. 3 .
By the time we made it to Harajuku it was time for lunch. We decided that we would head down Takeshita Street to shop first then find a place to get lunch. It didn’t take long to find a huge DAISO, a hundred-yen store.
The first thing we sought out were keychains. We wandered throughout the aisles until we found a wall of keychains and cell phone straps. The amount of colors and shapes was almost overwhelming. There were cute bright colorful designs as well as traditional Japanese designs.
A star shaped design caught my eye and drew me into the celestial themed key chains around it. A metal crescent moon keychain with swirling lines wrapping though it caught my eye. A full moon luminous blue sphere, the perfect size to fill most of the inside of the crescent’s shape, was held into place at the top and bottom of the crescent frame. The full moon had different shadows around it representing the craters on the moon. A sticker hanging from the keyring confirmed what I suspected, the full moon glowed in the dark.
“Isn’t this beautiful! Should I get it?” Terra ran over to me. She showed me a cherry blossom keychain that had a large pink cherry blossom, about the size of the keyring itself, hanging on a chain with two smaller cherry blossoms hanging from where the chain connected to the keyring.
“It’s gorgeous. It’s perfect for you.” I showed her the keychain I picked.
“Does it glow in the dark!?” Terra snatched the keychain from me, cupped her hands around the keychain and peered into her hand. “It glows in the dark!” Terra chirped, her experiment a success.
“What are you getting?” I asked as Amaya walked over. She pulled a silver sea turtle with a turquoise shell keychain out of her basket. Another silver baby sea turtle laid on top the turquoise shell.
“Aren’t there enough of those in Hawaii?” Terra’s voice carried a slight chuckle. I chuckled as well.
“What? I love sea turtles and I’m getting a degree in marine biology.” Amaya stated.
Both of our chuckles came to an abrupt stop.
“Really?” Terra regretfully asked. Amaya nodded.
“I keep forgetting we only met this morning. It feels like we’ve known each other for years. It’s a cute keychain” I said, trying to sound apologetic. Amaya placed the keychain back into her basket.
“Well, that’s one thing checked off the list!” Terra declared. “Now on to everything else. Where are the clothes hangers?”
As we searched for the hangers, we saw more and more things we needed. Our baskets quickly filled with things like plates, cups, as well as sponges. We each grabbed a second basket and filled those up as well. We grabbed four or five packs of five hangers. We also grabbed a small hanger designed to hang clothes outside to dry. We didn’t see a large one we’d want for towels or pants but these small ones would be fine for socks, bras and the hand towels the internet told us we’d need to dry our hands in public bathrooms. We’d need to grab some of those as well. All told we each left DAISO with three large bags and were starting to regret buying so much so soon.
By the time we reached about half way down Takeshita Street my stomach rumbled. Another crepe shop came into view and this one, a blue, white and red colored shop called Marion Crepes, called to me.
“Do you guys want to get crepes?” I asked hoping that the others would.
“Oh that sounds perfect!” Terra hurried over the rows of plastic crepes models, mostly unrolled to showcase the contents of the crepe, lined up in a case. The case acted as a menu; each crepe labeled with an assigned number to make ordering easy.
“So many flavors.” I walked up behind Terra. There was a large selection of sweet crepes, mixing fruit, whipped cream and chocolate, as well as savory ones with fillings expected in a sandwich.
“That chocolate banana one looks so good! You can get cheesecake in it too?” Amaya stood behind Terra.
Feeling a need for a savory flavor I scanned the row of tuna, ham or chicken based crepes. Along with the meat you choose, the crepes came with lettuce, mayonnaise and if you wanted to add cucumber or cheese you could.
“I think I’ll be getting the tuna mayonnaise.” The tuna crepe looked so good to me I was surprised I wasn’t drooling. “Terra, if I pay you back later, I can take all the bags and stand out of the way to wait for you guys.”
“Perfect! That looks like our next stop anyways.” Terra pointed over the drugstore across from the crepe stand.
I took the bags from Terra and Amaya and found a place out of the way next to the drug store. I watched them move closer and closer to the cashier through the openings of people streaming down the street.
Terra, carrying two crepes, and Amaya with hers, made their way over to me. It didn’t take long to devour the delicious crepes. We all declared our crepe was amazing but had regrets of not getting one of the crepes the other two got. Standing in the middle of one of Tokyo’s busiest streets eating a crepe was indeed an interesting experience. I handed out wet wipes from a small pack I pulled from my bag. Terra ran the trash to a bin near the crepe shop and we set into the drug store.
The drug store started out easy as we quickly found shampoo, soaps and something for dishes. Though standing in an isle we knew was filled with things for laundry, it took time to figure out the difference between detergents and fabric softeners. When we left the drugstore, we had added another two large bags. One bag was filled with the large laundry hangers we needed to dry larger laundry outside. The bags were awkward to carry so we decided we had bought enough and decided to head back up to the JR station to grab a taxi.
