2-1 My Beginning

Date: August 20

Place: Sendai, Japan

[Rei]

    A morning at the train station, A man running, a woman calling someone on her phone, students jumping and running around and some birds chirping. I looked in the sky and took a deep breath.

"Sigh"

"What are you sighing for?" my friend stands beside me who is lined up for entering the train.

Her name is Watanabe Yui, she's my first friend I've made when I came to Japan. She is outgoing, smart, and beautiful. She has slender arms and legs, a fit body, eyes are not that big but it surely reflects the darkness of the night like her short hair and somehow, I'm taller than her.

"It's nothing" I replied.

I put my earphones on and followed her as she walks in, finding a place to sit for both of us.

"Here would be nice" as I pulled her shoulder from where I'm looking.

"Oh, thanks" she responded.

But we saw an elderly, small, and has a hunched back, curly hair, and carrying a small purse, who was just standing and looking for open space.

I know that my friend is too kind that she would give her seat to others even though our ride will be approximately five hours until we get to our destination with different transportation.

I smiled and tapped the elder's shoulder.

"You can sit here madam" while showing her the sit I'm referring to. She didn't refuse and sat to where the open space is at.

"Thank you, young lady," the elder said.

"Don't mention it" I replied.

Yui and I ended up standing near the doorway of the train.

"I didn't know that you can be kind sometimes" giggling and shoving her elbow into my stomach.

"What's up? you're not sick, are you?" she says enjoying teasing me.

"I'm totally fine, justーon a good mood, I guess," I said to her.

She stopped laughing and got serious for a second.

"Really? Tell me what happened" she looks so interested, waiting for my answer just like a child.

"Do me a favor and don't make me regret tagging along with you" I said squishing her cheeks.

"Fine" she replied as I let go of her.

"But please do tell me in detail as to why you're in a good mood today and by the way why did you agreed to come to this trip?" again, grinning and waiting for an answer.

I turned my head in her direction and frowned

"You can't keep quiet, can you? Besides, it's so bold of you to ask 'why I agreed to come'. It's not like a had choice" I said.

"Come on, we have five hours before we arrive. Besides, I'm bored" she answered.

"Well, my friend from the other country greeted me and asked how I was doing that's all," I told her.

"That's so boring, tell me whatー" she paused for a moment like she's trying to solve a mystery from what I've said earlier.

"Wait, Is it a he or a she? And more importantly, Do you even have friends?" she continued. Looking like a confused child.

"It's a 'he' and what do you mean 'do I have friends'? What does that make you then?" I was caught off-guard and kind of spoke loudly.

I saw the people looking at me and her, whispering and giving us a weird look. I see her next to me, her hands covering her mouth, who can't stop laughing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" while bowing my head to everyone.

"You littleー" careful with my words I breathe in and out.

"Can you teach me how to ruin someone's day, too? You are something you know that?" I said with a frowning face and rolled my eyes at her while she's just there laughing at what I said.

"What's wrong with you?" I said once again

"Sorry, it's just, you're too funny," she answered.

"What's funny?" I asked her while she was trying to wipe the tears she got from laughing.

    I wasn't even trying to tell a joke and I'm not sure what's funny too.

"Nothing, nothing. You know what?" she said.

"What?" I looked at her raising my eyebrows.

"I'll teach you how to ruin someone's day if you give me more details about that conversation," she says while smirking and giving a crazy look.

"No thanks, I think I'll pass," I said.

She continued teasing me on the whole ride. I turned the earphone's volume up so I can't hear what she's saying. But she keeps talking, asking, and teasing me.

   "I can tell this is gonna be a long ride" as I rolled my eyes again.

[Yui]

I feel great because Rei is by my side.

She has long silky hair, big brown eyes, and taller than me, somehow. She has a very dark persona and she always has this 'expressionless face', but I couldn't help it and not anyone either.

She lost both her parents in an accident when she was at a young age. To make things worse, she also had amnesia that up until now, she probably has. But I think her memories are starting to come back, more or less.

She didn't know who her relatives are but it's great that her real grandparents showed up. She lived with her grandmother and grandfather at that time.

But now, she's living by herself in an apartment that is in the possession of my family.

    We've been friends ever since she transferred to our school. I didn't like her at first but as time passed by I saw some different sides of her. And I want to see it all once more.

I continued our conversation and teased her a little but I got sleepy and I felt Rei's shoulder so I leaned on it and slept.

[Rei]

    It's clear and sunny weather, no rain or thunderstorms in the weather forecast and not to mention it's summer, so I wouldn't be too surprised if it didn't rain.

    I removed my headphones and put them away.

"Hey, we're about to get off at the next station," I said poking her cheeks because she slept through the whole ride while standing.

I'm kind of impressed by it, to be honest.

"Mhmm..." she mumbled and rubbed her eyes.

Meanwhile, looking at the window in front of me. It just makes me think about how I'm so glad that I moved here.

We arrived at our destination.

Leaving the train, walking to the gate pass, and giving our tickets to the one standing in a booth who collects them.

"Thank you" is what the man said.

Walking down the path that leads to the parking area. There, we saw a big white van.

    Yui is waving at some people, I guess that's her friends. I see three boys and a girl waving back in Yui's direction.

"You're late! What took you so long?" said the girl with colorful hair like a rainbow, round and sparkly green eyes. Not to mention she's wearing makeup too.

"Sorry. My friend here overslept and I had to fetch her" explained Yui to the others.

I partly bow for saying sorry.

"Hi, there! My name is Ninomiya Misaki, it's nice to meet you" said the girl with colorful hair.

"Just get on, for now, introduce yourself inside. We're gonna have to hurry because it'll take us about half an hour to get there" she added.

