She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 11)
by BrDPirateMan
Two months had gone by ever since I realized my feelings for Eri. We're very close as we were, but… I wanted to get even closer to her. And the circumstances surrounding the two of us were favourable too: we were both single and available. We could easily hook up. The question was how, and I was stumped.
How could I say those famous three words – "I love you" – without looking or sounding like a fool?
With every single day we spent together, I grew closer and closer to her. Yet the closer I was to her, the more afraid I was to confess. I was fearful that if I messed up and said the wrong thing, she might get put off and our friendship would be over in a puff of smoke. But I simply couldn't leave matters as they were. She currently didn't have a boyfriend, and if some cool guy were to come along and sweep her off her feet, then the sadness that I felt when I lost Shiki to some guy would repeat itself. No, never again. I wouldn't let this happen again, not on my watch. I had to confess to her right away before anyone else had the chance to do so!
But I didn't know how. Regardless, at the very least, I should try!
XOXOXOXOXO
This morning as I was making breakfast, I was repeating all manner of positive thinking to myself.
Eri's not a tiger, I kept telling myself. She's not a tiger, or a lioness, or a hungry T-Rex. She wouldn't have you for dinner if you tell her you're in love with her. Have some confidence!
She had to stay over at my place again because she got herself drunk like she was infamously known to do on nights out with the girls. …Sure was late to get up though. Wasn't she supposed to shamble into the kitchen around now, asking me what was for breakfast? If she still wasn't awake anytime soon, she'd be late for classes. The duty fell to me to whisk her to her feet.
"Eri?" I rapped on the bedroom door. "Hey, rise and shine!"
Nothing.
"Eri! Come on! Time for breakfast!"
Still nothing. I was hoping I could avoid this, but it didn't look like I had a choice. I would have to go inside her room and wake her up. Thing was, she had a habit of sleeping in only her underwear, so if I walked in on her while she was still wearing so little and she was awake at that moment…
…well, actually, nothing bad would happen.
Ordinarily, if that were to happen with a normal girl, she'd scream the house down, give me a hefty slap, and then shove me out of the room while she changed. Then breakfast would be uncomfortable because she would glare daggers at me the whole time. Or she could just storm out of the house, plain and simple.
But if it was Eri, do you know what she would do?
She'd probably shrug it off and just say with a sleepy but cheery grin, "Oh, good morning!"
I should know. I've had to wake her up like this on at least two occasions before. And each time, she never minded. It was almost creepy.
Time to go rouse this sleeping beauty. The door wasn't locked – she never bothered locking it – so I helped myself inside. Even as I was turning the doorknob I could envision her sprawled on the bed in the most unsophisticated manner in just her bra and panties. But when I saw her, I was actually surprised to see that she was still wearing the T-shirt from last night's outing, although her shorts were nowhere to be seen on her person. For the record, she still looked unsophisticated, but it was less strenuous on both my heart and hormones.
"Eri!" I called again. "Get off your butt, it's time to wake up!"
Finally… a response. Even before her eyes were open she was mumbling something, what it was I couldn't make it out. Then slowly, reluctantly, she righted herself into a sitting position. Her hair was a mess, strands flung in all directions. Two of her locks were even flayed up on the top of her head like horns, certainly befitting for a cheeky little devil like herself. It was a pretty funny sight.
Through half-open eyes she stared at me, groggy as can be. "Wha… Whassit?"
"Breakfast is ready. Better hurry or you'll be late for classes."
"Mmm… It's morning?"
"Yeah."
"Oh… mmm… shower…"
"Huh? I beg your pardon?"
Without warning she peeled her shirt off and over her head. My body froze as I watched her fling it onto the nearby chair. I didn't understand what was happening. I couldn't move at all. It was hopeless. However, when she reached behind her back and started fiddling with what I knew to be the clasp of her bra, somewhere inside my brain an emergency override was activated and my body regained all of its functions once more.
"Wh-What're you doing? !" I almost shouted.
"…Gonna take… shower… zzz…"
Was Eri still asleep? ! It'd explain why she was still in a fuzzy dream-like state. But why was this even happening… Um, hold the phone. Now wasn't the time to worry about why this and why that! She was going to remove her bra, and that was all that mattered right now! Eri probably didn't even realize what she was doing. Yikes! I had to stop her before all hell broke loose!
"Stop!"
Before I knew it, my body started moving on its own. Whatever that emergency override did, however, it apparently removed my ability to control my own body too. And so I found myself lunging at Eri in an attempt to stop her by pinning her in place. But I tripped in the process and my entire self launched right at her like a missile, the impact of which sent both of us tumbling onto the bed.
Dazed, I struggled to pick myself off. Huh? This soft feeling in my face… The mattresses in this house never felt this way before.
Gah! No wonder! It was her breasts in my face, not the mattress! This bountiful marshmallowy texture was something that could never be achieved by a piece of bed furniture. I hurriedly dislodged my head out from within her chest.
And then I noticed another thing. The upshot of our collision was that now, Eri was underneath me, lying on her back as I towered over her on all fours. W-Wasn't this like a scene from an R-rated romantic film? ! It was almost like I had pushed her down! No, I did push her down!
