🌸Cherry Blossom Palette: Summer by the Sea🎨
Chapter 22: Flower Girls [Part Two]
Sunshine Arc
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: I just turned 27 this last week! July 26. I can whine about still being single and being pestered for it by my family, but I'm doing okay.
None of my other siblings are structural engineers, about to begin a MS in civil, last time I checked, so I've got that going for me.
…
This is the 89th chapter of my story!
Number 90 is coming up next week!
I always post first on Archive of Our Own, because PS and I find it's the best format to reread and check for mistakes before uploading new chapters to other places.
I'm writing these words as of Sunday night on July 30.
I was going to release this one tomorrow, but now I won't be tempted to whine about how sh*tty Nanashi's new chapter is, if tomorrow even IS Nagatoro Monday.
…
THIS chapter gets another warning, as Naoto's "likes" are again discussed in detail. He gets stuck in his own mind again, but it's not as bad as the dreams he'd had.
He won't be falling asleep and dreaming in the store or anything, I promise.
Naoto still needs a little fleshing out in some places before we really dive into the second part of the story.
He has to work through some things, and the reader will be right alongside him for it.
It's a very personal thing to Naoto's character, and it's something that needs covering.
Please try to be patient. I know it's uncomfortable for some readers, but it's NEVER the focus of the story, and my story will NEVER be smut for the sake of smut.
…
I sometimes think I should just let my editor name ALL the chapters. His are always better than mine, and I ask him to name half of them anyway.
I couldn't think of anything better than "Sakura's Invitation" for Chapter 20, so PS gave me a "real" title and an "alternate" one, which I think is always funny when he does.
I'm still laughing over the alternate title for Chapter 20. "The Crimes of Lil' Naoto". That's awful!
But sometimes, the alternate titles are nice or descriptive in a positive way.
…
The Venture Bros. movie was pretty good. I was hoping to see certain characters make a final appearance and for a few other loose ends to be tied up, but I liked it.
PS and I were considering streaming it remotely and watching it together, but we just didn't get around to it. He got the Blu-ray, and I just watched it digitally. We definitely talked about the movie.
I've watched the first few episodes of Metalocalypse, and it's pretty crazy!
That movie is coming out in a month, so I hope to be caught up by then.
…
PS and I were considering meeting in person again this summer, like we did last year, but it didn't end up happening.
Neither of us went to AnimeIowa this year, and we thought it would be weird for one of us to visit the other's place.
It would be "improper" for a single 27 year old LDS girl to show up on a big farm in Minnesota to visit a single 33 year old farmer.
And my friends and family back in Utah would FLIP if said farmer showed up in Illinois to visit said LDS girl and anyone found out about it.
The reason we met last year was because I was going to AnimeIowa with my friends anyway, and he was able to make it out too. It gave us an easy excuse, saying we knew each other from somewhere else. Lots of people meet up at cons.
…
Ask us anything, and we'll add a Q&A section in the next chapter. I would be happy if you ask questions.
Please enjoy what I wrote.
Friday, July 27, 2018
Through downtown Hayama, Sakura Inori led the entirety of the Kazehaya High Art Club, a happy little tune humming in her throat. "~…~"
More accurately, she was in the middle, the group walking abreast…
Naoto Hachioji and Hana Sunomiya, the esteemed members of that great organization, flanking Sakura, were quiet. "…" "…"
The party of three was on their way to a thrift store that Sakura frequented, one that had been closed the day they'd had brunch together.
"Hey, I think you two are gonna like this place~," the gal pledged. "It's never open on Sundays, but it's definitely open today. It's crazy how good their stuff is. I was telling you two about people donating clothes they've never worn—tags still attached—to secondhand shops, and this is the place to find it! And at a fraction of the retail price~."
Their luck in expanding Hana's summer wardrobe (and Sakura's) hadn't been the best, the goal of this day on the town, but the girls had each found a few nice pieces of clothing, and they'd found an unexpected number of fun accessories, both having purchased ribbons, hair-clips, and a few other things.
Sakura's bucket hat was already adorned with several new buttons and pins, and Hana still wore her new ivory ribbons on her blouse and in her hair.
The way the ribbons wafted out from under the brim of Hana's straw boater hat was adorable~…
Naoto hadn't realized that the new ribbons matched the ribbon adorning her hat, not until she'd put it back on.
Wow~…
Whatever way, he hadn't found a single thing for himself, and while he hoped the girls would find more things they liked, he was okay with not having too many bags to carry, this being one of his "assignments" for the day.
If they had to carry a whole bunch of stuff, he'd prefer doing that later, all the less time to lug it around…
He reasoned they'd find the best selection at their fourth stop, a permanent outlet store, and after that, they only had to stop somewhere, Sakura set on picking out a new swimsuit.
