She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 41)
by BrDPirateMan

"Damn," I muttered, "this weather is brutal."

I ran a hand across my forehead, drawing an abnormal amount of sweat.

"I'll say," huffed Shiki, who was fanning herself with her hand to little effect.

"It's been a while… Are they even coming?"

"Sure they are. They messaged me and said they'll be a bit late."

Just our luck… "I saw a vending machine nearby," I said. "I'm going to go get some cold drinks for us. Be right back."

"No, I'll get them. You wait here."

"Huh? Why?"

She reasoned, "There are quite a lot of people today. It'll be difficult for anyone to find us in this crowd if you're not nearby."

Shiki made no sense. "Wh-Why's that?"

"Your hair, of course." She reached out and gave it a gentle pat. "With such a striking colour, it'd be easy to spot. If anyone sees your hair, they'll see us."

"S-So I'm a landmark?"

"Yes," she chuckled, already leaving. "Deal with it. I wouldn't be long."

"Fair enough…"

We received word that the Bito siblings had just returned from Nagoya for the holidays. Shiki and I were waiting for them around the Statue of Hachiko under the blazing summer heat, like we agreed last night (we agreed on the place, not the heat). Eri was still in Fukushima at her parents' behest, so she was a no-show.

The two of us had the same idea of dressing lightly to combat the heat. The problem was, it wasn't working. My sleeveless hoodie was supposedly made of 'space-age material' that could keep the wearer cool even on the hottest days, but as I felt my clothes stick to my skin, I began to suspect it was all just false advertising. The shorts and spaghetti top that Shiki was wearing offered no respite whatsoever.

Shiki returned with a can of ice-cold soda in each hand. Perfect. She handed me a can, which I gratefully took.

"They're not here yet, huh?"

I shook my head.

"Well, Neku… maybe you need to stand on one of those benches so they can see you better."

"They can see me just fine as it is, thank you. And Shiki, I hope you're joking."

She laughed. "I was actually about to suggest that you use a ladder. Then you'll stand out brilliantly, like the Tokyo Tower."

My eyes rolled to the heavens. "That's taking my landmark status a little too far, Shiki."

I suddenly had a weird feeling, like I was being watched. Before I could think of anything else to prove my theory, a thick arm wrapped itself around my neck. Trapped in the crook of the assailant's elbow, I was in a state of shock. Then something – his free hand, most likely – rubbed against my head repeatedly. It wasn't the most pleasant experience.

More importantly, I was getting a serious case of déjà vu…

He stopped briefly to ask, "Guess who, yo?"

There's only one person in my circle of friends whose mother tongue was street talk.

"Beat," I said, "you gotta stop giving surprise greetings like that."

With a hearty laugh, he released me and gave me a hard slap on the back. We haven't even come face to face with each other and I'd already been subjected to such rough physical treatment. That's what I've come to expect, being friends with a guy who likes to give his buddies headlocks.

"Be a little gentler, man!" I tried to put my mane back together. "You murdered my hair!"

"Murder? That's a bit much, yo." He threw his head back and a rumbling laugh poured forth.

Meanwhile, Shiki and Rhyme were exchanging their hello's the way girls did: with hugs and giggles and girly freshness.

"It's been so long," chirped Shiki. "Goodness, you look fantastic!"

"Thanks," said Rhyme graciously, who then offered a compliment of her own. "You're rocking a pretty bold choice of clothing yourself." Nudging her in the elbow playfully, she teased, "Who are you looking to seduce? Care to tell?"

"Oh, get out!" More laughter followed.

When Rhyme stretched out her hand to me, she was real friendly about it. "How are you, Neku? You're in a good way, I can see."

"Ah, um…"

I was honestly confused to see Rhyme act so amiably towards me. That's because the last impression I had of her wasn't a particularly good one. When she found out that I had given up on pursuing Shiki as a romantic interest, she didn't take it too well and had a scathing opinion to give of Eri, claiming that the latter wasn't girlfriend material and that I was wasting my time. The worst thing was that Eri heard every word, and was quite hurt as a result. Although I managed to put my then-kissing buddy at ease, the whole incident left a bad taste in my mouth. I haven't quite gotten over it.

But for now, I should play nice. Maybe Rhyme had a change of heart. Maybe she thought things over and realized I had a right to choose who I loved.

At any rate, I shook that hand.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said. "And you?"

"Never better. I mean, look: it's summer! And I've missed Shibuya so, so terribly. I'm so happy to be back."

"Damn straight," agreed Beat. "Nagoya was nice an' all, but home is where it's best!"

Shiki herded all of us towards the nearest family restaurant. "Then let's not waste time standing out here. We have much to talk about!"

"Yo, Shiki, they got curry where we're headed? I been cravin' a good bowl these days. Nagoyan curry sucks big time, man."

"Same old Beat," she chuckled. "Your love for curry never changes. And worry you not, there's curry."

"Sounds tight!"

XOXOXOXOXO

The waiter came round and placed our drinks on the table. Our food was taking a while, but no one really minded the wait, not with such a lively conversation going back and forth between us.

