Tsuki! - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Motoko and Hannah strolled arm in arm through the town, chatting away like they had know each other since birth. Motoko was enjoying a fairly rare day off, since she tended to work at her restaurant nearly around the clock, seven days a week. It just wasn’t in her nature to remain idle for long.

They entered just about every shop the town had to offer in order to see the various yukatas that most of the shops carried in honor of the upcoming festival. Hannah thought a few of them were very pretty, but none of them called out to her, and they moved on to the next shop.

As they were running out of shops, Motoko shook her head. “If you don’t find one you like, I’m going to choose one for you!”

Hannah laughed. “I don’t mind!”

Motoko grinned, and blushed as she caught herself imagining what Hannah looked like without any clothes on.

Hannah caught the blush, and tilted her head to the side, and gave Motoko a suspicious look. “You’re attracted to me, aren’t you?”

Motoko’s blush deepened, and she looked away. Hannah laughed softly, and brushed her hand along Motoko's face, gently forcing her to look at her.

“I don’t mind. I find you attractive too,” Hannah informed her.

Motoko gaped at her. “You do?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Hannah asked.

“What about your husband?” Motoko wondered.

“What about him? He’s either hanging out with those people we ate dinner with the other night, or he’s in bed with Saki. Either way, I love him, and he loves me. What does that have to do with me finding you attractive?” Hannah asked.

Motoko had to think Hannah’s words through, since she wasn’t entirely sure that she was interpreting Hannah correctly. Before she could think of anything to say, they arrived at another shop, and Motoko opened the door for Hannah.

This shop happened to belong to a talented seamstress, and she welcomed the two of them eagerly. Her main clientele was tourists, and she had a large selection of traditional Japanese clothing in all types of fabrics.

Hannah smiled at the seamstress as Motoko explained the reason for their visit, and the seamstress surprised Hannah by addressing her in English.

“Of course I speak English,” the seamstress informed her. “The majority of my customers are tourists.”

“Oh,” Hannah said in response to the seamstress, and in response to a yukata she saw hanging on a rack that made Hannah think the seamstress must be putting some finishing touches on it.

“It’s gorgeous!” Hannah walked up to the yukata reverently, and lightly ran a finger across the fabric. “Real silk.”

“Oh yes, that is one of my favorite fabrics, but it is not really suitable as a yukata,” the seamstress said. “The point of a yukata is to provide modest cover, and yet be light weight, and cool enough to wear during the hottest part of summer. Silk, while it looks and feels lightweight, is actually a fabric good at retaining warmth. I only made it to hang in the window to attract customers.”

Hannah nodded at the seamstress to indicate that she understood what was said, and muttered, “There’s no good fabric to wear during summer.” Then she asked, “Can I try it on anyway?”

“Of course.”

The silk was mostly a rich, slightly dark red - like rubies - covered with emerald green vines, and rosebuds in a variety of jewel-like colors. Hannah didn’t even care if there was anyone in the shop, though there wasn’t, and stripped out of her clothes right where she stood.

Motoko had explained to her that traditional Japanese garments were worn without under clothing, as they hadn’t been invented until more modern times. Thus, the yukata was worn without anything between it and Hannah’s skin.

“I love it. I’ve worn fine silks before, but this feels so much… softer… silkier… than anything I recall wearing before,” Hannah glided her hands along her arms, and petted her sides in appreciation.

The seamstress laughed. “That’s another reason I love this fabric. It’s hard to stop touching it!”

        “Motoko, feel this!” Hannah held her arm out for Motoko to touch.

“Wow!” Motoko said. “It is hard to stop touching this fabric!”

“I have to have it!” Hannah declared.

“It does look good on you,” the seamstress admitted as she automatically checked the fit.

Motoko murmured in agreement, and forced herself to look away.

“I think that one would look very good on you,” Hannah said as she pointed to a bright yellow yukata with red roses blooming all over it.

Motoko walked up to it, and nodded in agreement. “I think you have an excellent eye for what suits a person.”

Hannah smiled. “Arigatou.”

“So, you can speak some Japanese,” Motoko said.

