Chapter 2: Two Months Earlier
Rome was sitting on his bed, headphones in, quietly sketching a mountain landscape in his notebook. His pencil moved smoothly across the page, shading in trees, clouds, and a distant sun behind the hills.
The door suddenly burst open.
Hina stood there, sweaty and out of breath, clutching something in her hand.
"You'll never guess what I got in the mail!" she shouted.
Rome didn't flinch. He didn't even look up.
"You really gotta stop busting into my room every time something new happens in your life. It's getting annoying."
Hina rolled her eyes, clearly a little annoyed herself. "Oh shut up. Now I don't feel like telling you anymore."
Rome sighed, pulled his headphones down around his neck, and brushed his pulled-back dreads from his face.
"But you're still gonna tell me," he said flatly. "So say it."
Hina pouted a little, holding up an envelope with excitement in her eyes. "I got accepted into the school's exchange program. I'm going to Japan!"
Rome froze.
His pencil dropped.
"You… what?" he stood up, stunned. "You didn't tell me you applied for that. We tell each other everything, Hina. Why didn't you say anything?"
Hina blinked in disbelief, half annoyed, half hurt. "I did, dumbass. You just don't remember because you never listen when I talk!"
Rome looked confused, then suddenly paused—his memory kicked in.
[Flashback – 3 Months Ago]
The two of them were walking home from school under a golden afternoon sky. Hina was beaming with excitement.
"Hey, Rome!" she said. "I'm thinking of applying for the school's exchange program to study in Japan. You wanna do it with me?"
Rome, earbuds in, half-listening, mumbled, "Yeah, for sure. That sounds cool."
[Back to Present]
Rome scratched the back of his head, feeling dumb.
"Oh... right. Sorry, Hina. I totally forgot. Is it too late for me to apply too?"
Hina crossed her arms and hesitated. "No… not technically too late. But the program starts in two months. It's really unlikely they'll accept someone this late."
Rome dropped onto his chair, popped open his laptop, and started typing.
"Trust me. I think they'll accept me. I understand most of the language—thanks to anime—and I'm a pretty decent athlete. Maybe they'll want me for the school's sports teams or something."
Hina laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I bet they've been dying to find a guy like you to save Japanese high school sports."
Rome grinned. "You bet they have." He winked.
[One Month Later]
Rome sprinted down the hall, an envelope clutched in his hand. He was so excited, he didn't notice his earring fall out behind him. He practically kicked the door open to Hina's room.
"Hina! You're not gonna believe this!"
Hina didn't even glance up from her phone. "Stop bursting into my room every time something dumb happens in your life."
"Oh, but this isn't dumb, dumb dumb." Rome grinned, catching his breath. "You can call me Nihon no gakusei—'cause I'm going to Japan with you!"
He opened the envelope and held out his acceptance letter. Hina's eyes widened in disbelief, then pure joy rushed over her face.
She jumped off her bed and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly with laughter. "I can't believe you actually did it! You really are something else, Rome."
Rome hugged her back just as tight. "You think I'd let you go to Japan without me? Nah. I'm your little brother. I've gotta watch your back."
Hina looked up at him with a soft smile. "You're the best brother ever."
Rome looked down at her and gave a playful grin. "Yeah, and don't you forget it."
[Back to the Present – Tokyo Airport]
The plane wheels touched down on the runway.
Rome and Hina stepped off into the crowded terminal, their bags over their shoulders, eyes scanning for a familiar sign among the dozens held by strangers.
Names in Japanese characters were everywhere—but one sign stood out.
A tall, graceful woman in her early 30s, wearing a soft pink dress, held a sign that read:
Rome-san & Hina-san
(ロームさん・ヒナさん)
Her long black hair swayed gently as she smiled and waved. Her soft gray eyes sparkled under the terminal lights.
Hina tugged on Rome's sleeve, her voice a bit uneasy. "I guess… that's for us?"
Rome nodded, forcing confidence to hide his nerves. "Yeah. Alright—our life in Japan begins."
He smiled at her, steady and sure.
"Let's go make some memories."
Hina looked at him, her eyes wide, nervous—but glowing with excitement.
"Yeah… let's go."