She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 42)
by BrDPirateMan

One month has passed since the beginning of the summer holidays. One whole month that I spent in the absence of my precious girlfriend.

Eri's coming back today. Her month-long stay in Fukushima had finally come to an end and she was due to arrive within the hour. So here I was, at the train station, waiting to fetch her. As the clock ticked closer to the arrival time, my gut started to clench in anticipation. We haven't seen each other at all, though we did get to talk now and again. I was worried that she'd get so excited from seeing me that she'd fly out of the train doors and into my arms. She may not have issues being at the centre of attention, but I couldn't say I was the same way.

My phone chimed. Eri just sent me a message.

I'm coming in five, Neku. Brace yourself.

Oh boy. I'd better.

She's going to tackle me. Right in the middle of a busy train station in public. I just knew it. I wished I'd brought body armour or something to protect myself with.

The train rolled in, right on the dot. I tried to pick out her iconic brown-and-white striped cap from amongst the throng inside the train, but it was so packed I couldn't really see much of anything. I elected to wait in a spot where I could be easily seen. That shouldn't be too hard. Not too long ago Shiki remarked that my striking orange hair made me a walking landmark, and you know what? I actually believed her.

The doors slid open and a sea of commuters poured out. Still no sign of her. Oh well, she's probably stuck near the rear end of the –

Suddenly I was robbed of my sight and the whole world turned pitch black. Somebody had clamped their hands over my eyes. And then…

"Guess who?"

Even when I couldn't see anything, I didn't need any clues to know who it was.

"Well," I said jokingly, "if I say you're Eri, do I get a million yen?"

"I don't have that kind of money," she laughed. "But when it comes to my love for you, I'm loaded."

"That's… really sweet and corny at the same time. Which is precisely why I love it."

"Ha ha ha!"

Eri peeled her hands away and I finally got to get a good look at her after a solid thirty days of not seeing each other in person. It's been a while since I last saw that famous outfit of hers. That cropped sleeveless hoodie, the midriff-baring top, and the olive-green skirt with the fanny pack slung at the hip… Yup, everything was in place and just the way I liked it.

She was a sight for sore eyes indeed. And judging by the immense relief on her face, I must be the same for her.

"I've missed you, you know!" she gushed, immediately trapping me in a brief hug which I returned. "You have no idea how much!"

"Heh heh… I can guess. It's been real quiet without you. Come home already; the silence is driving me mad."

"That's what I intend to do."

"What, you mean drive me mad?"

"No, silly," she laughed. "Although that's a good idea. C'mon, call a cab already."

"Right. Let me help you with that first."

I pried away the knapsack that was hanging around her shoulder, transferring it to my own to relieve her of the burden of its weight. Then, after we hailed a taxi and got in, we were on our merry way back home.

"What's with the knapsack, Eri? I don't remember you bringing it along when you left."

"Oh, those are all the souvenirs I bought in Fukushima. There isn't enough space in my luggage bag, so I found this old bag at home and stuffed them in here."

"Souvenirs?"

"Yeah, I've got enough for everybody – the gang, my college buddies, Kariya and Uzuki and Mr H… Oh, don't worry. I got one for each of us, too."

I was honestly a little afraid that she might have bought something weird. With breath held tight, I asked, "What kinda souvenirs are they?"

"Good luck charms. I bought them at the local neighbourhood shrine."

"Ah, I see." Oh, good. And here I thought she'd get creepy wooden statues or something.

"Mr H is running a business, so I got him a prosperity charm. And I hear Mina and her friends are developing their own video game as a long-term project, so I thought something to bring about smooth progress would be right up her alley."

I grinned widely, praising her for her thoughtfulness. "I'm sure they'll appreciate it. What did you get us?"

"I got myself a charm to ensure that I can beat everyone else to the biggest discount sales. It's practically essential for a trendsetter like myself!"

"Eh?"

"And for you, I got this nosebleed prevention charm! Neat, huh?" She seemed proud of herself.

"Th-They have stuff like that? I have no idea… Thanks, I guess." Not really what I wanted, but I'll take what I could get…

"Well, I also have charms for a long-lasting relationship. That way, everything will be just fine between us!"

Now that's more like it!

"Thanks, Eri. That's nice of you."

