She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 8)
by BrDPirateMan

Mr Hanekoma's words enlightened me. That was exactly what I needed to hear. I already felt like I was one step closer to getting a taste of that elusive feeling called mutual love. I wouldn't bore you with the details but there were a few other places I went to with Eri. All I can say was that this date turned out great. Now we were lingering around Miyashita Park, which was one of the quieter places in Shibuya.

I almost wished it wouldn't end, but time waits for no man. The evening would soon arrive. Oh well, if things went well enough, I could go on another date with her some time soon!

As we were strolling around, I could tell she was very happy and very contented with the date. "Nothing quite like a good song or two at the local karaoke bar to yell out your sorrows, heh heh!"

"'Yell' being the operative word," I added. "You could have exploded the mike just now."

"Hey, give a girl a break." She stretched her arms. "I've been through a lot. I'm awfully glad you took me to Crazy K. Plus… you're not too bad a singer yourself."

"Huh… really?"

"Amongst the crows, you're music to peoples' ears," she giggled.

"I get that I sing badly… You didn't have to rub it in…" I hung my head and she laughed at my plight, patting me on the back to comfort me.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a hawker with his push-cart. He was stationed in the middle of the park, under the shade of a large tree. It was obvious that he was selling food of some kind, but when the smell hit me I knew what it was. An idea came to me.

I told Eri to wait for me a little while I went to buy some of the hawker's food. Upon my return, she immediately noticed the large oval object I had in each hand and lost no time asking in obvious repulsion, "Neku, wh-what are those? Those… eggs? They're brown, and three times larger… and kinda creepy-looking…"

Cute reaction… "Relax, Eri. I assure you these aren't xenomorph eggs. They're sweet potatoes."

Her disgust melted away, but she still remained apprehensive. However, the next question she had for me was a stupid one. "Sweet potatoes… They're edible, right?"

"They're not poison capsules, Eri," I laughed, handing one to her. "Here, try it. It's delicious."

She cradled it in her hands as carefully as one might handle a crystal goblet. She fumbled a bit from the heat, I imagine, as it was freshly hot, but she managed. Then after the confusion had died down she commented, "Wow… It's warm."

"The best time to eat it is during winter. I know it's summer right now, but… well, I thought you might like it."

Her small smile widened a little more for me, a welcome sign that her soul was healing. "Thanks, Neku. I'm so glad I went out with you today. I've never felt so good before, and thanks to you, I've gotten over my broken fingernail!"

"B-But not your ex-boyfriend?"

"Psh," she huffed, "what is he? He's got a handsome face but his heart is trash. I've long gotten over him."

"Okaaaay…"

"But anyway, Neku… Thanks again."

I felt a jolt in the heart. I never had a way with words so my humble reply to that was, "Well, we're friends."

"By the way… I know this is going to sound really stupid, but…"

"What is it?"

"…I've never eaten a sweet potato before. How do you eat it?"

I was astonished that she had never tried this simple yet delicious little wonder of a root vegetable. Sweet potatoes had been around for a long time now, and it was new to her? Perhaps, as learned or experienced as we may be, there were still a lot of things in the world that we could know about. After all, you never stop learning.

"There's no real trick to it," I said kindly. "You just need to…"

Everything around us became muffled and indistinct as we found ourselves sucked into our own little world. It was just me and her. Me… I was giving her a quick lesson on the fine art of munching on sweet potatoes. Eri… well, she was mangling and wrestling with her sweet potato in both hands, making her lack of delicacy stand out even more. But it mattered little because the important thing was that she was having fun, something I could tell from the way she was giggling. And when she finally took her first bite, gushed at the taste and proclaimed it as the best darn thing in the world, it made me happy. Really happy.

"It's yummy," she said, grinning. "I love it."

"Glad you like it."

"Hee hee. You're such a cool guy, Neku. If I had known earlier that you were this awesome, I might have had a better impression of you."

"Th-That hurts, you know."

"Ha ha ha!"

