🌸Cherry Blossom Palette🎨
🌸Chapter 2: Friday🎨
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: I was satisfied with referring to Naoto's two guy friends as their official designations of "A" and "B" but my editor hated the idea. So, I told him he could handle it if it bothered him so much.
The taller of Naoto's friends, "Male Friend A", will be called "Shuu Aisho" (Aisho Shuu, using the correct name order). "Male Friend B", the little guy, will be "Tohru Hijikata" or Hijikata Tohru.
He also insisted we just give Sakura and Yoshi "placeholder surnames" for the story or until we learned their real names. Sakura's surname will be "Inori". Sakura Inori. Inori Sakura. Yoshi's surname will be "Yamazaki". However, P. serrulata thinks Yoshi's name is possibly "Yoshitaki" or "Hideyoshi" or something and that it's her surname and her given name is something else. But we agreed on her name being "Yoshi Yamazaki" for now.
Also, chapter 88? We waited three weeks and a day for THAT? Nanashi effed us in the a.
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.
June 21, 2018
On Friday, after school, Naoto Hachioji and his two friends had gone immediately to Tohru's house. Naoto's miniscule friend had the Hijikata residence to himself that weekend, his parents visiting Kyoto for their twentieth wedding anniversary.
So, naturally, the three boys present chose Tohru's place as the ideal place to binge video games. With the 'rents away, the boys would play. Specifically, they'd play some fighting games... and some group RPGs... and maybe even one of the games Tohru hid behind his bookshelf if they could overcome the collective shame of the group, sharing a truly unwholesome male bonding experience.
Naoto wouldn't stay the night though. His own parents were out of town until Sunday, and they'd said they felt better when someone was watching the house. He was planning to be home by 10:00 p.m.
Considering Gamo-chan's "karaoke or bust" party had suddenly been sprung on their group of friends as a whole, he was matter-of-factly thankful he'd mentioned nothing to any of the girls about his parents being away. Something told him Gamo-chan might coerce the whereabouts of his home out of Nagatoro, and he'd have his own karaoke party to suffer through, the girls showing up at his door with a song machine in tow.
It... sounded fun, all the girls hanging out at his place... having a great time... But the thought of them running wild in his house...! That annoyed him. These were two different things entirely.
Speaking of aggravation, it annoyed Naoto that he even had to get home and skip out on gaming all night, but he was making the best of it, and it wasn't like he couldn't play a few games at home or even join his two friends online later if things came to that.
They'd ordered some takeout—soon to be delivered, had enough soda and snacks to feed twice their number, were caught up in their homework and studies, and had nothing to think about but fun until Sunday evening.
It was 8:00 p.m., and all was right with the world.
But that wasn't good enough for Shuu Aisho, the taller on Naoto's two close friends. Shuu had been ceaselessly repeating the same thing since he'd learned Naoto "ditched" the girls he knew—that invited him to karaoke—to play video games.
"Nao-kun... are you retarded?!"
"Shut up, Shuu..." Naoto shot back; he was tired of hearing it.
But Shuu wouldn't shut up, mashing his controller, his onscreen character floundering against Naoto's, "You can hang out with us anytime, and you pass on hanging out with a bunch of cute girls?!"
Naoto kept his eyes on the screen and his hands on the controller, "We went to the beach together last weekend... I wanted to do this."
"Yeah, you got to go to the beach!" the other boy spouted, his character finally biting the dust. "And you got to see Sakura Inori in a bikini! Sakura Inori in a friggin' bikini! You lucky asshole!"
Naoto, taking on the slightest pink in the face, sighed, setting down his controller and shaking out his hands; he'd made the mistake of admitting, when asked, that all the girls on said beach trip wore two-piece swimsuits, "Would you cool it?"
"I don't suppose you have any pictures of that...?" Shuu's mouth twisted into an unpleasant smirk. "Is it true she has her bellybutton pierced? How many toe rings does she wear?"
Tohru finally said something, looking up from the latest chapter of his favorite manga, "Shuu, would you shut up?!"
Still, Shuu wouldn't shut up, "C'mon, Tohru, you gotta be curious too!"
Tohru answered, his nose back in his magazine, "Yeah, but now you're just being sad! It's not like you haven't seen her in a school swimsuit. Last year? Be happy with what you get. Stop being such a creep!"
Shuu scoffed, "Only sickos are stuck on those boring one-pieces. And it's not like you can see much!"