"Anything for good vibes, right?" she chirped, leaning in closer.

"You speak my mind. Hang on… you wouldn't need a knapsack to keep a bunch of charms… What else is in there?"

"Heh heh… well…"

She scratched her cheek, looking very suspiciously like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. I had some ideas as to why and didn't even wait for her to answer.

"You couldn't resist the urge to buy some more clothes, huh?"

With a slightly nervous giggle, Eri attempted to justify her thirst for better threads. "There was a clearance sale! When I think about those poor clothes being left to gather so much dust that they have to be put on discount, I can't help but feel sorry for them. I had to do something about it. I had to give them a home! And what better place than my wardrobe?"

Amused, I simply remarked, "Eri, you never change."

Some things just don't. But sometimes, that's what makes them so beautiful.

XOXOXOXOXO

As soon as we set foot in our apartment, Eri loosened up and spared no time going back to her old carefree self.

"I was always on edge for the past month," she said. "My parents expect me to behave the 'right' way at all times. Everything I wanted to do had to be done with their permission, or behind their backs. Got too stressful for my taste."

"Parents are all like that, right?"

"Yeah. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my mum and dad. I just don't like how they're always out to cramp my style. I'm already an adult! Shouldn't I have the freedom to do as I please?"

"I guess no matter how old we are, we'll always be children to our parents. Foster parents in my case."

"Anyway, it's a huge relief for me to be back here with you. I can do whatever I want with impunity; now that's true bliss! That's why, to celebrate my homecoming, you and I are going to…"

Drumroll, please.

"…have a deluxe skinship/bonding session in the bath right now. I wouldn't take no for an answer. So get inside and get naked!"

"I'm down with that."

"R-Really?"

"What's the matter? I don't think it's that surprising anymore, for me to share the bathroom with you. Heck, I've had at least nine months' experience."

"I know. It's just… Part of me misses the panicked reactions of the old you. It's comedy gold."

Somewhere in my heart, I felt a stab. It hurt somewhat. "I've been stuck in that 'sane man' archetype for far too long…"

Eri retrieved a selection of bath products from her knapsack, cradling them in her arms. I saw a new brush and sponge, as well as countless other bath or skin care products. There was a tube of shampoo resting within the crook of her right elbow, and a canister of liquid soap perching on her left. Apart from that there was nothing else I could recognize. There was a lot though. She sure knew how to go all out when it came to spending.

Safe in the privacy of our bathroom, she made sure to spend every minute relaxing to the fullest. Our home was the most stress-free environment she knew, so she saw no reason to hold back.

"Mmmm…!" she squealed. "Oh, yes! Aaah!"

At her insistence, I scrubbed her back with the new sponge she bought in Fukushima – the one she claimed could "slurp up grease and dead skin like magic". It apparently lived up to its claims, if her gasps of orgasmic delight were anything to go by. Seriously, she wouldn't sound out of place in a love scene from an adults-only movie.

The sponge touched an especially sensitive spot just above her rump and her back arched intensely, accompanied by another one of her… noises.

"Oh, Neku," she breathed, "where did you learn to move your hands like that? I'm shivering all over."

"Um, Eri? Quiet, will you? You shouldn't need to sound like you're having sex when you're just taking a bath."

"When you're this good with a sponge, bath time is a lot like sex. Not that I know what sex is really like yet, but – nyaaah…!"

That last one almost pushed the doomsday button for me. A little further and I think I'd have done some regrettable things to her. But I managed to calm down and retain my grip on reality despite the circumstances. Not willing to linger around in that dangerous situation any longer, I made the last few strokes of the sponge at supersonic speeds, so fast she couldn't even moan in time. I wasn't a fan of rush jobs, but this was an emergency.

"A-All done." Compared to having to listen to her, watching the suds slither down her skin as I doused her back was a much calmer affair. "Your turn."

"What's the rush?" she teased knowingly. "Trying to set a new record or something?"

We switched positions so she could scrub my back. With her behind me and out of my sight, getting through this bath with my sanity intact should be a lot easier.

Or not.

"Get ready!" she called in a grandiose manner. "You're about to experience the epitome of perfection!"

Ah, it's probably the usual. There are only so many ways you can use a sponge. Still, if this was a wonder product like she claimed it to be, then I wanted to try it too.

"Alright, get to it already."

