A Lunch Between Presidents
Featuring characters from the Manga series, "Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro" by Nanashi and "And You Thought there was Never a Girl Online?" by Shibai Kineco
By AntonSolo
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story of Sana's part of the story began to take shape after re-watching the Anime for the under-appreciated Light Novel series, "Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?(And You Thought There's Never a Girl Online?)" from 2015. Although Yoshi continues to be a perplexing mystery to write for, I wanted to also find a comedic outlet for the character of Sana Sunomiya from "Miss Nagatoro," which was difficult at first.
However, it occurred to me that her character and the character of Kyoh Goshoin, the Student Council President from "Netoge no Yome" had similarities that could be played for a little humor. Both characters are intelligent women in their own rights, both care a great deal about their male Kouhai, Naoto and Hideki, respectively, and both had to deal with a couple of off-kilter girls who would ultimately benefit from their friendships, in Hayase Nagatoro and Ako Tamaki. Plus, of all the characters there, Kyoh seemed to be the one closest in personality to Sana, in other words, she'd be able to understand Sana's "different" way of thinking when it comes to Love, since she had a similar hand in helping Hideki and Ako's love story mature. So, there she is, studying game design and marketing, and making friends with a kindred spirit.
TOKYO: Tokyo University of the Arts, Student Commons…
The crisp autumn air breezed through the campus of T.U.A. as fourth Year Undergraduate Sana Sunomiya quietly consumed the bento lunch she prepared the night before. As she ate quietly, the shadow of another student appeared over her meal, "Good afternoon, Sunomiya-Kouhai, Are you enjoying your lunch?" Sana looked up and with her trademark deadpan countenance, "Goshoin-Senpai, it's good to see you this afternoon. My meal is quite enjoyable, thank you for asking. Would you like to join me?" She motioned to the chair on the other side of the table that also sat in the shade, to which she nodded, and took a seat.
"Thank you, Sana-Chan, I would. I wanted to congratulate you on another masterful exhibition. What was your inspiration for a martial art-themed series of nudes?" Sana took a bite from her rice, "I spent some time at My grandfather's cabin near the Murayamasengen Shrine on the slopes of Mt. Fuji. I have been somewhat restless in my thoughts of late, Goshoin-Senpai, and the crisp Autumn Air has always inspired me."
Kyoh put down the cup of coffee she was drinking from. "That is not like you, Sana-chan, in the years I have known you here on campus, there is little that would seem to shake your resolve. May I ask what has been bothering you?"
Sana paused for a moment, then took a drink from a bottle of orange soda that sat next to her bento, "You've met my long-time Kouhai, Hachiouji Naoto, the Third-Year Undergraduate?" Kyoh nodded, recalling the young artist with the wavy brown hair, and the pretty young woman she's seen with him at times on campus, holding his arm close. "Yes, the one who has the love interest that I believe you've referred to as "his Cat-Eared Muse" on occasion." She stifled a small laugh at the mention of the nickname. Sana was not known for her subtle humor, but this was one of the things that endeared her to Kyoh.
"Indeed, Right now the two of them are dealing with some issues involving one of her parents. A medical crisis has emerged and the stress is weighing on both of them." Kyoh nodded in sympathy, recalling the recent passing of her friend Ako's grandmother who lived to see her granddaughter graduate from high school and get married. "I can understand how you feel, Sana-kun."
"I do not believe you have ever told me why you call her that," Sana looked her straight in the eye. "Nagatoro-chan was a first-year at the high school Hachiouji-Kouhai and I attended. When we met, she was a wiggly, hyperactive bundle of annoying energy who seemed to take great pleasure at making him uncomfortable," she took another sip from the bottle, then retrieved a second bottle, this one of water from her bag.
"However, as she became a fixture in our Club Room, I sensed a romantic bond had grown between the two, one that they didn't realize was there at first," a small grin grew on Sana's face, one Kyoh noticed.
