She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 15)
by BrDPirateMan
One excruciatingly thorough good-luck rubbing of the Statue of Hachiko later, Eri and I were back to enjoying the sights and sounds of the festival. She had said that this year the right spot to touch on the statue was the left paw, so this was where we stroked it. For a silly myth, I had to admit I was feeling far luckier than before. Perhaps something good might actually happen tonight.
"Half an hour more till the fireworks begin," she chirped. "Let's go find a good spot to relax and enjoy them."
"The place near the big tree should do nicely."
That place was perfect. Pedestrians were both everywhere and unavoidable, but with fewer people at that spot it wouldn't be so embarrassing to confess my love to her.
When we arrived there, I immediately noticed how everyone who had already gathered must have had the same idea as me, because no one but couples was present. Teenagers taking that awkward first step into romance. College lovers getting close and cozy. Even the elderly were enjoying themselves, reminiscing about their first dates and the years that had gone by. Seriously, the love in the air was close to saturation point. Maybe this was a good thing for me?
We were fortunate enough to find an empty bench and talked to kill time.
"So, Eri," I began, "what're your thoughts on this year's Hachi Fest?"
"It's a lot of fun, of course." The way she tucked her hair behind her ear was very becoming. "The food and games and everything in general are all good. …But I'm sad that our little gang can't get together as often as we usually did in the past. We used to do everything together. Now, though…"
"I know what you mean, Eri, but it's not like we can do anything about it. Everyone's already headed off in different directions."
"Shiki and her boyfriend get busy a lot, or so they say. And Beat and Rhyme aren't even in Shibuya anymore. They're attending college all the way in Nagoya."
"When it comes down to it, the gang's been reduced to pretty much just the two of us."
"That's why I'm glad you're still here with me." Her hand found its way on my arm and it sent delicious shivers down my spine. "Life would be a total drag without you. Sure, I can enjoy the nightlife with my drinking buddies, or a round of gossip with my girlfriends at college, but it's all superficial stuff. What I really want is a true friend. Someone I can trust. Someone whom I can come home to when I'm feeling sad or bored or stuff. Someone I don't need to have second thoughts playing around with for fun. Someone I can have heart-to-heart talks with because I know he'll listen and not doze off…"
Her smile was small but I could sense her warmth and sincerity. "…You know, the kind of friend you've always been to me. So I gotta say I'm really lucky to have met you, Neku."
Did she just say all that? Whoa, I was getting this dangerous blush right now…
Steam was pouring from the top of my head. "If you put it like that, Eri, I don't know whether to thank you or say 'you're welcome'."
"Hee hee."
If I thought the mood was already good to begin with, now it was even better. But what a quandary I had found myself in. Should I confess now and watch the fireworks later with her as a loving couple, or wait till they start and let the atmosphere work its magic and make her swoon over me faster? Wow… Both were perfectly viable choices, but it was so hard to decide!
"Gosh, Neku, look at all those people."
"Wh-What about it?"
"Everyone's so lovey-dovey," she giggled. "I can see some public displays of affection going real strong here. I sure am jealous!"
I cringed watching this one couple kissing passionately. They were under the shade of a big tree and it was plainly obvious that they chose that spot to appear less conspicuous.
"I wouldn't say I share the same feelings of envy as you do, Eri," I gulped. "I get that the Hachi Fest can be pretty romantic, but kissing isn't the kind of thing to do in public. We're here to bring our families, not make them…"
"A little cuddling here and there don't hurt anyone… right, Neku?"
"Eri? ! Um, hey? !"
She sidled up real close and ran her fingers lightly over my cheek, freezing me in place. "So, Mr Sakuraba," she whispered in a very fluid voice, "after this festival is over, shall we partake in some… enjoyably sinful activities? I've got a reservation at a nearby hotel for the two of us if it interests you…"
"What the heck, Eri… This isn't cuddling at all! ! !"
"Don't be shy, Mr Sakuraba," she continued with a sexy drawl. "If you keep on being that way I may just have to – "
"Ah… ACHOO!"
A startled Eri instinctively jerked away from me. I was glad that I sneezed when I did. Her act was getting really embarrassing and people were beginning to stare.
"Uh, bless you, Neku. Wh-Where was I? Oh yeah, um… heck, it's no fun being interrupted. Now I forgot what I wanted to say!"
"L-Let's keep it that way."
"Don't be such a party pooper… C'mon!" She clung onto my arm. "Watching you get all hot and bothered is – "
"ACHOO! …ACHOO!"
Eri grimaced. "…These sneezing bouts of yours aren't some kind of self-defense system you just discovered, are they?"
