She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 18)
by BrDPirateMan

Eri's reply over the phone came as a massive disappointment.

"Neku, I'm sorry I can't come with." I could almost imagine her rubbing the back of her neck as she said that. "I've got an assignment due at half past four this afternoon. I'm actually still on campus right now rushing to get it done."

"Oh, okay. And afterwards is still a no-go, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry. I've got my part-time work. Wednesdays till Saturdays, 5 to 10 pm, remember?"

"I haven't forgotten," I sighed dejectedly. "It's too bad, but it looks like our date will have to wait."

"Hey now, at least it's not the end of the world! I'm free on Sunday. We can have the whole day to enjoy ourselves and go nuts. Sound cool?"

"Cool," I said, cheering up. "Sunday it is."

"Hee hee. We'll work the details out later, but for now, I gotta rush. Busy busy, chop chop!"

"Then good luck, Eri. You're going to need it."

"Pfft. What's that supposed to mean?"

And thus endeth our conversation.

I almost wished I had homework myself. What's a guy with plenty of free time and no date to do? There's only so much music I could listen to and whatever books were in my possession I had read over and over till the pages were frayed. The internet was looking pretty dull today with nothing to see, and I had long grown out of Tin Pin (who plays Tin Pin alone anyway?). And Mr Hanekoma had told me earlier that WildKat would be closed today because of some important business, so heading there was out of the question too.

Man… I was so bored!

If nothing else, perhaps a walk around the city might reveal something interesting. If I still had my Player Pin, I might just be able to easily spend an hour scanning people's minds to see how crazy they could be and, well… maybe I would have a good laugh about it.

I didn't have many friends whom I could hang out with comfortably, and I didn't wish to bother Uzuki and Kariya, who were probably busy. If I wasn't so much of a hermit I might just be able to gather up a posse of pals and have some fun –

Wait a sec! How about… Shiki?

Things certainly weren't going to be awkward anymore now that I was over her, right? Even if Eri and I were closer, what's wrong with chilling downtown with Shiki? We'd be like two cool guys having "bro time" in the city! Except she's not a guy, so it wouldn't be "bro time"… Not the most fitting analogy, I know…

So anyway, why not. I gave her a call, and what do you know… not only was the girl elated to hear from me again, she also had a nice chunk of free time in her schedule.

"Tea and a movie?" She sounded delighted. "Awesome. I was hoping to talk to you more… There're lots of old times to catch up on!"

"I like the sound of that, too. So where do we meet up?"

A short bark of girlish laughter rang in my ear. "Of course it has to be at the Statue of Hachiko! It's practically our hangout place before we all went to college. Don't tell me you've forgotten?"

Ah…

That's right. When I met Shiki for the first time, it was there. Me and her, and our buddies Beat and Rhyme… Eri too. In some way or other, this was a special place that was connected to all of us. And… during days long in the past, whenever Shiki and I wanted to go somewhere to chill, that was where we would meet up. The Statue of Hachiko became such a standard gathering spot for us that we didn't even need to ask where to meet. Just confirm the time, and we're good to go.

Times have changed, and somewhere along the way in life, well, I guess I forgot about the good old bronze dog. I'm sorry, Hachiko…

"I must have misplaced that memory," I said, "temporarily of course. Sorry."

"Heh heh… don't worry about it. So… I'll be there in fifteen. Is that good?"

"It's super. Be seeing you."

And that's that. I wouldn't be staring at the ceiling this afternoon, that's for sure. Shiki's not my romantic interest now, but she's still my friend. Her personality isn't anywhere near as bold or extreme as Eri's, but it didn't make her any less interesting. Shiki is like a demure garden salad, while Eri is akin to a spicy, tongue-tingling chili dog. They taste quite different, but both are delicious.

…Ugh, really? I just sounded like a pervert. All I can say is… I'm not a pro at this analogy stuff.

XOXOXOXOXO

Where was she?

Here I was at the Statue of Hachiko but Shiki was a no-show. Few appreciated the virtue of punctuality as much as I did, and while I could tolerate her lifelong habit of arriving at meetings five minutes late, there was never a time where I had to wait this long. It's almost close to half an hour now.

Surely she couldn't have chosen to stand me up? That'd be cruel, and I knew she wasn't like that. Luckily I was right. She galloped over soon enough to smash my very unlikely theory to pieces.

