🌸Cherry Blossom Palette🎨
🌸Chapter 29: Senpai Sammich~🎨
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: For the Gamo-chan and Yoshi fans… here you go! We get to see the Amazon and Twin-tails again!
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.
Wednesday, July 10, 2018
Having changed into his street shoes, Naoto Hachioji shouldered his bag and walked out the school's front door. Normally, he'd stick around a couple of hours, but he'd eagerly volunteered to make dinner for his parents that night, both of them coming home unusually early.
While it was usually Art Club that took up his time after school, the last week had been different, in that he'd been studying with Sakura Inori and Hana Sunomiya for the end-of-semester exams.
It was a regrettable thing, missing out on booking with them, all the more so because time was short, but family mattered too.
Finding himself in the throng of students, he had but one other thought:
Boy, was it ever crowded!
He rarely, rarely left at this hour, and the place was like a whole other world. At least he wasn't small, able to keep his head "above water" amid the waves of humanity.
Just an unknown face in a crowd of many, he followed it until he'd made it out of the gate. From the gate, the throng thinned out, destined for everywhere, and he could properly breathe again.
Further down the block, just before the school was out of sight, he turned back to look at it.
The art room's windows faced the school's courtyard, not the front. He knew this, but he couldn't help himself regardless.
There was nothing to give any concern over. He was sure that Sakura and Hana were working hard and possibly quizzing one another at that very moment, as they had endearingly been at lunch.
Though he wasn't supposed to, he'd given Hana the key to the room, and she'd make sure to secure the place. He'd get the key back in the morning.
Naoto resumed his journey west, and it wasn't long before the kids' park and the ice cream shop came into view.
He yearned to share a little time with the two girls at the park again.
They could do further harm to the enamel on their teeth with the sugary, cold sweetness of that little shop the young man had a newfound appreciation for.
Perhaps they could even sit on the park's swings, three abreast!
It was a sad, low thing, indeed, but he really wanted to just sit on one of those swings, Sakura and Hana on either side of him.
He'd struck such a chord with Sakura, and she with him, at that very spot. And it could be argued that it was where Sakura and Hana had begun their friendship.
Naoto longed just loaf there, watching the world pass the three of them by for a few hours.
He really wanted that. He wanted it so much that it hurt.
All the same—and in short order—he passed that special place and reached the fork that would normally separate him from Sakura and Hana, the rest of their ways home not the same as his.
It was rough, but he took a deep breath, blew it out, and followed his usual path southeast.
The basswoods had finally gone out of bloom, that exclusively sweet scent gone for another year. Something smelled good—probably someone's flower garden—but he couldn't spot it or detect just where it was coming from.
And, naturally, the land was rife with the noise of the cicadas, ubiquitous as summer's heat. They made so much racket at times, people failed to even notice them anymore.
The moments were otherwise empty, and he just strode along, somewhat thankful he had all the ingredients for dinner at home and that he wouldn't have to stop off for any supplies.
It was an ambitious dish, and it was a variation of one he and his parents dearly loved:
Paella!
Specifically, it was seafood Paella! He'd even found some lobster tails for a good price.
Tap, tap-a-ta, tap, tap-a-ta…!
"…?!" Naoto heard something behind him.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap…!
Tap-a-ta, tap-a-ta, tap-a-ta, tap-a-ta…!
Not one, but two sets of shoes were clicking along, fast approaching.
In stereo, he heard two familiar feminine voices surrounding and engulfing him.
"Paisen~!" "Sensei~!"
Naoto didn't even have a chance to turn, and he received a hearty clap on each of his shoulders. He could even determine which girl had attacked which side just by the way she did it, not to mention the voice attached.
"Paisen, 'sup?!" Gamo-chan clung to his left arm.
"'Sup, 'sup, 'sup-ity, 'sup, 'sup?!" Yoshi proceeded to hang off his right arm, nearly pulling him over. "Where's my supper?!"
"Ow-wow-wow-wow!" Naoto yelped.
Yoshi let up. "Sorry, Sensei."
Are you?! Naoto's poor arm throbbed.
Still, he managed to play it off, alternating his eyes between them. "Gamo-chan… Yoshi-san… hey."
They hadn't let go of him, and giggling, they shook him in a fashion reminiscent of frustrated, crummy teen mothers.
Naoto's very teeth rattled. "Waaaah!"
"Actin' cool, eh, Paisen~?!" Gamo-chan shouted.
"You're no cucumber!" Yoshi hooted. "You're not even a pickle!"
"Wreeeee!" their senpai squealed like a stuck pig.
Immediately, the two stopped.
Gamo-chan straightened out Naoto's posture. "There, that's a more 'Paisen-like' reaction~."
"Consistency for the win!" Yoshi contributed, brushing a speck of lint off his shirt-sleeve.
