Chapter 52: Inao Mitsuko

June 5, 1994, Chicago, Illinois

I parked the car in the reserved spot at the loft building and helped Mitsuko from the car. I took her hand and we walked to the door of the building. I let us in, then led her upstairs to the apartment. I’d stopped in on Thursday at lunch to ensure there were snacks and drinks, as well as to double-check that the cleaning service had left things as I wanted them, which they had. When we entered, I shut the door behind us, and we slipped off our shoes.

“This belongs to your company, you said?”

“Yes. When I’m in Japan, my dad will stay here for about six weeks. Compared to the cost of a hotel, it’s far cheaper. A week in a Chicago hotel would cost as much as three months’ rent for this small apartment.”

“It’s huge compared to our dorms!”

“Do you want something to drink?” I asked. “I can make coffee or tea, or there’s Sprite, Coke, Doctor Pepper, Root Beer, and Grape or Orange Crush.”

“Tea, please.”

I went to the galley kitchen and filled the kettle with water and put it on the gas stove to heat. I took a can of Oolong tea from the cupboard, put it in the strainer for the teapot and then took two teacups back into the great room. I set them on the table, turned on the stereo, and then sat down next to Mitsuko.

“I hope Oolong is OK,” I said.

“Yes! You like good teas?”

“Pretty much anything so long as it’s decent quality - Earl Grey, Oolong, Lemon, Mint, English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Green.”

“You have all of those here? Most Americans drink Lipton!”

“A friend of mine got me hooked on good tea when I was fourteen. Sorry I don’t have a special tea ceremony!”

“Are you sure?” she smiled.

“I don’t think THAT is part of the tea ceremony,” I chuckled.

“And you’ve been to one, so you know?”

I grinned, “I know the Klingon Tea Ceremony from Star Trek: The Next Generation!”

“You like Star Trek?”

“Yes. Absolutely. Do you?”

“Very much! If I understand this correctly, I’m supposed to roar and hurl heavy objects?”

I laughed, “And I’m supposed to read love poetry, and duck a lot!”

Mitsuko laughed with me, “And you do not have to follow Worf’s advice!”

“Go to her door; beg like a human!“ I said, still laughing.

“Yes!”

“May I tell you a joke that might be a bit inappropriate? It’s about Star Trek.”

“Sure!”

“Jennifer, that’s Jesse’s mom, told me this one about Picard - Mr. Crusher, the Prime Directive isn’t the only thing on this ship I’ve violated on numerous occasions!“

Mitsuko laughed, “Because Captain Picard was having an affair with Doctor Crusher!”

“Well, he sure as heck wasn’t having one with Doctor Pulaski! Ugh!”

“I was so glad when they put Doctor Crusher back on the show. But Wesley was annoying!”

“Yes he was.”

“I don’t think he ever had sex; do you?”

“Highly unlikely!” I grinned. “He goes to a planet where they have sex at the drop of a hat and almost instantly does something to receive the death penalty! I would have been FAR too busy doing other things than playing with a ball and trampling flowers!”

“Shut up, Wesley! is one of my favorite lines!”

And of my male friends, apparently, I thought, suppressing a grin.

“You know, I owe you a serious apology,” I said.

“Why?”

“Because I never realized you liked Star Trek and had a silly sense of humor. All I saw was this beautiful Japanese girl and assumed she was a demure, conservative girl. And I treated you that way.”

“Because I act that way when I first meet people. Once I get to know them, well, I’m different.”

“Obviously! But why not show me this side of you before?”

“Because you didn’t want to see it,” she said simply.

“Now I really owe you an apology.”

“Yes and no. You saw me once, when Crystal asked me to stop by the diner. Then you saw me when I was with my sister at the tournament. In both instances, you made a reasonable assumption. But once you got to know me, you never did anything to really find out who I am, beyond my Japanese heritage.”

“A grave error on my part,” I said.

“Again, yes and no. I behaved exactly as you wanted me to.”

“So, tell me, Inao Mitsuko, who are you?”

“Truthfully? Mostly what you think. I have to be very comfortable around someone to be like I am now.”