"Neku, there you are!" she gasped, clutching onto my shoulder for support. It was obvious she had been running. "Sorry for the wait! I took too long getting dolled up."

I was not angry in the very least. "Shiki, glad to see you made – " My sentence froze in the middle.

"What's… What's wrong?"

Whoa, was this really Shiki I was looking at? For someone who was taking a degree in fashion design, she preferred to wear clothes that were nice and simple. Her wardrobe was considerably flashier today, however. The trendy sweater was normal enough, but hot pants on a chilly autumn day? Nice legs though. She also traded her giant glasses for a pair of sexy rectangular lenses. And that lip gloss gleamed so appetizingly.

No, wait! So she changed her look a bit. Don't girls love to do that? I wasn't the type of guy to fall so easily to the charm of a makeover.

"Is there something on my face, Neku?"

"N-No, you look great. The clothes and… such."

She beamed widely. "I thought I might try something different. If an aspiring fashion designer doesn't try on her own clothes even once, wouldn't that be pretty strange?"

My eyes went wide. "Those clothes you're wearing… you made those? ! Holy – Did you design them yourself too?"

"Yup! I usually get Eri to do the brainy stuff, since I'm no good at it most of the time. But I've had a streak of good ideas that I simply couldn't leave to waste. And here they are."

I was filled with awe. "That's amazing. You could open a shop with threads like that."

"You flatter me too much," she said, obviously loving the praise. "Alright! Enough about me. We're not too late for the six o'clock show, are we?"

"We aren't exactly cutting it close, but we should get a move on either way."

We took a brisk walk to the nearest cinema, talking about everything. I noticed that she had become a lot chattier and much more outgoing than before, even risking the occasional saucy joke that Eri was a master at. Did her previous relationship have anything to do with her change in personality? Now don't get me wrong, change is always good, except…

Nah, maybe I was imagining things. Or maybe not?

XOXOXOXOXO

How… How did it turn out like this?

Upon arrival at the cinema, I realized just how strange fate could turn out. The only movies that were being shown were of two types: horror flicks, and R-rated romance films with gratuitous love scenes.

Gah! Both were bad choices. Supposing I went for 'Moonlit Lagoon', wouldn't things get awfully squeamish between us when the part about the hero and heroine jumping into bed came up? But the other film sounded so frightening, I swore I might just wet my pants watching! I mean, heck, it was 'The Haunted Village II', the sequel of the movie I hated so much! Also, it was pretty bad for a guy to take a girl to a scary movie. Leaving her with nightmares instead of happy memories was not the way for a gentleman to go about things.

Between the devil and the deep blue sea… What's a guy like me to pick? !

Maybe I should strike for a 'no deal' thing. "Whoa, these films… they're kind of unsuitable, huh? Ahaha… Shiki, perhaps we should go grab some grub instead – "

"Hmmm… 'The Haunted Village II' sounds good."

"Eh?"

"My friends were talking about it the other day, so I've been meaning to take a look." Why was her smile so sweet when she's talking about something so horrible? ! "What do you say, Neku?"

"W-Well, it's a horror film," I gulped. "Is it really such a good idea?"

She covered her mouth to stifle her chuckles but it was obvious that she wasn't really trying and that she wanted to poke fun at me. "Are you scared?"

"Yeah. I don't like 'em."

"Wow, really? And here I was hoping you'd deny your fears and say 'I'm not afraid!' and we'd end up watching it. Then you'd be trembling in your seat like a bowl of jelly. Hee hee… I didn't expect you to admit it so readily!"

"Shiki, life isn't as clichéd as you might think…"

"It can't be helped, then. Let's choose something else. Ooh… 'Moonlit Lagoon'?"

"Buh? !"

"I've read the reviews for this film. All the critics unanimously said that the scene where the hero and heroine consummate their love on the beach is very – "

Date or not, friend or relative, it's simply not done taking a girl out to watch such films! No self-respecting gentleman in his right mind would do such a thing. You'd have to be a disgusting, flea-ridden deviant to even consider the possibility. I couldn't bring myself to harm her chastity by exposing her to these kinds of elements. But then it would leave me no choice but to face my inner demons head on.

