(A/N): Honestly, I kinda forgot that Senpai exclusively wears contacts in the manga at this point. Oops. Maybe I'll correct that next chapter lmao. Yes, I care about continuity, this isn't a crackfic!

Machida is still a manga-only character, so if you aren't familiar well... I can't help you there, read the manga! She'll be in Season 3 of the anime guaranteed.

Also debatably, this fic might change to Rated M as of next chapter because... Yeah.

Chapter Four

Strike A Pose, Naoto! (Machida I)

It was a certain holiday that brought about a dreaded day for both Naoto and Nagatoro alike, the two of them arriving at a small rented studio somewhere on a backstreet of a neighboring town.

"I-Is this…?"

The place wasn't much to look at, but then again, Naoto had to admit that there was something fitting for an artist to use a shoddy two story place as their personal studio– Especially when the artist in question was Machida, easily one of the best up-and-coming painters in the entire region.

Nagatoro had a dark look on her face as she stared up at the place, making it impossible to know what she was thinking. However, the tight grip on Naoto's hand was all she needed to know.

"D-Don't worry, that's why I brought you along," he tried to reassure her. "Plus I do really want to see how someone as good as Machida-san works."

"Whatever," Nagatoro said bitterly, leading the way forward, Naoto internally dreading the encounter to come.

After knocking, the door was opened by an older, gruffer man, who regarded them for only a second before turning to shout back into the place:

"Blondey, you got guests or somethin'!"

A few moments later, Machida came down the steps, wearing a loose black tee and sweatpants, looking more casual than they'd ever seen her as she regarded them with the smallest, but just perceivable, grin.

"My studio's upstairs," she said, thumbing behind her before going back up the stairs. Nagatoro and Naoto headed in, the boy nodding to the man that eyed them the entire time as they went. "The rent is pretty cheap and nobody really makes much noise around here."

Nagatoro glanced several times over towards Naoto as they followed her up, the boy doing his damndest to stare down at the stares, knowing exactly what Nagatoro was looking for.

Once at the top, Machida opened the door to the studio, and Naoto couldn't help but be impressed by the space. To most it might have looked like a big empty room with easels and other such art supplies lying about, but to him, there was certainly a method to the madness that made it seem like a perfect place to paint.

More than a certain clubroom that everyone started to visit all the time, he thought with a chuckle, though he couldn't lie that being in peace and quiet too much wasn't as fun.

"So you two finally did the thing huh. Congrats," Machida said, walking towards the opposite wall, which was lined with large windows covered by dusty makeshift curtains. She grabbed one side and began to pull them open, bathing the room in light as she continued with, "At least you didn't forget my failures."

"I-It could have gone either way," Naoto insisted, though Nagatoro jabbed him in the gut and he chuckled nervously.

"Don't be modest, Senpai. You won fair and square," she said with a smirk, crossing her arms and looking at Machida as she turned to them, her golden hair and pale skin practically glowing in the sunlight as she narrowed her eyes at Nagatoro. "So now you get to claim your reward, it's that simple!"

"You're pretty eager for your boyfriend to indulge in another girl's nude body–"

"A-Am not!" Nagatoro quite literally hissed at the girl as she suddenly grabbed hold of Naoto protectively.

Machida smirked at the reaction as she continued to set things up. Naoto remembered how cold the girl had once been with him, and how firm she was in her beliefs… Until she saw just how devoted he and Nagatoro were to becoming better for each other. From that day on, she had slowly become more friendly, even if she was bitter about losing to him in the mock art school exams.

While the girl set up, Naoto moved further into the room, looking around and taking it all in.

It feels so… legitimate, in a way, he thought, feeling the looming shadow of Nagatoro behind him. N-Not that I would ever admit that out loud or anything…

"Alright, since I'm doing something like this, it's only fair I get to pick the pose," Machida insisted, grabbing a large poster-board that was facing the wall and setting it up so they could see. "Which one seems more to your liking?"

