A/N: Hey guys, once again sorry for the delay. This is another long chapter, so I ended up taking longer to edit and proofread. This is also the final chapter, so I'll be moving on to my next installment.

I'm debating if I should keep posting stories under this one fanfic installment, or start a new one to keep the tone separate, because I realize these aren't really "short stories" but stand-alones lol. Anyways, let me know what y'all think. Thanks!


Naoto wasn't sure how they ended up in this situation, he wasn't even sure why he continued it.

Why did he hide Nagatoro in his closet? Surely it was nothing more than a panicked impulse, spurred by the compromising position they were just in moments ago. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling there was something more to it.

As he sat on his bed, he stared pensively at his monitor.

His mom was understanding to a fault, almost to the point where he wondered what he couldn't do. Not that he'd ever explore that, taking advantage of his parents' good will was beneath him.

His parents seemed to understand him, truly understand him. They knew that with all the freedom they gave him, he'd only use a small portion of it.

And they were right. As lax as they were, he never exploited it. All of his interests gravitated to indoor activities that kept him out of trouble.

He was a homebody, he enjoyed laying on his bed, reading questionable manga and playing RPGs until he'd realize there were still school assignments he had yet to complete.

Those were his pastimes, and his parents couldn't be happier with them.

But, this was uncharted territory. He never had a girl in his room while his parents were home.

A girl this late, for that matter.

A look of deliberation settled upon his face as he sat on his bed, awaiting his mom's approach.

Was there a reason to hide her? Were the consequences actually worse letting her into the closet…? Most likely.

Before he could process further however, his bedroom door opened.

"You're back early, did you not have a good time at the dance?" His mom asked, a trace of concern lacing her question. Naoto quickly waved off her inquiry.

"Oh no, no… It was pretty fun, actually."

"That's good to hear. Where's your cute little friend?"

The question had a certain tone that cued Naoto to change his plan.

He realized; his mom had already seen Nagatoro's heels in the entryway of the house. A small bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he lied.

"Ah, um, w-we're playing hide and seek." He stated while mentally cringing at his own excuse.

His mom quirked her lips but decided not to press the issue.

"Well don't stay up too late, you still have to walk her home."

"R-right. Are you here for the night?"

"I'm actually flying to Hokkaido in an hour, I just stopped by to pick up a few things."

"Ah…"

"You'll be okay on your own?"

"Yeah, shouldn't be a problem. Also…"

He figured his mom had already seen through his lie, prompting him to ask for permission retroactively.

"Hypothetically speaking…would you mind if a girl was in my room t-this late?"

A loaded question, and one that Ms. Hachioji could easily unpack given the context of their 'hide and seek' game, but she feigned ignorance.

"I trust you, Nao-kun. I would only advise that you take her home soon due to the weather forecast tonight."

Forecast...?

This triggered him to check his phone, searching for his weather app as his mom began to exit the room.

"Let me know if you want me to bring anything back." She called out with a smile, while Naoto uttered a 'sure' in response.

He noticed the chaining thunder cloud icons in his weather app, starting at 11 PM. He grimaced as it was already 10:53.

On average, it took 8 minutes to walk from his house to Nagatoro's. He wondered if that would be the case given his injured ankle and her heels.

"Make sure to lock up when you leave!" Naoto's mom yelled, soon exiting with the 'click' of a lock.

Checking downstairs, Naoto sighed at the confirmed exit. As he made his way back to his room, he felt somewhat guilty for lying in the first place.

Even worse, he could now hear rustling coming from his closet.

He quickly opened the closet to find Nagatoro holding five explicit mangas.

"I FOUND THEM! I FOUND THE LEWD STASH!"

She exclaimed as she held them up in a victory pose.

Naoto gasped as he immediately tried snatching them from her, but to no avail.

Her agility once again outclassed him as he tried to grab her in vain.

This consequence is FAR worse… He thought as he tried to explain himself.

