Whispers of the South Wind

Chapter 16

Keigo nodded absentmindedly, even though Anthony couldn't see him through the phone. "Yeah, I will let you know," he replied before ending the call, his mind already racing with thoughts of the day ahead. Was she really trying to learn Japanese for him? Was there actually a serious possibility she was really interested in him too?

The rest of the morning had seemed to crawl, his nervousness pushing him to the edge as he tried to take care of things around his own house before leaving, to take his mind off of everything that awaited him. He made his bed, vacuumed the living room, wiped down the kitchen, cleaned the bathroom, and went out to take care of Tender and Oscar before leaving for the day.

Tender was still sitting on the small clutch of eggs and Keigo had quickly decided to let her keep them. He would have to candle them within the next few days to see if any of them were actually fertilized, but with Nugget gone, it would be nice to have a few new chicks pecking around. He quickly opened the coop, watching as Oscar ran down the ramp, his head tilting as he observed the yard before letting out an agitated crow.

He let out a small sigh, frowning as he watched his rooster sadly. Oscar was the one he was really worried about, constantly walking the yard looking for Nugget as he crowed out sadly. It absolutely broke his heart, but hopefully the new chicks would help to ease some of their pain.

Then it was finally time to drive up to the farm. While the tea had settled his stomach for the most part, his nerves kicked in full force as he turned down her driveway, wishing that Anthony had changed his mind and would be there anyway. He didn't want to mess this entire thing up before it really even had a chance to start.

Keigo parked his car and took a deep breath, trying to steel himself for whatever awaited him. He couldn't let his nerves get the best of him now. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of his car and made his way towards the house. The early morning sun cast a warm glow over the fields, and the crisp air filled his lungs, grounding him in the present moment. He could already tell it was going to be a warm day, suddenly glad he decided to wear a t-shirt instead of a flannel like he originally planned.

Approaching the front door, Keigo knocked lightly, his heart pounding in his chest. He needed to stay calm, to act natural. After all, he was just here to help out with some chores, nothing more.

The door swung open before he was ready, and Y/N stood there, a shy smile spreading across her face as she greeted him. "Hey, Keigo. It's uh, good to see ya,"

"Good morning," he replied, switching to Japanese in an attempt to start a conversation and praying that Anthony had been telling the truth. He watched as her eyes widened before she giggled slightly, her brows furrowing.

"What did ya say?" She asked, opening the door fully to allow him inside.

"Good morning," He translated, walking into the house with a smile. The smell of coffee and something cooking wafted through the air, his stomach growling slightly as his nerves eased enough to let him realize he was hungry. He took a breath, looking around with interest.

The last time he was inside her house, he'd been so flustered and embarrassed he hadn't taken any time to fully look around. It was cute, decorated with rustic and country decor. Pictures decorated the walls, various shots of her and what he could assume was Luke together. They looked so happy, his stomach twisting as guilt threatened to overwhelm him. If he'd been better...she'd still be happy.

"How do ya say it?" She asked, snapping him from his thoughts as she quietly shut the door. He forced a smile across his face as he turned to look at her, his heart pounding slightly as his emotions raged within him.

"Ohayō," He repeated, watching in interest as she furrowed her brows again. Was it too hard? He thought that would be a fairly simple word to learn, but who the hell was he to judge? He still struggled with the word squirrel. Damn thing always had his tongue in knots when he tried to say it and writing it down? Fucking forget it.