She Comes And Goes As She Pleases (Part 62)
by BrDPirateMan
Granny was cooking up a storm in the kitchen with Eri as her assistant. The latter's parents were nowhere to be seen. That left me alone in the living room with Makoto.
My rival.
Truth be told, I wasn't miffed that I had to compete with this guy for Eri's affections. It just felt really weird. Even weirder was that for someone who saw me as an obstacle, he was surprisingly nice to me.
For the longest time I envisioned my rivals to be of the 'bad boy' sort, complete with greasy hair and leather jackets and some of the most obnoxious personalities to date. Or they might be too touchy-feely, and get too aggressive in their pursuits. The fact that I've come across a couple of her ex-boyfriends who fit this trope didn't help matters. If it wasn't obvious already, I absolutely loathe such characters. It's worse when the girl chooses them over the nice guy who genuinely cares about her. Seriously, why do girls in fiction go ga-ga over the jerks?
What I wanted to say was that Makoto completely subverted my expectations of what a rival would be like. He was nice and gentle and even had a sense of humour.
But I digress.
I might as well find out more about him. You know the saying: know your enemy.
"So how long have you known Eri?" I asked. "I know you've been childhood friends, but when did it all begin?"
He scratched his cheek, flashing a bashful smile. "I've known Eri all my life. Our dads used to work in the same company, and they became really great pals. It was only natural that sooner or later our families would meet up, and that's how I was introduced to her."
That actually sounded cute. A small part of me wished I'd met Eri like that.
"We grew up in the same neighborhood," he continued, "and while we didn't get to attend the same school together, we did get to meet up and play together a lot. Obviously as we got older and reached our teens it became harder to meet up whenever we liked but we'd make it a point to see each other at least once a week. So yeah, we were close like that."
I stroked my chin thoughtfully at all of this information but could offer no clever observations of my own. "That's… real close."
Damn… This guy had the luck of being able to grow up with Eri. It's almost too good to be true. Childhood romances were stupidly cute, even if a lot of them were one-sided. I had to admit, the extensive history he shared with her was… intimidating. He had an edge that I couldn't even hope to have.
"What about you, Neku?"
"Huh? Wh-What about… what?"
"How long have you known her?"
I told him the truth, though it was admittedly a weaker story and not as cute as his childhood one.
"Since high school," I said. "She was a friend within my circle of pals and at first that's all she was: just a friend. Then everyone graduated and went their separate ways. I moved out of my old home into an apartment close to college… and as luck would have it, Eri happened to be in the same neighborhood as me. When she found out I lived close by, she started popping by my house a lot… like, a whole lot. We got really close after that and, well, the rest is history."
Makoto listened to my story with intrigue.
"And you eventually became her boyfriend," he said. "For a year and a half, right? That's a long time."
"Yeah, I hear that quite a fair bit."
"H-How far have you gone with her?"
He seemed afraid to know the truth, if that slight tremor in his voice was any indication. Fortunately or unfortunately for him, I had no intention of telling him any more than what I'd already told the Tanikawas.
"Just hugging and kissing," I lied. "That's it."
His ensuing expression was hard to read. Was he relieved, or did he suspect I was fibbing?
He seemed to hint at the latter when he pointed out in a half-joking manner, "Eri told me she's been living with you for more than a year. And kissing was the most you did?"
"Well, yeah. That's plenty for now."
He didn't appear totally convinced but left it at that and pursued the matter no further. He just nodded with the smallest of head movements, acknowledging my answer solemnly.
Before I could steer the conversation onto a different topic, he spoke first.
"Neku, tell me: do you love Eri?"
Was he testing me?
"Sure I do. Why?"
"As in really, truly love her?"
"Of course. I'm very serious about her." I placed a hand over my heart as a sign of sincerity. "There was never any doubt about that."
Satisfied with my answer, his lips curled up into a small smile. In response he quietly said:
"Well, I love Eri too. As a matter of fact…" – he took a deep breath – "…I've loved her ever since we were kids."
Couldn't say I was surprised at all. This was a revelation I saw coming from miles away. What made it different was how much emotion he invested into his words. This was a man who meant what he said. Had he been a less honorable character, he'd gladly yank Eri out of my hands, like one of those 'bad boy' types I mentioned earlier. Luckily for me he seemed to have the moral integrity to match his innocent looks.
Makoto continued, this time adopting a sad tone, "But I could never muster the courage to confess to her. We'd known each other since forever, so I was afraid that if I told her about my feelings and she didn't accept, it'd be too awkward to do stuff together. I could bear losing various things, but our friendship wasn't one of them."
Oh man, I've been there. Fear is a force to be reckoned with. I could identify with him.
His story went on, "Throughout our teenage years, I've watched her go out with countless guys. Every time a new guy appeared at her side, I would feel disappointed that I was too late. And whenever she dumped them, I'd tell myself to go for it and tell her I love her, but… I could never do it. Even when she was about to leave for Shibuya, I still couldn't find the right words, and she left without me being able to say anything. We kept in touch via email up till now, but because she was busy with school and I with work, we didn't get to communicate often.
"I'm just so tired of being a coward and not getting anywhere in life. So when Mr and Mrs Tanikawa asked me to take part in this marriage interview, I pounced on it because I knew this was my best chance. What I didn't count on was that she already found herself a boyfriend…"
Well, that's not my fault… I fell for her and vice versa, so it's only logical we started dating. Not that it was going to stop this guy from loving her.
He paused for a few seconds to recollect his thoughts. "I hate to sound like a broken record, and I know you might find this rude… but I'm gonna ask you again, Neku. Do you really, really love Eri? Please, I have to be sure."
After he bared his soul to me, it was impossible to feel any sort of animosity towards him. Rival or not, he was simply a guy who was pining for the love of a girl but couldn't bring himself to tell her how he felt. And that's more than enough for me to sympathize with him. I wasn't going to just hand over my girlfriend to him, though. Never in a million years.
"I love Eri," I said. "Very much. I can't live without her. And I'm sorry, but… I'm not giving her up to anyone. Not even you."
He nodded, recognizing my affection for her. But he didn't back down just yet.
"I understand. But Neku, I have a request… and you may not like the sound of it. I'm hoping you can give me a chance though."
"I'm listening."
He wrung his hands together till the knuckles turned white. Then he disentangled his fingers and balled his hands into fists, resting them on his knees.
"Neku, please let me confess to Eri. Just this once."
Needless to say, I was shocked and caught off guard. Deep down I had a hunch he meant to say something like that, but I didn't think he'd actually go through with asking it.
"Look, dude," I said firmly, "I already told you I can't give her to you…"
"I know. I'm not trying to take her away from you, I promise."
"Then what are you trying to do?"
He swallowed hard and when he spoke his voice was very soft.
"…I simply want to finish what I started so long ago. I fell in love with Eri the moment we met, and my feelings for her haven't wavered all these years. However, if I'm not destined to stand by her side, then I'll accept my fate… but at the very least, I want to get these feelings off my chest. Let me confess and get rejected. Once I'm certain of where her feelings lay, I'll back off."
He tried to keep a straight face as he said that, but the sadness and feelings of near-resignation in his words were hard to ignore. And if you put yourself in his shoes… if you have feelings for someone that lasted many years only to discover they've already been taken… could you blame him?
I knew more than anyone else the pain of not having a chance with the one you love.
