Just a big thanks again from me to Clamy-san on DeviantART who made two amazing banners for this blog! She’s an amazing person and artist She makes lots of beautiful art, so have a look at it over on DeviantART!

http://clamy-san.deviantart.com/

Thanks Clamy-san!

Well, I have got to say that I was impressed with the cover of Pink Lady’s Pepper Keibu. I’m not really a fan of covers but I gave MM a chance to turn me around. And they did.

I liked the effects at the beginning of the PV. It gave off that old kind of feeling and then when Ai-chan and Reina started they immediately switched to high quality. Let’s not forget the modern beat they added in the background. It seems like again JunJun and LinLin have been shafted off together as the ‘Chinese Girls’. Sure, they got paired together with other girls but only for one or two lines. And again Reina has been the spotlight. She got both solo lines in the song, and on the covers she is the only one by herself. I suppose I can’t really complain about her being singled out though. There are 9 girls in the group and it doesn’t divide evenly so someone was bound to be singled out, unless they made one trio.

I’m not exactly a big fan of Reina (I should really explain this in another post) BUT I loved how she delivered her solo lines in this single. I’m not sure why, but I just can’t stop listening to it.

Finally Sayu got some singing lines! It’s about time. I guess all these hints that Sayu has been dropping to Tsunku worked! I am a happy camper

Things That I Didn’t Like About The SONG: I don’t really like the “Pepper” part in the instrumental part (where the girls dance amazingly). It sounds kind of odd (yes I realise there are effects done to it) as if they’re saying ‘pepper’ but it gets changed to sound like ‘pep-OW”. I really don’t like that part at all.

Things That I Did Like About The SONG: Tsunku has taken an old classic and given it a modern twist. And with the help and work of the girls they’ve given it their own unique version. As I said before I liked Reina’s solo lines but I also like after that with the Jun/Risa pairing singing. Who’s low voice was that? I loved it! XD I will definitely be listening to this song a lot and dancing along.

Things That I Didn’t Like About The PV: Again it’s the dance shot(?). I was not as bored with this PV as I was with Resonant Blue’s dance shot. The camera actually moved around this time. But, I still think that there was too much Reina. She was nearly in every shot @___@

I wasn’t that pleased with Eri’s, Aika’s, Risa’s and LinLin’s hair styles. They’ve defintely been pulling Aika’s hair back too much recently. For LinLin I think that I just don’t like her new bob haircut in general. I can stand GakiKame’s hair styles in the PV but they better not start wearing their hair like that all the time.

The outfits: I’m not saying that I don’t like them, in fact I quite like them. Maybe my judgement is a bit off but the sequins seem to make the the girls look a bit bigger in my eyes.

Things That I Did Like About The PV: The dance routine. OF course they had the original dance to work from but but they also had seven other people! I think that the dance co-ordinator did a pretty good job.

The sparkliness was pretty as well. Makes the girl ’shine’ even more! XD (That was bad pun wasn’t it? ^__^;)

Even though I listed more things that I dislike about it I definitely prefer it more than I dislike it but I’m waiting to see what the other version are like.

All in all, they did a great cover and I can’t wait for more.

I fluttered my eyes open, waking up to the gentle morning light that filtered through the thin white curtains. In front of my own face was Eri’s. She seemed to be waking up as well. I smiled at her.
“Morning.”
“Morning,” she said back with a sweet smile and a light blush.
I felt my own face heat up. Our current position wasn’t exactly the most innocent. Our legs were entwined together, one of her legs between mine and vice versa. One of my hands was holding hers while the other was lying on her hip. Her other hand was on my waist. The fabric of my tank top had slightly ridden up making her hand touch my skin. While it was a rather intimate position, it felt so right. I felt Eri beginning to gently stroke my waist. She looked at me with questioning eyes with which I replied by stroking her back. I began to feel strange after a few moments, my skin tingling. Was I turned on? Maybe. I don’t know. I hadn’t felt like this before. I moved my hand up and traced her face with my fingers.
“You look like an angel.”
It was true; the way the light washed over her and made her glow really did make her look angelic. Angel is the perfect word to describe her; she really is something from heaven.
“I think that Risa-chan is the one who looks like an angel,” she bashfully replied. A smile quickly found its way to my face.
“Thanks.”
We admired each other for a while. I could never get bored just looking at her. Looking at the clock, we decided to get up. We embarrassingly untangled ourselves. Standing up, I scratched the back of my head. I turned to a stretching Eri.
“Do you want to have a shower?” I asked. Her face tinted a light red.
“My, my, my, Risa-chan. That’s a bold request,” she replied.
“Ehh?” I was confused. I began to process what she had said. Suddenly everything in my brain clicked. My face went as red as a tomato. I began to flail my arms about.
“A-Ahh! I-I don’t m-m-mean together!” I exclaimed in a high pitched voice. My hands began to random gestures. “T-That wouldn’t be right! We’re not even dating! Well, I mean we are but we’re not! Only for this week! I-If you want to then I don’t mind! It’s your choice!” I looked at Eri. She was smirking.
“Oh hoh.”
“It’s not like I want to! Well, I kinda do! I won’t look, I swear! Ahh! Ignore what I just said!”
I gave up; I was just blurting embarrassing things out. I felt Eri put her hands on my shoulders.
“Calm down, Risa-chan, I was joking,” she said. I pathetically nodded. Why couldn’t the ground just open up and swallow me? I was surprised when she pulled me into a hug.
“I’m sorry,” she apologised. A couple seconds of shock passed before I wrapped my arms around her. I shook my head.
“No, you don’t need to apologise. I over reacted. I’m sorry.”
I looked up at her.
“So, are you going to have a shower?” I asked.
“Sure.”
I separated myself from her and went over to my closet. I opened it up and pulled out a towel. I handed it to her.
“Do you want to borrow some clothes?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Pick whatever you want,” I offered.
“Thanks.”
Eri picked out a t-shirt and shorts before turning to me.
“Can I borrow a bra and some pants?” she asked. I nodded.
“Second draw down,” I informed her, pointing at my drawer.
She opened up the draw. That’s when I spotted them. My lucky pants. And it seemed like she had noticed them as well. She picked them up.
“Kawaii,” she commented.
I swear I was about to die from embarrassment. She put them back into their place before picking out a brown pair of pants that was designed with stripes. She then picked out a bra. She closed the draw.
“Thanks for letting me borrow your clothes, Risa-chan.”
“No problem. I’ll start making breakfast,” I said.
“No you won’t! You made dinner last night, so I’ll make breakfast,” Eri defied.
“But you’re the guest.”
“But you made dinner.”
We looked at each other.
“How about make it together?” I suggested.
“Definitely.”

We left the house nearly three quarters of an hour after breakfast. I wished that breakfast had lasted longer; well, making breakfast anyways. We had cooked together before, but this time it was different. We would bump into each other and be flirty about things that we used to pay no attention to.
To top it off, the pancakes and fruit salad were delicious.
“So, what do you want to do today?” I asked entwining our hands together.
“I’m up for anything,” she replied. We walked down the street.
“How about we go shopping?”
“Oh, I like that idea!” Eri squealed. “Let’s go!”
“You sound like you’ve not been shopping in a while,” I commented.
“I’ve not,” she informed. “We’ve been so busy with work lately, I haven’t found anytime to fit it in.”
“I understand, I’ve not gone shopping in ages either.”
“Then let’s make it a spree!”
I felt nonchalance begin to bubble up inside of me as I watched the excited girl next to me. Today was the day. Day seven. The final day. There is no better way for me to spend time with Eri than doing what we do best; having fun doing the most normal things. My lip shook and I shivered. I’m so scared. I’m afraid of today.
“Risa-chan, is something wrong?”
I glanced at Eri; her face wore a worried expression. I broke a weak smile and shook my head.
“It’s nothing,” I replied. She wrapped her arms around me.
“Don’t think too much about today, okay?” she whispered. I nodded. She looked up at me.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”

I guess one of the main reasons that Eri and I became best friends was because we liked similar things. Strolling around a shopping centre talking, and not doing anything in particular but doing something at the same time was an example. But I suppose the latter part kind of explains a lot of what we do. We wandered around the shopping centre, occasionally stopping outside a shop and looking at what they sold before moving on.
“Where to now?” Eri asked after we began to walk away from a toy shop.
“Wherever you want to go.”
“Risa-chaaaan,” she whined cutely, “Let’s go somewhere that you want to go to.”
I looked around, scanning the shop names. I spotted one of my favourite clothing stores.
“There,” I said, signalling with a finger to a store.
“I’ve never been there before…” Eri commented tilting her head.
“It’s a really good place for clothes.”
We headed over. Entering, we were surrounded by hundreds of stylish clothes.
“Wow, I think I’ll never leave this place,” she breathed out. I laughed.
“I hope you do; the company needs you back for work.”
We walked around the shop, picking up clothes to try on. I wasn’t surprised by the lack of customers. This was the most under rated store ever. When we finally made our way to the dressing room we were carrying armfuls of clothes.
“Catwalk time!” Eri squealed. I placed all of my clothes on the seat next to me outside of the changing rooms.
“You can go first,” I offered, sitting down on a chair.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I’ll be your judge.”
She smiled at me before disappearing into a changing room. Within a few minutes she was changed and appeared. The theme: Punk rock. A white t-shirt detailed with black was worn with a pink hoodie that had a random punk design printed on it. Eri pulled the hood up revealing a pink hood with two equally pink ears. Looking at the rest of her I realised she was wearing torn denim shorts that reached half way down her thighs and fluffy shoes that reached about 15cm down from her knees. You know; those Eskimo ones.
“So, what do you think?”
“It looks amazing,” I informed her, continuing to gawk.
She did a spin before walking back into the changing room. We went through various other costumes. I must have a liking for Eri in rock themed clothing because whenever she wore them, it would stick in my mind. She appeared with her last set of clothes. She was wearing a red t-shirt which had English words in black printed on. Along with the t-shirt she was wearing short shorts which, on one side, had a black belt type thing tied around her thigh.
“Do you like it?” Eri asked. I felt my head begin to nod on its own accord. She blushed but happily smiled. Disappearing back into the changing room, she came out a few minutes later wearing the clothes that I had lent to her and the catwalk ones hung over her arm. She placed the top three onto a chair.
“I’ll get these,” she said. “Your turn.”
I picked up my clothes and headed into a changing room. After nearly half an hour, my own catwalk had ended. I had decided on two outfits. Handing the clothes that we wouldn’t buy to the changing room assistant we went to the check out.  Eri was completely against me buying her outfits, so we bought our own clothes. Bags in hand, we exited the store. My stomach growled from the smell of hot dogs that were being sold nearby. Giggling, Eri suggested that we get lunch; I agreed.

