Usually, in the CANON, I explore creating a fictional universe with the hopes that you’ll follow along with your own world. Every fourth week, I’m releasing an AU story or an exclusive with one of the members of Apple Hair. This time, we have the sixth chapter of Onsen Boys! We’re following David and Seiya on their trip to Japan.

Want to read Onsen Boys from the very beginning? You can start here!

If you’re new here, Apple Hair is a fictional, Asian American boy band from Hawaiʻi. I’m Airen, and this particular short story draws on my experiences in Japan.

Welcome to the newsletter, and I’m excited to share this AU with you.

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“Did it live up to your expectations?” I ask.

David dries his hair, again, in the locker room. We’re dressed again, and we have the place to ourselves. It felt a little sad to finally leave the silver springs. Nah. It was tragic.

“Oh, it was breathtaking,” David says. A bit more air than usual goes through his voice. It makes him cuter. Easier to tease.

“No, I was talking about my muscles tho’.”

He splutters, almost tripping on nothing. “Seiya, we’re not talking about that.”

“Yeah, all about the water,” I say, grinning as his cheeks pinken.

After exiting the locker room, I put my hand on David’s. We hold hands for a little while. Until we have to get our shoes from the locker outside.

As David laces up his shoes, his damn wet hair speaks to me. Asking me to draw it back. I tuck a strand behind his ear, and he leans into my touch a bit. We stay in the warmth until the onsen employee tells us very politely that we need to leave. Closing up for the night.

“I definitely know now the experience people are talking about,” David says, speaking quickly, almost like Corrin. “The bathing, the dipping in, relaxing. Wow. I can’t say anything bad about it. It was like I was in this separate dimension where it’s so natural, just a part of your day.”

“Not the naked men part then,” I say.

“Seiya!” David tries to smack my arms. Misses. Then he begins to laugh, as if the fumes from the onsen affected him. He doubles over in the middle of the street. When he finally gets a hold of himself, he says, “This is the vacation I needed. Before our debut. Thanks for coming along.”

I pat his back. Despite my teasing, he’s right. Our trip to the silver springs was magical, and it felt like such an intimate thing. To do with David. I save my jokes for later. Before he bans our trip to the golden springs.

“Hungry?” I ask him.

“Starving,” he says. “I heard about a Lawson nearby. Let’s go?”

“Let’s go,” I say. I stop myself. Another dirty joke about the onsen was about to fly out like a rogue buggah.

We walk the deserted streets. The cold eventually does enter my yukata. But the warmth from the onsen overtakes it. It makes it a little bother, not a huge thing like before. David hums our lead single from our debut EP, and I follow along, trying to harmonize. Eventually, we take a detour down a road toward Lawson, following its light like a beacon. We pass a little river by the underpass with a Christmas tree of lights sitting like an afterthought.

“I wonder if soaking makes you hungry?” David says. “That’s definitely what I feel now, like I could eat everything in sight.”

“Don’t mind me either as I go ham,” I say.

We split up at Lawson. I throw pastries into my basket, along with some hojicha lattes and instant ramen that looks good enough to be gourmet. Damn. I really let my hunger control me.

David meets me with his own basket. In it, I spy some spaghetti, an egg sandwich, and a rice bowl. I reach out and nuzzle his head. “We’re eating well tonight, bro.”

“Yes, bro,” David echoes, copying my little lilt. He really must be in a killer mood.

As we walk back, we decide to have a speed walk race. I win thanks to my slightly longer legs. At the apartment, we heat up water in our kettle—first thing. Then we sip on our lattes.

“I hope you’re having fun,” David says suddenly.

I put my cup down, half finished. “Yeah, I am. Isn’t it obvious?”

He gives me a small smile. “I always dreamed of this. For a long time, because of my parents, I thought I’d never find someone. They made me feel like I could never be loved, or that no one would want a contradiction like me.”

“You’re not a contradiction,” I say. “And I… felt the same way. I know our parents are different. Mine were more on the absent side. But the only thing that kept me hoping for love was Ami. She told me I’d find my person.”

“Do you really think it’s me?” David asks, almost as a murmur.

I take a glance at the food we spilled on the living room table, everything ready to be devoured. “That’s mad that you’d even ask me that. Yes. And if you doubt yourself again, I’m throwing you into the onsen. No cap.”

