Nature Comes to the Rescue and Creates an Atmosphere - As a Form of Gratitude Be Eco

Hikaru ran after his girlfriend, not realizing that an angry woman automatically gets a so-called plus ten to speed and plus fifteen to strength. He was out of breath before he caught up with her but finally managed to grab her hand. She turned towards him with a bang. The aura of anger that Hortensja exuded made them both feel like they were in their own bubble, and the world outside ceased to exist.

“Why are you angry?”

“I feel humiliated! You made me bow to that woman!” Her gaze sparkled as if it were going to burn a hole in Hikaru. It was the first time she had been furious at him, and she had the impression that he couldn't understand her. “If I knew what was going on, I wouldn't have a problem apologizing to her, but that was too much.”

“Horteni, she thought you wanted to kidnap that boy, and you saw how stubborn she was. The best solution was to let her win,” the Japanese explained, although he could see from the girl's face that this argument did not convince her. “Bowing is normal here,” he summed up, with a certain accusation that she might be exaggerating a bit, and then he knew that he had just screwed up.

“It's not normal for me,” she said it coldly, handing him the bag. She left, not giving Hikaru a chance to react.

The young man stood numbly in the middle of the sidewalk, passed by the crowd of people, and reproached himself for his lack of experience in a relationship. He didn't know if he should chase her again and calm her down by force, or if it was better to give her some time, and if so, how much? He was afraid that even such an argument could lead to losing her. Their relationship was only a few days old and not that established.

Hikaru chose the latter option and went home, although he worried whether she was safe. He looked through the purchases she had made, hoping that giving him this bag didn't mean that she was withdrawing her offer to move in together. He put out matching mugs, photo frames, bedding, a blanket, and pajamas on the table. What's more, he was surprised that the last item was a set that included both women's and men's versions. Everything looked as if she had bought it with them as a couple in mind.

Hikaru's heart was breaking with regret that their date had failed because of the stupid woman from the mall. He could only imagine how excited and, at the same time, a bit embarrassed Hortensja could be while showing off her shopping loot. He had prepared everything in plain sight, including the gift he was looking for and the reason they had split up. The man wondered if this situation wouldn't have happened if he hadn't suggested it. For now, he wanted her to know during her next visit that he appreciated her efforts. He looked at his phone and didn't even think about it; he just simply sent her a message asking if she had returned to the hotel safely.

Hortensja had to take a walk to get rid of her anger. She was walking around aimlessly, devastated that the first crack had appeared between her and Hikaru. She knew better than anyone that there were no relationships perfect or without arguments, but despite that, the situation that had taken place hurt her. The girl was sure that Hikaru really only wanted to smooth things over with Kyo's mother, not force her into something that would make her feel uncomfortable. Besides, with each step she took, she realized that bows were indeed common here; after all, she had seen it many times herself. And yet she couldn't just admit he was right…

For her, such a deep bow meant only submission and admitting that one was in a worse position than the person to whom one was bowing. And she had felt this way for the past few years. Furthermore, she had been praised for what a good girl and candidate for a wife she was, because she didn't make up ideas, did everything at home, and never said no. This was one of the things she thought she had escaped from, and yet she had to submit to someone else's will again.

She felt that she was slowly regaining a part of her old self from before the accident and her relationship with Kamil. A happier, more joking, showing feelings, and a warmer version to herself and the world. This one event seemed to force her to take many steps back.

She wouldn't have realized that something was wrong if she hadn't accidentally met her adopted “aunt” years later, their neighbor when she lived with her parents. When Hortensja saw her worried face and heard the question, “Hortuś, is everything all right?” it dawned on her that nothing was right. She didn't answer but ran in the other direction and decided to escape. She didn't think that someone she didn't have any bonds with could care so much about her.

Something brushed against her legs; she looked down and saw a plump, gray moggy trying to get her attention. When she gave it to the cat, it headed for a stationery store run by a hunched old woman. Hortensja entered the store uncertainly; looking around at the assortment, her attention was drawn to the postcards. She looked through them for a moment, then chose the ones with a view of Mount Fuji and decided she would consider sending it to her aunt.

When she was paying, the woman handed her a pen and pointed to a table in the corner. Hortensja didn't know what she was talking about.

“I am old, but I feel that if you don't write it now, you will never do it,” she announced with a smile.

The Pole had a unique ability to accurately read the message contained in the statements, despite her lack of understanding of the language. She thanked with a smile for the pen, but she could not put it on the paper. She did not know what to write, and when she searched for the right word in her head for a long moment, she remembered a certain scene from her childhood. Little Hortensja was coloring something at the table, and her tearful mother was complaining to her friend. She remembered that earlier her mother had a big fight with her father about something trivial. She did not even realize how far back in her memory the advice that her aunt had given then had been lost: “Remember that no one will be completely sure how you feel if you do not tell them; heck, shout it out if you have to. Bad guesses lead nowhere, and honesty, even painful honesty, gives you room to work.”

She put the pen to the paper, and the words flowed out of her own accord: “Dear aunt, I'm sorry I ran away without a word that time. I don't know if you'll understand, but you helped me a lot back then, and I thank you for that. I'm very far away, but I've met wonderful people here, and I believe that I'll finally find happiness. Don't worry about me; everything is alright here.” She looked at her work and took a deep breath, as if a large part of the burden had been lifted from her heart.

When she said goodbye to the shop owner, she went out with her and showed her the building on the opposite side of the street and then pushed her in that direction. Hortensja found the post office and sent the card. She left the building, deciding that she would also follow her aunt's advice, and then she received a message from Hikaru. She smiled at the phone and started to reply. A snowflake stopped on the screen, and several more followed. She stuck out her hand and felt the form of Mother Nature's winter power on her own skin. She looked at the date, realizing that she had forgotten a bit about the passage of time during her stay in Japan.

“Christmas is coming,” she whispered to herself and headed back to the hotel, but she didn't send a reply.