🌸Cherry Blossom Palette: Summer by the Sea🎨
🌸Chapter 9: The Truculent Triptych Cleanses the Natatorium [Part One]🎨
Doorway into Summer Arc
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: Actually, there's nothing "truculent" about the trio of Naoto, Sakura, and Hana cleaning the school pool. Editor just thought it was funny to use fancy words.
It's just the two Art Club members and their friend facing up to the school's reckoning.
I was about to go back on my word and make another jumbo chapter, but I decided to divide the "pool cleaning" chapter into two.
After that, expect a bye-week before Chapter 11 comes out. We're just finishing editing the last of the "Doorway into Summer" arc, and we want to begin working properly on the "Dreamer's" arc before we put out the last bunch of chapters for "Doorway".
We ended up introducing an event in the story in Chapter 11 that we were planning on saving for later, so that took up time.
Hey, you at least get to read the "pool cleaning" chapters prior to that.
I haven't decided whether to do this or not, but I may do a bye week every four to six chapters, simply to give us time to catch up to where we want to be or work ahead a little bit.
Check out the new subreddit r/NagatoroRoundtable/ .
Transcripts of the Nagatoro Roundtable/Panel featuring artists and authors in the franchise are posted there.
Finally, I was able to work on something other than the karaoke chapters. I loved the karaoke chapters, but these strings of three, four, or more chapters become tiring after a while.
I've started watching Rick and Morty. It's pretty good. PS at least thinks the show will continue a couple more seasons and receive a proper ending, so I'll keep watching.
He suggested I watch The Venture Bros. and Metalocalypse, but I'll wait until we see confirmation of the movies meant to conclude each series before starting.
He's been suggesting some older anime for me to watch, and I can say that almost all new stuff is garbage in comparison to the good older stuff.
Magic Users Club, the six OVA series, not the TV anime sequel, was amazing to look at. You want to see how a PROPER "beach episode" is animated, take a look at Episode 4.
Video Girl Ai is also an impressively animated OVA series.
I'm sure it was horrible for the poor animators locked in those dank rooms 20+ years ago, but the end product looks good.
Like I said before, when everything now is done on computers, it should look better than it does.
…
As for Nagatoro, another canon chapter where nothing happened. Nanashi didn't even cash in the nipple ticket. The only good thing to come out in at least a year our time was Gamo-chan telling Nagatoro's valueless brother that he and his awful big sister are in the way.
…
When someone says something isn't personal, it usually IS personal, especially if they enjoy it, even if the proper reasoning is there.
…
Please look at the Q&A section I set up at the end of the chapter. Ask us anything and we'll add another section in the next chapter. I would be happy if you ask questions.
Please enjoy what I wrote.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Upon seeing his pair of comely kohai standing in their gym clothes and sandals at the pool's edge, Naoto Hachioji might've given them a better greeting.
"No fair, Sakura-san!" he whined, feeling bamboozled and dizzy with stomach butterflies. "Why's Sunomiya here…? Why are you here…?!"
Hana Sunomiya's family wasn't supposed to have even gotten on the road back from Tokyo until MIDNIGHT…!
And they were supposed to talk about things before Hana got wind of anything!
Sakura Inori said, "There was a change of plans. Hana-chan and her family got on the road right after dinner last night. Traffic was good, so they got in before dark. She let everyone know on Line."
He hadn't CHECKED his Line, not since the afternoon before…
And Sakura didn't have Line, so…
"And Sunomiya must've messaged you…" Naoto deduced to Sakura. "I haven't checked Line since yesterday… I went to sleep pretty early…"
He'd conked out soon after hanging up the phone with the gal…
He stated the obvious, "So… you decided to come out here…"
"Mm-hmm~," Sakura hummed.
"And you brought Sunomiya with you…?"
"Sure did~."
"…"
"…"
"…"
Naoto… did NOT like the look that Hana was giving him…
"…!" His heart was thumping.
The curvaceous first-year girl glared at him, her face stony. "…"
'Ack!' Naoto's noise-maker didn't seem to be working. "…!"
But he tried to gather his senses.
He was still standing in the deep end of their empty school pool, covered in dust and drenched in sweat, his nut-sack already like chewed bubblegum on hot asphalt, "trapped" by his kohai, staring down at his dusty, sweaty, gummy-sacked self.