Her eyes opened just a little wider in surprise. Oh no! She was fully awake! What'd she think, when she saw how she was clad in nearly nothing, trapped underneath a guy?
No… No, I didn't want a bad ending! Was Eri going to get mad and disappear from my life forever just because of this one blunder? ! This wasn't some movie where any and all crises would be resolved in the finale… This was real life! And in real life, there's no fairy godmother or genie in a bottle to give you the means to change the past or whatever.
"Eri!" I blurted. "I'm sorry! This… This isn't what you think it is, honest! I never wanted to – eh?"
She had wrapped her arms around my neck while I was saying that last sentence and then suddenly, she pulled me closer, causing my face to slam into the pillow past her head. Was she… hugging me? ! Then that meant she was still…
Her next words confirmed my suspicions. "Mmm… My prince… you've come…"
She hadn't woken up completely yet! Noooo!
I was flailing like a fish but couldn't break myself free from her grip. What was she trying to do… or rather, what was she trying to do to me? ! And so early in the morning too… I wasn't sure this was going to be good for my health…
"Whoa, Eri, wait wait wait! You're still asleep, aren't you? ! Wake up already!"
She didn't. Instead, she just hugged me even tighter and started giggling, though it was in a sleepy, distorted kind of way. "You're so cute. Mmm? Oh right… breakfast is ready. Then I'll eat…"
Having our bodies pressed so close together was sensational. I could almost swear that the whole of my vision had this hazy white filter to it like I was passing through a fog, and in my ears there was the soothing sound of angels' harps being played amidst bleating lambs in the background… Hallelujah much?
"Eri, wait! Could you just – " Another desperate struggle on my part…
…would end in total failure. With a burst of power, she flipped the two of us over, knocking the breath out of me. I wound up underneath her this time and she was on top. Of all the crazy things…! A girl lying full-length on top of me, and nearly naked at that! I gulped hard when I saw that her entire bra was spilling loosely over her shoulders. So she did manage to unhook it after all? ! That she had her chest firmly jammed against mine was the only thing that was preventing her from being totally exposed. If she got up now without doing herself up…
That grin looked so dozy yet seductive at the same time. "Breakfast… gonna… eat…"
I opened my mouth to speak, but before even the first syllable came out, she gave my cheek a good long lick. If I had been wearing shoes they'd have popped right out of my feet.
…Did Eri just lick me? !
"Tasty… Mmm…" She was running her tongue over her lips like a dog with a solid beef bone would do. When I meant breakfast, I wasn't referring to myself! What was I, her personal lollipop? !
I mean, well, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but…
Even in her quasi-conscious state, she seemed to be enjoying herself. Sometimes she was very dainty about it, using short and quick cat-like laps; other times she was just plain messy. At one point I tried to wrestle her away, but she merely grabbed onto my arms and pinned them down, so I was essentially trapped. I wasn't sure I could handle this anymore…
"Ehe… Dessert…"
"Mnngh… gah! O-Okay, that's… enough, Eri!"
"Heh heh… Heh – uh?"
She stopped in mid-lick as she was working on my left cheek for the umpteenth time. It was kind of hilarious, to be honest, seeing how her eyes shot wide open and she just stayed stock still with her tongue frozen in place.
Hang on… Wasn't this a bad thing? Now she was fully awake, right?
Uh-oh.
Eri took a few moments to get her bearings on her surroundings and the situation she had gotten us both in. Her first reaction was to hastily pry her tongue off of my cheek. Surprised but hardly alarmed, she mumbled, "…Neku? What're you – Gosh, what the heck are you doing? Did you need something?"
I wanted to slap my forehead, but with my arms held down, I couldn't.
XOXOXOXOXO
I spent five good minutes in the bathroom doing two things: washing the saliva off of my face, and letting the nosebleed that I had been holding in for so long to just go nuts in the sink. Seriously, after I was done the sink looked like a war zone, bloody and not for the faint of heart.
At Eri's request I related the morning's events to her. With each new development in the story, which I was growing restless just from retelling, she became more and more surprised. But at this tale's conclusion, she just seemed more amused than anything.
"So that's what really happened, Neku?" giggled Eri, who was now, by the way, a little more properly dressed in her T-shirt. "My, how embarrassing."
"And yet," I sighed, "you don't seem too embarrassed about it at all."
"Hee hee… To tell you the truth, I was dreaming about eating an iced lolly. I remember wondering why it was so salty! And then that's when I woke up and found out the truth."
I prodded carefully, "Y-You're not mad? Not in the very least?"
She gave a careless shrug. "Why would I? I don't think anything weird of it. I've been staying over at your place for so many times, I'm almost like a housemate. And with housemates, sooner or later this kind of situation is bound to happen, so I was prepared for it and I'm not bothered at all. I just didn't think it would be about me licking you silly. Honestly, it's kinda cute. Hee hee!"
"Eri," I huffed, "the way your brain works…"
"Are you saying," she said, pretending to sound hurt, "that you didn't like it? That you hate me for doing that?"