"…By the way, Beat," I noted, "you seem to have slimmed down a little."

"Yeah, I stopped eating my own food. Helped me shave off a few pounds."

"I can see that." I traced my line of sight over what used to be his pudgy tummy. Well, he was still… big, but not that much anymore. Give him half a year more and he'll probably be back to his old muscular self.

"Now I leave the 'getting fat' part to other peeps. Like Rhyme." He nodded towards her with a small chuckle.

"I'm so weak-willed," she groaned self-deprecatingly. "The moment I catch a whiff of Beat's okonomiyaki, I can't stop. I seriously need to learn how to restrain myself."

Shiki was sympathetic. Weight gain was a woman's worst enemy, so she could empathise. "If you've gained weight," she pointed out kindly, "I hardly noticed!"

"Heh… thanks."

"All the food you ate probably went in there anyway." And Shiki gestured towards Rhyme's rather pronounced chest.

Thanks to a very late growth spurt, her chest just suddenly decided to pop out with a vengeance and outdo everyone else. And because she hadn't retired from puberty, it looked like she was still growing…

…and she didn't appreciate the attention too much. "Wh-What is it about you guys and boobs? You have no idea how heavy they can get. Do you seriously like back pain? Is everyone a masochist? And shouldn't you be happy with what you're born with?"

"Well, it's not like we're ungrateful… It's just that if we could add a few more centimeters, we'd be happier."

What followed was a rather colourful clash of opinions concerning breast size. I turned to Beat and deadpanned, "We don't belong here anymore."

"We on the wrong planet, yo."

The waiter presently arrived with our food. As soon as Beat picked up the scent of curry, he started drooling all the way to the floor. A break opened up in the conversation and Rhyme took advantage of it to move on to something else to talk about. She couldn't seem to get comfortable around the whole breast enlargement topic.

"Let's talk about something a little more exciting, shall we, guys? I miss the old days when we'd talk about who's going out with who. It's been a while since we last kept in touch so I'd really appreciate some gossip."

All girls are the same. They just love climbing the ol' grapevine. Shiki went first.

"I know one! I heard Ai's being extra friendly with this handsome guy from Hotsuin InfoTech! She's made bentos for him a few times."

A disinterested Rhyme waved it off. "C'mon, you know that's not gonna work for me. We need something juicier to sink our teeth into."

"Huh? Whose love lives are we talking about specifically?"

"Ours." And her eye sparkled with a mischievous glint. "Right… Shiki, you go first. Are you seeing anyone? And no dodging the topic now; it wouldn't be fair to leave me hanging!"

"Don't worry, I wouldn't," said a cool and nonchalant Shiki, "but I don't have anything to say either. These days, I go out with myself."

"You're not hiding anything? Not one tiny morsel of information?"

"I haven't dated anyone ever since I broke up with my last boyfriend. And that was last year."

"Huh… really? No one on your radar?"

"Nope."

Rhyme seemed disappointed. "And here I thought you'd panic and be in denial and stuff. I really miss seeing you whirl your arms around like a maniac. This is… well, kind of a letdown."

A rather horrified Shiki spluttered, "I-Is that how you see me?!"

Ouch…

"What about you, Rhyme?" I asked.

"Still single, although I've been confessed to at school once. This guy from the other class asked me to go out with him."

Shiki made a quick recovery and immediately snapped back to her usual self. "That's so cool!" she gushed. "Did you…?"

"No."

"You didn't go out with him? Why not?"

"He was an idiot," spat Rhyme. "He gave me a perfectly serviceable confession and was even really respectful about it."

"H-How is he an idiot for – "

"Then he let his curiosity get the better of him and he had to go and ask, 'Before I forget, what cup size are you rockin'?' It was a complete farce."

The rest of us reacted in disgust.

"Ugh, what an awful guy," I said. "I'm glad you turned him down."

Shiki groaned. "Looks like the only thing he was serious about was your chest. That sucks."

"If it weren't for Rhyme holdin' me back," growled Beat through a mouthful of curry, "I woulda decked him in the jaw nice and good."

"And last I heard," his sister added, "he was caught in school with a bunch of adult magazines in his bag. Not only did he get a stern talking-to, he also had his whole stash of 'treasures' confiscated. And of course, he couldn't get away from all the rumours that cropped up afterwards. Seriously, what an idiot. Glad I dodged that bullet."

Some time went by with all of us pouring vitriol on his actions, which made me glad for myself and Eri. When two people love each other mutually, it's nothing short of a miracle.

"Beat, what about you?" asked Shiki. "Anyone catch your fancy?"

He shook his head. Once he swallowed down his food, he spoke up, "Haven't found the one for me yet."

I chuckled, "I reckon the girl of your dreams ought to know how to cook curry at the very least."

He laughed goodnaturedly. "Ha! That's a good one. Also, that's a given!"

"You like curry so much it'll determine who your girlfriend will be?"

"Heh, details. …Oh well, guess you're the only one here actually seein' someone, huh, Phones?"