He felt about as stupid as that time he'd been caught by his mother, lying in the bath, pretending his hard dick was a lighthouse.
Ship hard to port! Steer clear of those two smelly buoys off the coast~…
He sighed, "Hoo…"
It was time to face the music…
Leaning the push broom against the tiled wall, Naoto went for the nearest ladder and climbed out of the pool.
He faced the girls.
Sakura looked very nearly amused. "…~"
Aw, who's anyone kidding? Part of her was~…
Hana remained stone-faced and determined. "…"
"…!" Naoto was by now sweating worse than he'd been in the sweltering pit, despite the cooling breeze, the wind picking up as the sun rose over the hills.
He gulped, turning his eyes to the gal, "So…"
"While you were snoozing, I found out Hana-chan would be back sooner than later…" Sakura made it sound simple. "I let her know I wanted to talk once she got in. Once she did, I filled her in, we both got a good night's sleep, and here we are~."
"How much did you tell her?" he ventured.
"That you wound up using me as your model, instead of working on something else, when your other model flaked out on you, that we stayed late, and that you got in trouble when the police came and had to clean the pool as punishment."
'So, you left out all the messy details…' He did, however, think it was a fair reckoning.
However, however, he did notice two things in what she'd said, and both of them set off the alarm bells between his ears.
Sakura had referred to Hayase Nagatoro's absence as "flaking out".
Everyone invested now knew that Nagatoro had never been sick with the stomach flu, but denoting her jarringly bad academic performance for the semester and her wretched downfall as "flaking out"…?
Further, the gal had declined to use Nagatoro's name—even her nickname, which she always used—instead dubbing her "(his) other model".
It was COLD… and Naoto could tell, then and there, that Sakura was on Hana's "team"…
Boundaries had been set, and he had to deal with that.
Still, he had enough on his plate and pushed that away…
"…!" Turning his attention to Hana, Naoto noticed her expression hadn't changed.
Sakura's had mellowed out, and it seemed to him that she wanted him to make the next move.
He supposed he had to…
He had to talk to Hana, whom hadn't said a word, not since calling him "Asshole-senpai".
"Sunomiya…" He trembled. "I, uh…"
Not batting an eyelash, Hana hiked up an ankle to her other hip, pulling off her pink Adidas slide.
"…?" Naoto puzzled. 'What is she…?'
He had her answer quickly enough, as his kohai began smacking the sandal, held at the heel, against the flat of her opposite palm, a good, loud thwack accompanying each drop of the pink, makeshift bludgeoning device.
"…?!" He flinched at the noise. 'Really?! Is she gonna…?!'
Sakura was almost as juddered. "What are you doing, Hana-chan?"
"Penance…" Hana beat the slide with a little more umph.
Naoto floundered. 'I knew it…!'
"…" Sakura surely hadn't heard her correctly. "…Huh?"
"I saw it in a comedy routine the other day." Hana stared down her execrable male senpai. "I took in a manzai act."
She was the straight man if ever there was one… and Naoto was "funny man" enough…
"You're supposed to use a harisen, Hana-chan."
"I don't have a harisen, Sakura-senpai."
"…?" Sakura measured her gal-pal.
Hana was staunch. "…"
"…?"
"…"
"You don't really wanna hit him like that… do you?" Sakura didn't sound so sure.
Naoto wasn't so sure either. "…?!"
"…" Hana just stood there, ominously so.
Sakura became concerned. "…!"
Naoto previously was. "…?!"
"Hana-chan…?" Sakura issued. "Hey…"
Naoto couldn't read their kohai. "…?!"
But Hana's "resolve" broke, and she lowered her weapon.
"No…" she uttered, the slide now dangling at her thigh. "I was playing…"
"Huh?" "What?" Naoto and Sakura answered at once.
Was "playing" the right word…?
Hana answered this, "I was acting… for…"
For what…?!
Neither senpai knew what to make of this. "…?" "…?"
With a sigh, Hana crouched down, collapsing onto her butt; the slide still in hand, she hugged her knees and put her nose between them. "…"
"…!" "…!" Both senpai were worried.
But Sakura was less affected than Naoto, and she knelt beside her kohai.
"Hana-chan…" she gently broached. "What do you mean?"
Hana huddled up more tightly. "…"
Sakura got closer, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Hana-chan…?"