We leaned against the railing with the cityscape before us, chatting and eating. It was a peaceful time and certainly good for the soul, but we weren't even halfway through our snacks before a loud noise like thunder ripped through the air, making us jump. And when we glanced upwards, there was a blanket of grey clouds where the sky should be. I thought it was kind of dark while we were talking, but it never crossed my mind that it might be starting to rain. Another peal of thunder and then it started raining cats and dogs. No, not like this. I didn't want the date to end like this!

"Crud!" I cried. "We need to move!"

"Right you are," squawked Eri, "but where do we go now? !"

"My house is just two or three minutes from here. I know we'll get really soaked along the way but it's better than hiding in a shop or someplace and staying wet. I had a cold just last month and like heck I'm getting another one!"

"Oh, good thinking! Your house is pretty near from here after all! Let's hustle!"

The skies were opening up and letting loose with watery hell. If it was a drizzle it wouldn't be so bad. But a downpour was hardly the kind of thing anyone out in the open would like. Who would? It was really icky how my clothes were sticking onto my skin like cling film. And they were my new threads too.

"Agh, it's really pouring!" I yelled. "Eri, do you happen to have an umbrella with you?"

"No!"

"You don't keep one under that oversized cap of yours?"

"It's not that big, you idiot!" she snapped. "Just shut up and keep running!"

And run we did. Boy, how we hurried. But we're lucky my house was nearby. Out of the rain… good! Now all that was left to do was to take a quick bath before the coldness set in and made us sick. Man… it sure was disgusting being so wet! Wait… wet? If I was wet, then so was Eri. And if she was wet, then how did she look – Holy ASDFGHJKL;…? !

"Eew," she groaned, "this sucks."

I watched her, spellbound, as she parted the damp fronds of her hair. From head to toe she was positively drenched. I knew how tight-fitting her clothes were but now that they were hopelessly damp, they clung to her body even closer in sexy ways even I couldn't imagine in the dirtiest crevices of my psyche.

She noticed me gazing stupidly at her and brought me back to my senses. "Hey, Neku? We should hurry and – whoa, another nosebleed? ! What happened to you on the way here? !"

"I-It's nothing to worry about," I mumbled. "Nothing at all. You… You were saying something about hurrying?"

"Uh, I'm saying we should hurry and take a bath."

"Ah, um, right!" I did my very best to pull myself together. "In that case, Eri, you go and take a bath first. I'll go in once you're done."

"But you'll catch a cold waiting for me," she said. "And I don't want that. Let's just go in together."

Previously I might have shuddered quite badly from the crazy things she might have said, but this time I practically broke my neck by rearing backwards so violently in shock. And like always, my words in reply were, "What the heck are you smoking? !"

My outburst didn't faze her. If anything, she actually seemed a little cross at my hesitation. "What do you mean, 'what the heck'?" she sighed. "Didn't you say you didn't want to catch another cold?"

"I-I'm just saying I can wait for a little bit while you bathe. A few minutes wouldn't bother me. I'm not gonna – "

"Yeah right! A few minutes are more than enough for you to get sick! And another thing if you haven't noticed yet: we're wasting precious seconds talking here."

I paused, trying to think of a suitable counter to her argument. But she was pushy and impatient. Before I knew it, she had grabbed me by the wrist, dragged me to the bathroom and launched me in like a cannonball. Then she stepped inside and locked us both in, before barricading the door by standing in front of it, to prevent me from leaving. In a sense I was glad that she cared about my well-being but the way with which she went about it was scary.

"Clothes off," she grumbled, tossing aside her soaked sleeveless jacket. "Now! Get on with it already before you start sneezing! And sneezing is disgusting."

"N-No way!"

"Don't be so stubborn. It wouldn't help your health."

Eri had an attitude that spelt "well, like, whatever" and it came to light again as she nonchalantly slid her skirt off right in front of me. She was going to strip off everything and had absolutely no qualms about doing it in the presence of a boy. Yikes! Her quick hands were fingering the hem of her crop top and I barely had time to turn my back to her before I heard the sound of it being peeled off.

A couple more similar muffled noises later, they stopped altogether. Oh god, I knew what this meant. I had seen her in various states of undress before, be it her in underwear or a bath towel, and while all of those times may have been uniformly startling, at least she was wearing something and the shock wasn't so bad. But now…

I heard her from behind me. "I'm gonna help myself to the shower. What're you waiting for?"

