She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 36)
by BrDPirateMan

"Hey, Neku, you up for a round of karaoke?"

Classes were over and we had the rest of the evening free. Apparently these guys were raring for a good song and were trying to rope me in, but I had other plans.

"Sorry," I said smilingly, "maybe another time. I'm taking my girlfriend out to see a movie tonight."

"Well, someone's a busy little bee," sneered one classmate.

Someone else grabbed me from behind and placed me in a friendly headlock, nothing that would kill me though. "You're just twistin' the knife in the wounds of us single folk, aren'tcha?! Gettin' all nice and lovey-dovey with your girl while we drown our frustrations in karaoke!"

In playful defiance, I said, "Hey, to be fair, I worked real hard to get myself a girlfriend. I deserve that much happiness at least."

"Ooh, you're asking for it, Neku. Then you deserve this too!"

The group laughed as my captor ground his fist into my hair in a vicious noogie. Even I got caught up in the mirth.

Another person asked, "Well then, is there anyone else who can make it? What about you, Kenji? Are you free? Oh wait, don't tell us you – "

He slapped his hands together and was most apologetic, for what it's worth. "Sorry, guys. Keiko absolutely needs me to be home tonight. She's got a little surprise for me."

"Yeah," snorted the first guy. "Herself, I'll bet."

The classmate who was holding me hostage piped up, "Do you want me to give you a headlock, Kenji? I got a free arm."

Amidst a slew of renewed laughter and jeering from a bunch of jealous guys, something he had said caught my attention and didn't let go. Tired of smelling my friend's armpit, I managed to free myself. "Kenji? Are you staying over at your girlfriend's place or something?"

"Not quite," answered Kenji slyly. "Actually, I'm living together with her."

"Really? First I heard of it."

"Been this way for half a year now!"

Cohabitation… It's when an unmarried couple decides to stay together under the same roof for mutual reasons. Although I'd certainly heard of it, I didn't know much about it and haven't seen the concept at work in real life.

"Is that really okay?" I asked cautiously.

Kenji chuckled. "Why not? Maybe ten or twenty years ago it'd have been scandalous, but it's the 21st century now. It's not weird anymore, it's chic and modern! It has various benefits too, and not just because you get to spend more time together."

The rest of Singles Anonymous openly bemoaned their lack of a love life and began labeling him as a traitor.

"Not cool, bro," laughed this one fellow. "I thought we're friends."

"Heh, sure we are. The gods just don't love you as much."

"Of all the…! Get him!"

Everyone then pretended to pummel him into paste, laughing a great deal in the process. I left them be and went out with Eri. All the while, I couldn't stop thinking about cohabitation and how it would work if she and I did it. It was a tantalizing idea, but sounded like there would be a lot of commitments. Definitely not something to jump into without a lot of thought at any rate.

The movie we watched tonight was a romantic comedy that Eri had been clamouring to see – chick flicks weren't my thing but at least it wasn't another horror film, so I was all for it. Then the film took on an interesting turn when it introduced a shining moment of plot development – the protagonist and his best gal pal decide to move into the same apartment. Almost immediately they were forced to deal with various accidental hijinks all the way to the conclusion. Although it wasn't an accurate representation of a real-life scenario, it was nonetheless fascinating.

Eri emerged feeling very contented with the film and shared her opinions with me over sundaes at the nearest ice-cream parlor.

"That was fun," she said. "I liked that the characters had some depth to them. Take the girl, for example. Beneath her playful exterior, all she wants is for the guy she loves to notice her, so she plays pranks on him in a desperate bid for his attention."

"I'll give you that the movie was entertaining but the plot was kinda 'been there, done that'…"

"Yeah, but it still works. Its charm definitely showed through. The guy seemed like the cool guy at first but when the girl figured out his weaknesses and started pushing his buttons it was so cute! The part where she teased him into playing strip Snakes and Ladders was my favourite!"

"That reminds me of you. Actually, the whole movie reminds me of us."

"Exactly what I was thinking!" she giggled. "The savvy guy and the lively girl… I could totally relate to it in a lot of ways!"

Staying together ought to be a lot of fun, if that movie was any indication. I wasn't specifically talking about the stripping games, of course, or even the increased likelihood of walking in on your partner while she's in the midst of changing and catching an eyeful of skin. But looking at it as a whole it seemed like a workable plan. There were still some creases that needed ironing and it was up to me to do that. I had to know more. Time to do some homework…

Underneath the table I felt Eri's foot nudge against my leg. She was in a good mood – that lovably crazy mood – and teased me, saying, "So… how about you and me do a round of strip Snakes and Ladders? I'll give you a handicap."

