Rendezvous
Chapter Two – A Step Closer
Caught between dream and the conscious, my mind reeled endlessly. The gentle hum had established normality within my mentality, and it coaxed my eye lids to rest lightly. Though I could tear myself from sleep at any moment, I choose to rest as much as possible in order to prepare for the long days ahead of me, and also to compensate for what I lacked in energy. Even as I attempt my much-needed period of hibernation, my mind keeps on the conversation exchanged among my friends.
"They said only about ten minutes… should we wake him up?" Yukari asked.
"Ah, just wait. Poor guy hasn't gotten a good night's rest since he came back last week," Junpei said.
"It's a good thing Mitsuru was able to help us out. Nobody else could manage to collect everything he did in that short of time. And by then, we might have waited too long."
"Seriously… he's lucky he didn't have to go through a serious amount if crap. I mean, on record he was claimed dead. If Mitsuru-senpai hadn't any say in it, we'd probably not be going for another year at least."
"What are we going to do if we find an unfavorable outcome?" Aigis asked, "What if we've come all this way with hope in our hearts just to find out that Bebe's de-"
"Ssh! Quiet down, Aigis!" Yukari whispered harshly, "You can't just say something like that so carelessly. The thought alone would tear him apart…"
"But what if it's true? Don't you think that might hurt him more?"
"If it's true, then at least we'll know," Junpei muttered, "If it were me, I'd prefer to know than spend the rest of my life wondering…"
The group was quiet for a long time, which bothered me to the point of considering opening my eyes. Before I could act, the silence ended with another topic centered on me.
"He's… grown a lot. Like, physically," Yukari observed, "Do you think that's what he meant by he had 'catching up' to do?"
"Well, yeah," Junpei said, "He looked the same as he did four years ago just last week. It's kind of weird to wake up to see a huge change every morning. He shot up three whole inches the first night… He definitely doesn't look seventeen anymore."
"He looks so much more mature… I feel like I'm being left behind," Aigis murmured, "I can't grow or change they way you all do…"
"Even if you don't look different, you're always changing, Aigis," Yukari assured her, "He's just changing at a faster rate in order to match the time. Hopefully, he'll get there soon. It's hard just knowing that he goes through every night in pain…"
So they were all aware of the excruciating pain I felt night after night. Then again, I suppose I'm not moaning quietly; the pain is far worse than any I've felt before—besides two other instances that I can think of. Having my back sliced open was probably a little worse than this, but nothing even compares to the heartache I felt when Bebe left. Not even just when he left for Japan, but when he was angry with me for being unable to communicate a simple romantic phrase; the fury and frustration he threw at me for a dreadful slip of mind was enough to send me into endless despair for days.
That was our only real fight… It never really felt like there was anything to fight about afterwards, especially since we were able to agree on things much more easily. I still couldn't believe we didn't have to fight about sending him back to France; he had told me that he would fight me if I tried. At that point, he couldn't bear to see me get hurt anymore… He thought that by leaving, he could allow me to focus on keeping myself safe so that I would live… And I didn't.
I wonder what went through his head when he got Yukari's letter. I wonder what he felt when he saw those words on the paper, only in writing but with such devastating power. When he woke up on the first of February, his heart filled with such hope. That letter he wrote to me was so heartfelt; I was alive then, but I never had the chance to write back to him… I wonder if it would have been worse if I had… He left to protect me... Knowing Bebe, he probably blames himself for what happened to me. I wish I could have told him that it wasn't his fault. I wish I could have known that it was what I was meant for… I hope desperately that he didn't pull something stupid in order to place himself with me. Still… why wait three years? That's the only thing I can hang onto; I can keep faith as long as I have that thought in mind.
A sudden jolt shook the entire cabin, though I still don't find the will to open my eyes. Sleep weighed my eyelids down so heavily… I just want another half hour at the least…
"Tetsuya…? Tetsuya?"
No. I'm too tired. Leave me alone.
"…Tetsuya…? TETSUYA?"
A hand gripped my arm and gave me a sharp jerk. My eyes flashed open and I yelped at the sudden movement, gazing upon my horror-stricken friends who sighed in relief as I responded. Yukari released my arm and sank down in her seat with her hands over her face.
"Oh my God, thank you…" she croaked, "I can't go through that again…"
"Are you all right, Tetsuya?" Aigis asked.
"Yeah, Yuka-tan called your name four times…" Junpei murmured.
My heart continued to race and trip inside my chest, even as I settled down from my start. At this point, even if I wanted to, I couldn't return to my half-rest. Still, I guess I sort of feel bad for giving all of them a scare.
"Y-Yeah. Yeah. I'm okay…" I sighed, my speech very faintly slurred with weary confusion.
"Sorry I had to grab you…" Yukari said sheepishly, "I just wanted to let you know that we landed."
… … …oh. Right. They said we were landing earlier. I completely forgot. I guess that explains the shaking…
"Dude, are you sure you're okay? You're acting like you did last time…" Junpei said solemnly.
"Last time what…?" I asked, still out of it.
It wasn't until he gave me a look that I realized what he meant.
"You have to remember that he's going through a lot of change really fast, Junpei," Yukari said, "It's why teenage boys sleep so much. That along with the growing pains and stress doesn't really help. I feel even worse because you know jetlag is going to play a major part now…"
Dammit, I didn't even think about that. I can't say this out loud out of courtesy for my friends, but I might just die if I don't get some sleep soon.
The light for seatbelts turned off, and Junpei and Yukari automatically began removing the restraints to stand and stretch.