"What? Um, no. I'm not sick either. It just happened. What's the deal with a simple sneeze anyway? You're making it sound like a big deal."
Something was on her mind and she did not answer right away. Instead, after an eternity of five long seconds, she moved closer, and I sneezed for seemingly no reason. She backed away a bit, waited another five seconds, then moved in again, after which another sneeze rattled my body. Did I really catch a cold? But I was more curious about her strange behaviour. What was she up to?
The third time she did it – and I sneezed too – I couldn't take it anymore. "Eri, what in the world are you doing? !"
"Just as I suspected…"
"What? Suspect what?"
"Every time I get physically close to you, you sneeze. It must be because of my new perfume. Maybe you're allergic to it."
This was the first I had heard of it. "Y-You're wearing perfume?"
When she frowned at me, I realized what my mistake was and she made doubly sure I knew. "I get myself dolled up for tonight," she huffed, "and now you're telling me you didn't know I was wearing perfume? What kind of excuse is that? You wound my pride as a girl."
"S-Sorry."
"Well, whatever. There's no getting around it now. If this keeps up, you'll be sneezing all night. That can't be good for you. Neku, come with me." She stood up and pulled me by the wrist, forcing me to join her.
"Wh-Where to? Where are we going?"
"Don't ask so many questions! We don't have much time before the fireworks start, so let's hurry and buy a towel…" There was a vendor nearby selling towels and umbrellas, but why would Eri need a towel to watch fireworks? To shield herself from sparkles?
Our next stop after the aforementioned vendor was the ladies' washroom. It's easy to understand that she would want to empty her bladder before the big show, but when she told me to stand guard right outside the entrance…
"Stay right there, okay?" she called through the door. "Don't budge an inch! And don't let anyone in as well!"
"B-But why? I don't get it."
"I already told you not to ask so many questions! Look, there's something I need to do and I'll be real quick, okay? It wouldn't take three minutes. Three minutes isn't a long time at all. So just help cover for me until I'm done. Remember: you can't let anyone in!"
"And what do I do if someone comes along and wants to use the washroom?"
"Just say… uh… Tch! I'll get this done in a jiffy! Don't worry!"
"What? !" That was far from reassuring! ! !
One of my pet peeves was being kept in the dark. I remembered thinking, If only I have an idea of what's happening! What was Eri up to? I looked at the teddy bear she asked me to hold onto, and thought how convenient it'd be if it could answer me. Well, Phones, might you know what your new master is thinking? …Probably not.
But the strangest was yet to come.
"Neku!" she called. "Here, hold onto this! Hurry!" The door squeaked ajar and her hand poked out, clutching a roughly folded-up wad of cloth. I eyed it suspiciously. What was it? At her insistence – "What're you waiting for? !" – I grudgingly took the darned thing from her. Just what exactly was this supposed to be…
Huh? Hold the phone. This thing sticking out in the corner… Something about it felt familiar. Purely out of curiosity I pulled at it and it revealed itself to be a sash. Wait, a… sash? Don't tell me she… Don't tell me this thing I was holding was…
The door opened again, and through the narrow gap she tossed me something else.
"You might want to hide these," she said. And then the door clicked closed.
Eri just handed me a bra and panties.
Oh my god.
Or, to be exact…
OH MY GOD! ! !
I hurried to stuff the underwear between the folds of the bundle. "Eri!" I squawked. "What's the meaning of this? ! This underwear is yours, isn't it? ! And this is your yukata that you gave me too, right? ! Are you telling me you just stripped in there? ! And that now you're naked? ! Why? !"
"I can't answer so many questions at a time!" she snapped. "Cool your head a bit, will you? If you can at least make your queries in a logical sequence – "
"At least answer this for me, then: what are you doing? !" My nose was leaking crimson profusely and all the tissues I brought along for emergencies turned out to be useless because both of my hands were full. All I could do was turn my head to one side to avoid dripping blood onto her clothes.
"I'm taking a shower."
"A shower? !"
"Sorry for making you hold onto my stuff for me, Neku. If there was a clothes hook somewhere, you wouldn't have to do this."
"C-Couldn't you just leave them on the sink?"
"No way! The surface is grimy and gross and crawling with germs! I am so not getting the icky little things on my clothes! Plus, it's gonna be wet anyway since I'm using it to shower."
"Huh? !" This was getting more and more bizarre with every new detail that came in.
"Can you not be so loud? ! I'm just wetting my towel and giving myself a good damp wipe all over. …Oh, I guess you can't really call that a shower. But, geez! What do you think I'd do, sit in the sink and have a soak? !" Now that she said it, I thought I could hear the sounds of trickling water. So she really was washing herself up! By now a sizable pool of blood had formed at my feet. Never in my life had water sounded more suggestive than this!
