Kataomoi

by Hildred Billings

  Reina drew her legs up. “But what? Don’t qualify for anything?”

  “It’s not that…there’s a boutique hiring near the station. It’s just…I’m not sure if…”

  “Hm?”

  Aiko stepped forward. “I really love staying at home and taking care of things. Do you really need me to get a job too?”

  The words slipped into one ear and squirmed out the other. Reina drank the last of her tea, the meaning of those words still unable to process in her brain. When they did settle, Aiko had already retreated into a huddle, as if prepared for Reina to yell at her for her stupidity.

  “We need money.” Reina finalized that statement by placing the teacup on the table.

  “I know, but… I was looking over your budget and…we can live on your salary…”

  “Not very well. I couldn’t save much to support both of us.” Reina did make enough money to pay their expenses, since Aiko technically owned the house fully paid, taxes notwithstanding. But that only left her about twenty-thousand yen a month to save, which could be easily burned on bar trips and movies. Who was Aiko kidding? If they wanted to have any sort of life outside of home, they needed more money.

  “I see.” Aiko shifted between her feet. “I’ll start applying to jobs, then. But…”

  “But what?”

  She pouted at Reina with big, brown eyes. “I wouldn’t have time to cook you such large meals if I had a job.”

  Right in the gut! Reina didn’t want to admit it, but her girlfriend had a point. “Well, that’s unfortunate.” She scratched her head. “But until I can get a promotion, we’ll have to make do.”

  “I understand. Shower?”

  Unable to say no, Reina joined her girlfriend in the shower and attempted to guide the disappointment out of her. She reminded Aiko that with a promotion could come more opportunities for her in the future, and maybe one day she could make enough money to buy diamonds and all the trips to Hawaii anyone could want. Aiko maintained a serene air through the soaping and rinsing, both of them taking turns to wash the grime and sweat from each other’s bare backs. Reina was not the most empathetic woman in the universe, but she recognized her girlfriend’s bottled up dismay.

  Is it really that important to her? Some women were destined to be housewives, it seemed.

  After the shower, Reina grabbed a towel and dried Aiko’s hair. She whispered compliments into her ear, telling her how wonderful she looked and smelled while pointing out she could get a job at a bakery since her cooking was so fabulous. It became apparent the desire for sex existed between them when Aiko embraced her girlfriend and initiated the act herself with a desperate kiss.

  For a woman who lately complained about the sex Reina was asking of her, Aiko didn’t mind voracious lovemaking that night, based on the way she yanked her girlfriend upstairs in nothing more than their towels. She shoved Reina onto their bed and followed her, towel slipping from her wet body.

  The way they made love that night was nothing new or groundbreaking – certainly, the Kama sutra would yawn – but it was more intense than any of the previous nights combined. Those nights were fast and lusty; tonight was slower and more determined. Aiko clung to Reina as if she would leave, legs entangled in both limbs and bed sheets. Her nails scoured her girlfriend’s scalp and massaged her overworked muscles. In return, Reina placed her mouth on every part of Aiko’s body, paying close attention to her jutting throat, her undulating breasts, and her hot, wet slit between her legs. Her cries of pleasure a minute later mingled with the aieki coursing over Reina’s tongue.

  Aiko asked for a brief reprieve after her orgasm, although she allowed Reina to embrace and caress her body. “Just a couple minutes,” she said, leg pushing between her girlfriend’s.

  When it was Reina’s turn, Aiko reciprocated with her own tongue, tasting the fatigue in her girlfriend’s muscles while her hands rubbed a tuft of pubic hair. Reina lay back and allowed her girlfriend to do whatever she wished.

  A good decision.

  “Ai-chan,” Reina said, after her first orgasm abated. She pulled her girlfriend into her arms and relished in the smoothness of her skin. “I’m going to work hard, you know. It’s just I may need you to help me for a little while.”

  Aiko rolled against her girlfriend, nose buried between ribs and hand massaging her stomach. “I know. I want to make a happy place for you to come home to.”

  “You make it sound like we’re a married couple now.”