I didn't answer to that and simply laughed it off. I knew better than to dig my own grave. She was fantastic at manipulating people.

Instead I asked her, "Do you have any friends who live in the same house with others?"

"Hmmm? Um, I've got a quartet of girlfriends who stay in the same apartment."

"No, that's not quite what I'm looking for. I mean do you have any friends who are in a relationship and are staying with their boyfriends?"

"There are one or two I know of. Why?"

"Just asking. I think the whole cohabitation thing is interesting somehow."

"Are you thinking of trying it out? With me?"

That was both fast and accurate for a wild guess! I graced her with an honest reply. "I've been toying with the idea, yeah. But I haven't thought about it that deeply yet. I mean, there's got to be all sorts of factors to consider, right?"

It was here that the conversation shifted to a more philosophical tone and she had a few meaty thoughts for me to chew on.

"Mm-hmm. The most important thing is that both of you have to be close. If you've only just started dating, then it's best to wait until the relationship is stable before even considering it at all. At least, that's what an article I read in a magazine told me…"

"How long would that be?"

"Hmmm… When two of my buddies started sharing this one nice place, they had been dating for about half a year. I'd say that's fair enough."

I stroked my chin. "Six months, huh? If the relationship doesn't work, it'd probably fall apart well before then. That's a good yardstick."

"Precisely."

Using extreme subtlety, I put forth a possible scenario for her to think about. "But it's still just a yardstick, an approximation at best. Sometimes it can't really be applied if the circumstances are different. Take this for example: let's say the boy and girl have known each other for a long time, and done lots of things together like going out for burgers and movies before actually dating for real… In that case they could start living together earlier, right? Especially if, you know, the girl has stayed over at the boy's house… like, a few times… and – "

Eri peered into my face with a sly, knowing grin. "Gosh, that's awfully specific… You couldn't possibly be talking about us, could you now?"

"Huh? How did – ack, I didn't mean…!"

So much for "extreme subtlety". I was referring to the two of us. She got me good!

And she burst into a lighthearted laugh, rapidly slapping my leg with her foot while I just gulped and blushed.

"Next time, just come right out and say what you feel, okay?"

"Um, right." I coughed hard to try and force all the heat and redness out of my face (didn't work, by the way). "So… what do you think of us sharing the same apartment? Is it… possible at this stage?"

Eri was very careful to weigh all the important factors at hand. "Like I said, with most couples, they'd tend to wait a while to test the water before moving in together. About six months' wait is ideal, but it's quite a different story for us. I've stayed over at your place so many times I'm practically a tenant. Even before we're living together, we're already living together! See what I'm getting at?"

"More or less, yeah. Weird way to put it, though."

"Therefore, we're used to being under the same roof. Theoretically, we could shack up now and it wouldn't even be a big deal."

I latched onto her words, thrilled to hear that it might be possible. "Then if we gave it a shot, would it work out?"

"I don't know… Not to burst your bubble or anything, but I did say 'theoretically'. You said it yourself, Neku: there are all sorts of things to take into account before we can even begin to make the big move. All I know is, even with our routine the way it currently is, it wouldn't be that easy. That's just how I feel anyway."

Her response deflated my spirit a little, but I knew she was simply being careful. Somewhere deep in my psyche, however, I had my hunches that we could make it work.

Before I knew it, a spoonful of ice-cream was thrust in front of my face.

"We can think about the heavy stuff later," she chirped. "But for now, you need a helping of chocolatey goodness. Here, say 'Ahhh'…"

"…You know I'm still not comfortable with being fed in public."

"Oh, c'mon, we'll be fine! We're at a barely noticeable corner table."

"Which is also conveniently right next to the window. Where passersby can easily see us."

She tched lightly. "How long do you intend to make me hold up this darn spoon? Suck it up and eat it already."

Reluctantly, I opened my trap and in it went. I bet people nearby were cringing…

"That's more like it," she chuckled. "The joys of mutual understanding, see?"

Mutual understanding? Ah, that's right, the success rate of cohabitation depends largely on that. Since Eri and I were strong in that department, the prospects of staying under the same roof were as feasible as they were tempting.

