Uncertainty

Backslide

His attention during the meetings was partially divided, on the one hand he was focused on the conditions and everything that Tenten was translating as the owners of the company he was interested in were saying, answering along with the time slots needed for her to do her job. The other hand was precisely fixated on her, on the little micro-expressions she made as she spoke or how she seemed to organize everything in her head before uttering what was asked of her.

He wouldn't deny that he found her fascinating, especially getting to understand how her head worked in those moments. Personally he had never been attracted to languages, although it was something fundamental in his work, it wasn't something that had been in his interests. The only thing was English, somehow having graduated from high school having mastered the language and having done his university in the United States he somehow convinced himself at the time that it was the only one he was going to need.

Obviously it wasn't and having needed to hire an interpreter several times was the best proof of that. That's also why he liked having the brunette working for him, it was a bonus both because she was fluent in several languages, and because he didn't have to wait until he got someone suitable to translate a reply to a simple mail.

"Why did the immigration agent welcome you home yesterday?" he asked curiously while they were having lunch, Tenten had just put a pork dumpling in her mouth.

"Because I was born here," she answered after chewing and passing the food.

"Here?"

"Well, not here, here," she smiled, "this is a restaurant," he smiled in return, "I mean, technically speaking I'm Chinese."

"I didn't know that," he admitted, "is that why you are fluent in the language? Or what do you mean by technically speaking?"

"My parents are Chinese, they emigrated when I was less than 1 year old," she made something like a shrug, "I was born here, but I didn't grow up here."

"Curious, what about the language?"

"My parents sometimes used it at home, and they helped me as much as they could with the basics and pronunciation, I also had several books that my mom took with her when they moved, and the rest was self-taught."

"Did you learn all your languages that way?"

"No, English was from high school."

"We are graduates of the same place - he clarified without any reason."

"Really?" he nodded, "well, with the little French they teach I decided to use my vacations while I was of age to improve that, and Chinese. I always wanted to study something where I could use the languages, but..."

"Ryuu," he concluded.

"Yes, something like that..." she hesitated for a moment, "the time I was at home taking care of him before starting university I dedicated to continue being self-taught, Korean I learned in the career."

"Few people can learn languages so easily."

"There's something, I don't know, curious about how you can understand other cultures as you understand the roots of a language," she drew a smile, "that's why I tried to make my son a polyglot as well."

"What happened?"

"He's fluent in English and he's quite good in French, due to lack of time given my classes I didn't follow his Chinese lessons, so he's just dabbling and doesn't seem to be interested in improving it," she exhaled heavy, "but well, it's his choice."

"At least he writes with both hands," he said jokingly and Tenten started to laugh. They finished eating in silence and when they were heading back to the company to resume the meeting he spoke again. "Are you from here? from Canton?"