~With Aleki~

So, I decided to ask what Hana has in mind for our second date.

I texted her,

Me: こんにちは、花ちゃん。邪魔してごめんなさい。どんなレシピを思いついたの？ (Hey, Hana-chan. Sorry if I interrupted your time, but what recipe did you come up with?)

Hana: 大丈夫だよ、アレキ！その心遣いに感謝するよ。白玉ねぎ1個、生姜ひとかけら、みりん、ココナッツオイル、醤油を買ってきて。それだけでなく、鶏もも肉も買ってきて。骨付きで皮つきのものを選んでね。皮つきのほうがもっとおいしくなるよ。全部蜂蜜、ニンニク、塩、白コショウと混ぜて味を整える。全部買ってきてくれるなら、ありがたく思うよ。 (You're fine, Aleki! I appreciate the courtesy. I want you to buy one white onion, a knob of ginger, some mirin, coconut oil, and soy sauce. Not only that, buy some chicken thighs, but make sure they're bone-in and they have the skin on. It'll taste more delicious if the skin's on the chicken. Combine it all with honey, garlic, along with salt and white pepper to taste. If you can buy them all, I can appreciate that.)

Me: ああ、問題ないよ。それに、数日後の2回目のデートも楽しみにしてるよ。 (Hey, it's no problem. Besides, looking forward to our second date in a few days.)

Hana: 私もです。待ちきれません!!! 🖤❤️ (So am I. I can't wait!!! 🖤❤️)

I wanted to send an emoji back, but I knew it would make it very creepy and awkward, so I held myself back.

Me: それでは、またお会いしましょうね？ (So, I'll see you then, right?)

Hana: うん！アパートで会おう！ (Yeah! See you at your apartment!)

Me: そうです！私も同じです。 (Yeah! Same here.)

Hana: ❤️

When I saw the heart emoji, I think it's safe to say that she's won me over. I might confess to her soon enough and maybe during our cooking.

When I got back to my apartment, I started cleaning everything.

I wanted to be prepared for Hana to come here and the apartment I'm living in isn't that great, but it's definitely better than living in a hotel room.

The "studyroom" in my apartment, it's where I like to meditate and just have some time to myself. I'm not a Buddhist or anything, more so I can have a bit of an escape from the world, you know?

Once I went to the supermarket, I managed to buy the ingredients and looked to get started with the cooking, but of course, I saved them in my fridge, which storage is the Japanese style way: neat, tidy, clean, and organized. I was taught that throughout my time in NOAH and it's embedded into my everyday life, so it really helps me keep track of everything.

~Next Thursday~

Tomorrow was Friday, but since I already had the ingredients, I thought I might start marinating the chicken in a bowl.

Before I put everything together in a bowl, I prepped the chicken by trimming the flabby bits of fat off the chicken thighs, on a plastic cutting board, rather than a wooden cutting board.

The reason it's on a plastic cutting board is because if I prep meat on a wooden cutting board, it would be a pain in the ass to clean, but whereas a plastic one, I can just put it in the dishwasher, put some pods in, and forget about it for a few hours.

Also, I prepped the veggies before the meat, so that way salmonella doesn't spread or anything. I wanna make sure the food's safe safe to eat.

Once the chicken thighs were deboned, I put them in the bowl and set the plastic cutting board to the side, but before I prepped the chicken, I set a damp paper towel underneath the cutting board so it wouldn't move around. I learned it's for safety reasons, so it's best to play it safe than be reckless.

After putting the chicken into a bowl, I set the bones off to the side for some homemade chicken stock, if I'm gonna be making ramen from scratch, put in a knob of grated ginger, some mirin, kikkoman soy sauce (dark), honey (not the most healthy ingredient, but it's better than using sugar), grated garlic, hand ground crystal salt and ground white pepper to taste.

I mixed it all around, getting every part of the chicken covered, covered the bowl, and let the chicken marinate for at least a few hours, but in this case, I'm leaving it in the fridge overnight, where it'll be that tender.

