The Not So Great Outdoors
The sun goes down on another day in the city of Tokyo. We begin this tale at Rikugien Gardens around closing time, where we see that two landscapers had just finished putting a bunch of sticks and leaves in a pile near a wood chipper.
"That's the last of it, man," The first landscaper said, "When do we start shredding this stuff up?"
"I'm afraid it'll have to wait until tomorrow," The second landscaper said, "Our shift's over and the bar is calling our names."
"You're not worried that the boss will ream us out for leaving a job unfinished," The first landscaper asked nervously.
"Please, that old blowhard talks a big game but truth be told he's just a big softy," The second landscape said, "Now let's lock up so we can get out of here. The first round is on me."
"If you say so," the first landscaper said.
The two landscapers head over to the main gate once they made sure everyone had left the gardens and locked it before leaving the area. But just because the gate was locked doesn't mean people can't sneak in. And that's just what a group of 14 teenagers and one cat were looking to do this evening. The group poked their heads over the garden's wall and looked around to make sure that the area was completely empty.
"Okay, the coast is clear," Ryuji said, "Let's go!"
Ryuji, along with Ren, Makoto, Daisuke, Shiho, Ichiro, and Sumire hop over the wall and into the garden. Once they were across, the other seven teenagers and one cat threw bags of camping equipment over the wall for them to catch. After all of the camping equipment was over the wall, the other half of the group climbed over the wall and joined their friends at which point they walked over to Rikugien Gardens' largest pond and set up tents and a campfire.
"This is one mighty fine campsite if I do say so myself," Ryuji said, "Good job, everyone."
"Remind us again why we chose to break the law by trespassing into Rikugien Gardens instead of just going out into the actual wilderness for a real camping trip?" Makoto asked.
"Easy, we're less likely to have an encounter with the local wildlife, we're less likely to come in contact with poison ivy, and if something happens at least we're close enough to our respective homes," Hayato answered.
"I just don't like the idea of sneaking into a place after hours," Makoto said, "What if we get caught?"
"Relax, Makie," Ryuji said, "We're right in the middle of the park behind these trees where nobody can see or hear us. We're not going to get caught."
"Whatever," Makoto said, "Let's just make sure we clean up everything when we leave tomorrow."
"In the meantime, let's have some fun!" Ichiro cheered as he grabbed a fishing pole, "Who wants to go fishing!?"
"You want to go fishing in the pond?" Makoto asked, "You're just begging to be arrested at this point, aren't you?"
"Don't worry, Makoto, we're going to throw the fish back into the water," Ichiro said, "So, who's in?"
Ryuji, Haru, Yusuke, Sumire, and Daisuke raise their hands as Morgana raises a paw. Everyone else, however, doesn't seem so keen on Ichiro's idea.
"So I guess you eight are out then?" Ichiro asked.
"I'm not really much of a fisherman," Yuuki said.
"Yeah, I'm gonna pass on this one," Hifumi said.
"Alright, more fishing for us then," Ichiro said with a shrug of his shoulders, "Come on, you guys."
Ichiro, Ryuji, Daisuke, Sumire, Haru, Yusuke, and Morgana went to the pond so they could go fishing as everyone else stayed behind to converse by the fire.
"Well, as long as they're gone," Ann said as she reached into her backpack to pull out a big bag of marshmallows, "Who wants to roast some marshmallows!"
"Right here," Futaba raised her hand with enthusiasm.
"A staple for any campfire," Shiho said, "I'd have to be an idiot to say no."
"Toasting marshmallows isn't a campfire staple," Hayato said as he reached for his guitar case, which he brought along for the trip, "This is the real staple."
Hayato unlocked his case and pulled out his guitar. Without hesitation, he began to play a jaunty tune as everyone else prepared to roast marshmallows.
"Sing along if you know this one," Hayato said as he began to sing.
Hayato: Let's gather 'round the campfire and sing our campfire song. Our C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song. And if you don't think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong. But it'll help if you just sing along.
Yuuki: Bum, bum, bum…
Hayato: (Fast paced) C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song. C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song. And if you don't think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong. But it'll help if you just sing along! C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song! Join me!
Everyone but Makoto: Song! C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E…
Hayato: Makoto!
Makoto just has a look on her face that reads, 'I'm surrounded by idiots.'
