Chapter 9
"Pardon?!" Pai asked as his eyes widened and sat up straight.
"I said she wants to have sex with you." Kukki said, still staring at her book.
"What gave you that ridiculous idea?!" Pai snapped.
"Listen…" Kukki said closing the book "if a woman is going on a date with you and says any time before five, she is not going to sleep with you. If she says five then you might have a shot. If she says seven then you are highly likely to have a good shot at her." Kukki said crossing her arms.
Pai was speechless. "W…what kind of logic is that?" Pai asked nervously.
"It's woman's logic." Kukki said picking up the book again. "You know nothing of how females think. Girls think about sex too, not just boys."
Pai sat there thinking about if that was what Lettuce had in mind when she told him seven o'clock.
Pai started to become red in the face all the way up to his ears that turned back to his Cyniclon ears. He started to breath heavy and began to hyperventilate.
"What's the problem now?" Kukki sighed slamming the book down.
"I…I…" Pai stammered as he grabbed his head.
"What!?" Kukki snapped. "What is it!?"
"I…I cannot mate with Miss Midorikawa! It is too soon!" Pai screamed.
"What are you worried about?" Kukki asked.
"Miss Midorikawa is only fourteen, and I am going to be eighteen soon. She is…" Pai stammered getting quieter.
"Still pure." Kukki said. "Are you worried about taking her virginity and hurting her? I'm sure she is more worried about losing her virginity."
"N…no…I mean…yes…um…" Pai stutterd "…that is not what I am worried about." Pai muttered.
Kukki sat there in silence staring at Pai who was looking down to the side. "Are you actually worried about losing your virginity?" Pai sat there in silence, avoiding eye contact from her. "I get it...I guess it could be anxiety inducing for guys too."
"I…I just get very nervous when I think about having relations with Miss Midorikawa." Pai stated. "I am well aware of what needs to…transpire…but I am worried about if I…"
"Can't perform, 'arrive' too early, can't meet expectations." Kukki said listing off the possible things Pai might be worried about.
"Hai." Pai said softly looking down. He was nervous about his first time. He didn't want to mess somethining up. He also didn't want her first time to be terrible.
Kukki could see Pai's mind was racing with thoughts and worries. "Pai she might not even want to have sex yet. It might be because she wants to get ready for the festival beforehand." she said. "Just ask her what she meant."
"I cannot ask her that!" Pai snapped.
"Then just keep worrying." Kukki sighed rolling her eyes, picking up the book again.
The next day
Pai walked Lettuce to school that morning, both of them in silence. Pai was still thinking about if she did want to mate with him. Lettuce was thinking about why was he blushing bright red and breathing heavy.
"Pai-san is everything okay?" Lettuce asked.
"Hai." Pai said trying to gain composure.
"Miss Midorikawa…may I ask you a question?" Pai asked.
"Hai." Lettuce nodded as she smiled.
"Well…is there any particular reason you wanted to rendezvous at seven for the festival?" Pai asked trying to keep his composure.
"I wanted to make sure I could look nice for you Pai-san. I wanted to wear my yukata for you." Lettuce blushed. She wanted to look pretty for Pai.
She imagined that Pai would wrap his arms around her waist, pull her in close, and whisper in her ear how beautiful she was. Then he would take her somewhere secluded and slowly undo her yukata's ribbon and…Lettuce quickly shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. "Perhaps I shouldn't read all those romance novels anymore." she thought to herself.
"Damn it Kukki! Making me panic over something that was not even on her mind!" Pai thought to himself. "Ah I see." Pai said in understanding.
The wind began to fiercely whip up. Lettuce held down her skirt in the front, but the wind blew up the back of her skirt slightly where Pai could see the back of her white and blue striped panties. Lettuce looked over at Pai who stood there blinking. "Um…Pai-san…" Lettuce mumbled as tears formed in the corners of her eyes from embarrassment.
"Gomen-nasai!" Pai shouted as he closed his eyes.
"Pai-san your nose is bleeding." Lettuce squeaked as she took out a handkerchief from her bag. She wiped off the blood running from his nose. "Are you okay Pai-san?"