Inside the vehicle, a boy with silver curly hair, black eyes, tall, and his body is a little masculine, is driving the car.

"Hi! I'm Satou Haru nice to meet you", he said meeting my eyes when he was looking at the rearview mirror.

Misaki is seating right beside him. Yui is seated in the middle with a boy with a kind of brown long hair that is tied to a little bun, black eyes, and tall like the others. He looked at the backseat where I and some other guy is sitting in.

"Hey! The name is Tanaka Kazuma. Nice meeting you" he said.

"Yeah, same here," I said bowing.

"Your quite cute, but try to smile more often, alright?" he grinned and said.

"Flirting in front of me? How bold" while Yui pinched Kazuma in the ear that led him to not back and giggles a little.

    I looked to my left where a boy with fluffy short blue hair and golden eyes. Those are contact lenses, I suppose. He is wearing a white shirt and black fitted pants like me.

"How about you? What's your name?" I asked him.

He looked surprised and scratched the back of his head before giving me a reply.

"Cedrick Dior, But you can call me Ced for short if you want"

"Are you a foreigner?" I asked.

"You can tell?" I said.

"By your name, yes and it's pretty like you by the way, " I said.

    When he turned around, I can see his ears turning red.

    Is he sick, or is it just too hot?

I heard the others burst into laughter.

"Huh?" I blurted out.

"Why are you guys laughing?" I asked.

They didn't say anything, they just changed the subject. So I just leaned my head on the mirror of the car. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but the noise in the van is so loud that I cannot sleep.

* * * * *

Something rang and waked me up. I reached for my alarm clock and tried to stop the ringing, but it wasn't it. I found my cellphone lying on the ground buzzing. I picked it up and answered the call.

Rubbing my eyes and yawning I tried to speak.

"Hello? Who is this?" I stood up and brought myself into the kitchen to drink water.

"Hello? Is someone there?" I said once again to the one calling me on the phone.

I hear glitches, glass breaking, screaming, and some unfamiliar noises.

"Hello? Are you all alright? Do you need help?" still no answer. I was about to end the call when suddenly someone spoke.

"Reiーbecarefulーyoーgreenーliquidーarーit's dangerousー" then he screamed.

Just like that, the call ended. I didn't understand it at all. I just went to the kitchen and drank water.

Sitting on the sofa, I scanned at my phone and saw that the number who tried to call me, it's someone I didn't know, it was someone else's, or maybe just a random person who dialed the wrong number or someone who wanted to play a prank on me.

But he said my name or maybe the one he's trying to call has the same name as me. In Japan, there are a lot of people who are named Rei.

But looking at the recent phone calls. I saw Yui's name in it which I missed her call 13 times already. I dialed her number and called her back immediately.

"Hey, What's up?" I said when she picked it up.

"Oh! You're awake now! Wanna go hang out?" she asked me excitedly.

"And to where exactly do you want to go?" I asked rolling my eyes as I drink water.

"To the water park. It is freaking hot you know. I'm going with some of my friends so if you don't want to go I'm not gonna be alone" I hear her zipping up her bag.

"Are you sure they're your friends?" I asked and found myself in the bed lying again.

"They were my junior high school friends, we're having some kind of reunion. I'm going even if your not. And let me remind you, a lot of boys will be there" she said as I heard her locked her door, and the busy street.

"I barely know the people who are going with you to the water park so I'm not going. I'd rather lay around here do nothing than interact with someone I don't even know so, No thank you" I said.

When I was about to end the call I suddenly hear her running, I hear cars and I hear her breathing at the end of the line.

"What are you doing?" I asked her. I'm a little confused about what's going on.

Then I suddenly hear my doorbell rang.

"Open up will you?" she said on the phone and I heard her catch her breath. I ended the call and went to my door.

"You've gotta be kidding me," I said when I opened the door and saw her standing there, holding her knees and catching her breath.

"Good morning," she said in an enthusiastic tone.

"Come on in" I invited her

"Pardon my intrusion," she said removing her shoes.

She sat on my sofa and I offered her some drinks which she immediately took and drank.

"I thought I told you that I'm not going to go," I said.

"Come on. It's summer and you've got nothing better to do. You've gotta enjoy your youth" she stated.

"Anyway, I'm not leaving here until you agree. So don't be stubborn and just pack your things up already" she added.

She's right, I have nothing else better to do. She said we're going to swim, so I packed my bags with a lot of oversized t-shirts, two pairs of shorts and of course some underwear in case we stay overnight. But I didn't pack any swimsuits because I'm not planning to swim. I'll just babysit Yui. I also brought some first aid kits and other stuff.

Yui is wearing a crop top T-shirt where you can see her belly well-shaped and short shorts while I am wearing an oversized violet shirt and black skinny pants. She brought a mini backpack that I think only her wallet and phone is in there.

* * * * *

[Ced]

I didn't expect that she will ask my name. I'm a shy type and stutter with every word that comes out of my mouth.

Kazuma and Haru are my friends. We're staying all in an apartment where our school is paying for the rent because we are respected scholars in our school. We might look like this but we do good in academics and athletics too.

For our summer vacation, they were thinking of spending time with their girlfriends but they were worried about me being left behind.

This trip to the water park is supposed to be a double date. But they felt bad to leave me out of their plans on summer vacation and decided that they want me there too. And when they got to know that Yui has a friend. They convinced Yui to take Rei with her into the water park.

I guess they want this to be a set-up date for me and Rei. But I don't think this is a good idea.

I mean, every glimpse of Rei is reallyーscary. She has this dark aura around her and not to mention her deadly eyes, I can't tell if she's happy or angry or what so ever because she has these expressionless faces that are hard to read.

But my parents taught me not to judge people by their looks. So I think Rei is genuinely a great and beautiful person insideーI hope.