Chapter One: Along for the Ride:

The streets of Tokyo were empty this morning. Just the way I like for plans like this. I looked around quickly. No one in sight still. Looks like a clean escape for today. I couldn’t celebrate now. I had to keep going. I forced myself to keep on. The warm summer air pushed me to go on faster and faster. Escape time was calling my name. I had no choice but to go to it. I clutched my backpack tightly to my back. I walked faster and faster to the ocean port. Here it is! My ticket to freedom. Nothing is here to stop me at all! I just need to make it all the way to…

A sudden shuffle stopped me cold in my tracks. I froze up annoyed. Damn it! Who’s following me this early in the morning? I thought Andi had gotten up, saw the note, and followed after to stop me. I sighed aloud annoyed.

“What do you want Andi-chan?!?” I yelled out loud. “I already told you on the note that I’m going to be alone this sum…” But when I turned around, I didn’t find Andi-chan standing behind me. Instead, Uoya Sappoto stood behind me looking pretty nervous. I looked at her up and down. Sappoto had always been a frail-looking woman. She looked as pale as a ghost. Her short dark stale blue hair ate at most of her head. Sappoto’s eyes always looked so squinty. I have always wondered if she needed glasses or something. But, Sappoto-san did look nice in her grey-mint blue yukata for once. I’ll give her that much. However, that was the last thing to cross my mind. I hadn’t expected this at all. In fact, what was Sappoto doing out here? I completely turned to her.

“Sappoto-san,” I said to her. “What are you doing here?” The woman shuffled her feet some.

“I can’t take it anymore!” she cried out. I looked at her still confused.

“What?” I asked. Sappoto looked up at me with surprisingly big eyes of desperation.

“I’m running away!” she yelled out to me. “I have to go see my Atticus-kun again! I can’t stand to be away from him any longer! I hate the place that I am staying at now! I just have to see him and my kids again!”

“Okay…” I said to her. “Do you know where they are now?”

“No,” Sappoto murmured in a small voice. I tried not to have an attitude at that one. “Figures!” I thought. “She never was really that educated, was she?” (I kept this little fact to myself, of course.)

“So…” I said to her instead. “How do you plan to find them?” Sappoto looked me in further desperation. I suddenly had a bad feeling about that look. She seems to be looking for her own ticket for escape. Something told me that I was that ticket. Sappoto quickly grabbed me by the hands. I looked at her completely startled.

“W-What are you doing?!?” I asked in shock. Sappoto looked deep into my eyes almost pleading.

“Please help me find my family!” she begged to me. I looked at her completely shocked.

“What?!?” I cried out. Sappoto held onto my arm even tighter.

“Please!” she cried to me. “I have to get out of here and find Atticus and my kids! I can’t staying in that dorm house any longer! They are all rude to me. The girls treat me like garbage and the boys keep harassing me! If I stay there any longer, I might just lose it! Can’t you help?” I really wanted to say no to her so badly. But, those eyes of hers made me think long and hard behind answering. In the end, I lost to her and those eyes of hers. I sighed out loud.

“Fine!” I said in defeat at last. “I’ll help you find your family!” Sappoto looked at me overjoyed.

“Oh thank you, Miho-chan!” she called out. She hugged me tightly. I sighed at her reluctantly. My plans have just suffered a *HUGE* change to them. What I had originally hoped for a solo trip just turned into a duo adventure. Still, I just can’t leave the poor soul on her own! That wouldn’t be nice! Not nice of me at all! Besides, the sooner I help her with my problem, the sooner Sappoto-san is out of my hair and I can be alone again. So, by my side Sappoto-san stays until then! Oh boy, this will take me a while!

Haruka Kanata by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION on VEVO.