The shower cubicle was to my right and I swiveled my head to the left to avoid catching sight of her. "Are you telling me to join you? !"

"Yeah, well, it does save water this way, right? I'm just being practical. It's gonna be a real problem if you fall ill – "

"No! L-Look, Eri. You take the shower, I'll use a pail and water. Deal?" I grabbed a nearby stool and bucket and set them down on the floor in front of the wall tap. "I know you don't want me to catch the sniffles but I'm not about to share a shower with you when you're totally naked."

"Are you saying I look ugly when I'm naked? !"

"Huh? N-No, that's not it. You actually look nice when you're – NO, dammit! That's not I'm talking about right now! Listen, okay? ! We're gonna bathe separately because that's what I feel is the best way to go about things."

"Your choice, I guess," she mumbled. "I'm okay if you want to join me in the shower though. Really, I am."

"You're a weirdo."

"Ugh, shut up and get bathing already."

Behind me there was the sound of the shower curtain being slid closed, followed by the steady hiss of water jetting out of a showerhead. I had no idea if Eri was a great big pervert or if she really was being down-to-earth.

At the very least, I should take a quick splash and then get the heck out of there before she was done. She usually took her time with her showers so escaping with my sanity intact shouldn't be too difficult as long as I was fast. As I took my wet clothes off I found some solace in the knowledge that there was a curtain separating the two of us. We couldn't see each other. That was a bit of a relief, though I was also a teensy bit disappointed… I mean, one flimsy piece of plastic was all that stood between me and any man's wildest dream. So tempting… It would be peanuts to whisk it open, but I just couldn't. But supposing she did, and I happened to look her way, I could see her… I could see… everything. And then…

No! No more of that! NO! ! !

I sat on the stool, pouring water over myself and mulling over today's events. Let's see… Over the course of this date, we had chilled out near the Statue of Hachiko, gone shopping for clothes, went for karaoke, had sweet potatoes… and then came along the thunderstorm. Quite good, if it weren't for the rain.

Ah, but I mustn't think about it in such a bad way… At least now I got to share the same bathroom with Eri!

Er…

What was with me? ! It's normal to think about doing this and that with the one you love – Eri herself said that. But wasn't I being a bit too perverted? !

Her voice was humming a tune through the shower curtain. It quickly progressed into a nameless song where she was stringing notes together in no order. Somehow, hearing her go "La la la" was making me grow uneasy. Maybe it was because the images of her that I was conjuring up were getting worse. Hmmm… singing while getting herself nice and soapy and luscious was a bit…

I couldn't stand it. "Eri!"

Her singing ground to a halt. "What?"

"C-Could you tone down on the soprano stuff? It's… I dunno."

"Can't a girl sing while she's in the bath?" She sounded a little annoyed.

"S-Sorry! It's just… it's just that you're… I mean… Ah, forget it. Sorry I said anything at all. P-Please carry on."

"You're weird," she said after a pause. Well, maybe I was, but in these circumstances it couldn't be helped… "Anyway, Neku, are you done bathing yet?"

"Uh, no… Not yet."

"Goodie!" she chirped. The sound of the shower curtain being pulled back startled me. She… She was already done and was coming out of the cubicle? ! And why'd she say "Goodie!" anyway? !

I was about to scream bloody murder about how she should have waited for me to finish and get out before getting dressed, but she stopped me short. "Neku, I found this really nice brush and sponge in the shower. Let me wash your back for you!"

For a moment nothing happened. And then…

…that was when I screamed. "WHAT? !"

"I'll scrub your back and make it all nice and clean! C'mon, it's fun!"

In my panic, I was about to turn back to face her but I quickly remembered she wasn't wearing anything, so my eyes stayed locked on the wall before me. Yeah, that was close (though still disappointing)! "Eri! Do you realize we're both naked right now? ! Oh, heck, that's right. I'm naked too, so don't look at me!"

