Love In Translation part 3
“Try it again.”
“Ra-bu-ry.”
“Ya gotta put your tongue- see, watch me- put your tongue here. Top of the mouth. La-La. Lovely. Love-ly red locks.”
“Ra-”
“La-”
“Murii.”
“It’s not impossible. Difficult. Not impossible. Get through this and then we’ll work on some vocabulary.”
“Hai- er. Yes.”
He’d meet me at Bishounen after I had some time to just relax with something to drink. We’d go over pronunciation, grammar, sentence structure, casual phrases. We’d practice with free conversation, asking simple questions and talking about things we did during the week. He had the basics, it seemed. What surprised me was the intensity to which he took to the lessons. I expected the whole thing to be a joke to him and he’d waste our time, but in the end, he was serious about learning English. That wasn’t to say that the lessons weren’t fun. What he lacked in skills he made up for with enthusiasm. He loved learning the nuances of different words and phrases and testing them out on his co-workers and customers.
“Your curves are lovely,” for example, got a better response than, “It’s OK you’re fat. I still like you.”
And he never failed to laugh at his mistakes.
“Nino-kun, it’s, ‘That shirt looks nice on you.’ Not, “That SHIT. SHIRT... dude, it’s not that funny.”
But what surprised me even more, was his patience with me.
I’d come to the cafe every Thursday evening and after his shift, Nino would offer to close up and we would stay, strumming away. Only I didn’t turn out to be as good a student as Nino, shy as I was about my inabilities. I was always self-conscious and afraid he would belittle me, but he never did. Even when I kept making the same mistakes over and over again, he’d point out what I was doing wrong and show me the right way. He even re-strung and tuned up an old guitar just so I could practice.
“You have to hold your wrist like this and press down hard here. It hurts because your skin is soft there. It’s not used to it.” He showed me the calluses in his hands. Hands that were a lot stronger and steadier than I would have originally given him credit for.
“Good, now keep a firm grip on the pick. Up and down. Switch the positions. Very good. Hmm. Maybe you should be calling me Master.” I rolled my eyes and shoved his arm.
Somewhere along the way, we became friends and I started to look forward to meeting with him. I wanted to be around him. He told the truth about not being that bad once I got to know him. Though, he did lie to me about one thing though. Although he made promises, he did continue to make fun of me, pulled pranks and generally gave me a hard time. He was still childish, loud and obnoxious. But it wasn’t like when we first met. For one, I learned to give as good as he gave.
He’d patronize me on my Japanese, I’d call him things in English that he wouldn’t understand. He’d put salt in my tea and I’d give his phone number to the more obsessive customers. He’d flirt outrageously with me… and I’d get all flustered then punch him in the arm.
I guess I still wasn’t comfortable with all the pretense of good-looking guys romancing girls. I accepted that was part of the charm of the Bishounen Café, and that some genuine relationships exist between the waiters and their customers. They may not be truly romantic, but they were warm and good friends.
But I was slowly realizing something I had been denying for a while- my attraction to Ninomiya Kazunari. And I didn’t need him adding fuel to that particular fire with his flirtatious nature. I couldn’t afford it emotionally, falling for a guy who wouldn’t feel the same for me. No, it was better to keep my heart safe.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t be curious. And something had been nagging me for a while.
“Why,” I started to say, keeping my eyes firmly on the guitar strings I was lazily strumming, “why were you so mean to me when we first met?”
“I’m mean to everybody.”
“You were particularly mean to me.”
He continued to strum on his guitar, as though he didn’t hear me. Thinking that maybe it was better to keep the peace rather than bring up the past, I went back to practice the cords he had shown me.
“I dated a foreigner girl once. In high school. American.” I looked up and Nino stared straight into my eyes. “She was an exchange student. My first love.” He started plucking at the strings. She was sweet at first. But as time went on, all she did was complain and complain about the things she hated about Japan. On and on it went. She’d make fun of all my friends and she would say rude things in English, but smile sweetly. I didn’t understand what she said, but I understood what she meant. And she only kept me around because she liked making girls jealous.” Nino leaned back in his chair sighed. “So my first impression of foreigner women wasn’t exactly a good one.”
No kidding.
“Souka,” I nodded, packing up the guitar. “I hope I’ve helped improve the image of ‘gaijin’ women for you.” Suddenly I felt shy, wanting to know his opinion of me.
But Nino just smiled. “Maybe,” he said coyly. “Depends if you buy a me a beer. We’re going to an izakaya tonight. I’m starving.”
