In It To Win(win) It

10. Osaka!

"Korehoshii," Si Cheng said to himself. He was sitting at his study and writing down some notes on a pretty dark blue notebook he bought at the bookstore the other day. "I want this," he said in Mandarin.

"Literally what are you doing?" Ten said, eating Si Cheng's share of the rice crackers.

"Calm down, I'm trying to study!" Si Cheng said. "Daisukidesu-"

"You know, instead of taking you out to eat some more ramen, why didn't you ask him to teach you Japanese," Ten said. "You had the perfect opportunity to call him senpai!"

Si Cheng sighed. "Can you help me get into the dating stage before helping me get into the fucking stage?"

"Oh, all right." Ten got up from his bed and went to kneel beside Si Cheng. "Like I said, I've never been to a country where I don't speak the language, but you have to think of all the basics, okay?"

"Like how to call an ambulance, right?"

"What the hel-actually, that's a good one," Ten agreed. "You don't want Yuta to die because you don't know how to call an ambulance."

"Actually, I have to search that up," Si Cheng said, typing into his laptop Japan emergency number. "Huh, google says there are three."

"Sounds fake but okay," Ten said. "Although there are certain aspects of Yuta that seem fake. Yeah, makes sense."

Si Cheng stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not saying he acts fake or anything, but like, how the hell do you watch anime and become the most popular boy in college at the same time?!" Ten screeched. "What is wrong with that guy?"

"Ten, you have to stop making stereotypes," Si Cheng said, getting out of his chair to roam the bookcase. "I'm pretty sure I had a book...."

"A book about stereotypes?"

"Smartass, no, look." Si Cheng sat back down on his spot, giving Ten the chance to view the glossy cover of the hardback. That was a nice picture of sushi on it. "It's a book about Japanese cuisine that my mom gave me a few months ago. I'm trying to recognize the meals so that I don't look stupid in the restaurants that he would surely take me."

"Damn, I didn't think you'd be the type to criticize a date," Ten said, laughing as Si Cheng tried to hit him with the heavy book.

***

"Are you nervous?" Yuta asked them at the airport.

It was the last day of classes but the two of them had finished early, so they were now waiting for the flight in the waiting room. Si Cheng thought it was kind of weird to go together on the same flight, but he didn't trust himself to get to Japan safely, no matter how much he stayed up all night looking at Google Maps.

"A bit," Si Cheng admitted. What was the point of lying, anyways? "I mean, I'm barely getting use to this country and I'm not proud of my Korean, and now I'm going to one where I have no knowledge of anyways-"

"Wait, you didn't have to come if you didn't want to," Yuta said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to force you-"

"No, it's not that," Si Cheng said. "I've always wanted to travel, but I just don't think I'll be able to do it."

"I think you'll be able to travel," Yuta said. He smiled and reached out to pat Si Cheng's back. "It's basically a huge discovering trip of new traditions and places. Even when I go to a new place in Japan, it's really cool to look at everything."

Yuta was right, Si Cheng realized, looking at his hands to see the passport staring back at him. He remembers when he was first going to South Korea, meaning his first time to get the passport. He liked the image that came out, but he hoped that the passport would keep getting put to use.

"I want to travel to so many Chinese-speaking countries and cities," Si Cheng said. "Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Shanghai. So many differences but yet so many shared things between them."

Si Cheng's response was much better than Yuta's dumb reason to go to America. Just wanting to get famous and recognition, too. But yet it was what Yuta has always wanted in his life, what many non-Americans dream about living.