Hannah shrugged. “A little, more than I let Hero know, because I love how we have come up with our very own way to communicate. Though, it does help that I know American Sign Language. If I get stuck while trying to explain something, I will often use the sign language, and surprisingly, Hero will understand me. But honestly, it’s hard not to learn Japanese when I hear it every day.”

“You should take a Japanese as a second language class,” the seamstress suggested to Hannah as she continued to adjust the yukata.

“I have a program on my laptop to help me learn Japanese, and how to read and write in it. It’s so very… different than the other languages I’ve learned,” Hannah informed them.

“Other languages?” Motoko asked, stripping to try on the yellow and red yukata.

“Yes, I learned a bit of French, Spanish, and a very little bit of German. Part of it was because my father travels a lot, and part of it is because I really like French and Spanish. German I kept tripping over, since it’s so close to English, so I decided that I would be content to learn to understand it, but not speak it. Japanese is not similar at all to German or English, but I still feel as if it’s much easier to understand than to speak.”

Both Motoko and the seamstress nodded in agreement, as they had both found English easier to understand than speak when they were learning it.”

The seamstress finished adjusting Hannah’s yukata, and discovered that Motoko's fit perfectly without any adjustment needed. Hannah handed the seamstress her credit card, and reluctantly took the yukata off.

“I will pay for my own,” Motoko stated, handing the seamstress some cash, and Hannah chuckled. “I noticed that you like to buy things for people, and I don’t know if you are doing it just to make them like you or what, but I don’t need you to buy things for me in order to like you.”

Hannah nodded in acceptance, and said, “The reason I like to buy things for people is because I can afford it, not because I’m trying to buy their favor. I have been training at my father’s side for a couple of years to take over the business, or start another if I so choose, so I know what it takes to make money.”

Hannah sighed. “In recent years, the economy has gotten really bad, but guess what… My father is still making just as much money as ever, and all he has to do is keep the majority of his money in a bank account earning interest. So, maybe I feel that it’s only fair to share the wealth a little whenever I can, especially if I know someone really needs it.”

The seamstress packed Hannah’s yukata into a box as Motoko decided to remove hers. She then handed it to the seamstress, and turned to put on her clothes. “That’s a sweet sentiment, but you should always remember not to spend too much on others. You don’t want to bankrupt yourself.”

Hannah nodded, and decided she had better put her clothes back on as well.

The seamstress packed up Motoko’s yukata, handed them their packages, and wished them a wonderful day.

The two women wandered around town some more, quiet this time as each was absorbed in her own thoughts. Slowly, Motoko led them back to her restaurant, and showed Hannah around her land, and introduced her to her cows.

Hannah had a lot of fun petting and kissing the grazing cows, who were used to random people coming up to see them, and afterwards, Motoko showed Hannah the part of the restaurant she lived in.

“Would you like some ice cream?” Motoko asked.

Hannah laughed. “You read my mind!”

Motoko chuckled, and gestured for Hannah to sit at the table while she fetched some ice cream for the both of them. Hannah reflected that she was very good at sitting at these low Japanese tables by now, and wondered if she would still be able to as she grew more heavy with child.

Motoko gave Hannah some delicious ice cream made with plums, and busied herself savoring the chocolate variety.

Hannah moaned in pleasure. “This is fantastic!”

Motoko blushed. “Thank you.”

The two chatted on as they ate their ice cream, and Hannah practically licked her bowl clean when she was finished.

“I can get you more if you want,” Motoko offered.

Hannah shook her head, and surprised Motoko by suddenly leaning over and kissing her.

“That’s for the delicious ice cream.” Hannah kissed her again. “That’s for the wonderful time I had today.” Hannah kissed her one last time. “And that’s for being so damn attractive!”

Motoko pressed a finger to her lips as if she were trying to see if they felt any different. “But I’m at least ten years older than you.”

Hannah shrugged. “So. Though, I warn you, I’m not trying to make you think I want a relationship, or anything.”

Motoko smiled. “Just a summer fling?”

“You could say that,” Hannah grinned.

Motoko leaned over to kiss Hannah. “You know, I had a girlfriend once, but she… died in an accident a year ago. I haven’t even thought about sex since then, until I saw you…”

Hannah gave Motoko a sympathetic look, and kissed her again.