Eri shook the hand of the tall guy standing obscenely close to Shiki. With a friendly tone she said, "Oh, you're Shiki's boyfriend? Cool! How long have you guys been dating?"
"We just celebrated our three-month anniversary last week," said Shiki, hooking her arm around his. They were all sappy with their smiles and it made me sick.
The girl I'd been dying to confess to already had a boyfriend?! This was a nightmare.
Ah, such bitter memories. I remember having to give up on Shiki and it was not fun. It did lead to me going out with Eri instead, and I've never looked back since, but that's another matter altogether.
Makoto was much braver than I was. Even in the face of impending failure he resolved to get his feelings across. At this point dating Eri was the least of his concerns; he knew he'd be turned down. He simply wanted to get it over with and put these feelings to rest once and for all.
Dammit, Makoto. You're not making this easy for me. How could I be sure you won't charm the pants off her and take her away? But… my intuition told me I could trust him. I barely knew the guy, yet my gut feeling was telling me that he was all right.
Against my better judgment I gave him my permission.
"Okay," I said. "Do what you need to do. But only that and nothing else. She is still my girlfriend, after all. Sorry if I sound possessive…"
The tension in his face slackened and he was most appreciative. "Thank you, Neku. Don't worry, I understand. Once that's done, I can finally put this behind me and I won't bother you again."
Was he really going to be okay with just that?
And would Eri reject him as he claimed she would, or…
No, come on, man. Don't be an idiot. She loves me, that much is certain. She won't ditch me for someone else…
…right?
I compared myself with Makoto who was far more accomplished in life, and all I could think of as an answer to my own question was… "I hope so".
XOXOXOXOXO
The highlight of today's lunch was a huge steaming pot of nabe. The pot was placed on top of a portable stove to keep the contents nice and hot, and the whole thing in turn was placed in the middle of a circular dining table. We sat all around, picking out stuff from the pot and enjoying it with a dipping sauce.
It was a feast fit for a king. The broth was light, which allowed us to fully taste the ingredients, making for a delightful contrast with the dip. Everything was cooked to perfection – beef, vegetables, fishcakes and whatnot – with my personal favorite being the hardboiled eggs. It had that familiar taste that reminded me of home.
Long story short, it was an instant hit. Everyone loved it. Even Eri's parents, gloomy as they were, finally smiled.
"Wow," gushed Makoto, slurping up a mouthful of udon noodles. "Great going, Granny. It's a bit different from how I remember it, but it's really good."
"Make sure you all thank Eri," she said with a prideful grin. "She did more than half of the work."
Mrs Tanikawa raised her eyebrows slightly, looking pleasantly surprised. "Really now… So Eri, how did you help out?"
Eri's chest was puffed out with pride. I just knew she was going to brag, but to be fair, she deserved every right to.
"I helped to chop up half of the ingredients," she said, smirking, "and I seasoned all of them. By the way, the recipe is different because we used the one that Neku taught me instead of Granny's."
"I wanted to test her cooking skills," Granny admitted, "so I made her do the lion's share of the preparations. I'm glad to say she passed with flying colours."
The ensuing murmur from everyone else was at first one of surprise but the compliments eventually poured forth on a job well done. Makoto in particular was generous with heaping flattery onto her. The Tanikawas were more subdued but even then they had nice things to say.
"Well," said Mrs Tanikawa, "that was unexpected. But in a good way."
"And it's about time." Even Mr Tanikawa's stone-faced expression cracked into a smile, though it was much smaller. "Good effort, Eri."
As Eri was busy basking in the praise, Granny turned to me. "So it was you who taught her this recipe, wasn't it? Was it something you created on your own?"
"Oh, no, it was taught to me by my aunt. I did make a few minor changes here and there though."
"I hope you don't mind if I ask for the recipe? I feel that my version of nabe could use some improvements."
"Of course! I'll give you the details after lunch."
Mrs Tanikawa liked what she heard, and in her own way, she showed me her gratitude. "To think that my daughter used to be totally hopeless in the kitchen. Sakuraba, my thanks to you for setting her straight."
"Actually, it was she who wanted to learn how to cook. She told me she was envious of everyone else who could, so I offered to give her lessons and… well, she got good."
"I see. Then that's even better. Eri, I'm glad to know you're finally trying to improve yourself. I hope you'll learn from your own example."
"That's Eri for you!" quipped Makoto, visibly proud of her. "You've got to show me more of your cooking someday."
"Heh, why not? You haven't even begun to see what I'm capable of. Next time I'm in the neighborhood, I'll whip up a surprise for you."
"Looking forward to it!"
She looked so happy showing off to him… Seeing that left a pang deep within my soul. It was at best a tiny pinch in the heart, but no less significant. Oh man, it's been so long since I felt this way. I was hoping I didn't have to experience it again.
Jealousy. But not the angry, frothing kind. It was more… sad.
Of course she was able to talk to Makoto so openly. They've known one another since they were kids. It was a sore reminder that, close as I may be with Eri, I still couldn't hold a candle to the relationship she shared with a friend she's known her entire life.
I told myself to ignore these negative feelings and stay focused. Surely there had to be a chance for me to shine.
The conversation turned to the topic of travel at some point. It started when Eri posed this question to Makoto, "Do you still go traveling these days?"
And he replied, "Nah, not that often. I can't get away from work. I did go on a tour around Taiwan last year."
"Taiwan!" said Mr Tanikawa, showing some interest for once. "How was it?"
"It's actually very similar to Japan in a lot of ways. The culture, the architecture… Oh yeah, I checked out Taipei 101 too!"
"The skyscraper? Did you go all the way to the very top?"
"I did! And I looked down…"
"Ooh, scary!" giggled Eri. "You went up all 101 floors? That's seriously hardcore!"
"Yeah, I almost threw up on the spot! It was the craziest thing I've done."
"Man! I wish I was there. What about the food?"
"It's really good! There's the time I pigged out on mapo tofu. It was really hot and spicy but I ate it all anyway. And then I had to spend the next day in my hotel room, nursing a bad stomach. Worth it, though!"
Mrs Tanikawa displayed concern. "My, you need to be more careful next time. It could have been worse. Remember the time we all went holidaying in Singapore, and we got food poisoning?"
The rest of the Tanikawas groaned, recalling what must have been a bad memory.
"It's the coconut rice," remarked Granny. "Come to think of it, the hygiene in that particular food court wasn't the best."
"Indeed!" growled Mr Tanikawa.
Makoto was most sympathetic. "Sorry to hear about that. You should probably give Taiwan a shot someday. Or maybe Thailand. That works too. The food there is fantastic."
"I still say France is the most interesting country we've been to. Seeing the Arc de Triomphe up close was nothing short of amazing. And then there's…"
At this point everyone's words melted into a jumbled mess. They were talking about sightseeing and the countries they've been to as well as the things they've seen and experienced during their travels, and by the looks of it they liked traveling to all kinds of places.
My family and I on the other hand weren't travel bugs; our road trips were mostly limited to nearby places like Osaka or Akihabara. Well, one time we flew to Okinawa, and that's the furthest I've been. I've never set foot outside of Japan. I didn't know what it was like to be on the top floor of a Taiwanese skyscraper, or what coconut rice tasted like, or seen French landmarks in the flesh.
In short, I had nothing to contribute to this conversation at all.
Would they think I was some uncultured country bumpkin if they knew the truth?
And of course, eventually someone had to ask.
