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Chapter Three — Cats and Bags

Nagatoro yawned, stretched, and pulled off her blanket. Morning light streamed through a gap in the curtains, illuminating her bedroom. She hopped off the bed, retrieved a cylinder of paper from under the mattress, and unrolled it atop the covers.

As always, the painting brought a smile to her face.

She dashed to the full-length mirror attached to her door, pulled off her pajamas, and posed. Turning from side to side, she appraised her toned athletic form—slender legs, firm bottom, modest breasts, "nice" hair—then trotted back to her bed.

She studied the painting once more, her fingers gently stroking the bumps of dried paint. Her insides warmed, and she grinned. She wished her flawless skin glowed as beautifully in real life. Perhaps, in his eyes, it did.

###

Senpai stepped into the art club room, looking forward to a peaceful lunch.

"Hey, loner Senpai. Did you come to eat your loner lunch again?"

Senpai glanced at the couch. Nagatoro, properly dressed in her school uniform, lay on her belly with her legs bent, ankles crossed, and arms folded under her chin.

When he walked past his easel, his jaw dropped. A pair of panties hung from one corner and a bra hung from the other. His eyes widened, and blood rushed to his cheeks. "Are you…? Are you…?"

A sly smile formed on her lips. "Am I what, Senpai?" She wiggled her skirt-covered bottom.

He pushed his glasses up his nose. "I don't have time to draw you right now."

"Of course you don't. It's lunchtime."

"And I don't think I could if you're…"

"If I'm what, Senpai?" Nagatoro flipped up her skirt, revealing her swimsuit underneath. "I know what you were thinking. Pervert."

He pinched the panty fabric between his thumb and forefinger and lifted the garment from his easel. "What was I supposed to think?"

"I've got swim practice after school, so I won't be able to come here, but I'm going to need those two items of clothing when I'm done."

He took a step toward Nagatoro, bra dangling from one hand, panties from the other. "Then, here. Take them now."

"Meet me at the pool two hours after dismissal." Nagatoro dashed past him and out the door.

Senpai stood in the doorway as she jogged off down the hall.

###

Two hours after the dismissal bell rang, Senpai approached the pool grounds. The lengthening shadows made by the surrounding fence lit by a red-orange sky created interesting patterns on the pavement. Sadly, the locker room building hid the setting sun.

The place was desolate but for a lone swimmer doing laps. Senpai stood at the poolside as a blue and pink figure streaked by.

Nagatoro stopped, rested her arms on the edge, and looked up. "You're late."

Senpai checked his phone. "No, I'm not. You said two hours." He raised the hand gripping a plastic bag. "I brought your stuff."

"Come swim with me. We have the pool to ourselves."

"I don't have swim trunks."

Nagatoro pointed to a gym bag resting underneath a bench. "I brought one of my older brother's. I'm pretty sure they'll fit."

"I don't want to swim."

Nagatoro pushed a swimsuit strap off of her shoulder.

Senpai's eyes widened. "You can't…" He scanned the pool grounds.

"Don't worry, Senpai. Everyone went home already. You can change in the bathroom."

Ten minutes later, Senpai strolled out of the men's bathroom dressed in blue swim trunks. The sky had darkened, losing its pleasing hue. He squinted through his glasses into the pool. A submerged pinkish blob moved beneath the lane markers from one side to the other.

When he glanced at the bench, his mouth dropped. A wet blue-and-white one-piece swimsuit lay above the gym bag.

Nagatoro's head peeked above the water at the far side of the pool. Her face wore a cheerful smile. "Hop in, Senpai."

"But you're…"

"So what else is new?"

"But… why?"

"Because it feels super nice to swim this way."

He looked to his left and right, then placed his thumbs in the waistband. "Should I…?"

"No, Senpai. We already let one cat out of the bag, and I'm fine with it. If we let another cat out, it can only lead to trouble."

He dropped his hands and nodded. "I understand."

"Hop in. The water's great. It's going to be pitch dark pretty soon and you won't be able to see anything."

"I can't see that much right now."

"I know. Now hop in or I'm going to get out and drag you in."

Senpai jumped into the water.

For the next ninety minutes, the two had a great time splashing, racing, and goofing around. Eventually, the night wound down as a half moon rose in the sky.

"Hey, Nagatoro." Senpai grasped the ladder while struggling to focus on the eyes of the naked beauty floating in the next lane over. "Not that I mind, but why are you doing this?"

Her face flushed as she considered his question. Then her eyes met his. "Because I like the way you see me." She ducked under the surface and swam away.

Senpai pulled himself out of the water. When Nagatoro's head popped up at the far end of the pool, he shouted, "Don't forget your stuff." He pointed to the plastic bag resting on the bench.

Ten minutes later, he stepped out of the locker room, dry and dressed. The pool was empty. He sat on the bench, glanced up at the stars, and closed his eyes. His mind formed the image of a painting.

"I bet I know what's going through your head right now, you sick, twisted pervert."

His eyes snapped open. Nagatoro, once again properly dressed in her white shirt/blue skirt school uniform, stood opposite him with her arms crossed over her chest, frowning.

"No… I…" He looked down and sighed. "Okay, I suppose maybe a little… but…"

"It's okay, Senpai. I'll model for you tomorrow. Let's go. It's getting late."

Senpai stood and the two walked home.