She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 54)
by BrDPirateMan

The reflection in the mirror showed a young man who was immaculately-dressed and admittedly quite dashing. He was also a little on the nervous side, and when he pried his collar ajar, a current of hot air trapped against his body rushed upwards into his face.

And if you're asking, yes, that young man is me.

Today's the day. The big day. Our one-year anniversary. I promised Eri dinner at a fancy seafood restaurant. No holding back, I told her. The treat's on me.

I gave myself a quick glance over – the fourth time in ten minutes – to make sure everything was in place. My shirt was ironed and the sleeves were cuffed. Trousers were fine too. And my hair… no, my hair was out of bounds. It's fine the way it was, and Eri would want it that way too.

"Come on, man!" I slapped myself lightly on both cheeks, trying to pull myself together. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I can handle a classy restaurant."

I sauntered over to Eri's room and knocked on her door.

"Um, you done in there?"

"Almost!" came her muffled reply.

"You need help with anything?"

"No, I'm a big girl now."

"Heh."

I leaned against the wall right next to her door, waiting for the grand unveiling, all while butterflies wreaked havoc in my stomach. What would she wear for tonight? She promised me cleavage…

"Um, Neku?" she called. "Could you give me a hand?"

I sniggered. "I thought you're a big girl now?"

"No, seriously. Get in here."

My heart thundered like crazy as I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob. What awaited me behind this door?

I opened the door ajar and popped my head inside. Eri stood red-faced and frustrated in front of her mirror as she struggled with the zipper at the back of her little black dress.

"Neku?" she said over her shoulder. "Help me out, will you?"

"Uh… sure…"

Her back, luscious and exposed, beckoned to me. Somebody had to eat the eye candy… but I took too long staring, and she grew cross.

"Neku!"

"Uh, right! Coming! So what's wrong?"

I now stood behind her, and she waved her finger in the general direction of her current problem. Her other arm, meanwhile, was wrapped around her body, preventing the dress from dropping in a heap at her feet.

"It's the zipper," she huffed. "It won't budge. I think it's stuck or something."

"Hmm, yeah, you're right." A light tug at it confirmed that she was right. I went down on one knee so that it was more or less at eye level. "Hang on, I'll see what I can do."

"B-Be gentle with it. It's my newest dress!"

"I will."

"I'm not kidding around, Neku," she said, glancing back at me with a stern look. "Don't. Ruin. My dress."

Yikes… That's Eri for you. Clothes are serious business for her. If you want to live long and happy, don't do anything weird with her clothes. I learnt this the hard way when I tossed one of her cardigans into the washing machine together with our laundry. It came out two sizes smaller and I lived in the doghouse for the rest of the week.

So there was absolutely no pressure at all as I got to work. It turned out that part of the cloth wound up snagged inside the zipper. This was going to be a handful… I've had this happen to an old hooded jacket once, but I wasn't so lucky. I'd rather not relate the embarrassing incident it was involved in…

With utmost care, I wiggled the zipper back and forth as far as I could manage, which wasn't a whole lot. The trapped cloth stayed stubbornly within and I tried pulling at it as I moved the zipper.

Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I unconsciously sighed. Her entire body bristled against the onslaught of my breath on her bare skin.

"H-Hey, that tickles!" she cried out. "S-Stop breathing, please."

I shot her an incredulous look. At least, I would if she was looking my way. "I don't want to suffocate, Eri. You'll have to hold it in."

"But it's kinda turning me on…"

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. Again, she didn't get to see me. "Sorry. Look, uh… try to ignore it, okay?"

Again unconsciously, I sighed out of mild annoyance. Her back arched like a longbow and the cutest "eep" squeaked out of her throat.

"Neku!"

"I'm not doing this on purpose," I said, maintaining a flat tone. "I swear. And please stop squirming. I can't work when you keep wiggling your butt at me."

Amidst more moans and orgasmic-sounding whatnot, I finally managed to free the zipper. I wasted no time telling her the good news.

"It's done. Hold still. I'm gonna do you up."

"Thank goodness." The zipper snaked up her back smoothly, after which I clicked it in place. "I don't know how much 'breath sex' I can take."

"Oh god, Eri. You and your terms. Breath sex? Really? Come on, turn around so I can see how you look."

And she did. On her face there was none of the frustration that plagued her earlier. In its place was that famous megawatt smile that made her such a hit with the boys back in high school.

I had to take a couple of steps back to view her full-length and appreciate her beauty. Her dress reached up to her ankles and was so jet black she looked like she was wearing a piece of the night sky. Needless to say it fit her figure nicely, and with no shoulder straps for support, it fell to her bosom to bear the burden of keeping it from sliding off her body.

And yes, like she promised, cleavage was in abundance. I was a happy man. At that moment I knew I had fallen in love with her all over again.

"So, what do you think?" she giggled, as though she already knew the answer.

"You fail."

I had that said with the straightest face I could manage, and the look of betrayal on her face was hilarious. Her smile just dropped, making her look like a kid whose ice-cream cone plopped onto a sidewalk. That must have smashed all of her expectations to pieces.

