Chapter 67 – Lost in Los Angeles
Jun's POV
*A FEW MINUTES EARLIER…*
"Waaaaaaaahhhh!"
*THUD*
"*groan* Geez, Sakurako…that thing couldn't spit us out softer? My back freaking hurts."
…
"Sakurako?"
…
"Hello?"
…
"Girl, quit screwing around and come out already."
…
…
…
I-Is she…not here?
"Hey! Sakurako!" I yelled out the blonde girl's name as I looked around this gross alleyway for her.
She's…really not here…
"Azusa?!"
…
"Ui?!"
…
"Zoé?! Hikari?! ANYBODY?!"
…
…
…
"N-No way…i-is it really just me here?! Wh-Where the hell even am I, anyway?!"
While I was panicking to literally nobody, I began hearing noises of cars, people, and really loud music. And so, with that being my only lead, I flowed the noises out of the alleyway and saw…
"W-Woah…"
*CAR NOISES CONTINUE*
*CHATTERING PEOPLE INTENSIFIES*
*LOUD MUSIC BECOMING EVEN LOUDER*
…An entirely different setting than I was used to.
"Tons of cars, people walking all over, palm trees back-to-back to each other…this is definitely not Paris. But all of this still doesn't explain as to where I-"
*SLAP*
"Gah! Th-Th hell?! Flying trash everywhere!" I threw a mild fit after something slammed right into my face. It was only after I took it off that I realized that it was a random newspaper.
…
Convenient…but still pissed that it hit my FACE of all places.
I looked over the newspaper to get some clues as to where I am. The date was off by a full day, the time looked weird, and the main thing that stood out for me were the two letters "L" and "A".
L…A…LA? Where have I heard that before? I know it's some kind of initial. Think, Jun, think!
…
Oh, yeah! I remember! It was during that movie I watched with Acchan one night! LA was short for…
At that point, it has dawned on me. With the stuff I had pointed out before, the date and time being off, and seeing these letters in the newspaper, I had figured out where that damn box had taken me.
"N-No way…a-am I…I-I'M IN LOS ANGELES?!"
*PRESENT TIME*
"…And so, that's how my morning went."
"Uh…morning?" Azusa asked as I heard her voice over the phone. "Jun, it's nighttime right now."
"Not over here. I Googled it…Paris is like 9 hours ahead of Los Angeles. Right now, it's a little after 12."
"And it's a little after 9 over here. It checks out." I heard Miharu-senpai's voice.
"Still, though…" I was now hearing Mugi-senpai's voice. "…why did that box warp you to Los Angeles of all places? Seems like a random choice."
"The box isn't picky on where it could randomly send you." Sakurako said. "One time, I was using it to get to school on time…and it sent me to an Oktoberfest festival in Germany. It was really hard explaining to those people that I'm a minor."
"I would imagine…" Nodoka-senpai said.
"So, like…what do I do?!" I yelled. "I'm stuck in the middle of Los Angeles with only my phone, the clothes on my back, and ZERO US money! What's next, I get kidnapped for ransom?!"
"Don't jinx anything, Suzuki." Sawako-sensei said. "We'll just have Ohmuro come get you."
"Yeah, uh…that's not gonna happen right now." Sakurako said.
"And just why not?"
"Because the trip we all just took to get here drained all of the box's power. I have to charge it."
"Y-You have to CHARGE a box?" Himeko-senpai asked in disbelief.
"The nonsensical madness of Takaoka has followed us to Paris…" Mio-senpai mumbled to herself.
She…ain't wrong about that…
"How long is that going to take?" I asked.
"Oh, not long. Just, um…a-a day."
"A DAY?! What am I supposed to do for an entire day?!"
"Oh, come on, Jun. It's not THAT bad. You're in Los Angeles. The Entertainment Capital of the World!"
"That's Las Vegas."
"Oh…"
…
…
…
"Well, I'm sure you'll find something. Later."