I perked up, excited that I had the chance to boast about my relationship. "Yeah, Eri is really fun to have around! One time, we went for a date at the local indoor ice skating rink. But because we hadn't done any skating before, we spent more time falling on our butts than anything else. Still fun, though!"

"Yeah," giggled Shiki, "she's never been much of a skater."

"Really? Heh, that explains it!"

"Oi, Phones," mumbled Beat, "you still do those cooking lessons with her?"

"Of course! We do them every Saturday. Sometimes I'll teach her a new recipe, other times we'll cook something that she's learnt before so she wouldn't forget; think of it as revision or something. But if we don't have the ingredients we need, we make a trip to the supermarket to get them. Buying stuff together with Eri can be surprisingly fun, you know!"

"I know whatchu mean, man. Buying is half the fun, yo!"

"Right! So we cook on Saturdays, then on Sundays we hit the local indoor pool and she teaches me how to swim."

"Really, dude? Your weekends are packed! Heh, you two don't get a break."

"I guess not. But even when I mess up during swimming, she's always patient. It's thanks to her I can swim somewhat competently now. I mean, I still need to fine-tune my technique, but – "

I suddenly realized I had been going on for a little too long about the fun I was having with Eri.

"Oh, uh, sorry!" Feeling embarrassed, I apologized. "I didn't mean to hog the conversation all to myself. It's just that I had so much to say, and I forgot to stop."

"We cool, man," said Beat with a smile. "It's just… new, seein' you like this."

"Huh? New?"

"What he's saying," explained an amused Shiki, "is that ever since you started dating, you've become different from what you used to be, in a good way. You're more energetic, for one thing… You've also become a lot less awkward with everything in general. Maybe going out with Eri brought out the best in you?"

Hmmm… That may be true. When I look at myself now, I can see I've come a long way. And it's all because of my love for Eri that pushed me ever forwards. She was the catalyst that sparked my self-improvement.

"I have to say, though," she added cheekily. "You haven't quite retired from the awkwardness department yet."

I took her teasing remark in stride and smiled. "No, I guess not."

Both Shiki and Beat were genuinely happy about my relationship. They liked how I had grown and changed for the better when I fell in love with Eri. Knowing that I had their full support made me feel good.

But what of Rhyme?

Earlier when the focus was on everyone else's love lives, she was quite animated and talkative. However, once we started talking about myself and Eri, she clammed up. She just listened with a look on her face so blank I couldn't tell what she was thinking. Even if she had nothing to contribute, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch for her to say something, right? "I think that's pretty cool," she could have said, even if it was a total lie. Or maybe some neutral remark like, "You guys have been together for quite a while, eh?"

Did she still think that me liking Eri was a mistake?

Eri is a good pal, but a good girlfriend? I wouldn't be so sure about that.

Those were her words to me last year. Why did she dislike the idea of me being together with Eri so much? Sure, she stated a whole bunch of reasons, but that's hardly grounds for such enmity. There must be a deeper, underlying reason…

Beat's phone rang to a peculiar tone, kind of like street rap or something. He excused himself to take the call, leaving to go outside. At that moment, I felt the need to answer nature's call myself, so I left too, for the washroom.

While I was in the midst of going about my business, I did some thinking, mostly trying in vain to guess what was going on in Rhyme's head. She had bones to pick with Eri, but I didn't know why and I couldn't for the life of me figure it out… I know everyone has opinions of their own, but couldn't she be a bit, well, nicer about it?

I guess it ultimately didn't matter.

I loved Eri, and she loved me. That's all that counts, right? I don't need anyone to guilt-trip me into second-guessing myself for ending up with her.

Satisfied with myself, I was about to return to the gang when I overheard Rhyme chatting with Shiki. It's probably just the usual girl talk or a renewed discussion about breast size. At least, that's what I thought, but…

"What do you mean, you've given up on Neku?"

What? They were talking about me? I'd stumbled upon something serious! I lingered around the narrow hallway that led to the washrooms, making sure to stay out of sight. From here I could just about pick up what they were saying. Eavesdropping is wrong, I know. However, this was too important for me to just let go. People were talking about me. I ought to know what's up.

"It's just as it is," said Shiki. "I don't – "

"But you loved him so much," Rhyme cut in. "You gave up on him, just like that?"

"To be fair, I did continue to pursue him even after he rejected me the first time round. But I also made a promise to myself."

"A promise?"

"I'd do my best to make him fall for me, but if he ever turned me down again, I'd call it quits and give him my full support. When he made it clear that he wanted to be with Eri, I gladly backed out."

"And… And you're happy with that?"

"Hey, I've got closure. And, well, it's a bit embarrassing for me to admit this, but…" Shiki hesitated for a moment. "…I even got to kiss him on the cheek. Let's just say it was my final act of selfishness. I felt complete after that. So, um, I don't see why I should continue to go after a guy whose heart is set on someone else."

"Well, I don't know… It kinda feels like you threw in the towel too easily… It couldn't hurt to take another shot."

"Nah, I knew it wasn't my destiny to be the girl by his side. Rather than chase a dream that wouldn't come true, I decided to pour my energy into more important things."