Naoto took in a breath. Oh, these girls! Sakura and Hana didn't do that kind of stuff!
…
But… yeah, the girls weren't the same. This fact was never properly ensconced in the deep brain, he found.
Plus, after all he'd been through with them, he wasn't all that traumatized.
"How are you girls?" he asked. "Haven't seen too much of you the last few days."
Gamo-chan and Yoshi were a little let down that he didn't behave in a way that furthered their sport, but whate'er!
"Ah, my parents gave me the whole week and next week off to make sure I study," Gamo-chan muttered, scratching herself. "I'm already tired of studying, but it beats working!"
Yoshi said, "Been okay."
Naoto was pleased to hear this.
Gamo-chan asked him, "And what brings our much-esteemed senpai into our unworthy presence~?"
You're the ones that snuck up on me…! Naoto fizzled.
He shook out his shirt, giving in and completely untucking it. "My parents are home early today, and I need to cook."
"You abandoned your tutees?" Gamo-chan mockingly took on an air of shock.
"No squish-squish today, Mr. Tutor-pai~?" Yoshi howled.
Naoto recoiled, bellowing, "What the Hell are you saying, Yoshi-san?!"
Gamo-chan scolded, "That's not how the joke went, Yoshi!"
"How did it go?" Twin-tails cocked her head.
"I don't think Paisen wants to hear that crap again…" Gamo-chan simpered.
"Paisen" could remember how Friday's witticisms had gone; he'd only asked that of Yoshi because it was so very inappropriate.
Moreso, he'd been mildly horrified that Gamo-chan and Yoshi said some of what they said when Sakura and Hana—ESPECIALLY HANA—had been right there in the art room, hearing it all.
It was screamingly funny, yes. But no, he didn't need to hear it again.
"Yes, I'm good with that," Naoto said, shuddering; he looked to Gamo-chan. "Uh… how are you doing with those workbooks I gave you?"
The tall girl grinned, saying, "They're going okay, Paisen! It's made science seem a little more manageable, that's for sure."
"That's good," he replied.
"You really shoulda taken him up on his offer, Yosh," Gamo-chan said to her old friend. "They're good books! Balancing reactions in chemistry finally makes sense to me!"
"I'm… actually doing okay, I think." Yoshi's voice trembled, not enjoying being on the spot.
Whether Gamo-chan trusted that Yoshi was doing well or not, she didn't show.
Naoto chose not to judge.
"Hey, I need to get home by 4:30 again," Yoshi fretted. "Could we keep moving? I promised my parents I'd swing by the grocery store before then."
"And we'll get you there, Yosh!" Gamo-chan guaranteed her.
Naoto was fine with moving again, and they did so.
Gamo-chan asked him, "So… how is the studying going with Sakura and Hanacchi?"
To his relief, there was no evil hidden in her question. She was invested.
He tried to not seem overly excited. "Things are going… great. Really, they're going great. We work off a sort of lesson plan we come up with, we try to answer each other's questions as a group… It's going well."
"Is that all~?" Yoshi, to Naoto's surprise, supplied this lascivious query.
He wasn't as bothered by Yoshi doing this as he might be, but he responded smartly, "There's more, sure. Those workbooks are going really well for all three of us. Sakura-san and Sunomiya just love quizzing each other. It's a riot to watch those two, but they have fun, and I think they're getting better."
It was a lame comeback, but the point was made.
Yoshi blinked, blank in the face; she'd been expecting a more flustered response or for her senpai to divert, tuck tail, and run. "Oh…"
Naoto didn't know if Gamo-chan approved or not, but he doubted it bothered her. All the same, he'd just sent a message to the Amazon, and she'd received it loud and clear, at Yoshi's expense.
He loved Gamo-chan and Yoshi, but at this late hour, the end of his time with Sakura and Hana closer at hand, he was becoming less tolerant of any fun being made over the study pact they shared. Fun was fun, but the line was coming clearer and clearer to him.
Gamo-chan shrugged. "Well, seems like things are going well enough. You nervous about the exams, Paisen?"
"Not really." He could make this statement with some real faith. "I'm feeling better about this semester than I have in a long time. I still need to look over plenty, but I'm starting to feel good and ready."
Yoshi, happily, didn't seem all that put out by Naoto shutting her down; she wondered, "So… Sakura's doing pretty good with studying?"
Naoto wished to be friendly, and he was past her uncouthness. "I think she's doing just fine, Yoshi-san. She's really taking it seriously, and I didn't think anyone could enjoy studying as much as she seems to be."
"I wish I could enjoy studying," Yoshi lamented. "I hate it…"
Gamo-chan pounded on the other girl's back. "Well, you're eternally in good company, old pal! I just want all this to be over. I feel better than I did a couple weeks ago, and I think I'll pass everything this time, but I'm still afraid of going to summer school again."
