June 27, 2019
At around 8:10 AM.
While Hiro was packing his cleats and shin guards in his bag, he heard his mother’s voice coming from downstairs.
“Hiro hurry up!! We’ll miss the flight if you continue to delay us like this.”
Just as he heard her voice, he quickly stuffed his towel and spare clothes inside his backpack.
After stuffing his spare clothes and cleats in his backpack, he zipped his bag. He then hurriedly grabbed a random shirt from his closet and began to get dressed.
After getting dressed, he grabbed his backpack and left his room in a hurry.
“Careful!! Careful!! You might trip and injure yourself.” She mumbled as she saw him running down the stairs in a hurry.
Even so he didn’t slow down his descent and continued to run down the stairs without paying any attention towards her words.
“Jeez!! Just why do you always get so late?” She exasperated while looking at him. “You know that we’re only going there for you. And yet you’re acting such irresponsibly.”
“If you hadn’t slept back again after I woke you up, we wouldn’t have been rushing like this.” She continued to nag him.
As usual he had fallen back to sleep immediately after she had left his room after waking him up.
“I’ll wake up on time from next time mom. But let’s hurry up for now. Or else we’ll really miss the flight.” He mumbled as he finished tying his laces.
Hiro and his mother were heading towards Kawasaki city which was located in kanagawa prefecture to visit the club Kawasaki Frontale.
About a week ago, he had agreed to go with Eric’s decision of checking out both the clubs which he had shortlisted for him.
And thus for that reason, he was leaving for Kawasaki city with his mother to visit the one of the short listed club by Eric.
While his father couldn’t come with them because of his work, his mother was accompanying him on his trip to Kawasaki.
“Mom!! Is dad really not going to come with us?” He questioned his mother while they were preparing to leave the house.
Their trip to Kawasaki was a three day event. Though he was only required to show up at the club for a day. And he had two days left to spare. And in those leftover time, he could go sightseeing and enjoy his time at the city as much as he wanted.
Thus, he wanted all of them to go together so that all of them could spend some quality family time together in a new city.
“Dad’s company is really short on staff this time around. So we’ll have to go by ourselves this time. But he has promised to go with you for your visit to the next club.” She replied with a smile on her face.
Even though she too was upset by his absence, she kept the smile on her face, nonetheless.
She didn’t want to show her worried expression to her son. And thus while replying to him, she forced a smile on her face.
**** ****
After about half an hour later, they arrived at the entrance of the airport in a cab.
As the cab drove inside the airport, he noticed a lot of people in the airport while peeking outside his window. And even though it wasn’t a weekday, the airport was still flooded with people’s going in and out of the airport.
“Here is your 5000 yen.” She handed the cab fare to the driver after he finished unloading their luggage.
“Thank you for riding in my cab.” After receiving the money, the cab driver wished them well and stormed outside the airport.
“Now should we hurry up inside as well?” His mother inquired as she took out a handle bar from the luggage bag.
“Ummm”
He nodded his head and started to walk towards the airport alongside his mother.
After reaching the waiting room of the airport, his mother left him all by himself to go to the counter to verify their tickets.
“May I have your tickets Mam.” A young lady who was wearing a maroon coloured uniform asked as she approached the counter.
“Here you go.” She took out tickets for two people from inside her black coloured designer handbag with a logo of Sakura flower embedded on it and handed it over to the receptionist.
“Let’s see. You’re flight is scheduled for 9:30 AM. Even though there’s still time left for the flight to depart. You’re late mam.” The receptionist exclaimed as she began to verify her tickets.
“I’m sorry.” She apologized upon hearing her words.
“All verified. Here you go Mam. Try to be on time from next time onwards. You might miss your flight if you don’t reach the airport on time.” The receptionist from the counter advised her to be punctual from next time onward, while she handed back the tickets to her after verifying it.
“Thank you for your service.” She thanked the receptionist after receiving the tickets and walked towards the waiting room where Hiro was waiting for her.
[Passenger for the plane Kawasaki 0H-6D that’s going to takeoff from Tokushima to Kawasaki at 9:30 AM are requested to head towards the boarding area.]
“That would be our flight.” She mumbled after hearing the announcement. “Let’s go”
After passing through a security check-up and customs, they headed towards the boarding area where they boarded a bus that would take them to the plane.
**** ****
After traveling for about two and half hours, they finally landed on an airport near Kawasaki city.
“Sigh!!”
“Finally here.” Hiro revealed a deep sigh and began to stretch his body.
After reclaiming their luggage, they began to walk towards the waiting room.
While walking towards the waiting room, they noticed a man dressed in black suit holding a board with Hiro’s name on it.
“That uncle must be the guy sent by the club.” Hiro exclaimed while pointing at the man with the board with his name on it.
Since they were new to the city, the club had hired a person to act as their guide. And that man who was holding the board with his name written on it was the person hired by the club to act as their guide during their time at the city.
“Takahashi Hiro! That’s me.” He spoke while approaching the man with the board.
“Hello Hiro! I’m Yoichiro Musashi. The guy hired by Kawasaki Frontale to act as your guide during your stay at the city.” That man dressed in the black suit introduced himself.
“And this here is my mother Takahashi Momo. You can address her as Mrs.Takahashi.” While pointing at his mother, he introduced his mother to the man infront.
“Hello Mrs. Takahashi.” He greeted her while bowing his head.
His mother greeted him back while bowing her head as well.
“I have parked my car outside. So shall we head to your hotel first?” He inquired. “May I carry your luggage to the car Mam?”
“It’s alright Mr. Musashi. I can carry the luggage by myself.” She denied his help and insisted on carrying her luggage by herself.
“Well if you say so. But it’s my job to assist you Mrs. Takahashi. So I insist you to hand me the luggage.” He asked politely.
Even though she had denied his help previously, he was adamant to do the job he was hired for.
Hearing such polite words from him, she could no longer refuse his help. And hence she agreed to let him carry their luggage towards the car.
After about 20 mins of driving, they arrived at their hotel.
“Damn!! The hotel looks too bland.” Hiro mumbled while rubbing his eyes.
He couldn’t believe that it was the place where they were going to spend two nights.
“Mom is this the correct hotel?” He questioned his mother while pointing at the hotel infront.
With nothing fancy, the hotel looked very ordinary. Ordinary to the point where one could hardly tell if it was even a hotel or not.
And if not for the sign of hotel, people might even mistook it for someone’s house.
The hotel was a three storeyed building made up of red bricks and tiles on the slanted roof atop with a small lawn infront.
“Yes!! It’s the hotel where we’ll be staying during our time at the city.” His mother addressed to his claims while taking out the luggage from the car.
And just as she took out the luggage, she narrowed her eyes towards him and exclaimed;
“Do you have any problem with my arrangements?”
“But why such bor-” Just as he was about to speak something, he paused midway after noticing her gaze towards him. “No mam! I’ve got no problems.”
He quickly changed his sentence after witnessing her gaze.
“Good! It was the only cheap hotel I could find on the internet afterall.” She exclaimed as she diverted her attention towards the hotel.
Except for the guide hired by the club, they weren’t sponsored for their trip to Kawasaki by the club. ．
And his mother had to pay the expenses out of her own pocket. Thus, she had tried to cut as much expense as possible by selecting the cheapest hotels.