"You got it!"

I waited patiently for her to lather up the sponge, but when I saw it was in the bucket where I had left it, I began to wonder what was up. Then I saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror… Um, w-was she drizzling liquid soap all over her chest?

Oh god, don't tell me she –

Too late. She curled her arms around my body tightly, netting me in her embrace like a butterfly. Of course, you know what this means: she was hugging me. Skin to skin. Her chest was pressed firmly into my back, but the soap made it slippery.

She rubbed her breasts all over my back in lingering circles, coating it in suds with each pass. My throat acted up and I could feel my body temperature rising through the roof. The sensation against my skin was too good to be true. Even if she didn't hug me to keep me in place, I probably wouldn't be able to move anyway. The shock plunged me into a catatonic state.

Eventually I did find my voice along with a figment of my diminishing sanity. "Eri?! Wh-Wh-What are you doing?!"

"What's it look like?" she sniggered. "I'm scrubbing your back."

"We have a sponge for that purpose – mngh!"

"No one said you have to use a sponge," she retorted coolly, squashing her breasts up and down at a slow but unrelenting pace. "Besides, I've always wanted to try this… It's the perfect technique to revitalize an exhausted gentleman. Don't you like it?"

"I… I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it, but could you tone it down a bit? You're getting quite scary."

"I'll take it as a compliment. So here's my thanks."

In complete defiance, she pressed them in even harder. I felt the breath squeeze out of my lungs, like she was pushing it out of me. You know, I'll be honest. I liked her doing this to me. If I wasn't so afraid that I might get out of control and take advantage of her, I would have enjoyed it more. But her aggressiveness was frightening and my morals were eroding by the minute. At the rate this was going, I'd have to use contraception simply to take a bath!

"Listen," she said. "I've had to endure a whole month of not being able to see you and it's taken a huge toll on me. I can't hold it in anymore!"

This was bad. Eri Tanikawa in heat was a force no god could ever hope to match. On one hand, I was happy to know she missed me. On the other hand, she might have missed me too much… which led to this.

My safety was at stake; actually, hers too. I didn't want to turn into a monster and ruin our lives with a single heated moment of passion. I tried to wriggle away to freedom, but she was unwilling to yield to my struggles. She made like a boa constrictor and tightened her grip on me, sealing my doom. All the while, the tenderness of her breasts never left my back. They were soft and pliable and felt like heaven. In her unstoppable frenzy she lathered up my back so much the foam flew all over the place. Please, get me outta here!

Eri panted like a woman possessed. "Feel good? Hee hee… You haven't seen the start of it."

That's it. I've reached my limit. If Eri wasn't going to hold it in then neither should I. My body had been fighting to rein in my urges, but now it was time to let go.

I thought I should warn her at least. "Eri… I'm… I'm afraid I'm gonna have to blow off some steam."

She didn't even pause or slow down. "Really now? Good, don't hold back."

And I didn't. The last bout of pressure on my back proved too much… and a year's worth of blood burst out of my nostrils in spectacular fashion. In the midst of such a gory display, even Eri had to stop and watch in awe at the growing pool of crimson at my feet.

I managed to wrestle one of my arms free and promptly clamped my nose shut before I could pass out from extreme blood loss. Thank goodness for that. Saved by a nosebleed of all things…

The ridiculousness silenced us both into a stupor.

Then Eri spoke up at last.

"Oh… That nosebleed prevention charm turned out to be a total dud, huh…"

XOXOXOXOXO

"How are you feeling, Neku?"

"I'm kind of dizzy, but I should be fine in a bit." Resting on the couch, I had my head tilted upwards and the bridge of my nose pinched tight in my fingers.

"Sorry," she said, just that tiny bit bashful. "I, uh, went overboard. Eheh…"

"Good thing my nosebleed happened when it did. I have a feeling we would have gone further if it didn't… and I wouldn't want that yet."

"Don't worry," she reassured me. "No matter how impatient I am, I wouldn't cross that line! So rest easy… You were in safe hands the whole time!"

"That doesn't sound very convincing coming from someone who was practically humping my back…"

Eri laughed it off. "Sorry! I was so excited to share a bath with you again that I simply couldn't help myself. Back in Fukushima I had serious Neku Sakuraba cold turkey, you see."