Our afternoon was very physical. We challenged each other to DDR, to which we did several matches. I lost. But, then again, Eri is an amazing dancer, even if it’s on a game. We strolled around for a while afterwards, relaxing. That’s when we both spotted a bowling alley. I had already spent quite a bit of money already, but it was the last day and it was for Eri. We split the price in half and played two rounds. I got three strikes. Haha! Maybe I’m getting better. But, I still lost. Well, I can’t say I’m sad because I’m not. I’m happy that she won. She’s so cute when she bounces about the place all giddily. By the time we left the bowling alley the sky was peach coloured.
No… I don’t want this to end.
Grasping Eri’s hand, I lead her back to the park where we spent our first day as a couple together. I took her back to the hidden area and we sat down underneath a tree. We watched as the ducks dipped under the water, butts in the air, looking for food. I felt a grin appear on my face. This could be last time I see something this beautiful. I turned to Eri who was deep in thought, a spacey look clouding her eyes.
“Eri,” I gently said, bringing her out of her reverie.
She turned her head to look at me, her eyes clearing. I suddenly felt myself lose all control if my body and I began to lean in closer to Eri. I watched as Eri nervously licked her lips as our faces inched closer together. Our lips only met for a few seconds but it was enough to make my heart jump. Again our lips met in a sweet kiss. I slid a hand around the back of her neck as she placed a hand on my cheek. Our third kiss came, Eri flicking her tongue across my lips, asking for access. I quickly accepted and opened my mouth to her. We began to share our first deep kiss. Our tongues gently played, sliding over one another. A small moan escaped my throat.
That’s when I felt Eri’s body shake and I heard her whimper.
I moved back, separating our lips. I stared in confusion at a crying Eri.
“E-Eri?”
“I-I’m sorry,” she whimpered, leaning her head on my shoulder. “I-I-I…”
I stroked her hair with a shaking hand.
“H-Hey, it’s okay, don’t cry. It was my fault,” I apologised. I winced. What was this pain in my chest? She shook her head.
“No…” She pulled me into a hug, our heads next to each other, “It’s not that…”
I felt my entire being freeze. My chest tightened up making it hard to breathe.
“W-What is it then?” I asked in a voice barely above a whisper. I placed my hands on her shoulders and held her in front of me. She turned her head away. “Eri, please.”
More tears fell and she sniffled.
“I’ve tried so hard…I can’t…”
“No…no, no, no!” I felt tears begin to fall from my eyes. “Is it because I kissed you?!” I exclaimed.
This isn’t happening!
“It’s not because of that,” Eri denied.
“We had so much fun!”
“We did.”
“Then why?!” I screamed. Eri held me.
“I had fun with my best friend,” she explained.
This was the definitely the breaking point for me. If my heart already hadn’t had enough it just received the final blow, one so powerful I physically winced.
“…No…why…why?” I sobbed out into her shoulder. This was too painful.
“Gaki-san, ple-“
“No!” I yelled. I don’t want to hear her calling me Gaki-san anymore! I’m Risa-chan! I’m her girlfriend!
“Gaki-san, please! I tried really hard!” she pleaded to me, her own tears falling.
“Try harder! Please! I’ll do better! Try again!” I screamed into her chest. I was gripping the edge of her t-shirt desperately. My tears continued to pour down.
“Just one more week!” I begged.
“I’m so sorry…”
“This can’t be happening.”
I knew that she tried, probably more than she thought I did. I knew that this might happen. Then why was it so hard? …Because I had put up a wall. I wanted to stay in the fairy tale happiness. I didn’t want to face reality. I kept denying that this might happen. That’s what made this hurt the most; what made my throat and eyes burn…what made me fall so hard.
“Gaki-san, I love you, and I always will. You are one of the most important people to me. But…I just can’t love you as any more than a best friend.
“One more day,” I begged, “Just one more day!”
My voice had lost all of its strength and I was a pathetic mess. I sat up and looked at Eri through my blurry vision. I saw her own tears continue to fall. She was shaking her head softly.
“I’m so, so sorry…” she apologised. “I’ll always be by your side, Gaki-san, please don’t forget that.”
“I-I won’t.” I swallowed hard. Again, Eri pulled me into a hug.
“I really love you, so if you ever need anything, please come to me. I’ll do it, no matter what it is.” The pain in her gentle voice was clear. This wasn’t easy for either of us.
“I love you too…Kame” I replied. “I’ll always love you. Even until the end of the universe, you will always be in my heart,” I confessed. I felt her hands gently stroke my back, trying to calm me down. I met her eyes in a gaze.
“I-I…I know that it’ll take t-time for me to get over you…I don’t know h-how long, but I promise that we’ll be best friends again…so, please, don’t leave me,” I begged. She nodded.
“I won’t leave you, but I think that it’d be for the better if we didn’t see each other as much, for now” she said.
I felt another jab to my heart. She was right, but that’s what made it painful. For the first time in years, we were going to not meet outside of work.
“I’ll always be here for you as well, so if there’s anything bothering you, please come to me!” I stared at her. “Promise me!”
“I promise.”
“Thank-you for trying. I know you tried really hard…”
We looked at each other, weak smiles plastered on.
“I-‘m sorry… for it ending like this…”
I shook my head.
“You tried and for me. Don’t apologise, I guess we just weren’t for each other,” I said. “I have to go.” I stood up, picking up my bags. Eri looked up at me.
“You don-“
“I do,” I stated, cutting her off. She nodded her head after a few seconds.
“Okay then. I’ll see you at work,” she replied.
I nodded. I stiffly began to walk away. I could feel Eri’s eyes watching my every step. I just wanted to be carried away by the breeze, for it to take me somewhere where there was no hurt. Where the rain clouds never darkened the sky. When I had walked a fair bit away, I risked looking back. I saw Eri still sitting in the same place, tears flowing, her head hanging. I couldn’t contain myself at the sight.
“Eri!” I exclaimed. She looked at me.
“Can I have one more hug?” I yelled, my own tears beginning to fall again. She stood up. A small smile appeared on her face and she nodded. She held her arms open.
“Risa-chan!” she yelled back.
I dropped my bags and began to run back. I ignored the feeling of tiredness in my body, my tears falling behind me. I felt the last surge of nostalgia rush through me as I leapt forward into her arms.

“Eri!”

I fluttered my eyes open, waking up to the gentle morning light that filtered through the thin white curtains. In front of my own face was Eri’s. She seemed to be waking up as well. I smiled at her.
“Morning.”
“Morning,” she said back with a sweet smile and a light blush.
I felt my own face heat up. Our current position wasn’t exactly the most innocent. Our legs were entwined together, one of her legs between mine and vice versa. One of my hands was holding hers while the other was lying on her hip. Her other hand was on my waist. The fabric of my tank top had slightly ridden up making her hand touch my skin. While it was a rather intimate position, it felt so right. I felt Eri beginning to gently stroke my waist. She looked at me with questioning eyes with which I replied by stroking her back. I began to feel strange after a few moments, my skin tingling. Was I turned on? Maybe. I don’t know. I hadn’t felt like this before. I moved my hand up and traced her face with my fingers.
“You look like an angel.”
It was true; the way the light washed over her and made her glow really did make her look angelic. Angel is the perfect word to describe her; she really is something from heaven.
“I think that Risa-chan is the one who looks like an angel,” she bashfully replied. A smile quickly found its way to my face.
“Thanks.”
We admired each other for a while. I could never get bored just looking at her. Looking at the clock, we decided to get up. We embarrassingly untangled ourselves. Standing up, I scratched the back of my head. I turned to a stretching Eri.
“Do you want to have a shower?” I asked. Her face tinted a light red.
“My, my, my, Risa-chan. That’s a bold request,” she replied.
“Ehh?” I was confused. I began to process what she had said. Suddenly everything in my brain clicked. My face went as red as a tomato. I began to flail my arms about.
“A-Ahh! I-I don’t m-m-mean together!” I exclaimed in a high pitched voice. My hands began to random gestures. “T-That wouldn’t be right! We’re not even dating! Well, I mean we are but we’re not! Only for this week! I-If you want to then I don’t mind! It’s your choice!” I looked at Eri. She was smirking.
“Oh hoh.”
“It’s not like I want to! Well, I kinda do! I won’t look, I swear! Ahh! Ignore what I just said!”
I gave up; I was just blurting embarrassing things out. I felt Eri put her hands on my shoulders.
“Calm down, Risa-chan, I was joking,” she said. I pathetically nodded. Why couldn’t the ground just open up and swallow me? I was surprised when she pulled me into a hug.
“I’m sorry,” she apologised. A couple seconds of shock passed before I wrapped my arms around her. I shook my head.
“No, you don’t need to apologise. I over reacted. I’m sorry.”
I looked up at her.
“So, are you going to have a shower?” I asked.
“Sure.”
I separated myself from her and went over to my closet. I opened it up and pulled out a towel. I handed it to her.
“Do you want to borrow some clothes?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Pick whatever you want,” I offered.
“Thanks.”
Eri picked out a t-shirt and shorts before turning to me.
“Can I borrow a bra and some pants?” she asked. I nodded.
“Second draw down,” I informed her, pointing at my drawer.
She opened up the draw. That’s when I spotted them. My lucky pants. And it seemed like she had noticed them as well. She picked them up.
“Kawaii,” she commented.
I swear I was about to die from embarrassment. She put them back into their place before picking out a brown pair of pants that was designed with stripes. She then picked out a bra. She closed the draw.
“Thanks for letting me borrow your clothes, Risa-chan.”
“No problem. I’ll start making breakfast,” I said.
“No you won’t! You made dinner last night, so I’ll make breakfast,” Eri defied.
“But you’re the guest.”
“But you made dinner.”
We looked at each other.
“How about make it together?” I suggested.
“Definitely.”

