She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 19)
by BrDPirateMan

Seishirou-sama, the most renowned butler in Shibuya, was standing outside my front door and he had business with me, but what kind?

The guy himself was an enigma. Even when his shift was over (it should be; it was almost 11 pm) and he had changed out of that stifling-looking butler uniform, his mannerisms never faltered and he was as prim and proper as ever. The impression I had was that it was just an act that they had to put on while at work. But are all butlers like this 24/7? Must be tiring.

"I understand that I am imposing on you so late in the evening," he said politely, "but there is something I need to talk to you about."

I asked cautiously, "What is it?"

"The details are of a… sensitive nature, and I'd much appreciate it if we could talk in private. If anyone sees or overhears us, it could prove to be quite troublesome."

"Well, no one comes round here, so go on."

He coughed. "I'm afraid that's not possible. I still don't feel secure. Would it trouble you if you were to let me inside your home? A few minutes of your time are all I require."

My wary personality made it hard for me to trust people whom I didn't know on a personal level. Granting Seishirou his request was out of the question. Besides, in a world where the crime rate was on the rise, one couldn't be too careful. He may be a butler on the outside, but goodness knew what his true nature was – a robber, a killer, or maybe even an underwear thief!

I held up one hand as a sign of refusal and frowned to reiterate my firmness. "Whoa, hey, just because I was once a customer at your workplace doesn't automatically make us friends. You're still a stranger to me. I'm sorry, I can't let you in. I told you, dude. If you want to talk, then talk here."

He clutched his shoulder uneasily and his nervousness made him look even more suspicious. Was he plotting something?

"I see you're adamant about this," he said. "No matter… I understand and respect your decision. However, as my own growing concerns are too great to ignore, I must ask you to hear me out somehow."

The whole time he was talking, I watched his movements closely and intently, like a snake charmer with a deadly cobra. My plan was to punch him in the solar plexus and knock him out if he attempted to lunge at me. I really hoped he didn't try to attack me though, because I was no expert at martial arts. So here's hoping he sucked at it too.

He let out a sigh and reached for his ponytail with one hand. Oh no, was he going to try and do something funny? ! Like yank out a whip from his hair and flog me into submission? ! Or peel off his entire face only to reveal it's a mask made of skin worn by a homicidal sicko? ! My muscles were tense. A bead of sweat rolled down my neck. And my defense mechanisms were good to go, limbs ready to flail about like an octopus at a moment's notice.

"You've left me no choice," he said. "But know this: for a lot of people, there is often more than meets the eye."

With a quick and deft flick of his wrist, he undid the tie that bound his ponytail together, and his locks swished free like a curtain of silk. For a second, I was so spellbound by the beauty of his hair that I didn't notice he had taken off his glasses with his free hand at the same time. The true face of Seishirou-sama greeted me.

And my jaw dropped to the floor.

"Wha… What? !"

Seishirou grinned. "I hope this convinces you now."

I was dumbfounded and stammering like an idiot, pointing with a shaking finger. "Y-You… How… What… Huh? !"

"Hee hee."

"Is that really you, Eri? !"

The person standing before me burst into a giggling fit seeing how comical my face must have looked. "You're slow, Neku. But yes, Eri and Seishirou-sama… are one and the same."

What in the world was going on? ! I knew this was Eri I was talking to, but… "Why the heck are you dressed as a – "

She clamped her hand over my mouth immediately and hushed me into silence. "Shh! Not so loud! Are you trying to give my game away? Look, I'll tell you everything, but I have questions of my own, so… Could you let me in now? It's cold out here."

Oh, right. Now that I was satisfied it was Eri I was dealing with instead of a total stranger, I ushered her inside, and she graciously accepted my hospitality.

"I'll make you cocoa. Make yourself at home. Sorry the kotatsu's not laid out, though."

"So long as I don't freeze my cute little behind off, central heating's fine too!"