"Those mangas depict rare artistic expressions that lend themselves to traditional techniques that are now solidified as hallmarks among the top illustrators in the world. The central theme of those mangas all denote wholesome lif-"

"Ew, Senpai is rambling again!" She laughed as she made her way to the bed, flipping through some of the pages.

Her face glowered as she eyed some particularly graphic scenes, crookedly smiling at some of the ridiculous events taking place.

"So this is what occupies Senpai's mind all day."

"W-what are you talking about?!" He glanced at the scene she was on, only to turn away in embarrassment.

"The power to see through clothes… The power. To lewd. Is that the ability you want, Senpai? To see people nude in random places?" She asked with her typical grin.

"Don't be r-ridiculous. The main character uses that to reveal concealed weapons or hidden secrets, t-there's nothing lewd about it!"

"Hmmm, sure there isn't." She stated as she flipped some more pages.

He sighed, he should've chanced his mom finding her, because at the rate Nagatoro was reading, she was bound to end up at the X rated scene.

Before she did however, a thunderclap reverberated against Naoto's bedroom window.

They both looked outside to see the accumulating storm clouds and rampant gales that violently rustled the surrounding trees.

Damn it…

"So that's what your mom was talking about." Hayase mentioned as she continued to stare at the brewing storm. It was moments away from actual rainfall.

As the two fell into an awkward silence, Hayase pulled out her phone to text her sister.

Naoto watched as she drafted her message, quietly shifting his gaze to the ground.

He didn't remember how late Nagatoro stayed when he was sick, but he imagined she was probably getting calls from her family during that time. Still, she seemed pretty comfortable being here this late regardless.

As her phone pinged back, Hayase read her sister's message, only to smile awkwardly once more.

"…No one can pick me up right now." She scratched the back of her head.

Naoto partially expected this; his tendency to expect the worst saved him some embarrassment as a light tint decorated his cheeks. The implication was obvious to both of them.

Amidst their uncomfortable silence, the gentle pitter patter of rain filled the room. Senpai scratched the back of his head as his junior looked down meekly.

"Well… we have a guest bedroom across the hall." He muttered; unsure he was making the right assumption. He didn't see any other alternative; making the trek back to her place would've posed too great a risk.

Given both their dispositions however, Nagatoro seemed okay with that prospect. After all, she knew her dominance pervaded even in this situation.

Naoto on the other hand felt his heart drum rapidly.

"You don't want me to stay in your room, Senpai?" Her lips quivered with anticipation as he audibly gasped, averting his eyes with a slight tremble.

Before allowing the panic to set in however, he peered down in thought.

Nagatoro's been toying with me all day… this should throw her off… he darkly smiled.

"Sure. You can sleep in my room." He said with pseudo confidence, smirking arrogantly as he awaited his kouhai's expression.

She grinned in response,

"Sleepover with Senpai!"

His façade crumbled indefinitely; the dread he held at bay soon overtaking him in absolute domination.

"Y-you can't be serious, sleeping in the same room is…"

"Is…?"

"I-is highly inappropriate!"

"As inappropriate as these?" She grinned as she held up his hentai mangas.

"Admit it, Senpai. You just want me in the guest bedroom so you can have your loner sexy time."

"T-that's not true!"

"As your junior, it's my responsibility to keep you on the straight and narrow! I will stay here tonight to make sure you don't lewd it up into the late hours."

"I don't do a-any of t-that!"

"Sure you don't, pervy Senpai!"

He sighed, unsure if he'd even be able to handle full Toro the whole night. Fortunately, he could tell she was already getting sleepy. A slight yawn escaped her lips as she rose to her feet.

An epiphany donned on her as she did, causing her to frown.

"I didn't bring any sleepover stuff."

Naoto looked down in thought, scratching his cheek as he spoke.

"I don't have any girl's clothes…"

"As expected from virgin Senpai. Let the closet search, begin!" She walked back to his closet before being cut off by Naoto himself.

"I-I'll find something for you." He stammered, cracking open his closet door just enough for him alone.

"What other lewd secrets are locked away in there I wonder…?"