"Neku, would 'Moonlit Lagoon' be a – "

I grabbed her shoulder urgently. "I have a sudden craving for the supernatural, so I think 'The Haunted Village II' would be splendid."

"Huh? But… you said that you don't like scary movies."

"A guy can't stay scared of things like that forever, r-right?"

She must have found my change of heart peculiar, but didn't pay it much mind. "If you say so. I'm sure we'll have a good time!"

And when we sat down to bask in the horror that was 'The Haunted Village II', I knew this was a decision I was bound to regret. Chivalry was one of my best points and I was proud of it, but having to pay a price for doing the right thing was a part of life that was hard to stomach.

XOXOXOXOXO

Ninety minutes of scares and gruesome special effects later, Shiki and I emerged from the cinema with the knowledge that tonight, we wouldn't be getting any sleep. Of course we wouldn't. The vengeful ghost from the film would be coming for us, and we had to keep watch in case it came to take our souls away. Even if there's something weird in the neighbourhood, who're we gonna call, anyway?

"Terrifying," mumbled Shiki, who was as white as a sheet.

I fared no better. "That was crazy stuff." My body had the consistency of jelly.

"L-Let's not watch stuff like that again."

"Agreed. Dinner?"

"Th-That'd be nice right about now, thanks."

If anything good came out of this, it was that we learned a valuable lesson: if you're not a fan of things that go bump in the night, then don't watch horror flicks, plain and simple! But Eri would have reacted differently, gushing about the final scene with the ghost munching on the heroine's dead body and how gloriously brutal – and fun – it was. Nothing can topple the invincible Eri.

At least dinner was a welcome respite from the terror. Shiki's recommendation of a noodle shack down the street was spot-on. The seafood ramen they sold was their main attraction and it was suitably so: it tasted great. The cosy ambience reminded us of home. We were simple people at heart who loved the occasional break from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya. I made a mental note to bring Eri here next time I got the chance.

I had a fun time with Shiki. The girl was a talkative one.

"Really, Neku?" She was almost tempted to slap her knee in laughter.

"Yeah," I chortled. "I thought I could sneak my way through. I even took a detour in the nurse's office to hide for a bit. When I made it to the staff room, the teacher wasn't there. Here I was thinking how lucky I was to be able to get out of this ordeal unscathed. But then…"

"But then what?"

"As I was leaving, thinking about how I would boast about it to Beat, I bumped into my teacher. Right at the doorway."

"Seconds before your successful escape!" She fell apart in a mess of giggles. "That's what you get for completing your homework late, Neku."

"I was a big idiot back then. I don't procrastinate that often nowadays, that's for sure. Make sure you don't, 'kay, Shiki?"

"What makes you think I'm like you?"

This was turning out to be a very fun evening. I was glad I got in touch with her!

When the laughter slowed down and we got to chatting some more, I noticed she was looking pointedly at me, as though scrutinizing my facial features.

"Shiki? What's up?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she reached out with a hand and dabbed my cheek with her finger before swiftly popping it into her mouth. There was a sharp smacking sound as she pulled it clean from her lips. The action confused me more than anything else, but when she gave her reason…

"You got ramen sauce on your face. I wiped it off though."

…I began to blush rapidly. Don't lovers do that? !

The thought didn't occur to her, apparently. She acted like nothing big had happened. In fact, after seeing my red face, she thought it fun to tease me.

"You blush so easily, Neku," she drawled. "You've been like that ever since forever. Nice to know some things never change!"

"I didn't… You just surprised me."

"If it's Eri, you'd probably offer your cheek to her."

"Wh-What? ! No, I wouldn't…!"

Shiki's mirth couldn't drip any thicker. "Teasing you is so much fun. No wonder she does that a lot. I guess it gives her a sort of high."

I groaned, defeated. "She treats me like a guinea pig for her jokes."

"Hey now, it's not such a bad thing! She gives you a whole lot of attention that way, right?"

"Maybe too much. What she does is harmless at least… if more embarrassing than it should."

"You're more accepting of her pranks than you claim. Gives a whole new meaning to the whole master-and-slave relationship concept, don't you think?"

I didn't know what to say to that, except a weird-sounding, "…Th-The ramen is, um, good."

"Desperate to change the topic, are we? Ha ha ha! You got it, cap'n!"

