A/N: Hi everyone! Just wanted to thank you for the feedback I received for my last two chapters, very grateful for the positive response.
This story will only have one or two more chapters left, depending on how condensed I make the chapters.
My next story will be a bit more melodramatic in terms of overall tone and plot, but hopefully still enjoyable.
Also, just want to preface this and say I'm solely Naotoro ship. I like the other characters, just not for Chadpai.
And with that, hope you enjoy!
A depraved smile manifested on Senpai's lips, his head filled with daydreams of promiscuity.
Not that he intended this, his mind tended to act on its own.
An 'overactive imagination' was putting it lightly, as he dreamt up numerous situations he and his kouhai may find themselves in tonight.
Shopping with her did prove one thing though, he didn't mind the pastime as much as he thought he did.
Nagatoro looked really pretty in her dress… tonight, we may end up…
He hugged himself in immorality, before hearing the entrance open.
"We could feel your lewd energy from here, Senpai." Nagatoro remarked as she and Sakura walked in, effectively pulling Naoto back to reality.
"Senpai-kun, how is it possible to emit so much sexual energy?"
He frantically grabbed his stencil and pressed it against his easel to feign his usual activity.
"Tha-that's not a thing!"
"So you don't deny being lewd then?" Nagatoro prodded, causing Senpai to drop his head in defeat.
A classic ploy, one that Senpai should've been keenly aware of but fell for every time.
"…Aren't you supposed to be getting ready?" He diverted, checking his wristwatch for the time.
4:30 PM, only three and a half hours left until the dance.
"You think I'd spend hours getting ready for you, Senpai? You're lucky I'm going with you at all." She teased while unzipping her backpack.
"Don't worry Senpai-kun~, Toro-chan is going to look beautiful by the time I'm done with her." The gyaru smiled, holding various makeup palettes and brushes.
"These are for you." Nagatoro grinned, handing over a couple items to him. A red vest along with a red bowtie; his face lit up at the implication.
"You… went with my choice? But your friends didn't approve of that one…"
"It's not about what they want." She curtly replied, turning back to the entrance.
"Be at my house by 7 PM sharp!" She commanded, giving one last smile.
"Don't be late, Senpai-kun~." Sakura waved before grabbing Nagatoro's wrist and leading her away.
With that, they were both gone, leaving Naoto in his solitude once again.
He began packing up his things, his mind imagining different hairstyles his kouhai may sport for the evening. Before he continued however, he felt a vibration in his left pocket.
Checking his phone, he saw 8 'perv' cat stamps, before an actual message:
"Lewd energy detected! Go home and get ready, pervy Senpai!"
"It's not about what they want."
A feeling of contentment permeated through his being from those words.
Seeing where they were now, he would've never guessed he'd reach this point with Nagatoro. It seemed impossible, given how they first met.
As much as he wanted to move forward, their initial encounter did somewhat scar him.
He'd never met such a sadistic person in his life.
She bullied him into tears, not only making fun of him, but his livelihood.
He remembered failing a quiz in social studies the next day, a quiz that would've been easy had he been in the right mindset.
He generally didn't do the best on quizzes, but he did well enough to at least pass.
That night was long, he recalled. He estimated he only slept for 3 hours; the rest of the time spent wrestling with echoes of Nagatoro's harassment.
Against his better judgement however, he couldn't bring himself to hate her for it. Even when he found that she only treated him like that.
A question formed in his mind after seeing that.
Why me…?
Solving that question was difficult, as Naoto first thought it was because he was an easy target. It had been like that his whole life, after all.
Over time, however, that answer proved to be insufficient. He had endured many versions of harassment and quickly adopted coping mechanisms to impede it.
But, Nagatoro's was different.
Hers was thorough.
She dismantled his hobby to its bare elements, effectively ridiculing each piece of it. She devoted time and energy to embarrass him, something past bullies never did.
That's why hers was different.
Yet, she agreed to attend the dance with him.
As his date, no less.
It baffled him; was she willing to take embarrassing him so far that she'd risk her own reputation? Did her sadistic tendencies really reach that point?
He had seen her embarrassed, quite often in fact. But, he'd also seen how satisfying it was for her to toy with him.
So, which feeling triumphed in the end? The risk of humiliation or the gratification of teasing him? He wasn't sure.
Regardless, he decided that Nagatoro is accompanying him in good will, though…
A lingering doubt persisted in his mind.
"Hachioji."
An authoritative voice called out to Senpai, jolting him back to his senses.
Turning around, he saw the president, Gamo-chan and Yoshi.
"Sup, Paisen?"
"Sup!"
A shocked expression adorned his face as he stared at the three.
W-why are they here?!
"Wh- what are you three doing here?! This isn't even your path home!" He stammered, wondering what elaborate prank awaited him this time.
"Your knowledge of our home routes aside, we've come to help you." The president folded her arms, amplifying her already ample chest.
Senpai decided to forgo asking why she was dressed in her bunny costume, thinking it was another 'artistic oppression' thing.
"We're going to make you a little more tolerable, Paisen." Gamo sneered as she pulled out clippers and a comb.
