Tour Group

This was it. This was her last day in Japan, the last day she’d ever see him.

She sighed and watched as the tour guide’s van parked in front of her. A man with ginger hair opened the door for her with a smile, and she got in and sat beside him, as she had these past four days.

She took this solo trip as a kind of break, a kind of escape from her dreary life at home. And escape it had been, because all this time, while enjoying the sights around the city with the tour group, she was silently enjoying the sight of a certain redheaded tourist who was in her group.

He gave her a big grin the first time they met, and she instantly relaxed in his presence. His friendly face was a relief among the other foreign faces she saw in that foreign land, and she was starting to feel a little notch in her heart whenever he smiled her way.

But they were just common travelers that met in a tour group, no more, no less. They hardly had time to talk during the tour, and they both had their own schedules before and after their set touring time. As such, their only real interaction was in the van, as they scuttled from one tourist attraction to another.

She turned to the window, not wanting to look his way anymore. She had to forget about his warm smile and his fiery red hair, and she just didn’t feel ready to do that.

The van stopped, and the Japanese driver said something in broken English that she didn’t understand. Then, the van door opened, and she let the other passengers alight before her. He sat next to her, and turned to her with a smile.

“Last day,” he said, with an accent difficult to place. “Let’s enjoy it?” With that, he got off and ceremoniously offered his hand to help her get off.

She looked at him, shocked, but smiled softly. She took it, feeling his warm hand in hers, and he pressed it gently as she stepped down the vehicle.

As soon as she got down, she grinned at him and offered her his arm. Giggling, she took it, and they walked together, enjoying a companionable last day in the city.

–

Image source: deviantart.com/burningmonk/art/Dusk-in-Memory-Lane-802257140
First written April 17, 2018.
#192