But she's right. It's not something to jump into without a lot of thought. Best to wait a little longer and see.

XOXOXOXOXO

Over the next several weeks, the amount of coursework would reach an all-time high. With assignment deadlines thrown every which way, there was seldom a break to be had. Eri had her butler job too, so that made her even busier than me.

The upshot of this was that we couldn't see each other much, save for our weekend lessons. She didn't stay over as much as I hoped, and I really looked forward to her visits.

I worried that our relationship might go on the decline if this continued, but I also reminded myself not to be too clingy and to maintain a healthy balance of "me time" and "us time". Eri was a total live wire, but much like everyone else, she had her downtime when she'd rather relax by herself.

Still, I couldn't help that our daily routine was slowly turning upside-down. The cracks were starting to show. Give it time and they'd just expand. I had to do something.

The real kicker came on this one particular Sunday. We were supposed to go swimming as usual and throughout the day I was bubbling with excitement, trying to guess what sort of swimsuit she'd wear this week. Once or twice during my job at the bakery, I almost spaced out to thoughts of her in her favourite bikini, running up to me in slow-motion and waving hi with gusto. Ah… imagination is one of life's greatest things. But I had to slap myself at some point to get my concentration back.

Halfway through my shift I received a text message, which I read when I found a break.

Hi Neku, sry I cant make it 4 swimming lessons 2day, I hv to finish my assignment for tmrw… I'm busy like craaaaazy! D: Sorry x9000! Will make it up 2 u soon, catch u l8r xoxo

My bubble of fantasies popped in an instant. I was so disappointed! Weekends were supposed to be our most sacred time together… the time when a boy and girl could be even more madly in love than they usually were! But she was in a rush, so it couldn't be helped.

This was the catalyst that would spark off a chain of important events. Having endured weeks of minimal contact, I was already on edge, even when I repeatedly told myself not to be so spoilt. But the postponement of our swimming lesson caused me to wonder about the long-term consequences of a fragmented relationship. Of course, I may be blowing things out of proportion, but I knew that I was at least partly right. We just weren't seeing each other that often, and it worried me.

We didn't see any immediate conclusion to our workloads in the near future. There must be a way to deal with our coursework and still be able to see each other on a healthy, regular basis.

"Damn," I muttered to myself, "this is getting serious."

For a while, no viable solutions came to mind. Then one day, on a dumb stroke of luck, I chanced upon a magazine with an interesting headline in the campus library:

"Cohabitation: How to Stay Efficiently with a Partner"

That's it! This was just the thing we needed! I couldn't believe I had actually forgotten about it completely. Supposing we started living together, we wouldn't have to worry about not seeing each other. Even at our busiest, both of us would have to be home at some point. We might not be able to spend as much time indulging in each other's company as we did before the Great Coursework Rush (as I liked to call it), but a little cuddling and joking around here and there would go a long way.

There were various advantages and disadvantages to cohabitation as I found out from the magazine, and because it's a big commitment, it's absolutely crucial to make sure you're staying with someone whom you're comfortable with and vice versa. Now that's something Eri and I could tick off of our checklist! We got that covered!

After much thought over several more days, weighing the good against the bad, I became convinced that we had to give it a shot in order to beef up our relationship. I decided to pose the big question to her during lunch on Saturday.

"Eri, will you… be my roommate?"

She blinked at me, unsure what to make of it.

"This is very sudden of you, Neku. What brought this up? Did something happen?"

"Well, see…"

I explained everything to her.

"Ooh, so that's why," she said at last. "It's true we haven't been meeting up much. My schedule's been filled to the brim as of late. I wish I could etch out an hour or two of free time, but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen…"

"Not much luck on my end either. But with this setup I suggested, we don't need to worry anymore. Plus, there are other benefits."

"Oh? Like what?"

The fruits of my research were beginning to show. I looked into this very carefully so I had a strong case to put forward.

"We'll be safer together," I reasoned. "The crime rate worries me. It hasn't been dropping, and the latest burglary happened in this neighbourhood…"

"I read about that one, yeah," said Eri, folding her arms. "The poor guy's place was cleaned out. Not only that, he was also attacked by the burglar. Slashed across the arm with a pocket knife. He had to be sent to hospital to get stitches."

"These are dangerous times," I shuddered. "It's a bad idea to stay alone, and that's exactly what we're doing. We'll stand a better chance if we stick together."