  A hot sigh careened across Reina’s skin. “We may be as lost as newlyweds.”

  “We’ll figure this out.”

  Reina eased herself onto her girlfriend again, guiding their bodies together into one last round of lovemaking. When she heard the garbled gasp of Aiko’s desire, Reina pressed against her and emitted a groan of her own.

  It felt good to have all the time in the world.

  The second meeting Aiko attended was held at Yatsumi’s apartment, a grungy, cold place located in Shibuya. At first Aiko spun around in search of the building’s name before realizing her new acquaintance lived above a fruit and vegetable shop.

  Thus a citrus scent permeated the small abode, the kind of fragrance that dazzled the senses until it became too much too quickly. Her host insisted she didn’t even notice it anymore.

  For some reason Aiko expected this club gathering to be as large if not larger than the one in Ni-chome, but only three other women sat around Yatsumi’s table: Mio, of course, wearing a stifling chiffon blouse and breezy cotton skirt, and two women clinging together. The moment they looked up to greet Aiko was the second she realized they were identical twins.

  “This is Aiko-san,” Yatsumi said. “Aiko-san, this is Mari and Kari. As you can see, they’re sisters.”

  They giggled as Aiko sat across from them at the table – a little too close to Mio for her comfort, but the table was small and she garnered the head was reserved for the host. Mio did not acknowledge her outside of a mandatory grunt. I wonder if she smells Reina on me. Yatsumi escaped into her kitchen, leaving Aiko with two strangers and one woman who already detested her. The sisters took turns whispering to each other before the one on the right finally said, “I’m Kari and this is Mari, by the way.”

  Aiko inclined her head. “Pleasure to meet you.”

  “Oh, pleasure’s ours! We haven’t had new blood here in ages.”

  That sent an uncomfortable wave into Aiko’s stomach. “Is this…is this everyone?”

  Mio snorted and the sisters shoved each other. “Sometimes there are others, but we are the only regulars,” Mari said.

  “Are all of you…you know…”

  “Lesbian isn’t a dirty word in this place!” Yatsumi called from the kitchen.

  “I’m as gay as a flaming rainbow,” Mari said, her long hair curling around her arm.

  Aiko grinned. “Sugoi…what are the odds of sisters, let alone twins, both being like that?”

  The sisters exchanged wry smiles, Mari suppressing a guffaw while Kari rolled her eyes. “Twins share many traits like this. It isn’t abnormal for a set of twins to have the same sexuality.” Mari managed to say that without laughing.

  “Oh!”

  “Don’t listen to her. We don’t have the same sexuality.” Kari patted her sister’s lap. “I’m bisexual, actually. And last I checked she’s still a raging lesbian.”

  “Oh!”

  “Do tell her about your boyfriend, Kari-chan,” Mari said. “And your girlfriend.”

  Aiko blinked. “…Oh.”

  “You make me sound like a cheating asshole!” To Aiko, Kari clarified, “They know about each other! Don’t let her make you think otherwise!”

  “Are you telling her about your sex parties, Kari?” Yatsumi came into the room with small containers of ice cream in her hands.

  “No! You are going to make her think I’m a pervert.”

  “You’re queer, dear. Everyone already thinks you’re a pervert.”

  Laughter sprung at
the table and ice cream was passed around to the members. Aiko thanked her host for the vanilla dessert, but that resulted with a hand waving in her face. “The host has to always provide a snack of some kind,” Yatsumi explained. After noting Aiko’s blank expression, she continued, “We rotate the location every time.”

  Aiko peeled the top off her ice cream and jabbed her tiny plastic spoon into its creamy folds. “So…what do we talk about?”

  A big, puncturing sigh shook Mio’s stoic frame. “Whatever we damn well please.” She dug into her ice cream. “Oh, by the way, Mari-chan, did you finish that video I lent you?”

  Spoon dawdling in her mouth, Mari’s finger shot into the air as if a million light bulbs exploded above her. She pulled a knapsack over and rummaged until she found the video tape meant for Mio’s keeping.