I let a long breath hiss through my teeth in a mixture of exasperation and – believe it or not – amusement. Really, this girl was like a wild animal. It was impossible to tame her.

"No, it feels more like something awakened in you somewhere down the line. You're becoming seriously perverted now."

"And that's a problem for you?" she said cheekily.

I snorted. "Nah. I can handle you just fine. But what happened in the bath just now was new to me. I couldn't get used to it in time."

Hearing that, she grinned from ear to ear, delighted that she had found a new way to play with me. "It was even more fun than I hoped it would be. You can bet I'll do that again."

Looks like that wouldn't be the last I saw of the use of her natural loofahs…

"By the way, Eri… Aren't you going to wear something already?"

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention she's still naked. She couldn't be bothered to put on anything ever since bath time was over. There was a small towel draped around her neck that barely covered up the breasts she used to ravish me so intensely, but that's pretty much it. Mind you, that's fine by me. After seeing her without her clothes on more occasions than I could shake a stick at, let's just say I'd developed some form of immunity to nudity in general.

And yes, it's scary what a guy can get used to.

"You've got to be kidding me," she groaned. "Wear something? I just got out of the bath. Let me stop sweating and then I'll see about putting on some clothes."

"Lately I get the impression that you leave them in the closet more often than you wear them…"

"Hey, this is our house," she retorted. "I can do whatever I like."

"And you call yourself a fashion designer… The irony."

"Heh, I gotta admit, 'nudist fashion designer' makes for an awesome oxymoron."

Time to steer our chat towards more important matters.

"On the risk of sounding like a broken record," I said, "I have to say I missed you terribly. I'm really glad you're back."

Sensing my sincerity, she gave her perverted side a rest and spoke to me with genuine affection. "I missed you too. Although I was surrounded by relatives and friends and neighbours whom I grew up with, it was still lonely not having you by my side."

"I'll bet it was. I wish I was there to accompany you."

"Yeah, well, no chance there, I'm afraid. My parents wouldn't like that. The 'no boyfriends till graduation' rule is still stubbornly in effect."

"Any chance I can change their minds?"

"No, don't even try. Not until we have a good plan."

"Sounds rough. Oh well, it'd be nice if I could show them my good side."

"That would be splendid," she said, stretching out her arms. "But you know my mum and dad… They're total dictators in the Tanikawa household. They just don't trust me with guys. But… I guess if I were in their shoes, I'd feel the same way about myself. I've only ever gone out with jerks. My folks already don't have a lot of confidence in me choosing the right man. But I keep screwing up and going out with more of these idiots. I can be stupid like that, you know?"

Although her parents were a source of frustration for her, it's clear she was more frustrated with herself. As her boyfriend, it's my job to be there for her when she needed me most. I'd heard her out, now it's time for me to show that I cared.

I slipped an arm around her waist and gingerly pulled her close. She gazed at me, curious as to what I was up to, but didn't take long to cuddle up to me. I get that she wasn't wearing anything and at any other time what I did would be seen as inappropriate, but right now I simply wanted to give her some words of encouragement.

"It's all in the past now, Eri," I reassured in a soothing voice. "The worst is already over. We've all made bad decisions in our lives, but us going out? Can't say it's one of them."

The smile she rewarded my kind words with made my heart melt.

"You know just what to say to lift a girl's spirits."

"That's what boyfriends are for."

Eri slowly brought her face close and I responded by following suit. However, before our lips could touch, she gave me a gentle shove to the chest, causing me to fall backwards harmlessly along the length of the couch. Now on all fours, she climbed on top of me so that we were face to face. Her unclothed form allowed me to savour every curve on her body. I reached around to caress her back; the skin was smooth and pleasant to the touch. She was perfect.

She tossed her towel aside, freeing the beauty of her bare chest to my eyes. Then with a silky whisper, she said the magic words that bound us together.

"I love you, Neku."

"I love you too, Eri."

As her lips drew nearer, she spoke once more, "Neku… no matter what happens, please… stay by my side."

"I promise."

We lost track of time as we spent the rest of the morning doing a passionate dance with our lips.

XOXOXOXOXO

With Eri back home the whole apartment suddenly became a whole lot livelier, just the way it's meant to be. Things were already going back to normal on the very day she returned.

