She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 21)
by BrDPirateMan

Man… How did it come to this?

We were supposed to have a great date, Eri and myself. We were supposed to have fun.

But whatever happened to our delightful time? It shouldn't go like this… I mean, we just had a fight! Can you believe it? A fight! That's the last thing I'd even think of doing with her.

She hated me… Moments earlier I may have not liked her very much either but now I realized the error of my ways and I just wanted to patch things up with her. But it was too awkward at the moment to apologise. I was an idiot.

Again, how did it come to this? I'd have to wind back the clock for this one…

XOXOXOXOXO

"Remind me again why I have to pack my bags for our date today?"

Eri huffed and poked me on the forehead. "Remind me why you're so forgetful?"

"I'm not forgetful," I replied. "You just haven't told me where we're going for our date and why we need to pack."

Her finger was still plastered to my head. "If I told you, wouldn't it spoil the fun? That's the idea of a surprise date."

"And if you're anything to go by, I should probably be worried."

She was not deterred one bit. With a haughty snort and her head held high, she said, "You're a downright cynical guy, you know that, Neku? But oh… just you wait. When you start having fun, you'll be glad I came up with the idea of going to a hot spring. But don't think I'm going to let you in on any secrets!"

I stared at her. "…You just did."

She paused like she was trying to process something in her head. Then when she realized where her grand plan had gone wrong, she gulped in totally ditzy fashion, "Well darn, cat's out of the bag, huh? Ehe…"

"So we're really going to an onsen (hot spring)?"

"Since you found me out, I don't see the point of hiding it any longer. So, yup, that's where we're going. There's a pretty decent one just on the outskirts of Shibuya and we have to take a train to get there. I've been there before on a number of occasions, so I know how good it is. You'll like it, Neku, that I can be sure!"

"A hot spring, huh? I dunno…"

"Is this shyness I detect?" she chuckled, nudging me in the arm affectionately. "Surely you can't still be embarrassed by the sight of your best friend naked! We're practically bath buddies by now, aren't we?"

"Just because we've bathed together for all of one time doesn't automatically make us bath bud… whatever." I sifted my breath through my teeth in a rather exasperated sigh. "I can't even start to imagine what you're going to do to me in the onsen later on."

"There are separate baths for men and women, you know."

Hearing that made me feel a little better. I totally forgot about that. "Ah, um, th-that's true. I thought for a moment there that you were going to drag me in together with you."

"Which is exactly what I'm going to do. Hee hee."

"Wh-What? !"

"What's the point of a date if we don't do things together? It defeats the whole purpose if we just do our own thing."

"It doesn't need to include baths…"

"Yes it does," she said firmly. "You're taking a soak with me and that's final."

I was all splutters and flecks of flying saliva. "What, in the women's bath? ! Not happening. I had nightmares infiltrating the women's washroom during the last Hachi Fest. You are not making me do something like that again!"

Eri broke into laughter. "Oh Neku, you're such a hermit! There are mixed baths too. Men and women of all ages can mingle around freely with one another. I don't know it works, but apparently, getting people of the opposite sex in the same place naked has therapeutic effects."

I gulped. "Th-That bit about 'therapeutic effects' sounds shady…"

She sidled up beside me, real close. Quite obvious that she was in a cheeky mood; then again, that's pretty much a given most of the time. "At least it's fun! I'll be looking forward to our quality time. So…" – I could feel her breath as she whispered into my ear – "…please be gentle…"

I shuddered. "Exactly what do you mean by that? ! …E-Eri? !"

"Ha ha ha! Messing with your head never gets old."

"Eri, you always seem to have a never-ending stream of innuendos…"

She couldn't hold back anymore and launched herself at me in a big hug, all the while giggling like such the devil she was. I could have lost my balance and fallen over backwards. Man, can she really get out of control!

Having her around was most enjoyable, though. Not that I was a fan of having my hormones stirred up again and again without end, but… well, when you can find a fun girl like Eri, you don't really mind when she pokes fun at you. In fact, after a while, you kind of look forward to what she might come up with next. Could be worth a laugh or two. And a good memory.

"I only do this to you because you're cute, Neku."

"Huh?"

Her sweet perfume filled my nose as she squeezed me tighter. Vanilla smelt sexy on her… "I wish you'd tease me back though, 'cause that'd be nice. Two-way communication and all, you know?"

"Y-You mean I don't? Doesn't trading jibes with you count as teasing?"

"You're more sarcastic than you think," she hissed, "especially when you're deadpanning. That ain't teasing."

"Sorry… I'll be gentler next time."

"Eh, it's cool." Her vice-like embrace grew tighter. She always loved to invade people's personal bubbles of privacy with her physical closeness. That's alright to me, though… "There's always room for growth and improvement! Maybe in time you can joke around like I do. Then our husband-and-wife comedy act will be perfect. Right, honey?"

"Uh, yeah," I gulped. "I-I'll pass."

"Ugh. There!" she jabbed. "There's that sarcasm of yours at work again! Can't you play along for once? Come on, from the top. And this time, be a little more enthusiastic. Riiiiight? Honeeeeey?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The grunt of a sigh that followed showed she wasn't impressed but she resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn't be getting any witty responses from me anytime soon. I could tell from the tone in her voice that she didn't really mind, however, and that in its own way, our one-sided battles of wit were cute. These interactions of ours were what made life so much more colourful.

We're more than just friends; we were just that tiny little smidge less than lovers. Once we crossed that gap, there's nothing to prevent us from being lovey-dovey with each other. I'd be running into that opportunity with open arms! And then we could do all kinds of things together, such as this… and that… and…

"Come on, Neku! At least put in some effort, even if it's a totally insignificant glob of one. …Um, why's your face red?"

"Er… the weather is kinda warm today."

"But it's autumn? Wow, for once it's not because – oh, I don't know – you have lusty thoughts flying around in your head! Hee hee!"

Saw right through me… Still, maybe I could get used to this comedy thing.

XOXOXOXOXO

Me and Eri in the hot spring, eh? I was nervous, that I couldn't deny. But at the same time, I couldn't wait to hop right in.

I was an onsen newbie, and seeing how pretty much every Japanese citizen has already set foot in one, I figured I should do the same. And what's not to like? Taking a bath with my precious gal pal… Which guy in his right mind wouldn't want that?

And who knows? Maybe we could get even closer… well beyond our peanut-butter-and-jam friendship.

My plan was to confess my feelings to Eri today, and fortunately the gods were kind. No one else was tagging along so we'd have each other's company all to ourselves. Even the location was perfect: a quaint little inn surrounded by peaceful suburban surroundings was even better of a mood-setter than the evening sunset-lit park I had always been envisioning. And as it was a public holiday tomorrow, there was no rush to get back the next day for classes.

All I needed were the right words to ignite that spark between us and…

Gosh, I needed that moment to happen now! But as I was as much a neophyte in romance as I was in public baths, I decided to pop by WildKat to cull some more pointers on how to ace the confession.

"What? !" gasped a thoroughly shocked Uzuki. "You and Eri are going to spend the night at an onsen? !"

I flinched from her outburst. "W-We're not going to spend the night in that sense, if you know what I mean…"

Kariya gave me a slap on the back. "Damn, Phones, you Casanova! That's awesome. I knew you'd come through!"