*BEEP*
"Huh?! W-Wait, what do you mean "later"?! Sakurako?! SAKURAKO?!"
…
"*sigh* This girl really did hang up on me…" I said in a disgruntled tone after no longer hearing a voice on the other end.
I'm going to make them ALL pay for this!
"Well…nothing else for me to do now except to…walk around a city I've never been to before. Hopefully, I find something to help me."
And with that, I began my trek through the city of Los Angeles. Wondering how a secondary character like me got wrapped up in a mess like this.
Not being relevant anymore really does have its demerits…
Hours into my walk and, to the surprise of nobody, I got lost. Wandering around an unfamiliar place didn't help me at all. Especially when I'm a foreigner trying to guess where I am and the only reference I had for this city was a track in Mario Kart.
This is NOTHING like Los Angeles Laps!
After finding a subway station and, uh…sneaking onto the next train (I don't have any money to pay for it! I'm sorry!), I ended up in a different part of the city. This area was definitely more crowded than the one I started off in.
And there was a giant ferris wheel. So, by that alone, I realized I was in…
"Santa Monica Pier…at least I know SOMETHING in this city." I said to myself as I looked around the heavily populated area. The pier itself was just as crowded as I remembered it from that movie I watched. And the beach nearby was absolutely stunning. I've always been used to Japan's beaches…but this one was on a whole different level.
"Man…what a view. I could look at this forever…"
"I know, right? A sight like this can really take a load off."
…
…
…
"Gah! Wh-What the?!" I screamed in shock after noticing a blonde-haired girl with a white hat, baggy white t-shirt, and exposed black sports bra standing next to me.
"Oh. Sorry. Did I scare you? I was just excited to have someone else who appreciates the beauty of this place instead of yet another party destination. We already got enough of those over here."
"Huh…"
The girl then took something out of her mouth and pointed it at me.
"Dum Dum?"
"Wow, we're total strangers and yet you call me a dumb dumb right to my face. Americans are friendly, my ass."
"*giggle* No, dummy. It's the name of the lollipop I'm eating. I was asking if you wanted one."
"Oh…" I said. Missing the fact that she called me a dummy anyway. "…weird name for a lollipop, honestly. But sure. I'll take one. What flavors you got?"
"Try this one. It's my favorite." The girl handed me a pink lollipop and it only took me a few licks to realize what this flavor was.
"Woah…it's bubblegum flavored!"
"*giggle* I knew you would like it. You can never go wrong with bubblegum flavored lollipops. The only good thing to come out of the 1950s."
"I see…"
No idea what she means by that, but I feel like it's total crap…
"Hey! There she is!"
"We got you now, criminal scum!"
"Get her!"
"*sigh* Aw, geez…looks like they found me. And I was having so much fun, too." The girl said after three police officers started heading our way as pissed as any one human can be.
"W-Wait, are you a wanted criminal?!" I asked in shock.
"Well, I wouldn't say "criminal", but…crap, they're getting closer…hey, it was nice chillin' with you. Here's some more Dum Dums for the road. Later!"
"Huh? H-Hey, wait!" I called out to her. But she was pretty damn fast.
"Get back here!"
"You're not getting away!"
"STOP BREAKING THE LAW, ASSHOLE!"
The three cops were already on her trail. But with her doing acrobatics over people and fences and running on top of the different buildings like a freaking shadow thief…I highly doubt they'll catch her.
Who was that girl, though? I wonder if I'll ever see her again…
…
With that thought in mind, I took another lollipop and placed it in my mouth.
"Root beer flavored…WHY DO WE NOT HAVE THIS IN JAPAN?!"
Finding my way out of Santa Monica Pier, I was on my phone looking for any place I could go to so that I could have some kind of shelter. I've been walking around for hours and the sun was starting to set. Sleeping outside was NOT an option!
"Hollywood…Venice…Bel Air…Encino…geez. All of these neighborhoods are too wealthy-looking. I'll definitely stand out if I went to any of these places."