"Ohh, thank God we're finally here…!" Junpei said, his voice slightly strained as he stretched out his stiff arms and legs.
"I can't believe you're actually excited about getting off the private jet you said you never wanted to leave," Yukari teased.
"H-hey, hey, hey. You're tired of sitting on your ass for eleven hours, too," he retorted.
Aigis removed her seatbelt and stood normally, looking down at me with a great deal of concern.
"Tetsuya… do you… feel the way you did last time…?" she asked quietly.
She almost appeared afraid to hear my response. The poor girl really was worried that I was going to die again. If that were to happen, it really wouldn't be fair to any of us. Especially not to her. Especially not to Bebe. But… I wasn't really concerned about it. After all, my problem last time was that I didn't have a soul.
"No, this is different," I told her, "This time, I'm actually feeling something and I care about it. I'll be okay as soon as I can catch up on my sleep."
Her smile spread relief to the rest of her face, and she was able to turn away with me without hesitance. Yukari and Junpei began unloading our carry-ons from the compartment above us, lining up the bags in an organized groups based on who they belonged to. The pilot came back to check up on us and retrieve our other bags from the back of the jet.
While everyone else was busy, I took a peek out the window for the first time, surprised to meet daylight spilling across the concrete landing. It felt like it shouldn't be light out… Still, the sun was near the east, meaning I had a full day to begin my search. I wouldn't have much time to sleep while I was here; if I wanted to find Bebe as soon as I could, I would have to be on my feet from dawn until dusk. Or at least as long as I could search. The island looked so tiny on the map… how hard could it possibly be to find him?
"C'mon, Tetsuya," Junpei chirped, "Take in your last breath of Japanese air for awhile. I hear the air in France smells God-awful."
"Who told you that?" Yukari demanded.
"Kenji told me a long time ago-"
"Well, Kenji was a Duck Fry short of a Ducky Meal, Stupei. Don't make assumptions before you get there."
"Alright, alright. Yeesh."
I took one last glance out the window before standing on jelly legs and lifting my bags. I assume the eleven hours of remaining stationary had something to do with the stiffness in my legs, but the growing pains didn't help either. I can't wait for this to be over…
Shivering as the cold air enveloped me, I stepped down the small staircase and onto to the landing below, meeting with my other friends who were taking their final stretch break. I inhaled deeply, taking in the foreign air and comparing it to Japan's. …hm… actually… Junpei had it really wrong. The air smells so pure and clean here, like nothing I've ever breathed before. The sky seems bluer, but it might just be my imagination. Perhaps the island is small enough that the burning of fossil fuels isn't as necessary. It wasn't a tropical island but it seemed like paradise or a very good dream at least.
"Oh, yeah, really God-awful, Stupei," Yukari teased.
"Seriously? Can you please drop that nickname? It's not even funny anymore," Junpei muttered.
A small bus came to take us safely to the airport. The ride was smooth and very quiet, though it was short. Once we had entered the actual airport, we had to go through customs with other travelers, many of which were either American or Japanese. It was Junpei's grand idea to split up into separate lines, wanting to race and see whose was faster. I was surprised that Aigis and Yukari even went along with it. This isn't a field trip…
Of course, Junpei had picked the best line, flying through at a breakneck speed. Yukari's inched along just a bit slower and Aigis was already three people ahead of me. With my luck, I had picked the line with the incredibly and unnecessarily slow worker and the most obnoxious Americans.
"I ***** **** ** *** *** Eiffel Tower! We ****** go *** T-Shirts **** *** I Heart Paris ** ****!" said a heavyset middle-aged woman.
"Dude. We ****** go **** **** French girls ** ****. ******* chicks *** ****** so sexy," a younger male said.
Yeah, I don't really speak much English but… damn. I respect America and the Americans okay, but some Americans tourists can be dipshits beyond belief. It's Nanparaux, idiot, not Paris. There's no Eiffel Tower here. And I don't even want to know what we're doing to the poor French girls. I can't imagine any of them being attracted to someone that sounds like a creep. Please, God, tell me they're not all like this.
Yukari passed through already and Aigis followed a minute later. Yukari peered back at me, sympathetic.
"We'll wait on you, Tetsuya! I'm sorry you're stuck there!" she hollered.
Evidently, the language she spoke to me was fascinating enough to the Americans to have them staring back at my friends and, to my dismay, me.
"Oh! ****! *********! *** ******* Chinese people!"
OH, FOR GOD'S SAKE.
I was the last to get through customs at a whopping fifteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds (Junpei timed it to my dismay.) Luckily, I didn't have to punch an American on my way out, but I'd had my fill of ignorant vacationers for the day. Bebe stood out as a foreigner in Japan, but at least he didn't act like an obnoxious tourist.
"Duuuuude. You got all the fun people in your line," Junpei laughed.
"Don't start with me," I snapped, "Let's just find a place to sit and get everything sorted out."
I dragged my bags along with me until I found some empty seats by the luggage claim area. The others sat next to me, already weary and it was only eight o' clock. I opened up the smaller bag and shuffled through various belongings in search of the three papers Yukari had given me. Yukari, realizing what I was looking for, went into her own bag to search for the rest of Bebe's letters.
"Man, I'm hungry. You think we can go find a place that serves rice?" Junpei asked.
The rest of us gave him an incredulous look.
"It's eight in the morning," I said, frowning.
"Duh. Breakfast."
"This is France, moron, they don't serve rice for breakfast."
