She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 7)
by BrDPirateMan
I got only about four hours of sleep in. I'd be a little sluggish for the rest of the day, but I guess I could manage. How was one to blame me for this? The whole of last night, Eri never let go of my arm. She had explained that I would be her bolster, but it didn't stop the whole experience from being one heck of a thrill ride…
Whenever Eri came over to stay for the night, she always slept in a separate bedroom. However, breaking up with her latest boyfriend made her feel lonely, so she had asked to sleep with me. But not in the way you might imagine it to be! She merely wanted to share the same bed. She may have slept in only her underwear like she always did, but nothing happened between us!
I kind of wished something did, though… Maybe like…
"Oh, Neku," purred Eri. "I'm so lonely, and I have a broken heart…"
She climbed on top of me, and I was trapped and pinned down. I was powerless to do anything for myself, and her bedroom eyes made sure I stayed that way.
I whispered her name. "Eri…"
And then… in no time at all, her deft fingers had taken off whatever little left of her decency she had and flung it aside. Now without a single thread on her body she clung onto me and moaned, "Neku…! I'm counting on you to make me feel good tonight!"
"Wait, hang on… Not my…!"
Ugh! Seriously, it could have happened though, and if it did… how would I have reacted? Hmmm… Decisions, decisions…
I heard Eri yawning as she emerged into the kitchen. "Oh, Neku… g'morning. Is that miso soup?"
Her sudden appearance jolted me a little, and because I was fantasizing about her seconds earlier, I almost expected her to appear wearing nothing but the morning air.
"Hey, Eri," I called. "Yeah, we're having miso soup this morning." Even with just a simple dress shirt and a head of untidy hair, she looked pretty… No pants, though. Still pretty nonetheless.
Breakfast with Eri took on a different tone today, because for the first time, I was actually eating together with a girl I loved. Perhaps I failed to feel the rush of love with Shiki, but I might just be able to do that with Eri. The question was when the right time was to confess to her. Certainly not now, seeing as she was still feeling moody over her recent breakup.
She gave a melancholy sigh which made me feel bad. More than anything, I wanted her to cheer up and just be her usual self again. I wouldn't even mind if she made fun of me or anything… I just wanted her to be happy again! I took a stab at humour, knowing fully well I wasn't the best comedian out there. But if I could get her to smile, even a little bit… this breakfast wouldn't feel so grey.
"Eri, still feeling down today? Want me to punch your ex-boyfriend?"
Her lips twitched into a small wry smile, but otherwise she remained unaffected. Er… I got her to smile, but it didn't feel so good somehow… like I had told a bad joke and she was just giving me face…
"Neku, I appreciate your concern," she mumbled listlessly, "but… well, I'm just not in the mood for anything right now. I don't even feel like going to class today. Besides, I don't think you can win in a fight against my ex-boyfriend."
Ouch! That hurt plenty. Now this definitely wasn't the Eri I knew! I thought she had recovered somewhat last night when I expressed how angry I was over her terrible boyfriend. I had even called him a jerk mullet or something! But if her happiness wasn't improving then I had to step it up. The time had come for me to act like a real man! However, as gentlemanly as I hoped to be, I wasn't very experienced with handling the female psyche. I only hoped I wouldn't get her mad…
"Eri," I began, "if you feel like you need to skip class, uh… um…"
She didn't even bother to glance my way, and just continued to stir spirals in her soup for no reason. Uh-oh… not good… Losing her attention…
I just blurted out the thing I thought best to say. "…well, Eri, uh, if you wanna skip class, then… then I'll skip together with you!"
Finally I got a reaction from her. It wasn't immediately reassuring, however, seeing as she was staring at me wide-eyed with this uneasy look of horror, and that gasp of hers was loud and… and… uh, now what? ! What had I done? ! Was there anything possibly vile in what I had said? ! If staying by her side today meant I could heal her wounds, then I'd have to skip class myself… right? What was wrong with that?
"Y-You'll skip class with me?" she gulped. "Neku, you really are trying to proposition me, aren't you? My heart still isn't ready, and…"
My spiky hair felt like it had radiated outwards like a sunflower. "What? ! No! Are you crazy? I'm just… I just don't want to see you sad like this anymore!"
