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Celebrity

It was Saturday morning. Nagatoro hopped out of bed, stretched her limbs, and unrolled three paintings of a beautiful naked girl on her mattress before shedding her pajamas to join them.

Should we add another painting to this collection? She smiled. Definitely—and soon. We need one of me posing outside.

She grabbed her phone, sat cross-legged on the floor, and leaned back against her bed. She considered texting Sakura to tell her that she and Senpai had decided not to display his pictures at the producer's gallery but she felt a bit guilty. Her friend went way out of her way to make this amazing opportunity happen. She deserved an explanation.

A phone call wasn't sufficient, and it wasn't necessary. The weekend had arrived and Nagatoro, Gamo-Chan, Yoshi, and Sakura had plans to take a one hour train trip to Yokohama to shop, have lunch, and maybe see a movie. She'd tell her in person.

Nagatoro studied the paintings. Although they accurately depicted her in her natural form, they conveyed so much more. Senpai put a part of himself in this art too. But she wasn't quite ready for all of Japan to see her naked, no matter how profound the display.

She rolled up the paintings, slid them under her bed, and got dressed. The forecast predicted a brisk winds and intermittent drizzle, so she wore sneakers, blue jeans, and her hooded Kazahaya High School sweat jacket.

She met her friends at the station at 10 AM, and the four of them bought round-trip tickets. Game-chan and Yoshi also dressed sensibly in their navy high school jackets.

Sakura took a more fashionable approach. She wore a red hat, a beige jacket, and a white blouse. Her patterned skirt ran to mid-thigh where, after a patch of skin, knee-high socks plunged into her boots. A scarf completed the picture. The usual number of guys glanced in her direction, but Nagatoro didn't peg any of them as Spatter Battle players.

A twinge of jealousy stirred within as she observed the impressive mounds that graced her friend's chest, but she felt no animosity. Sakura knew she had a lot going on and didn't have any qualms about making the most of it. Her genuine approach to the matter made her a very hard girl to dislike.

Sakura made no effort to ask Nagatoro about her gallery decision but remained circumspect, especially with Gamo-Chan and Yoshi around, which made sense. Both girls shared secrets they wanted kept secret.

As Nagatoro gazed out the window at the passing scene, she thought about the fun she had at the pool the previous night. Senpai was such an easy target to sneak up on and dunk. When it came to swimming, he resembled a log more than a fish. She put her hand to her mouth to cover a smile, but it was too late.

"What's Paisen doing today?" Game-chan asked with that coy, knowing smirk.

"He's heading to the cliffs with his drawing pad to scout out secluded locations." Nagatoro clenched her teeth. She hadn't meant for the word "secluded" to slip out.

"Secluded for what?" Gamo teased.

Nagatoro's face flushed.

Sakura stepped in. "He's probably drawing trees, clouds, and a sunset. You know that guy."

"I used to think so," Gamo said. "But I'm not so sure anymore."

They got off the train and walked through Isezaki Mall where seven city blocks of storefronts lined a street made exclusive to pedestrian traffic. A drizzle inspired Nagatoro, Gamo-chan, and Yoshi to put on their hoods. Nagatoro couldn't help but notice how Sakura's three companions looked exactly like an entourage. Maybe even her bodyguards.

It didn't take long for their celebrity friend to get her first hit.

"Holy shit," a guy said, wide-eyed. "It's Princess Sakura."

Sakura smiled and waved.

The guy walked up to them. "Could I please get a selfie with you? Nobody's going to believe this."

Her gracious smile blended with her bubbly voice. "Sure."

The guy stood beside her and extended an arm holding his cell phone.

"Help him out." Gamo-chan nudged Yoshi. "She's a really good photographer."

"Okay." He handed Yoshi the phone.

"Smile." She snapped a series of pictures of the beaming fan standing next to Princess Sakura, who wore a sweet smile of her own.

"Must be nice," Gamo-chan said as the guy hustled away, whooping.

"I'm not going to lie and tell you I'm not having fun," Sakura said. "But I'm also not going to forget what Mr. Kawasaki told me. This isn't going to last. So I'm having fun with it while I can." She winked at Nagatoro.

"It's fine," Gamo-chan said. "Enjoy your fame."

"Idol," Yoshi chirped.

The girls visited a clothing outlet, a candy stand, a bath shop, an anime emporium, and other random stores. Every now and then, Sakura got attention—from a wave, to a name call, to flat-out cheering and applause. "Princess Sakura!" Lots of guys, and even a handful of girls, wanted selfies with her.

Accepting their roles as members of celebrity Sakura's entourage, Gamo-chan, Yoshi, and Nagatoro played along. Yoshi provided photography services when needed.

"Hey, your highness," Gamo quipped. "What do you say we get some lunch?"

The girls chose a top-rated restaurant in Chinatown. The instant the four of them reached the greeter's podium, a group of four guys seated at a nearby table lost their minds. They jumped out of their chairs and rushed to the entrance.

"Princess Sakura," Guy One said. "We can't believe it's really you."

"We're a Splatter Battle team," Guy Two said. "We call ourselves S-Force, and we use your Monarch avatar for all our games. Well, nearly all."

Sakura feigned disappointment. "Nearly all?"

"Toshi here has his own peculiar tastes," said Guy Three, motioning to the fourth teammate, a shorter guy with bushy hair and thick glasses.