He laughs, taking another sip of his latte as he settles. “I’m certain that it’s you, too, Seiya. Not just because I’ve seen everything now.”

“So it was impress—”

“Shut up,” he says. He wrinkles his nose, but I can tell he wants to burst into laughter. Like a madman.

We dig into our food. David compliments the ramen, which ends up tasting restaurant-quality. “It’s ’cause I made it,” I say. After spaghetti and rice balls and so many pastries that we could burst, David opens a pack of green apple Hi Chews. “Something sweet,” he says, as if the red bean and mochi and danishes weren’t.

I gladly accept it. The green apple flavor reminds me of the first time Ami gave me a piece. How old was I? Six?

We wind down, and I turn off the lights. Our first night in Arima Onsen? A smashing success. Thanks to David—all thanks to David.

David murmurs something in his sleep. I remind myself before nodding off—this is just the beginning of our trip. Main event? Still to come.

Hey, it’s Airen again! Did you enjoy Onsen Boys? Leave a comment or jump into the Chat to talk about it!

If you missed the last post, you should definitely check it out here! It’s about the hard lessons I learned while indie publishing.

I can’t believe that Apple Hair has been with us for over half a year now!

Hope you enjoy reading the novel!

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Usually, in the CANON, I explore creating a fictional universe with the hopes that you’ll follow along with your own world. Every fourth week, I’m releasing an AU story or an exclusive with one of the members of Apple Hair. This time, we have the fifth chapter of Onsen Boys! We’re following David and Seiya on their trip to Japan.

Want to read Onsen Boys from the very beginning? You can start here!

If you’re new here, Apple Hair is a fictional, Asian American boy band from Hawaiʻi. I’m Airen, and this particular short story draws on my experiences in Japan.

Welcome to the newsletter, and I’m excited to share this AU with you.

Last Post

Apple Hair—Get the Book!

The yukata suffocates me, wrapping me in its slightly scratchy embrace. After averting my eyes from Seiya, I breathe in the slightly warm air of the dressing room, turning over this night in my head. I dreamed of going to the onsen with Seiya, and I won’t miss out because I’m a little embarrassed. Okay—maybe a lot. Maybe the embarrassment thickens around me and totally brings me under, and all I know is the flush on my face, my trembling knees, the way my skin sticks to the air as if covered with a slimy film…

A lot embarrassed. But I still move to untie my sash. I take off the yukata first, and then my undershirt. When I untie the drawstring of my pants, I almost faint, but I manage to take them off without tangling on the floor like a shedding snake.

That leaves me with just one thin line of defense. I stuff my clothing into the locker and steal a glance at Seiya, who’s been mirroring me this whole time. Is it embarrassing that we have the exact same Calvin Klein style that Kaden bought all of us for Christmas? I guess it is, but in the moment it makes me feel like Seiya and I are one.

I stare at the wall and take off my last piece of clothing, feeling the cold as it rushes in and reminds me that yes, I am in fact, exposed like a freshly peeled apple.

I hear Seiya do the same. I avoid looking at him, as if finding the wall the most interesting part of our entire trip to Japan.

“This is nice,” Seiya says.

I gulp and then try to break my eyes away from the spot ahead of me. “We didn’t even do anything yet.”

Seiya laughs and then taps me on the arm. It breaks me out of my trance, and then I turn, looking at the warmth in his eyes, the way he always considers me, as if I am always somewhere within his periphery, existing.

“Let’s go,” he says, a smile in his tone. “Try not to stare too hard.”

I follow Seiya, and I enter the fictive dream where onsens were once just a little voice in the back of my head, asking me “what if?” Everything turns blurry like my own mind wants to put a censor on everything. I blink a few times when we leave the locker room and enter the real deal of the onsen. The steam hits me and furls up my nose, and then my vision refocuses and I find Seiya.

I thought that this moment would lead to embarrassment in more ways than one, like a personal signal going off above my head, flashing brilliant red. But all I see is Seiya, the boy I chose to love. The awkwardness leaves me, floating off and evaporating in my veins. Like he told me many times, it’s just me and him. Nothing to be ashamed or afraid of, and everything to enjoy and take part of.

I sit next to him at the shower station. An old man relaxes in the spring, and he exudes a peaceful attitude that latches onto me. Onsens, the most relaxing part of many peoples’ days. It could be for me and Seiya too.

