Chapter sixteen.
Lost in Kyoto and beyond.
They walked towards their next destination, a small cafe nearby, that had prepared sushi, tea and multiple snacks. ''This lunch is a gift from the school, but an assignment as well.'' Pisti explained. ''These are typical dishes from Kyoto. Please memorize the ingredients they used, we'll hold a special day at school to show what you've learned here, and I expect a few students to prepare them. They probably won't give you their recipes, but you can ask for the basics. See it as a cultural experience. When you're done, you're allowed to wander through Kyoto, buying souvenirs for friends or family, take some pictures, discover the town. Or maybe, you'll get an idea for the cultural experience day. We meet here again around three o'clock. Make sure you're on time.''
''Do we have to work in the same groups?'' Titus asked, preffering to work with someone else. ''Yes, that's why we assigned them to you in the first place. And no splitting up those teams either. Otherwise, we get the idiotic ideas versus the smarter ones, and we want creative ideas.'' Pisti said. Soon enough, they enjoyed their lunches. ''Should we prepare food for the culture day?'' Ja'far asked, he wasn't very keen on cooking. He could cook, but these were so detailed, and contained so many ingriedients for such a small dish.
''I think so. I kind of like it. Even if we aren't, I'm still going to ask for the basics or look them up at home. I think that Alibaba would like this a lot.'' Sharrkan replied. ''It's wonderful that you care so much. But, cooking is only your forte. We could look for something else. Something along the lines of theater, or perhaps a foundation for a particular shrine here, so that those in need can continue to use it.'' Yunan said.
Sinbad gave him a look, before he said, ''That doesn't sound any good either. You have the school king in your team, we should do something glorious.'' Yunan gave him a look, Sinbad was popular, but also very delusional. He turned to Judal, but didn't like him as much, then turned to Ja'far. ''What do you think, sweetie?'' he asked. Judal managed to hold back a sneer, barely though, as Sharrkan seemed disgusted, and Sinbad was about to protest very loudly.
''Please stop calling me that, at least come up with a decent nickname. Kyoto is known for it's eastern mountains, also, it's well known for the city's preserved historic districts. We could always explore one of those and make a presentation about that, so that the first-years know why Kyoto is such a popular destination for school camps, and understand why you don't just go because school asks you, or for it's shops.'' Ja'far explained.
''Sounds kind of boring.'' Judal commented. ''Well, it's a good grade for history. Aren't you performing a little bad there.'' Sharrkan sneered, making Judal glare at him. ''That actually sounds really good.'' Yunan agreed, already trying to come up with a different nickname for Ja'far. They turned to Sinbad, to see if he had any objections.
''It sounds good, but also, pretty basic. First-years want adventure, so if we want to do this, we need something exciting, rather then a simple presentation. We each have our talents, so why not use that? Judal happens to take great pictures, and I can tell tales rather excitingly. Sharrkan is good at cooking, so we can serve a little dish, and seeing your last presentation, I'd prefer your enthusiasm with answering questions, seeing how you can provide them with a lot of information.''
''What about Yunan?'' Ja'far asked. ''Do we really have to include him?'' Sinbad whined, as Yunan offered him a smile. ''Yes, we do.'' Ja'far said sternly, making Sharrkan, Judal and Sinbad groan. ''At least you are considerate. What do you think I should do?'' Yunan asked. ''You're a very nice person. You saved us from detention and your suggestion for a topic was out of sheer good-will, so we shouldn't neglect that entirely. Not a foundation,because most students rely on their allowance, but we could still mention volunteering for one day for a shrine that needs help with cleaning or upkeep, and see if someone shows interest. If you'd make a form, we could ask the school if they can arrange it. You know principal Ugo, so you should make contact.'' Ja'far said.
''That's great, I like that idea.'' Yunan said. ''Let's go and ask someone for a map, or directions.'' Ja'far said, before they headed over to an unoccupied waiter. Sinbad blinked a few times, ''My best friend is teaming up with that weirdo? What's going on with my loyal servant lately? First he befriends you,'' he pointed to Sharrkan as if he was something offensive, ''And then that.''
''Clearly, he's snapped. Maybe the pressure got to him.'' Judal said. ''Don't run with his delusional idea's.'' Sharrkan told Judal, before he said, ''Ja'far is making friends, that's all. Unlike us, he's trying to be polite to that schmuck, alright? We're going to be in this for a week, so we might as well try to get along.'' ''Maybe you have a point. I just don't like him a lot.'' Sinbad whined. ''I thought he was your best friend?'' Judal asked, teasing Sinbad a little.
