Chapter 13 (Hisao)
"Well, Mr. Nakai, everything looks good with your heart. In fact, it has greatly improved since our previous two visits. Your exercise regimen is doing its job. Do you have any questions for me?"
"Yes, actually. I…recently became sexually active after a long hiatus, and during the act, my heart rate became quite elevated. Something it doesn't do very often anymore. I haven't had a flutter or anything, but I am a little concerned about it."
"Hmmm. So you're not also having issues during your daily exercise, at all?"
"No."
"Have you noticed a similar increase in your heart rate when you masturbate?"
It is amazing that he can say something like that and keep a straight face, but I guess it is his job.
"Um…no. But it has been a long time since I have even done that."
"How long, exactly?"
"Um…S-six years."
He raises his eyebrows in surprise. I switched doctors when I moved back to Yamaku, so he never knew Saki like my old doctor did. After all, she went to my appointments with me whenever she could. My old doctor in Tokyo would have immediately understood the situation without looking at me like I am some sort of freak of nature. So, this one doesn't know the whole story, and I'm not going to fill him in. Of course, even if he did, I'm not sure how common it is to entirely lose your sex drive for years after losing your spouse.
"Well, since you aren't having issues with your exercise regimen, I suspect this was a one time thing that happened because it was something you hadn't done in a while. It probably happened not just because of the physical exertion, but I suspect you were quite nervous too since it has been so long?"
He doesn't know the half of it. I swear I was trembling during parts of it. Luckily I don't think Emi noticed.
"Yes, I was nervous."
"That's probably it then. I think it will subside. Still, do your best to keep an eye on things again next time. We may need to adjust your medication a little bit if it doesn't stop."
"Okay, thank you doctor. I'll be sure to monitor things."
"Think nothing of it Mr. Nakai. Before you leave, do me a favor and schedule another appointment two months out. Of course, if you find yourself having problems before then, don't hesitate to call."
"Will do, see you next time."
Well, that was an awkward conversation, but it had to be done. I have some peace of mind at least. I check the time. Emi and I are both really busy today and won't be able to see each other tonight, but she wanted me to let her know how the appointment went as soon as I could.
By the time I make it to the car, it is 5:30, and Emi's club activities should be done for the day. I give her a call using the bluetooth connection in my car, she answers after only one ring. She must have known I was going to be calling her at any minute.
"Hey Hisao. How was the appointment?"
Well, I guess we're getting right to the point. I can hear voices in the background, so she's probably still at track club and can't talk for long. I fill her in on what happened.
She lets out a relieved sigh, "I'm glad to hear that everything is pretty good. We'll definitely keep an eye on your heart from now on. I still feel a little bad that I didn't think about it more at the time. I guess I should think about getting out my stethoscope the same way I used to do it when you finished your runs" She laughs, "But, now that I know it was nothing serious," her voice becomes a whisper "I'm kind of proud I was able to get your heart beating so hard."
"You should be. I wasn't lying when I said that was amazing, Emi."
She lets out a laugh that is equal parts cute and proud.
"Well Hisao, unfortunately I have to go." I swear I can actually hear her pouting. "See you for our run in the morning. Love you "
"Love you too, Emi."
—-
Emi and I seem to have settled into a rhythm. We of course see eachother every day for our run and lunch, but we aIso go over to her place a couple of nights a week where we have dinner together and usually fool around. Unfortunately I'm never able to stay very long, but the time we do get to spend together is great. She's sort of in charge of these weekday "dates" at her place, while I'm in charge of what we do on the weekend.
Today is the day for one of those weekend dates, and I planned a much more casual one this time. We'll be going to the zoo in Sendai. She has been to this zoo before, so even though I'm the one who planned it, she's the one who knows the place. She has talked about how cute some of the animals there are on a number of occasions, so that's where I got the idea.
I'm really happy with Emi. Happier than I have been in a long time. She's beautiful and a lot of fun to be around. She has an amazing sense of humor, and the child-like wonder and enthusiasm she has for things is infectious.
But…I would be lying if I said I don't sometimes feel a twinge of guilt for feeling this way. And then I feel a twinge of guilt for feeling guilty. I still really miss Saki, too. Is that okay? Chisato said it was, but I don't know sometimes.
Emi has been really great at going along with my slow pace, and she's been very understanding. I guess that makes sense, because we were such close friends so long before we started dating. She knows exactly what I've been through, and how I've felt. So she understands why I want to go slow, even if I didn't outright tell her. Still, I know it can't be easy for her, since she wanted us to have sex the day we started dating. Part of me wanted that too, but I think I need to ease into things.
Still, tonight will be the first time I stay the night with her after getting cleared by my doctor, and I think we should take another step in the intimacy department. When she does things for me, she makes sure that I know she enjoys it and doesn't necessarily need me to do anything for her, that just kissing and snuggling is enough. But that's going to change later today. I really want to make her feel good too for being so good to me.
I finish packing my overnight bag and get ready to drive over and pick her up.
—-
"Hisao, come quick! The capybara are swimming!"
On the drive up here, I learned that the capybara are Emi's favorite exhibit at the zoo. I had a vague idea of what they were, mostly from biology class at university. They are the largest rodents in the world, and they look like really large semi-aquatic guinea pigs. I would never have guessed that Emi likes them so much. I would have guessed the cheetah was her favorite animal.
