As soon as we get off the plane, we enter a new world! Suddenly, English is scarcely seen or heard anymore... Even though we are at an international airport, most signs are in Japanese!

"I tried to memorize the Japanese alphabet during the flight but most of these symbols weren't on the list!" I gasp concerned.

"You probably only studied the hiragana alphabet," Link says, leading the way.

"Are you implying there is more than one alphabet?"

"There's three," he laughs.

"What?!"

"Hiragana, katakana, and kanji."

"Why?!"

"I don't know?" his laughter continues.
"Why would anyone need three alphabets? Do they all have 48 characters too?!"

"Well... technically there are more than 70 for hiragana and katakana and then a couple thousand for kanji."

"You're kidding... Americans use 26 letters and are doing just fine! I don't understand why you need a couple thousand characters!"

"Well... you see..." he looks over his shoulder to give me a know-it-all smirk. He's totally enjoying being the smart-ass for once. "Hiragana is like the main alphabet and kanji are symbols that represent certain things because sometimes the word will have many different meanings and kanji helps to keep them apart. And then the katakana is only used for foreign words. Like... your name I would write in katakana. Or hamburger, or America. Because those words didn't come from Japan, they came to Japan."

"You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"Just call me Sensei from now on," he winks at me.

We grab our luggage from the baggage claim and leave the airport. A lot of people keep staring at Link, so I wonder if he is more famous in Japan than in America. It would make sense; he did play for the national team and holds the record for the youngest athlete to win the fencing olympics.

The sun has already set but the sky is still in the presence of light. The first thing I notice is how everything is so clean! The streets aren't littered with rubbish, it doesn't smell like urine, and no cigarette smoke is polluting the air. Not at all like some other airports I've been to in the past.

The second thing I notice is that the cars are driving on the left side. I didn't know about that until now. I feel so unprepared! There is so much I don't know about Japan. It's making me nervous... I hate being unprepared.

I look at all the signs around me, there is an utter absence of English now... I've been to foreign countries but those at least consisted of most of our alphabet and they would display a lot of English in their most touristy cities. None of that seems to be true for Japan from what I can tell. My breaths quicken as I look to Link for comfort. He gives me a soothing smile to counter my worried expression.

"Welcome to Japan, babe," he says, hooking his arm around my shoulders.

I blush and press my lips together. My heart flutters every time he calls me by a nickname. I like it. Even though it still feels a bit strange at times.

"So... who is picking us up?" I ask.

He raises one of his brows as he tilts his head. "My family doesn't have a car."

"What? What do you mean? Then how are we getting to your house?"

"The train?" He says as if that was the most obvious answer.

"We were on a plane for 12 hours, I don't want to take any more public transportation today," I pout.

"Kyoto is almost an hour away so taking a taxi would be too expensive."

"That's fine, I'll pay," I nod exhausted. My allowance for this trip is meant for food, activities, and souvenirs, but I'm sure Father would prefer it if I took a taxi instead of the train. Which reminds me– "I'm going to give my father a quick call. I promised him I'd let him know when I have arrived."

"It's the middle of the night for him."

"Oh... right. I'll just send him a text then."

"Use my phone so you don't have to pay for roaming."

"Father got me international roaming."

"That'll work," he chuckles.

Link finds a vacant taxi for us while I text Father. I'm more than relieved that we don't have to take public transportation. I just want to finally arrive at our destination, shower, eat, and go to bed... Though I'm not sure in which order I want to do those things. I'm beyond exhausted but I also feel so gross after sitting on a plane for so long, so I don't want to go to bed without having taken a long, hot shower...

In the car, I keep dozing off every couple of seconds, leaning against Link's shoulder as I try to fight the urge of shutting my eyes. I don't want to have jetlag. I just have to stay awake a couple more hours... How hard can that be?

"Feels like home, doesn't it?" Link comments amused. "Driving on the left side just like in England."

"I was too little to remember life in England," I tell him. "Mother and I moved to America when I was three. So America is what I consider my home." Actually, Link is what I consider home.

I sit up, hoping it will enhance my chances at staying awake. It's dark out now, not helping my case. The broadcasters on the radio speak Japanese, the billboards and neon signs around the city are all in Japanese too. I have never been to a country with so little English, especially around the highways. It's refreshing but also intimidating. I wonder if there are a lot of people who at least understand and speak English.

When we get to the more rural area of Kyoto and drive through the deserted, dark streets, I assume we must be close to his home. Sure enough, the taxi comes to a stop in a narrow alley. The driver turns around and names the price in Japanese.

"How much?" I ask Link as he gets out his wallet.

"18,000 yen," he says.

My head instantly tries to convert that into US-dollar. I looked up the exchange rate a couple of days ago but I'm too tired to do the equation in my head right now.

"How much in dollars?" I ask and snatch his wallet from him before he can pay the man. "Let me pay."

"You want to pay with my money?" He asks confused, eying his wallet in my hands.

"No, I'll pay with my own money, of course."
"It's expensive," he frowns.

"So?"

"I don't want you to pay."