As if I don't already stand out…
As I kept scrolling through Google looking at link after link of different neighborhoods…one destination caught my interest. And in a very good way, too.
"Little Tokyo…an ethnically Japanese American district in downtown Los Angeles…and the heart of the largest Japanese-American population in North America? H-Holy crap! Such a place like THIS is here?! I gotta see this for myself!"
*RINGTONE CHIME*
"Oh. Azusa's calling." I said before answering the call. "Hello?"
"Hey, Jun. Are you doing alright? It's been a while since we heard from you."
"Well…I've been walking around an unfamiliar city, snuck onto a subway train to do so, and ended up at the pier where I met a strange girl who gave me lollipops and got chased away by the police."
"Sounds like you had a busy day…"
"Tell me about it. Now, I'm heading over to a neighborhood they got here called Little Tokyo."
"Little Tokyo? Such a place exists?"
"Yeah, hear this: it's the largest Japantown in the whole country. It's got a ton of Japanese-Americans living there and it's basically a miniature Japan! Isn't that cool or what?!"
"I'll admit, it does sound interesting. Just don't too carried away there. Sakurako said that the box is almost done charging and she'll come get you soon."
"*sigh* Finally. Hopefully, she can just take me home. This was definitely a trip I NEVER asked for."
"You mean you don't want to come to Paris? Everyone else is here."
"Did you already forget that you guys went there ILLEGALLY?! I want no part of that!"
"But you entered America illegally…"
"Not my fault, damnit!" I gained an agitated sweatdrop.
"Well, anyway…I only called to check up on you. I'm already on my dream date with Miharu-senpai! *squeal* It's the best date ever~!"
"Glad you're having a good time, Azusa…" I said before hanging up the phone. Ending the call before she starts blabbing about her "dream date".
It's that date of hers that got me stuck here in the first place…
"*sigh* Anyway…let's start heading to Little Tokyo. It shouldn't be that far from here."
After a quick walk (and another sneaking onto the train moment), I finally reach Little Tokyo. And HOLY CRAP, it felt like I was back home! Japanese-styled buildings, lanterns, signs that were written in Japanese (with English written beneath them)…the whole place looked like a small Japanese village!
There were Japanese restaurants, Japanese shops, Japanese temples, Japanese schools…I don't know how they managed to fit a tiny portion of Japan into a place like Los Angeles, but this is truly a "home away from home" type of deal.
And I LOVE it!
"Wow…just wow! I can't believe such a place like this exists! It's truly like Japan! I can't wait to grab some donburi and ramen…grab some snacks and watching Japanese dramas while lying in a bed and…"
*BAM*
"Ow…Ah! I'm so sorry!" I said after realizing that I had bumped into someone. "I was in my own little world for a bit and I wasn't paying attention and…"
"Y…Y-You're Jun, right? Jun Suzuki?"
"Uh…yeah. That's me."
"No…WAY! I can't believe I'm actually seeing you again!"
"Seeing me again? Do I know you?"
"Do you know me?! Come on! There's no way you don't recognize me! We're childhood friends!"
"R-Really?" I looked at the lavender duo pigtailed-haired girl who was as tall as a middle schooler. "Uh…sorry. I don't really know you. Maybe you're mistaking me for someone else…"
"Ugh! Really?! You don't remember me?! Even after I do THIS?! Kashikoma!" The girl then did a pose with her right hand making a peace sign over her right eye.
"Kashiko…ma…" And it was by hearing that one word that made me remember where I saw this girl before. She really was my childhood friend.
And her name was…
"L…L-Lala? Lala Manaka?! Is it really you?!"
"Yes! It's me! It's really me! I'm so happy to see you again, Jun!"
"Alright!" The two of us high-fived and hugged each other greatly. As we were truly happy to see each other again after years of being apart.
Lala and I met when we were in elementary school. I was 8 and she was 5. Because of the age gap, she always looked up to me as an older sister. Which felt great for me because, as an 8-year-old younger sister, being a role model for someone younger than me was obviously one of my many dreams.