"N-No, I… Of course I wouldn't hate you, Eri… But…"
"Oh! So you loved it? Super! Wanna skip class and carry on where we left off?"
"Wh-Wh-WHAT? !"
"We'll have a whole day and night to ourselves… oooh! Sounds like fun, don't you think? Besides, I think you have a very sexy flavour. Yeah, that's how a Neku Sakuraba popsicle should taste like, ha ha ha!"
"Y-You're a pervert."
"Hee hee… whatever. So…" – she licked her lips on purpose – "…wanna?"
My answer was to promptly pour gallons of blood out of my nose and into my miso soup, ruining it in the process.
XOXOXOXOXO
Just because I had lost a lot of blood in the morning didn't mean I was too giddy for a confession. Today would be the day! Classes were over, and I had called Eri over to Miyashita Park where I hoped I could begin a new chapter in my love life. Now I just had to wait.
The excitement showed no signs of dying down, and the butterflies in my stomach were multiplying by the hundreds. I could see it now… The two of us standing face-to-face… The cityscape in the background… Evening sunlight draped over the city in a coat of orange…
"Neku?"
She gazes at me, curious to know the meaning behind my nervous smile… I tell her there's something I can relate to no one but her… and I've got her attention now. She's curious. She wants to know. She wouldn't let me go until she has her answer. Perfect setup for what is to come. And then…
"…Neku."
That look on her face as I say the three magic words… a look that changes from surprise to shock, but when she gasps, her hands to her mouth, I know I'd hit the right spot for her. She's happy! The fluttering of young hearts ensues as we embrace and mark the start of a new future together!
"Oi! NEKU!"
"Buh? !"
Was I startled! I spun round to find Eri standing there behind me. One hand was on her hip and she had this mixed look of confusion and annoyance. She had arrived! The girl I wanted so much to spend my days with was here! Hands getting clammy… heart thumping like a jackhammer… No, relax! It's Eri. She's been my friend for so long. It'd be okay! She wasn't a tiger, she wasn't a tiger, she wasn't a –
"C'mon, Neku," she sighed. "Pay more attention to your surroundings! If you want to daydream, don't do it while standing in a public place… some kind soul could take an embarrassing video of you and post it on the net."
"Urk… Good point."
"So what's going on?"
The sweat was gushing down my neck like fangirls on their way to a Prince concert… know how that's like? Fast. "Eri, I… I need to talk to you about… um, something."
The almost invisible frown on her face hinted at slight apprehension. "Is it bad news? Like you, um, finally ran out of recipes to teach me?"
A small smile on my part showed that I appreciated her humour. "It's nothing like that, don't you worry. But, see… there's something I wanted to – "
THOOM!
I didn't need the graying surroundings and that infernal loud noise for me to know that rain was on its way. Aw heck, why now? ! It was clichéd, wasn't it? !
She took one look at the skies. "That can't be good."
"I'm amazed you can stand around at a time like this," I deadpanned. "No, seriously Eri, c'mon! Get your butt in gear before we get – "
Suddenly, all too quickly, the heavens opened up and down came the rain with the cats and dogs. It was like a practical joke that was just plain bad.
"– wet?" finished Eri. "Too late. Yikes!"
"Quick! Over here!"
We were already running as soon as the rain smacked us dead-on and now we were making a mad dash for the public washroom. It had an awning that we could stand underneath to take cover from the rain. But of course heading inside together was out of the question…
So there we stood watching the park melt away in a watery haze. Beyond that curtain of raindrops, there was nothing to be seen. It wasn't just raining cats and dogs, it was raining the whole freaking zoo. And it looked like it would be that way for a long time, so heading back home in one dry piece wouldn't happen anytime soon. At least we weren't too soaked, so thank goodness for small favours. But, man… What a way to dampen my confidence… I didn't mind rain any other day, but when I needed all the good luck I could get my hands on, the last thing I wanted was a bad omen to spoil things…
"Whew!" she huffed. "If it gets this bad, even if you have an umbrella, you'd still get drenched."
"I-I'll say…"
"Oh yeah… You were saying?"
No, come on, focus, I told myself in my head. All those stories about people breaking up on rain-soaked days are just that: stories. I wouldn't be psyched out by sappy drama material. Real life never worked that way. In truth, this was still a pretty good situation! We were all by ourselves and there was no one to disturb us. So yeah, thank you, rain!
I swallowed hard and made sure I had her full attention by looking directly into her eyes. "Eri, to tell you the truth, I've always –"
She gasped. Her hands shot up to her mouth. Wait… wasn't this sequence of events wrong? She was supposed to gasp after I confessed to her, not before when the words hadn't even left my mouth! But if the situation was like this… Uh? She was looking past me too. Was there something behind me?
"N-Neku…" she stammered. "Um…!"
I spun round to find that my suspicions were correct. Someone was standing behind me. At the exact same moment I laid my eyes on him, lightning pierced through the air, turning his figure into a silhouette. None of his features were visible against the white background, which made the sight of him all the more frightening. The unwelcome visitor was tall and imposing and… Was he some lunatic on a killing rampage? ! And if he was, then why did he choose us? !
