And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack

After a late night spent dealing with the fallout of everything that happened with Gina, and the very real possibility that she might be pregnant, Nick was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to give his upcoming date with Kim the appropriate attention it needed.

First there was his date with Ella. Then his date with Sylvia. And now Kim?

It seemed like his life now was a never-ending stream of difficult-to-prepare-for dates with a lot of expectation put on him to do a good job.

Especially with Kim…

His first date with her had gone in a very interesting direction. He’d learned a lot about her, and when he took her to the Amusement Park, he helped her come out of her shell in a way that he hadn’t anticipated, teaching her that it was okay for her to prioritize her own feelings and think about doing the things that she wanted to do.

But since then, there had been a few difficulties on their nights together. At first, Kim wasn’t ready to take things to the next level. That had clearly changed, though, and now she was definitely prepared for it. But at the same time, they had faced other obstacles in their attempt to connect and be together on a deeper level.

Most notably of which had been the time when Nick had inadvertently been transformed into a woman while they were in the Hall of Mirrors.

Now, they could have tried to make it work anyway, but they’d both agreed that it wouldn’t quite feel right.

So needless to say, there were a lot of expectations being put on this date right now. And coming off of two very emotionally-intense exchanges with other women in his harem, Nick wasn’t exactly one for pressure.

He decided, then, that the best thing he should do was just to take the day as it came, and hope that whatever Kim had planned, they could enjoy themselves.

But because of the stress from the Gina situation, his sleep that night had been anything but restful.

And yet, when he woke up, he wasn’t tired, or exhausted, or anything of the kind.

In fact, he felt very relaxed. His head was lying on something soft and warm, almost like a pillow, and he turned over, mumbling in relief, not even aware of where he was at the moment.

“Mmmfrg…” he muttered, reaching up and trying to hug the warm, soft object he was resting on even closer.

But it was distinctly not pillow-shaped.

That’s when his eyes snapped open, and he looked down on what his face was buried in.

A pair of thighs.

“Waagh!” Stunned, Nick yanked himself up, and in doing so, he fell off the park bench he’d been sleeping on, and landed on his butt in the grass. Thankfully he was dressed, at least, because a quick look around told him he was in a public park of some kind.

Then his eyes landed on the person responsible for bringing him here. And to his surprise, it wasn’t Dakota.

“…Kim?” He rubbed his eyes, adjusting to the bright sunlight.

Kim was sitting on the bench, smiling warmly up at him. She looked just darling dressed down the way she was, in a sleeveless top that showed off her shoulders and a short pair of bike shorts. Nick’s using of her head as a lap pillow had been direct skin on skin contact, in fact.

Gave Master a Lap Pillow! +2 VP

First! x2 Multiplier

Kim giggled at the sudden and surprising jump in her Victory Points. “I guess that hasn’t happened before… I didn’t even think it was something you could get points for, you know?”

“Uh… y-yeah,” Nick said, scratching his head and nodding sheepishly. “I really wasn’t expecting that actually. So what’s going on?”

He looked around. They were definitely in a park. They were in the grass, on a steep hill, with a paved path gently leading up the slope. Not some abandoned mountain on the island, no, he could see the hints of civilization in the city on the horizon.

Kim raised her eyebrow. “You’re more interested in the scenery than you are in me? I should be offended… but then again, I did choose this place for our date since it’s such a lovely sight,” she said with a giggle.

Nick blushed and quickly turned back to her. “Sorry I just… yeah there’s no excuse,” he admitted. “You look great though, Kim. Really, you do.”

Kim blushed and smiled bashfully up at him.

“Thanks.”

It was no lie, either.

Kim had really come into her own since she’d come to this island. That wasn’t to say her experience on Harem Hotel had been wholly good, but she definitely had a couple perks.

Nick also noticed that she wasn’t wearing her schoolgirl uniform on their date together.

“This is Dream Alley, right?” He commented. “I knew it could change your clothes, but I didn’t think… well, you definitely picked a nice outfit for today! I like your, um…”

“My shorts?” She wiggled her eyebrows playfully. “You were certainly getting quite a handful of my thighs…”

“No!” Nick sputtered. “…I mean, yes, but… it’s not what…”

“I’m teasing, Nick,” she said, standing up and patting him on the shoulder. “Don’t get so worked up! Our day together is just getting started.”

She stretched her arms over her head. If she wasn’t trying to show off her shaved armpits to him, she sure was doing a good job of it anyway.

Kim dropped her arms to the sides and turned to look him in the eye. “I took a day off work for us to relax together, you know. So let’s try to make this day as relaxing as possible, alright?” She patted him on the shoulder. “I hope you don’t feel too pressured or anything.”

That was a relief. Nick looked forward to a relaxing date with a girl he liked quite a lot.

But then he realized, what Kim considered to be relaxing, that might just be more work. He’d need to be careful about this…

“You used your Sick Day transformation?” He inquired, giving her a second glance. Nothing about her seemed that different- it certainly didn’t scream a punishment transformation the way her sweat had before, even if she looked great all shiny like that.

