Our summer vacation before the first year of middle school had started. But now there was one thing we needed to complete. That was our trip to Tokyo. Word got around about a match between two teams, the kind of game none of us wanted to miss. Tickets vanished fast, so we scrambled. After days of begging, our parents finally gave in and bought them. There was one problem, we needed an adult to go with us. We were way too young to handle all those Shinjuku train transfers on our own. Out of nowhere, my grandfather Eitoku volunteered. He'd always been there on the sidelines at our practices, quiet and a little intimidating, but not in a bad way. Honestly, having him with us felt less like dragging along a chaperone and more.
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The afternoon was unbearably hot, with constant buzzing of cicadas. We all sat cramped on the porch of my place, pretending like studying was the main thing on our minds. Baseball magazines got tossed around on the tatami mats. I sat straight, my brain spinning as I worked out a training plan, while Nobu wrestled with some simple fraction problem. He looked like his brain might just melt under the heat.
"Eijun... why does this stuff have to be so tough?" he moaned, plopping his face down right on his workbook.
"Stop grumbling and get yourself together. It's not that hard, me and wakana are already done with it so it can't be that hard." I said not looking up from what I was doing.
'Ugh…you two are just too smart."
"Youre just stupid…or lazy, could be both. Now stop talking and move that hand or no watermelon for you."
At that he stopped grumbling and actually started to write something.Then Wakana nudged a cold slice of watermelon toward me. "Eat something, Eijun. Your serious face's making me sweat just looking at it," she joked. That small, simple act broke my train of thought, reminding me I didn't have to keep control over every little thing.
"...I always have that look…" I grabbed the watermelon. "Ah, I heard that there is a festival soon, wanna go together?
I didn't even finish when they both yelled in unison. "Yes!"
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The festival arrived carrying with it the scent of woodsmoke, sweet cotton candy, and grilled corn. As the sun slowly hid behind the mountains, the town flickered to life with hundreds of paper lanterns, casting this soft, dancing glow that painted our faces like a dream. We wandered through the crowd, the air buzzing with flute melodies and laughter that seemed to float from somewhere just out of reach. Nobu was everywhere, darting from stall to stall like a child…whitch he technically was.
Later, as night wrapped itself tighter, we left the clamor behind and made our way up a grassy hill that looked down over the sleeping valley. The earth beneath us still held onto the day's warmth, and we sat side by side in a quiet that felt soft and easy, our eyes lost in the sprawling dark sky above.
Then out of nowhere the night broke open.
The first firework shot up with a whistle, bursting right over our heads in a shower of gold and emerald that split the black silence like a knife. Suddenly, everything just... stopped. The boom rolled through my chest like a wave, then there was this heavy, stretched-out breath of silence, broken only by the faint crackle as shimmered sparks drifted down.
In that blinding flash, my heart did this little jump. I caught the sparkle of the next bursts of deep crimson, violet, dazzling white reflected in the eyes of my friends. And for that one, endless-seeming moment, I forgot about everything.
"They weren't that bad…" I said feeling slightly embarrassed that I got excited about something like fireworks. Both Wakana and Nobu just laughed at my comment knowing my character very well.
"Someone embarrassed huh?" "Tsundere~" They both teased me.
"Dont call me that, also I wasn't embarrassed, now let's go, we promised to head back home right after the fireworks ended."
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I was lying on my futon, staring at the ceiling and trying to mentally map out the train transfers, when my phone vibrated. It was Wakana.
"Hello?" I picked up, my voice already raspy from the sleepiness.
"Eijun! Are you actually packed, or are you just staring at the wall thinking about physics again?" Her voice was bright, teasing.
"I have a checklist, Wakana. Everything is handled" I replied, already half asleep.
"I bet you do" she chuckled. There was a brief pause, the kind of silence that felt a little heavier than usual. "Hey... Eijun? I'm really glad we're doing this. Just the three of us. Well, and your grandpa. It feels like... I don't know, a real adventure before everything changes in middle school."
"You're getting too excited, it's just a scouting trip"
"Right…" she countered, her tone softening, becoming just a bit more playful, almost flirtatious, though she masked it well. "Because I picked out my cutest sun hat just so you wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with me in the big city. You better appreciate the effort, Bakamura."
"A hat's primary function is UV protection," I answered. "Just make sure it doesn't blow off on the platform. It would cause a delay. Now go to sleep. Night, Wakana."
"You're impossible," she whispered, though I could hear the grin. "See you at dawn."
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The morning of the trip hit me like a truck. I used to run on nothing but black coffee, but this younger body? Totally disagreed. I've never been a morning person, not even close. My brain felt stuffed with wet cotton, and every little noise, even the clock ticking felt like someone banging a hammer against my skull. By the time Grandpa and I got to the station, the sun still hadn't cleared the Nagano mountains. Wakana and Nobu were already waiting, both of them looking way too chipper for this hour.
"Eijun! Finally!" Nobu called out, practically bouncing on his feet. "I thought you'd sleep through the alarm and we'd have to drag you here by your toes!"
I tried to glare at him, but honestly, I probably just looked half-asleep. "If you yell again, I'll make sure you nap through the entire ride" I muttered, tugging my cap down over my eyes.
Wakana laughed and straightened her sun hat. "Lay off, Nobu. Mornings are a battle for Eijun. He looks like he's about to just collapse.""My brain's still restarting" I grumbled, slumping against my bag while Grandpa just shook his head. "Talk to me after we cross the prefecture line. Actually, don't talk to me until we hit Tokyo."
We finally got on the train, and I made a beeline for the window seat. The sound of the wheels on the tracks was basically a lullaby. I pressed my head to the cold glass and, just like that, I was out in seconds.
When I woke up, the view outside changed. Nagano's green fields were gone, swapped out for a maze of concrete and glass. Sunlight bounced off skyscrapers, almost blinding. We'd made it to Tokyo. The fog in my head started to lift, and something new took its place excitement. The real trip was just getting started.