In between- Spoke x oc!Fem

XXIII

As soon as we pulled up to the Airbnb, I could already feel the excitement bubbling up inside me. The journey had been long and tiring, but the thought of spending the next two weeks with the entire Lifesteal crew in Japan kept my spirits high. Even before stepping out of the car, I could hear the laughter and voices coming from inside the house. It was as if we hadn't just flown across the world—everyone was still bursting with energy.

Minuet parked the car, and I stretched as I got out, trying to shake off the stiffness from the flight. My eyes scanned the neighborhood. The Airbnb was a traditional Japanese house, tucked away in a quiet, picturesque street. Sliding doors, wooden beams, and a small courtyard garden—it felt like a scene out of a travel guide. I couldn't wait to explore every corner of it.

Derapchu was already pulling bags out of the trunk, and I grabbed mine, slinging it over my shoulder. "Alright, let's do this," I muttered to myself, ready to finally relax after a day of traveling.

"There she is!" Roshambo's voice boomed from inside, immediately followed by a wave of greetings from the others.

A grin broke out on my face as I walked toward the door, the tiredness momentarily forgotten. I slid the door open and stepped inside, greeted by the familiar sight of everyone sprawled out across the living room.

Roshambo, Spoke, Leo, Jumper, Rekrap, and the rest of the gang were lounging around on couch, looking as if they'd been having the time of their lives since they arrived.

"Took you long enough!" Spoke teased as he got up from the couch, a smirk tugging at his lips as he made his way over to me. 

I rolled my eyes. "Blame the flight delays, not me."

As soon as he was in front of me he hugged me. His hands snaked around my waist, as I slung my arms around his neck

The amount of butterflies I was feeling in my stomach were unreal "hi!" I told him still while hugging him "hi Avs"

As soon as we let go of each other I could feel Ro smirking at me.

Leo chuckled from his seat by the window. "We all made it before you, didn't we?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I waved them off, dropping my bag near the entrance. "Let me settle in before you start ganging up on me."

Minuet and Derap walked in behind me, carrying the last of the bags. "This place is sick!" Derap said, looking around in awe.

"Right?" I agreed, taking in the traditional wooden sliding doors, tatami mats, and the soft glow of paper lanterns. There was something serene about the place, but I knew that serenity wouldn't last long with all of us under one roof.

As we settled in, everyone slowly gathered around the table in the center of the living room, exchanging stories of their travels, things they'd already seen, and what was planned for the rest of the trip. Plates of food were scattered across the table—ramen, tempura, and sushi we'd ordered earlier. My stomach growled at the sight of it.

"Help yourself," Ro said, motioning to the food. "We ordered enough for an army."

I didn't need any more convincing. I grabbed a plate, piling it high with sushi and noodles. The first bite of ramen was heavenly, the rich broth warming me up and easing the jetlag, if only for a moment.

"So, what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" I asked, slurping up the noodles.

"Sightseeing, definitely," Spoke said, leaning back against the couch. "There's a ton to do, but we can figure it out in the morning."

Leo nodded. "Yeah, we should just play it by ear. No rush."

I nodded in agreement, not really caring what we did as long as it involved exploring the city. We spent the next couple of hours eating, talking, and getting more comfortable in our new surroundings. The initial adrenaline rush from arriving in Japan had started to wear off, and one by one, people began retreating to their rooms.