Naoto bent slightly, getting a better angle. "…?"
He saw a glinting dampness brimming around Hana's eyes.
'Sunomiya…!' His heart seized.
Sakura looked up at him, not helplessly, but with meaning.
She couldn't do this on her own, and Naoto knew it.
Hana needed her senpai of senpai…
"Phew…" Naoto eased himself down opposite of Sakura, duffing it, stretching out his considerably long legs.
He had in common with Sakura a few things, and one of them was that neither really understood Hana all the time.
Maybe NO ONE did…
But they did "get" Hana, and they knew that her feelings were hurt.
She'd gone nowhere with the harisen bit, but it had purpose.
Had she been trying to act tough…? Attempting a little humor against Naoto's "sin" of not informing her of the trouble he was in…? About to ACTUALLY slap him around a little…?
Perhaps it didn't matter...
To Naoto, knowing that he'd disappointed Hana again hurt a lot worse than a whack with a paper fan or even an Adidas slide… and maybe as far as a kick in the balls…
Hana might've even been a little embarrassed, showing her emotions like this…
He hoped he'd be able to say the right things… or at least show that he was trying…
"I'm really sorry, Sunomiya," he exhaled.
She twitched. "…"
'At least she heard me…' Naoto settled. "Sunomiya, I want you to listen to me, okay…?"
"…" Sakura's face was encouraging
Hana's eyes remained glued to her kneecaps. "…"
"I know I lied to you last Monday, Sunomiya…" Naoto confessed. "I'm really sorry about that."
He had… when Nagatoro had bruised the Hell out of his foot for no reason past meanness…
"…!" Hana reacted more strongly this time, and Naoto could see her peeking at him from the corner of her eye.
"I know it's not much of an excuse, but I didn't want to worry you…" he said. "I didn't think anything would come of it."
Hana gave him a little more consideration. "…?"
Naoto didn't worry about what Sakura was up to; it was just him and Hana.
"I didn't know the right thing to do, Sunomiya," he shared.
No… that wasn't quite right…
He amended, "I guess… I'm just afraid to deal with some things… I wish I wasn't, but…"
Now, he knew he had Hana's full attention, more of her face visible to him.
"Hachioji-senpai…?" she whispered.
'Good…' Naoto could tell he was getting through.
He spun around on his rear, facing Hana and scooching closer.
"I know you're disappointed I didn't tell you about me cleaning the pool, but this is different than last time." He hoped she understood. "And it's not like I'm in that much trouble…
"I guess I was afraid of letting you know, but mostly it was that I didn't want you to worry while you were on vacation. Maybe I should've told you, but…"
Sakura swooped in, "Hana-chan, we both agreed to tell you today, once you got home and had a rest. But I decided to do this, you and me coming here early like this."
"You did…?" Hana turned to her.
"Yeah… I didn't even give him a chance to let you know, even though we agreed on it." Sakura sort of wished she'd handled it differently. "I've been bothering him about it since Monday night, but I think he was right, waiting to tell you."
Hana… had an indiscernible face about her. "…?"
"Don't be upset with Sakura-san, Sunomiya." Naoto wasn't sure if she was or not. "She's been offering to help me with this, but I kept telling her 'no'."
Hana fully looked up, "But… why?"
"Well…" It seemed obvious to him, and he'd convinced Sakura of the same. "It's complicated, but the official story is that I was alone on Friday night. If Sakura-san showed up, she'd get into trouble too."
And it WAS a lot more complicated than that…!
Hana's energy hopped an orbit.
She declared, "Then you definitely should've told me!"
Both Naoto and Sakura jumped at the assertion.
"Hana-chan?!"
"What do you mean, Sunomiya…?"
Hana told him, "If I was here in the first place, then it would've been okay for Sakura-senpai to be here!"
"Huh?" He retreated.
Sakura shuffled. "That was my reasoning for bringing her here…"
Naoto had figured that out, but…
"Sunomiya, what good would it have done to tell you on the trip?" he necessitated. "What would you have been able to do about it?"
"I would've hopped on a train home a day earlier!" Hana said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Even if I had to pay with my own allowance to come back, I would've helped you!"
'Sunomiya…!' Naoto was stunned.
So was Sakura…
"Sunomiya…" Naoto tried. "How could I just put that on you while you were out of town?"