"Hmmm… But I think – "

"Oi, girls," said a third voice. "I'm back."

Beat's arrival caused Rhyme to cut short her talk with Shiki. After that, things went back to normal and I saw my chance to return. I pretended I didn't hear a thing.

I'd love to take a peek inside Rhyme's head to see what exactly was on her mind. Why did it sound like she was clinging onto hopes that Shiki would go out with me? Could something have happened between her and Eri that caused her to look at the latter in such a lowly manner?

Ever the enigma, aren't you, Rhyme…

XOXOXOXOXO

A few days passed since the gang's reunion and the mystery of Rhyme's behaviour was pushed to the back of my head and forgotten. I did conjure up some conspiracy theories but in the end it was all a waste of time and I left it be.

Sunday came round and I was looking forward to a dip at the local indoor pool afterwards. Eri usually accompanied me as my personal swimming coach; without her around the most I could do was to practice by myself.

In the midst of stuffing some necessary items into a knapsack, I received a phone call. Was that Eri? Aha! Maybe she's found another chance to talk! I'll just head on over to the pool once I was done chatting –

Huh? Rhyme? Oh, that's rare.

She seldom called me. And the way she behaved around the issue of my relationship made me cautious of her. Did she call me to unload some self-righteous speech about choosing the right person to date? I personally have heard enough of it. But I should give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Hi Neku, you free to talk?"

"Uh, sure, I can spare a few minutes. What's up?"

"So, you swim every week, right? As part of your fitness regimen."

"Yeah, I was just about to head to the pool."

"You mean, like, right now? Uh, I know I sound abrupt, but if it isn't too much trouble for you, can I come with?"

Rhyme wanted to go swimming together with me? This was sudden, not to mention suspicious. Treading carefully, I asked, "Um, why?"

"Have you seen how hot it is today? I need to cool off so desperately. Then I got to thinking: why not do it with a friend? It'll be twice the fun."

It would be mean of me to say no when I had no good reason. Well, if we're hanging out as friends it should be okay… And despite the way she'd been carrying herself, she wasn't an inherently bad person, even if she didn't like me going out with the "wrong" girl.

"Is Beat not coming along?" I asked.

"No, he's attending a group date with a few of his friends. So it's just gonna be you and me."

Knowing how critical she was of Eri, I couldn't count on her to stop spouting all kinds of crud about our relationship, but it would be good if we could put our differences aside for once and have some fun at the pool. And perhaps, with enough persuasion, I could finally coax her to give us her blessings.

"That's fine by me," I said. "We'll meet up at two."

"Goodie. I'm looking forward to it."

I hoped she didn't have anything weird up her sleeve…

XOXOXOXOXO

Rhyme was busy changing. But it was taking longer than expected for her to show up, and I was already done with warm-ups. Not willing to start without her, I went to the shallow end and did the breathing exercises that Eri taught me.

She was taking awfully long, though… What's keeping her?

No matter. She'd come soon. Okay, focus for now… Dunk my head in, breathe out through the nose, break surface, breathe in… repeat…

When I pulled my head out of the water for the third time, I heard Rhyme behind me and close by at that.

And she was chiding me. "Geez, you're already in. Couldn't you have waited for me at least?"

"Huh?"

I whisked the water off my forehead and lifted my goggles off. When I saw her, my throat involuntarily acted on its own, causing an audible gasp to be heard.

The first thing I saw about her was the… uh, amount of nothing she was wearing. I mean, it's a bikini, after all. The type she was sporting was the string variety, so it was pretty much four triangles of cloth held together by some flimsy string. Yeah, it's exactly the type that's notoriously prone to wardrobe malfunctions. I struggled to comprehend how she could keep her humongous chest locked securely inside that top. The fabric was stretched so tight, I feared it might explode and bare her fruits to the world.

She easily garnered second glances from all around the pool. No kidding; she looked good. Real good. So good I felt guilty looking at her. She really had grown into quite the beauty.

"I had trouble tying up my hair," she said. "That's why I took so long."

For a second or two I just stared at her, stunned. But it was a second too long for her and she grew impatient at my lack of a response. She hunkered down to more or less my eye level, unintentionally drawing my attention to her crotch. I scolded myself inwardly and tore my eyes away just in time to see her snap her fingers in front of my face.

"Hey, wake up. We're going for a swim, not a nap."

"Ah, s-sorry." I got distracted… I shuddered to think what Eri would do if she saw me like that.

As Rhyme slipped into the water beside me ever so serenely, she found it fit to comment on my attire. "You look like a torpedo, Neku."

"You're the third person who's told me that, Rhyme." Amazing how all girls think alike…

"Wouldn't you agree?"

"Torpedo or not, I like this suit. It… um, hides my imperfections."

"A little skin never hurt anybody."

"Says you," I gulped, finding my eyes wandering over to her breasts once more. "So… shall we get started?"

"Sure, that's the plan. If you can quit staring at my chest for two seconds."