Hayato: Good! It'll help! It'll help! If you just sing along! (Plays an epic guitar solo) OH YEAH!
Once Hayato finishes his song, everyone applauds his performance before he moves on to another one.
Meanwhile, by the pond, the group of Ichiro, Ryuji, Daisuke, Sumire, Haru, Yusuke, and Morgana are out fishing. Morgana is by the water trying to paw at any small fish that swam up to him.
"If only there was some tuna in this pond," Morgana lamented, "Then we'd have a real banquet on our hands."
"Remember what Ichiro said," Ryuji whispered to the cat, "We can't keep anything that we catch. We have to throw it back."
"I know, I know," Morgana groaned.
With Haru and Yusuke, Haru got a bite on her fishing line. Excited, Haru started to reel her fish in as Yusuke grabbed a net. A few seconds later, Haru successfully reeled in a carp.
"Quick, someone take a picture!" Haru exclaimed.
"Smile!" Sumire said as she pulled out her phone and took a picture before Haru took her hook off of the fish and put it back in the pond.
"I never knew you knew how to fish, darling," Yusuke said.
"Yeah, my uncle used to take me out all the time when I was younger," Haru explained, "After going with him on enough trips, I guess I picked up a useful technique or two."
Finally, with Ichiro and Daisuke, the male gymnast looks over at his brown haired friend to find that he's not fishing with a rod at all, but with his own big toe; Daisuke has some fishing line wrapped around his big toe and he's going to rely on muscle and will power to reel a fish in.
"You're not fishing with a reel, Daisuke?" Ichiro questioned his friend.
"I guess I'm kind of old fashioned like that," Daisuke said, "I'm not really one to rely on technologies to get the job done."
"Well, if heaven forbid the Rikugien Leviathan catches onto your line, you're going to be in for a bad time," Ichiro warned.
"What's the Rikugien Leviathan?" Yusuke asked, overhearing the two young men's conversation.
"Don't worry about it, Yusuke," Daisuke said, "It's just some urban legend about some monster fish that was dumped off one day by a mysterious stranger when it was just a wee guppy. Now it's all grown up, and it spends its days resting on the bottom of the pond, feeding on any of the pond's fish that gets too close to it."
Hearing that made Ryuji shudder, "You guys don't really think the Rikugien Leviathan is real, do you?" He asked.
"Oh, come on Ryuji," Daisuke groaned, "Don't tell me you believe in that nonsense too. Only an idiot would believe something like that."
"I mean, look who you're talking to," Sumire joked, causing everyone to laugh and Ryuji to pout. As the laughter died down, Daisuke felt a tug on his line.
"Hey, I got something!" Daisuke exclaimed, "Oh, and it feels big."
Ichiro prepared to grab his friend by the shoulder to help him reel the fish in, "Here, Daisuke, let me-"
"HELP!" Daisuke screamed as he was suddenly pulled into the lake by whatever caught onto his line.
"DAISUKE!" Ryuji yelled as he and the rest of the group with him prepared to dive into the lake to save him.
"Hang on, buddy, we'll save you!" Ichiro exclaimed.
Before any of them could set foot into the pond, Daisuke came flying out of the pond screaming and landing on the ground with a thud.
"Holy crap, Daisuke!" Ichiro shouted as he, Ryuji, Haru, Yusuke, Morgana, and Sumire gathered around him to make sure he was still alive after being flung like that. Daisuke awoke seconds later to find his friends surrounding him.
"Guys," Daisuke weakly said.
"Are you alright, Daisuke?" Haru asked as Yusuke held up three fingers, "How many fingers is Yusuke holding up?"
"The Leviathan is real!" Daisuke exclaimed in horror as he quickly sat up, but he calmed down enough to answer Haru's question, "Oh, and three. Yusuke is holding up three fingers."
Sometime later, the small group of fishermen reunited with the rest of their friends so they could roast marshmallows and so Daisuke could dry up by the fire.
"I can't believe Daisuke saw the Rikugien Leviathan and lived to tell the tale!" Futaba exclaimed.
"I'm just so glad you're alright, babe," Shiho said as she hugged her boyfriend.
"Yeah, it was pretty scary," Daisuke said, "No joke, my entire life flashed before my eyes. And you know what I realized…there was a phase in my life when I was really into that show 'Goose Ancestry' (Duck Dynasty) and I really didn't know what I was thinking, that show was awful."