I wash my body and lather up, making sure to get myself completely clean, one of the rules I read about online, and as I close my eyes while washing my hair, I enter the realm of just picking apart the temperature. I register how Seiya’s also bathing beside me, and the normalcy of how we must look comforts me—it gives me the strength to stand up while barely covering myself with my towel.

“I hope the springs heal everything bad that could ever happen to my body,” I tell Seiya.

He whispers back, conscious of the old man who closes his eyes, probably reflecting on either everything or nothing. “Let’s hope it gives us strength to perform, ’ya?”

“Yes,” I say. This time, in a brave spurt, I lead the way.

The silver spring of Arima Onsen cascades in a miniature waterfall slash fountain on the rock wall. The sound of it drowns out everything else, even our footsteps. I dip my foot into the spring, savoring how it wants to envelop me, placing me in the same lull as the old man.

“It feels nice,” I tell Seiya. “Like it’s actually going to heal me from the inside out.”

Seiya places one hand on my shoulder. Sparks erupt at the point of contact, and I refuse the temptation to look back. “I think it’s going to give us superpowers.”

“I hope so,” I say.

I dip my body entirely into the silver springs, admiring the rock wall and the humble interior, tiled with a wooden roof that vaults upwards. Seiya hisses as he enters the water, and then we float off to the side, sitting together.

I’m so, so glad that I got past my fears. I’m here now, with Seiya in the onsen, a place that I only read about and wondered to myself whether I’ll ever be able to experience it. The steam rises strongly, and it clears my sinuses. I can visualize the water actually turning silver, and I let my body adjust, soaked by the various minerals.

“How long do you wanna stay?” Seiya asks after a little while.

“Forever,” I respond, and he chuckles.

Eventually, the temperature of the water turns out to be a bit too much. I sit on the edge of the pool and cover myself with the towel. Seiya does the same. We wade our feet into the water and rest in our silence. I love how we don’t always have to be saying something to feel like we’re constantly conversing—rather, we can just speak through our minds, guessing what the other would say. Sometimes, nothing’s good too.

I dip one more time into the pool, Seiya following. The old man leaves, and then we have the place to ourselves. I place a brave arm around Seiya, finding the bareness of his shoulders—that match mine—the most familiar thing in the world.

This isn’t bad at all, and I wish we could soak here, as I said, forever, just onsen boys with the goal of becoming one with the waters.

Hey, it’s Airen again! Did you enjoy Onsen Boys? Leave a comment or jump into the Chat to talk about it!

If you missed the last post, you should definitely check it out here! It’s about refilling your creative well through travel. And most times, we don’t even have to travel that far. I love how this ties into David and Seiya’s trip to Arima Onsen.

I can’t believe that Apple Hair: A Boy Band Fantasy Novel has been available for more than two months! A reminder that it’s available on Kindle Unlimited!

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Usually, in the CANON, I explore creating a fictional universe with the hopes that you’ll follow along with your own world. Every fourth week, I’m releasing an AU story or an exclusive with one of the members of Apple Hair. This time, we have the fourth chapter of Onsen Boys! We’re following David and Seiya on their trip to Japan.

Want to read Onsen Boys from the very beginning? You can start here!

If you’re new here, Apple Hair is a fictional, Asian American boy band from Hawaii. I’m Airen, and this particular short story draws on my experiences in Japan.

Welcome to the newsletter, and I’m excited to share this AU with you.

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“Can we head to the onsen already though?” I say.

David’s been stalling. After we settled in the room, we headed out to walk around the town. We bought some pickled items to take home, got a soy milk ice cream—fire, by the way—and explored every single possible corner, so now it feels like I know where everything is.

“Huh?” he says.

“You know what I said, dude,” I say.

“Fine.” He rubs his cheek and turns the other way. A mood, honestly.

We head back to the room and get changed into a yukata. Quite breezy, but we wrap a robe around ourselves. David tries to stall by saying that his yukata’s too big for him. I call out BS and wrap the sash more tightly around him.

“Are we heading to the silver or gold one first?” David says.

He draws out his sentences, lingering on the threshold. Cute and determined. I reach out and ruffle his hair. He scowls at me. “Silver,” I say.

