It rained all day today. At the inn I started telling Izark all these old stories of my home in Japan. Then, maybe because he thought I was missing my hometown terribly, he said in his soft voice that it would be nice if he could visit Japan with me one day. So maybe we'll come back together… From Far Away.
"Really? You'd want to go back to Tokyo with me? And meet my family?" Noriko perked up.
"Yes, I would love to meet your family." He said sitting up with her. "But would you be able to help me? I don't know your language, and I know it took a long time for you to learn my language, so…" Izark trailed off looking into Noriko's smiling eyes.
"Don't worry; I'm sure you can learn really fast! I learned your language eventually and you'll have someone teaching you; someone who understands both languages. And besides, you can do everything!" Noriko said enthusiastically.
"I can't do everything!" Izark said embarrassed. "And I'm not sure if I can learn all of it. I mean every once in a while you ask me what something means still."
"Well I can teach you some things, like basic things such as 'Nice to meet you, my name is Izark.' Which would be, 'Nīsu wa, watashi no namae wa Izark te iru koto o mitasu tame ni.'" Noriko said fluently and quite fast (like just how Japanese just flows together).
Izark just looked at Noriko, confused. "Could you say that again but a bit slower?" He said.
"Ok, repeat after me. Nīsu wa," Noriko started, waving her hand to Izark indicating him to repeat her.
"Nee-soo wah," He repeated.
"Watashi no," Noriko spoke the next part.
"Wuh-tah-shee no," Izark repeated, obediently.
"Namae wa Izark te," Noriko smiled as Izark concentrated very hard on repeating every syllable correctly.
"Nah-ma-ay wuh Izark tey," Izark furrowed his eyes brows.
"Iru koto o," Noriko said giggling.
"Eer-oo Koh-toe," Izark struggled.
"Iru koto O," Noriko emphasized on the last syllable that he missed.
"Eru Koto Oh!" Izark copied, making Noriko laugh. "Why are you laughing at me?" Izark asked.
"Because I never knew I looked this funny when I tried to say something at first. I don't know why you didn't laugh! Your face is hilarious!" Noriko burst out laughing.
"Are you going to help me or not?"
"Ha ha, ok, let's repeat all of that. I'll go slowly. Nīsu wa, watashi no,"
"Neesu wa, wa-tah-shee no," Izark pronounced them a little better.
"Wa Izark te iru koto o," Noriko said the remainder of what she had already repeated.
"Wa Izark tey eeru koto oh," Izark said with his concentrated face again.
"Mitasu tame ni," Noriko finished the sentence.
"Mee-tus tah-may nee," Izark struggled with the last bit.
"Mitasu," Noriko repeated for him.
"Me-ta-su," Izark repeated.
"Tame ni," Noriko finished.
"Ta-mey nee," Izark said the again for her.
"Mitasu tame ni," Noriko repeated the whole last bit for him to say.
"Me-ta-su- ta-mey nee," Izark said again, and much better.
"Ok, from the beginning again. Nīsu wa, watashi no,"
"Neesu wa, wa-tah-shee no," Izark said.
"Wa Izark te iru koto o," Noriko said the second bit.
"Wa Izark te eeru koto oh," Izark said getting better at pronouncing it.
"Mitasu tame ni," Noriko said the last bit and smiled because she could tell Izark was getting the hang of it.
"Mitasu tame ni," Izark said perfectly.
"Nīsu wa, watashi no namae wa Izark te iru koto o mitasu tame ni." Noriko said, too fast again.
"Neesu wa, wa-tah-shee no wa Izark tey eeru koto oh mee-tus tah-may nee?" Izark attempted to copy.
"Nīsu wa, watashi no namae wa Izark te iru koto o mitasu tame ni." Noriko said again, but slower this time.
"Nisu wa, watashi no wa namaey Izark te iru koto oh mitasu tame nee." Izark said again, and a lot better.
"Good Izark!" Noriko said hugging Izark. Izark smiled to be praised by her.
"Teach me something else! Teach me how to say 'I'm much honored to have met the family of my dear Noriko.'"
"Watashi wa yorokonde Noriko-chan no kazoku ni aete yo." Noriko said blushing at Izark's sweet and kind formality.
"Watashi wa yorokonde Noriko yo kazoku-" Izark cut off getting lost.
"Watashi wa yorokonde Noriko-chan no kazoku ni aete yo." Noriko repeated slower for Izark to hear every word.
"Watashi wa yorokonde Noriko-chan no kazoku ni aete yo." Izark said perfectly.
"Perfect, Izark!" Noriko sighed. She was almost in tears from hearing him speaking her language. The way he spoke each word was heavenly. "Now say, 'Aishiteru.'"
"Aishiteru," Izark said.
Noriko couldn't hold back her tears any longer and let them flow over. She wrapped her arms around Izark and said, "Aishiteru anata mo."
"What does that mean? What does 'Aishiteru anata mo,' mean?" Izark asked not knowing what se had just said to him.
"I told you to say, 'Aishiteru,' and my response was, 'Aishiteru anata mo.' I told you to say, "I love you,' and I said, 'I love you as well.'" Noriko sniffed sitting up off of Izark.
Izark brought his hand to Noriko's face and held her face in his hand. He wiped away her tears with his thumb. "How do you say it again?"
"Aishiteru?" Noriko said.
"That's the one." Izark said with a smile looking into Noriko's tear-filled eyes. He leaned in really close and said, "Aishiteru," before he kissed her.
Noriko wrapped her arms tightly around Izark, kissing him back with everything she had.