Kamei EriEri is finishing up cleaning the raw egg from the kitchen floor, getting up off of her knees from the floor, when she hears suddenly above the splashing of the still running shower,
"Yay I look cute!" and she nearly slips on the slightly slick floor. Bracing herself against the kitchen counter and edging cautiously across the slippery tiles toward the trash, she casts a small, amused smile in the direction of the bathroom.
She can just imagine Sayu turning about in circles, admiring herself in the mirror at all possible angles because Eri has seen her do it enough times. She can't blame her, though. If Eri had that face and that body, she'd probably look in the mirror a lot, too. ...
And spend a lot of time naked, while I was at it. Eri shakes her head quickly, knocking the thought loose from her mind like a leaf tangled in her hair.
What's wrong with me? I kiss her once by accident and see her almost completely naked and suddenly I'm like a 13-year old boy going through puberty, unable to control his thoughts about girls. What's next? Wet dreams?As she hears the bathroom door open she lowers her eyes, pretending to be quite preoccupied throwing away paper towels. She makes a big show of hovering at the trash can, as if it takes longer than three seconds to toss something into it. She hears Sayu speak up to her from behind and turns toward the sink, flipping the hot water on to wash her hands.
"I was thinking that maybe we could go out today with some of the others" Sayumi suggests, and Eri suddenly lights up, spinning around to face her friend. "Yes! Let's do that! It sounds like fun!" A big smile finds its way across her lips because she is just that relieved to have the opportunity to not be alone with Sayu for a little while. She's sure that after a fun day out with some of the girls they can both put this whole confusing, egg-soaked episode behind them and that makes her very happy.
Eri prances across the room, so enthusiastic to finish the shower and go out for the day that she bypasses her suitcase, heading directly to the bathroom. Her mood is so improved that she boldly smiles and says "You look very cute today, Sayu-chan" as she skips passed her. Closing the door behind herself, she hooks her fingers in her top and tugs, peeling it upward from off of her body. But suddenly she pauses, arms high in the air and her shirt dangling, suspended upon them overhead.
Towel, fool. Get your towel! Eri yanks the top back down, jerks the door open, and with cheeks flushed the color of ripe tomatoes, steps out toward her suitcase. But to her relief she finds that Sayu has already disappeared upstairs.
Stepping into the shower, she moves beneath the stream and tilts her head back, feeling the water trickling down the side of her face, her arms, her chest, her abdomen, and her legs. She begins to scrub furiously, as if to wipe away not just raw egg, but something else, as well. Finished showering, she steps back out and grabs the towel that she had almost forgotten, wrapping it tightly about her body and thinking that she's never appreciated a towel before in her life more than this particular moment. She quickly dries herself and pulls her fresh set of clothes on, first her bra and panties, and then a pale yellow blouse and gray-blue skirt.
Turning toward the fogged up mirror, she glimpses her blurred reflection in it, then turns toward the door to leave. Stepping out of the bathroom, she finds Sayu has returned downstairs and is talking on her cell phone, most likely with Niigaki. She tilts her head, watching her friend speak animatedly, and wonders to herself how it is possible that such a beautiful girl has befriended such an ordinary one.
Topic: The Compound (Read 25950 times)