"You really are my knight in shining armour. Sappy theatrics aside though, are there any other advantages?"

"Well, it also ensures that someone is always nearby if either of us falls sick. And simply being together gives us a huge morale boost that not only makes us happier, but improves the quality of whatever we do, be it work, or cooking, or… or…"

"Sex?"

"Huh?!" I almost spilled my glass of water!

Even though she tried to sound nonchalant, it wasn't hard to make out the reddish tint on her face. "Th-That's only natural, isn't it? A couple living together is bound to have plenty of… opportunities… Not to mention ideas… and… positions – "

"Whoa, stop!" I waved my hands frantically. "Too much information!"

"S-Sorry. Ahem!"

"Yeah, anyway, um… I've pretty much told you what you need to know. What do you think?"

I waited for her to pounce at the idea like a panther and say, "Alright! Let's get to it!" However, against my expectations, she actually kept a level head and maintained a good half minute in silence, thinking deeply and twisting a lock of pink hair in her fingers.

"You've got a few good points there," she said, "and I'm happy you thought it through instead of just deciding this on a whim. Now, I won't dispute what you just said, and thanks to you I'm starting to get really interested in shacking up, but I'd like you to hear me out on maybe a couple of things."

Uh-oh… Don't tell me there was something I'd missed? What could that be? I had looked at it from all angles…

"Neku, who's gonna move into whose house?"

Huh? Oh, I'll admit I didn't think about that one. However, the answer was still as clear as day.

"Seeing as you've been crashing at my place a lot, I think it's only natural for you to move in with me. You're quite comfortable staying here, actually. It's like a second home for you, right?"

"True," she said with a nod. "I've gotten so used to things around here, and I'd gladly stay here for the long haul… if it weren't for one nagging problem."

"Wh-What's that?"

"Space. Or lack thereof."

I took a glance all around my apartment. This was a place I had stayed in comfortably for the past one or two years – how long, I don't exactly remember – but it wasn't big. The spare bedroom was good for accommodating a certain surprise guest and letting her stay the night, but then that's because she didn't bring all of her stuff with her.

"Your apartment is nice and cozy, Neku. Thing is, there's hardly enough space to keep all of my belongings. My clothes alone would take up half of your bedroom, and it's bigger than mine."

"That would be a bit of a problem alright. I've seen how packed your closets are."

"It's not getting any better these days either," she sighed. "My wardrobe keeps expanding at an exponential rate. I'm going to have some real issues sooner or later…"

"Th-That's because you can't stop buying stuff…"

She went on the defensive. "Look, I can't help it, alright? If there's a good deal in town, I gotta cinch it before it's too late. How else am I survive their cutthroat prices? You should know it's even worse for – "

If I didn't stop her, she'd go on and on. "Okay, I got it already! Neither my place nor yours has enough space for your stuff, so neither of us can move into the other's."

"Actually, if it weren't for the lack of space, it'd be peanuts to live together. But our problem with space takes on many forms, so that makes it hard to ignore."

"Many forms? You mean it's not just closet space that we have to take care of?"

She nodded and pointed at the refrigerator. "Case in point: with the two of us, we'd need twice as much food. But you've just got a tiny fridge. It won't be enough. And don't think of buying a new fridge; it'll be too large for this place, and they're not cheap either."

I couldn't deny that. It was a small thing, good enough to hold only my own food supply, and even then I often had headaches trying to jam new food inside.

Without sufficient space for both of us, living together would be quite uncomfortable. My heart plummeted ten feet. Did we have no chance at all?

"Are there no other alternatives?" I asked. "Isn't there something we can do?"

"Wow, you're awfully desperate," she teased. "But I can totally understand. We're a couple of hot young things about to embark on another leg of our journey of love and discovery. I'm curious too, you know? I've never lived with anyone before, let alone a boy, so I really want to know what it's like… and what we can get away with."

"Do I sense a whole slew of crazy new ideas in the making?"

"Maaaaaybe." She just left it at that with a seductive giggle and a nudge of my leg with her foot – playing footsie with me was her newest hobby, see. "Anyway, I've got an idea…"

"Uh… renovation?"

A kind smile graced her lips. "No, silly. Relocation. We just need to find a bigger apartment. Nice try though. I'll give you a gold star for your efforts."