"Wh-What?!" she spluttered in disbelief. "I… I fail?!"

And that's when I delivered the punch line to my little joke.

"Yeah. You fail. At being ugly."

Almost ready to launch into a tirade, she stopped herself when she heard me. Now it was confusion she was feeling.

"You fail at being ugly," I repeated, now unable to stop the chuckles from spilling out. "You could have been a whopper of an ogre, but you just had to go and fail and be beautiful. You didn't even make the passing grade. Really, you're one massive disappointment."

Her lips grew into a smile as she listened to me ramble on with a gag that was too long for its own good. Eventually she had to stop me.

"Neku, enough," she snorted. "Can't you compliment me like a normal person?"

"Hey, I gotta keep the humour fresh."

I simply rubbed the back of my head, joining her in the laughter. But now some real compliments were in order.

"Okay, I'll be serious this time," I said, hands resting on her shoulders lovingly. "That is one hell of an awesome dress. I mean, that's some triple-A goodness right there. No joke. I don't know where you bought this, but you sure know how to pick 'em."

"Now that, I'll take as a compliment. Especially since I didn't buy this."

"You didn't? Then how – "

Proudly, she boasted, "I designed it. Shiki helped make it."

I gasped. "Really?"

"Better believe it. This is a one-of-a-kind design you won't see anywhere else!"

That's the mark of an aspiring fashion designer. Always willing to break the boundaries. Overwhelmed by the facts, I was reduced to stuttering in awe.

"A-Amazing… Did you really have it made just for this day?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Oh gosh, you didn't need to go this far for me. I mean, I really appreciate it, and your dress is absolutely beautiful and you look great in it, but… all this for me? I… wow, I'm not sure I'm worthy."

"Don't be ridiculous." Her arms reached up to loop around my neck while my own migrated to the small of her back. "You're way too modest for someone who more than deserves it. Have some pride, will you?"

We both leaned in and a warm tropical flavour spread throughout our connected lips. A sensation most comforting indeed.

Then I said, "Oh, I'm not second-guessing myself or anything. It's just… isn't it a lot of work to make a dress?"

"It sure is, but it's fun! It's not a chore, trust me. I won't be in fashion design if I thought it was."

"That's true…"

"And I intend to wear this for future occasions too. It's not a 'wear once and toss' kind of thing, if that's what you're wondering about."

"Ah, yeah. It'd be a waste to just throw it in the closet and forget all about it."

"By the way…"

Eri disentangled herself from my embrace and now I was the one being scrutinized as she stepped back to look at me from head to toe. She had only the highest approval for me.

"God, you're so hot," she growled. "That shirt looks so good on you. Long sleeves are a nice change of pace, don't you think?"

"I… I guess so."

Purring like a cat, she closed the distance once more and rubbed one hand on my chest with torturous slowness. What she said next almost set me on fire.

"You have got to let me take that shirt off of you when we're back home. You know how much I love undoing buttons."

Hoo boy.

We'd been lovey-dovey for long enough. Now, it's time to get a move on. Fugu Parlor, here we come!

I arranged for a cab to pick us up, but when we were well on our way to our destination, Eri had a confession to make.

"Hey," she whispered, out of earshot of the driver, "can I tell you a secret?"

"Secret? What secret?"

"Oh, uh, hee hee… It's kinda awkward to say…"

"Go on, just say it. I won't mind."

Even with my okay, she still felt the need to type out whatever it was she wanted to say on her phone. She must not want the driver to overhear it. She tapped a few words swiftly on the screen and flashed me her message.

I'm not wearing a bra tonight :P

Turning to her, I spluttered, "Why… Why not?"

She replied with a longer message, but didn't answer my question. Don't worry. I used double-sided tape all over my breasts. I can run and jump and nothing will pop out. Trust me, I tried. ;D

This girl… She really lives life on the edge. Sometimes I wonder how I survive my day-to-day interactions with her.

I muttered, "As long as they don't play peek-a-boo with me, I'll be fine with it."

That gave her a good giggle.

Just then, the cab slowed to a complete stop.

"Alright, sir," said the driver. "Here we are. Fugu Parlor. That'll be 3200 yen, please."

XOXOXOXOXO

"This way, sir," said the waiter, urging us to follow. "I'll take you to your table."

Fugu Parlor definitely had that high-class vibe. The décor, the well-dressed staff, and the ambience all lent the establishment an air of heightened importance. Even the customers clearly belonged to the upper echelons of society. For a brief moment I felt very small amongst the bigwigs and even wondered if I deserved to be here in the first place.

But Eri's hand, nestled in the crook of my arm, gave a gentle squeeze. And when she glanced at me, she gave me the sweet smile I loved so much that told me that as long as we were together, we could climb any mountain. Grateful for the reassurance, I returned her smile.

Anyway, the place was impressive. Eri's eyes were aglow with wonder as we were led to a small yet cozy table meant for two people. I noticed a small raised platform off to the side, with a microphone stand on it. What could it be for? It struck me as a little strange, but I didn't think much of it.

