She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 31)
by BrDPirateMan

The front door clicked shut behind us. Safely back in the comfort of my home, we were filled with a sense of relief.

"Whew!" Eri passed a hand over her forehead. "That went well, considering."

"Sorry I made us miss that bus," I muttered. "There was that manga I simply had to find."

Maybe it was because she had been used to dragging me around for too long during her shopping trips, but she didn't mind that it was my fault. Chipper as usual, she said, "You got what you wanted, so if you're happy then so am I. But more importantly! We're quite wet at the moment, aren't we?"

Eri and I had been hanging out as usual today. When we chanced upon a bookstore I thought I'd hunt down the latest volume of Petalchaser Chronicles, but took a longer amount of time than usual (Eri was browsing the magazine section in the meantime). I found my prize, but we missed the bus as a result. Not keen on waiting for the next one to roll around, however, we started walking back but ended up smack dab in the middle of a snowstorm. We made like sprinters, all the way here.

And that's how we became soaked.

"Oh well," she shrugged, "there's no going around it, eh? We're going to have to take a bath together."

"For someone who says there's no choice, you're awfully happy about it."

"Come on now!" She glomped me from the side, filling the room with her infectious laugh. "You're happy too, that much I can tell! You're just not honest with your feelings."

"I'm what now?" I snorted.

"Let's go, let's go already! You can read your Petalchaser Testicles later!"

"I-It's Chronicles! Geez!"

"Yeah, what you said. Seriously, what a perverted name for a manga. Do you like these sorts of things, Neku? I get that we all have our fetishes, but…"

"Eri, I told you… it's – ah, I give up."

"Get a move on, man!" Squealing with excitement, she pulled at my arm, leading me to the bathroom. "Hurry… our naked paradise awaits us!"

"'Naked paradise'? ! And you're the one who calls me perverted!"

XOXOXOXOXO

Against her insistence, I declined to join Eri in the shower. She kept saying we could save water by going in together, and while that's true, I'd rather not take the risk.

She helped herself to the shower, while I made do with a pan and basin. If we bathed together, this was how we did it. Then once we were done with the initial cleanup we'd scrub each other's backs, which was already exciting enough in itself without me having to share the shower with a girl in the buff.

Hot baths always kept her spirits high and peppy, and she would tend to break into song. Today looked to be another performance. Her humming was nice in its own laid-back kind of way. I sat back and listened to her, enjoying every second of it while it lasted.

Because once she opened her mouth…

"Flowers in the dusk," she squawked, "they sparkle like the stars… Oooh yeah yeah!"

I'd been with Eri to the karaoke bar on several occasions to understand the level of her singing ability. She generally sings decently… if decent means alright, and if alright means… tone deaf. As the lyrics of her favourite song became mangled beyond recognition, I just cringed in agony and plugged up my ears.

She continued with wild abandon, "Oh, you understand this darkness in my heart… It's like a whirlwind, a whirlwind, a whirl-wiiiiiiiiiiiind…!"

Oh my goodness! If songs could kill, then her singing talent was the end of the world! My ears were melting. I would have to ask her to tone her idol talents – or lack thereof – down a notch.

"Eri. Whoa, Eri, whoa!"

She whisked the shower curtain wide open to talk to me, exposing herself and that luscious soap-covered body of hers. "'Sup?"

The fingers I used to plug my ears now went into my nostrils to keep from making a bloody mess. "Uh, not trying to be a dog in the manger here? But… might you consider taking up… air vocals?"

"Air… vocals?"

She didn't get it at first. But when she did…

"Are you implying," she seethed, "that I sing like a hippopotamus? !"

"I never said you did. I was thinking of some other animal, actually – gyaah!" The sudden chill of a cold water spray on my back took me by surprise. My body was seized with shivers. "S-Sorry! Sorry! S-Stop it please!"

"I may not be the best singer around," she grumbled, brandishing the shower head, "but it wouldn't kill you to use some tact and discretion. At least say I'm like a nightingale or something."

A nightingale… with a sore throat. But I didn't dare to say that.

Eri's razor-sharp voice snapped at me, "Did you say something, Neku?"

"N-No, of course not. Um, sorry. By all means, please keep singing to your heart's content."

"Another time," she sighed. "I'm done with my shower, so I'll scrub your back for you."

"Ah! I can get behind that!"

