Way to Kyoto

I opened up my eyes; the atmosphere was filled with the sounds of Tokyo—the sound of engines, birds chirping—and today was the day, the day that would modify my future. I got out of bed right away, heading to the bathroom. As I brushed my teeth, I was thinking about my future like a little kid making up scenarios of his life. After brushing my teeth, cleansing my face, fixing my hair, and changing into my uniform, I went into the living room, took the handle out of my suitcase, and headed straight to the main door.

I took a taxi to the train station mentioned in the invitation letter. As soon as I stepped foot inside the boundary of the train station, I started to hear the voices of people—students in uniforms—all excited to improve their journeys. As I was immersed in the atmosphere, someone tapped me on my shoulder from behind. Out of nervousness, I turned around, and just by a quick glance, I noticed it was Shinoyama-san.

"Hi! Shinoyama-san," I greeted her with a cheerful smile.

"Good morning!" she chimed back brightly.

"I'm really excited, not gonna lie," I said, confidently and nervously at the same time, trying to hide my nerves.

"So am I," she admitted with a grin. "I can't wait."

In the crowded atmosphere, a noise from the announcement speaker broke in:

"8:30 a.m. Tokyo to Kyoto line is now boarding. Please make your way to the trains."

"Oh, gotta go!" I exclaimed, grabbing my suitcase and heading toward the gate. As I crossed the gates and headed into the train, Shinoyama-san followed closely behind.

After entering the Shinkansen train, I reached my hand into my pockets, slipped out the ticket, and began finding my seat. I was looking row by row.

"Oh, here it is. This is my seat, just beside the window. How lucky," I murmured to myself, delighted.

I placed my suitcase in the overhead bin, then sat down. This was the first time I'd ever been on a Shinkansen train. Since it was my first time, I got slightly curious. I read the pamphlets, looked around my seat, and even looked under my seat. I was like a child amazed by seeing something new.

While I was looking around, a voice interrupted my movements. I looked over to my right shoulder, only to find out it was Shinoyama-san. I froze for a moment, startled.

"...Hey... Why are you here?" I finally managed to ask, my voice hesitant.

She tilted her head slightly and replied, "Is this seat C17?"

"Yes, it is," I confirmed, trying not to sound confused.

"Oh, this is my seat," she explained, holding up her ticket.

"What a coincidence," I said, laughing nervously.

She slid into the seat beside me, and I felt my heart race as if it was about to jump out of my chest. I stole a peek, and what I saw was an angelic type of beauty sitting beside me.

"Why was my heart racing just because she was sitting beside me? I couldn't even focus on the view outside anymore. Was it nervousness? Excitement? Or something else entirely?"

"So, Shinoyama-san, how do you feel about getting chosen as a scholar student out of hundreds?" I asked, trying to break the awkward silence between us.

"Um, of course I'm very excited. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, isn't it?" she responded, her eyes sparkling. Then, with a playful smile, she added, "To be honest, I should be asking questions to you as well, Akinichi-kun."

"To be really honest, I kinda feel the same way as you," I admitted.

"Yeah," she nodded, her smile softening.

And the conversation faded into silence. I stared out the window as the train moved across the countless countryside. The more I looked, the more I started to realize the beauty of the outside world. The scenery was filled with paddy fields, grass fields, and little houses in between. Compared to Tokyo, the city filled with noise, air, and light pollution, the countryside seemed more peaceful.

I was so immersed in the sightseeing that I even forgot to have my light breakfast until the train attendants offered some. It was a small piece of cake along with a packet of egg rolls. As soon as I ripped open the egg rolls' plastic bag, the aroma of slightly roasted chicken and fried eggs filled the air around me. I took a glance at Shinoyama-san to see how she was doing; she seemed fine, eating her portion of food.

After finishing my food, I put the trash in a little bag stuffed inside a pocket-like net attached to the back of the seat in front of me. I took my phone out from my backpack since I was starting to feel bored. I opened my phone and played a mini-game for a few minutes.

As I was playing, I felt a stare coming toward me. I turned to my right and saw that it was Shinoyama-san looking at my phone.

"Is everything alright, Shinoyama-san?" I asked, tilting my head in concern.

"Yes, I'm alright. I was just bored... and a bit lonely," she confessed, her cheeks turning pink.

I didn't know how to react after that. Scrambling for words, I stammered, "Yeah... It really does feel lonely, doesn't it?"

"Maybe you could be by my side... and we could accompany each other with warmth and advice when we feel down," she suggested confidently, catching me off guard.

A voice from the speaker broke our atmosphere:

"The next station is Kyoto, Kyoto. We will soon be making a stop at Kyoto."

"We gotta get ready. This is the moment to get really excited," I told her, my awkwardness giving way to excitement.

"Yeah!" she agreed enthusiastically.

In a few moments, the train came to a stop after a two-hour journey from Tokyo to Kyoto. We both stood up, retrieved our luggage from the overhead bin, and made our way to the exit of the train, entering Kyoto, the city of history. As I stepped off the train, I was greeted by the scent of flowers from Sakura trees, the afternoon sun shining on the shrines and historic buildings of Kyoto.

After exiting the station, we were greeted by buses from the university. They instructed us to check our invitation cards for our room numbers where we would stay. I looked at my card and found out I would be staying in room 67.

After a few minutes, the bus came to a stop in front of a cool-looking apartment near the university. I entered the apartment and took the keys to my room. With the keys, I went straight to the 3rd floor, where my room was located.

As I was unlocking my door, I heard a familiar voice. I turned to my side, only to see Shinoyama-san greeting me with a cheerful wave.

Out of confusion, I asked her, "Um, what are you doing here?"

"I was just going to my room," she replied casually.

"Could it be that you're in room 66?" I guessed, noticing she was standing in front of the door beside mine.

"Yeah... How did you know that?" she asked, surprised.

"I don't know, you seem to be standing in front of the door of room 66," I joked lightly.

"Oh yeah, that makes sense. I guess we are beside each other," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah. I'll see you later. I need to settle into my new place," I told her with a nod.

"Yeah, see you soon!" she said warmly.

I then went inside my room, unpacked my luggage, and put things where they belonged. After all the hard work, I was a bit exhausted—not only from putting things in place but also from the train ride. So I changed into my pajamas, lay on my bed, and took a great nap, thinking about my future in this new place with new people I would meet.