It was Mrs Tanikawa who posed the question. It was just a harmless and innocent little query, but one I suddenly dreaded having to answer.
"Sakuraba, do you go sightseeing too?"
I had to steel myself to tell the truth. "W-Well, sure I do, once in a while… I've been to Osaka, and… uh, Okinawa… And…"
"That's nice, but I meant to ask whether you go abroad for your holidays."
Stupidly, I blurted, "D-Does Okinawa count as 'abroad'?"
Makoto himself laughed, but I could see it wasn't to mock me. "No, it's still part of Japan."
"O-Oh… then no, I… I can't say I have."
"You could try Taiwan!" he helpfully suggested. "It's close by."
"S-Sure, maybe I'll give it a shot one day."
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," he said, turning to everyone. "There's this really cool place within Taiwan. It's…"
Everyone happily resumed the conversation, leaving me on the sidelines. I tried my hardest to think of something that I could say to be an active participant, but nothing came to mind. Eventually I just settled for eating in silence. When I happened to meet Eri's eyes partway through all the talking, she reflected her pity for me in a brief smile.
I felt like a fish out of water. Every new topic the conversation turned to was of something I was unfamiliar with or lacked adequate knowledge about, such as the current oil prices or Makoto's work environment. Mr Tanikawa did not once utter a single word my way; even his wife, no-nonsense as she may be, had the decency to say a few things to me. Knowing that I was like a tagalong at best and a dead weight at worst, I had the distinct feeling that I didn't belong here. This was the most stressful meal I've ever had. It came to a point where I was waiting for this to just end so I could get away… far away from them.
As soon as lunch was over – finally! – I offered to help Granny with the dishes. Right now I'd rather hang out with her than suffer under the penetrating combined gaze of the Tanikawa parents. That said, Mrs Tanikawa didn't seem too bad. She might not accept me as her daughter's boyfriend, but at least she tried to act civil. Mr Tanikawa, on the other hand, hated my guts thoroughly and made no effort to hide that fact. Out of the entire household, Granny was the only one whom I was truly comfortable with.
As promised, I wrote her the recipe for my version of nabe, for which she was thankful. I outlined the instructions for her but found that I didn't need to go into too much detail since she knew the basics of making nabe anyway.
"Your aunt thought you well," she said approvingly. "Keep up the good work… and I hope I'm not asking too much of you, but please continue to guide Eri."
"That I will. I promised her."
The wrinkles on her face deepened and when she next spoke it was in a serious subdued tone.
"You know, ever since she moved to Shibuya we have all been worried about her. It's nice and all that she said she can take care of herself, but if you're in our shoes you'll know that worrying is precisely the one thing we can't stop doing. So please, since we can't be there for her, help watch over her in our stead."
"I never stopped caring about Eri. You have my word that she's in safe hands. But…"
"But?"
I reached up to rub the back of my neck, uncertainty brimming in my soul. "Her parents don't seem to be onboard with me being together with her. I like to think I'm the right guy for her, but… well…"
Granny smiled. "Give them time. It is still the first day they've met you. Show them enough of your good side, and I'm sure they'll warm up to you."
"I hope you're right."
"It will take a considerably greater effort to convince Mr Tanikawa, however. Just make a note of that."
"I've got my work cut out for me, eh?"
"Indeed," chuckled Granny. "Best of luck to you."
"Um, not to sound ungrateful or anything, but why do you support her going out with me? What about Makoto?"
"He's a nice boy… a really decent lad. But… I don't think he's the one for her. Not when she's clearly developed such strong feelings for you." She gave me a pat on the arm. "So fight on, Neku. For your own sake, as well as hers."
"I will." No rest for the wicked… "Thanks, Granny."
The entire morning in addition to lunch left me exhausted. My brain had long turned to sludge and drained out of my ears, and I was barely functioning with the help of what was left sloshing around in my skull.
Eri should be done with the whole marriage interview thing… I wanted to fetch her and go home and get this nightmare over with. The two of us could use a well-deserved break. I went around the house looking for her, seriously hoping I didn't bump into either of her parents along the way.
The room she was previously in was empty. So was the one where her father interrogated me. There was not a soul in the dining room. Or the kitchen.
Where could she have gone?
Through my listless exploration of the house, I stumbled upon an entirely new place altogether: the central garden. It was an open area within the mansion, and its beauty left me breathless. Plants and shrubs grew together in tight quarters, strategically arranged to provide visitors with the best view of their foliage. In the middle was an artificial pond made of stone bricks, and across this pond was a small bridge. Not far off to the side was a shishi-odishi, a contraption made from a short length of bamboo that periodically fills with water and empties it, making a sharp hollow noise. Now it was about done filling up from a nearby spout and I watched it tip over to dump its load of water, then return to its original position with a clonk.
Spellbound by the regality of the place, I almost didn't sense the presence of two figures as they strolled inside. Eri and Makoto? They hadn't noticed me yet, on account of me being partially hidden amongst the shrubs. With my head of orange hair sticking out I must look like a giant flower.
I wanted to call out to them and say hi but stopped myself when she said to him, "Alright, Mako, here we are. So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Sounded to me like a really important conversation was about to happen. Using the plants as cover I retreated the way I came in and stayed hidden, listening in on them intently.
Was this the part where Makoto wanted to confess to her, just as he told me he would?
My stomach clenched like it had been squeezed in a vice. I felt anything but good about this. But I'd given him my permission prior, so I intended to keep my promise.
He hid his hands behind his back, fingers wrestling with one another in a nervous flurry. Apparently he thought that made him look too sheepish so he settled for bracing the nape of his neck with his hand… which incidentally did nothing to make him look any more confident.
"Eri," he began, "I… I don't quite know how to put this into words…"
"That's okay!" she chirped. "Don't be shy, it's just me! Nobody's listening in on us."
Guilt ran down my spine like a bolt of lightning.
Now he smoothed down the front of his suit, ready to talk. He took a deep breath. Instinctively, so did I.
"Whew. Okay. Um, listen. I know it's a bit sudden, and I know you already have a boyfriend. But I have to say it."
"Uh-huh?"
"I'm gonna have a bit of a prologue going on here so please bear with me. Just let me start by… by saying that I've always treasured the times we spent together. Remember when we used to go to the convenience store to get ice-cream, but the flavour you wanted was always sold out?"
"That was so long ago," giggled Eri. "And the flavour that I wanted was one of those limited-edition ones. Hmm… what was it again?"
"Blueberry bazooka bonanza."
"Oh yeah!" She smacked a fist into her palm. "That's it! Blueberry bazooka bonanza! The Triple B! I can't believe you actually remembered!"
He smiled. "Heh, yeah. And – "
"You know, I've been searching for that flavour for ages! But no luck. The closest I got to it was this blueberry sundae I had while I was on a date with Neku. Heh, funny story: it was on a Sunday. So that means I had a sundae on a Sunday. Ha! I'm a genius!" And she laughed like she'd told the world's greatest joke.
Makoto chuckled weakly. "Uh, y-yeah… that's a good one. Oh! And you know the time when we explored that haunted house? We had fun, didn't we?"
"Oh, I loved it," she gushed. "We didn't find anything cool, but knowing there might be a ghost waiting round the corner made things exciting. …You were more scared than me though."
"Cut me some slack. It's haunted! Besides, going there in the first place was your idea."
"Ha ha ha! Yeah, I was young and reckless back then. Is the house still there, by the way? I never got round to finding out."