"I get the feeling you're happy not particularly because you're getting your back scrubbed…"

I just stayed silent, knowing fully well that I was glad to be relieved of her horrendous singing. Some truths are best kept under wraps. That's one of the secrets to keeping friendships afloat.

Partway through my exfoliation treatment, she piped up, "Neku, can we talk about something a little serious?"

"I… I already said I was sorry… Even at your worst, you're no hippo."

"…I'm not sure what to make of that, but I'll leave it. That's not what I had in mind. I was thinking, well, since we're going out, we should lay down some rules."

I caught on quickly. "Kind of like, the Ten Commandments All Couples Should Follow?"

"Exactly! Except it's only three, and they're simple too, so it's flexible like that. Wanna hear it?"

"Sure. Shoot."

"Right then! You'd better listen up!" She cleared her throat and spoke with the very important air of a president. "Rule #1: We must provide each other with unconditional love. Obvious, no?"

"Obvious enough," I snorted. "Where would we be without it?"

"You'd be surprised how often people forget about the simplest things. They take each other for granted. I'm not saying that we're going to get adult-onset dementia soon and forget that we're joined at the hip. It's just… a basic principle we have to keep in mind."

"No harm repeating the 'obvious', right? Ahaha."

"Neku, that's really corny."

"Sorry."

"Cute though. So I'll forgive you."

Her hand was slithering all over my shoulder and I took the opportunity to touch it with mine. "Don't worry, Eri. You and I are going to be just fine in the romance department."

"It's so you to put a girl's heart at ease," she said with a smile in her voice. "Well then, onward! Rule #2 is that we must support one another at all times. That's simple enough."

"Yeah, isn't that a no-brainer? You and I have been in the business of helping each other out for years and that's never gonna change. Didn't you say something to that effect yourself? How's it go again… 'You scrub my back and I'll scrub yours'?"

"It's along those lines, yup."

She hugged me from behind… threw her arms around my neck without even bothering to rinse away the soap first. I could feel the warm, motherly softness of her chest on my skin and I was too taken in by the bliss to take a single breath. I thought she was being playful, but when her tone took on a mature glaze I knew she did it out of the need to be reassured that I still loved and understood her.

"Neku," she breathed, our damp cheeks touching, "I really love you. I want to be worthy of your affections. Maybe I'm young and I still don't know many things, but at the very least, I want you to be proud of me as your girlfriend. So if there's anything you need help with, or even anything you want to see in me, tell me."

Eri was gearing up for her role as my girlfriend and she meant business. Her confidence and outer appearance may suggest that she was a woman who had everything, but she wasn't perfect – same went for me – and that was the truth. She was aware that she still had a great distance to cover, and wasn't ready to fail miserably when she had already landed who she claimed on many occasions to be the best boyfriend ever. That's me by the way, I dare to gloat.

But I reminded her, "Eri, I do notice all the little things you've been doing, like you ditching your drinking habit, for example. No need to push yourself too far though. You're fine the way you are. So don't fret about it too much."

"I knew you'd say that. Alright, wanna do this last bit together?"

"You're done scrubbing?"

"Yeah! Can we do that, please?"

"Huh? That? W-Well, now's not exactly the best – "

"Pretty please? I'll be a good girl this time, I promise."

I muttered half to myself, "'This time'…?"

"Make it a good one! Alllll the way to absolute zero!"

"Hey, do you even know what time of the year it is now? We'll get ourselves killed doing this! Are you out of your mind? !"

"I don't care if I am out of my mind. It'll be fun! C'mon!"

"Er… ungh… ah, heck. Let's just do it. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Alright!"

The time had come for us to participate in a slightly bizarre bathtime ritual that Eri was adamant about the two of us following. I grabbed the pan lying at my feet and filled it to the brim with water. That was Eri's cue to cling onto my back from behind, and once she was in position and I was ready to initiate the final act, she shrilled:

"Say 'cheese'!"

I hoisted the pan all the way up and brought ice-cold water crashing onto both of our heads. An overwhelming arctic sensation engulfed our bodies. It was like we had brought the entire freaking North Pole into our bathroom! And she made me do it during winter!

Her three-second brush with frigid death left her squealing and laughing like a child who had just found a new way to pass the time, which was almost exactly what she was now. Till this day I have no idea where she picked up this strange hobby of dumping cold water onto herself. She would do it during her baths, and if I was with her, she always got me to join her. I was always a reluctant participant.

