Chapter 11.
The romantic date of Nagato Yuki
Finally, my life had returned to its normal course. That is, assuming that having mystery searches accompanied by a a time traveler, an esper, and an alien, under the orders of a walking deity born with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is what you could consider "normal". But one thing was sure: It wasn't boring.
And after six weeks of not meeting to support Haruhi in her romantic loss, we were finally reunited. Meet the new SOS brigade: A "god" and her esper boyfriend, a well-endowed but shy traveler who was the mascot of the club, a human who happened to be a part-time time traveler, and his girlfriend from outer space.
Ah, Nagato... her soft hands, her sweet smile, her tender voice, her shyness that makes her blush in a way that would make all 'moe'-lovers in the world make a battle cry... sigh. Even when she is strong and can fight hand to hand against a giant cricket, or grab an enemy's combat knife with her bare hands without flinching, she is so delicate when she has to deal with human emotions, a new world for her to explore and enjoy. That girl is my sweet goddess, Nagato Yuki.
If Nagato's heart could be put in a pedestal, I would guard it with the most modern surveillance technology and have the greatest superheroes in the world patrol the surroundings.
Oh, I beg your pardon. Since I fell in love with her I can't stop thinking about her. That's how love is, isn't it? But let's return to my story. My life was returning to its relatively normal course. It was 4:10 PM, and I arrived at the brigade's established meeting point in the city.
"Kyon! You're already late! Don't you know about punctuality? And look! You made Yuki wait for you! What kind of a gentleman do you think you are?"
Hey, don't get Nagato into this! The meeting was at 4:30 PM!
"Anyway! Just because I'm in a good mood, there will be no penalty for you today. You know the drill. Choose your partners with luck!"
Saying this, she took a few straws from her pocket, smiling like a golden Buddha found in Chinese food restaurants. Asahina-san was the first to take a straw.
"Uh... Suzumiya-san... what does this mean?"
It was a straw with a black tip on the bottom.
"Ah, that's the no-group!" answered Haruhi, smiling and patting Asahina-san. "Sorry, Mikuru-chan! You'll have to find the mystery on your own!"
Luck dictated that I would pair with Nagato, and Haruhi would pair with Koizumi. Hey, Haruhi, if you're planning to do this, why use the straws as an excuse? Don't tell me, I get it, 'because it's more fun this way'. Not that I complained, because when Nagato saw that she was to be in my group, she smiled like a kid would, after knowing that his favorite superhero would visit him.
Haruhi gave us the rest of the instructions: "Today I'll make an exception from our regular mystery searches! There will be no return meeting so you have all day to search, because finding a mystery today is MANDATORY! And the mystery you will search for..."
She took from her pocket three folded rectangular pieces of paper. "... is written in here!"
Oh, this is fantastic. Just when I thought this would be a regular date, she gets serious about this and ruins all the fun. I just hope we don't have to find a haunted house or a genie in a bottle.
"Mikuru-chan, you first!" shouted Haruhi. Asahina-san picked her paper, and it read:
Mystery to find: Female time traveler.
"Uh... but I'm a female time traveler..."
"WONDERFUL!" shouted Haruhi, hugging Asahina-san and patting her shoulder. "Congratulations, Mikuru-chan, you've found your mystery! You have your afternoon all for yourself!"
"Ehh???"
"Bye bye~~~ see you tomorrow!" said Haruhi, waving goodbye at Asahina-san, who walked away scratching her head.
"Kyon, you're next!" said Haruhi, making me pick a piece of paper. I opened it, and it read:
Mystery to find: Female sexuality.
"Hey, what kind of joke is this?"
Haruhi looked at my paper, and read: "Are you an idiot, Kyon? Don't tell me you don't find THAT a mystery?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"I'm sure Yuki will be able to help you find it, right Yuki?"
Nagato read the paper, and began to blush.
"Well," finished Haruhi, "I'll go find my mystery with Koizumi! See you tomorrow!"
Then I noticed that the paper had been folded twice. And there seemed to be something written inside. Nagato was with me, and when I opened it, it read:
Suggested location: Love hotel.
I opened my eyes in shock, while Nagato covered her mouth. The intensity of her blush had increased one point in the logarithmic scale. No, 1.5. 1.7, 2.1... Nagato swallowed and began to breathe heavily. She looked terribly disturbed.
