Ms. Ishiyama dropped the keys then sat on Yumi's bed trying to think. She read the note again.

" Mom, I'm sorry I left without telling you, but I knew you wouldn't let me try to do this if I did. I'm going to find him. My real dad. Since the moment I was told the truth I felt like I didn't know who I was anymore, so I'm going to find out. Don't worry, I'm not going alone. Ulrich is coming too. We'll be back as soon as we can. Tell Hiroki not to worry either.

Love Yumi."

" Yumi why would you, oh my god." Ms. Ishiyama said, holding her head up with her palms. When she began to think, she noticed if she was in Yumi's situation, she'd of probably done the same thing. Walking out of the room she walked into the kitchen and grabbed the phone off the wall. Dialing a number, it rang a few times before someone answered.

" What?" Mr. Ishiyama asked, knowing who was calling. Caller id, a blessing and a curse.

" Yumi ran away."

" She what? Where?" He asked.

" She's currently on a flight to Tokyo. She's trying to find her real father." Mr. Ishiyama took the phone away from his ear, the rubbed his forehead in frustration. " What're we going to do?"

" Call the airport, tell them to turn the flight around."

" It's a one way fligh to Japan. Takeo, they won't turn it around." Ms. Ishiyama said to him. " And besides, she took Ulrich with her."

" That German kid from the academy?" Mr. Ishiyama asked, making sure.

" Yeah. Look could you watch Hiroki for a few days?" She asked him. She had made up her mind on what she was doing.

" Sure. Why?"

" I'm going after them."

" You can't go alone. Like you said, not even you know who her father is."

" I know that," She said, a lie. " But I need to go after her. She wont find him, and you know her, she wont stop looking until we drag her away." Mr. Ishiyama knew that was true.

" Alright. I'll leave Hiroki at my sisters house. We're going after her."

Yumi and Ulrich walked into Tokyo international airport and looked around. Ulrich was proud of himself. He had survived the flight. He hated flying, but he had survived an eight hour flight. Sure Yumi was there to hold his hand when the plane was bumpy, but he still felt pretty good just to be off.

Yumi looked up at the signs and then lead them to the baggage claim. They had brought one small bag each, filled with mostly clothes. Ulrich with his backpack over his shoulder, suitcase being wheeled behind him, followed Yumi out the door. Next stop was the train station to get to Kyoto. The Station in the city, so the got into a cab, and began to drive through the crowded city.

Yumi had been to Tokyo once in her life. She was fairly young when her parents and her left to France. But before they boarded the plane, they toured the city once. Yumi, being three, loved the lights at night, and was still loving them, the time in Tokyo was six pm and the lights in the city were burning bright as the sun went down. Tokyo was alive and they were enjoying the experience.

The cab pulled in front of the station and they payed the fare and began to walk into the station. They waited in line for a few minutes before they managed to get to the front. " Two tickets for Kyoto," Yumi said to the ticket person. He seemed to not understand her, so asked again in Japanese. The man responded and Yumi groaned.

" What?" Ulrich asked leaning again the wall.

" The next train to Kyoto leaves tomorrow morning. We can buy the tickets now, but we'll have to wait like, sixteen hours."

" So. We'll tour the city." Yumi smiled. It was good idea, not like they had better to do.

" Great idea. Well, the city is fun at night."

Ulrich and Yumi walked through the extremely crowded streets of Tokyo. Yumi blended right in, her actually being Japanese. Ulrich felt like an outsider. But because he actually was he wasn't that surprised. The lights illuminated the city as the two walked through the crowds admiring everything around them. The smells the noises, the sights, it was cool.

A few times while in the crowds they'd loose each other, then wait for the crowd to disperse. After that happened three times, to not get separated they held hands to get through. Yumi tugged him through the city, then the two stopped in front of a building. It was a restaurant. " You always said you'd try sushi when you could." Yumi said looking at Ulrich, then the place again.

" Yeah, I did didn't I." Ulrich had told Yumi before that he would try a few Japanese things. Like sushi and other foods. Ulrich wasn't a fan of fish, but it was for Yumi. They sat down at the table, if you want to call it that. Sitting cross legged the two began with the rise and vegetable bowl, then the main coarse came, sushi and some type of fish.

The fish was good, as Ulrich eyed the sushi. He had managed to eat a fish, two big accomplishes in one day so far. Looking at the sushi, he was hoping to make a third. For the most part he had been eating with a plastic fork he had packed. He brought an entire box, unable to eat with chop sticks. Yumi however had let him so far get away with it. Not on the sushi.

" Uh uh, Ulrich. Chop sticks on the sushi." She said, pointing at the chop sticks next to his rice.

" I don't know how," Ulrich said to her.

" Here." She said, grabbing his hands then placing his chop sticks the way they should be. Ulrich made them grip a few times, before they fell out of his hands. Yumi laughed then helped him again. She laughed again when he dropped them in his rice. " Your hopeless with this." Finally on the third try, Ulrich kept them situated.

Taking the sushi off his plate with the sticks he began to make it come to his mouth. Ten inches to go. It was almost there, as he felt it start to slip. Five inches. He could smell the fish from the sushi. When it was almost to his mouth he pinched it too hard as it fell out and splashed into a dip to add flavor. Yumi lost it and began to laugh. Ulrich groaned then stabbed the sushi with one of the sticks, pulled it up, then placed it into his mouth.

Yumi watched him as he began to chew it, trying to decide whether not he liked it from his facial features. He spent ten seconds chewing it, then another few swallowing it. Yumi leaned in to hear what he thought about it. " Well?" She asked.

" It's okay," he said, grabbing his fork, stabbing another piece of sushi, dipping in the sauce then eating it. Yumi smiled. It was obvious he liked it. As long as he didn't have to use chop sticks. They finished their meal, payed, then began to tour the city again.

They visited a few other places. A few shows were on that night. The wandered the city, Yumi leading the two, hand in hand to avoid separation from the crowds. Yumi stopped then told Ulrich to look up. " No way," Ulrich said, reading a sign in English. Martial arts tournament. The two bought tickets, and watched the fights. Ulrich saying, " I could've taken him." after several of the fights.

The fights ended a few hours later, then they began to watch a few free events. They decided that was for a bit of fun, but they needed to watch money. They had a little less than a thousand after the flight, and diner, so needed to watch it. Several hours were spent just watching the lights in the city, traffic, crowds. It was so alive. And strangely polite.

Ulrich remembered reading somewhere Tokyo was a safe city. Low crime rates. You could leave your front door wide open and you'd be surprised if someone stole something. Ulrich bumped into a few people, and they sorry to him, though he didn't understand them. Further in the city they found a group of teenagers who apparently wanted to be american. They were playing rock and roll, and singing karaoke.

They watched a few of these events, Ulrich almost laughing at someone singing ' we will rock you' in Japanese. Yumi tried to get Ulrich to sing something, but he reclined. Of coarse. Yumi seemed a little disappointed, but not surprised, she knew Ulrich well enough that him doing something like that was as likely as him dating Sissi willingly.

Sixteen hours past and they made their way back to the train station, having not slept for over twenty four hours. The train ride was a few days, so they decided to sleep on the train. They boarded the train, and found where they'd be staying for this ride. Small little compartments with beds and a place to put luggage. Ulrich and Yumi stowed their luggage, lay on their beds on opposite sides of the room, wished each other good afternoon( It was already ten am) then went to sleep as the train made it's way to Kyoto. And one step closer to Yumi's father.