She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 3)
by BrDPirateMan

Hair? Check.

Clothes? Check.

Vibrant personality? Hmmm, well… My charisma may not be exactly magnetic, but at least Shiki would like me, I hoped.

A third time going through my mental checklist of things to make sure I had, and I was finally ready to hit the road. Hello, new life with Shiki! Aloha, sweet romance in the air!

Yes, today was the day that I promised to help Shiki and Eri out with their shopping. Apparently they were on a lucky streak and ideas for their fashion design stuff were rolling off their heads non-stop and silky smooth like butter. But to turn their ideas into reality they'd need materials, and by materials they meant cloth. Lots of it. And that's what they were going to get today.

Shiki was a pro at sewing. She was the fiercest seamstress around, fierce as in amazingly-skilled, of course. I should know. She mended my pants in three minutes flat, but that's another story for another day. I blush whenever I think about it. So perhaps, in this case, fierce might mean aggressive as well…

I headed for Shibu-Q Heads early to wait for the girls, but Eri had already beaten me to it. She was standing around, fiddling with her cell phone lazily.

There she is! I could recognize that unique outfit of hers anywhere. In a crowd of faceless pedestrians she would stand out like a pillar of light. That pretty face framed by strawberry hair and that oversized cap… and that crop top which flattered her waist… that ridiculously low-slung mini-skirt with the magical ability to cling onto her wonderful hips…

Wait! What was I doing fantasizing about her? The one I should be drooling over was – hang on, this wetness on my chin… was it saliva?

Impossible. It simply didn't make sense that I was salivating over this crazy chick! Shiki, I'm so sorry. Again I've failed you…

Eri's shrill voice snapped me out of my profuse mental apologies to Shiki. "Neku! Over here!"

I had to focus. Eri was a good friend, despite her many behavioral quirks, but my target was no one else but Shiki. Today, she would be mine!

"Hey, Eri."

"Man, you could use a little more oomph in that greeting." She snapped her cell phone lid closed and stuffed it in her skirt pocket. "Today's a lovely day! Full of opportunity! You should be happier about it!"

"Well, I am happy."

"You're not smiling or anything," she said with a shrug. "Your mouth is looking so dull today. Widen it!" To drive her point home, she playfully took the corners of my mouth in her fingers and stretched them apart into a smile, but it only served to make me look like an alien from outer space.

I grabbed hold of her hands to stop her. "C-Cut it out, Eri. I'm fine! I'm – "

Then it suddenly occurred to me that I was holding her hands in both of mine. Wasn't this something that lovers often did? Hands were a delicate area, and you never touched another girl's hands or vice versa unless there was some form of romantic attraction between the two of you. And though it was accidental, the fact was, I just did that wth Eri.

"Whoa!" In a flash, I let go, leaving her momentarily confused.

"Is something wrong, Neku?" she asked, growing concerned. "You're growing red in the face."

"I-It's nothing! It's a hot day today, so I guess the heat was getting to me."

"Really? Are you sure you'll be okay? Let me feel your head."

And then the next thing she did – I couldn't believe it myself – was to touch her forehead against mine. Our faces were so close together and her warm breath was billowing against my face, soothing yet agonising. This was a common way to tell if someone had a fever, but if I didn't have one earlier, I definitely had one now!

Oh, and everyone turned to look our way.

"I'm totally fine!" I yelped. In my panic I swiftly backed my head away from her, only to have the back of my skull bash into the lamppost behind me. There was the dull resounding thunk of bone clashing with metal.

I wound up clutching my head in pain. Not a good way to start what should be a great day…

"Well, Neku, if you were fine before," said a wincing Eri, "you aren't now. Concussions aren't the best thing ever by a long shot."

"I'll be A-OK, Eri. I think."

"If you say so. Anyway, Shiki's gonna be a little late coming here, so we're gonna have to wait for her a bit. In the meantime, why don't you have some crepes?"

She held out her hand to me, in which there was a crepe, neatly wrapped and smelling good. And she had a smile on her face, not the kind of smile where she would tease me or whatever, but a real one peppered with warmth. I might have traded jibes with her on any other day but her kindness kept my sarcasm in check.

"Um, th-thanks…" I took it from her, secretly astounded by how thoughtful she was.

Seeing the nicer side of Eri – as opposed to the insane Mr Hyde I was often subject to – was refreshing. I couldn't understand anything of it, so I just thought, well, sometimes even crazy people have their nice days.