"Eek! W-Was that a-awesome, or what? !" She rubbed against my body to warm herself up. The goosebumps broke out all over my skin like a sci-fi virus and I curled up as best as I could. My teeth chattered so much as I talked.

"N-Not c-c-cool, Eri!"

"Hee hee! N-Nice pun, N-Neku."

"No! Th-That's not wh-what I meant! I'm just s-saying it's crazy to d-do ice bucket challenges in the c-coldest season of the year! I wouldn't mind if… if it's h-hot, but-but-but you've got to have y-your brain looked at if you w-want to do it now!"

But it was just like her to forgo logic for fun and she still thought it was a heck of a rush.

"W-Won't be any f-fun otherwise, right?"

"N-N-Not really!"

I snatched up the shower head and once I was able to will my frozen muscles to move, I wasted no time dousing us both with warm water. Eri drank up the warmth with her body, letting loose a prolonged "aahhh" from her lips, her breath raking the nape of my neck. Listening to the hiss of the shower while watching the place get smothered in steam had a calming effect. Eri snuggled up from behind, touching me so firmly I could feel her own heartbeat. We stayed silent, savouring the moment. I could stay like this with Eri for hours.

"You know," she said at last, "what we just did, Neku… It's not the same as spraying each other with water hoses, but it comes close. Me and the kids in my hometown… We used to play like that."

"Was it fun?"

"Yessiree! Ooh, I know! We should give it a try too, you and me. It's great to just let your hair down and get wet like the world doesn't even matter!"

"Hmmm… I have to admit, it does sound like a good time…"

A very clear picture of that scene materialized inside my head: the two of us on a sweltering summer day, chasing and ambushing each other with water hoses and laughing a lot. Of course, it'd be fitting for her to be decked out in a T-shirt and little else. It wouldn't be long before she got so soaked, however, that she'd become rightly fed up with the shirt and whip it off… but then hey, it's cool if she wanted to horse around in a swimsuit! Oh god, I must sound like a perverted old codger. But imagination truly is a blessing sent from heaven.

"It's the best way to let yourself go on a hot afternoon," she gushed, then with a tinge of regret, she added, "but my parents always get cross when they see me come home drenched from head to toe."

I chuckled. "Too excited to play that you forgot to bring a change of clothes? Even a towel to dry yourself off would be better than nothing…"

"I never remember. So once we're all done with our war, I simply make a quick dash back home and then my mum and dad would scold me for looking like a floozy."

"Heh… That's not surprising."

"But I'm not totally defenseless," she protested. "I mean, I always make sure I've got at least a bikini underneath my shirt, you know!" Wow, that's exactly like my image of her!

We had made the mother of all detours and now it was time to get back to the original topic.

"So," she said, "I don't think we need to worry too much about Rule #2…"

"…seeing as we've already been actively scrubbing each other's backs in both the literal and figurative sense."

"I always did love a good scrub," she wisecracked. "Speaking of which, let's switch places. It's my turn."

"Okay."

"Oh, and Neku?"

"Hmm?"

"Try not to bleed too much," she sniggered.

I couldn't start right away. She sat on the stool, waiting to get washed up, but I was too distracted by the sight of her luscious back to do anything. Her ultra-smooth skin stretched on for miles and miles. Her beauty never failed to leave me at a loss for words. With clothes or without, she was a pro at being fresh and easy on the eyes. I'll be honest here: as a healthy young man, it's only natural for me to love looking at beautiful girls. And when there's one completely bare right in front of me – and she's my wonderful girlfriend at that! – I'm gripped with a sense of satisfaction I can't quite describe.

There's that old side-effect I could never do away with, though.

"Um, Neku?"

"Huh?"

"Ever heard of Elizabeth Bathory? She was a European countess – lived around the nineteenth century, I think – who murdered girls and bathed in their blood, hoping to stay young that way… I kinda feel like her now. Um, see what I'm getting at?"

"Uh, y-yeah. Sorry, this nosebleed wouldn't stop." I cringed at the sight of my own blood splattered all over Eri's back. That nose of mine never functions the way I want it to, I swear. "L-Let me wash that off for you."

"Please do." With a hint of wryness, she added, "And don't worry, Neku. I'll still love you."

"Th-Thanks."