The menu was an absolute delight simply to look through. She'd been clamoring about the lobster bisque and prawn fritters for days, so those we ordered right off the bat, in addition to a grilled eel dish with an exotic-sounding dressing. After the waiter left us with our drinks and a plate of complementary peanuts, we got to talking…

"This place is really cool," she said. "I love the waiters' uniforms! I used to dress like that too during my butler days. Ah, good times."

"Just think how many girls' hearts you've broken by quitting."

"Ha ha ha! They'll be fine. For them, Seishirou-sama is not gone forever, he's just on a really long hiatus."

"Well, I like you working as a model a lot more. At least I can brag about you to my friends a bit. And seeing them go green with envy is half the fun."

"Oh, that is so sweet of you. I talk about you a lot too! In fact, people have to tell me to shut up sometimes. One time they even handed out earplugs."

"Earplugs? Heh, is that a compliment? I'll take it. So, how's your modeling work – "

My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, interrupting me. I had set it to silent mode so it would not disturb the other patrons if someone called me. I excused myself to take the call.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Neku," came a cheery voice.

"Uncle! Oh, hey, how've you been?"

"I feel weak now and again, but as a whole I think I'm okay. No funny business from my heart either."

"That's good to know. Just don't push yourself." I looked across the table at Eri, who was listening intently to my side of the conversation.

"Say, sport… Would you like to join us for dinner next weekend? That is, if you're both free."

"Hold on." I asked Eri, "You got any plans next weekend? Uncle's asking if we could have dinner with him and Auntie."

She beamed. "I'd love to dine with them again! I'll be there."

I got back to my uncle. "Yeah, we'll be free."

He sounded happy. "Great! We'll call you again soon to tell you the details."

"What's for dinner?" A hopeful smile stretched across my lips. "Is it gonna be teriyaki beef? Or her special steamed fish?"

"Hey now, won't be a surprise if I told you now, right?"

"You're making it a surprise? How about a hint? C'mon, don't be stingy."

"No can do, sport. Just look forward to something good. By the way, can I speak with the little missus for a bit?"

"Huh? Oh, uh… sure."

I passed the phone to Eri, and a lively exchange of words sprung forth. She spoke very amicably with my uncle and was all smiles throughout. The volume was set high enough that I could just barely make out what was being said even without speaker mode on.

"Oh, you know me, I'm always good!" she chirped. "But how about you, Uncle? Is your heart doing okay?"

"It's not what it used to be, but I manage. I feel like I'm getting a little better every day. Eri, has anyone ever told you what a nice girl you are? This is old news by now but you have no idea how glad I am that Neku wound up dating you."

"Aw, shucks, I'm no one special. And speaking of dating, Neku and I are celebrating our one-year anniversary tonight!"

I heard an audible gasp from Uncle. "One year! Has it really been that long? That's amazing! Congratulations!"

"He's taking me out to dinner at Fugu Parlor! I'm having so much fun!"

"Really? Quickly, patch me in to Neku for a sec!"

"Aye, cap'n!"

Leaning forward, I let her press the phone against my ear. Uncle vocally expressed his approval until I was buried to the neck in his praises. And because of the volume, my ear hurt.

"You should have told us beforehand," he barked excitedly. "We could have prepared something special for the two of you."

"Like what?"

"How about a marriage certificate? Since you two are already more or less like a married couple, why delay the registration any further? It's going to happen at some point anyway."

Eri tried to stifle her laughter while I just shook my head. Knowing my folks, they were probably serious. This is why I prefer to keep my love life under wraps. They get weird ideas.

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Uncle. And please calm down. Getting too excited can't be good for your heart."

"This is cause for celebration and you're telling me to calm down?! One year is no joke, Neku! How many couples last a year? You've done so well! And if I'm going to be happy, then there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Uh…" I honestly didn't know what to say in the face of such rabid exhilaration.

"But if a marriage proposal is out of the question at the moment, then I'll send a little extra pocket money your way. Think of it as your reward for being such a good nephew. You deserve it. I mean, you and Eri deserve it."

"Now that's right up my alley. Thanks, Uncle."

He asked to speak to Eri again, and now it was her turn to be inundated with approval. It's good to make your folks proud. The feeling is like no other, even if they get a little too excited about it.

"Alright," he said, still giddy, "I'll leave you two to it so I'm going to hang up soon. But before that, one question, Eri. And tell me the truth."

"Mmm? Sure?"

"Are you pregnant? Please tell me you are. Auntie and I would love grandchi– "

"Uncle," I grunted, "I can hear you, you know. And no, we're not having kids."

"What? Don't be like that! There's no harm in – "

"Uh, hello? Hello? Oh, I can't hear you over all this static! Reception's no good down here. Hey, let's talk another time, okay? Bye!"

I snatched my phone back and ended the call in a hurry. Eri barely covered her mouth with her hand as she lost herself in a sea of giggles. Exasperated, I just shook my head.

"Your folks are as interesting as ever," she remarked. "I am so looking forward to meeting them again!"

"I'm sorry they keep asking when we'll have kids," I said, embarrassed. "You know how they are. Just ignore them."