Unexpectedly, Yoshi had another question for her senpai, and it kind of came from nowhere. "Hey, Sensei… Hanacchi seems to be smart… like pretty smart. Why'd she wanna study with you and Sakura?"
This was a query that Naoto didn't enjoy the prospect of answering.
He knew straight away that Yoshi wasn't dismissing Sakura or himself as stupid enough to drag Hana down. She was wondering why someone that scored in the top 20-some% of her class would latch onto a study group when she'd proven perfectly capable of helping herself.
Indeed, what would he tell her? That Hana had very likely felt left out? That she'd perchance wanted an excuse to keep hanging around the clubroom when there was no art to be done? That she'd wanted to be a part of something? That she was a lonely girl, never having many friends, many casting her aside as a nutjob?
No, this was not something he enjoyed deliberating.
Mercifully, Gamo-chan came to the rescue. "Some people just like to study in groups, Yoshi… Some people do better on their own. It is her first ever set of finals at the school, so maybe she wants to be extra prepared. New school, new tests."
Yoshi was contented. "I guess…"
Gamo-chan may or may not have known his thoughts, but Naoto appreciated the "assist".
He opined, "I've really started to like it. I've never done it before this semester, but being together in a group seems to be working for all three of us. Sometimes, we'll be looking at something, and one of us will spot something nobody else saw. Sunomiya's even shown us some stuff the new teachers never got to show us."
Gamo-chan ambled along, whistling a little tune to herself. "Seems things are going well."
"They are," Naoto reaffirmed.
"…"
"…"
"You wonderin' about Hayacchi~?" she tempted.
Naoto wouldn't let her get to him. "I'm sure she's doing fine, Gamo-chan."
"Man, you're really on your game today~." She switched her schoolbag to her other hand.
"I haven't seen much of her this week," he disclosed. "I saw her on Monday, we said 'hi' yesterday, but I didn't get to see her at all today…"
With Yoshi trailing behind both of them, Gamo-chan said, "She's been pretty busy, Paisen. It seems she's studying pretty hard. Even for us, it's been difficult to get a word in. She's been going home right away—everyday—since judo's been out."
Naoto hadn't overlooked the fact that Nagatoro had a few concerns about her grades that semester. "If she's studying, she'll be fine. I know that joining Judo Club had taken up a lot of her time."
"Yeah, and it's taken up a lot of my time," Gamo-chan crabbed. "Occasionally, I think that I shoulda just stuck with the 'go home' club… I dunno why I did it sometimes…"
"…" Naoto waited.
"I just hope she's okay, Paisen…" the big girl stewed. "Things have been weird with her… I hope she didn't actually bite off more than she can chew. I'm a little worried."
Naoto trusted that Nagatoro knew what she was doing. "I'm sure she'll do fine, Gamo-chan. She's just a little anxious because she's busier than she's used to."
"…"
"…"
"Yeah, you're right~," Gamo-chan concluded, comforted. "Anyway, gotta think about me right now!"
The workbooks—more than ever—held promise to Naoto. "Those study guides I gave you, I mentioned I picked them out because they seemed to cover the materials that I've seen in my time testing the last couple of years. I told Sakura-san the same… if you can make it through the math, science, and English books, you should find the exams in those subjects manageable."
"And that has me sleeping a little easier, Paisen~," she lauded. "Thanks again."
"You're welcome," he answered.
Gamo-chan bent towards Yoshi. "Seems to me that you're missing out. Two years of 'Paisen-ous' experience says the workbooks are probably helpful."
Yoshi voiced, "I… uh… I'm already working out of some workbooks. I have enough to do."
"Your parents are trying that again?" Gamo-chan speculated. "We all tried that in middle school, and it just didn't go all that well."
"It's… something like that," Yoshi suggested. "But it's different this time. I think it's working."
Gamo-chan hummed, "I suppose it also would've worked for us back then if we'd spent less time screwing around~…"
Naoto could picture Nagatoro, Gamo-chan, and Yoshi being unproductive, trying to study in a group, but he held his peace, tuning out the girls a moment.
He dearly wished that Gamo-chan and Yoshi would do well on their exams, just as he wanted for Nagatoro, Sakura, and Hana.
Some weird stuff had happened the summer before, but his circle of friends was a little bigger, and he desired as much as he desired anything that he—and they—would be able to have a reasonably carefree summer together.
Never before had he looked forward to a summer break like he was gunning for this one. His last summer as a kid…
…
Almost inevitably, Gamo-chan led him into a new topic, pulling him back.
"What the Hell is up with all these crazy rumors, Paisen?" She shook her head wonderingly.
"Huh?" He hadn't been all there, and he wasn't sure what had brought her to that matter.
