It was set before The Coast where Umi and Eli already hung out and Eli decided to take Umi somewhere special. Umi was aboard the romantic train that Eli conducted. Since then Eli has always flirt with Umi regarding this night.

...

The Sail

Chapter 8: The Start

...

Since I was little I was taught a lot about traditional arts and literature. I was brought up in a family with a strong cultural background – a marriage between a martial-artist and a traditional dancer. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Until now I enjoyed various forms of arts but what I liked best was the traditional archery. I was well known around the school for that, but I was not as well-known as Eli.

I could say that we were already close; we already knew each other when I was in the first year and she was like my elder sister sitting in the second year then. Though, we were not as close as I was with Honoka and Kotori. Since that day I met Alisa in front of our school and learnt about her ballet, I began admiring Eli and eventually found her very fond, though I had this feeling even before, even before our big argument. Sure, I had a lot of competitions, especially a few girls in our school who approached her persistently – but even they were no good for her despite their astonishing looks that would blend well with Eli. We regularly texted each other and I began to visit her desk at the student council's room whenever I came to the school alone as no one else would there yet.

Sometimes she was busy or expecting other members from the council. Once Eli was almost caught not doing her job when I was in there with her. So, we decided to make a play to warn me if she were doing something important. And one day I visited her early in the morning.

'Excuse me, Eli-senpai,' I began our play after I knocked and opened the door that morning. 'I heard that you are a member of the student council?'

'Ah, Umi,' the president replied. She was sitting at the front and centre facing the other empty tables in front of her, like lecturing empty seats on how to behave. 'Yes, I am known to be the president of the student council. To what do I owe the pleasure?' Eli then stood up as she closed her laptop in front of her.

I closed the door behind me and walked up towards the president in a march and upright fashion, even saluted as I stopped next to her desk. She giggled with one of her hand covering while the other was still on the laptop making sure it was shut. 'What are you doing, Umi? You don't have to be so formal anymore.'

'One must salute the Queen Eli of Russia as soon one sees her.' I said in a formal manner as if I were talking to the queen with my hand still saluting.

'Umi, you don't salute a Queen. You bow.' She walked away from her desk towards the centre of the room after she walked passed me.

I put my hand down, after all, she was right, and followed her almost skipping to the centre and we faced each other. 'Yeah,' I agreed with a smile. 'But it made you laugh didn't it, Eli?'

She then copied my smile after she was done with her short laugh. She stared at me with her head tilted down a little; because I was shorter than Eli. 'Do you have plans on the 15th?'

I began to think without breaking my smile nor moving a muscle, except that I was looking around trying to find the answer at the corner of my eyes. I replied, 'No. I don't think so.'

'Good,' she commented as I resumed my stare at her. 'I want to take you somewhere.' Eli walked passed me again towards her table as my eyes and head and eventually my body followed her without taking a step.

My smile was diluted and I questioned, 'where are we going? Is it just the two of us?'

Before she could reach her chair she turned around. 'Like it has been with anyone else? I'll text you the details,' she suggested as she kept her smile that she mirrored earlier. 'Anyway, you should probably go. Nozomi could bust in at any time. And I could hear Honoka in the hallway from here, actually it was just Kotori texting me that they're here.'

...

Meet me at Tokyo Station at 7:00 AM a day after tomorrow. Don't be late. Love, Eli.

I reread the message Eli had texted the evening after our encounter as I was already at the train station on the 15th. That was not at all detailed, I thought. But at least she had given the time and place to meet.

At the entrance I waited under the monitors that showed the schedule for each platforms. I stared at those screens and wondered which route Eli wanted to take me on. After a while, my neck got tired from looking up so I gave up and checked around if a girl with distinctive golden pony-tailed hair could be spotted entering the station.

Then I heard a recognisable voice; sweet yet calming. It came from behind me, inside the station. I turned around to find a girl with that of distinctive golden pony-tailed hair on Eli. She was calling my name. It must had been a while because it got louder each time I heard her call.

'Umi! Sorry for keeping you waiting. I got the tickets, so let's go! The train's leaving soon.'

Eli then took my hand before I could say how well she looked. Almost running, she towed me towards a place that I was not at all familiar. And platform numbers I had not seen on the monitors earlier. And through the gates I had not go through before. And into a train I'd never ridden before. The Shinkansen.

Though it was not familiar, it was very nice. It looked like the interior of a plane. Seats were arranged two by two, as if Eli and I were meant to sit there. We were told by the staff to take our seats as soon as possible because we were about to depart. I was still amazed but I was also troubled.

'Eli,' I called the girl who was giving her way to let me sit first near the window as I got in myself. 'A-are we really taking this train? Isn't it e-expensive? We are not on the wrong line, aren't we?'

'Umi,' she responded while holding my left hand that was gripping the arm-rest at the ends as if we were expecting turbulence. 'Don't worry about it. I'm taking you somewhere special, and I think that you'd like it. So relax, okay?'

Her voice and was as shooting and appeasing as her words were as her gentle caress on my hand. She then handed me a pillow which I held tightly with my head already resting on her right shoulder and the train began to move. It was pacifying, and I fell asleep not long after we departed.

Then in the middle of my slumber, I suddenly felt a soft, yet gradual in strength, nudge on my arms still holding the pillow. I started to wake up and my sight began to return. Food was served on our tables. I straightened my sitting position and turned to Eli while I rubbed my eye, 'what is it, Eli? Where are we?'

'Look to your right, Umi.'

