Chapter 2
Ready, Set, Go!
"So Sawada Shin is not a hero eh?" I murmured as I walked toward the train station. Why do I didn't figured that out. I knew that I have heard that name somewhere. I think mom and other neighbours talk about him too. But I didn't notice that he is just too popular to talk about. Sawada Shin, eh?
"Everything will be alright" I said to myself. Everybody inside the train looked at me as though I am weird again. Wah! Who cares?
I woke up the next day, and daydreaming is not another thing for me because it's already 11 am. I have very good long sleep since I'm afraid that I might not wake up for my flight which is 4 am. It's really too early. I didn't even pack my stuff. Oh, that's it. What will I bring?
"Mom, is there any bag there that is big enough too carry all my clothes?" I asked mom why she cooks food. I was in my room preparing my stuff.
"I only need one big bag, that can carry all my things is there any?" I didn't expect her to give me one. We only have few bags really but surprises cannot be foreseen. She gave me a big bag that's fits all my garments.
"Thanks mom. I will miss you both very much" I hugged her real tight. Dad wasn't there he was working overtime to give me some allowance.
"We hope that this could help dear" Mom handed me P10000 which is approximately 25000 yen. "E-mail us every now and then, eh?"
"Of course I would e-mail you as soon I spot a computer there mom. This would really help. Tell dad that I miss him so much. I am really ok, don't worry about me. I am a big girl now and very strong." I said to her assuring. But am I really strong?
"I know you are, dear." Mom hugged me again.
I've packed my clothes, it's not too many, daily school uniform is provided and in the manual of eitoku, scholars will be given 3 pairs of school uniform and 1 PE attire. 4:00 am will be the last time I will be here in the Philippines. I've planned to work part time job there. I didn't say that to mom because she will be worried but I'm going to be all right there.
"Its gonna be you and Japan, Kumiko so don't be hesitant. You can do this!" I told myself. I thought they may not even know I'm not Japanese.
I woke up 2:30 am. Mom said I wake up early as 2:00 am traffic might blurt the way. She woke up at 2:00 but me 2:30. I took a bath and bade her goodbye. Dad was sleeping when I woke up. I kissed his forehead to say goodbye he smiled and hug me so tight.
"You might see grandfather there; I told him your coming." Father told grandpa I'm coming? How? So they are communicating through the years.
"When did you talk to grandpa? How did you communicate with him?" He only smiled and bade me goodbye up to the door.
"You will see." Father said to me. A short sentence but very full of mystery. I will really miss them a lot.
"Take care, Kumiko. Good luck with your studies. Be tough as you already were." Mom said teary eyed. I want to cry too but I don't want her too see me cry. I'm brave, I'm already 20. I can do this, can I? Blah, I can do this!
My things were not that heavy, not too light, well I can manage. I can carry this stuff; I'm used to doing house chores. I became strong not only physically but also emotionally. I went out the taxi and headed straight to the entrance of the airport. Not too many people were there. Well, what do you expect 4:00 am? It's way too early. I asked where would be the 4:00 am flight going to Japan. I showed the guard my ticket and led me to the door towards the entrance of the plane.
"Thank you very much" I smiled at him for helping me. Wow it is so cool; I'm actually having a ride at a plane. At the entrance the stewardess smiled at me and she asked me about my passport. I let her be and led me to my seat number.
"So how many hours will it be?" I asked the stewardess cheerfully.
"Approximately 4 hours ma'am, if you need anything don't hesitate to approach us" She smiled at me.
Hey everybody here is so kind. The plane starts its engine; I'm really getting sleepy again, I'm so excited on what will happen. My eyes are asleep but still dozing off.
"Did you know that the interview of Sawada Shin yesterday will be replayed today? He is so hot you know. He doesn't even know how to fake coolness. Okay, let's watch" One of the stewardess said. Can't see her but I can hear their giggles.
I'm still hearing that the stewardess opened the television.
"Sawada Shin, how can you be a good model student and actor at the same time?" I heard one of the man in the television said.
"I think that excellence must be part of every student in his life. Although I've chose to start a career that I most living up to succeed. I feel that education is still essential.." The guy in the television said
He still continued saying something. I didn't look up to see what his face is in the television; maybe I can see him in eitoku high since he is oh so cool. His voice is warm and plain. I dozed off to sleep.
I woke up with the sound of the engine and of the passengers going out of the plane. In the 'Japan for life' manual, it said that eitoku high is not that far from the Japan airport. It's only one train away. There is a shuttle that will pass through the train station. I see many Japanese people and also foreign too, walking around everywhere. I never thought that airports are always this full.
"First, I need to get a shuttle bus, ride a train and that's it then I'm in eitoku and then what will I have to do?" I've said to myself not thinking who are around me. Japan airport was a crowded place although it's morning then. Maybe many other students are entering Japan to study. I scratched my head once, and twice and thrice.