"T-There aren't any!" He protested as he tossed her a plain, white t-shirt.

"This should w-work, I haven't worn this in a while."

Hayase inspected the shirt, scanning over the fabric before an immense blush formed on her cheeks once more. She muttered a 'thanks' before heading to the door.

He wondered what the criteria was for embarrassing her, to him this seemed like a normal gesture.

After a few more moments of thought however, he realized the same thing she did.

She's… going to wear one of my shirts… like we're a cou- cou-

"Senpai, where's your bathroom?" She asked, pulling Hachioji from his thoughts.

"Ah… the bathroom is the first door on the right, we have new toothbrushes and toothpaste still in the pack as well."

"Thanks, Senpai!" She exclaimed, following his directions. He heard a small *click* of the bathroom door and the light switch being flipped on. He let out a small sigh.

Guess I'll make my own bed now… He thought to himself as he took out the extra blankets he had in his closet.

He wasn't heartless enough to let Nagatoro sleep on the floor, but something about her sleeping in his bed seemed equally wrong. He wasn't quite sure what, however, but he felt it was similar to whenever they'd share food/drinks.

Plus, the ammo she'd gain from sleeping in his bed would indefinitely fuel her teasing for years to come.

'Senpai's bed is fluffy like his hair!' 'The mattress doesn't offer any support, just like Senpai!' 'So gross! Sleeping in the same bed Senpai sleeps in!' Were just a few imaginative statements he could think of.

Yet, he conceded, knowing she'd chastise him for making his 'poor' kouhai sleep on the floor.

As he finished his makeshift bed, he changed into his sleeping clothes and headed to the bathroom in the master bedroom.

While brushing his teeth, the realization that Nagatoro was sleeping over resurfaced in his mind. The impact of it much more prevalent now that he had a moment of solitude.

He was foolish for not understanding the gravity of it the first time, as he'd rarely communicate with his junior this late into the evening. Now, she'd be staying with him.

In the same room, no less.

Moreover, it was just them. Nagatoro had free reign to unleash her anarchy with little to no repercussion.

Anxiety permeated through his being as he comprehended the enormity of what that meant. It was almost fear inducing, the very same girl that'd come to tease/bully him was now sleeping over.

He wondered if he stayed in his mom's room, what would happen? Could he get away with just pretending to have fallen asleep?

Probably not, she'd discover what he was doing instantly. But that did give him an idea.

He could pretend he was asleep in his room before his kouhai came back. That plan surely had a higher success rate.

At his confirmed proposal, he nodded to himself in silence, slowly making his way back to his room.

As he made it back, he smiled at the empty space; step one of his strategy was now complete.

It was a quiet reassurance that allowed him to calm his nerves before executing the rest of his plan.

Certainly if she saw that he was already asleep, she'd have no choice but to sleep as well... right?

He crawled into the makeshift bed, placing his contact lens and glasses case onto his nightstand.

A small yawn escaped his lips as he laid down, thankful that his actual fatigue will help his idea to fruition. He heard the bathroom door open down the hall, urging him to clear his mind and close his eyes.

A creak sounded from the door, with a small silhouette appearing in the doorway.

She narrowed her eyes at her Senpai, a conniving grin forming on her lips as she drew closer.

"Senpai, I didn't think you'd choose to sleep on the floor." She stated quietly, gauging his reaction.

To her expectation, he was unresponsive. Clearly pretending to be asleep in order to avoid her chaos... he underestimated her.

Slowly, she squeezed herself into the makeshift bed, propping her head up on her hand.

Naoto was silent at her intrusion, only producing small breaths and slight bodily adjustments to get comfortable. She observed him, inching closer and closer as she watched for any signs of reaction.

She knew he was awake; it was only a matter of how she would go about waking him up. Multiple ideas streamed through her head before a metaphorical lightbulb lit above her.

Let's see how resilient you really are, Senpai.

A devious smile formed on her lips as she drew closer to her prey.