“Oh yeah, I think it’s definitely time to try having sex again!” Motoko pulled Hannah into her arms, and kissed her as if her life depended on it.

Motoko decided to explore Hannah’s body first, lightly slapping her hands away anytime Hannah tried to touch her. “If I let you touch me, I’m going to rush things. I’d much prefer to take my time, so please keep your hands off for now.”

Hannah grinned, and raised her hands above her head. “I’ll pretend like they’re tied up until you tell me it’s okay to touch you.”

Motoko was obviously a skilled lover, and Hannah wondered when the last time she had sex with a woman who really knew what she was doing was. Oh yeah… April was the last.

Motoko had Hannah making all kinds of noises in a short amount of time, and Hannah covered her mouth to keep from being heard by the patrons or workers of the restaurant.

It had been close to lunchtime when the two of them had sat down for ice cream, and they took turns giving each other pleasure until well after dinnertime.

Toshihiro, Saki, and the other college students had waited to eat until Hannah returned, and decided that she must be dining at Motoko’s restaurant. They debated going to eat there again, and unanimously agreed that it was a good idea.

They arrived at the restaurant, and looked around for Hannah. She was nowhere they could see, and someone came up to greet them.

“I’m looking for my wife, maybe you remember her from the other day. She was out shopping with Motoko-san earlier today,” Toshihiro explained.

“Oh, that one! Yeah, she’s in Atashi-san’s apartment back there. Why don’t your friends sit, and decide what to eat, while you go look for your wife.” The waiter pointed to a door. “Go through that door to the end of the hall, and then go through the door you will find there. That’s Atashi-san’s apartment.”

Toshihiro nodded, and followed directions. He soon found himself in a tastefully decorated living room. He looked around, wondering where they might be, when he heard a moan and a giggle come from somewhere to his right.

He decided to investigate it, and found Hannah and Motoko naked on the floor. They were wrapped around one another, as if trying to be absorbed into each other’s skin, and Motoko was sucking on Hannah’s breast.

Hannah moaned, and Motoko giggled, and Toshihiro assumed that must be what he heard a moment ago. He crossed his arms, and leaned against the doorway to the dining area, and watched them with a faint frown.

        Is this considered cheating? Is Hannah cheating on me? I know she knows Saki decided to have sex with me today, and I’ll admit that she decided to do so more than once, but… Is Hannah trying to hide this? Was she planning on telling me somehow?

Toshihiro was surprised to discover that he did not feel betrayed, or even that he was being cheated on. He wondered if he was truly accepting of the situation, or if he was being side tracked by arousal.

“I bet Hero’s worried about me by now,” Hannah said in English, of course.

Motoko whined like a child being denied a favorite toy. “Just a little while longer?”

Hannah chuckled, and kissed Motoko. “How can I refuse you when you beg so prettily?”

Motoko gave a small squeal of delight, and returned her mouth to Hannah’s breast.

“But you get to explain to Hero what I’ve been doing all day!”

Motoko looked at Hannah in surprise. “You plan to tell Toshihiro-san about this?”

Hannah nodded. “Why wouldn’t I, he is my husband.”

        I really, really wish I spoke English! Are they talking about me because they are coming up with a cover story? Or… Is Hannah trying to invite me into Motoko’s bed? Toshihiro honestly couldn’t figure out which scenario it was, and he wondered what he should do. Should he call attention to himself, or should he go back, and loudly reenter the apartment?

        Motoko made a sound that resembled “Huh,” and spoke in Japanese without realizing it. “You must really love him, and be absolutely confident in his love to tell him about this as if… if…” Motoko shrugged, and Hannah’s expression became thoughtful.

        Hannah realized that she could understand most of what Motoko had said, and what she couldn’t understand was fairly easy to figure out, given the context of the conversation. A sensation that she associated with Toshihiro had been prickling at her for a few minutes now, and she looked over to see him standing there watching them. She smiled, happy to see him. “Hero!”

        Motoko gasped, and turned her head to see what Hannah was looking at. “Ah! Toshihiro-san, I – uh – I can explain! In fact, Hana-chan was just telling me that I would have to tell you about our day. I – uh…” Motoko blushed. She had never let a man see her naked, and realized that Toshihiro must have been watching them for a few minutes at least.