"Nagato..." I said.
She looked at me briefly and then turned 180 degrees.
"Um... yes?" she said. Her voice was trembling.
"We don't have to do that. It was just a suggestion! Let's just have a normal date."
Nagato sighed in relief, and held my arm, reclining her head on my shoulder. She smiled. Slowly, her blush began to fade to an acceptable level - but not zero.
"Nagato, don't tell me you really believed we were going to do that?"
"Um... yes..."
This time, I was the one who swallowed. Hey, Haruhi, you shouldn't be playing with Nagato just because she's unexperienced!
"Anyway... where would you like to go?" I asked.
Nagato touched her lips with her bent index finger. She stayed like that for a few seconds. "I don't know."
Aw, Nagato... you really don't know about this, do you? Of course she doesn't, you dummy. You're her first date!
"Well, I've played some dating simulation games... the places are usually a cafe, then the cinema, and then a restaurant... and then -"
She blushed again.
"Nagato, you can skip that part."
She smiled. "Okay."
And so, our "search for the mystery of female sexuality", also known in the human world, as "date", had begun.
The first thing we did was search for a cafe. We found one, and I recall having walked this street before.
"Is this fine for you, Nagato?"
But Nagato ignored me. She kept looking at the other street corner.
"Nagato, is something wrong?"
She looked at me, and hugged my arm, closing her eyes. "Here's fine."
I invited Nagato an ice cream. "What flavor would you like?"
"I don't know. I have never tasted them."
"You haven't?"
"No, it wasn't necessary for my mission."
I realized that Nagato's life so far had been incredibly boring. No wonder the only thing she did was reading books. She hadn't learned to enjoy the little pleasures of life. I asked the waiter to let her taste a little of each flavor so she could choose.
"So, Nagato, which one you liked the most?"
"This one", she said, pointing at the lemon one. "But I also liked this other one". She was pointing at the chocolate one.
"So, which one of those two?"
Nagato took a while to decide. "Chocolate."
"Alright, chocolate it is, then."
I ordered some soda for myself, as I was feeling somewhat thirsty.
"You know, Nagato, I had never realized you never had time for yourself, to enjoy stuff... hey, Nagato, don't eat the ice cream so fast. Let it melt in your tongue for two more seconds so you can enjoy the taste a bit longer."
Nagato slowed down.
"Well, what do you think?" I asked. "Isn't it better this way?"
She nodded. When she finished her ice cream, I offered her to drink from my soda. Looking at it, she put a second straw on it, smiling at me with an expression that said "I'm embarrassed but happy at the same time. Would you mind?". Oh, Nagato, how I love you!
I gave another sip to the soda to accompany her.
As she was sipping the soda with her little beautiful mouth, I would ask her some more questions about the changes she experimented.
"Nagato, mind explaining about the new protocols you received?"
"Okay."
"Wait. Your mouth's a bit dirty. Here." I said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"Thank you. What would you like to know?"
"Telepathy. Why did you get it?"
"I really can't say why I got it. I just received it from Suzumiya-san, but It only works with you."
"With me?"
She nodded.
"Hmm... that's interesting."
Nagato continued with her explanation. "Also, it seems to be designed so that Suzumiya-san can't access our thoughts."
Now, that's even more interesting. I remembered how bad Haruhi felt about intruding Nagato's dreams, and maybe this was a way for her to provide Nagato the privacy she needed to communicate with me. Maybe Haruhi was scared of knowing what we were talking about.
"I also received a similar protocol that works with dreams."
"Dreams?"
"It means I can share a lucid dream with you. Would you like to try tonight?"
Hmm... I only had one lucid dream in my life. Not counting the weird-Haruhi-dream-in-a-closed-space kind of dream, of course. So I got curious.
"Yeah, why not?"
"Okay."
I paid the bill, and we continued walking. Then Nagato stopped at a wedding store, just before an antique bookstore. Hey, I remember this one! Nagato had stopped to... look at the bride's dress!
"Nagato..."
"Yes?"
"Remember when you stopped at this store before?"
"Yes."
We were interrupted by a salesman. Hey, I remember you!
"Ah, you're here again! And I see you brought your boyfriend with you!"
Nagato blushed, smiled, and looked down.
