“When in the midst of many people; I notice you – Hunt”

He came out of his room cautiously, poking his head out first, checking for people.

He was really in the need to ‘go’.

And had no choice but to leave his room.

He found the washroom just a bit down his door.

And went to do the necessary.

Once done, he snuck out again.

In search of his host.

He thought he was in a house, yet the layout told him otherwise.

Oh no, not another motel, he thought, as he walked down a corridor with numbered doors.

However, the interior design this time, was far from being seedy.

It was in actual fact, cosy and homely.

Brown wooden floors were lined with cream walls, with Japanese picture cloths adorning their sides.

Not really knowing what to do, BK did what a normal man would in such a circumstance – walk towards the smell of food.

And he found himself in a large dining area of sorts, with long rectangle and square tables arranged in orderly manner.

Only one third of the tables were filled with patrons, however.

“Ano! Hey, Bryan,” he heard her calling out to him. “Just Bryan!”

Momose was at the other end of the hall, laying out some food on a table, waving eagerly at him.

Sassy, BK grinned inwardly, walking towards where she was.

“Bryan-san, you must hungry.”

As if on cue, his stomach growled.

“I am actually,” he grinned sheepishly, rubbing his stomach.

“Dozo,” Momo pointed towards a chair with both hands politely. “Please.”

“Thank you, arigato gozaimasu,” Bryan said gratefully, sitting in the chair. He then handed the borrowed phone back to its owner, “and thank you for the phone.”

“Do ita shimashite. Very welcome,” Momo grinned. “You call family?”

“Yes, I did. I managed to get through, thank you. I owe you for the call.”

She looked lost at his words, making him reword his statement.

“I’ll pay you for using your phone.”

“Oh?” she shook her hands. “Iye iye, daijobu. Is ok. You must call. Family must worry.”

“Yes, they were worried. Thank you again.”

“Is ok,” Momo said, “you eat first. We talk later.”

“Yeah.”

“You wash?”

This girl must really put hygiene at the top of her priority list, BK thought.

“Yes, I did. Thank you too. I went to the washroom… and I took a toothbrush. Hope that’s ok. I’ll pay for that too.”

‘Thank you’, ‘ok’, ‘pay’ – dang, we must get a list of new vocab to use, BK thought randomly.

“Washroom?” Momo cocked her head to the side. “Aaah, toilet? Good good. Toothbrush ok too. I put for you there.”

“You did? Arigato.”

“Hait, dozo,” she bowed automatically in response. “Tabe masu, onegaishi masu. Please eat.”

BK nodded gratefully and gladly took up on the offer - and started gobbling everything in sight.

He did not think he would be that hungry.

The food was hot and delicious.

And the supply never ending.

As she served the other tables, Momo kept on bringing him plates after plates of side and main dishes.

He noticed a grinning satisfied Okasan and an ahjussi from the serving window too.

The place looked like a hostel, nothing fancy, with most patrons wearing or carrying skiing gear.

All of them seemed to be westerners.

A backpackers’ haven of sorts, BK observed as he tucked away his food.

As he was towards his consumption limit, Momo came to stand by him.

He quickly pulled a chair out for her.

“Please, won’t you join me?”

“Is ok. I’m happy you better. And eating.”

“Please,” BK gestured at the chaired, insisting that Momo sit with him. There were so many questions in his head and he was hoping Momo could help answer some of them.

“I believe I was out cold for 2 days, at least?”

“Out cold?”

Momo cocked her head as she poured him another cup of hot green tea.

“Unconscious. Sleeping?”

“Aah, yes, 2 nights. We bring you back. You had fever.”

“Aah, I’m so sorry for troubling you.”

“No, we were worry. We bring sensei… umm, doctor, to give medicine.”

“Aaah, thank you.”

“What your family say? You not Japanese, no?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Chinese?”

Should I tell her?

“Korean.”

“Aah, so desu ka,” Momo nodded.

“Neh.”

“Here in Japan, where you from? You look lost,” she said in a conspiratory whisper.

“Tokyo, that’s where I was from.”

BK could not help but to like the girl.

She was bright and chirpy, when he observed her earlier, greeting her patrons as she set or cleared the tables, yet not overstaying her visits.

“Where is this place?” he asked.

“It’s Hakuba. North of Tokyo. About 3 hours by Shinkansen.”

“3 hours? How long by car? Or truck?”

“Uhh, around 4 to 5 hours, maybe.”

Gosh, BK thought, was that how long I was in the truck?

He was assuming that was how he got to this snowy region.

“So, what you do now? You want go back to Tokyo? We get transport for you?”

“Umm, no, I’d like to stay a while actually.”

“Stay? So ka?”

Momo was surprised at his answer, she was expecting that he would want to go back to his family as soon he could.

“Yes, I thought to get a hotel room somewhere, but if your establishment can accommodate me, then I’d like to stay here.”

His English was complicated to Momo’s ears but she got the gist of it.

“You stay?”

“Here. Yes, as a boarder. Do you still have room?”

“Yes, of course.”

The winter season was passing, so the hostel patrons were slowly dwindling down.

So, yes, they had rooms to spare.

“Ok, sign me up then.”

Like signing a gentlemen’s agreement, they both smiled at one another.

Gosh, this man is so handsome, Momo suddenly thought.

His troubled sleeping face did not do justice to his awake animated one.

And his smile.

Waah… was there anything sweeter than his smile?

Suddenly feeling shy, Momo looked down towards the table.

“You must hungry, huh?” Mono nodded towards all his empty plates.

“Huh? Oh, you must be hungry,” he corrected her, before kicking himself mentally.

Why are you correcting your host? She’ll get offended, for sure. But I’m so used to doing it with the boys.

However, much to his surprise, she smiled at him.

“You make my Engerish good, yes? While you here.”

“Huh?”

“Before you go back. You correct my Engerish.”

Before he could say anything, Okasan shouted out to Momo, making the girl jump gleefully up.

“Haaaiiittt... wakatteru yo!” She playfully replied. “I’ll see you later, yes, Just Bryan?”

And off she went again, leaving him no choice but to nod and stare after her.