If she found one at the big outlet, GREAT, but she wasn't anticipating it…
"…" Hana, to Sakura's right, was still a little shaken, having had to pluck up some courage to show off to her senpai of senpai the new ribbons.
Her senpai had LIKED them, and he'd told her so…
The first-year girl might've been a bit shaken, but she burbled with a silent mirth, barely able to contain herself. "…~"
"Hey, it's okay, Hana-chan, you did good~…" Sakura consoled, turning to her right; she faced left, towards the street-side of the pavement. "The ribbons are a hit, eh, Senpai-kun~?"
"Y-yeah…" Naoto said.
"Oh, yeah~!" she spouted, patting Hana's back.
Hana eked, "I do really like them~…"
"…" Naoto thought that Sakura might be trying to cajole him too, not that she was insincere about it.
Maybe HANA needed consolation…
He didn't.
What was there to console HIM about…?
He knew he could've handled things a lot worse.
He'd been so stoked to see Hana trying, even a little, something different, he'd wanted to leap to his feet, cheering.
Blessedly, he hadn't done that…
He happened to think that Hana in ivory ribbons, looking all innocent and shy, was the cutest thing he'd seen since… probably one of the animal videos that Gamo-chan had shown him on Wednesday… or maybe the video of the desert rain frog that Sakura had presented during their "pool cleaning party".
If he put aside all those cute animals, Hana was the cutest human entity he'd seen in recent memory.
That she could be that cute was new ground for him…
He knew she could be cute, but what he'd seen, coming out of that fog of a daydream…
Maybe he had a problem…
…
What perplexed Naoto was why Hana was suddenly behaving so demurely.
It really wasn't like her…
He'd never forget that she'd introduced herself to Hayase Nagatoro, and, immediately, she'd flashed her bra at the farm-tanned girl (and at him). "…!"
He was also led to believe that she lacked a lot of inhibitions when it came to Sakura, judging by their friendshipping "courtship".
Hana also seemed pretty at home with Maki Gamo and Yoshi Yamazaki, more than able to hang with their level of shenanigans…
Perhaps, he thought, she was simply out of her element, doing something new. "…"
Most of her "extreme" behavior had taken place in the art room, their safe-haven…
She wasn't like her cousin Sana, the former club president, either, being far less predisposed to questionable behavior in public.
When Hana had given in to weirdness, those times in strange lands, it had been because something had really tickled her fancy, which didn't happen all that often.
"…" Naoto rationalized the current situation did exist because she was out of her element… out of her comfort-zone.
Even Sana the Prez went to pieces when she was faced with certain situations… things that her younger cousin BREEZED through…
He knew that was normal, that everyone was like that.
To wit, he recalled that Gamo-chan had apparently not given a single fuck about him seeing her in a bikini, even occasionally torturing him with her hefty honkers, but she'd hidden herself when stripped down to her bra, when Sakura had repaired her blouse the previous Monday.
It was normal…
Things that weren't a big deal to him could flummox others, and vice-versa.
…
Sakura nudged Naoto. "Hey, Senpai-kun, thanks, really. I know you haven't been able to do much besides sit, but it's really helping us out, you being here. Thanks for being so cool about it."
He could appreciate when she dropped the wheedling from her voice, not that he didn't trust her earnestness, but it was nice to hear her being more direct.
"Aw, it's okay…" He gave a little smile. "Like you said, I would've otherwise just been a couch-potato the whole day. After yesterday, it is kinda nice to move around… and I think I was getting a little stir-crazy from doing all that summer homework…"
"I actually thought you'd end up saying 'no'," Sakura admitted.
'After the "honey" you poured on the invitation?!' Naoto maintained his facilities. "Really?"
"Yeah…" she replied. "It's usually not that easy for a girl to get a guy to come out on a trip like this… Y'know, unless it's exclusively swimsuit shopping~."
That Sakura-wheedle~…
"Was that last part really necessary…?" Naoto complained, grimacing.
She pinkened. "Naw, I guess not~… I'm just happy you agreed to come along, thinking that you'd prolly just wind up carrying our bags and junk for us… I'm pleasantly surprised~…"
"Hey, you pretty much told me there was more to it than that." He'd never believed that was the only reason he was along. "This is alright. I don't mind."
"Sorry it's not much fun though," Sakura lamented. "But I'm pretty sure the next couple places will turn up some good stuff."
Naoto couldn't gripe too much.
He was getting to spend an afternoon with his favorite pair of girls~…
"This is… kinda fun…" he resolved. "I'm glad I came along."