"That's another one of your more endearing points, just so you know. Take your time! No rush. Um… carpe diem?"

"…I'd feel better if you didn't say that."

Soon enough I was done with both her back and my own nose, and now I could finally roll up my imaginary sleeves for the task at hand. "I'm going to start now, Eri. Let's hear it for Rule #3."

I traced the outline of her shoulder blades with my sponge. She hesitated to speak. Initially I shrugged it off, thinking she was getting absorbed in the moment, but when the silence dragged on for too long, I knew something wasn't right.

"Eri," I called, touching her arm lightly. "Are you awake?"

"I'm still here," she replied meekly. "I just realized Rule #3 is really embarrassing, even for me… um… Do you still wanna hear it?"

"'Even for me'?" That amused me somehow. "If you're so shameless normally and you put it that way, it must be a real blush fest. In that case, I want to hear it even more! Then I might finally find your weakness."

Eri glanced over her shoulder to look at me from the corner of her eye. "Y-You don't understand. It's really – like, really truly absolutely – embarrassing. Are you sure you want to hear about it? No matter what?"

"Yes. C'mon, it can't be that bad."

"Hmm… well… alright, I'll just keep it nice and simple so there won't be any misunderstandings."

What was it about Rule #3 that made it so hard for even Ms Shameless to say?

Eri was blushing. Even when her face wasn't in full view, I could see her ears in full bloom. There was quite the pause too… was she trying to think of the right words? But I got my answer eventually. Just as she promised, it was short and to the point, spoken with whispers that were barely audible.

"Rule #3: We're… um… We're not having sex until we're both ready."

I nearly lost my balance. Had I been more careless, I'd have toppled onto the floor. That was the craziest thing I'd heard from her in a while! I had half a mind to get my ears checked, but I knew I wasn't hearing things.

"Eri, c-cut it out with the jokes… I thought we're supposed to be serious here!"

"We are!"

I was taken aback by her raised voice, which was a clear indicator that she wasn't playing around. But did she truly mean what she said? Because if she did… then… um… she had plans to… with me… Huh? ! What was with this development? !

"Neku," she muttered, "I need to tell you… how I feel. Promise me you'll listen without freaking out? And don't worry. I'm not going to make fun of you. 'Cause we're in the same boat."

Very cautiously – and stupidly – I nodded, only to remember too late that I was behind her and she couldn't see me.

"O-Okay. I'll be calm."

To facilitate a smoother discussion, she made it a point to be brutally frank. Make no mistake, I appreciated that we were being truthful with each other, even as things grew increasingly squeamish between us. Honesty can get you places where beating about the bush can't. I just never thought I'd see the day when Eri and I would be talking about the birds and bees. And all while we were both in our birthday suits. Talk about dangerous…

Eri was fidgeting slightly and it would have been cute if I wasn't so hopelessly distracted. "We love and trust each other, so that's why I don't mind telling you the truth, Neku… And the truth is… I do think about that, and I want to give it a go with you at some point in the near future… It's just not going to happen now, though."

The butterflies fluttered in my stomach by the dozens. It wouldn't be fair if she was the only one dishing out the confessions.

With my throat box shaking like a rickety wooden bridge, I admitted, "I… I fantasize about the two of us on a number of occasions myself. D-Does that put you off, by the way?"

"No, not at all. I told you, we're both the same. Just to really drive home the point, though: my heart isn't ready for me to take the big leap yet."

I gulped hard. "Yeah, I know… Me too. We need more time to sort it all out before we make it happen. I'd hate to wind up with regrets."

"Mm-hmm."

Nothing was spoken for the next minute or two. Her words wouldn't leave the confines of my skull. I processed them again and again, merging them with my own understanding of the matter, and what I got as the end result of all that thinking was always the same. The one undeniable fact remained: Eri and I were interested, and were it not for a general sense of responsibility – and unpreparedness – I imagine we'd have gone at it five minutes ago.

Whenever she cavorts all over the place wearing little or less, it's already jarring enough, but in light of the current circumstances, her nudity took on a whole new meaning altogether. Just think! It would be a piece of cake to push her down and take her… Half the work's done already: we're dressed for the occasion! But I didn't. I wouldn't! It's against my moral principles. I wanted to treat Eri the right way. She's my precious girlfriend!

