Takumi led Eri through the open elevator door, out into the corridor and around the corner, where he came to an abrupt halt. Eri looked up at him in surprise and then followed his gaze down the hall to where a woman was sitting against one of the doors.
The woman adjusted her skirt and started climbing to her feet when she caught sight of them, and Takumi's arm tightened on Eri uncomfortably, as he demanded rather harshly, "What the hell are you doing here Kasumi?"
When she turned to face him, Eri could see that Kasumi was both pretty and curvaceous. Even her expression was cute when she pouted at Takumi, and asked petulantly, "You're replacing me with a little girl?"
"I'm not replacing you! You broke up with me three months ago!" he exclaimed angrily.
Kasumi looked away guiltily, but then looked back and declared, "That was partly your fault!"
"Um, should I leave?" Eri asked anxiously.
"No!" Takumi exclaimed with alarm. But then he looked down at her worried face and added, while loosening his grip on her, "I mean, you can leave if you want to… but please stay?"
Kasumi gasped and practically shrieked, "You're asking her to stay!? We were together for a year! And you still wouldn't ask me to stay whenever I said I was thinking of leaving!"
Takumi lifted his head and looked at her for a long moment, and then took a deep breath and replied almost calmly, "I'm sorry Kasumi. Why are you here waiting in front of my door?"
She stomped toward them angrily and stopped right in front of him, before she replied, "Because I thought maybe I'd been wrong! But you are such a jerk!"
Eri had been afraid that Kasumi was going to strike him, but she didn't even wait for a reply, she just stomped around the corner and into the elevator. Eri turned and looked after her anxiously before turning back to look at Takumi.
He was looking after Kasumi too, but he met Eri's eyes when she turned, and then sighed and ran his hand through his hair before asking hesitantly, "Will you come in?"
"What?" she asked blankly.
He offered her a tremulous smile and clarified, "To my apartment?" He let the smile fade and added, "I completely understand if you don't want to."
She knew that he had felt her try to pull away from him. He probably thought that she was angry or upset, but she mostly felt painfully embarrassed on his behalf, so she just shrugged and replied questioningly, "Well, we're already here?"
He suddenly leaned in and kissed her forehead, before releasing her and walking over to unlock his door. She followed him after a moment, and once inside, she stood still and looked around curiously. He hung his jacket up and then watched her for a bit.
"Do you want anything to drink? Are you still hungry?" he asked a little abruptly.
She glanced at him and then grinned, and asked, "Do you have any soda, or tea?"
He replied a little regretfully, "No soda, but I do have tea. I'll make you some."
She watched him while he put the things he'd carried in away, and then started hot water. "This is a really small apartment," she commented.
It was basically one room, although she noticed that it at least had a private bathroom partitioned off next to the door. His bed occupied most of the far end of the room, with a TV mounted on the wall at its foot. The area where he was making tea had a single counter with a sink and a little stove top. A small refrigerator and some other appliances were crammed in below the counter, and above it were a set of narrow raised cabinets. A small traditional square table was pushed up against the wall on the other side. The far wall, beyond the bed, was all glass and opened onto a tiny balcony.
He smiled hesitantly at her when he handed her the cup of tea and said, "I chose it for the view, and the bath."
"The bath?" she asked.
He gestured to the bathroom and she walked back to it and peered in. "Nice," she commented after briefly examining the deep soaking tub, complete with jets and a variety of controls.
When she walked back out he was sitting on the edge of the bed and she stopped and looked at him.
He shrugged and said, "There isn't really anywhere to sit besides the bed. If you're uncomfortable we don't have to stay here."
She asked, "Is it OK to go out on the balcony?"
He nodded, but then added a caution, "It's windy."
She edged around the bed and looked out across the city. "It must be amazing at night," she offered.
"It is," he replied with a sudden grin. "You're welcome to stay and see it then?"
Eri blushed and gave him a small noncommittal shrug, before sliding open the door and stepping out. The wind hit her face almost hard enough to sting, but it was the way the deck of the balcony vibrated beneath her feet that made her shriek and grab the rail.
Takumi was off the bed and holding her a moment later. He examined her with concern and asked, "What happened? What's wrong?"
It took her a moment to unclench her teeth enough to answer, and then she said, "I don't know, it vibrated and I suddenly got scared."
He frowned and told her, "It vibrates in the wind, but it's perfectly sturdy." He stamped on it to demonstrate and the whole structure vibrated again.
"Please don't do that," she begged.
He laughed a little and suggested, "If you're scared, let go of the rail and come back in?"
"I can't," she almost wailed.
"What? Why not?" he asked with alarm.
She shivered in his arms and explained a little tearfully, "I can't make my hands let go!"
He bent forward and asked quietly against her ear, "If you're this scared of heights, why did you come out?"
"I'm not scared of heights!" She refuted his accusation immediately, but then added anxiously, "But apparently I'm afraid of balconies… I really can't let go."
He smiled at that, but moved his hands down to cover her tightly clenched ones. Then he kissed her cheek and said reassuringly, "I'm right here, you're fine."
She took a shuddering breath and then somehow managed to transfer one hand from clutching the bar to clutching his hand.
They stood like that for a moment and then he suggested, "Now the other one?"
"I know!" she insisted. "Give me another minute?" she asked faintly.
He replied with obvious amusement, "Take your time."
After a moment she managed to transfer her other hand from the bar to his hand, and he pulled her back into the apartment and down onto a corner of the bed.
"I feel so embarrassed," she complained after a minute.
The wind from the open door was still tugging at their hair in random gusts, but he leaned in and kissed her before standing up to shut the door. When he turned back to her he said more seriously, "Don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure that I feel just as embarrassed about the scene in the hall."
She opened her mouth and then shut it again.
He crawled onto the bed behind her and leaned against the padded headboard. Then he stretched out his legs, and asked, "You're not going to ask?"
She turned and looked at him. "There are a million things I want to ask, but I don't know if I should."
"A million?" he repeated laughingly. "Just start by asking one at a time?" he suggested with the arch of an eyebrow.