''I meant Yunan.'' Sinbad deadpanned, Judal just offered a cheeky grin in return, before they talked about the food here. Sharrkan stared as Ja'far and Yunan talked with a waiter. 'He's really kind.' Sharrkan thought fondly. Suddenly he heard his phone buzz, before he answered, he saw it was Alibaba calling him. ''Kiddo, how are you doing?'' he asked, as he picked up the phone.
''It's me.'' he heard a feminine voice say, as he heard some noise in the background. ''Oh, hi Morgiana. Everything alright there?'' he asked. ''Alibaba-kun wanted to see if everything was going well, but currenly he is a little pre-occupied.'' Morgiana said. ''Good, we're eating our lunch, and then we're heading into the mountains I think. Do you want to speak to Masrur?'' Sharrkan asked, wincing as he heard Alladin shout, ''No, Alibaba, don't!'' ''What's going on over there?'' he asked.
''Nothing. I'm going to stop them right now. I'll call nii-san tonight, Alladin wants to say hi to everyone and his brother, and Alibaba told you good luck with romancing Ja'far.'' she said, before hanging up, and chasing after Alibaba. Sharrkan blushed heavily, as he scolded, ''Idiot.'' before looking back to Ja'far, who happened to look back. He gave a thumbs up, with an adorable smile, before seeing Sharrkan's blush, and looked at him puzzled.
Sharrkan shook his head, before offering a smile. ''Something going on between the two of you?'' he heard someone ask. He looked to see Yunan staring at him. ''Whaaa... where the hell did you come from? Did you teleport here? Where did you leave Sinbad and Judal?'' Sharrkan asked. ''Sinbad and Judal are getting directions, just in case, on Ja'far's orders. I decided it'd be more fun to wait with you here, otherwise you seem like the loner of this group. And I know you don't like my company, but I'm not a bad guy.'' Yunan said.
'Only freakingshly obsessed with Sinbad, and somehow, with Ja'far.' Sharrkan thought, but said, ''That's very polite. I wasn't very nice to you.'' ''That's okay. You're better then Judal, or Sinbad for that matter.'' Yunan said. ''Gyaah, don't switch your obsession mode to me.'' Sharrkan shrieked, gaining a puzzled look. ''What?'' Yunan asked. ''Never mind!'' Sharrkan said, composed once more.
''But, you didn't answer my question yet. How rude.'' Yunan said, with fake tears, or were they real? ''What question?'' Sharrkan asked, bewildered, as Yunan smiled and asked ''Are you, or are you not, involved with Ja'far? The entire school by now noticed something is going on. It's a big question, and I like solving mysteries.'' Sharrkan swallowed, but before he could reply, Ja'far returned with the others.
''Okay, we have a map, and directions. Something important you two were discussing?'' he asked. Sharrkan was elated that he was spared an answer, as Yunan said, ''Just idle chatter. I suppose we're settled to go then.'' ''Let's go.'' Sinbad said, skipping off towards the exit ahead of them. Both Judal and Yunan followed him, as Ja'far stared in disbelief. ''He's such a big child. It's like bringing a six year old to a candy shop.'' he told Sharrkan, who nodded in agreement.
They followed the rest towards the tram that would bring them to the mountains. ''Oh, Morgiana called. They are doing fine, and wanted to give you their regards.'' Sharrkan said. ''That's nice. Wait, Mor called? Not Alibaba?'' Ja'far asked. ''I was surprised too.'' Sharrkan replied, before leaning more closely, ''That was not the only surprising thing I learned today. Guess who likes you?'' he whispered.
Ja'far blushed, as he looked towards Sinbad, who was chatting with Judal. ''Yunan?'' he asked, trying to tease. ''I hope not.'' Sharrkan shuddered, ''Try again, and this time fore real.'' he added. ''You mean...'' Ja'far wasn't sure whether he should say it or not. ''Yup, that's the one, and before you tease me, no it's not Judal, me, Masrur or Hinahoho.'' he mentioned to be sure. ''Oh, wow. Never in my dreams I imagined him liking me back.'' Ja'far said.
Sharrkan gave him a look, ''Well okay, maybe in my dreams, but you catch my drift. It's amazing. How did you figure this out? What should I do?'' Ja'far asked, as they approached the tram. ''Why don't we discuss that later? Might wanna stop your boyfriend, I think he's about step on the wrong tram.'' Sharrkan said. Ja'far turned to see Sinbad stepping into a tram that would lead to Keihan Yamashina, rather then towards their orginal destination, Higashiyama district.
''That idiot.'' Ja'far scolded, chasing after Sinbad. He managed to make Yunan and Judal leave on time, but before he and Sinbad could leave the vehicle, they heard a ding, and the doors closed and locked themselves. Then, the tram left. Sharrkan blinked a few times, ''Did... did that just really happen?'' he asked. Yunan cheerfully nodded, as Judal just shrugged.