"Whaaaaaat? What the hell, man? How do you not have rice for breakfast?"
Speaking of obnoxious tourists, I think I'm looking at one. Jeez.
I finally found the papers I was looking for, pulling them out and looking over them. Only half of the letter Bebe wrote me… It was what they found on me when I was dead, but the other three pages were misplaced… Even though these were the pages that I favored, the other three might have been more helpful. But these ones… were the ones that came from his heart… The ones that when I read them, I could hear his voice. As I scanned it again, I knew the words before I read them:
Forgive me, Tetsuya. Bebe was trying to keep zis letter light-hearted, but I just can't do eet. I miss you. I zink about you every minute I am awake, and I dream of you when I am asleep. Bebe want to be wiz you again. I know you're probably mad at me for breaking my promise. I will stop at nozing to come back. But I still want to come back on my own. Bebe will work 'ard to see Tetsuya again. I want to get back togezer soon.
Every moment I spent wiz you was amazing. Bebe would give anyzing to do eet all again. I assume zat you defeated Nyx. I knew you could. I believed in you from ze very beginning. You're a strong and gentle person, Tetsuya. Bebe love zat and so much more about you. Maybe when we meet again, we can 'ave a normal life togezer. I would love to see your smile, feel your kiss, and 'ear your voice again.
I guess what Bebe eez trying to say eez… I still keep my promise. Eet may not be as soon as I'd 'oped, but I will see you again. I' ope you aren't upset wiz me, but I understand if you are. But know zis, mon chéri – I will always love you. I promise we'll meet again, my angel.
~Love, Bebe"
…I promise, Bebe. We will meet again…
"Tetsuya?"
Yukari held out a letter to me.
"Here. This is the one we want," she said.
I scanned it briefly, recognizing it as the most helpful letter of the thick stack that Yukari had. While making travel arrangements, I had read through all of them carefully. She was right about him; he didn't sound the same in writing at all. Comparing my letter with all of Yukari's, the difference in tone was clear. In mine, he was filled with hope and determination; in hers, he seemed like a shattered shell, dead and empty.
The one I gazed upon was the letter that got us where we were. One of the last letters he sent, it held more clues about where to find him than the rest. I read through some of it again, reading the key passage:
Uncle eez not particularly supportive of my interest in Rěvefutur Academy, and I don't know if eet's wise to tell 'im about ze scholarship. Personally, I feel zat zis eez an opportunity. Sewing eez my life, but eet's not ze activity eetself zat 'e disapproves of. Since Tetsuya died, 'e knows 'ow much eet reminds me of ze time Bebe spent wiz 'im. Yukari-sama, if zis was your situation, what would you do? Please 'elp me. I'm worried.
I'd done a bit of research about the school online. I'm not surprised, but I am impressed and, needless to say, proud of him. He received a scholarship that paid for a full two year's tuition of the most prestigious fashion academy on the island—possibly in the entire country. An incredible achievement and nothing to sneeze at in the least. With that in mind, pinpointing his estimated location was fairly easy. The problem was that it wasn't anywhere near the address on the other envelopes. Despite that the island was small, his original location was still a ways from the academy. I know there are dormitories on campus, but that doesn't guarantee a thing.
Yukari has already stressed that she doesn't think he's at the previous address anymore, but trying to find him in a place that we're not even sure if he's at isn't really the greatest plan. I guess she and Aigis were right to have their doubts about this. Even so, we're here now. We've come this far, we'd might as well keep moving.
"I think our first objective is to find this academy," Yukari said, "That way we can make reservations at the nearest hotel so we can get there quickly and spend less money on cab fares."
"Sounds good to me. Do you think we can find it on our own, or should we ask directions?" I asked.
Yukari chuckled.
"You're a guy and you're asking if we should ask for directions?" she laughed, "Incredible. Anyway, you're probably right. We should find someone who can help us."
Two women passed us, speaking French. Possible locals? If they were from Nanparaux, they might be the best people to ask. I called out to them, catching their attention.
"Excuse me, could you please help us?" I asked.
They both smiled, getting closer to me.
"Oh, my," said the older of the two, "Aren't you adorable? You look like a doll."
Aigis, able to interpret any language as a robot, giggled at the remark. Yukari couldn't quite understand the phrases, and Junpei was totally lost.
"We need to find the Rěvefutur Academy," I said, "Do you know where it is?"
The younger woman smiled sadly.
"I'm afraid not. We're from Bordeaux, so we don't know the area. I'm so sorry," she apologized.
I smiled back at them.
"That's okay. Thanks anyway," I said, "Have a safe flight."
They bid their final farewells and resumed their original agenda. A man passed us, but when I tried to catch his attention, he ignored me.
"Hey, what the hell?" Junpei frowned, "What gives?"
"We're foreigners. They probably view us as nothing more than lost tourists," Yukari told him, "We should probably expect that sort of response that more often…"
"We stand out here…" Aigis murmured quietly, "No one here looks Japanese… I hope it's not like this everywhere…"
"It shouldn't be… Nanparaux does a lot of business with Japanese companies, so there are a lot of business conventions and trips here. Though… it does seem strange that we're the only ones here right now. It probably has to do with the fact that we came on a private jet."
I looked around at the faces of everyone. Several of us were already avoiding us, as if they knew we were going to ask for help. Is it really that hard to get directions? I kept looking around. A lot of brown hair and some blonde…
And then a flash of silver.