"Okay, I can do this!" I quite shouted, almost everybody took a glance at me but one person is laughing at me. I think he heard me when I start saying my to-do-list. I approached him really mad and why do I look funny eh?
"Hey you, why are you laughing at me eh?" I said in English.
"Do- -you- -understand- -english- -sir-?" I said to him slowly. I think he is Japanese; wearing stylish looking attire, stylish actually. Can't see his face though. He wears a big sunglasses and a fashionable hat. He wore something unusual I suppose. He is trendy. It looks like he came from a fashion show or something. He laughs again.
"So you don't understand English eh? Why are you still laughing is anything wrong with me huh?" I said to him angrily. He stopped laughing though he notices that many people are looking at him. Why is he so conscious?
"Why did you stop? You tired of laughing?" He grabbed my arm and headed straight to the exit. My things were carried by other two men that are with him. They have big bodies though they look like body guards. Hey why do I allow myself being dragged by this bozo. And why does everybody following us suddenly. Is he a criminal or something? First day in Japan and now I'm in trouble. Guards of the airport blocked the people going toward us. Then girls start shouting. Some even fainted. He smiled at them waving like he is some sort of popular or something. Hey what's going on? Is Japan really like this. Crazy people laughing and being popular. What's with that?
"Sawada Shin marry me!" Some girl shouted as if she was going to faint. The guy dragging me looked at her and smiled. Everybody in the direction howled with joy. I resisted of this man dragging me and tried to pull my arm away but I can't he is too strong. He dragged me outside the airport. And as if it was planned, the place really is crowded not only in the inside of the airport but also outside. Wait a minute, is this man that popular? Why is he dragging me around? I think reporters are also there. Is this a prank? No it can't be. I am thinking silly things again.
"Hey why are you dragging me?" I shouted really loud. He didn't glance back. Maybe he can't hear me because of the noise of girls shouting, people calling him. Just held me tightly going to the limousine that is prepared for him at the front of the airport. Many people were still there. What are wrong with these people? Is he that too popular? He dragged me in the limousine and we sat there and it went off. I saw many girls following the limousine. They are ready to die just to touch his it. He didn't mind them when we were in the car; I think he is so used to handle this kind of situation. I looked at him furiously, I am really mad.
Tetsu's thinking
"Oh no, how can we manage to look for Ms. Yamaguchi if there are too many people around here" Minoru scratched his head looking for the pigtailed girl with big glasses that looks like in the picture.
"I told you to make a big board with her name on it. You wouldn't listen, give me the picture" I grabbed it from him. Where could she be? Hey what's the commotion over there?
"Sawada Shin marry me!" The girl in the pink t shirt shouted so loud. Almost everybody howled as a person passes in the pathway going to the exit of the airport. Hey wait a minute. I noticed that it was the famous Sawada Shin, hey the girl with the glasses, it can't be. I looked at the pictures twice.
"Ms. Yamaguchi" I shouted, she didn't heard me and they already left using the limousine.
"I told you to make a name board, what will ken-sensei will do to us" I knocked him in the head.
"Hey, don't start with me tetsu" Minoru eyed on me but we didn't continued to fight because it was too crowded.
"At least we know that Ms. Yamaguchi is with Sawada Shin." I told Minoru. "The only problem is how to get her" Minoru replied.
"No one must know who she really is," I told myself or we will end up being boxed out by ken-sensei.
Kumiko Thinking
"Ok how can I say this, what is 'what is his name in Japanese', ah? I've read it before in some Japanese book, ok let me try" I said. He is just looking at me very strangely. I think he is at awe looking at me. I think he expects something that I must do or what.
"Okay sir, Domo Arigato Gozamaizu?" I asked him. He laughed at me again.
"I'm losing my patience now. Domo Arigato Gozamaizu!" I shouted.
"Baka, domo arigato gozamaizu means thank you very much." He laughs again at me. I looked at him furiously.
"Hey, how come you speak English, I thought you didn't. Hey why are you joking me around and saying 'baka'(what does it suppose to mean anyway)? And why are those people following you? " I said.
"Sawada Shin" He didn't removed his sunglasses and didn't look at me only straight forward. He has very warm eyes and good looking too. His hair is into fashion some of it is dyed red near his neck, hair falling down through his eyes and as he caressed it, it all comes back into place. Maybe this is a rich prank. He pranked me because I'm just a foreign commoner.
"Don't know me?" He questioned me and smirked. "My name is Sawada Shin"
Oh, so he is the great Sawada Shin. He caressed his hair very coolly and smiled at me again.
"What are you smiling about? I exclaimed at him
"So you really don't know me eh? What's your name?" Sawada Shin asked me. As if he expects the answer immediately.