"You watched Goose Ancestry?" Hifumi asked incredulously.
"And, for some reason, liked it!" Daisuke exclaimed.
"You know," Futaba began, "Daisuke bringing up his embarrassing secret about how he enjoyed that 'hillbilly' show gave me an interesting idea. Let's all tell one secret about ourselves. No matter how disgusting, depraved, or insane it may be."
"I don't know," Ann said unsure, "If we're going to do this we need lay down some rules. One, no telling these secrets to anyone else. Two, at no point in our lives can we bring up these secrets for any reason, guilt tripping or blackmail included. And three, let's try not to make fun of each other, I'm here to have a good time tonight."
"Sounds fair," Futaba said, "Well, I'm the one who came up with the idea, so I'll go first. Ahem, sometimes, when I get bored, I'd use my small size to sneak into the air vents of Shujin Academy and eavesdrop on the conversations that went on in the locker rooms."
"Are you sure it wasn't to peep on some guys while they're showering or changing," Ryuji teased.
"I mean, sometimes I'd look at them, but I'm only human, give me a break," Futaba said with a blush, "Anyway, it's just your typical high school gossip. You know, who's dating who, who's on drugs, who got who pregnant, stuff like that. But most of the talk in the boy's locker room usually involves how Ren managed to nab a girl like Ann."
"Easy," Ren began, "I have the three goods; Good looks, good soul, and a good sense of humor. But on that note, is it okay if I tell you all my secret next?"
"Fire away," Futaba said.
"It's kind of messed up, but here we go," Ren said as he took a deep breath, "Back in my old home town, I'd sometimes go to Improv Comedy shows and yell out sad suggestions. And I'm talking about really sad stuff, like 'some of the saddest things that happened in history' levels of sadness."
"Yikes," Yuuki said.
"Why would you do that?" Hifumi asked.
"It's just funny to see and hear everyone's reactions in the moment," Ren said.
"Well so much for having a good soul and good sense of humor," Hayato said.
"I never said I was proud of doing this," Ren replied, "It's just one of those things you do when you want to cause trouble. Anyway, you want to go next, Hayato?"
"Alright," Hayato said, "This one isn't an easy one for me to say, but here we go. So, you guys know how famous director Quinton Tomatillo (Quentin Tarantino) has an unhealthy obsession with feet?"
"Hayato, are you trying to tell us that you have a foot fetish?" Sumire asked, causing the scarlet haired male to blush in embarrassment, giving her and the rest of their friends an answer, "Uh, why?"
"I don't know there's something about them that fascinated me," Hayato said, his blush growing deeper, "The way they're shaped, the different sizes of toes, the…"
"Okay, Hayato is officially creeping me out," Futaba said, cutting him off, "Someone please tell us their secret before I barf."
"I'll go next," Shiho said, "But Daisuke, you have to promise not to get mad when I say it."
"It takes a lot to make me mad, babe," Daisuke said, "Tell us what's on your mind."
"Okay," Shiho began, "Well, one day, before I started dating Daisuke…I had a threesome with Ren and Ann."
Hearing that made everyone gasp in a mixture of shock and intrigue.
"Nice," Ryuji said.
"Yeah, Ren, Ann, and I got together at Miura Beach a few days before the new school year started, and we capped off our beach visit with a threeway," Shiho explained, "It was nighttime so we were the only ones there. I caught Ren and Ann making out, they both caught me staring, and the rest was history."
"You thought that would make me mad?" Daisuke asked.
"Wait, you mean it didn't?" Shiho asked.
"Of course not," Daisuke said, "I'm well aware that you likely had a romantic history before you met me, just like I'm sure you know I had a romantic history before I met you."
"Wow, Daisuke," Ren began, "I did not imagine you being so cool with this."
"Like I said, it takes a lot to get me mad," Daisuke replied, "But speaking of my romantic history, would you all like to know my secret next?"
"Yeah, babe, tell us," Shiho insisted.
"Alright," Daisuke began, "My secret is that I like girls…and guys."
"You mean you're bisexual?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah," Daisuke replied, "Before I met Shiho, I hung out with some cute girls and some cute guys in my late middle school and early high school years. But ultimately, after meeting Shiho, I found myself preferring the company of women, with Shiho herself being my number one girl."
