Chapter 473: Hope in Japan |
[Play - Stranger Than Heaven - Pealeaf & Chewie Melodies Cover]
Hope stepped off the sleek private jet and onto the tarmac, holding her hands up to block the bright LED lights nearby. "This... is Japan?"
It was night time. But it was a different night from the one she was used to.
A clear sky. A pure white moon. In the distant, a bright glowing city...
It was like stepping into a whole new world.
John nodded. "Yep. That's the Japan you've been dreaming of." He paused. "Well, specifically Tokyo. There's still tons of other parts. But we'll take you there sometime."
Hope held her suitcase close and stared at the city in the distance, a soft smile on her face. "Amazing... I've never seen real skyscrapers before."
Spoiler
John adjusted his suit and said, "Well, get used to it. You're probably going to be here often, so it's going to be a thing."
"If you want." John walked towards the exit, heading back into the airport gates. "You're an American citizen so it'll be troublesome moving you here full-time. Still, we can probably do a few months out of the year if you want." He glanced over at Hope and said, "You aren't tired though? It was a long flight."
Hope shook her head. "No. I mean... kind of." She laughed and hugged her suitcase closer. "...It was my first time on an airplane, so I'm still a bit jittery. But it went a lot smoother than I thought it would."
John chuckled. "Well, when you have money, these things become easier. So get used to it." He winked at Hope and said, "You have star power, I'm sure of it. You're meant for good things, so stuff like this will happen more often."
Hope's eyes watered a bit.
"H-Huh?" John blinked and said, "W-Wait, are you seriously crying right now?"
"S-Sorry!" Hope laughed and brushed her tears away. "It's just... I haven't even done anything yet, but you... all of you believe in me this much..."
It wasn't just Mister John.
Hana, Alfi, Aoko... all of her senpai were already believing in her. They already treated her like someone worth knowing.
That...
Hope let out a trembling smile and said, "Sorry... It's just the first time anyone's really believed in me like this. It's... nice. A bit too nice..."
John groaned. "Not you too... R- Hana was the same way at the start."
Hope's eyes widened. "Senpai was?"
Her? Hana? The bubbly and energetic imouto? She was just like Hope at first?
John nodded. "Mmhm. Well, don't you remember her debut? It wasn't an exaggeration to say that her becoming Hana changed her life for the better... Although she would tell you that it was meeting me." John shook his head. "She was always going to make it though. I just cleared the path for her."
Hope smiled and said, "You're a good person, Mister John."
"My wife would say that I'm a terribly good person." John nodded. "She would also say I'm so good that it makes it impossible for beautiful women to not fall in love with me. Something about making a debt of gratitude so great they can't help but repay it with love... She lectures me about this every night to remind me."
Hope laughed. "Really? Miss Yue does?" She smiled and looked up at John. "You don't mind though?"
"Of course not." John smiled back. "The fact that she does shows that she knows me and cares about me that much."
"Don't you think it's her being jealous though?"
"Oh absolutely." John nodded. "But I love my jealous wife. It's cute... but don't tell her that. I enjoy seeing her pout."
Hope laughed again, wiping a tear from her eye. "You're terrible!"
John led Hana through the locked doors leading into the airport gates, nodding at the security who opened the way for them. Then he said, "Oh, absolutely. She loves it though, even if she pretends not to. Yue's the sort of woman who enjoys being bullied a bit and then demanding to be allowed to be clingy to make up for it."
Hope smiled. "It sounds like you get along well, Mister John."
"Mm... we do now. There was a whole mess that happened recently before our baby girl was born... but that's a story for later. Right now..." John walked Hope out into the main part of Haneda Airport.
Hope glanced at the sign and then blinked. "H-Huh? We aren't in Narita Airport?"
John blinked too and said, "Why would we be there? That's a whole 60 km away from Tokyo. We're in Haneda."
"Haneda Airport?"
John paused. Then he chuckled. "Oh... you don't know that much about Japan, do you?"
Hope blushed. "N-Not really, no. I know a bit from anime and watching the girls stream, but not much, Mister John."
"Don't worry about it." John smiled. "That just means you get to experience things firsthand without any preconceived notions. But wow... a complete newbie in Japan. That's amazing. I thought you were an otaku, but you're really a normie who just came across the girls, huh?"
Hope blinked. "...Otaku? O-Oh! That's like... a weeb, right?"
"...Oh MAN. You are actually NOT in the rabbithole." John laughed. "This is going to be fun for everyone around. The girls are going to take you everywhere, I can already feel it."