"It was demolished last year. Word is they're going to build an apartment complex in its place."
"Aww, that's too bad. I kinda liked it the way it was. Also, what is with you guys?"
Puzzled, Makoto scrunched up his eyebrows. "Huh?"
"You and Neku are such scaredy cats! See, last month my college held this big festival, and one of the attractions was a haunted house. Neku and I went in for a look, and he was screaming half the time. It was hilarious!"
"Oh… uh, well, that's how I am. Can't say I speak for him though. Anyway, I just wanted to say that hanging out with you is lots of fun."
She chuckled. "Being fun is what I'm good at!"
"Yeah, but you're also a genuinely good person… which is what I find really attractive."
Eri had nothing to say to that. She must have figured out that he had an important announcement to make and knew better than to keep interjecting with her wisecracks.
"Listen," he said, face growing beet-red, "we've been friends since we were kids, but I've always thought of you as something more. And for the longest time I was hoping to tell you how I truly feel…"
My hands grew cold and clammy as the time of reckoning drew near. It was obvious by now he had no intention of backing down.
What kept my insides in knots was how Eri would respond to it.
Yes, I know. We've been going steady for one and a half years. We've promised our undying love for each other. I had no reason to be worried. She won't jump ship. She won't waver.
But if she did? Suppose she had a change of heart, and chose him over me? Then what? What would become of us? Our relationship? What would I do… where would I go from here?
There was no time to think of all the bad that could happen. Makoto was going to do it. I watched with bated breath and braced myself for the outcome of his confession.
"I love you, Eri," he said at last. "I… I've always loved you. Not just as a friend, but romantically. I love you so much to want to go out with you."
Damn, he delivered the confession better than I did. She stared at him, unable to contain her surprise. For a while she was so stunned there was nothing she could say. Her mouth opened once or twice but no words were heard. In the meantime, the mounting tension worsened the cramps in my abdomen.
Eri clutched her arm, squeezing it. "Gosh, Mako, I… I didn't expect to hear this from you at all. Way to catch me off guard."
"I know… I'm sorry. But I simply had to tell you, no matter what. I'm not saying this just to please your parents or because of the marriage interview. These feelings of mine are the real deal."
A smile slowly crept over her lips. It was a simple facial expression that would warm my heart any other day, but here it made me anxious seeing it directed at another guy. What was going through her head? Was she comparing my worth to his, trying to see if I was… better? Makoto was better than me at a lot of things, but I had my good points too, right?
Then she finally spoke and gave her two cents on the matter. I froze.
"Thank you for your honesty, Mako," she said softly. "But, as I'm sure you're already well aware, I have a boyfriend…"
He plucked at his collar nervously. "I… I know. I know you're going out with Neku, but I felt this way towards you for years and kept it all bottled up inside for just as long. One way or another, I had to tell you or I'd never get over it."
"I understand. Again, Mako, thanks for laying bare with your feelings. I appreciate it."
"Yeah…"
"But I'm sorry." She bent her body in a solemn bow. "I love you, Mako, but only in a purely platonic, sisterly way. I… well… I'm sorry."
Within the span of a few seconds I experienced a maelstrom of different emotions. First there was the relief, unlike anything I've ever known before. My gut, previously wound like a coiled spring, relaxed considerably upon hearing that. Then I inwardly both scolded and laughed at myself for being an idiot. Eri promised to stay by my side no matter what. She made that crystal clear. Of course she won't ditch me for another guy!
However, when I saw the changes in Makoto's face, I couldn't help but feel a bit sad, weird as it might sound for someone in my position. He knew what the outcome was. He knew he'd be turned down. But it must still be quite the punch to the gut to hear her say those words. He tried to look brave in the face of utter rejection, but the blankness of his face made him look sadder, somehow. That's how life is – you win some and you lose some – but hell if it didn't suck when you lost.
Makoto put on his best smile, which was sullied somewhat by his disappointment. "Don't worry, I gotcha. We're cool. We're still friends though, aren't we? You and I."
"Of course we are! Nothing's gonna change between us."
"You and Neku play nice, alright?"
Eri gave a light and brief giggle. "We always play nice. Hey, next time you're in Shibuya, do drop by. I'll make you a mean okonomiyaki."
"Sweet. Um, is it too much for me to ask for extra bonito flakes?"
"Not at all. Extra bonito flakes it is!"
At that point I'd seen enough so I left.
I parked myself in the living room, fiddling with my phone, or at least looking like I was. I couldn't do much of anything, really. My heart was still recovering from pounding so hard during that confession. I really thought that'd be the end and I would have to walk out of Eri's life forever.
Presently Makoto walked into the room. I stood up from the sofa and he came over to speak with me one last time.
His lips were stretched thin in resigned acceptance and he sighed. "I confessed to Eri already."
It's best to pretend I didn't know anything. "Wh-What did she say?"
"She turned me down."
"Ah, um… I see… uh…"
What was one supposed to say in a situation like this? It'd be weird to say 'sorry it didn't work out' when it's not supposed to. Hell, he just confessed to somebody's girlfriend. That's enough to set a lot of alarm bells ringing. I wasn't obligated to show sympathy, but wordlessly patted him on the arm, a gesture he seemed to appreciate.
"I feel much better now," he claimed. "Now I can finally let go of these feelings I've kept inside me for so long. It'll be like a fresh new start for me."
"Good for you, pal. Good to know you can move on at long last."
"Yeah, it's strangely liberating." Smiling, he continued, "You know what's funny, Neku? I actually knew early on that I didn't have a fighting chance. She keeps bringing you up. Can't stop talking about you… I was told she had a boyfriend but came here hoping to change her mind. However, I had no idea she was this serious about you… Once it was clear how much she loves you, I was pretty much resigned to the fact that she won't go after another guy."
"B-But you went ahead with the confession anyway… to tie up loose ends."
"Yes. Heh, it'll be tough finding another girl like her! Anyway, I'm not gonna be a third wheel anymore, so I'll be on my way. See you around, Neku."
"Bye for now." I shook his hand. "Take care of yourself."
And so our rivalry ended before it could truly begin. I would not meet Makoto Miki again for quite some time. Whatever he planned to do from now on, I sincerely hoped he'd be alright. And that, somewhere down the line, he'd find a nice girl for himself. Dude was too nice to deserve to stay single.
XOXOXOXOXO
The marriage interview was a total bust. And the outcome was least favored by Mr Tanikawa, which should come as no surprise seeing how desperately he'd been trying to hook his daughter up with Makoto.
Now we were all back in the first room where I was interrogated. Me and Eri versus her parents. Battle of the millennium. Granny wasn't around; she'd left after handing us our drinks. Considering how heated our debate would soon be, she was wise to stay out of this.
Mr Tanikawa was not happy and he wasn't afraid to show it. His wife, on the other hand… it was hard to tell what she was thinking. She had a very good poker face which betrayed no emotions whatsoever. For some reason, that made me feel even more uneasy.
Here we go again…
"Alright, you two," huffed Mr Tanikawa. "I'm going to be blunt. Eri, the reason we chose Makoto to take part in the marriage interview is because he has a good character and is well-accomplished in life. We also took into account how close you are with him. At the end of the day, all we want is for you to be with a man who can take care of you adequately. Someone you can be happy with."
With a generous heaping of defiance, Eri said, "That much I've accomplished already, Dad. I've got Neku by my side. He makes me happy and he genuinely cares about my welfare. I couldn't ask for anyone better."
