The sun had only been shining over the horizon for a short while yet the day had already been quite a long one for Joseph as he sat inside the bus watching all the other students get settled into their seats. Some would be chattering with their neighbors, others would be nervously checking their bags, others still would be sleeping. The thing they all shared in common was that this trip was going to be something that makes a big impact on how the rest of their lives play out. Sure he thought that a sentiment like that would seem somewhat dramatic to others, but from what he has seen from the last week, these students take this whole thing very seriously, for the most part anyways. Of course there are those that are here just because they have nothing else to do or because their parents/guardians want them to gain more experience on life.<br/><br/>"We are leaving in 10 minutes," the bus driver announced as he stepped onto the vessel, "Make sure you have all of your belongings with you and out of the aisle so no one trips. If you need to make any restroom breaks, I suggest you do it now. It will be a few hours drive before we reach our destination." He sat down into his seat and started looking over the various gauges and electronics around him.<br/><br/>Once the announcement was made, Joseph swallowed hard as his nerves started to get the best of him.<span style="font-style: italic">This is it,</span>he thought to himself as he looked out the window, the empty seat next to him reminding him of the young woman he had talked to while eating breakfast. "I hope she makes it on time," he admitted quietly to himself as he thought about how terrible he would feel if he missed the bus. Though if the bus began to take off without her he would probably say something in an attempt to wait on her. Then again, she could have just as easily made it onto the other bus.<br/><br/>As he watched outside for her, a familiar voice broke the silence around his immediate area with a 'Hey.' He looked to see that it was in fact Naoko standing before him. The nervousness inside him was replaced with comfort and relief as he began to stand up and greet the young woman, "Hey there," he started with a slight chuckle, "Oh no I made sure to keep a seat open for you. I am just glad you made it, I was worried that the fork and bagel incident was going to keep you from making it here on time. Would you prefer the window or the aisle? It does not matter to me." And it truly didn't. He was comfortable with either seat.