I began to notice that something was markedly different about Shiki's behaviour. And before anyone thinks it's due to the effects of alcohol, I must point out that we ordered water and orange juice. She could joke around just as well as anyone else, but the intensity of her teasing was more than what I thought possible for her. Normally, if I had a spot of sauce on my face, she'd point it out to me or wipe it off with a handkerchief. She certainly wouldn't dab it off and lick it from her finger, and in public at that.

Was this a sign of something? Or maybe it meant nothing at all?

"Oh gosh, look at the time," she gulped, eyes to the clock on the wall nearby. "It's so late already!"

"Half past nine… damn. I've never been out this late myself. Kinda refreshing though."

"Neku! Um… Could I ask you for a teensy weensy favour?"

"I don't mind. What about it?"

"Ehehe… Er… when I rushed to meet you earlier, I passed by a store. There was this cute little thing I'd been meaning to buy, and – "

I knew where this was going, but I wasn't one to refuse a request for help from a lady friend, especially one as close as Shiki. Shopping for clothes didn't leave a very nice impression on me as of late, though. Remember the last time we did, and I discovered she had a boyfriend back then and got heartbroken? Ho yeah, good memory (I'm being sarcastic).

The next time after that was with Eri, who went out with me out of pity. Everything seemed to go reasonably well – as far as things with Eri go anyway – but then she caught sight of her now ex-boyfriend from a distance and the trouble began. Fearing terrible repercussions for both of us, she went into hiding in the nearest fitting room together with me. She was clad in this erotic-looking thing with straps and strings, and the confined area we were trapped in practically forced her to press up against me with that amazing… flexible… scantily-clad body of –

"Neku!" yelped Shiki. "You've got a nosebleed. Take these tissues and plug it up, quick! The blood's gonna get into your ramen!"

Too late. I wasn't fast enough. The red stuff swirling in my gravy was kind of fascinating to watch, though.

XOXOXOXOXO

"Ooh, this one's simply adorable!"

"Um, Shiki?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I got the impression that you wanted to buy some clothes…"

"That's what I'm doing, right? Oh, but I am thankful that you agreed to come with!"

I plucked at my collar, and the heat just gushed out. "…but why bikinis?"

A guy like me in the women's swimwear section… I was the one sore thumb sticking out. What must all the other female customers be thinking of me? Would the ones who were none the wiser think that I was fueling a hobby of collecting bikinis, or that I was a cross-dressing pervert? Oh well, at least it wasn't the women's underwear section. That would really get me plastered with the "weirdo" label.

"I know what you're thinking, Neku," said Shiki matter-of-factly. "See, it's autumn, and now that swimsuits are out of season, they're really cheap. Supply and demand, you know?"

"R-Right… Makes sense."

She sniggered. "Why? Did you think I was going to brave the autumn cold in…" – she whipped off a random bikini from the shelf – "…this little number?"

"Oh, uh…" Did she just pick that bikini? That was one of the daring ones – just four triangles of cloth held together by flimsy strings! The kind that got men's blood pumping. The kind that only those with a good figure can wear with confidence. The kind that was prone to unraveling at the least opportune moments to reveal, so to speak, great bounties for the world to see. Surely shy little Shiki wouldn't be so brave as to wear that? ! Don't get me wrong, she's pretty and has a nice body, but…

"Earth to Neku," she called. "Ho ho… Do I sense your imagination at work here? Were you actually wondering how I look like in this?"

Her naughty words brought me back to earth with a hard thump. How… How could she say things like that? Eri I could understand, but… Shiki? It was so hard to believe so suddenly, I'd need a sledgehammer to wedge the very fact into my skull. A heavy one. Like one of those 50 ton ones seen in the cartoons.

"I… I wouldn't do something like that… Well, maybe a little, BUT I DON'T MEAN ANYTHING BY – "

Too late. The air was clogged with her laughter and she wouldn't stop. "At least you're a normal guy with normal thoughts! That's always good, ha ha ha! If anything, I'd be more worried if you didn't."

"W-Wait… It…"

It's funny how girls can switch topics in the blink of an eye. She quickly ignored my spluttering and took a long look at the swimsuit she was holding, muttering almost to herself, "Hmmm… Maybe I should try this one. If it fits I'll have something nice to wear next summer." Her face lit up like she just got a great idea, and turned to me. "We could invite everyone to the beach and enjoy ourselves and, well, be one whole gang again!"