"Ah ha, I knew it!" said the salesman. "So you were planning to get married after all!"
No, I'm not...
"Yes."
Nagato! Did you just...?
I couldn't think of anything more.
"Ah, I knew it, I knew it!" the salesman said. "No wonder you came here everyday to look at that dress!"
What did you say? I turned to look at Nagato, who covered her face in embarrassment.
"Nagato.... since when have you been going here?"
"Since that day. I felt very lonely, and I couldn't stop thinking of us being married and living together."
"Oh, Nagato... why didn't you tell me?"
She hugged me. The strength of her hug, and her face made me remember all the pain that she had to go through. "I was scared..." she said, frowning.
"Shh shhh shh... it's fine, it's fine." After petting her back, I put my hands on her shoulders and looked at her eyes. "You don't have anything to worry about now, do you?"
She hugged me again, and closed her eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Kyon..."
"Yes?"
Nagato stared at me with a face that begged for compassion. Nagato, what's wrong?
"Please marry me."
If this had been a fighting video game, those words alone would have drained all my life bar in an instant. Because I had never thought of Nagato that way. I just knew that I loved her, and that it felt good going out together. But getting married? This idea alone shocked me - not that it was bad, but it shocked me.
Then I began to consider it. Hey, why not? Wait - what does the Integrated Data Sentient Entity think about this?
"Nagato, um... will your boss allow this?"
Nagato looked at me, and her face looked worried. "I don't know... and I'm afraid to ask."
Oh, poor Nagato... I kept hugging her, when she suddenly smiled. And it was a huge smile. "They approve!"
Nagato hugged me and began to shed tears. "They approve!!", she said again.
"I'm so glad, Nagato!"
The salesman interrupted us. "So, when do you plan to have the wedding?"
"Uh?"
I was thinking of getting married after going to college. But asking right now was simply too soon.
"Nagato, I think we should wait at least until college. Is it ok with you?"
"Yes.", she said, hugging me. We said goodbye to the salesman, and continued our date.
"Nagato, where would you like to go now?"
"Bookstore."
As we were about to enter the bookstore, the salesman gave a 'thumbs up' to me. You greedy bastard... but, you have my deepest gratitude. Maybe, without you mentioning those things when Nagato and I were mystery searching, Nagato wouldn't be free to love me. It's interesting, how events so important end up being caused by a tiny coincidence.
We entered the bookstore. Nagato was browsing some books, while I actually got bored after the first 10 minutes. I felt my sleeve being pulled by Nagato.
"I want this."
That's the book that she was reading the other time. "Mysteries of the Human Mind", a treatise on psychology.
"Okay, I'll buy it for you."
"Thank you!" she said, smiling. And now that I think of it, this was the first book that she actually owned.
"So, ready to go?"
"No, I want to keep browsing other books."
"Okay", I said, petting her hair. "You tell me when you want to go."
Nagato took my hand and rubbed in against her cheek. Instinctively, I hugged her. She smiled, and walked (although it seemed like she was actually floating) to get lost in the bookstore halls. Whenever she was in a library or bookstore, she looked like a boy in Candy land.
Now that I think about it, why don't I search for books that I might get interested in? Hmm, good question. I used to like science fiction books, but my whole life has become a live action science fiction novel.
So, I went to another corridor when my visual radar located Nagato a few steps from me. As usual, she was submersed in the book she was reading. Maybe her mind had left her body and entered the pages of the book itself, because I had never seen her so interested in a book. Her eyes were sparkling with life, and her mouth movements reflected the surprise and amazement at that mysterious book. Perhaps it was a novel? Science fiction? Adventure? Detective Thriller? I don't know, but she really seemed interested in that book. In short periods of time, she smiled, gasped, blushed, got scared, smiled again... a novel, that must be it!
She wasn't just reading. She was devouring that book, as if its words were being sucked by a gigantic vacuum cleaner located in her pupils. She flipped the pages and her eyes moved frantically as if she were in a fast-reading contest with an invisible reader to see who finished first.
Definitely, DEFINITELY I would purchase this book for her as a present, and then I'll read it myself. Any book that makes Nagato get this interested on it, must be interesting for me. I better go ask her.
"Nagato, what are you reading?"