Machida crossed her arms and looked away from them, a slight blush on her face. Naoto gazed at the poses with a purely artistic eye… But Nagatoro seemed to feel a different way about it.

"So revealing," she muttered, before pointing at the girl accusingly. "I-Is this some kind of porno shoot?!"

Not giving in to Nagatoro's attempts to egg her on, Machida simply shrugged and turned her head to gaze outside.

"It's whatever Hachiouji wants to go with, simple as."

Nagatoro looked up at Naoto with narrowed eyes. He gulped, knowing that there was more at stake than just which pose spoke to him more.

Before them was three different sketches of a womanly figure with no specific attributes, except that the body shape was proportioned clearly to match Machida's, the girl being comparable to Nagatoro's shorter and more petite build.

The first was a perspective of the subject sitting towards the viewer, with their head tilted to gaze back behind them, and a hand up along their neck. The second involved sitting on the ground with knees up, arms loosely hugging their legs, and head looking up in a thoughtful expression. Thirdly, a pose that seemed more elegant, with the subject standing turned away, body twisted a bit to emphasize the curvature of the body, a hand held up towards the ceiling.

All in all, Naoto thought they were fairly modest when it came to nude modelling. Of course, the amount of nudity actually showing through was the big difference, and one that he would unfortunately have to take into account with Nagatoro being present.

I know that, objectively, I'd be able to do the first pose best, he thought, putting a hand to his chin. The second is more reserved and perhaps easiest of all, but then the third is more challenging to get right.

Glancing towards Nagatoro, his girlfriend seemed to be considering the poses with a thoughtful expression now as well. Unsure what she might be thinking, he pointed towards one of them.

"T-This one seems good. I think it'd be difficult, but I'd like to try."

Machida looked towards the third pose and smiled, nodding as she seemed to have hoped for, or expected, such a selection.

"I'm glad I didn't lose to a coward," Machida commented.

"Wait!"

Both of them were surprised when Nagatoro suddenly exclaimed and threw a hand into the air. They then watched as her hand slowly fell to point at the first pose on the board.

"I'll be doing that one!"

"Huh? H-Hayase?"

The girl grinned and nodded to herself, crossing her arms as she looked up at her boyfriend deviously.

"This was my plan all along. Redemption! Now there's no holding back Senpai," Nagatoro exclaimed.

Machida sighed and shook her head. "You're so much… I wonder how he deals with it."

"What was that?" Nagatoro stepped up close to Machida, the two girls glaring into each others eyes, the sparks of tension visible between their gaze.

Panicking a bit, Naoto physically moved between them and dragged Nagatoro back a few steps, chuckling nervously as he tried to break it down.

"I-I'm fine with that Hayase. I'll wait outside til you're both ready, just let me know," he said.

"You're really okay with it, Senpai?" Nagatoro put a hand on his and smiled, her eyes twinkling in the sunlight. "I know you've always wanted to see me naked, but you're a little too eager now, aren't you?"

Naoto gulped and pushed up on his glasses, shrugging nonchalantly.

"I… want to be closer to you, that's all," he said, squeezing her hand a bit before turning to walk away. At that moment, Nagatoro and Machida both acknowledge that he actually seemed pretty cool– Even though internally, his heart was beating rapidly and his thoughts were full of doubt.

After the door closed, Naoto sighed as he leaned back against it. The smell of cigarette smoke could be smelled coming from downstairs, as well as the faint sound of a crackling television and someone snoring.

Maybe I should look around here when I start attending art school, he wondered. It'd be nice.

Thinking about Nagatoro's insistence to join the nude posing, he blushed a bit. It was already enough that he was going to have Machida, who was pretty much his rival through and through, doing it for him, but now the girl he loved was going to do the same?

I guess I should've expected it, this is Hayase, he thought with a chuckle.

After a few minutes, Naoto's phone buzzed and he looked to see a message from Nagatoro confirming that things were ready. Taking a deep breath, he put his hand on the doorknob and slowly entered the room.

