The dinner that night was simple, yet very well prepared. Hideki imagined that, with four maid persocoms to share the workload, they must know quite a bit about cooking. Chii and Yuzuki sat at the table, conversing about the meal, and other domestic matters. Chii really wanted to learn all she could about dealing with domestic affairs. Yuzuki seemed glad to talk. She never really talked all that much with the maids. She was primarily Minoru's companion, and mostly had talked only to him. Now she had someone else she could talk to. Perhaps someone to talk to about the feelings she was starting to have.
After dinner, they discussed Chii's experience for a while more, and then Minoru had Yuzuki show Chii and Hideki to their room. As they walked towards the other end of the hall, where his bedroom was, Minoru said "Perhaps I should have given them separate rooms." Yuzuki hesitated, then said "Chii has told me that they are a couple now, although Hideki is very proper about his behavior. She didn't say anything before out of fear of embarrassing Hideki, but she wanted you to know that he has great respect for her." "I wondered why he was not embarrassed earlier. Perhaps he has matured somewhat. I told him that he is a lucky man, but I think Chii is lucky to have him, too." "Chii said I am lucky, too" Yuzuki said. "Oh, and why is that" Minoru asked. "Because of you" Yuzuki said, as she turned to her room. "Good night, sir" "Good night, Yuzuki" Minoru said, and, as she closed the door, he thought "That makes four of us."
Chii and Hideki stood and stared at the room they had been shown to. "I still find this house incredible" Hideki said "So much room for so few people. I mean, there are six people here in a house as large as our whole apartment building." Chii had opened one of the doors. "Look, Hideki, a private bath. I'd love to try it." "Would you like to wash my back?" she asked shyly. Hideki blushed. "We're in someone else's house!" "When would we ever have the use of a private bath again, Hideki?" Chii asked. "I don't know, maybe on our honeymoon" he mused. "WHAT!" Chii was astounded. Had he actually said that? "What did you say?" she asked. Hideki blushed deep red. "Oh Jeez! Was I talking out loud again?" he stammered. "Yes you were!" Chii said. "Were you serious?" "Well, kind of" Hideki said "I mean I know it's not legal and everything and I know the trouble Ueda went through, but why not? I do love you, you know." Chii thought about that. She knew he did, totally, but it was nice to hear him say it. She walked over to him and took his hand. "I love you, too. Let's talk more about that later. But first, I want to take a bath. Would you at least help me with my hair, afterwards?" "Of course", he said, and sat down. Hideki thought to himself as he sat waiting. "This is silly. I'm going to be with her for the rest of my life. I've got to stop being so embarrassed around her. Besides, it's not like we're going to DO anything" "Chii; I changed my mind" He said, as he stood in front of the bathroom door. "I'm coming in"
Afterwards, as he was helping brush out her hair, he said "I never really thought that it would take that long to get your hair washed. It must have been real handy to have your mother along when you went to the bath house" "Yes, it was. Thank you for helping me this time." she said, and then she made her voice very serious "I'm very proud of you. You managed to get through the entire bath without a nosebleed." She giggled. "Well, after listening to you today, I realized that I've got some more growing up to do. After all, I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with you." Hideki said.
"That reminds me. What were you saying about marriage earlier?" "Well, I know what manager Ueda went through when he married his persocom, but you're not just an ordinary persocom. I love you, and I think we should get married someday, somehow. Besides, I won't be a ronin forever" Chii turned around and gave him a big hug, and a kiss. "That's really sweet." "Speaking of manager Ueda, I am going back to work at the bakery soon. What should we tell him?" Hideki thought about that. "Well, I don't want to lie to him, but we can't tell him everything, can we?" "No", Chii said, "But we can tell him I'm working better now. That's true enough." "You know, you won't be the only one helping manager Ueda anymore. Yumi's working there again. That's why I have longer hours at the tavern", Hideki said "You know, I think I might have been a little jealous of her at one time" Chi said. "I'm glad they got back together again." "Me too", said Hideki "They have each other now, and I have you."
Chii finished brushing her hair, and stood up. "Thanks for your help. We should do this more often. I like it when we can be together" "So do I." said Hideki. "Um… we didn't bring any nightclothes" Chii walked over to the dresser. "Yuzuki said there were some nightclothes here." She pulled open a drawer, and got out some nightwear. She tossed a pair of pajamas to Hideki who pulled them on over his boxers, and found something for herself. Chii dropped her towel, and Hideki caught a glimpse of her before she pulled her nightclothes on. She saw him looking, and smiled. He had still blushed a bit.