The kettle whistled so I got up and went to the kitchen. I turned off the stove, poured the water from the kettle into the teapot, then brought it back to the main room to steep. I lit a tea candle, then put the pot on the warmer. I sat on the couch, but this time, closer to Mitsuko. I put my arm around her; she scooted close, drew her legs up onto the couch, and put her head on my shoulder.

We sat that way for a few minutes, then I moved to pour a cup of tea for each of us. I handed one to Mitsuko and then sat back and sipped from my cup while she did the same.

“This tea is very good!”

“I like it, too!”

“You leave for Japan in ten days, right?”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to everything but the flight.”

“I don’t know that I ever asked; where exactly are you going?”

“Oguni, in Yamagata Prefecture.”

“Do you know much about it?”

“Not really. The only thing I know is that’s where the most cherries and pears are produced in Japan. It’s very agricultural. I think the town only has about 6,000 people, total, which is about the size of my hometown in Ohio. The only other thing I know Oguni is that there is a temple nearby - Yama-dera.”

“Will you fly or take the train?”

“According to Sensei Jim, I’ll be taking the Yamagata Shinkansen line from Tokyo. Fortunately, I’ll have someone to guide me. My Japanese Sensei’s grandson, Hiroshi, will meet me at Narita Airport.”

“You’ll be gone for a month, right?”

“My return flight is on the 20th. The following weekend there’s a wedding I need to go to, so I think our next meeting at the dojo is going to be July 31st.”

Mitsuko finished her tea and leaning forward, set her teacup on the table. I set mine next to hers, then put my arm around her again. She turned her head and looked at me expectantly. I moved closer to her and our lips touched gently. Remembering she had asked me to take it slowly, I kissed her several times, just lips touching lips, then leaned back on the couch and put my arm around her. As before, she pulled her legs up, and rested her head on my right shoulder.

The question in my mind was how to judge when it was time to move to each next step. I didn’t want to seem tentative, but I also didn’t want to seem aggressive. Finding the right balance was the challenge, and the only way to find out was to continue and to pay very close attention to her responses. I raised my left hand to Mitsuko’s chin, and gently lifted her head. I touched my lips to hers, then parted mine. She responded by parting her lips and I gently slid my tongue forward to touch hers. We kissed softly for a moment, then she broke the kiss, sighed deeply, and put her head on my shoulder again.

We kissed again the same way a few minutes later, but this time I let my fingers trail down her side, then up again. I slowly moved my hand to cup her very small breast, and immediately felt her nipple harden on my palm. To my surprise, I realized she wasn’t wearing a bra under her polo shirt. I waited a bit, then slid my hand down and slipped my fingers under Mitsuko’s shirt, feeling the soft skin of her stomach. I pushed further and further under her polo, until I cupped her breast in my palm.

Our kiss intensified as I traced around her nipple with my index finger, then gently strummed it with my thumb. Mitsuko moaned softly into my mouth, then broke the kiss, took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. She looked deeply into my eyes, and I felt her hand move from my shoulder. She rested it on my stomach, palm side down, and then slowly moved it towards my waist, finding my rock-hard shaft through my soft, well-worn blue jeans. Her finger traced along the length, and then she leaned in for another French kiss.

As our tongues danced, I caressed her bare breast while she gently stroked my shaft though my pants. Without the ice-breaking conversation earlier, that bold move by Mitsuko would have surprised me. Now it gave me supreme confidence to push forward in a deliberate way. I broke the kiss and gently slipped my hand from inside her shirt. I shifted a bit, and moved both hands to her waist, grasped the polo, and began gently pulling it upwards. Mitsuko raised her arms and allowed me to remove the shirt, exposing her lovely small breasts.

I dropped the shirt on the couch next to me, then lowered my mouth to her right breast and gently ran my tongue along the ridges of her areola. At the first contact, Mitsuko sucked in her breath, and then her hand found my shaft again. I ran my tongue across her nipple, and she squeezed me, which I took as encouragement. I opened my mouth and gently sucked on her tiny nipple, savoring the mildly salty taste with a hint of body spray. Mitsuko’s free hand came to the back of my head, and tugged gently. I teased her nipple with my tongue, and dropped my left hand into her lap, gently pressing my index finger between her legs.

