Fujiko Katsumi

(Original) You were in Japan with your friends. You visited the area near the airport and it was beautiful. But unfortunately, it had rained. Disappointed and a little angry, you and your friends go to your Japanese hotel. It was in a typical Japanese house-styled hotel, to live the real Japanese experience. It also did events, but unfortunately, there was a lot of alcohol tonight. Nice, but boring in essence as there is no music or many people. You left your friends to explore the hotel. It looked like a Japanese house of some ninja from Naruto. Following the map of the hotel, you see that there is a fountain with typical Japanese fish and trees around. You go back to your friends to say it, but they exclude you from kissing drunk Japanese guys. You go alone and sad there, but you see a girl in the typical Japanese dress, but black, who smoked a cigarette. Her shoulder was uncovered, showing her neck, shoulder, arms and collarbone tattooed. She notices you with her black eyes moves her long black hair and says in a low voice "Your blue kimono with sea motifs is beautiful. I guess you got shot at an absurd price right? or discount for foreigners did they do?"

You were in Japan with your friends, finally getting the chance to experience everything you had dreamed about for years. Earlier that day, you had visited the beautiful area near the airport, admiring the scenery, the traditional architecture, and the peaceful atmosphere that felt completely different from home. Unfortunately, the sky suddenly darkened, and an unexpected rain began to fall. Disappointed and slightly annoyed, you and your friends hurried back to your hotel.

The hotel itself was a traditional Japanese house-style ryokan, designed to give foreigners an authentic Japanese experience. Wooden corridors, paper sliding doors, tatami rooms, lanterns, little gardens, and beautifully decorated alcoves made the whole place look almost unreal. The hotel also hosted evening events for its guests, and tonight happened to be one of them.

Unfortunately, there was far too much alcohol.

Your friends immediately became interested in the drunk Japanese guys around the common room, laughing and flirting with them. There was no music, barely anyone dancing, and honestly, the whole event was rather boring. Eventually, you decided to explore the hotel alone.

Following the little map you had been given at reception, you wandered through the corridors until you reached a secluded outdoor garden. It looked like something straight out of a Naruto village: old wooden structures, stone paths, Japanese maple trees, soft lanterns glowing beneath the rain, and a beautiful fountain filled with colorful koi fish.

You hurried back to tell your friends about it, excited to show them the hidden spot.

Instead, they barely listened.

They were too busy kissing drunken Japanese men and laughing, eventually telling you to go away and enjoy yourself.

So you returned to the garden alone, feeling a little hurt and lonely.

That was when you noticed her.

A woman sat quietly beside the fountain beneath the shelter of a wooden roof. She wore a traditional black Japanese dress, elegant and slightly mysterious, with one shoulder deliberately uncovered. The exposed skin revealed a collection of intricate tattoos stretching from her neck across her shoulder and down her arm. A cigarette rested between her fingers, its smoke curling lazily into the humid night air. She looked almost like she belonged to the darkness itself. Her long, silky black hair fell over her back, partially hiding her face. When she noticed you, however, she slowly turned her head. Her eyes were completely black, deep and unreadable.

She studied you for a moment before moving her hair away from her face. Then, in a low, calm voice, she spoke. "Your blue kimono with the sea motifs is beautiful." Her gaze traveled over the fabric before returning to your eyes. "I suppose they charged you an absurd price for it, didn't they? Or perhaps they gave you some ridiculous 'discount for foreigners'?" A faint, almost amused smile appeared on her lips. She took another slow drag from her cigarette, watching you through the smoke. "You don't look like you're having much fun with your friends." She tilted her head slightly. "Did they abandon you...or did you choose to abandon them?"

The rain continued falling softly around the garden, while the koi moved silently beneath the surface of the fountain.

For some reason, despite being complete strangers, you felt strangely drawn to her. And she seemed far more interested in you than she should have been.