“What? You miser! No way! I paid last time!” We left the café still arguing about who was going to pay.
If only things could stay simple.
But that wasn’t the way of the world.
“G-chan! I’ve got a new magic trick. Wanna see it? Pick a card. Hello! Earth to G-chan!”
“Hmm?”
“Oi! Baka!” I felt the slap of a plastic menu on the back of my head. “What is that piece of paper you’ve been staring at all evening? Yoshi-kun is worried. You haven’t touched your cheesecake. He baked it especially for you.”
Now that was a lie. The cheesecake was for everybody.
“G-chan!” Nino started hissing. “ If you don’t start paying attention to me, I’m going to kiss you in front of everybody and you’re going to have to deal with my entire section.”
That would be nice.
Huh? Wait? What?
“Wh-what? No. What? Don’t do that! Do you want to see me killed?” I could already feel female claws trying to rip me apart.
“What are you looking at?” Nino repeated more slowly.
“Re-contracting papers.”
It was a decision that I had been putting off for quite some time now. My original plan was to stay in Japan for only one year. I had been here for 10 months now. My company was starting to push me to make a decision about staying or going. I was still torn. I missed my family and my friends. While some had managed the trip to Japan for a visit, most I hadn’t seen since I left. And I always knew that I would return, find a decent job, maybe meet someone new, start a family. Something I never thought I’d want to do in Japan. But I loved my life in Japan. And, I had to admit to myself, there were certain people I wasn’t ready to part with just yet.
“Are you leaving?” Nino spoke so quietly that I almost didn’t hear him. I glanced up at him. His eyes were veiled, revealing nothing. “Are you going back home?”
“I-I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet. My plan was only for a year. But…” I left the sentence hanging.
“When? When would you be going?” he gripped my hand.
“If I go… in two months maybe. I haven’t decided.” I sighed, my eyes on those re-contracting papers. “I don’t know what I want to do.”
“Don’t- “ My heart jumped unexpectedly at the intensity of Nino’s voice, “Don’t- “
“Nino-kun! Oh Nino! You’re neglecting us!” A table of his regulars was calling him.
Feelings bubbled and burst inside of me as I watched him take a frustrated breath before letting go of my hand and donning a bright smile.
“Hai, hai!” Off he went.
I clenched and unclenched my fist, trying to calm myself down. Just what was Nino about to say to me? Don’t go? Don’t stay here? Don’t forget to write?
I watched as he disappeared into the back. My head felt full and heavy. I was restless. Unable to stay sitting, I gathered my things and paid for my drink and half eaten cake. Saying good-bye to a worried Yoshi, I all but ran out the door.
“Matte!” As my feet hit the pavement outside, someone grab my hand.
Nino had followed me outside.
“You’re going already?”
I swallowed, seeing my hand grasped into his. “Yeah. I have stuff I need to do.”
“Oh.” He didn’t look directly at me, staring instead at some point beyond my shoulder.
“I… can I talk to you? For a second.”
I coughed to clear my throat. “Yeah.” I let him lead me to back around the café- where I first spied him playing guitar.
“Why did you leave home?” My head shot up and I met his gaze.
Trust me, he pleaded silently. And for some odd reason, I did. I did more than trust him.
I loved him.
I couldn’t even deny it anymore. Without even realizing it was happening, I fell in love with The Brat. I fell in love with his unexpected kindness. His zest for life. His strange, annoying humor.
I fell in love with Ninomiya Kazunari.
My heart aching, I told him everything about why I left home. About my own disappointment with love. As I spoke, not once did Nino let go of my hand.
“Do you still love him?” he asked me when I finished speaking.
I shook my head. “I don’t think I do. No. I don’t love him anymore.” I love you, I wanted to blurt out. But I couldn’t say the words.
“So you wouldn’t be going back to him.”
“Of course not,” I laughed without bitterness.
“And if you stay, it’s not because you’re running away anymore.”
“No. I wouldn’t be running away.” I’d be running to something. To someone.
“Souka,” Nino said softly.
Silence fell over us like a blanket. Neither speaking. Neither moving. Just staring at each other.
He was close. Very close. His eyes were on my mouth. He shuddered when I bit my lips nervously. The roaring in my ears getting louder. My eyes fluttered shut as he bent his head towards me.
“Nino! Nino! We need you inside!” Bernardo was calling from the front entrance of the café. Nino and I froze.
Hesitating for only a second, Nino walked away without a glance back. Slowly, I released the breath I was holding. I wasn’t sure if things just got less or more complicated.