"I…I am fine. It just happens sometimes." Pai said. Pai could not believe that he got to see Lettuce's panties. Let alone knowing that Kisshu's euphemism was indeed correct. Pai watched as she entered the school. He teleported back to the ship to inform Kukki how incorrect she was when it came to Lettuce wanting to meet him at seven for the festival.
Cyniclon Ship
Pai stormed into his lab where Kukki was mixing some potions with some materials she had collected on earth. "You baka!" Pai shouted.
Kukki sighed. "What is now?" she asked slightly frustrated.
"You had me worried about why she wanted to meet at seven! I looked foolish asking why she wanted to rendezvous at seven!"
"I told you she might have just wanted time to get ready. Your mind just couldn't get off the possibility of maybe having relations with her." Kukki said turning back to her work. She turned back around to tell Pai she left Pai a gift on his bed, but Pai had already left.
Pai scoffed as he walked to his bedroom. He plopped down on his bed with his hands behind his head.
He looked over to the side where he saw a long pillow laying on the bed. He noticed that it had a letter on it.
"Dear Pai, this might help you learn how to hug a girl. I got it in a town called Kabukicho. It's called a body pillow, but more of a dakimakura pillow. Do with it what you will." Pai read out loud. "Love, Onee-chan." Pai rolled his eyes as he shook his head. "Baka." he said as he crumbled up the paper and threw it out.
Pai looked at the pillow and lay down next to it. He turned the pillow over to see that it had Lettuce in her Mew Mew form on it. It was a love pillow. Pai's eyes widened at the image that was displayed on it. It was a provocative picture of her in her Mew Mew form. It was obviously photo shopped, very well done though, but Pai's mind still had to process it for a moment. Someone had to make a pillow with a photo shopped picture of Lettuce in her Mew Mew form being provocative.
Pai had no idea that such a thing could exist. He didn't know who would even make such a thing, but at the moment he didn't really care. Just to have her blushing cute face on a pillow made him happy.
Pai wrapped his arms around the pillow and pulled it in tightly to his chest. "Ah…holding Lettuce!" Pai thought as he squeezed it. He rolled over on top of the pillow and wrapped his one leg around the side.
The Festival
It was the day of the festival and Lettuce was at home getting ready for Pai. She was wearing a green yukata that had little designs of flowers and fans on them. She wore her hair up in a bun with chopsticks sticking out the top. Lettuce walked downstairs and walked to the mirror to see how she looked. "You look so beautiful." Lettuce's mother Yomogi said.
"You think it's not too much." Lettuce asked nervously.
"You look perfect." she said.
Lettuce smiled. "Lettuce…" Eizaburou said with his arms crossed "if Pai-san tries to do anything you don't like then…you know where to kick him, right?"
"Dad!" Lettuce squeaked. "Pai-san isn't like that."
"Well…he's a teenager and…" her father was blushing lightly "as a professor at a university I know how guys behave when…" he got quieter "well you know."
"Oh stop it Eizaburou." Lettuce's mother said. "Lettuce don't mind your father. He's just having a hard time seeing his little girl going out on a date."
Lettuce heard a knock at the door. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Pai was wearing a black yukata with a purple belt around the waist.
Pai's eyes widened when he saw her in her yukata with her hair up. Pai turned a light shade of pink. "Miss Midorikawa…you look lovely." Pai stuttered trying to keep his composure.
"You look very nice too Pai-san." Lettuce said.
Pai held out his hand and slowly walked with Lettuce to the festival. Pai and Lettuce found a small stand where they could get some ikayaki and taiyaki. Pai and Lettuce continued to sightsee as Lettuce explained to him their culture and traditions.
Pai then heard a familiar voice calling his name and Lettuce's. He turned around to see Kisshu running up with Ichigo, both of them waving. "Yoohoo! ~" Kisshu yelled to them. "Pai! Lettuce!"
Kisshu was wearing some black and green yukata as Ichigo wore her pink yukata.
Pai groaned. "What are you two doing here?"
"It's the festival." Ichigo replied crossing her arms in a huff.
"I am well aware of that." Pai said as he rolled his eyes. "I meant why are you two here…together?"
