She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 35)
by BrDPirateMan

The alarm clock jarred me out of my sleep.

6 am. Saturday… March 21.

I fixed my gaze on the calendar, lingering on today's date. A great circle was drawn around the number in bright red highlighter. This was an important day.

Yup. I knew what I had to do.

Breakfast was spent by myself solemnly as I pondered the meaning of this day. You'd be forgiven for thinking this was about Eri. I guess with everything that's been happening as of late, that would be the first thing that comes to mind, but no… this was something that went way back, long before I'd even met her.

Before I set off to meet up with her, I spent a few minutes checking that everything was in order. Then I picked up the picture frame perched on the dressing table and looked wistfully at the two smiling people in the photo.

"Alright," I said aloud, "I'm heading out now, Mum and Dad."

XOXOXOXOXO

While waiting at the bus stop, Eri and I geared ourselves for the cooking lesson afterwards by chatting about ways we could use to make our recipes more interesting. As a non-conformist, she had a lot of bizarre ideas to offer and not all of them worked, but those that did were worth a shot. That said, she did come up with some that were really stupid. There's no such thing as bad creativity, but…

"So I was thinking," she said, "that we should totally do a chocolate-themed stir-fry. Prawns and scallop braised with a milky white chocolate sauce! How's that sound?"

I laughed, making a face. "For real? You know that'd never work in a million years."

"Then we could skip the chocolate gravy and go for a spicy chocolate dipping sauce!"

"'Spicy' and 'chocolate' don't go hand in hand, Eri."

"Don't hang up yet! I've… I've got it! What about spring rolls, except we'll substitute everything with chocolate. That way, it'll be a choc-pocalypse."

"That's no different from dessert. Crepes, specifically."

"Aww, so none of my suggestions even make it past the drawing board?" She was reduced to a mess of chuckles.

"You just want to eat chocolate. Fine then, I'll treat you to choco bananas later. But only after our lesson!"

With a playful energetic salute, she said, "Sir yes sir! Eri Tanikawa is very happy and sends her thanks!"

"You're doing a good job brightening up the neighbourhood, Eri. Keep it up."

"Eheh."

Our Saturday morning routine went like clockwork, and we had a plate of spicy fried tofu to show for our efforts. As promised, I took Eri to the nearest confectionery stall for dessert, and chocolate bananas it was. She was ecstatic.

The park nearby was a quiet spot which made it the perfect place to sit down and eat. Another reason I was grateful for the quietness was… um…

"Eri, c-calm down. No one's hurrying you."

"I can't… fit it all in…"

As the banana slipped into her mouth, she made moaning noises in delight. I almost forgot to eat as I watched her in action.

"Scrumptious," she gushed, wiping a sliver of saliva from her lips. "An absolute treat."

"Uh… yeah… G-Great stuff."

Without thinking, I took a bite off of my banana and she immediately reacted in horror.

"No, Neku!" she gasped. "Don't do that! That's not the way to eat a chocolate banana!"

"Th-Then how?"

"These things are meant to be enjoyed thoroughly! That's why you must lick off the chocolate before you go for the rest! Now watch how a pro does it."

In went the banana once more, and once her lips were clamped around it in an airtight seal, she proceeded to suck the chocolate off, moaning even louder this time. Even more alarmingly, she was starting to squirm from what I imagine must be the irresistible goodness of chocolate. I did say it was a good thing no one was around.

Her banana emerged with half of its chocolate coating vacuumed up into oblivion. She had quite literally fallen to pieces, so infatuated was she with the taste.

"Ahhh, now this is more like it!" she said. "Nothing like a nice, long, thick, delicious…" – she paused for a deep breath of satisfaction – "…chocolate banana. Now! You try it, Neku."

"I-I'll eat it the way a normal person would, thank you very much."

"This is normal! You're just the one who wouldn't go with the flow. You're going to miss out on a world of good like this. So sad."

Some idle banter about life and fun stuff followed before she decided to swing things into a more somber direction.

Out of the blue she asked me, "Hey, Neku, do you love me?"

Her question was abrupt. I didn't think she'd ask me that.

"Where did that come from?" I asked.

"Just answer me." Her eyes were slightly dulled form melancholy. Then, when she apparently realized how sudden she must have sounded, she gave me an explanation. "The truth is… I've been feeling a bit insecure these days."