As they lay in bed, she thought yet again of how lucky she had been. Beside her, Hideki was thinking the same thing. He reached over and took her hand as he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 5 7/20/2003 5:08 PM
After dinner, they discussed Chii's experience for a while more, and then Minoru had Yuzuki show Chii and Hideki to their room. As they walked towards the other end of the hall, where his bedroom was, Minoru said "Perhaps I should have given them separate rooms." Yuzuki hesitated, then said "Chii has told me that they are a couple now, although Hideki is very proper about his behavior. She didn't say anything before out of fear of embarrassing Hideki, but she wanted you to know that he has great respect for her." "I wondered why he was not embarrassed earlier. Perhaps he has matured somewhat. I told him that he is a lucky man, but I think Chii is lucky to have him, too." "Chii said I am lucky, too" Yuzuki said. "Oh, and why is that" Minoru asked. "Because of you" Yuzuki said, as she turned to her room. "Good night, sir" "Good night, Yuzuki" Minoru said, and, as she closed the door, he thought "That makes four of us."
Chii and Hideki stood and stared at the room they had been shown to. "I still find this house incredible" Hideki said "So much room for so few people. I mean, there are six people here in a house as large as our whole apartment building." Chii had opened one of the doors. "Look, Hideki, a private bath. I'd love to try it." "Would you like to wash my back?" she asked shyly. Hideki blushed. "We're in someone else's house!" "When would we ever have the use of a private bath again, Hideki?" Chii asked. "I don't know, maybe on our honeymoon" he mused. "WHAT!" Chii was astounded. Had he actually said that? "What did you say?" she asked. Hideki blushed deep red. "Oh Jeez! Was I talking out loud again?" he stammered. "Yes you were!" Chii said. "Were you serious?" "Well, kind of" Hideki said "I mean I know it's not legal and everything and I know the trouble Ueda went through, but why not? I do love you, you know." Chii thought about that. She knew he did, totally, but it was nice to hear him say it. She walked over to him and took his hand. "I love you, too. Let's talk more about that later. But first, I want to take a bath. Would you at least help me with my hair, afterwards?" "Of course", he said, and sat down. Hideki thought to himself as he sat waiting. "This is silly. I'm going to be with her for the rest of my life. I've got to stop being so embarrassed around her. Besides, it's not like we're going to DO anything" "Chii; I changed my mind" He said, as he stood in front of the bathroom door. "I'm coming in"
Afterwards, as he was helping brush out her hair, he said "I never really thought that it would take that long to get your hair washed. It must have been real handy to have your mother along when you went to the bath house" "Yes, it was. Thank you for helping me this time." she said, and then she made her voice very serious "I'm very proud of you. You managed to get through the entire bath without a nosebleed." She giggled. "Well, after listening to you today, I realized that I've got some more growing up to do. After all, I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with you." Hideki said.
"That reminds me. What were you saying about marriage earlier?" "Well, I know what manager Ueda went through when he married his persocom, but you're not just an ordinary persocom. I love you, and I think we should get married someday, somehow. Besides, I won't be a ronin forever" Chii turned around and gave him a big hug, and a kiss. "That's really sweet." "Speaking of manager Ueda, I am going back to work at the bakery soon. What should we tell him?" Hideki thought about that. "Well, I don't want to lie to him, but we can't tell him everything, can we?" "No", Chii said, "But we can tell him I'm working better now. That's true enough." "You know, you won't be the only one helping manager Ueda anymore. Yumi's working there again. That's why I have longer hours at the tavern", Hideki said "You know, I think I might have been a little jealous of her at one time" Chi said. "I'm glad they got back together again." "Me too", said Hideki "They have each other now, and I have you."
Chii finished brushing her hair, and stood up. "Thanks for your help. We should do this more often. I like it when we can be together" "So do I." said Hideki. "Um… we didn't bring any nightclothes" Chii walked over to the dresser. "Yuzuki said there were some nightclothes here." She pulled open a drawer, and got out some nightwear. She tossed a pair of pajamas to Hideki who pulled them on over his boxers, and found something for herself. Chii dropped her towel, and Hideki caught a glimpse of her before she pulled her nightclothes on. She saw him looking, and smiled. He had still blushed a bit.
As they lay in bed, she thought yet again of how lucky she had been. Beside her, Hideki was thinking the same thing. He reached over and took her hand as he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 5 7/20/2003 5:08 PM