"Aww, thanks Daisuke," Shiho smiled.
"Hang on," Ryuji said, "If you're bi, Daisuke, does that mean during moments like the nude beach and the steam room…did your eyes wander towards me and the rest of us guys?"
There was a brief moment of silence before Daisuke answered with, "I will neither confirm nor deny that question."
Hearing that made everyone laugh while Ryuji gagged.
"Well then," Ryuji began, regaining his composure, "Allow me to tell you all my secret next."
The laughter died down as Ryuji prepared to show the skeletons in his closet, "Sometimes, I would go down to Shujin Academy's track field when no one is around, and shed my tracksuit and run freely with nothing holding me back."
"So, you exercise naked?" Ichiro asked.
"Yup," Ryuji said, "Even during the winter months."
"You do know hypothermia exists, right?" Hifumi asked.
"Yeah, but movement warms up the body," Ryuji continued, "Plus it saves time when I have to bleed the lizard."
"You should know that exercising naked is nothing to be embarrassed about Ryuji," Sumire said, "Sometimes when practicing my gymnastics routines by myself, I'd strip down to nothing and do the same thing."
"For real?" Ryuji asked.
"I exercise naked as well," Haru said, "Aerobics specifically, and it's quite liberating."
"She's right," Sumire chimed in, "No clothes means our bodies have an increased range of motion."
Knowing that their girlfriends exercise naked like Ryuji made Yusuke and Ichiro blush before Ryuji decided to speak again.
"Huh, so I guess I'm not alone," Ryuji said, "Cool."
"You'll be surprised to hear that a lot of people exercise naked," Sumire said, "They've been doing it since the days of the Ancient Olympians, and I'd say they blazed a trail for us."
"While this talk about naked exercises is fun," Futaba said, "I'd kind of like to keep this secret train moving. So, who wants to go next?"
"I'll go," Yuuki said, "Get ready for the most embarrassing secret so far." With a deep breath, Yuuki prepared to tell his secret, which was, "I watch My Mini Horsey (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)."
As soon as Yuuki said that, everyone started to laugh uncontrollably, causing him to cover his face in embarrassment.
"And I thought liking Goose Ancestry was bad," Daisuke laughed, "At least I'm not a brony!"
"You shut up, it's a good show!" Yuuki cried.
"Aw, we're sorry, Yuuki," Futaba said, calming down from her laughing fit, "It's just so funny thinking about you watching a show meant for seven year old girls."
"There are a lot of people like me out there," Yuuki said, trying to defend himself.
"Yeah, they're called 'losers'," Ryuji teased.
"Alright, guys, let's leave Mishima alone and move on to someone else," Ren said, "How about you, Yusuke?"
"Sure," Yusuke said, "Well, whenever I feel experimental with my art, I'd strip down to nothing and…"
"I never knew how many of our secrets involve us getting naked," Futaba said, "We are all so freaking weird."
"I've always said normalcy was overrated," Daisuke said.
"You two need to shut your yaps!" Haru shouted in a random British accent, "I will not have you talk over my beloved darling! Now darn you let him speak!"
There was a brief moment of silence as everyone took time to not only process Haru's outburst, but also her sudden British accent which they have never heard before.
"Uh, thanks, Haru," Yusuke said in amazement, breaking the silence, "Anyway, I'd strip down to nothing, cover myself in paint, and roll around on a large canvas."
"That's not embarrassing, Yusuke, that's awesome," Hayato said, "You always have a knack for thinking outside the box when it comes to your art projects."
"Thank you, Hayato," Yusuke said, "I even got Haru involved in one of these projects."
"He called it 'Entwined Lovers'," Haru chimed in, "And the only thing more fun than making the painting was showering off afterwards…wink, wink."
"I think we get the idea," Hifumi said, "Can I go next?"
"Go for it," Futaba said.
"Well, sometimes when Hayato and I are alone, he and I play 'Strip Shogi'," Hifumi admitted.
"And given how good of a Shogi player you are, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess most of those games end with Hayato stark naked and you with barely any clothes off," Makoto asked.
"Most of the time, yes," Hifumi said, "But he's been getting better the more we play."
"I'll never reach your skill level though, babe," Hayato said, "You're the best Shogi player I know."
"Thank you, baby," Hifumi said sweetly as she kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, "So, Makoto, you want to go next?"
