Post by Robert Ashter on Jul 15, 2023 11:33:48 GMT -5
Ichiro had no idea why Sakura wanted to go there but he knew he wanted to please her. It was a small bed and breakfast in the middle of the japanese countryside. Sakura said she heard good things about it, but it was so cheap that Ichiro felt like it mustn't be something that bothered advertising outside of the little town it was located in. It was a good thing her parents didn't hear about it, they would have complained it was not an appropriate place for her. Even Ichiro wondered, thought a place with more amenities would be better, but Sakura wanted the calm and beauty of such a place and he couldn't bring himself to deny her. After all, they barely ever spent time together in that way. Even Tomoyo was not there. He made sure she could afford going anywhere she wanted while they would be away for the week, he was not worried about her.
There were no train station in this town. They had to get someone to drive them there. The place looked fine. Quaint. It was a large house with the first floor mainly consisting of a restaurant serving whatever the couple in charge cooked that day. They prided themselves in only serving seasonal ingredients. Ichiro was very hesitant, but he only needed to look at Sakura, who was so happy to be here, to think that he could make an effort. If she wanted some time far away from the bustling city, he would give her that.The couple was nice. Not as old as he expected, probably even younger than their parents. And the people seated at the tables, they looked like locals having a drink and quick lunch before moving on with their day.
The woman greeted them. Ichiro explained he had called to book a room for them both. The woman assured it was their best room, which he was certain she would say about any of them. Sakura was barely listening though. She was looking at the food put on the menu for the day. One man sitting not too far told her how they prepared everything during the day and that the menu changed all the time. Then he asked if they were here for the festival. Ichiro would have asked about it, but Sakura did first.
"We have a fair every year at this time of the year, for a week. Artisans from all around the region, local produces, and artists performing. It is really worth the visit," the man explained. Ichiro didn't think it was all that interesting, but Sakura was already enthusiastic about it, calling it a festival no less and promising to have a look at it for sure. Ichiro guessed what they would be doing during their time here then. Not that he minded. Who knows, maybe some of the crafted goods on sale would be worth bringing back, but he also doubted anyone was as 'famous' as the man implied, at least outside of the area. Sakura wanted him to relax though. He was turning into his father, focusing mainly on work, on being the person everyone expected him to be. Something really hard to do when so many times he felt like what Sakura wanted was at the opposite of what he grew to become. He wanted to be the right person for her. If that meant relaxing in a quaint coutry town, he supposed he would have to, despite how difficult it was to get his mind off of their reality.
TBC...