"Huh? Hey, you're right. Been a while since the five of us got together."

"Yeah… Eri's sure to say yes, and once we secure Beat and Rhyme…"

"…all that's left is us and the five of us will be back together. Alright…" I began to smile myself. "…I'm liking this plan."

Shiki got back to pulling my chain again. "You just want to see us girls in swimsuits. I mean, that's fine, except Beat will probably throttle you for staring at his sis for too long, so you might wanna be careful."

"Wh-Why would I… with Rhyme?"

"Oh, that's right. You've already got Eri. Hee hee!"

"Shiki!" Gah!

"I think I'll try this one on now. Wait for me a bit, yeah?"

"Huh? H-Hey, wh-what happened to this conversation – " She didn't even wait for me to talk back and went inside one of the fitting rooms.

What was this feeling I couldn't shake off? Shiki's having fun tormenting me with her endless jokes, and while any other guy would enjoy her company, I felt like something didn't quite fit. In fact, I felt this way the whole afternoon; I just wasn't that aware of it until now. Making light fun of others was okay, but she was…

…It just didn't feel like her to be like this. Definitely not the usual Shiki I knew from high school.

If my gut was anything to go by, I think I knew what she was trying to do. And I'd have to ask her about it. Because I was her friend.

"Ooh, it looks nice!" she could be heard saying from inside. "Fits great too. Hey Neku, wanna take a peek?"

"Wha…? !"

"Whoops! I forgot you can be shy, hee hee! I'll send you a pic then."

"Th-That's not it!"

Oh my god… this really wasn't like her.

XOXOXOXOXO

Never believe a girl when she claims that she'll do "only a wee bit of shopping". They're all lies frosted with sugar and spice.

Look at Shiki; she's a prime example of how true this rule of thumb rings. One bikini wasn't enough for her. Her voracious appetite would soon make her go predator on a maillot, a skirt, two pairs of jeans, and a cropped jacket. So much for moderation! I even had to help share the load of shopping bags with her as I accompanied her back home, and all the while having to endure her silly little jokes and recalling the more mortifying incidents involving me and Eri.

At one point I got a little fed up, and asked why she liked to ask me about my strawberry-haired friend. Her reply seemed reasonable enough, if logically skewed.

"Eri's been my best friend for so long she's like a sister. Anyone would be concerned about what their dear siblings are up to, right?"

The whole time I was with her today, the feeling eating away at me wouldn't quit. Shiki was different somehow, but it wasn't right and I was very much convinced that it was so.

I had to set things straight with her.

She took the shopping bags from my hands when we reached her apartment. At the doorstep we lingered, exchanging small talk. But eventually I had to leave. Before that, though, there was something I had to confirm…

"Neku," she said, "thanks for going out with me."

"I should be saying that. It's thanks to you I had a wonderful time."

"Don't mention it! Oh… will you be alright heading home, though? It's pretty dark and scary around these parts. And… we did watch 'The Haunted Village II'."

My body became sheathed in cold sweat when I instantly recalled how the film had a particularly harrowing scene where the ghost was chasing one of the supporting characters. The hapless girl (the supporting character, not the ghost) was running for her life in the rain, but her pursuer always seemed to be a mere step away. And then, tragically but almost inevitably, she tripped and met her grisly demise at the hands of the maggot-infested phantom.

I gave a grunt that was a mix of fright and indignation. "Kuh! J-Just when I was hoping to forget all about it…"

"Oops, my bad! Sorry!"

"Y-You don't sound very sorry…"

"Ha ha ha! You could always ask Eri for a bedtime story if sleep is proving difficult!"

That last Eri-centric joke was the prompt I needed to start my interrogation. I didn't want to have to do this to a perfectly nice girl, but it had to be done. Not only for my sake, but more importantly for hers as well. Drawing the wrong conclusion about here would be bad, but… here goes nothing.

"Shiki," I said cautiously, "can I ask you something? It's a bit touchy, so I hope you don't mind."

She hesitated for a half-second, but otherwise retained her cheery disposition. "Sure. We're friends."

I wondered if she would be offended by what I was planning to say, or have her spirit crushed to a pulp. But cruel as it may sound, it was the only way I could be sure of the truth. So I said it.

"Shiki, by any chance… Are you trying to be Eri again?"