The color caught my eye, and I looked over at the individual immediately. At first, I expected to see an older man, only to realize that he was around my age. He was pretty tall and thin; quiet but powerful in appearance alone. He walked alongside another man with rusty hair that spiked out like feathery wings. Both of them wore jackets with a familiar Japanese insignia, one that I recognized as a member of authority. They spoke to each other inconspicuously, seeming frustrated. As they walked past us, I caught some of the conversation in a language that was easier on my ears.
"Dammit, none of this random interrogating is working. We're not going to find any leads this way, I already told you," the brown-haired officer grumbled.
"Just let me try a little longer," the silver-haired one responded gruffly, "Please. I don't ask for much. Just for a week. I promise if we don't find anyone by then, we can try whatever you have in mind. At this point, I don't care what we do. I just want her safe."
It might be easier to ask someone for directions in Japanese… Hopefully, they know the area well enough to direct us to the school. It's a long shot, but it can't hurt to ask.
I approached them hopefully, holding my breath for a positive answer. The other three followed behind me as they had in the past.
"Excuse me," I spoke up, getting their attention on the first try, "I was wondering if you could help us with directions."
"Hey, someone who speaks Japanese…" the brown-haired officer remarked, pleasantly surprised by the language.
"That depends," replied his partner, "Where are you all headed?"
"We're looking for theRěvefutur Academy of Design and Fashion," Yukari told them.
The brown-haired officer immediately appeared sort of confused, and even disturbed.
"But… two of you are guys," he said.
His partner gave him a look.
"Hey, come on," he scolded, and then looking back at us, "Actually, yes, we can help point you there. The Fashion Academy… that's on the northern part of the island, isn't it?"
"Yeah, we pass by it on the bus," his partner confirmed.
"I think Naoto checked it out back in January… should we ask?"
"It doesn't matter, does it? We know where it is."
The brown-haired officer looked at me, tilting his head.
"Hey, speaking of Naoto…" he murmured.
I'd long since grown impatient with the pointless conversation going on between the two officers. Seriously, if I'd known they were going to stray from the point, I would have just asked someone else.
"H-Hey, listen, I kind of need to get there as soon as I can," I spoke up, "Can I just get some directions?"
The rusty-hair officer seemed irked by my impatience, but his partner was more understanding.
He pulled a pad of paper from a pocket inside is jacket, fishing for a pen.
"I tell you what," he said, "I can't tell you how to get there, but I can give you the name of our bus company and a schedule for the morning pick-ups. The bus makes a stop at the Academy, so I would highly encourage that route. If you absolutely can't wait for the next stop, I would suggest taking the Metro to the stop nearest to the academy, which is Nancy Avenue. The Metro stops running at around midnight, so keep that in mind while you're staying here."
He wrote something down on the paper, tore it from the pad, and handed it to me.
"The bus stops picking up at eleven, but you should be able to get where you need to before then. Are you staying in a dorm or do you have other housing arrangements?" he asked.
"A-Actually, we're planning on staying in a hotel," I said, "We'll make other arrangements depending on how long-term the stay is."
The officer nodded.
"Good, good. Hotel fees are starting to get a little expensive here. They aren't really meant to keep you for more than a week or so," he said, then muttering, "Gets kinda expensive after four months…"
The rusty-haired officer glared at him.
"Are you seriously starting this right now? God, act professional. And he just asked for directions. He didn't ask for a tour guide," he snapped.
"Th-That's okay," I said, "It helps a lot. Thank you very much."
"Anytime," said the silver-haired officer, "I hope you find everything okay."
"Come on!" his partner barked irritably, "You want to go out and ask questions, so we can't waste any more time. We're already way behind!"
"Alright, alright already…"
Reluctantly, he followed after his antsy partner, telling us to take care as they left us. We bowed out of habit to thank them, but it felt a little embarrassing when people in the airport gave us funny looks. I watched after the two as they walked away from us, still quarrelling over their previous topic. They were awfully young to be professionals… maybe they were still in training, but I wasn't sure if they were ready for whatever case they had been assigned.
"Well… the one guy was pretty helpful," Yukari said, "Did he give you a schedule?"
I checked the paper in my hand, reading the name of the bus company as well as three separate times that were spaced out by an hour each. The first one was long-past, but the second one was at 8:45. I would rather catch the earliest bus rather than take the Metro. Besides, the bus made a stop at the academy. This way, we would know where it was at least.
"Let's head out to the entrance," I said, "We have half an hour to make the next stop. Once we get there, we can find a hotel."
The four of us headed out, walking past several groups of people being reunited after a long separation. One man stood alone with a small bouquet, the stems wrapped in yellow tissue paper and decorative plastic. A woman from behind us ran to him and threw her arms around him, unabashed by the kisses that he showered her with in a public area. I've never seen anything quite like that in Japan… Public affection isn't something I'm used to seeing at all. Maybe that's why Bebe didn't seem bothered by it when we were together. …I wish… he knew that I was here. Maybe then, we could have seen each other now. The couple kissing and hugging in the airport, crying and laughing as we told each other how dearly we missed the other…
After a long wait outside in the cold, the bus finally pulled up, waiting for us patiently as we loaded our belongings in the hull and boarded. Junpei sat beside me as Yukari and Aigis took the seats behind us just as the driver began to drive.
"Hey, I talked to the girls earlier on the plane while you were asleep," Junpei said quietly, "After we drop our stuff off at the hotel, we'll head out and split into separate groups. Yuka-tan and Ai-chan are going to check out the address on the envelope. It took me awhile to persuade Aigis, but she's going to let me go with you to look for Bebe."