I didn't care much for crepes and she probably got this from the local fast-food restaurant, but for some reason it tasted… sweeter than normal. Not to mention better.

We sat side by side on the nearest bench, and Eri piped up, "Hey, hey, Neku. Are you still gonna chase Shiki?"

The redness rushed to my cheeks. "Um… chasing is a bit of a strong word, but yeah…"

She giggled. "Well then, lucky you. I'm feeling generous, so I'm going to give you some tips that I think you'll find useful. With these, you'll have a better chance of getting Shiki."

Her words sounded promising, but my guard was up. Was she going to end up wisecracking and making fun of me again? But when she began it was obvious she was being serious.

"For starters… girls like guys who have a sense of humour. Being funny is important, Neku, because it's one of the little things that determine if a girl thinks you're interesting enough for her."

I grunted. "That's going to be a bit of a problem then. I've never been great at humour."

"But you are funny."

I looked at Eri in surprise. "You think I'm… funny? Seriously?"

"Absolutely!" she beamed, apparently supportively. Then the next words caused my heart to sink. "You're definitely funny, Neku… although that's because I'm laughing at you."

"Gee… thanks."

She chuckled and patted me on the shoulder to try and make me feel better. "I'm just kidding. But seriously, Neku, I gotta tell you something." Her face dropped just the tiniest bit to emphasize the seriousness of what she wanted to say. "People laughing together with you and people laughing at you are two different things. Girls don't find it cool if you always get laughed at."

I decided to switch gears and ask for another tip because humour wasn't my strongest point and never will. "Um, what else?"

"Being chivalrous is an age-old practice," she replied, "but it still works till this very day. Hold the door open for her, walk on the outside of the pavement… you get what I mean. Girls love those things." Then with a grin and a small chuckle she added, "I should know."

I didn't know why but my heart lurched for the briefest second there. Maybe it was because I was talking to a girl who was giving me advice on how to treat another girl the right way, and how said advice would work on herself too. Weird at best.

"You can be surprisingly nice at times," I said, poking fun at her.

"Hey, I'm always nice," she huffed. "Is it that strange for me to be nice? !"

The presence of a familiar figure caught our attention and brought our conversation to an end. There she was, in the thick of the crowd of milling pedestrians, head darting this way and that, looking for us. Shiki!

"Here she comes, Neku," whispered Eri. "Do your best, and good luck!"

"Thanks." I felt pretty good, and although the butterflies were growing by the dozens in my stomach, I tried to keep cool and confident. After all, this might be my only good chance.

Eri yelled her over, and she took notice. That smile on Shiki's face was so cute! I could take a photo of her and frame it on my living room wall and never tire of it.

"Eri! Neku!" called out Shiki. "There you are!"

I greeted, "Hey, Shiki."

I was about to say something cheery to her when she was suddenly joined by someone else. He materialized from the midst of the crowd and walked up to her side, and his appearance surprised and confused me.

The first thing about him that struck an impression in me was that he was taller than any of us. I was about the same height as Eri and Shiki, though slightly taller, and this guy beat me by at least another foot. He also had a firm build which I sorely lacked, and his handsome face was bespectacled, giving him an air that suggested that not only was he learned he was also accomplished in life.

Who was he? I would find out.

And when I did, the whole world came crashing down on me.

"Oh, hey," asked a curious Eri, gaze pointed at him, "who's this? Your friend?"

Shiki replied, "Ah, yeah! Well, actually, he's my boyfriend. His name is – "

Boyfriend? What? Shiki had a… boyfriend? ! What kind of sick joke was this? She was joking, right? She had to be. The girl of my dreams, hooked up with another guy? Impossible. I was so shattered that I wasn't listening and I didn't catch his name.

Eri's shock caused her speech to falter slightly. It was barely noticeable, but I could tell she understood how I was feeling. Nevertheless, she tried to act normal by shaking the hand of the guy, whom I shall dub The Boyfriend, and saying good-naturedly, "Oh! You're Shiki's boyfriend? Cool! Nice to meet you! How long have you guys been dating?"

"We just celebrated our three-month anniversary last week," answered Shiki, hooking her arm around his in a sickly affectionate manner. Three months… Three months and I didn't know about it… Wait, why didn't I know about it? !