"Me too…" Hana spoke up, yet at Sakura's other shoulder. "I know I'm having fun, Hachioji-senpai~…"
Her tone disclosed a joy her face couldn't quite hide either…
"There ya go~," the gal sang, offering their senpai a dramatic thumbs-up. "You once more get the 'Hana-chan seal-of-approval', buddy~. And I'm having a ball too, so everything's aces~."
Naoto had been weighing something, but he hadn't liked the look of the scales.
However, it seemed as good a time as any… meaning it probably wasn't…
He decided on asking, "Why did you want me along?"
Smooth~…
"…!" Hana squirmed, not that Naoto saw.
Sakura, on the other hand, grinned and chortled, "Don't worry about it~…"
"Uh…" he tried getting another word in, but—
"Shh…" she shushed him. "It's a secret… for now~."
Naoto shivered. "…!"
Was he in for a surprise…?
He hoped it wouldn't be anything too bad.
"…" He ruminated.
Cancer was a bad sort of surprise…
But he was reasonably sure he wouldn't be met with some tumorous monster.
Even if it was, benign or malignant, he'd probably face the diagnosis soon enough…
…
…
…
It wasn't disease or some other morbidity waiting for Naoto, but it was a surprise, though he knew of the place, not that this constituted Sakura's secret.
He hadn't expected her to lead their little group HERE…
He'd walked by this secondhand store a few times, and frankly, even if he'd been interested, he'd have been afraid to enter.
This was a place that chiefly but not exclusively sold lightly-used/never-used "alternative" clothes…
If someone on the Miura Peninsula wanted anything goth, emo, loli, punk, hip, delinquent-ish, or simply unusual and not pay full-price for it, this was the place to go.
It was also the best place to find brands and styles from Europe and America, same such for pricing…
"…!" Naoto tried to not reduce people to mere labels, but it was hard not to when the store was dotted with young people dressed for an underground punk-rock concert.
Even the most extreme fashions he'd known his female friends to sport—even Gamo-chan's—PALED in comparison to what he was seeing…
In here, the Art Club and friend looked about as tame as a bowl of sugar-free cereal and milk.
"…" Wondering what he was doing in there, Naoto—
"Hey, Sakura~!" a voice called from nearby. "How you doin', girl~?!"
Naoto spun his head, locating the source of the noise. "…?!"
It had come from a young woman, ensconced behind the store's checkout counter, reaching for a box on the highest shelf…
"Hey, Urumi~!" Sakura warbled back. "Good to see ya~!"
"You good~?"
"Great~! How 'bout you?"
"Well… we're busy, as you can plainly see…" Urumi replied, rather surlily, easing down the box.
Sakura chided, "Well, that's good, right?"
"I kinda just wanted to stare at the wall today~…" Urumi mumbled. "And our new employee is home with one of those darn summer colds…"
"…!" Naoto absorbed the vision of the obviously older—but still young—woman he beheld. 'Wow~!'
No more than 21-years-old, she was beautiful~…! (And a little different…)
Stepping off the crate she was standing upon to better reach with, Urumi was no more than 155 cm, womanly in the figure, average in the bust, and built like a bird.
Dyed pink, her shock of shortish hair was all swept to one side, framing one side of her pretty face, her thick, Buddy Holly-type glasses not hiding this yet magnifying her blue eyes. Wearing minimalist makeup, she might've gone without, her fair skin clear, smooth, and flawless.
She wore a black leather choker, half-length black leather jacket, and black leather short-shorts.
Then—for whatever reason—she wore a pink halter-top and black Converse high-tops with pink thigh-high socks.
Her getup was… interesting, to say the least…
Naoto, he—
"Senpai-kun, Hana-chan, this is Urumi~; she's a part-timer here," Sakura cheerfully shared with her shopping companions.
"'Sup, folks~?" Urumi smiled, lugging her from-on-high load onto the countertop.
Naoto attempted to process all this. 'Holy…!'
Hana had less problem with it.
If her dear Sakura-senpai liked someone this much, that person was probably worth knowing…
"Hello, Urumi-san, it's nice to meet you." Seeming to take no issue with the young lady's appearance and being offered what was probably a given name, she bowed slightly, having removed her boater hat, observing their surroundings. "…Your store is most interesting."
"~Wow~!" Urumi lit up at Hana's manner, sauntering closer and turning to Sakura. "Oh, who's this cutie~?!"
The blonde proudly said, snaking an arm around Hana, "This is Hana Sunomiya, a kohai of mine from school. I call her Hana-chan~. I've told you about her. She's my good gal-pal~!"
