Cherry Blossom Palette: Summer by the Sea
Chapter 40: Sunblock Shenanigans (Easy)
Sunshine Arc
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: Today I offer unto you…
Some Naoto/Sakura banter!
I apologize for taking so much time with this chapter. Both PS and I have been sick with the flu. It's late in the season for it, but it's been spreading around my place of work AND at school. I don't know where PS picked it up.
Unlucky for us. But I guess there's a whole wave of late season flu around the USA. I think the health department even put up warnings about it.
On another note, if you "honestly don't really care about Cherry Blossom", please don't bother my editor when he promotes my story on Reddit. He deals with enough hate on that site.
…
Speaking of my editor, the mods running the South Park sub on Reddit permabanned him. He didn't tell me specifically what happened, but it sounded like they had a simple communication error—possibly an error with Reddit but probably the mods' fault, based on my own experiences, and they wouldn't even spare a sentence in response when he tried explaining himself.
That sort of thing is why I left Reddit. Far too much of it is run by out of touch bullies and liars that work on double standards and have boundary issues. And someone's self-diagnosis of the day is never a good excuse for such rotten behavior, but I saw plenty of it in plenty of places.
It's too bad that he was banned, considering that PS contributed some funny stuff to that sub, but he's better off if that's how they do business.
I don't know why he's held on so long, but I do appreciate him promoting my story in a place where thousands of people might see it.
…
And speaking of South Park, PS and I each picked up a copy of the new Snow Day video game.
Unfortunately, the game is CRAP.
Instead of a side scrolling RPG, it's a 3D beat 'em up game, and it doesn't work. The gameplay is bad, the controls are bad, the weapons are bad, the hit detection is bad, and it ISN'T FUNNY!
It's not funny! It has no teeth! There's nothing outrageous going on!
I mean, in Stick of Truth, you get to fight a giant, dead Nazi-zombie baby!
In Fractured, you fight Jared Fogle and an H. P. Lovecraft monster!
NOTHING crazy happens in Snow Day.
And Snow Day is only about six hours of SHOCKINGLY REPETITIVE gameplay. It's AWFUL!
PS and I were both really excited for a new South Park game, especially since players can link up with their video game friends and take part in combat together, and we tried, but it was SO BAD that we both gave up after about 10 minutes of playing.
I want my $30 back.
PS will probably just shoot his copy with pigeon shotgun and leave the shiny pieces for the crows.
Miss Em and Mr. Wes are supremely disappointed in everyone that had a hand in bringing this game to life.
I know the other two games were HUGE undertakings when it came to the story, script, and world, and Trey and Matt and crew weren't going to do the same thing again, but Snow Day is a sad excuse for a video game.
…
Changing gears—
PS and I also talked about that Quintessential Quintuplets series for some reason. I liked it until nearer the end (when it became clear which girl the hero would choose), but he thought it was dumb. That didn't mean that he doesn't have a tier list for the five sisters.
His is: IchikaItsukiMikuNinoYotsuba
Mine is: MikuNinoItsukiIchikaYotsuba
At least we agree that WORST GIRL won in the end. It's terrible when that happens.
But I don't understand why anyone's favorite is Ichika. Maybe people like her because she sleeps in the nude and wears the best yukata.
I can definitely understand if someone's favorite is Itsuki or Nino.
I suppose that PS doesn't like "dumb" characters, and he doesn't like tsundere characters. But most characters CALLED "tsundere" aren't in fact tsundere and are better said to have a dual nature. But PS knows what a tsundere character truly is, and he's the one that taught me the proper definition.
I'm actually kind of happy that PS isn't on the Miku bandwagon. Too many guys obsess over her for the wrong reasons. But just as many guys obsess over Nino for the wrong reasons.
…
Canon chapter 147. Nothing happened again after a three week break, which has probably happened 30 times before.
Just a teasing Nagatoro having so little respect for Naoto that she won't even behave seriously on his home turf. I don't care if she's scared; she won't even treat him like he matters.
She's just stalling the whole chapter, even to the point of dragging Naoto around a park for no good reason and leaving her phone behind in the art room on purpose so she had an excuse to leave him if things got too intense. And I bet she'll chicken out again when the moment of truth comes, when Naoto is good and ready, and she's just scared and miserable.
I could be wrong, but I'm going to assume chapter 148 will just be another fast one pulled.
What do you bet their a$$hole "friends" will butt in and ruin the moment?