XOXOXOXOXO

We sat on the couch, a mug for each of us. The cocoa soothed my nerves and warmed her up, granting her respite from the nighttime cold.

She took another sip and sighed contentedly for the umpteenth time. "Mmm… cocoa."

"You could've just told me right away that it was you in disguise," I said. "No need for all the back-and-forth nonsense earlier."

"I could, sure, but as long as the possibility of someone spying on us exists, I can't completely let my guard down. If word gets out that Seishirou-sama is a girl, everyone will think I'm weird, and I'll get fired. That's why I asked to be let inside. In the privacy of your home, I can unmask myself without fear of being seen or – heaven forbid – caught on film!"

"Your life and part-time career are in constant danger of being put in jeopardy. So in other words, no pressure."

"Every day is fraught with danger and high risk!" she sniggered, cheeky as ever. "Oh, except from Sundays to Tuesdays when I'm off."

"I still have a boatful of things to ask you about your job, but for now let's listen to what you wanted to say."

"Yeah, alright." Much of her mug of cocoa went down her gullet, and with that, she was ready to talk. Her voice had a serious feel to it, like she had important news to tell, but it was also slow and interrupted by stops and starts, as though she wasn't sure if she was going to say the right things. "So, today… um… today I saw you going out with Shiki…"

"Huh?"

"You two passed by the café where I work and I happened to see you through the window. Could it be that you're on a date?"

"Wh-What? No, I – "

My words did not reach her. "Neku, what's the story? C'mon, tell me already!"

"Eri, calm down for a sec. You're getting way too excited, and not in a good way."

"S-Sorry! But is it true? That you were dating?"

"Of course not!" I almost forced the words out in a shout. The last thing I wanted was for her to get the wrong idea because she almost did. "The truth is I was hanging out with Shiki because I was bored."

"J-Just hanging out? Really?" Whew! She bought it, right? Nope, not yet. "But… you and Shiki were carrying shopping bags. So that means you went out shopping with her…"

Urk! No getting out of this one… "Er, yes, I did go shopping with her, but that's only because she dragged me along. We weren't doing it as a sort of dating activity or whatever."

"Erm… but you were smiling?"

"D-Don't people smile when they talk to each other? !" Gah! Eri sure was curious about something that never happened between us. It was up to me to demolish this notion or my confession would have to wait a long, long time.

I unintentionally reached for her hand in a haphazard attempt to calm her down, but when I realized how bold it was of me to do that, the skin almost boiled itself off from my face. My heart bouncing around inside my ribcage made it tough for the words to make it out of my throat without quivering, but I managed.

"Eri… look, I get that you're anxious to know everything, but Shiki and I were just chilling. Sure, there was ramen and a movie, but we were just friends having some fun, that's all. I only wish you were there to join us, but with your part-time job, there was no getting around it, I'm afraid." Word choice was never my strength – I couldn't give a convincing white lie, or flatter like The Prince – but I hoped she would understand.

Her response was quite different from what I expected though. "You went for ramen and a movie too? What kind of ramen? Which movie?"

I was surprised by her reaction but told her anyway.

"Seafood ramen from down the street?" she breathed in envy. "And you watched 'The Haunted Village II'? Aww! If only I'd skipped work and tagged along!"

"Sorry… Why don't we check out their ramen one of these days? As for the movie… uh… I'd appreciate it if we watched something a little less frightening."

"I'd very much like that," she said with an eager smile. "The ramen and the movie, that is. Hee hee… You didn't think you're going to get out of this one that easily now, did you? You're gonna watch 'The Haunted Village II' with me, period. I don't care if you've watched it once already. Horror flicks are best watched with friends!"

"Oh god, please don't," I gulped. "I still have nightmares from the first film."

"Seriously? Ha ha ha!"

What now? Was her curiosity finally sated? If it was, it sure was a strange way to settle things…

But no, life wasn't so easy for me.