"Eri… this whole thing just crossed a line somewhere…"
"Oh, by the way, I can't really lock the entrance. This door is one of those swinging types that you just need to push to open."
Crud! She's right! That meant anyone who wanted to enter could do so… and the first thing they'd see upon entering was Eri in the buff! Whoever saw her would probably scream and so might Eri. Then the screams would attract even more people to check and see what was wrong. And then… oh god no! I didn't even want to think about the consequences!
So that was why she stationed me outside the door… Eri was counting on me, so I had to hold out until she was done. I wanted to know why it had come to this in the first place, but right now, there were more pressing matters to attend to. Hopefully she wouldn't be long. Hopefully no one would come round here. Hopefully… Heck, there were too many things to hope for! Just… if I could just survive the next few minutes…
"Um, excuse me," said the woman in front of me, "could I get inside? I need to use the washroom."
Noooo!
This woman wanted in! But with Eri still inside cleaning herself, I couldn't let her. I had to say something, but what? It was already weird enough that I was standing here barring the way; I only wished that it wouldn't affect the credibility of whatever excuse I was going to pluck from the air.
"Uh, sorry, ma'am," I said, trying not to stutter, "but right now, you can't go in."
"Why not?"
I probably wouldn't convince her, but… "The toilets inside are malfunctioning because of an earlier freak accident. The truth is, I'm helping out with the festival, but we're short on janitors so they stationed me here to prevent anyone from going in until they can do something about it. They're getting round to it as we speak. If you could use another washroom…?" Now to see if that worked…
By the slight frown on her face, I could tell it didn't, not that I was surprised. "Eh, that's fine," she said. "I'm just going in to wash my hands."
Tough challenges were good to have in life, but not this one! "No, you still can't go in. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm afraid you'll have to – "
"Ugh, don't be like that." The woman was impatient and easily shoved past me. "Move aside! My hands are sticky from eating ice-cream and I'll be darned if I'm going to spend the whole night like this!"
"W-Wait!"
She swung the door open and slunk inside. Gah! I couldn't stop her… She actually…! Sorry, Eri… I failed you. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the inevitable screams to pierce through my eardrums. Waited for my wonderful night to crumble like dust.
Seconds passed but there was nothing.
Huh?
What happened in there? Did the woman who went inside pass out before even screaming? Maybe both of them passed out? I was very concerned with what became of Eri and the woman, and it would be a simple matter to take a peek, but I was hesitant for obvious reasons.
Then to my great horror, thanks – or no thanks – to a brutally overactive imagination, I suddenly thought of a possible but very real scenario. Supposing both of them were now out cold… whoever barged into the washroom next would find an alarming sight before their eyes. They might call the police… and I might get caught up in it since I was seen guarding the door.
And what if I was made out to be the one responsible for everything? They'd put me in cuffs, bring me to the interrogation room at the police station, and…
"So, Sakuraba, here's what we gather so far: you brought the victim, Eri, to the washroom, rendered her unconscious, then proceeded to strip her naked…"
"What? !" I spluttered. "No! That's all wrong! I didn't – "
"…and in the midst of your heinous act, you were discovered by the unfortunate lady who merely wanted to use the washroom. So you knocked her out too, to keep her silent! Am I right? !"
"Th-That's crazy talk!"
The interrogator shook his head and his face was grim and stern. "The society is rotting because of youths like yourself! I could go on some more about how low you are, but I'll leave that to the judge tomorrow. Officer, take him to his cell. Oh, and Sakuraba? Don't even try praying for clemency. This is pretty much an open-and-shut case, so you'd do well to just face the music like a good little lad."
"Wait!" I cried, as the policeman behind me led me away. "Hear me out, will you? ! I'm innocent! I didn't do a single thing! Wait! ! !"
Yikes! It may be just a supposition, but if it really happened, my life would be over!
No, I had to do it. I had to take a look inside the washroom so I could properly assess my and Eri's little monster of a situation. Never mind if I caught her naked. Never mind the ensuing nosebleeds. I didn't want to end up on the headlines as a "molester in jail"!
I threw caution to the wind and the door wide open, and looked headlong beyond it.
The sinks were in a row on the left, the cubicles on the right. Neither Eri nor the impatient woman could be seen.
Now I was even more hopelessly puzzled than before. Where did they go? But before my brain could hurt from all the thinking and twisted hypotheses, my cell phone rang. The caller was Eri.
"Neku," she whispered, "it's me."
Maybe now I could finally get some answers. "Yeah, I know. What the heck happened? Where are you?"
"I'm in one of the toilet cubicles. I had to hide when I knew you couldn't keep that woman at bay."
