Jinsol takes a deep breath. 

The air felt different here. 

“Miss Jinsol, you’ll fall behind if you stand there for too long,” Himchan warns as he heads off first with Yongguk through the bustling setting. Something as simple as an airport proves to be fascinating to Jinsol as well. 

Hurrying after them, she arrives just as they call for a cab and the three slip inside. 

“Our hotel?” Jinsol clarifies with Yongguk beside her. And, he nods. “Our hotel in Japan. We’re in Japan and going to our hotel… in Japan.”

“I’m not sure if you’re asking me questions or not, Jinsol.” Yongguk remarks with a chuckle. By the sight of his smile, he must find her excitement endearing. “We’re going to our hotel in Tokyo.”

She merely looks at him in awe. “Tokyo, Japan.” 

In the background, Himchan could be heard conversing  easily in Japanese with the driver. Jinsol turns her attention out of the car’s window and watches the unfamiliar sights that zip by. 

Yongguk was right. It is definitely better when experiencing it herself.

***

Their days were filled with never-ending exploration and eating delicious foods that were different from her usual palate of noodle soups. It was as if her feet could carry her anywhere without feeling tired or her stomach was an infinite void that she could feed endlessly. 

Yongguk indulged her in everything. 

They would walk down from one food stall to another and he wouldn’t hesitate to buy the various treats just for the sake of Jinsol getting a chance to have a taste. One week is a short time so, he wanted to make sure that she gets to enjoy every moment. 

Jinsol also took notice of something else– she has never spent so much time in Yongguk’s presence. From the moment they wake up and until they fall asleep, they are always together. She’s not complaining– it’s nice to experience Japan but, it feels so much better to share it with Yongguk. 

With some ice cream in her hand, the two pause in front of a mural. Yongguk appears to have been taken by interest and Jinsol wants him to have this moment since this whole trip seemed to be about her.  

She taps his arm. “I saw a taiyaki place back there, I’m just going to get something and I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll come–,”

“Yongguk, I’ll be fine. I’ll be right back.” Sending him a smile to reassure him, she quickly heads off. 

He watches her from behind until she disappears and goes back to admiring the mural. Someone else would have spared a quick glance but, Yongguk liked to take some time to appreciate the small details. He figured that when Jinsol returns, they could go further down to see if there were more. 

***

Taking a glance of his watch, he decides he’ll go meet Jinsol when it takes her a bit too long to return. Tracing her footsteps, he realizes the closest taiyaki place is a little farther than he originally remembered. Maneuvering through the people that are coming in the opposite direction, his eyes searches for the familiar back of Jinsol. But, he doesn’t see her. 

Had he missed her along the way?

Pulling out his phone, he tries to call her but is immediately greeted by her voicemail. 

Doing quick flips of his head, he doesn’t catch sight of her in any direction. He dials another number and hopes Himchan is close by. Telling him as many details as he could, the two set off from their positions to search. 

The longer it takes to find Jinsol, the more hasty Yongguk becomes. He didn’t look twice after bumping into people and he didn’t stop to rest. It was like he had a one-track mind.

Backtracking, he turns down a small path that lays between a row of small stores. He  realizes that he is heading back in the direction of the mural at this point. She must be in the area… if she wasn’t, then that could only mean–,

His eyes catches a small peek of a red floral top and his feet comes to a harsh stop. Finally able to catch his breath, he drops his head in relief. 

Jinsol turns around then. She had only gotten her a food a few minutes ago thanks to the long line. “What’s wrong?” she asks upon seeing his state. Without a moment of pause, she sticks the food into . 

Himchan also joins them then, his attention on Yongguk. “Did you find–,”

Yongguk nods towards Jinsol, who is casually munching away. 

While swallowing her food, she feels like she’s in trouble. “I told you where I was going to be.”

“This isn’t taiyaki, Jinsol,” Yongguk explains. His voice much calmer than she expected it would be. “It’s takoyaki.”

She lets out a sound of understanding. “I meant takoyaki.”

***

Looking up at the various colorful screens upon the buildings, Jinsol’s mouth dropped open in wonder. No matter how times she sees them today, they continue to amaze her. And, she didn't expect them to ever stop. 

“Jinsol,” Yongguk calls out to her to move beside him. They were about to cross a busy street and he didn’t want to risk separating. 

Wordlessly, she shifts closer to him. “I think I’ve had enough of shopping.” She felt bad for saying so but, she thinks she’s doing them both a favor. 

“You had enough the first ten minutes.” 

They both grin at each other. He had noticed. 

“Where are we going now?” she asks. 

“An onsen,” Yongguk answers. “It’s a bit of a travel from the city but, we can spend the night there.”

“Onsen?” she repeats in confusion. “A hot spring?”

“Did you want to try it? Where we’re going, we can see the stars really well.”

She nods with excitement and reaches for Yongguk’s arm that he offers her. Moving along with the crowds