"Okay, that aside," said Eri, switching back to serious mode, "I got a phone call from Shiki minutes earlier. Frankly, what she said was a little hard to believe…" – Shiki? She didn't tell her about that, right? – "…so I want to hear it from you, Neku. Did she confess to you today?"

Why did Shiki call her about her failed confession? Was she trying to get back at me for turning her down? …No, no, calm down! What was I even thinking? If I pushed that pause button and went over this in a rational manner, it made sense why she would contact Eri. Let's see… Wasn't it normal for best friends like the two of them to lean on the other for moral support? After I rejected her, she must have felt pretty down, so she poured out her sadness to Eri, spilling the truth in the process. And that was why Eri had come to see me! To dig the raw facts right out of the horse's mouth.

"Neku?"

There was no reason to lie, but it was no fun being on the receiving end of an interrogation. "Shiki did tell me that she was in love with me, but I told her that I couldn't return her feelings… That's it…"

Eri blinked at me owlishly. "So it's true…"

What was I supposed to say? I tried to stall for time, to rearrange my thoughts, but there's only so much cocoa in my mug that I can drink.

"Are you sure you're doing the right thing, Neku? You used to be head over heels for her, and now you're saying you can't love her…"

"I-I'm positive that it's not her I want to go after right now."

"Then it's somebody else?"

"…Yeah."

Now I was seriously hoping her next question was not who it was who had stolen my heart. Tonight's events had left me somewhat rattled and I wasn't in the mood to divulge the identity of my dream girl. The only way to deliver a confession is properly, and now it was hardly proper. I didn't want to grow old and think back to the memory of my youth, only to be disappointed that I had blabbered to Eri that I loved her at the couch in a slightly dingy apartment over mugs of cocoa. Where's the romance in that? ! Where's the atmosphere, the sunset, the wind billowing in her hair? It wouldn't be right without any of those crucial elements!

It was to my great relief that she didn't. "If you're sure of your decision, Neku," she said at last, "then I shall give you my full support."

"You mean you're okay with it?"

"Sure, why not?" she beamed. "We're best friends, right? We've got to help each other. Personally, I'm sad for Shiki, and I hope she finds another great guy soon, but if you claim that's for the best, then I'm all for it."

I bit my lip. "I… I only hope she'll really be alright. That's all I ask for."

"Of course she will! She's not glass. She'll pull through."

"True. She's a strong girl. Knowing that helps me feel a bit better."

"Alright, let's not dwell on this," she said smilingly, "because I'm still not done questioning you."

Uh-oh… I was still far from out of the woods, huh? "But what'd I do?"

Her empty mug joined mine on the coffee table and she edged closer. The way she was slowly inching her way into my bubble of private space was slightly unnerving and the dangerous glint in her eyes told me she wasn't through. I retreated away as best as I could without her noticing but she just followed until the small of my back bumped into the armrest of the couch. I was trapped.

"Since you and Shiki got to talking, it's only natural I'd want to know if you said anything strange about me. Soooo… talk? I'm all ears."

The evening had worn me out and the exhaustion was taking its toll. "Maybe tomorrow," I yawned. "I want to hit the sack."

"Whaaaaat? Boo! I wanna know…"

"Rest assured we weren't backstabbing you, Eri. Shiki did bring up a lot of things, mostly old memories and things you said in the past that stuck out. But nothing bad. So – "

She nudged even closer until she was practically glued against my body. Gah… What was I, a reclining chair? ! My protests were cut off before they even began when she silenced me with a finger to my lips. And whenever she had that succubus smile, I knew I was destined to lose this little battle of wits.

"If you tell me," she drawled, "I'll show you something good."

"Nice try," I grunted, "but it's been a day and I really want to go to sleep. Let's just talk tomorrow."

"Come on! Don't be a meanie! A girl's curious and you leave her hanging by a thread? Don't you know how much I hate cliffhangers? Spill it now! Um… please? For the sake of your cute and lovable friend?" She pointed at herself, flashing me an impish grin, but I was unmoved.

