🌸Cherry Blossom Palette🎨
🌸Chapter 37: The Sakura Puzzle, Part Six🎨
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: Of swimsuits and tanning!
I guess Naoto's "Friend A", our Shuu Aisho, has been given a canon name, or at least part of one. He's "Takao", apparently. But we'll keep calling him Shuu. Readers will know who he is, and Nanashi is the one that refuses to overtly give full names to so many of his characters when they're introduced. There's that, but the real issue is having to fix every iteration of his name in the whole story over the seven sites I post on. Not worth it.
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.
Thursday, July 11, 2018
Just about finished with the cranberry-pomegranate juice her senpai had bought for her, Sakura Inori blissfully paddled away in the sandy pool of "stolen water" she'd created under her favorite seat on the swing set in the park.
"Hey, uh, Senpai-kun," she addressed the young man beside her.
Naoto Hachioji was near the bottom of the apple juice he'd grabbed for himself. "Yes?"
Sakura fidgeted. "Before we… went off on that tangent, I was saying what I was excited for about break."
Naoto wanted to know more. "Mm-hmm?"
"Hana-chan wants to go clothes shopping with me~," she squeed. "It's not like she wants to get a whole new wardrobe, but she wants to get some summery things. She (or whoever picks out her street clothes) has great taste, but she wants some casual stuff."
He… wouldn't mind seeing that! "That sounds fun."
Sakura revealed, "Also, I'm sure one of the first couple weekends during break will see us all at the beach, and she says she wants to get a new swimsuit."
Oof! Naoto hadn't been prepared to hear that.
He tried to keep cool. "Okay."
"I think it will be fun~," Sakura crooned. "Whatever she's in, I'm sure she'll be so lovely~."
Naoto wasn't thinking. "I'm sure she will."
The gal was slightly surprised he'd said it. "Hmm. I didn't expect to hear that outta you."
He wasn't even that flustered. "I didn't mean anything bad by it."
"That's all well and good," Sakura smirked. "But if I catch you drooling over Hana-chan… Snip~! Snip~!"
With her fingers, she gave a cutting motion, implying she'd make half a man out of him.
"Please don't joke about that, Sakura-san." Naoto was willing to draw the line when it came to Hana.
She sighed, "Yeah, I'm sorry… I know how you honor her… and cherish her."
He tried! And he tussled with the seemingly perpetual blush he'd picked up in the last half-hour.
"I think that truly is something, that you feel that way about her," Sakura beamed. "I've said it before, but it really is pretty special~."
"…" Naoto hoped that she might move on.
"I'm glad Hana-chan's coming along this time." Sakura stretched. "I know she's pretty excited about it. And hopefully someone doesn't object to her going to the beach this time."
Naoto didn't relish recalling this, knowing what she'd meant.
Last time, Nagatoro hadn't wanted Hana or her cousin, Sana, the Prez, to go with them, despite there having been no chance that the Prez could make it.
Nagatoro been rather… unpleasant about it, when one stopped to think, not that Hana had seen or heard about this. This was a week before Hana had joined the girls at karaoke, and she'd still been on the outskirts of that circle of friends.
Back to Sakura, she was agitated over the idea of a repeat episode.
"I didn't care very much then, but now I sure do." She had a hand in it this time. "I feel like a real bitch for not standing up for Hana-chan last time. If Hayacchi even hints at not wanting her around, there'll be trouble. Hayacchi seemed okay with karaoke, but the beach… It's disgusting how jealous she was."
Naoto really didn't like to think about it, but Nagatoro was Hella jelly of Hana's, uh… excellent figure. And the Prez?! She loathed the Prez! Nothing would convince him otherwise.
Personal love or hate aside, even he could tell how much Nagatoro despised the idea of two young women with even bigger (substantially so) jugs than Gamo-chan and Yoshi flouncing around on the beach. She didn't even like those two flouncing!