"But what if you couldn't finish?!" Hana didn't seem to care about his logic. "You'd be in trouble! The Art Club would be in trouble! That's why you need all the help you can get! That's why Sakura-senpai should be here too! It's partly her fault anyway!"
"Yeah, that's true…" Sakura mumbled.
Neither Naoto or Hana heard her.
Naoto insisted, knowing he had until Sunday night to finish, "Sunomiya, you—"
"We're in this together, Hachioji-senpai!" Hana persisted. "I know if I was in trouble, you'd help me…!"
Sakura cut in, "Hana-chan, don't you get it? Why we wanted to wait to tell you? What about your family? What about the Prez? Do you really think they'd have wanted you to come back on your own?"
"Sakura-san's right, Sunomiya." Naoto thought this was important.
And why would anyone ever want Hana to pull herself away from visiting Sana Sunomiya, her cousin…?
"I understand…" Hana shrank. "But I still wish you'd told me… I think Sana-neechan would've understood, at least…"
This struck both of her senpai.
Maybe Hana WAS correct…
But neither was sure.
What Naoto was sure of was that he had a great kohai in Hana.
She'd do anything for him… but he wasn't sure if he could do the same…
In Sakura's words, he would've done anything for Hana.
Even against all odds, he "really didn't give a fuck" WHAT stood in the way when Hana was in anything resembling trouble…
Naoto wished that was truer. "…~!"
But what a kohai he had in Hana!
He'd watched her grow a great deal that semester!
She'd become good friends with Sakura and (most of) the other girls, even Nekoba…
He knew Maki Gamo and Yoshi Yamazaki were crazy for her!
Studying with Hana and Sakura for finals had been SO awesome, and the knowledge that it wouldn't last forever had set him to tears…!
Even if things were shaky regarding Nagatoro, Hana had wished so hard to be her friend.
He remembered Friday, during lunch, how much fun Hana had been having with Gamo-chan and Yoshi and even how much she'd enjoyed bullshitting around a little with them.
He remembered her innocent kiss on his cheek and how blessed he'd felt.
He loved Hana! And he wished there was a way to tell her how great of a friend she was to him.
But it was still a little much for him, so he went with something else.
Reaching over, he put his hand on her head. "Sunomiya… thanks~."
He ruffled her perfect bob cut, beaming.
"…?!" She gaped.
Sakura squeed, "Ooh~!"
The gal moved in, hugging Hana.
"…!" Hana didn't need to hear it. "…~"
She knew she was loved…
There was one thing, however.
"Hachioji-senpai…?" she uttered.
He'd let off of mussing up her hair. "Yeah?"
Hana wiggled. "Were… you really going to tell me about all this today?"
That she'd ask that…!
"Of course!" Naoto blurted.
Sakura prodded his arm, reminding him of her ability to pinch him so painfully. "Were you~?"
"…!" He got out of range.
"Hachioji-senpai?" Hana blinked.
Would he have really told her…?
He knew the truth.
"I… don't think I'd have been able to tell you on my own." He pawed the back of his neck. "I'm almost positive I would've needed Sakura-san's help."
"Told you so~." Sakura poked out her tongue.
He denied, "Not specifically!"
Hana finally appeared to chill.
With a sigh, she said, "Thank you for being honest."
"Y-yeah…" Naoto could get down with that.
"Hachioji-senpai…" Hana sat up straight, dragging Sakura along for the ride. "What's done is done. Sakura-senpai and I are here, and we're going to help you."
He wanted to get a word in, but—
"Senpai-kun, don't worry about me getting in trouble now," Sakura breezed, still hanging on her kohai. "We're the Art club and friend (that's me~), so it shouldn't be a problem if I help~."
He couldn't argue. "…"
"Senpai-kun, you know my daddy's a building contractor." She pointed at him, one of her hands having been forcefully freed from the Hana-hug. "Don't try to flimflam me about 'a little bit of dust'. I know what went into repairing the pool. You might've been stuck still doing this on Saturday."
She still had that crazy acid-green polish…
"What she said, Hachioji-senpai." Hana didn't know what a "flimflam" was, but damned if she'd let her idolized senpai work alone.
…
It was then that Naoto knew he'd "lost".
His kohai—plural—had him by the balls…
He had no reason to turn down their help, and it probably wouldn't have done a lick of good to try.
