chapter twenty two;
noritake garden
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"Wow, is this it? Are we here?" Hyuck enquired with his forehead smushed against the window. The bus pulled into a stone-scattered car park outside an incredible garden. There were large trees decorating the circumference and a beige pathway running like a cross through the centre around a stone fountain.

Chenle placed his hands on the glass screen as well, a cute smile tugging at his lips. Jisung nudged his shoulder and told him he looked creepy, but both knew it was a joke. The older was in his element, after all.

"Okay guys, we have a reservation here," Jaemin hollered and parked the vehicle with much more ease than the first time he'd tried it. His hands fumbled with a few documents in the front until he picked one sheet of paper from the rest. "Once we go to reception, they'll send us to an experience section...the craft building."

"Watch me blow up, using clay," Jeno chuckled. "Is that mandatory? The crafting?"

"You'll be fine," Mark stretched his arms before getting up and sliding into the aisle. "Let's go."

"Stick together. We don't want a repeat of the Katsura Imperial Villa," Renjun hummed and held the brochure close to his chest while departing. "Or the Hill of Bloom, for that matter."

"Ugh, sheep CPR," Mark winced.

They all unloaded off the monstrosity of a bus and trudged towards the main building to essentially let them know they'd arrived. Parents with children and many other tourists and Japanese visitors were milling around and admiring the nature, the culture and the history. The weather was nice as well — hot but tolerable.

The woman at the desk put a call on hold as they approached her, and she gave them a soft smile. "Welcome."

"Yay, it's so nice to hear Korean sometimes," Jisung gently raised they 'okay' sign with his fingers.

"Most of our guides have known Korean..." Jeno whispered.

"With accents as thick as wet sand. This woman is pretty good."

"Hi, we're the TTN tour?" Renjun spoke on everyone's behalf. "We have a reservation?"

"Ah, yes you do," she chirped and typed something into the computer before printing off a sheet. "Here are some of our facility guides, restaurant menus, various experiences to try and so on. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the staff." She then held a button down and uttered a few Japanese words before a spritely male wandered over with tanned skin and long, brown hair.

"Hi," he waved shortly with decent Korean. "I'll be taking you to the highlight of the Noritake Garden; its ceramic experience. Anyone good at painting?"

Renjun sunk away behind Jeno, and since no one knew that about him, they all just shrugged and shook their heads. The brunette laughed softly and waved them to follow along.

"That's fine. What we do here is allow visitors to paint plates or mugs and we fire them to send them to your address about two to three weeks later."

"Oh! So we're not sculpting?" Jeno blinked expectantly.

"No, not at all."

Donghyuck smiled sinisterly and skipped ahead to walk alongside their handsome guide. "Sate, anata no namae wa nanidesu ka?" (So, what's your name?)

"A, anata wa nihongo o hanashimasu ka?" (Oh, you speak Japanese?)

"Hon'nosukoshi" (Only a little)

"Can we not do this?" Jaemin sighed and kicked the back of Donghyuck's leg. "Sharing is caring."

"That phrase doesn't apply here," Renjun gushed. "Anyway, what were you two talking about?"

"My name's Yuta," the brunette stated happily and then sent Hyuck a subtle nod as of to say 'there it is'. "He asked me what my name was."

"And he had to do it in Japanese?" Mark reiterated. "Do you see me striking up English conversations with the tourists?"

"We're in Japan, Bro," the blonde tilted his sunglasses down and arched his brow. "It's called practicing."

"Or flirting," he coughed into his arm for emphasis.

Yuta was quite amused with the group's attitude and relationship. They looked more like seven siblings than random strangers strung together for a tour. His eyes shifted to the craft building and they entered calmly to head for the second floor.

"What will you paint?" Chenle asked Jisung from the back of the group. "I'm thinking of cherry blossoms right now, for some reason."

"Yeah? I'm not sure..." the younger hummed. "Maybe that pattern on my yukata back at that hotel. I really liked it."

"It suited you," the Chinese boy smirked. Their shoulders brushed as they spoke, and for the most part they weren't the problematic ones.

The doors to the painting hall were opened and Yuta led them to a long table that fitted eight people. The seven all gathered around it and perched down excitedly to begin. There were mugs and plates set out in front of them, and as they reached out to pick what they wanted, Yuta took some supplies from the cabinets for them to use.

"This paint is for ceramics, okay? Don't worry about chipping or anything." He slid a palette of twelve colours down to each of them. "Make sure to keep the layers thick, or else when the piece gets fired it would come out looking quite washed and sloppy."

"Are you going to do it with us?" Donghyuck asked cutely. "There's an extra seat! Please~"

"I can't. I'm working," he scoffed playfully and let them all take a delicate paintbrush. "Besides, I'm not very good at this."

"Good or not, it's all a bit of fun. Who's your boss, I'll fight them," he jokingly flexed his tanned bicep but mistakenly had pretty jewellery on that lowered the intimidating look and raised the adorable one.

"Is this going to be the story of our lives for the next three weeks?" Mark whispered to Jaemin, "The flirting?"

"He's just a free spirit," the blonde chuckled and started painting along the plate he'd chosen. "I'm almost sure he's doing it to get your attention."

"Mine? When will he give up on that?" The older groaned and flopped back in his seat. "How annoying."

"So it doesn't bother you? The way he's very clearly making himself available to Yuta and everyone else he's played this game with? You're okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Hm, no reason. Maybe he will fulfil that Japanese boyfriend dream of his on this trip. He's pretty enough to be picky."

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but I'm not liking it."

Jaemin moved his gaze from his plate to Renjun across the table, and then subtly to Jeno as well. Their conversation on the bus still lingered on his mind, and he pursed his lips. "I don't know either, to be honest."

"I'll come back for you guys in about an hour," Yuta smiled brightly to the group before waving and wandering off. Mark didn't feel like painting now, not that he had to begin with. Hyuck was messing around again carelessly with Chenle and Renjun on either side of him...and he was pissing the businessman off.

"Oh..." Jaemin muttered beside him. "I messed up the paint a little."

Tell me about it, the older sunk into his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

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