"It was my idea to take a taxi, so I should be the one paying."

"No, you're the guest in my country, so I should be the one paying."

"I'm tired, I want to go to bed, so there won't be a debate. Just tell me if they take American credit cards. My card should work internationally."

"They don't take cards at all," he smirks. "And I'm assuming you don't have that much Yen in cash."

"Do you?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yeah, so give me my wallet."

I sigh and hand it over... Link takes out a bunch of money and places it on a little tray for the driver instead of placing it in his hand. Weird customs.

We get out and grab our luggage from the trunk. Now we are standing on a slim, paved path in a quiet neighborhood with compact two-story houses squeezed together. None of these homes seem to have a garden or yard, or any spare land for that matter. If one of these houses belongs to Link's family, I wonder where Link's horse Epona lives.

Some of the houses have small balconies that look like they are about to break off those cracked walls but most of the houses are pretty simplistic and... old. That's evident by the discoloration of the paintjob, the weeds growing out of every breach in the wall, and the way some of the architecture looks like it's about to collapse. Bikes rest against the fragile house walls. Hardly anyone seems to own a car in this area of town. Telephone poles crown the alley with countless wires and a bunch of trees, scrubs, and potted plants make up for the rundown exterior of this neglected street full of potholes.

The taxi leaves and my heart begins to pound heavily against my ribcage. Now going back now. I'm about to meet Link's family..! I'm getting so nervous again! I rub my arms to rid them of the goosebumps.

"The first night it always feels weird to be back," Link says with a smile. "A good kind of weird though, I guess."

"What does it feel like?"

"Like... It's not really my house. Like I'm just the guest. Every time, the house looks just different enough to feel a bit foreign, you know? And just seeing your family again after having been separated for a long time makes it all a bit more friendly and cheerful and loving than it usually would be." I wish I knew what that was like. "Not that they aren't usually loving and all, but the first two days everyone is obviously still excited and so it just feels less natural? Maybe that's not the right word. I don't know, I'm bad at explaining my feelings."

He walks up to the nearest house. I follow on leaden steps. The walls and windows look old and brittle, not really something I'm used to at all... I hope I will feel somewhat comfortable inside. I don't really like staying at places that appear at the brim of an unplanned demolition. That's one reason why I didn't like the frat house in the beginning; it was old, poorly maintained, loud, and dirty. There was mold in the bathrooms and the carpet had more stains than clean spots.

Link stops in his tracks to point at a wooden sign next to the door with engraved Japanese writing.

"What does this sign say?" he challenges my newly acquired skill.

"How would I know?"

"You said you studied the alphabet."

"Not this one," I roll my eyes.

"It says Miyamoto," he laughs.

"Oh," my eyes widen. "That's fancy. Is there a reason why your last name is displayed outside your home?"

"It's pretty common. It's like the house number."

What if two neighboring families have the same name, I want to ask but I'm too tired and I don't care enough to ask right now. He unlocks the door to finally step inside. The hallway is well-lit and vacant. The walls don't look so brittle from the inside, they actually look pretty clean and undamaged. The wooden floor is spotless and shiny, and apart from a tall vase, three wooden doors, and a set of stairs leading to the second floor, this hallway has nothing to offer.

I follow Link inside, instantly greeted by a wave of foreign smells. No air conditioning... it's pretty much the same temperature inside as it is outside.

"Tadaima!" Link yells down the short and narrow hallway as he takes off his shoes. Everything is so compact and crowded, I almost feel claustrophobic having grown up in a three story mansion...

I hear a loud and ecstatic "Onii-chan!" before a young girl with short blond pigtails slides open one of the wooden doors and comes charging at Link in a blue dress and cosmic smile. She leaps toward him, expecting him to catch her mid-air! My first thought is that his back and knee will break at such an impact! But Link catches her effortlessly and holds her in his arms for a tight hug.

My heart melts at the scene. I've been so nervous to meet her because I know how much Link cares for her. I always wondered if he would be good with kids since I usually don't see him talk to his younger fans but he seems to be a fantastic big brother. Meanwhile I have never interacted with kids and don't know how to treat them. When I was a kid, Father's colleagues always treated me like an adult, maybe that's why. 

I watch Link as he interacts merrily with his biggest fan. He's a bit different.... I can't put my finger on it.

While he speaks to his little sister in Japanese, his mother steps into the doorframe with a joyful smile. "Rinku! Zelda-san," she greets us both with a quick bow and lovely smile.

I step forward onto the hardwood floor to return the gesture but her smile briefly disappears and I instantly begin to wonder if I did something wrong already. I look back at Link, feeling more and more nervous. He is focused on his sister when I look at him for help. As his mother speaks to me in more words I can't understand, his eyes meet mine at an instant. He looks down at my feet, then back up at my eyes with an awkward expression.

"Your shoes," he says.

My eyes dart at my feet! That's when I notice that the entrance to the house seems to have a designated area for shoes... This is so embarrassing! I quickly return to the tiled floor and remove my shoes there...

"I'm so sorry," I breathe. "Link, how do I apologize in Japanese?!"