"I gotta say, boss. Whatever you did, those were some slick moves." Even Mr H was impressed. But it was Eri who proposed the idea of a hot spring date and not me, and now I was getting praises from all sides for something I didn't do? Maybe I should clear things up with them.

"Whoa, wait a sec. Eri and I were in agreement that we should have a date soon, but it was her who suggested we do it at an onsen."

The opinions of Kariya and Mr H did not change and they were still visibly proud of me. Uzuki couldn't offer any words of praise quickly enough; she was apparently too busy trying to wrap her head around how a girl could ask a guy to get together with her in the bath without feeling any sort of revulsion.

The lollipop-sucking one continued, "Phones, it doesn't really matter who made the first move here. What's important is that the date is actually happening. Think about it this way: if she made the first move then she really wants to go out with you. She knows you're the guy for her, and she wants you to be her guy, and she is as sure as heck going to make sure it will become a reality. So you'd better take the necessary measures yourself and hasten things up between you two."

"Wh-What measures?"

"Kariya," sighed Uzuki, "please refrain from giving him weird advice, be it for your own entertainment or otherwise…"

"What're you talking about, girl?" He wiped his glasses with the hem of his parka. "I'm just helping a friend in need. I'm a pretty decent guy!"

"Decent guy, huh… Dubious claim at best…"

He ignored her and turned to me. "Here, Phones, I've got something for you. It's my secret weapon. Use it right and it'll drive your girl bananas. Trust me on this."

He slapped something into the palm of my hand. What could be so good and effective that it was a sure-fire –

…What the heck…

"Kariya, wh-why a condom?"

"Why? Heh… You'll just have to see for your – OW! Uzuki? ! Does your fist have a mind of its own? !"

"I told you not to do anything weird!" she seethed. "I knew you weren't serious about this!"

"But I am!" he insisted like a stubborn child. "If Neku gets romantic enough with Eri, good things might happen. I'm just doing my part to make sure he is at least prepared when the time comes. Or do you want him to go through another episode of fear and anxiety like yesterday's? Surely Uzuki Yashiro can't be this cruel now, can she?"

For once, Kariya had left her without a suitable counterargument. He did make sense, even if it was highly embarrassing. She couldn't say anything to refute the logic in his words. However, she did drive home to me the importance of common sense. "Fine. But Neku, for your sake and Eri's, and – well, for goodness' sake too actually – don't get too crazy, okay? If you get my drift. I know you're excited, but I'd suggest you wait until the two of you are ready…"

I felt a drop of blood plop onto the table. No prizes guessing whose nose it came from.

She continued, "…or at least until you can control your damn nosebleeds. Seriously."

Mr H handed me some tissues which, like clockwork by now, I stuffed into my nostrils. Silent the whole time, he finally spoke up, wiping the bloodied part of the table.

"I think you'll be just fine, Phones. Given your relationship with Eri, things should be smooth sailing. But girls are delicate creatures, so tread carefully."

Kariya seconded his every word. "Yup. What grandpa said!"

"Son," grunted Mr H darkly, "I am still in my fo – early forties, if you must know."

"Heh heh… Whoops, my bad! Still, Phones… you didn't come all the way here just to boast about having a date with your girl, did you? I bet you're here to ask for help. Of course, I don't mind."

I nodded. "Yeah, I have to leave for the train station in about a couple of hours, so I was hoping for some last-minute pointers."

There was a notable lack of enthusiasm coming from Uzuki. She was probably fed up with my dithering and procrastinating.

"More love advice?" she sighed. "Haven't we been through this a dozen times by now? I'm no agony aunt…"

"I-It's like a refresher course," was my reason for pestering them. "Can't hurt to reinforce what I've learnt, right?"

Kariya gave a sharp nod. "Damn straight, man. I'll go first. Look, it's important to strike a good impression throughout the date, but it's even more important to be yourself. Eri wouldn't – well, actually any girl wouldn't like it if you try to be someone you're not. Sooner or later they can see through your act."

"Thanks, Kariya. I heard that before though. In fact, it was Mr H who told me. Like, way back."

"Really? Heh, way to steal my thunder, old-timer!"

Mr Hanekoma cast an even sharper frown his way. "I told you I'm still in my – ah, never mind. Say, sister, why don't you go next, and I'll wrap things up after you. I'll be busy thinking of ways to get back at this young squirt until then."

"Oh, um, me? W-Well…" Uzuki's turn, huh… Her words had a sting to them that could take a lot of getting used to if you didn't know how she worked, but if you could filter out all of the unnecessary sarcasm, there were times when she could be the most sensible one of the three, surprising as that may sound.

At last there was a reply from her, "I think I've gone over this before but girls like it if you take the initiative. So get proactive. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen."

"Well said!" Kariya's head looked like it was about to come off from his nodding so much… "Don't forget, you've got my secret weapon to help you out if you're in a bind – "

"That's not what I'm talking about, you pervert. Besides, you're rushing things."

Now I was scared his neck would dislocate from shaking his head like that… "This isn't about rushing things, girl. Think about it! It takes a special relationship and the right amount of affection for a guy and girl to go on a trip to the hot spring all by themselves. These onsen outings don't happen often, see? Only once in a very blue moon. So you've got to seize the moment while you can. Given how close they are though, it probably wouldn't be that hard at all to get them to 'marinade' overnight…"

The nosebleed was getting even more uncontrollable now. Since when did this conversation become like this? All I wanted was something to boost my confidence and here we were discussing the finer points of… you know.

Uzuki herself handed me some tissues, a first from her. "Kariya, I'm going to bleach that brain of yours when we get back."

Now it was Mr Hanekoma's turn. So what did the great old… well, great not-that-old sage have to say?

"Phones, always remember… Pluto is not a planet."

My Reaper buddies and I had blank stares for him in exchange for his words of "wisdom". Then it was just like Uzuki, who was not one to tolerate anything that made no sense to her, to speak up first.

"The heck is that supposed to mean? !"

"Chill, everyone," laughed Mr H. "I was just joking with that last bit. If you want to hear what I really wanted to say, it's this: Phones, make sure you have fun."

More silence.

Again Uzuki displayed her lack of patience. "Er, I'll say it once more… The heck is that supposed to mean? !"

"H-Hey, I wasn't joking this time! That is the advice! 'Make sure you have fun!'"

"How will that help me?" I asked. "I mean, isn't that a no-brainer?"

"Sure, at a glance. But, no offence by the way, you've always struck me as such a nervous, neurotic guy." – Damn, so Eri's not the only person who thinks of me that way too? – "I know you're eager to get the confession right and perfect and everything, but if getting anxious about it is all you intend to do and you ignore the most important concept of this date – to have fun – then wouldn't your time with Eri go to waste?"

"So you're saying I should relax more and worry less? I'm not worrying, per se… I'm just rehearsing what I should tell Eri when the time comes. A guy's got to think."

"Then you're thinking too much. Think a little less and go with the flow. You're more capable of a good confession than you might think. Most times our fears are unfounded, and so are yours."

"You gotta let your hair down, man!" added Kariya. "Don't take life too seriously. Sometimes you've got to go with the flow and let life take its natural course."