"Oh…" Kisshu said grinning "Ichigo invited me to hang out."
"I told you not to get the wrong idea!" Ichigo said turning her back to Kisshu. "I only invited you because Pudding is bringing Taruto and Aoyama-kun couldn't make it!"
"So I take it everyone is here?" Pai asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Kisshu grinned.
"Fantastic!" Pai thought sarcastically to himself. "Can I never get any alone time with Miss Midorikawa?!"
"There you two went!" Pai heard Mint shout as she came running up Zakuro. Zakuro was wearing a purple yukata and Mint wearing a blue.
Pai let out a soft sigh.
"Have you two seen Taruto and Pudding? We can't find them anywhere." Mint breathed heavy.
"They're probably getting some sweets." Kisshu said waving his hand.
Pai heard a familiar guy's voice. "Did you guys find Pudding or Taruto?" he turned around to see Ryou and Keiichiro behind him and Lettuce.
"No." Zakuro said calmly.
Pai gave a more exasperated sigh this time.
"I found them." Pai heard Kukki's voice to the side. She came out dragging Taruto and Pudding by their wrists as they stuffed cotton candy in their mouth with bars of chocolate.
Pai groaned even louder this time as he placed his hand of his face. "Every fucking time!" he yelled internally.
"Pai-san…" Lettuce spoke softly "is everything okay?"
Pai moved his hand and gave Lettuce a slight smile. "Yes Miss Midorikawa." Lettuce gave a sweet smile.
"Well what are we waiting for, let's go play some games!" Kisshu shouted throwing his fist into the air.
Pai and Lettuce followed the others. They stayed in the back so they could hold hands. Pai was very quiet, he didn't speak much to Lettuce or anyone. He mostly stared at the ground as a pink tint stayed on his cheeks. She could faintly make out the sound of him sighing now and then.
"The fireworks will be starting soon. Should we go where everyone watches together?" Lettuce asked. Pai stopped walking and held tightly onto Lettuce's hand. "Pai-san…" she said quietly. She wondered if perhaps she upset him. He didn't seem to be having a fun time with her.
"No." Pai said quietly looking down. "I think I know a better place to watch the fireworks." he said. He took Lettuce's hand and pulled her away from the crowd to a secluded spot in the forest.
"Pai-san…we won't be able to see the fireworks from here." Lettuce said nervously as a blush crept across her cheeks. She wondered why Pai would lead her to a secluded spot in the forest.
"I know." Pai said softly as he grabbed Lettuce into a tight hug before teleporting away to a high cliff that had a wooden bench. The cliff overlooked where the festival was taking place, it would have the perfect spot for viewing the fireworks.
"Wow!" Lettuce gasped. "It's amazing up here!" She marveled at the view.
Pai took her hands and pulled her to sit on the bench beside him. Pai could feel his heart pounding loudly in his chest. He wondered if Lettuce was able to hear it with the way it was pounding.
Meanwhile Lettuce was thinking the same thing. She wondered if Pai could hear her heart pounding. "Um…Pai-san…" she mumbled.
"Yes Miss Midorikawa…" Pai said glancing over towards her. Pai's heart pounded.
"Are you having a good time with me?" Lettuce asked.
"Hai!" Pai answered quickly. "Have I given you the impression that was not enjoying my time with you?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you've been very quiet today…and you've been sighing every now and then." Lettuce said.
"I see…" Pai said quietly. "Well…I do not enjoy spending much time in large groups. And… I really wanted to spend some time alone with you." he began to blush deeper. Pai felt his ears turn back to his Cyniclon ears. "It appears my potion has worn off. Should I go retrieve some more before the fireworks start?"
"No!" Lettuce yelled quickly. "I mean…I like your Cyniclon ears better." she blushed as her heart pounded.
Pai began to blush more. "Did she say she liked my ears?" Pai asked himself. No girl beside his mother told him that she liked his ears. Pai always hated his ears. He found them to be too large. Pai gave a slight smile.
"Miss Midorikawa, can I tell you something?" Pai asked glancing over at her. Lettuce gave a slight nod. "Before I knew it I was thinking about you, and I thought it was really embarrassing, and I really hated it. Because…well… I am afraid to convey my feelings." Pai said hands shaking in his lap. "Even if I suppress it in my head I cannot do anything about my heart."
