Chapter 5-B: Sweets!

"Excuse me?" He called out as his eyes scanned the surroundings. "Ex–…"

CRASH!

A figure fell through the ceiling, landing behind the counter with an extremely loud thud.

"W-What the?!" Eryn flinched backward in shock. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest! Did someone just crash through the ceiling?! He looked up and saw a sizable opening. Why is there a…

"Ough….!" A painful moan could be heard. Two hands plopped onto the counter.

"A-Are you all ri–…?" Getting over his shock, Eryn instinctively held on to the hands, gently pulling them up, and saw a woman with two red eyes that seemed to pierce through his soul. Right below those eyes were red pointed markings traveling down her cheeks. Long green bangs hugged her face, and a ponytail was tied behind her hair, flowing down to her lower back. Two long and pointy ears cutely poked out through her hair.

"Oh, thank you…" She smiled sweetly and then looked up to the ceiling. "I didn't see where I was walking…"

"Uhuh…" He was left dumbstruck by her appearance. Is she… human? She looked human enough. Maybe that was cosplay, he figured. But those ears don't look fake…

"Oh, sorry!" She placed her hands on the counter. "Are you a customer?"

"Uh… I suppose?" He answered, unsure of the situation.

"Oh, welcome, welcome!" she beamed, clapping her hands. "Forgive me for my… surprising entrance. I was checking on my supplies."

"I-I see…" That was one entrance indeed. Nearly gave me a heart attack. Eryn smiled wryly.

"What can I do for you?"

"Uhhh…" He stroked his chin for a moment. I think I'll buy Iris a cake. Maybe Lofie would want one, too? "I was wondering if you had recommendations for… cake?"

"Cake? One moment." She took a menu out and slid it on the counter. "Is this your first time here?"

"Oh, yes." He nodded. "I'm not sure where to start. I haven't been to any bakeries, you see…"

"No problem at all!" she smiled warmly, then tapped the menu. "I think you'll like what this menu has to offer."

"Oh, thank you." He held the menu in his hands and spread it open. Wow, there are a lot of cakes to choose from. He didn't know what flavor Iris liked. Maybe I should go for the standard flavors…

"Eryn! Eryn!" Melty ran to him and tugged on his hand.

"Oh, Melty." Eryn shifted his gaze away from the menu. "Find something you like?"

"There's something I want to show you!" She pulled his handtowards the cake display.

"What is it?"

Melty pressed her face against the glass of the cake display, bringing his attention to one particular cake…

"Look, look!" Her tail wiggled around as her pupils dilated. "There are candles on it!"

"Oh, you're right." He crouched to get a better view. "There are candles on it." He saw three unlit candles on the cake. The cake had three layers each with different flavors and colors: a vanilla base, a chocolate center, and a strawberry top. Pretty standard and decent…

"Say, Melty…" He placed his hand on her hair. "Do you know what these candles are used for?"

"Nope." She shook her head in response. "I just think they look pretty!"

"Haha, is that so?" He chuckled.

"What are they used for, Eryn?"

"Huh, well…" Eryn pondered her question for a moment. Her asking that implied a few things. The idea made him a little sad if it was true. Did she never get to experience that? Or is this a thing monstergirls don't do? If Melty didn't, does that mean Iris and Lofie…

"Eryn?" Melty called his name, noticing his lowered lips.

"O-Oh!" He stood up, clearing his thoughts. "Melty, let's buy this cake for everyone."

"Really?" Her eyes widened in delight.

"Yeah, for Iris and Lofie, too." He nodded. "Let's head to the counter."

Eryn let Melty hold on to his hand, then they walked to the counter to talk with the shopkeeper.

"There's a cake I'd like to buy."

"Of course." She clasped her hands together. "Which cake would you like?"

"That cake over there… the one with the three candles." He pointed to that cake in the cake display.

"Certainly." She nodded in response as she walked to the side. "You know… you're the first human customer I've had that's stayed this long and was willing to make a purchase."

Human customer? Eryn scratched the back of his head. "If you don't mind me asking, do you… not get that many customers here?"

"I opened this bakery a few weeks ago." She explained, crossing her arms. "Thankfully, I have been getting enough customers… though sometimes, it doesn't go well with some of them."

A few weeks ago… that explains why I'd never heard of this place before. Eryn thought. "Why's that?"

"It's… odd." She smacked her lips. "They run away when they see me."

"… Oh." He processed her words for a moment. "I'm sorry?"

"Yes, they run away when they see me." She repeated in the same manner.

"I'm afraid I… don't understand." He leaned on the counter. "Why would they run away from you?"