Lowering herself, she gently placed her head atop his chest, positioning herself to listen to his heart.

Her grin grew wider hearing its rhythm. A soft thump that drummed every second, she closed her eyes to focus on it.

"I can hear your heartbeat, Senpai. Kimo." She teased quietly, still evoking no response from the second year.

His heartbeat was slow, about 65 beats a minute by Nagatoro's estimate. That surprised her, as usually that low of a heartbeat was reserved for athletes, which Naoto was not.

Though, as she expected, it began to rise. He couldn't maintain his composure much longer as he peeked his eye at what his kouhai was doing.

"N-Nagatoro, get off me." He nervously stated, causing her to grin wider.

"No way. You're my pillow for the night."

She nuzzled into his chest a bit more, slightly tightening her arms around his torso. He winced at the new point of contact, clenching his teeth as he tried to calm himself down.

"Too much for you, virgin Senpai?"

"I-It's not that it's too much, this is just something only c-couples do...you and I a-aren't like that..."

Her smile instantly fell, replaced with a fervent expression that only furthered Naoto's anxiety.

"Senpai." She called out solemnly.

"W-what…?"

His attention refocused on her as she hesitated in replying.

She wasn't sure what she wanted to say next, an indescribable feeling had knotted in her chest as she deeply frowned.

"You're being gross."

She moved off his chest, scooting away to the far end of the bed. It always bothered her whenever he said that, but this time felt especially annoying.

"...Goodnight, Senpai. I had a lot of fun tonight."

She stated flatly, her tone devoid of any playfulness as she turned to hide her face.

Naoto noticed her change in mood, quirking his lips as his inexperience rendered him useless in the current situation.

He couldn't bring himself to reply, only staring at the back of her head as she readjusted to a more comfortable position.

Honestly, even sleeping in the same bed was torture as he noted their proximity.

The fact that she willingly chose the makeshift bed as opposed to his normal one confused him, as he was so certain she'd complain. He guessed she only did it as part of her plan, but what reason did she have now...?

Moreover, why was she upset about Naoto's statement? It was the truth, wasn't it?

The more he pondered, the more questions arose as he silently deliberated in the darkness; he was used to this however, questioning his kouhai's words and actions, as often times they contradicted each other.

Nagatoro was simply an enigma, pelting him with insults and teases every day yet continuously hung around him. He disliked his inexperience in dealing with her, but at the same time she wasn't someone a person could easily understand.

As he stared blankly, he found himself feeling slightly guilty. He liked Nagatoro, but his fear and insecurity drove him to continuously doubt her signs.

He never had a girlfriend, nor anyone he dated in the past. Combined with a low self-esteem, he always convinced himself Nagatoro truly was out of his league, even with said person sharing the bed with him.

Moreover, it didn't help she called him every name in the book; that was all that filled his thoughts now.

It wouldn't be smart to get my hopes up ag-

A thunderclap reverberated against the windowpane once more, yet Hachioji couldn't help but freeze at the sudden vision.

A dark silhouette of a man simultaneously appeared in tandem with the flash of lightning; even without his glasses, Naoto was convinced that's what he saw. Very few things could emulate that naturally.

Instinctively, he turned to his right and held Nagatoro in cradle-like fashion, protecting her from the oncoming incursion.

"…Senp-"

"Shh." He sharply whispered.

With eyes shut tight, he waited, his breathing more laborious as his mind began to frenzy. He wasn't sure what to do in this situation, the only thing that came instinctively was the act of protection.

Yet, as he waited, a new apprehension formed in his mind as he hesitantly scanned the room.

His surroundings were quiet, with no indication of a break-in or even lock-picking.

Nothing…?

Still holding Hayase, he turned more, fully inspecting his environment while a creeping sense of doubt inched into his mind.

Oh no…

At the realization of his current action, he noticed Nagatoro now blushing immensely with a twisted smile on her face. He had inadvertently spooned her without thinking, quickly peeling away as he held his hand up in defense.