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

She nibbled her banana bit by bit, giving herself time to think. "Apparently some of the people who know we're going out have been saying that we don't match."

"They… They said that?"

Eri sighed. She felt deflated about the inability of her peers to accept her and myself as lovers. Were we so different that it was worth having tongues going round wagging?

"I shouldn't care about what others think. You've told me before a million times by now, I'm aware of that. It's just… while I normally wouldn't agonize over such small matters, so many people have been telling me that we're totally incompatible with each other. I don't want to doubt myself, but…"

"Eri…"

She squeezed my arm, in need of reassurance. "We're okay, right? As a couple, I mean. We can make this work… right?"

I circled my free arm around her shoulder and squeezed her closer to me, making sure I said the right stuff. "I love you, Eri. And I want the best for you, so you can be damn well sure I'm gonna make this relationship work." Then, self-deprecatingly I added, "Sorry if that sounded less than stellar. I'm no motivational speaker."

"You're right," she giggled. "You really aren't the best with words."

"I… I did say I was sorry."

"But thanks, Neku. Now I know that even when I'm at my craziest, you'll still love me."

"Your craziness is a part of what makes you so refreshing. No one in their right mind would do the things you do."

Amused, she looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Are you seriously saying that as a compliment?"

"Definitely."

"Ha ha ha! I'll give you points for being funny, Neku. And that's that!" And she finished off her banana with a quick chomp. "It's settled!"

I was about done with snack time myself so I gave her some final words for dessert.

"Eri, promise me you'll keep your self-esteem up in the clouds where it belongs. You know you and I are going to keep being fantastic together, so forget about all the crud everyone says about us."

"If that's all you need me to do, it's a done deal!"

"That's a girl."

Hmmm… She's in a swell mood. Perhaps now's the best time to ask her about it… I didn't know if this was going to turn out awkward or anything but I had to try. Chances like these came but once a year. Why once a year? You'll find out soon.

"Eri, I have a favour to ask of you."

"Mmm? Sure, what's it gonna be?"

"The truth is, today's a very important day for me, and I'd like you to be a part of it. And I know we just settled the matter of your not being sure if we deserve to be a couple and all, but… I figured I'd take this opportunity to prove to you once and for all that you're alright in my book."

She scratched the nape of her neck. "Uh… okay? I don't get it though."

"Never mind," I said kindly, getting up. "Come with me, Eri. Then you'll know what I mean."

"Where are we going?"

I paused two seconds. "…A special place."

XOXOXOXOXO

"Neku, I know you're fond of keeping people guessing till the last moment – a lot of good movies use this tactic – but don't you think leaving me in the dark for the entirety of that 30-minute bus ride was going a bit overboard?"

I laughed as we alighted. "Sorry, I always loved myself a good surprise. Just a little longer now!"

Eri continued to froth in impatience. I promised to solve this grand mystery for her soon, but for now there was another place I was headed. The florist's was just a minute's walk from the bus-stop, and it was there that I bought a small bouquet of chrysanthemums. Her curiosity grew even more, but I declined to lavish on details. Even as we continued down the road on foot, she never did let up with the questions.

"I'm about ready to explode!" she huffed. "Wouldn't you at least give me a hint?"

"…Doesn't look like I need to. We're here."

When she saw where we were, she sobered up completely.

"Neku, this is… the local cemetery?"

From the entrance we could see rows upon rows of Japanese tombstones as tall as a grown man. The smell of incense was wafting in the breeze, strong and pungent. Several people had come to mourn, bringing flowers for the dearly departed.

"Hey Neku," she said quietly, "those flowers you just bought… Are they for…"

I gave a small, slow nod. "Today… is the anniversary of my parents' passing."

Eri knew I was an orphan, but didn't know how I became one. As we strode inside I elaborated on the tale of my late parents.

"I had just turned two when they died," I said. "The night of that fateful day, there was a function they had to attend, so they placed me in the care of my aunt and uncle. But on the way back home, they got into a car accident. They were rushed to the hospital, but they didn't make it."

"That's terrible," she said sadly. "I'm sorry, Neku."

"Nah, don't worry about me, I'm fine. I was really young when they passed on, so I don't remember anything about them when they were still alive. When I was old enough for my aunt and uncle to tell me the truth, I couldn't even feel sad, cruel as that may sound. It's like… I grew up not knowing they even existed at all. Uh… no, that sounds wrong no matter how you slice it…"

"You did say you were a little tyke at the time. I can kind of understand where you're coming from."

