When Cherry Blossoms Bloom

Chapter 10

Ikuro did not in any way feel right going through a woman's purse, but at his friend's encouragement, he found her license. Hirozaki watched with genuine curiosity when his friend put her address in the navigation system. After only a few minutes they found themselves at an apartment complex. Hirozaki climbed out of the car as soon as it stopped and went to Ruth's door. He knocked a few times and waited patiently. When Ruth answered the door, she was surprised to see Hirozaki holding her purse. "I believe this belongs to you." He says matter of factly and hands her purse to her. "Thank you, Samuke." Ruth said bowing her head. He couldn't help but chuckle. Ruth raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't expecting an American woman to be so formal." Ruth tilted her head. "Some of us can be, especially if we are old fashioned." "Old fashioned, in what way would an American woman be old fashioned?" He was genuinely curious. Hirozaki bowed his head then. "My apologies, Ruth." "No apology necessary." She answered way too quickly. Would it be appropriate to ask him inside? She honestly felt bad for running out on them. "Is your friend with you?" She asked. Hirozaki nodded. "Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?" She offered. "If as nothing more than an apology from being so disrespectful earlier." She added almost hastily. She was trying way too hard. Hirozaki thought to himself. He waved Ikuro over to join him before daring to enter Ruth's home. "Have a seat, please." She tells them. They sat down on her couch. Hirozaki looked around curiously. While she was definitely born and raised a westerner, he found objects in her home that were definitely Japanese. A set of fans above where they sat on the couch. He could smell incense as well. He also was a screen that separated the dining area from the living room. He chuckled when he saw a picture of a popular anime character above a cabinet full of manga and anime. Ikuro looked at him. "She's a fan girl." He whispered in Japanese. His friend actually glared at him. "What?" When Ruth returned she had three mugs of hot green tea. She handed one to each of her guests before setting the tray down and picking up her own. "My boys call me a weeaboo." Ikuro was shocked that she would admit that so freely. Before he could say anything, she continued. "But to be fair, I've been a fan of Japan and its culture since I was a child." Hirozaki smiled and took a sip of his tea. Ruth bowed her head, "I'm sorry for running out on you so unexpectedly, Samuke." He found that for a moment, he wanted to touch the top of her head. Just to comfort her. He could tell she was tense. "Please, Ruth, just be you." He tells her suddenly. She looked at him then. "You are trying too hard to put on an act. I realize I may look formal, and even act it. But that is simply due to my nature. You needn't adjust your behavior as a way to impress me." Ikuro looked at his friend for a moment. What just happened? He thought to himself. Ruth smiled then. "Thank you, though I'm sure I'll probably scare you off doing that." She looked down at her feet. He found himself putting his fingers under her chin and lifting her eyes to meet his. Ruth blushed and he let go. "I'm as curious about you and your culture as you are mine." He answered then. He had felt her trembling when he held her. His own body's reaction was interesting as well. Ikuro only watched his mouth agape at his friend's behavior. "Mr. Formal no matter what." And yet he had softened in his demeanor since meeting this woman. Hirozaki thought for a moment. He was a real stickler for tradition, and this woman had put a lot of effort into addressing him in a way she believed was appropriate. Well he had learned one new thing today. Not all American women are as obnoxious as he had thought. He had certainly seen the westernized women when Ikuro took him to meet the professor. They had no shame. Flaunting themselves in front of not only their peers but their professor and a guest. Ruth had returned her gaze to the floor. This woman though. She was quiet, respectful, well spoken, and dressed in such a way that he could actually look at her and not blush in embarrassment. She may be a weeaboo as her sons suggested, but she had a genuine love for his culture and she had earned his admiration in return. She needed to see that their culture had its side of frivolity. "Ikuro," He tells his friend, "We owe Ms. Ruth dinner." "Please, Samuke, that's not necessary." Ruth started. Hirozaki put up a hand to silence her attempt at a refusal. Ikuro nodded in agreement. Whatever his friend was doing, it was a welcome change. They walked out to the front porch and waited as Ruth locked her door. Hirozaki opened the front passenger door and motioned for Ruth to take the front seat. She couldn't help but smile as he struggled to get comfortable in the back seat. "Ikuro," He says. "I believe there was a ramen shop somewhere." His friend nodded. They arrived and were able to find a good parking spot. Ruth was about to open her door, when Ikuro nodded politely that she should wait. She stopped. Hirozaki opened the door for her and took her hand to help her out of the car. Ruth couldn't help thinking to herself that now he was the one trying too hard. The three found a table and sat down. After they were served their meal. The three sat and talked. Soon Ruth's shyness seemed to ease some. To make her feel comfortable, Hirozaki had brought up her fascination with anime. Then it was almost as though a flood gate opened. Ikuro watched his best friend start to relax as well. After a moment though, Ruth became somewhat quiet. "I'm sorry." She says out of nowhere. Hirozaki looked at her and with a smile he said, "Dear, you're excitement is wonderful. While I've never watched anime myself, you certainly seem to enjoy it." Ruth smiled still unsure. "Samuke," She says quietly. "Please tell me about your village. And what things you enjoy. I feel like such a child talking about myself." Ikuro looked at his friend then. This woman had no idea that his friend loved talking about himself just as much. Not because he was vain, just that