Her next words provided the answer. "I figured we were going to buy lots of stuff today, so I thought I'd bring an extra helping hand. And at the same time, I thought I'd surprise you guys!"

"Th-This is a surprise alright," I mumbled a little too flatly.

The Boyfriend seemed to be a friendly, chatty sort. Right off the bat he joked, "You two look awfully close! How far have you gone?"

I spluttered like an old rotten motor. "You mean me and Eri? ! W-We haven't gone anywhere!"

Everyone laughed at my nervous reaction and blushing face, including the mirth-loving Eri. She probably joined in to keep the friendly atmosphere intact, but I sure was glad she didn't make things worse by playing along with him and pretending that she was going out with me and sharing the same showers.

…And then she had to say that.

"Oh, we just take the occasional shower together. Just kidding, of course, ha ha ha!"

Gah!

The ensuing laughter quickly got unbearable, but because I didn't want things to end up awkward, I laughed too, although I didn't laugh so much as forced myself to wring out noises from my mouth that I hoped sounded like a laugh. To the less observant person it would have seemed like one, but what came out of my throat was a rattle as lively as a dead snake.

"Well! All that aside," said Shiki, "I think it's time we got to buying stuff, eh?"

The four of us – myself, Eri, Shiki and The Boyfriend – entered Shibu-Q Heads in a single horizontal line. Shiki had engaged Eri in lively girl-talk which The Boyfriend, astonishingly, was able to follow and even add to, leaving me in the dust and not knowing what to say.

I felt six different kinds of terrible. And the worst part was, the shopping trip had only begun.

XOXOXOXOXO

The cloth that the girls bought came in an assortment of lively colours. This was cloth that Shiki was going to use to make all manner of clothes both dainty and daring… though I imagined that with Eri as the main designer, there might be more daring ones than dainty.

The hard labour was reserved for the guys – me and The Boyfriend. We were tasked with carrying all the stuff they bought, and there was a lot of it. Being a tough guy, he didn't feel too bothered at all by the weight, but I was barely capable of it no thanks to my weak and thin arms. People must have been amused by the sight of us standing side by side. One brawny guy standing tall and strong and confident, and a scrawny guy next to him, looking about ready to collapse. It was humiliating.

The Boyfriend was friendly and made small talk with me while the girls were busy being on their fashion "high". "Say, Neku, right?" he said. "What course are you doing?"

"Huh? Um…" Was he really meaning to ask, "How well-accomplished are you in life? I need to know if I'm better than you."

If he was better than me, and he probably was, then the least I could do was bend the truth as much as I could within acceptable limits, so I could at least appear to be on par with him. It wasn't the brightest idea in the world, but it was the only one I could think of to save face.

"Oh, I'm taking graphic design," I boasted. "I've always liked CAT's work, so I thought being in this course would help me achieve my dreams. I'm not exactly a pro in what I'm doing but the truth is my work has seen some of the highest scores in my college. Perhaps I'll have a chance at working with CAT someday." Well, that was as close as close got! Now we'd see what he had to say.

The smile that was always on his face grew wider, suggesting that he was impressed and he bought it. But when he next spoke, it was obvious that what I said about myself didn't matter to him one bit. In fact, it all seemed like his spoken curriculum vitae, and unfortunately for my battered soul, it was very impressive.

"That's awesome, Neku. As for me, I'm in my third year of fashion design. It's pretty funny how things worked out for me lately. On a whim about a year back, I submitted some of the designs I made to a bunch of companies like Pegaso and Dragon Couture, and next thing I knew, I'd been swamped with work offers left and right. I was even invited to last year's D+B Summer Collection fashion show, and boy was it a blast! But because I'm still taking my degree, I can't actually work with them just yet. However, Dragon Couture and D+B have promised me a permanent spot in their workforce so once I've graduated I can start work right away. Seriously, it's been crazy how good it's been for me!"

His superior achievements were far better than mine, and mine were mostly fake at that! I never felt so insignificant in my life. Even a speck of dust was leagues better than I was now.

And then he had to add, "Plus, you know, I'm so lucky to have met Shiki. There was a function that we happened to take part in some time back and we got to talking. Then the rest was history."

"Uh, yeah…" I mumbled. "Good stuff."

I felt like a fool! That wall next to me looked so nice to bang my head against but then everyone nearby would stare and point.

Just then Shiki scampered over to us, and those lovely brown eyes of hers crossed paths with mine for a second. She was looking at me?