"However, my uncle told me that even though I may not remember anything about them, I should never forget that they were once a part of my life. He said they're the ones who brought me into this world, so I should always be thankful. That's why, every year, I come here to pay my respects."

"I think what you're doing is great," she said, before chiding me mildly. "You should have told me earlier though. I'd be more than happy to tag along. Are you so scared that I would retch at the thought of visiting a cemetery?"

"Ahahaha… Just a tiny bit. See, whenever I come here I'd update my parents on what's new in my life, and this time I was hoping to introduce you to them, but I couldn't be sure if you'd be okay with it, or think it's creepy, or – "

"And that's why you've been trying to keep it all a 'surprise'?" A slightly wry smile spread across her face. "Neku, you have a weird way of doing things."

"S-Sorry."

"Hee hee… Now, aren't you gonna do some introductions?"

Once I had laid down the flowers at the foot of my parents' grave and lit some incense, the two of us offered a minute-long silent prayer. Then it was time for me to talk.

"Mum, Dad," I said softly, "it's me, your son Neku. …How are you? I hope you're doing okay. I'm doing good myself so don't worry too much."

I half-expected Eri to pipe up in the middle of my speech with an inappropriate comment, but she didn't interject even once. No giggling, no joking around. I thought she'd make fun of me for talking at length to seemingly no one, but she didn't. Then again, I guess nobody would… With this tidbit of knowledge in mind, I slowly began to relax and carried on talking with impunity.

"So, uh, I'm in my first year at college now, taking up graphics design. There have been ups and downs for me, but it's been a fun six months so far."

The one piece of news I was more eager to convey than anything else, however, was this:

"Oh, right! I've got a girlfriend now! I'm sure it must come as a surprise to you, but we hit it off pretty well from the start and… well, we're together now." I snuck a quick look at her. She was smiling. "I brought her along too, thought you might want to at least know what she looks like. And… uh…"

What should I say next? It suddenly occurred to me that I've never officially introduced my girlfriend to anyone. My friends just kinda found out eventually via word of mouth. I never actually went out of my way to tell them the good news. So my tongue was tied.

Fortunately, Eri was there to pick up where I left off. She tugged at my sleeve lightly and whispered, "Shall I take over from here?"

"Uh… hmmm, you know what? That's not a bad idea at all. Sure, go ahead."

Eri was more eloquent than I was and had little trouble talking, although it was evident she was a bit shy. Perhaps this was the first time she'd met the parents of a boyfriend and she wanted to make a good impression.

"Hi, um… Mr and Mrs Sakuraba. My name is Eri Tanikawa… I'm from Fukushima, but I stay in Shibuya. I'm Neku's girlfriend."

She hid her hands behind her back but I could see her fingers fiddling with one another.

"Neku and I started dating about three months ago, but we'd known each other for much longer. He's kind and genuinely cares about me, even teaches me how to cook. But best of all, he loves me for who I am… not for my appearance, or wealth, or social status. Really, I could go on and on about why he's so cool, but I just want to say I'm super-glad to be the girl by his side right now. Thank you for bringing him into my life. Please continue to watch over us!"

Hey now, that wasn't bad at all. We bowed one more time. Then she beamed at me, saying, "How did I do?"

"Splendidly. Couldn't have said it better myself."

"Heh… I spoke from the heart, Neku. That's all I did."

I clutched her hands gently. "Do you see where I'm going with this now, Eri? If I wasn't serious about you, I wouldn't bother bringing you here in the first place to tell my folks about you. I don't claim to know what my parents think, but if they're the nice kind souls my aunt and uncle have been telling me about all my life, then I'm sure they'll give you their blessings. So if anyone says we don't match, just ignore them. You know better."

Eri grew a smile on her lips, my reward for being a good boyfriend. She clung onto me gently; I could feel her heartbeat on my chest. I panicked for a second, scared that we might get reprimanded for engaging in a little romantic closeness in public. However, seeing that the few people around weren't looking our way, I slowly relaxed and eased myself into the warm atmosphere.

Her breath tickled my ear lobe as she whispered in my ear. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"You're a strong girl," I said, hugging her back. "Don't get so easily swayed by others. What matters most is your own happiness."