I could tell from how close her voice was that she was right behind me. And fresh from the shower too. But her words, spoken with a shrug in her tone, made her sound more clueless than perverted.

"Whuh? What's there to be ashamed of? Don't people see each other naked all the time at the local onsen (public bath)? I'm sure you've seen your fair share of – "

"But there are separate baths for men and women!"

"Well… there's the mixed section…"

"That's not the point!"

Here we were, a guy and girl in our birthday suits arguing over what was considered normal, but nothing about what was happening had even a shred of normality to it! Talk about hypocrisy at its very worst!

"Wh-Why do you want to scrub my back so badly anyway? !" I demanded. "It's kind of odd, you know? !"

She didn't even take a moment to think. "But you've been so nice to me today, Neku… I just wanted to show my appreciation. I know a back scrub isn't enough to repay you for what you've done for me, but nothing comes to mind so far as to what I can do for you, so… I'd like you to accept it for now. Please? It's my way of saying thanks." There was a hint of a smile in her voice, not a sardonic one of course, but a kind and genuine one.

I didn't think today's date would affect her so greatly. My heart was thumping even harder on top of the palpitations I was already having from knowing we were both in the buff at the moment. She actually enjoyed it… so that couldn't be bad… No, of course it couldn't! This was great news!

But on another note, Eri's the type to get what she wants no matter what. So I could protest all I wanted but she'd still want to wash my back. Could I escape from her when she wanted to feed me ice-cream in public? So this would be the same story. There was no getting around it so I gave in.

I muttered sheepishly, "Just… Just don't break my skin and stuff…"

"Hee hee! You'll see. You'll enjoy it!" In more ways than one…

I just sat there feeling a mixture of awkwardness and pleasure as she went about her business. I'd never had someone wash my back before, and by a girl no less, so this was something I had never experienced before. She seemed to know her stuff, as it felt soothing having my back scrubbed. And for some reason I couldn't begin to comprehend, she was enjoying herself too. How cute her giggling was. Hmmm… I guess I could enjoy this a little longer myself…

"So Neku," she said, "how's it feel?"

"Um… it… it feels great."

Her laughter was gentle and serene. "I knew you'd like it! This is a good sponge you've got here. Why, I was using it on myself just now and boy did it feel out of this world!"

"What? !" I spluttered. "You mean the sponge you're using now is the exact same one you used when you were taking your shower? !"

"Uh-huh. Why?"

"Oh…! Um, n-nothing. Nothing at all. Ahaha…" The sponge that she was using to soap herself up all over was now being used to scrub my back? ! Wasn't that like, I dunno, indirect sex or something? ! I had to stick two fingers up my nostrils to stop the blood from flowing out. An active imagination was a dangerous thing…

I changed the subject to try and calm my nose.

"You seem good at this. Have you done this before, Eri?"

"Yup. Sometimes when Shiki and I hit the onsen, we'd wash each other's backs. Guess I got most of my practice from there. Exfoliation is important for a girl's skin, you know? I mean, you may be a guy, but taking care of your skin is just as important too."

Shiki, huh… Hearing her name would have set my heart a-flutter before, but now… it was just a name. She was still a friend I treasured, yes. But whatever special feelings I used to have towards her were now no more.

Speaking of which, where did Eri's feelings lie? I wanted to find out but didn't know how to start asking. Thankfully she made things simpler for me.

"Hey, Neku?" she said cautiously. "I don't like bringing this up as much as you do, but… we've both had our own failures in love, huh?"

I could tell she was treading carefully so I did the same. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"Well, Shiki's taken. And as for me, I just broke up with my boyfriend. So in a sense, we're in the same boat."

"Yeah…" My single-word response was solemn.

"I don't know when it'll be, but at some point in time, I intend to pursue another relationship."

"…Me too." If, I figured, we could empathise with each other, and share our common grievances… then perhaps I could subtly nudge myself into her heart and she'd do the same for me. Maybe that's how soul mates are born?

Curious, I pressed her, "So what kind of guy are you looking for? Tall, handsome, debonair with class…?" Her answer surprised me.