We left the house nearly three quarters of an hour after breakfast. I wished that breakfast had lasted longer; well, making breakfast anyways. We had cooked together before, but this time it was different. We would bump into each other and be flirty about things that we used to pay no attention to.
To top it off, the pancakes and fruit salad were delicious.
“So, what do you want to do today?” I asked entwining our hands together.
“I’m up for anything,” she replied. We walked down the street.
“How about we go shopping?”
“Oh, I like that idea!” Eri squealed. “Let’s go!”
“You sound like you’ve not been shopping in a while,” I commented.
“I’ve not,” she informed. “We’ve been so busy with work lately, I haven’t found anytime to fit it in.”
“I understand, I’ve not gone shopping in ages either.”
“Then let’s make it a spree!”
I felt nonchalance begin to bubble up inside of me as I watched the excited girl next to me. Today was the day. Day seven. The final day. There is no better way for me to spend time with Eri than doing what we do best; having fun doing the most normal things. My lip shook and I shivered. I’m so scared. I’m afraid of today.
“Risa-chan, is something wrong?”
I glanced at Eri; her face wore a worried expression. I broke a weak smile and shook my head.
“It’s nothing,” I replied. She wrapped her arms around me.
“Don’t think too much about today, okay?” she whispered. I nodded. She looked up at me.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”

I guess one of the main reasons that Eri and I became best friends was because we liked similar things. Strolling around a shopping centre talking, and not doing anything in particular but doing something at the same time was an example. But I suppose the latter part kind of explains a lot of what we do. We wandered around the shopping centre, occasionally stopping outside a shop and looking at what they sold before moving on.
“Where to now?” Eri asked after we began to walk away from a toy shop.
“Wherever you want to go.”
“Risa-chaaaan,” she whined cutely, “Let’s go somewhere that you want to go to.”
I looked around, scanning the shop names. I spotted one of my favourite clothing stores.
“There,” I said, signalling with a finger to a store.
“I’ve never been there before…” Eri commented tilting her head.
“It’s a really good place for clothes.”
We headed over. Entering, we were surrounded by hundreds of stylish clothes.
“Wow, I think I’ll never leave this place,” she breathed out. I laughed.
“I hope you do; the company needs you back for work.”
We walked around the shop, picking up clothes to try on. I wasn’t surprised by the lack of customers. This was the most under rated store ever. When we finally made our way to the dressing room we were carrying armfuls of clothes.
“Catwalk time!” Eri squealed. I placed all of my clothes on the seat next to me outside of the changing rooms.
“You can go first,” I offered, sitting down on a chair.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I’ll be your judge.”
She smiled at me before disappearing into a changing room. Within a few minutes she was changed and appeared. The theme: Punk rock. A white t-shirt detailed with black was worn with a pink hoodie that had a random punk design printed on it. Eri pulled the hood up revealing a pink hood with two equally pink ears. Looking at the rest of her I realised she was wearing torn denim shorts that reached half way down her thighs and fluffy shoes that reached about 15cm down from her knees. You know; those Eskimo ones.
“So, what do you think?”
“It looks amazing,” I informed her, continuing to gawk.
She did a spin before walking back into the changing room. We went through various other costumes. I must have a liking for Eri in rock themed clothing because whenever she wore them, it would stick in my mind. She appeared with her last set of clothes. She was wearing a red t-shirt which had English words in black printed on. Along with the t-shirt she was wearing short shorts which, on one side, had a black belt type thing tied around her thigh.
“Do you like it?” Eri asked. I felt my head begin to nod on its own accord. She blushed but happily smiled. Disappearing back into the changing room, she came out a few minutes later wearing the clothes that I had lent to her and the catwalk ones hung over her arm. She placed the top three onto a chair.
“I’ll get these,” she said. “Your turn.”
I picked up my clothes and headed into a changing room. After nearly half an hour, my own catwalk had ended. I had decided on two outfits. Handing the clothes that we wouldn’t buy to the changing room assistant we went to the check out.  Eri was completely against me buying her outfits, so we bought our own clothes. Bags in hand, we exited the store. My stomach growled from the smell of hot dogs that were being sold nearby. Giggling, Eri suggested that we get lunch; I agreed.

Our afternoon was very physical. We challenged each other to DDR, to which we did several matches. I lost. But, then again, Eri is an amazing dancer, even if it’s on a game. We strolled around for a while afterwards, relaxing. That’s when we both spotted a bowling alley. I had already spent quite a bit of money already, but it was the last day and it was for Eri. We split the price in half and played two rounds. I got three strikes. Haha! Maybe I’m getting better. But, I still lost. Well, I can’t say I’m sad because I’m not. I’m happy that she won. She’s so cute when she bounces about the place all giddily. By the time we left the bowling alley the sky was peach coloured.
No… I don’t want this to end.
Grasping Eri’s hand, I lead her back to the park where we spent our first day as a couple together. I took her back to the hidden area and we sat down underneath a tree. We watched as the ducks dipped under the water, butts in the air, looking for food. I felt a grin appear on my face. This could be last time I see something this beautiful. I turned to Eri who was deep in thought, a spacey look clouding her eyes.
“Eri,” I gently said, bringing her out of her reverie.
She turned her head to look at me, her eyes clearing. I suddenly felt myself lose all control if my body and I began to lean in closer to Eri. I tried to stop myself but couldn’t. I saw shock and confusion flash through her eyes. She immediately stood up. I stopped.
“E-Eri, I-I didn’t-“I stuttered, scared.
I never got to finish my sentence as Eri ran away. My world began to crash around me, but I managed to summon enough power to chase after her. Grabbing the bags, I darted off after her.
“Eri!” I screamed. She kept running. We dashed into the streets that were filled with traffic but few people. Heads turned as we ran by, attracting attention; I didn’t care if they knew who I was or not. She was so far ahead. She accidentally bumped into a group of people and apologised. As I drew closer I felt my panic begin to rise. The group of bikers didn’t look pleased.  The leader grabbed Eri by the shirt.
“Get your hands off of her!” I yelled at the group, running towards them. The leader looked up and then smiled.
“If you say so,” he said. Suddenly, he tossed Eri aside, and onto the road.
No…No! NO!
I felt my blood turn cold. The deafening sound of a truck’s horn blew. Dropping the bags, I dived for Eri. I grabbed her as I landed, sliding both of us out of the truck’s way. I let out a hiss as I skidded across the road. Cars from both directions had stopped, but as soon as we were off of the road they began to move again. Heartless people. I released my arms off of Eri which had been wrapped around her. Pedestrians gathered around us.
“Are you okay?”
“Someone call an ambulance!”
I suddenly felt Eri jump up and I watched as she ran away. People moved out of her way, creating an exit.
It’s over.
I felt tears drip down my cheeks as I lay slumped against a building. I then remembered where I was. I cradled my arm as I stood up. I swayed slightly.
“Hey, are you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital?” a man in the crowd asked. Someone handed me and Eri’s shopping. I shook my head.
“Thanks for asking but I’m fine. I just landed on my arm, I’ll be fine,” I replied. I began to walk through the crowd. They reluctantly let me go.

I eventually managed to drag myself back to my house. Unlocking the door, I pulled myself inside. I immediately fell to the floor. I couldn’t handle the pain in my heart.
“Why?” I whispered out. “I screwed everything up! My only chance!” I yelled. Tears began to flow. I screamed and punched the ground.
“Why did I do that?!”
I punched the ground again, but with significantly less strength.
“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…” I whimpered out. I fell onto my back and stared up at the ceiling through blurry eyes.
“I never got to show her…”

