.

Decisions

Senpai set down his pencil and inspected the image he'd drawn of an apple, an orange, and a banana. It looked exactly like an apple, an orange, and a banana.

Sigh.

He took out his phone to double-check the status of his Nagatoro painting images. They all seemed intact.

"What was that about?" he asked out loud.

Part of him wished he hadn't given Sakura access to his precious pictures, but the girl knew how to get her way. He recalled the time Nagatoro's gang used Sakura's impressive powers of persuasion to wreak havoc with the gaming club.

That created unintended consequences that led to his fake date with the girl, which he actually enjoyed because, at her core, Sakura was a sweetheart. But a sweetheart who knew how to get what she wanted.

She and Nagatoro had both modeled nude for him, so he assumed she knew about the paintings. And Sakura would never do anything that might hurt her friend. Still…

What was that about?

He sat on the sofa and checked his phone again. When Sakura had used it, he'd heard a chime that signaled he'd received a text. But the messaging app didn't register any new messages which meant Sakura had likely deleted the conversation.

Wait a minute.

He knew how to check his online phone bill which logged his activity. He didn't recognize the last number on the list. The log pegged it as a Tokyo exchange.

Huh?

He stared at the messaging app for a while, and nearly dropped his phone when it sprang to life, chiming while spewing the words, "Senpai, meet me at the pool in an hour."

He checked the clock. A smile crept onto his face. He'd hung out at the pool with Nagatoro after-hours in the past and had a pretty good idea how the rest of his evening would go—culminating in a cold shower. He felt his heart rate rise—among other things.

How long can I keep this up without exploding? He shook his head clear.

He probably read too much into Sakura's visit. Nagatoro was obviously aware of her scheme, so it couldn't be a big deal. He'd get his answers—he checked the clock again—soon.

###

Senpai approached the enclosure under a cloudy night sky with the flood lights extinguished. He walked past the starting blocks that lined the far side of the pool. The water glimmered in the faint light as the smell of chlorine tweaked his nose. But so far, no Nagatoro.

He walked ahead cautiously, fearing she might leap out of the darkness and push him in. He strolled past the poolside bench, expecting to see her gym bag, or possibly her one-piece? Nothing sat on top or below it.

"I'm over here," came a voice from a back corner bench in the shadows of the fence. He squinted through his glasses. Nagatoro sat slumped forward with one beach towel wrapped around her torso and another draped over her legs.

He stopped in front of her and smiled. "Are we swimming?"

"No. Not tonight."

"Wiped out after a long practice?" He sat down next to her. "And cold?"

"Maybe. A little." She tightened the towel around her shoulders. "Hey," she said, forcing a smile. "I've got some really good news for you."

He looked her over. "You don't seem that happy."

"Don't mind me. I've got a lot on my mind."

"Does it have to do with Sakura?"

Another forced smile. "It certainly does. Did she tell you anything?"

"No. She swiped my phone and texted some pictures to someone in Tokyo. At least that's what I think she did."

"You remember that TV show she was on the other day? Well, she and show's executive producer seem to be getting along."

"You mean…"

"Naaah." She punched him in the arm. "Quit thinking like a pervert for a minute, Senpai. You know how she is."

"Okay, so they got along. They're friendly."

"He's making a deal with her to sell her image now that she's popular. Posters, t-shirts, that kind of thing."

"Unlicensed?"

"She's a real-life girl named Sakura. There's no law against merchandizing that kind of thing if he's got her permission. I don't know all the details. Anyway, she told him about how you created her game character and he's impressed. So get this, he owns a gallery in downtown Tokyo and he wants to feature your work in two weeks."

"What work is that?"

"You know, your work. The paintings you made. Of me."

"For real?"

Nagatoro showed him her phone screen. A text from Sakura said, "Full steam ahead!" followed by a cute thumbs-up animation.

Senpai's jaw dropped. "In downtown Tokyo? That's huge."

"That's right." She bumped her shoulder into his. "This opportunity could jump start your career. Most artists would give their left nut for a break like this."

Senpai stared at the shimmering water, then up at the sky. He turned to his model. "How do you feel about this?"

Nagatoro adjusted the towel covering her crossed arms. "I think you should do it. Those paintings are awesome and you deserve a chance like this."

He turned back toward the horizon. "I don't think I want to do this. Those paintings are… personal."

"But you may not get another chance like this in your lifetime. Plus, if they sell as well as this producer thinks they will, you'll make a lot of money."

"I don't care. If I work hard and do my best, I can make it another way."

"You deserve this chance."

Senpai crossed his arms, matching the pose of the person beside him. "How do you feel about this, Nagatoro?"

She looked away. "I think it's a great opportunity and you should do it."

"Truth or truth."

"We're not playing that game."

"How do you feel about this? Truth."

She shrugged. "It's a great opportunity and you should do it. Your paintings are awesome."

"Truth."

"Grrrr." Nagatoro gritted her teeth.

"Truth."

She took a deep breath and met his eyes. "I don't like it. Those paintings are special. They're personal. Between me and you." She glanced down. "In a professional way, of course."

"Of course." He nodded. "That's why I'm not going to do it."

"But…"

He clenched his fists. "I don't care, so stop talking about it. You're not going to change my mind."

Nagatoro sat silently for a moment. "I understand, Senpai. I'll let Sakura know." When she straightened her posture, the towel slid off her shoulders. When she rose, the other towel slid off her legs onto the ground, exposing the entirety of her one-piece. A sly smile lit up her face. "Come on. Let's swim."

"But you said…" He pushed his glasses up his nose. "And I don't have…"

Nagatoro pulled the gym bag out from under the bench, unzipped it, and handed him a familiar pair of swim trunks. "You never know when a set of these might come in handy." She pulled her arms through the straps of her one-piece, pushed the stretchy fabric down her body to her ankles, and raised her knee to dump the garment dangling from her foot on the bench.

Senpai blinked a few times before moving his hands to his shirt buttons.

Nagatoro cleared her throat and pointed to the cement building at the other end of the enclosure. "Men's locker room."

He nodded. "Right."

She skipped away and dove into the pool.

Author's Notes: Another Thursday, another post. "But SK," you say, "it's only Wednesday." Maybe so where you live, but it's Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand right now. I don't live there either, but I figure as long as it's Thursday in some part of the world, I'm good to post. Thanks as always for the kind words and feedback. Feel free to PM me here at FFN and sometimes I'm on Discord (Suzuki Kawasaki#3133). See you next Thursday! — SK