Bitten by the Mamasan in Kabuki-cho

Through the introduction of a Korean lesson classmate, I got to know this Korean bar owner in her 40s, who is interested in picking up English. Let’s call her “Mama,” since that’s what they call bar owners here. A week ago, we visited Mama’s bar, or what the Japanese call “Snack,” to speak with her more in detail about how the lesson should proceed. And since we were there, we decided to stay for a bit and chat since two of her female staff (one from Hokkaido and one from Korea) are cute. One of our classmates in his 50s, N, joined us at the bar and seemed really interested in both of them, and when he got drunk, he told the Korean girl, K, that she’s his type of girl, while maintaining visible interest in the Hokkaido girl, H. After a couple of hours, we left the bar.

This week, I had the first English lesson at the bar with Mama before it was open. After class that night, when I was having dinner with another two friends, I told them about the English lesson at the bar and they expressed interest in visiting it so I took them there. Coincidentally, K and H were on shift again and while the two of my friends left after 11pm, I somehow stayed till 4:30am. Read on and you’ll find out why I stayed till that late.

Some time around 10pm, N surprisingly came into the bar. We both looked surprised at each other’s presence and exchanged greetings. N then moved to ask K if “the present” was delivered. I was thinking, “Oh my god, he actually got them presents!?” K then said she hadn’t passed it to H yet. That was when I realised N actually bought something for H. K proceeded to the back of the kitchen and brought out the present for H, which was the album of her favourite Korean girl group that N also likes. Now, I’m confused. Is N interested in K or H? Anyhow, to buy something for a bar staff whom he met just once is an exhibition of the power of such bars. That was also why I ended up leaving at 4:30am even though I had planned to go home at 11pm. Now you see, men are dumb.

N left some time past 11pm leaving me alone at the bar with the girls, but there were other customers around that K and Mama were attending to, and which H didn’t want to be a part of, so she stayed with me at the counter and we chatted the whole night. Mama and K got drunk at the tables where they were constantly served alcohol and K suddenly got very friendly and chatty, which I think wasn’t bad since in their line of work, that level of chattiness is essential. Occasionally, K would drop by the counter to get some stuff and we would talk. K is a very attractive girl, especially when she got drunk and started getting chatty. Otherwise, she looks like this cold, distant girl that you wouldn’t dare to speak with.

Since I had been mainly chatting with H from around 9pm till 4:30am, we naturally got chummy and Mama seemed to have caught something going on between us. When it was about time to leave, H whispered for me to wait for her knowing that Mama would probably frown upon that. But the sharp Mama sensed something and came over to tell me we are not allowed to go home together. So H walked out the bar first and Mama followed after to send her off at the elevator. I spoke with K for a bit before taking off.

When I was done talking to K, I opened the bar door and walked out just in time to see H getting into the lift. Mama turned around and saw me walking out and she pushed me back into the bar saying, “No! You cannot go home with her!” She seemed worried I was gonna take advantage of H or something. In normal circumstances, I would have been prepared to run after H as soon as Mama let me go, but I wasn’t so much in a hurry to head down because I know H would be waiting for me downstairs anyway since she was the one who asked me to wait for her. After a minute or so, Mama felt H would’ve gone off by then and told me, “Alright, you can go now.” While waiting for the lift to arrive, Mama gave me a hug and K stood watch by the door. I looked at K and talked with her while holding a drunk Mama in my arms. But the next thing I know, I felt a sharp pain in my right chest. Mama actually bit me really, really hard. So hard, my chest turned red and still hurts when I touch it. If she had bitten any lower, I could’ve lost a nipple. And she had the nerve to complain that her teeth hurt more than my chest did.

Even if someone had traveled back in time from the future to tell me I would get bitten on my chest by a woman in her 40s, I would never have believed it. I mean, in what kind of ridiculous situation would anyone get bitten on the chest? But now I know.

Kabuki-cho is a frightening, but interesting place.