🌸Cherry Blossom Palette🎨
🌸Chapter 1: The First Day of Summer🎨
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: Thanks for clicking on the first chapter of my story! It was harder than I thought to put this in a light novel kind of format. Manga can show things that can't be explained in any other way. I guess that's what the stuff about a picture being worth a thousand words is all about.
I have enjoyed creative writing with my own original material in the past but this is my first time ever writing a fanfiction. I am not very good but it's so much fun.
Thanks to my editor, P. serrulata, for his work. He turned my self-described mess into what it is now. He prereads all the chapters, gives suggestions, fixes my mistakes, improves the grammar and runs through everything I write with a thesaurus and his own imagination to embellish the language. He certainly isn't boring when he opts for colorful prose but he says he won't go too crazy. He feels the same way about putting the story into a written format as me. Nanashi's story is very visual and not easy to describe in words.
I plan to release a chapter once a week and will try to post on Thursdays. Depending on how things go I may post new chapters more often but I want to get my toes wet first. My editor recommended staying at least five or six finished chapters ahead of release. We are DEFINITELY there and more. It seemed like a lot at first but after hearing how the fanfic business runs, I definitely agree.
I ask you to please be patient with the story. It takes several chapters to establish itself.
As to where the story begins, it picks up where chapter 83 of the manga leaves off. Fast-forward to the last four weeks of the spring semester assuming not much happens in between. That's what I'm going with. I have to set a boundary. Plus, I feel the same way my editor does about Naoto and Nagatoro's date Nanashi is holding over our heads. Not much good will come of it, at least short term.
Please look at the Q&A section I set up at the end of the chapter. Ask us anything and we'll add another section in the next chapter. I would be happy if you ask questions.
Please enjoy what I wrote.
June 20, 2018
On a sunny Thursday afternoon, Naoto Hachioji wasn't anywhere unusual, setting up a still-life in his clubroom. He hadn't been by the art room much in the last week, and it didn't chalk up to his desire to study for the upcoming exams at the end of the term. He'd gone home early every day since Monday, dealing with the terrible sunburn he'd picked up on Saturday.
Though Naoto was content with the idea of staying in the entire weekend and preparing for the exams coming up in the next few weeks, Hayase Nagatoro had asked him Friday afternoon to blow off studying the next day and visit the beach. The reason he'd planned on studying the whole weekend was so he could relax a little during the school week... work on a few sketches... He wouldn't have the time after that week because he'd have to study for the imminent exams.
But it was the first time Nagatoro was planning a big trip to the beach that year, and he hadn't gone since the last year either, and she really wanted him to go, so he agreed.
In addition to Nagatoro, Yoshi, Sakura, and Nekoba went along. Gamo-chan was busy with her family's gym that weekend, so she wasn't in attendance. Naoto wouldn't have minded seeing Gamo-chan in a bikini again, but her not being there meant Yoshi would behave a little more "rationally", without her old friend leading her into some mischief. Still, Gamo-chan not being around left a void, and he was sure they'd missed out on some delightful weirdness without her there.
Nagatoro's other friends Naoto was familiar with, Rabi-chan and Orihara, had been invited, but Rabi-chan was attempting a last-ditch effort to patch things up with her boyfriend, and Orihara was visiting relatives the next prefecture over.
Naoto's kohai, Hana Sunomiya, and the former Art Club president, the other Sunomiya, Sana, weren't even invited, and he could imagine why; the two girls... caused Nagatoro some distress. Plus, they would have had their peculiarities on full display, and Naoto wasn't sure if he (or anyone else) could handle that.
Therefore, the young man hadn't been complaining much. He knew Nagatoro and Yoshi wouldn't ride him too hard, and Sakura and Nekoba probably wouldn't be too rough with him either. That, and he'd finally seen Sakura in a swimsuit. Nekoba was striking in her more modest getup and beach skirt, but Sakura had him shaken to his foundation with her tiger-striped bikini. It was something to see, and that was no joke.
Still, Naoto managed to hold his own and not freak out. The day had mostly been a blur, but it was nice. They'd had a potluck picnic and paddled around in a raft Sakura brought along. The gal apparently lived just overlooking the beach to the north, and she often played in the water.