"I'm tired of those kinds of guys now. They sweep you off your feet and make you think they're something special. Then you get to know them better and you realize they're not the dream guys you want, and you get disappointed. I should know. Why else do you think my past relationships lasted only three months at most?"

"Wow… three months? That's short, Eri."

"And it's good it was that way!" she huffed. "With every new boyfriend, it's three months I'm never getting back, you know!"

"True, yeah. So anyway, what'd you like to see in a guy?" Man, my palms were getting sweaty from anticipation! What kind of man turns Eri on? Would I be that man?

"To be frank," she said, sponging around my shoulder, "all I'm looking for is a guy who'll love me for who I am. I don't even need him to be cute or rich or anything; he just needs to be nice and sensitive and be someone I can be comfortable around. I may look the demanding type, but I'm actually a simple girl at heart."

"That's hard to believe coming from you," I teased.

"And that's rude, you know. But enough about me! What about you? What kind of girl are you aiming for?"

I hesitated to answer. Suddenly faced with such a question, I didn't know how to respond. I could talk about anything and everything with Eri, but if I said the wrong thing, things would get incredibly awkward between us. The trick was to be subtle…

"Do you like your girl to be shy and dainty?" chuckled Eri, enjoying herself. "Or perhaps you've got your eye on a plucky tomboy. Maybe you're a fan of the rebellious type. Or, heaven forbid, maybe you like… older women?"

"Huh? ! Older women? Of course not! That's sick!"

"Then don't keep me waiting! If there's a particular pedigree of dream girl that you fancy, I wanna hear it. So go on, don't hold back. Tell me!"

I cleared my throat. "Erm… well… She should be nice… and have a warm heart, and – "

That was when I felt a light slap on my head. "Don't just give me some standard answer! That's boring. Give me specifics! Details, details!"

"Wh-What kind of details are you talking about?"

She got to work lathering up my other shoulder. "I just think you'll need a girl who's tailored to your needs, so you're gonna need someone really special. That dream girl you're searching for must be specialized in certain things! For example, she'll need ninja reflexes… so she can plug your nose in as soon as your nosebleeds start!"

"Again my lack of control over my nasal functions becomes the highlight… You're cruel, Eri…"

How she laughed her pretty little head off! "It's practically a requirement, but she'll be really busy with the way you are!"

"Well… at least I know I'd love a girl as funny as you are. Life wouldn't be boring that way."

"As funny as me, huh? Aha, now we're getting somewhere! So funny girls are your type. Yup, nothing wrong with that." This caused her to pause for a second. "Then… how about me as a girlfriend?"

Upon hearing that, I was so surprised that I choked on… wait, there was nothing to choke on, but I choked anyway! How could I not with the things she says!

"Eri? !"

Her trademark playful attitude was reaching new heights. There was that painfully distinct seductive air about her as she spoke, an air that would weaken the knees of men (I should know). "Mmm? Did I hear you scream why? But I say, why not? I do fit your criteria, you know."

"I didn't mean – ungh? !"

Eri laid both of her hands on my shoulders and leaned in close so she could speak in my ear. She blew all over it, very slowly she did it and on purpose. Her breath gave me shivers down the spine as it tickled my lobe. Yikes!

"Is having me as your partner for life such a bad thing?" she breathed. "Think about it… We'll see each other's faces in the morning when we wake up, I'll make you breakfast, and I'll tease you every single day but you wouldn't get fed up with it because we're madly in love with each other. And then at night…"

"Wh-What do you mean 'at night'? !" Urk… How did she see through me? That was exactly what I wanted! Right down to the teasing part! Even the night part!

Eri was obviously getting a sort of high from playing massacre with my hormones. But she wasn't done yet – no, if she was anything to go by then it was just the beginning. "Wouldn't it be really something," she added with a sigh, "if we could scrub each other's backs in the bath and flirt like we are now? Must be fun, even if it's a bit mental, huh?"

"W-We're not flirting! And you're right about it being mental!" My teeth were chattering not from the cold, but from… you know.

I was waiting for her to retaliate with a good comeback, but didn't get a single reply. By now she'd have said something witty; after all, it wasn't like her to be tongue-tied. What was going on? First she's all flirty and now she's… quiet?