"Pai…" Lettuce said quietly as she blushed.
"I try to act composed and make you not able to notice. To make you not able to notice when we meet, and to make it no different than the norm is how I plan to talk to you, but…it is difficult. I…do not like this fog that is around my heart." Pai said clenching his chest with his fist. "To act so composed has started to hurt that I am suffering. When I am alone with my bad crazy thoughts I worry about what you think of me."
"Pai-san…" Lettuce said mustering up the courage to say something "I like you a lot!"
Pai's heart began to beat faster. "Miss Midorikawa…" Pai said turning his body towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to face him. "I…I love you!" he blurted out; he began breathing heavier after proclaiming his feelings towards her.
"I love you too, Pai-san." she said. Pai stared at her eyes that shined in the moonlight. He quickly glanced down at her lips and up at her eyes again as if to look for permission to kiss her. Lettuce leaned in and closed her eyes, as did Pai.
This was their first real kiss where it wasn't forceful on the other one. The fireworks began to go off in the sky as they shared their first real kiss. Pai and Lettuce broke off the kiss and began to watch the fireworks.
Both of them were unaware that the others had figured out where they were and they were spying in the bushes. They couldn't make out what Pai said to Lettuce as they stared at the fireworks. They noticed that whatever Pai said to her made her and him blush. They were able to make out only a couple words muttered by Lettuce.
"You want to…." they heard her say before getting cut off by the loud explosion of the fireworks. Pai nodded. "Hai." she said blushing and giving a slight nod. A few minutes later Pai and Lettuce moved closer together. She rested her head on Pai's shoulder. Pai leaned his head down and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
"What do you think he said, na no do?" Pudding asked.
"I don't know." Taruto said.
"I hope he didn't ask her what I think he did." Kukki laughed. "I doubt it though, it is Pai we are talking about." she shrugged.
"Huh?" Kisshu and Ichigo questioned together.
"Never mind." Kukki sighed. "You guys head back to the festival. I'll get Pai more of the potion." she said teleporting off to the ship.
Kisshu and the others teleported back to the festival and watched the fireworks from the ground. Kisshu held out his hand to Ichigo as the fireworks went off a short distance away. Ichigo looked over at Kisshu and took his hand. She looked over at his face. He looked in amazement at the fireworks. "Of course he looks excited. This is the first time he's seen fireworks." Ichigo thought to herself. Kisshu looked over at her and gave a grin that was more of a big smile.
When the fireworks were over with Pai and Lettuce sat there leaning against each other. Pai's ear twitched when he heard a twig break behind them. He turned around to see his sister there holding a vial of the potion he used to look like a human. "There you are." she said trying to sound huffy like she had been looking all over for him. "I thought you might need this, just in the off chance that your potion wears off."
"Oh…thank you Kukki." Pai said taking the vial. He uncapped the vial and was ready to drink the potion when his hand was stopped by Lettuce's hands clasping around his hand. "Uh…" was all Pai could mutter.
"Um…perhaps you don't need to take the potion for tonight." Lettuce blushed. Kukki raised an eyebrow. Pai glanced over at his sister, who took the hint to teleport away.
Cyniclon Ship
Kukki was sitting at the chabudai along with her parents and brothers, except Pai, who had still not returned to the ship yet. Kukki was reading a book, while her mother and father were looking at a newspaper she brought back from Earth. Kisshu looked at the clock as he tapped his finger against the table. "Where is he? He should have been home long ago!" Kisshu said getting annoyed as little anger marks appeared on the sides of his head.
"Your brother is probably still on his date." Suama said.
"The festival ended hours ago!" Kisshu informed his mother. "It's not fair! I have to be home before eleven, but Pai gets to stay out till twelve!"
"Well Pai is older than you. When you get older you can stay out longer." Suama said. "You boys should get ready for bed anyway."
"But I wanted to ask him about his date." Taruto whined. "What could he possibly be doing at this time of night?"
"I have some ideas." Kukki said coolly as a smirk crept across her face, she turned the page she was reading.