Kim blushed and quickly wrapped her arms over her chest, even as she preened a little for Nick’s pleasure. “Well… it’s not anything you need to focus that much on,” she stammered, biting her lip. In spite of her protests, she obviously enjoyed the attention. “I took it so I could take the day off without having to make Sylvia work my shift. And as an added bonus, this way I could dress up in whatever outfit I wanted.”

That had been a perk that hadn’t even come up last night, when she was working out what to do with Dani, Sylvia, and Dakota. The fact that even if Sylvia had taken her shift at work she’d still be stuck dressing up like a schoolgirl instead of picking her own outfit (or choosing between one of the costumes she’d won) had never been addressed.

It just went to show how used to her current state of dress she really was.

But she was glad that she could dress up cutely for the guy she was on a date with.

Nick coughed, and tried to look Kim in the eyes. That was the gentlemanly thing to do, after all, and he’d been with enough women to know his manners.

But his curiosity kept getting the best of him, because Kim looked completely normal.

“What… what did you get for a punishment transformation?” He asked, even though he knew that was a sensitive subject. “If you don’t mind me asking, anyway.”

Kim turned red and quickly looked down at the grass. She reached up and played with a few strands of her pixie cut as she fidgeted. “That… I would prefer not to get into it,” she said carefully. She seemed cautious and hesitant, for reasons Nick couldn’t quite understand.

“I-I’m sorry for prying,” he apologized. “I just thought, that if it was something you needed to be careful about, it would be better if I knew what the stakes were. That way, if something happened, well…”

He thought that the best thing would be if they were both on the same page. If her punishment was something he would need to account for, he could change his behavior so they didn’t have any nasty incidents.

But whatever the punishment was, Kim seemed to be keeping it under wraps. She quickly shook her head, and her eyes flashed with determination.

“It isn’t something you need to worry about,” Kim said. “It’s fine. I’m the only one who needs to take care. It doesn’t involve you at all.”

Then she gasped. Nick blinked, staring carefully at her. “Is something wrong?”

“N-” Kim held her tongue and coughed. “Yes. But don’t worry. I’ve got it under control.”

She turned around and adjusted something that Nick couldn’t see, then turned back to him and flashed a smile.

“Shall we go?” She chirped, acting like nothing was wrong.

Nick was thoroughly confused. But if Kim wanted to play her cards close to her vest, he wasn’t going to pry.

Whatever her punishment transformation was, it was obviously a sensitive subject, and pushing her on it would only lead to bigger problems.

So he smiled back at her and nodded. “So what did you want to do?” He asked. “You said you came here for the scenic views?”

Kim smiled, clearly relieved that he’d decided to change the subject. “That’s right!” She nodded. “I wanted a change of pace. And a date on the island would be fun, but here at Dream Alley, we can do whatever we want!”

It had cost her a good chunk of her BP, but it would be worth it if they could have a nice, stress-free day together.

No matter how much of an inconvenience her punishment transformation might end up being.

After all, it could have been worse.

The park was nice. But Kim hadn’t invited him out just for the scenic views, no. When Nick heard what she was actually aiming for, he was genuinely surprised.

“Really?” He asked, giving her a confused look.

She blinked at him. “What?”

“It’s just, well…” Nick looked at the bicycle in front of him. “I didn’t think you’d want to go for a bike ride to relax, that’s all.”

He knew that Kim was becoming more focused on exercise and staying in shape, but this seemed way more like something Dani or Carly would choose for fun.

Kim shrugged. “Bike rides can be very relaxing!” She replied. “That’s why I came here, to Mount Shannoa. This place has some of the best public-access bike trails around! You’ve never been here before?”

Nick shook his head. “I’m not the kind of guy who would tend to go for bike rides,” he admitted, and didn’t see any shame in that. “Not that I have a problem with biking or anything! I actually think it could be a lot of fun!”

Kim’s eyes sparkled and she nodded. “It definitely is,” she said. “I’ve been biking for a long time, never told you that?”

He shook his head. “I know you like botanical gardens and stuff like that, and nature walks. So I guess it makes sense,” he admitted. He scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry for being such a dumbass and not expecting it.”

Kim laughed. “Oh, don’t be like that!” She giggled, and gently tapped him on the arm with her fist. “It’s not like they have bikes lying around the hotel or anything like that. How would you even know?”

“I should have still expected it,” Nick said adamantly. “After all, you worked a couple weeks as a bicycle courier, I should have known that you would have experience riding them.”

Kim crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him. Her face did not represent amusement.

“Really?” She said coldly.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Nick said, cracking a grin.

“…Yes, yes, you’re right, I had a job as a bike courier for a little while,” Kim said, her face softening into a playful smile. “But actually? I first got into biking when I got my first paper route.”

“Wow! Really?” Now that came as a surprise.

“Oh, what, you assumed I was a bike courier, but didn’t think ‘paper route’?” Kim scoffed. “Come on, Nick.”

“No, I just didn’t know newspaper deliveries were still a thing people did,” Nick replied. “Do they even make newspapers anymore?”