"Then… you're trying to make me happy… by doing it? If we end up having kids from this…"
"L-Listen to me! It's not like that! ! !"
My outburst clammed both of us up for an instant. Then, in a calmer and more refined manner, she broke the silence and prodded carefully, "Th-Then… what do you mean?"
"Uh… well…" I wanted to take her out on a date; that's what I wanted to do. It would be like a real date for me anyway, but for her I could pass it off as a pretend date, much like the one we went out on not too long ago. That would reduce our awkwardness a little. But I didn't know how to ask her out in the first place! I was stumped alright, but she made things easier for me. Unfortunately, it made me look a little silly.
She said, "You… You want to take me out on a date, right?"
"Huh? Um, it's not really a date… more like a… going out between friends… or something like that… I dunno…" I paused and was struck by a thought. "Wait a minute, how did you know I was going to – ?"
"Well," she sighed, "you've always been easy to read."
"The way you put it, I don't know if that's good or bad…"
At least she had a real smile for me this time. "Alright, Neku… I'll take you up on your offer. If you're going to take me out on a date… then I leave myself in your care."
I lit up like I had struck the lottery. No, this was way better than the lottery! "Y-You really mean it, Eri?"
"Sure! I think it's fun to be naughty for a day and play truant to have fun. And college isn't like school where they'll pick on you for missing a day of classes. Heck, the lecturers don't even care. So all things considered, why not? We've nothing to lose."
Alright! Her cheeriness suddenly made the dreary atmosphere a whole lot brighter. I myself felt like I was floating on air. This was a dream come true! After working up the courage to ask a girl on a date, I actually succeeded! …Well, more like she correctly guessed what I was up to and agreed to it, but it was all good. That was one hurdle cleared.
To be honest, when I was up last night, I had been thinking about what I should do for today. Run-of-the-mill dates with movies and dinner were safe, but she'd probably been on a lot of those by now and she'd be bored with those, so I wanted to be different. I wanted her to know that I was actually putting in effort. And most of all, I wanted her to know that I was the right guy for her!
Eri was sounding eager, even impatient. That was a good sign.
"So, Neku?" she chirped. "When do we start?"
"Is right away cool with you, Eri?"
"Of course!" She rose from her seat and marched towards the front door with gusto. "Come on, Neku, let's go!"
I stopped her frantically. "Whoa, Eri, wait! ! ! I don't mean 'right away' as in 'right this moment'! We haven't finished breakfast yet! I haven't had my shower! And you aren't even wearing any pants!"
XOXOXOXOXO
Eri and I were out on the streets where I was walking her to our first destination. Her good mood gave me confidence and made me feel I could pull this off without a hitch.
"So where are we going, Neku?" she asked, looking fresh and lively.
"Erm, it's a surprise."
"But I wanna know…" She sure wasn't one to wait, was she…
I couldn't resist a chuckle. "How about if I told you that I'm taking you to a special place… a sanctuary of sorts? You'll know what I mean when you see it."
She stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Special place… Sanctuary…" Then, as though she had guessed it right, she breathed, "Let me guess…"
"Huh?"
Strangely, she seemed a little pale… "Neku… don't tell me… Y-You're taking me to a… love hotel? !"
I recoiled. "Wh-Why would I take you there? !"
The pallor on her cheeks gave way to an intense blush. "So the sanctuary you were talking about… it's such a place? I never knew you were so… wild. And I did tell you already many times by now, my heart isn't ready… P-Plus my last menstrual cycle was – "
"No, no, no! That's not it! Far from it!" Oh no! This was getting out of control! I had to clarify matters quickly or this date – and my love life – would see a swift end. "Look. That 104 Building you're so fond of going to? I figured it's like your sanctuary, and I know how much you like shopping, so I thought we could buy some stuff, you know? It's nothing like what you said!"
With this, she nodded in understanding. "Oh, right! I see… Man, don't give me a heart attack! You're my most trusted guy friend, you know!"
"Sorry… I guess mystery isn't what I'm good at."
She smiled and gave my arm a friendly squeeze. "Sure, but you're good at a lot of other things, like cooking. And nosebleeds."