Caught up in our conversation, time flew by quickly and soon the waiter was here with our food. Dinner was easily the highlight of the evening. And it's as Eri said: the bisque and prawn fritters were out of this world. The eel was good too. The crispy batter of the fritters made for a sharp contrast with the juicy prawn within. Paired with the spicy dip, it was a combination to die for. I think I just found my new favourite guilty pleasure. Maybe I could replicate this at home somehow?

Rolling it around inside my mouth, I tried to discern what ingredients were used from the taste alone. I was about to make an observation but Eri beat me to it.

"Oyster sauce."

"I'm sorry?"

"They marinated the prawns with oyster sauce. There were other things, of course, but this is definitely one of them."

"Not bad," I praised. "That's not something you'd know without extensive cooking knowledge. To think that two years ago the most complex dish you ever made was a TV dinner."

"You taught me well," she said, beaming, "but someday I might get better than you. Watch out."

"Do I detect a challenge? In that case, I won't lose."

"Heh, I should be the one saying that. But until then, let's just enjoy dinner… our little armistice period."

That I would. When I first set foot in Fugu Parlor I wasn't sure if I could keep up with all of the fussy customs that were part and parcel of establishments like these. I didn't want to look like a fool for using the wrong fork, for example. But Eri never once made me feel like a fish out of water and I was having a whale of a time with her.

We finished dinner full and satisfied. You get what you pay for, and while it wasn't cheap, it was well worth it.

"You up for dessert, Eri?"

"Am I ever!" she beamed. "What shall we – "

Suddenly the piped music stopped and left a noticeable silence in its wake. Before I could wonder what was going on, a man walked over to the small raised platform. He adjusted the mic and gave it a few taps to see if it was working. Then he spoke into it and his voice boomed across the room. All of the patrons turned to him.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he announced. "It's that time again… so welcome! Welcome, all of you, to trivia night!"

"Trivia? Th-They have trivia here?"

I was utterly confused. Eri, however, had that "Aha!" look on her face. And she was excited as balls.

"Oh golly! It's starting! Put on your thinking cap, Neku!" She seemed to know more than I did.

"Wh-What's going on?"

Luckily, my questions were answered when the emcee gave a brief outline of the rules. To put it simply, he would ask us ten questions and we were to write our answers on a printed sheet helpfully provided by the staff. At the end, we'd be ranked on how many we got right and entrants who nabbed third place and above would get a prize.

"Don't worry if this is your first time," he said energetically. "You'll get the hang of it. And because we're nice, we'll start you off easy."

"Neku?" whispered an excited Eri. "You ready?"

"Uh… I guess? I'm just a bit confused, being thrust into this so suddenly."

"You'll be fine! We're a team, so we'll plow through this, no problem!"

The announcer thundered, "Alright, first question, and an easy one like we promised. Take a good look at your tablecloth and tell me what colour it is. I repeat, what is the colour of your tablecloth? You have one minute."

That's a no-brainer. I jotted down 'pink' on my answer sheet.

"No one will get that wrong," I muttered.

"I totally forgot to tell you," said Eri, "that Fugu Parlor holds these trivia quizzes every week. Friend of mine told me all about it."

"Can't say I've seen it being done in a restaurant before."

"Yeah, but that's what makes it unique. And being able to stand out is important!"

"What kind of prizes do we get?"

"Food vouchers. First prize wins a 5000 yen one." With a little thought, she added, "Ultimately, you spend more than you can potentially win… I mean, the food here isn't cheap and all…"

"But the fact that you might win something entices people to come back all the same. And that's good for business."

"That's right!"

"Pencils down!" said the emcee. "So, what do you think? Not too hard?"

The whole restaurant was abuzz with soft laughter. Dude knew his humour, at least.

"C'mon, Neku," whispered Eri, "let's nail first place!"

I nodded. "Yeah, I won't say no to 5000 yen's worth of free food."

"I figure we could all use a recap in geography," boomed the emcee, "so here's the second question: in which country is Beijing the capital city? You have two minutes…" – then he added with emphasis – "…and I can't stress enough: no cell phones allowed. Cheaters will be disqualified. Now hop to it!"

That's also really easy. I was about to write down 'China', but Eri stopped me, wanting to be sure.

"It's China, right?"

"Of course it is. It sure as heck isn't gonna be Papua New Guinea."

I started to write but she stopped me yet again, grabbing my writing hand with urgency.

"Wait! What're you doing, Neku?!"

I looked down at the sheet and almost jumped to see that I had in my absentmindedness started to write 'Papua'. I hurriedly crossed it out, replacing it with the correct answer.

"Goodness!" she huffed. "For a moment I thought you'd left your brain at home!"

"S-Sorry. I filled it in correctly, see?"

"Stay focused! We're in it for the prize, so no slacking!"

"Yes, ma'am. And thanks for waking me up."

"Don't mention it."

At least there were a couple of good things that came out of my blunder. One was that no one else saw it. The other was that I didn't write 'Czechoslovakia'.

The emcee spoke up again when the time was up. "Let's move on to question number three! Ho, this is where the gloves come off. From here on out, we're rolling out the tough stuff. Let's test your observational skills, shall we?"