The two of us played together everyday for as long as we could. Each day was something different…never a dull day for us two.
That is until…one day, Lala moved away. I don't remember the details…but she moved away due to her father's new business dream or something like that. And we never got each other's contact info, either. So, when she left that day, it was the last I ever saw her.
…
Until TODAY, that is!
"Damn, Lala…you sure grew from the last time I saw you. Even gained a decent pair on you~. *giggle*"
"Wh-Why'd you had to point that out?!" Lala gained a faint blush after I teased her about her B-cup breasts.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm just shocked to see how much you grew. It's like you're a whole different person."
"Well, I am 14 now, Jun. I was bound to get bigger in size."
"In more places than one…"
"W-Will you cut it out?!"
"Alright, alright."
Teasing Lala was also a favorite pastime of mine. Her reactions were always too funny!
"So, what are you doing here, Lala?" I asked. "I remember you moving away when we were little…did you move here?"
"No, no. I still live in Japan. I moved to Harajuku."
"H-Harajuku?! Wow…that's…pretty far."
A lot of people are moving to Harajuku nowadays…
"As to why I'm here…I'm actually on a school trip. My class voted for Los Angeles and we just got here today. So, we're doing a miniature tour today and a few of us decided to come check out this Little Tokyo place. And it truly is a home away from home!"
"I know, right?! I was thinking the same thing! This place rules!"
"Yeah, totally!" Lala then went silent for a bit. "But…uh…"
"But what?"
"But, uh…to be completely honest…I'm actually lost."
"Y-You're LOST?!" I yelled in shock.
"I-I got too excited about this place that I got distracted and eventually separated from the rest of my group. I've been wandering around the city for about an hour before running into you. I-I don't know where to go from here~!" Lala then began tearing up out of fear that she'll be stuck here forever. She was always a bit of a crybaby.
"Hey…come on, Lala. No need to cry. See, I'm in the same boat as you…k-kinda. We can find our way through this city together."
"*sniff* R-Really?"
"Totally! It'll be like one big reunion adventure! Just the two of us!"
…
…
…
"I…*sniff*…I-I like the sound of that!" Lala quickly gained a smile on her face. "Let's go see Los Angeles for all its got! Kashikoma!"
"That's the spirit! Now let's go…"
*GROWL*
…
…
…
"A-Actually…can we do this tomorrow?" I said with a light blush. Embarrassed that my stomach growled that loudly. "I'm really hungry. And tired. In fact, I came here to hopefully find a place to turn in for the night."
"I see…well, sure. We can start tomorrow. For now, let's find a hotel to check into."
"Good idea." I then went silent for a bit. "Do…you think you can pay for it? I don't have any money."
"Sure, I can pay for…w-wait, what? How do you not have any money?"
"Uh…"
"Come to think about it, Jun…you never said anything about why you're here. How did you get all the way to Los Angeles without any money?"
"Uh…well…"
Aw, geez…explaining this is going to be hard as hell…
Author's Note: No money. No food. No shelter. Jun's first day in Los Angeles looked like it was going to be hell. That is until she met a strange girl who gave her lollipops and reunited with a childhood friend lost on a school trip. Things might turn around for her.
So, here's introducing the rather obscure guest character mentioned back in chapter 63: Lala Manaka from the rhythm arcade game PriPara.
Now…if you've never heard of PriPara, I don't blame you. The game never left Japan. And it's primary audience is usually little girls. But I'm basing everything about Lala from the anime. Which I've watched all 191 episodes of. It's one of my favorites and the music is top-notch. Check it out sometime.
And another note: I'm actually working on a little side-story for this, uh…story (sounded better in my head). If you liked the three School Idol Festival chapters, then it's a sequel to those. It's not canon to this story…although it was planned to be at one point. Think of it as…an "alternate route" or something. I dunno. Expect to see it soon.
Thanks for reading. Later.