"Well…" went Makoto, clearly reluctant to tell her secret.
"Don't be afraid, babe," Ryuji said reassuringly, "I promise we won't tell."
"You all promise me that?" Makoto asked as everyone nodded, "Because if any of you tell anyone about what I'm going to tell you next, it's curtains. Got it?!"
Everyone nodded nervously as Makoto prepared to tell her secret.
"Okay," Makoto began, "At home, I have a life sized plush of Buchimaru-kun…and whenever I feel 'frisky'...I have a tendency to dry hump against it."
As soon as Makoto said that, everyone had a look of shock on their face…Ichiro on the other hand, had a complete meltdown. He let out a distressed wail and put his hands to his head screaming, "MAKIE, NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Everyone just stared at Ichiro as he continued crying and screaming in response to the news that Makoto owns a giant Buchimaru-kun plush that she humps whenever she's in the mood.
"You…and Buchimaru…doing that! No!" Ichiro cried before taking a deep breath, "I need a moment."
Ichiro turned away from his friends, put his hand over his chest, and took a few deep breaths, "I'm almost an adult. I can handle this. I'm okay."
Ichiro turns back around to face his friends and he looked over at all of their faces as they just stared at him with bewildered expressions. He eventually looks over at Makoto…and he loses his shit again.
"MAKIE, NOOOOOOOO!" Ichiro cried as he buried his face in his hands.
"What the hell is his problem?" Futaba asked.
"Ichiro grew up with Buchimaru-kun like Makoto did," Sumire explained, "I guess the idea of Makoto humping a giant plush of him shocked and upset him."
"You guess?" Ren asked, with a hint of sarcasm.
"If he's reacting this badly to the things Makoto does to Buchimaru-kun I'm curious as to what he thinks of Buchimaru-kun Rule 34," Yuuki asked.
"BUCHIMARU-KUN WHAT?!" Ichiro asked in shock and anger.
"It's one of the laws of the internet, man," Futaba said, "If it exists, there's porn of it."
"Unacceptable!" Ichiro shouted, his childhood shattered in an instant.
"Okay, Drama King," Makoto said, "What's your deepest darkest secret?"
"You want to know?" Ichiro said as he took out his wallet, grabbing a card from it, "Take a look at this!"
He passed the card around to his friend, revealing the card to be a fake I.D. The picture on the I.D appeared to be Ichiro, but aged up about five years and the name on the card was Orichi Kataan.
"No way," Ren said in amazement, "You actually have a fake I.D?"
"Yeah," Ichiro said, "I originally got it so I could see Gats n' Tulips (Guns n' Roses) play at the local casino, but they wouldn't let anyone under 21 in. So I went to this guy, who knew a guy, who knew this other guy, who knows someone who makes fake . I went to go see this guy, left with my fake I.D, and had an amazing night jamming to some amazing music."
"But you mean to tell me you had a fake I.D this whole time, and you even knew where we could get fake of our own, and you're choosing now to tell us?!" Ryuji said, "Do you know how many cases of beer you could've gotten for us, or the places we could've gone?!"
"I told myself after that concert that I wouldn't use that fake I.D again unless I really, really, had to," Ichiro said as his fake I.D was handed back to him, "I'm lucky I didn't get caught when I used it to get into the casino. To be honest I probably should've destroyed it after that night."
"I never thought of all 14 of us, Ichiro's secret would be the most illegal," Shiho said.
"Well, that leaves only one person left," Morgana said as he looked up at Ann.
"Okay, Ann, your turn," Futaba said.
"Just warning you, if some of these secrets made you guys mad already," Ann began, "This one's going to make you all go nuclear."
"It can't be any worse than Ichiro and his fake I.D holding out on us," Ryuji said.
"Just wait," Ann said, "Sometimes whenever there's a gathering at someone else's house, I'd take Ren aside, or vice versa…and we'd have sex in one of the bedrooms."
Of course, this revelation made everyone except Ren and Ann gasp in disgust and horror.
"Nice," Morgana said.
"You mean to tell us you two get nasty whenever you come over to our places?" Hayato asked.
"Not every time, just whenever one of us, usually Ann, feels frisky," Ren said.
"I can't help it if I have a high sex drive," Ann said.
"I have a high sex drive but you don't see me doing it in your bedrooms," Ryuji said.