"Ahaha… I'm just kidding, Neku." The tone of her voice was strangely subdued and a little sad. "You know me, always pulling your leg. I mean, me cooking breakfast is way out there. I can't even boil an egg. Oh well…"

"Eri? …What's wrong, Eri?"

"'What's wrong'? Heh… you're really perceptive." She scooped some water from my pail with a pan and spread it over my back to wash away the soap, and she was obviously taking the moment to think of how to put her thoughts into words. "Okay, hear me out, Neku. I know it sounds silly and maybe even a waste of time to you, but please listen to me for a while."

"Sure, go ahead." What was it that she wanted to tell me? Was this another one of her secrets?

"To be really honest with you – and it embarrasses me so – I can't cook, Neku. And… I can't sew, or do a whole bunch of things that other people probably have no problem doing. And this has been bothering me plenty."

"What's wrong with not being able to do some things? Everyone has their own handicaps, you and me included."

"But if I'm in a relationship, and I can't fix a decent breakfast for my boyfriend or even mend his clothes when they're torn, then I wouldn't make a good girlfriend at all."

"Are you worried that you wouldn't be good enough for your next boyfriend?"

"Yeah. All I can do is fashion design, but it's not gonna help me make lunch or dinner, or patch up a hole in someone's trousers. And there are lots of people out there who can do these things and more. Look at Shiki! She can sew, and make my designs come to life. Without her, I can't do squat. And a lot of girls in my class can at least make something great in the kitchen. Any one of them is better than me!

"It hurts, you know, Neku? Whenever I see one of my gal pals give homemade cookies to some guy, or huddle in a corner busy knitting a scarf, I feel terrible because it reminds me of all the things I can't do. I… At the very least, I want to be able to cook something, but I always end up busy from college stuff anyway, and besides, I don't know where to start so I'm pretty much stuck at square one…"

It's true that Eri was lacking in a few basic skills, but I never thought it was that big an issue for her. It certainly wasn't an issue for me. But this revealed yet another serious side of her – the dark side of the moon no one ever saw – and while I must guiltily admit that it made me even more fascinated with her, I must also add that my desire to care for her grew even stronger. As a gentleman, it was my job to comfort a lady in a state of distress. And right now, inexperienced as I may be, I did my best to do just that.

She had finally finished talking, and let out a sigh that billowed over my damp back. I didn't want her to wallow in self-loathing any longer, so I bravely spoke up:

"Hang on, Eri. I get that you're worried you can't do certain things, but just because you can't cook or sew doesn't mean you wouldn't be able to keep a guy. If he really loves you, he'll love you despite all of your faults."

"Are you trying to cheer me up? Heh… Thanks, but the thing is, I… I dunno if that works, Neku."

"Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. It's only natural. Fashion design may not help make good food or repair clothes, but it's still a skill that's mighty useful. After all, it gives rise to clothes that help people feel more confident when they wear them! When you think up of all those designs that eventually make it from the drawing board to the shelves in a boutique… have you stopped to consider just how many people you've helped look and feel better about themselves when they buy your clothes? Fashion design is something you should be proud of!"

"Huh… I never thought about it that way. When you put it like that…"

Good… She was starting to understand. "And if… if you're still worried that you can't cook and stuff, I… I can teach you."

She gasped. "You'll teach… me? How to cook, you mean?"

"Yeah, why not? I've got some easy recipes that are just perfect for a beginner like you. If you want to, we could spend one day per week helping you learn the ropes of basic cooking. We'll take our time; nothing too tough… Ah! Saturday or Sunday would be great. Oh wait, that depends on you, of course. I wouldn't force you into anything; it's your choice."

There was a few long seconds where nothing was spoken. Or rather, I knew she was struggling to say something, but didn't know what to say. She must be contemplating what to do. If she wanted to cook, she'd have to sacrifice some of her free time, which I imagined was spent on shopping and outings with the girls. I wondered if she was really willing to carry it through.

Her voice was barely a mumble when she replied. "I… I wanna learn to cook. I'm tired of not being able to even cook anything. N-Neku, could… could you teach me? Pretty please?"

