Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan, 2016, 5:00 AM.
Rey Hutomo, 21, had arrived in Japan a week ago. He wanted to spend this semester break far from the American continent, driven by reasons he believed were more important than anything else. As a Culinary Arts student at one of the world’s top universities, he was in his second year and had already completed a mandatory internship. During every break, he usually took on part-time jobs in restaurants or cafes to gain more hands-on experience in the kitchen. This year, he had planned to work with Chef Qusko at an Italian restaurant, but those plans were scrapped—just to chase after a girl.
Rey had willingly flown all the way from America to Japan. Honestly, even he was confused if asked where he was really from, given his mixed heritage. According to Tomi, Rey was a blend of the colonizer and the colonized, but somehow Japan dominated because Rey looked very Asian, despite his skin tone being closer to Western. Besides canceling his job at the Italian restaurant, Rey also declined the invitation to vacation with his four friends.
Yuzuki Amane, who went by the English name Eleanora, but whom Rey preferred to call Ellie, was his hard-to-understand girlfriend who had been unreachable lately. They had been in a long-distance relationship for the past year. Like Rey, Ellie was also of mixed heritage, but her parents had moved her to Japan after living in Indonesia for 13 years. Rey met her during a vacation in Kyoto.
“Where is she hiding?” Rey muttered as he crossed the zebra crossing.
Roppongi was famous as a bustling entertainment district, full of nightclubs and pubs. Many local and foreign tourists came here looking for a good time. At this hour, there were plenty of pedestrians just getting off work, a few drunk men in suits passed out on the sidewalk, making Rey wince in pity.
It had been a long time since he last visited Japan, so Rey was busy taking in the surroundings, trying to guess how much Roppongi had changed. The sky was slowly brightening, but the sun hadn’t fully risen yet. Rey decided to go for a morning run to shake off the boredom of staying in the hotel too long.
“Maybe they’re just getting off work,” Rey said as he unknowingly passed by some office workers heading home.
After running non-stop from the hotel, Rey slowed down, walking leisurely along the sidewalk. His destination this morning was Tokyo Tower. A few days ago, he had been in Tokyo to rest, aimlessly wandering around. But now, with a clearer mind, he was ready to start seriously looking for Ellie.
Tokyo Tower was visible from where he stood, glowing in red and gold. He recalled being brought here by his parents when he was a child. As an only child and his grandmother’s favorite grandchild, his childhood memories were vague, but he remembered crying out of fear of heights back then. Now, Rey could confidently say he feared nothing.
The row of shops Rey passed by was still closed. He occasionally passed a 24-hour convenience store and a few people on the street. He quickened his pace towards the underground station, occasionally pulling his jacket tighter.
“Hopefully, I can still catch the sunrise,” Rey murmured as he zipped up his jacket against the cold.
He occasionally checked the time on his phone and chuckled at the notifications from his group chat with Aldo, Indra, Tomi, and Ardo. “Weirdos,” he thought, with no intention of replying.
After 40 minutes of walking, Rey finally arrived at the base of Tokyo Tower. He looked up, observing the sky and the towering structure. Deep down, he regretted never bringing Ellie here on a date—they were both always too busy with their studies.
Rey took a few photos and sent them to Ellie. He didn’t care if she didn’t reply. She was probably still mad at him; their last argument had yet to be resolved. Usually, they would become affectionate again the next day, so Rey was confused by the extended silent treatment this time. She had even turned off her data, making it difficult for Rey to reach her.
[Next time, we have to come here, Ell.]
Rey sent her several photos of Tokyo Tower against the dark blue sky. He also planned to record the sunrise for Ellie as a peace offering. At 6:10, the moment he had been waiting for finally arrived—the sun began to rise. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very clear because of the clouds.
“I guess I should head back to the hotel before my calves give out,” Rey chuckled, finally feeling the fatigue set in.
***
As the sky brightened, Rey started running again. If Ellie remained unreachable, he thought, he would join his friends on their vacation. After all, it had been months since he last saw her. Honestly, long-distance relationships were exhausting, and even if they were in the same place, Rey wasn’t sure he could give Ellie the attention she deserved. The semester was almost over, and the situation was truly frustrating.
The journey back to the hotel was quicker as Rey ran while daydreaming. As soon as he entered his room, he immediately took off his jacket and sweat-soaked T-shirt, then headed to the bathroom to shower and think about how to find Ellie. After his shower, he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and went to check his phone.
“Phew! I’m beat.” Rey hoped to find a message from Ellie.
Feeling guilty about ignoring his friends, Rey opened the group chat. As usual, there were thousands of messages. Tomi and Ardo were joking around, Aldo was being teased by them, and Indra was getting annoyed because Rey hadn’t shown up.
Rey chuckled as he lay down on the bed, hugging a pillow as he read through the messages. Usually, Aldo was the target of Tomi and Ardo’s jokes, but the bespectacled man responded casually, and Rey was thoroughly entertained by their banter. Suddenly, a phone call interrupted him, making him groan in frustration.
“Hello, Chef!” Indra greeted.
“I’m not even graduated yet. Still a newbie,” Rey replied humbly.
“What are your plans for this vacation? Busy or not?” Indra asked.
“I’m in Tokyo, Ndra. You know, Ellie’s upset,” Rey replied.
“Oh my, Rey. Last time we talked, you were still in America,” Indra said.
Rey could hear Indra chuckling. The guy always had some crazy ideas for passing the time, and Rey was curious about what he had planned this time. Unfortunately, Rey wanted to focus on Ellie and wouldn’t join in.
“Sigi is interning at her dad’s lawyer friend’s firm. Having a strict and ambitious girlfriend like that means I have to find something more productive to do during the holidays, Rey. So, she suggested I spend my vacation doing something more useful.”
Rey thought of Sigi—stern and quick-tempered, but Indra adored her because she was his equal in debates. Rather than a romantic couple, Indra and Sigi seemed more like fraternal twins.
“How do you manage with Sigi, Ndra? You can’t do anything without her snapping at you.”
Indra laughed softly. “It’s comfortable. We can talk about anything from A to Z, and it doesn’t matter if we don’t go further than that.”
Rey nodded, even though Indra couldn’t see him. “Can’t imagine if you two broke up.”
He pulled the blanket over himself. It was better to sleep before planning his next move. If only Ellie were as practical and straightforward as Sigi, knowing what she wanted and openly expressing her feelings. When she was busy and didn’t want to be disturbed, Sigi would tell Indra. Even their time together seemed structured and systematic in Rey’s eyes. It made him envious.
Indra remained silent for a while before dismissively laughing. “I don’t think I’d believe in love anymore if we broke up. Sigi’s the best.”
“Oh, man! That’s heavy. What if your soulmate is the opposite of Sigi? Calmer and more emotional?” Rey teased.
“You jerk, Rey! Cursing us to break up. I only want Sigi, no one else. If you were here, I’d have slammed you to the ground by now,” Indra threatened, ending with a playful laugh.
“Who knows, right?” Rey replied.
“After graduation, I’ll probably be busy managing Dad’s business and listening to Bang Tama’s lectures, and the others will be busy with their jobs. Maybe you’d want to join us for a vacation together one last time,” Indra suggested.
“Sorry, Ndra.”
“Oh, okay. Bye.”
The call ended after they said goodbye. Rey stared at his phone’s lock screen for a few moments. Mom always said he wasn’t mature because he was still so attached to his four friends, but Rey couldn’t deny that he loved being in that circle. The rich kids who lived in luxury thanks to their parents’ wealth, each with their own problems. Indra, the bossy one; Aldo, the cocky one; Tomi, the perverted one; and Ardo, the joker.