"GAH! ! !"
My scream caused the killer to stumble backwards a little. His voice rang out, "What's with that, sonny? You almost gave me a heart attack!"
The glare from the lightning cleared up and we could clearly see that our intruder was actually a policeman in a raincoat.
"What're you kids doing?" he asked. "Are you stuck here?"
"Oh!" Eri seemed relieved upon knowing the identity of our surprise guest that he wasn't about to disembowel us. "S-Sorry… yeah, we just kinda got caught in the rain and now we can't move."
"In that case, I'll loan you my spare umbrella. Now hurry and get to a drier place; there's better places to hide from the rain than a public washroom. Go on."
"We will, officer. Thank you. We'll be sure to drop it off at the nearest police box next chance we get."
As she took the umbrella from him and opened it up, he added, pointing at me, "By the way, miss, is your friend going to be okay?"
"Huh?"
"I think my sudden appearance might have scared him too much. He seems to be… foaming at the mouth?"
"Whoa? ! Neku! Speak to me! Are you okay? !"
Yeah, there I was, my stiff body propped against the wall, dripping foam from my mouth… Well, someone who had a low threshold for fright flicks would react the way I did. Dear, dear…
XOXOXOXOXO
Fast forward to a few minutes later. With the help of Eri and the policeman who had been the source of my grief, I had managed to pull myself together again… just don't ask me how. Either way, now we had finally arrived in a place that had real shelter: a ramen shack. There happened to be one near Towa Records.
So I failed to drop the bomb on Eri about my feelings back at the park. Big deal. There's always Plan B! Restaurants with a casual atmosphere like this one were hardly the place for a confession, but when space and privacy are both at a premium and a storm is raging outside, sometimes you've got to make do with what you have and get the deed done. Now to find a corner seat where we could be in relative peace…
A quick glance around and my heart sank. They were all occupied? ! In fact, the whole restaurant was pretty much full house at the moment, and the only two available seats… were at the bar, right in front of everybody!
"C'mon, Neku!" Eri was pulling my arm towards those two seats and apparently having a hard time of it. "What's with you today? Do you know how tired I am of saying 'C'mon, Neku'? ! You look so out of it!"
"Sorry…"
"Seriously, you're like a fool in love."
That's because I was one… minus the fool part, of course… or maybe not…
Dammit… Sitting way out here on the counter in the front, everybody else in the restaurant was out of my cone of vision if I looked dead straight ahead, but… who cared about that if all of the other customers could see us! The moron's adage 'If I close my eyes you can't see me' wouldn't work here. I couldn't confess to her in front of so many people. I just couldn't! If I did, I'd end up embarrassing her so much she might hate me. But… that wouldn't make sense… because if she could feed me ice-cream in public, then… huh?
Eri knew what ramen I was a fan of so she went ahead and ordered for the two of us, after which she turned her attention to me. "Okay, Neku, I'm getting seriously worried right now."
"Whuh?"
She was brimming with concern. "Excuse the expression, but you've been dopier than a rock. Is something wrong? Is that why you wanted to talk to me?"
"I'm okay… Eri."
"You sure about that?"
"Course of! Abso fine… lutely."
She rolled her eyes skywards and heaved a sigh.
"I-I'm sorry, Eri," I mumbled. "Wh-What did I just say?"
"I… I dunno. Lutely." She was… deadpanning? "No, seriously, you're not fine at all. What is with you?"
I was struggling to crank out a canned reply, like 'Oh, it's nothing' or 'Ah, I'm just a little tired' but she beat me to it just because my brain wasn't working fast enough.
In an uncharacteristically soft voice that she rarely used, she said, "Neku, if anything is bothering you, just tell me. I'll listen. We're the best of friends, right? You did say yourself that buddies help each other. So I'll always be here for you… lutely."
I half-grumbled, "Y-You know, you sounded cool up to the point where you said that last word, and it's not even a proper word…"
That carefree chuckle of hers went so well with her smile. "With time, it can be one. Maybe if I start slipping it into everyday conversations, I could start a revolution…"
"Please don't."
We soon had our bowls of ramen plopped in front of us. Those who didn't have an idea of the kind of person Eri was would think that, with all of her chirpy personality and good fashion sense, she was a woman of refinement. They couldn't be more wrong. Because instead of a posh sushi bar, here she was in some rundown ramen shack enjoying tonkotsu ramen and talking through her food. It was a far cry from the epitome of elegance that guys must have fantasized her to be. Well, despite the image she presented to the world, she had always been a simple and carefree person at heart.
Maybe that's why she liked hanging out with simple guys like me as opposed to some rich kid with a sports car and a megawatt smile. Well, she could be as unladylike as she wanted; I was crazy about her all the same!
"Come on," she mumbled. "Out with it! If something's bothering you… it's not good to keep it all bottled up inside."
"I… I know that. I want to talk to you about it too, but it's a really sensitive topic, so I'd rather we do it in private."
All of a sudden she halted, staring at me in… disbelief? And then, with the noodles still comically dangling from her mouth, she said, "…Private? ! Gee! Uh…"
"Eri?"
"Neku… I think I know what you're talking about."