Surprised, she gasped, and quickly turned around before shutting the book closed. Ah, I scared you? Ha ha! Hey, maybe one of these days I'll play a little prank on you and shout "boo!" while you read.
"Nothing!" she shouted. The book she was holding fell to the floor. Wait a minute, Nagato, why did you say 'nothing'? I don't bite!
The book fell on the floor right before me. I knelt down, and picked up the …
Karma Sutra Extended edition with Q and A!?!? I looked around. Hey! What am I doing in the sexuality section!!! AH!!! Now I know why she was so embarrassed!!!
Nagato blushed, and I slowly put the book where it belonged.
An awkward silence followed. A very... long... and awkward... silence.
"........................................"
"........................................."
Who would break the ice first?
"Eh, Nagato..."
"Yes!?"
"I don't think... you should feel... er... ashamed for reading that... I mean", I said, scratching my neck, "It's perfectly normal for a healthy erm... alien data entity humanoid interface... to be interested in... that... but... if you want to change the subject -"
"Yes, please!"
Another awkward silence followed. Ugh, I absolutely hate these situations! There's only one solution for this. Operation "break awkward silence with a kiss" begins!
I quickly grabbed her shoulders, violently turned her around, and before she could react, I counterattacked with a kiss worthy of James Bond struggling against the sexiest of his enemies. Her eyes opened wide, but then she closed them again, slowly hugging me. I hugged her, and her left leg wrapped around my right leg. Our arms began to move slowly around our backs, while our hands described a dance that could be compared to a classical interpretation of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Then, our hands slowly lowered, dangerously approaching the zone where the back loses its innocent name. The passion between us was reaching levels so high that it would soon escape the planet's gravity. Someone better find an extinguisher before the nearby books catch fire.
But there was no need, because the sound of a throat being cleared interrupted us, leaving us exposed to the penetrating gazes of people around. Hey, don't look! Someone give us back our moral clothes!
The two walking tomatoes slowly went downstairs, in the most uncomfortable silence ever experienced. I purchased Nagato the psychology book she wanted. After we got out, I began to chuckle, and so did her. We eventually laughed, and the laugh was so hard that tears came from our eyes. We ended up looking at each other, face to face. Ah, Nagato, your smile looks so beautiful!
We suddenly felt a mutual attraction comparable to the one between two neodymium magnets. Our lips approached slowly, like the sun and the moon do in an eclipse. I could feel energy jumping between our lips, like an electric arc emitted by a Tesla coil. Eventually, our lips merged and a reaction inside us occurred, so violent that it could be compared to the encounter of sodium and water.
Nagato pushed me softly to break the kiss. "Stop!" she said, panting. Oh, that sensual face! I think that my brains are going to explode! I quickly stepped back, because this wasn't the time nor the place. Nagato spoke, trying to catch her breath.
"The... physiological response... to the kiss... has initialized … a subroutine... which should only be used..."
"You're right, we were going too fast."
She sighed. "I've shut it down, but the trigger is very sensitive. Please don't kiss me for at least ten minutes."
To calm down the pressure that we had been accumulating, I began to walk. She grabbed my hand. Eventually, our hormones calmed down.
"I love you".
"I love you too."
We heard a voice calling us from not far away. "Hey, Kyon-kun! Nagato-san!"
Tsuruya-san!?
"How are the two lovebirds doing! Too bad I don't have my video camera with me, that was the most wonderful kiss I could ever see, nyoro~!"
Nagato and I blushed. Tsuruya-san, please don't say these things so loud!
"So, I guess the date's going OK, right? Suzumiya-san told me about it."
"She did?" Damn traitor, what do you think this is, candid camera? Wait a minute, were you spying on us!?
I could already imagine Haruhi, Koizumi and Asahina-san being together while spying on us with binoculars. No, a more sinister thought came to my mind. It was "The passionate love of Nagato Yuki, ep. 00". My whole body shivered. Someone close the fridge door! NOW!
Tsuruya-san spoke to lock down the ramblings of my wild imagination.
"Anyway, I got three tickets to see a new movie. Wanna go?"
Nagato looked at the tickets.
"What is it about?" she asked.
"Romance, Nyoro~! Suzumiya-san said it would be interesting for you, Nagato-san! She said something about it being 'an important research subject'."
"She did?"
