02:17:45

  02:17:44

  02:17:43

  For Ben, the passing of each remaining second felt like……a slightly longer second……

  Despite that, he was sitting on his bed, rocking back and forth, and biting his nails. There wasn’t anything else to do now except wait……wait for Miyuki to knock on his door. He’d done everything he could think of: pushups to pump himself up, picked out his clothes, and cleaned his room. He even set up a chess set on his desk, in case death chose to give him another chance over a game……

  Now, it was a matter of seeing if it was enough. If Ben wanted to live, he would need to climax during today’s climax……

  It was a recursive climax situation……

  Squirtles all the way down……

  *Knock* *Knock*

  ’She’s early……’ Ben shot up from the bed. As he was about to run to the door, he stopped himself……and took a deep breath. ’Calm down. If you’re nervous, you’ll screw it all up. Stay cool. You got this……’ Having centered himself, he put on a confident expression and walked to the door.

  He encouraged himself with positive thoughts. ’Good. This is the Ben you need to be: the chill Ben, the confident Ben, the Ben who has everything under control……’ That’s when he felt a real chill, glanced down, and realized he was……the Ben with his d*ck hanging out!

  The Ben who forgot to wear pants!……

  He’d given his overgrown little brother a motivational football-style speech earlier……and it almost became a blindside moment……

  "One minute!" He rushed to put on his jeans……

  A short while later, he opened the door. ’Please don’t be a UPS package or a police male stripper……’


  For once, things went how Ben wanted. Miyuki stood in front of him, wearing a loose one-piece black dress down to her knees, accentuating her formal demeanor. "Hello, Benjamin-san!" she smiled and gave a gentle head bow.

  "Come in……" Ben showed her inside. A short while later, she was sitting down on his bed with an upright posture. Ben appreciated Miyuki’s prim and proper manner, which was the opposite of most western girls who were very casual. Though, he suspected it might make closing more difficult for him tonight.

  He was even more appreciative of how her dress outlined her lean body when she sat, the bottom now at her pale thighs, allowing him to enjoy the view of her smooth legs……

  As the two sat together and chatted about recent events, Ben looked at Miyuki’s status.

  [Target’s current attraction level: interested]

  [Target’s current comfort level: familiar]

  Since they last met, Miyuki’s attraction dropped one level, but comfort stayed the same. As he gained more experience, Ben was realizing that raising comfort also helped slow down the decay of attraction. It was a solidifier. Still, he didn’t have time to concern himself with that as he considered his next moves.

  Despite this being their second date, and having kissed on the first, Ben didn’t begin the night by kissing Miyuki. Beluga gave him an important tip: he shouldn’t start off a follow-up date from the high point of the previous date. That was true whether the high was an intimate conversation, a kiss, or more. The previous high occurred from building off a foundation of smaller moments that didn’t exist now.

  If he tried to kiss Miyuki right when she arrived, it would’ve made it very uncomfortable for her. She may have accepted the kiss or turned her head to give him her cheek, but either way, there would’ve been negative consequences on the date. The best case would’ve been Miyuki lowering her evaluation of him, finding him too eager or inexperienced. The worst case would’ve been her leaving……

  Ben glanced at her soft pink lips and thought it was a pity, but he trusted Beluga. While Ben believed that exceptions may have existed, he decided to reserve kiss greetings for women with whom he’d slept with already, as advised.

  That being the case, it was like the progress from the first date was reset to some degree. Yet, Ben also knew that reaching the peak of the last date and going further would be faster and easier. He expected that he’d be able to kiss Miyuki soon, and try for more, just not yet.

  In the beginning, he led the conversation as the two settled in. Miyuki was shy and not very talkative at first, keeping her head down in modesty, but as time passed, she opened up. Ben also ramped up the physical contact, making Miyuki more comfortable through kino.

