Chapter 10: Hating, Loving, and Hugging a Woman on Someone's Birthday – Part 3
"Okay," Melissa said to Nathan. Standing in front of her house, she shook the key out of the forest-green door before putting it back under the hide-a-key rock next to the grizzled-black welcome mat and turning the gold-polished doorknob. "Here we are." Melissa entered through the front door first as Nathan nervously followed. Raising his eyeglasses higher up on his face, he looked up to see a chandelier two floors above that was not turned on, and a staircase along both walls of the large foyer.
"Nice house." He gazed around the foyer, noticing the dining room and a piano room.
"Thanks. You hungry?" Melissa gestured ahead, to the kitchen. "Want anything?"
"Oh, no," Nathan replied, shaking his head. He tugged on his backpack's shoulder straps and gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm okay." Melissa returned his smile effortlessly, amused by his awkwardness.
"Well…" Casually shifting her blue eyes upstairs, she calmly let out a small breath of boredom. "I have to change out of my cheerleader uniform, so…just take a look around the house if you want, and I'll get you after I've changed."
"Sure," Nathan said quickly, nodding.
"I can take your backpack, if you want."
"Oh, no. It's okay-"
"It's no problem," Melissa insisted, keeping an easygoing gaze. "I'll just take it up to my room, and then we can hang out." She walked behind Nathan and gave his backpack a couple of big pats. "Come on. Give it to me." A little befuddled, Nathan gave in and gingerly freed himself from the straps. He turned around to look at her.
"I'll just stay here then-"
"Whoa," she suddenly chirped. Her hands lifting his backpack from the bottom, she started to lean back with the extra weight. Nathan started to reach for her, but she fell harmlessly on her bottom and let her backpack squeeze her torso against his backpack. He quickly took up his backpack by the straps and lifted it off Melissa, putting it to the side. She gave a sideways glance to his backpack. "I swear, you have the heaviest backpack ever."
"You okay?" he asked, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry." Hearing his apology, Melissa gave him yet another strange yet amused look.
"For what?"
"Ummm…." Pausing, he realized he wasn't sure why he apologized. "I guess for all the books I carry." She tilted her neck at an angle, and increased her perplexed look. "I'm always doing homework. You know." Finally, Melissa smirked and offered her right hand so that he could help her off the floor. He hesitantly reached with his own, and pulled her up.
"Thanks." Once again, she looked up at the left staircase. "Actually, let's just go up together."
"Okay," he agreed, letting her walk past him.
-…-
Shinobu glanced secretly at Naru, to his right. She kept her eyes glued to the screen, seeing Melissa and Nathan walk into Melissa's bedroom.
"All work and no play, Nathan?" the theater speakers sounded, getting Shinobu's attention.
-…-
"…I guess," Nathan replied, putting his backpack down next to hers.
"Then, why would you ask me out on a date?" Melissa asked. She sat down on her bed, looking at Nathan curiously. He looked away in embarrassment, blushing.
"Ummm, to be honest…" he replied, "my friends made me do it. I guess they thought it'd be funny, to see a loser geek ask out the most popular girl in school."
"Aw, don't say that." She gave him a sympathetic face.
"Well, let's face it: I am a loser-"
"No," she interrupted. "Don't say I'm the most popular girl in school." Nathan gave her a strange look.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not," she replied, with complete sincerity.
"But, you think I'm a loser geek?" Melissa brushed away a long blonde lock of hair away from her eyes, smirking at him as she shrugged.
"Well, you seem to believe that yourself," she explained, "that you're a loser geek." Looking away, she paid attention to her cheerleader skirt and played with the end of its blue and black striped trim. "If that's what you believe about yourself, then who am I to say anything different?"
Nathan scoffed.
"So…if you think I'm a loser, too, then why'd you go out with me?" he asked. "Why'd you say yes?" Melissa shrugged again.
"I don't know." She looked away from him to gaze outside her window, observing the gray sky. "I guess I just realize the effort it takes to ask someone out that you really like." She glanced back at Nathan sideways. To Nathan, that sideways glance was always so attractive. He believed that was part of the reason why everyone liked her: she seemed mysterious. Strange. …Genuine. "I decided to reward that effort."