"Mr Spiny!" she chirped. "I'm so glad you're looking well. Mwah!"

"Y-You're blowing kisses at a potted cactus?"

"Well, I can't very well give it a real kiss, can I?"

"…Point taken."

Just look at her. Look at how cheerful she was. She's actually even more so than ever. I think the increase in her liveliness had something to do with having to hold back on her fun loving ways in her parents' presence the whole of last month. Going all out must be her way of making up for all the missed opportunities for her genki (enthusiastic) self to manifest.

Eri saw me taking out ingredients from the fridge and leapt at the chance to be useful around the kitchen.

"Whatcha looking to make for lunch, Neku?"

"I'd like us to have a small celebration for your return home, so I'm thinking of cooking up something a little fancier. How do beef cutlets sound?"

She smacked her palms together in delight. "Are we talking about the deluxe teriyaki ones?"

"Yeah."

The deluxe teriyaki beef cutlets were an age-old dish passed down through the generations in my family. Now, almost everyone in my bloodline was a great cook, but only a select few had the guts to learn how to cook it as the recipe was complicated. I was one of those few. In light of Eri's improvements in her cooking skill, I had plans to teach her the secret to making it one of these days.

"Goodness, Neku! That's one of my favourites! Can I help?"

"You just got back from a long train journey… and you must be pretty tired. Don't you want to rest instead? I can handle this myself, you know."

"I'll be fine," she said, flexing a muscle in a symbolic display of hardiness. "Our bath from earlier gave me a full recharge!"

The memory of her scrubbing my back with her chest bubbled back up to the surface and my cheeks were immediately besieged by a swath of heat. No, I must concentrate. I needed to cook, not fantasize!

"R-Right. If you're up for it, then grab your apron and start by mincing three cloves of garlic."

"I'm on it, Sensei!"

Our aprons were stashed inside one of the cupboards and she fetched them for us. Then, it was time to get to work.

Preparations for lunch went by at a brisk clip. Eri didn't know yet about the finer details of how the cutlets were made, but she had enough of the basics down pat to know what was expected of her when I told her what to do. Even with a side helping of dumplings and miso soup, which would have taken too long to cook by myself, we made good time thanks to our cooperative efforts and it wasn't even half past twelve when we were finally done.

"There!" I said, transferring freshly cooked food onto a plate. "That's the beef cutlets. Eri, how are things on your end?"

"Just a moment. Let me take a sip…" She dipped into the pot of soup with a ladle and poured a little of it into a tiny saucer, then brought it to her lips for a taste. With a small nod, she announced, "Good to go."

"That's everything then. Ready for a feast?"

"Am I ever! Ah… This is great!"

"It sure is. Look at this! Isn't it awesome? We made this, you and me."

Eri giggled. "Well, yes, that's one thing. But what I'm really talking about… is… eheh…"

"Hmm?"

"Cooking together like this is so romantic. If this is what it feels like to be the wife in a married couple, then I sure wouldn't mind doing this more often."

Whoa, that was… an unexpected attack. My face started to boil, Eri started to sparkle in my eyes, and rose petals obscured my vision like confetti. This was one of the reasons I loved Eri. Beneath that lewd quirky personality lay a total sweetheart. An angel who had descended from the heavens. I struggled to come up with something similarly heartwarming, but it didn't exactly go as planned.

"I… uh… I also like it when we spend time cooking together. You said you feel like a wife in a married couple… Well, I feel the same way, too… except maybe for the fact that I can't be a wife."

Eri chuckled at my botched attempt to act suave, but it wasn't out of meanness at all. She loved it immensely, if anything.

"Smooth," she teased. "I love you too."

The atmosphere was pleasant and smelled like roses as we set up the dining table… with some difficulty, due in no small part to her clinging to me like glue. But the job was eventually done and the two of us were soon seated with a lavish spread of food before us. Once the obligatory prayer was uttered we dug in and reaped the fruits of our labour.

"Delicious!" gushed Eri. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of these cutlets. Thanks so much!"

Her praises inflated my ego and I felt compelled to boast. "Heh… There's no member of the Sakuraba clan who doesn't know a thing or two about fine cuisine. What you see is just the tip of the iceberg."

"That's amazing! This is the kind of stuff you can run a restaurant with!"

