Following Ophie back to the living room you kneel down on the floor resting knees on a cushion and sitting on your feet with your back arched straight remembering this is how you were taught to sit by your traditional parents. Scratching your head as the memories of Nariko's family becomes a bit more familiar.
your thoughts are cut short as you see your s-neighbor Amber rejoin everyone in the living room, turning to you she asks a question, but you struggle to make out the sentence "wood yew love I dry ink " Knowing the words sound familiar you try to quickly think of what it could be, yew wood is a type of tree, dry ink could be something for calligraphy.. Maybe she said she loves calligraphy on yew wood? Not sure how to respond you nod your head and say "mee toooo" . Her expression turns to confusion but then she picks up a cup and points to it, making you realize she was asking you if you wanted a drink. "Hai , Arigatōgozaimashita " you reply back fluently thanking her for asking.
"I'm sorry i don't speak Japanese was that a yes?" Amber asks, as you sit there unsure what she said thinking, how is it so hard to understand English I know I started late.. when I was 14..15.. No wait I only started learning English last week when I came to visit on the school exchange program, why would I ever need to learn English it's not as though I could ever leave my parents alone in Japan.
Breaking the silence the red-haired girl speaks up and suggests using a translator on their phone, to which the girls shrug and agree. You watch as they type on their phones and display translations to you reply in the same manner. Calming down a bit you're happy how this sleepover is going even though you don't know any English, it was so nice for the host lady to introduce you to her neighbor's daughter, an only child just like myself.