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Toying With Nagatoro

by Suzuki Kawasaki

Chapter One — Too Much Punch

Nagatoro took her seat at the lunch table with her three best friends, Yoshi, Sakura, and Gamo-chan.

"I'm surprised to see you here," said Gamo-chan.

"Yeah, we figured you'd be eating with your boyfriend in the art club room," Yoshi added.

"He's staying back to talk to a teacher." Nagatoro took a bite of her meal. "And he's not my boyfriend. I just have fun razzing him."

"They must be fighting," Sakura said. "I can't believe she's not seeing him today."

"I'll see him in the art club room after classes."

"Why?"

Nagatoro paused before answering. "Because he needs it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"Are you going to model for him again?"

Nagatoro shrugged. "I might."

Gamo-chan leaned forward. "You know something, Hyacchi. Now that you've got a boyfriend, you're no fun anymore."

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"Why don't you hang out with us after school?"

"Yeah." Yoshi patted her purse. "My brother made me a thermos full of super punch. Let's have some while we watch the baseball team practice."

"I'd rather not."

"We get it," said Gamo-chan. "You'd rather ditch your friends so you can model for your boyfriend. We totally understand."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh, yeah? Then prove it."

"Come on, Hayacchi. Hang out with us today."

"Just fifteen minutes. Then go toy with him."

Nagatoro sipped her juice and frowned. "Okay."

###

After school, Senpai stood alone in front of his easel, paintbrush in hand. On the table, pleasingly arranged, sat an apple, a banana, and an orange. He placed a red arc on the paper.

His body tensed because he knew Nagatoro would dash into the art club room any second—although five minutes had already elapsed and she hadn't arrived yet.

Maybe today would be a restful day and he could focus on his craft. He never got much done with Nagatoro in the room.

He glanced at the fruit plate and added paint to paper again. Nice. Relaxing.

The first time she modeled, she sat in a chair. He messed up her thighs. She clocked him for that. He guessed he deserved it. Still, she gave him his reward, but not really.

Then she devised a nipple finding contest for a you-can-ask-me-to-do-anything ticket. He might have won if she hadn't bolted. That ticket would have been worth its weight in gold. He could finally get her to stop toying with him.

Or he could ask her to pose in her swimsuit. Maybe even nude like she suggested. He shook his head. As if she'd actually do that. As if his heart could withstand it.

He glanced at his hands. They had actually touched her breast. Through her blouse and bra, but it felt really nice nonetheless.

He glanced at the fruit and tried painting another stroke. This girl drove him crazy. She made his heart rate spike.

He managed to remain calm the second time he drew her because she brought in a sofa, laid down on it, and fell asleep. In a way, she was in the room, but she wasn't in the room. It was a nice combination. He managed to draw her.

He walked over to his desk drawer, pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper, and opened it on the desktop. The drawing of Miss Nagatoro so peaceful and asleep. He'd rushed a little bit and made a few mistakes, but the picture came out nice.

He checked the clock. Twenty minutes had elapsed and she still hadn't shown up. He rolled up her drawing, put it in the drawer, and stood behind his easel. He glanced at the fruit and painted another stroke.

Then he glanced at the empty sofa.

He set his brush on the easel, walked to the fruit table, and moved the orange closer to the center. He returned to his easel and picked up his brush.

He rechecked the clock and expelled a deep sigh.

His phone chimed, informing him he received a text message. He rushed to the phone and picked it up. It was a message from Nagatoro.

###

Nagatoro, Yoshi, Sakura, and Gamo-chan sat on the school building stairs and watched the baseball team practice. Each girl held a small paper cup.

At first, Nagatoro split her attention between her friends, the practicing team, and the art club window. But as time passed, she focused more on the punch.

"I wonder if they're going to win anything this year," Sakura said.

"Who knows?" Yoshi refilled Nagatoro's cup.

Nagatoro chugged it down and blinked wide eyes. "This is really tasty." She held out her cup for more.

"You might want to tone it down," Sakura said.

"Why?"

"Because the punch is loaded with—"

Gamo-chan nudged Sakura's leg and said, "It's got a lot of sugar in it."

Nagatoro nodded. "That's part of what makes it so good, but there's something else. It tickles my nose."

Yoshi shrugged. "Beats me. It's my brother's special formula."

Nagatoro extended her cup. "More, please."

Sakura said, "I don't know if—"

Gamo-chan nudged her to silence.

"Here you go." Yoshi filled Nagatoro's cup.

Three cups later, Nagatoro shouted, "Wheeeee! This is amazing." She shot up to her feet and almost fell over. Sakura caught her.

"Sit down."

Red-faced and giggling, Nagatoro complied with her friend's request. She breathed deeply. "Oh, boy." She swayed side-to-side, raised her fist, and shouted, "Go team!"

The guys appraised her quizzically.

Sakura said, "I think it might be wise to get her inside."

"Right," said Gamo-chan. "If we get caught, we'll be in a heap of trouble."

Yoshi: "Let's take her to the lobby."

Gamo-chan: "Come on, Hayacchi. We're going inside."

"But I'm…" Nagatoro slurred her words. "I'm having fun."

"We're going to have fun inside, okay?"

"Okay."

The four girls walked into the school building's lobby with Nagatoro stumbling as Yoshi and Sakura held her upright.

Once inside, they sat on a bench.

"I feel so dizzy." Nagatoro rolled her head. "I need to lay down."