Instead of openly grumbling or blowing his top, he was being strangely civil for once, for what that's worth. Every word he spoke still cut like glass.
"I don't see the benefit of clinging to someone like Sakuraba. He has to be the single most uninteresting, least proactive person I've seen. Why do you spend so much energy on him? Eri, you're better than this."
I saw her eye twitch for a second there. "Do you even know what you're saying, Dad? He works part-time, cooks and swims with me every weekend, he keeps himself busy with all sorts of things and it's all for our own good. Neku gives it his all in everything – "
"So does Makoto, and he's altogether a more accomplished person than he is!"
"Must you hate Neku that much? No matter how you look at it, he's a genuinely nice and kind guy."
Mr Tanikawa steepled his fingers, impatient to get his daughter to see things the way he did. "It matters not if a boy is nice. Anyone can be nice and it's fairly easy to do too. But being an upstanding member of society takes real effort. Unless you want to derail your future, you better think twice about who you want to spend the rest of your life with."
Eri wasn't pleased, to say the least. "Dad, I've already told you what you need to know. I can't think of anything more that won't make us go round in circles."
"Hmph." Mr Tanikawa turned to his wife. "Say something, will you? Please, get her to understand."
All eyes were now fixated on Mrs Tanikawa. Her face was straighter than a ruler. I banked on the fact that she was fine exchanging some words with me during lunch that she may have a more lenient opinion than her husband's. As much as I clung onto that glimmer of hope, however, I also expected the worst. At some point I forgot to breathe too. So you could say that I wasn't holding my breath while I was holding my breath.
At last the woman spoke. "You know, Sakuraba is as far from my idea of the ideal boyfriend as one could roam…"
Yeah… I figured.
But there was a twist. "…That said, Shinichi," she said, "I don't think he is as bad as you make him out to be."
Everyone reacted in varying degrees of surprise. Eri and I stared at her wide-eyed like she'd said something amazing… which was exactly what she did. It came as more of a rude shock to Mr Tanikawa, however.
"Wh-Why do you say that?" he asked, incredulous. "Don't you already know how many faults he has?"
"Yes, I do. But you've also been totally ignoring his good points. We owe him for helping to set our daughter straight. She still has a long way to go, but as a whole she has improved a lot and we have him to thank."
Eri and I exchanged hopeful looks. This entire thing has been one blow to my confidence after another, especially with all the crud her dad has been pouring all over me, so it was a welcome respite for her mother to side with us.
Mr Tanikawa wasn't going to back down so easily though. "His bad points far outweigh the good. He's not involved in any clubs, has no appreciable talents to speak of, and has never assumed any noteworthy leadership positions. Are you saying you're fine with our daughter going out with such a layabout?"
"I'm saying that you should give them a chance."
Just as Mr Tanikawa was about to disagree with her, the door slid open and Granny came in with a tray of cookies. He seized the opportunity to seek a second opinion.
"Granny, perfect timing," he said. "I need to know what you think."
"Certainly. About what, sir?"
"What is your impression of Sakuraba? And don't be afraid to be honest."
"Well, my honest opinion is that he's a good, decent young man. He's very helpful and responsible, and I can tell he loves and cares for Eri."
Eri was almost tempted to pump her fist in the air but she stopped when I placed my hand on her arm. Mr Tanikawa could scarcely believe what he was hearing.
"You can't be serious…"
"I can see you're concerned about your daughter, sir, especially when she's so far away from home much of the time. But I'm positive that she'll be alright in Neku's hands."
Mrs Tanikawa spoke up. "I've been doing some thinking, Shinichi… I don't regret us making decisions for Eri for her own good. To be fair, we weren't wrong much of the time. But we forgot she's an adult now. She's smart enough to make her own decisions. We don't need to dictate every aspect of her life. And if Sakuraba is the man she chose to be happy with – and considering the kind of person he is – then I don't think that's such a bad thing."
"Mum!" gasped Eri. "D-Do you really mean it?"
"Yes… well, we'd appreciate you coming to us for advice for the odd thing here and there, but for the most part I think I can trust you to make the right choices for yourself."
I thought this was the part where Mr Tanikawa would dismiss everyone's words and assert his stand on the matter at hand. Instead he quietly mulled over what the two older women said to him. The frustration and disbelief on his face slowly gave way to puzzlement until it looked like he was questioning his own logic. Maybe he needed one more push. This was where I finally came in…
"Um," I meekly started, "if I may say something… Everyone, I understand if you don't trust me yet. This is literally the first time we've met, and I haven't had the chance to properly prove my worth to you. But I do love Eri and I'd do anything it takes to stay by her side. You have my word that she'll live a happy fulfilling life with me and that she'll come to no harm. So please…" I bowed deeply. "…please give us a chance."
Eri appealed to her dad too. "Please, Dad. I… Frankly, I don't know how else I can convince you. But Neku really is an alright guy, I promise. He seems unreliable at times, but he always pulls through. So I'm satisfied. My search for a good guy in my life is over. I'm not going to look for anyone else."
Silence lorded over the room as Mr Tanikawa took his time digesting everyone's words. It would be a few more seconds before he spoke, but damned if it didn't feel like forever.
"Eri," he began, "I'm not particularly comfortable with you going steady with a boy like Sakuraba… Surely there are better options out there. But if this is what you want, then very well. I can give you two a chance…"
Were my ears full of wax or did I really hear that right? Eri had the same reaction, gaping at her father.
"R-Really?" she squeaked. "You'll… You'll let us be?"
"For now. I need to be convinced you two are going to be fine together. So I expect to see improvement. Especially from you, Sakuraba." He looked directly at me. "Having that part-time job is a step in the right direction but I need you to be more proactive. Get involved, do something, for goodness' sake."
I gave him my word. "I'll look for something I can take part in. If an event comes up, I'll see if I can't help out. Stuff like that."
"Yes, that's the idea. We'll check back on you two in a few months' time. When we do, we want results."
"We can deal with that!" said Eri cheerily. "Yeah, we can make this work!"
She was just as glad as I was that we were now off the hook, more or less for what that's worth. If staying together meant I had to work a little harder to prove myself, then it's a small price to pay. And, well, to be fair, my portfolio of achievements could stand to be a little thicker. Maybe this was Mr Tanikawa's way of helping me?
"Thank you," I said to the Tanikawas. "Thank you very much."
Eri followed suit. "Yes, thank you! You have no idea how relieved we are to hear this. For a solid one and a half years we had to play hide-and-seek with you guys about our relationship because we didn't want you to break us up. If you're still concerned about us I can understand, but let's at least put this madness behind us. Please?"
Mrs Tanikawa turned to her husband and remarked, "For our daughter to be so afraid of her own parents… where exactly did we start to go wrong?"
"Look," he sighed, "we had our reasons for being so strict. But I suppose we could ease up on her a little…"
"Yes, that'd be for the best."
"I also agree," said Granny. "Sir, ma'am, I don't mean to speak out of line, but it's high time Eri is given the freedom to do as she pleases… within acceptable limits, of course."
"Fair enough," huffed Mr Tanikawa. "Do as you like, you two, but promise us one thing."
I felt my stomach clench for a second there. Eri and I threw a quick simultaneous glance at each other. This better not be a last-minute spanner in the works…
"S-Sure," I said, on edge and for good reason. "Go on."