However, the inflatable raft was decidedly deflated, having been stored since September, and who was the lucky one to blow it up? Naoto could still remember the taste of the stale air and the burning in his lungs...
Still, still, the day had been nice, the girls had made no overt attempts to cause Naoto any substantial discomfort, and he had reapplied his sunscreen religiously. He just hadn't "gone to temple" often enough, he supposed, and his shoulders were crimson by nightfall!
His plans to spend each afternoon in his beloved Art Club were up in smoke, and the afternoons were instead spent on his stomach atop his bed, rubbing aloe vera on himself.
Finally, the sunburn had relieved some, he was beginning to peel like he'd never peeled before, and he could thankfully move his arms and shoulders without much trouble. It wasn't the worst thing he could be dealing with.
Working with Naoto in the room was Sunomiya, his kohai, and though she had not yet taken charcoal to paper, she was completely absorbed in her piece. When she was occupied with a task, she was occupied. Her chosen task was nothing too exciting, but she was using a lamp to cast light across a glass of water and was working on conveying light, glare, and shadowing.
Naoto, pleased he wasn't the lone active member in his final year, was just relishing being there in his element. It was a delight to have a pencil in hand again, and he didn't even mind that his subject was a basket of artificial fruit.
Not in any rush, Naoto checked the clock:
4:27 p.m.
It was already the middle of June, and the end of the first term wasn't far off... Well, that was wishful thinking. Counting the days, he was reminded there were still about four weeks until the solace of summer break arrived. And most of that time involved exams and/or preparing for them... Bleh...
But he was feeling okay, and he had some time to draw. Since he'd been stuck on his belly all week, he was ahead in his studies! He wasn't displeased with himself and felt if he just kept up with the schedule he'd set, he'd be able to do well on the exams and spend a little more time drawing and painting and-
The clubroom's door slid open with a resounding rattle.
Naoto jumped as if he'd been goosed; he'd been off in la-la land and dropped his pencil.
Sunomiya didn't jump, but her concentration was broken, and she scowled.
In the frame of the door—not taking up too much space in it—was Nagatoro. Seeing her senpai scramble, she took on a feral grin, color rising in her cheeks.
"Se-en-pa-i~!" Nagatoro enunciated every part of the word, beaming all the more.
He didn't mean to be rude, still gathering himself, "Nagatoro! What are you doing here?!"
She let go the "rudeness"; she'd surprised him, "Our sensei had to leave early, so judo's over for the day. And it's called off for tomorrow! I think it's their way of telling us to start studying."
His kohai breezed into the room, making a beeline towards the couch. Following her were Gamo-chan, Yoshi, Sakura, and for some reason, Rabi-chan. The last of them had never visited the Art Club.
"Sup, lobster boy?" Gamo-chan, leading up the rest, leered, obviously up to something.
Naoto eyed her off and on, absent-mindedly touching his face, still not free of his old habit since he'd largely ditched his glasses, "N- not much... just sketching ..."
His eyes turned elsewhere, and he saw Nagatoro already kicking off her indoor shoes, lounging on the sofa. In the other direction, Sunomiya was still puckering over the disruption.
Gamo-chan didn't scare Naoto nearly as much as she used to, but he could tell when he was about to be the victim of some stunt, and he didn't know what to do other than shuffle in his seat.
Gamo-chan, out of sight a second, now loomed over Naoto, bringing his attention back to her, "Paisen~!"
The sweet venom in her voice had him shaking; looking to her face, he eked out, "Yes?"
The tall girl made to smack Naoto on the back in further greeting, and he flinched, but she just cackled and eased off, "Nah, I'm not that cruel! I know how much a good sunburn sucks, Paisen."
Naoto, assuaged at his "reprieve", exhaled, still not able to read the girl sometimes.
Gamo-chan sat down at the table, "No, I'm glad you're feeling better, Paisen. Haven't seen you all week."
Yoshi snickered, sitting next to Gamo-chan and pointing at her senpai, "Missed you, lobster boy!"