“Steve,” she said softly.

I released her breast, moved my hand, and quickly sat up.

“Sorry,” I said. “Was I going too fast?”

“No,” she said, almost in a whisper. “Can we go to the bedroom?”

I smiled, stood up, and took her hand. When she stood, I bent down a bit, scooped her into my arms, kissed her softly, and carried her into the bedroom. I decided not to put her on the bed, so I let her down, and we stood face to face. I wasn’t sure if she wanted to take off my shirt, or if I should do it, so I decided I’d unbutton her jeans and see what happened. I moved my hands to the front of her jeans and deftly unbuttoned them. I leaned forward for a kiss, and as our tongues met, I slipped my fingers inside her jeans, and under the elastic waistband of her panties.

Sensing no objection, I continued until my fingers touched soft pubic hair. I twirled them for a bit, then slid a single finger further down, encountering damp warmth and soft skin. Mitsuko jumped a bit, but didn’t stop kissing me, and her arms closed tightly around me. I found her button with the tip of my finger and rubbed it gently. Mitsuko squeaked into my mouth and she hugged me even more tightly. I continued my slow, gentle massage until she shuddered and broke the kiss, taking a deep breath and blowing it out.

Mitsuko released the hug and tugged on my polo shirt, pulling it out of my jeans. I slipped my hand from her jeans, causing her to whimper softly. She pulled my shirt up and over my head, then from my arms, and let it fall to the floor. I pulled her into an embrace, crushing her small, firm breasts against my chest. We kissed again, I ran my hands down her back, slipped them inside her jeans and panties, and cupped her firm butt. I pulled her against me, enjoying the pressure on my shaft, and imagining what it was going to be like when I reached my desired destination.

Breaking the kiss, Mitsuko moved her hands to my belt and unbuckled it, then unbuttoned my jeans and pulled down the zipper. She tentatively slipped her fingers under the waistband of my briefs, then pushed her fingers down until they came into contact with my glans. She traced her finger around it once, then pushed further and grasped me gently. I leaned in for a kiss as she continued to explore. After a couple of minutes, I broke the kiss, and knelt before her, causing her to release me as I moved down. I unzipped her jeans, then hooked my fingers inside her panties and slowly pulled them down, along with her jeans, revealing the rest of her beautiful body. She stepped out of the jeans and balanced herself with a hand on my shoulder as I removed her socks.

I leaned forward and nuzzled my nose in her soft, black pubic hair, then wrapped my arms around her thighs. I inhaled deeply, enjoying her scent, then blew gently on her clit, causing her to shiver. I extended my tongue to get my first taste of musky juices and was rewarded with a soft groan as my tongue found her clit. I pressed my tongue further along her labia, and sucked gently, and Mitsuko moaned and shuddered. I dragged my tongue back and then stood up. I moved my lips towards hers and we kissed. Her eyes flew open wide as she realized she was tasting herself, but she didn’t break the kiss.

I felt her hands on my waist, and as she pushed her hands downward, my pants slid down to just below my knees. I carefully kicked them off while maintaining our deep French kiss. Mitsuko broke the kiss and I felt her fingers inside the waistband of my briefs. She carefully pushed them down, freeing my erection. I quickly pulled her tightly to me, pressing my dick into her toned stomach. We shared a quick kiss, and then Mitsuko knelt and pulled my briefs the rest of the way down, allowing me to step out of them. She helped me remove my socks, then leaned forward, turning her face to the side. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close, my dick pressing against her cheek.

I stroked Mitsuko’s hair and waited to see what she would do. After a minute, she slowly turned her head, keeping her cheek in contact with my shaft until her lips touched my glans. I breathed in quickly, then out slowly, lest I embarrass myself due to the intense sensations. I felt her lips move and she kissed me softly, just at the base of my glans. A second and third kiss followed, and then I felt her lips part and the tip of her tongue trace along the slit. She ran her tongue once around my glans, planted a kiss on the tip, then stood up. I pulled her to me and we kissed softly.