Feisty dude. I gesture toward the door, and we grab our clothes and towels. As we walk down the stairs to the road, the cold almost takes me under. The gold onsen’s only paces away from the apartment, but the silver one takes a bit longer to get to.

Because David’s been stalling for a hell of a long time, it’s already dark out. I heard the silver one’s less crowded. It’ll be a good “first time,” I’m thinking.

“I don’t feel that informed yet,” David says. “I feel like we need to watch a tutorial.”

“A tutorial?” I almost burst out laughing. “You can’t be serious, man.”

“I just think that if I mess up in there, it’ll be really embarrassing. And isn’t that such a vulnerable place for people? An onsen? If I do something wrong, it won’t just embarrass me, it’ll embarrass everyone.”

I watch him scratch at his neck. He brings his whole basket up to his chest as he does that. His chestnut brown hair reflects the lights of the storefronts and the stars. Damn, he’s just that guy.

Eventually, we reach the silver onsen, which appears as a modest looking building, almost like a little inn. We head inside and pay a fee at the machine, getting our tickets. We use a coin to stuff both of our shoes into one locker.

“Okay,” David says, stepping over onto the wooden floors with his fluffy white socks. “So the silver onsen doesn’t close until another few hours. We have time. So we don’t need to rush or anything.”

Even with his cuteness, a little flare of annoyance goes through me. “Seriously? David, we came here for the onsen.”

He carries his basket closer to his chest. “I know. But it sounded so much better and romantic in my head.”

The annoyance leaves me like a zap. “If you really don’t wanna…”

It must be opposite day. His face hardens. “No, I’m going. That’s what we’re really here for. I can’t miss out on it.”

We hand our tickets to the old man at the counter, and I think he tells us to enjoy ourselves. I follow David’s lead and head into the men’s locker room.

David’s stalling worked. There’s no one else in here, and only one pair of slippers lingers in the shoe locker. For a good few seconds, we just stare at each other. David breaks off first and chooses a locker in the corner. He stuffs his things inside, then arranges them when he has nothing else to do.

I choose the locker right next to his. He goes pretty hard in untying and tying his sash. I take my time, just to give him more time to freak out less.

His face looks like a beet. He finally unties his sash and leaves it that way. His yukata sways from left to right. He stares down at his feet.

“Don’t worry,” I say. “I won’t look. Too hard.”

The poor guy almost punches me in the face. “I would’ve been just fine if you didn’t tell me that.”

And despite ourselves, and because we’re the only ones in the locker room, we for sure end up stalling. I watch David open and close his locker door. He bites on his lip and weighs his feet. Left foot. Right foot.

I decide to humor him. “Was this different from what it looked like in your dreams?”

He shakes his head. “I somehow thought it would be really fun and relaxing.”

“No ulterior motives?” I say. “Huh?”

He clenches his jaw. “No. I mean, well… of course I thought about this part.”

Because David grew up in a pretty conservative church, he never mentioned anything past PG-13 to me. I respect that, and I’m happy about where things are now. Waiting for marriage? I could do that. EZ.

But he looks like the opposite of “hang loose,” and the least I could do is help him relax. I put an arm around his shoulder. “How many times have we just been basically naked at the dorm?” I say. “This will be no different. And bathing… ya’, that’s something we do every day.”

“I guess you’re right,” David says. “I… I’m going to do this. No backing out. No more stalling.”

“It’s going to be just fine,” I say. I give him a little smile. I pull my sash and make it loose, then turn in the other direction. Respect.

I hear him rustling a bit. And then he laughs. I turn back to see him clutching his belly. “This is ridiculous,” he says. “We’re so dramatic.”

“You think?” I turn back around after punching him lightly in the chest.

I am one with the yukata. Despite trying to make him more calm, the truth is, freaking out describes me too. I can’t imagine my life after sharing this moment with the David Cho, the hammah himself.

But yo. I’m Seiya, Japanese to the core, the upcoming master of the onsen. I’m going to bathe like a champ.

Hey, it’s Airen again! Did you enjoy Onsen Boys? Jump into the Chat to talk about it!

If you missed the last post, I want to remind you that Apple Hair is now available for pre-order! Click the button right below to order it. The novel will also be available on Kindle Unlimited, so you can wait if you have KU!