The icy glare returned in full force as he leaned forward in a menacing way. "You are not married. You will not engage in sexual intercourse with each other. I won't allow it. Understand?"
Cold sweat sprang out from my entire body. Eri felt the same way. The guilt from breaking her ages-long oath of celibacy made us quake like jelly. Oh, the irony. Her father trusted us not to do the nasty till the time was right, and here we are, a couple of horny young things having already done it long ago… and goodness knows how many more times after that!
We could be absolute beasts if the mood was right. Yes, we're really active in the bedroom. Not that we could freely blab all about it…
"O-Of course," I gulped, trying to act cool, "th-that's fine. That's perfectly fine!"
Eri held out an awkward thumbs-up, while visibly looking like she'd died on the spot. "N-N-No problemo! Th-That's the stuff we leave for later, you know? Later! Ha ha ha!"
"You better behave yourselves," Mr Tanikawa warned, causing us to clam up immediately. "You dare to try anything funny and I'll have you fed to the wolves, you hear me?"
"Yes sir!" Frightened for my life, I instinctively shot him a stiff salute.
Mrs Tanikawa sighed, "Shinichi, you're scaring them again."
"But this is different!" he insisted. "It's important that she doesn't stray too far!"
God, just let us go home already… Any longer and I might just make a mistake that'll get me killed…
XOXOXOXOXO
After a thorough talking-to, Eri and I were finally allowed to leave. Emphasis on finally!
The time I spent with the Tanikawas was stressful beyond belief. And then when Makoto showed up and proved himself to be a worthy rival, it sent me into an even greater panic on top of what Eri's father put me through. I don't need to go into any more detail about how it all went, so let's leave it at that and move on. Whew!
I didn't hate Mr and Mrs Tanikawa, but their bluntness was at many points much more than I could bear. It didn't help that the whole thing from start to finish lasted several hours, which was much longer than I anticipated. But it all worked out in the end, more or less, so thank heavens for that. Hopefully the next time I met up with them it'll go much smoother.
Granny offered to hail a cab for us but Eri declined, saying that she wanted to show me around the neighborhood. So we set off on foot to enjoy the sights and sounds of Fukushima. Thing is, if she knew there wasn't much to see in the first place, then what did she intend to show me?
As soon as we were far away from her house, Eri wasted no time with a barrage of profuse apologies.
"Neku, I'm sorry my parents were so harsh. They're always like that. It's good that they finally came around somewhat, but darned if they didn't do a number on my nerves! Really, I… I don't know what to say."
"Well, we made it out alive and they've given us permission to continue our relationship. That's what matters."
"Yeah, it all turned out well in the end. Still!" And here she started fuming. "What's eating Dad, anyway? It's as Mum said; he only sees the bad in you and ignores the good. Talk about bias!"
Despite my suffering at the hands of her folks, I shrugged it off coolly, not wishing to badmouth them too much. "Your dad's a real tough customer, I'll give you that. But as odd as this may sound, I actually agree with him on a few things."
Eri shot me a look of horror and started to feel my forehead, which made me break out in a chuckle.
"I'm perfectly fine, Eri. No fever here."
"You owe me an explanation."
"Okay, to be fair, I don't agree with everything he said. But when he found out I haven't joined any clubs or been in any positions of leadership, he really tore me a new one. He said I should be more proactive… and thinking about my life as a whole, he might have a point."
"But you're working hard enough as it is."
To which I said, as we turned down a corner street, "Maybe, maybe not. It can't hurt to do a few more things, right? I heard some clubs at my college are recruiting. And when the winter festival comes around, I'll see if I can lend a hand."
Eri gave an annoyed sigh. "Dad always asks for too much. That's so like him. He expects everyone to be multi-talented uberpeople and anyone less earns his scorn." Then, going back to a kinder tone, she continued, "I personally think you're alright – you've got a part-time job and we spend the weekends teaching each other how to swim and cook and, well, we're quite productive in our free time is what I'm saying. But if you want to attempt something extra, I won't stop you. Just don't overdo it like last time."
"Don't worry. Common sense and moderation. I got both now."
"Good!" She stretched her arms over her head. "I'm glad today went okay, at any rate. I honestly didn't expect Mako to show up for the marriage interview, though. It's nice that I was able to catch up with him, but he was never the sort of guy I'd consider as a romantic option. I hope I didn't crush his heart when I turned him down."
I played dumb. It'd be awkward if she found out I was eavesdropping on her meeting with Makoto. "Turned him down? What, did he confess to you or something?"
"Yeah, he said he'd always loved me since we were kids. Which is cute… but I can't feel the same way about him."
The time I spent getting to know my rival provided me with one unavoidable fact: he knew more about Eri than I did. Despite being her boyfriend for close to two years, and knowing her on the inside and out, I still felt like I was missing out on a lot of things. Things that Makoto was obviously privy to considering the closeness he shared with her all their lives. And that made me kinda sad.
She picked up on my insecurities. "Neku, what's wrong?"
I need to stop being so transparent. But since she asked, I might as well heave this load off my shoulders. Presently we arrived at a quieter part of the neighborhood, and the dearth of pedestrians gave me the confidence to voice my thoughts aloud.
"Eri, I feel like there's still so much about you I'm not aware of. On the whole I'm familiar with you – your quirks, your daily schedule, what music you like and what turns you on and off. But there's still a wealth of things I've yet to know."
"Like what?"
"For starters, you haven't actually talked about your childhood much. A little, yes, but not quite enough. I'd like to know more."
"Oh yeah, you're right. I haven't told you much apart from that catnip incident. And I've got a lot of stories to tell! But you gotta tell me about your kiddie days too, alright? Fair's fair, after all!"
"I'll try not to bore you, at least. I'm not exactly the sort of person you'd call interesting."
"That's not true. Don't short-change yourself! I wouldn't have been stuck to the hip with you otherwise."
Her kind words put a smile on my face. "Yeah, I guess not."
"There's still a lot more about me that you'd like to know, huh?"
"Yeah, well, it's the little things. Stuff like how your school life was like before you moved to Shibuya, or the experiences you had when you went traveling with the family, or even… well, what limited-edition ice cream flavours you've tasted."
"Looks like we've got a lot of catching up to do," she giggled. "But just for the record, my favourites are winter melon crush and blueberry bazooka bonanza."
I knew what the latter was, but pretended to not have heard of it. "Ice-cream flavours, I presume?"
"They're sooo good," she gushed. "No trace of them now, though. Oh yeah, quadruple chocgasm is to die for too."
"Is that really a thing?"
"Heh, you better believe it!" Then, sincerely, she asked, "But seriously, why do you want to know all about me so badly? Not that I have a problem with it or anything."
I poured out the truth. "Makoto's been your friend since you guys were kids. He knows everything about you… but I don't. Not yet, anyway. And I really want to, seeing as we're going out. Makes sense to know your lover, uh, completely… right?"
"You need not be so concerned about knowing everything right off the bat. Let's take it one step at a time…" – cheekily, she added – "…and don't forget, I already enrolled in Sakuraba Basics 101, so I expect you to teach me all about yourself too."
"Depends," I deadpanned. "Have you paid the course fee?"
"Yes, in full. I already emailed my nude pics to you."
I coughed at her audacity while she sniggered at my reaction. It's fortunate that we were alone. It's doubly fortunate that her father was nowhere nearby to overhear us.
Seeing that we were in the clear, I kept the jokes going. "C'mon, Eri, that part's supposed to be a secret."