"Th-That last one was nothing to be praised about…"
XOXOXOXOXO
For a date to go well, the guy usually has to be in charge, and as such he has to be able to handle any expenses that come along. What I was going to do now was very risky as I would invariably run into some high costs, but if I could get this to work…
I cleared my throat and prepared to burn a hole in my wallet. "Well, here we are at 104. Let's get started, eh?"
"Sounds good," she said with a wide smile. "Oh, it's not window shopping now, is it?"
"No, we're doing some real shopping. Or rather, you are. I was pretty restrictive during that date we went on last week. I didn't want you to buy a whole bunch of stuff because I wasn't in the mood to carry lots of shopping bags at that time. So now I just want to give you the chance to buy what you like… and I'm paying this time."
I knew how clothes were like catnip to Eri, so I figured that by taking her here and letting her indulge in her hobby without abandon, I could score some serious points with her.
Pure astonishment stunned her so much that she didn't know how to react. She stared right at me, her eyes unchanging and kind of creepy, like a fish. In fact, she couldn't find herself to believe a word I had just said.
"Neku, do you have a fever? No… this kind of behaviour can't be brought about from just some fever. You must be stricken by a life-threatening disease…" To be honest, she even looked worried…
I reassured her, "I know this is unlike me but I'm not sick or crazy, really I'm not. But this is a date, right? And as the guy, I've got to make the girl happy. So don't be shy now, Eri. Just buy whatever you like." Then, in a shaky, uneasy voice, I added, "Um, I… I do have a limited budget, though… But anything below 30000 yen should be fine." Way to make an impression… But my wallet couldn't help it…
Still, she was ecstatic. "Whoa. For real, Neku? I can buy whatever I like?"
"Yeah, I mean it. Sorry it can't be over 30000 yen, though. …My allowance is a little short this week. But otherwise, knock yourself out. Seriously."
A smile grew on her lips, signaling the start of what I knew so well by now to be mania. Like a feeding frenzy, only with clothes instead of food and many times worse. I braced myself to get eaten up…
"Okay, Neku," she chirped. "If you say that's fine, then I'll do just that. I'll have you know that clothes nowadays don't cost below 30000 yen, though."
"Bwuh? !"
"Hee hee… Just kidding. 30000 yen is good enough for me."
Good Lord, please don't give me another heart attack…
She paused to think. "What I'm looking for can't be found here in 104. It's in Shibukyu Main Store, actually. Can we go there? It's just round the corner behind this building."
Not in 104? I didn't pay it any mind, though. Whatever works, right?
As we left the building, I couldn't help wondering what she could possibly want that wasn't in 104. Wasn't she a fan of D+B? She was always squealing to me about how the skirts from that brand were so cute and the tops were just out of this world. Of course there were a lot of other brands that she loved too, but D+B was her favourite. But the one brand I never expected her to take a liking to was…
"Dragon Couture?"
"Yeah. Fashion for the distinguished, yet still managing to be semi-formal enough to be worn as casual wear. Neat, huh?"
"I don't know… No offence, Eri, but you seem more at home with casual wear, not formal dresses and such…"
She giggled. "Just watch."
Eri was busy teleporting from shelf to shelf, looking for what I imagined must be the perfect jeans or that one skirt to die for. As for me? I was scanning around for nothing in particular, but in truth, I was just taking more than my fair share of surreptitious glances at her.
I knew she really was pretty, but only now did I appreciate her cuteness. One might expect me to wax about how she would be just right if she weren't so crazy. But no, now I knew better. This almost manic side of her was part of what she was, and without it she just wasn't Eri anymore. And I wanted her to stay the way she was. The Eri I came to know… and love.
What was she searching for in a Dragon Couture shop anyway? Hmmm… I wondered if she might be interested in a tight-fitting blouse for a change. Or maybe even an elegant cheongsam with a long slit down the side to show off her nice long legs. Ah… How nice…
"Excuse me, sir."
I turned to face the source of the voice that had shattered my dreamy stupor. It was a salesperson. "Huh… yes?"
"…Here are some tissues, sir."
He handed me a small pack of facial tissues before scurrying away. At first I was confused by his actions, but soon I realized why. My nose was bleeding. Probably the result of thinking about Eri. Whoops!