The hardcover is out for pre-order, but the paperback is coming on January 31, right on release day! I highly recommend getting at least a paperback to own the stunning piece of art from my illustrator, Nisa. I’m flipping through one of the copies right now, and I’m so happy with how it turned out.

Happy reading!

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Usually, in the CANON, I explore creating a fictional universe with the hopes that you’ll follow along with your own world. Every fourth week, I’m releasing an AU story or an exclusive with one of the members of Apple Hair. This time, we have the third chapter of Onsen Boys! We’re following David and Seiya on their trip to Japan.

Want to read Onsen Boys from the very beginning? You can start here!

If you’re new here, Apple Hair is a fictional, Asian American boy band from Hawaii. I’m Airen, and this particular short story draws on my experiences in Japan.

Welcome to the newsletter, and I’m excited to share this AU with you.

Last Post

Read Apple Hair on Wattpad!

After Seiya bathes, we head out for some late-night sushi.

“It’s a little over a dollar a plate!” Seiya exclaims once we sit down and browse the virtual menu. “Shit. Don’t mind me going ham tonight.”

I blush for no reason and busy myself with filling our cups of tea. I pour a little bit of powder into the cups, reflecting on the little particles that Kaden would no doubt try to calculate, and then I fill them with hot water from a dispenser by the sushi belt. As we eat, I think about onsens and bathing, and even though I’m nineteen, it feels like I’m thirteen thinking about these things for the first time.

Seiya really does stuff himself, but I think I might eat almost as much as him? I count the plates, which we both crushed, and I count over thirty plates. We say thank you and goodbye in Japanese, and then we head back above the underground center, named Whity, and back to the hotel.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna bathe tonight?” Seiya says, teasing.

“No,” I say a bit too quickly. I wash up with the shower in our room. And then, the exhaustion of the flight takes over, and Seiya’s snores fill the room. I study the planes of his face, his effortless beauty and his gentle nose, and soon I can’t keep my eyes open.

The next day, we pack up our things and head to Osaka Umeda station, or rather Hankyu Sanban Gai, a shopping mall attached to the station. As we lug our things along, the unthinkable happens.

We get lost.

“I swore we just needed to follow the underground signs,” I say. Panic builds in my chest, blooming like an unwelcome poisonous flower. We only have thirty minutes to get there, or else the bus will leave without us.

“It’s confusing,” Seiya says. A load of people crowd around us, as if judging the fact that we can’t find our way, that our directional senses are clogged thanks to jetlag and the stunting unfamiliarity of the country.

“Let’s head aboveground,” I say. “Maybe then we can have a better sense of direction.”

We end up finding a sign that says Hankyu Sanban Gai, so we follow the stairs up. In fact… it must be a pretty big mall, because we just end up lost between shops with no bus station in sight.

Seiya may have panicked yesterday, but now it’s my turn. I thought that the anxieties we went through as trainees hardened me up a bit, but the disorientation of finding myself in Japan is too much to bear. I end up visibly shaking.

Seiya drops his things and wraps his arms around me. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. We have time.”

His steady heart and his unwavering hands cause me to see the light. It is going to be okay, just like how we got Merlin Kim to approve our debut.

I carry my things again, and we ask someone about the direction to the bus stop. We have to double back. But when we reach the station, we have ten minutes to spare, and the man in charge of the bus smiles and approves our spots on the bus.

Seiya lets out a long breath. “Maybe I’m not Japanese after all?”

“Don’t be silly,” I say.

As we load our luggage into the bottom of the bus, we head inside and find seats in the front. The bus driver starts exactly on time and goes through a few announcements. We head down the highway and down some express lanes, until we exit the more congested area of the city.

Seiya falls asleep. I decide to take a chance and put my hand in his. As we continue on our way, I open my BTS book and read again. Seiya snores, and a strand of his pink hair falls into my book. For a long time, I roll the strand of hair in my fingers, feeling a little bit like a creeper, like someone with the strangest desire.

When we reach Arima Onsen, the winter weather bites me immediately as the bus driver opens the door. Trying not to shiver too hard, I help Seiya with our luggage then face the possibility of getting lost once again.

“Are you Seiya Morimoto and David Cho?” someone asks.

I turn around to find a kind-looking lady in a kimono, with large eyes and a mouth that reminds me of a cute pink bow. “Yes,” I say, barely squeaking the word out thanks to not speaking for an hour.