Naoto couldn't deny he was glad to see the girls. For all he complained, they were his friends, and they'd lit up the last year of his life. Not seeing much of them for a week had put him in a brown state, and things were better with them around. He might've said this out loud, but he never had it in him to confess such a feeling.
He merely smiled, watching the girls settle in.
Sakura sat down across from Yoshi, resting her forehead on her forearms, "The tests this term are gonna suck~!"
Rabi-chan sat down next to Sakura, looking around the room, "So this is the Art Club... It's nice!"
Gamo-chan tore open a bag of corn chips and poured the contents on the table amongst the four of them, "It's been our little slice of heaven for a good year now~."
Yoshi immediately began to eat, "Sensei's got himself a slice!"
Sakura grabbed a few chips, "Ooh, shrimp flavor~?"
The others followed suit, and a good deal of crunching could he heard.
Naoto was again trying to concentrate; he wanted to get something done. Himself, he figured he could still get done what he wanted, but... Sunomiya was another matter. Sunomiya didn't dislike Nagatoro or her friends, but they weren't the most welcome bunch when she was working. Kohai to them all, she continued to stew on the other side of the room.
He wondered what he could do to improve Sunomiya's situation.
Nagatoro, lying flat on her back, was spreading and flexing her toes, legs crossed at the ankles and absently playing on her phone... She wasn't a problem...
But the other four girls had raised quite the racket... Three of them had spent enough time in his clubroom that they might as well have been counted as members; he'd even thought about reporting them as such, allowing him more funds and keeping the future more secure. But their antics weren't fair to the other actual member.
The conduct of the girls was far from malicious, and they were just being teenagers, but he had to do something.
What to do?
Well, Naoto was decent at a lot of things, and one of those things was being creative.
He stood up and faced the room as a whole, "Uh... girls..."
It wasn't exactly common for their senpai to call for attention, so it was immediately given.
With their attentiveness gained, he managed, "I'd like you all to see something."
The girls exchanged glances. What could it be?
Naoto turned to the youngest person in the room, "Sunomiya?"
Sunomiya looked up; she was a little nonplussed, "Yes, Hachioji-senpai?"
Naoto tried to smile evenly, "Would you mind giving a demonstration?"
"A demonstration...?" she blinked.
"Your subject. Would you mind showing us how you go about it?" he asked.
The other five girls in the room were just as flummoxed as their kohai, but they were rapt.
Sunomiya stared at her blank sketch pad; she looked up, "All right."
Naoto glowed, "Let's set up."
In a thrice, Naoto and Sunomiya had moved her subject and the lamp to the middle of the room where they assembled it all.
"Gather around," Naoto beckoned.
Even Nagatoro, likely to sit out such a thing, stood around the seated Sunomiya with everyone else.
"Watch," Naoto instructed.
They did.
He flipped the lamp's switch, shining light upon the glass of water.
Simultaneously casting a shadow and letting light cut through the water, the glass also reflected the glaring brightness on the side of the light source to the table's surface.
Sunomiya began with a rough outline, and it wasn't long before her piece began to take shape.
As was said earlier, the subject wasn't exciting; it was something seen everyday and rarely dwelled upon.
But the process of portraying such a thing using charcoal sticks, a chunk of eraser, and crumpled tissue paper was fascinating, and the five girls out of the know were captivated. They'd never watched such a thing.
"Neat~!" Sakura cooed. "It's so cool, the way you can blend the light to dark~."
Other comments such as this were voiced, and Naoto was delighted to see a tiny smile begin to pull at the corners of Sunomiya's mouth. Though he'd originally been explaining the process to the group, Sunomiya had taken over, guiding them through the exercise.
Before long, Sunomiya had finished, and she looked upon her work with satisfaction. The others were just impressed.
"Wow, may I see?" Rabi-chan asked.
Sunomiya, not expecting the praise she'd been receiving, handed the sketch to the other girl, "Please be careful not to touch the charcoal; it smears so easily."
Taking care to keep the image intact, Rabi-chan whistled, "That's so cool..."
Sunomiya took on the slightest pink in the cheeks, "...Thank you..."
Naoto came up, shaking a bottle of fixative, "What do you say we put this one on display a while?"