"If you like, I can teach you how to cook it."

"Really? Please do!" She was overjoyed. "I want to surprise my family by cooking this for them. I'm sure Granny will give it her seal of approval!"

One good compliment deserved another. "You're getting to be quite the cook yourself, Eri. You worked that miso soup really well, for starters. And without my supervision at that. You've come a long way."

"That's because my Sensei is a good teacher." Then, switching to a suggestive drawl, she added, "And a good husband."

The rose petals came back in full force. Cut it out, petals! I want to be able to see my girlfriend sparkling!

This time I was so stunned I couldn't come up with a good reply in time. She giggled some more.

"My! Cat got your tongue, honey?"

It sure did, Eri… It sure did.

XOXOXOXOXO

Prior to Eri's departure for Fukushima last month, I mentioned to her that we ought to spend some real quality time at a beach resort, seeing as it's summer and all. Long ago I had already done much of the homework of scouting a suitable place for our summer getaway. Now it was just a matter of sorting out the details with her. She couldn't be more excited.

"Once more to be sure," I said, tapping on a page in the brochure I was showing her. "Three days and two nights at The Red Tide. That work for you, Eri?"

"It more than does!" she replied enthusiastically. "When shall we go?"

"How about next, oh… Friday? Five days from now to prepare for our trip should be more than enough…"

Eri crossed her arms and gave it some thought, a prolonged "hmmm" seeping out from between her lips. Maybe she didn't agree with the starting date. I tried again.

"Um… then… next Thursday? Or…"

After a while, she replied, "Nah, Friday is fine by me. I thought I wouldn't have enough clothes to bring on the trip so I was just doing some quick calculations in my head."

I cast a wry aside glance at her infamously bloated wardrobe. "Eri, I don't think a lack of clothes is really a cause for concern for you. At all. Ever. You're covered for life, let alone three days and two nights."

"Hee hee… well, you never know…"

"Anyway, if Friday's okay with you, I'll go ahead and book a room for us on that day."

"Yes, please do!"

Her smile was bright and her tone chirpy. She was delighted. Why, she looked like she was going to hug me and drown me in a barrage of kisses at a moment's notice. Inwardly, I congratulated myself on a job well done. I'd made her happy the best way I could, and the results showed. It was a splendid feeling to know I've done good.

"I'll be sure to pick out some cute bikinis for the trip," she offered. "Any requests in particular?"

"N-No, I'll be fine with anything."

She raised her eyebrows half in surprise. "Are you sure? I really don't mind, you know. And I'd hate myself if I end up wearing something that doesn't give you a nosebleed."

I sighed. "Eri, nosebleeds are the last thing I want. I die a little each time I get one. Please, don't worry about me… Just wear what you're most comfortable with."

"You want me to go au naturel?"

"No, not that kind of comfortable. You'll get arrested."

She hid her mouth behind a fist as she chuckled, absolutely in love with my straight man responses. "You did say I should wear something comfortable…"

"Then let me rephrase that. Wear something. Anything that actually has fabric."

"So… a surprise it is. That works too, hee hee. Don't fret, dear Neku. I'll make sure what I wear is… legal."

"For my sake as well as yours, you'd better." Sometimes I couldn't tell if she was joking or not…

"Say… I wonder if there are any secret spots at The Red Tide where we could go skinny-sipping. If there was, like, a hidden cove or something, we might be able to do just that."

She nodded to herself, allowing an especially huge smile to form. There must be a whole slew of dirty thoughts flying about inside her head right now. Shame was a word that didn't appear in her dictionary. I had to use a wad of tissue paper to wipe away the stream of drool leaking out from a corner of her mouth.

"Simmer down, you hungry beast," I said. "Getting arrested and ending up on the news can't be worth the trouble."

"No risk, no reward!"

"Those are risks we can do without, thank you very much. Didn't I say it before? If we're going skinny-dipping, we're going to do it in a safe place."

"That reminds me." Her eyes were cast sideways at the wall, as if what she wanted to say next was written up there to read out loud. "Kogoro's gone."

"Kogoro who?"

"The brown bear who lives – well, used to live – in the woods near my hometown. Don't you remember? I told you about him before."

"Can't say I recall." I scratched my head. "What about him?"