Ooh, that's right! Why didn't I think of that? That would solve our problems nicely. But, having gotten used to unexpected disappointments, I was slightly skeptical. Life was never easy. The forces of the universe seldom gave us a break. So I knew… I just knew there had to be a catch.

"Wait a minute," I said, putting up my hand. "Isn't it hard to find apartments these days? I mean, ones that are vacant. They keep getting snapped up."

"Yeah, that's true," she said sadly. "We'll have to keep an eye out for any that become available for rent, and it wouldn't be easy."

"And supposing we do find one, we need to think about whether it's worth the trouble of staying there at all. For example, is it closer to college, or farther?"

Eri picked up from there. "How long does it take to reach the nearest bus stop or train station?"

"Is it gonna be in a safe neighbourhood? I sure don't want to stay thick in the middle of a yakuza nest…"

"Most importantly!" she piped up urgently. "There has to be good boutiques nearby. Some accessory shops would be nice too. That's absolutely crucial without a shadow of a doubt."

"…Eri, you've got some skewed priorities there."

"Hey come on! I'm a fashion designer in the making! Clothes are practically my lifeline. You can't take me away from my one true love! Don't… Don't you understand that at least?"

"This is why you're running out of closet space in the first place…"

"What do you expect me to do, toss out all of my favourite clothes? They're like my babies, every single one of them! And then expect me to go naked all the time? No way!"

"That's exactly what you do all the time!"

Eri wanted to pursue her argument to the finish – whether she really meant what she said or was faking it for kicks, I didn't know anymore – but again I stopped her.

"For the record, you would like to live together with me… right, Eri?"

"I'd love to," she replied, "but not with the circumstances as they are. We need a bigger place."

"I know. We should start looking. If you come across anything good, let me know. I'll sniff around myself too, ask my friends and stuff."

"Cool."

"One more thing. We've got cost to look at too. If the rent is too high, we're not taking it no matter how great the place is."

"Oh, darn!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "I guess the penthouse suite at the top of Pork City is out of the question, huh."

"I hope you weren't seriously eyeing that…"

XOXOXOXOXO

Finding the apartment of our dreams was a task easier said than done. It's just as I suspected: here in crowded Japan where space was at a premium, vacant apartments were a rarity. We'd catch wind of a suitable-sounding place, but we'd be invariably disappointed when we actually went to take a look ourselves. Sometimes it was smaller than what Eri would like it to be. Other times, the facilities weren't to our liking.

I'll never forget this one place that we checked out last week. Eri was all excited when she handed me the details, hastily written on a scrap of paper.

"It's really cheap!" she said, with emphasis on the last word. "Friend of mine introduced this to me. The specs don't look too bad either… Shall we take a gander, Neku?"

Something about it felt off. The rent was the first thing that got my attention, but not in a good way. It was too cheap. Normally the rent for apartments of this type is many yen higher, so unless this was a real bargain, we were looking at a disaster in disguise. You can't trust things that are too good to be true.

Nevertheless, at her insistence, we arranged for a look-see. Frankly, I was curious myself, but only to see how bad it'd turn out to be. I was sure there'd be a leaky faucet here, a faulty electrical socket there… that sort of thing.

Nothing could prepare me for the shock that lay in wait, though.

We now stood at the front door of No. 44, which the estate agent had some trouble unlocking. Judging by the angry blotches of rust on the doorknob, it must have been – oh, months? – since the last occupant moved out. That's a horrible first impression if I ever saw one. Eri, however, was still hopeful.

The door was finally pried open, and the air from inside that blew into our faces stank of mould. The agent even remarked that we should open the windows to let fresh air in, which we were more than happy to do. I couldn't believe the extent of neglect that this place had gone through. The bad feeling I already had grew tenfold.

The agent was very enthusiastic in giving us the tour. Beneath his zesty talk, however, I could sense a hint of desperation, like he was compensating for something. Eri couldn't really sense anything wrong, but I had my guard up. There had to be something that wasn't right about this place…

…and there it was!

"The closets in the master bedroom are large and should cater to all of your needs," simpered the agent, "and over here, we have – "

"Hold up," I said. "I've been bothered about this one thing…"

"Sure, just say it."