"I just want to say I kind of knew they did something like this given what happened the night we all got high to get over Chapped Lip Jun," Ichiro said, as Hayato started freaking out again from the mention of that movie.
"Nukes…misery…death…so much fire…" Hayato whimpered as he curled up in the fetal position. In response to her boyfriend's breakdown, Hifumi quickly grabbed a marshmallow, a piece of chocolate, and a graham cracker and made a smore.
"Here, babe, this'll make you feel better," Hifumi said as she handed her boyfriend the treat, who started nibbling on it happily.
"I guess Hayato didn't really get over that movie yet," Yuuki asked.
"It looks that way," Yusuke said.
As everyone dealt with both Hayato's meltdown and the revelation of what Ren and Ann do whenever they're invited to other people's homes, Sumire and Ichiro got together to formulate a plan to keep the good times rolling.
"I think it's time we really scare the pants off these guys," Sumire said, "I'm going to tell them that story about the spooky trees. Go hide in the bushes and come out towards the end when I give the signal."
"What's the signal?" Ichiro asked.
"You'll know it when you hear it," Sumire said.
"Gotcha," Ichiro said as he got up from his seat and wandered into the bushes.
"Where's he going?" Makoto asked.
"He probably just has to pee," Morgana said.
"Well, if Hayato thought that movie was scary, that's nothing," Sumire said, "Because now that secret sharing is done, I think it's time we start telling scary stories!" The last part Sumire said with a haunting, ghostly inflection.
"Whatever story you have to tell it can't be any scarier than whatever the hell is in that pond," Daisuke said.
"Trust me, it's scary," Sumire said as she began to tell her story, "So one night, before any of us were born, a group of kids came through this very park in search of a ball that they left behind. But as they searched for the ball, one by one, the kids started to disappear. The leader of this group would call his friend's names every time one of them would vanish, but they wouldn't answer no matter how loudly he yelled."
Hearing this part made everyone get on the edge of their seats.
"Eventually, only the leader was left," Sumire continued, "As he looked for his ball and his friends, he heard a faint whisper saying, 'Beware the trees…beware the trees…"
Some of Sumire's friends looked at the trees in the area, paranoia starting to get the better of them.
"Little did this poor boy know, at night, certain trees in Rikugien Garden would come alive and devour anyone and anything that got too close to them," Sumire continued, "No one knew why these trees would come alive, but it was believed that in the days of yore, a witch died in a forest that would later become Rikugien Garden. Before she drew her last breath, she placed a curse on the forest that allowed pieces of her spirit to possess the trees."
"That's impossible," Shiho said, nervously, "Witches aren't real."
"They're as real as you and me, Shiho," Sumire said before continuing her story, "Anyway, the boy continued wandering the garden until he found his coveted ball…resting at the base of a tree. Unaware of the curse, the boy ran up to his ball only to suddenly feel what felt like wooden fingers brush up against his back. He looked up and the last thing he saw was a big, wooden mouth descending upon him! And with that, the boy, and by extension, his whole group of friends, were eaten alive, with the only remnants of them being bits of bone and clothing that the trees coughed up."
As Sumire finished telling her story, she could tell that she really rattled the 12 teenagers and one cat that sat before her.
"That…that story isn't real, right?" Ann asked.
"It was all over the news that day," Sumire said, trying to defend her scary story, "My father actually went to school with one of those kids. He'd back me up if he were here right now."
"You're…You're full of it," Ryuji said, trying to act brave, "It's just a story, guys. It can't happen."
"Well, seeing that you guys think my story is false," Sumire said, "I guess it wouldn't bother you all right now if I said that we set up camp right next to one of those possessed trees."
"Doesn't bother us in the slightest, right guys?" Haru said as everyone nervously agreed with her.
"Alright," Sumire said, "Just keep your guard up, everyone. Because you never know when these trees are going to STRIKE!"
There was a moment of silence, as if they were waiting for something to happen. When Sumire shouted 'Strike' that was when she wanted Ichiro to come out of the bushes and touch one of their friends with a tree branch so they'd think it was one of the trees that touched them. But Ichiro missed his cue.
"Ahem, I said because you never know when these trees are going to STRIKE!" Sumire said again.
Again, nothing happened.