The shrill sound of cicadas echoed into the night. The stars were shining brightly along with the full moon. A perfect night. I forced myself to eat a bowl of cereal for dinner, no taste penetrating my senses. I winced slightly as I finally got around to bandaging up my hand. Thankfully nothing else had been cut. I sat in my bedroom at the window, staring out across the night sky. Everything seemed so dull now. I could feel my heart grieving for my old life; if only I hadn’t told her how I felt.
“I have to show her…” I whispered out. I continued to gaze out the window. “I’m going to show her.”
I glanced at my clock; 23:29. I could make it in time. I had to make it in time. Eri told me once that she had always wanted to see it. I rushed downstairs and put on my shoes. I suddenly remembered something before I left. I went into the living room and picked up Eri’s shopping bags, before running to Eri’s house. I was panting heavily by the time I reached her house. I took a couple of seconds to rest. I walked around the house, going into the garden, searching for Eri’s room. I made sure to keep quiet since all of the lights inside the house were out. Picking up a small pebble, I threw it at Eri’s window and a small tap was created. I waited for a minute before again throwing another. I saw the curtains draw back. Eri sleepily rubbed her eyes. She froze once she saw me. I smiled at her as best as I could and held up the bags. We stayed like that for several moments before Eri nodded and signalled for me to wait. She appeared after a few minutes.
“It’s nearly midnight you know,” Eri said.
“I brought you your clothes,” I explained, handing her the bags. She took them.
“Thanks.”
An awkward silence.
“Risa-chan, about what happened-“Eri began, but I cut her off.
“They aren’t the only reason I came,” I stated, pointing at the bags. Eri titled her head at me. “There’s something I wanted to show you.”
“What do you want to show me?”
I could only hope my timing was right as I was facing Eri.
“Look at the sky,” I instructed. She did so and her mouth opened in amazement. I turned around and looked up as well.
“It’s a meteor shower!” Eri exclaimed. I nodded my head. “It’s so beautiful,” she commented.
But not as beautiful as you, Eri.
We both sat down on the ground, watching the shower.
“I wonder if it works if I you make a wish on a meteor?” Eri wondered. I smiled
“Who knows. If you’re going to make a wish, I would do it now, the shower isn’t that long,” I said.
Eri immediately closed her eyes and put her hands together. Soon, the meteors disappeared and Eri opened up her eyes.
“What did you wish for?” I asked in a hushed voice.
“…That you forgive me for today,” she whispered.
My eyes shot open when I felt her lips on my own. She gently pushed us back onto the grass. Her lips were so warm and soft that I could barely pay attention to anything. Was this really happening? Our lips separated and we looked at each other.
“Eri…” I breathed out in disbelief. Her face was bright red and a shy, cute smile was playing on her lips.
“I’ve made my decision,” she stated. I bit my lip. “I want Risa-chan as my girlfriend.”
I was stunned for a few moments before I felt tears of pure joy burst free. Eri wrapped her arms around me.
“I love you,” she said.
I felt more tears fall. There was nothing to explain how I felt. The person who I loved the most in the world loved me back.
“I love you too.”
Our lips met again.
“I really love you, Kamei Eri.”

“One lemon ice tea and one ginger ale please,” I ordered, phone to my ear.
“Thank-you for ordering, your drinks will be up in a few minutes,” a voice replied. I gave a quick thanks before hanging up.
“So, have you decided what you’re going to sing?” I asked Eri.
“I’ve decided what we’re going to sing,” she said.
“What is it?”
“Of course, Shanimuni Paradise!” she declared happily. She handed me one of the microphones and pulled me onto the stage.
“I’ll do Fujimoto-san and Reina’s lines, is that okay?” she asked. I nodded.
“Sure, if that’s what you want to do,” I replied. The music started up.
“Tanoshii tanoshii natsu yasumi,” she sang.
“Zutto zutto shitakatta yume ga aru uh.”

We gladly sipped on your drinks after singing a couple of songs.
“Shanimuni really fits the season,” I sighed out contentedly. Eri nodded in agreement while she drank. She began to blow bubbles into her ginger ale, bubbles coming to the surface and bursting.
“How old are you?” I joked as I watched her.
“Hey, look!” she squealed. She lifted up her straw to me. She had filled it three-quarters of the way up and was holding the top to make sure no ginger ale fell out.
“Pocky!” she squealed again.
I felt a smile slip its way onto my face. No matter what that girl did it always seemed to make me smile. Eri pulled the straw back and put the bottom end in her mouth, releasing her finger from the top end and letting the liquid flow into her mouth. I leaned on my hand and watched Eri. After playing around with her drink for a few more moments she innocently looked up at me.
“Did I spill some on my face?” she asked. I shook my head.
“Your face is cute,” I complimented. I saw her face light up.
“R-really?” she asked in a quiet, shy voice.
“Really.”
“B-but I’m not as cute as Sayu…” she mumbled, as if to herself. I gently grabbed her hand from across the table, gave them a gentle squeeze and flashed a smile.
“You beat Sayu at cuteness any day.”
She lifted her gaze up to meet mine and we looked into each others eyes. I could feel the warmth that radiated from her soft hands and the gentleness in her eyes. I let go of her hands.
“Didn’t you say a while ago that you wanted to do a solo of Indigo Blue Love?” I asked.
“Yup.” She looked at the stage. “Can I?” she asked.
“Be my guest.”
Eri excitedly hopped up and grabbed a microphone. I took a sip of my drink before lying back against the sofa. I reached over to the light switch and turned down the lights. Hey, it went with the song. When I turned back to Eri, I was surprised to see that she had taken out one of the microphone stands. Wait, was she going to do the dance as well?!
“Nakanai wa nido to uh.”
She began to sing and I found myself incredibly concentrated on her. Every movement was burned into my memory; the way her hips swayed, the way her lips moved when she sang, the way her eyes shone mysteriously. I felt the surrounding world slip away. It was just me and Eri in this small, yet comfortable, sound-proof room. As she looked into my eyes, it was if she was penetrating into my soul, seeing everything. When I looked into hers, I saw us. The more I looked the more mesmerised I became. I heard the music beginning to fade away. I dropped our connection. I stood up and cheered loudly. Eri’s face flushed, she put the mic back into the stand and walked over to me. She looked up at the clock on the wall.
“Our time’s nearly over and we need to get to the cinema before the movie starts. Shall we go?”
I looked over to the clock, and nodded.
“Let’s,” I agreed. We both grabbed our things before leaving the room and going to the counter to pay. We linked arms and left.

We bought our tickets, popcorn and drinks and headed into show room #6. There were quite a few couples dotted around the place and a few people by themselves. Eri and I sat down in the seats a few rows from the back and in the middle; the best place. Placing the popcorn and coke in between us we began to talk. When the lights finally dimmed down we turned to face the screen. Trailers flashed by, trying to entice people into giving their money away to see another movie that was all graphics. Soon the trailers ended and the movie certificate came up: 18+. Since we didn’t get to go into the haunted house we decided to be brave and go to this movie. When I saw the trailer for this movie once, I was already scared. The movie started, and rather darkly. I saw Eri bite her bottom lip. I popped a piece of popcorn into my mouth.
This was going to be interesting.

A million screams, and a hundred scared hugs later both of us exited the cinema. While I was frozen in fear, Eri was shaking. I doubt that we are ever going to watch a horror movie ever again. We latched onto each others arms. The sun was beginning to set which didn’t do anything good for our nerves.
“Nee, Risa-chan,” Eri asked me in a weak voice.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“C-Can I stay at your house tonight?”
I turned my gaze to her.
“Sure. Do you want to go to your house first so you can get your things?” I asked. She shook her head.
“You can borrow some of my clothes, okay?” I asked. She nodded.
“Let’s go. We can phone your house when we get to mine.”
We changed course and began to walk to my house. The darker it got, the more she hung onto my arm.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you if anything comes,” I reassured her.
“Thanks.”
Within minutes we had arrived. Unlocking the door, we walked inside. Eri seemed to visually relax. We both took off our shoes and headed through to the living room. Eri lay down on the sofa and let out a long sigh. I smiled at her then patted her on the head. She smiled back up at me.
“You can just relax here, I’m going to make dinner so wait,” I informed her.
“Ehh? That’s not fair! I’ll help you make dinner,” Eri protested, sitting up. I gently pushed her over onto her back, a blush appearing on her face. I leaned over her.
“It’s really okay. Just think of it as a thanks for that time you made me breakfast,” I said before kissing her forehead. I got up. “Is spaghetti bolognese and salad fine?” I asked.
“Sounds nice,” she replied. “I’m going to call my house.” I nodded before heading into the kitchen.

After filling up on dinner, we watched T.V until it was late. The only light came from the T.V. As the show ended and the credits rolled, I felt Eri’s head leaning against my shoulder. We had somehow ended up in the position where Eri was in between my legs and was leaning her back against my front. Her head was lying on my shoulder and her eyes were closed. I brushed away a few stray strands of hair that covered her eyes. Somehow, just lying like this was enough. The warmth that we were sharing, the sweet smell of her hair; there’s no word to describe the feeling of perfectness that it brings. I stroked her cheek.
“Kawaii,” I whispered. I turned off the T.V and caressed her cheeks for a few more minutes.
“Eri,” I whispered into her ear, while gently nudging her. “Eri.”
She let out a moan and wiggled. I let out an amused sigh.
“Eri, I have dog cheese,” I said. Her eyes flickered open and she looked up at me.
“You fell asleep. Let’s go get changed then you can sleep until the cows come home,” I teased. She blinked.
“What about my dog cheese?” she asked in a tired voice.
“Don’t be silly.” I lightly tapped her on the head.
I sat up, supporting Eri with my hands.
“Come on,” I said standing up with her. “You can choose which of my pyjamas you want to wear.”
“Hai.”
We went upstairs to my room. I laid out my pyjamas on my bed. Eri picked out one of three tank tops and short shorts I had. I wore the same but a different design. Eri got changed in my room while I got changed in the bathroom. After getting changed we turned out the lights and got into my bed. It was too hot to sleep with a cover so we decided on a thin sheet. We faced each other.
“Good night, Eri,” I said.
“Night night, Risa-chan.”
After a few moments Eri closed her eyes. I kept my eyes open, watching her. The moonlight that filtered through my window fell upon her, lighting her up. She looked so beautiful yet mysterious. It’s almost as if I touched her she would disappear. She was something delicate and precious. I felt my eyelids growing heavy with each passing minute. I took in one last image of Eri before I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