I was seething. "Of course I couldn't! So are you actually done with that 'shower' of yours?"
"Yeah, I'm all good now." What a relief! So… onto the next step of our agenda: escape. "Neku, I'm… uh, going to need my clothes back."
"Okay, the coast seems clear. Come to the door and I'll pass them to you."
Life wouldn't be easy if things went smoothly, would they? Life wouldn't be exciting without the scent of danger. People always claimed that going out of your way to experience life at its fullest would entail a whole bunch of risks, but that it was also all worth it. I got all of that alright, but I could do without any more of the risky stuff right now. Unfortunately, the gods didn't agree.
"Uh, about that," she muttered, "the person who came in here a few seconds ago is taking a dump. There may be no one else in the washroom, but if I come out now to collect my things from you, and she happens to finish up with her business at the same time and leave, she'll totally see me butt-naked!"
Ngh… I knew something like this would crop up! So the impatient woman completely ignored my "warnings" and used the toilets anyway… I kind of expected this to happen. Well, there was no getting around it now. "Then we should wait for her to finish and leave."
"But Neku, there's no telling how long she'll take in there! Maybe she's got a really bad tummy ache or maybe she's the type who takes hours! The fireworks start soon too and I don't want to miss it, so I don't want to stay here anymore than you do. Besides, with how you're managing things out front, I think more people will come in. It'd become even harder for me to get out!"
I groaned inwardly. That sure was a busload of valid reasons to not wait it out. Still, that last thing she said annoyed me quite a bit. "Well, excuuuuse me, princess. But I'm a graphics design student, not a bouncer. And you kind of brought this upon yourself."
"Tch. Sh-Shut up!" Hit a nerve, did I? "Look, being seen in the nude in public is a risk no one in her right mind would take, okay? I have to stay in this cubicle. But if you were to come in and pass my things back to me – "
"What? !" Eri could say some really freaky things without batting an eyelid, but did that just come out of her mouth? ! "You want me, a guy, to sneak into the ladies' washroom? Do you want me to get caught by the police? !"
"Of course not! But at least you've got clothes on! All I got is a towel and it's too small to wrap around myself. Even if someone sees you, you wouldn't appear indecent."
"W-Well, yeah, but…"
She hastily added, "I'm not trying to get you arrested, really! My plan is for you to come in, give me my things and then get out in double-quick time. You'll need to be fast, though, so I hope your ninja skills are up to par."
"Ninja… what? Ugh, let me think…"
"Don't think!" she hissed. "There's no time! It's the only way that'll work! Hurry, Neku!"
Much as I hated to admit, Eri was right. It really was the only way that would work. I could get Uzuki to help us, but it would be too much of a hassle searching for her in the thick crowds. And if I did find her, there would be lots of awkward explaining to do afterwards. Maybe she's not even here; maybe she's already gone home.
Mnngh… I didn't like this! But I had no choice.
"F-Fine," I gulped, "I'll do it. But you'll owe me… big-time."
"Alright. Good luck!" And with that, our bizarre phone conversation came to an end, and it was up to me to save Eri. Thing is, I didn't really feel like a knight in shining armour…
The coast was clear from the outside; it looked like no one would be coming around. A glance around the washroom from the door revealed no one else either. I also caught a glimpse of one of the cubicle doors opening and through the gap emerged what I deduced was Eri's hand, beckoning me over urgently. To think she was completely naked in there… No! Now's not the time for nosebleeds and lecherous fantasies!
I made the great step inside the ladies' washroom… made a beeline for her cubicle where she was waiting. My hands were all clammy and shaking and I almost dropped her clothes on the floor. I just needed to hand them over to Eri and in two seconds I would be out of there, free. Yes, come on, Neku. You can do it. You just need to –
Suddenly the noise of a door being opened elsewhere in the washroom made my heart jump.
The cubicle of the impatient woman was opening! Oh nooooo!
Time slowed down to a crawl… I saw that door squeaking open in slow-motion… Everything was all a blur… And my feet were rooted to the spot. Everything appeared wrong, like I was looking at the negatives of a roll of film. There was no time to make it back to the entrance!
I was done for! I was a dead man! ! !
I steeled myself for death's embrace, but fate lent me a kind hand in the nick of time.
Or, more specifically, Eri's hand. Which grabbed my wrist and yanked me inside her cubicle. Then the door shut behind me, leaving me safe.
Wait, what? I ended up in the same cubicle as Eri? !