"So, wanna go? It starts in 30 minutes!"
"......"
Nagato stared at the ticket, as she usually do with all the interesting things.
"We'll go."
"It's alright! I'll pay for everything!"
"No, Tsuruya-san, thank you very -"
"Don't worry! Just enjoy the movie with Nagato-san! I'll pay for the dinner after that, too!"
"Thank you", said Nagato.
Wait a minute, you had this planned in advance? I began to look around me to check if Haruhi was hiding somewhere around.
"Kyon?" asked Yuki.
"Ah, nothing! I just had the feeling that Haruhi was around, somewhere, spying on us. But don't worry. Let's go see the movie."
A black cab was awaiting for us.
"Ah, you're back, Ojou-sama", said the driver. Wait a minute! It's Arakawa-san!
"Thanks, take us to the cinema!"
We got in the car, and Tsuruya asked a question for Nagato. "So, Nagato-san, is it true that you're an alien from outer space, and that you didn't have emotions before?"
This question was safe to ask, because we were in a car belonging to The Agency.
"Yes."
"So, tell me, what does it feel to have human emotions?"
"It's an ambivalent experience. It can be terribly painful, but it can also be beautiful, and it never stops being interesting. I wouldn't trade it for anything, and I wish all of my colleagues came here to experience it."
"Well, I'm glad for you! By the way", Tsurya-san whispered, "if you need any help learning about sexuality, don't hesitate to call me! I can answer all your doubts!"
Hey, Tsuruya-san! You didn't have to say that in front of me!
Nagato blushed, looked down, and blushed. "Uh... thank you very much for your offer."
"I'm glad, nyoro~! Drop me a call or an e-mail, and we can talk any time!"
"Thank you."
We arrived to the cinema, and were escorted by two thugs whose physical complexion seemed to come out from a manga made by Tetsuo Hara. Definitely, the Tsuruya family was well protected. But I digress.
While watching the movie, it felt good resting my palm on Nagato's shoulder. She would hold my hand with hers and caress it softly.
The movie was very romantic and touching. It made my eyes leak a couple of drops at the end. Everyone applauded, and so did we. As the lights turned on, I looked at Nagato and her cheeks were filled with tears. It was the most beautiful waterfall I had ever seen. She was sniffing and cleaning her tears, as she smiled. I began to wonder if her body had been altered with a "300% charm" hack. Everything she did made me fall in love with her more and more. As I was thinking this, I was approached by someone at my left. I turned, and Tsuruya-san gave me a handkerchief and winked at me. So I passed it to Nagato.
"Thank you."
A girl shouted from behind. "WHAT AN AWESOME MOVIE! It makes you want to make your own, don't you think so, Kyon?"
Haruhi!?!?!? Koizumi? Asahina-san?? And Asahina-sensei too!?!? What are you doing here!?
I knew it. I knew you were behind this, you evil mastermind! So, what is it this time? Operation cupid? I also noticed that Asahina-san had been crying during the movie, too.
Haruhi ran down towards us. "Yuki, I need to talk to you for a minute. Would you mind?"
Nagato would talk with her, and occasionally she would blush, and they would talk more, Nagato would say something to Haruhi, sometimes blushing and looking down, sometimes not. Haruhi would talk to her and pat her shoulders, and smile at her or make some gestures indicating instructions. This was repeated five or six times. The talk finished with Nagato hugging Haruhi.
Tsuruya-san then escorted us to a very fine restaurant that belonged to her family.
"Well, we'll leave you now so you can talk about anything you want. Anything you consume is on the house, you're special guests! Enjoy!"
While we were waiting for the food, I talked with Nagato about various topics.
"Hey, Nagato..."
"Yes?"
"Remember your first poem? The one you wrote for the Literature club?"
"Yes."
"I've been thinking..." I said. "Did you really choose your name because of the snow you saw falling?"
"Yes."
"So you like snow."
"Very much."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."
I didn't tell her, but I remembered a souvenir shop that had these little glass spheres with winter scenes on it. You would shake them and it would make it seem like it snowed inside. Maybe I'll buy it for her on her birthday. Wait a second, what day was she born?
"Nagato... when were you born?"
"I was born 45 thousand, three hundred and seventy one years ago. Perhaps you mean as a humanoid interface?"
"Yes, that."