"Oh, possessed tree," Sumire said in a cajoling, but very annoyed tone, "Where are you?"
"Babe, I'm stuck in a thorn bush," Ichiro said from behind the bushes.
"I'm sorry, what's happening right now?" Yuuki said.
With a groan Sumire went over to the bushes and helped Ichiro out of his current situation. After a few minutes they rejoined the group as Ichiro was seen removing thorns from his clothes and hair.
"What was supposed to happen was Ichiro was going to creep out of the bushes and poke you guys with a tree branch so you'd think that tree came to life and has marked you all for its next meal," Sumire explained.
"Oh, well no offense to Ichiro, but I'm glad he got stuck," Shiho said, "That story kind of scared me, and I would've gotten a heart attack if he poked me with a branch."
"That story you told isn't real, right Sumire?" Ryuji asked.
"Of course not," Sumire said, "It's just a story. There was no group of kids, there was no witch, and there are no possessed trees."
Hearing that made Ryuji let out a sigh of relief.
"Alright, we sang songs, we fished, and we told stories and secrets by the fire," Yusuke said, "What do you all want to do next?"
"You know what we could do," Futaba said, coming up with an idea, "Given that some of you are more comfortable naked, how do you all feel about going skinny dipping?"
"That would be a good idea if only there wasn't a monster fish in the pond," Daisuke said.
"Well there's got to be a shallow area we can go to, right?" Futaba asked.
"True," Daisuke said before turning to the rest of the group, "What do you guys think?"
"Sure, let's do it," Shiho said as slowly but surely, the rest of the group came around to the idea.
With everyone in agreement, the group of 14 teenagers and one cat left their campsite to go find a shallow area of the pond to swim in. Once they found it, they quickly got undressed and ran into the water to start their skinny dip session. Morgana sat on a nearby rock and watched them frolic as he didn't care much for the water. Unfortunately, while the group was swimming and having fun, some homeless people snuck into Rikugien Garden, saw the pile of clothes that the teenagers left behind as well as the glow of the campfire in the distance. The homeless people then had the bright idea to steal their clothes without anyone noticing before going to the campsite and stealing whatever they could there.
A few minutes later, the group came back from the water, naked and dripping wet. They were seen looking around for their clothes which had disappeared, completely unaware that they were stolen.
"Okay so did someone else sneak into the garden and steal our clothes or did we misplace them," Ryuji asked.
"No, we left them right here," Hayato said, "Someone definitely stole our clothes."
"What could someone want with our clothes?" Haru asked.
"You'd be surprised what people will steal and sell for drug money, Haru," Ichiro said.
"Okay, babe, you said that like you actually stole and sold stuff for drug money before," Sumire teased.
"What?" Ichiro asked with the shrug of his shoulders, "I watch a lot of true crime stories, usually as background noise whenever I exercise."
"Uh, guys," Ren said as everyone's attention was put on him, "Why don't I see the glow of our campfire?"
Having also noticed the campfire's soft glow, the group hurried over to their campsite to find that all of their camping equipment is gone and the only thing that remains of the fire are smoldering logs and ash.
"I can't believe it," Ann exclaimed, "They stole our camping equipment too!"
"And my guitar!" Hayato lamented.
"And my fishing rods!" Ichiro added.
"Gotta give whoever stole our stuff some credit," Hifumi said, "They're efficient."
"Well that's just great," Makoto frowned, "We're without clothes, and we're without tents. Unless you guys want to do a Nude and Frightened situation (Naked and Afraid), I think we should just call this camping trip of ours a wash."
"Yeah, I'm in complete agreement, babe," Ryuji said, "Not to mention, I feel like Daisuke is looking at me right now."
"Don't worry, I'm not," Daisuke said, almost teasingly.
"I say we make a mad dash for my house," Futaba suggested, "We can get ourselves dressed and then you all can head for home."
"You want us to run from here to your house in our birthday gear?" Sumire asked.
"What's wrong," Futaba teased, "I would've thought people like you, Haru, Yusuke, and Ryuji would be used to running around naked."
"Not when there's hundreds of people who can see us," Sumire said, "Besides, isn't public nudity a huge crime in this city?"
"Pretty sure," Makoto said, "If we get caught we're looking at a hefty fine of ¥300,000 (over $2,000) and six months of jail time."