His fellow member was flattered, "Yes. Thank you, Hachioji-senpai."
Opening a window, Naoto sprayed the image, let it dry, and tacked it on the wall.
The next thing anyone knew, the six girls were strewn about the table and the couch enjoying the soft drinks they'd so graciously sent Naoto to retrieve. He didn't have much reason to gripe, considering Gamo-chan threw in an extra ¥150 so he could get something for himself.
While the girls chatted about how much they weren't looking forward to exams, Naoto contented himself sipping on an orange juice and sketching his lackluster basket of fake fruit. It could be said Sunomiya wasn't talking much, but she was obviously having a pleasant time. This was-
"Okay, down to business!" Gamo-chan suddenly hopped up and shouted.
Naoto looked towards her.
Right... Why had all the girls showed up anyway? With Rabi-chan to boot?! Something was going on.
With a dramatic flair that painfully reminded Naoto of her "speech" before Christmas, upset about her karaoke party being halved due to three of the girls having a boy to hang out with, though she'd deny her envy to the point of homicide, Gamo-chan climbed onto a chair to address the room.
As Naoto figured, knowing Gamo-chan's rhythms with some accuracy, the 168cm tall maiden was up for that musical pastime she loved so much.
"I called you here to take part in one last hurrah before our monthlong bondage to the books!" Gamo-chan thundered. "I'm probably going to summer school anyway, but I'm not giving in without a fight!"
"We fight 'til the end!" Yoshi added; she was likely destined to the same fate.
Elevated by the support, Gamo-chan trumpeted, "So tomorrow night, we're going to that new karaoke club by the bus station!"
"Hell, yeah, we're going!" Yoshi pumped her fist. "All night!"
Gamo-chan bellowed, "Nekoba's in too!"
Nagatoro flashed a smile, displaying her prominent canines, "I'm in!"
"And I'm going too!" Rabi-chan said loudly. "I'm a free woman again!"
Rabi-chan, as she had stated ad nauseum, finally dumped that "jerk" of a boyfriend and was "a free woman again"! What was more accurate to say was the jerk finally jumped ship for another girl, and Rabi-chan cried in the girls' room for an hour straight, but everyone just kept their mouths shut. Even Naoto knew.
What happened next was unexpected and almost definitely unplanned, but it pleased Naoto immensely.
Gamo-chan turned to Sunomiya, "Of course, you're invited, Sunomiya! Wanna go?"
Sunomiya was bewildered, "You're... inviting me?"
"Definitely," Gamo-chan shone. "You interested?"
Sunomiya fidgeted, slight color arising in her cheeks, "I've... never been."
"We can show you the ropes, kid!" Yoshi soared in.
Looking bashfully thrilled, Sunomiya said, "Well, I don't have any plans tomorrow night, so... I'd like to go."
The room rang with mirth, and even Nagatoro seemed good with it. Naoto liked hearing the joyful sound. When it had been suggested the week prior that they invited at least the younger Sunomiya to the beach with them, Nagatoro had lost it... But some steps had been made that day, it seemed.
"What about Orihara?" Gamo-chan asked Nagatoro once things had quieted down.
Nagatoro didn't seem pleased to explain, and she frowned, "It turns out her grandfather's sick. That's why she was gone last weekend, and she's leaving again right after school's out tomorrow."
Gamo-chan's happy face fell some; she was visibly hurt, "Oh... I didn't know... That's too bad."
Nagatoro brightened a little, "She says he's doing well, but her parents just want to go help out, so don't worry so much."
This had Gamo-chan feeling a bit better, and she went on with her recruitment, "Sakura?"
All eyes turned to the gal, and she simpered, looking mightily proud (and a little full) of herself.
"Sorry, I have a date~," Sakura crooned.
Naoto could practically feel the discontent radiating from Gamo-chan.
"Not with that guy again...?" Gamo-chan groaned, mouth slightly agape. "He is such a tool...!"
Sakura paid the latter sentence no mind, "Yes, with that guy again! We're going to that new Italian restaurant near the public library! His cousin's a chef there, and they're cutting us a deal~!"
Naoto had no idea what guy the girls were referring to, and he tried to concentrate on his subject. Still, he knew what was coming next.