"Like what?" Taruto asked.
Kukki looked up and back down at her book. Urio and Suama dropped the papers they were reading. They glanced over at Kukki who was smirking. "Kukki…" Urio said in a stern tone "what do you know?"
Kisshu and Taruto leaned in to listen more carefully. "I'm just joking father." Kukki said sighing. "There is no possible way they are doing 'that'."
"Ooooh! ~" Kisshu sang out loud.
"Huh?" Taruto exclaimed at Kisshu.
"Pai's 'getting it on' with Lettuce." Kisshu told him using air quotes with his fingers.
"You mean…?" Taruto asked. "Ew! Sick!"
"I was just joking!" Kukki snapped. "This is Pai we're talking about! Pai, the guy who avoided girls in training camp!"
"I bet you a week of my desserts that they did it." Kisshu said smirking at Kukki.
"Fine." Kukki said in a huff. "But I'm telling you they didn't do anything."
They heard a noise creak by the doorway. They turned their heads to see Pai tiptoeing by holding his shoes. "Pai…" Suama said.
"N…no…" Pai said in a timid way. He knew he was in trouble. He was late by five minutes and he was sure he would get a lecturing from his parents.
"Pai come in here." Urio commanded his son.
Pai reluctantly sat down at the empty side of the chabudai. "I am well aware that I am late and I am prepared to accept any disciplinary action." Pai said looking down.
Pai looked up to see his brothers leaning in staring intencenly at him. Kukki was leaning over sniffing him. "Kukki, what are you doing?" Pai asked as he leaned back.
"Relax. He didn't do it." Kukki said crossing her arms. She was glad she was correct that Lettuce and Pai didn't mate, but she was kind of disappointed that he didn't. Kisshu and Taruto sighed in disappointment.
"Did not do what?" Pai asked confused.
"Well wait a minute Kukki, he hasn't confirmed anything yet." Kisshu said.
"Somebody please inform me what we are discussing. Otherwise, I am spent and I wish to retire to my room." Pai said standing up.
"Did you and Lettuce have sex?!" Kisshu asked excitedly.
"W…WHAT?!" Pai screamed as he turned red all the way to the tips of his ears. "What would make you think we did such a thing?!"
"Well you said something to Lettuce when the fireworks started and her response was 'Hai' as you and her blushed at that moment. Plus you are home late." Kisshu stated the facts.
"Were you doing surveillance on us?!" Pai asked getting angry.
"Well…yes, but I'm still waiting for an answer." Kisshu said placing his hand under his chin.
Pai looked over at his parents who were leaning in to hear Pai's answer. They too were interested in why Pai was late.
"NO!" Pai shouted. "We did not mate!"
"Why are you home late then?" Taruto asked. "And what did you ask her at the festival?"
Pai sighed. "I asked her if we could call each other by our first names without any honorifics." Pai stated as he blushed.
Pai looked at everyone's faces; they looked like they were expecting something more surprising. They just sat there blinking a few times before Kukki spoke up. "And that makes you and her blush?"
"Hai." Pai said softly. He asked her if he could call her by her first name only and asked her if she would be willing to just call him Pai. He was happy she agreed to it. He was unsure if she would due to her being so proper when it came to using honorifics. Plus it would be proof that their relationship was progressing.
"And as to your inquisition as to why I was late was because Lettuce did not want me to take my potion to look like a human." Pai said crossing his arms. "And it was hard for me to escort her back to her residence looking like a Cyniclon."
"That doesn't account for some lost time." Kisshu stated. "Plus why didn't she want you to take the potion?"
Pai's eyes widened. Kisshu was indeed correct; it only took about twenty minutes to walk her home when they took the backway to her house. "Well…she…she said she liked my Cyniclon ears better, and we…" Pai trailed off thinking back to what they did.
Flashback
Pai and Lettuce took a walk to a nearby park where nobody was at nighttime. Pai and Lettuce sat down on a bench and began to talk about their past. Lettuce asked Pai many questions about what it was like on their planet, and what training camp was like for.
Pai told her what training camp was like. How he didn't really have friends back in training camp, of course there were acquaintances he had.