I smiled at him, my own search partner. The fact that he had to fight over me with Aigis was flattering itself.
"Sounds good," I said, "I hope we can make a lot of progress today."
"I think we can," Junpei said confidently.
"Just don't expect to find him immediately," Aigis reminded us, "There are a lot of students enrolled at the academy. It might take some time. Besides, he may be back at his original address. We'll be sure to contact you if we find him."
For the rest of the ride, we sat silently, still getting over the long trip overseas. Gazing out the window, I took time to examine the city as we drove past several different stores. So this was Nanparaux… It wasn't as quaint as I'd pictured it, but it had something of a homey feel. It came to my attention that several buildings, restaurants particularly, had Japanese names. It was even sort of strange to me that there were Japanese antique stores with traditional armor and manga stores. I suppose it was for the interest of the Japanese businessmen, but it still seemed sort of strange to see that half the culture was ours while the other was French.
The bus stopped at a light beside a much larger building with several neon signs. I imagine it's the brightest thing in the city at night, judging by the lights. A department store… It seemed fairly new, only a few years old at most. The bus began moving again, and my eyes worked to keep my attention. This is insane; I felt so awake a minute ago… Now I feel like I have to fight with myself just to stay awake.
I'm not sure how big Rěvefutur Academy is, but I hope that we can find Bebe soon. I don't want him to spend another minute alone… I would even prefer to find that he's living at home, even with the uncle I heard so much about. Even if he wasn't at home anymore, maybe his uncle would be kind enough to tell us where he was and if he was okay. Hopefully, Yukari and Aigis can find out from him. I just hope…
Someone shook my arm, and it occurred to me that I had lost the fight with my eyelids. How long was I asleep? Reluctantly, I looked over at Junpei, who informed me that we had reached our stop. Rěvefutur Academy… we were already so close.
"Hang in there, Tetsuya," Junpei said, "We've got to get through the rest of the day. You're doing this for Bebe, remember?"
He's right. He's absolutely right. I can't afford to sleep through anymore of the day. I have to be strong for him. I have to stand.
We made sure to remove our bags from the hull of the bus quickly to avoid keeping the driver too long, making sure to thank him for helping us. As soon as he'd driven away, my friends began discussing where to stay based on the location. My attention, however, was fixed upon the campus.
Dammit. The school is huge. It's much larger than Gekkoukan and has several buildings. I suppose it's true that Rěvefutur is a college rather than a high school, but still… I've never seen a school this size before. Finding Bebe is going to take a lot longer than I hoped for.
"Hey, come on," Yukari called to me, "You and Junpei are going there in just a little while. We just need to check into a hotel. We'll come back. I promise."
It was hard to leave while I was right there, while I was so close, but I reluctantly responded to her and followed the rest of my group away from the campus. Soon…
"Hopefully we can find a place that isn't too expensive," Yukari said, "I don't know how long we're staying here, but I think we need somewhere that's comfortable but affordable."
"I don't know why you care. I have enough money to last a lifetime," I said, "We could probably stay at the most expensive place on the island."
"Don't get into habits like that, Tetsuya-kun," she sighed, "It's fine that you can afford it, but try to use your money more responsibly."
Aigis looked around carefully, reading signs meticulously.
"Maybe we should have just taken the Metro…" she murmured, "I don't think we'll find a hotel on this block. Most of what's around here is apartment complexes for the students living off-campus."
Great. So we wouldn't be as close to the school as I wanted to be. Just lovely.
With a sigh of disappointment, we kept heading down the sidewalk, and I could help but watch the academy over my shoulder as it shrank smaller and smaller. Soon… Until then, I would just have to hold my head up and bear it. Live in the moment, don't jump ahead, Tetsuya… We'll get there eventually…
An hour had already been wasted away by the time we located the nearest hotel, which was about two miles from the campus. My arms were beginning to exert the same pain as my legs from carrying the bags for so long. To my relief, the hotel's fees were reasonable enough that no one had a problem with staying there. We decided on two rooms with two beds on the same floor; girls in one room, Junpei and me in the other.
I thanked God for the elevator as the four of us were able to get on at the same time, weary from carrying pounds of luggage on our backs and arms. The cold temperature of Europe was the only thing keeping us from sweating profusely. The elevator door opened and we headed in the same direction to our neighboring rooms. Yukari and Aigis were able to get in okay, but Junpei was already swearing at our card key angrily. With a good roll of the eyes, I took it from him and swiped it once, able to open the door on my first try.
"I warmed it up for you," Junpei muttered.
The hotel's rooms had four different themes; water, grass, hearts, and roses. We had managed to avoid the hearts theme, but we did get stuck with roses. The pink covers and various pink pieces of furniture brought back a vivid memory from Shirakawa Boulevard that made me shudder. I would never even dream of taking Bebe there…
"Well… it's only for awhile…" I sighed.
"But why did we have to get this room…?" Junpei asked, evidently embarrassed to be sharing such a feminine room with me, "I mean, it would be okay if it was with Chidori, I guess, but we're guys…"
He looked down uncomfortably, noticing the rather narrow crevice provided between the beds.
"Do you mind if I space these out a little more?" he asked.
"Go ahead," I told him.
As he began to push the beds closer to their respective walls, it occurred to me that this was the first time Junpei left Chidori alone. Being engaged and so far away couldn't be easy on either of them. Yet he volunteered to help me, and Chidori was kind enough to let him go without hesitance.