Ja'far twitched a few more times, before looking at Sinbad, who seemed confused. ''Why did you make Judal and Yunan leave? I thought we were travelling together for our assignment.'' Sinbad said. ''Yeah, towards Higashiyama. This is the wrong direction, Sinbad.'' Ja'far growled. 'Uh-oh, he never uses my name like that, unless he's angry. Better sweettalk a little. He's adorable when he's angry, though.' Sinbad thought.
''Oh, is that so? Well, I was feeling like having an adventure, and to have such a cute companion. I'm so lucky.'' Sinbad said, as he lead them towards a free seat. Ja'far blushed, making small sounds, attempting to use some words, but didn't find any in his vocabulary at the moment. ''Awww, you're adorable. Anyhow, fear not, for I have a solution to our current situation as well.'' Sinbad said.
''Which may be?'' Ja'far had found some words. ''We'll just call the others, and see if there is a tram that will bring us back, and they can wait for us. Or we meet at where ever we are headed to, if they can catch the next one. If we don't make it in time, we'll have to call Miss Pisti and ask what to do. Surely, we aren't the first students to make such a mix-up.'' Sinbad explained.
''I suppose you're right. We'll have to leave at the next stop either way.'' Ja'far said. ''Why?'' Sinbad wondered. ''Because we didn't buy any tickets and I don't want to take anymore risks. Fines cost a lot.'' Ja'far whispered. Fortunately, they stopped fairly soon, and got out at Shichijo. ''Okay, I'll go and get some tickets towards Kyoto, you can go ahead and call Judal or perhaps Sharrkan that we're heading back as soon as possible.'' Ja'far said.
''Ehr... I forgot to charge my phone...'' Sinbad sheepishly said. Ja'far blinked a few times, before he said, ''Seriously? You come with an idea, and only carry an empty phone.'' Ja'far sighed, before he searched for his phone, only to come to realise he had left it at the inn. ''Maybe we can find some pay-phone...'' he said, making Sinbad blink. ''Yours got stolen? Ja'far, that's bad.'' he said dramatically.
''That would only happen to you. I left mine at the inn, probably because I was in a rush to make it to breakfast. I didn't anticipate for this to happen at all.'' Ja'far told him. ''Right, no worries. We'll just use a pay-phone, like you suggested, get tickets back to Kyoto, and then head back to the others.'' Sinbad said. ''Okay, seems like a good idea.'' Ja'far wondered why he was panicking in the first place. This meant spending time with Sinbad, he should be enjoying this.
''Mmm, I can't reach Sinbad.'' Judal said, after three attempts of calling the king. ''I can't reach Ja'far either. Just goes to his voicemail everytime.'' Sharrkan said, clicking on the red button for the fourth time. Ja'far's voicemail was cute, but he preffered talking to the boy himself. ''Mmm, the next tram to Keihan Yamashina doesn't leave anytime soon. And the next one to return only arrives in about two hours.'' Yunan said.
''And the one to leave towards Keihan Yamashina?'' Sharrkan asked to be sure. ''Try two and a half hour.'' Yunan replied. ''Okay, so there is no way they'll make it back on time, and if they do come in late, there is no way of reaching them. That's just brilliant.'' Judal said, rolling his eyes. ''Seriously, that's not helpful at all.'' Sharrkan said, until his phone suddenly rang. He picked up and asked, ''Sharrkan speaking, who am I speaking to?''
''Sharrkan, thank god. Are you still at Kyoto?'' a certain voice asked. ''Ja'far!'' he said, making Yunan and Judal look up. ''Wait, this isn't your number, how are you calling?'' he asked. ''We found a pay-phone.'' Ja'far said. ''Okay, well, we found out about a few things ourselves too. Your tram back doesn't arrive here in two hours, so the both of you aren't going to make it to the meeting. But we can explain it to Pisti and then you can make it. That's if you catch it.'' Sharrkan said.
''That'd be nice. In the meantime, we are going to explore the area over here for a bit, maybe get some souvenirs. I already purchased some tickets. We'll have to come up with another idea for the cultural day, unless we get another opportunity.'' Ja'far answered. ''Good, we'll do the same thing here then, maybe get some drinks and snacks while we're at it. And remember, use your inner boo-'' Ja'far cut him off, probably embarrassed.
''So, that was Ja'far.'' Sharrkan said. ''Good call, captain obvious, as if we didn't gather that yet.'' Judal sneered. ''Were they okay?'' Yunan asked. ''They are okay. They already bought tickets to head back here, but as you pointed out, that takes a while. They are going to explore the area, to kill some time. We should do the same, and later explain to Miss Pisti that they are running late.'' Sharrkan said.
