up on my lips. Like in every big city, the streets are packed with people rushing to work, their faces marked with exhaustion. I find a small, stylish café and order a matcha latte, a Japanese specialty, sipping it slowly as I wait for Masami to arrive. The door opens, and a tall man in a khaki-colored casual outfit walks in. He's sporting bright red hair, a color that's quite uncommon in East Asia. I can't help but take a second look. He scans the room as if searching for someone. At that moment, my phone pings with a special notification. I look down to see a message from Masami, saying that she has a last-minute photo shoot and can't make it, but she's asked her brother Yuto to take me on a tour of the city. She hopes I don't mind. I sigh and start typing a reply, saying I can explore on my own and don't want to trouble Yuto. Just then, a citrus scent wafts over, and a voice as smooth as a violin's string speaks: "You're Anna, right?" I look up, momentarily blinded by his red hair. "Yuto?" His smile is warm and bright, like sunlight shining on me. Yuto pulls out a chair and sits across from me, ordering a cappuccino. "I thought you'd be more..." He pauses, searching for the right word. "More fashionable, like my sister." "Why?" Compared to his bold red hair, my hair is a simple bronze color. I notice a blue stud in his left ear, while my ears are bare. Masami is definitely more stylish than him, with her makeup and outfit-changing videos always trending online, sparking widespread discussion. I glance down at my outfit, which has completely abandoned any sense of personal style: a plain white T-shirt and jeans. I let out a soft sigh, "Oh..." Yuto props his hand on the table, his eyes sparkling. "Masami said you wanted to visit some shrines or temples and maybe try a traditional sushi place. But I have a better idea. How about going on an adventure?" My instinct tells me I shouldn't agree, but whatever—my life, which once followed a predictable course, has already seen quite a few changes. What’s one more? "Sure!" Half an hour later. "Are you serious? A haunted house?" I stand in front of what appears to be a haunted house, designed to look like an abandoned hospital. It's large, with a dilapidated sign at the entrance and barbed wire along the walls. If it weren't for the crowd of people lining up, it could easily pass as the mental asylum from a horror movie. I'm not exactly the adventurous type. A voice in my head tells me to leave. Just say you suddenly feel unwell. I open my mouth, "I..." But Yuto cuts me off, "You're not thinking of chickening out, are you?" He strokes his chin thoughtfully. "Seems like you're not suited for adventure. If we leave now, we can still make it." "Seems like you're not suited for..." Jason used to say that to me all the time. I wasn't suited for blue dresses, wasn't suited for riding a motorcycle, wasn't suited for climbing trees—when I tried to rescue a cat stuck in the tree in front of our house. I shake my head, packing away the voice in my head along with those memories. "I was going to say I haven’t been to a haunted house in years. Why not?" I march forward and pull Yuto enthusiastically into the creepy building. I don't understand Japanese, which works in my favor. I manage to avoid about 80% of the plot. While Yuto is immersed in the story of the haunted hospital, I take the chance to admire the set design. We take photos in one room, and while a black-and-white TV glitches out and tells the hospital's story, the chairs we're sitting on suddenly drop. I scream in fright, instinctively clutching Yuto's arm. He’s clearly startled too but tries to play it cool. "Need me to translate?" "No, no, it's fine," I quickly wave my hand. Next, we pass by a gory operating table, a morgue filled with ghosts, an old archive room, and a prison filled with failed surgery experiments. My heart races, and all the blood in my body rushes to my face. In the end, we find ourselves being chased down a narrow, dimly lit corridor by a group of zombies. They nearly grab my clothes several times, and I scream, running as fast as I can, leaving Yuto far behind. I bolt out the door, ending the haunted house experience. Yuto comes out a good thirty seconds later, looking astonished. "How did you run so fast?" "I was in the long-distance running club in high school," I say, still trying to catch my breath. A hearty laugh bubbles up from Yuto’s chest. His eyes twinkle with curiosity. "Do you think you can keep going?" After all that, I feel like I have nothing left to fear. "Of course!" For the rest of the day, Yuto takes me on three roller coaster rides, a drop tower, a VR adventure, and various other heart-pounding attractions. "Enough," I say, hugging a tree and taking deep breaths, trying to stop my stomach from churning. I fight the urge to throw up. Yuto stops smirking and hands me a bottle of water. "Sorry, I didn't know you were afraid of heights." I take the bottle and sip slowly. "Thanks." In truth, I'm grateful for Yuto's "torment." At least when I screamed out loud on that roller coaster, I released all the emotions I had been holding inside these past few days. Now I feel lighter. Yuto studies me closely, noticing that I seem genuinely happy. He can't help but ask, "You're a strange person." I burst out laughing. "No one’s ever called me strange before." He laughs too. "Especially coming from someone who looks as strange as I do." After leaving Fuji-Q Highland, we head to a small izakaya hidden in an alleyway, with just a few patrons inside, sipping on drinks. The owner, who also serves as the chef, stands behind a square counter with a pot of oden simmering in front of him. We order ramen, grilled chicken skewers, and cold beer. "I don't understand why ramen is served with rice," I ask in confusion. "Is that a common pairing?" Yuto rests his chin in his hand. "It is in Japan, but I think China and Korea don’t pair them like that." We talk for a long time, mostly about random, casual topics. Whatever comes to mind. After a few drinks, I feel a bit tipsy. "One last thing." As the neon signs light up the evening sky, we walk down the street toward my hotel. I hear Yuto say, "What?" I turn to look at him. Yuto suddenly moves closer, and I can clearly smell that familiar citrus scent on him. "Can I see you again tomorrow?" I'm frozen in place. Is it the alcohol, or maybe the influence of some romantic notion that comes with being in a foreign country? The handsome man standing before me looks particularly tempting. For a brief moment, I feel an overwhelming urge to kiss him.
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