"Are you okay leaving Chidori back at home?" I asked, "You're supposed to get married in a few months, aren't you?"
He smiled back at me.
"We should be back by then," he said, grunting as he gave his bed a final shove, "Even if we're not, she doesn't mind postponing a little. Love waits."
Love waits, huh…? What an interesting phrase. I used to think it only pertained to abstinence, but considering the situation, I'm not really sure what it means anymore… If anything it sort of irritates me to think I have to be patient about finding Bebe. I don't even know if he's okay…
"Come on, the girls are probably waiting on us," he said, already prepared to head back out. That's a relief; I'm glad I'm not the only one here wanting to go back as soon as possible.
With separate card keys, we headed out into the hallway to meet with the girls and confirm our plans. It was probably best that Aigis was going with Yukari, since she would serve as an interpreter. Not that Yukari's French was bad or anything, but she wasn't as fluent as I was and it could make things complicated when trying to communicate with Bebe's uncle. Before I knew it, we were already on our way back to the academy again. If only finding Bebe would go this quickly and smoothly.
It took another hour for Junpei and me to return to our desired destination on foot. From now on, I think it would be wise to just take a bus or a cab. Especially since the traffic laws here don't seem to favor pedestrians. We decided to cross the street even though the walk sign was about to change, and when it gave the incoming traffic the okay, they didn't seem to care that we weren't quite to the other side of the street. Junpei let out a screech as the front bumper of a car nudged his leg. The driver's only response was issuing us a stern warning by shaking his finger disapprovingly. Things over here are serious… We'd better watch our step, literally.
"Damn, I thought pedestrians had the right of way," Junpei grumped as we reached safety at the other side of the street.
I sighed and kept my pace, finally back on the campus where I wanted to be. Junpei scrambled to keep up with me, suddenly flustered after his scare.
"W-Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey," he stammered, "Let's talk about this for a second. What exactly is your plan here? You can't just go in there and ask for him. There's gotta be thousands of people enrolled here."
"I know that, I'm not stupid," I mumbled.
"But do you have an idea of how you want to do this?" Junpei asked.
I only had the most straightforward way to start, as poorly planned as it sounded.
"Well, I was planning to give the faculty office a visit, just to let them know why we're here at the very least so we don't look suspicious."
Junpei looked around at the students, and I mimicked him out of curiosity. It seemed that we were already too late for that, as the students were giving us funny looks. I'm not really sure if this attention is racism or just curiosity, but I'm noticing a lot of the girls don't look happy to see us at all. I wonder if there were some problems from another time that they're associating us with…
"I guess that's probably for the best…" Junpei murmured, "Maybe the faculty won't glare daggers at us…"
Slowly, we crept out the heated stares aimed our way and followed various signs around campus that eventually directed us to the main office. All the way there, we experienced the same animosity from other females, and even a few of the guys. It's not that it doesn't bother me, but I have bigger things to worry about.
I stepped into the main office, Junpei trailing behind me and keeping close, concerned by the unwanted attention. The plump lady at the front desk looked up at me, and I was relieved to see a pleasant and motherly smile that I hadn't seen since the airport.
"Yes, may I help you?" she asked.
"Hello, ma'am," I said politely, "My name is Tetsuya Saito. I'm looking for an old friend. He was an exchange student at Gekkoukan High School in Tatsumi Port Island, Japan. We think he's enrolled here, and I was wondering if you could help us find him."
The woman's smile faded a little, her eyes glazing over slightly with what I recognized as suspicion. I thought back over what I had asked and recognized my mistake immediately.
"I'm very sorry, but that's confidential information. It's our duty to ensure that our students are well-protected," she said patiently, "Perhaps if you were a family member, I could make arrangements."
"What? What'd she say?" Junpei asked, completely left out by the language barrier.
"Please… is there anything you can do?" I begged, "Anything…? I really need to see him…"
She stared at me, unmoved.
"Please…"
I tried as hard as I could to make her understand how desperate I was, even if it sounded childish. We'd already come this far… Don't turn me away… Please don't turn me away…
Sighing, she readjusted her glasses.
"If it's absolutely necessary," she said, "I can give him a message, or perhaps call him to the office over the intercom?"
I smiled, relieved that this would go easier than planned.
"Yes, that would be fantastic. Thank you," I smiled. She took a pen and let it hover over a pad of paper, looking down as she prepared to write down any information she might need from me.
"Name?"
"Pardon?"
"The friend you're looking for. What's his name?"
Before I could really think the question over, the name slipped off my tongue easily.
"Bebe."
The woman looked up at me slowly from her pad of paper, almost irritated. That was his name. I don't get it…
"Bebe…?" she asked, wanting me to go on.
… … … …
Oh, shit.
I'd totally forgotten… that wasn't his real name. That was the nickname his classmates gave him because his name was too long and difficult to remember. Shit! I can't remember what it was! Think back, think back. …we were discussing it one morning while we were lying in bed together. Started with an A… started with an A…
…dammit, I don't even know his last name. Even if I can come up with the first name, it doesn't mean anything to me… He just told me to call him by his nickname. Aw, hell, Bebe. Why does your birth name have to be so damn complicated?
"You don't know your friend's name?" asked the woman, more suspicious than before.
"What? What's wrong?" Junpei insisted.
"I can't remember his name…" I whispered.
"What?"
"I don't know his name."
"What the-? What do you mean you don't know his name?"
"His name isn't Bebe! I don't remember his real name!"