The nervousness made me feel like a fool. The stutters that I tried to pass off as human speech were laughably bad, and it was after a lot of corrected attempts – she said "Come again?" one too many times – did I manage to say something that finally made sense.

"Eri, I'm… honoured. Honoured that you want me to be your first…"

"My first and only," she corrected.

"Yeah. I'll do my best. I… I don't know how it's going to play out, and it's daunting thinking about it, but I know we can work something out so that when it's time, we can… well… have a lot of fun!"

Eri gave an enthusiastic nod. "Yeah! I'll be looking forward to – wachoo!"

"Huh? Feeling cold, Eri?"

"Not exactly… But you're pretty much finished with my back already, so let's get out."

Once the suds were washed off, she stood up but something went wrong right away. The bathroom floor was wet, and the moment she took one step, her foot slipped and she teetered like a cartoon character – quite funny, actually, if it weren't for the fact that her head was poised to slam into the nearby wall like scrambled eggs.

My reflexes kicked in like lightning. I wrapped my arms around her as she pirouetted and she hit her head on my chest. Well, that's not so bad. Better than a rock-hard wall any day of the week. Success! She was safe! …If a little on the giddy side.

"N-Nice save," she squeaked, clinging onto me for dear life. "Thanks."

"Any… Anytime."

I suddenly realized that I was hugging her, and while that in itself was fine, you have to remember we weren't wearing anything. She was the one who initiated all the naked hugs and it was always from behind. But we were face-to-face this time and suddenly everything about each other's bodies became a source of perverse wonder and curiosity. The two of us were hopelessly dumbstruck. Our eyes were travelling. The blood was getting to our heads fast. And somewhere inside of me a strange feeling was about to awaken.

Then I started to lose my balance.

The two of us instinctively clung tighter to each other, like in those dreams where you're dangling from a lone twig with a ravine dozens of feet below you. But it's no use. We still crumpled to the floor and ended up in a heap of arms and legs.

The impact made me dizzy but I did my best to disentangle myself. My muscles felt like sludge as I tried to force my brain to work again.

"Eri," I groaned, "you okay?"

My vision cleared up just in time to see that I had wound up on all fours on top of her. There she lay, sprawled on the bathroom floor, limbs splayed every which way. When she got her bearings and saw what had become of us, her face glowed – slowly but surely – to frighteningly reddish proportions. She stared at me with the eyes of a frightened deer. I could see the shivers in her body, and it wasn't from cold. She was afraid. She was filled with trepidation. But at the same time, there was that hint of anticipation.

Would we do it? Wouldn't we? Yes? No? Now? Later?

As I remained perched in that precarious position, a million thoughts went through my head like gnats. I was like every other guy: I do dream about my first time with the girl I love. And when we both entertained that idea with an honest open attitude, it did give me the impression that we were growing as a couple. It made me happy. But then we found ourselves faced with this situation all of a sudden. Eri and I had seen each other in the buff plenty of times, but the weight of our prior conversation left us so shocked and embarrassed we didn't quite know what the next step should be.

We were lovers. We were naked. Deep inside we wanted to put rabbits to shame! A lesser man might seize the opportunity quicker than you could say "family planning", and I was tempted to do the same, but there's that part of me – my integrity struck again – that gnawed at me and screamed, "No! Don't do it!" Which was why I was hesitating. However, the longer I waited, the harder it became to resist the temptation. If I didn't do something quickly…

Luckily for both of us, Eri snapped out of her reverie.

"No!" She scrunched her legs up and crossed her arms over her chest protectively. "H-Hold your horses, Neku. And keep that six-shooter holstered, 'cause we're not doing it."

Thanks to her, I was brought back to reality and I winced at how close we were to going past the point of no return. I scrambled away, steadying myself into a clumsy squatting position, waving my hands like a windmill.

"I… I'm sorry!" I stammered. "It was an accident! And y-yeah, we're not doing that. I'm just not ready for it either!"

"Good."

She picked herself off the floor slowly, but I noticed she wasn't even looking at me. Was she mad? Mortified? I had no idea. The confusion worsened when she grabbed the shower head and gave herself a quick rinse all over with the obvious intention of ending the bath soon.