-…-
Frowning slightly, Shinobu couldn't help but look over to his right again.
If Naru's going out with me, and it's not a date…then, why did she want to go out with me? He turned back to the screen, blankly gazing over the audience members in front of him. Out of pity? Simply because I asked her? Because she's bored?
"Heh," the theater speakers whispered loudly. "I bet that was your first kiss." Shinobu looked back at the screen, seeing the nerd blush greatly before eagerly engaging in another deep kiss with the cheerleader on her bed.
-Meanwhile…in the mountain side surrounding the town-
"Makoto!"
Hearing his name as soon as he got off the bus, the young warrior sighed and stood still for a few moments. His fellow campmates paused at the bus steps and in the bus aisle, waiting and confused as to why Makoto wasn't getting out of the way. Realizing this, Makoto walked forward to the dusty camp clearing, where two other buses and his other campmates were chattering about. He and the others were surrounded by camp lodges for them to sleep in, and a couple of training facilities, with large open sparring spaces.
Walking towards his campmates, he noticed a familiar face jogging towards him. The person who called out his name.
"Hey!" Izumi called out cheerily, stopping in front of Makoto and giving him a small jab in the stomach with her shinai.
"Hey," he returned apprehensively. He frowned at the jab, swatting her away.
"How have you been, Makoto?"
"Fine." Makoto looked at Izumi wistfully, from her long strawberry-blonde hair and honey eyes, to her budding and perky kimono-covered chest, and the butterfly tattoo on her right ankle. Looking back up at her face, he saw a flirtatious smirk planted there.
"Like the tattoo?" He frowned at Izumi's remark.
"No. When did you get that?"
"A few months ago," she replied, lifting up her right foot to get a good look at it. Izumi put her foot down and looked up at Makoto anxiously. "I also got a tattoo here," she added, reaching for her chest. Izumi started to slide back part of her kimono to show a little more of her right breast. Makoto looked away instantly.
"You should stop acting in such a sexually-suggestive manner," Makoto sternly wished, causing her to stop her hand. "You're reminding me of my sister."
"How is she?" Izumi asked eagerly. She looked around the campgrounds. "Is she here?"
"I don't know," he replied, looking around as well. "She could be violating another one of my peers right now, for all I know. After all, that's what happened with you last year…" Izumi looked away in embarrassment while playing with her hair. "…So…"
"Tsuruko didn't violate me," she quibbled as she folded her arms. "She's a kind and loving person. She showed me what it means to be a woman."
"Well, I wish she didn't," Makoto retorted. "I remember how you used to be."
"What? Shy, introverted, and unaware of what the world had to offer?" He gave her a sharp look.
"That's not what I meant. You were…" Pausing, he tried to find the right words. "Cautious." Izumi looked at him quizzically. "Okay, maybe you were shy and introverted," Makoto admitted. "Still…I liked that about you, Izumi." She softened her look, wishing that he said that when they were close friends. Realizing what he just said, Makoto blushed and cleared his throat. "And, what do you mean, "unaware of what the world had to offer?" What does that mean?"
"It means exactly that," she tried to explain herself. "I never tried to…explore the world before I met your sister." Makoto became a little agitated, hearing his sister being brought up again. "I always went home after school, and never went anywhere, until my parents forced me to do kendo. And your sister, she taught me that it was important to try new things. To believe in myself. That the world is so much more than my home and my school."
"No," Makoto snapped, finally having enough, "she taught you to be immoral and promiscuous." He looked over Izumi's body once more, this time with contempt. "And, now, I see that you've kept true to her teachings."
"Makoto…" Izumi began, reaching for him apologetically. Unfortunately, Makoto turned around and walked away quickly from Izumi, to the camp instructors next to a makeshift tent. Looking on, she sighed.
"Hey, Izumi!" someone called out behind her. She turned around, but not before getting hugged by a short-haired brunette. The brunette was followed by two other girls in traditional kendo attire, as all the other camp attendees were dressed in.
"Hey, Miki," Izumi returned.