After all, they'd come there for HIM…
…
Things weren't perfect…
Nagatoro would have to win them both back, but he couldn't worry about that, not now.
He had to make things right with the girls who HAD gone out of their way to help him…
…
Coming down, Naoto hadn't entirely noticed the basket at Sakura's side, in plain sight.
He supposed she'd been holding it before kneeling down beside Hana…
The words fell out of his mouth, "What's with the basket…?"
Sakura herself had forgotten it a moment.
"Oh, I made us all a lunch~," she chirped. "It's a surprise~."
"I know what it is," Hana volunteered, raising a hand.
Sakura giggled, "But he doesn't. Let's keep it that way."
Naoto looked forward to it. "…~!"
Sadly, it was only 8:15 in the morning…
Whatever way—
"You look like you could use a drink of water, Senpai-kun," Sakura suggested. "I have a half-dozen bottles of Aquarius too, for later~."
He had been keeping hydrated, but he knew another drink would be nice.
"Okay…" he gave in.
Sakura determined, "Why don't we sit down… and fill Hana-chan in on stuff…?"
"Sure." With the gal by his side, he wasn't too afraid of relaying the week's events to Hana.
…
…
…
Hana sat in a rough circle with Naoto and Sakura, sheltered by the sunshade erected by the pool.
"So that's what happened…" she considered. "Nagatoro left school, and Sakura-senpai took her place."
Naoto nodded. "Yes…"
Hana hadn't even MENTIONED Nagatoro's name since the previous Monday, and she wasn't adding the honorific "-senpai" now either…
It didn't bode well to Naoto, but what could he do about it?
Sakura piped up, "Yeah, it's been quite the week, Hana-chan…"
They'd told Hana nearly everything, even most of the uncomfortable parts.
The weirdness, the noodle shop takeout, four faculty members knowing Sakura had been there, SHOWING those faculty what Naoto had been working on, a blind eye being turned to Sakura's presence, etcetera…
Hana was convinced enough that her senpai had acted in their best interests, given she was away.
And with that in the past…
Naoto apologized, "I'm sorry, Sunomiya… I hope you're not upset I declined your offer to help me at some point with my project, not that I told you what it was…"
She HAD offered, the day they'd had brunch with Sakura…
"I was indifferent when you told me you wished to use someone else," Hana said. "I knew you planned to ask Nagatoro, whatever it was."
Naoto was relieved. "I'm glad for that."
"It's alright Hachioji-senpai," Hana forgave. "If I'd known what you were actually doing, I would've backed out, knowing you like legs… and stuff."
Naoto's brain got the fizzies!
'Oof!' It was like a gut punch, him hearing that. "I see…"
"Please don't be upset, Hachioji-senpai," Hana solaced. "I can understand why this was so different and… intimate for you. But you were willing to try and overcome that, and Nagatoro treated your trust and good faith like a joke. I understand why you took it so hard."
'Yikes, Sunomiya!' Naoto knew she wasn't trying to rough him up, but this was difficult. "Yes…"
Sakura giggled, "…~!"
"Hachioji-senpai, there's nothing wrong with how you feel," Hana dedicated. "The human body is beautiful. It took character to work with Sakura-senpai on it with maturity."
"Oh, Sunomiya…" He was touched.
"It just would've been too much for me to help you in such a way, knowing you like legs and stuff," she reinforced. "I wouldn't have been comfortable with that."
'D'oh!' Naoto felt that one in his "smelly buoys", and he showed it. "…!"
Okay, Hana HAD to be taking a few intentional shots at him…!
Sakura laughed harder, "Yeah, you tell him, Hana-chan~."
"…" Apparently, she'd said her piece.
And Naoto was okay with that.
"I see…" he addressed Hana.
She extended, "Even so, I would love to model for you in other ways, nearly whatever else you need. It's art, and you need multiple subjects."
"I'd appreciate that, Sunomiya," he thanked her.
"Umph~!" Hana fortified. "You improving your portfolio is 'penance' enough for me."
"Sounds like you're getting off pretty easy, Senpai-kun~," Sakura opined.
He thought so too…!
He faced Hana. "In the meantime… is there anything I can do to make this up to you?"
It seemed she'd been waiting for an opportunity to say something…!