"Our happiness," she corrected cheerily.

"Heh. True that."

We finished up with our prayers and said goodbye to my parents. Then I nudged Eri, hurrying her to take our leave. There was a reason I didn't want us to stick around for too long…

"What's the rush?" she asked, puzzled. "Is there someplace you need to be? Some TV show you need to catch?"

"Ah, um… n-not exactly. It's just…"

Just then, someone called out to me from behind.

"Neku, there you are! It's been a long time. Really… Is it so hard to come back home once in a while?"

The sound of a familiar voice pierced my eardrums. Gah… I was too slow! And now I'd have to pay for it. I swiveled round slowly, hoping against hope it wasn't them. It was.

"Oh hey," I gulped, "Auntie, Uncle."

That's my aunt and uncle. They had also come to pay their respects so it's only natural I'd bump into them. They took it upon themselves to bring me up when my parents died, and while they were generally great at filling in the role of foster parents, they had some personality quirks that would embarrass me to no end whenever we were in public.

"Your aunt is right," said Uncle in his signature raspy voice. He was about to go on about the values of family relations and togetherness when they became aware of Eri's presence. With clothes as loud and eye-catching as hers, it's only a matter of time before someone noticed. That's when he dropped the lecture and eyed her curiously. "Friend of yours, Neku?"

"Y-Yeah. This is my… uh, girl. Friend."

They didn't know much about Eri. I haven't filled them in with any substantial details yet, and they practically craved it. All they knew was that I had been getting "real close" to a girl as of late but that was it. So now that Eri had met the parents… uh, foster parents, and vice versa, the questions would be sure to follow. They could be so nosy… What if she was put off? Things would be quite bad…

My aunt was quick to put two and two together and figure out the story. Beaming from ear to ear, she was more jumpy with excitement than a bunny on steroids. "So you're Neku's girlfriend? Splendid! I've long been waiting for this day to come! What's your name?"

Eri wasn't the least perturbed by their enthusiasm and answered with grace. "I'm Eri Tanikawa. Nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs – "

Much to the surprise of both of us, my aunt waved off the formalities. "Call us Auntie and Uncle. That'll do."

"A-Are you sure? We only just met…"

"I've been around for a long time and I know a good girl when I see one. We are going to get along just fine, I can be sure of that!"

Auntie must be too happy to think clearly. The lifelong desire to see her adopted son in a relationship must have overridden all form of common sense. My uncle was no better. He looked like he was ready to leap into space. So there's one personality quirk of theirs for you: while my foster parents were generally of sound mind, there's nothing in the world that gets them quite so madly excited as entertaining the thought that I might have a girlfriend of my own. So you could imagine just how far over the edge they had been driven now that the news was out that I was going out with Eri for real. They could think of nothing else but welcoming her into the Sakuraba household already.

Curious to a fault, they took turns bombarding her with questions but left her with no chance to reply in full.

"How did you two meet?" asked Uncle.

"Well, Neku and I used to – "

Auntie sprang forth with a burning query, "How long have you been dating?"

"It's… It's been about – "

"What are you long-term commitments for your relationship? Plans for the future?"

"Um… uh…"

Before things could get to a head, I stepped in and chided them, saying, "Hey, at least let her talk, will you? Also, aren't you guys here for a reason?"

"Ah, of course." They simply laughed it off. "We'll get back to you in a minute, Eri."

I stood alongside her as my aunt and uncle prayed in front of the grave. This was my opportunity to fill her in on their strangeness and we were whispering to each other like spies.

"They're a lively pair, eh, Neku?"

"Oh god, I hope they don't make a fool of themselves again. They have a tendency to say and do stupid things."

"I distinctly remember you saying they're strict, but they seem like nice people, even if they're a little… overexcited."

"They're equal measures of strict and loopy. It's a weird combination and I can't ever catch a break."

She chuckled. "At least their loopy side makes life interesting! My parents aren't nearly as fun. They're more like dictators."

"I'm sure they've got their good side, Eri…"

"Hey, when you wanted us to leave quickly, was it because you didn't want to meet them?"

"Heh, you're quick on the uptake. I've been meaning to get you to meet my folks someday, but they're so full of nasty surprises, you totally need a strategy to deal with them. I thought I should warn you beforehand about the inappropriate things they can say sometimes."