I led the two of them back into the living room and pointed at the farthest and darkest corner, where a human-sized figurine stood almost completely obscured in the shadows. It looked like one of those oversized mascot suits one would wear during a promotional event, or during a stint at the amusement park having photos taken with children. Modeled after a bear, it was basically a giant teddy. The design was anything but kid-friendly, though. The thing's grin was too wide, giving it an unsettling appearance. I couldn't imagine anyone in their right mind wanting to go near it.

"What in the world," I asked, "is that supposed to be? And why is it here?"

I must have struck a weak point asking the agent about it because his composure seemed to erode a bit. Clearing his throat a tad too long, he reluctantly answered, "Ah… that. That's something the last tenant left behind."

"Huh. Well, I certainly don't want it, if I decide to stay here…"

"Er, uh… I'm afraid it's not possible to remove it, sir."

Now Eri was curious. "Why not?"

"Every time we tried to dispose it, it'd just – uh, no, it just… never… uh…"

The agent struggled for an answer, doing nothing to ease my suspicions. This was a surefire indication that he was hiding something important. He tried to wave it off like everything was nice and dandy, but he only dug himself deeper into his own grave.

"Ha ha ha… Don't worry, you two. As long as you're careful, nothing will happen!"

"What do you mean, 'nothing will happen'?!" I jabbed. "Nothing's supposed to happen!"

"I-It's harmless! Believe me, as long as you get things down pat in here, you can live happily and that thing will become a non-issue."

"Exactly what are we supposed to get down pat?! What is that thing?!"

While I was trying to crowbar the truth out of him, Eri interrupted us, "Um, guys? Didn't Teddy used to be over there?"

We looked over at the corner where the accursed figurine was standing, only to find that its position had shifted by about two feet. I was sure there were only three of us in here at the moment… and none of us did anything…

With alarm bells blaring in my head, I was all stammers and nonsense. "Hey, did that thing just move?!"

The agent, struggling to maintain his crumbling façade of innocence, attempted to force-feed us with more of his sweet talk, but he was starting to become freaked out not just from that whatchamacallit, but also from us losing interest in the apartment. He launched a last-ditch effort to convince us, but it hardly worked.

"No, wait! It's perfectly fine! Okay, you two, please come with me. There's something really really important I need to show you. We actually have a state-of-the-art surveillance system that you can control all from the safety of your master bedroom. The power needed to run it is limited, but with this you can monitor that thing's movements and – "

Eri was less spooked than me, perhaps due to her exposure to numerous horror movies, but she was just as unwilling as I was to stick around. At least she was nicer to the agent, in stark contrast to my harshness.

"Um, sorry, but I think we'll pass after all. Right, Neku?"

"Y-Yeah, I don't think I can stay one night here… let alone five."

As we made for the front door, the agent scrambled to his feet to chase after us but was stopped short by a rather inconvenient detail that we too noticed…

"Neku?"

"Y-Yes, Eri?"

My gaze followed the direction of her extended index finger – the agent himself. Or rather, what's behind him. That bear!

"Oh god, it's there now?!" I grabbed Eri by the wrist and pulled. "We're outta here!"

As we hightailed it out the front door, she slammed it shut behind her out of instinct, leaving the poor wretch to his fate with Teddy. We didn't stop running until the apartment was completely out of sight. The two of us practically collapsed at the nearest bus stop, out of breath. It would be a good two minutes before we could even bring ourselves to say anything.

Eri spoke up first. "I thought I had stumbled upon a good deal. I'm terribly sorry."

"There's no way you would have known beforehand," I panted. "Though here's a rule of thumb: if the rent's absurdly low, you should suspect that the place stinks."

"Sorry… I was working with the mindset I take to clothing sales. 'The cheaper, the better!' 'Get 'em while you can!' …Guess it doesn't really apply to houses, huh."

"Not at all. Damn, though…" I passed my hand across my forehead, wiping off sweat. "Who'd have thought we'd come across a haunted house right here!"

"You could say it's… alternatively occupied."

"Eri… if I wasn't panting so hard… I might appreciate that joke…"

XOXOXOXOXO

All was not lost, however. Although our big break would come along a little belatedly, it was still the break we needed nonetheless.

It was a sweltering afternoon, unusual in spring. Unwilling to stand the heat any longer, Eri dragged me into the bathroom with her.

As she diligently scrubbed my back, she yakked non-stop. "So like I was saying… our new home has got to have a bathtub. It's been so long since I had my last good soak in a bubble bath."

"Why a bathtub?" Then I joked dryly, "You could do just fine in a kitchen sink, I bet."

