Disruption in the Order

Once Shizaya was sure Brendan had gone, he walked out to the back yard, which was styled like a Japanese garden, with the porch looking a lot like the interior of the house, only it was open to the garden. Shizaya sat cross legged on the ground and just looked at all the well kept plants as he sat there, thinking.
(Picture reference so you know what I'm talking about: http://bios.weddingbee.com/pics/40960/photographs_of_japanese_gardens_2.jpg )

He felt guilty for yelling at the boy, but he was angry at Brendan for saying all that stuff to him. It felt like he was flirting, which had never happened to Shizaya before, and even if it was it was uncomfortable and just not something done in Japan. Shizaya knew full well that Americans were different, but seriously. After thinking it over for a while, he walked back into the house and took off his outdoor slippers, setting them down outside before going quietly to Brendan's room and knocking. Then he walked in, waving awkwardly to the man.
"I'm really sorry. Honestly, please forgive me. It's just... well, it feels like you're flirting, and I know Americans do that all the time, but in Japan, we don't. Would you allow me to explain?"

(Just read the first post, it's incredibly accurate: http://www.outpostnine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11321 )
 
He had been sitting quietly, looking around the room. It was a really nice house, he should totally adopt that. At the same time, Brendan's heart felt ever so slightly broken. He was only being... Brendan... Flirting is what Brendan did, he hadn't wanted to make Shizaya mad.

He jumped up and had been about to go out, preparing a heart-felt apology. He almost ran into Shizaya. Brendan looked away shyly, realizing that he had totally made Shizaya uncomfortable, so he felt even worse.

Brendan shook his head fiercly. "No no Shizaya, don't apologize," he said, "I'm the one who made you uncomfortable and I'm really sorry. It's just... That's the guy I am, I flirt with people I like. But we're friends and I don't want to do things you don't like." Brendan put a hand to his chest, "Feel free to explain though, I really like learning more about you."
 
Shizaya smiled.
"It's okay. I probably should have explained to you before all this would have happened. We were both kinda at fault... Oh, but... well, in japan men and women don't 'flirt', per say. That's showing your feelings openly and that's really... rude. First, there's nanpa. Basically, you walk up to someone and tell them they are good looking and you would like to get to know them better. Girls don't really do that, but if they do it's called gyaku-nan. They're doing it more now than in the older days when my parents were kids. So, then there is the third party thing which is really familiar, only... well, you don't say "I like so and so, will you ask them out for me?" You say, "So and so has a nice smile" which is basically the same thing in Japan. Then there's subtle signs like shyness and stuff, which is kinda the same here in America. So, that's like a general idea of how Japan and America are different. You also don't say you love someone in Japan. If you do, then you have got to be really really serious and have been with that person forever, otherwise you just don't say it. Does that make sense? That's kind of why I got so angry, it's just hard to let go of my what I was taught."
 
Brendan listened, his eyes sparkling as a smile came to his face. "Nanpa?" he repeated, "Can I nanpa you Shizaya?" Brendan smiled nervously, blushing slightly. "Or... You nanpa me!" He sat on the bed and swung his legs a little. "I think I'd like to go to Japan," he said, "It seems like... I don't know, it just seems nicer." He turned to Shizaya and smiled. "Tell me more about Japan."
 
Shizaya blushed, looking away. He was glad when the subject changed from the nanpa, seeing as he did not want to admit anything to Brendan.
"You want to know more? Well, in Japan, you don't show a lot of feeling. You don't look people in the eyes when they are angry with you or lecturing you. You always take your shoes off when entering a building. A home, you can or can't wear these things that we'll just call slippers. At school, you kind of have to wear them. Uh... people aren't really encouraged to talk about their feelings... ever. If they are it will be something important or between lovers in the privacy of home. When you address someone, or meet someone new, or thank, or apologize, you have to bow. Foreigners get away with nodding a lot of times."
 
"Really?" Brendan leaned foreward a little as he listened to him talk. "If I don't look my dad in the eye when he lectures me he..." he hesitated for a moment, "Um... Well, I try to look in his eyes when he yells." He shook away the small frown on his face and smiled. "So, no PDA in Japan?"
 
"No, not really. My parents tell me it's more common now than ever before, though, since more westerners are starting to come over. Girls and boys do dress skankily, and girls often cut their school uniforms so they are really really short, but for the most part people stick to tradition, they don't usually kiss in public unless it's at a certain club or something. It's funny though, even at a lot of normal clubs girls and boys don't dance together," Shizaya said, biting his nails thoughtfully.
"I'll take you there sometime, maybe over the summer. My family always goes to visit my grandma, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind a friend coming over."
 
"Really? No way! I'd love to go!" Brendan half-shouted. He put an arm around Shizaya's shoulder and looked up, as if imagining himself in Japan already. "I'm going to get a job, raise enough money to buy my own ticket and buy stuff from Japan." Brendan quickly pulled his arm away, blushing a little. "Oh, sorry."

"Um... Shizaya?" Brendan said, tentatively, "Does it work the same if one guy likes another guy?"
 
Shizaya glared lightly when the boy put and arm over, but at least he knew it was not good and moved his arm quickly.
"For two guys? Yeah, it is the same," he said, shrugging lightly.
 
"Oh," Brendan said, smiling a little. "If I told you you were cute and I wanted to know more about you, would you believe me?" Brendan almost slapped himself, well, he did, he face-palmed and turned to Shizaya. "That nanpa thing is harder than I thought it'd be."
 
Shizaya blushed likely.
"I... I don't know if I would believe you or not. It's kind of hard to," he said, looking away.
"Can you prove it? Take me out on a date," he said, smiling only lightly.
 
Brendan nodded, "Of course. I would've taken you to the movies today, but that didn't really work." He laughed a little. "Where would you like to go then?" he asked.
 
Shizaya took a moment to think about it. He glanced around the room for a moment.
"How about to the amusement park?" he asked, the small smile getting ever so slightly larger.
 
Brendan clapped, "Great! Today's Friday right?" He looked around curiously, "I think it is... Or did Harry scramble my brains that badly?" He turned back to Shizaya. "Anyway, we'll go on Saturday, so we can have all day!"
 
Shizaya nodded.
"Yeah, it's friday. I'll have to put up an english calendar for you, huh?" he said jokingly, looking at him which was written in Japanese.
 
"Alright!" Brendan smiled, "I'll get used to it, you can teach me Japanese." He laughed gently, "If you want. Anyway, tomorrow we can go to the amusement park and eat junk food and stuff!"
 
"Sounds fun... do you like sushi?" Shizaya asked after checking his watch and seeing what time it was.
"And, can you eat with chopsticks?"
 
"I do like sushi," he replied. He looked down, embarassed slightly, "But I can't eat with chopsticks."
 
"Alright, we'll just go out and buy you a fork so you can learn, but still be able to eat. For tonight, just eat with your fingers. It's really not that big a deal," he smiled lightly before his face returned to how it was and he stood up.
"I'll see you at dinner."
 
"Won't eating with my fingers be rude?" he asked, smiling a little. "My mom always said it was impolite, so I can try with chopsticks. I'm not entirely hopeless."
 
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