The biting sarcasm in her voice hinted that she wasn't thrilled with my voyeuristic glances. Rather ashamed of myself, I looked away and made a mental reminder that I shouldn't be ogling the rest of the female population who wasn't my girlfriend. Yes, she was kind of right in my face and it was practically impossible to not look, but…

"Ah, sorry… I didn't mean to stare."

"Well, you can't help being a guy. I sure wish people would stop glancing this way, though. It gets distracting real quick knowing that everyone's eyes are on me."

You brought it upon yourself, Rhyme… That bikini was very much on the small side.

"I didn't see you do your warm-ups," I noted.

"I did them back in the locker room. I'll be fine, don't worry."

"Wh-Why in the locker room? Can't you just do it out here?"

"Not in everyone's presence. I swear… some guy out there is just waiting for me to bend the right angle so he can take the 'perfect' snapshot of me. Those stupid perverts are all over the place. No way am I going to become part of some idiot's photo gallery."

"Ahaha… I see…" Why was she looking at me with narrowed eyes, like I was the pervert? I hadn't done anything!

Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Rhyme switched to talking about the main event of the afternoon: swimming. "So… you any good in the water, Neku? I hear Eri's been coaching you."

My gut clenched slightly when I heard her mention Eri's name. However, she thankfully didn't devolve into another rant about the importance of finding the right girlfriend and all that nonsense. Maybe we could actually forget about that for once. "Yeah, she's a good teacher. But I'm still not very confident with my swimming technique, so I'll stick around in the shallow end to practice."

"Then I'll be over at the deep end if you need me," she said, starting to wade away.

Even though we came together to have "twice the fun", it's more like we were doing two different things. Heck, we weren't even on the same side of the pool. And was it just me, or was she being standoffish? The cold war was far from over, huh…

Early on, it became obvious that our swimming skills were worlds apart. I was flopping around rather clumsily; sometimes I might get brave and try practicing somewhere deeper, but I never took things too far out of safety.

In contrast, Rhyme made it look easy gliding through the water. She was like a mermaid, and the pool her oyster. How did she learn to swim like that? Out of curiosity, I dunked my head beneath the surface to see how she swam. Maybe I could take notes, was what I thought. Instead, I was dumbfounded when I saw her doing loop-de-loops underwater. Forget the note-taking; there's no way I could do that!

She noticed me staring at her and suddenly slithered in my direction, covering nearly half of the pool's distance in a couple of seconds. I was so surprised by her speed that I ended up swallowing some water.

As I coughed and spluttered like a rusty engine, she came over to check up on me.

"You needed something, Neku? Actually, more importantly, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine. I was just watching you swim. You're pretty good."

I must not have sounded graceful complimenting her while coughing a great deal, because I saw her make the slightest frown. Nevertheless, she paid it no mind.

"Mum and Dad made me take swimming lessons when I was a child. Beat, too. He may not look like it, but he's a competent swimmer. He's just not as good as I am."

It's true. Beat could swim well. I'd seen him tear up the school pool during PE lessons. He was like a shark in a feeding frenzy. With the bulge in his belly now, however, I'm guessing he'd be more like a whale. A beached whale.

"That's amazing, Rhyme. You could be in the Olympics."

"I get that all the time. The swimming club has tried to recruit me more times than I can remember."

"And you turned them down?"

She shrugged. "Swimming is something I do once in a while for fun. It's not really something I'm so passionate about that I'd want to participate in a competition."

"Oh, I see. I bet you could have won a few medals if you did."

"Maybe. Now, if you don't need anything, I'll get back to my swim. I want to do a few more laps before we take a break."

Then she melted beneath the water surface and swam away. The way she moved in the water made me wonder if she was some kind of fish in her previous life.

Everyone in our gang was an excellent swimmer except me. Being the odd one out made me envious. I had to take another look at her. She had such great form and her movements were fluid and graceful… Was there any way I could emulate them? It'd be nice if I could swim well enough to keep up with Eri. Still, the maneuvers Rhyme was making was the stuff of experts. With my minimal skills, even attempting to do that was all just a wild dream.

I had myself submerged to admire her swimming technique. There weren't a lot of people to block my line of sight, so I had a clear view of the action. So far, so good. I may not have her moves down pat, but it might be possible for me to copy parts of them.

Suddenly, as she was making some aggressive turns, the unthinkable happened. The knot that tied her bikini bottom together loosened by itself. I watched, frozen in a strange mixture of awe and horror, as it unraveled completely and slipped away. The good news was that I didn't need to worry about her top coming off. The bad news was… obvious.

Why the hell didn't she notice?! She just kept swimming without even realizing that she was naked from the waist down. It would be bad if she got out of the pool now. I tried to send her a signal, waving my hands frantically, but I was too far away and she didn't see me. I'd have to get closer, but that meant going to the deep end of the pool, which I felt wasn't a very good idea.

Still, I had a simple solution. I climbed out of the pool and jogged over to where she was, crouching at the edge where I was safe. I called out to her and beckoned her to come over, which she did. All the while, she was blissfully unaware.

"What's up, Neku?" She crossed her arms and rested them on the edge.

