Chapter 9: Girl’s Day (Part 1)

[Eri's Point of View]

The morning sun's gentle rays cast warmth into the room, illuminating Hina who lay peacefully sleeping beside me. The sunlight seemed to accentuate her cute and delicate frame, giving her an ethereal aura. I couldn't help but watch her with a loving gaze, but an internal battle was raging within me.

"It's already 10, and we need to get ready to pick up Sakura and Sayuri at 11. But Hina was so excited about today that she stayed up late picking out an outfit and coming up with ideas. She looks so adorable sleeping; I don't want to wake her up."

I considered rescheduling for a later time, but I quickly dismissed the idea. I didn't want Hina to feel bad or get upset with me. The silent treatment from her was something I wanted to avoid.

As I contemplated, Hina mumbled in her sleep, her ears twitching excitedly. "Hehe, ready or not, I am going to catch you Yami-nee, Eri~."

I couldn't help but smile at her cuteness. Had Hina's memories of our shared past started to return in her dreams? She hadn't mentioned Yami-nee since coming home.

"I wonder what memory she's reliving in her dream right now," I pondered aloud.

[Hina's Point of View]

In my dream, I found myself in a memory from the past.

"Hey, Eri, Hina-chan, let's play hide and seek," a beautiful girl, a year older than Eri and me, with short ice-blue hair and violet eyes, excitedly suggested. She was one of our friends, a Yuki-onna named Yami-nee.

"I will play if Hina-sama wants to," Eri replied with a smile, seeking my approval.

"Mmh, that sounds fun, but are you going to be able to run okay, Yaminee?" I asked, tilting my head curiously, my ears twitching. Yami-nee was wearing a white Yukata with blue snowflakes, but she seemed eager to play.

She responded by hugging me tightly and squealing, "Eeek, Hinachan, you are too cute, come home with me."

"Yami-nee, let go of Hina-sama; she's not going anywhere with you," Eri protested, pulling Yami-nee away from me.

"Your protectiveness is so cute, Eri," Yami-nee teased before hugging both of us.

"Shush it, Yami-nee. Are you going to be able to run in those clothes or not?" Eri asked, pouting slightly and blushing.

Of course, I found Eri incredibly cute when she was embarrassed, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Of course, I play in clothes like this all the time. Let's go, Hina, you're it. Count to 10 and come find us," Yami-nee replied before running off with Eri.

I counted to 10, my ears twitching, and then I yelled, "Hehe, ready or not, I am going to catch you, Yami-nee, Eri~."

But then, everything faded away, and I woke up to see a grown-up Eri looking at me with a teasing smile.

"You caught me. You know if you asked, I would have come willingly," she said.

My face turned bright red, and I realized that I wasn't just dreaming; I was still hugging Eri tightly in reality. "Eri..." I began to speak.

"What is it, Hina?" Eri asked, giving me a warm look and a happy grin.

"You...You bakkkaa!" I exclaimed, playfully chomping her arm while still holding on.

After I calmed down, Eri told me that we needed to get ready because I had slept in. She apologized and explained that she would help me get dressed quickly, promising not to look too much.

"Yo...You do...don't?" I stammered, feeling flustered but ultimately giving in.

"It will take too long if you get dressed by yourself, Hina," Eri explained, with a warm and slightly apologetic look.

"That's not what I meant," I whispered to myself, pouting slightly from the misunderstanding.

"What did you say?" Eri asked with a puzzled look after grabbing the outfits I had picked out for us the night before.

"Nothing, please help me get dressed," I replied out loud, feeling slightly irritated but not wanting to worry Eri.

She quickly helped me get dressed, and before I knew it, I was fully dressed in my outfit.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and my tails swayed happily. I was wearing a white and blue Lolita-style dress with blue ribbons holding my long white hair in twin tails.

While I admired my reflection, Eri announced that she was finished. I turned to look at her and was left speechless. Her black hair flowed down her back, beautifully contrasting with the white colors of her outfit. Her mesmerizing blue eyes matched the blues in her attire.

"What do you think, Hina?" she asked with an expectant yet slightly worried look.

"You look breathtaking," I replied, running up and hugging her.

"Hehe, thank you, Hina. You look absolutely adorable," Eri replied with a blush, rubbing my ears and making me purr from her touch.

As we leaned in for a kiss, a knock at the door interrupted our moment.

"Ojou-sama, the car is ready; we should be leaving soon if you want to meet your friends on time," Grandpa Sebas's voice came from outside the door.

"Coming, thank you, Grandpa Sebas," I answered, slightly pouting and silently promising myself to chomp him when we got home.

But as I began to head towards the door, something pulled me back into a warm embrace. It was Eri.

"I can't let us leave with you feeling disappointed," she said before kissing me, making my heart race. When she finally let go, I found myself wanting more of her warmth, and I looked up at her with an expectant gaze.

"We can continue this some other time. I promise. So, let's go have fun with our friends, okay?" she said with love in her eyes.

I nodded gently, my ears twitching, and my tails swaying happily. Eri grabbed my hand, and we left the house, making our way to pick up Sakura and Sayori for a day of fun.

As we rode in the town car, I remembered my dream and asked Eri about Yami-nee.

"Eri, what happened to Yami-nee? Is she doing okay?" I inquired, my voice filled with concern.

