The Mysterious Stranger
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It was the middle of March. Kate, the exchange student, was sitting in the parlor on the sofa, reading an issue of Entertainment Weekly she'd picked up the other day at the university newsstand. Not that she particularly liked the magazine or anything, it was just that it had been the only thing on the newsstand that reminded her of home.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the front door. Kate could hear it distantly through the wall of the parlor, and she paused. A few minutes later, it sounded again. Kate sighed and got up, heading out of the parlor and down the hallway that led to the front door. Technically it wasn't her house, but it seemed as though no one else had heard the knock at the door. There was no one around.
Well, it gives me a chance to practice my Japanese, Kate thought as she reached for the door handle. She opened the door, and was immediately caught off guard by the young man on the other side. He was about her height, with black hair that swooped in an uncontrollable wave back from his forehead. His body was slender, and he wore a denim jacket that had large yellow buttons down the front of it. He also wore an incredibly large pair of goggles in his hair, for some reason.
Kate realized she was gaping, and quickly closed her mouth. The handsome stranger bowed slightly in greeting and spoke to her in Japanese. "Hi, is Mitsuko home?"
"Uh, um, uh," Kate stammered. "Well, she's upstairs...Oh, I mean," she changed from English to somewhat broken Japanese. "Yes, she's in her room. I'll go get her." Kate's face was red.
"It's okay," the stranger replied, in perfect English. "I can wait." He smiled at her.
Kate was caught off guard again. My God, who is this guy? she thought to herself. She moved to open the door further. "Why don't you come in?" she offered. The handsome stranger stepped inside and Kate shut the door. "Wait right here."
Kate hurried up the stairs and down the hall to Mitsuko's room. Her bedroom door was partially open, and she was laying on her bed, leafing through a book. Kate stepped in. Mitsuko looked up. "Oh, Kate. What is it?"
"There's someone at the door to see you," Kate answered.
"Who?" she responded.
"I'm not sure. I forgot to ask," Kate replied, slightly embarassed. "But he sure seems like he knows you."
Mitsuko got up off her bed and headed for the stairs. However, halfway down the stairs, she stopped short. From the middle landing, Mitsuko could see the stanger standing just inside the front door. He turned and looked up at her. She proceeded down the rest of the stairs slowly, as if in a trance.
She could not believe her eyes. He'd kept his promise. After all this time, he was finally home. "You're alive...." she gasped. And then she ran to him, and jumped into his arms.
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It was the middle of March. Kate, the exchange student, was sitting in the parlor on the sofa, reading an issue of Entertainment Weekly she'd picked up the other day at the university newsstand. Not that she particularly liked the magazine or anything, it was just that it had been the only thing on the newsstand that reminded her of home.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the front door. Kate could hear it distantly through the wall of the parlor, and she paused. A few minutes later, it sounded again. Kate sighed and got up, heading out of the parlor and down the hallway that led to the front door. Technically it wasn't her house, but it seemed as though no one else had heard the knock at the door. There was no one around.
Well, it gives me a chance to practice my Japanese, Kate thought as she reached for the door handle. She opened the door, and was immediately caught off guard by the young man on the other side. He was about her height, with black hair that swooped in an uncontrollable wave back from his forehead. His body was slender, and he wore a denim jacket that had large yellow buttons down the front of it. He also wore an incredibly large pair of goggles in his hair, for some reason.
Kate realized she was gaping, and quickly closed her mouth. The handsome stranger bowed slightly in greeting and spoke to her in Japanese. "Hi, is Mitsuko home?"
"Uh, um, uh," Kate stammered. "Well, she's upstairs...Oh, I mean," she changed from English to somewhat broken Japanese. "Yes, she's in her room. I'll go get her." Kate's face was red.
"It's okay," the stranger replied, in perfect English. "I can wait." He smiled at her.
Kate was caught off guard again. My God, who is this guy? she thought to herself. She moved to open the door further. "Why don't you come in?" she offered. The handsome stranger stepped inside and Kate shut the door. "Wait right here."
Kate hurried up the stairs and down the hall to Mitsuko's room. Her bedroom door was partially open, and she was laying on her bed, leafing through a book. Kate stepped in. Mitsuko looked up. "Oh, Kate. What is it?"
"There's someone at the door to see you," Kate answered.
"Who?" she responded.
"I'm not sure. I forgot to ask," Kate replied, slightly embarassed. "But he sure seems like he knows you."
Mitsuko got up off her bed and headed for the stairs. However, halfway down the stairs, she stopped short. From the middle landing, Mitsuko could see the stanger standing just inside the front door. He turned and looked up at her. She proceeded down the rest of the stairs slowly, as if in a trance.
She could not believe her eyes. He'd kept his promise. After all this time, he was finally home. "You're alive...." she gasped. And then she ran to him, and jumped into his arms.
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