The smile on her face melted away fast. I knew this would happen, but it still made me feel very bad. And the small quiver in her voice made me feel all the more so.

"What? Wh-What're you talking about, Neku? I don't get it one bit, ahaha…"

"I noticed that you weren't acting yourself."

She spluttered in defense, "N-No, I'm me. What're you talking about? I'm all… good." The girl was starting to cave in. Sorry, Shiki…

"But the Shiki I know isn't the type to bombard me with kinky jokes, like how you said I wondered how you would look in a bikini, or when you offered to let me take a look at you when you were wearing it. And it looked like you were trying too hard to be funny, because whenever you joke around with me normally, it was never so prolonged. Your jokes about me and Eri in particular were rather… repetitive."

Her lips parted, like she was going to protest, but she backed down quickly and let me finish. I had just one last nail to hammer on the head.

"Besides, you were never a fan of hot pants. Or bikinis."

"N-Neku," she murmured, "could you come inside for a bit? I'll tell you everything. That, and um… I need to put the bags inside, and it's cold out."

"Okay."

And so I wound up in her apartment, the two of us sipping tea. The silence was deafening. Looking at her sad face clawed away at my insides, made me bleed. I didn't want to put people in a corner if I could help it.

"Shiki? Um, ready to talk?"

She wasn't going to burst into tears any time soon, but she looked hurt and very, very defeated. "You're… You're not wrong, Neku, about what you said. I was trying to be like Eri."

"But why?"

"I got jealous of her again."

"J-Jealous?"

Her downcast eyes were focused on her cup of tea, not looking at me. "Neku, I never forgot about when we were working together during the Reapers' Game. I wanted to become like her because I felt she was so much better than me at lots of things, and that's when you told me to snap out of it and get back to my old self. Thanks to you, I've been able to live a fuller life. As myself. But I'm sorry… It looks like my envy has reared its ugly head again."

I approached the matter cautiously. "Did something happen?"

"Not exactly." Shiki tucked a lock of wayward hair behind her ear. "But Eri's always talking about you."

"Me?" Did my heart just jolt a bit? I wanted to know what she said to Shiki, but was careful not to sound too eager. "She didn't say anything strange, did she?"

"She always tells me how weird and awkward you are…" – oof! – "…how you're prone to getting nosebleeds…" – ouch! – "…and that whenever you get a nosebleed, the whole place becomes a mess…" – gah!

Not exactly what I wanted to hear. But then there was a silver lining.

"However," continued Shiki, "she also says that you're very kind to her, that you always give it your all in everything, that you make a fantastic cook, and that, out of all the guys in the whole wide world… you're her favourite."

R-Really? Eri thought of me like that? Eri liked me that much? This was the best thing I'd ever heard in my life! …Except the nosebleed part. But heck, this was marvelous.

The ghost of Shiki's smile grew a little wider. "Don't tell her I told you though, 'kay? She meant it to be a secret."

"Oh, um, right."

"Anyway, a lot of things changed when our gang graduated from high school. We all went down different paths in life. Beat and Rhyme went to Nagoya, I moved here to commute to my college easier, and… you and Eri got closer than ever before. But you've always been a great guy, which is the one thing I'm glad did not change. Now that she knows you better she gets to see this part of you more often, and…" Her expression was softer and even hinted that she was cheering up. "…if she thinks this highly of you, well, I just had to see for myself how much cooler you've grown since, well, a long time ago."

Huh? "Th-Then…"

"You know, I miss the old days when we were still buddies, spending each day happily, walking together elbow-to-elbow, snacking on ice-cream and sweet potatoes. It's sad that we've drifted apart, but… c'est la vie." The sigh coming from her was melancholy. "So even if it's just a little bit, I wanted to have a taste of the intimacy we used to have, that you now share with Eri."

I started to understand the gist of what was going on. "And that's why you behaved like her today?"

"Bingo. In hopes that you'd treat me like you do with her, I acted all bubbly and super-cute… I tried my hand at that unique, sexy brand of humour she's so fond of using… And these hot pants… I know it's crazy to wear them when the climate's so cold in the autumn but I simply wanted you to notice me.

"Still, it's no use." She rattled off a self-deprecating laugh. "You saw through my tricks. You're too smart for me, Neku."