"I wish I knew the answer to that question." She briefly raised her shoulders. "I wondered if it had to do with my appearance."

"Your appearance?" He observed her face for a moment. Despite the… unfamiliar features, he thought she was a fairly attractive woman. I don't get it. Why would they run away from her?

She slowly walked around the counter, appearing in his view. "I'll never know, really."

"Hmmm, honestly I think you're…" His eyes slowly traveled down from her face down to her waist where… two limbs seemed to be poking out.

Then two legs walked out. Yeah, humans have two legs, so that made sense.

Then another two legs walked out.

Again, another two legs walked out, bringing it to three pairs of legs…

Except those weren't human-shaped legs. They were crimson red, slender, and pointed at the end, just like the rest of her… bulbous behind. They click-clacked on the floor as she walked. Actually, the two shorter limbs poking out below her waist should have been a dead giveaway.

"…" Eryn couldn't utter another single word as he processed the sight of the girl's lower body before him.

"You think I'm…?" She waited expectantly.

"You're… you're…" He took a few steps back, fear settling into his body. "A s-s-spide–"

"Ah, you're an Arachne!" Melty exclaimed in realization, unfazed by her not-human legs.

"Haha, indeed!" she nodded. Seeing Eryn's trembling expression, it finally clicked in her mind what made the other human customers run away. "Ah… could it be that my spider legs are scaring you?"

"H-Huh?" Trembling, he snapped his gaze back to her face. "W-Well…" he disliked how terrifying spiders looked… and to see one of a greater size comparable to the average human.

"I've never seen a… spidergirl… er, I mean, an Arachne up close before..." Eryn shuddered, standing behind Melty. He recalled seeing a similar monstergirl back at the convenience store… but to think they looked this massive in person. Much like the centaur he met before, her upper body looked more human than he expected. Those slender, spider legs and bulbous abdomen… there's something to admire about them.

"Oh, really?" she stroked her chin in deep thought, then cracked a smile. "You seem to be fine, standing in front of me."

"Uhh… yeah." He nodded frantically. The only reason he was standing right here is because of Melty. He was simply putting on a brave front for his and her sakes. Melty doesn't seem fazed in the slightest… well, she is a monstergirl.

"I'm glad you're not running away." She says as she prepares the cake for wrapping. "I think most humans have a skewed perception of us Arachnes."

"A skewed perception?"

"Yes. They seem to see us as man-eating monsters…" she explained. "They think we use our silk to trap and suffocate them, then devour them from limb to limb."

"O-Oh…" The visual imagery of that explanation sent shivers up Eryn's spine. He tried to play it cool. "That can't be true, can it?"

"… Mhmm." A faint red graced her cheeks as she gazed into Eryn's fearful eyes. "Our silk is capable of trapping a man… for a different purpose, though."

"Ah…" That didn't sit right with Eryn. It served to heighten the fear in his eyes. He was afraid to find out what exactly this purpose was.

"What's the purpose?" Melty asked with innocence in her voice.

"M-Melty…?" Eryn flinched, not expecting Melty to ask.

"Eheh." The Arachne let out a giggle. "I'm afraid this is a topic for adults, little one."

She is an adult, actually… Eryn kept that thought to himself.

Using her front limbs, she carefully wrapped the cake with sturdy silk into the shape of a box. She placed it on the counter and presented it to him. "Here's your cake! I hope the packaging is to your liking."

"Oh…" Eryn tapped on the silky surface, admiring it. Wow, it's pretty durable… It's like a gift box. "This is more than fine."

She went behind the counter to put in the order. "It'll be this much."

"Ah…" He took out his phone from his pocket. "Do you accept online payments?"

"Of course." She slid a payment device toward him. "Simply input the right amount in your phone and scan here."

"All right…" He nodded and paid for the cake. A beep sound could be heard, letting them know the transaction was successful.

"Oh…" her eyes rested on the screen of the payment device, noticing the amount received was higher than the cake's price.

"Keep the change." He smiled as he carried the cake in one hand and held Melty's hand in the other.

"T-Thank you for your patronage!" she bowed down at the waist, visibly grateful for the extra payment. "Please come again soon!

After returning a smile, Eryn and Melty exited the bakery. They turned in the direction of their home.

"Ready to go back?"

"Yeah!" Melty nodded excitedly. "I can't wait to eat the cake together with Iris and Lofie!"

"Haha." He stroked her hair between her ears. "Me too, Melty. Let's not keep them waiting."

And so, the two walked together back to their home.

Through the windows, the Arachne silently watched them as they left her view. There was something about the man's name that struck her as… familiar. The name the little hinezumi used…

"Eryn…"