The entire train ride was nice. It was much better than the road trips I had taken in the past. Here I could watch Metube and use the internet instead of having to drive.
At the layover, we had 30 minutes until our next train would leave. Now that I had the time I was able to get a good look at Kitsumi Kiyo, the girl they sent to be my chaperone.
She was an office worker for the government and was a part of Ren Shiro's team.
She was a pretty girl that clearly had confidence in her looks and she seemed like the type to make use of it for her own benefit.
The next train took 3 and a half hours. It dropped us off in the coastal town that we were going to stay in.
We collected our things and made our way to the inn we were going to stay at. The town was small so there were only a few options to stay at, the inn or one of the few guest houses. The inn was the only appropriate choice.
It was 6 o'clock in the afternoon. So most of the shops were closing up for the evening.
After dropping off our luggage at the inn we decided to eat at a restaurant that was in the heart of a residential area.
It was a cozy little restaurant with traditional Yamato cuisine.
There wasn't a lot of conversation to go around between the two of us. It was just a persistent, awkward silence.
I'm unsure how we appeared to the locals, a couple on a first date? Or a couple on their last.
Once I was finished eating I went back to the inn, while Kitsumi Kiyo stayed behind to talk to the locals. That was surprising to me as she hadn't said very much to me at all. Perhaps she is just more comfortable talking in her own language?
She could also be intimidated by me and my status in the office? Though that doesn't seem like the case.
Whatever, it's not my problem.
I made my way back to the inn, walking down the sparsely lit streets. Looking at the surroundings, I found them to be quite charming.
The town was rural, even the densest parts had lots of greenery. Every house seemed to have their own plot of farmland.
One thing that I found interesting was that the town, while coastal, was pulled back from the actual coast. Almost all of the land along the coast was farmland, sport fields, parks, or the occasional port.
The ports always had factories or plants of one form or another. I guess the plan is to have ports covering the coastline. That's probably why one of the options was to build my own port.
Another interesting thing is that the power in this town comes from the hydro-electric dam on the large river that flows just on the edge of town. There are also a surprising amount of solar farms in the area.
That means getting some land for a solar farm should be easy.
I got back to the inn and stood outside in the warm yellow glow of the porch light above the door. The bugs flying, smacking back and forth, attracted to the glow.
It was cold, but like the bugs, I was attracted. But, I was attracted to the sea.
I turned around and walked back into the dark and past the still lit FamilyMart. I continued to make my way down to the beach. However once I got closer I realized that I couldn't get close to the water.
There was a massive wall 20 or 30 feet tall and thick, it was made of something like concrete. I can only guess that they built the wall to prevent tsunamis.
But that also prevents any real beaches from existing in this area. I wanted to look at the ocean, but all I got was a wall.
Funny, I wonder if this could be an allegory for life?
Whatever, since I can't see the sea then I will just go back.
I stopped by the FamilyMart and picked up a warm Famichiki. A warm piece of boneless fried chicken in between two soft fluffy pancakes.
It was delightful, especially on a cold night like this.
Back in the inn I got ready to go to sleep. I didn't know when Kitsumi Kiyo would wake up, but I was going to be ready whenever she was.
…
The next morning I was up early. I got ready, had breakfast at the inn when they served it. Then I waited around in the lobby for Kitsumi Kiyo to wake up.
It was Friday, and we had traveled a long way, so I was trying to be understanding. But, she was the one who decided to stay out late talking, and now it was approaching noon with no sign of her.
I was actually just as worried as I was irritated.
What if something happened to her last night and she didn't come back?
But also, what if she was just sleeping in?
It was a dance back and forth on whether to be mad or worried.
Finally, she showed up at 12:20.
I asked, "What time did you get back?"
She responded, "I don't know? It was late?"
I could feel my blood pressure rising. I went to school with girls like this, and I never liked a single one.
They always had this sense of self-importance that drove me crazy. I always thought, "just because you're attractive doesn't mean you can just do whatever you want. It doesn't make you better than anyone else".
I, like most people, crushed on the popular girls, but if they ever acted like that. Well, they would suddenly look a whole lot less attractive.
It seemed like she could tell that I was irritated since she started to explain herself.
She said, "I was out late talking to people about the idea of a new manufacturing plant opening here."