Shiki wasn't to blame for acting the way she did. It was all me.

"I'm sorry, Shiki," I said, squeezing her shoulder. "It's my fault I didn't keep in touch. I could blame it on coursework and tight schedules but I know it's just an excuse. I still regard you as a good friend and it'd be cool if we could hang out more often, just like old times. What do you think?"

Her speech faltered, like she was distracted. "Of… Of course I'm up for it. We missed out on so much during the past semester or two that it's almost ridiculous. It's too bad we can't do much about Beat and Rhyme, but at least you and Eri are here, so we can get together again. I say that's pretty great! …On another note, hmmm…"

More to say? I graciously gave her time. And then slowly, she mumbled, "I'm glad that you still think of me as a friend, but by any chance, might you think of me as something more?"

"Huh?"

A moment of hesitation ensued, but she quickly pulled herself together and wore a look on her face that screamed "This is it. No turning back now!" Could it be that she was going to say… that?

Seriously? ! No way… For real? !

But it was real! And she said it!

"Neku… I love you."

I couldn't believe it. Shiki actually just said that she was in love with me. Was I hearing things? Were my ears playing tricks on me? Was I on Punk'd? !

The answer to all of those questions was a resounding no. She definitely said those three timeless words. And she repeated them once more for good measure.

"I love you. Neku, I really mean it. Oh, and could you listen to a little story I have to tell? It's a bit long, but I must say it."

"Huh? Oh… sure." I was so stunned that my mouth just ran on autopilot. But seriously, to have a girl admit her love to me – and it was Shiki at that – it was my longtime dream come true at last. My mind was still swirling around like it was on spin cycle, so it was just as well that I took a break from thinking and listened to her.

"Even when we were in high school," she said, "you were always on my mind. I would always think about how best to confess to you. But I found your unpredictable personality imposing, and I didn't want us to be apart because I picked the wrong moment to tell you about my feelings, so I kept putting off my confession.

"As luck would have it, I took too long, and before I knew it, we were fresh high school graduates entering college for the first time. Funny what a lack of physical closeness can do. You and I took classes in different institutions, so we hardly ever met up, and our friendship kinda… thinned out."

I muttered, "Sorry… I should've been more wary of my own life."

She shook her head kindly. "Let bygones be bygones, Neku. I'm not blaming you for anything. Anyway, seeing as how we were no longer as close as I hoped we could be, I began to seriously doubt that I would ever get a chance to go steady with you. And then, I met him."

"Him?"

"My… Well, he's my ex-boyfriend now." Ah… The Boyfriend, huh? On her brow was a nearly invisible frown, suggesting that while she didn't really want to dredge up her past, she also knew that for her story to be complete, she had spill all the metaphorical beans, expired and tasteless as they may be.

I let her continue, "First semester in and I was feeling real down and kicking myself for not acting sooner. When he came into my life and expressed a genuine interest in me, I decided to take the chance knowing that if I didn't grab it like before with you, I would definitely regret it. So I went out with him.

"Funny story though… Even when I was dating him, I could never get you out of my head. You were too important for me to just toss aside. I mean, I hoped to forget about my failures by getting myself a boyfriend, but ironically, it didn't work. He and I had some fun times, sure, but eventually even he noticed our relationship just wasn't working out the way he hoped it would."

"So you broke up?"

"Yes." She reached for both of my hands and clasped them in hers. "Because there's no one I want to be with but you. And I'm dead serious."

Whoa… Shiki had quite a history. I never knew. Everything was so much to take in all at once, but none stood out more than the fact that she had been in love with me all this time. Our similarities were uncanny – we liked each other since school, we had trouble expressing our true feelings, and at some point, we found romance elsewhere.

I felt her fingers clench tighter around mine. Her face was deep red, but she was trying her best to maintain eye contact.

"Neku," she reiterated, "I love you. Will… Will you be my boyfriend?"

To be perfectly honest, I was happy. For so many years I had been hoping to hear those words from her. Now that I finally did, I felt like the chapter on my long-unrequited love could finally come to a close.

She was waiting for my answer with bated breath, and I didn't want to keep her waiting. I had to make sure I said it right.

I said softly, "Thank you…"

Her eyes widened slightly.

"…but I'm sorry, Shiki. I can't return your feelings."

