July 16
A new day arrived; there was no time to dwell on the past and feel nostalgic.
He would always remember these happy times.
He woke up and replied to Ichinose.
He got up to complete the Angel mission.
(4/18)
Eat, play on his phone, practice the Primordial Flower Hand, watch videos, eat, take a call from Ichinose, take a call from the Kendo Club, deal with all sorts of miscellaneous personnel information, exercise, meditate, do yoga, eat, practice the Primordial Flower Hand, talk to Ichinose, sleep.
July 17
At home, living the same unchanging routine.
(5/18)
July 18
Everyone agreed on a travel plan.
They decided to meet in Ginza at noon on July 19.
The night passed.
July 19
Yi Chen had gotten enough sleep and was up by seven.
He got up and replied to Ichinose.
He completed the Angel mission.
(6/18)
He washed up and took a shower.
Wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt, black casual pants, and red sneakers, he headed out with a small white shoulder bag on his back.
He soon met Ichinose at Shinjuku Station.
Ichinose wore a short-sleeved school uniform shirt, a black short skirt, black thigh-high socks, and little black shoes.
A camera hung from her chest.
She looked youthful and radiant.
When they arrived in Ginza, Ichinose pulled Yi Chen over to take a photo.
Their friends' figures were already barely visible amid the bustling crowd.
Ichinose spotted them right away and waved her arms from a distance.
A bright smile appeared on her face.
Tangben Yishan was dressed casually, too. He called out loudly from afar:
"Yi Chen, over here! Over here!"
Ichinose took Yi Chen by the hand and led him toward Tangben Yishan.
Yamada was dressed plainly as well.
Suzuki and Anna were both dressed youthfully.
The trip began.
First stop: Ginza.
Tangben Yishan led everyone through Ginza's streets and alleyways.
The best thing here was the seafood.
Plump sashimi and soft, sticky rice—the freshness of the sea and the fragrance of rice danced together on the tongue with every bite.
After eating their fill, they strolled through the streets.
Beautifully designed shop windows filled their view, and the fashionable items on display were dazzling.
The group visited Ginza's beautiful sights together, chatting and laughing along the way.
Everyone shared amusing stories from their lives, and Yi Chen couldn't help telling them about his past, too.
Everyone couldn't help wondering how there could possibly be a school with morning study at six and students still in the classroom at eleven at night.
Yi Chen quickly changed the subject.
Ichinose also captured plenty of moments along the way.
She took lots of photos with everyone, but most of them were of her and Yi Chen together.
They arrived at a flower garden:
Ichinose and Yi Chen stood together in the pretty garden, flashing peace signs!
"Click!"
They got on the cable car:
Each car seated three.
Ichinose and Yi Chen snuggled close together, pulling silly, adorable expressions.
Yamada sat beside them like a third wheel, looking disgusted.
"Click!"
At the arcade:
Yi Chen held a stuffed toy, while Ichinose stood in front of him.
"Click!"
At the stage play:
Ichinose grabbed Yi Chen's face and made a funny expression.
"Click."
Before long, evening arrived.
As dusk fell, the fading light slowly draped over Ginza like a vast veil.
Everyone's steps grew heavy, their bodies showing signs of fatigue after a full day of sightseeing.
But their eyes and the corners of their mouths were full of satisfaction.
The last photo of the day.
Everyone stood on a flight of steps, smiling.
Ichinose set the camera up somewhere high and set the timer.
She hurried over and put an arm around Yi Chen.
"Click!"
The day ended perfectly.
Tomorrow, they would explore Shinjuku.
Everyone said their cheerful goodbyes, and Ichinose went home with Yi Chen.
Back home, Yi Chen flopped onto his bed.
The day's moments played over and over in his mind, like scenes from a movie.
The corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably.
"Whoa, what is this feeling? It's so wonderful."
"I don't know... Forget it, I won't think about it."
"I'll just enjoy it."
July 20
Yi Chen still got up early to complete the Angel mission.
(7/18)
After washing up, he headed out. Today, everyone was visiting Shinjuku.