"N-Nagatoro, I thought I s-s-saw a-"

"You sure got a lot of nerve, Senpai. Spooning me out of nowhere like that, who do you think you are? Gross! Gross! Gross!" She noodled him into oblivion as he tried to explain in between breaths.

"N-no, listen! I thought I saw someone trying to break in!"

She halted her onslaught, seemingly willing to listen to his explanation.

"What?"

"I saw a man! H-he appeared in the window when the lightning struck."

A flash of worry broke across her face, slowly sitting up to see her surroundings better. Between the two of them, Nagatoro had the better fighting prowess against the would-be intruder.

She quietly neared the window, immediately identifying the culprit.

Her hand flew up to her face as she held in a laugh, eyes falling back down to Naoto as she donned a mischievous smile.

"Say… Senpai. What did the man look like…?"

"Huh? Well… I mean I only saw his shadow, but from what I could tell he looked strong, and pretty tall…"

"Oh really…? Aha… I mean, yeah, I guess he would be…"

She could no longer contain her laughter as she yanked the action figure from the windowsill,

"If he was actually real! Ahahahaha!"

In her hand was Naoto's action figure, Might All, a blonde superhero who boasted incredible power and speed, while sporting a red and blue suit with white trimmings.

Senpai immediately deadpanned as he stared at her with incredulity, which escalated Nagatoro's enjoyment.

"Ahahaha! Did this scare you? The shadow of an action figure? Ahahaha! Well, don't worry Senpai, for I am here! Ahahahaha!"

He immediately turned away from her and bundled himself in multiple blankets, cocooning himself to evolve away his embarrassment.

I set myself up…

While in his brooding, he saw Nagatoro slowly move the action figure into his line of sight, roleplaying with him.

"Hello creepy citizen, are you in need of help?I, Might All, will lend you a hand! Ahahaha!"

Nagatoro put the figure back amidst her laughter, slowly moving closer to Naoto, who was now completely bundled.

"I'm just kidding, Senpai, you can come out now."

"You're just g-going to make fun of me."

"I've already gotten it out of my system! No more, I promise!"

He slowly unbundled himself as he looked at Nagatoro, who was now imitating a superhero pose.

"Pervy and gross citizens alike, I will be there to help anyone in need! LEWD ULTRA! Ahahahaha!"

She clapped her hands in delight as Naoto re-bundled himself, causing her tone down her laughter.

"Okay, okay I'm done! C'mon Senpai, time to come out."

He peeked his eye to confirm she wasn't lying this time, and slowly unraveled the blankets. He hadn't noticed until now that Nagatoro had removed her hairclips, putting her bangs on full display. A slight blush formed at the new appearance.

"At first, I thought you only said that as an excuse to cuddle me, but then I realized, this is Senpai we're talking about! He would get scared of an action figure's shadow! Don't worry, you're fearless kouhai will protect you."

He scowled as she laid back next to him, now thinking he should probably move the figure to prevent another incident.

Amidst that thought, he noticed Nagatoro hadn't taken her eyes off him, causing a slight eye twitch.

"W-what…?"

"Your face is just funny to look at."

Another scowl formed on his lips,

"Shut up."

"You know, Senpai, you being big spoon is way too gross. Who knows all the lewd things running through your mind while in that position."

"It w-wasn't like that! I only did that so I could p-protect you…"

That statement came out grosser than he wanted it too, having the impact on Nagatoro that he expected. Her lips once again formed a warped smile as she averted her eyes.

"Well, too bad it was just a reflex! No way a virgin like you did that intentionally. Not like you even could! Ahaha!"

She laid out her trap once more, gauging his expression in hopes that it'd be favorable.

Scratching his cheek, he conceded,

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"Do it, Senpai."

Her sudden tone shift caught him off guard as he looked at her with mouth agape.

"W-what are you saying?"

"I want you to spoon me."

"You're just teasing me again."

"Maybe." She replied tersely, turning her back to him once again as she emphasized her head hitting the pillow.

His heart raced at that proposal, watching her with keen eyes as he slowly inched towards her.