The expression on her face was plain and unchanging, but it didn't take chicken brains to know that she was disappointed. It's the eyes. You can tell from a person's eyes what she's feeling.

Damn… I really hated to make girls sad. Just wasn't my style.

That's why I had to give her credit for appearing to stay strong. It's not possible to completely transform your face from a sad one to a nonchalant and normal one, but she tried. She even bravely put on a smile.

"I see," she said. "Ehe… Actually, I had a feeling you'd say that. I knew you'd say no, but I just went ahead with it because I didn't want to have any regrets. I didn't want to slog through life knowing that I never even tried."

Ugh, what should I say? I was no good at this. I've never received a confession of love in my life, so it was doubly hard when I had a reject one. This wasn't the kind of thing that happened everyday, so I had not the slightest idea what words would be appropriate. Like a fool, I stayed silent.

She let go of my hands slowly. "Neku… Even if you can't have a relationship with me, I happy that you're still my friend."

"Sorry, Shiki. I do care about you, but the person that I love is… uh…" Again I was stuck. Should I be ambiguous and say "someone else" to be tactful, or be up front about it and tell her that I loved Eri? Man, love is complicated.

But it was blissfully unnecessary. "I know who it is," she said. "Take care of Eri, okay? She's a handful, but she's a good girl at heart."

"H-Huh? !" The sweat just poured off of me in waves. "Wait… Eri isn't – "

Apparently, watching me get all flustered amused her and she even managed to giggle a bit. "I wouldn't choke the truth out of you. What's important is that you love her. And if you really do, don't wait."

"Don't… wait?"

She left it at that, saying, "You know what I'm talking about. Good luck, Neku."

XOXOXOXOXO

The walk back home was slow and long, but it was fine. A lot had happened today, and I needed to chew the cud.

I never knew… Shiki had been in love with me. All these years, she had harboured a desire for us to be a couple, but because she was afraid that her heart would be crushed in the event that I refused, she kept her secret locked up. I was much the same way.

Here's some food for thought: what would happen if, years ago in school, the confession was successful and I went out with Shiki? For starters, we would have been very close to each other, and our relationship might have survived up till this day. But then – and here's the scary part – Eri would practically be out of the picture.

The myriad experiences that I've shared with her – the dates; her endless teasing; the cooking lessons; our growing skinship and all the hugs she gave me; her wardrobe malfunctions, deliberate or otherwise; heck, even all the nosebleeds I suffered at her hands… None of that would have happened had I taken the first step with Shiki. Eri might have been just another good friend of mine. We wouldn't have made "the most awesome team".

I wouldn't have fallen in love with Eri!

It chills the spine how a small decision early on can influence the future in big ways.

I can say this much: I am a fortunate guy to have had feelings for Shiki, but right now, I'm even luckier to have Eri as a love interest. Life can take unexpected turns, like how I have Eri in my sights now rather than Shiki, but it's fine, even if it's a little strange and twisted. At least there are no regrets.

So I mustn't wait. Next chance I got, I would definitely tell Eri those magic words.

My determination was renewed and reinforced. I still felt bad for Shiki, but promised myself – and her too – that when Eri got herself her next boyfriend it would be the best darn boyfriend ever. Me.

That aside, who was that person standing outside my doorstep? I caught sight of him as I was nearing my apartment. He was pressing on the doorbell and rapping the front door but to no avail.

As I walked up the steps to my unit and approached the stranger I hailed him and he took notice. "Excuse me. Do you need something?"

The man turned to look at me and that was when I got a better view of him. He was around my height, perhaps one or two inches shorter. His unassuming dress sense was outshone by miles by his beautiful features; behind a pair of glasses he had a handsome face. He could have hopped right out of a comic book.

His eyes lit up when he saw me. "Ah! It's you!"

He looked strangely familiar for a reason that I would figure out in a second. "You… Aren't you Seishirou-sama? That butler guy?"

"Why, yes. I am one of the butlers at Tea & Orange." That was the butler café that Shiki and I visited not too long ago, and he was the very person she and pretty much the entire female population of Shibuya was so fixated with, almost as badly as The Prince. "I remember you as one of our customers."

"What brings you here?"

"Forgive me for bothering you at this late hour. But there is something I simply must discuss with you posthaste."

Huh? What could a butler possibly want with me? The answer to that, however, would have to be explained on another day…