"All this garbage that's still flying around over Sakura… and now Hanacchi too!" she exclaimed. "The gossip has been more awful than usual for weeks, it seems."
"Hmm…" Naoto mumbled.
She uttered, "I'm sorry, but I can understand Sakura being in the middle of it, but what did Hanacchi do to get pulled into this?"
Naoto wished he knew, but he could guess. "It's just people running their mouths when they don't understand what's happening… and they don't even care to find out what's really happening. I wish it would just stop."
Gamo-chan flinched at his words, and he wished she hadn't, but he knew why she did. She'd recently shared with him her share of ignorant statements regarding Sakura, and what he'd just heard irked him as well.
"…" the Amazon wallowed.
Naoto sighed, "Sorry… That was harsh. I'm upset over some of the crap I've heard about Sakura and Sunomiya."
Gamo-chan looked to the ground. "…"
Yoshi, keeping distance, alternated glances between the two of them. "…?"
Something was going on, but she didn't know what, and she was happy enough to not know.
Naoto wasn't hoping to salvage the situation, exactly, but he had something to say, whatever happened.
"Gamo-chan… Yoshi-san…" he tendered.
The two of them perked up, caught unprepared by his tone.
Gamo-chan couldn't immediately reply, but Yoshi could.
"Sensei…?" She let him know he'd been heard.
Naoto's emotions were still closer to the surface than he liked. He didn't want to cry in front of either of these girls, though one of them would understand… but the other (Yoshi) would be feasibly flabbergasted.
Nonetheless, he decided he'd be okay. "Girls… I've been having a lot of fun studying with Sakura-san and Sunomiya. It's been… crazy fun hanging out with the two of them. It's only been a week, but I'm… pretty sad that we'll already be finished working together in a few days. I'm really gonna miss it. I almost wish the semester would go on a little longer…"
He was okay, and it wasn't much of a close call, but he'd gotten that familiar tightness in his throat, and he snuffled in a great wad of phlegm, trying to keep clear.
He had a little more to say. "I thought it was kinda nuts too… Sakura-san and Sunomiya suddenly getting along like they are. I was even suspicious something not cool was happening… Was I ever stupid about that. You should see the two of them. They're just so happy… and I'm really glad they've become friends."
Naoto's voice cracked once, saying all that, but he was still okay. He could walk proudly, shoulders back, chest out, and both balls dangling heavy in his pants.
"…" "…" Gamo-chan and Yoshi were staggered.
It took a moment for either of them to come up with anything.
Gamo-chan reckoned, "I guess Sakura and Hanacchi are pretty lucky…"
"Yeah…" Yoshi agreed. "They've got a 'watchdog-sensei'."
The girls weren't joking, referring to him as a guardian, and Naoto knew this, but with these two, a gag was never far away!
He squirmed. Uh-oh!
Gamo-chan suddenly shook with mirth, struck with inspiration. "Like a sheepdog looking after them~?"
Naoto again found himself sandwiched between the two girls. "Wha… What are you doing?"
Yoshi fastened herself to Naoto's right arm, musing. "How 'bout an oni?!"
Gamo-chan, grabbing his other side, winking at him and knowing he'd caught her winking, considered, "Or maybe… he's an ogre~!"
Yipe! He had every kind of nope running through his body, and he floundered.
The girls' eyes knowingly met, and they went to work.
"Wah!" Naoto was jerked around good-naturedly, flanked by his friends and kohai.
"An ogre!" Yoshi jumped, whipping Naoto's arm about.
"Cut it out!" he whined.
Gamo-chan amended her previous statement. "Wait, ogres don't whine!"
"I guess he's just a normal, old oni~!" Yoshi trumpeted.
Gamo-chan leapt clear of her senpai. "Hey, Yosh! Show Paisen what a real ogre's like!"
Oh, shit! Naoto could imagine what was coming.
Yoshi had let go of him, and he was already running.
"Grr~!" Using her index-fingers, Twin-tails put up horns and chased Naoto, gnashing her teeth. "Om-nom-nom-nom~!"
"Nope!" the "oni" cried, pursued by the ferocious ogre. "Get away from me!"
Gamo-chan laughed wildly at the scene; she called after him, "Don't worry, we're just playing, Paisen~~!"
"I know!" He knew full well this was just them being goofy. "But call her off! Please! I don't want her to bite me!"
The tickled Gamo-chan just shook her head, amused at the mild mayhem, and took off after the two.
It wouldn't take Yoshi long to nab her quarry.
Q&A Section
Which girl is going to be Senpai's first kiss?
ED: It will be one of the girls (I wouldn't pull a fast one, having another guy tag him), but it won't be Yoshi. That's all you get.
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading! Questions and comments are welcome!