She smiles. “Please come this way. You’re checking into the Tabby Apartment, am I right?”

“Yes,” I repeat. We follow her, and she insists on carrying both of our luggages even though Seiya looks like he wants to fight her.

She checks us in, letting us know the information about the gold and silver onsen pools—along with an option for a private onsen. We decline the offer for the—very—expensive dinner set, and then she comes back around the counter again and carries our luggage outside.

The quaint town of Arima Onsen is definitely a change from Osaka. Everything’s so nearby that we only have to walk thirty seconds before we climb the stairs to the apartment that we’re staying at for two days. I try to take in as much of the town as possible, including various small eateries, a store selling pickled items, and two-storied buildings creating a bit of a maze through the quiet, paved streets, painted in neutral colors like gray, white, and brown.

The Tabby Apartment only has two rooms, and our guide leads us to the higher floor, giving us the four numbers of our passcode. Upon entrance, Seiya and I admire the tatami room that’s separate from both the shower and bathroom. With windows that can be slid open to view the street, I immediately feel a sense of home and comfort.

The hotel worker leaves after making sure we’re settled, and Seiya collapses onto one of the two beds that rest on the floor. “Man. This is what I call living the life.”

“I heard that people soak in the onsen up to three times a day,” I say, regretting the words as soon as they leave my mouth.

Seiya wiggles his eyebrows. “Then are you ready?”

Hey, it’s Airen again! Did you enjoy Onsen Boys? Jump into the Chat to talk about it!

For my paid subscribers, here’s a link to early access to Debut in Broad Daylight. The link won’t work unless you’re on the paid list! If you recently joined, don’t worry. I’ll get you added ASAP! I appreciate you very much!

As a monthly bonus for my paid subscribers, here is early access to the next chapter of Onsen Boys! This is from Seiya’s POV. Happy reading!  

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Before their official debut, David and Seiya take a trip to Arima Onsen, and share a very cute (but not what it sounds like) “first time.”

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

“Da fuh—”

David punches me in my stomach. Lightly. “Hey, it’s not that complicated.” 

At Kansai International Airport, we’re basically screwed. Because I grew up in Hawaii and not here, my Japanese skills are basically nada. The train terminal’s full to the brim with a crowd and maps that make zero sense to me. “I think we’re not gonna make it to the hotel.” 

“Don’t be so dramatic,” David says. 

We ask some kind attendant who helps us in broken English. Eventually, we figure it out. We stand in line to buy tickets for the Haruka train. For the ticketing machines. 

“Hi, hi,” David asks to the person in front of us, a young Japanese couple. “Just making sure. Is this where we buy tickets?”

“Online… uh,” the man stutters. “Online reservation.” 

“Shit,” I say. Then, David casts me a look—he still hates it when I swear. 

We go to one of the offices to buy a ticket. At that moment, an attendant chimes in and says that yes—yes, we can buy tickets at the self-service machines. Shit. 

Then, I remember to keep my cool. As the older one, I kinda have to keep it together. I try not to give stink-eye to the man who told us we couldn’t buy tickets here. David apologizes to get us back in the same position in line. 

Luckily, when it’s our turn, we manage to change the settings to English. David buys us a ticket to Osaka. 

“Great,” I say. 

David looks like he wants to slap me, but eventually he smiles. “See? Not too bad at all.”

We ask another person where our platform is. He tells us the number, and luckily it’s just a flight of stairs down. We wait at the correct line. I hope? 

Eventually, the train makes its appearance. “Wow. Totes adorbs.” Hello Kitty stands out in stark relief on the design of the white bullet train, dressed in a kimono and surrounded by flowers that resemble a paper cut out.

“Can you take my pic?” David says, standing in front of Hello Kitty. 

“Sure!” I snap a few of various angles. He looks mad cute when he does a V sign, sticking one of his fingers into his cheeks.   

When it’s time to board, a little bit of the worry goes away. I normally keep my cool. But a whole new country by ourselves? If I didn’t have David, I’d be small-kine antsy. 

We take selfies in our seat. David leans on my shoulder, and I wrap an arm around his head like gauze on a zombie. I burst out laughing at how the picture comes out. Man. We look like a pair of clowns. 