I could feel my heart racing as I got out of the car. I was going to Eri’s house to have a water fight with her family. I wonder if she’s told her family…If she has I wonder how they’ve taken it. Well, I suppose if she’s told them and I’m coming around then they must have taken it well. I turned back to the car.
“Bye Mum, have a safe trip,” I said. She smiled.
“I will. I’ll try and be back in three days time, okay?”
I nodded.
“Have fun!” she said. I waved to her before walking towards Eri’s house. I took a deep breath before opening up the gate and walking in. After ringing the doorbell, I was greeted by Eri’s younger sister.
“Ahh, Niigaki-san, ohayo gozaimasu.”
“Ohayo,” I replied. “I thought that you were ill,” I said, noticing the smile she was wearing.
“I was, but I’m completely fine now.”
“That was quick.”
“I know, I guess I’m lucky.”
I smirked. She was excited about the water fight. Once inside I took off my shoes and took my bag up with me to Eri’s room. I knocked on the door. Didn’t want any blood on the floor, right?
“Eri?”
“Come in.”
I opened her door and was given the pleasant sight of Eri in a striped bikini.
“Y-You look nice,” I complimented.
“Really? That’s good. I wore this because I knew that you would like it,” she said.  If my face wasn’t red yet, then it definitely was now.
“You can get changed in here while I go and prepare the weapons. Come to the garden once you’re done changing, okay?”
I nodded and replied, “Okay.”
Eri flashed me a smile before leaving and closing the door behind her. I put my bag down on her bed, and took out my own bikini. Mine was a blue designed with white flowers. I changed out of my day clothes and into the bikini. I folded my clothes and put them into my bag, then headed downstairs. It felt embarrassing to be walking around someone else’s home in just a bikini. I passed by the kitchen and saw Eri’s mum.
“Ohayo gozaimasu, Kamei-san,” I greeted shyly.
“Ohayo gozaimasu, Risa-chan. That’s a very pretty bikini you’re wearing,” she complimented.
“Thank-you.”
Her eyes suddenly took on a serious expression.
“Eri-chan told us about you two.”
I held my breath.
“To be honest we were surprised at first but when I though about your history together I guess that it made sense. If that’s what you two decided, if that’s what makes you happy, then we support you all the way. After all, Risa-chan is like another member of the family, so we trust you,” she said, her eyes softening when she finished. I swear I was about to scream out with joy.
“Thank-you,” I said, “You have no idea how much that means to me.”
“Not as much as Eri-chan, nee?” she teased. I felt my face heat up.
“U-Uhh w-well,” I stammered. She let out a laugh.
“I’m joking,” she said, pulling me into a hug. “But really, good luck.”
“Thank-you.” I hugged her back.
“Ahh! Oka-san!” Eri’s voice suddenly exclaimed. Detaching myself from Eri’s mum I looked at Eri.
“I’m sorry, Eri-chan, her cuteness caught me.” Eri’s mum stuck out her tongue. “But I shouldn’t have hugged her. That’s your job.”
Both Eri and I blushed at the remark. Again, Eri’s mum let out a small laugh.
“Go on and play outside, have fun,” she instructed.
“We will!” Eri acknowledged. Grabbing my hand, Eri began to drag me to the garden.
She’s so soft and warm.

“Are you ready for the water fight?” she asked me, stopping at the pool side.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Good.”
I let out a scream when she suddenly pushed me into the pool. I felt the water envelope me. I stayed under the water, keeping my feet on the bottom of the pool. Looking through the water for only a moment I could see Eri bending over the pool. She was beginning to worry. I pushed off the bottom of the pool and resurfaced. Eri let out a scream before I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back into the water with me. We both remerged to the surface. Eri quickly swam her way back to the edge of the pool and climbed out. I laughed.
“Looks like you weren’t ready,” I joked.
“I was, but not for that!” she whined, defending herself. I swam my way over to the side and was given a helping hand out.
“When will they get out here?” Eri moaned, referring to her little sister and older brother.
The more the merrier, right? Plus this could be my chance to prove myself to her family. She began to mumble about her siblings again, but I couldn’t pay attention. Was the bikini strap moving?
“Maybe we should just start without them. A few water balloons won’t matt-“
She stopped immediately when my hands shot around her neck. I stepped closer to her, our faces less than 15 cm apart.
“R-Risa-chan?”
I grabbed the two pieces of lose material behind Eri’s neck and began to tie it back up. I made sure to double tie the knot before removing my hands and smiling at her.
“You should be careful. Make sure you tie the knot properly, okay?” I advised in a quiet voice. Her face was so close that I could feel her breath. If I l just leaned forward I could kiss her. Suddenly, I spotted Eri’s younger sister hiding behind a wall of the house.
“Are you ready?” I asked. She jumped in shock. Eri turned around.
“A-Are you ready?” Eri asked, repeating me but her voice shaking.
Her sister nodded shyly. Eri backed away from me.
“Is onii-chan ready yet?” she asked.
“Of course, I’ve been ready all this time.” Eri’s brother appeared wearing Hawaiian themed swimming trunks. Eri pouted.
“Well why didn’t you come down earlier?!”
“Because I watching you two play.”
My face flushed and Eri fell silent. The silence was quickly broken by one of her high pitch screams and the sound of water splashing. Eri’s brother laughed when he saw his sister’s reaction to being hit by a water balloon.
“I’m so going to get you!” she exclaimed. She ran over to the pool side, grabbed a barrage of balloons and began pummelling them at her brother.

Further into the fight we had decided to split up into teams; Eri and her sister against me and her brother. The objective was for him to get to me at the pool side without getting hit by a water balloon which would be thrown by the opposing teams who were hiding about the garden. He dashed from the starting point, the opposite side of the garden from the pool, and skilfully began to dodge water balloons that were heading straight for him.
“Hit him!” Eri ordered.
“I’m trying! He’s too fast!”
“Hit him!”
Soon he was barely 10 metres away from me. A balloon shot past his face, just missing. Surprised, he stumbled causing his feet to slip on the slippery pool side surface. He crashed into me, sending both of us flying into the pool. I felt his face buried in my chest. Once in the water I quickly distanced myself from him and shot back up. Surfacing, the first thing I saw was Eri wearing an expression of disbelief on her face. When her brother came up the expression seemed to change to one of…anger?
“Onii-chan, you pervert!” she yelled at him, before pounding him with several balloons. After sinking back down into the pool, Eri rushed over to me.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” I replied. Eri helped me out of the pool while her sister helped her brother.
“Onii-chan, apologise to Risa-chan!”
Her brother coughed a few times before facing me.
“Sorry about that, I slipped at the end there,” he apologised.
“Ahh, don’t worry, it was just an accident,” I said.
He turned to Eri.
“That’s right, it was just an accident, so calm down, okay?” he calmly said but with a smirk.
“But you’re smiling!”
“What, I’m not allowed to smile?”
“Pervert!”
“Hey, I’m not the one who looks through-“
“Onii-chan!”
Eri glared embarrassedly at her brother before turning to me.
“I’m starting to get cold, can we go inside, Risa-chan?” she asked.
“Well, I don’t mind. I don’t want you to catch a cold,” I replied. Eri smiled. Linking our arms, Eri began to lead us back to the house. I turned my head to look back.
“Onii-chan, you shouldn’t make her all jealous like that.”
“Sorry.”
Looking up, he smiled at me and gave me a thumbs up. I gave him a confused but grateful smile. Eri’s younger sister seemed to be hanging her head shyly. When she looked at me a blush appeared on her face and she immediately hung her head again. I wonder what’s wrong with her…

After much insistence that I have a shower first from Eri, I did so quickly and got dressed. I sat in her room and waited for Eri to come back from her own shower. Since I wasn’t doing anything sitting around, I decided to go look for Eri’s younger sister. I saw her sitting in her room, reading. Gazing up, she saw me.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked. She nodded and closed her book.
I walked into her room and closed the door behind me. I sat down next to her on her bed.
“Is there something bothering you?” I asked. She looked at me for several moments before nodding.
“Can you tell me?”
“I don’t know if I want to,” she informed me.
“Well, you don’t know until you try, right?”
She turned her gaze away from me.
“…It’s about you and Eri-chan,” she stated. I felt the gears in my head click into place.
“Oh. What about us?” I gently asked.
“…You’re not going to steal her away, are you?”
“Of course not; I would never steal her away.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Niigaki-san, in fact I think of you as an older sister. But I’m just scared that you’re going to steal Eri-chan away,” she explained, whimpering. “I don’t want Eri-chan to go.”
I wrapped my arms around her and began to stroke her hair in a calming motion.
“Eri’s not going anywhere. I don’t want to steal her away from anybody, I just want her to be happy,” I said. She let out a small laugh.
“Sometimes I wonder if she deserves someone like you.”
“Sometimes I wonder if I deserve someone like her.”
We both smiled at each other.
“Can I ask why whenever I looked at you, you would blush?”
She moved herself out of my embrace and stood up.
“I-I’m still trying to adjust to seeing two girls together, like that,” she explained.
“Oh.”
“By the way, do you know what onii-chan was talking about earlier before Eri-chan cut him off?” she asked, suddenly changing the subject.
“Now that you mention it, not really…”
“Well, I’m sure if you look around Eri-chan’s room you’ll find an answer,” she hinted. I stood up and opened the door.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.
I closed the door behind me and headed back to Eri’s room. I sat down on her bed and waited for a couple of minutes before my curiosity over came me. Searching time. Part of me felt guilty that I was rummaging through her stuff but I still wanted to find out what she looked through. I began with the most obvious place, her desk. It’s not as easy as it sounds. There was stuff everywhere. I gave up on the desk after thirty seconds and continued onto other places. I looked around the room. My gaze stopped on her bed, and something mysterious sticking out from under mattress. I pulled on the corner of what was sticking out and brought it out. It was my photo book Happy Girl. I smiled. She’s got mine, I’ve got hers; it all works out. I slid the book back under the mattress and plopped myself back onto Eri’s bed. Eri entered the room not even a minute later.
“You seem happy,” she said, noticing my smile.
“Well that’s because I’m a happy girl.”