"Not tonight, Josephine. Now will you please make way? I'm outta here."

"…No."

"Eri!" Her intent on preventing me from leaving the couch was as firm as the pressure of her hip jabbing into mine.

"You're so stubborn."

"Look who's talking! You're cutting into my bedtime as we speak!"

The score was going to be a solid Eri 1, Neku 0 again. "If you keep being like this, Neku," she growled, licking her lips, "I wouldn't let you get any sleep tonight. There's a… technique… I've been meaning to try, and you make a perfect guinea pig. Oh, the sounds you'll make! Gets me all hot thinking about you squirming and squealing your heart out during your first time!"

She did not just suggest that! I had enough! "Okay, okay! I get it, I give! I'll tell all, so get off me and stop thinking about raping me already!"

"Wha…?" Her face instantly changed to one of confusion, or what looked like one. "I was thinking of giving you a foot massage if you refused to talk. A real painful one… What's this about raping again?"

Gah! So it was a misunderstanding on my part? !

Eri wasted no time in taking the chance to poke some more fun at me. "Neku," she sniggered, "you're a pervert. To mistake a foot massage for…"

"It's your fault for being so ambiguous! You…!"

At least I was finally freed from the prison of my own couch when she fell over clutching her sides in laughter. What a loud one she was! At this rate she was going to wake the neighbours. But she couldn't stop, and when she excused herself to take a shower, she laughed all the way in and some. God, life could be cruel.

XOXOXOXOXO

Minutes after I retired to my room to rest, Eri's hyena laughter was still ringing in my ears. People sing while they take showers… but she laughs.

No thanks to her meddling with my head, I couldn't think straight. I seriously thought I was going to get… you know! I was sitting on my bed with a magazine in my hands, but I wasn't reading. My eyes were gliding over the words, but to me right now they were just a jumble of letters that made as much sense as my friend Beat's brain. That is to say, nothing at all.

The door squeaked ajar. Within the gap lay Eri's silhouette like a curious mouse. The remnants of her mirth escaped in a tiny spurt of a giggle.

"Neku," she called, "am I disturbing you?"

"Only if you insist on continuing to pull my chain."

"That's a green light, then. I'm coming in!"

Eri was drying her hair with both hands buried in a towel, and as she sauntered in she gently nudged the door closed behind her with a bump from her hips. She was decked out in only underwear as usual and the bath must have been good, because she was peppy.

"Whatcha doin', Neku?"

"Just some light reading before bed."

My efforts to sound natural were worthy to be praised, but I was no actor. She squinted quizzically at the magazine I was holding and broke into a short laugh.

"Light reading is fine and all, but you're holding it upside-down."

What? Whoops! I was that nervous!

It was to my benefit that she didn't pursue the issue further. I hastily chucked the magazine onto the bedside table just as she clambered onto the bed and joined me. My goodness… she really was pretty. There was nothing about her toned body that couldn't make so many other girls jealous. Even the simplest of her everyday actions could be so suggestive… like how she lets out the occasional contented sigh as she tousles her damp hair dry. I was a lucky man.

The neurons in my brain were racing for something to say but she was faster. "I almost forgot, Neku… Didn't you have questions of your own about my part-time job?"

I was dying to know all the details of her job and why for the love of Tin Pin she was pretending to be a man.

So I cleared my throat and got down to business. "You've been all hush-hush about your work as a butler, but I've been very worried about you so it's time for some answers. Sure, if you tell me all of your secrets it's a breach of contract, but as long as no one knows but the two of us, you'll be fine. Are we clear on this?"

She nodded in understanding and was fully cooperative. "I gotcha. But… why would you be worried? It's just part-time work."

"I have every right to be worried! Your working hours go from evening till late at night. I thought you were earning your pay as a waitress in a nightclub. Or even a stripper!"