To top it off, she hadn't seemed at all pleased, seeing Sakura drift around, her blarney-bringing, tiger-striped bikini hitting a grand slam homerun with any red-blooded male, knocking the ball right into the next district, breaking a few windows along the way.
In all honesty, Naoto didn't get it. He himself had said that the girls, despite being very physically different, each had her own charm. While this had then applied to Nagatoro and the Prez, it extended to all of his female friends. Each was exceptional in her own sense, and he was adamant on the subject!
Still, he could sympathize to a degree, knowing how it could feel to be compared to other guys.
Unfortunately(?), Sakura's filtration system was still gummed up, and she seemed to think relatively little of sharing certain opinions with him.
She stewed, a little color appearing around her cheekbones, "It's dumb that Hayacchi's jealous. It's just so dumb to feel that way! She's not missing out on anything! I wish I was a little more modest on top…"
Bwaaah! Naoto didn't need to hear this shit again!
At least she was pinkening! She wasn't totally shameless about it!
Sakura became pensive. "I know I say that, but… I bet the Prez looks insane in a bikini."
Nope! Naoto didn't want to go down this path.
But Sakura did.
"Did you ever…?" Her pinkness became redness. "Did you ever… see… the Prez?"
In a bikini or stark-naked? Naoto had seen plenty of the Prez in her birthday suit.
It must be mentioned that while he thought the Prez was an impressive woman in almost every way, novelty-sized yabos, particularly her major-league "Mt. Fuji twins", had never done much for him, besides making him uncomfortable.
In other words, he wasn't a particularly avid fan of manga-sized bewbs!
He managed, however, to navigate through, choosing to assume she was asking about a bikini.
"No." He shook his head. "I saw her in her school suit plenty of times, but never in a bikini or anything else."
And he hadn't, but he'd seen her in nothing!
He must've thought right, because Sakura pressed on.
"You've never seen Hana-chan in a swimsuit?" she posed.
Oh, geez! Naoto had never even imagined that Sakura would ask that!
All the same, he kept his head. "No."
But he wouldn't tell her that he'd gone to lengths to not see her in a swimsuit. In fact, he'd had a couple of "chances" to do so when her class was heading out to swim, and he'd run away in the other direction! Whether there was something messed up about that or not, all he knew is that he didn't want to see Hana in a swimsuit.
He had—in his third year of middle school—technically seen her as such, but 12-year-old Hana and 15-year-old Hana were at more than slightly different stages of development. With a kid, it was no big deal. The thought of "fully-fledged" Hana, however… he was afraid something might change… that his thoughts might turn rotten.
Be what may, Sakura understood the not-so-subtle hints of his discomfort.
"That… was a bad question…" She repented. "Sorry… Even if you had, you don't think of her that way. I know you don't… But it's not dirty or anything, in and of itself, a girl in a swimsuit; it just is. You'll have to get used to the idea. I'll not suffer to see Hana-chan in a gunny-sack~."
His nervous silence told the story. "…"
"I still think that's fine, Senpai-kun, in a way." She wouldn't press. "Again, I think it's sweet~."
Well, that's a comfort! Naoto's brains rang with sarcasm, but he was happy to keep a lid on it.
"Hey, Senpai-kun…" Sakura was reluctantly willing to pop said lid. "Does it… bother you… that I keep yammering like that?"
"…!" Naoto flinched.
"If I ever bother you… please just say something." She plipped around timidly, flexing her ankles, watching her feet rise and fall in the water. "Really, it won't hurt my feelings. I'd rather hear the truth than bother you. I know I can go too far."
He might've overreacted formerly, but he didn't, saying, "You don't bother me, Sakura-san… I'm… still just getting used to talking about some of this stuff."
"You're not just saying that?" she asked.
"No, I mean it." He did.
Sakura smiled, relieved; she said, "I'm grateful. But the offer still stands: you ever want me to shut up, just say the word~."
It might've been a bit much, but he chuckled, "If that ever happens, I'll let you know."
She giggled, "Just remember."
Naoto still had some juice left, and he took a nice draught, finishing it off.
