Episode 20: Manhattan School of Music!

"WOO-HOOOO!" Kaori yelped as she and Kousei stepped off the plane and into the terminal. "Watch out, New York! The multiversal musicians are here!"

"Kaori!" Kousei hissed, his face flushing red with embarrassment as he saw some of the cranky head-turns. "I'm trying not to make a fool of myself before freshman year has even started!"

"Ugh, fine," Kaori chuckled. "But lighten up a little bit, would ya? We're here in New York after all! The Big Apple itself!"

"Yes indeed!" Takahiko said in a cheery tone as he and Kaori's parents walked behind the two musicians. "I've had many business summits here in Manhattan! Hopefully the restaurants on that brochure my friend sent are still around."

"I must say I envy you, Takahiko!" Yoshiyuki spoke up. "I haven't traveled outside the country since my time in the Self Defense Force!"

"Hopefully we can come back soon for your recitals!" Ryouko agreed.

Five carry-on bags rolled behind the group as they began to make their way through the miniature metropolis. While Kaori's parents and Kousei's father were dressed in professional business attire, Kousei and Kaori, in contrast, only sported simple jackets, jeans, and tennis shoes. Kaori's jacket featured Snoopy and Woodstock, and Kousei still felt proud of himself every time he remembered the look of surprise she'd gotten on her face upon opening the birthday gift. His jacket, meanwhile, was just a dark blue rain jacket with several pockets on the inside. But the simplicity of the jacket made Kousei like it all the more, for he'd never been the type to want overly flashy clothing.

The three parents and their two young adult children had to take extra care to stay together as they moved through the crowd. For at 9am every Tuesday afternoon, the JFK International Airport was a hustling, bustling mass of people scurrying to make their flights and meet up with their rides! Kousei couldn't believe his eyes as he gawked at the massive structure. They were only in Terminal 12 of the airport, yes, but this terminal alone was a city in it of itself! The ceiling was around the same height as Towa Hall back home, and the entire right side of the terminal was taken up by large windows, and endless rows of chairs lined the gray carpeted floor that millions of shoes must've traversed over the years. On the left side, meanwhile, sat many gift shops, displays, restaurants, and more! Kousei caught a whiff from one particular eatery where a baker was pulling out a freshly made New York-style pizza, and the pianist's mouth watered at the delectable aroma.

Sadly, it would be quite some time before he'd get his first taste of the famous entrée.

The line at Immigration and Customs was quite long, so Kousei and Kaori took the time to Facetime their friends back home.

"Glad you guys landed safely!" Tsubaki grinned on Kaori's screen. "How was the flight?"

"Horrible!" Kaori grumbled. "Just imagine being trapped in a dark, smelly tube for ten hours! And the seats, ugh! I couldn't even stretch my legs out!"

"We did get to watch some movies though," Kousei chimed in, wanting to highlight some more positive aspects of the pilgrimage. "I was surprised when I saw Prince Of Egypt on the selection!"

"No way!" Watari exclaimed. "That's awesome!"

"So, how does it feel getting to study in America?" Takeshi's voice spoke up on Kousei's phone.

"I'm still having a hard time believing it!" Kousei replied. "I'll be sure to write to you guys soon!"

Unlike Watari and Tsubaki, who were talking to Kaori from a restaurant in Nerima Ward, Takeshi and Emi were in a group video call with Kousei from their dorm rooms in the Kunitachi College of Music. In just three days, their first week of classes would start. As such, all six friends couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

"I hope you guys have fun over there!" Emi smiled, tossing some stray hair out of her face. "Maybe Takeshi and I will be able to come visit sometime!"

"And maybe Kaori's dad can catch up with Thor!" Watari interjected. "Oh wait..."

Kaori and her parents broke into peals of laughter as Kousei facepalmed and glared at Watari's beaming face. "Watari I swear, even when I'm a whole ocean away you are still the biggest pain in the butt."

"Ouch!" Watari laughed back.

"Seriously though, be sure to tell us all about it!" Tsubaki added.

After checking in with their friends, Kousei made sure to call Hiroko and give her his salutations as well. It was during the call that Hiroko suddenly began to get tears in her eyes, and Kousei became a little alarmed.

"Who told you that you could grow up, you knucklehead!" she said with both pride and sadness in her voice. Koharu was no exception, her tears running down her face as she hugged her mom.

"You too Koharu!" Hiroko jested. "Stop growing up!"

At long last, the two musicians and their parents reached the front of the line. Kaori went through first and then Kousei, who couldn't help but feel slightly thrown off by the old clerk's grumpy demeanor. Presenting his F-1 Student Visa and Passport, Kousei waited for the elderly man's hands to stamp the necessary spots on the documents. Lucky for Kousei, no last-second shenanigans suddenly came up, and he soon joined Kaori on the other side of the gate.