"Can we get a picture with you?"

Sakura smiled. "Sure."

Three of the guys moved into position next to Sakura, but the fourth guy, Toshi, remained planted with his mouth agape, his attention fixed on Nagatoro, who had just pulled off her hood and tossed her hair back over her shoulders.

"Oh my god." Toshi pointed. "Princess Nagatoro."

His three teammates turned their heads.

"Holy shit," Guy One said. "You're right."

"I can't believe she's here too," Guy Three said.

Nagatoro took a step back. "What are you talking about?"

Guy One said, "Toshi's crazy over your avatar. He picks you as the Monarch every single time he takes the captain role."

"Yeah," said Guy Two. "And you should see it. He takes the game mod to its limit."

Guy Three added, "He always does you up in gold. Gold tiara, gold earrings, gold braids, gold wrist and ankle bracelets. He even gives you a gold belly button ornament."

Sakura chuckled. "Which gown?"

The guys looked down at their feet. Guy One stammered a reply. "Well, um…"

"Here's how Toshi puts it." Guy Two raised the pitch of his voice in an attempt to mimic his friend. "Princess Nagatoro's regal splendor is far too elegant to obscure with clothing." Then, reverting to his normal voice, he added, "Isn't that right, Tee?"

"Yeah." Guy Three tried his hand at mimicking. "It's a crime to cover perfection."

Toshi stood wide-eyed and frozen, his cheeks glowing redder than an emergency beacon.

Guy two slapped Toshi on the back. "Don't mind us. We're just toying with him, Miss Nagatoro. He knows we love him."

"Nobody handles a gattling spray gun as well as this guy."

"He's just a little star-struck right now."

"Would you please take a picture with him, Miss Nagatoro? It would make his day."

Nagatoro looked at Sakurua, who shrugged and said, "I honestly have no idea what's going on."

"I'm not sure I am who you think I am." Nagatoro hugged herself.

"Please, Princess Nagatoro."

Nagatoro studied Toshi. His height nearly matched hers—he was maybe an inch taller thanks to a mop of messy dark hair. His glasses magnified twitchy eyes that seemed close to tears.

It reminded her of someone she knew.

"I'd be honored." She put her arm around Toshi, pulled him into her side, and flashed a bright smile. All of his teammates took pictures.

For the next ten minutes, shots featuring different configurations of Monarchs, players, and group members followed. Sakura wrote down their team name and promised to look them up.

The four girls took a seat at a private back booth. Sakura pulled out her phone and navigated to the Splatter Battle statistics site. She flipped past Top Ranked Teams, High Scores, and Top Ranked Painters until she got to the Top DLC's listing. Princess Sakura topped the list by a healthy margin. Princess Nagatoro ranked number nine with a very respectable download count of her own.

"What the hell?" Nagatoro's eyes widened.

"It's not my fault." Sakura held up her palms. "I swear I know nothing about this."

"Then how…?"

Sakura's look of shock slowly morphed into a grin. "You're the one who uploaded your character data to the Gaming Club laptop. What did you think was going to happen?"

"I forgot to delete—"

"I know, right? I forgot all about that too." Sakura turned her raised palms skyward. "Oh, well. But did you see that guy? Talk about a raving fan."

Nagatoro's cheeks reddened. "He dressed me in… gold?"

Sakura rested her hand on her friend's shoulder. "He's right, you know. You really do give off an elegant vibe..." She playfully raised the pitch of her voice to mimic Toshi. "...when your body's not obscured by clothing." A sweet giggle followed.

"I should have known Paisen made a figure of you too." Gamo crossed her arms. "Princess Nagatoro." A sly smile formed on her lips. "Done up in fine gold jewelry."

"And nuthin' else," Yoshi added.

Nagatoro's three friends laughed.

"Hey," Gamo-chan said. "Let me see this avatar."

Sakura did an image search for Splatter Battle Princess Nagatoro, and, sure enough, a page full of images appeared, most of them discreet. She texted Gamo the link.

Everyone enjoyed their dishes. After lunch, the girls checked out the Sky Garden observation deck and the Cup Noodles museum.

"Come on," Sakura teased. "Keep that hood off." She playfully tugged Nagatoro's hoodie back off her head. "Don't hide that cute smile from your subjects."

Nagatoro sighed. "All right."

Though Sakura got the majority of attention, a surprising percentage of Splatter Battle fans recognized Princess Nagatoro as well, and they asked for selfies. Many relished the treat of having their picture taken with both princesses.

On the train ride home, Sakura sat next to Nagatoro. "You know," Sakura said. "Your celebrity status could give Senpai-kun's show a huge boost."

"About that," Nagatoro replied, frowning.

Sakura raised her hand. "No decisions yet. You've had a crazy day. I insist you take some time to mull it over. Mr. K won't have your contract ready till Friday."

"Okay."

Author's Notes: The story is winding down. Just a few more chapters. The cool thing about fan fiction is you can bring your story to a conclusion, write a new title page, and start again like nothing happened. Nanashi doesn't have that option. I'm amazed how he keeps things going. A big thanks to m7 for the regular feedback. I'm Mr. K the producer, and I've got a cameo role in the story for you too. Something to look forward to. Thanks again, everyone. See you next Thursday! — SK