A little while later she scampered over to my side, cradling some clothes in her arms.
"I see you found something you like, Eri."
"Yup! It's on sale too, so it comes to a little more than 10000 yen! How's that for a deal?"
"Eri, it's not even close to my 30000 yen budget," I said kindly, returning her smile. "You can buy more, you know. I'm sure there's something here that I can still afford."
"Yeah, I was thinking of getting something else for myself. But in the meantime, this is what I'd like to get… but only if it fits you."
"H-Huh? Wait…" What was she up to? Was she trying to get me to… wear ladies' clothing? ! Aw heck no!
I backed away from her so much that I almost knocked over the mannequin behind me. "No way, Eri. I'm not doing any of that perverted cross-dressing stuff! Maybe it fascinates you but it gives me the creeps!"
She groaned and let out a sigh, tired of my violent reactions. "I'm not that cruel, you know! Look, this is a semi-formal dress shirt, and slacks to match! It's men's wear, you silly ape! Besides, if I were to get you to cross-dress, it'd be with a maid's costume."
Eh? Men's wear? Now wasn't that a relief indeed! A strange choice to be sure, but girls could don men's clothing if they so wished. …That last sentence was very unnerving, though.
Wait a minute… why did she want me to try them on?
"Hang on, Eri. If these clothes are for yourself, why are you asking me to – "
"Oh, they're not for me, Neku. I got them for you."
"Whuh?" What was going on? Why would she get those clothes for me? I had a tornado inside of my head and didn't know what to make of this. "For me? Um… but I thought you were going to shop for yourself?"
Eri looked to the side for the quickest moment and I thought I saw her flinch a little too, though not out of discomfort as far as I could tell. She answered with a small grin, "Ah, but when you offered to pay, you never said specifically that I was to buy stuff for only myself. So that means it's perfectly alright for me to buy things for you."
Uh… good point. True, I was paying, but she could buy whatever she wanted. And it certainly didn't matter for who she buying those clothes. But this raised a good question.
"Why did you buy them for me?"
She gave a little laugh. "Ah, I wanted to see how you look like in a dress shirt and slacks, Neku. That's all."
I thought I could feel another heart attack coming on, but it wasn't out of shock. The culprit was still Eri, but this felt so different. I wanted to look cool by paying for clothes that I thought she would buy for herself, but she totally outdid me! She took advantage of the situation in such an unexpected way and now I was this close to keeling from swooning over this girl.
She extended the clothes towards me with her smile as big as ever. "Um, so… could you try them on? We need to see if they'll fit and if you look good in them."
"Um…"
"If you want," she said with an evil grin, "I can accompany you into the fitting room and… help you dress up."
"N-No way. We are not repeating that incident. You stay out of this!"
"Are you sure you even know your collar from your cuffs? Or maybe you need me to help tighten your belt. A helping hand here and there can't hurt. I'm good at what I do. Hee hee…"
"I-I'll do it myself!" I spluttered, blushing hard at her perverted jokes. "So that's that – "
"Sir!" It was the salesperson. He shoved something into my free hand. "Here are some more tissues." Then he vanished out of sight again.
Ngh… so here we had another nosebleed, eh? Eri was amused at what was another of my famous battles with my poor nose.
"Might want to plug it in," sniggered Eri.
"Mmph…!" This was a losing battle I was fighting, so I wasted no more time and snatched the clothes from her, then slunk into the nearest fitting room in half a second flat. The sounds of her laughter could be heard from outside the closed door.
Well, all that aside, I did have a serious thought: was Eri buying these for me? Really? I wanted to buy stuff for her, not the other way around. How could my plans go so far astray? But I wasn't saying this was a bad thing, by any means…
And when I was done dressing myself up in her hand-picked clothes, I felt like a different person altogether. The dress shirt was grey and had short sleeves that reached to the elbow. The slacks were black and just right; not too baggy, and none of that ridiculous bell-bottom stuff. I couldn't believe it myself: Eri had picked out some clothes that were decent and tasteful for a change. But what truly amazed me was that I actually looked good in them.
"Not bad," I muttered to myself. "Not bad at all."