  “I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would.” The tape passed across the table. Aiko tried to innocently look at the jacket art but couldn’t get a good view without shoving her face forward like a paparazzi. “The acts were a bit all over the place, and I don’t understand what the first part about the androids was about.”

  Mio placed the tape in her purse. “Are you telling me you were actually paying attention to the plots? I can’t watch it for five minutes without thinking about how beautiful everyone is.” She leaned her head against her hand as if she would never see such beautiful people in real life.

  “Well, of course they’re beautiful. But it was hard to watch it knowing that Ai Tsuzushiro is going to retire soon.”

  “Who?” Mio forgot she had ice cream melting in its dish. “She’s not even in this one!”

  “No, but she’s from the same troupe, and it still makes me sad to know.” Mari shoveled ice cream in her mouth to dull the pain. Except I have no idea what they’re talking about.

  “You’re the only one who does know.”

  “Ah! Maybe it hasn’t been officially announced yet? I heard it from our friend who does make-up for some of the shows.”

  “I was being facetious. The point is that you’re a takarazuka otaku and it’s creepy.”

  Half her ice cream gone, Aiko placed it on the table and wiped her lips with her fingers. Across from her, Kari already had hers polished off, spoon wagging in her sister’s direction. “You don’t know the half of it! You don’t have to live with her rattling off roles and names like she’s listing every prefecture in the country or the bloodline of the Tokugawa. For fun.”

  “Well some of us are single and need to fill our brains with love-fodder.”

  “The hell does that even mean?”

  “Okay, okay,” Yatsumi said, flopping down at the table with a pad and pencil. Her long blond hair obscured her face, now bedecked with square reading glasses. “Let’s stop bickering before our guest thinks we’re all a bunch of weirdos and goes running for her life.”

  Aiko shook her head. “No, I don’t think so! I think it’s interesting!” She forced a large smile as everyone gaped at her in disbelief. “I don’t know anything about it, so…”

  “Oh, boy, here we go,” Yatsumi muttered.

  “Eh? You don’t know?” Mari shot up on her feet like a rocket. “I’ve never met a self-respecting lesbian who doesn’t know what we’re talking about!”

  Mio snorted. “Are you sure you’re really gay?” She curled her fingers around her chin.

  “I’m…sorry?” Aiko didn’t know whether to bow in apology or back away. “I only know about takarazuka in passing. I think I saw clips on TV once?”

  The strangling silence falling over everyone was thick enough to choke Aiko, who wondered if she had already offended her new friends. She knew that takarazuka, the all-female stage musicals, were popular with many lesbians, but had never gotten into it herself. Her interests in the realm of sexuality came straight from Reina’s, and the last thing she was interested in was cross-dressing women traipsing across a stage and bellowing about eternal love of the presumed heterosexual kind. She’d barf. The first year they were together, Aiko became curious about the idea of cross-dressing and flipped through some magazines about takarazuka, but the moment her mother found them and accused her of whatever…well, Aiko’s interest quickly faded and she moved on to other cultural pursuits.

  “How unfortunate.” Mio dropped her purse with a huff. “I guess you won’t be interested in our trip coming up then. Oh, well, it was nice having you around.” She licked her spoon with a long, languid roll of her tongue. Aiko gulped.

  “Wha…what trip?”

  Yatsumi showed her what was already written on the legal pad: a list of names followed by amounts of money. Below was a chain of hotel names, some crossed out and others underlined. “We’re going to Hyogo Prefecture in October.”

  Aiko blinked. “What’s in Hyogo?”

  “Please tell me she’s kidding,” Mari said, her face pale.

  “How utterly uncultured.” Mio refused eye contact.

  “We’re going to Takarazuka City,” Yatsumi said in a gentle tone.

  The obvious meaning crashed into Aiko’s brain like a freight truck. “Oh! Well, that sounds fun! Are you going to see a live show?”

  “No, we’re going there so Mio can leave a pile of love letters at Miki Maya’s doorstep.”

  Mio threw her spoon in Kari’s direction. “Urusai!” However, her blushing anger only made the twins snicker into the pocket between them.

