Your Careless Heart (part 2 of 9)

a Street Fighter fanfiction by Kaiser

Back to Part 1
From A Different View

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh! It's just as beautiful as I remember it!"

It was a proud day when Elena finally got the chance to see Japan again. 
To see a country so small in comparison to her homeland of Kenya, but 
rich with both vitality and culture. The last time she had come here it 
was amazing. And she knew that this time would be no different. Maybe 
even better than her first visit! A charmed Elena stood astride an 
equally charmed Narumi. Though Narumi might not have been feeling the 
same charm for the same reason. Between the two of them they carried two 
pieces of luggage. A brown suitcase and  somewhat of an expensive 
looking rucksack. The two stood at the doorway to Narumi's home on the 
outer edges of Shibuya. And while Narumi scuffed into her pockets to 
fish out her key, Elena held a hand to her forehead to block out the 
vision of the sun. And thus get a better look at her surroundings. This 
place itself was a residential area, lined with houses as far as the eye 
could see. But Elena felt so comfortable here. The cab had taken a while 
to reach Narumi's house from Narita Airport, but thanks to that, Elena 
got to see a few areas that she hadn't really taken notice off during 
her previous visit. One thing that she demanded that she do when she 
reached Japan was to have Narumi take her to the legendary 'Shinjuku'. 
Elena had heard much of the uber-district but it was one of the places 
that she didn't get to see on her last trip to Japan. This time would be 
different though. This time she would really enjoy anything and 
everything this wonderful nation had to offer. 

After a bit of a struggle, Narumi found her key. The teen pulled it from 
her pocket and slotted into the keyhole of her door. It un-clicked the 
lock, providing entry into the two-floor semi-detached house. 

"Finally," Narumi said, lifting Elena's rucksack and walking indoors, "I 
thought we'd never get here after that long cab ride."

Elena smiled cheerfully and lugged her moderately-heavy suitcase inside 
the front door. She closed that door behind her and then put down the 
suitcase. The second that she did, Elena kneeled downwards and began 
untying the shoelaces of her shoes. Narumi paused for a quick second and 
then looked back, seeing her Kenyan friend peel those shoes off. 

"Um... Elena?" She said questioningly, "Why are you doing that?"

When the final of the two shoes came off, Elena's toes were left 
wiggling in the fabric of her cotton white socks. "Taking my shoes off, 
what else? I can't disrespect your humble home by walking around with my 
shoes on. That wouldn't be right."

Narumi giggled to herself. Elena was always so devastatingly cute. "It's 
okay! You don't have to worry about things like that. Japan is still the 
same old country it was before but my folks aren't as traditionalist as 
most people make them out to be. You won't insult me or them by wearing 
your shoes indoors. Just so long as they're clean."

Elena tilted her head to the side. "...So it's okay for me to wear my 
shoes in here...?"

"Of course it is," Narumi assured, adjusting her glasses, "Now stop 
being so finicky about little things like that. We need to get you all 
settled in. There's a festival tonight and we should be getting ready 
for it."

"A festival?!" Elena repeated excitedly, "Oh that sounds wonderful, 
Narumi! I still have my kimono from my last trip to Japan! I'd love to 
wear that when we attend the festival!"

Well that was settled. Elena grabbed her suitcase with all her martial 
arts strength and began a march upstairs. After spending more than a few 
months together during Elena's trip to Japan last summer, she knew her 
way around Narumi's household. The second bedroom to the left was the 
spare bedroom. The one that Elena had lived in before. Narumi slung 
Elena's rucksack over her petite shoulder and followed after the taller 
girl. 

With a little blush on her face. 

To be perfectly honest... Narumi had been longing to see Elena again. 
They had been pen pals for over two years now. Narumi and Elena had 
exchanged letters and pictures hundreds of times. But things were fast 
becoming... different for Narumi. In the past this was just a fun way of 
communicating with a person in a foreign land. A casual exchange between 
two distant friends who simply wanted to share in each other's culture. 
That had been the norm. But when they finally met face-to-face last 
summer; all that had changed. 

They had seen each other in the flesh. And all Narumi's doubts and fears 
went away. When communicating with someone you've never seen before, you 
always worry (or at least assume) that when you meet with this person, 
they will be completely different from the impression you initially had 
of them. With Elena there was no such problem. She was very much the 
definition of a true woman. Completely honest, kind, magnetic and 
heartbreakingly innocent. Not to mention incredible beautiful. Something 
Narumi had dwelled on more than once. And so this first meeting changed 
their relationship forever. At least in Narumi's case. The unexpected 
had happened. She had found herself falling for the taller girl. So much 
so that she was a wreck when Elena left to continue her travels. From 
time to time, Narumi could remember waiting at the door every morning to 
see if a letter had come from Elena during the early morning post. And 
she could clearly remember the disappointment she felt when no such 
letter arrived. So when Elena asked if she could come visit again a 
short half-year after her first vacation to Japan; Narumi was more than 
willing to grant the request. Hence her current excitement. 

She would make the most of her time with Elena. Of that, Narumi was 
certain. 

Onwards to Part 3


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