She gave me the exact date. "Why do you ask?"
"I wanted to know which day you would like to celebrate your birthday."
"Ah... I see", she said, smiling and looking at the table. "In that case I would like to celebrate it the day I first met you."
"The day you first met me? That was around a month after classes - no wait, it was Tanabata, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
When we finished eating, I escorted her to her appartment, and finally got home.
Haruhi was so right. There was so much about Nagato that I didn't know. She was the shy innocent girl, and she was also the "great goddess" that saved me from a lot of problems. But I was discovering many things about her. She had deprived herself from enjoying life as an earthling. But today she also discovered many things about herself that she probably didn't know in the first place. Now we know that she likes chocolate ice cream. And of course, that she loves to see snow fall, and she is very curious about sexuality.
I was dead tired. So it was time to sleep.
Later that night...
I woke up, but I was surprised to see that I was no longer in my room. I was in Nagato's room. Had I been teleported there, or...
"Welcome."
I turned around, and there she was! Still wearing her school uniform. Hey, why am I wearing my uniform, too?
Nagato blushed, and hugged me. "Thanks for today, it was a beautiful date."
"You're welcome."
Hey, her room has all kinds of pictures in it. And some are animated! But why does it look so big?
"Because it's my dream. Remember I told you we could share a dream?"
"Oh, right! But it feels very real."
"My dreams are always like this. But now I'm able to process them in a virtual space. This way, my data remains intact even in the case of a malfunction. Asahina-san gave me the idea."
"Oh, I see."
"Um... Kyon..."
"Yes, Nagato?"
Nagato was blushing, and the exact tone of blush in her cheeks made me feel strangely uncomfortable - but at the same time, I liked it.
"Hug me."
I hugged her. Before I knew it, we were sitting on the couch in her living room. I noticed that her appartment had changed since I last came to visit her. There were curtains, and several TV sets showing snowy scenes. So is this how Nagato's dreams look like?
But it wasn't the time to ask myself such questions. All I knew was that she was there for me, and I was there for her. She reclined her head on my shoulder. I looked at her, and she closed her eyes, softly smiling. I felt a strange warmth coming from her. I bet she was feeling the same.
"Kyon..."
"Yes, Nagato?"
"Since the last few weeks, I've dreamed a lot with you..."
"Oh?"
"Many times, I dreamed you were here, together with me... and you kissed me... and ..."
She paused for a second before continuing.
Kyon... could you do me a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Request... permission..."
She blushed and turned around.
"... for sex?"
I swallowed. Nagato, what are you saying!
Nagato softly pushed my body so that it would recline on the couch. , and knelt around my hip. "Please?"
"But..."
"It's just a dream."
I knew it was a dream, but, at the same time, I didn't want to do THAT to her. I admit it, I'm a perv. I've read too many explicit doujins and there were some disgusting things there. I didn't want to spoil Nagato's... purity. I would never agree to make Nagato do those nauseating things that would make her look like a slut.
"You're wrong."
"What?"
"I've read many of those explicit magazines and doujins, and I've even watched movies as part of my research. I'm 100% sure that there was no love in them. In a loving relationship, there are limits that the spouses establish as part of the mating ritual. I've read some other doujins and magazines where they focus more on the feelings. I've found them pleasing as well."
Nagato continued, lying over me and resting her head on my chest. "It's very wrong for you to believe that the sexual act in a couple has to be as disgusting as the one depicted in magazines - especially those written only to satisfy and distort male libido. Making love is much more about touching the other person's feelings than the body. This is not only what I have researched, but it's my own opinion as well."
I was speechless. Not only because a four-year-old alien was lecturing me, but because I realized how dirty the human mind could be. I felt ashamed.
Nagato opened my right palm and interleaved her left hand fingers with it. She did the same with my left hand.
"Also, don't humans have dreams of this nature?"
"Yes, but..."
"Some religions and cultures reject sex outside a marriage agreement. But so far I haven't found a single culture or religion that finds sex in dreams unacceptable. Or it's that you don't... find me attractive?"
Oh, Nagato, don't look at me like that! Not with those sad eyes!
"No, it's not that, Nagato... it's just that..."
"What?" she asked.
"It's very embarrassing... I don't think I'm ready yet..."