I cleared my throat. Emergencies should always be dealt with in a calm professional manner, regardless of the circumstances. I've dealt with a similar wardrobe malfunction before – Shiki losing her bikini top comes to mind. This was nothing.

"Rhyme, uh… stay in the water. Your bikini bottom came off. It's probably floating, um, somewhere."

The truth of the situation didn't hit her yet. Or maybe it was in the process of hitting her. For the first five seconds, she did nothing but stare at me, dumbstruck. Then, slowly, she reached down below with a hand…

"Eek!"

With a small splash she crashed back into the water to search for the missing piece. She came back up in record time and the poor girl was so embarrassed she refused to let anything below her neck show up above the water surface.

"Um," I gulped, "y-you found it?"

"Yeah," she squeaked. "I've put it back on. Th-Thanks for the heads up. Oh, and, um… did you see anything? L-Like my butt, or… or the… front…"

I did the smart thing and gave her what I thought was a suitable answer.

"Neither. You were swimming, um, horizontally. All I saw was your… side."

"Ugh," she groaned, cheeks flushed bright red. "I'd rather you didn't see anything at all."

"S-Sorry." Should I try my hand at a little joke to put her at ease? "I know! I'll just pretend your bikini bottom is transparent! Then it'd be no problem, right?"

She didn't appreciate it. The light was gone from her eyes, making her glare twice as unnerving.

"Neku," she muttered darkly, "your humour needs work."

"I… I know." Eri told me as much… "Terribly sorry."

"Let's take a break, okay? I feel like crawling into a hole and never coming out, so let's get some snacks while we're at it."

XOXOXOXOXO

Rhyme and I took our seats at a poolside table, settling down for yakisoba (fried noodles). Still mortified over the mishap that had befallen her, she nibbled on her noodles dolefully. I tried to convince her that no one would have seen it, but she simply deflected my claim, saying that I saw it, which was bad enough in itself. It was a valid point, I had to admit. For a while, I couldn't think of anything to say to her. There was a weird silence between us.

She did recover eventually, and to my immense relief, we finally had a conversation going again.

"So, Neku, I think it's about time I had a heart-to-heart talk with you…" She popped a shred of pickled ginger into her mouth. "…about Eri."

Oh boy… This again? She's going to yak on and on about you-know-what. I just knew it was only a matter of time before it came to this. But still, gimme a break!

"What's on your mind?" I asked cautiously.

When she talked smack about Eri before, she wore a self-righteous frown, but it wasn't there on her face today. In fact, she appeared relatively serene, like she had resigned herself to an unavoidable truth.

"I talked to Shiki the other day," she said, "and she told me she'd gotten over you. As you've probably noticed, she's had a huge crush on you for the longest time."

"Yeah, she confessed to me once. But I turned her down."

"She let go of her feelings for you and decided to support your relationship with Eri. Beat's the same way. Now he's all for you two to be happy together."

I tried my luck with a risky question. "And what about you, Rhyme? How do you feel about us?"

A sigh left her lips. "That depends on how you answer my question. But first, let me tell you a story."

I guess earning her respect wouldn't be easy… not that I was surprised. For now, though, I listened to what she had to say.

"Ever since high school," she began, "Beat has always been in love with Eri."

Really? He never showed any indication that he might have feelings for her. He was never one to hide his emotions, so it struck me as doubly surprising that he could keep such a secret from us for so long.

"I didn't know that, Rhyme. He didn't tell me."

"That's because he was shy about his feelings. Back then, it was customary for us teenagers to make fun of each other about the people we liked. He was afraid that if people knew, their teasing would make things awkward between him and Eri. I was the only person who knew, and he made me promise it stayed that way."

"Makes sense he'd want to keep it a secret. The teasing can really get out of hand. I should know. I've had more than enough of friends grilling me about my love for Shiki back then, and I had problems just hanging out with her. I'm sure it was the same way for her. It was hell growing up."

Rhyme nodded, agreeing with me for once. "We were young and immature at the time. Looking back, that way of teasing has been done to death and some. Yet, it never got old. That's the stupid part. And that's something Beat could do without.

"Anyway, more than anything, he wanted to become Eri's boyfriend. Time and time again he would try to confess to her, only to back down at the last moment because he was scared of the implications if she rejected him."

"You mean how it'd feel weird to be around each other?"

"Yes. In the worst case scenario, he might not even get to be friends with her anymore. He didn't want that.

"Then, another chance opened up for him. This was at the end of high school, with exams over and everyone close to graduation. It just so happened that Eri had just dumped another one of her many boyfriends, so she was single again. It was the best time to confess, so I urged him to do so, properly this time."

I pictured the confession scene in my mind's eye as Rhyme related the details to me. At this point in time, I wasn't at the pool eating yakisoba. I was on the rooftop at school, watching it play out as an invisible spectator. The sun was setting, the breeze was light and refreshing… and right in front of me, Beat was struggling to get the words out for Eri. He was never this nervous before, not even when he failed his mid-terms the year before and he knew his parents were going to murder him.

