Chapter XIX: Bedtime Mayhem! Sleepwalking Haruka!
After the relaxing hot bath (at least to most people), the gang returned to their room where a grand feast welcomed them on the dining table. Different kinds of dishes were on the table; waiting to be consumed by the hungry travelers. That's when they realized that they were in for a party. They didn't think twice about eating what was prepared on the table by the resort chefs. While the rest of the gang was preoccupied with dinner, Haruka was sleeping on a futon after being brought here by her friends from the hot spring. The prolonged stay in the hot water caused her to pass out…at least that's what her friends thought. The real culprit was "big mara" in which none has been successful in getting its meaning.
"I should've warned Haruka about staying too long in the hot tub." Kanata said. "She always passes out during these kinds of trips."
"It's a good thing that we arrived." Hikari nodded. "It could've been worse."
"I think she'll be okay. She's a strong girl, after all." Satoshi left a comment.
"Ah, do you mean as strong as your balls?" Kanata said while Hikari giggled lightly.
"Very funny…" The trainer replied sarcastically.
While they were enjoying the full-course buffet, the brunette girl rose up from bed all of a sudden—her eyes still completely shut. She stood up and walked slowly towards the dining area where her friends were enjoying what she was missing. She slid the door open (sliding doors were accustomed to traditional Japanese homes and mansions) and continued walking.
"Haruka, I'm glad to see you awake." Satoshi greeted. "Why don't you join us for dinner?"
But instead, she disregarded the invitation and walked up to an unsuspecting Hikari.
"Haruka, are you feeling okay?" Hikari asked worryingly.
What the blue-haired girl got for a reply was a body slam; both her arms being pinned down on the floor with Haruka's hands. Hikari struggled to break free but that only made things worse for her. The boys were looking at both of them with dilated eyes and "ooh!" mouths.
"Perverts…!" Kanata hit the three stooges with her huge paper fan at the back of their heads. "Do something!"
"Haruka, what's wrong with you?" Hikari struggled for freedom but her friend's grapple was too much.
The brunette girl made no verbal answer. Instead, she lowered her head and pressed her lips towards the cleavage. No funny stuff here, guys; cleavage is really a part of the female body. Her naughty hands were also invading Hikari's privacy during this time.
"Aaaaah…Haruka…!" Ironically, Hikari seemed to be enjoying the exhibition. "It tickles! A-a-aaaaaahh…!"
"That does it!" Kanata raised both her arms up, wielding divine justice, and slammed the fan right in the head. That created enough force for two things to happen: (1) to snap out of her involuntary activity and make her pop her eyes open; and (2) leave a painful mark for the rest of her life.
"Ow…what was that?" Haruka rubbed her injured part of the head and looked around her as soon as the pain subsided. "Huh? W-What's going on? Hikari, why are you blushing?"
"Do I need to even answer that, Haruka? Aaaaaaah…!" Hikari replied; still sensing some pleasure even after the painful interruption.
Haruka shrieked as soon as she realized what she was doing to Hikari. "EEEEEEK…! T-This is so embarrassing, kamo!"
Who wouldn't be?
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"Kanata, I know you're my best friend and nothing will ever change that." Haruka said; her hands strapped on two steel chains attached to a heavy iron ball like the ones chained onto dangerous convicts in a maximum security prison. "But is this really necessary? And where did you get this iron ball anyway?"
"I know it's unfair but your sleepwalking habit is uncontrollable." Kanata replied sincerely.
"Come on, I promise I'll stay in bed for good. These chains are hurting me, kamo."
"Bear with it for a while. Sunrise is just right around the corner."
Afterwards, Kanata left her brunette friend to suffer the iron ball of oblivion as she tucks herself in her futon.
"Sweet dreams, Haruka." Kanata greeted and yawned before getting on the Dream Express.
"There's nothing sweet about being chained to an iron ball, kamo." Haruka hissed softly. "I need to use the restroom."
The brunette girl forced herself to challenge gravity by trying to get up and going to the bathroom which was at least several paces away. She had to drag the heavy iron ball with her just to reach the light at the edge of the tunnel. Even though she made it and found relief, getting back to bed was even harder than getting to the restroom. She dragged the ball with her again just to reach solid comfort straight ahead.
She should've lost at least trickles of fat after that workout. Still, she will need her strength for the journey home tomorrow at dawn.
As soon as everybody was asleep, time simply flew by as if six to eight hours of sleep felt like thirty minutes of resting one's eyes. The stars twinkled randomly across the black curtain that people call "night sky". The breeze blew and nocturnal Pokemon were on the prowl inside the forests surrounding Fuen Town. It was quiet…very quiet.
That is…until Haruka woke up with her eyes shut again. The iron ball wasn't much of an obstacle for her since Haruka made it look like as light as a feather. This time, Hikari wasn't the innocent victim of her involuntary fury but Satoshi. The brunette girl unbuckled the chains strapped on her wrist and dropped the iron ball right into Satoshi's face (imagine one's fist punching deep into a stuffed bun dough). That should've waked him up but his head was so dense; not even a five-thousand ton weight was going to even crack his skull by a little. The iron ball just rolled away peacefully from the two of them; minding its own business.
Satoshi just groaned. "One cheeseburger, please…fries on the side."
"I'll give you more than that, my love." Haruka replied (yes it's bizarre but she can talk during her sleepwalking).
Haruka untied and took her robe off; exposing her white underwear in which she began taking it off as well. Meanwhile, the iron ball rolled and rolled until it touched Kanata's head. Normally, a simple tag won't wake a person up from deep sleep. However, Kanata was one exception. She yawned and got up in the middle of the night; only to see the midnight red carpet premiere of "Nocturnal Love" at the front seat of the theater.
"Huh? Morning already…?" The purple-haired girl rubbed her eyes. "Oh, it's just Haruka and Satoshi about to make love."
…
…
…ting!
"For goodness sake, Haruka, you're only 12! It's too soon for that!" Kanata held her naked friend by the waist and dragged her away from the unsuspecting trainer.
Unfortunately, Kanata just made the situation worse. In a blink of an eye, she was now the victim of her peculiar friend's peculiar nocturnal habit as soon as they fell down flat on the floor. Haruka unconsciously untied Kanata's robe and slowly took it off.
"I think I like you better, kamo." Haruka said involuntarily.
"Oh you don't want me, Haruka." Kanata tried talking her way out. "I've been taken just a few days ago. (Ugh! Gross overstatement…!)"
"Naughty, naughty…I'll teach you not to be naughty, kamo."
It seemed hopeless at this point to even persuade Haruka to stop. "Not even pretty please?"
"Not even close."
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Finally, the break of dawn marked their departure from Fuen Town to catch the early bus bound for Touka City. On their way to the bus station, Takeshi smelled something weird about Kanata first thing in the morning.
"Kanata," Takeshi started. "Why do you smell like Haruka?"
"Shut up." Kanata replied; very pissed off.
TO BE CONTINUED