And she was wearing nothing. Nothing! Unless you counted her towel and the slippers on her feet, which wasn't a lot at all. And her towel really was too small to wrap around herself. She did not so much wear it as hold it up in front of and close to herself – kind of like an apron without the straps – so the back and sides of her body were completely exposed. While it was enough to cover her up from the front, it was still small enough to show everything else.
My dream girl was right in front of me and she was 90% naked! My knees went weak very quickly, my heart was having a hard time of it, and the worst part was my nose was about to erupt and I still had no free hands!
And what did Eri, with her modesty flung out the window, have to say in light of our current situation?
She gave a giggle, weak and nervous, in an attempt to ease the tension. "Um, hi?"
That was enough to trigger a violent nasal reaction in me. It would be bad to see her all covered in blood when she had just finished wiping herself clean so I promptly turned away to direct my nosebleed away from her. There was more of the reddish death this time and it coated the wall like paint. Even Eri recoiled in shock.
"Neku," she whispered, "s-stay quiet for now."
The impatient woman was still somewhere outside our cubicle washing her hands. I tried my best not to look at Eri so much, but who could blame me for finding it difficult? Her presence… she was like a magnet… pulling my eyes towards her every so often… forcing me to look. A little cleavage here, the glimpse of a hip there… Damn, she really was hot!
Wasn't this like that time at the boutique when she dragged me into the dressing room with her? No wonder this vibe I was getting felt so familiar! Her face was flushed bright red, but I got the feeling that it was from the fear of being discovered, not from the embarrassment of appearing au naturel in front of a boy. I expected no less from her, but it was still a bit…
We heard the entrance swinging open and what sounded like a whole gaggle of teenage girls came in. Our path to freedom just got a whole lot rockier…
I shuddered when Eri shifted a little closer to me. My fevered mind made it seem like she was subtly coming onto me, but she just wanted to talk. We kept our voices hushed the entire time.
"Neku," she said very quietly, "I, uh… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."
Things were so tense I no longer had the heart to get annoyed with her. "Let's just get out of here as soon as we can. But tell me something, Eri. Why did you want to clean yourself up or whatever? If you really wanted a shower, you could've waited till you got home."
My sharp eye saw her frame fidget a little. "…I wanted to wash the perfume off my body."
I didn't understand. "But why?"
"It makes you sneeze when you smell it. I feel guilty seeing you sneeze because of something I did. It's not nice of me, right?"
What? Man, so this was what it was all about? "You don't need to go so far for something so trivial. I can handle one or two sneezes, no problem. Seriously, Eri, all because of that?"
"D-Don't be so harsh, Neku… I really wanted us to have lots of fun tonight, but if you kept on sneezing, it wouldn't be any fun for you, would it? I just wanted to make things a little less difficult for you. My only mistake was being too complacent about being able to finish up with cleaning quickly."
Seriously? ! Her biggest mistake was wanting to do this whole shower thing in the first place! But that wasn't all.
"By the way, Eri, I was under the impression that people spray perfume on their clothes, not on their bodies."
"Huh? Yeah, that's what I did too."
"If the perfume's gonna stick to your clothes anyway, why did you have to wash up at all?"
The blank look on her face told me that she didn't think of that either. Oh brother… This whole farce was for nothing. And she roped me in for good measure.
When the realization dawned upon her, all she had to offer as an explanation for herself was a silly little giggle. "Oh yeah… you're right. Tee hee! Silly me!"
The heavy sigh I let loose showed that I wasn't amused. The girl was clearly thinking and doing all this for my sake, so that I could enjoy myself without being encumbered by perfume or whatever, but it was too bad that she didn't think things through.
Well… it'd be mean of me not to give her props in the very least.
"You can be awfully dumb sometimes, you know that, Eri? Still… even if this was going overboard, it's nice that you were being thoughtful."
"Sorry…"
Her tone was genuinely apologetic, making her seem even more vulnerable. Up close I could relish every detail of her fine self. Those rose-coloured cheeks, those supple lips. That beautiful silky-smooth skin I longed to caress. The lure of bare shoulders and a flawless collarbone. The bodily scent of –
Wait. Scent? Wasn't that perfume I was smelling? The perfume that Eri said I was allergic to?
It was. It must have come from her clothes that I was still holding.
Uh-oh. I could feel a sneeze coming! I couldn't sneeze now. Everyone else in the washroom would know I was here! The itch in my nose was growing worse. The crescendo was at hand. Eri quickly noticed how I was straining to hold it in but probably knew from the way my face was scrunched up that this was a losing battle. And she was right. But I couldn't do anything with my hands still full! The air was thick with panic.
Milliseconds before disaster struck, the quick-thinking Eri reached up and grabbed the bottom half of my face with one hand. Her fingers pinched my nose shut while the rest of her hand was jammed against my mouth. That helped plenty. The itch went away after a few seconds too. For a moment there I thought I was going to lose it! Thanks to her, we avoided some less-than-satisfactory consequences.