"Was that Tsuruko's brother?" the pink-haired friend asked, looking at Makoto.
"Yeah," Izumi replied.
"Fuck," the other friend gushed, a small wind gust blowing strands of her purple hair away from her forehead. "It's been forever since I've seen Tsuruko." She blushed, remembering their times together. "Ummm…do you guys remember the-"
"Orgy?" Izumi finished her sentence, causing her purple-haired friend to blush even more about that night. Her friend shook her head in disbelief.
"I still can't believe that Tsuruko had us do that," Miki murmured. The four girls instantly remembered their nights together and alone with Tsuruko, recalling each of their naked bodies, including Tsuruko's. …And the great sex, of course.
Blushing, the girls looked at each other, and chuckled sheepishly.
"It's okay, Izumi," Tsuruko whispered again, kissing Izumi's head as her sobs finally started to subside. Izumi slowly lifted her head from Tsuruko's chest and Tsuruko softly wiped away Izumi's tears from her eyes. She took a couple of deep breaths to stop from trembling, looking blankly at the mattress they were on.
"I'm sorry," Izumi said softly, gazing at the tears on Tsuruko's pale breasts. Tsuruko shook her head softly while caressing Izumi's face.
"Don't be." She leaned in and kissed Izumi deeply. After the kiss, Izumi knew that Tsuruko was special; she knew that she was thankful for Tsuruko, for hearing her problems in life…and doing so much more. "Remember this, Izumi…" Tsuruko added, looking right into Izumi's eyes. "You're a special person. A good person." Izumi scoffed and looked away. "Hey." After a moment, she looked back at Tsuruko. "Do you think I'm lying?" Looking into Tsuruko's eyes, Izumi couldn't see any deceit, any dishonesty.
"…No," she realized. For the first time in her life, Izumi could feel a well of self-confidence gushing up inside herself. Tsuruko saw this revelation across Izumi's face, and she knew that she'd done it again, that she changed someone's life. The Izumi she first knew was still there, but Tsuruko saw it begin to change. Izumi imagined herself doing things that she originally thought impossible. Izumi saw herself finally winning a kendo match, finally asking out her friend Makoto on a date…
Looking down, Izumi realized that she and Tsuruko were both naked and on a soft bed. She stared at Tsuruko's breasts and nipples for some time, amusing Tsuruko. Now, Izumi saw herself having sex with the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.
"Tsuruko?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," Izumi said earnestly. With that, she warmly grasped Tsuruko's chest and started to kiss her.
"I can see why Makoto hates Tsuruko," Miki said, getting Izumi back to reality. Another strong gust of wind whipped some tan sand around their eyes.
"Why?" Izumi asked. Miki gave her a dumbfounded look.
"Come on," Miki explained herself, looking at Makoto with pity. "I mean, let's face it: Tsuruko was great, especially in bed. And that's why he hates her; she was in everyone's bed." Izumi stood silent, not able to argue with that point. "As much as I love her, Tsuruko's a slut."
"But…she's a good person…" Izumi tried to argue. Miki shrugged.
"I know. …Still doesn't change the fact that she's a slut." Izumi frowned, knowing the impact that Tsuruko had in her life. Miki scratched her short brown hair as she looked around at the old campsite. "Heck, she's probably blowing some guy right now…"
-Below the mountainside…at a certain tea shop near a certain inn, somewhere downtown…-
Haruka's closed eyes tightened as she started to wake up. Lying on her ribs, she moaned slightly and brought her knees closer to her body so that she could let her feet dangle over the left side of the bed. She sniffled and scratched an itch under her left breast before snuggling deeper into the mattress.
It's cold…Haruka thought to herself. Where are the blankets? Her body felt the same way, with her brown nipples hard on her slightly-above-average-sized breasts.
…Wait. Opening her eyes, she looked down at her breasts…and then her pubic area. I'm naked.