"R-Really?" Hope fidgeted as she followed John towards Arrivals. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing, Mister John?"
"Well." John looked up and waved at someone in the distance. "You're about to find out."
"H-Huh?" Hope looked up, following his gaze.
"Yo." Asako waved, walking over with her hands in her sports pants pockets. As she did, she gave Hope a once-over, her eyes widening when she saw that Hope was wearing Aoko's merch. "...You really showed up wearing that?"
Hope blushed, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "W-Well, it's comfy, and I like the design... I-Is it bad?"
At that time, someone else walked over. A half-Japanese high schooler with blonde hair and brown eyes. She rolled her eyes and said, "Stop teasing her, Senpai. And hello, Hope." She smiled and waved. "I'm... Well, I won't say 'which' senpai I am yet. But I'm Yuri. Nice to meet you."
"Y-Yes!" Hope did a deep bow. "The pleasure's all mine!"
"Pft." Asako laughed and looked at John. "Did you put her up to this?"
John held up his hands. "This is all her, not me... Speaking of which." He tilted his head and said, "Your English got better, Asako. Yours too, Yuri."
Asako smiled and said, "Well, considering that your family mostly speaks English, I have to practice. How else am I going to know what goes on in the group chat?"
John paused. "...That's a good point. I didn't even realize it, but we DO all use English..."
Yuri frowned. "Why is that anyway? Isn't Miss Yue Chinese? And the others too?"
John shrugged. "It's probably just easier. Lingua Franca and all that. They also don't really know how to read Japanese."
Hope raised her head and looked between John, Yuri, and Asako. Then she fidgeted and said, "U-Um... So, is Mister John going to drive me, or are we taking the train? I-Is it safe to take the train? I've seen... um, things about the trains and being a girl on them..."
"Huh?" Asako tilted her head. "Oh, you mean THOSE types of guys. Wouldn't happen with us around."
Yuri nodded. "Yeah. I'd kick their heads in."
Asako chuckled. "You WERE infamous for doing that. I still remember how you ran around the underworld kicking doors in and challenging chefs..."
Yuri blushed. "I-It was a phase, okay!"
John teased. "You say it was a phase, but I remember you dragging me and demanding a food war after I beat your grandpa with ramen."
"Sh-shut it! I thought we promised to not talk about those times! Besides!" Yuri pointed at Asako. "At least I didn't bully Alphy into a race and make her cry!"
Asako turned a beet red and said, "Th-that was a different time and a different me! I was stressed back then!"
"So was I!"
John laughed. "Well, for Asako, it basically became their meet-cute, so it works out."
Asako turned an even darker shade of red and said, "JOHN!"
"Am I wrong~?"
Hope giggled.
Hearing that, John, Asako, and Yuri glanced over.
Hope flinched and covered her mouth. "S-Sorry! It's just..." She smiled and said, "...This is what it's like to have friends, huh?"
John's gaze softened and he patted Hope's shoulder. "Not friends. Family."
Asako nodded. "Yeah. You're one of us now, Hope. Don't worry stress about it."
Yuri glanced at Asako and said, "Senpai. You realize that the way you say it makes it sound like you're inducting her into the Seiryuu-kai."
"Oi! Kisama...!"
"Language, Senpai~ Don't make me tell your fiancee- Owowow! My ear! Sorry, sorry!"
John chuckled. "Alright, alright." He pulled out his phone to check the time and said, "It's getting close to midnight. If I don't get back, Yue might actually stab me. And not in the fun way. Can I trust you girls to get Hope to her apartment safely?"
Hope's eyes widened. "I have an apartment here?!"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. Did I forget to tell you that?"
Asako sighed. "...We'll handle it, Pops. You head on back before your wife scolds all of us."
"Sure thing, Asako- Pops?" John froze. "Did you just call me Pops?"
"Well, yeah." Asako let out a mischievous smile. "Why? Does it make you feel old... Pops?"
"...I need to find a way to send a letter back to my parents. Karma's a bitch." John grumbled and then walked off.
After that, Yuri grabbed the suitcase from Hope and said, "Alright, Hope-chan. Let's go. Senpai parked in the garage so we have a bit to walk, but she brought the nice car today."
"Nice car?" Hope blinked. "W-What if I get the seats dirty?!"
Asako snorted and held Hope's hand, keeping her close. "Please. They're waterproof."
Yuri paused. "...Senpai?"
Asako tensed, realizing she said too much.
Yuri continued and said, "...WHY are they waterproof?"
"...Don't worry about it." Asako coughed. "Now, to the garage."
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