…Couldn't breathe, though.
She breathed a sigh of relief. "You okay now, Neku?"
"Mmph."
"I-Is that a yes or no?"
"Mmm-mmph!"
"…Did you just say 'uh-huh', or 'huh-uh' – oh, right! You need your oxygen. Whoops!"
She released her grip on me. I had just about had enough brushes with death for one night! Amidst my wheezing, I chided her, "Good God, Eri! You could've killed me!"
"Sorry!"
"N-Never mind. At least we're safe again. But can you put your clothes back on? We've got only ten minutes till the fireworks. If we're getting out of here it has to be soon."
"Yeah. Alright, nudge over there a bit. I'm going to need some space…"
XOXOXOXOXO
"Freedom at last!"
"Y-Yeah. Freedom."
Eri huffed. "What's with you, Neku? We just got out of the washroom alive and just in time for the fireworks. Heck, we even have five minutes to spare. Can't you be a bit more, I dunno, enthusiastic about our successful escape?"
"I am happy alright… But after what we went through, I'm just… drained. Stamina sucked dry."
The events that took place in our cubicle during the earlier few minutes kept ringing in my head, like a bad song that wouldn't go away. No good escape plan would be complete without a mastermind, and she was it.
"Okay, Neku," said Eri, "here's how it's gonna go down. After I'm done changing, I'll head out first while you stay here. Once I see that no one's around, I'll give you the signal to leave."
"Sounds good. Let's do this." Now or never…
I turned my back to her, returning her clothes one by one over my shoulder. Hearing the sounds of her getting dressed right behind me gave me a strange feeling, like my stomach was in spin cycle. It was all a really suggestive affair – what fantasies go through a guy's mind when his ears catch the snap of a bra strap? Goodness!
When she took the yukata and then lastly the sash, I knew that she was almost properly dressed and I calmed down somewhat. But it was the calm before the storm…
"Neku, could you hold this for me please?"
I thought nothing of it and waved my hand over my shoulder, where she promptly pressed something into my palm…
…Her towel. I nearly had a heart attack. And why not? ! This was the very towel she had used to wipe her body in… in… a lot of places! ! !
But at least I was smart this time. I didn't wait. Those tissues that I brought along came in handy now that I finally had my hands free. I swiftly wadded up my nostrils before I could create a big mess. Good thing. The wetness of the tissues grew as the blood soaked in at a frighteningly rapid rate. So yeah, no bloody geysers happening here.
As if that wasn't enough, Eri awkwardly made small talk to try and keep things cool. But she couldn't have chosen a more unsuitable topic. "I think I need a new bra soon, Neku. Do dark colours suit me well, or should I go for plain white?"
I chose red. The colour that nosebleeds are made of.
That was how it went. So yeah, the whole time till our eventual exit, I was subject to a whole lot of challenges. If I earned a hundred yen for every nosebleed I had in my entire life, I'd be rich!
"Tired, huh?" said Eri. "Eh, I don't blame you. It must have been a harrowing experience. Sorry again about that! I'll be sure to make it up to you soon. I don't know how yet, but I will. That's a promise, so count on it."
She was an unpredictable one when it came to surprises. Some of her presents for me as well as other friends have been pretty crazy, so gift-giving at Christmas felt a lot like potluck or the lottery with her around: you never know what you're going to get and you never know if it'll embarrass the heck out of you. Although the thought of it was tempting, the last thing I wanted was for her to send a large cake to my doorstep only to spring out of it wearing her birthday suit. It'd be nice if I got something nice and simple for a change.
Eri tugged at my sleeve and pointed to the sky. All the festival-goers found themselves basked in the glow of the first sky flower to brighten up the night. We were soon treated to a whole bunch of them, exploding one after another in many colours.
"Watching fireworks," she claimed, "has this mesmerising effect, doesn't it, Neku?"
"Yeah. Makes you relax…"
"You're getting sleepy, Neku. You're getting sleeeeepy…"
"That's cute."
"Your eyelids are getting heavier," she kept teasing, "and in the darkness of your mind's eye, you see the girl of your dreams in a bunny suit."
"Bunny… what?"
"Aww, you shook off my hypnosis already? Too bad. And here I was thinking I could place you under my control. It'd be nice to have you wrapped around my little finger, doing my bidding for me. Hee hee."
"L-Let's just watch the fireworks, Eri."
XOXOXOXOXO
"That was fun!" squealed Eri. "I enjoyed myself thoroughly tonight."
"Yeah… same here."
