First Date

Working against time - owing to the fact that I am only afforded the luxury of one week (actually four days) to visit a junior high school to team-teach - I really had to move quickly to try and get this Japanese teacher of English to come over to the dark side (to quote a Sith Lord).
Fortunately for me, my students at Nozaki Junior High School seemed fully aware of my infatuation with Kikuchi-sensei and were, much to my chagrin, working on my behalf to convince her I was an alright kindda guy - even though I was a gaijin (outsider/foreigner).
Actually... that whole foreigner-thing didn't seem to enter into things as far as the students were concerned. I liked them. They like me. They liked Kikuchi-sensei. And knew I liked her. They just needed to let her know that she should like me, too.
As seen in the LAST blog, their bombardment of her of all things Andrew must have worked, as on the Thursday - the last day I would visit that school for another month, she agreed to go out with me, and promised to call me later that night.
Riding home from school that day - well, I have no recollection. My mind was elsewhere - like in a field of flowers imaging Kikuchi-sensei and I running in slow-motion towards each other. I had been smitten with her at first sight. She, as evidenced by THIS blog - ennnnhhh, not so much.
I was nervous... so much so that I actually went home and had a shower so that I could look my best for her telephone call. Hey, I told you my mind was in a fog! 
After dressing, brushing my teeth and putting on some cologne (no idea why I did any of that - except for the teeth brushing thing - I had eaten natto for lunch - click on NATTO for an article... and then click HERE for MY version of how natto was first created).
Anyhow, true to her word, Kikuchi-sensei called me that night at around 8PM, and forever became known as Nobuko to me. We talked for about five minutes... small talk about how her day had been about what we each had for dinner, and about when we should go out.
I suggested Saturday, but she thought she might have to do some things at home--she was living at her parents home in Kuroiso, 10 kilometers north of Ohtawara-shi--and instead suggested this Sunday at 10AM.
Sunday at 10AM?.. Okay... I had a date with a gorgeous Japanese lady... granted she wasn't the first Japanese lady I had been out with, as I had slept with a teacher at one of my schools (Nozaki!), PLUS, I had spent the last weekend with a gorgeous young lady--the day before seeing Nobuko. In a few days, I'll create a blog entry and reveal my date with "Ninja-girl" an 18-year-old 5-foot nothing chick with double D breasts. Got your attention, eh? I have photos, too!
Back to Nobuko and how, for the first and only time I wished for a Saturday to hurry up and pass.
Sunday arrived (finally!)... I was up at 8AM and ready and waiting anxiously by 9AM. At 10AM on the dot, there was a knock on my front door. I ran lightly to the door, peeked out through the eye-hole, saw it was her and unlocked the door.
I opened the door, she looked up at me, smiled and nervously walked in - glancing behind her in case she was followed or seen by any students, which is always a possibility in this city.
She wore a white dress, short sleeved, stockings and white bra... as I was able to glance a white strap as she walked past me to slip on the pink slippers (Finally! Someone wore the damn PINK SLIPPERS). Her hair smelled of apple blossoms. If she wore make-up it was subtle enough that I couldn't tell. She looked gorgeous - so at least, in my mind, she was treating this like a real date.
Offering her a Coke as she sat down on the couch, she accepted. I sat down beside her and smiled... she asked me why I wanted to go out with her.
My explanation of - I don't know why, but something in my head said I had to - was better than me telling her I had fallen for her based solely on looks - which was actually the case.
Smiling at my so-called honestly (It's amazing what time and experience will do for a guy's memory), she said she would drive us down to the Tochigi-ken capital city of Utsonomiya-shi - explaining that down there, we'd be safe from the prying eyes of her students and the rest of the population of Ohtawara-shi.
Having gone out with fellow-AET Ashley for over a year, I understood her penchant for wanting to keep things a secret - but like with Ashley, I knew that that would never happen--what with the rest of Ohtawara being nosy buggers, and me having a big mouth.
We drove off in her toy car (a miniature car of some Japanese make that was NOT white) down to Utsonomiya, and arrived 50 minutes later. We parked in a garage, and walked along the main covered drag where there were a host of shops and restaurants.
We stopped in a Japanese restaurant, though she did want to eat at Kentucky Fried Chicken to placate me - hey... I love the chicken, but one of those secret herbs and or spices doesn't like me, and I develop gas very quickly... the last thing I wanted on a first date with Nobuko and me being a 50-minute car drive from my bathroom. Nope... I insisted on  Japanese food - so she could teach me about things Japanese people like.
That was bull-crap (and she probably knew it), but she played along. We had a great meal, with me having unagi (eel) on rice, while she had the pork kontatsu (breaded pork cutlet) - plus a beer each.
I was feeling tipsy (probably giddy from excitement), but I can only imagine what this 100-lb, 5'-2" woman  was feeling. Apparently it was no pain, as she grabbed my hand as we walked out of the restaurant.
There was no way in Hell I wanted to let go.
And then it happened an hour later... after walking out of a movie theater (just checking to see what was playing, we did not see a show), we walked smack dab in the middle of four of her Nozaki students.
"An-do-ryu-sensei! Hello! Huh!! Kikuchi-sensei??!! Oh my god-do!"
My initial reaction to the students was: Hey! At least they spoke English.
But poor Nobuko, she ripped her hand out of mine and hid her hands behind her back. I watched her blush and lower her eyes as she said hello to these four girls.
Each asked the other (in Japanese) what they were doing in Utsonomiya. Nobuko later told me the students said they were shopping for clothes. She said she told them she was doing the same - as the poor foreigner (me) was having a difficult time finding clothes that might actually fit the big guy, adding that she knew of such a shop here in town.
She wasn't fooling anyone, though. I had probably let the cat out of the bag when I looked at the girls while Nobuko was speaking to them and raised my eyebrows a few times while grinning like a cat that had eaten a couple of canaries.
I'm guessing the student experience had scared her, and suggested we go home. Just as well, as apparently that eel I ate was giving my stomach ideas.
On the way back to my place, while Nobuko shifted gears, I placed my hand atop hers. She quickly removed her hand from underneath mine - 'oh crap! I've gone to far', I thought... but she quickly placed hers atop mine and squeezed.
Back at my place, she walked me back to my apartment, came inside the place, and watched as I closed the door behind her... she made no move to put on the pink slippers, so I knew this was the end of our date. That hand-thing in the car, was one bit of sign language I could understand, so I knew she wouldn't put up too much of a fight if I should move in and try to kiss her... and for about 60 seconds, she didn't mind at all.
I asked her to call me when she got back home.
Why?, she asked. 
"So that I know you got back safely.

Somewhere wondering what the heck we talked about for the next six hours,
Andrew Joseph
PS: Today's title is by Blink 182 - You can hear the song HERE.
PPS: By the way... should any of you wish a peek at some of my photographs from Japan, feel FREE.