Uzuki frowned. "In that case, you follow your own advice a little too closely for your own good. I'd appreciate it if you put some more effort into your job."

"And you put in too much. Come on, you haven't even taken a break in forever! What say we follow Phones' example and hit up an onsen? Just the two of us, of course."

That caused her to choke on her lychee smoothie. She spluttered and coughed like a busted car engine. "Huh? ! Why… Why would I… with you? ! Do you think I'm that desperate? !" Wow… Her face was starting to glow the same colour as her strawberry hair…

Her slacker pal was laughing, knowing he had attacked the chink in her armour. "Don't worry! You don't need to fight it. We're all human. I know just how you feel! Here, I'll even give you another secret weapo– OW? ! There's no need to hit me; I'm helping you here!"

"I don't want it! Pervert! ! !"

And so our little advice corner ended with Kariya in a brutal headlock.

That was my cue to exit. As poor Mr H tried his best to dispel the violence and keep his customers for the day, he wished me luck.

"You can do it," he said with a strained smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lovers' quarrel on my hands and it's affecting my business."

Uzuki didn't take that too well… "What do you mean, 'lovers' quarrel'? !"

…and her victim took the brunt of it. "Girl, my arm doesn't bend that waAYAYAY! ! ! Stop it! Uncle, uncle!"

"Thanks, Mr H," I mumbled, well on my way out of there, "and if she isn't too busy killing him, tell them I said thanks, too."

XOXOXOXOXO

With my spirits high and my confession good to go with flying colours, let's skip the two-hour train ride and get right to the meat of the matter.

"Nice place, eh?" chirped Eri. "It's cheap too!"

This was where we would spend our two days and a night: a rustic one-room affair with nothing more than a dressing table and a pair of futons. Yet such was an example of the many simple pleasures of a traditional Japanese hot spring inn. It was a welcome change of scenery from the city was I born and raised in.

My knapsack greeted the floor with a careless thud. "It feels comfortable enough, lack of furnishing notwithstanding."

"What it lacks in interior design, it makes up for in its facilities. Of course, the hot spring is the main draw."

Two days and a whole night to spend together with Eri… This was going to prove fun! Mr H, Kariya, Uzuki… You wouldn't have put up with me for nothing. I would definitely put your advice to good use! And next time we meet, you'll see the fruits of my hard work. When I pay my next visit to WildKat, it'll be with Eri by my side. Just think of the compliments I'd be getting!

…Or maybe they'd roll their eyes and go, "Took you long enough."

Oh well, I shouldn't mind too much about that. Either way, I wouldn't lose! By today or tomorrow, I'd be a sure winner.

The trick was to impress Eri without coming across as too weird. I had to act my normal self, nice and casual. Come to think of it, all I needed to do was to act like I usually did around her, and while I always took pains to pay attention to her, now I resolved to double my efforts. She's a smart girl. Definitely not thick-headed. She'd have to notice that I was a hard worker.

"Hey Eri," I said warmly, "you must be famished after that train ride. Wanna go find someplace to eat? I'm sure there's a nice eatery around here."

"Oh yes there is!" She was beaming like the sun. "There's one that sells great ramen at bargain prices. And it's not too far away. C'mon, I'll take you there!"

"Do you know your way around here?"

"Yeah. I've been to this inn a few times with my buddies, so it's only natural that I'd know about the neighbourhood a bit. Now let's go… Hungry stomachs are best not left as they are!" Then she grabbed me by the wrist and zipped out the entranceway, with me stumbling behind her and trying to catch up.

Here I was trying to be proactive like Uzuki told me to and she was taking the lead. But I told myself to be patient. My time to shine would come soon…

Little did I know, the path to blissful romance would be a far rockier one than I imagined…

XOXOXOXOXO

"So, uh, where are we again, Eri?"

"That's funny…" she mumbled, scratching her head, "I could've sworn it was around here somewhere…"

"Are you even sure? We've been circling this area for the past half hour… and my legs feel like jelly."

The two of us had been walking around the neighbourhood looking for the ramen shack that she claimed had cheap delicious noodles. However, we had taken a great many twists and turns and still we ended up in the same back street. And that was the fourth time. There was only one conclusion I could draw from our tiresome journey:

"We're lost, aren't we, Eri?"

She gave a slight start, like those were the words she didn't want to hear. But she vehemently insisted that we were fine. That's some massive denial there…

"We're not lost!" she gulped. "We just… uh… encountered a short-term setback, that's all! We're a little off track, sure, but definitely not lost. Uh-uh. Yup."

Most of the time I could deal with her but now I was starting to get irritated. The hunger didn't annoy me so much as her lack of planning did. She was the kind of person who lived much of her life on spontaneity: her best and worst ideas arose from thinking about them on the go. But this wasn't anything like that. It was just gross incompetence.

"Eri, do you even know your way around here like you claim you do? Seriously…"

She struggled to defend herself. "I… I've been here before, honest… But, well, I guess it really has been a long time since my last trip here, hasn't it… Memory's a little hazy…"

"For all you know there isn't a ramen shop for miles around these parts."

"No way! We just need to keep looking. I'm sure it's here somewhere!"

I slumped against a nearby lamp-post, exhausted. "I'm not sure I like the sound of that. Maybe we should just skip the ramen thing. It's turning dark, so we should really get back to the inn."

A tinge of disappointment crossed her face at my quick dismissal of plans. "B-But…"

Normally I don't talk to her this harshly, but I guess spending thirty minutes doing nothing useful was taking their toll on me and now I just wanted to go back to our room and rest. Eri really wanted to have ramen together with me, but all I did was snub her flatly. Ugh… not a good way to talk to someone whom you wanted to have a romantic relationship with…

Before I could offer a quick apology, a pickup truck pulled up right next to us. The driver – some young guy with a short ponytail and a lanyard round his neck – wound down his window and stuck his head out to greet us. Or rather her.

"Hoi," he called, "fancy seeing you here."

Eri gasped. "F-Futoshi… is that you? It is you!"

I became confused. "Huh? Eri, what's going on? Do you know this guy?"

"His name is Futoshi," she explained, "and, well, he was one of my first boyfriends."

Eri had a lot of boyfriends in the past. Up until recently, she had been hopping from one to another, but it must be made clear here that it wasn't because she got tired of them easily; she just had crud for luck when it came to finding good ones. The ones she ended up with almost always had some sort of attitude problem that she'd put up with for at most three months before she gave them the boot.

And this Futoshi fellow… was one of them. What kind of character was he? Incidentally, had I seen him before? Maybe it's déjà vu, but anyway…

"What're you doing here?" he asked. "You lost or something?"

"Kinda, yeah," she replied. "We were on our way to this ramen shop, and it's supposedly around here somewhere, but we can't find it."

"If it's Ishikawa Noodle Place you're looking for, it's not too far away. In fact, it's on the way, so if you want, I can give you two a lift."

Eri was ecstatic. "That'd be great! C'mon Neku, our ramen awaits!"

"Wait, wait." Futoshi held up his hand. "Uh, there isn't enough space for the two of you. One of you will have to get in the back…"

"Huh? ! This isn't one of those trucks with double passenger seats, is it?"

"'Fraid not."