…
Ask us anything, and we'll add a Q&A section in the next chapter.
It's good to know that you keep reading, so I would be happy if you drop comments and ask questions.
Please enjoy what I wrote.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
"H-hey, Sakura-san!" Naoto crabbed along. "What are you doing?!"
Her elbow fastened around his arm, she was pulling him further and further away from basecamp. "…"
"Hey, seriously!" He wasn't exactly resisting, mostly because he'd been unable to find his footing, the area notably crowded, with few safe places to step.
Just keeping purchase was difficult enough…
Sakura made it past the larger throng of people, nearer their claim, and Naoto looked back to where they came from.
Since their stake was elevated to a degree, he could see what was going on there.
Gamo-chan was sitting in the shade, alone, but the others had paired off, applying sunblock to one another.
He'd seen Hana and Yoshi gravitate to one another before Sakura had even cleared the "threshold" with him.
Now, Nekoba and Rabi-chan were partnered too, leaving Shuu and Tohru without a pretty girl with whom to exchange efforts, so they were stuck greasing up the other.
Those poor bastards, mapping out sunscreen on each other's manly backs…
"…!" Naoto almost felt sorry for them.
Nevertheless, finally, practically out in the open, he was able to halt Sakura's pulling him.
"Whoa, that's enough." He would be taxied no further.
She eyed him. "Well, we've already made it anyway."
Glancing around, Naoto found it was no longer human masses, and instead of larger groups and families, they were standing amongst couples.
"…!" He saw men and women—ages ranging from college to early midlife-crisis—surrounding them in a far-flung sort of way.
Everyone seemed predisposed to giving each other space.
'I guess we just need to step away from the retaining wall if we wanna play another game of hacky sack…' Naoto said to himself, the thought sort of springing into his head.
Looking around, he and Sakura were easily the youngest ones in range-of-sight, and other than seeing some cute blonde dragging a lanky beansprout, most of their new neighbors gave them little notice, though a few definitely were digging how pretty Sakura was and probably wondering why she'd attached herself to some skinny, pasty geek with floofy hair.
In the meantime, Sakura had laid out the piece of blanket she'd taken along.
"Sit," she directed of Naoto, pointing at the groundcover.
He didn't refuse, following orders but, "Huh?"
"I'm gonna do your back quick, and then I'll reapply after you do me," she explained, kneeling behind him. "Let your first application absorb, and I'll get you again."
"Okay…" It made sense to him.
Sakura held out her hand. "Your 'screen?"
Naoto took his sunblock from his pocket and gave it over.
With practice, she shook the bottle and squirted some into her hands and methodically began kneading it into his back and shoulders.
"Mm~…" He didn't want to say anything, but it did feel good.
"Heh-heh~…" she chuckled. "It's alright… It's not supposed to be uncomfortable."
So, Naoto let her work for a moment, and he already felt safer from Mr. Sun.
He also felt safe enough to say, "Way to piss everyone off, Sakura-san…"
None of their party had seemed pleased with her demonstration… not that all of them were THAT pissed…
"Meh," she dismissed, adding more 'block to her hands. "They'll live, Senpai-kun."
He assumed they would. "…You still didn't have to make a big deal about it."
"I s'pose you're right," Sakura concurred. "But after all that, I kinda wanted to rub Gamo-chan's nose in it."
"It's not a good time to mess with Gamo-chan," he marked.
"Is it ever?" she returned.
Naoto didn't think that was fair, yet, "Not really. But she said you were on her 'shit-list', and I think she was being mostly serious."
"I'll live too~… just like her… just like the rest of them."
"…" He found no fault.
"…"
"…"
"There, done~," Sakura finished.
He craned his neck to see her. "That didn't take long."
"Your back is a finite area, y'know~."
"Right…"
"Here." She gave him back his bottle of 'block.
He took it. "Thanks."
And Sakura undid her sarong.
"…?!" Naoto jumped, the gal unwinding it.
Sakura thighs~!
He was seeing a lot more skin than he had on Thursday. "…!"
Sakura folded her beach-skirt, resting it on the inland end of the blanket, a little tune humming in her throat. "…~"
"…!" Naoto saw her own bottle of sun-protection poking out of a pocket in the cast-off garment.
She twittered along, "…~"
"…!" He gulped, supposing it was time to—
"Whoa, relax, dude~…" she cackled, catching on. "You're getting all wound up over nothing. I'm just gonna lie on my stomach for a while."
Was he NOT relaxed~?