  Then, running out of things to say, Ben decided to play a Netflix movie so they could lie back next to each other. Although watching movies was a recreational activity he hadn’t enjoyed since the system first smacked him in the head, he researched beforehand and knew what to choose.

  While Miyuki observed, Ben opened his laptop and logged into Netflix. That’s when his continue watching list popped up:

  S.e.x, Shame and Tears……

  Below Her Mouth……

  Nymphomaniac Volume 1……

  Nymphomaniac Volume 2!!!

  ’WHAT THE F*CK IS THIS SH*T?!?’ Ben’s face grew horrified……

  He side-stepped to cover the front of his laptop in a hurry……

  With his back still facing Miyuki, he panicked. ’She definitely saw that……I’m finished…… How is this possible?’


  That’s when he realized the problem. ’Damn! I forgot Lucas had my Netflix!’ His perverted brother was watching these things on the same account. Ben googled to find films, but he never logged on since he came to Manhattan which led to this debacle. Gulping, he tried to come up with a solution, his brains spinning……

  "Benjamin-san, did you enjoy Nymphomaniac 1 or 2 better?"……

  Ben’s brains stopped spinning as he pulled the emergency brakes……almost launching his soul out the windshield of his body……

  He turned to look at Miyuki, whose serene smile was now a little brighter. Confused, Ben checked her attraction levels.

  [Target’s current attraction level: attracted(+1)]

  [Target’s current comfort level: familiar]……

  He blanked for a second. ’Her attraction level rose? ……Did these movies win at Cannes film festival or something? ……Whatever, I need to decide how to answer her……but I guess the right answer is obvious; sequels are never better, right?’ Ben spread an expression he felt was appropriate to a film snob; he’d seen it on a French waiter once. "One, of course."

  "Oh, I liked two better……"

  ’SEQUEL S.L.U.T!’
……

  After waiting a few moments, and not seeing her levels drop, Ben relaxed. ’I guess the second wasn’t that much better…… Well, since it turned out like this, it’ll be better to play one of these Nympho movies. Since she likes it, the s.e.x.u.a.l content should be better for setting the mood.’


  He glanced at Miyuki. "Since we both like them so much……we might as well watch them again." When she didn’t object, Ben went ahead and played the first one as he connected it to his monitor.

  Then, he switched off the lights, and invited Miyuki to lie on the long side of the bed, next to him, as the movie started. When she obliged, he put a blanket over the two of them, and they began watching the film.

  As the movie progressed, the mature content surprised Ben. ’Art films are just p.o.r.n with plot now……’


  Yet, as he felt Miyuki’s bare skin against his leg and arms, and smelled her enchanting vanilla fragrance with robust hidden tones, he found it difficult to pay attention to the movie for any long stretch of time. What he wasn’t aware of was that Miyuki was facing a similar situation……

  This was one of her favorite movies……one she could never enjoy with anyone else, because it was improper. She glanced at her clean hands, with their pristine fingernails, that she placed in a perfect central position on her lap in the style her mother taught her so long ago……and she only felt a sense of inequity……

  "Benjamin-san……do you think it is wrong for a woman to be watching this kind of movie?" She stared into his eyes……with a hint of expectation.

  Picking up on her signals, Ben put his hand over hers……and gave her a reassuring glance. "If loving Nymphomaniac 1 and 2 is wrong……I don’t want to be right……"……

  [Target’s current comfort level: close(+1)]

  Miyuki’s eyes lit up like a girl after her first kiss……

  She’d always struggled with being different and having stronger desires than others. To meet a man that understood and accepted her……there was nothing greater she could ask for. Miyuki smiled at Ben. "In Japan……people frown upon women who enjoy things like this."

  Ben nodded in understanding. "You’re in the right place then……"

  He believed he now had a firm grasp of Miyuki’s mentality and troubles…… ’I didn’t know Japan held such prejudices against film buffs……’
……

  Regardless of the truth, Ben knew he only had one move now. So he leaned in……and sealed her nympho-loving lips……