We listened to music, played games and chatted until I had to go. I didn’t want to overstay my welcome.
“Do you want me to walk with you to the bus stop?” Eri offered. I shook my head.
“It’s okay, you’ve already done enough for me today,” I refused. “I’ll call you tonight.”
She nodded her head happily. “I’ll be waiting.”
I gathered my things and put on my shoes.
“It’s the end of day five, huh?” she said.
“The days are over before I realise that they’ve begun.”
“I know what you mean.”
I stood up with my things.
“I guess this is goodnight?”
“I guess it is, even though it’s only the evening,” she commented. I leant over and kissed her on her cheek. She smiled at me and then kissed me on my cheek. I walked out of the house and waved to Eri who was standing at the door. When she disappeared out of sight and I heard the sound of the door closing, I ran to the end of the street. I stopped, looked up to the sky and whispered to myself, “Today was amazing.”

I turned my head to Eri, watching as she intently gazed at a small group of sleeping arctic foxes. One of the babies yawned, stretching it jaw wide open to show its baby teeth. Eri squealed.
“It’s so cute! I want to hug it!”
“So do I!”
We both continued to longingly watch the sleeping family. Occasionally one of them would move but that was about as much as they did. We decided to move onto the next exhibit and leave the foxes to sleep. We laughed as we watched a male peacock spreading out his colourful feathers to try and show off to a female but falling instead. I felt kind of sorry for the bird but that didn’t stop the fact that it was funny. Grabbing my hand, Eri lead me to a near by exhibit that was filled with deer. I noted the man nearby selling corn kernels and bought a bag for me and Eri. We were at a petting zoo/ zoo so we may as well take up the chance to feed the animals while we’re here. Taking a few handfuls each, we let the deer eat the corn.
“It tickles!” she said as a deer licked her hand, eating the offered food.
I smiled at her and put my hand out to a deer that was in front of me. It began to eat the corn. I let out a yelp when I felt its teeth nip at my fingers.
“Wuah!”
I retracted my hand quickly. Lifting my fingers to my face I searched for any damage. I felt my face colour when I heard Eri giggling at me.
“Maybe it was hungry for some beans,” she said.
“Well this bean needs all of its body pieces.”
“You must be a strange bean.”
“Not strange, just top of the range.”
“You’re silly, Risa-chan, but I like that part of you,” she commented, a red tinting her face. I gave a reassuring smile to her. We finished feeding the rest of the kernels to the deer.
“There’s no more left Mr. Deer. Gochiso-sama,” Eri said to the deer. I walked over to her and the deer.
“Wasn’t it deer-icious?” she joked. I face palmed, but smiled at the same time. The deer looked at Eri quizzically while she giggled at her joke.
“Aho.”

The rest of the morning passed by quickly, and our hunger began to kick in. Laughing is more tiring than it sounds. We stopped for lunch at one of the small restaurants. I paid for both of our drinks and Caesar salads. Sitting down at a table for two outside, we began to eat and talk… well, not at the same time.
“Those monkeys were so hyper!”
“Or just crazy,” I said. I smirked when I saw Eri’s expression. She wore a cross between a pout and smile and the expression in her eyes was one of “Oh ha ha, very funny’. I took another mouthful of salad.
“Is there any exhibit in particular you want to see after?” I asked after I had swallowed my salad.
“The penguins?”
“Those things smell so bad!”
“But they’re cute.”
“You have a point. Okay, we’ll go there next,” I said.

I couldn’t help but smiled as I watched several penguins slide into their pool on their stomachs.
“That looks fun,” Eri commented.
“It does, doesn’t it?”
“We should try it sometime!”
I stared at her.
“How, exactly?”
“In swimsuits, get wet and go down a slide!” she explained.
“I suppose that would work…” I trailed off when I thought of Eri in a bikini. She could slide on me anytime. Ahh! I always seem to let my mind drift to those sorts of things lately… It’s not my fault or anything; Eri keeps saying things that make me think that. It’s not my fault at all! Turning my head away from Eri to keep my blush hidden, I looked back at the penguins.
“Hey, see that duck over there? The one that’s playing by itself in front of all the other penguins? It reminds me of you,” I said, gesturing to the spinning penguin.
“How’s that?” Eri asked.
“Well, it looks like you when you make a joke and you’re the only one who gets it and the mood goes all cold,” I explained.
“But my jokes are funny!”
“And that penguin is a seal,” I teased. “But don’t worry, you’re way, way prettier than that penguin,” I said flirtatiously.
“Thanks for the sentiment,” she said. “I’d be worried if I wasn’t.”
“Why? Because you’d think that you’re not pretty?” I asked.
“No, silly,” she said, “Because I’d begin to worry for your sanity.”

After leaving the penguins and their fishy smell behind, we headed to one of the zoo’s main exhibits; the white Bengal tigers.
“They’re so beautiful,” we both said at the same time as we watched a white Bengal tiger groom another one. Spotting us, it got up and stretched, raising its head. It was going to roar. A loud roar echoed in our ears. Eri let out a scream and jumped back in shock, landing on her butt. I turned to face Eri, clutching onto my side. I laughed in amusement at her shocked face.
“Ahaha! Y-Your fa-f-face!” I exclaimed. Suddenly, the sound of another roar filled the air. It was much closer. I screamed louder than what Eri had and ran. I turned around when I was a distance away and saw that the tiger had been a mere twenty metres behind me. I put a hand to my racing heart. I looked over at Eri and saw her literally rolling on the ground laughing.
“Bwahaha! Y-You should h-ha-have seen your f-f-face!”
My face was probably redder than a tomato.
Stupid tiger.

Spotting a gift shop, we decided to go in. Looking around, something of interest caught my eye. The item seemed to have caught Eri’s attention as well because she grabbed a different type of the same item.
“I’ll wear that if you wear this,” I bargained.
She agreed and we switched the items. I put on the puppy ears, tail, collar, and paws. Looking up, I nearly fainted from the cuteness that was in front of me. Eri was wearing cute kitten ears, matching paws and tail, and a bell tied around her neck. She posed and said ‘Nya’. I played along and barked playfully. We decided to buy the sets that the other had chosen for each other. Bags in hand, we left the shop and continued on.

Before I knew it, it was time to go. Walking hand in hand, we exited out of the zoo. I walked Eri to her bus stop and waited with her.
“I had lots of fun today,” Eri said.
“So did I. How are you-“
“Shh, I told you before that that doesn’t matter at the moment.”
“Sorry,” I apologised. I saw Eri’s bus pulling in to the bus stop.
“Goodnight,” I said giving her hand a gentle squeeze. A kiss here would be way too risky.
“Night night, Risa-chan.”
She squeezed my hand back before letting go of it and boarding the bus. I watched as her and the bus disappeared into the darkening distance. I breathed in the cool evening air before beginning to walk home. I’ve always liked walking, it’s relaxing and it gives me time to reflect on my day. I smiled as I recalled the day’s events. If only this would last forever. Day four was now over.
Three more days left.

I decided to wear my lucky muffin pants today. Eri chose where we were going today. She said that there was a dance lesson that she wanted to try. It was one day lesson and you would be taught all different types of dances. I agreed to go. It sounded interesting, and I would be with her, so that would make it even more fun. I styled my hair this way and that before finally deciding to just wear it down. It would be more convenient for tying up into a pony tail when we were dancing. I packed my dance clothes and towel into a small bag. I suddenly heard my mobile ringing, the ringtone playing the instrumental of ‘Haru Beautiful Everyday’. It was Eri.
“Ohayo, Eri,” I greeted.
“Ohayo, Risa-chan.”
Her voice sounded slightly different…worried maybe?
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’m really sorry, Risa-chan, but I have to cancel our date today,” she said. I took a breath. Ok, I was a bit depressed, but since it was Eri, I’m sure she had a good reason.
“Well, I don’t really mind,” I lied “what happened?”
“My sister suddenly came down with something, and it seems really bad, so I’m going to take her to the doctor,” she explained.
“Ahh, that’s not good. Well, I hope that it’s nothing serious,” I said.
“Risa-chan, I really am sorry. I’ll make it up to you. Do you want me to add an extra day to the week? I don-“
I cut Eri off.
“It’s ok, Eri, really. You don’t need to add an extra day. You gave me seven days, and I’m only going to use those seven days, no more. I don’t want you to feel sorry or guilty. If anything I feel sorry for you. Your sister is ill and you’re missing a dance lesson that you’ve wanted to do for ages.”
A short silence followed.
“You’re so selfless, Risa-chan. I’m surprised that you’ve not been in a relationship yet,” she complimented. I let out a small laugh.
“That’s because I’m stuck on you,” I stated.
“Risa-chan.”
“Yes?”
“How long have you liked me?”
I froze. How was I meant to answer that? I’ve liked you since forever? I don’t think so!
“I-I don’t want to hold you back from taking your sister to the doctor. Tell your sister that I hope she gets well soon,” I said, changing subject.
“…I will. I’ll call you, okay?”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Beep beep beep
I lowered my phone before staring at the background that I had of me and her.
I can’t tell her…. not if this week is the only week.

I sat up and looked at the clock sitting on my desk. 2:32. I sighed and fell backwards back onto my bed. I never realised how boring it was when I wasn’t with Eri. I would usually talk with my mum if I felt like talking, but she was at work.
Ding dong
I rolled off of my bed at the sound of the doorbell. Arriving at the front door, I straightened out my clothes before opening it. I didn’t want to look like a mess, even if I would only be talking to this person for a few minutes.
“Eri!?”I exclaimed, looking at the girl. She smiled
“Hey.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked confused.
“Visiting my girlfriend?”
“That’s not what I meant. I thought that you took your sister to the doctor?”
“I did, and now I’m back,” she explained. “Turns out that all she had was the cold.”
“That’s good news.”
“Eri smiled and nodded. I stood back and let her in.
“So, what have you been doing?” she asked.
“Nothing, pretty much. It’s boring when you’re not around.”
“Thank-you?”
“You’re welcome.” I smiled at her.
“Have you got any ideas of what we can do?”
“Not really, sorry,” I apologised.
“I know what we can do! Let’s cook!” she exclaimed.
“Well, I don’t mind, but what are we going to cook?”
“Something sweet,” she replied. Her mouth hung open. Seems as if she was imagining the food already. I laughed before grabbing her hand and leading her through the kitchen.
“Let’s start cooking before you start chewing on the couch,” I teased. Eri shut her mouth and blushed. She nodded and gave a small ‘unn’ in agreement.