Sakura did the same.
…
The young artist had been turning something over in his mind for a few days, and it occurred to him to ask about it.
"Hey, uh, Sakura-san?" he roused her.
"What is it?"
He wasn't sure where to begin. "Last time, at the beach, I had a good time, other than the sunburn. I've been wondering if getting a tan is a good idea. I'm tired of burning so badly."
"A tan?" She regarded him.
"Yeah, I mean, I know getting one would help some."
"It would help a little bit," she reasoned. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm a bean-sprout." He took a peek under his shirtsleeve at his pallid flesh, also showing her. "Would I benefit from getting a little 'healthy color'?"
"As opposed to looking like some full-blown gyaru cartoon character~?" Sakura leered, showing him a generous section of her bronzed belly, via the untucked side of her blouse.
"Bah!" He scrambled, trying to keep his voice level. "I don't think you're some cartoon character!"
"It's kinda weird, I think…" She covered herself up again. "The Japanese view on tanning… It's just all over the place. A lot of people would be very happy to be all pasty, yet they make fun of those that are. I think we both known a few people like that~."
"And they're no tanner than he is…" Naoto spoke of himself in the third-person.
"It's just double standards, y'know…" Sakura commented. "You guys are expected to have a little ruggedness to your looks, and girls are expected to be snow-white. Some ladies even bleach their—"
He blathered, "Hey, hey! You don't need to say it."
"Sorry, sorry~…" She waved it off.
"…"
"…"
Naoto wondered, "How do you deal with it… 'breaking the mold'?"
"I… just kinda like being different in that way." Sakura replied. "I think it goes without saying that there's an entire culture built around appearances like mine, so it's not like I'm that special. There's not really any big stigma against it anymore. Also, it's easier to deal with having a little tan, as opposed to avoiding the sun."
"I guess that makes sense…" he reasoned. "It's nice to be different sometimes."
"Well, intentional tanning's not exactly healthy, Senpai-kun." Sakura took in the scenery, her toes flipping about little specks of soggy particulate. "I may regret this look of mine a few decades into the future when I wind up like a piece of leather and catch skin cancer, though I'm sure they'll be able to cure just about anything by then. Some guy walks in and says, 'I got the AIDS!', they'll give him a pill. Poof! All gone!"
Naoto reeled!
Again?! What, was her filter just dirty, or had it completely fallen out? Did her entire statement there not run through the check-valve before it came flying out of her mouth?
He'd heard some cynical, lackadaisical, dark, and even Dadaistic lines out of her, but that whole spiel just might top the list!
(PS sent me articles on Dadaism, and I still have no idea what the heck it is! He really loves the subject for some reason.)
Naoto was truly thrown off track by her departure. "What are you talking about?!"
"Senpai-kun, just say it," she encouraged.
He felt as if they'd skipped a few lines of dialogue!
But he conceded, knowing what she was getting at, "…Yeah… I wanna be in-between."
Sakura nodded thoughtfully.
She said, "Me? I visit this little tanning salon near my house."
"Do you have to do it a lot?" he questioned. "I guess I don't know."
"There's a whole science behind it, but I only go one or two times a week. Every five days, I guess. That's usually enough to maintain a tan once you get to where you wanna be."
"So… do you just do it in a… bra and panties, or do you wear a swimsuit…?"
"I tan in the nude," she stated matter-of-factly. "You see any tan lines on me?"
"Wha?!" He jolted. "You do?"
"Sure, I mean, do you leave anything on when you take a shower?" She was casual as can be. "It's the only way to get an all-over tan, and I don't want any tan lines. I really don't wanna look like Hayacchi."
How can she say something like that so easily, but things not even nearly that bad turn her cherry-red?!
"They allow that?" He'd be shocked if a salon did.
"Well, what they don't know… don't hurt 'em~." She poked out her tongue. "Tee-hee~!"
"…!" Naoto's head went fuzzy a few seconds.
Filter, Sakura, filter! He shuddered, well aware he'd been crying out to the Heavens all day.
