"We've only got half an hour to get to the train station, and an hour before the train leaves. Hyaku, Kahoko."
Len was waiting impatiently.
Women. Why in the world does it take them so long to get dressed up?
Although, this time he spent re-looking at the score, making sure that he noticed the little changes in tone that was displayed in the piece.
Piano, Mezzo Forte, Fortissimo, Pianissimo. This is going to be a difficult piece, alright. Kahoko would take ages to learn this.
I chuckled to myself. Kahoko. The reason why she was here was because we were going to do a duet together. Although, when that duet was, I had no clue...
"Gomen, Len! I'm finished."
I looked up from the score to see her warmly wrapped up, and ready to go. I looked at her shoes, and my eyes widened.
"You can't be expecting to walk to the station in those shoes, Kahoko. Do you have boots?"
|~-~|
Boots? I think I left them at the front of Len's apartment... I hurried out to the doorway and I found them. I held them up proudly to Len.
"Are these better?"
He nodded. We both had light bags with us for possible clothes and amenities we would need during the journey.
"How long does it take to get to the station from here, Len?"
|~-~|
"It only takes about 10 minutes. But, I'm sure you would want to look at some of the sights along the way, so that's why we're heading there early."
I opened the door, and held it, waiting for Kahoko.
"Please, ladies first."
|~-~|
I giggled in spite of myself.
"You're still too formal, Len. Really, relax a bit."
I wanted him to know what I was thinking then and there. I looked at the staircase that we would go down to, to get outside, and said it.
"You'll do fine. I know of it."
|~-~|
I could feel myself blushing as Kahoko said that. I was glad she wasn't looking my way. This was getting embarrassing.
I turned to the door I had just closed, and locked it. I then turned around.
"You're always so positive."
I walked to close the distance between her and I. When I was close enough to her ear, I whispered.
"But that's what I love about you, Kahoko."
|~-~|
I blushed as I heard him whisper in my ear. I couldn't believe that a few days ago, I would've been dreaming of this; and now...
He began to walk down the stairs, and looked up at me, extending a hand.
"Kahoko, let's go."
"Hai!"
I smiled at him, went down the stairs, took his hand, and off we went.
|~-~|
It wasn't too bad outside. Didn't snow, not much wind... however there was decent snow under our feet.
I looked to my left as I saw something brown. My eyes widened when I realised what it was.
"Kahoko, look. It's deer."
|~-~|
My eyes widened as I took in the deer that were only a few hundred meters away from us.
"Oh wow, they're so pretty..."
It was something I had never expected to see.
|~-~|
I smiled. It was a rare sight.
I wondered whether it was because Kahoko was here with me that I got to see this. In the two years that I had been here already, I had never been able to see something like this.
It was nearly magical.
Although, I knew that we were slowly running out of time to get to the station.
"Kahoko, we have a train to Germany to catch."
|~-~|
I went back to reality as soon as Len said that we had a train to catch. I nodded at him, and off we went, hand in hand.
The walk to the station wasn't that bad. There were a lot of interesting shops along the way... a lot of me going "Len, let's visit here after we come back!" and him nodding...
Finally, we were at the station.
"Oh wow, this is the station? It's so big!"
|~-~|
I looked at Vienna station, and nodded.
"Trains here can go to different countries. We're going to platform 10, the express to go to Germany."
I led her up the stairs and we walked in silence along the way to platform 10. I looked at the trains. Some of them were old, some of them were new. Some of them even had double decks. I was intrigued by the trains which had 2 levels. Ever since I first saw one about a year ago, I had always been wanting to ride one.
As I looked at the train on platform 10, I realised my want had just become a yes. I was going on a double deck train. At last!
|~-~|
I felt alienated. The station was nothing like Japanese train stations, with the Blue line, Red line etc. No, these were trains with history, going to so many different places.
And so many people, speaking French and German and who knows what else. The flurry of languages around me made me feel scared for a moment.
|~-~|
I could feel Kahoko leaning into me a bit more than I was expecting.
"What's wrong, Kahoko?"
Could it possibly be that she wasn't used to this? I had never been on normal Japanese train stations, so I couldn't tell precisely, but it was possible.
I stopped, and looked at her.
|~-~|
I looked at Len, who was staring intently at me. I bowed my head slightly.
"I guess I'm not used to this... Gomen, Len."
I felt so bad. I didn't want to drag Len down, but here I was. Doing it again.
|~-~|
I sighed and put one hand on her chin, raising her head until she looked at me.
Women. Gee. Why can't they please be a little more confident in themselves?
"It'll be alright, Kahoko. I'll make sure of it."
It wasn't that I didn't mind that she relied on me, it just was... I guess... a little restrictive? But, I knew that I had liked it.
It was, to put it in her words, cute. Her whole attitude at the moment was very cute. Every time she was looking awkward it took all of my strength not to do something drastic.
"You're so cute, Kaho."
|~-~|
I widened my eyes at Len in surprise. Cute? Did he just say I was cute?!
I blushed.
As we approached the train, I wasn't surprised that many people were waiting on the platform.
"Where are we sitting, Len..."
|~-~|
I bit my urge to laugh at her.
"We're not sitting. We've got a room on the train to lie down."
It wasn't precisely a room... but the explanation would work. It was more like a cabin, but whatever.
I looked at our tickets. It said carriage 4. I looked at the carriage we were standing in front of. It was 7.
"Kahoko, we're in carriage 4. So we should be going up a bit more."
|~-~|
I widened my eyes. How many train carriages were attached to the train?
As if Len had heard my thoughts himself, he chuckled.
"There are about 12 carriages, usually. If not more. Carriage 7 is normally the food carriage. So if you're hungry..."
I nodded to show him that I understood.
"Let's head to carriage 4 then."
|~-~|
We headed off to carriage 4, which was a double-deck train carriage. I looked at the ticket again, and it clearly said level 2. We were going on the top level!
I couldn't help grinning.
This was most definitely going to be a good train ride.
|~-~|
At least, we reached carriage 4. I looked at Len who had a very kid-like smile on his face. I blinked my eyes in surprise.
"Len? What is it?"
I looked at the tickets. Was it just me or did that say level 2?
"We're upstairs? Yay!"
I smiled at him. I think I understood why he was looking like that.
An announcement over the PA said that there was 15 minutes left to get on the train. I hopped on first, and Len followed me soon after. I led him up the stairs, and now it was time to find our room.
|~-~|
Cabin number, cabin number... I looked at the ticket. Cabin number 88?
Was it just me or was that the luckiest number in for us? I looked at Kahoko, who looked at me back with an expression of surprise.
"88? That's really lucky, Len!"
We found Cabin 88, and I opened the door.