"Hey, honey," she said. "Got a sec?"

Did she just call me… honey? As flustered as I was, I pulled myself together. "Wh – y-you talking to me?"

Shiki laughed, "Of course not, Neku! I'm referring to him. Good joke there though."

But I wasn't joking… I thought she… ah, heck.

She grabbed her boyfriend's hand and spoke something to him about wanting his opinion on what colour would be best for a skirt. What exactly she said I didn't hear; I was busy trying to patch together my bleeding heart, and bandages were in short supply. It was him whom she was calling honey. Of course it wouldn't be me…

I watched dolefully as she led him deeper into the shop. They looked like the perfect match for each other as they talked in excruciating detail about patterns and all that stuff I didn't get. From inside I caught sight of Eri smirking at me and stifling her laughter at my mistake.

"Oh, can it," I muttered inaudibly, looking away in deep embarrassment.

Throughout the entire shopping trip, I was the proverbial fish out of water. Everyone here was fashion-minded except me and no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't find a way to chip into their conversations. Well, what'd you expect from a guy who isn't even interested in fashion in the first place? I knew nothing. Zero.

Even if I had stuff I could say, I didn't think I would be able to say much because of how much Shiki was clinging onto her boyfriend. In my dreams I would imagine her clutching onto my arm and saying all kinds of romantic things to me with a wide smile on her face. Well, to an extent my dreams came true. But the person she was being lovey-dovey with wasn't me.

In fact, I began to feel disgusted by the way she would sneak in a feel on his arm or a grip on his hand whenever she thought Eri and I weren't looking. Man, I was so jealous I could eat nails!

The last straw came when we chanced upon the Nishimura Pharmacy, run by the famously beautiful pharmacist Dr Fumiko. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shiki whispering something into her boyfriend's ear. The way she was on tiptoes trying to match his height would have been cute any other day, but right now she looked downright silly. Jealousy had a way of painting everything in a blazing hue of green.

"Guys?" she said. "Could you wait for us a bit? We wouldn't be a minute."

"Um, sure," said Eri, nodding. "Go ahead."

The couple went inside the pharmacy and was out in double quick time. The first thing I noticed was their red faces. What did they buy in there that would get them all embarrassed?

Then I noticed something else. Hidden among The Boyfriend's bouquet of shopping bags was a small bag with the Nishimura Pharmacy logo emblazoned on it. No one would have seen it if they didn't look hard enough, but my eyes were sharp and keen like a hawk's. Even with the shape of the box jutting through the plastic, it was hard to tell what the contents were, but judging from the context of the situation I could more or less guess.

"What'd you guys buy in there?" asked Eri. She was probably as curious as I was, so extra kudos were in order for acting as innocently as she could.

The Boyfriend was fidgeting a little, and Shiki clutched her arm nervously. Her reply was a lame-sounding "Just some… vitamins and stuff."

Yeah right! What's so embarrassing about vitamin pills? ! Don't tell me they purchased condoms or something… It was the only thing that would make sense! Would Shiki actually… Would they actually…

This was too much for me. If I had known today would turn out this way, I wouldn't have come. And now that I knew, I had to get out.

"Guys, um, see," I muttered, "I'm awfully sorry for this, but I just remembered there was this important errand I had to do for my aunt. Like, ultra-important."

Eri turned to me with a quizzical look. "Huh?"

"An errand?" said Shiki. "But – "

I almost felt apologetic as I handed over my shopping bags to The Boyfriend, feeling a bit of childish happiness that now he had to handle double the load. But given his thick muscles, it probably wouldn't have affected him in any way.

Through my nose I lied. "I'm sorry, everyone. But my aunt, um… She asked me to deliver some important goods to her niece's son's cousin's brother's daughter's adopted elder sister. And I just remembered I have to go do it now; it's really urgent!"

There was a second or two's worth of silence, and the blank stares of all three of them hinted that they didn't believe a word I said. I knew very well that no one would believe me, but whatever. Anything to get myself out of there! I expected them to feel a bit miffed that I was shirking on my promised responsibilities to help them out.

However, Shiki's reaction was the total opposite of what I thought it would be. "Oh, really?" she said. "You mustn't keep your aunt waiting, then! We'll take care of things here, don't worry." The Boyfriend also politely gestured for me to get going on my "task".