After a sleepless night, I came to a decision. I needed to stop being a coward and tell Nino how I felt about him. Would I stay if he felt the same? Would I go if he didn’t? I didn’t know. I just had to know if we had a chance together.
So I waited for him at Bishounen the next day. Sat there at my usual table with my hands twisted in my lap, nervous like a junior high school student about to confess to her first crush.
But Nino never came. Not the next day for his shift. Or the day after that.
When Tuesday came around I figured he’d show up for our lesson, but I got a text message from him apologizing, but that he couldn’t come that night. He never responded to my text message asking if everything was all right. When Thursday came around, I sat at the café with my guitar in hand. Only to have Ren tell me that Nino had taken an indefinite leave of absence.
“You don’t know when he’ll be coming back?” I asked him.
Ren just looked around nervously and shrugged.
“Is everything okay with him?”
“I don’t know. All I know was that he told Ryo he needed some time off. You have to get in line though about asking Ryo about it. Nino’s customers are getting anxious,” he huffed, on his way to his own fanclub.
Indefinite leave of absence? Was he sick? Was someone in his family sick?
“He told us not to worry, G-chan,” Yoshi whispered to me after Nino hadn’t come into work for almost two weeks. “He just needed some time off. Personal reasons.”
Was it me? I wondered, my chest tight with pain. We hadn’t talked since that almost kiss behind the Bishounen. He never returned my messages. Was he avoiding me? Did I scare him off already? Was he embarrassed? Maybe it was one of those heat of the moment almost happenings that he now regretted. Maybe this was he way of being kind to me. Or maybe he was just full of shit.
All that was clear was Nino didn’t share the same feelings for me I had for him.
Now all that was left to decide was if it was really time to go home. Or could I make a life here knowing the man I loved didn’t love me back? I gave into my need for tears.
A few days later, the decision was made for me.
“G-chan? Doushita? What’s wrong?” Poor Yoshi panicked when I walked into the Bishounen. It was no wonder. I was up all night, wretched with worry, tired from tears. I must have made a frightening picture when he saw me.
“Oh Yoshi-kun,” my voice broke when I said his name. Tears welled up in my eyes. “It’s my mom. She’s really sick. My brother just called me from the hospital last night. They’re not sure what’s wrong with her. But it looks bad.” Everything felt all jumbled and mashed up inside. Yoshi-kun hugged me and took me to my chair. He served me tea and chocolate cake. Then he knelt down in front of me.
“You’re leaving us, aren’t you?” he asked sadly.
My breath shuddered. “Yeah. I have to go home. I need to be with my family right now. I want to go home and take care of my mom. But I’ll miss you and everyone so much.” I gave up the struggle and cried earnestly and loudly, not caring about the rest of the customers. Yoshi held me and stroked my hair until my tears subsided. I’d been a regular crybaby these days.
“That baka,” I heard Yoshi mutter under his breath. I looked at him questioningly.
“Nondemonai,” he said, wiping my tears. “When are you leaving?”
“In two weeks,” I replied. “It’s sudden, but I want to go as soon as I can. There are just some things that need to be taken care of before I go.
“It’ll be ok,” he reassured me. “We’ll meet again, someday. I know it.” I wanted to believe his words. “But in the meantime, we need to give you a proper send off. A ‘Not Quite Farewell Because We’ll See You Again Someday’ party.”
I laughed tearfully and smiled at him thankfully.
“And I’ll make sure EVERYBODY comes.” My smile dimmed.
Nino.
I didn’t know if I wanted him to come or not. I didn’t know how to act if he did show up. I didn’t know if I could take the heartbreak anymore. But I figured one thing. The Bishounen Café would get one of their star waiters back the minute I was on that airplane leaving Japan.
Without wanting to though, I kept an eye on my phone, paranoid he would call or message me and I’d miss it. After all, Yoshi probably told him I was leaving. Wouldn’t he feel some obligation to at least say good-bye to me? I did still have his guitar. But no call came. No messages left for me.
It was over. I had to put Nino out of my heart and focus on the things at hand.
Oh, it was good in theory. Just more difficult to follow through.