I stepped out of the fitting room to show off the new me to Eri. Ha ha… Eri, I dare you to lay your eyes upon this devilishly handsome man without getting a single dizzy spell!
She was nowhere to be seen. Huh? Where was she?
The door of the fitting room next to mine suddenly banged open and out clambered a customer. She almost tripped as she came out and when she saw me she immediately went into a rushed apology. "Sorry! Sorry, Neku. Were you waiting long for me?"
I stared and stared at this stranger. She was clad in a cheongsam, the vivid crimson cloth demanding attention. It was close-fitting and hugged her slender body tightly like a second skin. But the part about her dress that yanked my line of sight towards it – almost violently so – was the slit down the side. It reached up to the upper reaches of her thigh, and when it shifted, her entire leg poked into view, teasing me. My breath hitched in my throat.
"Eri? !" I said at last. "Is… Is that you? !"
"I should be asking that about you!" she countered, her hand to her mouth in astonishment. "Those clothes are awfully cool on you. I'm not joking! Like, totally asdfghjkl;…!"
"I-I'm surprised you could actually pronounce that."
There we stood, captivated with each other like a couple of silly high school kids in love. It was amusing how her face had quickly come to have the same colour as her dress. Then again, so did mine.
I shook out of my daze and asked, "By the way, Eri… wh-what's with the dress?"
"I found this nice cheongsam while you were changing," she explained, "and I thought you'd take a while, so I decided to try it on myself, but I totally didn't think you'd finish up so quickly."
"Oh… I see… um…"
She quickly returned to her old self and quietly asked for my opinion. "Erm… anyway, does it look good on me?"
"Th-That's a no-brainer. Uh… I'll give you an A for looking good." I couldn't tear my eyes off of the whole of her. Everything about her screamed sexy with a capital R for Rrrrrooow!
"Heh heh, thanks!" She was a sucker for attention, this girl. But she deserved it. "You're a far cry from the purple hoodies you're so fond of wearing. Ah, but I mean no offence, Neku. I'm just saying it's refreshing to see you wear something different for a change."
"Y-Yeah, I know…"
She was still blushing. Damn, she looked so cute.
"Eri?"
"Hmmm? What?"
"Uh… are you going to buy that cheongsam?"
"Of course! It's a good buy! And it pairs well with these high heels! Take a look and tell me you agree." She stuck her foot out to show me, but I never actually noticed the shoes much. All I was looking at was that long, lovely leg of hers peeking out of that slit. "Well? What about it? Doesn't it just spell chic?"
"Um… y-yeah. I… I agree. Completely. One hundred percent. Times two."
"Hey, careful, Neku! Don't dirty your new threads with that nosebleed of yours! What's with you anyway? D-Do you have some fetish for high heels? I mean, I kind of understand the appeal, but – "
"Fetish? ! No! What're you talking about? !" I graciously accepted more tissues from the salesman and jammed my nostrils shut. "A-Anyway, if you're getting these for me, I… I'll gladly accept them. I mean, it's something I want too."
"Really? That's great! I'm glad you like them, Neku. But now… I guess we'll have to do something about your shoes."
"My… shoes?" I looked down at my sneakers, and instantly knew what she was talking about.
"I hate to tell you this, but purple trainers are just so wrong in this getup. Let's get you some nice proper shoes, and then you can go out onto the streets in style. I'd love to see that!"
"Y-Yeah… me too, I guess…"
Once she was done changing back into her old clothes, she dragged me towards the section of the shop where shoes were sold. I stole another glance at her to find that she was smiling broadly to herself and that her blush had blossomed into a deeper shade of red.
Why was she blushing?
That was what I wanted to know. It would be simple to say she was bowled over by how good-looking I suddenly was, but prod this situation a little further and it might not be too far off a theory that she might actually think I was… hot?
Oh come on… Me, hot? How could she possibly see me in that light? Because if she did, then maybe she might think of me as more than just a friend…
But to think that way so soon, especially after her breakup… Was this even possible?
Or maybe she had always been… I dunno…
XOXOXOXOXO
Our clothes – her Chinese dress and my Saturday Night Fever ensemble – came to a total of about 25000 yen, which was just right for my agreed budget. Well, it could have cost a whole lot more but fortunately there was a sale going on, so hooray I guess?