He sure as Hell wasn't.
Were this all a cartoon, his bottle of sunscreen would likely blow its end and representatively shoot a steady stream of white goop, crushed in his mediocre grip~…
"Sorry…" he apologized.
Sakura simpered, "It's cool, bud… I just really wanna watch the world go by for a bit~."
She did just that, stretching out lengthwise on the blanket, head towards the water.
Oh, sweet, blessed, bodacious beach-body babe, Batman~!
"You can wait a few minutes to do my back and stuff," she said. "Just do up the rest of yourself for now."
"O-okay," he exhaled.
"And let's talk for a little bit~," hers seemed a statement, rather than a suggestion.
He wouldn't refuse. "Sure."
"Nice~…" she purred. "I've been wanting to spend a little time with you, Senpai-kun~."
"…!"
"I mean, after I modeled for you, we didn't see each other again until Wednesday, but it was all of us, and we met Thursday—but we were working for most of it, and I hung out with Hana-chan all yesterday afternoon and evening too, so I thought I'd get you to myself for a brief span of time~."
Naoto recalled they'd been communicating daily, regardless, and he managed, "Alright."
"Yeah…~" the gal murmured, nestling into a prone position, her chin on her hands. "…~"
"…?" He thought she was about to say something, but she seemed content for now.
Hadn't she JUST said she wanted to talk?
He contented himself with applying his own lotion.
But after a time, and half-a-senpai's-body's worth of sunscreen later, Sakura spoke up.
She raised her head. "I'd like to say I can't believe Gamo-chan and Yoshi would join in on that sorta thing, but that'd be a load of bull…"
'Damn it…' Naoto, his hands halting upon his leg, knew what she was referring to. "…"
"It's bad enough Hayacchi would do that kinda thing to you—not that it completely surprises me, but I mostly thought Gamo-chan and Yoshi were better than that."
"…"
"…"
"It's… in the past," Naoto replied. "I've made peace with most of it… the stuff Gamo-chan and Yoshi-san have done…"
Sakura glanced up at him, an aghast, almost-amused expression showing. "There's more~?"
Not very cute of her…
"…Yeah…" he growled, glancing back, rather uncomfortably. "You know there is…"
So much for "having made peace"…
"Well, sor~ry~," Sakura plonked.
"…" Naoto wished he hadn't snapped. "…Yeah, there definitely was more."
She adjusted herself, propping up on an elbow. "Like what?"
"…" He didn't really want to say. "Maybe another time…"
"Another thing I'd like to say is 'I'll hold you to that', but I'm not gonna hold you to that…" Sakura mumbled. "I prolly don't wanna hear it anyway…"
'And you're prolly right…' Naoto reasoned.
…
Yoshi forcing him to touch Gamo-chan's "anpan-boob"…
The two girls getting ahold of that electric razor, PROBABLY willing to shave his head…
Forcing a dog-collar onto him and dragging him around a summer festival at night…
And there were a few other incidents too…
"…" He'd never forget any of that crap…
Nor would he forget how angry Nagatoro had been at the two old friends, seeming to catch them at every single juncture of their mischief.
And of COURSE, Nagatoro was mad…
Naoto was her toy and no one else's.
And…
"…!" It was something that bothered Naoto some, not that Gamo-chan and Yoshi had intentionally and/or maliciously put him into the situation.
Sending him to Nagatoro's house to deliver some stupid handouts from school—that time she was (probably) playing sick—had led to him meeting big sis Misaki McShit-cunt.
Just another motherfucking bully to… to threaten him and treat him like he wasn't supposed to be allowed to exist…
Naoto had already had enough bullies terrorizing him during his lifetime, and he'd seen his quota.
It wasn't really Gamo-chan's or Yoshi's fault, but it did piss him off. "…!"
Just when things FINALLY seemed better…
Nagatoro had seriously lightened up, and her friends had lightened up too…
He felt he'd FINALLY, truly become friends with Nagatoro… and that he was becoming friends with HER friends…
"…!" And back in the springtime, he'd made acquaintance—that time, his own damn fault—with that disgusting Taiga, possibly the most repellant piece of human garbage he'd ever had the misfortune to stumble across in his 18 years of living.
The thought that any relationship with Nagatoro would involve EITHER of them being alive and around—much less in his life, it was enough to…
…
Sakura documented the grimace on his face.
"You okay, buddy?" she wondered.
"…!" He hadn't realized he was showing symptoms of not being okay.
