The W-no-longer-IP Meme, Pt. 4 of 5!
One day I texted 
l_elfie something like, "Our Japanese tutor's name is Kazuko. What if always-a-girl Nino moved to America and started tutoring Japanese to make some extra video game money?"
She replied, "And any of the others could potentially also be there, traveling or studying..."
And then there was this: Ninomiya Kazuko's Academic and Romantic Adventures Abroad.
. . .
Nino notices him the first day of the semester: they're taking the same choir class, and his voice is amazing. It takes her two weeks to make up her mind.
"Wanna buy me lunch?"
She asks it in Japanese, and the words stun him. He just blinks at her, slow and owlish, clogging the doorway where she cornered him after class and caught his sleeve.
"Ninomiya Kazuko," she offers.
"Ohno Satoshi," he replies, automatic.
She already knows that's his name - she remembers it from when the teacher took roll on the first day - but she plays along, bowing just low enough to be polite and saying, "Please favor me~"
Ohno's mouth purses and his eyebrows furrow, like he's bewildered by what's going on.
Nino is completely, helplessly charmed. "Buy me lunch, Oh-chan?"
He does.
♥
The next day he shows up at the on-campus learning center where Nino tutors Japanese to make some extra cash. At first she thinks he's just visiting her. Then she sees the paper clutched in his hands.
"Ah," he says when he reaches her table. "It's you."
"It's you," she counters. "What are you doing here?"
He doesn't say anything, just thrusts the paper into her hands. It's a Japanese 2 exam, marked with a D+. The horrified look on his face dashes any theory that he might be there to flirt.
"Aiba-chan said I should take Japanese for my foreign language req," he's mumbling, "since I already know it and all. He said it'd be an easy A. But..."
"But you're terrible at it," Nino finishes, dumbfounded. How can he be so bad at Japanese? They are speaking Japanese.
Ohno just nods, looking wrecked. His eyebrows are drawn up and in, and his chin is jutting in a pout. It's actually pretty cute. "I need to pass," he says, utterly defeated.
Nino stands from her seat and takes him by the shoulders, turning him to face the back of the center. "Don't worry," she says, guiding him towards an empty study room. "Just wait here and I'll go get a textbook, okay Oh-chan?"
He waits.
♥
Ohno doesn't talk much, but he tells Nino that his trip abroad is being funded by his parents (the lucky bastard; Nino had to work her ass off for scholarships and grants), that he's studying art with a focus in painting, and that he'll graduate in May if he manages to pass Japanese.
"What are you gonna do afterwards?" Nino asks, popping another milkshake-dipped french fry into her mouth. They've been studying in the cafeteria for hours.
Ohno just shrugs. "Dunno. Go home, I guess."
Nino doesn't like that idea. She's only in her second year; if Ohno goes back to Japan, she'll have two whole years without him. But she ignores that for now, pushing it to the back of her mind. "Write me a paragraph about what you'll do there," she orders. When he reaches for his pencil, she adds, "With kanji, Oh-chan."
He doesn't complain, but the pinched look on his face lets her know he's unhappy. She finds it perhaps inappropriately delightful. She picks at her food and pretends not to be watching him, but after a while she can't help it. His face is all screwed up in concentration, the tip of his tongue is actually poking out of the side of his mouth, and something inside of Nino begins to stir, too strong this time to be ignored.
By the time she finishes her milkshake, he's halfway through his last sentence. She lets him finish and trades the rest of her fries for his notebook. When she reads his paragraph, she feels proud; he's definitely made progress in the few weeks they've been working together. But there's still a long way to go.
She hands his notebook back to him and stands to pack up her things. "Cafeteria's closing soon," she says, turning for the exit. "Should we continue at my place, Oh-chan?"
He follows.
. . .
All I have after that is an outline:
1. they meet, do lunch
"Buy me lunch, Oh-chan?" He does.
2. Nino tutors Ohno
"I'll help you, okay Oh-chan?" He waits.
3. they get closer, hang out
"Wanna come back to my place, Oh-chan?" He follows.
4. Ohno passes the exam! they celebrate with a kiss
"Do you want to kiss me, Oh-chan?" He leans in.
5. Nino thinks about how much she has come to love Ohno and how sad she'll be if he leaves.
"Will you miss me when you're gone, Oh-chan?" He will.
6. morning sex after a finals-week party
"Are you seducing me, Oh-chan?" He laughs.
7. Ohno passes the class!
"Aren't you glad you met me, Oh-chan?" He is.
8. Nino worries that Ohno will leave, graduation is bittersweet
"I'll see you around, right Oh-chan?" He nods.
9. angst!! idek
10. they ~stay together~
"Stay with me, Oh-chan?" He does.
I do really like what I've already written as well as the outline, but I just can't seem to get it going. Again, this is one I feel might actually get finished some day if I ever find myself back in whatever mindset I was in when I first started it, so I'm not throwing it away entirely... but I'm not gonna hold my breath, either.
