“What do you mean, Aya? The guy who violated you?”

Ken looked at Jiro and then back at Aya. You could almost see his mind racing to put the pieces together. And with each piece placed, his face turned a deeper shade of purple.

“Aya!” Ken said, not taking his eyes off Jiro.

“Yes Dad?”

“Go put some real clothes on. I don’t want this … pervert … looking at you.”

“Sure thing, Dad.”

Aya stepped behind the curtain. Then she slipped her head out and looked at Jiro. A strange look at he didn’t quite understand. Was she smiling? How much of the naked adventure in the cavern did she remember?

Ken slid the knife out of the sofa, sending up another puff of feathers. “I told myself I would gut you in the belly if you ever came around my daughter. Journalist … like any journalist would wear a shirt like that! I should have known …” He began to twirl the knife again, this time more menacingly. “I assume you’ve come to settle things. Since you came before I found you, I’ll let you explain yourself. Then I’ll decide whether to gut you.”

Jiro gulped. Why of all apartments in this town did it have to be this one that Aya lived in? “Well, sir, you see … um. Where should I start? I was down at the beach when I saw your daughter playing volleyball …” Jiro’s mouth moved and words were coming out, but his mind was elsewhere. Aya stepped out from behind the curtain. And now, standing right behind her father, she slowly brought her fingers to her chest, and began to unbutton her pajamas.

“… and I followed the trail through the sand …” Jiro tried not to look at her, to focus on speaking to Ken, but it was impossible. She was right there. Aya took another step forward, until she was right behind Ken’s angry purple face. She finished unbuttoning her pajamas and drew them aside. She wasn’t wearing a bra!

“… there was, uh, this ledge that wasn’t, um, there before …” Aya cupped her cantaloupe breasts. She pulled them up and let them drop, they nearly grazed her father’s head before they bounded back up into position. She brought her fingers to her nipples, pinched them, and started to tweak them like little knobs. She met Jiro’s eyes … and smirked. What was going on?!

“What?!” Ken suddenly shouted. “You found Aya’s bikini where?! And speak like a man, will you?! You sound like you’re about to have a nervous breakdown.”

Jiro looked away from Aya. At this rate he was going to have a nervous breakdown and a heart attack.

“ … and the cave … in the cave I saw, um … a puddle of water …” Now Aya hiked one leg up against the wall, giving Jiro a look of her thighs. She hooked a finger into one leg of her shorts and slowly started to tug, revealing more and more skin. Jiro gulped. She wasn’t wearing panties either! And the whole time she did this, Aya had her eyes locked on Jiro’s. He could feel them on his face, but he didn’t know where to look.

“You expect me to believe that?!” Ken, his face the color of grape juice, spluttered all over Jiro while he spoke. “I’ve been called stupid before. But you can’t expect me to believe that! That they were lying in a pool of water naked! And what? A snake woman? You could at least come up with a reasonable explanation. You’ve picked the wrong guy to fuck with …”

“Dad,” Aya said, putting a hand on Ken’s shoulder. Her pajamas were buttoned again. “How about you cook something up for us. I’m hungry. And Jiro is hungry too, right?” She winked at him. “Dad’s a great cook.”

“Uh-uh yea. I’m hungry.” His stomach growled. Now that he thought about it, he actually was hungry.

Ken gave his daughter a look. “But this guy? Leave you alone with him? He violated you … Are you going to be okay? I thought I told you to change your clothes.”

“It’s fine Dad,” Aya said. “I know how to take care of myself. If he tries to abuse me again, I’ll knock his face off. And don’t tell me how to dress. I can make my own decisions.”

Ken nodded sheepishly. It was clear who ruled this household.

“Now, little man. If you put even one finger on my daughter, I—”

“Dad, hurry up!”

“Oh alright.” With one last intimidating look at Jiro, Ken grabbed a pair of crutches and went out.

When the door shut, Aya looked at Jiro and immediately began to giggle.