Though, where else would his meditations get him?
Her eyes didn't leave him. "…?"
Struggling to meet her gaze, he told her the truth.
"I'm… okay, Sakura-san…" he said. "I was just thinking about it… some of that stuff you 'prolly don't wanna hear'."
"Oh…" Her eyes widened slightly.
Naoto stared at a split seam in the decrepit blanket. "Yeah…"
"…" Sakura watched him from the corner of her vision.
"…"
"…"
Naoto continued applying his sunblock, and he was very soon done.
"…!" He surmised it was time for him to bite the bullet and get to work on Sakura, but—
"Come join me." Realizing he was through, she raised herself up and motioned to the longish spot beside her, shuffling over as far as she could go. "Let's just enjoy the view for a little bit~."
"Eh?" He wasn't sure he'd heard her properly.
With a little smile, she patted the empty portion of the blanket. "C'mon~."
"…!" Naoto didn't need another subpoena.
Gingerly crouching and moving to a prone position of his own, he joined her, shoulder-to-shoulder, the two of them propped up on their elbows.
Naoto was game to relax, but Sakura had other plans.
"Boy, you're all rough-and-ready to get your hands on me, aren't ya~?" she brought up the second he'd landed.
Boink!
Naoto shuddered, persevering. "I don't mean to be… It's just I've never done this before…"
"…~" She appreciated that sort of answer, honest and just vague enough to be safe. "I know~… I know~…"
More was expected, but she let him off the hook quickly, and silence pervaded.
"…"
"…"
"Sniff…" Naoto took a deep whiff of sea air.
This wasn't bad~…
They had a good view, open to the sea.
It wasn't quite quiet enough to hear the water breaking, but the wind was softly whistling.
Their neighbors, crooning sweet nothings to their significant others, were but a hum.
This wasn't bad at all~!
Naoto risked a gander at his friend.
"…~" Sakura had an air of utter contentment, her eyes delicately shut, a little smile gracing her lips, the light breeze tousling her hair.
He faced forward, doing the same—even the hair. "…~!"
The silence didn't last forever though, and the blonde hadn't left behind a recent topic.
"Seriously, bud," she exhaled. "I thought Gamo-chan wouldn't press her luck again so quickly… not after butting heads with Rabi-chan like she did…"
Naoto preferred silence over subject, even though he was inclined to agree. "Yeah…"
"But, I mean, I thought the same thing after she went too far with Hana-chan…" Sakura commemorated.
He assented, "Definitely, Sakura-san."
"And the fangs on Nekoba, huh?" she wafted. "I've never seen someone able to put a girl in her place quite like she can…"
"…" The artist wasn't an authority on this, but… "Gamo-chan listened, that's for sure…"
"Still…" She hunched her shoulders, her relaxed posture further deteriorating. "I shouldn't have been so mean to her just then… How sorry she was…? You could feel it."
And Naoto could feel Sakura's distaste for her own actions. "I know…"
"…" Sakura clammed up.
"…?" Naoto contemplated turning her way again.
What sort of expression would she have?
"…" He didn't take the chance. "…"
"…" Sakura stewed.
Naoto idled. "…"
Nevertheless, the salty fanning of fresh air was nice.
Would it be inappropriate if he…?
"Gamo-chan and I have talked about the crap she used to pull on me," he put it out there. "She apologized."
Sakura perked. "Did she?"
"Yeah…" he replied. "We came to an understanding."
"…" She batted this between her highbrow hemispheres. "Well… that's good…"
Okay, not inappropriate… but perhaps untimely…
"…"
"…"
Now, there was something Naoto couldn't leave either, since they'd more than brushed upon it.
"But about her 'shit-list', Sakura-san…" he forwarded.
She reacted, "Hmm?"
"Aren't you kinda worried?"
"Worried?"
"You're not feeling a little exposed out here?"
"What, you mean here? With you? In the open? That she'll just come up and tickle the piss outta me?"
"Hrn, I guess not."
"Right~… Even so, if she decides to attack me now, I've got you to protect me~…"
"…" He didn't think three of him could stop the Maki from getting at Sakura.
Sakura consoled, "I'm actually confident she won't screw around anymore today."
"I'm guessing so," he readily agreed to that.
"Plus, I'm being vigilant~," she whispered slyly. "She'll have to wait until my guard's down~…"
"Sure, you are," he shot back.
"Oh, screw you, Asshole-kun~. I have the senses of a fox~."