"Oh yes, it'd be a big problem if it wasn't a secret anymore." She cheekily nudged me with her elbow. "How about it? An A+ in exchange for my silence. Sound good?"
"Actually… I'd rather you tell me where we are now."
I was aware that we had journeyed quite a long way and that we seemed to be moving through what must be the outskirts of the residential area. Off to the side of the road was a dirt path, barely identifiable from the clusters of grass that grew all around it. The path led to a forest just a few paces away, and it was really dense. Where, indeed, had we ended up?
In response to my question, Eri grinned like the Cheshire Cat and purred, "It's a surprise."
"No, seriously," I said, "where is – "
Eri skipped off the road onto the dirt path like a child going on an adventure, and I hurried to catch up with her.
"Whoa, Eri, wait up!"
Into the forest I followed her. She navigated the thick underbrush and uneven ground with the grace of a ballerina. I was smart enough to realize that the meandering path she was taking was probably the safest, so I aped her movements in an attempt to get by with as little trouble as possible. However, try as I might, I kept getting my legs slapped by low branches, which kinda hurt, and almost tripped over the odd tree root protruding out of the ground on one or two occasions. And I still had no idea where we were headed.
"C'mon, Eri," I panted, "we've been trekking for at least ten minutes now, I reckon."
"If you want me to spill the beans so early," she sniggered, "then you're outta luck! You're just going to have to see for yourself. But don't worry, if I'm not mistaken, it should be right through here…"
In front of us was a thick patch of trees. They grew so densely together that they were essentially like a wall. Eri inched her way through a gap and disappeared, and with little choice in the matter, I took the plunge and went after her. I had to take the knapsack off of my shoulders so I could fit. The foliage was so thick I could scarcely see where I was going. Luckily Eri's voice was just up ahead for me to follow.
"Over here!" she called. "This way!"
I stumbled along, knapsack in hand. As I brushed past countless knee-high grasses and plants, they left seeds and burrs all over my trousers, an issue Eri didn't have as she was wearing micro shorts – lucky for her. Despite my discomfort, I pushed on.
After what seemed like forever, I eventually stepped out into the light. Temporarily robbed of my eyesight, I held up my hand to shield against the sun. When they readjusted themselves, I was awestruck at the scene before me.
We'd come to a clearing in the woods. The grass here was still tall, but it grew only in sporadic locations. A thick soft carpet of dead weeds dominated the rest of the ground. The thing that drew the majority of my attention, however, was the pond right in the middle. It was about the same size as the indoor pool we visited every Sunday for our swimming lessons.
It was a pretty sight, but if this was the surprise Eri had in mind, I still didn't know what she had planned.
She crouched near the edge of the pond and scooped up some water in her hand. It sparkled in the sunlight, almost like it came from right out of a fairy tale.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Eri. "It's a little place I call my sanctuary."
"It's kinda cool, I'll give you that."
"How I came to know about this place is a bit of a long story so I'll slide you the details another day. When I was a teenager, I used to come here along with a bunch of my friends and some of the neighborhood kids, and we'd swim in this pond. Came here two or three times… then the local brown bear chased us out and we never returned."
I recalled her telling me something along those lines some time back. "You even gave the bear a name, of all things."
"Ah… good ol' Kogoro." She stood up and scanned across the pond. "Got a bit of a temper, that one. Possessive, too. He wanted the whole pond to himself and wasn't willing to share."
I looked all around me in a slight panic. "H-He's not around, is he? That'd be bad news."
"I won't worry about that. He's part of the local zoo now, and unless he's escaped and found his way back here, we should be pretty safe."
"You have a way of reassuring people that doesn't sound reassuring."
"Seriously, Neku," she giggled. "Relax! We have all the privacy we need and some. Or do you need me to hire some bodyguards?"
"A run-in with an actual bear… You guys are lucky to still be in one piece. That was way too dangerous to be worth the trouble of a swim. Not to mention coming here in the first place is a bunch of trouble in itself."
"Yeah, now that I've had a few years of wisdom between then and now, it's easy to see that I was kinda reckless… and irresponsible. Still fun, though."
All while we were talking, she was doing some simple exercises – hamstring pulls and the like. I didn't think much of it, and initially dismissed it as her wanting to stretch after our arduous trek through the woods. Then I realized those were the same warm-up exercises she would do before every swim…
"Uh, Eri?"
My suspicions were set in stone when, without warning, she dug her fingers into the bottom hem of her spaghetti top and peeled it off and over her head in one swift motion.
"Eri?" I yelped. "Wh-What're you doing?"
"Going for a swim."
Now she took off the fanny bag around her waist and her shorts were the next thing to go. Her beige-coloured underwear was a sight to behold.
"Swimming? But do you even have a swimsuit, Eri?"
"Hee hee… Don't need one."
Quick like lightning, she relinquished everything else on her person, dumping the last of her clothes in a pile on the ground. Naked and proud of it, she arched her back in one final stretch. I watched, spellbound, as she walked to the edge of the pond and cautiously dipped the toes of one foot into the water. Satisfied with the temperature, she slipped in until the water came to her waist. Then, she submerged herself completely and crashed back to the surface in two seconds, breaking into a roar of delight.
"Liberated at last!" she laughed, combing her wet locks over her head. "Hoo boy! It's been so long since I did this!"
The sight of her toned naked body left me catatonic. She noticed I had gone silent and tried to motivate me with her infectious energy. She attempted to beckon me over by waving her arm wildly, spraying water all over the place in the process.
"Come on in! The water's great! But no clothes allowed, okay? That's a big no-no."
I pulled myself out of my reverie and my sense of crisis kicked in.
"Eri! Wh-What're you smoking? Put your clothes back on before someone sees you."
But she brushed me off. "Oh, I'll be fine. I won't get arrested for skinny-dipping in a place no one even cares about."
Desperate for her safety, I tried once more to get through to her. "Okay, fine. But there may be wild animals out there. Do you want to have an encounter with another bear? You won't have time to put on your clothes if you need to run. Worst case scenario, you may end up having to leave them behind! And running through the underbrush without any protection is a good way to get cuts and bruises. And that's if you can even outrun the – blargh!"
The little imp… She used her hands to squirt water into my eye! Her laughter desecrated the silence of the forest as I scrambled to wipe my face off.
"You worry too much, Neku. If I say it'll be alright, then it will be! So hop in already and enjoy the moment!"
My rational side gave me more than enough reasons to get the heck out of this place. We're alone in the middle of a dense forest and who knows what's out there.
But at the same time, I envied her carefree attitude. I secretly loved her thirst for adventure and how she didn't give a damn about anything just so she could have some fun. It's risky, I knew. Dangerous, too. But don't they always say it's good to try new things?
Eri continued to goad me into joining her. "What're you waiting for, Neku? The afternoon will be over before you know it!"
I shot her a wry smile. But I also wasn't saying no.
"You know, Eri, I might just be out of my mind. But hell, since I'm already here…"
I unbuttoned my shirt and when I took it off in a flourish, her jaw dropped in awe. She liked what she was seeing and just stood there in the water, watching me undress. When my briefs came off, she raised her hands and let out a whoop of celebration.
"Woohoo! That's what I like to see!"
With my clothes out of the way, I did a few quick stretches, during which she shamelessly leered at my exposed crotch with a grin. I just let her be, taking the time to ensure my limbs were sufficiently supple. Then I was ready to jump in… well, cautiously waddle in, more like. But in I went and I didn't look back. I thought it'd be an awkward experience for me but I found it surprising how easily I took to the water without clothes. Frankly, it was exhilarating.