I speed up my pace so that I can catch up with my very excited girlfriend. When I do, I see that "swimming" was kind of an overstatement. These oversized rodents are in the water for sure, but they seem to just be chilling there. Several others are outside of the water, letting water drip on to their heads from pipes. They all look so content. Their eyes are only partially open, like they are all half asleep. I just saw one of them yawn.
"These are the most relaxed animals I've seen in my entire life," I muse.
"I know, right? Some animals are fun to watch because they do a whole bunch of stuff, like monkeys or kangaroos. But these guys are always lounging around like this. It is somehow really relaxing and satisfying to watch them. You can actually find lots of videos of them online doing exactly this, and they have millions of views, so I'm not the only one who loves watching them."
"I would never have guessed that the girl who can't stand still for more than a moment would have such an affinity for an animal like this." We both laugh.
"You know, I never thought of it that way. Maybe I like them so much because they are so different from me. I don't know. I do know I really want to crawl in there and snuggle with one of them, though." She looks to her left and her right, as if she's checking for security, and takes a few steps closer to the edge of the enclosure.
"Really? You want to snuggle with a giant water rat?"
"Yeah, why not? They're cute. And maybe I'll absorb some of their super chill energy."
We stay and watch the capybara for awhile, and I have to say, the more I watch these guys, the more they grow on me. I can see why people think watching them is relaxing. Although if I sit here too long, I think I'll probably fall asleep.
After that, we ran all over the zoo looking at the various animals, with Emi excitedly exclaiming about every little thing they did. It was really cute.
Before we left, we stopped at the gift shop, and Emi pointed out a lot of stuffed animals she thought were cute. Eventually, I noticed one of them was a capybara, and I offered to get it for her, which resulted in a look of pure joy on her face as she pulled it out of my hands and hugged it. I was a little embarrassed by this occurring in public, but she's too cute for that feeling to linger for long.
We are walking to the car now when something dawns on me, "You know Emi, I think you revert to your childhood a little bit when you go to the zoo."
She blushes a little bit and looks down at her new treasure. "Maybe. I have come to this zoo a lot ever since I was little. My dad used to take me. That might be part of why I like it so much."
Well, that makes me feel a little bad for teasing her, but she doesn't seem offended. She looks up at me with a smile and grabs my hand. "I'm glad you took me to the zoo too. Thank you. We'll have to come back sometime."
—-
When we get back to Emi's apartment it is only about 6 p.m. and we're a little hungry even though we ate some junk at the zoo. Emi quickly whips up some omelets for us so we can have a little bite to eat. We're both pretty tired. It is Saturday, so we had a half day of work to do at the school before we went on our little date.
We snuggle up on the couch, with Emi holding her stuffed capybara and laying her head on my lap. We put something on the TV. Before I know it my eyes are feeling rather heavy.
…
I wake up on the couch and look around. Emi is asleep with her new friend and drooling in my lap, but she starts to stir as a result of my movements.
"Mmn…we fell asleep didn't we?" She asks without opening her eyes.
"Yeah we did. We really are getting old."
"I can't help it. I tired myself out at the zoo and you're really comfy. What time is it anyway?"
"9:30. I guess we were asleep for like…two and a half hours?"
She opens her eyes and sits up, doing so with a little bit of urgency. I don't think she thought it was going to be quite that late. She must have had something planned. Little does she know, I have a plan too.
Somehow, even though she has bedhead and was quite literally just drooling in my lap, she manages to look and sound incredibly seductive. She traces her finger up my chest.
"Well, Mister Nakai. At least the night is still relatively young, even if we aren't. What do you think we should do now?"
"I've never seen someone so disheveled look so attractive."
"Hmm...I THINK I'll take that as a compliment, but it seems a little sket–mmm!"
I interrupt her mid sentence with a kiss. She throws her arms around my neck and kisses me back as she falls back on the couch, with me on top of her.
After spending some time kissing her lips, I start kissing her along her chin and neck, and she keeps one hand on the back of my head as she sighs softly with each of my well-placed kisses.
I kiss her shoulders and collarbone before removing her shirt and continuing to move down her body, exploring it with my mouth. At first I kiss her around the edges of her bra, causing her to squirm. She can't take it for long, though. She deftly reaches behind herself with one arm, undoes the clasp and tosses it across the room. Apparently she had enough of my teasing. Her chest now bare, I spend some significant time kissing her breasts and nipples, which elicits the biggest reaction out of her so far. As I continue kissing her chest, I slide my hand down between her legs, which she opens for me, and I rub her through her shorts.
"Oh, Hisao.." she whispers as her grip on my hair tightens. This is the first time I've touched her like this.
I start to pull her shorts down, but encounter some difficulty.
She giggles playfully "If you want to get those off while I'm lying down, it will probably be easier if you take my legs off first. Do you know how?"
I have seen her put them on and take them off enough that I think I am up to the challenge.
I nod and go about taking them off.
I had never thought about it before, but It strikes me that this is something especially intimate for Emi. Who else would take off her legs for her? This is actually pretty special.
I fumble with them a little bit, but manage to get the first one off and gently put it on the ground. I also successfully take off the second one, but manage to fall backwards off the couch just as it comes off.
"Oof!"
"Hisao, are you okay?" She sits up to get a look at me, and I can hear some genuine concern in her voice.
I gather myself and spring to my feet, pretending that I never fell in the first place.
"Yep, all good. Perhaps we should move to the bedroom though, where we'll have more room?"
She giggles at me and then nods. She outstretches her arms, indicating she wants me to carry her. I bend over and pick her up and carry to her bedroom. She manages to undo my belt while I'm carrying her.