"Beat?" said a clueless Eri. "Is there something you wanted to tell me? I got your message, so… here I am."

He rubbed the back of his neck a little too vigorously. His cheeks were so red that not even the orange glow of the evening sun could hide it. And his voice was trembling, so unlike his own. I had a hard time trying to convince myself this was really him.

"Eri, listen, yo… um… wh-where you headed for college?"

"I'll still be here in Shibuya. There's a good university here that I've been wanting to go to… Why do you ask?"

"W-Well, see, me and my sis, we're gonna continue our studies in Nagoya. So… I wouldn't be here for awhile…"

"Yeah, it's a pity we can't all study in the same place." Then with her trademark peppiness, she added, "But hey, we've got our cell phones and e-mail to help stay in touch!"

She wasn't clueing in at all, which made him even more nervous. Now he was rubbing his neck so hard I thought he'd tear the skin right off. But he persevered and tried to be a bit more forward.

"Um, yeah, but… Eri, look… I need to tell you somethin'! Somethin' real important-like! I don't have long before I go off to Nagoya, so… p-please listen…"

"What's wrong?"

Beat sucked in a deep breath through his teeth. He was trying his hardest to stay calm but the longer he took to compose himself the more it looked like he was going to lose it. But no, just when I thought he'd get cold feet, he said it. The delivery was clunky, but it was done and done.

"Eri, I love you! W-Will you… uh, go out with me?!"

We'd all known him to be the joker of the gang, the source of all slapstick comedy. He's a lovable dork who's been designated the unenviable position of life's chew toy, but despite his many failures he always laughed it off. So it wasn't often you got to see him with such a serious side. I bet Eri must not have expected to hear that from him.

He awaited her reply with bated breath. At least two years of pent-up tension from not being able to confess was finally gone, and he looked visibly relieved to have finally said it, but he wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Beat," she muttered, "this… um, are you… certain?"

"Y-Yeah. I, uh… I always liked you since we met, 'cause you're fun to hang out with and stuff. I really think you're perfect. We can, um… we can click because we're similar, is what I figure." Realising that he was rambling too much, he got all embarrassed and started giving the back of his neck another series of rubs. "Ahaha! Sorry, I said too much stuff. No, I mean, for real, Eri. I'm serious about you, yo. If you're okay with me, then let's… go out? Whaddya say?"

Rhyme downed her glass of juice. "Sadly for him, she rejected his confession."

At this point, the scene dissolved away and I was plopped back into the real world. Engrossed in my imagination, I had totally forgotten about my yakisoba. Now I shoveled a forkful of it into my mouth. There was a lull in the conversation that screamed at me to provide some form of input. But what should I say in the face of such heavy subject matter?

In the end I settled for, "How… How did Beat handle it? The rejection, I mean."

"For a while, he was devastated. Eri was tactful in telling him no, but it still stung for him. My bro usually bounces back soon after every setback. This time, however… he couldn't quite get over it.

"Even after that, he still couldn't get her out of his head. He'd reminisce about every conversation he's had with her, and openly wonder about what she's doing, or who she's going out with. My poor brother… He couldn't accept her rejection, so he's been like this, going on and on about her." Rhyme wore a pained expression, feeling sorry for him. Heck, who wouldn't?

The poor guy… He must have it bad for Eri. Otherwise, he wouldn't dwell on her so much and for so long.

"However," continued Rhyme, "when he received the news that you had actually hooked up with her, he put his foot down and decided not to let the matter bother him anymore. He was genuinely happy for you and gave you his full support. It was his way of moving forward. That, and… well, honestly I think he was getting tired of being stuck in limbo. He felt that if he couldn't get the girl, then the least he could do was wish her happiness and move on.

"Actually, it's not just him who moved forward. There's Shiki, who came to terms with being turned down. And then there's you and Eri, who found love and happiness with each other. That's what's magical about us human beings, see? We learn to cope and accept the truth…

"But I couldn't do it. Up until now. And… I really want to."

Her eyes turned dull, reflecting her unhappiness with herself. I had no idea she was being plagued with something so serious. I chose my words with care. "It's been a problem for you? Why is that?"

"All along I felt that Eri didn't give my brother a chance. She should have gotten to know him better before coming to a decision. If she had done that, I'd be fine with it, but as it stands I wasn't satisfied. I've been unhappy with her ever since then, and I couldn't let go of my resentment for a long time."

"Then… when you were so harsh talking about her…"

"That was me being bitter," she said. "I was taking out my frustrations on her, and by extension, you, since she wound up dating you when I was hoping she'd end up with my brother."

"So that's why you said all those things about her to me."

Rhyme made a small bow in apology. "Yes… I'm sorry. I do think she's a good friend… so I shouldn't be lambasting her personality and lifestyle like I did. I've said some unsavory things to you too. I can't apologise enough, Neku."

Those words couldn't be fake. She wouldn't go to such lengths as to explain her actions if she didn't plan on saying sorry in the first place. I knew this was a girl who wished to make amends.

"Everyone's gone on to better things," she continued humbly, "but I'm the only one who hasn't. I'm tired of staying in the past."