"Maybe I'll be fine but two people in a sink isn't going to be very comfortable at all. We'd have to get real close and… you know, squeeze in."

"Whuh?!" Did she just say something outrageous again?! "S-Squeeze in?!"

"What're you getting all worked up over?" she laughed. "You're the one who brought it up. But seriously, I so want a bathtub. After a long hard day at college or work, I want nothing more than to sit in the tub and relax!"

I was still reeling from the image of the two of us crammed in dangerous ways in the sink, but did away with it quickly. "I dunno, Eri. If it's me, I'd probably just take a shower and be done with it. I don't have all the time in the world."

"So unromantic!" she scoffed good-naturedly. Playful as ever, she wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug, and her damp cheek pressed onto my own. "Not even going to consider the refreshing goodness of a little skin-to-skin contact? Not to mention the things we can do? Hee hee…"

Fighting hard against her feminine wiles – and a very tender chest to my back – I tried to calm myself down by playing it cool. "That's nice, but I'd rather not have one thing lead to another. Not yet, anyway."

"Ooh… 'not yet', you said. 'Not yet'! Now what does that mean…" The giggles wouldn't stop and she hugged me even tighter.

"You can figure it out yourself."

"Ha ha ha! Oh, Neku… Have I told you how lucky I am to have met you? You're such a fun guy! And now I'm even going to shack up with you so that makes me doubly lucky."

"Hey, it's the same for me." I reached up to caress her arm.

We just stayed like that, Eri clinging onto me from behind, our heads rubbing together softly and affectionately… and the slight embarrassment from being hugged and touched in the buff gradually subsided, replaced by a feeling of warmth and security. It's not just any kind of skinship. Ours is something truly special.

"Neku…"

"Yes?"

The air was peppered with a light giggle. "Either you're really happy to see me, or you've got a telescope under your towel."

It took me a while to catch that hidden meaning – I guess her eyes leering at my crotch helped me to piece the clues together. "Wh-Where are you looking?!"

"Don't worry. In the bath, there's nothing to be ashamed of, hee hee!"

Just then, my cell phone rang. It's a habit of mine to bring it into the bathroom with me just in case there's a call I needed to take, like now.

"Eri, if you'll excuse me…"

"Aww, so much for my spot of fun. Oh well, I'll be in the shower if you need me." She released me and popped back into the cubicle. I glanced back over my shoulder at her and caught her wiggling her butt suggestively. She must know I was going to look back at her. That's how well we knew each other, I guess. She's a real tease, that one…

The person at the other end of the line was very cheery and I recognized his voice.

"Phones!" he said. "I've got great news for you."

"For real? Cool. Don't keep me waiting, Kariya." He, along with Uzuki, had promised to help me source out some good apartments. Here's hoping he was calling up about that.

"Um, before that… is that a shower I'm hearing in the background? Don't tell me you're taking a bath with your lady friend?"

"H-How did you – gah!" I've got to learn to stop giving myself away!

He broke into an envious chuckle. "Damn, I knew it! You are one lucky dog, you know that? Hey, any chance I can join – OW! What the hell! That was just a joke – "

A couple of seconds of confusion ensued. Then when I next spoke, it was to a slightly disgruntled Uzuki.

"Sorry about earlier," she grunted. "Don't worry, he wouldn't be awake for a while."

"Oh, um… okay." I shuddered to think what she did to him… "So what's up?"

"We came across this apartment that we thought you might like. Got any paper? I'll hook you up with all the details, so go get something to write it all down."

"Uh… hang on. I'm kinda in the bath."

"With Eri no less? I know you two are a couple, but since when did you guys become so shameless? Especially you, Neku. It's a far cry from your previous timid self."

"I-Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"No. Now get that piece of paper."

XOXOXOXOXO

The next day, following Uzuki's directions, we found ourselves standing at the foot of a massive condominium. Being taller than the other surrounding buildings, it kind of stood out like a sore thumb so it was difficult to miss.

"How many floors does it go?" gushed Eri, who started counting. "Eight, nine, ten… at least fourteen floors! Wow."

"Hope you don't have acrophobia. We're checking out a corner unit on the fifth floor." Corner units aren't boxed in between other units, so they boast better natural lighting and privacy, though the upshot is that the rent is slightly higher than normal.