"You do?" She did? Wow! My heart was thumping. If she knew exactly what was on my mind, then it just made my life a lot easier!
"Yes, yes, I understand. You want to wash my back, right? I understand that you haven't had the chance to do so ever since our second date."
The ramen nearly went down my windpipe. "What? !"
"Well, give and take, Neku," she shrugged. "I did explain to you that this is how the world works, so by right, that's what I still owe you. Oh, I know! Why don't we hit up the local onsen (hot spring) while we're at it! I know a good one round here where Shiki and I used to go to. Trust me, the mixed baths are more decent than you th–"
I didn't really hear anything she said. I was busy trying to keep my bleeding nose away from my ramen bowl. The shop owner graciously fed me some tissues to plug it up before zipping away to serve another customer.
"Oh dear," gasped Eri. "A nosebleed again? You really have never set foot inside an onsen, have you?"
"Ugh…"
She suddenly seemed very determined for a reason. "We can't have this, Neku! There's no citizen here in Japan who's never been to the onsen at least once in his or her lifetime! No wonder you're so unaccustomed to the mere sight of a little skin."
"S-Since when," I spluttered, "is it 'a little' skin with you around? !"
"Oh, grow up." The girl was obviously enjoying this… "And get your mind out of the gutter some time soon."
"Look who's talking."
"Gosh, have we gone seriously off-topic or what! What was this you wanted to talk to me about again? And sorry for the earlier digression."
I slipped more noodles into my mouth to stall for time. "L-Like I said, it's not something I can talk to you about in public… Could you wait a bit?"
"Can I guess? Is this about that time during one of my stays at your place when I accidentally used your toothbrush?"
My eyes sprang wide open. "You what? !"
"It's not that? Uh… then… you want to ask me about what happened on the night your underwear went missing? Just so you know, it's a long story…"
"Huh? ! You know about that? ! I've been searching for that last pair of briefs! What've you done with them? !"
"Wrong too? Oh, um… then could it be that you found out somehow about that night long ago when I snuck into your bedroom while you were sleeping and took a photo of your snoring face for fun?"
"Whoa, what? ! D-Delete that photo immediately! No way am I letting anyone see that!"
"T-Too late. I already sent it to Shiki…" And then, with a voice so small it was like she hoped I wouldn't hear what she had to say next, she added, "…and to Ai. And Mina. And, um, th-that one shopkeeper in 104 whom I'm good friends with. Plus a good portion of my club buddies."
There was a loud clang as my jaw dropped onto the counter. I had been going about my business with my great reputation sullied and I didn't even know about it until now? !
She cringed from the sight of my dead fish eyes locked onto her, and immediately clasped her hands into a praying gesture as a form of apology. "I-I'm sorry, Neku! I wouldn't do it ever again! I… I can kowtow to you later if you want me to… Just… I'm really sorry!"
Frustrated, I could only sigh. "N-Never mind. Let's just chuck this matter behind us for now. And all of the earlier ones, for that matter." Somehow my spirit to confess just dulled a little… "Eri, what I want to talk to you about is something completely different… and this isn't the place to have a discussion about that, so let's wait till later."
"D-Did I do something wrong that I haven't mentioned yet?"
"If you did," I grimaced, "I don't want to hear it right now!"
"Sorry! ! !" Geez, this was getting out of hand…
XOXOXOXOXO
Just how many people had seen my sleeping face?
If it was just a few people, it might have been fine – laugh about it, admit I looked silly, then get over it. But Eri's circle of friends was large… I didn't want to be popular this way…
The rain was gone and with nothing else to be done, we were heading back home. There was no rush, so we took our time in a leisurely stroll. We were careful to avoid the puddles of water left behind from the downpour, with Eri being even more so because she hated getting her favourite boots soiled.
But… I still hadn't confessed to her yet! Come on… Shibuya was a big city. Surely there had to be someplace quiet enough for such an important occasion!
Suddenly, the heavens blessed me with an idea: A-East. It was one of the less populated areas of Shibuya, and was essentially a very wide alley with tall buildings on either side, enshrouding much of the streets there in shade. While it wasn't perfect like Miyashita Park was and the chances of being discovered mid-confession were still pretty good, at least it wasn't as crowded as the other places. With some luck and ducking into the right shadows to avoid unwanted gawking, things could go off without so much of a hitch. As much as I hated to admit, I was getting desperate. Yes, I could have waited another day but I had enough of waiting!
Flushed with the exciting prospect of romantic success, I quickened my steps without realizing it. Only when Eri slapped me on the arm lightly did I notice.
"Neku, wait up!" she said. "What're you hurrying for?"
It almost seemed strange how confident I was feeling, but I wasn't going to nitpick here, nosiree! "Eri, could you come with me to A-East?"
She didn't seem as hyped up as me. "Huh? That's, like, quite a ways away… Whaddya need, something from Lapin Angelique? Bunny parkas are cute, but I don't think they suit you. Trust me, they don't."