"You mean we can't all fit in even if I sit on Neku's lap? !"

I spluttered. "H-How is that even going to work? !"

Despite her ludicrous proposal, Futoshi was polite enough not to laugh, though a slight smile sneaked onto his lips. "Sorry, Eri and… Neku, was it? I know you're trying to be economical, but it's not going to happen. Not when elbow space is at a premium."

I didn't have a lot of options to consider. Futoshi was an old love of Eri's, and his past relationship with her might prove to be a roadblock for me. It wasn't about him being bitter over their breakup that worried me, but rather that their chance meeting might reignite that spark of romance between them once more. You never know. He might end up being a rival for me, and that's the last thing I wanted right now. And if getting her to sit next to him would make them closer by even a marginal amount, it might derail my chances further.

Nevertheless I did the gentlemanly thing and let the lady have the seat. "Eri, get in the front. I'll hop in the back."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "If it's too much trouble, I can sit in the b– "

I ushered her to the passenger seat. "Go on, take it. It's just going to be a short while so I'll be alright. Besides, a girl dressed to paint the town red would look awfully weird bobbing up and down in the back of a pickup truck."

She snorted in amusement. "Pfft, ha ha ha! You drive home a strong point there, Neku. Right! You get to that while I do my best looking pretty in the front. Might as well do some catching up with ol' Futoshi here while I'm at it."

"I don't mind," said our trucker friend, and though he had a naturally flat tone in his voice, it was clear from the subtle clues in his body language that he was going to enjoy her company.

And he did. Listening to them talk about old times so heartily made me feel uncomfortable, as though every second she spent with him was pulling her away from me. It wasn't quite the end of the world, but when you're a socially awkward guy and your chances for romance are hanging by a thread, it may very well seem that way.

XOXOXOXOXO

Dinner was punctuated with the crystalline sound of Eri's laughter.

"Ha ha ha! Really? !"

"Yeah," said Futoshi, "Shiori slapped him right in the middle of public. Everyone was staring as she was storming away. And just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder, guess what?"

"What?" She was hanging onto his every word.

"She stopped abruptly, stomped back to him and gave him another hefty slap before she was finally satisfied."

"Ha ha ha! That's Shiori for you: as fearsome as she was in high school! She doesn't change, does she?"

"Heh… She doesn't. Don't think she ever will."

Thanks to Futoshi, I was able to finally reach Ishikawa Noodle Place together with Eri and sample the ramen that she claimed was so "out-of-this-freaking-world" as she had so put it. And she was right. It really was a pleasure to eat. No regrets here.

Thing is, why did he have to tag along and ruin my date? ! I get that he wanted to treat us both to dinner while he was here, but… this was my chance to have my precious time with Eri.

Apparently he was her classmate from a previous school. He was relating stories about their friends and updating her on what's up with them. She was all ears, but I failed to relate and appreciate because they were talking about something I never had a part in from the beginning.

Why did this discomfort feel so familiar? It didn't take long for me to realize, in dismay, that it was the exact same feeling I had some months back when I found out Shiki had a boyfriend. I remember how she got all cozy and snuggly with him and how it made me sick. I sank into a spell of depression after that. Thankfully Eri was kind enough to pull me out of it.

But now it was going to happen again! It just might. I wasn't ready to lose another shot at bagging myself a girlfriend!

In the meantime, I tried to take part in the conversation they were having so much fun with, but as the odd one out, every attempt I made to reintegrate myself into our little group fell limp and failed. I just couldn't fit in. It frustrated me to see the two of them get along so well. Sure, they were once lovers, I get that, but…

"Are you still chasing that dream of yours, Futoshi?" asked Eri.

"Oh, that dream?"

"You want to be a professional baseball player, don't you? It's always been your goal since, like, forever."

He chuckled briefly. "Nah, I kinda gave up on it."

Eri was surprised at his reply. "What? But it's your hobby, right? Why else would you participate in the baseball club back in school?"

"Well, I just did 'cause, you know… I wanted something to do, or something like that. But anyway, baseball just ain't my cup of tea now. I'm moving onto other things. Like making money."

She laughed. "Everyone wants to do that."

"I'm still a truck driver, but I'll be a millionaire in a few years – hmmm, I might have set my sights a little too high for that one. Perhaps a thousand-aire for the time being."

"Thousand-aire… Pahaha! That's a nice one! At least that's a start! I hope you get loaded so you can treat us to more free ramen."

He saw the humour in her words and laughed along with her. I would have, too, if I didn't feel so isolated. It almost felt like I wasn't even there. Eri, surely you couldn't have forgotten about me…?

"Speaking of dreams," he said, "what about you, Eri? You're still going strong with your fashion streak, eh?"

"Oh, of course. Ah, that's right! Just the other day my college had this surprise visit from one of the bigwigs behind – get this – D+B! Is that cool or what? !"

"That is pretty awesome. What happened then?"

They talked and talked and talked about something I didn't have the slightest inkling about. Fashion was my weakest point, and one I couldn't care less about. What was I to say, I ask you? For the rest of dinner I could only eat and listen.

XOXOXOXOXO

Futoshi was a saint tonight. He picked us up when Eri and I were wandering around like lost puppies. He paid for our dinner and now he even took the trouble to drive us back.

But his generosity came at a price. With him in tow the whole time I didn't even get to show off my manly side to Eri. I should be the one to escort her around, and foot the bill, and impress her. Futoshi stole the limelight from me, and she paid more attention to him while I was left feeling like an alien. I didn't want to have to experience this feeling again…

The final twist in the wound happened when he dropped us off at the inn.

"Thanks, Futoshi," said Eri. "That was a big help!"

"Anytime. Hey, you know, Eri, it's been so long since we last met. How about we hang out sometime? I'm interested to know what's new on your side, but we didn't have the time today to talk about everything."

The cheek of this guy… He's trying to hit on her again, wasn't he? And in front of me, no less!

She gave him a big smile. "Yeah, sounds good! We got each other's phone numbers, so if ever I'm free, I'll give you a call." Wait, what? ! Eri, you didn't have to – oh, dammit!

"Well, I gotta rush. Be seein' ya, babe. Ciao, Neku."

And when he shot me that farewell salute, done so casually and in such an easy-going manner, I thought I saw a look of triumph. A look that insinuated that he was the better suitor for her, and not me. Like he was trying to say, "I win."

Or it could be that he had no intention of pursuing her at all and that he really just wanted to go back to being friends. Really, though… of all the days to bump into her ex!

His truck thundered off into the night, leaving the two of us to retire to our room. Eri had kind words to speak of Futoshi, words that I'd be better off not hearing.

"It was awfully nice of him to give us a ride and treat us to dinner, huh, Neku?"

"Uh-huh…"

"When I first met Futoshi, he was a moody immature twerp, but he's a much better person now. It's good to know that even the worst of people can change."

"Yeah. That's… good. It's good."

Eri heard the lethargy in my tone and took notice. "What's wrong, Neku? You look down."

"N-No, I'm… just a little tired from all the walking." I couldn't very well tell her the real reason…

"Tired, you say? That's great to hear!"

I frowned at her. "How is that great?"