Eri gave me a brief recap. "There's a pond in those woods that me and the neighbourhood kids used to frequent. It was a great place to go for a swim."

Now I remembered. Kogoro forcibly claimed the pond for himself, and no one's been able to use it ever since. I mean, who'd want to risk having to deal with 300 pounds of bear while butt-naked?

"Thankfully," she said with a sunny face, "he's not around anymore."

"Huh, you mean the town assembled a hunting team and shot him? That's… dark."

"Nah, they didn't kill him. See, Kogoro has been sneaking into the town outskirts and raiding dustbins at night… People got fed up having to clean up the mess every morning, and there's always the danger of someone getting attacked. So they tracked him down and tranquilised him…"

"Wh-What happened next?"

"Now he's got his own pad at the local zoo… but without a personal pond at his disposal."

"Well, too bad for him," I mumbled. "But it's for the best. 'Least your town's a little safer and cleaner."

"And the forest pond's open to everyone again!" she added with glee. "Next time you pop by my place, I'll take you there. It's a five-star experience!"

"Ahem… yes, um, thanks for the offer." Damn, it's hard to erase these thoughts I was having of us frolicking in said pond. Oh well, it's something nice to look forward to in the future.

"Until then, we'll have to make do with finding a good spot at The Red Tide."

My arms were crossed and my voice was firm. "No. Save your breath, Eri. It's not happening."

She finally acquiesced, but not without a cheek puffed out in disappointment.

"Boo. Killjoy."

Oh boy… miffed much? She's the only person I knew of who had a serious addiction to nudity. Put her in clothes for too long, and she's bound to rip them off sooner or later. With emphasis on 'sooner'.

But even when she's annoyed, she's still cute.

XOXOXOXOXO

A red glow pierced the darkness created from within my eyelids. Its brightness gradually intensified and I was forced to squeeze my eyes shut. But when even that didn't work, I knew it was morning already.

I sat up sluggishly. A thin ray of sunlight beamed into my bedroom via a small gap between the curtains, landing directly on my face. There wasn't much wildlife in the urban jungle that was Shibuya, but whatever was out there was chirping away merrily – birds and cicadas alike. The resulting orchestra was deafening.

I was usually the earlier one to rise and prepare breakfast. So I trudged downstairs to do exactly that.

Except it was already done.

Turns out there was a fairy in the kitchen and her name was Eri.

"Good morning, Neku!" she shrilled. "Breakfast is ready!"

The sight of her looking so fresh and peppy helped me to perk up myself. That, and the light aroma in the kitchen. I took a good whiff…

"Morning, Eri. Smells great. Eggs on toast, huh?"

"Yessiree! I figured we should go back to basics every now and then. You like them over-easy, right?"

"Mm-hm, thanks."

I plopped gracelessly into a chair at the dining table, just as Eri brought along two bowls of miso soup, one for each of us. Maybe I was still groggy from having just woken up, but it was only after the first bite into my toast when I suddenly saw the extra plate of food that was set aside.

"Onigiri (rice balls)? Where did you buy these, Eri?"

She dropped the big reveal on me with an equally big smile.

"I didn't buy them," she said. "I made them myself. Heh… plot twist!"

Astonished and now fully awake, I gave the onigiri a more thorough look. Upon closer inspection, some of them were a little bigger than the others. Overall they were a little rough around the edges, giving the impression that they were made by someone who didn't have much experience making onigiri. And since I never taught her, she must have learnt how to from someone else.

"Whoa, that's pretty cool, Eri. Did you learn it from a cookbook or something?"

"I asked Granny to teach me while I was in Fukushima. I wanted to give you a surprise, so… did it work? The surprise, I mean."

"Y-Yeah, didn't expect this at all. So you took the initiative to learn something new over the holidays… I'm glad to hear that!"

"Have a taste, Neku!" Then, overcome with a very slight lapse in confidence, she eased up on her ego and thought fit to give me a warning. "Um, it's my first time making it without supervision, so I'm sorry if it's not up to your standards. I gave it my best shot, though!"

I picked the closest onigiri and examined it from all angles. "Notwithstanding the fact that onigiri isn't usually eaten during breakfast… I'm gonna dig in!"