No way… They actually believed my downright pitiful excuse for an, well, excuse? !

After a hasty goodbye, I scampered off. I thought I heard Eri calling out after me, but I paid her no heed. The atmosphere was getting more stifling that time when she suffocated me in her ample chest, so out I had to go. Mmm… ample chest.

Gah! Why did that have to enter my mind just then? !

XOXOXOXOXO

Anyone would be a fool to believe I had an errand to run for my aunt's niece's son's… whatever. Shiki and her boyfriend were such fools!

I felt very bad. I could exaggerate on and on about how my heart was like it was being trampled underfoot by a herd of elephants, or how I would rather riddle and skewer my whole body with chopsticks than watch that idiot couple fawn over each other again. But thinking up of those descriptions would waste too much time that I'd rather spend on brooding over a cup of cheap instant noodles.

Now what do people do to temporarily forget about their troubles? They could play a sport and go all-out to vent their frustrations. They might adopt a quieter approach like meditation or weeping at the sunset. Failing that, they could try something really crazy like stick needles into voodoo dolls or smash plates against the wall. Or they could simply get plastered on beer like Eri often did.

Eri…

Man, why did I have to keep thinking about her… She wasn't even girlfriend material to begin with. Besides, it was Shiki who was…

Why did I have to think about her too? ! Previously my dreams of her would be all about happiness and cuddliness and moonlit walks in the park. Now all I could see in her were an endless torrent of nightmares. Rrrgh! It wasn't fair!

Over my anguish and despair, I spent too much time tearing my hair out that I forgot to eat. When I remembered about my noodles and checked them, I found that they had grown so fat and absorbed too much gravy that they were no longer appealing anymore. But I was hungry, so into my trap they went. Inwardly I was sobbing. Again, it was all so unfair…

Just then there was a knock on the door which startled me somewhat. Who could it be at this time of the evening?

My visitor turned out to be a certain pink-haired lunatic whose presence I had come to grow accustomed to by now.

"Geez, Neku," sighed Eri. "Running off like that… You had me worried, you know."

"Sorry," I muttered. Then I went back to the dining table and resumed slurping up fattened noodles half-heartedly. I just didn't have the heart to talk to anyone.

She helped herself inside and closed the front door behind her, then silently took the seat opposite mine. "You know, about earlier…"

I grumbled through my noodles, but didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry it didn't work out, Neku."

A pause ensued, during which I was busy chewing my way through a mouthful of instant noodles… or perhaps instant worms would be like it. I gulped the whole mess down my throat, then demanded, "Why didn't you tell me about it, Eri? Why didn't you tell me that Shiki's already got a boyfriend?"

"I honestly didn't know. She never talked about him, or even hinted that she was in a relationship. If I had known I'd have told you already. I guess she really wanted to surprise us both."

I groaned. If it was meant to be a surprise, it was a rude one.

"I know it seems like a small thing," she continued, "but what she and her boyfriend bought at the pharmacy really bothered me. What do you think it might be? You think it could be…?"

"How should I know."

The tense silence returned. God I hated these periods of tense silence. It was almost like if you dropped a pin it would create a sound as loud as a neutron bomb. And I didn't like the way this conversation was headed. I might have been okay with Eri any day, but right now I wanted to be alone.

"So what happens now?" she asked after a while. "With Shiki and her boyfriend the way they are, I don't think you've got a snowball's chance in hell. I mean, I didn't think she'd put out."

Her words were the brutal honest truth that I didn't want to face, so I hated that she had to say it. I lashed out in anger at her, "Gee, thanks! If you've got nothing nice to say, then don't say anything, will you? !"

Eri winced at my outburst and was stunned for a few seconds. Then, treading cautiously, she spoke, "S-Sorry… I was just trying to tell you the facts… You didn't have to, well, shout at me for it…"

There was a slight tremor as she talked, and I could tell she was afraid of offending me for fear of being yelled at again. In the snap of a finger I regretted what I had done. Eri had said or done nothing wrong. It was like she had said; she was just being practical and telling me the cold hard facts that I had to come to terms with sooner or later.

"No, Eri," I mumbled, ashamed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that. It wasn't nice of me. But, you know, I'm just so frustrated right now…"

She chose not to talk for the next several minutes during which I just cut loose and complained about how nothing worked out for me.