~5:30 PM~

Once the time came around, I took the chicken out the fridge and waited for Hana.

I gave her my address and after a while, I heard a knock. I stopped what I was doing, cleaned my hands, and when I opened the door, she looked so beautiful.

Hana: おい、アレキ君！ (Hey, Aleki-kun!)

Me: 調子はどう？愛しい人？ (How you doin', sweetheart?)

We hugged a bit as she walked in, just impressed with the apartment and how clean it was.

Hana: これが好きです。とてもきれいですね！ (I like this. It's so clean!)

Me: まあ、それはノアのせいだ。逃れられない考え方を植え付けたんだ。 (Well, you can blame NOAH for that. Gave a mindset I can't escape from.)

She giggled as it was great to see her this happy.

Hana: 鶏肉を取り出しましたね。 (I see you got the chicken out.)

Me: ええ、一緒に料理ができるように全部取り出しておきました。 (Yeah, I made sure to get it all out so we can cook together.)

Hana: そして私はそれを高く評価しています。 (And I appreciate that.)

Me: 嗅いでみたい方はどうぞ。 (If you wanna give it a sniff, go ahead.)

Hana: 私はします。 (I will.)

Hana did give the chicken a sniff and she looked like she was in pure bliss.

Hana: わあ、おいしそうな香りがします。 (Wow, that smells delicious.)

Me: まあ、あなたがレシピをくれたので、できる限りのことをしました。 (Well, you're the one who gave me the recipe, so, I did it however I could.)

Hana: よくできました。これをどうやって調理するか、いいアイデアがあります。鍋はお持ちですか? (You did great. I have an idea on how we can cook this. You have a pot with you?)

Me: 必ず行います。 (Sure do.)

I pulled one out of my cupboard and brought it out, but I only wiped it with a wet paper towel, that way no dust or anything will be in our dinner.

Hana: ココナッツオイルを少しだけ入れて、中火で加熱しましょう。 (Let's put in a bit of coconut oil, not too much, on a medium high flame.)

She turned the stove on, with the pot on there with a tiny bit of coconut oil, and with cooking chopsticks, she put the chicken in, one by one.

Hana: あなたはご飯を用意して、私は鶏肉を担当します。 (You go prep the rice, I'll handle the chicken.)

Me: 本気ですか？ (Are you sure?)

Hana: もちろんです。好きなように準備してください。私は判断しません。 (Of course. Prep it however you want. I won't judge.)

Me: 大丈夫。 (Alright.)

I got my rice cooker out, got my rice out, washed it in a bowl and drained the water out as many times as I needed to until the water became crystal clear.

Next, I put water in another bowl, put the rice in, made sure the water was filled to my first knuckle on my index finger, and let it cook until the chicken was about done.

However, while I prepped the rice, I kept looking at Hana.

I know that it's not appropriate to look at her, nor say what I'm gonna say, but I just can't help how hot she is wearing short shorts and a t-shirt.

I mean, not only is Hana this stylish and very attractive, she's also got a heart of gold.

After seeing her so much, especially when we had gone to each other's shows and spending time with her on the impromptu first date, I think it's safe to say that I really think I've fallen in love with her.

I think I'm gonna confess as we sit down and eat because this is something that I don't know if I can hold on for much longer.

After a while, she noticed me staring at her and I quickly looked away as I went back to prepping the rice, but Hana caught me.

Hana: ただ私を見ていただけですか？ (Were you just looking at me?)

Me: 何だって？いいえ、そうじゃなかったんです。 (What? No. I wasn't.)

Hana (teasing): 本当ですか？じゃあなんで顔が赤くなったんですか？ (Really? Then how come your face turned red?)

Me: もうやめてくださいよ？ (Just stop it, okay?)

Hana: Aww, kawaii (cute).

She then poked my cheek and I held her hand and just stopped her from doing it a lot longer, which made her laugh.

Me: 停止！ (Stop!)

Hana: 否定しないで。あなたは私に恋してるのよ。〜 (Don't deny it. You're in love with me.~)

Me: もしそうならどうする？ (What if I am?)

