As the maid carries my luggage to the limousine, I go over all the things I need for the trip in my head. I hope I packed everything. I've never left home for a trip like this without parental guidance. But I think I'm all set.
I got clothing for any weather, chargers and adapter, three books of different genres, Terrako, my journal... and a bunch of things I don't necessarily need to bring but decided to pack anyway.
Father and I walk outside while the driver lifts the suitcase into the trunk.
"A bit fancy for a ride to the airport," Father comments on the car.
"It's part of Link's birthday gift," I explain. "I know it's over the top, but it's supposed to be."
"He will be thrilled."
I can sense the slight hint of dread in his voice. I'd like to think he's nervous about me taking on this journey, but I just can't help but think he's only annoyed that he can't control or spy on me for the next couple of weeks. He stopped tracking me when I moved out, I know that, I guess I'm just paranoid.
"Well... time to say goodbye," I shrug at the tall man.
Without a warning, he lays his arms around me for a tight hug. "Be careful, honey."
"I will," I rasp, unable to breathe in his firm grip. Maybe I was wrong, maybe he really does worry about me. I'm still getting used to that. Still trying to let go of the past...
"Call me when you get there."
My "Okay" comes out as a mere whisper.
He lets go of me and gives an unexpected peck to my head.
"Alright... You got everything?"
"Yes." I think so.
"Your passport?"
"Yes," I pat the small compartment on my backpack.
"Money?"
"Of course."
"An ID? Well I suppose your passport counts as one but did you bring your drivers license just in case?"
"I am bringing my wallet, so yes, all my credit cards and IDs are in there."
"What about medicine? Goodness... What if you get hurt?"
"I believe they have doctors in Japan," I remark sarcastically.
"I apologize. I'm being overprotective."
I counter his frown with a kind smile. "Don't apologize for caring."
"Okay. You should get going now..."
Is he getting emotional? I always thought I got my emotional side from Mother but maybe I was mistaken.
"Have a safe flight," he says as I get into the back of the vehicle.
"I can't really control that, but thank you."
"Call me when you land."
"Yes, Father." I roll my eyes at him just before the driver shuts the door.
He can't see my giant grin through the tinted glass. I love it when he cares and acts like a worried parent. I would rather be annoyed by an overprotective father than a stalking one.
On my way to the frat house, I text Link, just to make sure that he is done packing.
*Just finished!* he replies with a thumbs up. He can be a real procrastinator.
*I will be there in 20 minutes."
*Waiting outside* he says and sends me a waiting panda gif.
The ride feels more like 20 hours. I can hardly contain my excitement. When we finally get there, I spot Link before he spots us. He's sitting on his suitcase, slightly rolling back and forth on it while staring at his phone. I'm certainly glad that he seems to have all his limbs still attached and did not go on a murder mission last night. I hope the stuff about Karusa isn't standing between us anymore. He's blocked and we probably won't have to deal with it again. I hope.
I bring up my phone and record a video of Link's reaction when he finally looks up from his screen. His jaw drops at once. I lower the window to share my smile with him. He's still frozen, taking in the sight.
"Need a lift?" I ask him playfully.
He gets up from his suitcase and walks over to me. "You're so extra," he says right before he kisses me through the open window.
"Good afternoon, sir," the driver greets Link while picking up the suitcase.
Link returns a lazy greeting with a wave of the hand, his lips still attached to mine. When he finally breaks the kiss, he looks more than content.
"You know, it's times like these when I think to myself... yep, dating a rich girl can be preeeetty fun."
"You're such a dork," I giggle.
The driver opens the door to the back and waits for Link to get in.
"Why thank you," Link speaks in his most formal voice, enjoying every second of this. He probably feels like royalty right now. "What is your name, good sir?" Is he faking a British accent?
"The name's Linebeck," the driver replies with a smile.
"Hm. I will call you Charles. No, Geoffrey! Sir Geoffrey!"
"Link," I gasp. "That's so rude!"
"What? That name sounds like straight out of a murder mystery." He aims his eyes back at the poor driver. "So tell me, Geoffrey, was it you who murdered the wife?"
"He's not serious," I give an apologetic laugh at the man but he just smirks at Link and decides to play along.
"I was in the kitchen when we heard the scream. Ask the gardener, he will confirm it," he says and adds, "Talk to the chef, he wasn't with us when Mrs. Smith was murdered."
I am... flabbergasted. Linebeck shuts the door and returns to the driver's seat to take us to the airport.
"See? Geoffrey gets my humor."
"Or he's an actual killer," I say amused.
"Or maybe it was me all along!" Link Lets out a villainous laugh but even his demonic side is nothing short of adorable. I can't stay mad at this cutie. I so rarely get to experience this silly behavior from Link and I am determined to enjoy every second of it.