Lettuce then asked him something that made her blush deeply. "Um…Pai…can I touch your ears?"
Pai's eyes widened and he raised an eyebrow. He wondered why she would want to do such a thing, but he came to the conclusion that it must be fascinating for a human to see if Cyniclon ears were similar to humans. "You may." Pai said calmly.
Lettuce reached her hands out and touched his ear gently with the tips of her fingers. They traced the edges of his ears and moved onto the backside of his ears. Pai's pale face started to flush light pink. He felt an odd sensation in his body. It was almost as if an electric shock shot down his ear to the base of his spine and back up in less than a second. Pai hands trembled slightly with each movement of Lettuce's fingers. Pai leaned forward and kissed her passionately, all the while her fingers didn't stop caressing his ears.
Pai began to make a slight moaning noise as they kissed. His eyes shot open when he realized what was happening to him. It was unlike when he became aroused when fantasizing about Lettuce. This is what real pleasure felt like, but it was much more intense, almost uncontrollable.
Pai grabbed Lettuce's shoulders and pushed her away gently. "Pai…?" Lettuce said softly as she removed her hands. She wondered if perhaps she did something wrong and hurt him. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Negative." Pai said blushing as he looked down to avoid eye contact with her. "It is just…I am not accustomed to this feeling. Nobody ever touched my ears as you have just done." he said taking hold of Lettuce's hands. "For now…let us not do such a thing."
End Flashback
"We went to a park and talked." Pai said blushing.
"That's it?" Kukki asked raising an eyebrow.
"No…she…she wanted to touch my ears a little." Pai stammered.
Kisshu and Taruto were confused as to why Pai was so nervous, but his parents and Kukki's mouth hung open.
"You realize that it can be a sexual area for Cyniclons." Kukki stated.
"I know that NOW!" Pai snapped. "If I had known beforehand I would have told her it was not advisable for her to touch them!"
"Wait a minute, it is?" Kisshu asked putting his hand up. "Why are we just finding out about this now?"
"My thoughts exactly." Pai said quietly as he crossed his arms. He was a little angry that nobody ever told him about this when he was younger. He was given the sex talk back on his planet but he didn't find it interesting at the time. Nor did his parents mention that Cyniclon's ears were a pleasure center for them.
"Urio, you said you gave them the sex talk before." Suama said.
"I did. I must have left out the ear part. I was a little more focused on explaining about another body part to them." Urio said.
"So what did you do?" Taruto asked.
"I told her we could no longer do such a thing." Pai said. Pai turned his attention to his parents. "May I retire for the night?"
"Yes." Urio and Suama said. Pai stormed off to his room while the others still talked.
"Well I guess you could say I won." Kisshu said smiling.
"Like hell you do!" Kukki said slamming her hand on the table.
Meanwhile
Pai laid on his bed and took a deep sigh. He could hear them arguing about how Kisshu wasn't right and didn't get to have Kukki's desserts. "Bakas!" Pai spat to himself.
Pai thought about how he was the biggest baka though. A normal guy would have just let her continue to pleasure him and not tell her to that they would no longer do something like that for now. "BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!" he yelled at himself in his head as he grabbed his head. "How could I be such a baka!?"
"It felt so good…but so foreign. If she continued then…" Pai shook his head trying to get rid of those thoughts. He tried to sleep that night but was unable to due to the conflict going on in his head. He wrapped his arms around his pillow of Lettuce and held it tight.
Meanwhile
Lettuce laid on her bed thinking about the date they just had. Pai confessed to her that he loved her, and she did the same to him. They shared their first real kiss, and she caressed his ears. She remembered that she could feel the warmth radiating from his ears on her fingertips.
"I wonder if it was hurting Pai, but he didn't want me to feel bad." Lettuce thought to herself. "I really enjoyed touching them though." she blushed as a smile spread across her face.
"Wait! Maybe it wasn't hurting Pai, maybe it was making him…" she gulped "excited." Lettuce shook her head trying to rid herself of those perverse thoughts. "I shouldn't be thinking of things like that, but I can't help myself."
Her hand lifted up her pajama shirt and began to touch her chest with one hand while the other one moved to her inner thigh.