“Oh—” I pull up the address on my phone. “Just back to my hotel. It should be around here somewhere.”
“Want me to take a look?” He holds out a hand.
“Okay,” I say, handing him my phone.
He glances at the screen. “The Asakusa Hotel in Taito?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“You really are lost,” he says, handing me back my phone. “That’s in the other direction.”
“Wait, seriously?”
He nods. “Taito is east from here. You’re in Asagaya.”
“Asagaya?I don’t even know where that is!” I stare at the map again, wondering how I ended up here.
“Sounds like you took the wrong train.”
“How do I get back now?”
“I can take you there,” he says.
I look up. “Really?”
He smiles. “I’m actually heading the same way.”
“What a coincidence,” I say, adjusting the bag over my shoulder. “I would really appreciate that.”
“I have a few stops to make first,” he adds. “It shouldn’t take long, though. You can come with me if you’d like.”
“Oh—”
“Unless you have somewhere important to be.”
I take him in again. His shirt hangs loosely from his shoulders, sunlight partially seeping through it. I know Daniel is waiting for me at the hotel. But I don’t want to go off on my own and get lost again. “No, I have time,” I decide.
“Then let’s get going.”
He turns around, sliding his hands into his pockets. Then he walks off without another word. I hesitate on the sidewalk for a moment. Then I put my phone away and follow him through the crowd. As we cross the street, he glances over his shoulder and says, “I’m Haru, by the way.”
“I’m Eric.”
“Where are you from?”
“Chicago.”
“How long have you been visiting Tokyo?”
“About two weeks.”
“Welcome,” he says.
We walk another block before Haru turns the corner, leading us into a shopping street. Lanterns hang from canopies of mom-and-pop storefronts. Looks like a festival is taking place. Paper stars have been tied to electrical poles, stirring in the air like parade floats. I take in all the decorations and say, “Is today a holiday?”
“It’s the Star Festival.”
“What’s that?”