"Yes," Haruka murmured, softly clutching Tsuruko's long-haired and soft head close to her vagina, between her bent legs…
Remembering this part of her sexual encounter, Haruka nervously looked around her small office/bedroom. She was on the bottom bed of her bunk bed, where she usually slept at night. The bunk bed was settled right between the wall and her desk with the fax machine. The door to the room was wide open, revealing all sorts of strange sexual toys on the floor. Haruka realized that she had a musky odor about her. She raised a hand to feel the dried sweat on her forehead, and could feel it all over her body.
"So, you're awake." Haruka snapped her head up, discovering a fully-dressed Tsuruko leaning against the door frame about ten feet away. Instantly, Haruka covered herself by crossing her arms across her chest and crossing her legs. Observing this, Tsuruko gave her a puzzled look. "Something wrong?"
"You're still here," Haruka stated out of surprise, rather than out of negative response.
"I thought it'd be a little rude to…"fuck-and-dash."" Tsuruko leaned towards Haruka a little, noticing that she was not happy. "You ok?" In response, Haruka scoffed.
"You…took advantage of me."
"You mean I raped you?" Tsuruko asked in disbelief, giving her a funny look. "I think you wanted it, too."
"I mean…" Haruka sighed. "I told you that I wasn't…myself. The…aphrodisiac…" Tsuruko stared at her intently, scrutinizing her flustered facial expressions. After a moment, she folded her arms across her chest and frowned as she realized that Haruka wasn't making the aphrodisiac up.
"Oh, shit," Tsuruko blurted out, raising a hand to her mouth. "I kind of raped you." Haruka realized that it was strange to do what she was about to do, but she looked at her sympathetically. "I'm so sorry." Tsuruko sank to her knees and clasped her hands in front of herself. "Please don't call the police." Still incredibly bewildered by the whole situation, Haruka looked away from Tsuruko's begging.
"I…I won't," she told her.
"Thank you so much!" Tsuruko rested her hands palm-side-down against the floor and bowed her head.
"Well," Haruka supposed, mulling over the sexual adventure, "it's not like I resisted or anything like that-"
"Wait," Tsuruko interrupted, realizing something as she lifted her head. "Why would you knowingly inhale an aphrodisiac?"
"I didn't know it was an aphrodisiac."
"Why didn't you know?"
"It's…hard to explain." Tsuruko shrugged.
"Try me." Haruka, still covering herself stiff, sighed.
"A…friend…of mine replaced my ashtray with his own ashtray. I didn't know this until it happened but, apparently, his ashtray sprays an aphrodisiac into the air when you touch it." Waiting for her response, Haruka frowned as Tsuruko narrowed her eyes and gaped at her with an open-mouthed smile.
"…What?" Tsuruko scoffed loudly, amused as well as shocked. Haruka gave her an annoyed look, and then looked past her. Through the door, she could see the counter that customers would line up at to purchase her teas and snacks. Haruka made sure to cover her nipples with only one arm before using the other to point out to the counter, causing Tsuruko to turn her head to look outside the doorframe.
"It's next to the cash register, on the countertop." Haruka put her arm back over her breasts as Tsuruko got up to her feet and turned to walk to the counter. She found the silver ashtray next to the cash register, and went to pick it up. "Be careful with it!" Haruka added, making Tsuruko pause momentarily before picking up the ashtray gingerly from the sides. She made her way back to the office/bedroom, and paused at the doorframe, taking a little time to look at Haruka's mostly-naked body. "If you have a camera phone," Haruka added yet again, getting Tsuruko's attention, "you should get it out and take a picture. Or a video." Tsuruko sheepishly smirked. "Either way, it will last longer."
"Just admiring the view," Tsuruko remarked, deciding to walk past her sex toys to sit next to Haruka on the bed. Haruka shifted away slightly on her bottom, trying to not move any of her arms or legs.
"By the way, where are my clothes?"
"Out in the dining area," Tsuruko replied. "You know, in your case, I think clothes are overrated." Haruka blushed and sighed. Tsuruko played around with the ashtray in her hands, peering at it from every angle. "Aphrodisiac, huh?"
"Yes," Haruka assured her, eyeing the ashtray warily. "Do you think I'd have sex with a woman if I wasn't under the influence of something?"