Observational skills? Uh-oh… this might be a hard one…

"We have a variety of lanterns hung outside the entrance. How many were there? I'll give you two minutes. And don't worry, folks. It's not a trick question."

Ah, cripes. I recalled there being lanterns, but I couldn't remember how many. It's not the sort of thing people would care to remember.

"About eight?" I mused. "Maybe nine?"

"It's seven."

"How can you be so sure, Eri? Did you actually count them?"

"No, but there were four blue ones and three green ones. Seven things are kinda hard to count at a glance, but if you split them up…"

"Ah. Clever girl." Smiling, I wrote it down. "I'll trust you on this one. Great going."

Instead of boasting further like she was prone to do, however, she stayed quiet. The silence was not comforting.

"Eri? What's the matter?"

Looking unsure of herself, she said, "Was that four blue lanterns and three green ones, or four greens and three blues? Gah, I don't remember!"

"…It still amounts to seven, Eri." Why was she worried about that?

"Time's up!" the emcee bellowed. "Whew! I hope everyone's okay, because it's only going to get harder. Buckle up and sit tight for question number four, which will cover – drumroll, please – anime! I know, I know, sensitive topic. But trust me, we're not going to war over anything here. If there are any fandoms in the house, I beseech you to put your differences aside."

Eri patted my free hand reassuringly. "Just seven questions left. We can do this. I'm confident we can get top score! …Uh, I'll let you handle the anime question though."

"Ladies and gentlemen, have you heard of the latest Boing Boing Magical Alchemy Pretty Warriors movie? Yes, the one that aired in cinemas about a month back. You have three minutes… to write down the full names of the five main characters when they're transformed. I want perfect spelling on this one. No typos allowed."

"Yeah," she said, "definitely leaving this one to you, Neku."

"Um, s-sure."

XOXOXOXOXO

The next seven questions were a grueling marathon covering a number of topics ranging from general knowledge to politics and even math. And the last question – what I personally liked to call the final boss – had two separate parts to it, so that's technically a total of eleven questions.

And as for how well we did…

"Congratulations, miss!" said the emcee. "Here's your voucher!"

We were announced as one of the winning teams and Eri went over to collect our prize. She received it with a bow and a smile and as she returned to our table I heard a few whistles amidst the applause.

"Well," I said, "what did we get?"

"A voucher worth 1000 yen."

She showed it to me. While the disappointment was inevitable, we cheered up quickly.

"Third place isn't so bad," I remarked. "At least we got something out of it."

"Yeah, not a lot of people get third place in life."

We watched in envy as the grand prize winner, a portly man likely in his late fifties, went up to receive the much-coveted 5000 yen voucher. The dude actually got all questions right… even the one about anime…

"I think we got the eighth one wrong," muttered Eri. "You spelled it incorrectly, didn't you."

"No, I'm sure it was 'Missississippi'."

"Isn't it 'Missississississippi'?"

"I… I get the feeling we're both way off the mark…"

"Not that it matters now, though. But hey, a prize is still a prize, right? So what shall we get with this voucher?"

I smiled. "You up for more prawn fritters?"

"I thought you'd never ask!"

We ordered an extra portion as takeaway and Eri was happy as a clam. Overall, our experience at Fugu Parlor was a pleasant one and we made a mental note to return here another day, both for more fritters and a second stab at trivia night.

As we waited for our fritters to be done, we engaged in some last-minute banter.

"We'll get it next time," I said. "That's a promise."

"Chalk up another one on our list of things we gotta do before we kick it!" Hot-blooded as ever, she held a fire in her eyes that refused to be extinguished.

"All that aside, how was tonight?"

"Wonderful! You have no idea how much fun it was for me."

"I can guess. I enjoyed myself too…"

I reached for her hand and met no resistance when our fingers intertwined with each other. The warmth under her fingertips crept slowly through my skin, providing a pleasing sensation. Here I was, burning my face off with a dangerous blush, while she was as cool as ever. Her head, tilted to the side ever so slightly, was propped up on her free hand like she was bored. But she wasn't. Quite the contrary.

Her mauve eyes offered a soft yet unrelenting gaze which I'd love to return, but I kept getting distracted by the cleavage on display. She noticed and the teasing arrived in full force.

"What's the matter, Neku?" she sniggered. "Can't decide where to look?"

"Well, it's never an easy decision to make when I have so many places to look at. I can think of at least two…"

With a seductive giggle, she whispered, "I could show you many more places if you let me…"

She must think she had me on the ropes with that remark, but I had a reasonably witty comeback in store for her. "You find a room first. Then we'll talk."

"Is the janitor's closet good enough for you?"

I snorted, deflecting her question back at her. "Is it good enough for you?"

"Touché, Neku. Tou-freaking-ché."

"Look, if you're gonna show me a great time, don't half-ass it."

"Pfft… ha ha ha!"

XOXOXOXOXO

After giving the staff a tip for good service, we left the restaurant in high spirits. I came away feeling like I'd accomplished something worthwhile. And I wasn't even awkward about it. Not one bit! That's a win in my book.

