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-Hi, Sayuri-chan! I've arrived safe and sound today in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Already miss you! ( ; ω ; )
-Miyuki-chan! Nice to hear from you! I won't deny that I'm still not over the fact that you're going to be 2 yrs away from me (╯︵╰,)
-Yeah… There is so much going over my head now
-Anyway, have ya seen any hot guys already? He-he
-Gimme a break Sayuri-chan ha-ha. I'm just so tired that I've barely been able to look at anything else but my dirty dress!
-Well, just remember to send photos if you find a hot fish (￣▽￣*)ゞ
-You really don't change, do ya? Anyway, I'm thinking about going to a famous coffee/pastry shop tomorrow. Wish I could bring you something (ಥ﹏ಥ). Anyway, I need some rest. I can barely stand on my feet, Night!
-Yeah, I know. But we are friends forever as long as we hold the same feelings for each other. Just keep a Futon for me in your apartment when I come over! Night
-Don't worry, it's already extended here for you. Night!
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26...28...30… and...… 32 - This is the pastry shop number
As I raised my head, in front of me there was an extremely elegant and luxurious building that must have had at least three floors. A classical architecture, with light shades of yellow, big and symmetrical glass windows with the facade remembering a Parisian 5-star hotel more than anything. I was astounded.
This must be a very traditional and important tourist shop in the city judging by how well the place is preserved, the absurd amount of merchandise from Rio inside it, and how packed it is… Pretty impressive for a pastry shop; I haven't seen a single muffin yet, but I know it must be good!
Although it was still daytime, all the interior lights were on, but because the place was filled with massive mirrors all over the saloon reflecting it, you could say that the interior saloon at daytime must look almost as beautiful as at nighttime.
Because I was standing in the middle of the entrance, looking around at my surroundings, unaware of the people coming in and out of the shop, I kind of got in the way of everyone's passage. A few bumps and some looks of unapproval from the barmen quickly made me come back to reality as I rapidly entered the shop, getting away from the door.
At the balcony, a great number of sweets ranging from local biscuits to world-known cakes were being displayed inside a glass showcase. It was like our fake foods in Japan displayed at the shop's windows, but… real. People chose what they wanted from the vast selection of sweets and asked the clerk to pack them to eat on the go, or to eat inside the shop, over the balcony, usually accompanied by a hot coffee or a bottle of sparkling water. Lots of orders were being taken and you could see the clerks, elegantly adjusted in their tight formal uniform in an almost creepy robotic but with perfect coordination coming up and down the place with all kinds of delicacies that looked amazing and were filling the air with a seducing aroma that quite literally disoriented me for a while as I could feel that I was then craving for some of those sweets. Further down the saloon, and actually occupying most part of it, a great number of elegant tables were displaced, with most of them occupied, be it by families, couples, or groups of friends; I could see that people generally ordered sweets or others delicacies that were in the menu or exhibited in the front counter, but some hot meals were also being carried and served at the tables by the waiters, that just as their balcony counterparts, were moving in a frantic but very organized way. I decided to come closer to the balcony and chose something sweet from it as I didn't want to be "left out" of the party.
I was always a cake person, and back home I loved the shop parfaits that were filled with different fruit cakes and other sweets, and the ones from this shop looked different but just as amazing as the ones I used to eat. From the plethora of sweets that were in my face, I chose the one that appealed to me the most; it was a perfect triangular slice of a light-yellow colored cake, which had some sort of cream filling, sandwiched by two fluffy layers, and had whipped cream at the top, sprinkled with white chocolate. I then directed myself to the clerk man at the other side of the counter.
"Uhm… Excuse me?"
"Yes? Can I help you?"
Oh, the man answered me in perfect English; this place must be used to dealing with tourists…. Very nice, Prof. Fukuda, thanks for the recommendation!
"This cake right here… What does it taste like?"
"It's a slice from a pineapple cake. Do you want it?"
Pineapple? I don't recall the last time I had it; I think it kind of tastes like lemon(?)
"Yes, please. I`d also like a coffee. Can I eat here over the counter?"
"Well, of course! Would you like me to prepare you a traditional Brazilian coffee for you to try?"
"I`d love to try it"
As I was waiting for the clerk to prepare my coffee and hand me the cake, I felt a slight bump on my left shoulder from a lady trying to squeeze into the empty chair at my left side to order at the counter. It was a light touch, and I didn't care about it that much as the store was packed with people and it was inevitable to bump into others now and then.
As she accommodated in her seat, it was almost impossible not to note that she had a loud voice, and an overwhelming presence that made me instinctively look to my left. As I tilted my head in her direction I got instantly struck by her awesome figure: a large and silky hair that exhaled a sweet fruity scent; a fine and sexy waistline that matched her curves and boobs, which, by the way, were huge! And that delicate chain necklace that she wore in a V-shape highlighted even more her…. assets…. In such a way that was inevitable not to look down. I mean, I'm not into girls but that one made me rethink my preferences just for a while, she was astounding.
"Miss, here is your coffee and here is your cake. Uh…. Miss?" - The clerk man was trying to hand me my order, but at that moment I was more focused on other…. things….
"O-oh! Sorry! Thank you! I'm kind of distracted with the beauty...Of the…. Place. He-he"
Dang, I was so distracted that I didn't even hear him call me. Kind of embarrassing. Snapback to reality Miyuki!