"Well, whatever," Gamo-chan blustered, poorly masking her disenchantment. "We'll still have our favorite guy along this time!"
Here it comes... Naoto twitched.
"How 'bout it, Paisen~?!" Gamo-chan questioned with great confidence and even a little affection.
As they had with Sakura, all eyes revolved to their owners' senpai.
AND!
"I'm sorry," Naoto scratched his nose, finding difficulty in making eye contact with a one of them. "I have plans already. I'm meeting some guys for video games... right after school."
The energy in the room fell off like syphilis.
"Oh..." Gamo-chan blinked, let down. "That's too bad. I really wanted you to come."
Her reaction, Naoto wasn't expecting; he didn't think she'd care all that much...
Yoshi shared the sentiment, "You better come next time!"
He tried to keep a straight face, thrilled his friends had thought of him, "I will... next time."
If Gamo-chan and Yoshi appeared disappointed, Nagatoro was aghast, "But... Senpai!"
The longing in Nagatoro's voice upset Naoto; he knew she'd been looking forward to doing something with him that week, as they'd not had the opportunity. Sorry to say, he'd forgotten entirely about his plans until that day, and he'd certainly not expected the Judo Club to take Friday off. The truth of the matter was... Naoto really wanted to spend a little time with her too.
Gamo-chan put a hand on Nagatoro's shoulder, silencing her; the burly girl smiled understandingly, "Well, I guess we can let you off the hook this time, Paisen. I was hoping to be there, but you had a lot of fun over the weekend, didn't you?"
He could answer that with sincerity, and he blushed a little, "It was a great time. Other than the sunburn... It was different though, without you there, Gamou-san..."
That last part was no insult, and it was clearly understood.
It wasn't often that Gamo-chan let down her guard, but her eyebrows raised a little, eyes widening, and her lips parted ever so slightly.
Had Naoto not been averting his gaze, he would've seen this, but no one else saw either.
Nonetheless, Gamo-chan quicky regained her defenses and chuckled, "Oh, don't worry, Paisen! We'll manage to go a few times yet this summer. The beach and karaoke!"
From there, things started to wind down. The school grounds were about to close for the day, and they had to vacate the premises.
As they parted for the day, Naoto was very happy to see Sunomiya and the other girls exchanging cell numbers. He'd hoped all the girls could be friends, and maybe it was happening.
Content with that thinking, he walked home.
Q&A Section
What prompted you write this story? Was it just something you always wanted to see or write yourself?
ED: I have liked the Naoto x Sakura ship since their pretend date. I liked the ship even more when another user's posts convinced me that Sakura might actually fall in love with Naoto and decided to try writing a fic about it.
So is this gonna be a one shot or series? Also is there gonna be some nagatoro conflict?
ED: My story will be a series. I have no idea how many chapters it will be but it depends on how we edit. My editor suggested I go for more chapters that were shorter and I agree. And there will definitely be some conflict with Nagatoro but you will have to wait to see how much.
...but...why?
ED: Go back to your Boruto memes. I think I hear your mom calling. Your tendies are getting cold.
PS: Why not? Prolly because it's just fun to write in general. I like writing essays about Nagatoro, and maybe others like writing fan-fics. Fan-fics happen for a lot of reasons, and hopefully the writers don't invest too much in their own work.
Why I agreed to edit? I was pleased to see a Reddit user trying something different. It's more ambitious than any of the essays I've done. When the author asked me if I'd edit, I agreed. I wanted to help her bring it to the page. I think it'll be a good story.
What else have you written, P. serrulata? For what other fandoms?
PS: I've never done any actual fics myself, but I've done some editing/pre-reading. I've done this for writers of stories in several franchises: MLP:FiM, SVTFOE, Steven Universe, and Trigun of all things. I also helped with a single Gravity Falls story that never moved past one really long first chapter.
I'm not perfect when it comes to all aspects of grammar, but I know a bit about how clauses work and have a decent vocabulary.
No questions, just wanted to say you are doing God's work.
ED: No comment.
PS: I doubt it. 😂
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading!
Check me out on Reddit: u/EmtenDew