"That was pretty good," I said, glad that I'd made the right call coming to Fugu Parlor.

"Agreed!" beamed Eri. "Let's… uh…"

"…head home? Sure, I'll hail a cab."

I whipped out my phone and was about to call for a taxi to give us a ride home, when she suddenly grabbed my sleeve. Her face had a light dusting of pink which gradually grew into an intense burgundy. You don't often see her blushing like this. Something must be up.

"Eri? What's the matter?"

"Sorry, can we stop somewhere first?"

"Um, where do you want to go?"

"There."

She extended a finger across the street. There was a two-storey building where she was pointing, and at first glance there was nothing unusual about it. But when I looked more carefully, I saw what got her all hot and bothered.

I gulped hard. "A love hotel…?"

"Yeah. Only if you want to. D-Do you want to? I really want to."

I felt my whole body go up in flames. It's hard not to get in the mood myself when Eri's feeling frisky and asking for it.

After some hesitation, I stupidly said, "Um, why a love hotel? W-We could just do it at home, right?"

"Sure we can," she replied softly. "But… I've always wondered what it's like going to a love hotel. I mean, aren't you curious too?"

"Huh? W-Well…"

I've never been to one myself. I did wonder from time to time what kind of experience it must entail.

Just then, a couple emerged from the entrance. The woman was clinging onto the man in a really sappy way and they were smiling like idiots. I could almost see the glow of satisfaction coming off of them.

"They look happy," I noted.

"Yeah, real happy."

Eri sidled up to me and pressed so hard against my side it hurt. It won't be fair of me to keep her waiting especially when, frankly, I couldn't wait myself. And since we were both curious about love hotels, well, this could make for an educational experience too.

I slowly slid my hand onto hers and gave it a light squeeze. She squeezed back and I saw her crack a nervous smile.

"Come on," I said. "Why don't we head on in and, uh… be 'happy'."

"Y-Yeah, 'happy' sounds like a plan."

We slunk into the lobby, where I was able to see the room rates from a wall-mounted board. Unsurprisingly, renting a room is more expensive the longer you use it. At its cheapest, you could only use it for a mere half hour, but as I didn't want us to rush, I settled for an hour instead. That should be enough; any longer would be both unnecessary and expensive. Eri was okay with this arrangement.

Our room, as pictured in my head, was an eyesore with gaudy pink wallpaper and even gaudier décor. It had one of those remote-controlled revolving beds too. With cheesy saxophone music. It's supposed to help set the mood, but if anything it probably made things awkward.

In reality, the room was anything but. It was, simply put, bland. Just bland. Cream-coloured walls, simple furniture, and the most boring-looking bed one could ever find in a place where people went to practice having families. If you weren't fussy, it'd do.

Eri almost thought we were at the wrong place. "Just for the record, we are at a love hotel, right? Not someone's bedroom?"

"This is bare-bones for an ordinary apartment, let alone a love hotel."

"There's a TV, at least."

Eri picked the remote off of the dresser and turned the plasma television on, only to switch to a children's programme by mistake. The juxtaposition of its family-friendly content and the sleazy surroundings made for a good chuckle.

I joked, "I like to think that maybe this is the staff's way of encouraging their customers to have children. Good for business, you know. And it helps with the whole aging population dilemma as a nice plus."

She bubbled over with laughter. "If they really want to help our country like this, I applaud them for their effort."

"I think a good ol' porn film will do the trick nicely, though."

"Agreed! It's much more efficient."

"Gah!"

"Wh-What's wrong?"

"I just suddenly thought of my folks," I groaned, "and how they're always pushing us to have kids. If they knew what we're about to do, they'd probably be cheering us on from the sidelines."

"Oh, like, with pom poms? That's cute."

"Not if they keep shouting, 'Ditch the condoms!'"

"Hee hee. They might just do that."

With a flick of the remote, the TV went dead and the room was silent. Then when our gazes locked together, I knew it was time. That time. My heartbeat grew into a crescendo.

"So, Eri… uh, still need help with that zipper?"

She giggled. "I can take my clothes off by myself just fine, thank you very much."

XOXOXOXOXO

"Uh, Neku, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"We had a pretty filling dinner earlier, as you know…"

"Uh-huh. What's your point?"

"Is it possible to get appendicitis if you have sex on a full stomach?"

"You're asking now, when we already went at it?"

She chuckled softly, tracing circles with my finger on my bare chest. "Better late than never."

"That's too late."

In the aftermath of some really intense horizontal action, we lay cuddling in bed like we always did whenever business in the bedroom was done with. Eri was right on top of me, draped full-length over my body with her head resting on my chest. My arm was free to caress her luscious back. In our embrace, we felt safe and contented.

"So, Eri, first time at a love hotel. Your verdict, if you please."

"There's no disco ball," she complained. "Instant demerit for me."

"I was hoping for a fancy bed, myself."

"It's kind of letdown, honestly. No offense… You were the one who paid for the room, but facts are facts."

I smiled as I let my fingertips glide over the outline of her left shoulder blade. "Don't worry about it. It's not the room that matters most…"

"…it's the sex?"

"Heh, glad we're on the same page."