"Let me use the pressure washer!" she said excitedly. "Whenever we clean around the shrine, I'm the one that does it. I'm pretty good at it~!"
Naoto jolted at her enthusiasm. "Buuyh!"
"What do you say we get started~?" Sakura, grinning, standing up, was pleased to see the Art Club making amends. "Let's clean this pool~!"
"Umph~!" Hana sprang to her feet.
Naoto's butt had gone numb, but he got up too. "Thanks, girls…"
…
…
…
Leaving their phones, valuables, and Sakura's picnic lunch stashed in the cool of the broom closet, they'd gotten on the job.
Once the three of them got a system going, their work was like, well, clockwork.
Pulling a couple more brooms out of the closet, they hit the walls and floor for debris, sweeping it up at a corner of the deep end. They did this until they weren't picking up anymore.
From there, Hana hit the walls with the pressure washer. With buckets of detergent and brushes, Naoto and Sakura followed her, Naoto high and Sakura low, in scrubbing the tile and grout. Hana followed up with clean water, blasting the walls free of soap and grime, as much as would come off.
Naoto had covered the pool's drains anyway, so there was no way to introduce muck into the pool's filtration.
With that security, he and Sakura directed the slop into the deep end, squeegeeing their way along.
Once the dirty water was a few centimeters deep, Naoto turned on the bilge pump, and they continued rinsing and pushing what came off the walls towards the pump.
Once the water around their sandals ran clear and was too low to siphon, they shut off the pump.
The floor was still a mess, but they'd only meant to get the bulk of the grunge off the walls, and they repeated the whole process with the floor.
It wasn't clean, but it was starting to look better.
They had, again, been trying to get the bulk of the crap out…
They could start anew, and repeat the process until the pool sparkled.
…
Wow, was Naoto glad for the help!
It might've taken him most of the day to do what they'd just done, and it wasn't even 11:00.
He was also grateful for sunscreen, knowing his neck, arms, legs, and his two kohai were protected…
While he was hesitant to do so, his shirt was saturated from sweat and the mist off the pressure washer.
While the girls' gym clothes were more formfitting, his hung on him like a wet sack on a skeleton…
So, soon after their second treatment began, he removed his shirt, toweling off what sweat he could with it.
"Whoa, you really do look like a beansprout~…" Sakura said in wonderment.
Hana gawked. "Tofu…"
Naoto blushed, tossing his shirt onto the cement surrounding the pool. "Yeah, yeah… You've seen this before, Sakura-san…"
"I guess I suppressed it or something~…" she prodded.
He was already applying more sunscreen, the bottle in his pocket, covering his torso. "…"
Only…
"You need your back done, Hachioji-senpai," Hana observed.
Yes, there WAS that to deal with…
"Uh… yeah…" Naoto dithered, quite unable to reach his upper back. "Could one of you please do it for me?"
He hoped they wouldn't make a fuss over it, doing something silly like drawing lots to see who got the "honor"…
"Wanna flip a coin, Hana-chan~?" Sakura proposed, snickering.
'Yup, they're gambling about it…' Naoto didn't blame them for having a laugh over it.
Though, Hana didn't think it was so funny.
"I'll do it." She took the bottle from him and started decorating his back with the stuff, not hesitating in the slightest.
"…!" Naoto turned at the goopiness and Hana's touch. "Ehh~…"
"Aww…" Sakura lamented. "I wanted to do it…"
'Why make a game out of it then…?!' Naoto didn't understand women.
"You can do it the next time," Hana promised. "He'll need another coat later, the way he's sweating."
Sakura groused, "Mrgh…"
"Hey, I'm sorry that it's kinda gross, Sunomiya…" Naoto didn't like the girl having to deal with his stupid perspiration. "Thanks."
No thanks was necessary for Hana. "It's alright, Hachioji-senpai. Anytime."
The wind had picked up a little more by mid-morning, and the occasional gusts stirring fresh air into the pool's depths felt great on Naoto's overheated body.
The wind also stirred up a little bit of trouble for him.
While Hana was operating the pressure washer, she could stay out of its shifty "splash zone".
Naoto and Sakura couldn't.
And Sakura began to show it, just as Naoto had.
"Ee-yah~~!" she squealed playfully, covering up. "Senpai-kun's lookin' at me~!"
"Hey, I didn't mean to…" he agitated, keeping his eyes on his floor brush.
