"Forgot anything?"
"No, I already double-checked everything. I wish I could forget about that breakfast though."
After eating the "breakfast" that my Dad tried to pass as one. We wasted no time on cleaning up.
Dad said that he wanted to drive me to where I was going. He said that it moved him so much to see me go out and socialize that he would feel guilty about not doing anything to support it.
As much as I am grateful for that. I'm not that depressing Dad, the reason why I'm going out is because I have friends!
Well, let's just move aside from the fact that I only got invited as an afterthought (hey, at least somebody cared).
All of that brings us to now. We're right outside the house, putting my stuff inside the car as we get ready to leave.
"I tried you know! I think it was delicious!"
Yeah, it could have been if you didn't overdose the egg with MSG or fucking up the rice so much that it turned into porridge instead.
How do you mess up with a rice cooker.
"Yeah, yeah. Just get inside the car already." I said, quickly getting inside the car to avoid further discussions about his failed experiment.
"Haah, our son is being cruel again Erika…"
Dad opens the door and drops down into the driver's seat, the car bouncing slightly as he does so.
"Well then, are we good to go?"
"Yep, good to go."
"Alright."
With a turn of the key, the engine revs to life as he gives it a bit of gas to get everything warmed up.
He finally shifts into gear as we slowly move our way out of the driveway. I look into the reflection of our house in the rearview mirror, gradually getting farther away.
I temporarily say goodbye to the comfort of my own home as it finally disappears from the mirror.
*—————*
Making our way out of the neighborhood. The scenery began to change from houses to local stores and unopened shops. Some of them were just opening up, the few who recognized us waved as we passed by.
Eventually, we got out of town. The road we were on was leading up to the local mountain pass. By this point, it wouldn't take too much time for us to get there.
"Hey, Ken."
"Hmm?"
We have been quiet the whole time that I've spent my time just reflecting on my thoughts this morning. Dad's sudden voice completely derailed that line of thought, shifting my focus to him.
"It's been two years since we moved here right? I think we settled in pretty nicely."
"I guess you could say that."
"How about school? Do you still have trouble keeping up?"
"Sometimes, I still rely on my classmates for notes."
I can barely keep up with class but I don't want to mention that to him.
It's something I need to figure out myself.
"I see…" Dad trailed off, "We should be close now."
I look ahead of me but the only thing I see is just a winding road that's lined with countless trees.
"You know...Your Mom and I started planning to move here before you graduated middle school. She said that if I wanted to add another member to our family, we should get a bigger house in a different environment as well."
"Going to an entirely different country is pretty big for a different environment Dad."
I'm not against it, it's just that Mom has raised me into a cheapskate. The thought of moving and living in a different country sounds expensive as hell.
Not to mention that our house is pretty big.
Something the two of us can't ever hope to fill, just by ourselves.
"Well, your Mom insisted on it. She wanted to experience living in a Japanese countryside. Besides you prefer it right?"
"I guess."
"Though we should've gone for a smaller house…I wonder if I can find one nearby. I get lonely pretty quickly inside our house. Get a girlfriend already!"
"Yea—Hgg!?"
The car suddenly changed direction, causing my face to hit the window I'd spent this whole ride looking at.
"What the fuck! That was dangerous!" I yell at Dad as I reach for the car handle.
The car was going straight now but my heart is still beating faster than it should.
"Pheew, sorry about that." Dad apologized, breathing a sigh of relief as he did. "Some stupid cat ran out of nowhere."
"Haah, bad luck I guess."
I let go of the car handle and looked behind us.
I didn't see any cat, it was already gone.
"Oh, we're already here."
Not giving me much time to catch my breath, we were already at our destination.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" I ask him.
"Ye-yeah. That's what the GPS said…" Dad replied, sounding unsure of himself.
We stopped at the side of the road, there was nothing to see other than a footpath that trailed deep into the forest.
"I should check my pho—Ah."
My phone wasn't getting any signal. Which means I can't check if the map is right or not.
"Dad, this is the place where the GPS is directing us right?"
I asked Dad who was fiddling around with his phone, having the same doubts as me.
"Yeah, I set it up with the address you showed me."
I unbuckled my seat and stepped out of the car. The cold breeze of the morning managed to pierce even my jacket.
"Huff, it's cold."
My friends told me that when I get here I should just follow the trail because it directly leads up to the camp they set.
Apparently, it's a secret place only they know. Nobody else knows the campsite they found (it was right by a beautiful lake from the pics they sent me).