Eri's eyes held a deep sadness as she replied, "To be honest, I don't know. She was really upset when she found out you were sealed and taken away. I haven't heard from her since."

I laid my head on Eri's shoulder, seeking comfort in her presence, and said, "I am sure she is okay. I can feel it. I just hope we can see our doting, energetic big sister again someday."

It was at that moment that the car stopped, and Sebas informed us that we had arrived at Sakura's house, where we were picking them up. Eri texted them that we were here, and they soon stepped out of the house. Their eyes widened as they saw the town car and a butler holding the door open.

Eri helped me out of the car, and I greeted Sakura and Sayori, laughing at their reactions.

"Good morning, Sakura, Sayori. Are you ready to have fun? Eri and I did a lot of research on fun places we can go to in the mall."

"Go...Good morning, Hina," Sakura replied a little nervously.

"Eeek, you look so cute, Hina-chan, and you and Eri are matching," Sayori squealed, running to me and grabbing my hands.

"Thank you, you look cute today as well," I replied, laughing at her energy. She was wearing a cute pink blouse and pants, a simple but very cute outfit.

As Sayori tried to pet my ears, Eri was distracted talking to Sakura. However, before she could reach them...

"Nyaah!" I cried out, once again being pulled in a different direction, but this time it wasn't Eri. It was Grandpa Sebas.

Sayuri looked at her hand and then at where I had been standing, trying to comprehend that I was no longer there. Sebas then explained that my ears were sensitive, and if they were rubbed the wrong way, it could cause problems.

Eri assured Sakura and Sayori that she would teach them how to pet my ears and tails later, and both of them seemed excited about the idea.

I didn't mind, but I wanted Eri's blessing before they attempted it. I hadn't known that my ears were so sensitive; only my family, Grandpa Sebas, and Eri had touched them.

Seeing Sakura and Sayori's excited faces, I realized it was my chance to chomp Grandpa Sebas for ruining the mood earlier.

"Grandpa Sebas," I said sweetly, a mischievous smile forming on my lips.

"Yes, what is it, Ojou-sama?" he asked with a warm look.

I gently grabbed his arm and playfully chomped him. He let go in confusion and looked at me.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa Sebas, but I made a promise earlier. I love you, Grandpa," I said, hugging him and apologizing.

He looked down at me with a confused expression before warmth washed over his face, as if he understood why I did it. He hugged me back, and I felt a pang of guilt for chomping him.

"Umm, Eri?" Sakura called out, looking both confused and tired.

"Yeah, what is it?" Eri asked, glancing at me and Sebas with a smile.

"She just bit him, and he doesn't look angry at all," Sakura pointed out, and Sayori chimed in with a surprised look as well. "In fact, doesn't he look kind of happy?"

"Oh, that wasn't a real bite; it was Hina's gentle chomp. She does that to show someone she loves when they upset her, without actually hurting them. All the servants and staff would rather be chomped than get the silent treatment, which is when we know we did something to make her really mad," Eri explained, her gaze distant, as if remembering something she didn't want to experience again.

I let go of Sebas, who looked slightly disappointed, and walked over to Eri, giving her a puzzled look.

"Eri?" I asked, tilting my head, my ears twitching curiously.

Eri returned to the present and gave me a gentle look, rubbing my ears to let me know she was fine. I purred contentedly, and Eri continued, "I am sure a very special person to Hina will get a lot of chomps when they get home."

Sakura and Sayori still seemed confused as they looked at Sebas. Eri laughed, "Don't worry about him; he's just a very doting old man who loves Hina like his own grandchild."

"Okay, if you say so," Sakura said, laughing.

Sayori tapped Sakura on the shoulder and whispered, "Weirdly, don't you kind of want to be chomped by Hina now?"

Sakura replied in a whisper, "I know, right."

I giggled to myself since they didn't know I could hear them. We got into the car, and there were two backseats facing each other. Eri and I sat together, as did Sakura and Sayori, who had a slight blush on their faces and exchanged quick glances.

"Eri, can we go to the phone store first?" I asked, uncertain of the proper etiquette when hanging out with friends and having shopping to do.

"I'm not sure; is there a reason why you want to go there first?" Eri asked, giving me a gentle look.

Embarrassed, I fidgeted slightly, looked up at Sakura, Sayori, and then back at Eri before answering, "I...I want to use that camera app to take pictures of my first outing with friends."

"If that's the case, then of course, you can take a few pictures, but don't play with it while we're doing things together, okay?" Eri replied with a smile.

"I promise," I answered, my tails dancing back and forth with excitement.

"Is that okay with you two?" Eri asked Sakura and Sayori, who laughed.

"Of course, who can say no when seeing that reaction," Sakura said with a laugh, and Sayori agreed. All three of them looked at me with warm eyes, giggling.

"Nyaa?" I tilted my head in puzzlement at what they found so amusing.

As we arrived at the mall, I was filled with excitement, holding Eri's hand. Sakura and Sayori gave us warm smiles, and Eri chuckled at my enthusiasm.

I held up my smartphone in the air happily. "I can't wait to take pictures of our day together and show Mommy when she comes home," I thought to myself, looking at the case with a sense of longing.

"The lot more fun awaits us; our girls' day is just beginning," I stated happily, looking at Sakura, Sayuri, and Eri. They all cheered in response, and I couldn't wait to continue our adventure.