Hana wiggled, the hint of a smile crossing her blushing face. "…~"
"Sweet!" Urumi exclaimed. "It's great to meet you, uh… Would 'Hana-chan' be okay?"
The younger girl nodded, brightening. "That would be quite alright, Urumi-san."
Sakura fussed, "Hey…! 'Hana-chan' is my thing!"
Urumi ignored the objection; she rotated to Naoto. "And you~!"
'¡Jesu Christo en una tabla de surf!' He straightened his back. "Yes…?"
"So, you're the 'Senpai-kun' I've heard about~…" she giggled.
Naoto's heart leapt. 'You've heard of me~?! From Sakura-san~?!'
"I-I-I'm Naoto Hachioji!" he blurted, failing to keep any semblance of unflappability. "It's good to meet you, Urumi-san. You… c-can call me what you want, I guess…"
"How's Naoto-kun~?" she tittered.
"Th-that'd' be just fine," he answered, still failing to get his bearings.
Urumi grinned. "It's cool to meet you too, Naoto-kun~."
Sakura sighed, grudgingly accepting that another had claimed the moniker of "Hana-chan" for herself.
She bucked up and again introduced her friend to her other friends, "Like I was saying, this is Urumi. She's a student doing on-the-job training through this one vocational school on the other side of town."
"Auto mechanics~," Urumi cheerfully shared. "I'm just working here to make some extra cash."
Naoto's eyes immediately went to Urumi's hands.
Unadorned, her otherwise delicate hands were rather rough, flecked with a few grayish-pink scars, and there were (maybe) permanent deposits of motor-oil and grease under her shortened nails and in the creases of her fingers.
Her hands were clean, but it took some doing to wash all of that away…
Hana, being who she was, sought more info, "Urumi-san, do you study diesel mechanics? Some other specialty?"
"Naw, nothing too fancy…" she responded. "Just normal, everyday, run-of-the mill auto mechanics. Why do you ask?"
"I have an uncle in Hokkaido who specializes in diesel engines—mainly for power-generators but also for large equipment, and I have an older second-cousin—once removed—who specializes in instrumentation for Italian luxury cars, so I was curious."
"Hey, that's pretty cool~! Especially your cousin!"
"Yes, he works for an importer in Okayama. His company also restores vehicles on the side."
"Very cool~!"
"He drives a 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider Veloce, one he restored himself."
"Ooh~! What engine?"
"The 1779 cc Twin Cam I4."
"Killer cool~!"
"It's incredibly cool. The parts aren't all original to the car itself, but they are all original parts. It took a long time for him to obtain and piece everything together. It's a beautiful car."
"Yeah, I bet~!"
"He gave me a ride in the mountains the last time we visited my father's cousin and his wife."
"So jealous, Hana-chan~!"
"My grandparents had their fiftieth wedding anniversary this month, and he drove out to Hayama with it. He'd repainted it, since the last time I saw it. I took pictures. Would you like to see them, Urumi-san?"
"Would I~?!"
Hana readily showed her, the girls meeting each other across the counter.
The photos were on her phone, after all…
Naoto and Sakura were too dumbstruck to grasp it…
THEY never got to see pics of her cousin's Alfa Romeo~…
'Wow!' 'Shee-yit~!' They were often bemused with Hana's ability to mesh, especially with such genuineness attached.
She really could get on with just about anyone… as long as the other person was willing to try too…
Regarding Naoto and Sakura, the young artist would be left to wonder just what the gal had said of him to her mechanically-inclined friend, because—
"So, what brings the three of you here today?" Urumi asked, once she'd seen Hana's pics.
Sakura chirped, jostling Hana, "Hana-chan here wants to find some fun, summery clothes, so I decided—among other places—to stop here~. I'm shopping too. Senpai-kun agreed to help us out. Who knows? Maybe he'll find something good too."
He WOULD like that…
Urumi was about all he knew of this place, but he felt so welcomed by her, he forgot how weird it was supposed to be~.
Sakura leaned on the counter, waggling her eyebrows at Urumi. "So~… Got anything special in~? Anything in particular I might like~?"
"Dunno…" Urumi shrugged. "I was supposed to be off work all week, so I haven't been into the incoming stuff. I just came in today because we needed an extra set of hands."
"No biggie~…" Sakura put aside. "I s'pose you can't give Hana-chan a runaround the store then…"
"Nope, you're on your own, girl…" Urumi sighed. "I gotta man the counter and register and keep an eye on things. We've had a rash of shoplifting in the neighborhood."
Sakura groaned, "Aw, damn it… again? I didn't know."
"Don't sweat it. I think we've got it taken care of."
"I don't suppose I could ask you to…" Sakura gestured with one of her bags.