"I see... but at the same time I don't understand... or is it that you don't want to take the initiative?"
I blushed. I never knew Nagato was so well-versed in this stuff. Maybe you feel much more comfortable while you're dreaming?
"Nagato, I... is it REALLY OK with you? For us, to do it while we dream?"
"Yes, I feel more secure in here. Because this is my dream. My place. I have absolute domain over this virtual space, and it was reserved for only you and me."
Nagato looked at me with a firm gaze that said "I want to do it", but at the same time her gaze said "...please?"
So far, this had been the most difficult decision in my life. And it was because...
Nagato was Nagato for me. As I looked at her head resting on my chest, and as I was caressing her, I realized that her sailor school uniform had, in my mind, become part of her. If I ever saw her body without any clothes ... I think it would ruin the pure angelical image I had of her. No, it's not that. I'm afraid of seeing her naked, and I admit it, I like girls with big breasts, but I don't want to offend her. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable with her body. Frankly, I'm more scared of hurting her if my reaction at seeing her body isn't what she wants. And if that hurts her, I couldn't stand the pain of looking at her in the eyes, knowing that I hurt her. Nagato, it's not that I don't like your body, but... I'm scared of that. But, taking that aside, I really don't know how I would feel after seeing you naked, after discovering that most intimate part of you... I don't want to ruin it.
"I see..."
"Nagato, you just read what I thought?"
"It was a beautiful thought. I also think I know one of the reasons for your nervousness."
"What is it?"
"I've felt uncomfortable with the design of my own body, too. I think it's because my flat chest could subconsciously remind you of a child's, creating a conflict between your feelings."
I never thought of it that way. Perhaps you're right.
"In any case, I have an idea that perhaps you would find interesting."
"What?"
She looked at me. "The human body has 5 senses to perceive reality. I could fill your vision with some views in my memory while we..." She blushed again and looked somewhere else. "... you know."
"I'm... not sure..." I answered.
"What if..." she asked again. "... I erased your entire sensorial memory corresponding to that part of the dream?"
"Wait, erasing my memory? Are you sure there won't be any side effects to that?"
"It's 100% safe. You don't have to worry."
"In that case, I think it's Ok... just... don't look, I would feel very embarrassed the next day, knowing that you have seen me."
Nagato briefly giggled.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I didn't know that shy part of you. But, if you wish, I can erase the corresponding part of my own memory."
"Well, that makes me less embarrassed, but wouldn't that be counterproductive? What use is doing it if you can't remember?"
"I will only erase the memory corresponding to the 5 human senses. But not all memory consists of sensorial information. That will be enough for both of us."
Nagato sat up. "Wait... I have a better idea."
"What is it?"
Instead of having to delete our memories, I can create an additional memory space corresponding to sensorial information, that will be only accessed through our shared dreams. The rest of the information will be stored in your human memory. This way, while in our dream, we can talk about our impressions of... you know."
God, Nagato, how I love it when you get shy.
She smiled again, still blushing. "Accept?"
"Permission granted."
I don't remember what happened next. My memory was too blurry. But I know that we shared a feeling of mutual trust and exploration. I remembered knowing that she had blushed many times, but I can't really remember those times. I also remember having blushed many times, and also reaching a mutual agreement, most of it non-verbal, about what to do and what not to do. But I can't really remember what we actually did or said. I also remembered that our feelings harmonized, and that we looked at each other's eyes. I can't remember the details, but I know that happened. And I felt a wonderful beauty inside her, and I know that she felt the same way for me. It was the most wonderful feeling I've ever experienced.
The next thing I remember is that we were again clothed, and reclined on the couch. Her face looked like an angel's. She gently took my hand and reclined her head on it.
She sighed. "I'm glad I'll be remembering the next nights. It's something that is too beautiful to forget."
I caressed her cheek with my thumb. "I feel the same."
Nagato was smiling, and blushing, but not out of embarrassment. It was a nice smiling blush.
"Kyon..."
"Yes?"
"I feel very happy right now."
I hugged her, and for some reason I felt like caressing her shoulder from beneath her clothes.
"Please do", she said.
I kept caressing her, and I realized that I wasn't afraid at looking at her bare body, anymore. I think she read my thoughts, because she unbuttoned her shirt.
"You can caress me all you want now."