"I don't know you. Why do I give details to such arrogant." He only smiled.
"If being arrogant is being confident to oneself, so it be" He smiled again at me. For an actor he is really smart.
"My name is Kumiko. Kumiko Yamaguchi. Why did you drag me? " I shouted at him again.
"I didn't drag you intentionally" he said to me "saying that eitoku high is near the train station and you can walk for its short distance" He smirked and laughed again.
"What's wrong with that idiot?" I exclaimed. He looked at me when I called him idiot. He is kinda surprised that I didn't worship him like any other girl would do.
He said calmly. "As all people here in Japan and many other people in the world know that Eitoku high is 3 kilometers from the Tokyo train station. You could walk that far? You're noisy, that's why I dragged you"
"Me? Noisy? I didn't shouted if you didn't laughed at me you're the noisy one" I said
"I didn't laugh at you" he said as if he is finding a hole to escape his fault. "I just smiled of your funny antics. Walking to eitoku high eh?"
"I really can walk to eitoku high, if I want to" I don't want to lose this fight. I told myself.
"…" Sawada Shin didn't say anything as if he won silently. He didn't respond after that.
I went to the other side of the limousine looking outside the car window. The glass was so tinted that nobody can see us inside. I broke the silence.
"Where are my things?" I asked him
"It's here." He said.
"Where are we going?" I asked him
"Eitoku" He said plainly. His eyes are really warm. He is really good looking but dragging me here in the limousine makes me run wild. I didn't spoke again and doze off to sleep.
I woke up resting on his shoulder. I didn't even remember that I was too near to him then. "Oh sorry" I blushed and jolted to straighten my position.
"We're here" He said. He went out the limousine and I followed. My bag was already at my side. So this is eitoku high. It is so big. Many people were staring at me. I feel like I am going to melt. I feel awkward; I don't want people looking at me. Hey, they are not looking at me; they are looking at Sawada Shin.
"…." He didn't looked at me and went off inside the school with his I think also popular friends; there's a fat guy, the half braided blonde, a long haired one and the short brown haired guy. Girls encircled them. As the people dissolved, I've noticed that this is my chance to escape this problem. Waha! Such genius. When I was about to carry my bag, I looked around and it was nowhere.
"Hey, where's my bag?" I said.
"Young master Sawada ordered me to carry this until we went to your dorm room" The bodyguard said.
"Hey who do he think he is, eh" I said "give me, I will carry".
"Order is order ma'am. Please proceed to your destination" The bodyguard insisted.
So, my first day in Japan I have a free bodyguard carrying my things. As we passed by the hallway, people at school is still eyeing at me. Maybe they knew that I'm with Sawada Shin's bodyguard. I'm really getting awkward now.
"So is Sawada Shin that popular" I asked the bodyguard as we walked.
"Top 10 of the most handsome people in the world maam, student achiever, best actor, best.." he was about continue when I said.
"Okay, I get it, he's popular. So do you know where the career office won't you?" I asked.
"Yes, ma'am. I know the office of the career services maam." He said like a talking robot.
"Hey, don't call me ma'am, call me Kumiko okay. Can you lead me to it?" I asked. I followed him while he is carrying my bag. Why do people look angry all the time at me? They investigate me from head to toe. I'm not really used at this.
"This is the door to the office of the career services Ms. Kumiko." He said. I walked inside and people there are somewhat aware that I was going inside.
"Ms. Yamaguchi, Good morning!" One of the women said as if she knows me well. "I'm sorry to tell you but we ran out of dorm rooms for foreign students, we didn't really expect this would happen."
"Huh? So where will I be staying? I don't know any other place here in Japan to stay with..." Maybe with grandpa I suppose, but I don't know where he lives, how to contact him or even what he looked like. I was about to continue to say something when she spoke.
"One of our students offered to help you while you are staying here in Japan. Actually his family owns the biggest share of funding of eitoku high." She said.
"Oh really, that's great, so can I meet him to thank his generosity?" I asked.
"I think you have met him already Kumiko" I began to think, met him? Sawada Shin is the only one I met today, he planned this or it's just coincidence? Sawada Shin, the kind hearted, oh no, he is so arrogant and hey I'm sleeping at his house?
"Rino, please escort her to the Sawada Mansion" The woman said talking to the bodyguard who is carrying my bag. So this was planned. How can he do this? Is he that rich and Sawada Mansion?
"Right away" Rino said. He opened the door to lead me again to the limousine. I'm so tired; I really want to take a rest. In about 15 mins, I'm at the gate of Sawada mansion. It was really big. The mansion was located in the middle of the big chunk of land. I think 5 storeys high or greater. Also, they have their own mini car park. Sawada Shin, you're really unpredictable.