Me and Eri let out a sigh after we closed the over door. We had managed to successfully make muffin mix and get them in the oven without anything coming alive or spilling. I felt Eri’s fingers run along my cheek.
“You’re so silly, Risa-chan, how did you get muffin mix on your face?” she asked. I watched her as she slowly licked the mixture of her fingers. I swear if I was a guy, I would have died at that sight.
“I-I must ha-have been distracted…”
She giggled, before beginning to clean up. I shook my head and began to help her. After tidying up we took off our aprons and sitting down at the kitchen table. I began to play with her feet with my own in an open flirt and smiled when she began to play back.
Ding
We both got up and together took the muffins out of the oven, placing them on a cooling tray. We waited for the muffins to cool before we began to design them. We designed the icing in all sorts of ways. Things like turtles, beans, names and random items were drawn. One had our names in kanji with hearts surrounding them. Grabbing that muffin, me and Eri took it over to the couch. She leaned over with her mouth open, and I held up the treat. She licked her lips, trying to catch a few stray crumbs. I never knew I could see someone eating a muffin as so perverted. Eri was right in front of me, eating my moist, warm muffin. No, I’m not referring to my lucky muffin pants! Not at all! But, these pants really are lucky… Eri eating my muffin…

After safely finishing the rest of the muffin together, Eri had to leave. I gave her four of the muffins in a bag, so that she could take some home.
“I hope your sister gets better. Make sure to keep safe when going home. Don’t forget to look both ways before crossing the road and-“
I felt her lips place a kiss on my nose. My words caught in my throat.
“Risa-chan, I’m flattered that you’re worried but I’m not an eight year old,” she said, smiling. “I’m going to go now, I’ll call you later.” She began to walk away.
“Oh, and if you’re wondering why I kissed you’re nose, it’s because that’s the only place where there’s a mole on your face!”
I watched as she ran off. I closed the door after she disappeared from sight.
If only I had Yossie’s face…

I was definitely more confident than yesterday but the anxiety was still there, at the back of my mind. I suppose there isn’t much reason for me to worry about today, me and Eri have already done this loads of times. Yes, today we are going to an amusement park. I think that I won’t wear my lucky muffin pants today… you know, just in case we go on that new ride that’s very high…and…it’s high.
Anyways! I’m hoping that we can go into the haunted house; It’ll be my chance to prove myself to Eri.

I arrived at the entrance to the park 10 minutes early. Looking around, I saw no sign of Eri. Leaning against the entrance gates I again went over my mental list.
Tickets– check
Purse with everything I need – check
Tight but comfortable jeans – check
Stylish t-shirt – check
I was ready. Now just to wait for Eri…I glanced at my watch. It was our agreed meeting time.
“Now, just to wait thirty more minutes,” I breathed out to myself.
“I always thought that the main attraction was inside the park.”
My eyes shot open. I slowly turned around and was greeted to a beautiful sight of Eri. Her hair was down, waves playing at the bottom. She wore a sky blue tank top that was decorated lightly with English words and a few flowers, and denim short shorts that showed off her wonderful thighs. I could feel blood rushing to my head. Was she trying to make me have a nose bleed?!
“Risa-chan?”
“Can we stay here? I just found the main attraction.”
Her face flushed. I’m pretty sure not because of the heat.
“Risa-chan, I may be the main attraction to you, but you can’t ride me,” Eri remarked teasingly.
She grabbed the tickets from my hand, winked, and began walking into the park. I gawked at her for several moments. I think she’s been hanging out with Miki and Reina a bit too much lately. But then again, I like a sassy Eri as well. I wiped my nose. Okay, no nose bleed. I ran after Eri. I better be careful today.

Eri and I both screamed at the top of our lungs as we dropped to the ground at a frightening speed. We may have been strapped into our seats, but we still held onto each other. We were both inside a small ball that was fashioned to work like bungee jumping. The ball dropped and bounced back up by the stretchy rope that held it. I managed to persuade Eri to come on it with me. I wonder why I even wanted to get on this thing. IT’S SCARY!
After bouncing several more times, we dismounted (more like stumbled) off of the ride. Sitting down on the nearest bench, we both tried to calm down our racing hearts.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” I said to Eri. She nodded. I got up and went to go get a slushie for her.
“Here.” I handed her the drink, and she gladly took it. After several sips she seemed to have calmed down.
“I am never doing that again!” Eri exclaimed. I smiled at her.
“But you’ve got to admit, it was fun.”
“Risa-chan, is your idea of fun having a heart attack?”
I smirked. “Not exactly.”
We decided to do a less strenuous activity next. Walking hand in hand, she took me to a shooting stall. She squealed.
“It’s so cute! Nee, nee, nee, Risa-chan! Will you win that for me?” she asked me, pointing to a turtle plushie.
“Sure. I’ll always get you anything that you want,” I replied. Eri smiled at me sweetly. I handed over money to the man at the stall, and received a cork gun.
“You get 5 shots,” he said.
I aimed the gun straight at the turtle and fired. Miss. Four shots left. Fire. Miss. Fire. Hit! But it only nudged the plushie. Fire. Hit. It moved more than before.
“It’s your last shot, missy,” the man informed me.
I licked my lips nervously. My last shot. My finger danced over the trigger for a couple of seconds. Please let me get it! For Eri! I pulled the trigger. A direct hit. The plushie swayed and wavered over the edge of the shelf. Fall, please! It feel backwards back onto its bottom. I looked away and let out an annoyed hiss.
“Congratulations, missy. That was a close one!” the man exclaimed. I felt Eri’s arms wrap around me.
“Thank-you, Risa-chan!”
Huh? I looked back and saw the plushie lying on the ground. The man picked it up and handed it to Eri. She gladly took it and squeezed it. Then I realised how I won it. After it had fallen backwards onto its butt, the force continued to push it backwards so it fell over and off the shelf. I mentally laughed. I guess you could call that a backwards victory.
“Thanks for playing! I hope you young ladies have a great day.” the man said to us. We nodded our thanks and began to walk away, searching for our next activity. I looked at Eri who was walking to me; she tightly holding the toy.
“You really like that plushie, don’t you?” I asked, amused. She nodded enthusiastically.
“It’s so cute. But now I’m going to make sure nothing happens to it.”
“Oh, why’s that?” I asked.
“Because Risa-chan worked hard to get it for me,” she explained. I felt my face heat up.
“I’m going to name it Risa,” she stated, smiling at me sweetly.
God, wasn’t there any part of this girl that wasn’t cute?!

We got lunch after visiting a few more stalls. Eri absolutely insisted on buying lunch since I had already bought everything else. I tried to pay but she demanded that she would. I gave up; after all, she puffed up her cheeks and everything. We happily ate away at our crepes. Mine was lemon and sugar, hers was strawberries and cream. She was so cute when she was eating. She would take a bite out of her crepe, cream covering her lips. Then she would proceed to lick the cream off, and that would take at least three licks. We took a bite of each others before finishing them and moving on to find more rides. Much to my disappointment, the haunted house was closed for reconstruction. Eri seemed slightly disappointed as well.
“I didn’t realise that you liked the feeling of your heart racing a lot, Risa-chan,” she said to me.
“What do you mean?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. She tilted her head as well.
“Well, usually when you go on rides you get really scared and start screaming to get off. But today you seem to really be enjoying the rides,” she commented. I tilted my head back upright.
“They still scare me; it’s just that they’re not as scary when I’m with you. When I’m with you, it’s fun,” I stated. It was true as well, but not only that; it wasn’t so much the rides that made my heart race, but her. Eri slightly leaned her head down, trying to cover the blush that had appeared.
“It’s the same for me,” she whispered out. A huge grin appeared on my face.
“That’s good, I don’t want you to not be having fun.”
She nodded her head. I gave her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. She was getting shyer now that I was being more open about my feelings. Kamei Eri is cuteness itself.

The sun was starting to set, tinting the sky a beautiful orange. The park was going to close soon, and there was one ride that I wanted to take Eri on. Taking her hand, I lead her to the short line that was waiting to ride the Ferris wheel. I was surprised at how few people there were, but I was glad that we wouldn’t have to wait long to get on. I was nervous that she might take me wanting to go on this the wrong way. The Ferris wheel is one of the most used rides by couples. I just wanted to show her the view. Our turn to board came and we both stepped into the car. I felt my arm rub against hers as I sat down next to her. The car shifted as the wheel began turning. Neither of us spoke. The atmosphere wasn’t an uncomfortable one, more of an unsure one. Several times I tried to take her hand which lay next to mine, but each time I would pull my hand back. Maybe I should just take her hand, relax the atmosphere a bit… but maybe it’ll make the atmosphere turn awkward… I suddenly let out a scream and jumped up when the car shook. I could hear Eri giggling next to me.
“You really are a reaction queen. The car only stopped you know,” she said. I swear my ears turned red from embarrassment. I sat back down next to Eri.
“The view is amazing,” she breathed out, gazing across the city.
While she gazed at the city, I gazed at her. She looked so beautiful. It seemed as if the evening light was hugging her, making her glow. I wrapped my hands around Eri’s which were on her legs.
“This is what I wanted to show you,” I said. I felt her hands tighten around mine. She turned and looked me in the eyes, smiling.
“Thank-you.”
I couldn’t help but lean and kiss her. Not on the lips but on her cheek. I couldn’t tell if she was blushing because of the light, but I’m pretty sure she was, I could tell by the shy expression in her eyes. I pulled her into my arms and felt her head lie against my shoulder. We both watched the scenery.
“Eri, about this week-“ I started, but was cut off by her fingers against my lips.
“Shh, that doesn’t matter at the moment. I’m your girlfriend, right?”
“Right,” I said.
Several more moments passed. Only the sound of my heartbeat, Eri’s breathing and some seagulls flying by filled my ears. If only I could have stayed there forever.
“Are you happy?” she asked. I leaned my head against hers.
“Definitely,” I replied. “Are you?” I asked back.
“I’m happy. Very happy,” she answered. I smiled.
I felt the car move again; we were going back down. When we were near the bottom, Eri sat back up. We both smiled at each other before getting off of the car and walking arm in arm to the main gates. We both got into a taxi and headed to Eri’s house first. Of course, I escorted Eri to her front door. Much to my delight, she was still guarding her new turtle plushie. As a present, I got a good night and a good night kiss on the forehead. I paid the taxi driver once I arrived back at my house, and happily floated in.
Today was a good day indeed. I can only wait eagerly for the rest of the week.