Crossposted here on Dreamwidth. You can comment there anonymously or using OpenID. ♥
l_elfie something like, "Our Japanese tutor's name is Kazuko. What if always-a-girl Nino moved to America and started tutoring Japanese to make some extra video game money?"
She replied, "And any of the others could potentially also be there, traveling or studying..."
And then there was this: Ninomiya Kazuko's Academic and Romantic Adventures Abroad.
. . .
Nino notices him the first day of the semester: they're taking the same choir class, and his voice is amazing. It takes her two weeks to make up her mind.
"Wanna buy me lunch?"
She asks it in Japanese, and the words stun him. He just blinks at her, slow and owlish, clogging the doorway where she cornered him after class and caught his sleeve.
"Ninomiya Kazuko," she offers.
"Ohno Satoshi," he replies, automatic.
She already knows that's his name - she remembers it from when the teacher took roll on the first day - but she plays along, bowing just low enough to be polite and saying, "Please favor me~"
Ohno's mouth purses and his eyebrows furrow, like he's bewildered by what's going on.
Nino is completely, helplessly charmed. "Buy me lunch, Oh-chan?"
He does.
♥
The next day he shows up at the on-campus learning center where Nino tutors Japanese to make some extra cash. At first she thinks he's just visiting her. Then she sees the paper clutched in his hands.
"Ah," he says when he reaches her table. "It's you."
"It's you," she counters. "What are you doing here?"
He doesn't say anything, just thrusts the paper into her hands. It's a Japanese 2 exam, marked with a D+. The horrified look on his face dashes any theory that he might be there to flirt.
"Aiba-chan said I should take Japanese for my foreign language req," he's mumbling, "since I already know it and all. He said it'd be an easy A. But..."
"But you're terrible at it," Nino finishes, dumbfounded. How can he be so bad at Japanese? They are speaking Japanese.
Ohno just nods, looking wrecked. His eyebrows are drawn up and in, and his chin is jutting in a pout. It's actually pretty cute. "I need to pass," he says, utterly defeated.
Nino stands from her seat and takes him by the shoulders, turning him to face the back of the center. "Don't worry," she says, guiding him towards an empty study room. "Just wait here and I'll go get a textbook, okay Oh-chan?"
He waits.
♥
Ohno doesn't talk much, but he tells Nino that his trip abroad is being funded by his parents (the lucky bastard; Nino had to work her ass off for scholarships and grants), that he's studying art with a focus in painting, and that he'll graduate in May if he manages to pass Japanese.
"What are you gonna do afterwards?" Nino asks, popping another milkshake-dipped french fry into her mouth. They've been studying in the cafeteria for hours.
Ohno just shrugs. "Dunno. Go home, I guess."
Nino doesn't like that idea. She's only in her second year; if Ohno goes back to Japan, she'll have two whole years without him. But she ignores that for now, pushing it to the back of her mind. "Write me a paragraph about what you'll do there," she orders. When he reaches for his pencil, she adds, "With kanji, Oh-chan."
He doesn't complain, but the pinched look on his face lets her know he's unhappy. She finds it perhaps inappropriately delightful. She picks at her food and pretends not to be watching him, but after a while she can't help it. His face is all screwed up in concentration, the tip of his tongue is actually poking out of the side of his mouth, and something inside of Nino begins to stir, too strong this time to be ignored.
By the time she finishes her milkshake, he's halfway through his last sentence. She lets him finish and trades the rest of her fries for his notebook. When she reads his paragraph, she feels proud; he's definitely made progress in the few weeks they've been working together. But there's still a long way to go.
She hands his notebook back to him and stands to pack up her things. "Cafeteria's closing soon," she says, turning for the exit. "Should we continue at my place, Oh-chan?"
He follows.
. . .
All I have after that is an outline:
1. they meet, do lunch
"Buy me lunch, Oh-chan?" He does.
2. Nino tutors Ohno
"I'll help you, okay Oh-chan?" He waits.
3. they get closer, hang out
"Wanna come back to my place, Oh-chan?" He follows.
4. Ohno passes the exam! they celebrate with a kiss
"Do you want to kiss me, Oh-chan?" He leans in.
5. Nino thinks about how much she has come to love Ohno and how sad she'll be if he leaves.
"Will you miss me when you're gone, Oh-chan?" He will.
6. morning sex after a finals-week party
"Are you seducing me, Oh-chan?" He laughs.
7. Ohno passes the class!
"Aren't you glad you met me, Oh-chan?" He is.
8. Nino worries that Ohno will leave, graduation is bittersweet
"I'll see you around, right Oh-chan?" He nods.
9. angst!! idek
10. they ~stay together~
"Stay with me, Oh-chan?" He does.
I do really like what I've already written as well as the outline, but I just can't seem to get it going. Again, this is one I feel might actually get finished some day if I ever find myself back in whatever mindset I was in when I first started it, so I'm not throwing it away entirely... but I'm not gonna hold my breath, either.
Crossposted here on Dreamwidth. You can comment there anonymously or using OpenID. ♥