"Ready for this, Promoted Friend A?" Kaori smiled at him as she grasped his hand.

"Of course I am," he smiled back, running his fingers through her hair.

"Yeah right! You're paler than a ghost right now."

"What are you talking about? I have nothing to be afraid of!"

"Oh? And why is that?" Kaori teased.

"Because I get to go on this adventure with you."

Kousei was expecting another "Shut up" or eye roll, as that was how Kaori usually returned his compliments. But this time, she just smiled back and hugged him tightly, ruffling his fuzzy black hair.

"It takes courage to sail in uncharted waters," she whispered in his ear.

"Snoopy," Kousei replied automatically.

"Yup," Kaori said. "Well done."

Everything past the Immigration and Customs gate seemed to happen so fast. Much to the group's fortune, their luggage had not been lost, and they managed to reclaim their bags with ease. Once the group got outside to the curb, Takahiko's friend who'd agreed to pick them up waved at them immediately! The luxurious black caravan was spacious enough for all five passengers as well as their bags, and Takahiko handed the chauffer a gift card as a thank you.

"Anytime, Takahiko!" his friend replied as he pulled away from the curb. "How have things been?"

"They've been fine, Manny!" Takahiko chuckled in the front seat. "Thank you for asking!"

Manny, despite being a richer man than most, was surprisingly humble, and Kousei was appreciative of the man's kindness as he wove through the hectic New York traffic. Manny's wrist boasted a simple, silver stopwatch, a stark contrast to the black sleeves of his tux. His brown hair, sitting at a simple medium fade, was a fitting adornment to his warm smile and brown eyes. He pointed to his fade in a proud fashion as he looked at Kousei in the rearview mirror.

"I'll get ya the contact info of my barber sometime soon!" Manny promised. "He's just a few blocks from your school and he'll hook ya right up!"

Though the drive took quite some time, the five passengers didn't mind as they were able to make good conversation with Takahiko's friend. Manny, not one to miss out on an opportunity to boast about his hometown, answered all of their questions in an upbeat, energetic manner. At times, Kousei and Kaori would gaze into each other's eyes in the backseat, causing them to miss out on some of Manny's excited rantings. Manny took no notice, however, and continued on his course.

And before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination:

The Manhattan School of Music!

Kousei and Kaori were both wobbly in the knees as they debarked from their ride. Despite having a rather mundane brick structure, the ornate wooden doors decorated by golden plaques invited the two exchange students to come in and stay for as long as they wished. Both new and returning students entered and exited the doors of the recently renovated Neidorff-Karpati Hall. Kousei and Kaori exchanged an elated glance...they were here! At last!

"Here's my contact info if you kids need anything!" Manny's voice suddenly rang out, breaking them out of their trance. The two musicians turned to see Manny holding out two of his business cards, which they took from his hand with much eagerness.

"Glad we could catch up, my friend!" Takahiko smiled. "We'll be back down in a few minutes!"

"I'll loop around to pick y'all up! Don't worry, take your time!"

At first, Kousei and Kaori's legs refused to move forward, and they didn't know whether it was from sheer joy or terror. Soon enough, however, they began putting one foot in front of the other until they and their parents were through the doors of the Neidorff-Karpati Hall. From there, the five travelers began to follow signs that pointed new students in the right direction. When they found a First Day Tour Guide at last, Yoshiyuki inquired as to where foreign exchange students were supposed to go.

"Ah, yes! Welcome to the Manhattan School of Music!" the brunette tour guide replied, her green eyes lighting up behind her black-framed glasses. "I'm Sandra Caruthers! Follow me right this way and we'll get you to your dorms!"

As Sandra's imposing 5'2 frame escorted the travelers through the school's many hallways, Kousei hardly had time to take in his new surroundings. Not that the two heavy briefcases plus his carry-on helped with relaxing that much. Before taking Kousei and Kaori to their dorm rooms, the tour guide made sure to take them by the Financial Aid Office, Registrar, and International Student Services.

"Be glad you got here today!" the elderly Guatemalan man working at Financial Aid had winked. "Tomorrow and Sunday always get overwhelmed with all the other students! On a side note, congratulations on winning the Stark Music Scholarship!"

"Thank you very much!" Kousei smiled back.

At long last, Kousei and Kaori were able to set their bags down once they arrived at the lobby of Andersen Hall. Already there were a few students in the practice rooms, running scales or even entire pieces on their instruments. Kousei could hardly believe his eyes.

"No room for slackers here, that's for sure!" he thought.