Eventually, we reach Osaka. I drag my luggage out and help David when his gets stuck right at the door. Because our hotel’s not super close to this station, we have to lug our things through an even more confusing route. No trains this time ‘tho. Thank God. 

Have I regained my confidence? “Damn… so easy.” 

David looks at me like I grew a second head. “I swore you were a different person a second ago.” 

We exit out into Japan’s January cold. Bruh. I can barely feel my arms after a few seconds. I look at David, who has his whole puffer jacket vibe going on. You’d think I’d learn my lesson after our trip to Korea. 

He begins to take off his jacket for me. “No ways,” I say. “Keep it on.” 

“Fine,” he says, barely above a whisper. 

We take around fifteen minutes to reach the hotel. It rises up like one beacon in the sky, and I let out a relieved sigh. “Hallelujah,” I say. 

David lets it go, probably because his teeth are chattering. Normally, he’d tell me to save the word for a worship song, or for church. We head to the front desk, and we pass the receptionist our passports. 

“One night for you both,” she says. “Are you two brothers?” 

David almost chokes, but I keep my smile on. “Um. Yeah! Something like that.” 

She tells us about the amenities. It includes a sento, or public bath. David takes the card keys, and we immediately head to the elevator. 

“Are you going to the sento tonight?” I ask, trying not to tease. 

“Ugh!” He almost chokes on his spit. “No, I’m saving it for the onsen. You can go though….” 

I want to tell him it wouldn’t be nearly as fun. But he seems pretty set. On leaving his “first time” for Arima Onsen. 

“Suit yourself,” I say. “I think I’ll go ‘tho.” 

He raises an eyebrow. “Don’t check out any cute guys while you’re there.” 

We set our things down in the hotel room, and David sighs and collapses onto the bed closest to the window. As I thought, the hotel room’s mad small. I don’t mind though, because I’ve shared a small room with the Apple Hair guys for ages. I appreciate the hints of turquoise, like they were trying to go for a Waikiki vibe. 

“I’m off to the sento,” I say. 

I wait for David to say that he changed his mind. He hesitates a bit, before he says, “Okay, have fun.” 

“Let’s go to the convenience store after,” I say. “Before we starve or ‘wat.” 

I head to the fourth floor, where the bath’s located. I’ve never actually taken a public bath, but I read a guide and it seems pretty e-z. As I use my card to enter the men’s locker room, I find that it’s completely empty. Weird. 

I take off all my clothes and stuff them into a locker. I take a small towel with me and enter the bathing area, which has a cold pool, warm pool, and hot pool. Before that ‘tho, I have to wash up. I shower quickly with a crazy-foaming shampoo and body wash. Bruh, I can’t get it off me. Ages go by. Then I head to the warm bath. 

I’m not gonna lie. I wish David were here with me. 

Eventually, an old man enters the bath, and then a younger man, and then my Hawaii-boy instincts flare up. I quickly dip into the hot bath. And then—Seiya out. 

I dry off in the locker room and put on my clothes. Confident now that I’ve had some practice with public baths, I look forward to Arima Onsen. Hopefully… er… my eyes won’t be on my bandmate the whole time. 

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Before their official debut, David and Seiya take a trip to Arima Onsen, and share a very cute (but not what it sounds like) “first time.”

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“Hey, so I know we’re going to see each other naked for the first time,” Seiya says. 

I groan into my fist. “Really, Seiya?” 

On the airplane, the stewardess approaches and offers me a bag of mixed nuts—almonds and cashews, with a colorful package that offsets the boringness of the snack. It reflects the light like pink and red cellophane, pleasing my eye, reminding me of a goodie bag. All around me, people accept the free food, trying to balance their orange juices and red wines as the plane goes through minor turbulence that feels like it could turn major at any moment. 

“It’s true, bro,” he says. “Anyway, have you booked all the accommodations yet?”

“Yeah,” I say, trying to ignore his previous sentence, as if skirting around the thorny bush, ignoring the flames licking underneath the bramble. 

Four full days in Japan. One night in Osaka, two days in Arima Onsen, and then one night in Tokyo before we head back home. I planned this trip on a whim, and the other boys seemed okay with our going, if only because we’re still riding on the high of our debut confirmation, which catapulted us to a collective high as we all breathed in the fog of victory. 

“Man,” Seiya says, shoving a handful of nuts into his mouth. “I can’t believe we’re going to debut.” 