Sakura's white gym shirt had gone transparent, and Naoto could see her bra.
Where those… stripes~…?
He'd always dreamed of seeing a wet t-shirt contest, but he hadn't bargained for this…
"Sorry, Sakura-senpai," Hana called from behind the wand. "I can't tell which way the wind will blow…"
"No big whoop, Hana-chan." The gal leaned her brush against the wall, and—
'Holy shit! She's taking off her shirt!' Naoto panicked, turning away from her peeling off the offending garment.
"Hey, Senpai-kun~…" she chortled. "It's alright. You can turn back around."
'Why don't I trust you…?' He had his reasons. "Really?"
Hana joined, "It's fine, Hachioji-senpai."
He did trust Hana.
Happily, what had looked like a bra turned out to be a bikini top.
But it didn't seem a whole lot better! And at SCHOOL?!
Hana observed, "Sakura-senpai, is that your 'itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, tiger-stripey string-bikini'?"
"Nope, it's my 'itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, zebra-stripey string-bikini'~." She shot her soaked t-shirt onto the cement walkway surrounding the pool, joining Naoto's. "Just the top~."
'It IS different than the one from last month!' Naoto wouldn't forget seeing the blonde in orange and black stripes.
Though it wasn't SO itsy-bitsy… being a relatively tame article of swimwear…
Absurdly enough, the only other things he could see were the school regulations flashing in his mind's eye.
"That's not allowed!" he exclaimed. "You can't wear a bikini top on school grounds!"
There'd be a problem if any of the staff checked on them, not that seeing THREE people instead of ONE beansprout wouldn't be trouble enough…
Naoto had been keeping his eyes open for "intruders", not that the three of them couldn't be seen from the upstairs windows in the adjacent building.
And wasn't someone supposed to be looking in on him every once in a while? What if he slipped and cracked his head and drowned in 5 cm of water…?
No matter, Sakura was defiant in regards to his recitation.
"Well, they can take it from me~." She puffed out her chest.
Naoto rolled his eyes. 'I'm just gonna not worry about this…'
As if one girl running around without a shirt wasn't bad enough, Sakura tempted, "Wanna join me, Hana-chan~?"
'Okay, NOW I can worry a little again…' The gal would be the end of him.
And she wasn't even asking to get HIM riled; she wanted Hana to be comfortable…
"Not really…" Hana declined. "I'm in a sports bra anyway."
"Why didn't you wear your school swimsuit?" Sakura thought doing so would've been common sense.
"You said to dress for gym, Sakura-senpai, so I dressed for gym."
"But for the pool?" the older girl mulled.
Naoto just kept his eyes on his brush. "…!"
Not like scrubbing away could negate reality…
"Hey, Senpai-kun~…" came the wheedling voice.
'Oh, geez…' He knew something "bad" was waiting for him, but he turned to look anyway.
Sakura had her back to him, pulling her shoulder-length hair to the front.
She enticed, "I'll do the rest by myself, but I need someone to screen up my back for me~."
"Gah…" Naoto's jaw dropped, the sight of her luscious but toned figure almost breaking his brain.
"Who wants to help protect this cherry blossom from the sun's harmful rays~…?" Sakura rotated on the ball of her foot, her strappy sandal and blaringly green nail polish nearly lost in the soapy filth on the floor.
"H-hey!" Naoto cautioned, absently reaching out an arm, not that she was in reach. "It's slippery…"
And hadn't she done plenty of damage to her skin anyway, even if she DID use sunblock…?
"I feel kinda like a ballerina~," the gal warbled. "Spinny, spinny, spinny~…"
"Careful!" Naoto maintained.
She kept at it. "Tee-hee~!"
It was Hana who stopped her, firmly grasping the other girl's upper-arms.
"Stop messing around, Sakura-senpai," she advised. "Now, hold still."
"Eep~!" Sakura squeaked, writhing at the gloop of sunscreen Hana had globbed onto her back.
The artiste had wasted no time in whipping out the lotion—in HER pocket this time—to apply it to her friend's back…
"Wow, you're all business today, eh, Hana-chan…?" Sakura twisted at the strange sensation.
"We are on business, Sakura-senpai."