"Wh-What made you come to that weird conclusion? Anyway, I promise I'll make it all worth your while, so if you can just bear with it…"
"Sure," she shrugged, smiling slightly, "why not? The sight of you in a bunny parka might be worth a few laughs. Two long ears sticking out of your hair…" She reached behind my head and made what I imagined to be a V-sign to represent rabbit ears. "Cute! Hee hee!"
"Enough of the bunny stuff already!"
Her jokes may go overboard sometimes, but her playfulness was part of what made her so cute in the first place…
And that was how we ended up at A-East. It sure was a shady place, great for beating the city heat in the summer or on any day it was sweltering. Only a few people were milling around and none of them seemed interested in our presence. That was good for me. Good for us.
"So we came all the way here," said Eri. "What's there to see? I get that vampire dresses are nice in their own horrific way, but…"
This was my chance and I seized it. I could hardly contain my excitement. I cleared my throat, and began, "Eri, first of all, sorry for making you walk this far. But it's very important to me as you shall soon see."
"Neku? What's with the sparkle in your eyes? Did something good happen?"
"Ahem… well, um, yeah, I guess. Eri… actually, to tell you the truth…"
I couldn't have chosen a worse time and place. Out of seemingly nowhere this man emerged, wearing his fame and popularity like a coat of arms. At the same time, several dozens of girls, mostly teenagers and 20-somethings, blinked in from the nowhere dimension like he did and started screaming. Not in fright, but in sheer fanatical madness. And it was easy to see why. Just ask Eri.
The girl was on the verge of a mental breakdown. "Oh my god!" she squealed, eyes locked onto the man. "It's… It's The…! It's Th-Th-Th-Th…"
I groaned. "…Just say it already."
And she did. "…THE PRINCE! Oh my god, Neku… I… This…" She grasped me by the shoulders so tightly that it hurt and started jabbering away like a hamster on an overdose of coffee. "N-Neku! This doesn't happen often. This is like a dream! And… And I've always wanted to meet him. It's that aura of his that shines a million times brighter than the sun, you know? ! I'm sorry, but could you wait? I-It'll take only a teensy-weensy bit of time. I just need his photograph, and… and his autograph on this album I've been keeping with me in my waist bag at all times on the off chance that he'd show up in front of me, which he did, which in itself is just so UNBELIEVABLE that I – "
"Go on," I sighed, "or the other girls are gonna beat you to it."
She ignored my sarcasm… actually, she ignored me completely in favour of her favourite pop idol. And so she joined the ranks of crazy girls who were surrounding him.
He was all smiles and sparkling white teeth as he tried to calm the crowd, but it was to no avail. Whether the image he presented to his fans was all a disgustingly pretty façade or he genuinely craved their attention, I wasn't too sure myself, but one thing was for certain: he messed up my confession scene big-time. Gee, thanks for nothing, Mr Spicy Tuna Roll!
I found a small bookshop nearby where I could better spend my time waiting for Eri to finish up on her testosterone fest. Dammit… It was my best chance too! Was everything that had happened up till now all an elaborate prank from a higher being?
XOXOXOXOXO
It would be a good half hour before the chaos died down at last and Eri rejoined me. I called it quits with A-East and we made the trek back to our neighbourhood. Her chance meeting with The Prince left her overjoyed.
And she was squealing and squealing and squealing. "Oh, man! This is awesome! I've always wanted to get The Prince's autograph, but his public appearances are getting rarer these days. Must be work and all. Anyway, it's a good thing we passed through here. Talk about lucky!"
"Uh-huh…" Great. What about my luck?
Being the fangirl that she was, she couldn't bring herself to stop gushing. "He's so much more gorgeous in person. I thought he was already cool enough on TV but seeing him up close really swept me clear off the ground. Really, his face, his mannerisms… it's all perfect. It's no wonder he's the most sought-after guy in Shibuya!"
"Yeah, I guess I can't compare…"
Upon hearing this, she sobered up and her smile glazed over. "Neku? Wait, what are you saying?"
I was so heavily demoralized at this point that I became careless with my words. "Well, it's not my fault that Eiji Oji's so much better than I am. In comparison I'm not all that much, huh?"
Only after the words left my mouth did I realize how stupid I had sounded. It was like I was spiting her for liking her favourite pop idol, and I was no better than a jealous, overly possessive child. From the corner of my eye I saw that Eri's smile was completely gone. What had I done? I immediately regretted it…
"Neku," she said, "look at me."
I didn't like the tone she was using. It was flat and almost emotionless, but it didn't take chicken brains to tell she was displeased. Nevertheless it was time for me to face the music, so I slowly turned to do as she asked.
Then something unexpected happened. Without warning she grabbed onto my head by the cheeks with both hands and leaned in real close. Our faces were mere inches apart! She could have startled the skin right off of my bones, but there was more for my sorry person to endure. Her eyelids drooped closed, as though she was expecting me to… no. No way. No freaking way!
Did she want me to kiss her? ! Or maybe it was the other way around, and that it was she who wanted to kiss me. But… the other pedestrians who were nearby were starting to stare and point. Oh god! This was so embarrassing! My face was but a meadow of red, whereas Eri's was as fair as ever. Of course she wouldn't be affected, what with her natural resistance to embarrassment. This was so unfair!