"Of course!" I was genuinely glad for her that she wanted to improve herself. And as an added bonus, we would be spending even more time with each other, which would bring us closer… That's a good thing!

She was apparently so overcome with happiness that she wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a big hug from behind.

"Thank you!" she squealed. "I'll be counting on you, Sensei!"

"Calling me Sensei is a bit much," I gulped. Oh god! I could hardly believe that a naked girl was hugging me. Her breasts were supple and firm and felt so good as they squashed against my back… What a fantastic turn of events this was to be sure, something the pervert in me simply had to savour to the fullest assuming I didn't die from a heart attack or loss of blood (whichever came first)!

"You're my teacher now," she cooed into my ear. "It's only natural that I address you with the proper amount of respect. Right, Sensei?"

"…J-Just call me by my name."

"Hee hee. Alright, alright, I was just kidding about that."

A sideways glance at her showed that she was smiling from ear to ear. It looked like her spirits had at last returned to their former glory. That was good. I was glad that I was able to be a great friend to her, to be able to be there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on.

…Her breasts planted firmly on my back were still distracting the heck out of me, though. And the thing was, now that she was happy, she was hugging me tighter. And of course, you should know what that meant…

She whispered, "Thanks, Neku. You're a nice guy."

"We're buddies," I muttered simply. "Buddies help each other."

"Yeah!" she giggled happily. "We're the best of friends! We make the most awesome team! I scrub your back and you scrub mine! Right?"

"Th-That's not how the idiom goes."

"Tee hee! Well, whatever works, Sensei! We'll sort out a schedule with my cooking lessons later, okay? But in the meantime, bath time is far from over, and I've already given your back the squeaky clean treatment, so… wanna scrub mine?"

"Huh? !"

"What?" Whether she was teasing me or being truthfully oblivious, it was hard to tell. "Is something wrong?"

"S-Scrub your back, you say? !" I stammered. "Do you realize just how indecent you just sounded, Eri? ! You scrubbing my back, I can handle somewhat. But the other way around is simply too much for me! I don't think it's right for me to do it!"

"What's the big deal with a naked back?" That tone of hers was more quizzical than playful, so she wasn't joking. She was so accustomed to nudity that she didn't think anything of it.

Her warped reasoning continued thus, "It's really fun, Neku. Plus I love it when someone sponges me up – it's sensational, you know; the tepid foam slinking down my spine! But most importantly, I can't really reach my back, so if you could help me out, that'd be just wonde– "

Not even my vice-like fingers could prevent the blood from gushing right out of my nose in a spectacular torrent of crimson death. It travelled in an arc which splattered onto the floor a good foot or two away. And because the floor was already wet to begin with, the blood quickly spread out into a frightening reddish cloud.

It was difficult to know from the gasp Eri made whether she was shocked or what. She did love her horror movies, so she might be impressed. But in any case, in a rare moment of clarity, she recognized the severity of my condition.

"Neku? M-Maybe you should get out of the bath real quick for now…"

XOXOXOXOXO

Eri got out first, and when I emerged from the bathroom, she was already sitting on the couch. The television was on and she had helped herself to an ice-cream from the fridge. I knew she was an honorary housemate, in a way, but… just how comfortable was she in my home that she could take and do whatever she wanted?

When she saw me, she called me over. "Hey, come on and sit here!" She patted the seat next to her on the couch in a very friendly and carefree way, motioning me to join her.

Normally, if a gal pal invited me to sit next to her, I'd be fine. But…

"Neku, what's with the hesitation? Come on! This program they're showing on TV right now is pretty interesting. The mystery of the tsuchinoko. It's this mystical snake creature found in forests and is said to fetch lots of money if you can catch one and sell it. But… it can jump super high to evade predators, and in a pinch, it can spit venom that's really really poisonous, like rrrgh…!" To emphasize the creature's deadliness, she made her hand into a claw-like shape. "Intriguing stuff, huh?"

I just stood there, hesitant to join her.

"Um, am I boring you?" she said meekly. "I'm sorry if I am…"

"No, I do think the tsuchinoko has its charm and all, but… do you expect me to sit next to someone who's wearing only a towel?"

