Between Him and Her

Crab shabu-shabu

Liya relaxed in the hot spring pool. She had a towel draped in front of her for modesty. However, it couldn't hide anything. Compared to Kumiko-san who had given birth to two - two- children, Liya felt very self-conscious. When they had undressed in the locker room, Liya had kept her eyes averted from Kumiko. Luckily it was only the two of them in the washroom. Before getting into the pool, one must wash their bodies of dirt. While Liya had washed, Kumiko approached her with a towel and offered to scrub her back for her. Liya had shyly turned her back to the older woman. The scrubbing as she remembered felt like she was being skinned. Liya reciprocated the act albeit with little less strength than needed. Afterward, Kumiko led her to the onsen.

Now sitting in the onsen with warm water and the open sky above, Liya relaxed. Kumiko was beside her as well, dripping water over her chest. I will never get out of this water. It is sooo warm, Liya thought to herself. She squirmed her body lower into the water.

Kumiko gave a warning call to Liya to be careful. It was easy to dehydrate and faint at an onsen. So Kumiko had been keeping an eye on Liya.

Liya nodded at her and smiled, "I like onsen."

"Are there onsens in the US?" Kumiko asked.

"I don't know. Maybe in the Yellowstone National Park. I don't know about New York?" Liya answered. Kumiko was trying to understand her broken Japanese. So Liya apologized, "Sorry my Japanese is bad."

"No. No. It is good," Kumiko patted her hand. Liya shyly nodded her head. "If you don't mind me asking, when did you come to Japan?"

Liya looked up thinking about the answer. "August" She tilted her head and said, "I came in August."

Kumiko smiled at her, "Why did you come to Japan?"

Her sudden tone of questioning didn't put off Liya so much because all others had the same questions. She often received comments like that she was very "strong" to come to Japan without learning the language and such things.

"I wanted to learn Japanese culture. It is so interesting," Liya told her standard answer. She very well couldn't Kumiko that she had run away from a conservative mother who wanted to marry Liya off the first chance she got.

"Aren't you lonely here?" Kumiko asked. Liya frowned a little at the very personal question. But when she answered she did it with a smile, "Iie, I have made good friends here. Sometimes I feel lonely, but I have Ryuuhei-san."

"AAAhhh. Do you like Ryuuhei?" Kumiko asked wagging her eyes at Liya. Liya hadn't looked at her, so she had missed the suggestive look from Kumiko. Instead, she dipped her towel in the water and wrung it and was wiping her face when she heard that question. So she answered quickly, "Yes, of course. Ryuuhei-san is a kind person."

"Oh really? What do you like about Ryuuhei?" Kumiko continued.

Liya smiled openly at Kumiko. Her smile took Kumiko back at how open and honest it was. Liya said, "Ryuuhei-san is kind. He enjoys music. He does his job correctly. He is a serious person. He cares for people. He is comfortable with silence. And.. he listens and understands me."

Kumiko was nodding at Ryuuhei accolades that pretty much tumbled out of the young woman's mouth. She turned to say to her, "You will do."

Liya looked back at Kumiko confused. Kumiko quickly changed her the subject by grabbing hold of Liya's breasts said, "your breasts are big!"

Liya squealed and moved away, "Kumiko-san!."

The hot spring pool was divided by slats of wood so both men and women could enjoy the outdoor warm water. Ryuuhei and Yasuyuki had moved to the outdoor pool before Kumiko and Liya had come in from their entrance. They had heard the ladies wading in the water towards the partition. Yasuyuki was about to call out when Kumiko's questions were voiced to Liya.

Ryuuhei and Yasuyuki looked at each other. Yasu sent an apologetic smile to Ryuuhei, and Ryuuhei just shook his head in response. They guiltily listened to the impromptu interrogation. Ryuuhei especially sucked in his breath when Liya listed why she liked him. Yasuyuki mouthed, "really? understanding, you?" He used both his hands to show a bomb explode his mind. Ryuuhei shot water at him.

Then the next moment both men were left blushing at the rude comment Kumiko had said and the outraged squeal that came Liya.