Embarrassed and trying to cover my actions I raised the cup of coffee, and unaware of the high temperature of it took a large sip only to just start coughing as I had just burned my tongue and throat, spilling some of the coffee over the counter, which made me even more embarrassed.
As I was still catching my breath after the incident, the beautiful young lady extended her arm offering me her bottle of water.
"Hey, are you okay? Please take this, I think you need something a bit colder…."
In striking contrast with before, her voice had suddenly become soft and warm. She also said it in perfect English, which made her an even more approachable person, comforting me.
"A-ah, t-thanks!"
"Anyway, we are used to drinking extremely hot coffee here in Brazil. Be aware of it next time you order one."
"Sure…" - I was still too embarrassed and with a sore tongue to try any conversation, but she persisted; and I just couldn't ignore her as she had been very nice to me.
"My name is Maria, nice to meet you!"- She extended her hand in my direction.
"Nice to meet you too, my name is Miyuki" - I responded, extended my hand as well, completing the handshake.
"Miyuki? Is this a Korean, Japanese name?"
"It's actually Japanese. I'm from Tokyo, and I'm going to be here for the next two years as an exchange student."
"Whooaaa!!! That's amazing!!" - As she turned toward me, her dress lifted just a tiny bit, as she untangled her legs, and I could see more of her soft and silky skin. Damn, she looked amazing!
"So…. What are you studying?"
"Well, I am an undergraduate biology student, but my personal field of research is in marine biology and I was invited to come to Brazil to study with a professor that is known for his research in this area."
"Dang! You're smart, huh!? But I'm puzzled that from all the options available why you chose this godforsaken country."
"Oh no, please, don't talk like that about your country. This is an amazing city and country!"
"Uh…. In some ways, yes… We have a love-hate relationship with Rio, ha-ha-ha. But anyways, I bet it was because you wanted to meet some hot tropical guys, huh!? Ha- ha- ha."
"Oh, please! That's no valid reason! You're embarrassing me!"
"Ha-ha-ha, I'm sorry, just messing with you a bit. That being said, that professor must be quite the deal, huh? It can't be that easy to leave your country and come to such a different place, right?"
"Well, kind off, I mean…. not really"
"Uh? Why do you say that"?
"I… uh…. I think is just the excitement"- I brushed off Maria's question- "But yes, the professor is quite the deal, his work is known all around the scientific community in the world and this is a golden opportunity which surprisingly wasn't available in Japan, but, you know, I like to experience different things, so I guess you aren't totally wrong when you say I'm searching for some sort of 'tropical' pleasure"
"Ha-ha-ha! Yeah, figured, Ha-ha-ha."
"Oh please, don't be so mean ha-ha-ha."
I'm feeling warm inside… She has this aura that evokes only good vibes and passion. Oh my, I want to hug her right now.
"Please, try your cake, it's best when it's fresh, and believe me! You're gonna love it, it's one of my favorite cakes here!"
As I tasted it, I could certainly say that she was DAMN right! It was AMAZING!!
"Oh my! You're right! This is criminally good! It is moist which makes it already incredibly tasty, and the filling of the pineapple is just sour enough that combined with the sugar and the softness of the whipped cream makes a perfect combination!"
"Right!? Ha-ha-ha. No one can resist Colombo's sweets! Anyway, where are you staying?"
Although she was a lovely person and the atmosphere was great, we've only been talking for around 5 minutes and I still didn't feel too comfortable sharing this kind of information with her. But because I was still embarrassed from the previous situation and didn't want to ruin the moment, I decided to answer her, nonetheless.
"Uh… A few blocks away from here."
"Really!? Me too! Do you want my number? I can show you around the city and hang out with you whenever you want" - She held both my hands and got very near my face with a big smile, which made me blush instantly as she was extremely attractive and charismatic.
People here are really physical, that would be a very bold move in Japan. But…. She's such an angel… I think I'm going to cry!
"Sure! There you have it…." - I showed her my number on my phone, as I released my hand from hers, just to instantly start missing them. They were soft, fragile and warm, if it was up to me, I'd never let them go.
"Thanks! Here's mine, feel free to contact me whenever you want. For messages we mainly use this messaging app here in Brazil, I don't mind using other apps, but most people will prefer it"
"Anyway, I must go now. I have some errands to attend to. See ya!"
Sweet like an angel she left the store as swiftly as she came.
As she was getting off the chair, I could see her extremely good figure, because her clothes were very tight and highlighted even more her curves.
Damn what a beautiful girl! Just her presence makes everything get better!
Anyway, it was also time for me to go as I still had to bring up two big bags through five floors to my room, unpack everything, organize the place, and do a little cleaning. Tomorrow would be Monday and I was going to the university for the first time to meet Prof. Fukuda and his lab personnel. He actually sent me a message at the end of the day confirming that he was very excited to meet me in person first thing tomorrow morning, chat a bit about our goals and present me to his staff.
Indeed, I was excited about everything that was unfolding before my eyes. Heck! Even on the first day, I was able to make a new friend in a totally casual and unexpected way. These guys down here are awesome! But for now, I must concern myself with carrying these two large bags all the way up. Oh boy, here we go.