My heart was on the edge of a knife, unsure of what she was thinking. I watched uneasily as she grabbed her towel and zipped out of the bathroom door without even bothering to dry herself, much less put on any clothes. Eri seemed to be in a hurry to get away from me… Did I put her out that much? I could see why she wanted to put some distance between us though. We almost did it. We promised ourselves not to, yet for that brief fleeting moment, both of us didn't care anymore. I was glad she intervened, but did she hate me? I nearly broke Rule #3…

Man… I felt like the worst kind of guy.

Once I was dressed and ready to face Eri again, I went back to my bedroom where she must presumably be waiting. Hoo boy, she couldn't be very pleased at all, so I had to be extra careful tip-toeing around the lioness.

Eri was sitting on my bed, drying her hair. She had magically changed back to her clothes instead of going half-naked and free like she was so fond of doing. Granted, she doesn't walk around the house in her underwear all the time, but it's been a long while since she wore much of anything, so for her to actually put on a shirt for once must mean she was taking precautions around me. Had I become a criminal?

I didn't know whether to join her on the bed or play safe and take my seat on the chair. Seeing my hesitation, Eri beckoned me over, but her usual happy-go-lucky attitude was missing.

"C'mere," she said simply. "We need to talk."

Oh no, I didn't like the sound of those words! She was going to reprimand me for making an oaf of myself… I took care not to make any sudden movements around her for fear that she might whip out a stun gun from within her bra and use it to zap the bejesus out of me. One can never be too cautious as they say.

We sat facing each other in bed, and I could feel her eyeing me down. I thought she was ready to give me a tongue-lashing, but when she spoke she was surprisingly meek.

"Neku," she muttered, "sorry for being so… tough on you earlier. I got scared."

"Eri?" I was about to wait for her to explain but decided to dish out the apologies first. "No wait, before all that! I'm sorry. Although what happened in the bathroom was an accident, it was still my blunder."

"Well, yeah, that's that. We're cool. But I just want to say… Regarding our standing on the whole sex issue, just because I say no doesn't mean I don't want to do it."

The sweat collected in beads on my neck. She just said something very important for the future of our relationship. I knew what she was getting at, but a part of me could scarcely believe it. As though in answer to my thoughts, she repeated what she said but with simpler words, putting my doubts to rest for good.

Firmly and without a single shred of hesitation, she said, "Straight up from me, Neku: I want to do it with you. I want you to give me my first night… and, w-well, all the other nights after that."

Such boldness deserved credit. Our own faces were growing quite red. If I squinted, I might just be able to make out the columns of steam pouring out of her ears. Her forthrightness was refreshing in a sense though, because I know I'd rather not approach serious topics in a roundabout way.

She continued, "B-But we're not doing it now! Or even anytime soon, but… it'll happen. I promise. W-We just started dating, and, um, I'm sorry… But until the time is right, can you… wait for me?"

So adorable… She's like a lamb, getting all shy like that.

I flashed her a kind smile. "Sure, I'll wait."

"Thank you… I'm glad you understand. Now that this is out of the way, I hope we can continue being how we are with the skinship and stuff. We may have plans for you-know-what, but that doesn't mean it has to be all icky and weird every time we're naked in the bath. Right?"

"Um, y-yeah… Right on, Eri. Right on."

That night, she lay sound asleep but I spent hours awake, mulling over the latest developments, specifically those words…

"I want to do it with you. I want you to give me my first night… and, well, all the other nights after that."

What is usually the next step for a couple that's real close? When kissing and necking isn't enough and taking baths together comes as second nature, is it natural to want to take it a step further and make love? Lots of couples go all the way even before marriage. Is this acceptable? What's right and what's wrong? There were so many things to think about.

We'd long retired as teenagers and have come to recognize that we weren't kids anymore, and now even she was getting serious. To be honest, it's quite scary having to properly grow up.

XOXOXOXOXO

Whether in love or at war, there's no such thing as being too prepared! So the next day I made a trip to the local pharmacy Nishimura Drugs to get… supplies. You know… those kinds of supplies.

When I entered, the first thing I did was take a good look around to see how many people there were. Luck shone upon me. There were only a few souls, and the pharmacist was busy explaining to one of them about vitamins and stuff. That gave me the perfect opportunity to make like a ninja and sneak over to the forbidden section.

My eyes were greeted with rows upon rows of condoms. There were so many kinds! With shaking hands I picked a box and gulped when I read the words emblazoned across the front: "Feather-light, super-thin for maximum sensation". I saw many others that boasted different features, of which I shan't describe here (who the heck needs mango-flavoured condoms? !), and while it's good to be spoilt for choice, I now had no idea anymore which one I should buy!