Her eyes went wide with surprise at my answer and the laughter started up again. "Me, at a nightclub? A stripper? That line of reasoning is way off, Neku! No, I am a butler and my name is Seishirou-sama. And your mind is deeper in the gutter than I thought." She gave in to the temptation of ruffling my mane.

"…I don't want to hear that from someone who's sitting on my bed half-naked." My hair felt like I had taken a stroll through a tornado and I had to reshape it. "Why a butler? Couldn't you have chosen something more… normal? Like a maid café or a family restaurant. What I don't get is that you've decided to do something that's meant for men."

"Sexist now, are we?"

"Th-That's not it…"

"Hee hee… I know." She gazed at me from beneath the towel that was draped over her head like a scarf. What was it about damp hair that made her look so mysterious and alluring? "Why, you ask? Let's just say I wanted a challenge."

"A challenge?"

"There are plenty of other job opportunities available, but then I thought how it couldn't hurt to have a little more excitement in my life. One day out of curiosity I paid a visit to Tea & Orange and was intrigued by how cool all those butlers were. They're such gentlemen it's unbelievable! Their handsome outfits, the way they treat the ladies… I had a great time just being there. That's when I hit upon a crazy idea…"

"I think I know where this is going…"

"Since I was aching for a challenge, I might as well pick the best darn one there ever was. And so I applied for a position at Tea & Orange. But I couldn't very well go as myself now, could I?"

I followed up on her. "So you disguised yourself…"

"…And Seishirou-sama was born! Gold star for you!" Then she mussed up my hair again, undoing all of my hard work. The tale of her double life continued while I was forced to restore my locks once more. She was very eager to tell me about it.

"It's heaps of fun, Neku! Of course, it was tough going at first having to work with my breasts taped down flat," – she waved her hands over her chest to illustrate how she did it – "but now I'm getting used to it."

"And how're you holding up so far?" I asked.

"Great!" she chuckled. "No one knows I'm a girl! When the other butlers go about their business thinking I'm one of them, and when girls look about ready to faint when I smile at them, the feeling I get is… intoxicating. Oh, I just love it to death! Hee hee!"

Caught up in memories of personal victories gleaned from work, she wrapped her arms around herself in a fit of giggling and writhing. I had to admit, she deserved credit for doing well in an environment where the danger of her true identity coming out was high. A part of me was glad that she was having fun, another part was even envious that she could achieve success in the face of such great risks. But now in a tiny corner of my head was a query that I had to have answered…

"It's good that you love your job, Eri," I said, "but just for the record… you're not lesbian, are you?"

"What?" she gasped, pretending to be shocked. "Ha ha ha! What makes you think that?"

"B-But you said yourself that you like it when girls go crazy over you?"

"You misunderstand. It's just the rewarding feeling of knowing how well I'm blending in with my butler co-workers. Just think: the whole time, everyone sees me not as the girl Eri, but as Seishirou-sama, the sexiest butler in Shibuya. Of course there's a sense of accomplishment you simply can't deny. Do you see, Neku? If, for example, you dress up as a maid and work in a maid café, and guys keep asking you for your phone number, wouldn't you feel the same way as I do?"

I bluntly replied, "Uh, no. I'd be grossed out." And I made a face too.

Eri just sniggered. "I kind of wish I had a better name for my butler persona, though. A more ornate, posh-sounding alias would do the trick. Don't you agree that Seishirou-sama pales in comparison to, say, Winston Theodoric Fonzarelli?"

"Maybe, but do you realize what the initials of that name spell out?"

"Huh?"

"Well, never mind. I'll let you figure it out. Anyway, I still think it's weird that you've chosen to work as a butler, but if you really like it, I don't mind."

"Really? Aww, thanks!" She gave my arm an affectionate squeeze. "It's nice to know I've got your full blessings."