Yasuyuki did look at Ryuuhei this time. He turned to Ryuuhei cupping his chest and expanded and waggled his eyes at Ryuuhei. Ryuuhei sighed exasperatedly at his friend's antics. He moved away from him.

Both Ryuuhei and Liya exited the onsen at the same time from their respective gender entrance. Ryuuhei was tall that he looked down at Liya who was struggling with her yukata a little. It was apparent to him that Liya had run away from Kumiko and dressed very quickly thus mangling her sash that holds the yukata closed.

"Can I help you?" Ryuuhei asked lowly.

"Please?" Liya returned.

Ryuuhei tugged Liya's free hand, and Liya followed him silently. They went off the path leading to the main rooms of the inn and crossed the empty courtyard. The night air was chilly. Ryuuhei didn't want Liya to catch a cold, so he draped his towel over her shoulders. Finding a big rock to sit comfortably, he pulled Liya between his legs. Liya shivered slightly. This was something new. She had never stood between a man's legs like this.

Liya held on to the sides of the yukata together. Ryuuhei saw her hands slightly tremble. His hands covered hers and asked, "Are you okay?"

Liya nodded soundlessly. Ryuuhei said, "Your yukata is not wrapped correctly." He removed her hands. Yukata must be wrapped right side in first and then the left side over it. "Don't worry. I won't open it. Let me put it correctly." Liya nodded her head again. He pulled the left side holding the right side to cover her body. His hands brushed her body. Liya sucked in a breath and stood still.

Ryuuhei couldn't remember the last time he had touched a female body since his ex-wife had left him. His left hand spanned her belly. Liya felt a moment of shame. Her stomach was rounded, and she couldn't handle that. She tried to step away, but Ryuuhei's hands stopped her by gripping her hips. "No, don't move away."

He took the sash and wrapped it around her making sure her yukata held tight over her chest. The whole time Liya held her hands above his head. When he had gripped her waist, she had laid her hands down to his shoulders.

"So you like me?" He asked her once he had tied the sash and he rested his nads on her hips.

"Huh?" Liya said. "I.."

"I heard what you said to Kumiko," Ryuuhei said, and Liya's eyes widened.

"I.. I.," Liya said. She was finding it difficult to answer his question.

"It's okay. I like you too." Ryuuhei said chucking Liya's chin. Her hair was still damp from the bath, so he rubbed her head. "Ryuuhei-san. " Liya protested.

"Shhh.. stay still," Ryuuhei said.

After that, they walked silently to their room. It was a tatami room with two bedrooms on either side both tatami floors. The middle room was a living room with sliding doors that opened to the bedrooms on either side. For now, sliding doors were left open to make it more spacious. The sliding doors leading to a private courtyard for the room's occupants were open as well.

In the middle of the room, a large low table held plates of food and cans of beer and juice and jugs of water. There was a hotpot set at the center for shabu-shabu.

Yasuyuki and Kumiko were already there setting up dinner. Ryuuhei and Liya sat on the other side of the table. When Liya glanced at the full body of crab just lying there with its dead black beady eyes staring back at her, she squeezed her palms curling in bitingly. Ryuuhei noted her discomfort and touched her slightly.

"It's okay. I will help you," Ryuuhei said. Liya nodded wordlessly. She turned to get him something to drink asked what he would like.

"Beer, please," he answered while he cut open a crab and used the tool to clean the flesh out.

Kumiko and Yasuyuki watched the interaction between Ryuuhei and Liya. Kumiko asked, "Is everything ok? Liya-san, don't you like crabs?"

Ryuuhei answered Kumiko's question. Liya smiled at her helplessly.

For the rest of the dinner time, Ryuuhei made sure Liya ate her fill with crab, and she, in turn, made sure his drinks were full and got vegetables from the hotpot.

The food was plentiful. The drinks were flowing freely. Soon, the servers removed the plates and cleaned up the living room with the help of the ladies. The men sat on the veranda leading to the open courtyard with drinks in their hands. More unopened beer cans were waiting.