"Don't worry about it," Link assures me, caringly letting his sister back down. He introduces me to her in Japanese, then does the same in English. "This is Aryll," he tells me.

"N–nice to meet you," I stutter nervously. Why is she glaring at me?! I'm not good with kids... I already messed it up, haven't I? I don't necessarily need her to love me, but why does she look like she hates my guts?

"Konnichiwa. Yoroushuko onagashimasoo?" I very slowly attempt to greet her in Japanese. Oh wait, am I supposed to bow to her? To someone younger? I'm in her house after all. I give an awkward bow but that doesn't seem to make it any better.

"Just yoroshiku is fine," Link corrects my poor Japanese.

Suddenly, Aryll hurls a long phrase at me, of which I understand absolutely nothing, and tightly throws her arms around Link's torso. I feel attacked. But Link and his mother both chuckle, so it might be a joke that I'm not getting? Should I just laugh too? What's happening?

"She said 'he's mine'," Link laughs and replies to his sister in Japanese.

"Is she being serious?" I ask worried but he is distracted.

I feel so excluded and out of place... I already can't keep up and I arrived less than a minute ago... This isn't going very well... I'm tired and feel myself growing miserable by the second. I have to find a way to keep myself excited and happy, otherwise I'll ruin this trip for everyone. I'm already thinking about cutting this trip short with an excuse. But I can't do that to Link. It's his birthday gift...

I stand in the middle of the hallway, unsure what to do or how to act. Link's mother hugs him and cups his cheeks to study his face. She looks worried, caring. He hands tilt his head as if checking for wounds. When she asks him a question, he pushes his hair back to reveal the scar from the bat and chuckles lightheartedly. I continue to stand in the hallway pretending to have something to do with my hands until he returns his attention to me.

"My mom made dinner, so we'll all eat together and then we can finally get some rest. Sound good?" I nod, feeling a little less down-hearted. Maybe I'm just hungry and sleep-deprived. I'll feel better in the morning. "Smile," he instructs, pushing the corners of my mouth upward. "We're finally in Japan together, no more frowning."

The smile he shaped with his thumbs turns into a real smile. I'm glad he knows how to make me feel better. His calm aura is a perfect contrast to my anxiety. I thank him and follow him into the living room. It's so neat and organized, very different from the exterior of the home. It feels very welcoming.

An old, small lady is sitting on a cushion on the floor. She must be Link's grandmother. Her wrinkly face lights up with joy when her eyes study me across the room. She gets up slowly and I wish I could tell her that she doesn't have to get up for me but she is already on her feet before I can ask Link to translate for me. I walk toward her, instinctively going for a handshake. I stop myself and bow to her instead.

"Yoroshiku," I say. That was correct this time, right?

"You use Keigo for the elder, so add onegaishimasu next time," Link whispers to me before embracing his grandmother. My cheeks feel flaming hot... I'm mortified... 

"Onegaishimasu," I add even though it's way too late.

I just want them to like me and see that I am well-mannered and smart and cultured and respectful and kind. But how can I when I keep making mistakes like that without a way of apologizing? It will take me longer than half a plane ride to learn Japanese. I realize that now...

"She says you're very pretty," Link says, his cheeks glowing red. Is he really getting flustered by his grandmother complimenting me? Why is that so adorable?

"Tell her it's a pleasure to meet her and that I appreciate their hospitality."

I look around while Link talks to the short lady. I'm not considered tall in America but in this house I feel like a giant. The dinner table is already set. It's low and there aren't any chairs so I assume we will be sitting on the floor. The food smells amazing. That's actually something I've been looking forward to; more of Link's delicious dishes!

"Anything I need to know about dining rules?" I ask Link. His sister is still holding on to his arm as we approach the dining area.

"Not really," he shrugs.

"Not really or no? Because there is a significant difference between the two. I don't want to make any more mistakes so if there is anything I should know please tell me."

"You'll sit in the center since you're the honored guest. My dad will sit in the center of the other side 'cause he's the host."

I nod, lips pressed together firmly. See? Those are some instructions I can follow.

"What else?" I ask eagerly.

"Eto..." he ponders in Japanese... "We say itadakimasu before eating and you'd say gochisousama deshita when everyone's done."

"Pardon?! Please repeat that but very slowly. Actually, let me write it down."

Before Link gets a chance to repeat what he just said, a male voice announces his return home. So much is happening at once and I need a moment to breathe and let my brain catch up! 

I hear the front door shut and hastily brace myself to meet another new person. This must be the father! Right?? Link doesn't have any brothers or cousins living here too, does he? Maybe his grandfather? It doesn't matter, all that matters is that I have to make a good first impression now!

I look at Link for comfort. "My dad," he informs me. 

His posture straightens like that of a soldier in preparation for his father's arrival, making me more anxious than I already am! Meeting his father is what I've been most worried about, so I want it to go well.

I straighten my back, fold my hands in front of my body, push my shoulders back, hastily straighten my hair, then fold my hands anew. My heart is up in my throat when the door to the living room opens.