It took over about forty minutes to get to the western entrance to the University. It was the closest we could get to the house and the easiest place to describe to the driver. The fare was almost five thousand yen. Terra and I quickly placed two thousand yen each into the blue tray, leaving Amaya to add a thousand yen and to collect the change. The driver popped the trunk open and helped pull all the bags out of it.
As the front door of the house came into view, I was relieved not to see two angry girls waiting for us to return.
“Tadaima!” I announced my return home even though there was no one in the house. Before taking off my shoes I put my bags down towards the door to my bedroom as close as I could without leaving the entry. I slipped my shoes off and stepped into slippers. I unlocked the sliding door to my room. Just inside the door I found the switch to turn on the overhead light. ‘okaeri’ , my previously made futon, welcomed me home. The futon reached out to me for a hug. Not yet my new friend, I have lots to do before that.
We collected all our bags on the dining room table. We sorted out things needing to go upstairs, in the bath or in the kitchen. Plates, bowls and cups along with sponges and dish soap were placed on the dining table. We sorted out our own towels, shampoo and everything needed for the bath, along with baskets to store them in to easily carry them. The small and large hangers to dry laundry were placed on the couch with a pack of toilet paper, face towel and hand soap for the upstairs toilet.
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Terra and I placed our things in our rooms then helped Amaya carry everything that needed to go upstairs. We dumped everything on either Amaya’s desk or on her bed. I grabbed a few of the laundry hangers to take them out to the balcony. I paused after opening the door. I shouldn’t step out on the balcony in indoor slippers, right? It’s considered outside, right?
“I got some slippers for that.” Amaya took a pair of scissors and a pair of something that looked like black Uggs. She cut the strings connecting them and dropped them on the balcony in front of me.
“You thought of everything!” I slipped into the shoes and hung the hangers on the bar. Terra stood at the door to pass the remaining hangers to me.
Stopping short of unpacking and hanging up Amaya’s clothes we all returned down stairs to get the kitchen sorted. The plates were stacked and placed in a glass door cabinet that was built into the wall the kitchen shared with the living room. Dish soap and hand soap was placed at the sink across from it. A cutting board and drying rack took up most of the counter space there was in the narrow kitchen. With a dish towel hung above the sink it quickly started to feel like a home. To finish off the communal unpacking I placed a bottle of Coke for Terra into the refrigerator.
We returned to our own rooms to unpack. Terra slid the door between our rooms open. We unpacked our computers first and successfully connected to the internet. Terra played music on her computer as we hung up our clothes. I moved onto setting up my desk once the clothes were up. Once finished I took my dream notebook into the living room. I wanted to continue from where I left off that morning. I still remembered things from the dream I needed to note down. I started to write about the whisper of the person who came up behind me but couldn’t remember it, only what they said.
“Do you think we can order pizza?” Amaya walked into the living room.
“We have internet so it shouldn't be a problem. Terra! Pizza?” I called towards her open bedroom door.
“Pizza!” Terra appeared through the door with her laptop in hand. She plopped down on the sofa next to me. Amaya started laughing.
“What?” Terra asked, opening her laptop.
“You’re definitely the pet. You came when she called you.” Amaya answered, trying to contain her laughter. I started laughing as well.
“No pizza for you!” Terra closed her laptop again and feigned hurt or was in anger?
“Sorry!” Amaya and I said at the same time.
“Jinx!” Terra quickly shouted, opening her laptop again. “You will buy me a coke to go with the pizza.
“But you already...“
“Did I stutter!?” Terra silenced me. She got to work locating nearby places to order pizza from.
“Amaya...here is the true test of our new friendship...” Terra’s look at Amaya was so serious it caused the temperature in the room to drop. “Pineapple, yes, or no?”
Amaya took a deep breath. “Yes.” She said breathlessly.
“Perfect!” Terra released Amaya from her stare. Amaya let out her breath in relief.
The loud doorbell chimed causing our hearts to stop briefly. The screen of the intercom on the kitchen wall turned on showing two girls standing outside.
“They’re here.” Terra said in her best Carol Anne impression.
We jumped up quickly and headed to the front door.
“Hi we’re-“
“Stop! I’ll let you finish. First, do you want pizza?” Terra interrupted the brunette.
The two girls looked at each other and nodded in response.
“Pineapple, yes or no?”
“Y-yes?” The blonde answered, the brunette nodded.
“A couple Hawaiians and a peperoni, ok with everyone?”
Everyone nodded.
“Nice to meet you!” Terra said, running back into the living room.
“I’m guessing she’s from the states.” The blonde girl said with a British accent. She adjusted her large carry-on bag on her shoulder.