So Ichinose led the group around, while Yi Chen once again settled in with them.
First stop:
A vintage record shop.
Yi Chen curiously flipped through the vinyl records, their sleeves marked by the passage of time.
Now and then, Ichinose picked up a record and set it on an old-fashioned turntable. A lilting melody instantly filled the shop.
Tangben Yishan and the others looked around, too.
Suzuki, Anna, and Yamada were drawn to the vintage music.
Ichinose captured everything.
And then—
Ichinose stood beside Yi Chen.
"Click!"
Afterward, out on the street—
Suzuki and Anna were drawn to the creative anime merchandise in the shopfronts, excitedly picking out little things they liked.
When everyone grew tired, they went to a Korean restaurant.
The kimchi was sloppily made, and the beef was carelessly prepared.
Everyone enjoyed the simple, tasty meal, eating their fill amid constant laughter and chatter.
Yi Chen's awkward expression as he ate beef.
"Click!"
Ichinose laughed gleefully.
In the afternoon, they entered Shinjuku Gyoen. A vast expanse of green came into view, dotted with blooming flowers.
Ichinose pulled Yi Chen beneath a cherry tree for a photo.
Petals drifted down on the breeze, making a beautiful scene.
The two held hands.
"Click!"
Later, the group played around on the grass, tossing a Frisbee and playing games.
Yi Chen joined in, even though he was so socially awkward that he had trouble loosening up.
Luckily, Ichinose stayed by his side the whole time.
It was a lot of fun.
The sun sank in the west, its afterglow bathing them in warm light and gilding the day.
Everyone sat in a circle, sharing snacks and chatting.
"Click!"
The day ended happily.
July 21
(8/18)
A trip to Odaiba, Neon.
This was Yamada's home.
Everyone gathered at Odaiba Station.
This was Yamada's hometown.
As they reached a part of Odaiba, the iconic wind turbines came into view.
They turned slowly beneath the blue sky and white clouds.
Yi Chen stopped to watch.
"Click!"
Ichinose smiled and tugged at Yi Chen, then said to the others:
"Come on, let's go look around over there first."
They walked along the seaside promenade. The sea breeze brushed past them, bringing a touch of coolness.
There were lots of people along the shore. Some were playing volleyball.
Others swayed and danced to the music.
Ichinose pulled Yi Chen over to take pictures by the sea.
With the deep blue ocean behind them, Ichinose smiled brightly while Yi Chen gave a faint smile and flashed a peace sign.
"Click!"
They passed a dessert shop with a distinctive style. Suzuki's eyes lit up, and she led everyone inside.
They picked a large table at random and sat down.
Before long, exquisite, delicious ice cream was brought to the table.
Yi Chen tried a bite of matcha ice cream. It was so cold.
The cold gave him a brain freeze.
"Click!"
Ichinose caught him in the act, leaving them with another amusing photo.
Next, Yamada took everyone to Odaiba's shopping district.
The whole area was filled with high-tech stores.
Inside were all kinds of trendy gadgets and novel little items.
They wandered into a tech store.
Tangben Yishan had a blast in the virtual reality zone.
Yi Chen was embarrassed, so Ichinose pulled him into a virtual game for two.
Ichinose asked Anna to take pictures of the two of them playing.
Yamada, Tangben Yishan, Anna, and Suzuki.
The four made funny faces at the camera, with Yi Chen and Ichinose wearing VR headsets behind them.
"Click!"
In the afternoon,
Yamada took everyone to a nearby izakaya he often went to.
Authentic yakitori and fresh sashimi covered the table.
They ate and chatted, their laughter and conversation never letting up.
Yamada couldn't help telling them stories about his childhood in Odaiba.
Yi Chen and the others listened with rapt attention.
Later, they went to Yishan Mountain and wearily climbed to the summit.
They laughed and joked along the way.
When they reached the top, they gazed at the sunset.
"Click."
The sun slowly sank below the horizon.
The day ended perfectly.
July 22
(9/18)
Tokyo Skytree.