  “Yes, we’re going to see a show while we’re there.” Yatsumi smiled. “It so happens to star Miss Miki Maya herself.”

  Mio grumbled.

  “Oh.” Aiko fought the budding embarrassment she felt, but did not know how long she would last under Mio’s judgment and the twins’ merriment. “Well, I’m sorry I’m so ignorant about it. But maybe…” She forced herself to look at everyone around her. “Maybe I would like to learn a little more about it.” After all, it’s not like I have any other friends to turn to.

  Yatsumi saved Aiko from herself by jumping into the nitty gritty of the trip plans. They had settled which show to see on which day long before Aiko joined them, but there was still the matter of transportation and hotels to sort out. With the trip a little over two months away, Yatsumi pressed her friends to make a decision soon so reservations could be arranged.

  Aiko sat back, silent, in awe over how easily these four women conversed with each other. Years since Aiko had friends of her own like this…and did she really speak to them so candidly? Mio snapped at a lot of people, but they took it good-naturedly – especially Yatsumi, who continued to speak to her in a calm voice unlike Aiko ever heard. They must be best friends.

  When the matter was settled, the twins got out a shoebox full of comic books, magazines, and video tapes to pass around and swap with the others. Most of the items were takarazuka centric, but there were photobooks of singing idols, a dirty comic book Aiko recognized from her girlfriend’s collection, and even a sexual how-to guide for lesbians. Mio and Yatsumi passed it as quickly as possible, touting that they had no need in their singledom. Mio’s proclamation ended with a sneer in Aiko’s direction.

  “How about you, Aiko-san?” Kari asked, taking the large shoebox back. “Do you have a need for a book like this? You can borrow it if you want.”

  Mio’s motions slowed as she shuffled magazines and comic books into her purse; Aiko went ahead, choosing her words carefully. “I’m not sure how my girlfriend would take something like that.” She’d laugh.

  “Oh, you have a girlfriend?” Smarminess made Kari’s eyes twinkle. “She must be really conservative then.”

  A disruptive chortle sputtered out of Mio’s mouth. Aiko straightened her back and hoped Yatsumi would protect her from any daggers stabbing her beneath the table. “I wouldn’t say she’s conservative. She finds visual depictions of…you know…boring.” True, Reina found pornography about as interesting as grass growing. She liked looking at the breasts for two seconds before lamenting she’d rather do it than watch it. “I can’t even smell their omanko, so
what’s the point?” she once said. A book of lesbian sexual positions would garner her curiosity for five seconds on a good day, and insult her on a bad.

  “Suit yourself.” Kari shoved the book back into her bag.

  “Why don’t you tell them who your girlfriend is?” Mio said.

  Aiko’s chest tightened. “My girlfriend’s name is Reina.”

  The twins cocked their heads near one another, a bolt of realization zipping between them. “Reina?” They exchanged an amused glance before doubling over in laughter.

  Yatsumi must have sensed Aiko’s discomfort. “Come on, now.”

  “Sorry!” Kari bowed her head in apology, and her sister followed. “It’s just we once had a really interesting experience with her.”

  “Hasn’t everyone?” Mio muttered.

  Mari ignored her. “One night we were at a bar and ran into her – I think she had long hair back then, it was a few years ago – and this one decided to chat her up and see if she was really as good in bed as everyone claimed.” She started laughing again, and her sister had to hold her stomach for her. “So she’s chatting her up and getting cozy, when suddenly Kari has to go to the bathroom to make sure she’s not on her period. I come out and take her place, and Reina immediately starts making out with me, thinking I’m my sister!”

  That’s her. Reina could barely tell women apart when they weren’t identical twins.

  “Sou, I come out and see my sister tonguing my date! I was not amused, to say the least.”

  “Well, she is a good kisser.”

  “Oh, and the best part is when she asked if we wanted to have a threesome! Can you imagine? Does she think like a man or what?” Kari allowed herself one laugh. “We told her we weren’t into incest. The disappointment on her face was priceless!”

  “I’ve heard crazier stories about her, but…” Mari cut herself off when she saw the way Aiko chomped on her own lip. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk about your girlfriend that way.”