The day of the first visit arrived. My train ticket was in my hand, my small bag packed with essentials and a mix of nervousness and excitement churning in my stomach. I was going to Todai. To see Sakura. To step into her new world.
The train ride felt longer than usual, every mile adding to the anticipation. I looked out the window, the familiar landscape gradually changing to the unfamiliar. My hometown fading behind me, my university city left behind temporarily, and the city of Todai, of Sakura's future, drawing closer.
I re-read our texts, looked at the pictures she had sent of her dorm room, the campus, the view from her window. I tried to picture myself there, navigating those prestigious halls, talking to the kind of people she was surrounded by. The insecurity was still there, a quiet hum beneath the excitement.
What if I felt completely out of place? What if her new friends were polite but distant, seeing me as an outsider? What if, after seeing her in her element at Todai, the gap between our worlds felt wider than ever?
I reminded myself of her words, her invitation. She wanted me to visit. She wanted to share her world with me. Her desire for me to be there was what mattered most.
As the train pulled into the station, my heart pounded. This was it. I was in the city of Todai. A city that felt imbued with a sense of purpose and ambition.
I followed her directions, navigating the busy station, finding my way to the meeting point. And there she was.
Sakura. Looking even more radiant than I remembered, if that was possible. She was standing near a station pillar, her eyes scanning the arriving passengers, a hopeful, nervous smile on her face. She was dressed casually, but with her usual effortless elegance.
Seeing her after weeks of only calls and texts was a powerful moment. The distance, the communication challenges, the separate lives – for a second, none of it mattered. There was just the simple, overwhelming joy of seeing her.
Her face lit up when she saw me. Her hopeful smile bloomed into a radiant one. She waved excitedly.
"Hiroshi-kun!" she called out, her voice clear and joyful amidst the station noise.
I walked towards her, my own nervousness fading, replaced by the simple desire to be in her presence.
We met, and for a moment, just stood there, looking at each other, smiling.
Then, she stepped forward and hugged me tightly, just like at the school gate after her acceptance. It was a long, warm hug, filled with all the unspoken missing, the relief of seeing each other, the joy of being reunited.
"You're here," she murmured into my shoulder, her voice muffled but full of emotion.
"I'm here, Sakura," I replied, holding her close. "I made it."
We pulled apart, still holding hands, just looking at each other. The city of Todai buzzed around us, but for a moment, the world narrowed down to just us.
"Welcome to my world, Hiroshi," she said, her smile radiant.
Stepping off the train and into her embrace, in the heart of the city where her future lay, felt like crossing a threshold. The journey to her world wasn't just a train ride; it was a step across the miles, a conscious effort to bridge the physical and perhaps the perceived gap between our lives. The first visit had begun, and the unexpected love story was entering a phase of shared reality across the miles, ready to see if our bond was strong enough to thrive in the very different world she now called home.