"Just… Just don't go job-hopping after this and become a stripper behind my back. I'd hate that."

"Ha ha ha… Don't worry!" Her laughter sobered up gradually and she assumed a more solemn tone. "It's nice that I got into Tea & Orange. You don't get many chances like this."

I cocked my head slightly, as a silent request for her to explain more. She got the message.

"Think about it," she said softly, twiddling her fingers. "In a couple of years we'll be graduates out on the hunt for gainful employment. Once that's settled, we'll have commitments to our companies. Further down the road, we'll be promoted, which will increase our workload. With so many things to take care of from the moment we're hired, we're bound to have less free time to ourselves than we can help."

"It's the sad reality of things," I sighed, rubbing my arm, "but that's the way the cookie crumbles, I'm afraid. We'll find a new kind of enjoyment with our careers though. Anyway, what's this got to do with your being a butler?"

"While I'm young and I still have youth and time on my side, I figured I should grab the opportunity to have as much fun as I can before things get really hectic. I took up the job with Tea & Orange because I don't want to look back at my youth years later and regret that there's nothing interesting to remember. At least now when I'm older I can reminisce about how I used to dress up as a man!"

"And how you were idolized by girls."

"Yeah, that's good too! Hee hee!"

"…You are so lesbian."

"Am not. Need some more convincing? I can do a mean foot massage…" My gut tightened up when she peeled one of her bra straps off her shoulder. She even had to lick her lips!

"Whoa, whoa! H-Hey, don't pull down the other strap!"

"Ha ha ha!" To my relief she did them back up.

I could argue that stripping wasn't a sure-fire indication that she didn't swing that way, but it'd only lead to more disastrous results that the nose of a certain someone wouldn't be able to handle.

"You're a handful, Eri," I sighed.

"Heh… only because I think you're cute. You're a lot of fun to tease."

"I-I'll take that as a compliment…"

"It is one!" said Eri good-naturedly. "Neku, the times we share together, like now, are very precious to me. We still have about two good years to be wacky and enjoy ourselves before we get out of college and into the real world. After that… there's no telling if we're able to continue doing the sorts of things we're doing now."

The smile in her voice was starting to peter out. "Going on dates, doing shopping together, attending the Hachi Fest, holding our cooking lessons with you as my Sensei, sleeping over at your place, even teasing you till you get nosebleeds… I don't know if all this will ever happen in the near future when we're drowning in our own work. That's why…" – she shifted closer until she was sitting right in front of me – "…that's why I want to relish my days with you while we still can afford to do so."

What was it about Eri that made her capable of swapping emotions so quickly? She's like a faucet; turn one way and she's joyful, turn the other and she's a grey cloud. Now she was all the way on to the latter side. Solemn. Grave. She lifted her head upwards, and I could see her pretty face was marred with deep emotions.

"I like living in the now," she sighed heavily, "but that's because the future scares me. If I never get to see you again, I'd… I'd hate that!"

Eri was the embodiment of everything fun and jovial. She was the class clown, the life of the party, a born joker and prankster. But as every comedian will tell you, even they have their serious days, and she was no different. Just because she played a lot didn't mean she didn't think a lot either. We liked each other's company, and she must be worried that in the not-too-distant future when we might have to be in different places leading different lives, she'd have to miss me.

I felt the same way too. Her chirpy personality was great at keeping boredom at bay, and her comedic talent wasn't boring, if unsafe for work. I knew I would be as lonely without her as she would be without me, and reality could be a very scary thing, but I still had to cheer her up.

"Eri."

"Huh? Neku, what're you – ow!"

I flicked her on the forehead. She didn't seem hurt much, but she was cross.

"What's the big idea? !" she demanded, rubbing the pain out of her very minor injury.

"Oh, sorry, Eri," I grumbled, "I was just a little ticked off. Maybe it's because you made it sound like we'll never meet again. Fun fact: as long as we remain best friends and we never give up on one another, we'll always find a way to keep in touch."