“We overcame a lot,” I say, remembering the terror of all we had to face, and all the times the voice tried to tear us apart, not just by a sudden motion, but a steady ripping and stabbing into the bond we tried so hard to fortify. 

“It’s just mad nice that we can take a trip like this,” Seiya says. “Together, or whateva.”

“Isn’t it?” I say. I keep blushing, hoping that Seiya won’t find out that I’m thinking about going to the onsen together. My blush feels like a fire that won’t stop being fanned, a ball of light that cannot be hidden by a simple turn or denial. 

“What are you going to do for the whole ride?” Seiya asks. “Nine hours or some shit, yeah?” 

“I don’t know?” I say, trying to ignore the way he fidgets with his legs in his gray sweatpants, his little intricacies in how he adjusts his bomber jacket, his bangs covering his forehead in the definition of a messy fringe. His light pink hair matches him, bringing out a pleasant rosiness to his cheeks, although I don’t tell him that to his face very often. 

“I’m going to take a fat nap,” Seiya says. “Or at least try to. Maybe you should get some sleep too ‘tho?” 

“I’ll try,” I say, not bothering to tell him that I’ve never slept on a plane and probably never will. 

After the snack service, the plane attendants serve dinner before the true red eye begins. I ordered the veggie option, curry and lentils with rice, while Seiya chomps down on short ribs. A bit of sauce splatters onto his hair, and I reach out to wipe it away with a napkin, coming as close as I dare. 

Even though we’re together, I would call our relationship pretty new—everything feels new, including the way I come close enough that a whisper would be heard, or rather, to see the pores on his face and the frayed ends of his hair. His roots have grown, making a darker halo that compliments him. The pink also brings out the brown in his eyes, breathing “magical.” 

“Thanks bro,” he says, smiling. 

“Why do you call people bro all the time?” I ask. 

He grins further, stabbing a green onion with his plastic fork. “I don’t know. Habit?” 

As people finish their meals and return their trays to upright position, I watch Seiya as he slowly drifts into sleep. His light snores keep me up, and the flutter in his eyelashes tempts me to reach out and tickle them, although I’d imagine that he’d bolt awake. 

I turn on the mini light from the corner of my seat, cracking open a book, BTS’s Beyond the Story. When I first found out that Seiya has a crush on V, I was bitter for a few days until I realized the truth. Who wouldn’t? 

As I read about their hard lives as trainees, I become inspired to keep going on my journey—Apple Hair will reach people and show them the love of God, how they belong in this world and can create their own universe, coloring it in with all the tones that they choose, not just holding on but thriving and finding meaning in the process. 

Eventually, my eyes grow tired, and I think I’m seeing things in the corner of my vision, little undulations that tell me that I haven’t had enough sleep, and that I should at least try. 

After an hour of trying to get adjusted to my seat, I give up and watch Seiya in the lowlight, his chest and strong arms, the way he slouches a little with his mouth slightly open, a prime environment for drool to escape, but it never does. 

He wakes up an hour before landing. “Did ya’ sleep?” 

“Um, yeah?” 

“Liar,” he says. Then he leans over and places his head on my shoulder, as if putting me in my place, or anchoring me back down to the universe, covering me in the words “familiar” and “right.” 

“I just can’t believe we’ll be in Osaka in an hour,” I say, trying something to fill the silence, which is comfortable yet so intimate that I can barely breathe. 

“Thanks for the trip,” he says. “Are you sure—” 

“I’m sure,” I say. If there’s something I can offer my group, it’s my black card, and my parents don’t mind my spending every once in a while, especially when it gives them good reason to act like the “good” parents. 

“Thanks braddah,” he says. 

Eventually, the plane descends for landing, and the turbulence arises like how I imagine a spinning asteroid would look like in the universe, descending and spiraling all at the same time. And although planes are safe for the most part, I keep imagining the window ripping out, sucking me and Seiya out into a violent freefall. 

When the plane touches down smoothly, I lift up a prayer with my mouth, a few utterances of my lip, and Seiya looks at me sweetly after. 

“One more day ‘til our big moment,” he says. 

Why’d he have to remind me? I think about onsens and how Seiya will practically be at home, while I struggle with a small towel and even smaller confidence. 

“First thing’s first,” I say. “Let’s find our first hotel.”

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