"Want to turn back Ken?"
"What's the point of going back if we're already here…"
Dad gave me a shrug as he helped me take my stuff out of the car.
I only had a single black hiking bag with me, they told me to bring whatever I thought was necessary.
Anything necessary is pretty broad you know. I ended up packing things that are probably not necessary…
"I shouldn't have brought my laptop…" I muttered to myself.
It only added extra weight.
"Here you go."
Dad gave me my hiking bag from the trunk.
"Thanks."
We both looked around us. There was nothing else to see other than the road, trees, and this solitary trail.
"Well, it's not like you'll run into a bear! If you do run into one just use that heavy bag of yours to cover up your vitals. After that, you just have to pray that the bear would get bored and leave."
"Right….where did you hear about that?"
I look at Dad who had his eyes closed, thinking about something.
"Ah? I heard it from a podcast online! You should listen to it sometimes.
"….."
It better not be a Joe Rogan podcast, Dad.
"Oh, I better get going as well" He pats me on the back.
"Don't worry about bears, I don't think there are bears in this region…I think?"
I stare at him blankly.
"Well? Don't keep your friends waiting!"
He gives me a light push on the back, making me stumble forward.
"Aw, hey! You didn't need to push me."
"No, you're someone who needs pushing to get anything done. Don't you dare back out now." Saying so, he wa LL I'mlks back to the car.
"Stay safe Ken. I expect you to be home in one piece."
"Yeah. Later Dad."
Smiling, he goes inside the car and drives away until I didn't see him anymore.
"Later."
Now, do I have a bear spray with me?
*—————*
"It's cold…"
I rub my hands together.
It's been 10 minutes since I started walking on this trail.
The path itself was very small, it was just at the edge of a creek running downstream beside me. It didn't leave me with too much room to move.
Paranoid, I look around. Fortunately, the only thing I saw was some birds flying around.
My heart raced fast with anticipation, I would have been calm if it wasn't for Dad planting stupid thoughts in my head.
"Goddamnit…Should I turn back? I'm not lost am I…"
There were several points where I had to guess where to go, the footpath itself wasn't as direct as they made it out to be.
If only one of them came to fetch me…
Ah shit, it's not good.
I tried preoccupying my mind by thinking about something else.
It doesn't help at all.
I continued walking ahead.
30 minutes later I decided to take a short break and sit down on a rock right next to the creek.
"Haah, I should've brought less stuff."
I took out my tumbler and drank.
Cold water coursed through my body.
I put some ice in beforehand, it's a good thing I did.
"I wonder how far I am…. Actually, how would I even know that I'm there?"
I'm guessing the creek leads right down to the lake, if I keep following it I should get there.
I pushed myself up the ground.
Just then, I heard a sound come from behind me.
— Rustle.
Hearing this, I shifted my gaze to a bush that was a few feet bigger than me.
It's not like you'll run into a bear!
I heard his voice in my head. Shut up.
— Rustle Rustle.
Besides it could probably be a small one. I could win a fight with a small bear. Wait, how big is a small bear anyway?
— Rustle Rustle Rustle.
It's probably just a tanuki, right?
The whole bush shaking is just the wind.
It must've been the wind, right?
— Rustle Rustle Rustle Rustle Rustle Rustle!
"Hgh..!"
I gulped unconsciously.
The shaking stopped.
The thing in there probably left.
I gaze upon the bush once again.
Curiosity welled up inside me.
Should check it out?
Bear or no bear, I wanted to know.
My fear was holding me back but I didn't want to turn my back and have something lunge at me.
"Here it goes…"
I placed my bag in front of me, just a precaution.
And so, I went to the bush.
I tip-toed around, trying my best to avoid making any sound.
My heart raced, waiting for something that might come.
Then I reached the bush.
This seems like a bad idea, what if there was a bear?
If you think about it, it's like I'm facing death itself.
As the thought formed in my head, the bush suddenly rustled once more.
At once, something came at me from the bush.
"Hngggggghhh!!"
I tried to run away as fast as I could but the fallen leaves around my foot caused me to slip.
"Ah!?"
I rolled down on the ground.
Is it over for me?
— meow?
"Haah——Eh?"
As I feared for my life, I heard a sound that didn't sound like what a bear would say.
I calmed down my ragged breathing.
As I do so, I lift my head up to see…
"Just kill me already."
A white cat licking it's paws beyond my feet.