“And I’m guessing you’re from England, yeah?” I blushed a little realizing how this must seem to the new arrivals. I did agree with what Terra must have been thinking, proper introductions and explanations can come while the pizzas were on their way.
“Coke, ok!?” Terra shouted from the living room.
“Coke’s fine.” The brunette answered.
“That’d be lovely!” The blonde answered loudly, doing her best not to shout.
“Sorry you guys came just as we were ordering-.”
“Any crust, ok?” Terra's voice interrupted me.
The new arrivals looked at me a little uneasy but nodded. I looked over at Amaya and she nodded too.
“Any’s fine!” I answered for them.
“We’re hungry and tired. I’m sure you guys are too so; I’m guessing Terra thought it was best to get it ordered as fast as she could. Welcome to the house. I’m Ayla.”
“My name’s Amaya.” Amaya said as I gestured towards her.
“The pizza crazy girl in the living room is Terra.”
“Are you all from the states?” The brunette asked. She spoke with an accent I was sure was from one of two countries.
“Yes. Actually, we’re all from Hawaii. I’m guessing you’re from Australia or New Zealand?”
“Australia. Sydney to be exact. My name is Bridgett.” She rolled her suitcase further into the entry.
The blonde rolled her suitcase fully into the entry as Bridgett moved. The door clicked shut behind her “And my name is Skye. I’m from London.”
“Come on in. No outdoor shoes in the house.” Amaya and I backed up into the house.
“When did you girls get here?” Skye asked, stepping into a pair of slippers.
“Terra and I got in yesterday but stayed at a hotel last night.” I answered.
“I came to Japan a couple weeks ago. I stayed with family in Kansai. I got into Tokyo this morning.”
“Really?” I asked, realizing I had never asked her.
“You didn’t come together?” Bridgett asked.
“Terra and I did. We met Amaya this morning when we got the house keys. She’s from a different island in Hawaii.”
“Your rooms are upstairs so you can leave your bags here for now.” Amaya helped Skye by rolling her suitcase to the foot of the stairs.
“We’ll give you a proper tour in a moment but just in case you need it the toilet is that door there.” I pointed. “There is one upstairs too.”
“Pizza will be here in about forty minutes.” Terra announced as we walked into the living room.
“Bridgett from Sydney and Skye from London.” I gestured towards them as they entered to give Terra a review of what she had missed.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Terra. I ordered a big pepperoni pizza, which is almost four thousand yen by the way! Large Hawaiians are smaller but the same price, two of those. I got one normal crust and one with something called Mille-Feuille crust. It’s like a pastry crust with cheese layered in it. It looked good so I got it. There was a coupon so I ordered chicken nuggets and fries for six hundred yen. With a couple big bottles of Coke, all told it was over twelve thousand yen. Over a hundred and twenty dollars for three pizzas! Well, ok, there were drinks and sides but still!” Terra let out a frustrated noise. “Why is pizza so expensive here?”
We stared at her trying our best to follow everything she just said. I did feel bad for Bridgett and Skye having to deal with all this just after getting off a plane.
“How much do we owe?” Skye blinked looking over at Bridgett who looked just as confused.
“I had to use my card to order and well I ordered things without asking so I thought it would be easier if everyone just gives me two thousand yen when they can. I know you two just came from the airport so after sorting money stuff will be fine.” Terra turned her eyes to me and Amaya who stood nearby. “Though you two still owe me a coke or coffee tomorrow. I didn’t forget.”
“Cheers...” Skye looked back towards the entry not sure what to say. She looked over to Bridgett. “Since we have a little time before the pizza gets here shall we get our things sorted away in our rooms?”
“Of course! I’ll show you upstairs.” Amaya ushered Bridgett and Skye out of the living room. “I hope you don’t mind, I made your beds up for you.”
“You did? Thank you! That gives us one less thing to sort tonight.”
Amaya’s and Skye’s voices faded as they climbed the staircase.
The doorbell announcing the arrival of the pizza brought the three girls from upstairs. Thankfully Amaya had the insight to buy a couple extra plates and cups to use. The pastry cheese crust Terra had ordered was amazing and worth every yen. It was a crime that any pizza was made without it.
As we ate, we explained to Skye and Bridgett about the housing contract, next week’s schedule, and needing student IDs to enter campus. Skye and Bridgett needed to do their own shopping and the rest of us still wanted to see more of Tokyo so we decided that after we were finished with school matters tomorrow, we would head out into Tokyo together.
Terra and I volunteered to do the dishes and put the left-over pizza away so the others could return to their rooms to get ready for bed. Terra washed dishes and I placed all the remaining pizza into one box and placed it in the refrigerator, it would make a nice snack before heading out the door tomorrow- stereotypical college students. We finished quickly and were off into our rooms exhausted from the day.