"So… how much time do we have left?"

I glanced over her shoulder at the wall clock. "A little over thirty minutes."

"We still have time for another go…"

"Sorry, I… uh, still need to 'reload'. Gimme a couple of minutes…"

My sheepish reply was met with a look of mock frustration. "Is this a joke?"

"I'm only a man," I laughed. "You can't expect me to go full blast continuously."

"Oh, fine, I'll play the waiting game."

With languid motions, she picked herself off of me and settled in beside me, laying on her side. I followed suit so we could face each other and talk.

"Neku," she said softly, "how many kids should we have?"

That one question was enough to make my body break out in cold sweat. Afraid that my foster parents might have somehow poisoned her thinking, I wasted no time shutting down what I thought must be a lapse in sanity.

"The condom stays on, Eri. We can't afford to have children at this point in time!"

"Ah, no, I didn't mean now," she said, finding my panicked reaction funny. "I'm just saying that two or three years down the road, if we ever decide to have kids…"

"Oh, that's what you're talking about. Okay, that's cool." Now a lot calmer, I gave her question some careful thought. "That depends largely on how much money we're earning, among other factors. Personally, I think one is enough."

"Just one?"

"Yeah. After my parents passed away, my aunt and uncle happily took me in. But even as a kid, I could tell it wasn't easy for them to bring me up."

"They seem to care about you, though."

"Oh, they love me alright, but love is one thing and money's another. We're a middle-income family, so while we can afford some of life's better pleasures like an apartment and good food, we still try to live a frugal life whenever we can. 'Cause let's face it, we're not rich."

Eri listened intently as I continued, "There're times when I'd catch my aunt and uncle at the dinner table, talking about my increasing school fees and how I should transfer to a cheaper school. When I was a kid I didn't understand why I had to keep transferring schools but thinking back, they simply wanted to help save money for the family. I didn't make any lasting friendships as a result, but well… that's a story for another day.

"As I got older I began to realize how tough it was for them to raise me, and I was just an only child. Can you imagine what it must be like to take care of two or three? That's why I think it's best to have just one child. Believe me, I've seen how it was for my aunt and uncle to know that one can be a handful. Having a family is not as easy as you may think."

"I know it can be hard, Neku. I often overheard the mothers in my neighbourhood talking about how expensive food and diapers can be. And of course they have to worry about whether their kids are doing well at school or not. Yes, I'm aware of all this."

"Glad you know what you're getting into."

"But I still think it's good to have at least two kids. If we have both the money and the means, I think we should go for two at the very least."

I didn't agree with her, but knew she had her reasons. Even she would not rush blindly into matters as important as family planning.

"Two?" I grunted. "I can't say I'm a fan, but let's see what you have in mind."

"As you know, I'm an only child, like you. Growing up, I craved attention from my mum and dad just like any kid my age would… but they were always busy with work, and couldn't spare any time to play with me. So I often had to make do playing with Granny and the neighbourhood kids.

"It's kinda tricky to describe the kind of parents that Mum and Dad are like. On one hand, they leave most of the 'parenting' to Granny. It was mostly her who brought me up. Mum and Dad were just… there. On the other hand, when they do care…"

"…they're strict as hell?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Alright, fine, all parents have to be like that or their kids will get out of control. But my parents, well… it's like they want me to be someone I'm not. I want to be a fashion designer, not a doctor or an engineer. But I digress. We're talking about kids now."

"I get that your parents are tough to deal with."

"Between Granny and the other kids, I actually had a lot of people to play with. But when she's busy with housework and my playmates had to go home for the day, I was all alone again. If I had a sibling, though…"

"…then you'd still have that one companion you can depend on and you won't be so lonely."

She rolled over onto her tummy, jamming a pillow underneath her chest. "I remember looking at my friends with their brothers and sisters, and feeling strange for being the odd one out. Of course I got used to it over time, but if I could go back to the past and change things, I'd get myself a brother or sister."

"And that's why you opt for two kids instead of one?"

"Yeah, at least they'll have each other for support. Not that we'll be bad parents to them, of course. But it'll be a richer experience for them as they grow up."

Eri… you put a lot more thought into it than I initially imagined. I definitely made the right choice being stuck to the hip with you.

With both sides of the argument thrown in, I now gave her my opinion. "Looks like we have different stances on this matter. I still prefer having just one kid, but maybe two isn't so bad either… Three's a crowd though, so that's out of the question."

"Fair enough. Two's the limit."

"After the second one I'm getting a vasectomy."

"A vasectomy!" she laughed. "Wow, you're that serious about sticking to two children."

"Anything to stop Auntie and Uncle from badgering me for even more kids. Dear god, I know how they work… You give them an inch and they'll take a mile!"

"There can never be enough grandchildren for them, huh?"

"They don't know the concept of 'enough'," I huffed. "Hell, they'll gladly build a farm to keep all of our kids."

"Ha ha ha!" She nudged my arm playfully. "Man, I wish my parents were half that funny."

"Don't," I said, shuddering. "You'll lose your mind before you know it."

