Too Much Sake!

Activity > Kyoto > Partying > Kyoto Downtown

I spotted a flash of blond hair weaving through the crowd before bright blue eyes appeared before me. It was a typical Saturday night and the place was packed. I would have preferred to stay at home, if not for the woman before me.

Ines had come to Japan three months ago, highly recommended by her previous superiors for her great work ethic and brilliant mind. She had charmed all our co-workers within the first week with her humor and sometimes outrageous gaijin ways. It did not hurt that she was also a very beautiful woman.

At five feet tops, Ines was small in comparison to her Caucasian contemporaries. Yet, her flowing platinum blonde hair and ice blue eyes belied her heritage. She was also quick to smile and always had a kind word for everyone, which only endeared her to our colleagues even more.

Which was why we were all shocked and, dare I say, even a little disgusted when her boyfriend of three years broke up with her after two months of separation. The gentleman, and I use the term loosely, had taken up with one of Ines's friends during her absence and dropped our favorite gaijin like she was a hot potato scalding his hands.

"Gosh, it took forever to get here!" she huffed, blue eyes twinkling despite the misery in them. "However did you manage to get here so quickly, Satoshi-kun?"

I smiled a little as she loosened her scarf. "I have my ways."

She laughed a little and rolled her eyes. "Men and your alcohol."

I just grinned at her and waved a hand in the direction of the tokkuri, a ceramic bottle containing sake. Ines was yet to taste the wonder that is sake and I, of all people, was tasked to educate her in this particular arena.

"Shall we begin your education?"

"Who am I to refuse new knowledge?" she replied, raising an eyebrow at the challenge.

When she had suggested drowning her sorrows in alcohol, I had been skeptical about introducing her to sake. From what I understood, our local alcoholic beverage was stronger than what Ines might have been used to. I had initially suggested a bar where some heartbroken girls often nursed their sorrows in flavored alcoholic drinks but she would not be dissuaded.

Hence, our current location.

"So how do we go about doing this?" Ines asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I smiled slightly. "There is an art to drinking sake. One does not simply go about chugging it like a barbarian."

"Or a drunk," she snickered.

"Or severely drunk," I averred. I handed her the cup. "If you're not drinking alone, you should pour the sake into your partner's cup. If you want a refill, hold it slightly before you so your partner will fill your cup for you."

Ines held her cup out for me to fill.

"Next, you savor the aroma and take a sip, relishing the flavor before you swallow it completely," I told her. I watched as she made a face and grinned. "And that's how you drink sake."

She gamely finished the contents of her cup and held it out for a refill. I raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

She nodded bravely. "Hai. I want to get thoroughly sloshed tonight, if you please."

I sighed and filled her cup. Two hours later, Ines was barely holding her head upright.

"Whyaruntchudrinnin?" she slurred as she teetered between steps.

I smiled at her. "Well, someone has to be sane enough to take care of those who've had too much sake."

We made it to her apartment and I made sure she was tucked into the bed before leaving. I shook my head as I locked the door behind me. There was never such a thing as too much sake when one is nursing a broken heart but sake wasn't the cure for it either.

In time, Ines might find it out on her own. For now, sake would be a welcome friend.