She laughed again before saying, smiling, her head on my shoulder, looking into my eyes...

Hana: ああ、君は本当に可愛い。 (My gods, you are adorable.)

She booped my nose and laughed as she went back to her station as we kept cooking until it was all done.

When it was all done, I offered to set up our plates.

I put the rice on her plate, put a chicken thigh right on top, along with some sauce we managed to get from the marinade, as we added a bit of water, let it reduce and served it.

Hana and I got our drinks, along with a few spoons, a napkin for both of us, sat across from each other, put our hands together, and said...

Hana/Me: Itsadakimasu. (Thank you for the food.)

Hana took a bite of the chicken with the rice, and she smiled so big that she MOANED from how good the chicken is before shaking her head.

Hana: Sugoi! (Excellent!)

She kept eating it as this was probably the best meal I've had in a while. All I had were fucking instant ramen and premade Japanese food.

There's nothing wrong with those, but personally, making the stuff at home is just the best.

Hana: とても柔らかくて、とても美味しいです。そしてご飯にかかっているソースは？それは...とても美味しいです。もう、言葉が出ません。 (It's so tender, very tasty, and the sauce on the rice? It's... so good. I'm, I'm at a loss for words.)

I tried it myself and she was right! This was so delicious.

Me: アメリカのテイクアウトの店と比べると、全部家で作るので、これはかなり美味しいですよ。 (You know, compared to the takeout places in America, making it all at home, this is pretty bloody good.)

Hana giggled as we finished out dinner and decided to watch a movie. It was only right to not end it off without something we both can watch and enjoy.

We decided to watch the first live action movie Rurouni Kenshin: Origins, based on the anime.

Once the movie was starting, we sat close to each other, but Hana decided ask me something...

Hana: 寄りかかっても構いませんか？ (You don't mind if I leaned on you?)

Me: いいえ、もちろんです。 (No, of course.)

And she proceeded to lean on my shoulder.

I didn't mind that from her, knowing how exhausted she is from the cooking.

Then, after another good long while into the movie, my own hand went on hers, I noticed and pulled it away, just out of courtesy and not trying to be a perverted asshole.

Hana: アレキ？ (Aleki?)

Me: うん？ (Yeah?)

Hana: 引き離す必要はありません。 (You don't have to pull it away.)

Me: 本当に？ (Really?)

Hana: それは構いません。ただ...させてください。 (I don't mind that. Just let me...)

She then took my hand...

Hana: ...それを置く... (...put it...)

...and put it on hers.

Hana: ...ここです。(...right here.)

Then, she looked at me as I looked at her.

Hana was too beautiful to me, and just as I thought that, we were missing the movie and turned our attention back to the movie.

A few more minutes into the movie, Hana wrapped her other arm around mine and as she did, Hana curled one of her fingers around one of my own, shocking me.

I looked down and her finger really was around mine.

After that, we just slowly turned our heads, looking at each other for what feels like an eternity, making me wanting to kiss her, but I was conflicted on whether or not I should, only because I didn't want to force her into it.

Just as I thought that, Hana sat up, moved my hair to the side, moved her head towards my own and kissed me for what felt like a few seconds.

After those long few seconds, Hana released as she had a very shy smile and said nothing, but to me, she doesn't have to say anything because Hana just showed what she thought about me after all this time.

After that, it was my turn, as I took my chance to kiss her. She was a bit surprised, probably thinking I didn't feel the same, but I did as I just couldn't hold it in anymore, making us melt into each other's faces.

Me, I loved her lips as I kept kissing her and Hana kept coming back to me. We eventually forgot about the movie, wrapped each other's arms around each other and just made out as her lips felt great on mine.

Then, as we just kept going at it, I felt Hana pull away for a second, as if she was trying to process it and was having some regret about it, but she shook her head slightly before kissing me again as she wrapped her arms around my neck, and this kept going on until we ended up laying down, her on top of me, and we just made out until we ended up falling asleep on the couch.