We'd seen so many apartments that failed to meet our tastes and demands. I was growing tired and nearly lost all hope of finding the perfect home. Might this finally be the one sent from the heavens?

Our worries quickly disappeared as we looked around inside. Unit 5-D didn't appear all that big from the outside, but every room turned out to be quite spacious. The kitchen in particular caught my eye. There was more than enough space if we wanted to work with a half dozen bowls of ingredients, which was saying a lot. And that refrigerator completely dwarfed my miniature one. We'd have no problems with food storage.

"Eee!" squealed Eri. "This is great! There's a bathtub, and it can fit two people juuuust nice! It's exactly what we need!"

The estate agent who accompanied us coughed slightly and a flash of colour appeared on his cheeks. Sometimes I wished she had an inner voice.

"Um, yeah. That's nice and all, Eri, but what about the bedrooms? Are they big enough for you?"

She seemed satisfied. "Yup. The closets are spacious too. They'll be able to hold all of my stuff."

There should be no issues with space as far as I could tell. As a matter of fact, there didn't seem to be any issues with anything. Everything was in working order. The furniture they supplied was simple but sturdy. It's not five- or even four-star material, but compared to the other apartments we had seen, this was about as good as it got. And that's fine with us.

Eri and I huddled together for a quick discussion.

"I think this is the one for us," she said.

I nodded. "No kidding. If we don't take this apartment, there's no telling if we'll ever find another one as good as this. You know how hard it can be to land the perfect home."

"It's a bit farther from our colleges but there are a lot more pros than cons the way I look at it. We can't pass up a chance like this, Neku."

"What do you say, Eri? Are you happy with it?"

"Happy? I'm totally ecstatic! It's got a bathtub!"

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. She gave me a rough pat on the back, accompanied by a short bark of laughter.

"Relax, Neku! The bathtub is nice, but that's not the only reason I want this place."

"I sure hope you aren't getting your priorities mixed up…"

Another quick once-over of the place, and we were more than convinced we had to secure it for ourselves. We told the estate agent posthaste we'd take it, and once he got our contact details he promised to get all the paperwork ready. I couldn't believe it. Me and her… we could finally enjoy a life together and put an end to most of the worries and inconveniences we used to have. This was shaping up to be a fantastic development indeed!

Eri returned home with me to celebrate over drinks and more skinship than usual. I guess most people would pop open a sixpack of beer and drink up a storm. This was the exact same concept, except we used OJ since she was a teetotaler now.

"Once again," she shrilled, "cheers!"

"Cheers!"

And we clinked our cans together.

"It's a bit early to hoist the victory flag," I admitted. "I mean, we haven't even signed the tenancy agreement, let alone moved in. But I'm just so excited right now."

"Me too!" She sidled up to me on the couch suggestively. "You and I are going to have a lot more fun from now on… and some."

Uplifted by the good mood, I joked, "Yeah, I'll be looking forward to that last bit especially."

"Ha ha ha! You're funny."

I looped my free arm around her waist and coaxed her closer, to which she reciprocated wholeheartedly. Together with her I took a long look around the living room and it made me recall all the memories we made here.

"I still remember," I began, "when you first barged in here. You were totally plastered and couldn't even stand properly."

"Ever since then I've been staying over at least once or twice a week for the past, oh… I don't even remember. It's been a long time."

"Yeah." I took a swig of juice. "Even when I was always on the receiving end of your pranks."

"You're practically ripe for teasing," she chuckled. "Girls can't resist a guy like that, you know?"

I snorted, amused. "If you say so." Then, gripped by a certain thought, I spoke with a more somber tone, "Seriously though, we're going to have to say goodbye to our houses. It's a weird feeling."

If she caught a whiff of the melancholy, she sure didn't show it. "We had lots of fun times here. It's sad to part with a place that has a lot of sentimental value to us, but… this is for the better, isn't it?"

"Damn right it is. This is our next big stepping stone."

"I'm going to miss sneaking into your bedroom while you're sleeping."

"Well, now you can do that even more at our new home."

She smiled mischievously. "It's refreshing to see you so open and receptive to your girlfriend's… advances."

I mirrored her smile, to a lesser extent.

"I try."

...

...

Author's notes:
Sorry I took long to release this chapter. I was actually working on this and Chapter 37 at the same time. I know it was a long wait, but the good news is that with Chapter 37 almost complete, I need only do editing and I should be able to upload it real soon! Look out for that!