Kim burst out laughing. “In fairness, this was a while ago,” she giggled. “Lots of teens do it. Of course, navigating a bike through the hallways of an apartment building wasn’t exactly an easy task, I’ll have you know!”

Nick had definitely missed Kim’s sardonic wit.

“Oh, come on!” She suddenly gasped, her eyes widening. “No way that counts! Seriously!?”

“Huh? No way what counts?” Nick asked, completely confused.

Kim shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Just a little annoyance.”

Her smile quickly returned. “Shall we go? I promise, it’s not gonna-”

She shut her mouth. A contemplative expression crossed her face, and then she coughed.

“…Sorry. Let me rephrase. The trail might be a little steep in some places. But it’s a decent workout, and for the most part, you should find it very relaxing. Don’t worry, I’m not like Dani, I’m not going to drag you on some deathcourse that will leave you feeling half-dead.”

That… was reassuring?

“Don’t you dare,” Kim muttered under her breath, looking down and turning back to her bike. Whatever she was expecting to happen obviously didn’t, and she quickly set things up and slapped on her helmet. She climbed atop her bike and looked back at Nick, smiling. “So, ready to go? We’re going to have a lot of fun!”

Nick nodded. He hadn’t gone on a good bike ride in some time, since he lived in a pretty rainy area. But if Kim found a bike ride up a mountain to be romantic and relaxing, he had every intention of indulging her whims.

And she seemed pretty excited about it.

Nick put on his own helmet, and climbed onto his bike. And soon enough, they were off, heading up the trail.

Kim wasn’t wrong when she said that the route wouldn’t be that intense. It was actually pretty gradual, in spite of the expectations she’d presented.

The mountain itself wasn’t all that mountain-y, either. The slope was a gentle incline and it was well-paved, so Nick wasn’t even all that out of breath as he followed her up the path.

The easy pace gave him plenty of time to admire Kim’s form. And that was all he was doing, honest!

Kim handled the bike like she knew what she was doing perfectly. Which was a surprise. He wouldn’t have expected that she’d be able to afford a bicycle given her history, especially not one as nice as the ones they were riding right now.

He had a feeling that there was a little bit more to this decision than she had told him. But that was fine by him.

The last thing he wanted to do on their dates was remind her of the socioeconomic differences between their life experiences. At the same time, though, he wanted to give her the opportunity to do things that she didn’t have the chance to do growing up, and let her spread her wings and embrace the new experiences open to her.

It was a difficult balance to strike, and one he’d had a bit of difficulty getting right on their previous dates together, especially since he left a lot up to her to decide what they did together.

And speaking of difficult balance, the hill was getting a lot steeper. Kim faced it head-on without hesitation, though, and Nick found himself having to quickly shift gears to match her pace. As he did, he felt the burn in his chest, and pushed forward, pumping hard with each spin of the gears to get himself a little further up the hill.

The path continued to wind up the mountain, and before he even knew it, they were there. He crested over the last hill and reached a level flat road, which looped around a tiny little mound of greenbelt in to go back down the same way they’d come.

He pulled to a stop behind Kim, who had gotten so far ahead that she was already dismounting her bicycle and unfastening her helmet.

“Sorry about that,” she said, giving him a sheepish smile. “I got a little caught up in what I was doing, and sped ahead without even noticing it.”

“You’re used to the trail,” Nick said simply. “So that makes sense.”

Kim nodded. “Yeah, but it’s been years since I came here,” she said, looking wistfully out over the tree-covered slope before them. “Still, it’s nice to see it hasn’t changed.”

“Well, it is based on your memories,” Nick pointed out, reminding the tomboy of how Dream Alley worked in the first place.

Kim nodded. “That… is very valid,” she admitted. “Come on! Let’s get going!”

They leaned their bikes up against a couple of trees, and finished the rest of the short walk on foot. Kim was leading him… to another park bench.

“So that’s the plan for the day, huh?” Nick joked as Kim sat down. “Taking me from bench to bench? Sounds fun.”

Kim laughed. “No, silly. I wanted to show you this sight, that’s all. But it’s best seen after a bike ride, that’s my opinion anyway.”

Nick wasn’t sure what she meant, but he walked over and sat down beside her. Then he gasped.

Before them was a gap in the trees, allowing them to look out over the mountain. They couldn’t quite see the slope, but that was far from the point. Off in the distance was another range of mountains, and the city below it. You could see for miles from how high up they were, and right there, in front of them, was the sunrise.

“Because of how cluttered my schedule was, I’d have to get my bike rides in when it was still dark out,” Kim murmured, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hands. “But I didn’t mind. Because there were sights like this to look forward to, you know?”

“Yeah,” Nick murmured in agreement.

This was really something.

“So what do you think?” Kim straightened up and looked back at him, her eyes glistening with hope. “I know it’s not much, but a nice sunrise after a good bike ride, that’s a good start to a date, don’t you think?”

Nick smiled and nodded. He didn’t even notice the slight fatigue from all that peddling, his heart rate had already returned to normal… at least, until it started beating fast again, looking into her eyes.

This was a fine start indeed.