"Because the solution to getting rid of tiredness is right here. Don't you think it's high time we took a dip already? Baths are known to revitalize and rejuvenate!"

"B-Bath?"

So it's finally come down to this. The main attraction of our little date. My first time at an onsen. I haven't even been used to the men's section and already I found myself about to be thrust headlong into a mixed bath at Eri's insistence. Any guy would have to fight tooth and nail for the opportunity to bathe together with a pretty girl like herself, and here I got the chance for free and with zero effort! In the end it all boils down to whether the girl is willing or not, and here she's practically forcing me to join her. What luck!

The only thing I had reservations about was how my nose would act up in the face of her freely exposed skin. She might not find my ridiculous nosebleeds too strange by now but everyone else who was sharing the bath would. Or they might snigger and say, "Ohhh, someone's never been to an onsen before…"

Otherwise, this was one fantastic chance I simply could not pass up. Suddenly, all the earlier tension from watching her interactions with Futoshi melted away and my spirits began to improve again.

"Overly neurotic people like you ought to give it a shot," she sniggered. "Man, I can't believe we're even talking now when we should already be in there soaking!"

"Um…"

Her words were slathered with impatience. "And why are you hesitating after we've come all the way here? ! After you agreed to come with? ! After you've been suppressing all those lustful dreams of the two of us soaping each other up good? !"

I felt a jolt in my system. She did not just say that! She did not just –

"Oh Neku, you naughty little monkey! Thinking of copping a feel, are you?"

In a good mood, was she? I decided to get bolder. If she was fine with it, it wouldn't be too bad if I went a little further… Just a little at a time… until…

"And I can't? Heh heh… Eri, this is payback for all the years of teasing. From high school till college, it's been non-stop coming from you. What's that saying, by the way? 'What goes around comes around'?"

Her body, smeared with soap and bubbles, gave a shudder. She found me scary now. Ooh, I liked that.

"You… Y-You can't possibly…"

The chuckles wouldn't stop in my head as I began to envision how I should torture her for the evening. "There's no escape. You should probably start preparing yourself… Take this for starters!"

"N-Neku, wait – angh? !" Her voice trembled and shook and sounded so delicious. "Wh-Where are you sponging? ! Sh-Shtop…!"

…That was my imagination, by the way.

"I do not have dreams like that, Eri," I said assertively. "I most definitely do not."

Eri cringed at the torrents of blood gushing out of my nose. "If you don't, you most likely do now. That's a bit much for a reaction, even for you…"

"When you say that, I don't know whether to laugh or cry…"

"Oh well, I'm sure you'll get used to the nudity in time." She smiled broadly as she wedged tissues up my nostrils. "No one's going to stare at you for being naked because they're the same. And I'll be naked together with you so don't worry!"

"S-Stop saying the word 'naked', please! ! !"

"Well anyway, we are dating. We've got to look and act the part of a couple, otherwise we simply aren't. Plain and simple. And even when you've been freaking out over every little thing, it's not like you're complaining. At all."

That's true. She got me good…

"So there." And she jabbed me in the nose with her finger. Ouch. "Now let's hop in the bath already! Then after we find a nice quiet corner away from all the other people, we can flirt as much as we want!"

"Flirting while bathing? ! S-Sounds sleazy to me…"

"Neku, what did I just say about dating?"

I gulped. I knew better than to go against her so I let her win this round, to avoid conflicts of the stupid and unnecessary kind.

"Be like a real couple, even when we aren't. We're just pretending. I got it, ma'am."

Listening to my own words got me thinking. Was that all we were and could ever be? A fake couple? Fake lovers? I wanted us to go out for real, but we haven't gotten to that stage yet. It ate at me how I was so close to my goal yet so far away at the same time. We've done so many things together: dinner, movies, cooking lessons… but it was not much good. Eri simply still saw us as two friends who go on what we call dates for the fun of it, not because there were any real emotions behind them or anything.

…Did Eri's smile just droop a little? She was mumbling something. I couldn't quite hear it, but –

"Alright!" she snapped, the life suddenly back in her. "I'm glad you understand what I expect of you out of this. So I'll see you there, yeah?"

"Huh? Hey, wait up – "

One moment she was standing there and the next she had vanished down the corridor like a whirlwind.

Time to go, then. It's bath time. She'd be waiting for me, and there was no excuse she'd accept. Might as well get going.

I had to admit that what she was saying to herself got me interested. Her voice was too soft to hear anything, but judging from the words she was silently mouthing, I think it was:

"But I don't want us to pretend, Neku…"

Wow, really? Could it mean that she was…?

Hmmm. Now I was curious. Very, very curious.

XOXOXOXOXO

My hands were shaking like leaves as I stared at the curtains. They covered the top half of the doorway that led right to the mixed bath. The exposed bottom half was enshrouded in steam. Beyond this barrier of condensation and mystery lay the dreams of every self-respecting hot-blooded man…

Frolicking in the same bath with a posse of beautiful girls as naked as they are!

Bliss! Excitement! Nosebleeds the size of tidal waves!

And for me, there's still one more reason: Eri. Yes, my cute, interesting and very luscious friend was going to spend the evening with me and only me. And I'd have her all to myself.

Without restrictions! Without inhibitions! Without clothes!

Agh… No good… Getting too excited… Haven't even stepped inside and the tension was this thick already. Eri was really looking forward to this, though, so I had to do my best!

Well, then… Heaven, here I come! …Provided I don't pass out first.

I parted the curtains as I went through, robbed of my vision by a wall of steam. The heat slammed into my face and I nearly got disoriented, but when it cleared there was an eye-opener in store for me.

If it weren't for the setting and the place, I'd have thought I had stumbled upon a party. Nudity was taboo in society but apparently not here. Men and women alike were gathered together, talking and making it seem like everything was normal. …Maybe it was normal. And that I was the fish out of water who wasn't.

My eyes were straining to pick out a certain pink-haired lass amidst the crowd. There was a pretty girl here and another one there, but they didn't hog too much of my attention. Eri's the only one for me. If I was going to stare, it might as well be at her. …Ugh, what was I saying…

"Neku!"

Her voice… She found me. Ah! There she was, her hair wrapped in a bun to keep it from getting in the water. No wonder I couldn't recognize her immediately. Despite her changed appearance, she was as beautiful as ever. If Cupid was nearby, he must be launching entire salvos of arrows into my heart. I was hopelessly mesmerized.

Eri's excitement upon seeing me got the better of her. She forgot about herself and rose from the water, waving me over.

"Coo-ee!" she chirped. "Over here!"

Countless pairs of eyes turned to look and gawk. Gah! The idiot! Why didn't she cover herself up with her towel before she stood up? ! Where did she think she was, my house? ! I closed the distance in two seconds and hastily slapped my towel over her body, holding it in place just above her bosom.

"What the heck are you doing? !" I hissed, trembling like crazy. "Have some common sense, will you? !"

"Oh, right! Hee hee… whoops!"

"D-Don't 'whoops' me, man… You just about gave me a heart attack! Now settle down and get back in the – "

In trying to protect her modesty, I forgot about mine. I did use my towel, after all. Those who were still staring quickly shifted their sights to the next most obvious thing. Even Eri herself couldn't help but look.

