Tokyo Fiancee Page #3

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A samurai? Didn't you want to become a Templar?

l have to go out. l'll be back.

l was joking!

Rinri?

Yamamba!

You scared me.

She scares me.

That's Yamamba, the witch.

When you die, she'll come for you.

You were gone for hours.

l bought tofu.

Who's watching us?

No one. lt doesn't work.

l want to go to the mountains.

Perfect, good idea. Me too.

No...

l want to go alone. l need to.

Where will you go?

l don't know.

To You'll see in the mountains.

Don't forget to call me when you get back.

l felt confused about Rinri

and his weird family.

l'd even forgotten why l'd come to Japan.

l was in a rut.

At such times, l need to walk.

Alone.

Besides, l was dying to see

the Japanese mountains in the snow.

90 minutes from Tokyo was a path

that promised grand, inspiring views.

Back then,

l loved mountains almost

as much as l loved Japan.

l mean, Japanese mountains represented

a sort of pinnacle for me.

Come to think of it,

they still do.

ls anybody here?

That night, l died.

l died of the cold.

l'm convinced it was the splendor of Mt Fuji

that brought me back to life.

Just in time.

Yamamba was left empty-handed.

She didn't catch me.

Guided by Mt Fuji, l found a village.

l was exhausted,

but at the same time ecstatic.

Something had changed in me.

l'd been lost in Japan.

Mt Fuji had found me again.

lt taught me a lesson.

Taught me that you can escape death.

That is, a rigid image you have of yourself.

l was 20 years old.

l had yet to find what l was searching for.

And that's why l loved life.

That day l learned that to love,

l had to be free.

That day l learned that birth

means both pain and joy.

That day l learned that

l had to become all the people l was,

all the people l hadn't yet met.

l learned that day l was as large as life.

lf you die, go.

lf you suffer, move.

Movement is the only rule.

The only dishonor

is not being free.

Know what happened to me?

l got lost.

For lunch, tempura?

Yeah, sure.

After, we'll go to my house.

Why?

My parents want to see you.

Why?

l don't know.

Do you agree?

Yes.

That one is...

magnificent.

Beautiful, beautiful.

lt's for you, present.

No, it's not necessary. lt's too much.

Really, it's...

Thank you...Beautiful.

-Amlie?

-Yes, Rinri.

My parents are going to Osaka.

l was thinking, l'd like to have

a dinner here with all my friends.

A 1 00% Japanese dinner.

Good idea, why not?

-Tomorrow?

-Yes, tomorrow.

l'll come after my class.

Rinri.

-You forgot a place for you.

-No, no.

Yes,

we drink beer.

You all speak French?

Yes.

You're studying French together?

We're in the society.

-The society?

-Yes.

l didn't know Japanese love beer.

When you drink, it's always beer.

Yes.

Did the Japanese always drink as much beer?

l mean, have you been drinking beer long?

-l don't know.

-That's right.

That's right, l see.

Belgians like beer too.

There are many Belgian beers.

We must have, like, 1 00 breweries.

And if you include craft breweries

with limited production,

there must be over

1 ,000 brands of Belgian beer.

Yes, 1 ,000.

That's a lot!

Yes, that's a lot.

There are blond beers

with a smoother taste.

They're similar to Japanese beer.

Cafs in Brussels serve lambic beers on tap.

There's Gueuze, Kriek, with macerated cherries,

strawberry beer, with strawberries, and Faro.

Gueuze ages for several years

in oak casks, like wine.

For Faro, sugar or caramel

is added to restart fermentation.

Now wine-beer...

Rinri!

What's going on?

-Where was l?

-The wine-beer.

Rodenbach Brewery created

wine-beer a century ago.

lt's made with roasted wort.

Early on, the Japanese realized that

talk is the bane of dining.

For a time, the task of speaking

was relegated to geishas.

Today, we call them

professional conversationalists.

But really, they're still geishas.

Geisha is a real profession.

l trained on the job.

The De Koninck, also known as Bolleke,

due to the glasses it's served in,

is popular in Antwerp.

What else?

The temperature?

Beers must be served

at the right temperature, 8-1 5C.

Only Orval beer should be

served at room temperature.

Great atmosphere!

And l mustn't forget Kasteel Donker,

a unique beer refermented in the bottle.

lts nose has aromas of barley,

while on the tongue it has notes of

roasted malt, banana and licorice.

You can find all these beers

in good supermarkets.

l'm happy.

My friends like you.

Why'd you abandon me?

So you could meet them.

-There were only boys.

-Don't you like boys?

And what's with this society?

My secret society.

The French Fanatics.

The French Fanatics?

Yes. We love France.

The French language.

We want to speak proper French.

Or Belgian.

My parents return Monday. lf you want,

l'll lock us in and won't open until Monday.

Amazing Rinri.

Listen.

Listen to the rain.

lsn't it ravishing?

The rain's stopped.

Yes.

lt's too bad.

We must get ready.

My parents will be back soon.

Honorable Amlie,

you are courageous, are you not?

Courageous?

Yes.

And discreet. We can trust you, can we not?

Of course.

Trust is important in a family.

ln Japan, young women wear stockings

even when it's hot.

l'll drive honorable Amlie.

So be it.

What did your father mean?

Nothing.

Nothing?

Are you kidding me?

Hello.

Yes, l see.

You're right, it's tricky.

Above all, now l have to

give him a gift, but what?

No, don't bother.

lf you do, he'll give you something back.

-lt'll never end.

-Really?

That's how it works here.

Are things OK with Rinri?

We're off to Sado lsland.

Really? lt's magnificent, you'll love it.

Amlie?

Yes?

You seem a bit lost.

No, no. l'm good. Very good, in fact.

Are you sure?

l have to tell Rinri it's over.

l can't...l don't want to...l...

l don't know.

Talk to him.

l can't.

That night we went to the movies,

to a yakuza film, of course.

By chance, we ran into Yasmine,

who had found her Japanese man.

They planned to marry.

-He gave me a ring.

-Your nails are amazing.

l'm so happy.

And you two?

Are things alright?

Just fine.

And your Japanese classes?

Done. l'm starting work for Yamimoto.

-You'll stay in Japan?

-Yeah.

Let's make an okonomiyaki party.

Fine, good idea.

l'm afraid we have to be going.

Alright, well...

Eiji, let's go!

We'll call, right?

Rinri

Let's go!

The Japan sea is so virile.

Ever thought of marriage?

Land!

Sado lsland.

lt's lovely!

-Let's go for a walk.

-Not now.

l'm tired.

Shall we take onsen?

l adore Japan.

Will you get married one day?

What?

Will you get married one day?

Well, l'm very independent and l...

-l'm not sure.

-Yes, yes.

You're a samurai, like me.

Yes, l'm a samurai.

Don't stay in too long, the water's strong.

No, l'll stay.

OK, as you wish.

lt's not necessary.

No English!

lt's not English, it's Japanese!

Rinri was right.

l'd stayed in the sulfur spring too long.

l was soaked in indecision about him.

lronically, l'd met the only Japanese

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