Urumi held out her hands. "Aww, I can still do that for you. In fact, we're holding anything bigger than a small purse behind the counter until further notice, while people are in the store."
"Well, I'm still grateful." Sakura handed everything but her wallet over to Urumi.
Naoto understood. Practicality aside, he was thankful he wouldn't have to hold onto all he was carrying as they shopped.
He and Hana forked over what they had as well, and Urumi set the stuff in the corner by the wall, safe-and-sound, including the girls' hats.
"I'd love to chat some more, but I gotta get back to work, Sakura," Urumi said to her; she regarded Naoto and Hana. "Yo, it was swell to meet you both~. If I don't see you again today, come by again sometime. Hopefully, we won't be so swamped and shorthanded."
"It's a pleasure, Urumi-san," Hana acknowledged. "Have a good day."
Naoto stammered, "Y-yeah, it was good to meet you, Urumi-san."
Urumi chuckled, "…~"
"Awright, you two~…" Sakura encouraged Naoto and Hana into the small labyrinth of the shop. "Let's go~."
"Hey, Sakura, only three items in the changing room at a time, alright?" Urumi barked after her.
"I gotcha~…" Sakura poked her tongue out.
Urumi shook her head. "Pfft~…"
"…" Feeling Sakura's hand at his back, Naoto hoped the gal wouldn't cause any mischief.
…
…
…
Browsing around the shop, Naoto found there was a whole lot more than just "weird" clothes.
Dotting the racks were plenty of summery blouses, tops, skirts, pants, and shorts, and that was just the women's section.
The men's section also had plenty of "normal" stuff, though much less.
Naoto wasn't interested in the alternative crap; he was interested in the summer crap, and there was some cool stuff.
He'd found a couple tie-dye shirts he'd pulled over his head, over the shirt he owned, and he'd settled on buying them.
Never wearing tie-dye before, he thought it might be fun, and the shirts were dirt-cheap.
There were no pants or shorts he liked, but he'd also come across some wacky Hawaiian shirts, button-ups made of cotton, poly-cotton, rayon, silk, and he could try these on without visiting the dressing room too.
A few of them fit, so he slung those over his arm too.
He knew what he was wearing to the beach~…
He was still happy he'd been able to leave his groups' bags with Urumi, giving him the freedom to carry his planned purchases.
Sakura and Hana were in the women's section, and the gal was having a grand old time, picking out things to try on.
She was also picking out things for Hana—mainly because Hana had asked, but their kohai was also choosing things for herself.
Naoto could hear them, not that they were being very loud.
"Hana-chan, look at these~!" Sakura yippee-ki-yay'd.
"Yes," Hana answered. "What are they?"
"What are they…?"
"Yes, what are they?"
"These are a pair of vintage 550 Levi jeans~!" the gal edu-ma-cated her first-year friend. "And in my size~!"
"Are you sure they'd fit?" Hana wondered. "It's summer, after all…"
"I'd have to try them on to be sure, but…"
"You're not worried about the fall? The winter?"
"Oh, that's what you mean…"
"Yes, Sakura-senpai. I tend to lose weight during the summer and gain it back in the fall and winter. Even if they fit now, I don't think you'd enjoy wearing them in warm weather. They look to be tight."
"They're hip-huggers, Hana-chan. They're supposed to fit that way. I've tried this exact same thing on before, same size and everything, so they might be fine."
"Um… look at the price-tag."
"Holy smokes! Screw that…"
"Nothing 'fine' about that."
"Yeah, let's move on…"
…
"Meh…" Naoto grumped to himself, disappointed.
He could've stood to see Sakura in a pair of classic skinny jeans~…!
'Oh, well…' He accepted this and kept on looking, not that he hadn't perused the entirety of the men's shirts.
Maybe he should buy his selections and leave them with Urumi…
He did just that.
"Hey, thanks, Naoto-kun~!" Urumi effervesced. "I've been waiting for someone to give these a home."
Naoto scratched his ear, red in the cheeks, not entirely able to look her in the eye. "Sure~… I've kinda always wanted a Hawaiian shirt, so…"
"Something fun to wear at the beach, I bet~."
'Urumi-san knows about tomorrow's trip?!' He couldn't be sure.
Maybe she was just making a generalized statement…
Borrowing something he'd heard earlier, he uttered, "Great minds, Urumi-san; I was thinking the same…"
"…~" She beamed, chortling into her hands.
'Whoa!' Naoto was digging this; he smiled back. "…~"
"So, Naoto-kun, how did you meet Sakura?" she questioned with interest.
'Oof!' Naoto stung, suddenly reaware that he was talking to an older woman, and he wasn't used to this level of saccharinity from any girl but Sakura.
