Bloom

 

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Chapter 1

Ethan hated Japan, and wondered more than often why exactly he was chosen to make this business trip. He worked for a worldwide technology company, and his boss decided he and Thomas Richards would be the best candidates to go speak with Tokyo's branch to discuss the company's newest product and how the Japanese were reacting to it. That part of the trip was over (the product was doing fairly well with businessmen, they learned), and Thomas and Ethan were touring around the country before their plane was to bring them back home to Manchester.

Ethan couldn't wait to get away from the loud cities of this town, and back to his quiet flat back in England. Unfortunately for him, he was stuck with Thomas, who led him onto a train headed to Yoshino to see the cherry blossoms. At least Thomas is happy and not so talkative today, thought Ethan as he closed his eyes and sat quietly in his seat. Soon enough, he was awoken by Thomas. The train had stopped, and they were ready to get out. Ethan groggily stood up and followed Thomas out of the train.

About an hour later, Ethan found himself separated from Thomas. The man was relieved he didn't have to deal with him anymore, and walked around staring at the cherry blossoms they were there for in the first place. These actually aren't that bad, the man thought to himself. The pink petals slowly falling to the ground were nice to look at. Turning his head just for a second though led him headfirst into another, and he fell to the ground.  "Sorry!" he yelled out as he looked at the person he had  rudely bumped into.

She had the same response, instead her apology was a "Gomen'nasai!" instead of Ethan's  English. The man looked at the woman, and for some reason his heart beat out of line. The woman was...really beautiful, if he were speak the first thing on his mind.

"Oh, ma'am, I am...oh, sorry, you can't understand what I'm saying, can you?" Ethan blurted quickly.

The woman's face looked perplexed, but soon enough she smiled. Her foreign words were nonsense to Ethan, but what she said was somewhere along the lines of "​you seem embarrassed. it's kind of cute."  

Ethan then coughed a little because this moment seemed a little awkward. "Ah...what's your name, if I may ask? I'm Ethan." the man said with hand movements just in case the woman didn't understand him. 

Thankfully she nodded and replied, "Kuniko." Ethan smiled at Kuniko and nodded in return.

"Well, hello, Kuniko." Ethan spoke again before feeling a tap on his back.

"C'mon, Ethan. Quit flirting. We have other things to see!" Thomas cheered excitedly before dragging Ethan off from Kuniko. He whimpered a quick "goodbye" to woman before leaving alongside Thomas. Kuniko smiled again and waved goodbye.

"Who was that, Ethan?" Thomas asked his business partner. 

"Just someone." he replied sternly. Just someone who made the trip to Japan a bit nicer, he thought to himself with a slight blush. 

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