"You wouldn't?" Tsuruko asked incredulously. "If a beautiful woman offers to have sex with you, you should. …That is, after you learn about the woman's motives behind the offer, of course."
"It's not like I'm a lesbian." Suddenly, Haruka groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Shit." Tsuruko looked back at her with concern, softly grasping Haruka's shoulder to comfort her.
"What's wrong?"
"I just had hours of sex with some random stranger," Haruka muttered. In anger, she swatted Tsuruko's arm away. "With you." Haruka looked at Tsuruko in complete bafflement. "It's fucked up."
"I'm sorry," Tsuruko said softly, causing Haruka to sigh deeply once again.
"Whatever," Haruka grumbled tiredly. "It's only sort of your fault." Tsuruko chuckled.
"I guess…"
I haven't had sex in a while, Haruka realized, thinking about the incredible sensations she felt with Tsuruko during sex. I really needed that…
"You know, I think you're lying about the ashtray," Tsuruko exclaimed, looking back it. "There's no aphrodisiac here."
"Yes, there is." Tsuruko held it up to Haruka's face so that she could see the ashtray's surface.
"Well…" Having a thought, Tsuruko decided to place a finger against the curved bowl of the ashtray, where ash would fall into from a cigarette. "Maybe you actually have to use it-"
"Wait!" Haruka exclaimed, trying to take the ashtray away from Tsuruko.
Unfortunately, just as Tsuruko placed her finger against the ashtray's bowl, the aphrodisiac hissed out and sent a plume of mist straight into Haruka's face. Haruka coughed, trying to wave away the mist.
"Oh, shit!" Tsuruko giggled. She instantly moved to the far side of the bed to avoid any of the aphrodisiac. "Are you okay?" Haruka nodded, her coughs getting softer. "I guess you were telling the truth," she added, gazing at the ashtray in disbelief.
"Of course I was," Haruka grumbled. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get dressed." Tsuruko gave a small nod.
"Sure." Tsuruko got up from the bed, and stepped her way around her sex toys to get outside the room. Before leaving, she reached for the doorknob and closed the door. She looked around the teashop and, finding her bird Magic perched on the same shelf behind the counter, clicked her tongue twice. At once, Magic flew to Tsuruko and perched on her right shoulder. "Hey, Magic," Tsuruko cooed, petting her pet's feathered breast. For some reason, Magic didn't like this and fluttered her wings wildly, smacking one of them repeatedly into Tsuruko's face.
"Squawww!"
"Hey!" Tsuruko whispered, raising her hands in self-defense. "I'm sorry I took so long." Magic squawked again, sending a couple gold feathers inside Tsuruko's mouth. "Pweh," she blurt out, spitting out the feathers.
"Tsuruko?" someone called out behind her. Turning around, Tsuruko saw Haruka's face peek out behind her slightly-open office/bedroom door. "Could you help me with something?"
"Sure," Tsuruko replied. To Magic's dismay, Tsuruko shooed her away. The bird fluttered back to her usual spot while Tsuruko walked into Haruka's room. "What's…"
Pausing, Tsuruko started to smile as she observed Haruka's naked form struggle to put on her strap-on.
"…wrong?" Tsuruko finished asking. Blushing, Haruka nervously glanced up at her, her hands grasping the purple plastic rod.
"I don't know how to put this on," Haruka murmured.
"Let's see," Tsuruko said, trying to take her eyes off of Haruka's breasts as she closed the door.
-Later…at the Hinata Inn…-
After the movie, Naru and the rest of the residents left the theater, but not before Mitsune suggested that they all eat out for lunch. Kaoru happily agreed, and Keitaro and the others did not seem to mind. Mitsune asked Naru if she'd eaten out anywhere in town, to which Naru answered no. He suggested that they eat at one of the best sandwich shops in town, which was a couple blocks over to the right. Throughout their walk to the sandwich shop, Mitsune tried to engage Naru in a pleasant conversation about unimportant things, such as the sandwiches that the shop offered and other restaurants of note in the area. Of course, Kaoru kept a death grip on Naru's hand, letting go only when Naru wished to wipe off the sweat that accumulated from all the hand-holding.