Eri watched me lift the onigiri to my open mouth, not daring to breathe or sneeze or say a word for fear that it'll magically ruin everything she'd worked so hard for. The atmosphere was tense, to say the least. It got to a point where I feared she'd collapse from lack of oxygen if I took any longer. I took a bite, taking out an entire corner. And I sampled it very carefully, rolling it around on my tongue…

The suspense was too much for her and she broke the silence herself. "H-How is it?"

"Hmmm… this one has tuna mayo in it…"

"They all do, actually," she admitted. "Like I said, sorry if you don't like it. That's the only ingredient we had that I could use with confidence! If we had bonito flakes or squid or cod roe at hand, I'd have been able to add some variety."

"It's delicious," I said, nodding.

She gasped, quite unable to believe me. "Huh, really? You're not just pulling my chain?"

"Why would I? You did a terrific job. You mixed the tuna and mayo in just the right amounts… The texture is smooth and it tastes nice and even. Overall it was a bang-up job, so… good work!"

"For real? Alright!" Relieved, she let her shoulders droop and relax and breathed a satisfied sigh. "I thought for sure I'd botched it somehow!"

"Hey, didn't I tell you?" I smirked. "You're getting to be a good cook."

"Hee hee… Then I'll take your word for it."

And so we had eggs on toast as well as onigiri for breakfast. It was a combination of food most strange, but just knowing that my girlfriend took the trouble to learn something new and cook for me… well, some of the best things in the world can't compare to that feeling.

"Thanks for the food," I said, truly grateful.

"Eheh… I didn't do much!"

That breakfast put me in high spirits. So simple yet so good. There's got to be a way for me to repay her kindness in full.

Luckily for me, I had just the way.

Now we were side by side doing the dishes at the kitchen sink. Overjoyed by her success, her mile-long grin stayed put and she hummed a cheery tune in her throat. They say happiness can be contagious. There's some truth in that, because seeing her look so lively made me feel like a million yen inside.

"Eri, let's head to the supermarket afterwards."

"Huh? What for?"

"Have you forgotten what day it is today?"

"It's Saturday… Oh!" Her eyes went wide like plates. It seemed she understood what I was getting at. "Of course, our cooking lessons! But… what are we cooking?"

"You said if we had more ingredients you could make other types of onigiri, right? Then why don't we get them and make some more together? Personally, I'm curious to know how you made them."

When she heard that, she shone so brightly I almost needed sunglasses to look at her.

"Heck yes, that's a plan!"

I found her enthusiasm worth a chuckle. "You've come to like cooking a lot, haven't you?"

"Yeah, it's so useful. And I have you to thank for that!" She wrapped her arms around me for a hug, but her hands were still wet…

"Eri?! Y-You're soaking my shirt through!"

Waving it off, she said, "That's fine! We're gonna take a bath anyway. Let's take one real quick and get going! Chop chop!"

"How does that logic even work…"

Ah, Eri… She takes things in stride and rarely lets anything get the better of her. But in a society where it's customary for people to act all proper and straight-laced, being able to relax and be herself is actually one of her strong points. I've been trying to emulate bits of her easygoing attitude in order to de-stress my life, and having her by my side certainly helps.

One quick shower later, we were dressed to hit town. But before the commencement of our shopping adventure, we huddled at the entranceway for a pick-me-up.

"Much better," she sighed. "Neku, you really are a great kisser."

"You too. Don't you need to reapply your lipstick though?"

"Oh darn… you're right!"

While she worked on her makeup, I dabbed my own lips with a tissue, making sure no traces of lipstick remained.

Eri stared into her mirror, tilting her head at various angles to ascertain whether her makeup turned out right. Satisfied, she put it away.

"Alright, now I'm all powered up! Let's go shopping!"

"I'm with you."

As we waited for the elevator, she asked, "Can we stop by Lacy Temptations later on? Maybe?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You want to buy more lingerie?"

She gave me a naughty wink. "There's nothing wrong with an extra pair of panties or two."

"Yeah, but you've got a truckload of them in your closet already… Do you even wear all the ones you buy?"

"Sure! There's one pair for every day of the month!"

"Y-You have that many?!"

"Why not? It makes me feel… fresh."

"Having at least thirty of them in your possession is a bit much…"

"What about your comics?" she retorted. "You've got a lot of them and you're fine with it."

"Uh… panties and comic books are hardly the same thing."