She cocked her head to one side, remaining cheerful. "Come on, they can't be all that bad. Besides, I say lots of inappropriate things myself too!"

"Eri… that's not something you should be proud of."

When prayers were done, the grand battle of wits continued in full force. But first…

"Why don't you have lunch with us, you two?" suggested Uncle. "We'd very much like to know all the juicy details about your relationship."

Ready for anything, Eri agreed with a big smile. "Sounds like a plan. Free meals for the win!"

Her little joke worked nicely with them and they fell into a hearty chuckle. Uncle was especially delighted, as he was a man who loved a good laugh. "Looks like you're a natural comedian on top of being cute, lass! If half of your sense of humour rubbed off on Neku here, that'd be great!"

I reacted awkwardly, "I'm working on it… kinda…"

XOXOXOXOXO

We were whisked away to a family restaurant nearby to dine with my folks. She was the guest of honour and the questions still descended upon her like an endless shower of meteors. I was really worried she might crack under the weight of their "friendly interrogation" session, but she was able to keep up and didn't get overwhelmed at all. Uncle was no slouch in the embarrassing question department, with Auntie being even more proficient at it. To cite a good example…

"Neku's always so hush-hush," she said, "when it comes to his private life…"

"To be fair," I interjected, "there's a reason it's called 'private'."

My comment ended up on deaf ears. "…so we never get to hear much from him. I'll cut to the chase, Eri: how far have you two gone?"

"A-Auntie?!"

Auntie was a sucker for tabloids and my love life with Eri was to be the next big thing since the UFO that supposedly landed in Scramble Crossing two years ago. There was no stone she wanted to leave unturned. "Specifics! Forgive my probing but as his guardian I need details. Just to know he's been playing nice, you know?"

"What the heck… What do you mean by – "

There was nothing I could do but bury my face as she asked Eri at a breakneck pace about many things, each more mortifying than the last. And yet, despite how intrusive she obviously was, she still managed to maintain a friendly disposition, something I knew was part of her plan to lower Eri's guard and get the goods to spill quicker.

"Now then! Just a wee bit curious, Eri… but for starters, have you two gone shopping before? If you go to a lingerie store, do you take him with you? Have you ever been to an onsen with him, and if so, bathed together and washed each other's backs? Speaking of baths, since you two are close, am I right to assume that you regularly take baths at his house? Do you use your tongues when you kiss? What about – "

Oh my god… We'd done nearly all of those things! My aunt and uncle would have a fit if they knew the truth. A fit of joy. Trust me, it's worse than you think.

Bemused by all the attention she was getting, Eri glanced my way momentarily, as if to ask, "What's the plan, Neku?" I signaled "don't tell" with a quick furrow of my brows. I didn't know if she got the message, though.

"Don't be shy," Uncle said persuasively. "We don't mind the truth, even if it's a little smutty."

I stiffened like a statue when Eri broke into a girlish laugh and spoke up.

"Oh come now!" she giggled, making that little waving hand motion of hers. "You make it sound like we're up to our throats in all sorts of shenanigans. Neku and I are not like that at all…"

Okay, she lied. Whew, good! That's one bullet dodged –

"…We may have done all the things you mentioned, Auntie, but French kisses we haven't even tried once!"

Eri… Why did you have to ruin my day with such a wide grin on your face…

Auntie was so delighted to hear that I was making progress in with my love life that she nudged me in the arm repeatedly with her rock-hard elbow, hitting my funny bone without fail and sending my nerves into a fit. And the wink of approval she gave me was a gigantic one that got me all uncomfortable.

"That's music to my ears!" she chortled. "Your parents would be proud, Neku. Proud, I tell you!"

My five-watt reply to that was, "Y-Yeah. I guess so." Now nothing could save me…

Uncle had some grim advice that he felt would be useful to us. "It's nice that you're in love and all, kids, but when you're ready to take the plunge you must always remember to wear protection."

I felt the hairs on my neck stand on end. "Uncle?! Now it's your turn to jump into the crazy bandwagon?!"

He turned to me, cross that I wasn't buying his words of wisdom. "Neku, it's ignorance like yours that will lead you into trouble one day."

"Don't worry!" chirped Eri. "Neku and I have got it down pat. We bought some about a couple of months ago, so we're set!"

Gah! Everybody stop talking! Ow! Auntie was literally whacking my elbow this time and with more gusto than before!

