"Minako-chan~"

Minako's body seized up when she was called for, the voice all too familiar. Damn. And it was only two days into The Week!

"Minako-chan, I've been looking all over for you," Ryoji whined, wrapping his arms around Minako's neck and nuzzling her head. "I've barely seen you at all this week! It's almost like you're trying to avoid me, or something!"

She couldn't help flinching at his statement. In truth, she had been avoiding him. Why? Because it was The Week.

The Week came at the end of every month for Minako, lasting about five days. The Week was uncomfortable, unpleasant, and worst of all, unavoidable.

Whoever invented menstruation was an asshole.

"O-Of course I haven't been, Ryoji-kun! I've just been kinda busy. Clubs, and all of that."

Ryoji replied with his trademark smile, letting go of her so he could seat himself on the bench. "You really are a busy little bee, Minako-chan! But since it's lunchtime, how about we eat together? I made those salmon riceballs you like so much."

Any inhibitions Minako had about staying with him blew away on the breeze; he knew her too well. "Sure." Minako sat herself beside Ryoji on the bench, eyeing the riceballs hungrily. Chuckling, Ryoji handed her one, taking one for himself and scooting closer to her. The ways the two ate were in complete contrast to each other: Minako devoured hers quickly whereas Ryoji took large, leisurely bites as he watched her blaze through three riceballs.

"So, Minako-chan," Ryoji began, finishing off his first riceball by licking his fingers. "I was wondering if you wanted to 'spend a long while together' after school today?"

Minako nearly choked on her food, caught completely off-guard by his question. She knew what he meant, of course; "spending a long while together" was Ryoji's codename for "having sex in your bedroom at the dorm." The phrase sounded innocent enough, but when Ryoji added finger quotations it became painfully obvious what he meant. She'd tried explaining to him once that by adding the quotations people could easily know what he was talking about, so there really was no use for a code word. Nevertheless, Ryoji continued to say it, and it never got less embarrassing.

"U-Uhm…" Minako racked her brain for a way to finish the thought, "well, today's not such a good day for that, I mean I have—"

"No clubs today."

"W-Well, I've got all this homework—"

"It can wait." The determined look on Ryoji's face told Minako that she wouldn't be getting out of this one. She didn't want to tell him the truth, but…

Taking a deep breath, Minako prepared herself to speak. "Okay, Ryoji-kun, I'll level with you. This week is, errh…It's that time of the month."

Ryoji blinked. "…Youuu mean the full moon? Well, it is pretty, I suppose, but what has that got to do with sex?"

…Was he kidding? Did he seriously not know? "Nothing, that's not what I meant. I…I'm a girl, Ryoji-kun."

"I don't think I'd be dating you if you weren't, Minako-chan."

"…Do you know anything about women?"

A smirk claimed his face. "I know plenty about women. I think you'd know that."

"Pervert! That's not what I meant at all! I…I'm on my—" Minako looked around to make sure no one was within hearing range, "—my period," she whispered nervously. He merely looked at her, one eyebrow raised in confusion. "Menstruating?" Same response. God, she couldn't believe she was saying this, but—"I'm bleeding. From my vagina. Do you get it now?"

Ryoji stared for a second more as he processed the information, breaking out in a wide grin as he took in her scorching red face. "Oh, Minako-chan, I don't care about that! It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Then it's settled! A long while at your place~"

Minako groaned, holding her face in her hands and figure falling into a defeated slump. What had she done to deserve such a freakishly odd boyfriend?