''What! I barely like spending time with Sinbad, let alone with you losers. The only bright side is that Ja'far isn't here.'' Judal said. ''Just what is your problem?'' Sharrkan asked. ''Nothing.'' Judal replied, before he said, ''Why don't we go and take a look around. You losers can get some souvenirs for your brothers, and we can get some snacks for tonight.'' Judal said, walking towards the shopping district of Kyoto. Sharrkan shrugged, as he and Yunan shared a look, before they followed the black-haired teen.
Ja'far followed Sinbad as they visited a few small shops, buying some souvenirs for their friends. 'Maybe I should buy Sharrkan something as well. He's been giving me a lot of useful tips recently.' Ja'far thought. He had already purchased a shirt for Masrur, some snacks for Aladdin, a keychain shaped as a sword for Alibaba and a hairpin for Morgiana. ''Man, I wish I could find something that easily. I can't seem to find anything.'' Sinbad complained.
''I could help you. What are you looking for, and who are you looking for?'' Ja'far asked. ''It's for someone I really grew fond of. He's very unique, likes to game, and is a bit stubborn.'' Sinbad said. 'Wow, I knew Sharrkan told me that he likes me back, this confirms a lot. Should I make a move?' Ja'far wondered, but asked instead, ''What kind of games?''
''Call of War, Super Bash, Elder Scrawl, which I believe has something to with a dragon...'' Sinbad began naming them. 'So cute. He really tries, even though he obviously mispronounces them. He doens't like gaming, so it makes sense.' Ja'far thought. ''There happens to be a lot of merchandise for those games, maybe something like that?'' Ja'far asked. ''He doesn't care for materialistic stuff, or so he says. I want to get something with a bit more meaning.'' Sinbad replied. ''How about a scarf? It's still a bit early for that, but eventually something everyone needs.'' Ja'far said. ''Oooh, that's something I can get into.'' Sinbad nodded cheerfully, before heading into a store in search of a scarf.
For a person that disliked many things, Judal sure seemed to enjoy himself, or so Sharrkan thought. They had been walking around for a bit, and Judal had taken a lot of pictures of several scenic views. 'Maybe there is more to him than one seems to think. He's even smiling.' Sharrkan thought. Then he looked over to Yunan, who was drinking some water before looking over to Sharrkan, and heading over.
''You know, you still haven't given me your answer.'' he said, once he had gotten closer. ''I don't owe you an answer.'' Sharrkan said. ''I believe you do. I saved the both of you from detention back then, and only Ja'far repayed me so far, and even that you cut off.'' Yunan said. ''You chose to help us, you didn't have too.'' Sharrkan retorted. ''Oh, but I did. The little cutie would have trown a fit, and isn't it sad when he looks devasted over stuff like that.'' Yunan said.
''Cutie?...'' Sharrkan asked, surely this guy was way too sensitive. ''He didn't like the name sweetie.'' Yunan shrugged. ''Believe me, he won't like cutie either. What's with those names? Ja'far is just fine, you only give those names to someone you...like...'' the gears in Sharrkan's head started turning. ''You like him. That's why you keep pressing this question.'' he added. ''Just making sure you don't mind when I make my move.'' Yunan confirmed.
''You don't stand a chance. We aren't dating, though, but that's because I don't stand a chance either. Just give up.'' Sharrkan told him. ''I'll try and remember your advice.'' Yunan said, but something told Sharrkan he wasn't about to give up. He headed over to Judal instead who was looking through his pictures. ''Hey, you're really good.'' Sharrkan said, as he spotted one of their school king, during the game.
Judal blushed as he hid it instantly. ''What are you doing here, freak.'' he said, hiding the device. ''I don't feel like hanging with Yunan.'' Sharrkan said, ''Besides, we're teammates. We're allowed to talk to each other and not just to Sinbad, you know.'' he said. ''Maybe I dont feel like talking with any of you sore losers.'' Judal replied. 'What did I do to deserve this?' Sharrkan thought. Then he wondered if Ja'far was doing any better, or at least had more fun.
In the mean time, Sinbad had found a cute white scarf, in a store at an alley where he had dragged Ja'far to. As the store manager wrapped it, Ja'far whispered, ''Great that you've found something, but we really should head back soon or we won't make it in time.'' ''Mmmm.'' Sinbad nodded, but was more elated that he had found the scarf. He paid for it, and they stepped out of the store. ''Okay, where to?'' Sinbad asked, having long forgotten where they came from. Ja'far looked around, before saying, ''I... I don't have clue.''