Even so, he had no reason to not tell her, so, "I guess… she was a friend of a friend, and we got to know each other that way, over the schoolyear…"
"That's how it goes, I s'pose~."
"Yeah…"
"I gotta tell you, when she brought you up for the first time, I was worried you were just a rebound from that guy she broke up with in June…"
'Fuck!' Naoto's head spun. "D-did you…?"
Maybe he'd be learning what Sakura had told her after all…
He'd been excited at the prospect, but a few minutes of hanging out in his own head had cured him of that ambition, especially when Urumi brought the concept of romance into the mix.
"I'm glad that you weren't~," she put his fears to rest. "Sakura's been coming here since last spring, and she's always had one boy or another she'd been jerking around, though that last one was around for a while."
'Jerking around…?' Naoto thought that was harsh, but he couldn't argue with its accuracy. "…Yeah…"
"That's got nothing to do with you, Naoto-kun." Urumi picked up on his aversion to the subject. "Well… I suppose it does. It's nice that she just has a friend who's a guy."
"…Okay…" he said dumbly.
"You alright?"
"Sorry… I dunno what to say…"
"You don't have to say anything. I'm just happy she seems to be trying to figure things out… on her own. She's been around a couple times in the last month, and I've talked with her other times. She's… happier than she's been the whole year-and-some I've known her."
"You think so?" He happened to agree, having known her for almost as long.
"Oh, I know she is," Urumi revised. "You and Hana have been all she talks about… besides clothes and makeup and junk~…"
He'd go with that. "…~"
Urumi grinned. "Hey, sorry for talking your ear off, there…"
"Y-you weren't…" Naoto didn't think she had been.
"But, really, come by some other time when we're not busy," she implored. "With your shoulders and stuff, I can think of a few things you might be able to pull off… clothing-wise, that is~."
"Uh… sure…" He saw no evil in the summons.
"Right when we open is usually good~." She winked.
'Woot!' Naoto couldn't believe this girl. "A-alright~…"
Urumi gave another giggle, "Now that you're free of your own burden, why don't you go track down Sakura? Something tells me she doesn't have enough 'arm real-estate' to carry all the junk she's gonna try on."
"Y-yeah." He'd do that.
She added, "Better yet, make sure Hana-chan gets the help she needs~."
He'd do that too.
…
…
…
It turned out, Naoto helped both of the girls, and they made good use of his long arms.
Just because they could only have three items in the dressing room at once, it didn't mean they couldn't have Naoto pretend to be a coat-rack~…
All the clothes tried on and not bought were put on a table anyway, and the staff—there was only one handling the floor, and Sakura didn't know her—replaced them on the racks.
Naoto was to "guard" the pile of clothes the girls had picked out, hold onto what they wanted, and table what they didn't want.
He'd accept that…
Handing him a short skirt, Sakura enticed, "Part of why you're here is for your male perspective. When I find something I like that fits, I'll show it to you~."
He'd accept that too~!
"Cool…" He wouldn't let wild horses drag out of him any more than that.
"Hana-chan, you can as well~," the gal compounded. "I think he might like that sundress~."
'Yikes!' Naoto did want to see several of the things that Hana had selected, but he didn't want a big deal to be made of it. "…"
The younger girl had fewer nerves—astonishingly—than when she'd shown him the new ribbons.
"Sakura-senpai, don't tease…" she reproached; she faced Naoto, a trace of pink hovering around her cheekbones. "I would like your opinion though, Hachioji-senpai. It would mean a lot."
'Thanks, Sunomiya~!' He treasured the sentiment, pleased to be asked. "You got it, Sunomiya."
"Hana-chan, you get started," Sakura urged. "There are a few more things I wanna look at."
"Okay." Hana already held two items, and she grabbed a third from Naoto's left arm, her "pile" less substantial than Sakura's. "Thank you, Hachioji-senpai."
"No problem~." He knew a gladness he relished.
While Sakura slinked away, predating for playwear, Hana unbuckled her Birkenstocks, leaving them outside of the dressing room as she climbed in and pulled shut the curtain.
…
"…!" Naoto was now faced with something he'd been dreading, ever since he'd seen Sakura's manner of dress that day.
He'd managed to keep the trepidation at bay, and it had been a relief that the first two stores hadn't had fitting rooms.
But this shop had such changing rooms, and in a moment, Sakura would enter the one next to Hana's, and in doing so, she'd be removing her Toms, and he'd see it happen.
This was a problem for Naoto.
After all, Sakura's legs were bare that day.
"Oh, shit…" Naoto cussed under his breath. 'Get it together, you asshole…'
He scanned around the building.