"You should learn from her, Neku," added Uncle. What? Was I being chided?! "You can be far too careless for your own good sometimes, but that's bad if you're going to remain as her boyfriend."

"Look, Uncle, I'm not – ow!"

"Neku's a grown man now!" Even more nudging courtesy of my aunt followed. My poor arm would be paralysed before long. "I always knew you'd pull through somehow!"

Stop talking, I said! Ugh, getting tired of talking in exclamation marks.

We weren't even halfway through lunch and, despite my protests, my aunt and uncle already had a thorough idea of Eri's personality and habits. It's nice that they didn't go ballistic at all, so it's as good a sign as any, I guess…

When Auntie spoke up again I thought she was going to bring up some weird story from my childhood so I was more than ready to bolt for the exit. Luckily it wasn't the case. But I'd have preferred if she kept quiet all the same.

"Seriously though, I'm glad he's made a friend in you, Eri. He's always been the type to go it alone, so we were worried he'd go through life without a single friend."

"Why'd you say that?" I grumbled. "You're making me look bad."

"But it's true, isn't it, Neku?" she countered matter-of-factly. "There was a time during your youth when you were loath to make friends. No matter what your uncle and I said, you couldn't bring yourself to socialize."

"A… A lot of things happened." I thought back to my experiences during a certain Game years ago. "And I'm better now, so… that's all that matters, right?"

Instead of probing further like my foster parents were prone to do, Eri was smart enough to walk the sincere path.

"I'm sure he had his reasons for being that way before," she said, "so it might be hard to blame him for it. But whatever the case, he's been working hard all these years to become a better person and is doing a fine job at it. I can certainly vouch for that!"

Her words moved me incredibly, but I didn't have time to let it really tug at my heartstrings because my aunt and uncle got overwhelmed first. They promptly showered her with thanks and praise for being such a good girl.

"That is so sweet of you!" squealed my ever-insufferable aunt. "You really are a perfect match for him!"

Uncle had a grin three feet wide. "You're an angel, that's for sure!"

Auntie clasped Eri's hands tightly. "So, when are you two having kids?"

I choked on my food. "H-Hey?!"

"It'll be nice to become grandparents," mused Uncle, "although we'll be more like a grand-uncle and grand-aunt…"

"H-Hold up! You can't just say whatever you like – "

Eri didn't make things any easier for me. Startled by their fervent gestures, she blurted absentmindedly, "Um, uh… w-we're working on that?"

For once, I didn't mind getting killed.

And then of course Uncle had to be helpful again.

"There's no rush, but if you two are up for it, they say the best time to conceive is on a full moon."

Yeah. Just kill me now.

XOXOXOXOXO

I didn't know how Eri did it. How could she survive their incessant questions and downright crazy behaviour and still look so chipper? She was all smiles and sunshine when I would have long shot myself. Then again, this could be a case of birds of a feather flocking together.

We got a free ride home in Uncle's aging sedan and they dropped us off at my apartment. Auntie poked her head out of the passenger seat window, trying to squeeze in a few final minutes' worth of conversation with who they already liked to regard as their adopted son's future wife. Don't get me wrong, it's great that they were so accepting of her, but they might be rushing it a little…

"Are you staying over at Neku's place again tonight?"

"Yup!"

"I like how the two of you are practically living under the same roof. It's very… encouraging."

"Auntie," I groaned, "cut it out already. You're making me blush, and not in a good way."

"Get used to it," she retorted. "We're going to be keeping tabs on you even more closely from now on to see how you're holding up. Relationships must never be taken lightly, so if you make any mistakes, you can count on us to give you the talking-to you need to straighten you out."

I could never win against my aunt. She may not have made it to college, but she's acquired a lot of life experience so she was a smart woman in her own right. I usually ceded whatever battles of wit we had to her.

"Okay, fine," I sighed. "It's nothing new anyway."

"Good. And, Eri?"

"Yes, Auntie?"

"You certainly have a wild and carefree outlook on life," said Auntie in a sincere tone, "but you're not a bad girl at all. No offense, but we were honestly surprised when Neku picked a girl with a personality that's vastly different from his. We thought he'd have chosen someone more… subdued. But it looks like you two are getting along well so we have no need to worry. So what I'm saying, Eri… is that I think we can trust you. Will you continue to stay by his side?"