They were so close yet felt miles apart in this instant. Naoto could feel time slow down around him as his senses kicked into overdrive and started making his pursuit of her an arduous one.

Slowly however, he felt Hayase's body heat, closing the distance between them and soon entering her space. He coiled his arm around her waist yet maintained a reasonable amount of room between their bodies.

Nagatoro sneered back at him, completely shattering the little space he created by scooting back into him.

"Not bad for your virgin self, Senpai."

The first thing he noticed was her scent. A smell of vanilla and cherries, he remembered the small bottle of lotion she kept in her clutch, along with her red nail polish.

But the most impactful stimulus was her body. She was fully against him now, with little room to adjust for comfort. He recoiled slightly; spooning was a completely foreign concept.

"Senpai is spooning me, sooooo gross!"

"I can back away if you wa-"

"Well, I guess it can't be helped! I'll indulge your desire to protect me, just this once."

She nuzzled into him more, enjoying the shared warmth under the covers. Naoto only averted his eyes, slowly calming his nerves as he relaxed into the position.

He'd never thought tonight's events would lead to this, but every day with Nagatoro was an unpredictable one. At the very least, his expectations were tempered with that unpredictability.

This however, was outside those expectations; physical intimacy was the last thing he'd expect them to be doing.

Yet, he found himself enjoying this more than he thought he would.

A rainy night with his muse, there were worse things. Even more so, he surprised himself that he was able to initiate this. A year ago, he couldn't even touch Nagatoro's hair, deathly afraid of any type of interaction with the female species.

Now, they shared a bed and body heat. He attributed his resilience to the constant provocation done by the Toro clan, gradually abating his nerves for this very moment.

Not to mislead, Naoto's heart had undergone a flurry of emotions tonight, all of which impacted him just as deeply as the last. But he persisted, testing the boundaries that Nagatoro set as he worked past his own.

Boundaries that still echoed in his mind this very second. He knew it'd take him awhile to work past his own insecurities, as some were presented in emotional scars that derived from past trauma.

He was glad that Nagatoro was strong, both physically and emotionally; she was an effective role model in some sorts.

The way she carried herself, her confidence, her drive, all those spurred Naoto's own motivation to be better, to be someone she could idolize.

Granted, he was already her Senpai, but he never felt like her true senior. Definitely not with the way their interactions usually went.

He smiled, inadvertently pulling Nagatoro a bit closer as he maintained his line of thinking.

Maybe… one day. Nagatoro could look up to m-

"Eww, Senpai is so horny, pressing against me like that."

He sighed.

Nevermind…

"I had a lot of fun tonight though, Senpai. Watching you dance, you're not as wriggly as I thought."

A small smile formed on her lips.

"You're even more wriggly! Ahaha."

Naoto scowled once more before Hayase continued.

"Sato ghosted so fast too; I'd be embarrassed if I were him."

"Well… He wasn't that bad, actually."

"Yeah, but compared to you, his performance looked sad."

"I-I'm just glad things worked out, I was worried about embarrassing you."

Hayase looked down at that last part.

"…You shouldn't worry about that." She stated meekly, turning her head enough to make eye contact.

He slightly gulped at her gaze, before averting his eyes once more.

"R-right."

*smooch*

Naoto's eyes widened at the sudden action. A quick kiss on the cheek, Hayase instantly turned her face away from him before he had any time to react. Their cheeks burned red as Naoto touched the area she kissed.

"Goodnight horny Senpai! Try not to hump me while I sleep!"

"D-d-don't be ridiculous!"


The patter of rain carried through into the morning as Nagatoro slowly arose from the makeshift bed. Her hair messy, with a string of drool streaming down the corner of her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she slept this well.

Though, a small panic set in as she registered the absence of her Senpai.

Instantly she scanned the room, eyeing each corner and crevice that his room offered before getting up and expanding her search.

It wasn't until she neared the door to the bedroom that she smelled something wonderful.

She made her way downstairs, finding Naoto in the kitchen with a decently sized pot on the stove.