Link connects his phone with the speakers and plays some of his favorite Japanese songs to give me a taste of what's to come. I am still in disbelief... I am actually doing this. One year ago this would be unthinkable! But I am really going to Japan with my boyfriend!
Wow....
I'm so excited!!!
Ahhh!
We get to the airport an hour later and hand our luggage over at the check in. I'm growing more excited by the second ! I wish I could just teleport myself to Japan already. But for now we have a long journey ahead of ourselves.
Security and checking our carry-ons through the scanners goes fairly quickly. We make our way to the gate, my eyes dart around in awe. So many people, coming from so many places, going to so many more. I always hated traveling with Father, it was nothing but stressful. We could have visited museums in Paris, or experienced a real safari through the Serengeti, or but no, his work always came first. I still felt honored every time he would bring me along on his business trips. Even if I spent most of the time in the hotel room, I still loved being part of his life.
"Wait a second," Link pulls me out of my dark thoughts. I notice that we have arrived at our gate. He is studying the ticket on his phone. "What's your seat?" He asks and looks up at me with worry written all over his face.
"3F," I answer calmly.
"Huh..." He looks back at his phone with big eyes. I think I know why he is confused.
"Something the matter?" I ask, trying very hard to hide my smile.
He scratches the back of his head, still pondering. "No. I just thought our seats were more towards the back. But as long as we're still next to each other it doesn't matter."
"I changed our seats," I confess.
"How come? I made sure I got you a window seat."
"That hasn't changed, I'm still sitting by a window."
"But... then what's the point of changing seats?"
"Darling..." I smile abashedly and tilt my head, waiting for him to figure it out himself. But he doesn't. I roll my eyes amused. "I upgraded our seats to first class." His jaw drops but words don't come out. "As a part of your birthday gift," I conclude.
"No you didn't..."
"I did."
"Did you really?!"
"The proof is in your hands," I giggle.
He looks back down at his phone. "Woah... that must have been so expensive!"
He is better off not knowing how much those tickets cost.
"We deserve to spoil ourselves," I simply say with a light chuckle.
He cups my cheeks and squeezes them together, making my face all squashy. His eyes hold my stare with blazing intensity as he comes closer. "I want to yell at you for spending that much on plane tickets but I also want to kiss your feet and thank you a million times because it's such a freaking awesome gift."
"Eh... How about you do neither," I mumble with my distorted lips, slightly grossed out by the thought of him kissing my feet.
"Every time I fly somewhere I always get jealous of the people in first class," he laughs.
"Have you never flown in first class before?"
"Nope!"
"Not even as a professional football player?"
"Mh-mh," he shakes his head. "I flew in business class for a conference thing once but it was a sponsored trip. I never spent my own money on first class. The food was fire. I mean for airline food, you know?"
"Then I'm sure you will fancy the first class food of this airline. Its culinary experience earned them the title 'restaurant of the sky'."
"Stawp, you're making me hungry already!"
"You're always hungry," I laugh and poke his tummy.
When the speakers announce that it's time for boarding my heart begins to thump a little quicker with each breath. I'm really going to Japan with my boyfriend! It's not a dream, it's not made up!
Suddenly the blood drains from my face and my giant grin dissolves. I'm going to Japan with my boyfriend........ Which means I'm meeting Link's family, possibly my future in-laws! And... I won't understand a single word of what they're saying! What was I thinking going to Japan and staying at his house? I have to learn Japanese first so I can make a good impression and thank them for letting me stay!
"You okay?" Link has noticed the sudden shift of color on my face.
"I'm nervous," I whisper, staring at the blue passport in my hands.
"I didn't know you're afraid of flying."
"No... I... I'm afraid of messing up..."
"Huh?" He looks so relaxed, so unbothered, so sweet and confused.
"I don't speak any Japanese..."
"That's what you got me for."
The line is moving and I have to make a decision quickly; should I really board this plane? Or should I abort?
"You can't always translate everything. It's too much..." I argue.
"We'll be fine. Promise."
"What if your father dislikes me?" I ask and look up at his soft eyes.
"Your dad didn't always like me," he shrugs. That doesn't make me feel better. At all!
"Ma'am, your passport?" The flight attendant in front me holds her hand out and meets my frantic eyes with a bright smile. I hand her my passport and scan the ticket on my phone. Link does the same.
"Don't be nervous," Link continues our conversation as we enter the plane. "I won't leave your side. And also, everyone will see that you're not Japanese so nobody expects you to speak Japanese or act like a Japanese person."
"Goodness! I completely forgot about the social differences! You have to teach me how to behave properly in Japan! Don't they bow as a form of greeting? Your mother bowed to me at the hospital. Are there rules to it? And what happens when you do it wrong?"