"Yeah, yeah…"
"And hey, it's not like I have the time to worry about her coming after me…"
"No?"
"No, definitely not… I need to enjoy my time with my senpai~."
"…!" He blushed. "Ur…"
She wasn't exactly not-red herself. "Yeah, that's how it comes out in the wash~."
"…?!"
"…~"
"…!" Eyes forward, Naoto let it go with that.
Sakura allowed him this small gift. "…~"
However, she knew there was a time for fun and a time for business.
"But I do feel stuck still, Senpai-kun…" she gave over, business a sticky thing.
He tongued a fiber of orange stuck between two of his molars. "Stuck on what?"
To little amazement of the Universe—
"You'd think Gamo-chan would know better than to just come out and tell us something fucked-up like that, totally unprovoked," Sakura mused.
Naoto was still asking himself "why", despite his own lack of amazement. "You'd think."
"And Yoshi's smarter than that, to go along with that, so I really don't understand what she was thinking," Sakura lambasted. "There's a time for 'Yoshi add-ons', and that wasn't one of 'em…"
He did feel he'd encouraged Yoshi to do so. "…"
The gal went back in time a few minutes, "I figured Gamo-chan would wanna keep on your good side, Senpai-kun."
"Huh?" he lamely responded. "Why?"
"I mean, if she wanted to be the one to lotion up your back for you, it was a pretty dumb move, cutting into you like that…"
"Wha…? What do you mean?"
"I'm thinking Gamo-chan wanted to be the one to lotion up your back, pal~."
"Huh?"
"You heard me."
"I heard you… I just doubt it…"
"She did, I'm thinking."
Supposing she DID…
"Why?" Naoto voiced; he wanted to hear what Sakura had to say.
Sakura considered him. "…"
And he her. "…?"
She didn't say much as to why, and she gave a crooked grin. "I could just tell she wanted to… that's all."
"…" He just didn't fully buy into it.
Her crooked grin dimpled on one side. "…~"
"…?" He wondered if she had more to say.
"…~" She snickered into the blanket and rested her chin on her hands again.
Supposing she didn't, Naoto got back to his consideration of the sea. "…"
"…~" Sakura luxuriated in the sunshine.
Be that as it may—
Sakura yet pondered, "She forgot she was supposed to be upset with you for a minute and let her longing show, but after what she'd just pulled? She wasn't gonna dare trying to pair up with you… not that it'd be much of a pair if you had nothing to do."
Longing?!
Despite that—
Naoto was less concerned with "logistics" and more concerned with, "Why does she have to be so pissed about it…?"
"You still don't understand girls all that well, do you~?"
"Mrmbl…"
"Though, without a doubt, Senpai-kun, girls don't understand girls either, so don't run yourself in circles over it, eh~?"
"…"
"Believe you me, you and the boys were only three of about 50 people gawking at the junk in Rabi-chan's trunk. We all were too."
It was definitely a case of "quality over quantity", in Miss Sakurabi's case~…
"Oh, shit, Sakura-san…" he sputtered. "Do you really gotta…?"
"H-hey, don't sweat it, man…" Sakura counseled, barely containing a giggle. "Our dear 'Xena' will get over it~."
"…" He supposed so.
It was bound to happen at some point…
She wasn't overly troubled. "…~"
"…" He was, though he tried not to be, and he closed his eyes.
"…"
"…"
"So~…" Sakura burbled.
Naoto's nearer eye popped open. "So what?"
"Will you throw her a bone~?"
"Throw her a 'bone'?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know what she meant by that.
She didn't leave him guessing. "Later? Will you let her play the role of your 'lotion-latherer'~?"
"I don't know, Sakura-san…" Naoto grumbled in exasperation, not residing long at all on her jape.
"And what about you?" she titillated. "Would you supply her with a nice veneer of solar-resistant-security~?"
"D-don't say 'veneer'…" The very word made him cringe, all of its potential implications.
It had her cracking up, "Heh-heh-heh~!"
"…~" And he could live with that.
"…~"
"…~"
It really WAS nice… being at the beach with a good friend~…
…
"Oh, buddy o' mi~i~ine~…"
"Y-yeah…?"
"It's time~."
"Time?"
"Yes, time."
"T-time for what?"
"Would you be so good to retrieve my SPF-15, my good fellow? This girl is starting to get crispy~."
"Oh…" Naoto's noggin numbed.
It was THAT time…
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading!
Questions and comments are welcome!