July 23
(10/18)
Asakusa
July 24
(11/18)
Tokyo's Akihabara.
(12/18)
July 25
(13/18)
Ueno Park.
July 26
(14/18)
Shibuya.
July 27
(15/18)
Tokyo Disneyland
July 28
(16/18)
Lake Yamanaka.
July 29.
(17/18)
Tangben Yishan arranged for everyone to meet in Ginza at four.
Their trip to Tokyo, Neon, came to an end today.
Yi Chen and the others had happily enjoyed most of what Tokyo, Neon, had to offer.
Everyone gathered in Ginza today. Each of them had brought gifts of all sizes.
It was Tangben Yishan's younger sister's birthday.
Tangben Xi
They went to Tangben Yishan's house. His parents had gone to work.
His younger sister had gone out too.
After arriving at Tangben Yishan's house, they put the gifts aside.
Then they set about preparing a birthday surprise for Tangben Xi.
They ordered a big cake and some birthday decorations.
Once everything was ready,
6:00 p.m.
Tangben Xi came home from a classmate's house and opened the door to find the house dark.
Only the faint glow of candlelight illuminated the room.
Tangben Xi saw that there were several unfamiliar people in the house.
She cautiously looked around.
Ichinose greeted her warmly:
"Xi, you're home!"
"Happy birthday!"
Then several voices called out,
"Happy birthday, Xi!"
Tangben Xi was puzzled. Yi Chen also came out and curiously looked her over.
When Tangben Xi saw Yi Chen looking at her, her cheeks turned slightly red.
She looked him up and down.
Tangben Anshan came out and explained everything to his younger sister.
They also learned that Tangben Xi was in her third year of junior high.
She would be attending Advanced Nurturing High School next year too.
When Tangben Xi learned they were all her brother's classmates, she let down her guard.
Tangben Xi kept sneaking glances at Yi Chen.
Yi Chen treated Tangben Xi like a child.
Tangben Xi was about 1.6 meters tall.
She had long brown hair that fell over her shoulders.
Her small, delicate oval face was adorned with earrings.
She wore an orange top with a brown-and-black plaid skirt.
Black sneakers completed her outfit.
She was pretty, but seemed rather formidable.
Afterward, everyone celebrated Tangben Xi's birthday.
Ichinose placed a birthday crown on Tangben Xi's head.
Then everyone sang the birthday song together, their voices echoing through the house.
Tangben Xi was very shy, but also very happy.
As Yi Chen took in the cheerful atmosphere, something shifted in his heart.
Everyone celebrated together, and Tangben Xi made a wish.
Then they all ate cake and played games.
The winners watched the show, while the losers had to perform.
Yamada was first to put on a kendo demonstration.
Everyone was unimpressed.
Yamada sheepishly dropped out.
Then it was Suzuki's turn.
Suzuki performed a magic trick for everyone.
Then Yi Chen lost the game.
Though he was embarrassed, Yi Chen didn't know why, but he actually dared to perform in front of everyone.
He sang an English song he liked.
Everyone sat around listening to Yi Chen sing, swaying to the rhythm.
As he sang, Yi Chen looked around at the others, who kept the mood lively.
They had spent the past few days having fun together, and now they were celebrating a friend's younger sister's birthday. His heart was filled with warmth.
When the performance ended, everyone praised Yi Chen.
Tangben Xi looked at him with admiration too.
Then they opened the presents, and Yi Chen gave her a little rabbit charm.
It was a casual gift, but Tangben Xi loved it.
Afterward,
Things turned out exactly as Tangben Yishan had expected.
Tangben Xi had indeed taken an interest in Yi Chen.
Tangben Yishan felt that it reflected well on him.
Yi Chen, meanwhile, felt that the vacation had not only let him take in beautiful scenery and learn a lot about different places,
but had also given him a new perspective on the world.
Soon, the birthday celebration came to an end.
They stayed up playing until nightfall.
They happily said their goodbyes, while Tangben Xi made up her mind about something.
She said goodbye to Yi Chen and Ichinose with a strange mix of emotions.
Before you continue