he was proud of what he had accomplished in his life. Beginning to feel like a third wheel, he waited for an opening. "Hirozaki, I'm going to return home." His friend looked at him shocked. Would his friend leave him here? "May I speak with my friend a moment," He asks Ruth. Ruth smiled and nodded. He led his friend to a safe distance. "My friend, you and Ms. Ruth are enjoying yourselves, as the American's say, I feel like a third wheel." Hirozaki blushed some. Ikuro smiled at his friend. "Stay, enjoy yourself, she certainly is enjoying your stories. It's nice to see you able to relax and have fun." He handed his friend some money. "You can take her home in a taxi and return when you are ready." Hirozaki glared at him then. "Are you assuming I would be as disrespectful as to...?" "Relax," Ikuro tells him. "This time you need to relax and just see where things go from here." He saw his friend blush again. Personally, Ikuro thought to himself, his best friend needed a good lay. He was too uptight as it was. He smiled. And waved as he left his friend standing there. Ruth waited patiently and he returned to the table a moment later. "Is everything alright?" She asked. "Yes," Hirozaki tells her simply. She wanted to take his hand then, but from what she knew of their culture a woman being forward was frowned upon. So she settled for clasping her hands in front of her. Her nervousness was forgotten after a moment as they continued the conversation. He explained to her how he had come to love history. And had become a professor at a university back home. When he described the rules he had in place for the students because of some of the similar behaviors of the students he had seen here, she laughed. "That must have been a wakeup call." She says then. "Did you lose many students?" "Surprisingly no." "I told you I was old fashioned earlier." Ruth says then. Hirozaki nodded. "I remember, so now you're going to answer my question from earlier as well." It wasn't a question, and somehow his sudden seriousness made her flush. He misinterpreted her redness and started to apologize. "Please, no more apologies. I've filled my quota for today." He smiled instead and waited for her to answer at her own pace. Ruth began then. "I have always been an old soul. Always feeling like I don't belong in this time." She stopped for a moment. "I know that must sound so stupid." Hirozaki nodded. "Not at all. Please continue." "I've always been a hopeless romantic, dreaming of being rescued and carried away. That's why enjoy writing so much. The men here are so childish. I've always felt like somewhere there was someone who was mature enough to handle me." The words that slipped from Hirozaki's mouth surprised not only her but him as well. "Maybe, you were looking in the wrong place." He found that in that moment, he had taken her hand in his. They both pulled away then. Hirozaki chided himself. Here he was complaining about the forwardness of Americans and he was being forward himself. Well, Ikuro had told him to go with the flow. "May I hold your hand, Ruth?" He asks. Ruth smiled and returned her hand so that he could hold it. His touch was so warm. In her nervousness, she began to feel cold. She may be old fashioned in nearly every aspect, except one. Her libido was twenty years old. His holding her hand was already having an effect on her. Hirozaki decided that calling a taxi would be a good idea. When it arrived. He gave the driver Ruth's address and paid the fare. He opened the door for her, but before she sat down, he kissed her hand gently. She nearly fell into her seat then. "May I call on you again?" He asks. Ruth nodded. "You may." With that he shut the door. As she rode away. Hirozaki groaned. He called another taxi and returned home. Ikuro was actually surprised to see him back so early. "Well, how did it go?" He asked smiling. His friend glared at him only a moment and sighed. "If I didn't know any better, Id think you were trying to get me into trouble." "You're a grown man, my friend. And she is a beautiful woman." "You'll hear no argument from me; however it is still inappropriate to simply have sex with someone you've met only once." Ikuro rolled his eyes. "Hiro," He responds using his friend's childhood nickname. "I know for a fact that you have been with women in your youth." "I've been with one woman." He corrected with a growl. "And that was only after we were engaged at her insistence." Ikuro nodded. That had been nearly thirty years ago. They had dated for two years and at first she had been content with Hiro, but soon, she began to act out. Began drinking, and finally Hiro had caught her in bed with another man. This was the trigger that really turned him into such a stout traditionalist. He convinced himself that there was no woman that was worthy of being with him. Ikuro believed however, that the opposite was true. Hiro had blamed himself for what had happened in the relationship. Rather than blame the woman who had chosen to disrespect him in the worst way possible. "I'm going to bed." He says simply. Ikuro nodded. After closing the door, Hirozaki undressed and lay down. Going to bed was the easy part, sleeping proved much more complicated. Meeting Ruth had awakened him. His groin ached. For all his insistence that tradition was necessary, something he had been spouting for decades. He found that his insistence in that belief had come at a high price. He was without a doubt a very lonely man. And he had nothing to show for it, save a degree, a coveted position, respect. But truth be told, none of that had made him happy. Bitter, demanding, unbending, yes. But not happy. Not content. Most of the men in his village had married as young men, had children and were now happily watching their grandchildren play. His thoughts turned to Ruth then. She had such innocence about her. But he sensed that she hid her true nature. Nothing negative. He sensed that deep down she carried a flame. He could see it in her eyes. She challenged him. He smiled then. She was as lost as he was, but for different reasons. Unlike him, she took solace in bearing herself to him. It calmed her. Almost as though holding in feelings was so much harder for her.