The fireworks marked the conclusion of the Hachi Fest and the symbolic end of summer. Everywhere the hustle and bustle started to die down as stallholders closed up and people went home. With nothing more to do, Eri and I headed back as well. We were lingering around her doorstep now, just talking and stuff before we would part ways for the night.
"Can't believe it's the end of summer," I mused. "Have I already done my 'time flies' speech? Comes to mind."
"I'll miss the Hachi Fest… Well, there's always next year. Hey, you'll accompany me for next year's Fest too, right, Neku?"
"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world."
That cheeky giggle of hers was music to my ears; such a nice, light-hearted sound. "I'll be looking forward to having you win prizes for me again. Even if little Phones here will be with me for life, I'm sure he'd much appreciate a companion of the same… species."
She was in good spirits and so was I. "The same species… You mean, like Teddius Bearus?"
"Ha ha ha! That's a good one!"
As much as I wanted to stay and keep talking, I decided to take my leave. The festivities had left us rather tired. I felt a huge craving for a good sleep and I was sure Eri felt the same way.
"It's getting late… I gotta head back home, Eri. Hey, thanks again for coming with me, by the way. It was awesome."
"I think even Phones here was having fun."
"Are you referring to me or the teddy?"
"Hee hee… You're funny, Neku."
"…Well, good night, Eri. I'll see you tomorrow."
She held up her teddy bear close to her face and feigned hurt. "You aren't going to bid goodnight to little Phones?"
"H-Huh? But…"
The teddy had an unchanging face, but what Eri said twisted it into a sad look. It's just a soft toy, but who was I to argue when I was already starting to feel bad?
I surprised even myself when I reached out to pat it on the head. "Good night, uh… Phones. Sleep well and… see to it that she doesn't drink too much."
"That's cute, Neku," she chuckled, "but that last part was uncalled for."
I raised my eyebrows in amusement. "You sure are getting attached to a soft toy, not that there's anything wrong with it."
She grinned broadly and warmly. "Why wouldn't I? You gave him to me. And I love all the things you give me!"
"Huh?"
Phones found himself resting against her bosom in her embrace… the lucky thing. "You know… All of the things you gave me are beloved treasures of mine. The cheongsam you bought on our second date, even the taste of my first roasted sweet potato… and now this little fella. You may be awkward now and again, Neku, but you never fail to be kind and sincere to me. So… yeah. I love it all."
In the pause that ensued was a marked increase in the temperature of the surrounding air. I could totally understand myself blushing, but her too?
"Oh, Neku, you!" she giggled. "Look what you've done… Making a fair maiden like myself grow all red like this! I should hug you to death as your punishment…"
Such an adorable little devil! I could tell, however, that for all the things I've done for her, she was very thankful. It gave me a good feeling deep inside and I let her know.
"If you like 'em, Eri, that makes me happy."
"Phones here approves too."
"Heh… okay, I'll catch you later."
She grabbed my arm swiftly. "Not until you give Phones a goodnight hug."
I cast her an incredulous look.
"Are… Are you kidding me?"
XOXOXOXOXO
Back at home, my mind was doing somersaults and cartwheels, and my body was tempted to follow suit. It's nice for a guy like me to be reminded that your dream girl looks at you in a positive light. To know that she likes you a whole lot is one of the best things a guy can know.
This was a good thing! I'll celebrate a little tomorrow. Now, people hardly pluck petals off of flowers anymore in this day and age, but at least there's the takoyaki that I got from the Fest as takeaway.
"ACHOO!"
Sneezed again? That reminded me: what kind of perfume was Eri using? She was none too happy about me not noticing, but the scent was so subtle I really couldn't pick it up. Also, is it any point at all to wear perfume when you're going to be smack-dab in the middle of a festival full of the smells of different foods? I'm not a girl so I don't really understand how the female mind works, but from a realistic point of view…
To my puzzlement, there was that perfume again, coming from somewhere – I didn't know where – and drifting into my nose. The moment it got sucked in, another violent sneeze shook the apartment down.
But I didn't get it. If Eri's not around at the moment, then where did that perfume –
The answer became obvious when I happened to glance at my left hand. I was holding something in it…
…it was her towel. Ring any bells?
It was the towel she used to wipe her body in the washroom. I must've forgotten to give it back to her. No wonder I sneezed; it was impregnated with her perfume. But never mind that… What sent my mind spinning…
…was that this thing had touched her everywhere. And now I was touching it! Wasn't it like indirectly molesting her? !
Miraculously, I didn't get a nosebleed this time. Or maybe I couldn't because I had drained so much of my blood tonight and didn't have any left to spare.