He was sampling the contents of whatever was in the pot before glancing at her.

"Ah... you're finally awake huh?"

She appeared beside him, observing the soup with sparkles in her eyes.

"What are you making? Is that miso soup?"

He nodded while scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah… we don't have anything else right now, s-sorry."

Hayase quickly dismissed it,

"It's fine! It's fine!"

He scooped his sampling bowl once more into the pot, cooling it before placing it in front of Nagatoro's mouth.

She gulped it in one fell swoop, beaming widely as she struggled to swallow.

"Wow Senpai! I forgot how well you can cook!"

He adjusted his imaginary glasses,

"This isn't anything s-special." He muttered while slowly lifting the bowl to his mouth, stopping himself at the usual realization.

The indirect… kiss…

He glanced at Nagatoro, who was keenly observing him with impish anticipation.

"What will you do… Senpai…?" Her face clearly portrayed her thinking as he carefully lifted the bowl to his lips, drinking the soup in its entirety.

She clasped her hands in delight before pointing.

"You drank it! You drank from the same spot I did! Gross! Gross! Gross! Ahahaha!"

She noodled him as he sighed,

I knew I should've used the other bowl…

Before her next slap, Nagatoro felt her phone ping, taking it out to read the LINE message from her older sister.

Naoto glanced over at her, stirring the pot of miso as she typed a response.

"Your family?"

"Yeah, they said to be careful on the way home because of the flash flood warnings."

They both peered outside the window as she said that, noticing the downpour was even stronger than it was last night. Fortunately, the weather app specified the storm should pass by noon, but its accuracy wasn't something he could always trust.

They'd play it by ear, settling down at the kitchen table as Naoto served each of them a bowl of soup.

They both shared their platitude and began digging in, falling into a comfortable silence.

Hayase couldn't help but notice that Naoto was above average when it came to cooking, the two instances being the bento box he had for lunch and now.

She wondered how that came about, inferring his home circumstances must've forced him to learn on his own. A curiosity soon bred in her mind.

"Senpai, do you usually have the house to yourself? What do your parents do?"

"Typically, yeah. My dad is an inspector, and my mom is a global relations specialist, so she attends conferences and seminars most of the time."

She marveled at the second half of his statement.

"Oh wow, that sounds complex."

"I-I guess, I'm not exactly sure what she does, I just know she travels a lot."

"Traveling seems kind of fun though, didn't the second years go to Hawaii this year?"

"I think so… I just ended up staying here."

Nagatoro shook her head in disapproval.

"Typical loner Senpai."

"W-what about your parents, Nagatoro?"

"My mom is an accountant, and my dad is an architect."

Architecture… that sounds kind of interesting…

"That's pretty cool, architecture seems like it'd be fun."

"For someone who draws boring stills all day, it'd be right up your alley, Senpai!" She teased, smiling as he glowered once more.

"But yeah, my brother is interested in it too; he'll often accompany my dad to work to gain experience... maybe you should too." She slightly blushed towards the end of her statement.

Naoto grimaced at the suggestion, immediately picturing two imposing men with Hayase's features.

"M-Maybe one day." He crookedly smiled, before getting up and taking their bowls.

"Did you want seconds?"

Nagatoro beamed, "Yes please!"

The rest of the morning continued in peace as they both finished off the pot of miso and headed back to Naoto's room. He wasn't sure when he'd grown to be so comfortable around Hayase but was thankful he had.

It felt so commonplace, sitting next to each other as they booted up Naoto's PS4. They had played with each other online on a near daily basis, sharpening each other's skills with each bout.

He was grateful for the online multiplayer function the game offered as well, as Nagatoro could never develop further if he was her only opponent.

He handed her a white controller as he loaded JusGear, not realizing the controller was upside down.

She was again reminded of the small, discrete gestures Naoto did for her without her knowledge. On the small strip between the handles, the word Hayase was transcribed.

An uneven smile arose on her lips as she refocused her attention on the game.