Our conversation gradually came to an end. Eri turned to look back at the wall clock and we both saw that we had twenty minutes left before our time was up.

"One more round, Eri."

A lust-filled grin spread across her lips. "Oh, I'm ready. Are you?"

"Locked and loaded." I gave her an inviting look. "Hop on."

"Wait a minute." She scrambled to a sitting position. "There's just one thing."

"And what's that?"

"You sure it wasn't 'Missississississippi'?"

I rolled my eyes, snorting, "Just do your thing already."

XOXOXOXOXO

All in all, our first anniversary turned out marvelously. I couldn't have asked for it to go any better myself. When we were back home, she reiterated her gratitude to me.

"Thanks for tonight, Neku! You're the best boyfriend ever."

"Hey, I do my best – oh!" I slapped my forehead. "I totally forgot!"

Startled by my sudden outburst, she hopped back a step. "Forgot? About what? We didn't forget to bring back the fritters, did we?"

"No, no, the fritters are fine. I already put them in the fridge. But, well…"

"You're… blushing? And redder than usual, too."

I fiddled around in my coat pocket, making sure it was there. When I was certain that it hadn't been misplaced, I grasped Eri's wrist.

"Say, can we go to your room for a sec?"

Unsure of what to think of my request, she nodded awkwardly and let herself be led away. In her room, I made her sit down in front of the dresser.

"Eri," I said, "can you close your eyes for a bit?"

"What's going on?"

"Just do it. Trust me."

So Eri did as I asked her and there she sat, eyes shut tight and without a single clue what was happening. Good. I took a deep breath to steel my nerves, and reached inside my coat pocket…

…where I had stashed a small, rectangular box. I opened it up with some difficulty due to my shaking hands, scolding myself inwardly. Dammit, I shouldn't be this nervous. What I was about to do should be a piece of cake by now.

"Neku?" called Eri. "Uh, do you need my help with anything?"

"No, I'm fine. Just… don't move… and let me… put this on you…"

"What is – "

Her words stopped cold when she felt it. On her skin. Against my wishes, she snapped her eyes open and the sight of herself in the mirror elicited a gasp.

"Neku," she said in a hushed voice, "this… this pendant…"

"And… there." I finished fastening it in place around her neck. "This would have been the part where I tell you to open your eyes, but you went and did it all by yourself."

The two weeks before tonight were spent scouring Shibuya for the perfect anniversary gift. I wanted something that was elegant, meaningful and hopefully not too pricey, and right from the start what I had in mind was a pendant. It was somewhat of a long and arduous quest, but eventually I stumbled upon a jewelry store that had just what I needed.

And here it was, a beautiful jade pendant dangling from her neck. The stone – circular in shape and so green I could swear it was glowing – had great visual contrast with the fairness of her skin.

Eri was still too stunned to say anything. She was ready for dinner at a fancy restaurant, but she probably didn't expect a gift. I placed my hands on her shoulders and together we admired her reflection in the mirror. She was a total knockout, but the surprised expression she was making kind of spoiled it because of how downright hilarious it was.

I whispered into her ear, "Are you still here?"

Now she finally shook herself out of her stupor. But the awe remained. With that silly face too, though it had softened somewhat (still silly though).

"Oh wow…! It's lovely! You shouldn't have!"

"Happy anniversary."

"Thank you so much! I may not be overly crazy about jade, but this is really cute and I love it."

"The jeweler said something… What was it again? I think she said jade's good as a protective charm."

"That's really thoughtful of you, Neku."

"Sorry if it looks cheap," I said bashfully.

"It's not cheap. All that matters is that you took the time and effort to find something nice for me, and I appreciate that."

She rose from her chair and we embraced each other, foreheads touching.

"Happy anniversary, Neku." Sporting a playful smile, she said, "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"You have, but I could use a reminder."

"That was meant to be a rhetorical question."

Soft laughter ensued, and we swayed our bodies together in a sort of slow dance. "Regardless, Eri… What's your answer?"

"You mean how much I love you?"

"Yes. Do tell."

She giggled.

"Lots."

...

Author's note: Hello everybody! How are you all doing? Christmas is just around the corner, so I hope you're ready!

Anyway, I was looking back at some of my chapters and noticed that quite a number of the author's notes that I leave behind have me saying something along the lines of 'I don't have much to say this time so bye!' Yeah, it's kind of a running gag by now. I just didn't realise it until I saw how frequent it was. I'll try and say something actually meaningful this time, so... here goes.

Say, what do you guys feel about sex in stories? I think I covered this in Chapter 45 but let me just say a few words about it regardless. Personally, if I'm writing a story where the protagonists have strong feelings for each other, it's okay to include a sex scene to illustrate their progression as a couple. Of course, if the story is T-rated like She Comes And Goes As She Pleases, I have to omit the naughty details or else I'll be in trouble. It's a really touchy topic, and sometimes I wonder if the readers will hate it and argue that such scenes are unnecessary. What I can say is, if they're important, they should be written. Oftentimes they deliver impact and character development where a simple kissing scene can't.

Thanks for reading, everybody! I will most likely upload Chapter 55 next year, in January or early February. Until next time, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!