She blinked and looked down at her body, which was clad in… what else? A towel. Yeah. Ahem. But instead of recognizing her lack of etiquette – not that I expected her to – she said goofily, "Oh, that's true. Want me to take it off?"

"N-No, that's not it! Keep it on!"

Cheeky as usual, her hands reached for the hem of her towel. I snapped both palms at her and waved them in a desperate "no" gesture. "I said KEEP IT ON!"

One look at my panicking self was all it took to turn her into a giggling machine. I must have seemed like quite the fool letting her laugh at me. Oh well, this was an occurrence I had long gotten used to by now, but a part of me wished she could be less strenuous on my sanity. Her towel stayed on, though, so thank heavens for small favours. Seeing that there wouldn't be any more (deliberate) wardrobe malfunctions, I decided it was safe enough and joined her on the couch amid the girlish laughter and her slapping her knee.

"Gosh darn it, Neku," she gasped, "how are you so funny? I just can't resist teasing you; it's almost like if I stopped I'd get cold turkey, ha ha ha!"

I slouched deeper into my seat. "I-I'll take that as a compliment… I think."

"That's the spirit! That's one of the things I like about you!"

She was now laughing so hard she had to clutch onto my arm for support. Was I such a riot to her? I didn't really mind her doing all this to me because it wasn't like she was bullying me or anything. There was nothing malevolent about her playful nature. She just loved to have fun. At least she wasn't a sulky, moody one. I'd hate to spend the rest of my life with someone like that.

The laughter petered away as she peered into my face until she apparently her supply of "ha ha ha's" ran out. Her eyes… they had this beautiful smoky colour and I was hopelessly mesmerized. We gazed at each other for a good chunk of time, saying nothing. The silence grew so overpowering that I could stand it no longer and I spoke up, but even then it was but a mere whisper.

"Eri?"

"To be serious for a sec," she said, "I had a lot of fun today. I just wanted to tell you that. I could tell you were putting in a lot of effort just to make me feel better, so… thank you, Neku. Thank you so much for the date."

"Um… uh…" After the hell she must have had to endure with her ex-boyfriend, it was nice that she was back to being her usual cheery self. However, as I was not used to being thanked by a girl in such a heartfelt manner, I felt a little strange and didn't know how best to respond, though I was also happy. Finally stumped, I just scratched my head and gave her a sheepish grin. "Ahaha… Well… I wonder what I should say…"

"You can say 'you're welcome' for starters."

"No, I mean, uh, don't worry about it!" Her gaze on me lingered and I quickly became self-conscious, opting to stare at the floor instead. "It's not like I did anything particularly outstanding."

She shook her head and refuted my humble claim. "That's not true. There were so many cool things you've done for me today. You helped me with my shopping, you took me out for a blast of a time at that karaoke bar, your advice made me feel a lot more confident about myself, and you're really going to teach me how to cook. And… And you even introduced me to the previously unexplored world of sweet potatoes! Neku, you blew me away today. Seriously. You're a real man!"

Whoa, I couldn't believe it. Was she actually impressed with me? I just acted from the heart, did what I felt was right, and… well, I guess being sincere and gentlemanly was the way to go. Frankly, I was surprised how well it turned out.

Her many praises for me got me all embarrassed, though. "Th-Thanks, Eri. I'm glad you had fun. If you're happy, then… so am I."

"Hee hee! It's good that you finally acknowledge how awesome you really are."

She gave my shoulder one more friendly squeeze, and we went back to the tsuchinoko program. Or rather she was, as I couldn't focus. So many things were going on in my head, and I needed to sort it all out.

"Um, before I forget, Neku," she muttered, "don't be discouraged!"

"Don't be discouraged? What do you mean?"

The caring way in which she spoke was genuine, but… "You weren't feeling too great in the bath earlier, but you can always scrub my back at a later time, okay, Neku? There's always a next –"

Splurt.

"– time? Neku? ! Oh gosh, you've got another nosebleed! It's totally gushing onto the floor! ! !"

Yeah, next time… because until then, I needed a blood transfusion.