"The hell-? Wasn't he your boyfriend or something? Did you not tongue each other?"
"Whoa. Hey."
"Don't tell me you didn't. He's French. And you guys probably did it."
"Okay!" I snapped, "Focus! His name! I don't remember it!"
"Well how the hell should I know? I always just knew him as Bebe," Junpei replied, "Doesn't it say it in one of his letters?"
"I remember he put his name on the envelope, but that was lost with the other three pages."
Oh! Yukari!
I excused myself for a moment, going to the corner of the room with my new cell phone and texting her quickly.
Hey, do you remember what name Bebe put on the envelopes of the letters?
"You really think she'll remember?" Junpei asked unsurely, "I mean, if YOU can't remember it-"
"It's the only shot I've got," I said, "Maybe she can find out from Bebe's uncle if we're desperate enough."
My phone blipped and I opened her text quickly, praying for the answer I needed. It said:
Bebe.
…dammit.
Are you sure? It wasn't something else?
Positive.
Where are you? Are you there yet?
Not quite. We just got off the Metro.
When you get there, can you find out what Bebe's real name is?
We'll try. Good luck over there.
I sighed and shut my phone, placing it back in my pocket.
"It'll be awhile, but she's on it…" I told Junpei, "Thank God."
"Yeah, but… what are we supposed to do until then?" he asked.
He had a good point. If Yukari and Aigis were really just now getting off the Metro, it would be a long time before they actually found the address. At least she would text me the moment she found it out. Until then, I guess we're stuck doing this the tedious old-fashioned way.
I approached the woman at the desk again, knowing that I had to explain myself a little better if I didn't want to get escorted off the campus.
"Um… I'm really sorry," I apologized, "He went by a different name in Japan, so I don't know what he goes by here. Is… there anyway I can ask around for him?"
The woman was much less friendly than before, but I couldn't necessarily blame her after how vague I was being. I could try to explain my relationship with him and our current circumstances, but I hardly find it easy for someone else to believe. Even if it was believable, she could easily think I was just a creative liar. I wish there was a way to convince her that I wasn't as suspicious as I seemed…
"That's fine," she said lowly.
I blinked. She… was okay with that? Incredible.
"But keep in mind," she went on, "If you try anything funny, we currently have campus security on high alert right now. I would think twice before putting yourself in any compromising positions."
Ah. Got it.
I cleared my throat and stepped away from the desk, thanking her awkwardly for the half-hearted permission. Junpei tailed after me as I left the office briskly.
"Where are we going? What did she say?" he asked.
"We're free to search the campus," I told him.
"Oh, great," he groaned, "This is going to take forever."
"Not necessarily," I said, "Bebe had an eccentric personality, not just in Japan. I have a hard time buying that no one here has heard of him."
"Yeah, but is anyone even going to help us?" Junpei asked, "I could tell that lady had an issue with us. Face it; we stick out like a sore thumb. I have yet to see a student who's not a blonde."
"What choice do we have?" I asked, "Bebe could be anywhere in the school. Based on what we already have, there isn't anything else we can do… Believe me, if there were an easier way, I'd take it."
Junpei sighed, his head falling to his feet for a moment. I know he was thinking we flew in without a strategy, and we technically did. I was better at planning before; that's why I was the leader. I didn't really blame Junpei if he thought I'd lost my leadership skills, but I at least hope he can just trust me. All I need is for someone to put faith into my intuition.
After a long pause, he looked back up at me with a smile.
"Alright," he said, "We can take as long as we need to. Bebe's gotta be around here somewhere, right? We just have to find him and get you two back together again."
I felt the worry ease off my chest, bringing a smile to my lips as I felt his loyalty touch my heart. Junpei was truly the best friend I needed him to be.
He looked back and forth, searching around randomly.
"Without further ado, I think we should start with that chick over there," he said, "She looks like the sewing type."
I looked over my shoulder at a lanky girl with her hair in a bun, two little knitting needles piercing them to keep the bun in place. Her sweater looked like self-designed fashion statement. I gave Junpei a look.
"It's a Fashion Academy," I told him, "Almost everyone here in the sewing type."
"Whatever," he sighed with a fleeting roll of the eyes and a jerky shrug, "Let's ask her anyway."
He glided around me, approaching the girl without another word from me. I guess it's best if we ask anyone that we see, but it seems just a little weird to go up to people so casually. At least act like you're all business, Junpei, sheesh… …wait, he doesn't speak a word of French. What the hell?
"Yo!" he called out to her, and she started at his greeting. Oh, crap. I hurried to catch up with him, dealing him a quick smack against the back of his head to remind him that he was an idiot.
"Pardon me," I said more politely, "Can we just ask you a few questions?"
Without a simple response, she turned quickly with fear pouring down her face and hurried away from us. Junpei flashed me glare.
"Nice one," he said tartly.
"Hey, you're the one taking this too lightly," I snapped, "Don't act like you're just trying to start a casual conversation or they'll think we're trying to hit on them or something."
"Ooh, yeah, and 'can we just ask you a few questions' doesn't sound like an interrogation at all," he responded flatly.
I rolled my eyes and sallied on ahead, trying to drop the argument in order spare us time and irritation. I don't really feel like spending the rest of this endless day angry with him. I'll just do things my way, seeing that I'm the one who speaks the language.
"Hey, there!"
DAMMIT.
I thrust an irritable stare in Junpei's direction as he began to deviate down another walkway towards a couple. Is he serious?
"Hi, I'm Junpei. Can I ask you guys somethin'?" he asked.