Once inside, the sunlight coming in through the windows blinded him for a moment, the Sun descending down along the buildings outside to bathe the room in gold. Holding a hand up to shade his eyes, he could see the vague figures of the two girls ahead of him, and once he sat at the chair and easel that had been set up for him, the blinding sunlight was no longer an issue.

"Tell us when you're ready to start," Machida said without much emotion.

Naoto was glad that his face was mostly hidden from the two girls by the easel, because what he was looking at was something not even his wildest dreams would have offered him.

"I-I'm ready."

With that, the two girls dropped the sheets that were concealing their nude bodies, and there in a room of gold, Naoto fell in love all over again, this time for more superficial reasons of course.

Nagatoro sat in a chair, her tanned body exposed, head turned to the left and back towards the outside world beyond the windows. A hand lay at the base of her neck, a look of contemplation and dreaming that Naoto thought might be the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen–

Then he saw Machida to his girlfriend's left. Standing in an elegant form, perfectly mimicking the pose that she had drawn before, her hand outstretched towards the ceiling, eyes skyward. Her pale skin radiant in the sunlight, creating an almost angelic scene between the two of them.

Grabbing a light pencil from nearby, he regarded the paper before him for a moment, a canvas in which he could bring out the best of both girls.

I won't let you down!

Thus, Naoto began to draw. It was a messy process, with pencil smudges and charcoal marring his hands, his eyes taking in the artistic flavor of the girls, while his body only got more and more enticed.

Sakura, Misaki, Sunomiya— no, Hana, found their ways into his mind as his hand moved elegantly along the page. He could practically imagine those three there as well in the nude along with Nagatoro and Machida, a thought that made a slight perverted smile appear on his face.

I'm glad they can't see me, he thought, seeing just how focused the girls were on being good subjects. His eyes trailed down along Nagatoro's body to her pale breasts, her tan lines stretching from there all the way down to her crotch, a testament to her lack of care for it.

His pencil's tip snapped. Like a machine, Naoto grabbed another and corrected himself, his eyes shifting to Machida. He drunk in her slender body and her perfectly formed butt, admiring that she especially looked a lot like Nagatoro even in the nude.

Naoto began to sweat a bit without realizing it, his heart beating faster as he drew the scene for what felt like ages. He'd never felt so passionate about art as he did at that moment.

Snap. Another pencil.

Crack. Another piece of charcoal crumbled to the floor.

By the time Machida lowered her arm and sighed a bit, Naoto didn't even seem to notice. The girl looked at his movements in surprise, til he finally stopped when Nagatoro moved from her pose.

"Break time…?"

His voice was a bit exasperated, and the two girls grabbed the sheets they'd used to cover themselves, sharing a small look of confusion at how exhausted he seemed.

"There's still a little time before the sunlight's gone, so just a quick break," Machida insisted, grabbing a nearby water bottle to take a long drink.

Nagatoro approached Naoto, squatting down beside him and beaming up at him.

"How is it so far, Senpai? Did you see how seriously I was taking it?"

Seeing Nagatoro's sincere eyes and wide smile, Naoto wiped some of the sweat from his brow and returned the smile, before patting her head.

"Yeah… You did great, Hayase."

Then the girl looked over towards the paper, and her eyes went wide.

"Ah…!"

Naoto gasped and tried to turn it away from her, regaining a bit of his normal self.

"I-It's bad luck to look early!"

"But—"

"No buts!"

Pouting a bit, Nagatoro stood and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, grinning.

"You could add a little bit in certain places though," she commented, wiggling her covered chest in emphasis.

"T-That defeats the point…"

Soon enough, they were back at it again, and the sunlight gave way not long later. With a sigh, Naoto smiled at the canvas as both girls came to see his work, one on either side of him.

"Uh… I… Wow."

Machida seemed speechless, staring at the amazing drawing Naoto had clearly poured all of his heart and soul into.

Nagatoro and Machida looked immaculate together on the page, the drawing large and confident, showing more finesse and care than Naoto had ever shown in his art before.