"Woah, these are our seats?!" Link interrupts, gaping at the private cabin with two long chairs, monitors, pillows, blankets, and a compact table that is decorated by flowers in a vase.
"Are you listening to me?" I frown.
He places his backpack on the ground, plunges into one of the chairs, and pulls me onto his lab, robbing me of my voice. We are in public, what is he doing?
"Of course I'm listening, Sweetie. Are you listening to me? You're not Japanese so people won't expect you to bow. But if you really want to, you can bow to say hello or to thank people, or to apologize. Or to request something or just to show respect. You can bow for a lot of things," he says and plants a big kiss on my flushed cheek.
I get out of his grip and hastily check the aisle to make sure nobody saw that. A stewardess is smirking at me but I ignore her. I wouldn't actually admit it to him, but that was pretty cute of him and it did take some of my fear away.
"Now sit down," he requests amused. "You didn't pay for these tickets so you could stand the entire time."
I let out a long breath and take my seat next to him.
"Thanks," I mutter the other way.
"You're very welcome," he chuckles.
Before turning my phone into airplane mode, I download a bilingual dictionary app and send one last text to Father and Impa, informing them about having boarded the plane.
"Ready for a 12h flight?" Link groans, already browsing the TV for a movie.
"Yes, it'll give me enough time to learn some Japanese," I answer as I try to memorize the first list of words in the dictionary app.
"Whatever makes you happy," he puts on his headphones, lowers his black adidas cap to avoid getting recognized by bypassing passengers, and leans his head against my shoulder while I study.
Why didn't I think of this sooner? I could have memorized full sentences by now had I only started studying back in April. I could have taken a class or asked Mipha to practice proper Japanese behavior with me. Now I'm going to look and act rude; I won't be able to say much or participate in any conversation. How am I supposed to make his family like me if I don't interact with them?
Once the rest of the passengers are seated, the plane prepares for takeoff. By 2 PM we are up in the air, waving goodbye to the west coast. Link is fast asleep already. My fingers drive through his hair, lightly massaging and scratching his head while he relaxes.
I sort of expected him to be a bit more energetic today. He appears so calm for someone who is about to reunite with his family. Apart from his mother, he hasn't seen his family in a whole year. They must be even more excited than him, especially after his coma last winter.
If his coma affected me, someone who only knew him for half a year, then his family must have suffered even more during that time. At least I was able to be there in person, unlike them... that must have been a very difficult time for them. Ugh... Now my heart feels heavy as memories of Link's coma shower me with sadness.
I shake my head to rid my mind of the dark clouds. On this trip, I will not allow myself to focus on any negative thoughts! This will be a happy trip! After all, there is no reason to be sad right now; Link is doing well, his family is about to embrace him, and I... I'm doing really great too. Despite the anxiety I feel about meeting his family, my life is so much better than it was last year and I should focus on that more often.
I bring my eyes to the window and enjoy the bright and sunny view of the pacific ocean for a couple of seconds until the first wave of yawns fills my eyes with tears. Maybe I should take a nap until food gets served. Japan's time zone is 16 hours ahead of ours... I remember the jet lag I experienced whenever visiting Europe, and that time difference was only 9 hours. I don't even want to know how much worse this jet lag is going to be.
.....
I wake up from the annoying ping above my head. The stupid seatbelt sign turns on and off every quarter hour it seems, ripping me out of my sleep each time. I want to keep sleeping but it's too bright, the sun is hitting me right in the face. Link and I finally found a comfortable position that allows both of us to use the other person as a pillow and if I stretch my arm to shut the window shades, I will risk waking him. I'd rather be uncomfortable than to disrupt his precious sleep.
We've been in the air for a couple of hours now. I shut my eyes again, hoping to drift back into sleep. The air is a bit cold on the plane, so I curl up in my seat, bring the blanket up to my nose, and cuddle up to Link. I have my head placed on his lap while his head rests on my back.
The white noise pulls me back into the uncomfortable state of being aware of my surroundings while simultaneously experiencing realistic dreams. One of my dreams is about walking up and down the aisle of the plane, sounds super thrilling, I know... Another dream is about meeting Link's father, who just huffs and rolls his eyes at me and pretty much ignores me for the whole trip... not a very nice dream either.
After three meals, two snacks, a couple of hours of studying, and a handful of short-lived naps, a large island can be spotted outside the window, which instantly puts a wide smile on my face! Japan is so green from up here!
I stretch myself and rub my eyes awake. I can hardly bear the anticipation! Just one more hour until we land in Osaka!
---
Important question for you:
have you smiled today?
no????????????
WELL SMIIIILEEEE! :D