The Japanese Cherry Boy We Met on the Bus

It ended up in a Japanese bathhouse

It won’t be long before I would forget most of my travel memories while working at sea. But some memories live on, like that of the Japanese Cherry Boy.

By now I can’t recall what his name was, so let’s call him Haruto. It all happened in Osaka with my then-boyfriend. My ex fancied Asian men, that could be a whole book in itself.

In Osaka, we took the bus to explore the place. I’m interested in Japanese culture, my ex was looking for eye candy.

My ex was great at starting ‘small talk’ with anyone, somehow he managed to start a conversation with Haruto who was sitting at the back of the bus.

Haruto offered to take us around, he was actually on his way to visit his mom who has a store in an open market. Everything I bought from his mom’s store was beautifully wrapped, and after purchase, she handed me a ‘prize bowl’ where I always won a prize.

Later he said, he would take us to a Japanese bathhouse, Sentō, and you had to take a ferry boat to get there.

While there, you have to be nude, ‘When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do.’ while the three of us were naked and talking.

Haruto kept saying,‘ hentai’ and I never knew then what he meant.