Sakura was just tall enough that he could see her bobbing around the store, darting here and there as she continued hunting for more habiliments.
Any minute…
'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!' He hated having this problem.
What he wouldn't give to be rid of it…
He had to say—admittedly—that it was "convenient", being able to see something he liked that much in a state of near-ubiquitousness, women with restless feet playing with their shoes in public, often damn-near continuously.
It was as great or even better than living in a world where hot women—always absent bras—exposed their breasts with carefree abandon to everyone and everything with eyes.
But what he wouldn't fucking give to be rid of this miserable curse…!
He hated having to worry about such a shitty thing when it came to his friends.
His female friends, whom he wished so dearly to love and respect…!
He only wanted to feel attraction in that way towards one girl—Nagatoro, the girl he was in love with, and even then, he thought it was revolting for him to be driven so gaga by something that made no sense.
As he'd plainly told Gamo-chan on Wednesday, nobody knew the brain-mechanisms of fetishes, and another two days hadn't brought him any more clarity to the sordid subject.
There were hypotheses about why fetishes existed in the first place, but no one had figured it out.
And no one probably ever would.
It just was.
…
Seeing a woman take off her shoes and then her stockings did very little for Naoto. It was no different than watching her take off a jacket.
It could be pleasant, but it didn't send lil' Naoto into conniptions…
Sandals and peeps did nothing of substance for him either.
If he could already see, then what was the point…?!
Even Nagatoro parading such, unless she put them in his face, didn't do much.
For ALL women, unless he was up really close or interested, they were just feet…
He didn't even like pantyhose!
Everything was already visible, depending on color and style…!
He thought pantyhose were ugly and… well, gross.
…
He'd thought about it at length, why women going barefoot in anything with a closed-toe and witnessing the shoe come off seemed the equivalent of being sucked off by an angel, but he'd yet to come to any conclusion as to a reason.
He knew fetishes could be WILDLY specific, but…
When he saw that which he liked, he could go for the same thing again and again and again, even if he was already familiar with the pair of feet in question!
And he was very familiar with Nagatoro's pair…
…
He'd been fine with Gamo-chan—fine enough, seeing her deal with those formidable Sarah Jessica Parker pumps.
He knew he'd probably be fine with Yoshi, given the same circumstances.
As for Hana, he wasn't even allowing the thoughts to crop up, the disconnect he felt towards her over that sort of garbage as fearsome as Achilles, slaying Hector!
…
"…" Naoto gulped, Sakura's crown of gold yet flitting between the racks.
More than any of the above, he did not want to view her in such a manner!
He'd been okay the night he'd brought her to his house, even seeing her in slippers and offering her first aid, Sakura having run halfway across town—through a thunderstorm—in pantyhose with no shoes.
Being with her the time she played in the sandy puddle in the park was just odd, but he'd been okay with that as well.
Even their modeling session had been mostly chill and almost eerily professional.
Shit, he'd even been okay seeing her tromp down the heels of the uppers of her school shoes, when they'd gone down to receive their delivered order from the noodles shop…!
She hadn't bothered pulling her socks back on for that short trip, and he'd been fine.
It was no "worse" than the house slippers at his place...
But when Nagatoro did that…?
Naoto had seen her do that plenty of times, sitting, standing, and walking, stomping down on the heels of her indoor shoes, sliding her bare feet in-and-out and in-and-out and grabbing at them with her toes.
He'd almost succumbed to the need to run off and BEAT off in the bathroom, watching Nagatoro's shoeplay… and this had happened on multiple occasions…
…
"…" Naoto really hated that part of himself.
Being stuck on things like that with Nagatoro was bad enough…
Things between him and Sakura were different, and he wanted and needed that difference.
But would he be able to maintain this, seeing Sakura slip her shoes off her bare feet…?
She was his friend.
And he liked being her friend…
He loved being her friend.
…
"Hey, Senpai-kun, good news, I guess," Sakura said, suddenly next to him. "I didn't like the other stuff I looked at, so I won't be burying you with any more of it… for now~."
'Where'd YOU come from?!' Naoto's head went for a swim, fast aware that he'd allowed his mind to drift.
"Hold on a sec, buddy, and I'll lighten your load a little," she said, placing a hand on the wall for balance.
"…!" He saw spots. 'No!'
The boater sock Sakura was wearing, little more than a liner, pulled off partway as she stepped out of her first shoe.
This was the ultimate disappointment in most cases, but HERE, it was salvation~…!
The relief he felt might've lulled him to sleep. 'I guess her legs aren't bare after all…'
Sakura had no idea; she called over the curtain, "You doing alright, Hana-chan?"
Hana responded, "I'm alright, Sakura-senpai."