The overall feeling that I could sense from the onlookers was anticipation. I didn't share their enthusiasm, however. If I wanted to kiss Eri, it would be after I properly confessed to her, and definitely not in a public place where we were the centre of attention…
She took a deep breath… and everyone else's breaths were caught in their throats. And then she said the magic words…
"Eat…"
Eh?
"…THIS!"
WHACK!
Argh! She… She headbutted me! The pain in my forehead was acute and made me want to recoil but her stubborn grip on my head kept me in place. "Gah! Why'd you hit me, Eri? !"
"Because you're an idiot." With our faces still at close range, she glared at me, eyes fierce and piercing.
"Wh – I'm an idiot?"
"Yeah! Do you seriously think you and Eiji Oji are comparable? !"
Ouch! So… So that was how the mother of all blows to my pride felt like… like a million punches to the gut, one after another… Yeah, I get that Eiji Oji's the super stud who's heaps better than I was. Ahaha… Just end my torture already…
"You're a fool," she continued, "to think I'd even put you and The Prince on the same level. He may be a famous singer and movie star, but you are my best friend!"
"Huh?" What did she…?
She was getting real vocal about it now. "Look! I know The Prince is hot. I know he's talented, and that he's nice enough to pay attention to all of his fans. But he isn't like you! You're selfless, you always care about my welfare, and you're always ready to lend me some moral support when I need it most! You're way better than he is."
I was simply astonished. More or less, I knew that she thought rather highly of me, as boastful as I might sound. It's true, though. But hearing it all from her mouth – and she had done this before, I might add – was both flattering and bewildering and never failed to be so every single time. My reply to this tirade of hers was a small, "Really?"
"DUH!"
Yikes!
"Sure, you've got your faults, Neku. You're not perfect. But you're the greatest guy friend a girl could ever ask for. No one else could ever begin to compare! So there! Hmph!"
She finally pried her forehead away from mine but maintained nearness and eye contact. "Listen, Neku. We girls aren't just dumb sheep. We can differentiate between true friendship and fangirl obsession. There are people whom we idolize for the fun of it, but we never forget about who's really special to us."
"Eri…"
Her anger had long melted away and the smile she had in place of her earlier scowl was warm and kind. "So even if I treat The Prince like a god, you'll always have a place in my heart as my most important friend. Always."
I had never felt so touched in my life! I could swear my eyes were just beginning to get wet when suddenly the silence was snapped by a… was that someone clapping? Slowly, gradually, the whole place was filled with the sound of applause. There was even whistling and shouts of approval and they came from the onlookers whom we had totally forgotten about until now.
Boy was she surprised. "Whoa! I didn't think anyone was watching."
"O-Of course they were," I muttered. "Now come on, let's hightail it outta here!"
Unable to bear the attention a second longer, I grabbed her by the wrist and zipped away as fast as I could, with her struggling to keep up with me.
We slowed down once we had placed a safe enough distance between us and our impromptu audience. By now the sunset was rolling in and by the time we got home the skies would be dark. The calmness of the evening was a stark contrast to the hullaballoo that The Prince had stirred up earlier.
Eri's words gave me a good feeling… a feeling that, no matter how much the odds were stacked against me, she would always remain my most loyal friend and vice versa. My failed confession didn't seem so bad.
"H-Hey, Eri?"
"Yeah?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Th-Thanks… you know, for what you said just now. I'm glad you still think of me as your friend. Um, I mean… well…"
Her gentle chuckle was music to my ears. "Think nothing of it. By the way, are you crying?"
"Wh – N-No!" I swiveled my head sharply away from her, but it was hopeless. She had probably seen everything anyway. But in a less-than-stellar attempt to cover up for myself, I spluttered the most overused excuse in the world that a crying man could ever use, "There's just something in my eyes. That's all. Really!"
"Something in your eyes, huh. Like tears?"
Gah! As she laughed I knew she got me good.
XOXOXOXOXO
"Neku, thanks for taking me out today. I had fun."
"Er, yeah. You're welcome."
"I'll be sure to send a little something your way as a token of my appreciation. Tempura much?" She ruffled my hair affectionately like she always was known to do.
"I gotta admit," I said, allowing a smile, "that I'd like that. But really, I didn't do much."
"Oh yeah!" She pounded her fist into the open palm of her free hand, as if she remembered something important. "I never did get round to knowing what you had wanted to talk to me about all this time. So… care to share?"
It felt like a long way coming, what with all the distractions and such, but the time I had been waiting for had arrived. Finally I had been granted me a stage to put my best foot forward! I took a quick look all around me. We were standing in the foyer of my apartment, so if it suddenly rained, we'd be safe. There were no suspicious characters in raincoats lurking around to frighten me. Eiji Oji was nowhere to be seen. In short, there was nothing that could possibly interrupt me now. It was perfect.
And now, showtime!
With a voice as soft as down, I said to her, "Eri, please listen to me carefully."
"Okay…" I could tell she was growing curious.
"Actually, Eri, I… I really…"
My eyes slammed shut momentarily and there was an impending explosion in my chest. My innate shyness was trying to hold me back, but I refused to give in. I had come this far… there was no way I would stop now.
