Frogs Also Have Their Charm

Tadao left as unexpectedly as he had arrived, to Hikaru's relief. The man didn't mind his neighbor's presence. He was even intrigued by his new face; he couldn't even remember when so many words had been exchanged between them. This time, however, he had a bad feeling, which he didn't necessarily want to share, but to make the most of this evening. He snuggled up to the girl as she washed the dishes after the meal, trying to imprint her scent, warmth, and the smallest detail of her body in his head. He knew she sensed that something was wrong, but he wasn't going to let her ask.

“What did you say earlier?” he changed the subject before she even brought it up. He could only imagine her brows furrowing with displeasure, but she respected his silent request.

“Don't tell me you're jealous,” she translated, putting another dish on the drainer.

“I have a feeling you're leaving something out,” Hikaru mumbled. “That one word sounded like you called me something.”

“Misiek? It just slipped out. It could be translated as a sweeter version of the word bear. Just like how in English you can say “darling” in different ways, I don't know why we've developed a preference for animals.” She shrugged. “My parents used it when they were mocking each other, but it always sounded cute to me.”

“You're weird. What other animals do you use?”

“I don't know every single one. I think people might get pretty creative with it. I heard of fish, cat, monkey, frog…”

“Frog? How does that sound?” Hikaru was really intrigued this time.

“Żabciu,” Hortensja replied, putting down the last plate. “If you want, I can choose something suitable for you.” She turned to him and threw her arms around his neck. “What do you think?”

Hikaru shook his head. If it was her who said his name, it still made him feel a surge of excitement and shyness every time; sometimes it seemed to him that he would never get used to it. He wanted to kiss her, but he noticed that she looked away, as if wondering whether to admit something.

“What's bothering you, Horteni?”

“I don't want to complain, because I know that it's normal when you move to a country where you don't know the language. It's just that sometimes I feel out when conversations are held in Japanese in my presence, and everyone around me assumes that I don't know the language anyway. I'm learning and understanding a little, but it's still not enough,” she said, but smiled. “That's all, but I believe that it will get better with time.”

“I'm sorry you feel this way.” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “I'll try to pay attention to it more often.”

“Thank you, but something worries you too, right?” She looked deep into his eyes, and if he refused to share his worries with her again, she would respect that, but she would not forgive herself if she did not at least ask. “You know you have my support.”

“You do not have to worry about that. This day just has been hard on me.”

Hortensja nodded in understanding and offered to draw him a bath. For a moment he thought about asking her to join him, but he decided that the redness on her cheeks gave him away too early, and he couldn't muster the courage to actually say that. When the bathroom door closed behind him, the girl thought about how else she could improve his mood; she remembered that she had seen cocoa and whipped cream somewhere in the cabinet. This combination, together with the blanket and scented candles, worked like magic, although she usually did it with her mother as part of their girls' nights out, but she decided that it would be enough.

Hikaru was surprised by the romantic nature of the evening, but he appreciated his beloved's efforts. He was also glad that sometimes a homely atmosphere was enough for her, and she didn't need to be constantly thrilled by expensive restaurants or places on the list of the most attractive places for dates. Of course, he wanted to take her there, but it didn't keep him awake at night like many of his friends who complained about their demanding partners in this regard.

They chose a movie, and the man gladly accepted the offer to lay his head on Hortensja's lap. She stroked his head; he knew it was only a matter of minutes before he fell asleep, although he didn't want to. She was absorbed in the movie, and she had to focus on the screen to follow the English subtitles. He turned onto his back so that he could see only her before he fell asleep.

Even though they had only been living together for a short time, his sleeping problems had disappeared. Of course, the first few nights were tense, but the opportunity to cuddle up to someone helped him calm his racing thoughts, but it also involuntarily reminded him of his desire. Hortensja took it easy and at first gave him all the decision-making in this area. When he woke up worried, she woke up too, but she immediately grabbed his hand and went back to sleep. He needed a moment longer, but listening to the calm rhythm of the girl's breathing was enough, sometimes interspersed with mumbling something in Polish; unfortunately, he couldn't remember any words.

He closed his eyes, but the image of his superior's malicious smile appeared before his eyes. There was more work to do at the end of the year anyway, but he knew that he would throw everything he could at him. Unfortunately, earlier that day, he hadn't turned his phone face down, and when Hortensja called, her photo appeared there. Even though he grabbed the phone quickly, it didn't escape the attention of a colleague who was passing by. She waited impatiently for him to finish the conversation and had to ask if it was his girlfriend.

He knew there was no point in hiding it, but a moment later the news had spread throughout the entire department. His colleagues, having also heard that it was a girl from abroad, would come over supposedly with some business and ask to see her photos. They would leave offended when, unlike himself, he would firmly refuse. However, a certain group was particularly persistent and would lie in wait to simply borrow the phone from his desk for a moment. They already had it in their hands, but a colleague, who had been rooting for them from the beginning and exchanged a few words with Hortensja, came to the rescue.

“She's a very pretty and nice girl,” he announced, taking the phone out of their hand and giving it to the unaware and busy owner. “And it's good that Hikaru doesn't show her to you. She's not a trophy…”

He wanted to add something else, but then his eyes met their superior's. He fell silent; he knew that it was pointless, and the situation of the poor, love-struck young man would soon become tragic. This kind man sighed heavily and could only hope that their relationship would survive this.