I finally managed to fall asleep at 4 a.m.
An upset stomach, a scratchy throat, a stuffy nose, a slight fever, and chills.
They were typical cold symptoms.
It's been almost a month since I came here.
I think the fatigue from continuing to travel had quietly been building up.
When daily travel and lack of sleep pile up, NK cell activity weakens and you become more susceptible to infection.
My immunity must be down.
I thought now is the time to rest.
I was supposed to go to Vun Tau today.
I woke up at 11:30, took a shower, and got ready.
As I was packing, thinking I might be a little late for checkout, there was a knock on the door.
'It's checkout time,' said the auntie.
I thought that was a bit harsh.
I had been sleeping with the room darkened, so she might have assumed I was still asleep.
I walked toward the ferry terminal.
It's about a kilometer, but the sun was strong and I couldn't stop sweating.
But I had Pocari Sweat, so I wasn't worried about heatstroke.
As I approached the terminal, a man on a motorbike called out to me.
He said the tickets to Vun Tau were sold out today.
He offered instead to take me by motorbike or sell me a VIP ticket.
I understood his business model instantly.
Thinking there's no way I'd fall for that, I went to the official counter, and sure enough the tickets were sold out.
I bought a ticket for 12:00 tomorrow.
For some reason that man followed me all the way there and even spoke to the receptionist.
He was pretty persistent.
When he realized I was Japanese, he switched to talking about tours.
I lied that I worked there, and he finally left.
It's a hassle, but it's also typical of Vietnam.
I sat on a nearby bench, contacted the hotel I would be staying at from tomorrow, and booked a room for tonight.
Since my schedule had opened up, I messaged a friend I met online saying 'I'm free today,' and we ended up planning to go to the movies.
A new Vietnamese friend after a long time.
She's an INFP and very attentive to small details; talking with her is fun.
It was sure to be a fun night.
…I wanted to think so, but half of me didn't want to get my hopes up.
I checked into the hotel and took a short nap.
I rested my body while lazing around.
You only live once.
Go for it and ask yourself, 'Will I regret not doing this?'.
That's very important.
She finishes work at 7 p.m., but apparently she had a service tonight, so we would meet at 10 p.m.
We planned to watch Mission Impossible at 10:30 p.m., ending at 1:15 a.m.
It would be the first time in my life watching a movie at that hour.
That alone made me a little excited.
I walked in the rain wearing a raincoat.
The cinema was 1.4 km away. A walkable distance.
I arrived at 10 p.m. and messaged 'I'm here,' and she replied 'I'll be there in 30 minutes.'
Honestly, I was a little shocked and annoyed.
But this was proof that I had expected too much.
People say it's easier not to expect, but I can't help but expect.
Suppressing that doesn't do any good.
So I don't want to suppress it.
It's important not to expect things from others, but there's also a part of me that can't help expecting.
When things don't go my way, I get hurt.
It's complicated, I thought.
This is Vietnam, so it might be normal not to arrive on time.
But I also think it depends on the person.
Noticing that I was a bit angry, I told myself I had to enjoy today.
After a while, Tao appeared.
She was much more mature than I had imagined.
'Kouta, you waited about an hour, right...? I'm sorry.'
said Tao.
'It's totally fine. I was studying English and French,' I said.
She said 'Sorry I'm late' as she handed me the ticket and popcorn.
She had already bought the tickets and told me, 'It's fine, I'll pay.'
An extra-large cola and caramel popcorn.
The movie started at 11 p.m.
I was a little relieved that it wasn't a problem.
She lives in D6, a 40-minute round trip.
Apparently she had taken a shower, changed clothes, and done her makeup before coming.
So it took 40 minutes round trip from D1, and on top of that she had showered, changed, and done her makeup, which is why she was late.
I didn't know any of that, so I was surprised.
Knowing that made me happy.
At 11 p.m., we went to the gate.
Inside was a small theater with only four rows.
And instead of Mission Impossible, the film shown was a horror movie.
My first-ever horror movie.
But watching a horror movie in Vietnam, late at night — a memory of seeing a horror film from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Vietnam — I don't think that'll ever fade.
Tao watched the movie with a calm expression.
Each time I jumped, she offered me popcorn.
Maybe that was her way of showing care.
When the movie ended, people left immediately.
We went outside talking about the differences with Japan.
She had work the next day so she rode home on her bike while I walked back.
We talked about birthdays and zodiac signs, then said goodbye.
Tao was a typically introverted person.
She had her own world and ideals, and often said 'sorry.'
She probably struggles with the gap between her ideals and reality.
Still, within her there was a deep and vast universe.