I turned to my right, out the view of the window next to me. It was a view of the Mount Fuji at a distance with its head covered with snow. It was majestic and mesmerising. By looking I could even feel the chill. I must had been looking at it for a while because I didn't take my eyes off until it had disappeared.

...

Finally, we arrived after the two-hour ride and went off the train at Kyoto. I thought that was the end of the trip, until Eli dragged me to take another train on a different lane. I had never taken trains here on nor been to Kyoto before but I felt safe and not at all lost (well I did, when I was younger and when my sister was still unmarried). Eli was there leading the way.

It was not far from Kyoto station, we arrived to our actual destination, The Imperial Palace. I couldn't believe it, I was there. I had always dreamed on going to this palace, since I had to be asleep to be there. But this time I wasn't. I finally visited the former palace of the Emperor of Japan and beside me was the Empress herself with golden hair showing the richness of the empire on her head. It made me weep. And it made the Empress aware of it.

'Umi!' She was alarmed as she heard my whine. 'What's wrong, Umi? Why are you crying? Is this not the real one?' Her face was panicked and worked up. Her hands were at my shoulders as if she wanted to shake it off of me.

Tears started to fill my eyes that until I couldn't see the Empress as clear as before. My lips were trembling yet I couldn't speak. I started to embarrass myself in front of this ruler in her own empire. So, I jumped at her with my head placed next to hers and my arms were around her neck. If I were to cry, I wouldn't want her to look at me directly. 'T-thank –' I tried to speak hard as I tried to not to cry. 'Thank you, E-Eli.'

She didn't move for a second but eventually I felt her arms slowly moving on my waist and around. She finally made a whisper, 'Happy birthday, Umi.'

I loosened my hug and moved back but not so far that my hands were still on her neck while her arms were still on my waist. With blurry vision I tried to look at her with her treasure buried in her eyes.

'I know I'm two months late and I'm sorry,' the girl apologised along with a guilty face she displayed. Then she turned it into a smile. 'But it's better late than never, right?'

I was taken-in as I continued to stare at her for another second. I couldn't help it and I hugged her again in front of her own palace, disgracing her. I whispered into her ears, 'It's the best gift ever. Thank you, Eli.'

...

We walked and talked around the palace that morning and the sun had already greeted us. I told Eli some of the amazing stories that took place a long time ago, as if I walked her through history. We took a lot of photos, we even asked one of the people there to take some for us. Oddly, there were a lot of people that day, some recognised us too. After an hour of visiting one end to the other, the palace became crowded.

Eli finally informed me, 'you know, Umi, I took you here not only to visit the palace. There's a parade starting soon. Again, I'm sorry to give your present this late, but I want to take you here to watch the Aoi Matsuri festival.'

Sure enough, the festival began. Celebrants, about 500 to 600 people, were dressed in ancient yet noble fashion. It was intended to be in the style from the Heian Period, here, in Heian-kyō. I could spot the Imperial Messenger leading and followed by the rest including oxcarts. We were on the front row to watch, next to few of the girls who recognised us and reserved this spot.

We followed the parade to the Shimogamo Shrine, where they stopped before the ceremony. There, we removed ourselves from the rest to watch the Yabusame demonstration. It got me excited as the archers on their horses met their target successfully every run. After we returned to the parade, I saw the Saio-Dai too, though I thought she was standing beside me whom I was holding the whole time. Finally, we all reached the Kamigamo Shrine where they finally performed the procession.

...

Time went by like a flash. It was already 4:00pm by the time we left the shrine to get some snacks nearby. We talked and reviewed our photos earlier, as I explained to her how things were as they were. For one of them, I made Eli stood really close to the Saio-Dai and she got embarrassed since I said that they looked not far off.

Then we went for dinner by the Kamo River. Eli had already booked the restaurant near there, the day before. It was very elegant and traditional. Our seat was outside and we saw the reflected city skyline on the river. From the amazement I dropped my share of the spoon for our desert. Eli then offered to feed me the delicious soft ice cream – I was blushed that the ice cream melted instantly.

After the lovely dinner we headed back using the same train, I hugged the pillow the same way and slept the same way on Eli. She woke me up the same way as earlier when we arrived back at Tokyo. Then we walked towards Eli's house. It was already late, and we walked by a park, that was quite near to her house. I stopped at a nearby bench that was facing the Tokyo skyline across the park across the river, thinking it wasn't that far off from Kyoto's.

'Eli,' I called her as I pulled on her sweater by the arm after I stopped. She turned around. I was facing down because I was shy to look at her directly. 'Th-thanks for today. Thanks for taking me to the festival. Especially to the palace. I loved it. I enjoyed everything.'

'I'm glad,' Eli spoke after a pause. 'I would gladly do it again if –'

Before I let her finish I stepped forward until our toes were staring at each other. My hands that were strapping my handbag earlier was grabbing her sweater by the stomach. I tiptoed so I could get close to her height as much as possible while I closed my eyes, reaching out to her left cheek. I triggered. I printed a kiss on the side of her face – I felt her warm cheek on my lips.

The Empress had become the victim and I was guilty.

It was a moment that I would like to pause forever. But that moment ended after I landed on my feet while I felt like my face was burning. I couldn't take it I stuttered. 'I…I l-love …I'm going!' I almost pulled another trigger, but I began to run away from the scene of the crime with evidence left behind and blood on my head. 'See you tomorrow, Eli!' I bid her goodbye.

I was panting and wheezing. But before I got far, I could hear a shout that came from where Eli was standing. 'I'll see you tomorrow, Umi!'

...