"Tolerable!"
"Wait, w-wait! I don't understand why the three of you are together. President, shouldn't you be studying? You have entrance exams coming up!"
"Silence, Hachioji. The cat girls approached me requesting my aid in this matter. Turning you into a passable member of society, how could I refuse? This may be my greatest artistic obstacle yet!"
She held her fist up at the last sentence, only for Gamo and Yoshi to snicker.
"You heard her. You should be grateful we're helping you get ready."
"Appreciate it!"
Naoto was left speechless, trying to find the words to reject them, but to no avail.
As he approached his gate, a thought dawned on him.
My parents aren't home… and these three…
He turned back to look at his companions, hoping that this excuse would at least deter the president.
"My pa-parents aren't home, I th-think we should just call this off…"
Gamo-chan only tilted her head, smiling deviously at his ploy.
"Ah I see, I see. Maybe we should go to my house instead?"
His breath hitched at that suggestion; what horrors awaited him at the Maki household? In any event, he'd much rather take his chances at his house.
"M-maybe not…" His lips quivered as he slowly opened the gate to his residence.
"The pursuit of art is an arduous one. You'd do well to steel yourself moving forward." Sana lectured, only causing a sweat drop to form on his brow.
You're missing the point here…
"Wow Paisen, your room is a lot cleaner than I would've thought."
"Tidy Senpai!"
"It's more minimalistic than I expected as well."
Naoto's hands cupped his head in utter bewilderment,
How did this happen…? I've never had this many people in my room before… let alone g-girls… and minimalistic?
He turned his attention to spy what the three were doing:
Gamo-chan had been perusing his bookshelf, meticulously reading the bindings of each paperback.
Yoshi occupied herself with a goldfish he had won at the summer festival, and the president was scrutinizing previous works Senpai had drawn.
He wondered what prompted a visit to his room in the first place but knew asking wouldn't yield any sensible answers.
"Found one!" Yoshi called, pulling a book from behind the dresser. Gamo swiftly moved to identify the paperback.
"Succubus Hotel?" She read aloud, smiling as she exposed the cover to Naoto.
"Looks like you're not the herbivore I thought you were, Paisen."
"Carnivore!" Yoshi pointed.
Naoto's forehead began to sweat, he didn't think Yoshi would find that book so easily.
"Th-that book characterizes the unique artistic expression of Azuso Hikegama, a manga artist who has been gaining tremendous popularity in the artistic world. Hikegama's works are regarded as legendary, and Succubus Hotel is the culmination of all his creative aspects in one work!"
Gamo and Yoshi were distracted flipping through the pages as they revealed a scene where a girl had accidentally fallen asleep naked next to the MC.
"'Legendary', I'm sure." Maki sneered.
"That is correct, Hikegama's works are indeed a staple in modern, conventional art. Many mangaka aspirants seek tutelage under him due to his unconventional way of expressing creativity and originality." The president interjected, nodding her head in affirmation.
Gamo and Yoshi slowly lost steam as their conniving smiles gradually disappeared. With a snap of the book, the martial artist sighed.
"I guess you're off the hook then, Paisen." She stated defeatedly as she returned the book, before turning with her trademark smirk.
"I won't ask why several of these pages are stuck together."
Naoto's eyes widened as Gamo glinted at him one last time, before Sana headed for the door.
"Let us begin our transformation of Hachioji, we will need ample time to complete this task."
The other two nodded in agreement, while Naoto froze in place.
What have I agreed to…?
"Wow, you look stunning Toro-chan."
"You think? I feel like this shade is a little off."
"I think it goes perfectly; it contrasts well with the dress."
As the two stared in the mirror, they both couldn't help but smile. Sakura had finished Nagatoro's contour and was now beginning her own.
It was surprising how quickly she was able to do her makeup, Hayase estimated that only 35 minutes had passed.
The clock read 6:42 PM, Nagatoro quickly got up to check outside her window.
No sign of him yet…
"Didn't we tell him to be here by 7?" Sakura recalled while applying her eyeliner.
"Just want to make sure he didn't get lost or anything, Senpai can be so hopeless."
"Mhmm~" She replied in response.
Sakura watched Hayase in the mirror, a grin hadn't left the swimmer's face since leaving the art room. It even made applying her lipstick a bit of a challenge.
"You know, he would probably text you if he did."
"True…"
Nagatoro hadn't mentioned it, but she had already sent him 3 messages that received no response. Granted, they were just stamp messages, but he typically would reply to those all the same.
She chalked it off to him still getting ready, but she couldn't shake a creeping thought.
What if… he's backing out?
A tinge of uncertainty, Nagatoro shook her head to rid herself of it. Yet… it continued to persist.
After all, dancing was very uncharacteristic of him.
But he was the one who asked her, so that had to count for something… right?
Usually, their hangouts had always been initiated by her. She could count on one hand how many times he initiated, so that should've offered some reassurance.
Yet, she couldn't help but consider it. Slowly, her grin had been replaced with a look of contemplation. Why couldn't she shake this feeling of insecurity?
"Why don't you get mad, Senpai? I've done some really awful things to you."