I don't remember having seen her, but my mind did remember the feeling of caressing her body. It was a wonderful feeling. There was nothing sexual about it, it just was a wonderful feeling of two spouses loving each other.
I never thought this would be possible. I had always thought that the best part of sex was the climax. But after this, I realized that the best part, is caressing each other, without saying anything, and just resting. It really surprised me. Really, human sexuality was a wonderful mystery.
Nagato gently spoke. "I think we have fulfilled our mystery search, don't you think?"
I laughed at her comment. Oh, Nagato, you have a good sense of humor too! I love you.
"I love you too."
I don't know how much more time passed. But our love had increased and we had a shared treasure that none of us could remember... at least while awake.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.
I sighed. I was in my room again. Actually, I had never left it. What a wonderful dream. It looked like hours had passed, but I was fully rested. Was it really a dream? Did I really make love with Nagato in our dreams? Or was it only a fantasy? And why did I feel so happy when I thought about her?
{ Good morning.... Kyon. }
Her voice sounded so soft.
{ Good morning... Yuki. }
{ I love you. }
{ I love you too. }
I received a telepathic image of Yuki (I would no longer call her Nagato) looking at my eyes, with her soft, loving smile. That image transmitted a thought to me. That thought contained the following information: One, That the dream had been real. Two, that it had been Yuki's most beautiful experience in her short human life. Three, and most important, that the love she felt for me was beyond anything she could possibly imagine. This wasn't just my imagination. The information was real, and I knew for sure that it had been signed by her and verified by the Integrated Data Sentient Entity. How I knew? I didn't know. I just knew.
I received her thought, and smiled.
She spoke again, and said:
{ What would you like for lunch? }
{ Anything you make is fine for me. }
We both smiled.
A few weeks later...
My life was slowly changing. Yuki would make lunch for me every morning, and we would participate in the brigade activities. As members of the SOS brigade, we had more adventures, some even dangerous, against an anti-brigade that had finally come out from the shadows. But we had survived those challenges without any casualties. So did they, but we won.
Yuki's mission had finished as a humanoid interface, as the Integrated Data Sentient Entity finally acquired the data creation ability it needed to overcome its self-evolution cycle. But more important, they finally had embraced the idea of Love. And that was a much more important change. Yuki's new mission was to live. The same mission had been given to Yuki's partner, Kimidori-san. Yuki shared some of her feelings with her, and Yuki told me that she cried a lot. Surely, the experience was shocking to Kimidori san. But in the end, she was glad she received this new information. She also vowed to protect Yuki and I, and all the SOS brigade members.
In related news, we also received a new member in the brigade: A nice sophomore girl with a personality that was the complete opposite of Haruhi. She happened to come from a parallel world. Later, we would have our final battle against the anti-brigade. During that battle, Haruhi finally found out that I was John Smith, and she also learned the true nature behind her powers. With no more enemies who wanted Haruhi's power, the universe was safe at last. But that story belongs in another book, so let's continue with our current story.
It was one of the last days of May. I had a wonderful dream, as usual. I had been having shared dreams with Yuki, but I knew it couldn't go on like this. Something had to change, and I had already discussed it with her. We would definitely do it, this upcoming Tanabata. That would be our first night together. No dreams, and no inhibitions.
But that day was not today. Today was a normal school day. I got up from bed, said "hi" to Yuki telepathically as I would every morning. I showered, got dressed, and finally went to eat breakfast with the family.
Before sitting down, I had to tell my family about the Tanabata party that Haruhi and the brigade would have soon (the party that would precede the night that Yuki and I had been waiting for so long).
"Everyone, I have a very important announcement to make."
"What is it, Kyon? Is something wrong?"
"What, Kyon-kun?" asked my little sister.
"Mom, dad, sis. Don't worry, it's not bad news, so don't get scared. It's actually very good news."
Their faces were filled with curiousity. I had never made a formal announcement before.
"This Tanabata, Haruhi and the SOS brigade will have a party. A very important party for all of us, and I need you to go."
"Oh, sure, son, we'll go."
"Yay, a party!" shouted my little sister.
"Wait, there's something else, and it's more important. The reason is that it's a party dedicated to Yuki and me. We're getting married."
(End of Chapter 11)
Don't miss the next chapter: Epilogue!