"I'll go fetch your RAs for ya and they'll help you get settled in!" Sandra smiled at them before walking off with a confident strut in her step. It was scarcely two minutes before two seniors with "RA" emblazoned on their chests via a name sticker, emerged from an office beside the lobby, and casually walked over to the five travelers with big smiles on their faces. One of the RAs was an African American male at least half a foot taller than Kousei, wearing khaki pants, brown loafers, a black polo shirt, and a red Nike hat that concealed his short curly hair. The girl, meanwhile, was an average-height Latina with brown eyes, two long black braids, and a simple attire of green converse, jeans, and a black school-spirit t-shirt that bore the letters MSM in bold maroon.

"Welcome to Andersen Hall!" the female RA greeted. "I'm Esmeralda Nunez, and I'm the RA for the fourth floor!"

"Pleased to meet you!" Kaori smiled back, shaking Esmeralda's hand. "I'm Kaori Miyazono and these are my parents!"

"I'm Jonathan Harris!" the male RA introduced himself. "I'm the RA for the fifth floor! And you are?"

"Kousei Arima!" Kousei said, shaking the student's large, muscular hand. "This is my dad, Takahiko! Kaori and I are both foreign exchange students!"

"Wow, that's awesome! Welcome to our awesome music school!" Jonathan replied. "We'll have a hall-wide meeting this coming Sunday evening where we go over rules and get to know each other a little bit, so be sure to go to that!"

"Hear that Kousei?" Kaori chided. "No sneaking onto the girl's floor just because you miss me!"

"Kaoriiiii!" Kousei growled, and the three parents plus the RAs snickered. "We've barely been here five minutes!"

After some tearful goodbyes and well-wishes from their parents, Kousei and Kaori were each escorted to their designated rooms by their respective RAs. Kousei's roommate had moved in early as well, and Kousei was glad for the company as he began unpacking his bags.

"I'm Derek Johnston!" his roommate greeted, firmly shaking Arima's hand. "The notification I got for my roommate pair-up said you're a foreign exchange student. Is that right?"

"Yup!" Kousei grinned as he began hanging up his shirts in the tall wooden closet on his side of the room. "Nice to meet you!"

"Right back at ya brotha!" Derek replied, his smile revealing a set of slightly crooked teeth. "Where you comin from?"

"Nerima Ward, Tokyo, Japan!"

"Japan? Aight, BET!" Derek clapped his hands. "Hope you don't mind if I bombard ya with questions! My grandpa was stationed in Okinawa during his time in the Marine Corps and he told me stories all the time growing up!"

Unlike Kousei's neat, tidy, and still bland side of the room, Derek's side was already fully decked out with a Captain America-themed blanket on his bed, various Harry Potter Lego sets on the upper shelf of his small desk, and an entire collection of Lord Of The Rings and Halo books on his main bookshelf. Derek's instrument, the cornet, sat underneath his bed in a well-protected case, while a Godzilla poster above his bed portrayed a head-to-toe shot of the iconic beast. Derek's large, athletic 6'1 frame, short red hair, and trimmed beard may have made him look menacing on the outside. But as Kousei had already begun to find out, there was more to this gentle giant than met the eye.

"Cornet, huh?" Kousei observed. "You play in a classical or jazz ensemble?"

"Jazz, my brotha! All day every day!" Derek grinned. "What about you?"

"Piano, down to the heart and soul!" Kousei answered. "But I'm actually on the Jazz Arts track here as well!"

"Oh just you wait!" Derek said. "You'll love it when we take our trip down to New Orleans!"

"You've been on that trip before?"

"Oh yeah, I'm a sophomore! You?"

"Freshman!" Kousei shrugged. "New kid on the block!"

"Haha, don't sweat it homie!" Derek assured him. "People here are alright! Just be yo-self, ya know?"

Later in the evening, Derek helped Kousei find his way to the dining hall, and Kousei was grateful to have his first full hot meal in a while. Kaori was sitting at a table with four other girls from her floor...she was making friends fast! As Kousei and his roommate walked over to sit with them, Kaori took notice of her boyfriend's approach and scooted over to make room for him.

"And everyone, this is Kousei! My boyfriend and accompanist!" Kaori introduced him as he sat down.

"Ay he was bragging about you to me earlier!" Derek winked at his friend. "A LOT!"

"Awwww!" some of Kaori's friends exclaimed. "How did you guys meet?"

"Well, she lured me into her trap by playing a melodica in the park," Kousei began, putting his arm around Kaori's shoulder. "And then she threw that melodica at me instead of calmly asking me to explain myself."

"Oh haha, very funny!" Kaori retorted, giving him a light shove. "You very conveniently left out the part where you tried to take a picture of me as my skirt blew up!"

"For the millionth time, that was an accident!"

As the group of new friends laughed and ate together, Kousei felt a warm, happy feeling filling him up on the inside.

"Let's go on a journey together!" Kaori had told him when they'd first met.

And here they were, still on that same journey of music, love, and life...

Together.