"Senpai, try not to lose this time." She grinned, mentally plotting various strategies for her victory.

"J-just play fairly." He weakly replied.

They selected their usual characters and began the first round, Nagatoro immediately taking the initiative as her character opened with a flurry of jabs.

Naoto somewhat regretted showing her the character build charts, as her usual character boasted some of highest agility and evasion stats in the game.

The only saving grace he had was his experience, Hayase still made a lot of the same mistakes new players made, yet those same mistakes were gradually diminishing.

Sparks flew from the clash of claw on steel as the swordsman had no choice but to recede. The werecat now unleashing her ultimate only to miss by mere centimeters.

An opening… Naoto darkly smiled as he quickly closed the gap.

Nagatoro had already anticipated that however, dashing in front of the tv to hinder his view.

"I-I can't see the screen!" He griped in agitation.

Hayase turned her head and stuck out her tongue,

"Whaaat? I can see the screen just fine! Maybe we need to get you new contacts, Senpai!"

"K.O.!" The announcer shouted as the werecat stuck her paws up in victory, Naoto soon sighing as he wasn't even sure what the finishing move was.

Nagatoro really hates losing…

"Wow Senpai. You suck."

She held her hand up to her mouth trying to hold in a laugh, Hachioji only scowled in response.

"You can't just cheat when you're about to lose, Nagatoro."

"Is it cheating to use everything at my disposal? If anything, you should be honored I give it my all!"

Her way of thinking is so warped…

They played several more rounds before moving towards the online platform. He realized, given the amount they play together, she would've been a lot better if she didn't resort to such underhanded tactics.

But her progress was still noticeable, nonetheless.

It became even more evident the more duo battles they played; she was pretty adept with her character now. They made a good team as well, his swordsman carried more balanced stats as her character boasted more swift ones. Naoto employed those attributes to good use as she often would obtain First Strike.

Mainly due to her button mashing, but there were some habits she just couldn't break.

It wasn't until they went on a hot streak that Naoto decided to end it, as Nagatoro often trash talked the losing teams. He realized that was probably why Hayase's brother never played online with her.

By the time they concluded, the rain had been reduced to a slight drizzle, softly tapping the window as the clouds began to disperse.

Nagatoro readied herself as she slipped back on her dress and clamped on her hair clips.


"You know, Senpai. I don't think we've ever hung out this long before." She remarked as they walked back to her place.

He looked up in thought,

Well... sleeping over is definitely new for us.

"Y-Yeah, that's true."

"I'm surprised, usually I can't even hang out with Gamo-chan and Yoshi this long without feeling burned out."

"Really? I would've thought you could hangout all the time."

"Even a popular JK needs her alone time, Senpai."

She waved her finger in a lecturing manner.

"Sometimes, we all must channel our inner Senpai. Only then, will you achieve true loner enlightenment."

Every time...

"But, for some reason I didn't feel that way with you."

She added, Naoto turned towards her as her house came into view.

"I-Is that so...?"

"Yeah. It was kind of weird, I was expecting the feeling to creep up at any second, but it never came. I wonder why."

Her face lowered to a look of contemplation, before cracking into her usual grin.

"Probably because your presence is so weak it felt like I was alone already! Ahaha!"

Naoto frowned once again as he averted his eyes.

"But we should do this again, Senpai!" Nagatoro smiled up at him as they approached her entrance gate.

A small blush arose on his cheeks as his memory flashed back to their close interaction last night. He wondered where that courage came from, as now the thought of spooning spiked his heart rate tenfold.

He didn't regret it, though.

"Y-Yeah… that'd be nic-"

Smooch

Naoto widened his eyes as he felt her lips leave his skin, touching his cheek once more as he looked at her.

She hurriedly ran to her front door, turning back around with a light wave.

"See you, Senpai!"


A/N: And that's it for this story! Keep a lookout for the next one, as I'm already working on it. I don't intend on having a long opener, but I say that for every chapter and it just ends up being long lol.

Thanks again for your support!