"Stop talking about Inori like she's the only girl out there," Tohru turned a page. "She's out of your league, and there are girls way more interesting than her you'd have an actual chance with anyway. Inori's not even the hottest girl of the bunch!"
"I never said anything about not wanting to see the others too!" Shuu countered. "And don't say Sakura's boring."
"I just don't think there's much going on with her, you know, upstairs," Tohru held.
Naoto tried to block out his friends' argument, opting to open yet another can of cola. But... for their information, Sakura wore neither of the things Shuu wondered about, not that he'd enlighten his desperate comrade concerning such precious knowledge. It wasn't like he hadn't been curious himself about a few things...
Nor was he overly upset about Tohru backhandedly calling Sakura dim or uninteresting. Naoto didn't happen to think either of these things about her, but he didn't really "get" her, and yes, he didn't think there was much there of note, at least that he could see.
He also couldn't figure out Yoshi... He just couldn't. Or Gamo-chan... though he felt he understood her the best.
And Nagatoro? She still baffled him! Every time he thought he was getting closer to her, she would do something to rebound his efforts. Every time he thought she might be getting closer to him, she'd back off and call him "gross" or something like that, and it was getting old...
But he just couldn't get her out of his head! She'd somehow still become one of the best friends he'd ever had, and even if was never reciprocated, he wanted so much for them to be more than that. He loved her like he'd never loved anyone or anything in his entire life. He dreamed about her. She filled his vision. He'd even taken to washing his own bedsheets and underwear in the last year, if the hint's taken.
He just wasn't sure what to do. He tried to understand her, but she was a puzzle. Nonetheless, he was still pretty happy when he wasn't frustrated about it, and he didn't even realize the serenity sweeping across his face.
Predictably, Shuu and Tohru were still bickering, and Naoto came back to reality.
Fed up with the noise of his two buddies, he stated with some venom, "Hey, I could've brought you two along, you know."
Shuu's eyes darted over. Tohru raised his magazine, unblocking his countenance.
"What did you say?" Shuu couldn't have heard right, and his mien disclosed shock.
Tohru betrayed nothing.
Naoto had been planning to keep his mouth shut, but he'd been considering asking the two boys along to the beach; both could've benefitted from some sun, and... yeah, the eye candy.
Now he wished he had invited them, "You should come to the beach next time with us. I'm sure we'll go again as soon as the term ends."
Tohru's eyes widened a little; it wasn't much of a response, but it was meaningful.
Shuu on the other hand, "Really?!"
Naoto recoiled; Shuu resembled a 12-year-old boy who'd just found a relatively clean nudie magazine lying on the sidewalk.
Trying to keep his face even, Naoto went on, feeling the sudden need to steer things in a different direction, even if he had to go deeper into the issue first, "I think I could've brought you to karaoke tonight too! The girls would be glad for more people!"
He decided not to add the fact that a couple of the girls would possibly be ecstatic that a couple of Naoto's friends—really, any boys period, with a big, fat capital "P"—would join the girls' whatever the opposite of a "sausage party" is.
(My EDITOR said and I quote "the opposite of a 'sausage-party' is a 'clam-bake'". I didn't want to take credit lol.)
Naoto's goal had been to "get to the heart of the matter", getting the conversation over with, and the gamble worked. Shuu immediately stopped harping about what he'd been harping on. Tohru still didn't disclose much, but it was easy enough to determine when he wasn't unhappy.
It also helped that Naoto told them if they'd just shut up about the girls and their swimsuits and which of them was the hottest and how he'd "ditched" the girls to take part in what amounted to a "circle jerk" with "a couple of losers like (them)", he would look into bringing them to the next big get-together he'd be a part of with the girls. Naoto could objectively say the girls would enjoy their being around. And a part of him really looked forward to it. What a way to kick off summer break that would be!
Additionally, the fact the pizza, fried chicken, and root beer they'd ordered showed up at the door and effectively sealed the fate of the matter.
In the kitchen, the boys set out all they'd received and went about dishing up their plates. While they could always go back and eat in front of the TV, playing games, they decided to take a break and have a proper meal at the table.
And it was great. They chatted about the night, the small conventions they were hoping to visit, and their other plans for the upcoming break.
Inevitably, an unwelcome thing they all knew to be coming made its presence known.
Rumble... Rumble... KRAK!
"Oh, damn it!" Naoto muttered, pacing to a window and looking out.
