• 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 | 𝐆𝐋𝐓

• 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 & 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚

Here we go... Huh.

I've never traveled to any country outside of Japan. Even despite my family suggesting to go somewhere else. Like France to see the Eiffel Tower, Italy to see the Colosseum, and many more. But I didn't want to go everytime, I kept protesting to my parents. So they had no choice but to leave me with a babysitter, later alone as I grew up. I didn't really mind that I gave up on such opportunities to see the world. I just thought I'd be so out of place whenever I visit other countries. But this time was different, this Saturday.

Yuu came back home after a long day of work as usual, but I saw her holding something that looked like a ticket. So I walked up to her to get a better look.

"Chii-chan, Happy Birthday! I had no time to congratulate you this morning. And I have big, big surpriseeee!" Seeing Yuu so happy, I couldn't help but smile as well. Maybe I'm in love? But it's not important right now.

"Thanks, and no worries. You work so hard for me that I don't understand why are you apologizing to me." I decided to finally ask Yuu about the tickets. "Aren't those tickets? Are we going somewhere?"

"Heheh, I'm glad you asked Chii-chan! We're going to... Boom, boom, boom, booooooom...!" She lifted up the arm that was holding the tickets into the air. "America! The land of the free!"

"... America?" I asked, before Yuu nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, America! I borrowed some money from my parents since they're super rich!" Yeah, right... Yuu's parents are surprisingly rich. But Yuu insisted that borrowing money is not as rewarding as working hard, but it makes literally zero sense to me. Since we're really in need of money right now...

"Like I said, your birthday party WILL be a banger. So I came up with this idea to travel somewhere outside of Japan." I was pretty surprised that Yuu was this dedicated to my birthday... Even despite her forgetting it the first time. "We're going tomorrow! So pack your bags and-" I had to interrupt Yuu because it was just too much for me.

"Okay, okay, wait up a second... Gosh, you didn't even explain to me everything about the trip. And I also need to inform my university about it, and what about your job?" I sighed, but it seems like Yuu came up with everything already, so she responded back almost instantly.

"Well, can't you just inform them today? And I don't really care if I get fired for taking a few days off. It's just a part time job, I can just get hired by someone else." Yuu's almost carefree attitude is something that makes my jaw absolutely drop... It's not that easy...

"... It's not as easy as it seems, Yuu. But I'll try I guess." I wasn't too sure about that. "And well, since I borrowed some money... It'll last us about a week while we're on the trip." A week, huh... Yuu really borrowed a lot of money since I know how expensive it is in the states based on the news articles I saw about the rising prices and stuff.

"Okay, sounds good then." I had no choice but to approve, as I nodded. Which made Yuu jump out of excitement. "Woohoo! Alright, let's start packing our bags! We're heading out early in the morning tomorrow!" Yuu rushed into our room, before I followed up soon after.

"What should we pack, what should we pack... Hmmmm..." She looked around, before opening an empty suitcase. As she started to stuff things into it. "Clothes, underwear, shampoo, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste..." Yuu got everything that is needed. Before she started packing some absurd stuff. "Cool Super Ranger figurine, manga, and boxing gloves!" "... Why do you need boxing gloves?" "You never know, maybe we'll get attacked by some gangsters or something!" As we packed our bags, everything was pretty much done. The only thing we could do is wait until the time we head out.

We turned off all the lights, before going back to bed. As I laid down, being in my own thoughts.

The things that we enjoy... Will they be always enjoyable? Well, maybe it depends on how much you're passionate about something. It's a thing that makes you happy and keeps your sanity high. But what about me? What do I enjoy? I always wondered throughout my life. Maybe it's reading, maybe it's studying... But it never really put a smile on my face unless it was something funny like a gag in a book. But it's just... I never put much effort in understanding it. Maybe I enjoy being together with Yuu, all of the memories we made along the way while growing up. Something that really put a smile on my face, something that made me happy, something... That I truly enjoy. Is to... Live on, and keep making more memories.