"Oh? What was keeping them from realizing it?" Kyoh felt a memory enter her conscious mind, one Hideki and Ako Nishimura, who went through a different road to their own love story, one she would remember to share later. "Sana-chan, I'm intrigued by this story, but I wish to get another cup of coffee. Do you mind pausing your story for a moment while I obtain another cup. and can I bring you anything?" Sana pondered for a moment, "A coffee does sound nice, Goshoin-Senpai, thank you," She smiled, "Of course, Sana-Chan."
As Kyoh walked away, Sana's phone chimed. She looked at the ID and smiled slightly. Her cousin Hana was calling, "Sana-Nee-Chan, I hope I am not disturbing you in class."
"No, Hana-Chan, I am having a conversation with Goshoin-Senpai while I eat my bento. She stepped away to get some coffee, is there something you wished to tell me?"
"Hachiouji Senpai just contacted me. It seems that his Neko-Toro Manga is being turned into an anime series, with the actress Azusagawa Mai portraying the character you inspired."
"I am overwhelmed," She responded. The one-time teenage star of many TV dramas and movies would be voicing her character. She had taken a break from acting recently after she and her husband of a couple of years welcomed their first child a few months back. Her role would be her first since her pregnancy, and Sana felt honored having her character be played by her. "We can speak of this later, Hana, How does dinner at Otomisan in Tsujiki sound?"
"I will have Okasa-San save us our two spots at the counter, cousin, see you then." Hana hung up the phone. Sana put her phone down as Kyoh returned with the coffee and another small smile escaped from her face. She was not sure how to handle so much giddiness. Luckily, Kyoh did not notice it before her countenance returned to its normal look.
"Here you are, Sana-Chan, now where were we?" She sat back down.
"Thank you, I believe I was explaining the strange bond of love the two had developed. I should tell you a bit about Hachiouji-Kohai's past. When he was young, he was bullied because of his love of art. But chose to ignore the taunts and angry words thrown at him, and in time, it stopped, but at the cost of his walling off his heart, as he once told Me a couple years ago." Kyoh inhaled in shock, "Oh No, that's horrible. A similar situation occurred to my Kouhai, Ako, as well, although she chose to take refuge inside a virtual gaming world."
Sana raised an eyebrow, "Did she? Intriguing, I take it you were able to help her overcome that situation." Kyoh nodded, "It was not without difficulty. Ako and her eventual husband Hideki were married in the game, and when she learned he was a classmate, she would call him by his game name 'Rusian,' instead of Hideki. It took some doing to finally get her to accept that Hideki and Rusian were different parts of the same person, but that his love for her was the same in the real world as it was in the game. Then it took some time to convince her that being in a relationship with Hideki in the real world wasn't a demotion from being his wife online." She rubbed her temple at that memory. "Ako is now happy as Hideki's real life wife and has found some career success as a consultant for a women's eSports gaming league." Kyoh smiled at that, seeing as it was her investment in the eSports industry that resulted in her being offered the consultant position.
Sana sat back for a moment. "You should be commended on getting her back to a sense of normalcy. I take it that they are both doing well together?" Kyoh sipped her coffee, "Indeed, although when Ako's grandmother passed away last year, she nearly suffered a relapse, Hideki-san was able to keep her anchored through the mourning period, and she has returned to her normal self once more." Kyoh paused, "But I interrupted your tale, So Hachiouji-Kouhai had managed to keep his heart intact by locking it away, and Nagatoro-Kouhai managed to free it?"
Sana nodded, "Yes, the change became evident as we prepared for the school's cultural festival curing my final year. He presented a series of slice of life portraits of Nagatoro-Kouhai, each showing a deep love for the subject as each portrait seemed to come to life in its own way. I had my usual impactful exhibition planned, which the school's short-sighted discipline committee attempted to close down." Kyoh merely nodded. Sana's reputation for her nudes was already well-known at T.U.A. It was one of the reasons why she was able to gain admittance so easily. Talent like hers was rare and T.U.A. was eager to be her venue to further her talents.
