ThatonetimeImadeittoAsia

So clearly the sun is not up yet but the girl can still hear the screams coming from downstairs by no other than her host mom, letting her know that once again her alarm clock went unnoticed by her and that she has tremendous willpower-when it comes to sleeping, that is.
It still looks dark outside so it’s probably 7 am. Time to work those skills for changing into her dark blue, plain uniform that looks nothing like the ones she saw on Sailor Moon. She even has to keep remembering herself that she can’t fold up her skirt above her knees because there are surprise inspections every now and then, and not even the exchange students would be able to save themselves from the penalties. At least that’s what her friends at school made her believe.
Anyhow, she goes outside with half her face covered by a black scarf and natto spots on her blazer as the first sunrays blind her on her way to the bus stop. Good thing she has her cd player inside her bag, the girl thinks to herself, even though she always does and she always carries the same cd on her 40 minutes ride: ‘Beautiful Garbage’. Yet she never makes it through the entire album.
She turns the cd player on right after Nishitetsu picks her up at exactly 7.29 in Kensetsu Gakkou Mae. The bus is never freaking late. That is very different from her beloved homeland.
And so it begins: the tall, dark trees, the all-boys school right across the ‘7 Eleven’, the ‘100 en’ shops and the avenues. And Shirley Manson is almost over with ‘I’ve reached the end of the road’. But in reality, the girl is not even half way through with the ride. The shy boy with his kanji flashcards is not on the bus yet, and they’re still a few blocks away from the old manga bookstore.
She almost never stops to hear the sounds inside the bus. She once did, though. She'll never forget that day: It was the first time she rode it and she sat in the middle, yet she could still hear the usually sleeping old man snoring in one the front seats with his head down, and his rather notorious hunch in spite of his brown suit –japanese people usually sleep like this in public transportation.
So from that day on she decided to combine the landscape and the usual passengers with exciting sounds, like scoring music for movies. She remembers this as she realizes she is in ‘Hanabatake’ (field of flowers). So she presses the red button by the window, cuts off Shirley and gets off the bus. It is going to be a good day, because she brought chocolate cake to share.