"It's not fair," began my long tirade. "Shiki and I were the best of friends. We were so close. I know our college lives has made it difficult for us to stay in touch but I never thought it would get so bad she'd find someone else as a boyfriend.

"And now she's got someone to experience true love with. She's probably held hands with that brute, and hugged, and kissed… And now she's probably going to sleep with him and everything will be okay with them while I'm here stewing in loneliness and regret! You can dream and lust after someone all you want, but as long as they're taken, they'll never be yours. Argh, dammit!"

Eri bit her lip as she watched me take a deep ragged breath. She took the opportunity to jab in a word or two, but it was nothing smart. "You… lust after Shiki?"

"Why wouldn't I? !" I huffed, more exasperated than embarrassed. "She's the girl of my dreams! Or rather, she was…"

"You actually have wet dreams about her?" She covered her mouth with her hands and her cheeks turned beet-red with anticipation about my answer.

"Huh? W-Wet… No! What kind of monster do you think I am? !"

"So you're a pervert in disguise," she said, chuckling lightly. "Behind that spiky mane of yours lies a great big pervert!" In her mischief she even poked playfully at my forehead, leaving me to scowl at her.

"Look who's talking, Miss Amateur Stripper."

"Amateur… Stripper? !" Her fists were balled on the table and she had this fierce glare at me. My words had apparently taken her aback, but not in a way I'd have ever imagined. "How rude! I can do a pretty decent striptease, you know! And I'll prove it to you right now!"

"What? ! H-Hey, get down from the table!" I had to muster all of my strength to drag her down from the table and keep her from whipping her clothes off. A small part of me really wanted to see her do it, but… this wasn't the right time for something like this. Or rather, it wasn't appropriate at any time!

When things had settled nicely and she had calmed down enough to return to her seat, she said, "So, back to where we left off… you think about Shiki all the time, huh?"

"Of course I do. But it's no use. I'll never get close to her now…"

"Hmmm…"

"Man…! Everyone's tasted love at least once in their lives, so why can't I? I want to be able to hold hands with the one I love, and go on dates, and have my first kiss… It just sucks I haven't been able to do any of those things."

My downcast eyes hovered around a blank spot on the table. I had practically emptied my entire stock of troubles onto Eri, and I was sure it would be tiring to her to have to listen to more of my pitiful droning, so I stopped and let the quietness of the apartment take over.

"Neku," she said, "you have never held hands before, or went on a single date? Basically you're saying you've never done anything romantic before?"

"Never. Why?"

She slapped her knee and couldn't suppress a short little laugh. "No way! Not even a quick playful peck on the cheek under the mistletoe during Christmas?"

I had one last good nerve left and her sniggering was getting on it dangerously. "It's not funny! It's not my fault that I happen to be so unlucky in love!"

"Ahaha… Sorry, sorry. I'm just messin'." The gall of this girl, laughing at my plight!

For a few moments she sat there with that half-smirk on her lips. Then she abruptly rose from her chair and slapped her hands on the table, startling me. If I had been eating then, I'd have choked to death for sure.

"Alright!" she cried. "It's settled!"

"Wh-What's settled? Um, E-Eri? !"

She leaned in close, an inch between our faces, and simply looked at me with intense eyes. Gosh, I didn't notice it before, but her eyes were very pretty… I felt the blood blotching into my cheeks as she gazed at me from point-blank range.

"Neku, you want to know what it's like to go on a date and stuff, right?"

"Uh… yeah. Wh-Why?"

Much to my relief she pulled her face away. "Well, we can't have you feeling all sad forever. So get up on your feet!"

"Wait, whoa, wait!" What was she grabbing onto my arm and pulling for? Had she grown a sudden desire to yank my shoulder out of its socket? Her efforts were so persistent that I had little choice but to pry my butt off of my chair and stand up. But still she didn't stop pulling.

"Come on, off we go. Chop chop!"

"Eri, what are you doing? Where are you trying to kidnap me to this time?"

"It's perfectly normal to be sad," she said, ignoring my questions, "but it's not any fun now, is it? That's why, to help you feel a little better about yourself, you and li'l ol me are going on a little something called a date."

"Wh-What? ! A date? !"

"Just what it sounds like. If you want to know what it's like to go on one, I'll gladly help you find out. So, ready for some fun?"

Eri sure had a weird sense of logic. You were supposed to have dates with someone you loved, and she wasn't it. But… why wouldn't my heart stop thumping?