"Then don't," I said, with a small but kind smile. "Are you a Neanderthal?"

Confusion marred her pretty face. "H-Huh?"

"Listen, Rhyme." I patted her on the arm gently. "I forgive you for the things you've said about me and Eri. Really, I do. So don't beat yourself up anymore."

For what must be the first time ever, she was at a loss for words and nothing that came out of her mouth came out fluent. I'd never seen her in such a bewildered state before. "What… um, wait. Isn't… Isn't this a bit too fast? Why are you okay with that so quickly? I was kind of a meanie, you know. Sh-Shouldn't there be, I don't know, some kind of grace period or – "

"You were a little too harsh, I'll give you that. But if you're truly sorry, I don't see why I shouldn't forgive you. There's no point for either of us to get hung up about the past, 'cause the past is for Neanderthals. And I reckon you and I are too smart to be cavemen."

Unable to understand my analogy – admittedly it was quite strange – she just blinked at me. But as the meaning of it began to seep in, she saw its lighter side and broke into a quick bout of laughter.

"Your humour still needs work," she giggled, "but I see what you're getting at. Thanks for forgiving me. I feel like now I can finally close this chapter."

"We're friends, Rhyme. I'd hate to lose you."

"And I you. Ah, one more thing, though."

"Hmm?"

"I still need to ask you that question. Let's just say it's one last thing I need to be sure of before I can finally find peace with Eri."

This final hurdle didn't seem too high of a mountain to climb. I faced her final inquiry with courage.

"What's that?"

"Neku, do you love Eri? As in, really truly?"

So much for a mountain. It's more like a baseball mound! I answered with confidence.

"Yes," I said with firm proud words. "I love her. I want to be with her. And I'm serious."

Rhyme smiled. "That's what I want to hear. Now that I'm convinced you two are committed towards each other, I can let go of whatever reservations I had of you. You two might just make a great couple after all."

"We already are one!" I smirked. "By the way, does this mean you'll be happy for us from here on out?"

"Of course. You have my word."

Satisfied that everything had come to a happy conclusion, we renewed our vows to remain friends forever.

"We'll always be pals!" I proclaimed. "Nothing will get in the way of our friendship!"

"You better invite me to your wedding," she said, amused at my uncharacteristic perkiness.

"Yeah! Uh… wait a minute…" Suddenly a dozen thoughts smacked me upside the head one by one like a salvo of missiles. "I haven't gotten engaged to her yet. But we haven't even been going out for that long… When would be a good time to propose? But then… there are so many things we haven't done yet, like going to the beach, or meeting her parents, or… or se– "

"Whoa there." Rhyme put up her hand and stopped me. "Too much information. Shut up, will you? I don't need to know everything."

I chuckled like a dork. "Sorry!"

"Ah well. Come on." She rose from her seat. "Let's get back to our swim. The afternoon is far from over. What do you say, friend?"

"Sure," I said, grinning. "Let's!"

…

…

Author's note: Okay, first things first… Sorry for this very late update. I meant to upload it earlier, but the first draft wasn't to my liking, and I wound up having to rewrite the latter half of the chapter, starting from Neku and Rhyme's afternoon swim.

The first draft went like this: bitter that Eri ended up dating Neku, Rhyme decided to take things into her own hands. Her plan was to convince him into leaving Eri so that the latter would be single again and free for Beat to pursue. To accomplish this, she made use of her own sex appeal – there's the fact that she wore that bikini, but she also teased him with sexy visual gags like wiggling her butt and spilling juice onto her breasts and inviting him to wipe her clean. She pulled out all the stops near the end by convincing two guys to pretend to hit on her in front of him so he could 'rescue' her. Following that, she'd seduce him as 'thanks', hoping to get closer to accomplishing her goal.

Even if Rhyme was pretending to be a tease, it just didn't sit right with me. But that's not all. Beat would show up and figure out his sister's schemes, and force her to tell the truth about the time when Eri rejected his confession. At the very end, Neku forgave her just like that, even after the terrible things she'd done. I felt he was too quick to forgive her. Overall, the chapter didn't mesh well at all.

It wasn't until I'd completed the first draft and read it through that I realized this wasn't going to work. It was already two months since Chapter 40 was released and I was inclined to just go ahead and upload Chapter 41 as it was, but I couldn't do it. I just wasn't comfortable with it. So I made the very hard choice of rewriting the second half from scratch.

The most important change was in Rhyme's personality. She was originally portrayed to be abrasive, aggressive and willing to use her body to achieve her goals. Heck, she was almost an evil character! Her second portrayal removes all of the above and makes her mildly sarcastic instead. She's also written to be an atoner who's sick of being mean and just wants to make up with Neku. This helps to tie up the loose ends I created from her introduction in Chapter 27 as something of an antagonist, and reverts her to friend status.

Once again, sorry for taking so long and for boring you with this long ramble, but I hope you'll come to enjoy Chapter 41. Chapter 42 is in the works; don't worry, it'll be a much lighter chapter. Stay tuned and I'll see you soon… bye for now!