I was still getting used to my new look. Yes, Eri had persuaded me to wear my new clothes in public. "You'll be the bomb!" she had squealed. I had tried to tell her I didn't want to, but she forced me to, so how could I refuse? And so I was walking down the streets wearing my brand new dress shirt, slacks and a pair of shiny leather shoes as black as night.
I thought I could feel everyone's stares on me, as though it didn't suit me at all, but everyone else was dressed considerably wackier, like Eri herself, so they probably didn't even bother to look my way. I could only hope I didn't look like a fool. But these were clothes picked by a fashion genius, so I'd be fine.
"And now," she said, "we need to dye your hair black to complete the look."
I reached up to my hair protectively with both hands. "Uh… no. Let's leave my hair out of this. I love it too much for that."
"I was just pulling your leg," she giggled. "I'm not going to do anything about your hair. It's part of what makes you… you."
Lunch was spent over light refreshments at a café called WildKat. I had been wondering where to take her for mealtime and carefully took her nature into consideration. If she loved fashion, then she must a high-maintenance person, even if just a bit. It simply wouldn't do to take her someplace cheap, like a ramen shop or beef bowl joint. But I was a struggling student with limited cash reserves, so an expensive restaurant was out of the question. WildKat was thus the best option as it had the best of both worlds: it had a classy ambience which might suit Eri's tastes, but all of the food on sale was affordable… good for my wallet.
And as an added benefit, there was someone who worked there whom I could consult for advice… You could say he was a friend of mine.
We were sitting on high stools at a long bar, chowing down on fried tofu salad and soup-of-the-day. It's been awhile since I came here, but the food has always stayed nice and tasty, just the way it should be.
Eri kept gushing, "God, this soup is heavenly."
The proprietor chuckled and expressed his gratitude, "Ah, thanks. You're too kind." He had shades on that were as dark as his hair, and his six-o'-clock shadow was worn in style. He may be aging and I believe he was pushing forty, but he was as fashionable as his café and his name was Mr Hanekoma.
How I got to know him is a long story that I'll leave for another day to tell, but he's one of my friends and also the person from whom I wanted to cull dating tips from. I hoped a chance would present itself where I could get him to slide me some quick information.
While he busied himself with serving the customers, Eri and I made small talk throughout lunch.
"Eri," I said, "you sure I don't stand out like a sore thumb? What with my new clothes and all."
"No way, you're doing fine!" She gave my shoulder an affectionate squeeze to make me feel more at ease with myself. "In fact, it's almost like you and WildKat are kindred spirits. The power of trendiness, you know?"
"I… I guess. It's just that ever since I started wearing these clothes, I've had this weird feeling. It's been eating away at me, and the back of my neck feels itchy too because of that."
"The back of your neck? Itchy?" She shot me a curious glance. "I wonder…"
"Eri? Wh-What are you doing?"
She reached out for my shirt collar and flipped it inside out. I was wondering what she was up to when she gave me a possible reason for my edginess. "Oh, it's just the tag on the inside of your collar."
"Tag?" She was right. So this whole time it was a cardboard tag that had been playing vampire on my neck, that annoying little thing! I guess I forgot to remove it… That's another 'Whoops' moment to chalk up for today!
"Remember to cut it off when you get home," she giggled.
"I don't think it can wait," I mumbled sheepishly, making for the washroom. "I'll be right back."
I must have been so nervous about getting things right for this date that I must have thought the itchiness was part of my psyche. But this was the very first date where I was the one to ask the girl out, and I wanted it to be just right. All the more I needed to ask Mr Hanekoma about what I could do to better the flow of things between myself and Eri.
The tag came off and the relief was both immediate and noticeable. It did make me feel better, although I also felt like a fool for having a tag, well, tag along for the whole morning. And then, as though the timing couldn't be better, when I came out of the cubicle, who should I bump into but Mr Hanekoma himself, washing his hands at the sink. Perfect!
"Mr H!" I gasped. "Hey, could you spare me a minute?"