        Hannah unwound herself from Motoko, stood, and went to kiss her husband. Toshihiro frowned, but accepted the kiss. Hannah stepped back, and tilted her head with an expression of puzzlement.

        Motoko decided to pull her dress on while Toshihiro was still looking at Hannah. “You look upset. Hana-san was sure you wouldn’t be. She said that drawing out our day on the board would likely turn you on, and…” Motoko faltered when Toshihiro looked at her.

        Toshihiro considered her words a moment. “I’m not upset, I think I should be, but I’m not. Knowing that Hannah was only interested in women before she met me helps me understand, but… We’re married now. Isn’t this considered cheating?”

        Motoko translated for Hannah.

        “No, well maybe… I would only consider it cheating if I had no intention of telling you about it, and also lied about it,” Hannah said.

        Toshihiro listened carefully to Motoko’s translation, and slowly nodded his head in agreement. “That makes some sense… but I wasn’t ready to… I thought that… married people… don’t have this much sex with other people.”

        Hannah gave this some thought after Motoko finished translating. “That’s true for most married people, yes… I never thought I would be married, and monogamy… Monogamy just seems wrong, somehow.” Hannah waited for Motoko to translate this.

        Then she continued, “I will try to be monogamous, if that’s what you really want, and I’m sorry that I just… assumed that you would be okay with this.”

        “Will try…?” Toshihiro stroked his chin in thought. “Try, hmm? She doesn’t promise she can, and she will only try if I insist,” he talked to himself out loud. He focused on Hannah once more. “Just exactly how many other people do you plan to have sex with, and what happens if I want to be monogamous, and you can’t handle it?”

        Motoko privately thought that this is what they got for getting married without even being able to talk to one another about these things, and she felt somewhat awkward being stuck in the middle as a translator.

        “I don’t plan to have sex with a lot of other people, I’m just sort of… okay, this is going to sound strange, but I’m allowing myself to have sex whenever I get the desire because I am just so happy to be married to you that I want to share it with the whole world!” Hannah threw her arms open wide, as if she were trying to hug the world, and Toshihiro’s first thought was, That many?!

        He felt somewhat relieved when he heard Motoko translate, and gave Hannah a small smile. “But you didn’t answer the other question.”

        “If you want to be monogamous, and I just can’t handle it, I’ll tell you, and hope that you’ll try to understand,” Hannah replied. “Do you want to be monogamous?”

        Toshihiro gave this some serious thought. This was not a question most people ever had to think about since marriage was supposed to equal monogamy, and he was married. If he said yes, he might inadvertently hurt Hannah, but if he said no, would Hannah expect them to just have sex with someone new every day. Wasn’t that excessive?

        He sighed. “What I really want is to spend the rest of my honeymoon, or at least most of it, alone with my bride, and make this decision after some careful thought.”

        Hannah hugged him in response to his statement, and Motoko felt as if it had just begun to rain.

        “Damn! I was hoping to spend at least one more day with Hana-san before you two left,” Motoko pouted.

        Toshihiro smiled at her. “I don’t mind that, I just don’t want to have sex with a different person or couple every day of our honeymoon. Or every other.”

        “Now I’m jealous! How dare you be so damned reasonable? I was hoping you’d say no so that I could be resentful, and blame you for keeping Hana-san all to yourself, but… but… as it stands, I really think you two were made for each other. That’s why I’m jealous, I want to find the one who was made for me!” Motoko carefully did not say that she also prayed that her dead girlfriend wasn’t the one for her, because as much as she loved her, she really didn’t want to spend the rest of her life alone.

        “You’ll find that person, I’m sure of it,” Toshihiro gave a reassuring smile, and then said, “but Hana and I should go join Saki and the others before they come to investigate what is taking us so long.”

        Motoko translated this for Hannah, and Hannah sighed, thinking, Damn! I have to put my clothes back on! She threw her knee-length summer dress on, and tossed her undergarments in her purse.

        Toshihiro gave her an amused smile, and led her towards the restaurant. He stopped, and looked at Motoko. “Won’t you join us for dinner, I’m sure you must be starving by now.”

        Motoko nodded, and murmured, “Just give me a few moments to wash up.”

Go To Chapter 17