The girl's expression contorted uncomfortably, clutching the strap on her messenger bag defensively. Her lover placed his arm around her as he escorted her way, sparing my friend a single deadly glance. Junpei, being more sensitive than most, took the brush-off more personally than needed.
"Yeah, well, screw you too," he said.
Ohh, thank God they can't understand him…
I went to his side slowly to calm him, and he was already admitting defeat.
"Yeah, yeah, you were right, I was wrong. What else is new?" Junpei sighed.
I smiled wryly, patting his shoulder.
"It might have worked back home, but the atmosphere here is a little more tense," I said.
"You think?"
"I don't really understand the hostility either, but we've just gotta keep trying. Surely, there's gonna be someone who won't turn us away."
He sighed in a way that admitted he knew I had a point. Although, I do understand his worries as much as he understands mine. The attention we had received from everyone was awfully strange, considering we hadn't done anything to deem ourselves suspicious, save for the incident in the office. Despite everything, we kept close as we walked on.
The sun was now nearing the other end of the sky, and neither of our methods had appealed to those on the campus. If anything, we were just getting further annoyed by the refusal to assist someone of a different race. Jeez, the Japanese were supposed to be all over the place here. Was there really that much narrow-mindedness? No one in the city was like this… why the school?
"Damn, I thought everyone would be a lot friendlier," Junpei muttered, "I mean, Bebe was always so cheerful and social. Why can't there be more like him?"
"Seriously…" I sighed, "It wouldn't kill people to give us a minute of their time. We don't bite."
Though I didn't want to rest, Junpei and I both agreed that taking a break to clear our minds was probably for the best. We stopped beside a building held by large pillars, leaning against the side with all our weight just to relieve our legs for a moment. I removed my phone from my pocket to check for a text from Yukari, but I still hadn't heard from her since morning.
"It's already four thirty…" Junpei muttered as he looked at his watch, "I'm starving…"
"I'm sorry… we'll stop to get you food if we find a place, but I can't stay put for too long," I told him.
He looked over at me.
"You can't do that, y'know?" he said, "You need to take care of yourself. I mean, look at you, you're already paper-thin and you still have circles under your eyes. If you can't sleep, at least eat. I know you like to. I've seen the way your face lights up."
I smiled awkwardly, chuckling.
"You're actually that concerned about me?" I asked.
"We lost you once; I don't want to see you leave again," he said firmly.
"I'm not going anywhere," I promised, "I still have to see Bebe again. I can't break my promise again."
"Bonjour!"
I looked behind myself with a start, alarmed by the voice that squeaked into my ear. When my eyes fell upon the chest of a male, I scanned up a few more inches to meet his face. His blonde hair framed his thin reddened cheeks and fell in front of his left eye, leaving exposed a sky blue eye that looked down at me timidly. Behind a black and purple striped sweater, his figure appeared slightly built, though he was slender in an almost feminine way. He held himself awkwardly, as if he was unwilling to stand before me. It wasn't the same as the others before him; he seemed shy or embarrassed, even…
…surely… this tiny, feminine voice did not come from him…
"Down here!"
This time, my eyes dropped down as the voice had called up to me. A pair of identical sky blue eyes gazed up at me, friendly and innocent as can be. A tiny little girl smiled at me, her height only reaching the waist of the boy behind her. A light blue beret rested upon her blonde hair that was twisted into ridiculously long braided pigtails. Such a voice coming from her made more sense.
"O-Oh!" I stammered, "Hello."
"I saw you two asking around earlier. You are lost, non?" she asked sweetly.
Oh, finally. Someone who could help us. Rather, someone who was willing to help us.
"A-Actually, we're trying to find someone," I said, "He's a dear friend of mine from long ago, and I'm trying to meet with him again."
"How nice," she remarked with a pleasant smile.
"The problem is…" I went on, "We don't know how to find him. He went by a nickname when he was with me, and I don't remember his real name."
"Perhaps he still goes by the nickname," she suggested, "If you tell me, I can ask around. It's no trouble."
Why couldn't we have found her in the first place? She's exactly the kind of person we needed!
"He went by Bebe," I told her.
Her smile fell a little and she seemed troubled by the name I had spoken. It was as if I had placed a heavy burden on her shoulders from the title alone.
"Oh, my. What a common name…" she said with a titter, "I understand why this is difficult, now."
"Yeah…"
"But your friend is a boy, so that narrows it down. Bebe can go both ways."
"H-Huh?"
"It is a unisex name. Both boys and girls can have it."
"O-Oh. Both ways; unisex. Gotcha."
"I don't usually come across many boys with the name, so it may be easier than we think," she said, "Either way, we will see what we can do."
It took me a moment to realize that she was referring to the tall boy behind her, who faced away from us since he wasn't involved in the conversation. Something tells me he's feeling the way the others do, yet he can't do anything about it for the sake of the little girl.
"I… take it he doesn't really like us either?" I asked her.
She looked up at the boy and then at me reassuringly.
"Oh, no, no," she said, fanning her hand, "He's just a little shy. I'm sure he's just as eager to help you. Besides, you haven't done anything to cause any dislike. You're only looking for a friend."
Thank GOD someone here gets that.
My phone blipped, and we all started. Oh! Perfect timing! Yukari has a response. Maybe she found Bebe's uncle. Plus I can tell these two what his name is. I fished my phone from my pocket and flipped it open, anxiously running my eyes along the short message.
Come back to the hotel. We need to talk.