Eri gasped. The look on her face screamed, "Whoa! Am I even hearing things right?!" She had to double-check.

"A-Are you sure you're okay with me?"

Uncle craned his neck so he could see her from the driver's seat. "Why wouldn't we? If you love each other, that's all that matters to us. Compatibility with your partner may be important, but in the end happiness is all the counts. Are you happy being with him?"

"Yes…"

Now the same question was directed towards me. "Neku, what about you? How do you feel about the little lady? You happy being with her?"

"Um, yeah, of… of course I love her. What else could it be?"

He smiled at her, showing off his pearly whites. "There you go! You love each other. That's what we want to know. Really, that's all there is to it!"

Auntie picked up where she had left off. "So I'll ask you again: will you continue to stay by his side?"

Eri's eyes were shining with delight and I could have sworn they were getting a little misty at that. But she composed herself in a flash before things got too mushy and, with a firm nod, her reply was firm and confident:

"You bet I will!"

"Glad to hear it!" approved Uncle.

"Th-Thank you very much!"

"You've got a good girl in your life, Neku," said Auntie. "Take care of her just as she does you."

I chose not to saturate the already saccharine atmosphere by getting too hyper like the other three were. "That's what I promised her."

"And that's what I like to hear! Keep at it!"

XOXOXOXOXO

That evening, as we cuddled up on the sofa in a romantically dimmed living room, we went over the day's events together.

"Sorry about my aunt and uncle," I said, bashful over their outrageous behaviour. "They're not famous for subtlety."

"Don't worry," she giggled. "I kinda like them. They're easy to talk to. Also, thanks for today." She ground her head into my shoulder, which reminded me of a cat rubbing against its owner's leg. "Not only did you help me feel more confident about us as a couple, I also had the opportunity to meet with your family and get their blessings to boot. I didn't think they'd approve of me so quickly. We both know I'm the silly mischievous one of us two, so I felt that they'd play the 'wait and see if she's right for him' game instead. Anyway, I sure ain't complaining!"

"Me neither. We ought to thank our lucky stars. We sure had it easy, considering."

Then, with another giggle, she added, "I gotta admit I was caught off guard when they asked me when we'd have children."

"Oh god, don't remind me." Hours after that fateful meeting, I hadn't forgotten the embarrassment. My face simmered to boiling point again. "What is it about being old and wrinkly that makes you push your own kids to have their own kids?"

"Ha ha ha… You're asking the wrong person, Neku."

We stayed still and quiet, resting in each other's warmth. It had been a very hectic day and the best way for my brain to rest was to spend it in relative silence. I closed my eyes, feeling thankful for simply being with Eri and extending my thanks to the people who helped to support me. Mr H, Kariya, Uzuki… They were just some of the good souls in my life who put up with me and my dorky ways. But the biggest share of my gratitude had to go to one person.

Eri herself. We're together not just because she loved me, but because she also believed in me, both as a person and a friend.

Out of the blue, I muttered her name aloud. She looked at me curiously.

"Neku?"

Our gazes connecting, I whispered, "Stay with me, Eri. Forever."

"I'm a woman of my word," she chirped. "You betcha I'll be at your side. Didn't I just promise your folks?"

"I know, thank you."

"Thank you."

"Heh… Well, that makes us even."

…

…

Author's note:

The reason I took longer with this chapter is because I was writing another TWEWY story at the same time and I intended to release both simultaneously. So if you're free, please do take a look at The Loner's Birthday Bash. It's a story about Neku celebrating his birthday all by himself. It's not happy, but hopefully it'll entertain your… dark side.

This chapter introduces Neku's folks, whom I've included to establish one of the more important junctures of a couple's life: meeting the (foster) parents. You may be wondering why I don't name his guardians. That's because I don't like including original characters in fanfiction; they tend to dilute the presence of the main characters. If I have to rope them in for a specific purpose (in this case, helping Eri to get to know Neku's family better), then I wouldn't keep them around for too long. Maybe they will appear in two chapters at most, but never more than that if I can help it. So this may or may not be the last time we'll ever see Neku's foster parents.

You'll notice the same pattern with the other original characters in this story. Eri and Shiki's last boyfriends, Derpboy, Lusty and Burnout to name but a few. All of them were quickly written out of the main plot, never to return. This story is about Neku and Eri, so I intend to keep it that way.

Alright, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will see you again in Chapter 36… bye!