"How did you do it?" Machida seemed to instinctively hold the sheet tighter to her body, tensing up a bit. "It's beautiful…"

"I… just felt strongly about it, I guess," he said, unsure himself—

No, that wasn't true. In the back of his mind, Naoto knew what had driven him to create this, and what the implication for that was. Even as he left the room to let the girls change back into their clothes, the thought stuck with him.

Can I… love more than just Hayase?

A little time after, they went to leave the studio. Nagatoro and Machida seemed a lot more friendly, though the blonde still liked to egg her on, and she kept glancing towards Naoto several times. He noticed every single look, but pretended not to, as he gave her a wave and a smile and headed off with Nagatoro beside him.

"Isn't it a little weird to have a drawing like that?" Nagatoro snickered and pointed at the folded copy of the drawing Naoto carried.

Pushing up on his glasses, Naoto chuckled nervously.

"I'm not going to hang it up or anything… It's just too good to leave, right?"

"Hmm.. At least half of it is really really good," Nagatoro said, locking her arm with his. "But I guess Machida can be pretty hot too huh."

She leaned in closer to him, eyes narrowed, and Naoto knew he was being tested so he shook his head.

"N-Not at all!"

"Hmmm… I don't believe you!"

"Okay.. Maybe a little—"

"HUH? What was that, Senpai?!"

After a bit if back and forth teasing on the short train ride back to town, the two arrived at the crossroads towards their places. Nagatoro's was just around the corner, but Naoto had a little ways to go.

"Want me to walk you home? I can beat up any thugs stalking about," Nagatoro offered, letting go of his arm to hop back and forth on her feet, throwing a few punches into the air in front of her.

Naoto chuckled and held up his stained hands. "I'll be fine.. I'll message you when I make it, okay?"

"Hmm… Okay," Nagatoro said bitterly, moving closer to hug and kiss him for a moment, before grinning and waving as she ran off. "Be safe Senpai!"

Waving til his girlfriend disappeared from sight, Naoto's smile dropped, and he took a deep breath as he tried to brace himself for what he planned to do.

I have to know…

Soon he was back on the train.

Are these feelings real?

Now he found himself back on the street leading to Machida's studio, the smell of cigarette smoke reaching his nostrils.

Or is it just…

As he approached the building, a lone streetlight illuminating him, Naoto peered up at the sight of Machida leaning out of the open window, a lit cigarette in her hand. She was gazing up towards the night sky above before she finally noticed him.

"Hachiouji..?"

"C-Can I come up, just for a second?"

Machida seemed to think about it before disappearing. Naoto headed to the front door, which she opened soon after, putting a finger to her lips.

Being as quiet as he could, Naoto followed Machida up and into the studio, walking to the open window with her. She grabbed her cigarette from the side of the ash tray and lifted it up, taking a drag before blowing smoke outside.

"What's up? It's pretty late, you're lucky I didn't go home yet."

Her indifference and coolness made Naoto stand in silence for a few moments, just taking Machida in. The girl was being bathed in the subtle blue moonlight shining through the window, one hand holding her side while her other smoked. She looked like the ideal picture of an artist to Naoto, and was absolutely beautiful in that way.

"I just.. I need to confirm something," he finally managed to say.

"Hm..?"

Machida took a hit of her cigarette and looked towards the window as she tapped ash onto the ashtray there, before turning to Naoto again, just as the boy moved closer. She froze in place as his hand reached up to her cheek with the softest touch, then he leaned in to kiss her.

There was no resistance. Machida tensed up, but beyond that, her wide eyes showed just… surprise.

..Then she exhaled smoke into Naoto's mouth, making him gasp and move to the window, coughing and hacking a bit at the unfamiliar feeling.

"Sorry, but I did just take a puff," Machida said awkwardly, her cigarette burning between her fingers, though she didn't seem to dare to move.

When Naoto stood again, he sighed and shook his head, taking off his glasses that had become a bit smokey. Turning to Machida, he offered a small helpless smile.