I quickly ducked the two of us into the water. But as you can guess, it was already too late…

There were a few large rocks jutting out of the water for decorative purposes and I spied a relatively unpopulated spot some ways off that we could hide behind and take a breather. I grabbed Eri by the wrist and dragged her off there, so at least for the duration of the bath I wouldn't feel like such an idiot. For the most part, anyway. Goodness, I was so mortified I forgot to stay mad at her.

Eri was apologetic. "S-Sorry…"

I knew the answer. I knew the answer to the question I was itching to ask her. But I hoped against hope that I was wrong.

"Eri…"

"Mmm?"

"Did you… Did you see…?"

She paused, trying her hardest to put together the most tactful words possible into a reply. And she failed.

"L-Let's just say you were pitching one heck of a tent, Neku…"

I froze.

"I… I think I'll die now."

Eri renewed her efforts to put me at ease. "Neku, it's alright! Don't, um, feel too bad about it! In an onsen, this kind of thing happens on a regular basis anyway, so no one minds! Catching sight of somebody's… er, this… or that… is nothing strange. Everyone's the same as you, so even when they see you, it's like, whatever, right? !"

In a further attempt to take the sting out of my two-minute stint as a stripper, she decided to change topics. "It's not the end of the world! We got in the bath together and you even found us a nice private spot, just like we planned."

I felt fingers groping around my hand. They curled around it and she gave a squeeze.

Beneath the water surface she… we… we were…!

With a soft smile and a growing blush that could drive men mad, she whispered, "Feels good, doesn't it? Holding hands, I mean."

My heartstrings were being stretched to their limit! All of my embarrassment disappeared in the blink of an eye and was replaced by a… more enjoyable kind of embarrassment.

The clincher was simple yet effective. "Hee hee… Neku, I feel good when I'm with you."

That did it. My heart burst open like a bouquet of roses. Like an explosion of popcorn. Like fireworks in a summer festival. I could take it no longer! So I didn't. I grabbed her by the shoulders, startling her into silence. She lay trapped and vulnerable before me as I pressed her gently against the rocks. All the while I made unflinching eye contact. We were the centre of attention again but I didn't care one bit, a far cry from earlier. This time… This time I was going to get it right!

Eri was so beautiful. Her skin was smooth and silky and longed to be caressed. And her neck… Normally it was buried within sheets of strawberry locks, but now that they were tied up I could see how slender and delicate it was. The water dripping down her face looked so… palatable. It was all I could do to restrain myself from licking it off. And her cleavage was –

Okay, I'll stop there. There's work to be done. Very important work!

That's right… This was the moment where I…

…pushed her down!

"Eek? !" Even Eri's screams were divine to listen to. "Neku, w-wait? !"

There was no pair of eyes that wasn't directed our way now. A few were polite enough to leave so thank goodness for small heavens. The entire place was staring at us! Yet, as horrifying as it must be for Eri and whatever sliver of sanity still remained in me, I… I couldn't back down. All I wanted was to show her how much I loved her and this was the only way I could think of to get the deed done effectively.

Maybe a little too effectively. No words were exchanged between us but the glaze in her eyes spoke volumes about how receptive she was to my advances.

More people scooted out of the bath. Pretty soon it was deserted and we had it all to ourselves. Nobody would come to disturb us now. Victory was mine.

"Neku… Angh, you animal! That… That area is… ticklish… Ngh…"

"Eri…"

"Oh Neku!" she screamed, embracing me tightly. "I love you!"

…By the way, all of the above starting from the moment she held my hand till this was another delusion created in my head. Yeah… it never happened.

I guess even when your dream girl has an outrageous fun-loving nature, certain things like holding hands and kissing don't come so easily. If you want something, you'll have to ask for it, but even then there's no guarantee of success. What's important is that you at least give it a shot rather than wait and get nothing. Playing safe is fine – no one will fault you for it if you're a greenhorn in dating – but I've been doing that for far too long I couldn't stand it. If anything, Eri's the more proactive one between us!

Alright! I was going to reach out for her hand and hold it. Eri liked me plenty, so I hoped she wouldn't get mad when I tried.

"Liking the atmosphere so far, Neku?" asked Eri.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah… Bathing is quite an experience."

It was impossible to see beneath the water surface, so I had to feel around for her hand blind. I couldn't offer anything more than stock comments to our conversation as I was too distracted to listen closely. It didn't take long for Eri to grow aware and tired of the "uh-huh's" and "yup's" that I was throwing out.

"Oi," she grumbled, "Neku, are you even listening to me?"

"Wh-Wha…? Of… Of course I'm listening!" Was I about to be busted? !

"What's the matter? Your face looks red. Is the heat already getting to you? But it's only been five minutes…"

I laughed it off as nonchalantly as I could possibly appear to be. "This… This is nothing! Geez, Eri, you're such a worrywart. Ahaha…" Come on, man… Just a little further… Sucks that I couldn't see a thing! Where was her hand anyway? !

And then just when I thought it was getting to be too much trouble, my fingers grazed her skin. Oh snap, that was her hand, wasn't it? ! Eri gave a start upon being touched, but this was no time to back down. I curled my fingers around gently, waiting for her to get the message and reciprocate… Surely she'd want to do the same thing with her favourite guy, right?

It didn't happen. Why… Why was her hand… so big? This couldn't be the result of one of those optical illusions where things look distorted underwater, could it – no, that's just silly! I tried to find her fingers, but all I got was her palm. I get that most people's palms are somewhat smooth but hers was like a baby's bottom. How come it felt like that…?

Eri was growing red. Did I put her out that much?

"N-Neku!" she yelped. "Stop it, please! You're… You're groping my thigh!"

What? ! I grabbed the wrong thing? ! The moment I freed her from my grip she instinctively curled up like a pillbug, knees to her chest. I smothered her with an avalanche of apologies, waving my hands like a windmill.

"Sorry, Eri! I… I didn't mean to do that! It was a mistake! I swear, I wasn't trying to do anything funny. I was just, um, uh – "

Oh no… Not only was her face deep red, she wasn't looking at me. Was she mad? Mr H was right: no matter what her personality was, no matter how silly she may be, a girl was a delicate thing, best handled with care and a pinch of salt. You never know how she might react to your foolish actions.

Just when I was convinced my life had taken a turn for the terrible, in a curious twist, she grabbed one of my hands that were still flailing. And she interlocked our fingers together. It threw me off guard and my mind went blank for a second.

"Neku," she mumbled, "if you really want to hold my hand, you could've just asked. You're okay in my book so… I don't mind."

What the… I was let off the hook that easily? Any other girl would slap me to death, but then again Eri and I were special to each other, which would explain why she was a lot more lenient with me. No, lenient wasn't quite the word. Lax, more like!

On a more important note, though, we were holding hands! We were actually holding hands! Finally after so many years I finally got to know what it was like to do that with a girl I liked! This was fantastic!

"Gee, um, sorry again about your thigh. And thanks for not thinking of me as some creep."

She beamed good-naturedly. "Don't worry about it. We're cool! I know you didn't have any ulterior motives." Then, in a hushed voice she added surreptitiously, "Besides, I was just thinking of feeling you up a little myself to tease you, so… yeah, we're even."

"H-Huh? ! You… You wanted to molest me? !"