Eri's towel may be a relatively unimportant throw-away item, but it was still hers. I guess I'll have it washed tomorrow. It'll give me another excuse to see her again too… can't be bad.
As I lay in bed waiting for sleep to consume me, I went through all the little things that made tonight's outing with Eri so much fun. There was the anticipation as I awaited her arrival and the rush of happiness when we met. There was the thrill that came with every hard-won victory at the game stalls. And good food was everywhere – half the fun was seeing how Eri would squeal in delight tasting something nice, the other half was from… um, her sharing her food with me. …Yeah. She liked to spoon-feed me much like how lovers would share ice-cream.
Huh? Lovers?
Wait a minute… Something didn't feel quite right… But what? I had my personal checklist all done and completed as far as I knew. Yukata? Check. Had fun with Eri? Check. Good atmosphere? Check. So what could I possibly –
…Gah! I didn't confess to her! Or rather, I forgot! I freaking forgot to confess to her! I must have been so engrossed in the festivities that it totally slipped my mind!
And so another great chance was lost. And the worst part was, tonight I actually felt up to doing the whole confession thing too! I knew I could do it! Aw man, I knew I was going to catch hell from Uzuki for this…
The next few minutes before I drifted off to sleep were spent seething in disappointment. Damn, I was such a fool! The night would have been perfect, capped off with a beautiful scene of me telling Eri how I really felt about her. Maybe a hug and a kiss if things went well and she reciprocated my feelings… I dunno…
No choice but to try again at a later time. And at that time, I wouldn't forget!
XOXOXOXOXO
"…So, uh, here you go, Eri."
I was standing at her doorstep ready to return her towel, which I had already cleaned and dried. However, the befuddled expression on her face told me that either she completely forgot about it or never cared for it in the first place.
She did come around though, that lightbulb moment burning like a million suns. "Oh, yeah! That's the towel I used last night!"
"You can have it back. Sorry again for taking it with me. It was purely by accident."
"I appreciate the effort, Neku, but you didn't need to go out of your way to wash it and return it to me. Far be it from me to put a damper on your love for chivalry – which is always good, mind you – but I don't need it back. I mean, it's just a cheap towel. You can keep it if you like, though!"
The words made me stiffen up. She just said something really suggestive… and true to form, she picked up on my growing unease and poked fun at me again.
"Ooh, what's this now," she sniggered. "Is my dear Neku shy? Just because it's grazed the skin of a beautiful girl doesn't mean you can't use it anymore. It's still a fully functional towel, you know."
"W-Wait, that's not it." It was…
"If not a towel then at least a memento. Think of it as a lady's scarf, you know? Brings good luck or something."
"…Good luck?"
"Hee hee. Why not?"
"Uh, you should probably just take it." I cleared my throat. "You bought it with your own money anyway. I know you're going to argue about how pointless it is to fuss over a cheap thing like this, but it's a matter of principle. If you're holding something that belongs to someone else… you return it. Simple as that."
"We could take turns and share – "
With a low grumble I draped the towel over her face. "Okay, comedy time's over. I'm heading back for now."
I was about to do just that when she stopped me. "Neku, wait. I have something to give you." She zipped back inside.
Colour me curious… "…Another towel?"
"I heard that." Back at the doorway in half a second with a larger smile on her face. "Here. I made this for you."
The thing she pushed into my hands was… "A bento (prepared lunchbox)?"
"It's my way of saying thanks and to pay back for all the trouble I caused you last night. You know, during the whole incident that gave birth to this in the first place." She pointed at the towel still perched lopsided on her head. "So, uh… thanks. And sorry. Again. Oh! And, well, it occurred to me before cooking that I don't really know about your food preferences, so… I just made it into a smorgasbord of some of the stuff you taught me.
"Don't you worry about the taste though!" she laughed. "It's made with a lot of love, so it shouldn't be terrible! Ha ha ha!"
Eri must have put in a lot of care and effort into this. The bandages on her fingers said it all; she could be clumsy with a knife. But no girl would go to all the trouble to make a bento unless it was worth it. Unless the guy she was making it for was worth it. And knowing what that meant made me happy. I was curious though: if she was right-handed, how in blazes did she get cuts on the hand she used to hold her knife?
"Thanks, Eri. I humbly accept. I'll be looking forward to it very much."
"Great! Oh, and let me know where I need to improve my recipes. I need feedback, y'know?"
I loved how she was willing to learn. She's far from being the silly, shallow girl some might come to see her as. "Sure thing. So… are we still up for cooking lessons next Saturday?"
"You bet!"
What a wonderful girl Eri had grown to be… And when I sampled her bento as soon as I got back home, I was very pleased to know that it was just as out of this world as she was.