"That coulda gone better… Sorry."

Machida's pale face flushed pink in the moonlight as she gazed at him. The cigarette fell from her fingers, but she didn't care, the girl reaching out to grab the collar of Naoto's shirt and pull him in.

This time, the kiss was much more personal. Naoto didn't even hesitate to let his glasses fall from his hand as he wrapped his arms around the thin girl, swiveling his head slowly as their tongues sought each other.

There in the moonlight of a dusty art studio, two artists confirmed a burning desire within themselves, one that they both felt regret would never be possible.

Machida's shirt fell to the floor first, then Naoto's. Her soft, cold hands moved along his chest as they kissed, their bodies pressing together as they stumbled into the darkening room, aimlessly pushing against the walls and knocking over some easels in the way, before finally reaching the lone couch in the room.

Falling back onto it, Naoto felt a little worried that Machida might've hurt herself, but as her nails grazed along his bare back as they kissed, the thought vanished in a moment.

Tongues moving recklessly together, there was no logic in any move they made, just a desire for each other.

Naoto's hands moved down along Machida's body, taking in every inch of it before he dared to pull at her sweatpants. The girl didn't resist the gesture, wiggling her legs a bit to free herself of them, Naoto putting a hesitant hand at her bare stomach, too nervous to move any lower for the moment.

Machida leaned her head up and moved from the kiss, her hand grabbing his and leading it down between her legs, the girl eliciting a soft huff of a moan, clearly not giving up her cool facade completely even as Naoto rubbed the ridges of her panties.

"H.. Hachiouji… Do you love her?"

Naoto didn't need to ask who she meant. His hand paused its movements, and he gulped.

"Y-Yeah…"

"That must feel good," she said with a smile, the girl leaning up to kiss his cheek, still pressing herself against his hand down below. "You shouldn't be here."

"I know…"

"You should be doing this with her."

"Yeah…"

Machida stared up at Naoto, who seemed to have regret filling him now, looking away, unsure.

"I'm glad you did," Machida said softly, before leaning up and opening her mouth, suddenly biting along the top of his shoulder.

Naoto winced even though it wasn't a hard bite, feeling strange when the girl kissed and then seemed to suck at the spot she'd bitten him. She did this for what must have been half a minute before pulling away and laying back on the couch, looking satisfied.

"You should go home.. before it's too late," Machida insisted.

Naoto wasn't sure what she meant by that— whether she was talking about the literal late hour, or whether she meant before they went any further. Either way, he understood both were valid, and he moved off of her, sitting up on the couch and rubbing the spot she'd marked on him.

"Can I visit again sometime?"

"…You're terrible," Machida said with a small breathless laugh.

"Y-You know what I mean…"

"..I'd like that."

Naoto gazed at the girl beneath him for a moment, regarding how mature she was, despite her very Nagotoroish qualities like being headstrong and not backing down from challenges- In the end, she was incredible, and Naoto found it difficult to leave.

The mood's gone, isn't it? He realized, as Machida looked away from him.

Smiling to himself, Naoto stood and, a bit blindly, made his way across the room to grab his shirt and glasses, putting them on and looking towards the couch where Machida was sitting up now, down to just her underwear, a cool expression on her face that was impossible to read.

His heart thudding fast as the night caught up with him, Naoto gave what he felt like was a pitiful goodbye before silently heading out.

The entire trek home, Naoto's mind was spinning with what had happened.

Who am I anymore…?

He felt better than he ever had before, like he was fully in control of his life… But what was the cost? Was he hurting the girl that shared her love with him in the process?

Rubbing the tender spot on his shoulder Machida had left for him, he decided it was too much to figure out that night. Upon returning home, Naoto was quick to fall flat onto his bed, welcoming a good night's rest.

His phone lay on the nightstand beside his bed, displaying two missed messages he'd never bothered to read or respond to before passing out.

To Be Continued

Next Chapter: Be For Real, Naoto! (Hana Sunomiya II)