It was summer, and the sun would normally be visible for a couple hours yet. Not this night though. An inky blackness was rolling across the sky, bringing with it the promise of a substantial thunderstorm. The temperature had plummeted, and anyone caught outside once it started would be chilled to the bone in moments.
Naoto grimaced, seeing his reflection faintly in the glass. This is gonna suck...
"The forecast said we'd be getting a storm tonight," Tohru was unphased by the development. "That's why you brought an umbrella to school today."
"I was really hoping it would wait until after I got home to start!" Naoto bellyached.
Tohru gulped his root beer, "It's not like it's a typhoon or anything; it's just a good, hard rain. It'll be over by midnight."
Shuu, feeling Naoto had been a little unkind to him that night, smiled, knowing Naoto was in for a lousy walk home, "Yeah, quit your bitchin', Nao-kun. Even if you ran to your place, you wouldn't beat the weather! Let's just have fun a little longer before you leave. You're getting soaked either way."
Naoto didn't need to be told this and responded with great sarcasm, "Yeah, thanks, Shuu."
"Let's just keep eating, guys," Tohru grabbed another slice of pizza. "We'll still have an hour or so before Nao-kun has to leave, so let's not waste time."
"No, I've had enough," Naoto said; he'd been guzzling cola and stuffing his face all afternoon, and he just wasn't so hungry anymore.
Shuu lit up, "Can I have what's left of your share then?"
The boy greedily eyeballed the remaining three pieces of pizza and half-chicken "allocated" to Naoto, their having divided the cost and food three ways.
"You're still that hungry?" Tohru looked on in mild disgust, having watched Shuu just inhale most of his own share of the takeout. "You're gonna make yourself sick..."
Shuu paid him no heed, turning back to Naoto, "So... Nao-kun?"
Naoto retorted, "Fat chance, Shuu... I'm alone until Sunday at home, and I can get three meals out of my leftovers."
The wind left Shuu's sails, "Oh... okay..."
Tohru didn't even bother criticizing Shuu any further; he turned to Naoto, "Nao-kun, you might as well take that big bag of pretzels you brought. Neither of us like them that much."
Shuu shrugged, "Yeah, that's fine."
The boys finished eating what they wanted, and Tohru lent Naoto a plastic container for his leftovers. Happy he'd only have to steam up some rice and vegetables or cook up some small side dishes the next day, and Saturday looked all the better!
Thus, the boys spent another hour together before having to part company.
...
...
...
"Hey, this was a lot of fun," Shuu enthused, standing in the entryway of the house. "It seems like forever since we could just sit down for a while and play."
Naoto nodded, shrugging into the light jacket he'd brought along, "This was nice. Now..."
The three boys looked out the front door, Tohru having opened it. The smell of wet earth blew in, filling their nostrils.
"Oh, geez...!" Shuu exclaimed.
The rain had started about 45 minutes earlier. The majority of the thunder and lightning appeared to be a couple kilometers away, but the wind had reached a gale force!
It was raining sideways!
"Shit...!" Naoto cussed, a sudden blast of the storm soaking his pant-leg the second he stepped out the door.
It was freezing!
"Well, it's not getting any better, Nao-kun," Tohru observed. "Might as well get going."
Naoto stuffed the bag of pretzels and container of pizza and chicken into his schoolbag. He wanted a free hand if possible, given he'd be fighting the wind while it attempted to relieve him of his umbrella.
The clock read 9:30 p.m., and he could be home in less than half an hour if he kept up a good pace.
"Yeah, you're right," Naoto opened his umbrella, glad he'd brought a sturdy one. "I'll text you when I get in."
"You do that," Tohru stepped back into the house.
"Later, Nao-kun," Shuu looked a little less pleased than earlier, knowing his friend was going to get saturated.
"G'bye, guys..." Naoto shouldered his bag and stepped out from under the vestibule and into the slop and began to walk.
Not even turning back when he heard the front door shut, he just kept his eyes forward and walked.
Turning to the direction of home, he lamented just how wet he'd be by the time he made it home. But as long as he kept his bag dry, it wasn't a big deal. He could hang up everything to dry, take a hot shower, and just relax for the night. Whether he played games again, watched TV, or just took it easy with a little reading, everything would be just fine.
All he had to do was get home.
Though after a mere five minutes of walking, Naoto's shoes and socks were drenched, and his pants—all the way to the knees—shared this quality.
This was the second day of summer, but it sure didn't feel like it...
Damn it! Naoto couldn't remember the last time he'd been this uncomfortable. Sure, he'd managed to keep his torso and arms dry—he'd even kept his schoolbag dry—but that just didn't seem like a great consolation prize.