"The chest!" she snapped frantically. "Don't get me wrong! I'm just curious and I want to touch your abs a bit!"

"The chest is not the same as the abdominals, Eri… Get your biology lessons right. Seriously, you get weirder the more I talk to you."

"Well, at least I don't grope thighs."

"Like I said, I wasn't planning on groping your – !"

Why… Why was everyone staring? They heard me, huh? It's funny how the things you want people to hear the least come out the clearest. And the loudest. All they needed to hear was the word "grope" and I'd be a magnet for suspicious looks. Gah… why the heck did this even happen?

I sank so low that only half of my tomato-red head could be seen above the water surface. "Eri, if you don't mind, I'd like to drop this topic now."

"Then I win this round. Heh!" Don't make it sound like you've accomplished something…

Our idiotic exchanges caught the attention of a particular bath-goer who, after some consideration, strode over. It was a girl about Eri's age, and judging from the way she greeted her when she approached, she must be a friend of hers too.

"Eri!" she said. "It is you!"

A smile of acknowledgement spread across Eri's face as she recognized her. "Oh my god! I haven't seen you since ages ago! How have you been?"

What followed was a string of giggles and girl talk. It's standard practice to not stay in the bath for too long because you might get heatstroke that way, so we didn't really have a lot of, so to speak, "skin time" for ourselves. The appearance of this nosy gal pal of hers was a welcome surprise to Eri, but for me it just meant that I couldn't spend as much time with her as I was planning to.

The girl noticed me finally and quipped, "Is this your newest boyfriend, Eri?"

"Newest" and "boyfriend" didn't really mesh well together… It's like I was just another addition to a line of one-time suitors.

"Oh, he's just a friend," replied Eri, "but a really close one! We hang out a lot."

"That's really sweet… which reminds me, my pals and I are gonna have a mixer soon. We managed to pull some strings together and now we've got the boys from Ichijou College of Commerce raring to come along. Good stuff, huh? Wanna come with?"

A mixer? To my dismay, she became a bundle of excitement upon hearing that. "The guys from the ICC are coming? ! I heard they're a pretty interesting bunch!"

"I know, right? The mixer's this Saturday. Can't hurt to get to know a few more friends, if you know what I'm saying?"

Eri was squealing together with her friend about the prospects of meeting some charming fellows from another college. But what did she have to be so excited about? Hey, wasn't she the one who said we were going to be like a couple for this date? Then why was she openly expressing interest in other men when I was the only one she should be looking at, pretend or not? ! It's a matter of principle, right? !

I thought Eri and I had this bond… this special relationship between bosom buddies. And we did, or I thought we did, but was I wrong to think we'd be like this forever? She was still single and I was sure she longed, of all things, for another boyfriend.

The terrible feelings from today's events resurfaced and my dwindling self-confidence began to twist my way of thinking. Everything was painted in a bad light. All this time, when Eri was teasing me and getting all bubbly and super-friendly… Was I just a stopgap until she found Mr Perfect? And that she'd dump me once he came into her life?

No, no! She had always loved sticking around by my side ever since we met in high school, and even back then, she had lots of boyfriends. She had always liked me… and even now her feelings never changed. And she had always been a good friend; she'd be there for me, and I her.

But I was too blinded to see that. All I could see in front of me was betrayal and a sense of loss. When you think you're this close to success, only to find your hopes dashed because the girl you love isn't really that into you, the frustration just froths over. Especially when you've failed in love once before.

Eri was so absorbed with chatting with her pal that she completely forgot about me. Again. I didn't like this. Listening to her talk about boys was getting on my nerves, so I decided that it would be best for me to leave.

I tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. "Hey, Eri. It's getting a little too warm for me in here, so I'll get out for now."

"Huh? But you've been in here for only a while…"

"Sorry, gotta go." Dammit, why did I have to be so curt? I didn't have to be like this just because I didn't like the way Eri was now.

Was the look of disappointment on her face genuine or a really good imitation of one? I didn't know anymore.

"Okay, Neku," she said kindly. "You'd better cool off somewhere for now. It's no fun fainting in the bath… I should know. But that's a story for another time. Catch you later, 'kay?"

"Yeah…"

I had to get out of there… It wasn't the heat that was suffocating me, but rather the dismay in discovering that maybe, even if I was her favourite guy, I could only ever be a friend and nothing more.

To pour salt onto the wound, I was subject to a final round of humiliation.

"Neku!" squeaked Eri. "You're exposed! Cover yourself up!"

Gah! She was right, but her warning came a little too late. A number of people saw me, including this batch of old ladies, the girls horsing about, the couple in the corner, and Eri's pal who was so flustered she forgot to look away. So that's about everyone.

I freaked out and dashed away with my towel between my legs. Just how bad was my luck anyway? !

XOXOXOXOXO

The night air was chilly yet refreshing, but it gave me no respite from the hurt I had been suffering. I was out of that bath, but now what? Eri would come looking for me, but then what? What did I have to say to her? I was angry and jealous and all kinds of negative emotions were swirling around inside me. Somewhere deep inside I knew this wasn't the way to act, but I was powerless to stop myself from feeling like this.

Now wasn't the time to face her. I knew I was a fool and a coward, but I felt that if I talked to her at this moment I would flare up and lose it. I would accuse her of ignoring me and everything… and…

…I would hurt her. That's the last thing I wanted to happen!

"Neku! There you are. I've been looking for you!"

Speak of the devil. Eri came trotting over, looking six kinds of cute in that yukata. That bath had left her refreshed and she was even more energetic than usual. The moonlit night was romantic and would have set up a beautiful atmosphere between us if my mood wasn't so sour.

I still needed to cool off. I wasn't ready yet. Then maybe when I was, I could ask her what exactly she thought of me without making mistakes and looking like a sore chump. But now that Eri had gotten a hold of me, it would be hard to escape.

"Feeling better, Neku?" she asked. "This being your first time at an onsen, maybe it might be best that you not spend too long in the water. You'll pass out from heat overload if you're careless."

"I'll take note of that."

She smiled warmly. "Even so, it was great fun, wasn't it? If there were less people around it'll be quieter and a little more private for us, but it's still alright as it was. Maybe we could manage another dip later on if you're up for it. Hee hee!"

"Yeah."

Eri was an observant girl. She had been stuck to my hip ever since high school so she knew everything about me. Her radar was able to pick up on my displeasure sooner than I expected.

"What's the matter? Neku, you're not looking so good…"

And that was the beginning of the end. That was the catalyst that would bring out the worst in me and eat a large hole in our bond.

To me, that innocent question sounded more like an insult. 'What's the matter?' She should look at herself for the answer! She pushed me aside in favour of Futoshi and still wanted to go out with other boys, all while I was right there with her. Any guy in my position would be outraged.

I could no longer suppress my urge to give her a piece of my mind. Normally I'd exercise restraint but this time… I just couldn't.

"Eri," I muttered flatly, "what am I to you?"

She became confused, not to mention taken aback by my dark tone. "Huh? Neku, what do you mean?"

"I'm asking you if you really respect my existence or not. Simple question."