For some reason, Shinobu was bothered by the question that he asked himself while they watched the movie – why did Naru want to go out with him, if it wasn't a date? Usually, he wouldn't let something like this bother him and would try to avoid making himself look like a weirdo in front of someone like Naru. However, because of his swelling desire to act more courageous, due to his birthday, Shinobu wanted to ask her this very same question so that he could understand what she saw in him and, just maybe, try to change anything girl-repelling about himself…now that he was a "man."
Unfortunately, he didn't feel as brave as he did in the morning, and he realized that it would just be incredibly awkward to ask that sort of thing in front of his fellow residents. So, Shinobu kept mostly quiet throughout the day, nibbling on his teriyaki-glazed chicken sandwich as he enjoyed lunch with his fellow residents inside the sandwich shop.
Afterwards, with Mitsune's insistence, they decided to play some video games at the local arcade, across the street. Having just enough money to pay for his roast beef sandwich, Mitsune realized that he wouldn't be able to enjoy himself. However, Naru decided to shell out a little money for the both of them, delighting Mitsune to no end. "Hugs!" he exclaimed, leaning over to Naru and engulfing her in his arms as they stood just outside the arcade. Naru took the hug in stride until Mitsune kept hugging her a few seconds longer than she liked. At that point, she promptly warned him that a punch was coming his way if he didn't let go instantly. He wisely heeded her warning.
Spending a good hour at the arcade, Keitaro finally had enough and thought that they should go back to the inn. Mitsune disagreed, believing that they should go back before dinner so that Shinobu would have enough time to cook and that they wouldn't have to get bored in their rooms. Ignoring him, Keitaro asked Naru of her opinion. She shrugged, saying that she didn't know, while also admitting that she needed to get out of her room. Mitsune called the issue settled, and suggested that they go to the local mall for a little tour. Although she was a little tired, Naru decided to take on his suggestion.
They stayed at the mall until five in the evening, and took a cable car to get back to the Hinata Inn. Finally back, the residents each went their separate ways for a half-hour before finding each other at the dining table for Shinobu's dinner. Always bored, Mitsune made another suggestion for entertainment by rolling out the karaoke cart next to the table after the meal. The residents grudgingly indulged Mitsune, singing for about a half-hour.
Finally, everyone decided to depart each other's company for the night. Mitsune and Keitaro left the table for their rooms upstairs. Kaoru told Naru that he would have stayed with her at the table, but he remembered something he had to take care of in his room and that he would be gone for an hour. That left Naru with Shinobu, who had begun to clear the dishes.
"Need some help?" Naru asked. Shinobu looked up at her eagerly and smiled.
"Sure."
-…-
"You know, I still can't believe that you cook these great meals almost every day, and now you have to clean all these dirty dishes, too."
"I know," Shinobu said frankly, handing Naru another dish to dry in front of the kitchen sink. "It's really hard, sometimes."
"And you do the laundry, too," she added. Shinobu nodded. "They should really help you out more, everyone else."
"Well, occasionally, they do." Naru took the next bowl from Shinobu and wrapped the towel around it.
This is it, Shinobu, he thought to himself, glancing at her. You're alone with her, and Kaoru's going to want to stick to her like glue, once he's done with whatever he's doing upstairs. He looked behind himself for a second or two, seeing the darkness of the lobby outside the kitchen. Now's the time to talk to Naru.
"Hey, Naru?"
"Yeah?"
"I was wondering…" He paused as he focused intently on the plate that he was holding in his pink dish-washing gloved hands. He could feel himself chickening out. Naru curiously glanced over at Shinobu, wondering what he wanted to talk about.
"…Yeah?" she repeated herself.
"I was just wondering…" Shinobu began, looking down at the sudsy water filled with bubbles. "What we did today…that wasn't a date, right?"
"Ummm…" Naru felt her cheeks going a little red, not expecting him to ask that sort of thing. "Well…" She tried to shrug casually. "I don't know."