"You have the sunscreen applying technique of a gorilla, ya know that…?" she proclaimed. "Not sensual at all~…"
"I wonder how it feels, having the skin over the tricep pinched…" Hana mused, poking Sakura in said spot. "Hachioji-senpai doesn't seem to like it. Don't think I don't notice."
"Okay, okay, okay…" the blonde retracted. "I meant to say, 'Thank you for applying my sunscreen, Hana-chan.' Is that better~?"
"Much~." Hana seemed satisfied.
…
"…~!" Naoto never got tired of seeing the two of them messing around, even if he wanted to head for the hills on occasion. 'I love these girls~!'
Unaware of his pansy-assed ruminations, Sakura pestered, "Hey, maybe next time, Senpai-kun. You snooze, you lose~…"
'I didn't have the sunscreen to begin with…' He still loved his girls.
And he was sure he wouldn't be any worse at lotioning up the gal's back than Hana was…
Q&A Section
You have repeatedly mocked and criticized the original Nagatoro manga by Nanashi, even referring to him as a "pornographer" multiple times due to his previous work (not that I have a problem with that, mind you. I'm not a fan myself), yet you have dedicated this much time and passion into creating this fanfic and fleshing out its characters. Would you say that this story comes from a place of frustration due to missed potential on Nanashi's part? If that is not the case, what made you want to create this fanfic, for a manga series you openly dislike?
ED: Nanashi is currently a pornographer. He still draws and writes smut, but it doesn't get the sort of attention that his "mainstream" series gets. He doesn't know healthy relationships work, or toxic ones, for that matter.
I started the fanfic because I just liked the "what if" aspect of Naoto becoming better friends with Sakura and the other female characters.
But as the canon story declined, about the time I began working seriously on my story, it became more of a passion. It got "personal". I loathe how Nanashi utilizes Yoshi and Hana as characters. And a lot of it is a matter of lost potential.
Nothing is really happening in the story of actual substance, and while the girls like Naoto, NONE of them have any actual respect for him. Nagatoro's siblings have no respect for him. He's just a toy to satisfy Nagatoro.
Nanashi goes for the least common denominator, wastes time and space with splash panels when he could be adding plot, details, development, and substance, and he just isn't interested in giving his characters any real character.
If this question is offensive or anything, please ignore it and I apologize. But I'm curious, why is it that so many Mormon girls seem to love anime and manga? I've always wanted to ask but I was afraid to. All the girls in my high school and college anime clubs were Mormons.
I don't mean anything bad by this. It's just that they were the only girls in the clubs and almost all the girls I knew that liked anime and manga were Mormons. I also lived and went to school in Idaho and there was a high population where I come from to begin with.
ED: I'm not offended, so don't worry about that. I get asked this sometimes, and it's a fair question. It goes beyond anime and manga.
One of the reasons so many young LDS people, girls and boys, seem to like anime, manga, cartoons, and comics is that a lot of us are restricted by our families and often the church in what we can watch and read. We take what we can get. I had to sneak out to watch my first PG-13 movie in a theater when I was 16. I didn't see an R-rated movie until I was 18 and away from home.
But for reasons unknown to me, some families and church leaders think animation and illustrated media is "safe". You might also notice that many young LDS people go crazy for Disney movies, especially the animated ones.
Anime and manga give many of us access to more mature material than we are typically allowed compared to live action stuff. It's like the people that tell us what we can and can't do go blind and deaf when it comes to anything not live action or photographed.
Of course, the church is very diverse, so that's just what I think and what I experienced. My parents didn't seem to mind what anime I watched, but we weren't allowed to watch Spongebob. It's weird, I know.
Do you listen to music or watch something while you write or do you do it in silence?
ED: I've been asked this question a few times. But it does seem to be something a lot of people are interested in knowing. It's one of the most common questions people ask authors, fic or otherwise.
I don't have the TV on as background noise, but I'll listen to music. I was just always used to having something going on around me while growing up, so I feel a little uncomfortable without background noise.
I grew up with six brothers and one sister. I'm the sixth child, and my sister is the youngest. Our ages range by 14 years. We weren't wild kids or anything, but there was always plenty of noise and activity going on, so I prefer to hear something going on.
In contrast, my editor loves dead quiet when he works on my story. Having some idea of what goes on in his head, I can't believe he can be alone with his thoughts like that and be okay with it, LOL.
But he says it helps with his creative process.
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading! Questions and comments are welcome!