I didn’t see Nino when I arrived for my farewell party. Swallowing my disappointment, I tried hard to keep myself from scanning the faces in the crowded café. He wasn’t there. Suck it up and enjoy yourself, I chastised myself silently. I plastered a happy smile to my face as I chatted with friends and well-wishers. They gave me presents and cards and envelopes with money for good luck and prosperity in my future. Yoshi and the guys put together a photo album of memories in the café. I couldn’t look through it with dry eyes. Especially when I came across a candid shot someone took of Nino and me studying English. Pain thudded heavily in my chest. I was leaving my heart in Japan. My heart that was filled with love and gratitude for the wonderful people I had the chance to get to know. All the people I got to know.
I would leave with no regrets. Well, maybe one. But I would take care of that.
Just as I was about to hand Yoshi a letter I had written for Nino, Ryo called everyone’s attention.
“Giselle-san, there’s one more person who has a gift to give you before you leave.”
Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the crowd parted. There, with his guitar in hand, was Nino.
As I stood with wide eyes and mouth dropped open like an idiot, he started strumming a soft, lilting melody. The same one from when I first heard him play.
And then, in English, Nino began to sing.
“Hey lovely lady,
Did you know?
When I made you mad, you drove me crazy
With your sad eyes and restless heart.
I wanted your secret smiles for me.
You spoke nonsense
I did too.
But somehow we just knew.
Oh, beautiful girl,
Do you know?
I want to take your hand in mine
And walk forever by your side
I swear I’ll love you for everything you are.
It’s not just a whim.
No flight of fancy.
This isn’t a dream you’re afraid to wake up from.
My love,
It’s just what you are to me.”
While he sang, he held his heart in eyes and his soft smile kept me captive. I swear, a bunch of women around me had swooned to the floor. I couldn’t blame them.
Seriously, was there anything hotter than a guy with a guitar serenading you?
No, I didn’t think so.
Bittersweet tears flowed freely down my cheeks as I rushed to him, throwing my arms his neck, guitar and all. I didn’t care that we had an audience.
“Baka,” I cried, kicking him lightly in the shins. “You’re lyrics don’t even rhyme.”
He held me to him tightly. “Oi! I tried my best, you heartless woman. I needed more English lessons!”
“You stopped coming for English lessons, remember?”
“I know.” He sighed into my hair. “I wanted to finish the song. At first, I wanted to finish the song and ask you to stay. Then your mom got sick and you decided to leave. And then I needed to finish the song so I could tell you how much I love you.”
I closed my eyes at those three words, like I do when savoring a delicious sip of mocha. I held on a bit tighter. “But I’m leaving. I don’t know when I’ll be back. I don’t know if I’ll be back.” I could hear the cracks in my voice. Nino took me by the shoulders and looked straight into my eyes.
“You’re an idiot, you know that?” I glared at him through my tears, but he just laughed. “I love you, Giselle.” I melted when he said my name. “I’ll wait for however long it takes. A few months, years, if I have to.”
“Really?”
“Well, after a couple of months I’ll probably get impatient. So I’ll just follow you. Wherever you have to be. Because now that I’ve found you, I won’t ever let you go.” The vice around my heart finally eased, full of such intense happiness I could barely speak.
“Nino...“
“Call me Kazu.”
“Kazu.” He beamed joyfully at me. “You’re still a pain, but aishiteru. Sugoku aishiteru.”
We both chose to ignore the collective “Awws” and cooing sounds surrounding us.
“If you two are finished talking, we have a bunch of loyal, paying customers who would like to see at least one kiss between you,” Yoshi chided from the counter.
Nin-, I mean, Kazu leered at me, that familiar teasing glint in his eyes. “What kind of waiter would I be to deny his customers anything?”
I raised one eyebrow at him. “You do realize that at this moment, you’re no longer qualified to be a waiter at this café?”
“Yes. I know that. And do you realize that you’re going to be lynched by an angry mob the minute you leave my side?”
“Good point. Maybe I should rethink this whole thing,” I smirked, taking a step back. Scowling, Nino pulled me to him.
“Brat,” he murmured before our lips met. Kazu held me as my knees went wobbly with his kiss. His deep, heady kiss that tasted like chocolate and mint. A kiss that told me undeniably and irrevocably, I was loved. That’s the great thing about kisses, I thought. They don’t need a dictionary to be translated.
With Kazu’s lips against mine, I smiled.
Meet your ideal man.
If you’re willing, life will take you on a journey with unexpected twists and turns. I was trying to escape love when I found myself wondering the strange, unpredictable streets of Tokyo. Little did I know love would find me between a café latte and a strawberry torte in a tiny corner of the world called the Bishounen Café.
The End
Thanks for Blossy at Asian Fanfiction for creating this challenge. To see more Bishounen Cafe stories go to Asian Fanfiction.
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