Suddenly I became aware of another customer standing beside me. To my surprise she peered over my shoulder and started reading the text on my box of condoms – aloud, much to my horror.

"'…micro-thin layer for enhanced comfort while ensuring amazing tear-free durability.' Wow… I don't really get what that means, but…"

"E-Eri…" I had been caught red-handed by the last person I wanted to see! "Keep your voice down, please."

"Fate is a funny thing, Neku. If I were to take a guess… we're both here for the same reason."

"A-And what's that?"

She edged closer until our shoulders were touching, and then, apparently as embarrassed as I was to be in this section of the pharmacy, whispered in my ear, "What else can it be? I'm talking about that."

I had little reason to lie to her. My reply was equally quiet. "Condoms?"

"…Well? Are you? Getting them, I mean?" At first glance it would seem like she was probing for answers, but I knew she was just concerned.

"Yeah. I'm… I'm gonna buy myself a box."

"Ah… th-thought so." A comical little quiver was starting to develop in her throat.

"And you?"

"And me what?"

"What're you getting for yourself?"

Reluctantly, she squeezed the words out, "Birth control pills."

"O-Oh, okay."

The two of us stood there side by side, faces glowing with a resplendent barbecue-red hue. When it hit upon us that we were both here to prepare ourselves for future shenanigans, we immediately leapt into a series of hurried explanations to show that stuff like this was normal and that this was no indication of anything whatsoever.

"There's nothing wrong with it!" I stammered with a crooked smile. "Right? !"

Eri nodded too vigorously; any more and her head would fall off. "Yes and yes! We're just being responsible individuals in our society!"

"No one can really blame us. We don't want to become another statistic in the 'unwanted teen births' category after all!"

"Absolutely! …Although we're not teenagers anymore."

"What does it matter? The main principle remains the same. We've got to be careful!"

"Y-Yes! Careful and same… Something like that anyway! Hee hee!"

"Ha ha ha!"

We stopped abruptly, having run of things to say. Boy, did we feel like teenagers all over again… waddling in the awkward years of puberty when boys and girls were taking painful notice of each other's bodily changes… Ooh, his voice is cracking, that's hilarious! And is it just me or is her shirt getting tighter around the chest area?

Good times, eh?

But I digress.

Desperate to end the silence, Eri started commenting on the shelf of medical books laid out nearby. "I had no idea they had so many interesting books here. High time I took a peek myself!"

She swiped one at random and froze when she laid eyes on the cover. When I followed her gaze, I saw why and made like an ice lolly myself.

The book was the highly-acclaimed, award-winning "How to Have Safe and Fun Sex".

The illustrations inside were touted to be quite tasteful, by the way.

We half-giggled uneasily and ambiguously, wondering how we had gotten ourselves into this predicament. We wanted to escape, but we dug our own graves when she unknowingly flipped some pages open. What we saw in the middle of the book was… uh…

"Wh-What?" gulped Eri. "Th-This kind of position… Is it even possible for humans to do?"

"You would need a fair amount of flexibility for – "

She slammed the book shut, causing the resulting snapping noise to reverberate throughout the pharmacy. "Ahaha! That's just ridiculous! We're not going to attempt something like that!"

"Not that we're trying to do anything at this point in time, of course!"

"Yeah! Hee hee!"

"Ha ha ha!"

The pharmacist, Dr Fumiko herself, demanded silence from us with a finger to her lips, but was very kind not to tell us off sternly. Maybe she understood that we were going through a phase of unquenchable curiosity.

We apologized and promptly shoved the book back onto the shelf.

"Ahem," coughed Eri. "I believe we have some shopping to do, so let's hop to it."

"Y-Yes, let's."

Eventually we got what we came here for, so mission accomplished, I guess. There's just one thing.

It's okay to wait…

…but could we?

We'd have to watch ourselves from now on…

…

Author's note: The story touches on a mature topic this time. Hope it didn't creep anyone out…

Got another mini-update for you. All chapters now have titles. To see them, check out the chapter list drop-down menu. If there's something you'd like to look back on and refer to then hopefully the titles will help you a bit.

Not much to say here, so I'll see you again in this space with Chapter 32. That's all for now… bye!