"But isn't that a little too optimistic? Things are only going to get harder later on."

"Who are you and what have you done to Eri? It's not like you to be so negative. The Eri I know will always find a way around things and solve problems. Nothing keeps her down for too long, and she shrugs off mishaps like dandruff. She may be a bit of an airhead, and may stumble headlong through life with more than her fair share of bruises and bad experiences, but she's smart and knows what really counts. You're not Eri. You're an alien."

"Tee hee. You make it sound like I'm a shape-shifting body snatcher." Already she was starting to smile again, which was a good sign.

"Look, the future scares me too, but it's not the end of the world. After what the two of us have been through, and all the fun times we've had together, you're not just going to up and forget about me, are you?"

"Of course not!" she blurted. "I really like you, you know!"

"Oh, um…" Wow… Those were some simple but powerful words… My cheeks were glowing and my tirade immediately began to soften. "Y-Yeah, I… I like you too. So that settles that. Between us both, we'll work something out, so you'll get by just fine. Count on it."

The gratitude could be seen in her eyes. "Darn it, Neku… You're just too cool for words. Thanks, I needed that. Can I give you a nice big glomp?"

I stiffened. "If you refrain from giving me 'foot massages', that should be fine."

"Ha ha ha!"

Being the touchy-feely sort, Eri had no qualms hugging boys and girls alike, but my relationships with people aren't that physical, so it took me a while to return her embrace. She was warm… The scent of shampoo in her hair was heaven on earth. And her body was… wowzers.

After an eternity she disentangled herself from me and pressed our foreheads together. There wasn't even an inch of free space between our faces. Her sweet marmalade breath brushed over my skin and tickled it, shivers rippling down my spine with each time she exhaled. Fumble with our balance just a wee bit and our lips might actually touch… Oh man! Gotta be careful not to let that happen. Girls don't like it if you kissed them out of the blue, even if it was by accident. Not that I knew it the hard way, but…

"Neku," she whispered, "can I tell you a secret?"

"What is it?"

"I know it sounds bananas, but see, out of all the guys in the whole wide world…"

"…I'm your favourite?"

She sprang away, her face showing surprise, then indignation. "How did you know? You weren't supposed to know that yet!"

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, "but the truth is, Shiki told me. It's one of the things about you that we were talking about earlier this evening. Oh yeah, she also told me not to tell you… whoops."

"So Shiki leaked it to you? Well, I never!" One hand was to her chest in a display of outrage, though most of it was exaggerated. "I told her, no – ordered her to keep her lips sealed! And she should have obeyed."

"Please don't get mad at her, Eri. I think she told us only because she sees how close we are as friends."

"B-But…"

"Is it such a bad thing for me to know beforehand?"

"N-No," said a calmer Eri, "I just wanted to be the one to say it. I mean, honestly! You were so cool until just now. Never take the words out of a girl's mouth, especially if they're words that are meant to be cool and showy! What's a girl got to do to make a complete sentence these days?"

"Heh."

"Wh-What's so funny?"

"You really are an alien. You're not acting like your usual self. Because you usually can't get this embarrassed."

I was right on the money with my words and there was nothing she could say to refute that. She was powerless to fight back.

"Cat got your tongue, Eri?" I couldn't resist saying it.

"No," she gulped, "I just have nothing to say."

"That's the same thing."

"Wh-Whatever."

She dug her head into the crook of my neck and clutched onto my shirt with both hands, kind of how a baby would cling to its mother. People who cry and need some comfort tend to do that, but I could tell she wasn't sad. She just had a red face to hide. Even while I was nervous from her touching me, I couldn't deny my own feelings: that she's cute.

It felt like forever before she could find her voice again, and when it came out, it was as soft as a kitten's meow. "Neku, do you think it's weird knowing that I'm… well, very fond of you?"

"The part where I'm your favourite – ?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Sorry. And no, I don't think it's weird at all."