"Yeah… you're right."
Her eyes slightly widened at the intrusive memory, a slight tug in her heart further rid her smile.
Right… that's right. I've done some awful things to Senpai.
Hayase sat on her bed as she continued to ponder.
Did I guilt Senpai into asking me? Is that why I feel this way?
It was 6:55 PM now, she looked out her window once again.
Still no sign of him.
Sakura was now finishing up her makeup, while Nagatoro gripped the bed comforter out of slight despondency.
"He'll be here, Toro-chan. You know how much it took for Senpai-kun to ask you."
Her grin reappeared on her face; Sakura was right.
She did know how much effort it took for him to ask her, and he wouldn't forgo that unless he had an excellent reason.
As if on cue, the doorbell rang, urging Nagatoro to her feet.
She rushed downstairs and opened the door, revealing a dolled up Gamo-chan and Yoshi.
"Hayacchiii, sup?"
"Sup!" Yoshi followed.
The swimmer couldn't hide her disappointment upon seeing those two. Gamo sniggered at the expected reaction.
"Oh, I was expecting Senpai…"
"Don't look so disappointed." She sneered, prompting Yoshi to drum roll.
"He's no longer Paisen, but Paisen 2.0!"
"Upgraded!"
As the two made their announcement, they sidestepped away, revealing a red-vested 17-year-old, dressed in a black tux with designer shoes and Rolex watch.
Hayase deadpanned at the new hairstyle Naoto was sporting; a crew cut that had only tapered down his sides and the back of his neck.
Senpai only stood quiet, uncertain of how he should look during his junior's inspection.
They had warned him to maintain composure during the first look, but nothing could've prepared him for this.
They both stood, quietly observing each other until Nagatoro walked up, and immediately jumbled her hands through his hair, ruining the crew cut completely.
It was a sudden act that even shocked Gamo-chan.
"That hairstyle makes you look extra gross, Senpai!" She said as she continued returning his hair to its normal state.
"Na-Nagatoro! St-stop it!"
"Gross! Gross! Gross!"
After a few more minutes, the deed had finished.
Naoto looked on as he dropped his posture and temporary confidence.
"There, now you're right below the level of grossness."
"Gee… thanks…"
"Oh, Senpai-kun is here. Hi Senpai-kun!" Sakura smiled as she walked outside.
Naoto awkwardly waved while replying with 's-sup?'
Gamo only shook her head at Senpai's now messed up crew cut.
"Wow, the president called it." Gamo noted, clutching her handbag to pull out her lipstick.
"You were with the president?" Nagatoro questioned.
"Yeah, we all went to his house."
An immediate tension spread throughout the surrounding proximity.
Wafts of intangible energy began circulating around them, Nagatoro at its core. The rest of the group felt a pressure strong enough to bring them to their knees, while Hayase turned to look at Gamo.
"You… went to Senpai's house…?" The pressure exponentially increased, effectively binding Yoshi to her position.
"C-calm down Hayacchi, we only helped him get ready." Gamo waved her hand to diffuse the situation.
"Get… ready?"
Her aura spiked to the whole neighborhood, prompting Gamo, Yoshi, and Sakura to run.
"I forgot I left something at my place, see you at the dance!" Was all that was heard as the friends distanced themselves.
Who knew they'd all go with the same excuse…?
"Is that true… Senpai…?"
His focus recentered on his kouhai, noticing that her eyes now took on its hollow state.
It took everything Naoto had to withstand it, forcing himself to give an answer.
"Y-yeah, they helped me prepare so I c-could be ready for y-you." He muttered, which quelled Hayase's aura, if only temporarily.
What pressure… Naoto thought as he continued staring at his date, who had grown uncannily silent.
"Let's go then."
The walk over was quieter than he expected; he knew she was bothered but he didn't feel personally responsible. Her friends forced him to cooperate after all.
"Senpai."
Naoto quickly adjusted his glasses, "W-what…?"
"Did you do anything lewd with them?"
"I t-told you they j-just helped me in getting ready…"
"Getting ready for a nude exhibit you're participating in by modeling for you?"
"W-what are you saying?!"
"I just figured since you're so pervy that you had to have done something!"
"I'm n-not pervy! And we didn't d-do anything!"
A grin broke out on her face.
"Poor Senpai, three girls at his house and still couldn't seal the deal. I'm surprised your virgin genes were able to handle it."
"V-virgin genes? Th-that's not even a thing!"
"Ahahaha! It's okay Senpai, maybe I'll come over tonight."
"You're just teasing me again…"
"'Who knows…?' Ahahaha! Did you like my impression of you? I know I got the gloominess down just right."
Naoto only bit down in irritation, but was also somewhat relieved Nagatoro was back to normal. It was perfect timing, since they now stood in front of the school.
Multitudes of people were lined up outside the gymnasium, teachers were scattered along the school grounds to supervise and monitor student conduct.
"Let's get in line, Senpai!" Nagatoro shouted as she began pulling Naoto by the hand.
A/N: And that's it for this chapter! As usual, I'll be updating within the week. Thanks!