"Great~." Having kicked off her opposite shoe, Sakura pulled the deviant boater sock back over her other heel; she returned her attention to Naoto. "What is it?"
"Those little socks…" he brought it up for some reason, noting her stocking feet. "They're kinda weird. I mean, what's the point?"
Really, he'd thought about it, and he gave speech to it, pretty much on auto-pilot…
"Oh…" she understood, lining up the Toms next to the entrance to the changing room. "The point is, Senpai-kun, I despise going bare in my shoes."
"Ah…" he gave his monosyllabic answer.
Pulling loose three of her items from his right arm, the one "designated" as hers, she discoursed, "I try to never do it. It's just gross, and it ruins shoes. And I hate the smell of wet feet. And it encourages fungus. You can imagine how I feel about that."
"Yeah…" Naoto wasn't a fan of the smell, but he surely liked the view, sometimes.
She continued, "I wish Hayacchi wouldn't do it. It's just so gross, especially when she airs herself out on your club's couch."
Says who?! That lent to approximately 80% of his spank-bank!
"You didn't hear me complaining about that on Wednesday?" Sakura asked.
"N-no, I did," Naoto said. "I understand."
The memory still repelled her. "I still can't believe that Gamo-chan would go bare in a suede heel that might be worth as much as ¥50,000."
"50-thousand…?!" he repeated. "Really?!"
"Yeah, I checked on it," she conversed. "That model in teal suede, size 38, goes for an assload of money on the secondary market. Gamo-chan showed me the imperfection she was talking about. Most people wouldn't even notice it, and fixing it would've been a cakewalk."
"I remember you two talking about that," Naoto relaxed into this.
"I'm kinda shocked the company didn't just fix the problem instead of practically giving them away to some outlet store outside of Yokohama. But that exact model of shoe is discontinued, and that would've involved sending them all the way back to Italy, and when you're talking—big picture—about that much money and hassle, sometimes a big company doesn't care about a stray ¥30,000 here and there."
"That makes sense." Naoto saw the logic.
"Yeah…" Sakura gave in. "But it still bugged me, seeing her potentially ruin something worth that much…"
Naoto hoped that Gamo-chan wouldn't mind, and he thought to defend her, so…
"Gamo-chan likes wearing the shoes," he told Sakura. "She said it was fun finding something like that. I wouldn't raise a stink about it."
"Yeah, I know shoes are meant to be worn…" she submitted. "But I could've done without that joke of hers."
Some manic energy took hold of Naoto. "You mean that crap about soiling the heels and selling them for even bigger money~? That was kinda funny…"
"It was kinda disgusting, is what it was…" Sakura snarled. "And I'm disgusted that you'd further that topic, though I imagine that's not your thing."
Naoto would've liked to hear a "Sakura wheedle" instead of a completely serious statement, her saying that to him.
"No, it isn't…" he offered her as much humor.
She defended her own stance, "Hey, I don't wanna knock someone else's turn-ons (unless they're hurting themselves or others), but buying and "enjoying" women's soiled shoes and clothing is one place I'll draw the line. Beyond fuckin' disgusting."
'Yeah, you girls were talking about that on Wednesday, the stores and vending machines catering to that shit…' He'd never forget that.
She moved on, "Back on topic, the little, no-show socks were a great invention. They were created for fashion. It's more comfortable to have a liner—cleaner too. You get the best of both worlds, able to maintain appearances."
"I guess." Naoto was also fine with abandoning their previous subject.
But Sakura took another dig, "I mean, bare legs are way sexier, and it keeps people guessing, when they can't tell~."
"Ack!" He'd been full-blown excavated. "Sakura-san…!"
"What's up, Senpai-kun~?" she wheedled.
He laughed in mild horror, "Wh-why don't you get in there and get changed already?"
She'd already hiked one leg into the changing booth. "Sounds like a great idea, buddy o' mine~…"
Closing the curtain behind her, Sakura again called to Hana.
"Hey, Hana-chan," she hailed. "Any keepers yet?"
Naoto had a brain fart. 'We were saying all that, when Sunomiya was just two meters away?!'
"No," Hana called back, draping a third garment over her curtain rod.
Naoto hadn't noticed her discard the first two…
"Hachioji-senpai?" Hana voiced, her hand shaking the topmost fabric for him to see. "Would you please take these back to the staff?
"Sure thing, Sunomiya." He was glad to help. "What would you like next?"
"Uh… how about the sundress, the capri pants, and the green polo shirt?"
He set down his armloads in respective heaps. "I'm on it. I'll be back in a minute."
With his fresh task before him, he took the first three rejects and set to work.
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading!
Questions and comments are welcome!