Gamo-chan: "There's nowhere to lay her down without getting somebody's attention."

Sakura: "And we can't just leave her."

Yoshi: "I know where there's a sofa upstairs."

Gamo-chan considered Yoshi's suggestion and chuckled. "You're right. That's the perfect place."

"Where are we going?" Nagatoro slurred.

"We're going to find you someplace comfortable to rest, okay?"

"Okay."

"Give me your phone."

Nagatoro handed it over.

###

Senpai read the text message from Nagatoro. "I'm coming up to model for you, but I need to get myself ready so go outside with your key and leave the room unlocked."

Senpai's heart rate doubled and he shook his head. He looked at the fruit. He looked at the sofa. Then he stared at the phone.

It chimed again. "Now!"

"Okay," he replied. "I'm leaving."

###

"He's outside," Sakura texted.

Gamo-chan and Yoshi put their stumbling friend's arms around their shoulders and helped her navigate the steps. After entering the art club room, they deposited her on the sofa. Recognizing a familiar place, Nagatoro curled up in the fetal position and promptly fell asleep.

"Do you think she'll be okay here?" Yoshi asked.

"This is the perfect place for her. She'll be fine. Senpai won't lay a finger on her."

Yoshi looked at her snoozing friend. "Are you sure?"

Gamo-chan laughed. "Did you see his reaction when we tried to get him to touch our boobs? There's not much I'm more sure of."

When Nagatoro, sleeping peacefully, moved her leg, her skirt rode up her thigh, revealing a hint of panties.

Yoshi pointed. "That'll make for a sexy painting."

"It will." Gamo-chan reached down to fix Nagatoro's hem line, then stopped. "I know a way to get Hayacchi to spend less time in here."

"What are you thinking?"

###

Senpai's phone buzzed with an incoming Nagatoro text message. "I'm ready."

His heart beat triple-time as he climbed the steps. His breathing rate doubled. And he hadn't even reached the art room door.

He reached the locked door, unlocked it, stepped inside, and locked it again. He rushed past the sofa toward his easel and turned.

His jaw dropped to the floor when he saw Nagatoro. Just like the last time, she lay asleep on the sofa, although now she was posed on her side with her legs tucked in, one arm under the pillow, the other on her hip.

Her bare hip.

Nagatoro was naked. Her socks, shoes, bra, panties, and neatly folded clothes lay on the ground at the foot of the sofa. Her peaceful countenance radiated contentment.

Senpai froze, his eyes bulged, and blood rushed to his cheeks.

But there was no one around to appreciate his reaction.

After a minute, the shock wore off. His vital signs calmed. Just like last time, the girl was asleep. She was with him, but she wasn't.

Was she really asleep the last time he drew her, or did she fake it for his benefit?

She was probably asleep. But maybe not.

He examined his model. Her toned swimmer's body looked amazing. Firm curves, shapely legs, smooth hips, round bottom, and her breasts… He focused on the one he'd touched, always maintaining a safe distance. Wow.

He couldn't work up the courage to get within six feet of her. Any closer and her eyes would pop open, and he was scared to death of what might happen after that.

He tore the aborted fruit painting off of the easel and started anew on a fresh piece of paper. As he painted, he eventually relaxed and fell into the zone. One stroke effortlessly followed the next. One color after the other. For the next hour, he painted Nagatoro as she peacefully snoozed on the sofa. Her legs shifted now and then, and she moved her head from time to time, and she groaned. But she stayed asleep.

Once he finished, he stepped back to check his handiwork. It wasn't perfect, but it was… it was really, really, really good.

He packed up his bag, turned off the lights, and stepped into the hallway. After making triple-sure he'd locked the door tight, he went home.

###

Nagatoro's eyes blinked open around midnight. The roaring headache fogging her brain made her eyes water.

Where am I? She sat up. I'm in the art club room.

When she glanced down, her heart skipped a beat. Why am I naked?

She wrapped her arms over her chest, crossed her legs, and scanned her surroundings.

"Senpai?"

Nobody answered.

Though the art room lights were off, illumination from the outdoor flood lamps streamed through the windows. She found her clothes neatly folded at the foot of the sofa and quickly got dressed.

She took inventory of her memories. She remembered feeling aggravated because she couldn't go directly to the art club room after classes to toy with Senpai. Then she'd gotten addicted to the punch. Lots of punch. Then… nothing.

I got drunk. Then what did I do?

She walked around to the other side of the easel and looked at Senpai's painting.

Her face flushed. Oh my god. A hundred and one scenarios rushed through her mind at the same time. She hopped in place, then settled.

She studied the painting. Of her. Sleeping. Naked. It was beautiful.

I can't believe I did this. As her fingertips brushed the paper, a tiny smile creased her lips. Except I know I did.

She took a step back and collected her thoughts.

He left it here for me. If I take it, it will be as if it never existed. It will be as if this never happened.

She removed the painting from the easel, held it at arm's length, and moved to the window for better lighting.

Her smile widened. You deserve a big reward for this, Senpai. She chuckled. But you'll never get it.

She rolled up the painting, tucked it under her arm, and strolled out the door with a hop in her step.

Author's Notes: I'm new to the Nagatoro fandom having only seen the first four anime episodes, but I love the two main characters and how the show pushes the limits of their relationship. I tried to imagine going beyond those limits, but only slightly, and came up with this. What's funny is I don't think it would surprise anyone if they actually made an episode like this some day. It's that kind of show. — SK