"Well, well," he said, "looks like good ol' Phones got himself a girlfriend. It's nice to be young!"
"C-Could you not call me Phones, Mr H? I don't even wear my headphones much these days. And anyway, Eri's not my girlfriend yet."
"Oh, I see." He was beaming in an understanding way. "First date, eh, boss?"
"Yeah. I need to ask you… Do you know any dating tips? I mean, if you've been around for some, maybe you might know something I could use…"
His cheery expression soured a little. As for why, his next words would explain it all. "Around for some? Y-You make me sound old, Phones… That's like salt in the wound, you know."
"Ah, um, s-sorry, that's not what I meant at all, pops!"
"…P-Pops?"
"Uh…? ! No, I mean…!"
"I don't usually concern myself with these things, but… if I were anyone else, you'd be walking on thin ice. Very thin ice."
"I-I'm sorry!"
Me and my big mouth! Never had I ever seen such a dark look on Mr H's face… I struggled to right my wrongs, but he waved the matter aside quickly.
"Oh well," he sighed, "it can't be helped that I'm not exactly young anymore, but if I can help you a little, that's fine with me. And it's not nice to keep your little lady waiting, so I'll be brief and quick about it. Listen up."
"You got it, Mr H!"
At last! It's so nice to be able to ask someone for advice and get it. I should have done this a long time ago instead of getting nowhere by thinking in senseless circles. I braced myself for some good tips that I could put to good use. This was going to be awesome. Of course it would; Mr H was a dependable person. I was more than sure that his advice was –
"Neku, in a nutshell, you just need to be yourself."
I stared at him. I waited. And when the wait proved a little too long…
"Mr H? Um, wh-where's the advice you wanted to give me?"
"That is the advice!"
If it was advice, it certainly didn't sound like it! Where was the part where he would talk about what turns a girl on? Where were the little-known secrets to making any girl swoon? Heck, what's a guy got to do to get some cheat codes in life?
"Just be myself? !" I blurted. "That's supposed to help me… how?"
He braced the back of his neck like he was always seen to do. "I know you're eager for some fast tips, and that certainly fit the bill, didn't it?"
"But if I'm just myself, nothing's gonna change. In the end I'll stay the same way and Eri will get tired of me eventually… at least that's what I'm afraid of."
"Phones," he said kindly, "let's do a little thinking. That girl… Eri, was it? Why do you like her?"
"H-Huh?" I was momentarily stunned. Here he was asking me why I was in love with Eri? There were several reasons, and I could go on and on about them, but I felt there was a deeper meaning to Mr Hanekoma's question, so I probed further. "Wh-What do you mean?"
His face fell. "What's with that? Don't tell me you like her only for her looks…"
"O-Of course not! I find that hanging out with Eri is really fun, and there are so many things under the sky we can talk about. It's true she's got her quirks and little spots of craziness but don't we all? And besides, she's proven to be a great friend. There are times when I'm feeling down or frustrated and she's there to give me some moral support. She… She really cares about me. And I feel the same way about her."
Upon hearing this, Mr H smiled and nodded, apparently pleased with my answer.
"So in other words, you like Eri for who she is, right?"
"Uh… Yeah! That sounds about right."
"Well, then you're set! If you like Eri for who she is, then I'm sure she feels the same way about you! I know we're living in a world where change is inevitable, but sometimes staying the way you are works wonders too. This is one of those times."
I was stunned. To be honest, I thought his advice was useless, but when he explained it that way it suddenly clicked in my head. I had been struggling this whole date to make myself more likeable in Eri's eyes, but his words made me realize that perhaps I had been trying too hard. If she liked me, she wasn't trying to sell herself or anything; she wasn't sweating it, to be sure. So why should I? Of course certain basic matters of chivalry could be improvised upon depending on the situation, but otherwise it was fine to just be myself.
"Whoa…" I breathed in amazement. "Whoa, Mr H. I… I understand now. And I think I know what to do."
"Don't try to go out of your way to be different. It's tiring and she'll see through it. That'd be bad."
"True. Thanks, Mr H! This really helps."
"Best of luck, Phones. …Just don't call me pops again." His face was straight and serious.
"Y-Yeah…" Good thing I didn't call him grandpa…
