Hullo! I'm still alive! [Rose Dawson voice] IT'S BEEN 84 YEARS
I'm not going to make promises regarding updates; I'll just say that at this point what I am trying to do is give this story a decent ending lolol help meeee
If you're here, thank you for choosing to stay! ♡
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THIRTY-FOUR
Ikatatanda ko ng maaga ang stress na ito. The recent events of my life have probably aged me a million years, pagkatapos ay dadagdag pa 'to.
Napagtanto ko na lang nang nakasakay na ako ng airport express pa-Tokyo, habang pina-park ko ang maleta sa storage area. The suitcase looked exactly like mine. Same height. Same titanium color. Pati ang black na leather luggage tag nito'y kaparehong kapareho ng sa'kin. Except when I found it open and was about to snap it shut, I saw that the name on it read 村上 リカ R. Murakami.
May pagka-deliryo ko pang sinubukan ko na i-encode ang combination ko sa built-in lock ng bag, umaasa na baka ang tags lang ang nagkapalit, but after my third try it still wouldn't give. I closed my eyes, biting back what would have been a very frustrated grunt. God. And I thought this stupid situation of mine couldn't get any worse.
Kinuha ko ang naka-detalyeng e-mail address at mobile number nitong si Murakami before heading to my designated seat. I tried dialing their number using a phone I borrowed from Grammy pero nagri-ring lang ito. Bumuntong-hininga ako. Naglalayag naman na ang tren ko pasiyudad at hindi ko na rin siya magagawang kitain sa Narita airport. I'd have to meet them somewhere in Tokyo, or if I had some stroke of luck left (which I highly doubt at this point), baka nasa parehong airport express pala kami.
Hi Mr. / Ms. Murakami,
I found your contact details from your luggage tag. Your suitcase was one of the few ones left lying unclaimed on the conveyor belt and I mistook it as mine since our bags look identical. I have urgent business to take care of in the country and I won't be staying long. I would greatly appreciate it if we could please meet up and exchange our suitcases immediately – somewhere in Tokyo, if that's okay with you? I'm currently on board the Narita Express and will reach Tokyo Station at around 5:30 in the afternoon. I'm hoping you'd read this and get back to me ASAP. Thank you so much!
Elisha Pring
Pagka-type ko sa message ay kaagad ko itong sinend sa mobile number at e-mail address ni Murakami, sabay dasal na sana'y marunong siyang mag-English at magkaintindihan kami. Pagkatapos ay dinelubyo ko ng DMs ang social networking sites ng airline company saka pa ako nag e-mail sa kanila, not at all caring if I appeared too desperate.
Lumipad ako pa-Japan para bawiin ang naglahong si Keith Kato, and I really didn't need my luggage to also pull a disappearing act on me and add to my list of ever-growing problems and things to reclaim.
Mabuti na nga lang at hindi hinadlangan ni Scary Dad itong balak ko, eh. Habang nagdidisenyo ng plano ang tatlong mga Ayala sa sala ng bahay namin kaninang umaga'y binulabog ko sila with my own scheming.
I squared my shoulders once I decided that the job of hauling Keith Kato and his stubborn ass back home was mine to do – and when I announced this to the room, everyone stared at me like I finally lost my mind, even Grammy.
Sa sobrang tahimik ng buong sala ay parang nakarinig pa ako ng pagpatak ng tubig mula sa faucet sa kitchen, but maybe that was just my imagination caused by my nerves. After a few heartbeats which felt like torturous hours, Daddy Ayala finally spoke.
"Do you have the necessary documents to enter Japan?"
"Opo."
"We'll get you the next flight out."