He'd been keeping better pace than he'd been anticipating, and after another five minutes, he was already halfway home.
Naoto couldn't help but smile. Yeah, this sucked, but in 15 minutes, he'd be peeling off all his layers of wet clothing, finding instant relief in the warmth of his house! He might even take a bath. It would take a while to draw a bath, but it sounded so appealing.
For the first time in a while, he thought of Nagatoro and the girls. He hoped they were enjoying themselves and—just as important—staying dry. But if Gamo-chan could be counted on, she'd see them occupied until the weather cleared up, keeping them entertained and safely indoors.
Naoto wished he was safely indoors...
Reaching the public garden and park gave Naoto slight relief; the hedgerows lining the sidewalks and open areas blocked out much of the wind. It only lasted for a block, but the rain would be falling down on Naoto's umbrella vs. sideways into his pants.
Still, the moisture had crept further up his legs, and he could feel the legs of his boxer shorts begin taking on water.
Shit...! He probably wouldn't be making it home before the dampness reached his crotch.
But whatever! He just had to get home! And in seven minutes, he'd be home! He was already passing the playground, and meant he was even closer to dryness and warmth than he'd thought!
Tamp! Tamp! Splash! Tamp! Splash! Splash!
The storm was loud, but it wasn't loud enough to cover up the noise Naoto suddenly heard.
Someone was splashing through the innumerable puddles in the street, running in his direction!
Tamp! Splash! Tamp! SPLASH! TAMP! SPLASH!
Naoto turned just in time to see a body emerging from behind the nearest hedgerow.
She almost ran into him but managed to skid to a stop, very nearly falling over into the muck.
Naoto jumped back, narrowly avoiding contact with the stranger.
Collecting himself and no longer thinking about how friggin' wet and miserable he was, he saw and heard the girl in front of him panting, her hands on her knees. Looking down, she coughed breath back into her lungs.
The figure straightened, and it was apparent she was about to start running again. But something caught Naoto's notice, and he reached out with his free hand.
Firmly grabbing her by the wrist, she almost jerked him off his feet as she began to move, but he was a lot heavier, and she wasn't going anywhere.
Letting out a small scream, she looked towards him, and she froze.
Naoto froze as well, involuntarily lessening his grip. He'd recognized her, he realized.
No... Holy shit!
It was-
"...Sakura-san?!"
Her frightened eyes met his, and she dove into him, grabbing his jacket.
"Senpai-kun!" she bleated. "Please help me!"
Q&A Section
How long does it take for you to finish a chapter?
ED: It varies. I start with an outline of characters, settings, and events. Then I fill in the gaps and check for continuity. When I'm satisfied, I send it to my editor. He reads through it and gives feedback. Then we pass it back and forth until we are both satisfied. One piece of advice he gave me was to COMPLETE the outline before seriously writing and definitely before publishing. Deciding what to cover when keeps things orderly. Not working too far ahead is helpful.
I guess that doesn't tell you much. I remember I completed one chapter from start to finish in three days. One chapter has been back and forth for two weeks.
How will the relationship between Senpai and Sakura grow, and how will Nagatoro's other friends react?
ED: I won't say too much but Naoto and Sakura will gradually become very good friends. What happens later is for later. The friends' feelings and reactions toward this developing friendship will shift as the friendship develops.
Do you read other peoples' fanfiction? What do you read?
ED: I have been reading fanfiction since junior high but not lately. I used to enjoy Harry Potter fics, some MLP fics and a few other series. Twilight fanfiction was a guilty pleasure of mine when I was in school but I quit reading it because I moved onto other things and never went back.
PS: Besides the fanfiction I have edited, I have never been "dedicated" to reading fanfiction. I only began editing because I heard some MLP fic writers were looking for help with prereading and editing on Equestria Daily. That was 10 years ago, right before Season Two came out. I'm no pro, but I enjoy helping others in their writing. I've come across some legitimately good stuff over the years.
Is P. serrulata going to keep writing his essays for reddit? He's been quiet lately besides your story.
ED: Ask him. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
PS: I'm slowing down on the essays for now. Too many things in limbo in the manga. Most of what I'm doing or want to do is dependent on which way a few developments we've yet to see in Nagatoro go. I'm okay with helping out another project for a while, but there are still a couple/three things I'm working on.
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading!
Check me out on Reddit: u/EmtenDew