"Have you taken her on your motorcycle yet?" I asked.
"No. She said it's dangerous." He said.
"So.... then why did you still get two helmets?"
I felt a slap on the back of my head. "OWWWWW!!! What was that for?!?!"
He just looked at me and smiled. "Stupid. I never wanted to take her."
---
It was a perfect summer day in Fukuoka, one where the humidity did not kill all of my desires to be outside. He messaged me in the morning, and told me to meet him at the station around noon. He didn't tell me where he was going to take me though. He always just kind of calls me and expects me to show up. He knows that I just sit in my apartment all day and wait for him to call. Apart from the usual routine of going to the gym, studying, going to work, chores.... I really don't know if I have anything or anyone else besides him.
I arrived at the station a few minutes earlier than he told me to. I don't like making him wait. I kind of like watching him look for me in the crowd, especially because I blend in so well. Almost every time I wait until he turns away from me, and I sneak up to him and slap him on the shoulder. He always shows an angry face at first as to why I slapped him so hard, then he would give me a smile that says he was starting to worry, but he is relieved to see that I am OK.
This time though, I didn't see him. I started to worry.
"Walk outside." I got a text about 5 mins after. He was waiting for me, on a motorcycle. I definitely didn't expect that. He passed me the helmet, and I hopped on behind him.
I just realized I've never been on a motorcycle before.
"Just put your hands on my shoulder. Try to sit up straight, and lean in when I am turning. I know it's kind of scary, but you gotta trust me..."
Baka. If I had any doubt in you I wouldn't be here. With everything you've ever done and we've done together, I have always trusted you.
He still hasn't told me where we were going.
----
I've never actually traveled around on any roads before outside of the main city area. If the train or subway didn't go there, then I just didn't go there. Taking the bus around Fukuoka outside the downtown core is actually quite tedious.
We went down Route 202, which seems to be one of the major national highways around here. Apparently this highway stretches all the way to Nagasaki, and if you followed it east, you would go to Kitakyuushuu, and onwards to Honshuu. We were going west towards Nagasaki that day, which means....
He's taking me to Itoshima like he promised.
Located just west of Fukuoka City, Itoshima is a town that boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in Kyuushuu. It is a very popular place for locals to surf, and has plenty of cute cafes for couples to enjoy a nice afternoon together.
Somewhere along Route 202, we took a right onto Route 54, which was one of the regional highways. This highway goes around the peninsula where all the beautiful beaches are, and through the mountain in the middle. I lost track of time cruising around with him to be honest - I have no idea how long the ride took. All I know is that we've completely escaped the city that is Fukuoka, into what was like a scene from comic books of rural Japan. One moment we were driving past the ocean and stretches of empty beaches, then next we were going through some fields along the mountains. I shivered as the cool summer breeze brushed through my skin - not because it was cold, but because the feeling was incredible. I put my arms around him and just closed my eyes. I wanted to take in and remember this moment with all my senses. The sounds, the smell, the sights, and the feel of his shirt sticking to his back a bit, I wanted to remember all of it.
We pulled up to a parking lot that had a few cars already. We were lucky because we didn't come on a weekend, so it was still easy enough to park. I took off my helmet, and turned around - I couldn't believe the view.
I took my sandals off and ran towards the beach.
Pebbles in the sand, with the Torii in the background.
Beach + bare feet = happy feet. ^-^
Clear water!
LOL, the giants are attacking the islands!
I was so focused on running around the beach and taking pictures, I had completely forgotten about him. By the time I turned around, he was standing next to some rocks, laughing at my clumsiness and near-face plants stumbling around the slippery algae.
"Time to go." He finally said the words I've been dreading.
As we got further away from the beach and closer to the city, it felt as if I was waking up from my dream, and it was time to go back to reality. These perfect moments were going to vanish, into thin air, like none of this ever happened. I could only escape for so long.
He dropped me off back at the station, where this all started. I'm not sure if we made a full circle back to the beginning, or if time has just rewound itself in an attempt to erase the evidence from my memory.
----
I know he said he never wanted to take her, but I'm just going to tell myself that he said he just wanted to take me.
And now, all I have left to prove that everything did happen, are these pictures I took at Futamigaura.
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