It sort-of was, Naru thought to herself. Once again, a bittersweet feeling built up inside her; she really was glad that Shinobu asked her out, but it felt pathetic to go out on a "date" with someone so young. And it wasn't like she was attracted to him. He's not even a teenager, she recalled, when she asked how old he was at the dinner table her first day here.
"I guess it wasn't," Shinobu remarked, expecting her to feel that way.
"It sort-of was," Naru suddenly blurted out. She blushed a little more, frustrated that her feelings got the better of her. Shinobu noticed this.
She looks a little flustered… He widened his eyes as it dawned on him. Could it be that…she likes me, too?
"Naru, why'd you go out with me?"
"Uh, I don't know," she replied, avoiding his gaze while playing with the white towel in her yellow dish-washing gloves. "I mean, you asked me out, and you just strike me as a nice person. So, if one of you boys had to ask me out, I guess I would've wanted to go with someone like you." Shinobu gave a small smile at her compliment.
I'm living with boys, Naru realized again. Would each of them want to ask me out? Shinobu did today…I wonder if Keitaro would…?
"Naru…" Shinobu said softly.
Crap, he thought to himself, getting a little sweaty. I can't believe I'm going to ask this…
No, Naru thought, not hearing Shinobu as she rolled her eyes, Keitaro probably wouldn't…
"…would you want to be my girlfriend?" he finally asked, blushing. Having heard him, Naru hesitatingly turned to Shinobu, blushing as well.
"What?" she asked softly, gaping at him with a confused look on her face. Shinobu's mouth went dry as he saw her face.
"I'm not asking you to be my girlfriend," he clarified, his soft voice cracking a little. "I was just asking hypothetically."
"Oh," Naru blurted out, her cheeks still red while she held the white towel in front of her chest.
"I'm just really shy," Shinobu admitted to her as he held another bowl in and out of the sudsy sink absentmindedly, "and I don't talk to a lot of girls. So, I figured that I could ask your opinion…you know? If you'd think that I'd be a good boyfriend."
"Oh," Naru said again. "Well, I don't know." She scoffed at herself. "It's not like I have a lot of boyfriend experience."
"How many boyfriends have you had?"
"Ummm…" Naru looked away, getting embarrassed at her social life. "Not many."
"Well, at least you've had a boyfriend or a girlfriend," Shinobu murmured, leaning down against the wet countertop.
"Uh, actually…" Looking over at her sideways, he belatedly realized what she was saying. Once it hit him, Shinobu turned quickly to face Naru. His hand still holding the bowl in the sudsy water, he foolishly turned with the bowl in his hand, which sent water spilling over the sink and countertop.
"You've never had a boyfriend?" he asked. Widening her eyes, Naru backed away slightly from the wave of water. The water dripped down the cabinet doors, with some of it getting on the floor."Damn it," he muttered, letting go of the bowl.
"I got it," Naru said, getting down on both knees. Shinobu did the same.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Shinobu and Naru knelt on the kitchen floor in silence for a few moments, as she wiped the towel in right-to-left circular motions over the water.
"You know," Shinobu began, looking at her wipe away the floor in front of him, "it's my birthday today."
"Oh," she said simply, keeping her gaze down. "Happy birthday."
That's random…she remarked negatively to herself, starting to get bothered by all these awkward issues that Shinobu kept sprouting.
"Wait," she added. She looked up at Shinobu. "Why didn't Mitsune or the others say anything about it?"
"They don't know," Shinobu responded. Naru looked at him with concern.
"Why don't you say anything? I mean, it's your birthday." He shrugged.
"I don't know. It doesn't really matter-"
"Of course it matters," Naru voiced, frowning at Shinobu's apathy. "You get…birthday cake. Birthday presents."
"Well…being with you is a good enough present," he remarked. Naru scoffed and shook her head as she turned her attention to the water on the cabinet doors next to her.
"Aw," she cooed in a joking manner, wiping down the cabinet frame. She could see Shinobu look back towards the lobby out of the corner of her eye before turning back to her. "That's cu-" Shinobu got closer to Naru, getting her attention as she turned back to face him. Before she could finish saying the word "cute," she grunted slightly, her vision and mouth blocked by Shinobu's red face.