"Then… what do you think… of me? As a girl, I mean?"

What? Those words… Could she mean…? If a girl asks you that, what she is really asking is whether you see her as a potential candidate for romance, right? And Eri, she… No, there's no doubt about that! I knew what she meant.

She wanted the truth: did I love her?

My head felt like it was screwed on the wrong way. There was a light show in my eyesight with sparks flying all over the place. Inside the confines of my own mind, it was as though I had been placed in a centrifuge and left to fend for myself. All of those unnecessarily descriptive similes aside, I knew I was losing my grip. The promise I had made to myself – to admit my love for Eri with a nearly empty park as the setting and the sunset as the backdrop for added impact – was growing harder and harder to keep. Eventually the temptation was too great to ignore and I succumbed to it.

I had to tell her. Right now. I had to say it… that I loved her. Who knew when my next best opportunity would turn up if I didn't tell her my feelings here? No more wasting perfectly good chances for me! Cold feet no more! Too bad about the ideal image of the park and sunset but it hardly mattered now. Now was the time!

Eri was waiting for my answer and she was being patient for once. That gave me plenty of time to take a deep breath, gather up every ounce of courage I had, silently ask the forces of the universe to lend me their powers for five minutes… and say it.

And I really did. No bull.

"I love you, Eri."

She didn't say anything. How could anyone? It must have been one heck of a revelation for her. I wasn't surprised she needed a few moments to gather up what must be her scattered thoughts in order to put together a suitable reply. Perhaps she needed a push…

"Eri," I continued, "admittedly I haven't been in love with you for long, but I would very much like it if you could spend the days with me. You've proven to be a reliable friend and an unchanging pillar of support, and I'm both happy and thankful. So… um, please be my girlfriend. This is going to be my first relationship ever and I'm no expert in love, but I promise I'll take good care of you."

Still she said nothing. Whoa, was she that surprised?

I gently shook her by the shoulders to get her attention, but she didn't respond. Okay, this was getting weird. Very gingerly I pried her away from me to get a closer look.

Her eyes were closed.

What the heck. The entire time during my confession, she was asleep? !

Couldn't blame the girl, really. Her butler job must have been strenuous.

Disappointment clouded my mind, but not for long. I was even laughing inwardly. Eri was still blissfully unaware of my feelings, but it wasn't all that bad, because at long last I had managed to say something I always wanted to say but never could. It's like having delivered a speech in public perfectly after suffering a bout of anxiety and stage fright. I'm glad my optimism kicked in. Rather than call it an utter waste of time, I regarded it as really good practice for the real thing which would come later. And the next time I said it for real, it would be at the park at sunset. Now that was a memory in the making worth looking forward to.

However, that confession took a lot out of me. Let's not forget I was already tired in the first place. I was so sleepy I couldn't even shift Eri into a proper sleeping position before my eyes slammed shut. That night I slept sitting up with her still wedged against me.

XOXOXOXOXO

My neck was aching even before I opened my eyes at sunrise. Remind me never to sleep sitting up. It doesn't do anyone's spine good if you sleep funny.

Huh… It was hard to see through hazy morning vision, but it looked like over the night I naturally slid down till I was lying on my back. And Eri had ended up sleeping beside me, entangled in the sheets. She moves around in her sleep, I'm told, so it came as no surprise.

My thoughts immediately turned to my failed confession from last night, but it didn't sting as much as one might think. I was even feeling good. There's always another time and today's a new day!

I was about to wake Eri when she stirred and unknowingly kicked the blanket off of herself. It slid off her side of the bed and there was a soft thump as it drooped onto the floor. That's when I noticed something that made my eyes snap open.

Didn't she doze off wearing her underwear?

Why's it gone? ! Why was she naked? !

What was the meaning of this? ! What happened last night? No way… Eri and I couldn't have…

We couldn't have done that, could we? !