All I could think about was how today was going to go. Today was the last day of work, but we didn’t actually have to work. It’s kind of pointless but it’s just out of courtesy that we all go. I wonder if she’s going to act differently… I wonder if I’m going to act differently! We’re girlfriends, but we’re not really, are we? Ahh, I’ve got to stop stressing out over the small things. Maybe I should wear my lucky pants… Ok, maybe I just shouldn’t think too much today.
“Are you going to eat here?” my mum asked. I shook my head.
“I’ll eat at work,” I replied.
“Okay, let’s go then.”
Me and my mum locked the house, and got into our car. Within 20 minutes I was outside the main Up-Front building.
“I’ll see you later!” I called to my mum. She waved and drove off. I took a deep breath before walking into the building. I only had one thought stuck in my head.
Day one.

I greeted several people on the way to my room. Everyone seemed to be happy and relaxed; they wouldn’t need work too much for the next nine days. I put my key in the lock of my door and turned it. It was already unlocked. That meant someone was or had been in my room. I opened the door and stared in shock at what I saw.
“Ahh, Risa-chan, good morning! I arrived early so I thought that I’d get us breakfast!” Eri happily squealed, bouncing her way over to me.
Did she just call me Risa-chan?! Ok, breathe! In, out, in, out.
“M-Morning,” I stuttered out. I’m so smooth.
“Oh, are you that surprised, Risa-chan?” Eri pouted playfully, blowing up her cheeks.
“W-Well, it’s not like you to be early,” I teased. Her eyes looked up at me expectantly. “…Eri?”
She immediately smiled. Grabbing my hand, she took me over to the coffee table where various breakfast foods lay about. Picking up a strawberry, she held it towards me. I lifted up my hand to take it, but the strawberry was pulled away. I looked at a smirking Eri.
“Ah ah ah,” she said wagging a finger at me. I blushed. Eri again held the fruit in front of me. I opened my mouth and took a bite. I shyly began to chew. She was smiling at me with a faint blush playing on her cheeks. She’s trying so hard. I had to try as well.
“It’s delicious,” I complimented.
“Great!”
I picked up a grape.
“Say ahh,”
She did as commanded and opened her mouth.
“Ahh.”
I placed the grape in her mouth and she began to chew it. She licked her lips after she finished.
“Mmm, tasty.”
Stop staring at her lips! Stop! But they look so tasty…mmm.
“Risa-chan, how long do you plan to stare at me?” she asked. I snapped out of my thoughts and diverted my gaze. I nervously rubbed the back of my head.
“Eheh, sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Now, let’s eat!”
We ate the rest of our breakfast, casually chatting about other members and recent concerts.

When we finished eating and sat back on the couch, I spotted a drop of syrup on her chin; maple to be exact. No, bad Risa! Don’t think of her photo book MAPLE!
“Eri, you’ve got a drop of maple syrup on your chin,” I informed. Eri wiped at her chin but missed it.
“Did I get it?” she asked.
“N-No. Here, let me get it,” I said. I leaned forward until our faces were almost touching. I licked the syrup off. I pulled back and saw a very red Eri. Her eyes were open in shock. Oh no, I really shouldn’t have done that. I’ve already screwed up and-
Eri let out a very shy giggle.
“Risa-chan’s goofy,” she commented. I felt relief cover me. At least she wasn’t angry or scared.
“You’re saying that to me?”
“What are you implying?”
“Exactly what I said.”
“I’m not goofy!”
“In your own world.”
We both stared at each other, but we were smiling at the same time. I guess you really could call both of us goofy. I felt my smile get even bigger. It was only the very beginning of day one, and I was having loads of fun. The next 7 days would be the best in my entire life. I felt my smile disappear. What about after the week was up? What happens if I can’t prove myself to her? Agh, stupid brain, ruining my happiness.
“So, what do you want to do, Risa-chan?” Eri asked.
“Anything that you want to do,” I replied.
“I know that, but isn’t there anything that you want to do?”
I thought.
“Well, I was thinking, since we don’t really have to do anything today, that maybe we could go for a walk?” I suggested.
“A walk sounds nice. I’ve not just wandered around for a while now,” Eri said.

After informing the reception that we were going out for a bit, Eri and I headed for the park nearby. I looped my arm around Eri’s, and Eri smiled. We were surprised to see that inside the park, there were many street acts. There was a person dressed up as a statue, a man swallowing swords, a woman and her dog doing tricks. The usual, everyday, run of the mil type acts. We quickly got bored of the acts and wandered down to one of the few ponds in the park. It was quiet and very beautiful. I took off my jumper and placed it on the ground so that Eri could sit on the ground without getting grass stains or dirt. We were underneath a tree, giving us shade from the sun.
“I think that your role as the prince in the musical really rubbed off on you,” Eri teased.
“Of course, and you are my princess.”
Eri sat down and patted the empty space next to her. I sat down on the remaining space of the jumper. Nothing was said; we just observed the nature around us. Occasionally a cicada would begin to make noise that only seemed to heighten the peaceful environment.
“Nee, Risa-chan.”
“Yes?”
“Thank-you for brining me here, it’s beautiful,” she breathed out dreamily.
“But not as beautiful as you,” I whispered into her ear. She let out a giggle.
“You’re such a charmer.”
I felt Eri rest her head on my shoulder.
“Tired?” I asked.
“Yeah, I spent all night thinking about today,” she explained.
I thought that I was meant to be the one who didn’t get a wink of sleep because of this. Well, I actually didn’t sleep that much either. I began to hum a peaceful tune. She quickly fell asleep. I continued to hum as I gazed at her sleeping face. Kawaii. It was moments like these that made me fall in love with her in the first place. Just ones where we were together. We didn’t have to be kissing or doing other things. Just to be with her was pure happiness. I wonder how she feels about me… I know that she’s giving 100% to be my girlfriend, but how does she feel? Maybe I should ask her sometime…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Where were you two?” Reina asked. I saw her looking at our linked hands.
“At the park,” Eri replied. “It was so pretty!”
Reina looked at me.
“It was,” I said. Reina took another look at our hands.
“Ahh, whatever, I don’t care,” Reina retorted before walking off.
“I wonder what’s wrong with her,” I asked as I watched Reina trudge away.
“She’s probably annoyed that she has to come here today when she doesn’t really need to.”
I nodded. It seemed very Reina like to do that.
“Eririn!”
Sayu suddenly appeared where Reina had stood moments before.
“So, did you have fun?”
“Yup! Lots!” Eri informed her best friend. I stared at the two of them as they quickly chatted about me and Eri’s walk.
“Did I miss something?” I asked confused.
“I know that Eri is your girlfriend,” Sayu stated, smiling. “Way to go!”
I looked at Eri for a second.
“R-Right, thanks,” I said.
“Well, I’ll leave you two alone for the next week. I have something of my own to do as well,” Sayu said before bouncing off in the direction Reina left. “Oh, Reina!~”

Eri and I retreated to her room after lunch was over. We lay on her bed, facing each other. For some time we just played with each others hair and hands.
“You like playing with my hair don’t you?” Eri asked. I nodded.
“It smells nice,” I complimented. Eri blushed.
“It’ll take more than that to cuddle with me,” she said.
“Oh really?” I asked mischievously. She nodded. I quickly began an attack, tickling her sides. Her eyes immediately shot open and she began to squeal. Her legs and arms flailed about in an attempt to stop me, but she couldn’t control them.
“S-s-st….ahahah! St-st-up!”
I smiled in amusement.
“What did you say?”
“S-Stop! Pu- pl-ple!” she squealed. “Please!”
I stopped.
“Mou, Risa-chan, you’re mean!”
I raised my hands.
“Ahh! I‘m sorry! I take it back!”
I let out a laugh, she was so sweet. I pulled her towards me and wrapped my arms around her. At first she thought I was going to tickle her again, but she quickly settled into my embrace. At first I felt shy about her face being so close to mine, but I adjusted to it. We stared into each others eyes. Her eyes are so pretty up close as well.
“They’re like pools of diamonds. Sparkly, pretty, rare and unbeatable.”
She stared at me.
“What?” I asked.
“You think my eyes are that pretty?”
Oh crap, I spoke my thoughts aloud.
“Of course. They’re like stars in a night sky.”
Her face was red. Shy shyly thanked me and then she kissed me on my cheek. I felt my face go red as well. I think I’ve blushed more today than in my entire life. She smiled to me and I smiled back. Ahh, heaven is a place on Earth. I think that it’s fair enough to say: Day one. Success.