Gemotions

"So... you can actually *read* these?" Sarah asked, her voice tight, gesturing at the complex kanji characters adorning the menu. Across the small table, Ben smiled, a gentle, understanding smile that usually comforted her. Today, however, it felt like a deliberate taunt. She’d always struggled with Japanese, finding the script alien and the grammar impenetrable. He, on the other hand, had mastered it. The silence stretched between them, thick with a weight she couldn’t name. Sarah pushed her plate away, suddenly not hungry.