She shrank at my biting words, and then, still wondering perhaps if I was pulling her leg, she replied earnestly, "You're my friend, Neku. Of course you're important to me. Why would you even say – "

"These 'dates' that we always do… You keep emphasizing how crucial it is for us to behave like we're going out when we actually aren't. But is there really a point to all that?"

No, Neku. What are you doing? ! Why was I getting on her case? From the bottom of my heart I knew that never once did she mean any harm. Why grill her about it like she's some kind of criminal?

I could already see the effects my imposing attitude had on her. That cheeky smile of hers was going, going… gone. She even looked a little scared. And when your best friend starts to think you're scary, that you're not being fun anymore, then it's a terrible thing.

She gulped, "'What's the point', you ask… To have fun, what else! How should I put this… See, when two people go out and have fun, but they're friends, then it's just 'hanging out'. When they're lovers, it's called a 'date'. Since we've already done a lot of hanging out by now, I thought we could try something different. But we're not lovers at all, so playing the part would have to do for now! Although – "

"Okay, fine. I get that you want our 'dates' to be as authentic as you can possibly get, but if we go by that rationale…" No good. I was seething already. "…then it's hardly nice of you to flirt with Futoshi and talk about going to mixers and hooking up with boys!"

Eri grew defensive and it was clear she didn't like the way I was talking. "I wasn't flirting! Futoshi may have been my boyfriend but that's in the past; we're just friends now! Are you saying it's wrong to be friendly with someone I used to know? And I wasn't serious about the mixers either… it's just girl talk. I never had any intention of going, but I had to appear somewhat interested to keep the conversation going at a smooth clip."

Lies, was what I told myself. But at the same time, I knew she wasn't telling porkers either. She was telling the truth. Futoshi and the guys of the ICC were the least of her concerns, but… I refused to believe it. I was scared of losing her, but my fears led to an irrational mind and some very strong words I would soon come to regret.

"Whatever," I huffed. "I don't know about how you think, Eri…"

I couldn't control myself. Even as I was scolding myself – Stop it, Neku! Stop and chill, idiot! – I just couldn't. And I said the worst thing I could ever say to Eri. I blew up in her face.

"…but the last thing I can stand… is to waste time going on stupid 'dates' with someone who'd sooner push me away the moment she finds someone better!"

She recoiled at my outburst and looked like she had been slapped. I'd never shouted at her before… not even once. Who would like it if your best friend, whom you had come to like and depend on, made a 180 degree personality turn and snapped at you? The shock must have been intense. The growing dismay must have been worse. And when the tears started to bead in the corners of her eyes, I sobered up from my rage almost immediately and realized too late that I had done something most unforgivable.

I made her cry!

Ah… Wh-What should I do? I went and did something like this… I knew I'd regret it… The voice in my head kept telling me so, but I was too stubborn to listen. Now I had to pay the price for my foolish actions.

She bit down on her lip as she struggled to find her voice. Her frame trembled uncontrollably. Then she retaliated, letting the words out in a flurry:

"You don't understand, Neku! You're very important to me! I can't even think what my life would be like without you… I only go on these dates with you because you're nice and I like you so much…! Why do you have to be so mean to me? !"

I had to apologise, quick! But she didn't give me a break.

The tears were now streaming down her cheeks as she continued, "Was I wrong to regard you as my favourite guy? ! If you don't like the way I act, just say it. I'd appreciate the honesty. Just don't say all those terrible things about me! Idiot!"

Eri… She called me an idiot… There were times when she called me that but it was always to tease me for being unschooled in a lot of popular trends. Never before did she call me an idiot because she was angry. It came to me like a stab through the heart. And that wasn't all.

"If that's the way you see it, Neku, then fine! We'll never go on another date again!"

Never again? No way… Our friendship… sunk? No…!

Five seconds of nothing except her sobs ensued. It hurt me to see her wiping her eyes only for more tears to gush out. The sick feeling in my stomach ballooned to epic proportions. I was powerless to do anything for myself. I knew I had to say it… to say that I was sorry, but when my mouth opened all that I could manage was a few empty, unintelligible spurts.

"Eri… I… I'm s–"

"Screaming at each other," she choked, cutting me off, "is just going to make us hate each other more, so… I think I'll go away now."

She turned on her heel and fled in the opposite direction, her clogs making sharp clacking sounds on the floor. I stayed rooted to the spot, unable to move. I should be going after her, but I couldn't. Really… Just what was wrong with me… First I couldn't apologise and now I couldn't even bring my muscles to budge an inch. Was I destined to be a fool forever?

…No! Absolutely not! There's still time. I could make it up to her. But I had to hurry! I had friends I didn't want to let down: Mr H, Kariya and Uzuki would be waiting for the good news. And I didn't want to let Eri down even more.

Most importantly, though, I didn't want to let myself down.

That was the push I needed to get my rear in gear. My feet could move now. One step, two steps… and I was sprinting around the inn, looking for her.

However, Eri was nowhere to be found. I searched high and low, and asked around too, but she remained a no-show. From the recreational areas to the mixed baths… even the room we booked for the night. I had combed practically the entire place but there was still no sign of my friend. Zilch. I never wanted to see her more badly than now.

Now I was beginning to get worried. Where had she gone? I had no idea! Bad things always happen to people who quarrel and get separated. One of them always eats the wrong end of a mishap and the other party would stew in regret for not apologizing while the chance was still fresh. Then we get the bad ending. I didn't want that to happen to me or her!

Desperate, I went back to our room to grab my cell phone. As my shaking fingers punched Eri's number in, my heart felt like it would flatline from the stress any moment, and in my head I pleaded, C'mon, answer the phone, Eri. I want to tell you how sorry I am. I know you hate my guts but I don't want to stay in the doghouse forever. Please let me hear your voice, Eri, please –

The trill of a cheesy pop song suddenly came from somewhere in the room.

She's my four-leaf clover
Good luck surrounds her
Just gazing at her eyes
Casts my problems aside

Where have I heard that before? Wasn't that one of The Prince's hit songs? She's My Four-Leaf Clover, if I wasn't mistaken? Didn't Eri like that so much she made it her ringtone?

That meant only one thing: she had left her phone in our room. Wherever she had gone to, she didn't take it with her. Without any means of communication I couldn't reach her! How was I supposed to find her now? She couldn't be in the inn, so the only place where she would logically be would be outside. But it's a whole big neighbourhood to search… I wouldn't even know where to start looking. Let's not forget that I had about as much of a sense of direction here as Eri, that is to say, none at all.

She could be lost! Wandering around helplessly! Getting hit on by guys –

Oh crud. Totally didn't think of that. Eri was probably in danger, and it would be all my fault!

I strengthened my resolve and made a mad dash for the lobby. Maybe she thought I was the stupidest person in the world now but I intended to prove her wrong. I'd show her I still cared about her and that she was my number one friend. But until then, I'd have to find her…

Please, Eri… Please be safe!

...

...

Author's note: Sorry about the late update, everyone. I finished college and just started working full-time, so as you can guess, free time is a luxury that I don't have a lot of. I haven't forgotten about this story at all. In fact, I'm always thinking about it and I even have a good idea for the next two or three chapters. But I fear updates will be a little slower from now on. I want to thank everyone who's been giving me their support. Don't worry, I'll keep writing.