"Both Hachiouji and Nagatoro defended my work by stating that Art was not something that could be subjected to the arbitrary moods of morality. What would that do to a masterpiece like "Guernica" or the mural "America Tropical" if we allowed it to be subjected to arbitrary morals?" Sana smiled at the memory of that day, even though it also resulted in her wearing for the first time, her now-beloved "Bunny Girl" costume, which she regularly wore for inspiration.
Kyoh smiled. "Those two must have really earned your respect that day," she looked down at the coffee a moment. "Naoto… he always had my respect… and My love." Kyoh looked at her surprisingly. "No not in that manner, I have always thought of him as something of a sibling, both my cousin Sana and I have no other siblings, so in a way, I've thought of him as the middle child in our rather strange artistic family." Kyoh stifled a laugh at this, but even she thought of her friends from the gaming club as family, odd as they were away from the game, especially Akane and her facade of hating all things involving online gaming.
Her inner thoughts never allowed the notion of a romantic relationship with Naoto to develop. He was a delicate soul who needed the right kind of motivation to bring out his true art. When he and Hayase began their relationship, she quickly realized that she was the woman who would be his muse. This made her more happy than any thought of him being her lover.
"Hayase, on the other hand," She paused to sip the coffee as a breeze caught her hair, "She and I needed to come to an understanding. You know how some women get self-conscious around women who are more… shall we say, blessed, in certain areas of their bodies," Kyoh rolled her eyes slightly, "I'm all-too familiar with it, yes, it is a burden at times."
Sana nodded, "Hayase is a strong woman, but she does have the same insecurities we all face. She and I talked about three years ago right after she won the Empress' Cup Tournament. She came to me for advice, because she was afraid that she was going to get pulled away from Naoto because she was being talked about as a potential Olympic Athlete."
It had not been a surprise that Hayase showed up at her dorm. Hana had phoned her the day before, telling Sana that Hayase had asked for her address at T.U.A., wanting to talk to her about something. The following day, Sana and Hayase were at her dorm, where Hana excused herself to go retrieve Naoto from his classes. He didn't know she was coming and it had been a few weeks since they last saw each other, her having to attend training sessions with the National Team in Hokkaido. Sana was forthright with her, telling her that she was going to face more pressure because of her now-rising status in terms of her Judo abilities, but the fact was that she worried about losing Naoto more than her wanting to take advantage of her opportunity.
"I told her that no matter what she decided in terms of her judo opportunities, Naoto was committed to her, no matter how far her judo career would take her." She remembered how Hayase broke down in tears and hugged her as Naoto and Hana entered. Sana smiled at them and offered Naoto the opportunity to spend time with his muse. She did not see them for the next two days, until they invited the two for breakfast. The crisis was averted and the couple was renewed in their commitment to each other.
"Sana-Chan, I do admire your honesty when it comes to your Kouhai's relationship. He must be very special to you." Sana nodded, "He is a gifted Artist, and he will make a fine husband for Hayase."
Kyoh smiled and nodded, "It does feel good to see someone you care about as a friend achieve something they worked for, doesn't it, Sana-Chan?" Sana tilted her head slightly to the right, "Indeed, Goshoin-Senpai."
The sun sank lower over the buildings as Kyoh gathered up her cups. "I have enjoyed this chat, Sana-chan. Perhaps you might join me some night if you're not busy to discuss an idea for a game I'm developing in the Gaming Arts lab. I would love to hear more about the origins of the "Neko-Toro" character. Perhaps Hachiouji-Kouhai could join us to discuss creating a game around her." Sana stood up, and Nodded. "I would be honored and I will pass on your regards as well. I daresay that Nagatoro-San would want to be there as well. She's very protective of "Neko-Toro," it was one of the things that helped win her over, but that will be a story for another lunch, and I want to hear more about your gaming history as well, Goshin-Senpai." The two emptied their trash into the recycling canisters and headed off on their respective ways, both looking forward to another get-together.