''Mmm? What is it?'' Dahlia replied, stroking my hair.
''Your ears… are they pierced?''
''Why do you ask?'' Dahlia said, brushing her hair behind her ear. I could see a tiny hole in her earlobe. I quickly sat up and slowly took out the velvet box I had in my pocket. I opened it with a smile on my face. ''I, uh… I know it's not much, but…''
Dahlia looked at me, then at the velvet box housing two black earrings. She opened her mouth to say something but upon noticing how shaky my hands were, she held my hands in hers. This quiet, embarrassing moment went on for a few minutes until I managed to steady my breath.
''Is this why you took so long?'' Dahlia asked, sounding somewhat embarrassed.
''Ah, yes…''
''Why?''
''Well… I thought… they would look good on you,'' I managed to mumble out. To my surprise, she squeezed my wrist, making me wince.
''Don't make me get the knife out again. Tell me the truth like a good boy, okay?'' Dahlia said with a cold smile on her face. Why was it that she could do a complete 180 in a matter of seconds? Back then, the only thought that went through my head was 'do what she says and please her'.
''I just… didn't want you to think of me as a kid…'' I told her, hanging my head low in shame. She started laughing, the burn on her wrist seemingly causing her no discomfort. When she finally calmed down, it looked to me as if the look in her saffron eyes changed.
''But, you know… if you want to stop being a kid… you need to know how to please a woman…'' Dahlia whispered, her face leaning closer to mine. My heartbeat accelerated as she cupped my face with her soft hands. A kiss… at the time, I only knew about it from listening to the older boys in the village.
As her pink lips pressed against mine, it felt as if an electric shock was passing through my body, making me go tense.
''Now, see… a real man doesn't get embarrassed after a simple kiss. A kiss is a way for people to convey their affection and love for someone. You said you love me, no? Kiss me like you mean it,'' Dahlia said with a strange smile on her face.
I was extremely nervous, my fists clenched. Kissing is just pressing your lips up against another person's, right? That's what I thought. As I leaned in for another meek kiss, Dahlia grabbed the back of my head and collapsed on top of me. A hot, wet appendage entered my mouth, stroking against my tongue. I was thoroughly overwhelmed by the sensation. Soon I started gasping for breath, my hands eventually digging into her back as my survival instincts kicked in and I pushed her to the side, ending up on top of her, trying to catch my breath.
As I was panting, Dahlia looked at my flushed face with a satisfied smile. ''Oh? At least you're trying to be a man. It's not going that well though, is it? You can't even take a simple French kiss.''
However, I wasn't paying attention. I was busy reliving the bliss I just experienced. The lips of a woman, for the first time… I looked down at her face, my expression serious enough to puzzle her. ''Real men don't get angry ove- mmmH!''
This time, I initiated the kiss, supporting myself with my elbow as my other hand caressed her face. I was simply copying what she'd done to me, angry at her condescending tone. A hot-blooded teen washed away by impulse.
However, as my hand started sliding down her neck, down the side of her chest, I quickly realized I didn't know what to do past this point. The village boys would talk about something called sex but…
''A man has to know when to stop, too,'' Dahlia whispered, pushing me off. ''Just how far did you intend to go, huuuh?''
''Ah, I'm sorry,'' I said, bowing my head.
Dahlia let out a sigh. ''A man doesn't apologize for every single thing he does, you know? Have some confidence in yourself.''
Have some confidence… confidence to kiss her? I thought.
As if reading my mind, she quickly shut me down. ''Being overly confident is a curse rather than a blessing though.
''H-Huh…?''
Dahlia stood back up and walked over to the gas stove, the stew piping hot. I didn't even notice at the time because of all the excitement, but her wrist was perfectly fine. As if she didn't spill boiling water on it in the first place. That should have been the first flag.
As we sat down at the table and ate, Dahlia suddenly broke the silence. ''What do you think happens to the people I kill, Nishio?''