"For real?!" Ryuji exclaimed, "I don't want to go to jail! You know what they do to guys like me in jail? It rhymes with grape!"
"Alright, so what do we do?" Yuuki asked, "We can't stay here. But we also can't go out there the way we are now."
"We also can't call the police because, oh yeah, we're technically breaking the law right now by being here after hours," Makoto reminded everyone.
"Also, I'm pretty sure whoever stole our clothes and our camping equipment also stole our phones," Shiho said.
As everyone tried to come up with an idea, Ichiro took a good look around at the area. It was at that moment when he found the piles of sticks and leaves that the two landscapers from earlier left behind.
"That's it!" Ichiro said as he came up with an idea. He ran over to the pile of sticks and leaves and started doing something with them. A few minutes later, and he unveils 14 'bush disguises' for them to wear, "As a former Tanuki Scout, you'd better believe I got my hands on my 'Costume Making Badge'. So, I applied those skills to create these bushes for us to hide in. Dressed as bushes, we'll sneak over to Futaba's house with the public being none the wiser."
"Way to think on your feet, sweetie," Sumire said.
"Thanks, Sumi," Ichiro said, "Now come on, everyone! Help me take these to the wall so we can get out of here."
Everyone grabbed a bush and took it over to the wall that they originally hopped over. They threw the bushes over first before hopping the wall themselves. Once one of the teenagers got over the wall, he/she would hurry into one of the bushes before anyone could see him/her. Once all 14 teenagers were out of the garden and into a bush, Ren, who was sharing a bush with Morgana, led everyone to Futaba's house.
The trek to the Sakura Residence was a long and stressful one. Every time they see a pedestrian, or they see a car driving by, Ren would shout 'Drop!', causing the 14 of them to stop moving and remain stationary. The pedestrian/driver would think they're just going by regular bushes as a result. Once the pedestrian/driver was out of view, Ren would say, 'go' and they'd march on again.
The plan worked out well for them despite the fact that they passed by an old man who was sitting on his porch sipping on tea. Fortunately, when he saw the 14 'bushes' moving, the old man just sighed and said, 'Well, the 60s were fun, but now I'm paying for it,' before going back to his tea.
It took a while, but the group finally made it to Sojiro and Futaba's house. Upon making it to the house, they didn't see any of the lights on inside, meaning that Sojiro was likely still at Cafe Leblanc, or asleep in bed. Futaba went over to the front door, reached beneath the welcome mat, and pulled out a spare key which she used to unlock the door. With the door unlocked, the 14 nude teenagers got out of their bush disguises and walked into the house, with Futaba closing and locking the door behind them.
Once inside, Futaba led everyone through the dark living room to get to the laundry room.
"Sojiro did a fresh load of laundry before leaving for Leblanc earlier today," Futaba quietly explained, "I don't think he'll mind if you guys borrow some of our clothes. I'll just explain everything to him in the morning."
"Sounds good," Yuuki said.
The group almost made it out of the living room, and the laundry room was in sight, but then the unthinkable happened. A light came in, causing the naked teens to freeze and turn around to find Sojiro sitting in his chair, eyes just as wide as theirs.
A whole three minutes of absolute silence passed as the group stared at the befuddled Sojiro, who stared back at their equally embarrassed faces. They avoided being spotted from Rikugien Gardens to the Sakura Residence, only for them to be busted at the last possible minute.
"We can explain all of this," Ryuji finally managed to say.
As Ryuji prepared to plead their case, Sojiro just raised his hand and said, "I don't know what you kids were doing. I don't want to know. All I know is you kids better return whatever clothes you borrow from me."
With that, Sojiro got up from his chair and headed upstairs to his bedroom to get a good night's sleep.
"Okay, chalk that up in the Top 3 most embarrassing moments of my life," Ichiro said.
"Come on," Futaba said, "Let's get you all dressed so you can go home."
Futaba led the group into the laundry room where they picked out clothes to borrow so they could walk home without their 'precious bits' hanging out for the world to see. Once Futaba's 13 friends picked out some clothes, they wished her a good night before heading out. Afterwards, Futaba retreated to her room where she played Marco Cart on her Funtendo Switch until 3 A-M, at which point she went to sleep.
"Camping out may be fun," Futaba thought to herself as she drifted off, "But I'll take sleeping in an actual bed, in an actual house, safe from the elements, any day."
END