"So?" said Eri, grinning. "How's it feel?"
"Well," I said, shrugging, "when you say you're right, you're right, eh?"
"I told you so!"
"I could get used to this."
"Congrats, you found a new hobby! And now, without further ado… playtime!"
Eri swiped an arm across the surface, splashing me with water. This was my cue to wage war.
"Alright, Eri, I'm not gonna go easy on you! Bring it on!"
We alternated between periods of swimming and boisterous play. When we got tired of horsing around, we spent our time floating and soaking in the watery goodness. Then, when our energy recovered, we'd regress to childlike caricatures of ourselves and reignite our ongoing war once more. Rinse and repeat.
Eri looked so fresh and happy as she played around with me. This was the most fun I've had in a long time.
"Armed and ready, cap'n!" she bellowed. "Fire!"
I held up my arms in an X shape to brace myself against the inevitable onslaught of water. After it crashed onto me, I sought to respond the only way I knew how.
"Torpedoes loaded!" I growled, stirring the water around me into a frenzy. "Retaliatory fire! Take this!"
Eri squealed when she was hit squarely in the face with a barrage that could put tsunamis to shame.
"Ha ha ha! That's a good one, Neku!"
She scrambled to the edge of the pond and climbed out. I called out with mischief thick in my voice, "And what do you think you're doing, young lady?"
"Tactical retreat!"
"I take no prisoners," I chortled. "Get back here!"
"Ha! Catch me if you can!" She twirled round to stick her butt out at me and had the audacity to give it a loud slap.
Naval warfare escalated into a chase on land. Eri darted in and out of the woods as I desperately tried to close the distance, though I could see she was mindful to limit our war zone to the immediate vicinity of the pond, so that we won't wander too far and get lost.
"You can run," I taunted, "but you can't hide!"
"It won't be so easy!"
Eventually our muscles gave out and we decided to call a truce. We'd tired ourselves into a tie; neither of us lost nor won. But damned if that wasn't the most enjoyable thing I've done in a while. We lay side by side on the ground, where the weeds made for a convenient mattress. Running around so much had more or less dried the water off of our bodies; instead, our skin glistened with sweat. Eri's body gleamed like oil in the waning sunlight, a sight that was a serious turn-on for me.
"It's always nice to be a kid again," she panted. "Don't you think?"
Similarly out of breath, I replied, "Yeah… plus, and I didn't think swimming in the nude would be so much fun."
"Heh… put a little more faith in me, will ya? I'm seldom wrong about things."
We looked up at the foliage above us and at that moment I was convinced there wasn't a more picturesque scene in my life than this. The sunlight shone in beams through the leaves, and coupled with the earthly beauty of the forest… well, let's just say words couldn't do it justice.
"It'll be evening soon," I said, taking note of the sky's orange glow. "Best we get a move on before it gets dark."
She reached out for my nearest arm and held it down, not wanting me to budge.
"Not yet," she whispered. "It's so peaceful here, so… magical. Just a little longer. Please."
After some hesitation, I relented. "Fine, but let's not take too long."
Eri rolled over to her side towards me so we could talk face-to-face. And talk we did, like the world was ending. We were hungry to know about each other better, and she went first. Her quiet, almost melancholy voice reflected a story of similar tone.
"You know, Neku… sometimes when I felt down or got too stressed out, I'd come here on my own to relax and sweat the dirt and troubles away with a good swim."
"Did it work?"
"Yeah, it always does. I mean, at the very least, it makes me feel less angsty."
"Angsty?" I chuckled. "Never pegged you as the broody sort. If anything, my younger self is more suited for the role."
"Trust me, I had my moments. Especially when I got into fights with my parents. I didn't exactly have the smoothest childhood, you see. Of course, thinking back, they just wanted to look out for me."
"Hey, they're still doing that now. The 'looking out for you' part, I mean."
"Yeah, I know…" She made a face in disgust, adding, "Still, having to attend those violin lessons every week sucks! Mum and Dad made me do it for the longest time."
I raised my eyebrow. "You ever went for violin lessons? News to me."
"They said I had to. But I'm not even interested in the first place!" Imitating her father's baritone voice, she recited what must be one of his lifelong adages. "'You need to diversify your interests, Eri. It is the key to a well-rounded life.'"
"He said pretty much the same thing to me. So you can play the violin, huh?"
"Yeah, I can. I'm no good at it though. And, well, even if my skills are half-decent, I hated those lessons so much I never want to touch another violin in my life."
By saying this I risked getting a string of complaints in my face, but I went for it anyway. "That's too bad… I'd love to hear you play it, just once."
"Ha!" she snorted. "Take it from me, you really don't wanna. You'll just want to kill yourself."
"I'll be the judge of that."
"Fine. The next time I get my hands on a violin, I'll give it a whirl. Just don't say I didn't warn you. Speaking of which… I haven't seen you play any musical instruments, ever."
"I played the piano for a little while when I was a kid. Nothing that would make me famous. But it's been many years since then, and I've long lost my touch."
Snuggling closer, she giggled, "You and me both. You with the piano and me with the violin."
"Heh… birds of a feather."
"You ought to play something one of these days. You know, tinkle the ivories a bit for old time's sake. Or better still, we could form a two-man band." She flopped onto her back and outstretched her hands skywards in a dramatic fashion. "We'll perform in clubs and cabarets and call ourselves, say… The Screeching Blackboard, or… or The Ninth Circle of Hell!"
"Both sound like an accurate description of our musical talents."
Her laughter echoed through the forest. "At least people will know what to expect. You can't say we're not honest!"
"We'd be blacklisted all across the country. Hell, someday we'd get arrested under grounds of 'peace disruption'."
"Ha ha ha! You're funny."
Eri got to her feet, promoting me to do the same.
"Are we good to go home?" I asked.
"Yeah. C'mon, Neku, one last splash. Gotta wash off all this sweat."
We descended once more into the pond for a quick bath to freshen ourselves up. There was none of the frantic energy from before; we just took things at a brisk pace. I found myself staring at her luscious back as she washed herself, and felt this rising urge to touch her skin as my hormones kicked in. I approached her slowly, wishing to hug her from behind…
…but she was too smart for me. I was ready to entrap her within my embrace when she simply turned around, stopping me in my tracks. Not only that, she surprised me with a big smooch to the lips.
When our lips parted, I pretended to grumble in an almost petulant tone, "You just had to spoil the surprise, didn't you?"
She snickered as she looped her arms around the back of my neck. "I could see it coming from a mile away, Neku. You're an open book."
"I'll get you next time."
"Looking forward to it."
We pulled each other close in a hug. Skin to skin. Lips dancing together in perfect harmony. At that moment, I knew no greater bliss.
"I love you," I whispered to her.
And she replied, "I love you too."
Another brief kiss followed.
"Listen," she said, "Dad still doesn't like you all that much, but I don't care. I know you're the one for me, so no matter what happens, I'll stay by your side."
I smiled. "I had no intention of giving up on you. Like it or not, you're gonna be stuck with me for a long time to come."
"Hee hee. Are you sure it's not the other way around?"
By the time we finished bathing and returned to civilisation it was almost dark. We swiftly located the nearest train station, and with the next ride we were finally out of Fukushima.