"I really like you!" I almost bellowed. "I feel this way about you and I simply have to let you know. You're very important to me. I know I could say more but I'm not good with words, so please believe me when I say that I like you, because I really really do!"
Eri just stared at me. She was astonished. Speechless. Mind gone blank, I presumed. But that growing blush betrayed the blank look on her face. And that was the reaction I had been so eagerly waiting for! My heart was pounding like stupid. What would she say next? !
She giggled and gave me a hug so brief I didn't even have time to return it. With a smile that could melt ice, she said, "Aww, shucks, Neku, you sure know how to make a girl's day. Thanks! I like you too!"
Huh?
A glance at her watch was followed by a look of surprise. "Whuh-oh. Getting late. Sorry, Neku, I can't stay for much longer. I gotta get back home." As she scampered away she called out, "I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay? 'Night!"
"Uh… yeah. G-Good night." Aaaand there she went, trotting off down the street.
Hey… for a response to such an important event, wasn't hers rather slapdash? Shouldn't she say something like "Oh my gosh, I don't know what to say", or "I'm happy you feel this way about me, but I can't give you my answer right this moment"…? What happened? I was sure I said everything the right way. There was a nice mood going too, so…
No. I had to analyse this further. Had to… rewind the tape. Rewind… Did I say something that was different than what I had planned…
"Actually, Eri, I… I really… I really like you! I feel this way about you and I simply have to let you know. You're very –"
Oh damn. I knew what had gone wrong.
It's all because I said the word "like" instead of "love"! Where it should have been "Eri, I love you" I had fumbled it up and said "Eri, I like you"! So that made her think that I thought of her as merely a treasured friend. And of course she would respond how she did!
Argh! I was an idiot! An idiot in life, an idiot in love… A total. Freaking. IDIOT! ! !
I was cursing the whole way back up to my place and spent the next full minute banging my head against my front door until the landlady heard the noises I was making and stopped me.
"Sakuraba!" she snapped sternly. "You stop that racket right this instant! And stop whacking your head on the door, you're going to break the wood."
At her insistence, I eventually relented and trudged back inside, sulking and hating myself. Then I got busy wrapping bandages around my heavily bleeding forehead. I could badmouth the world as much I wanted to, but the only one I could blame was myself. And… ugh… my whole head looked like a rotten fruit.
"Oh well," I muttered, "tomorrow's a new day. Maybe I can try again tomorrow. No, maybe I should plan out my confession first. Yeah… sounds about right. So, Eri… please wait for me."
The thought of seeing her pretty blushing face again took much of the sting out of my failure. Next time, I swore, I would get it right.
And thus, with my renewed resolve, I was ready for bed. Yup, tomorrow's a new day. But first, I'd have to clean the blood off of my door.
XOXOXOXOXO
Incidentally, the next day, there was a bizarre news report on TV…
"…On the lighter side of things," said the newsreader, "this video was posted on the internet yesterday. It shows a couple in Shibuya having an argument, but not exactly any ordinary argument…"
Huh… It happened in Shibuya yesterday? What could be so interesting that they'd show a couple's love quarrel on TV?
The screen cut away to footage from said video, presumably recorded by some curious bystander's cell phone. The girl had her head plastered against the boy's and she was yelling rather loudly into his face.
Wait a minute! That couple was me and Eri! That was when she was miffed at me for having low self-esteem and was teaching me a lesson about friendship and stuff. H-How did we end up on TV? ! No, how did we end up on the internet? !
I hoped the video would blur at some point and make us less noticeable, but unfortunately for me, the cameraman had a steady hand and the visuals were very clear – what a good cell phone he must have! Anyone watching could clearly see us. To make matters worse, there was audio, and it was top-notch too.
"Sure, you've got your faults, Neku," Eri could be heard saying. "You're not perfect. But you're the greatest guy friend a girl could ever ask for. No one else could ever begin to compare! So there! Hmph!"
And then came the most embarrassing part: when all of the onlookers were so entranced by this moving spectacle that they applauded us. The video ended with me grabbing Eri and dragging her away in double-quick time.
The newsreader spoke up here, "It seems the girl was trying to tell the boy how special he was to her and that he shouldn't worry too much about face value. There was a happy ending too, as the boy seemed to accept what she said." In a lighthearted tone, she added, "This is something we can all learn from."
My head was going up in smoke from knowing that we had gained our thirty seconds of fame and that video was probably going viral as I spoke.
Seconds after the report concluded, I got a call from Eri. "Hey, Neku! Did you catch the news just now? !"
"Y-Yeah, unfortunately, I did."
"Don't be so negative about it," she laughed. "We're on TV! We're on the internet! That video's probably being downloaded by the hundreds, maybe thousands! Even if it's only for a while, we're famous, baby! Famous! How awesome is that? !"
Oh boy, it was going to be a little harder to walk down the streets now…
"I've got to start practicing how to sign autographs," she joked. "You do the same too, okay? The masses would probably be clamouring for both of our signatures, after all! Ha ha ha!"