Pulling her tongue back in, she simpered, "They clean the beds every time—and I clean mine personally, before and after—so it's no big whoop."
"I see." Naoto had improved.
"That's not to say you'd have to do that," she went on. "Gradually spending more and more time outside without a shirt is good enough, but a bed will get you faster, more consistent results. A controlled environment helps almost anything in getting the best results."
As with other topics, the study trio of Naoto, Sakura, and Hana had discussed the benefits of minimizing variables in scientific experiments, and controlled environments were a big part of that.
This gave Naoto a few things to think about. "Uh, thanks… this was helpful…"
Sakura chortled, "Anytime, Senpai-kun… If you want some pointers, just ask."
"I hear you, Sakura-san."
She smiled to herself, wading in the shallowest of pools. "Splish-splash, splish-splash~~…"
"…?!" Naoto never knew what she might do next.
I don't get it… The gal was a marvel to him. Just what exactly is going on in that head of yours?
"…?" Sakura could sense his gaze. "What's up, Senpai-kun?"
Finding the words was a bit of a struggle, but he venerated, "You really are something, Sakura-san…"
"I hope that's said with fondness~," she peeped.
"Yeah, mostly…" he owned. "I just can't help but squirm a little."
"If I wanted to watch you flop around like a fish out of water, I'd ask you which of us girls you find most attractive~." She extended her legs before her, clicking her heels together. "That'd prolly be effective~."
That'd be super effective! Naoto wanted to say.
"That might do it," he said, a smirk nearly showing.
"…~" Sakura considered her homegrown pedicure, sand and all.
"…" Naoto was just happy to be with his friend.
"…"
"…"
"I'm not holding you up, am I, Senpai-kun?" the gal asked.
A thought entered his head. It was getting late!
"Don't you need to get home?" He remembered the Inori family ate together almost religiously, barring extenuating circumstances.
"Mom and Daddy are having dinner out tonight~," she enlightened him. "Yoichi, my little brother, he's at a friend's house. I'm on my own for the evening. Leftovers."
Yoichi, huh? At least Naoto knew the kid's name.
He was relieved that she wasn't breaking "curfew". "Guess I'm the same. Parents have another late night, and it's more paella leftovers."
"Maybe we should go get some dinner instead, Senpai-kun~." Sakura dipped her toes back into her puddle. "I've got all that money left from the job I did for old Mrs. Masuda. You have been putting up with me all this time~."
He couldn't tell if she was serious or not about getting something to eat, but he wouldn't stand for her last sentence, and he hoped she didn't think that. "I'm not putting up with anything. Please don't say that… This is great."
His words and the pink in his cheeks stirred her. "I know I should know that by now… You're right, this is pretty great."
"Yeah~…" he breathed, almost wishing he had his own sandy bog to wallow in.
She sought, "So… dinner?"
I should just say yes! Naoto's heart, guts, and balls told him to do this, all the bells and whistles attached to his "old brain" functions ringing and blaring.
However, he let his brain make this decision.
He vowed, "Another time… and we split the bill. Sorry, Sakura-san, I just kinda wanna have a quiet night at home."
"You've earned it, Senpai-kun~," she assured.
"I think so," he allowed. "Plus, it's gonna rain here in a while. I think we both wanna beat it home."
She smiled, "Another time, it is."
"Mm," he devoted. "But it's not gonna rain real soon. Smells a lot 'rainier' than it did a half-hour ago, but it's not supposed to hit until about 8:30 p.m."
"So, you're not in a big hurry?" she asked.
"No, I'm good," he replied. "The paella and a shower will all still be there when I get home. Got really no homework today, and I was planning on only a little studying tonight."
"In that case, let's play a game~," Sakura proposed. "I'm gonna to ask you something, and you're gonna give a truthful answer."
Naoto wasn't disinterested, but, "Not much of a game."
"There's something in it for you."
"Yeah?" He was drawn in. "What do I get in return?"
"You'll get to ask me any question you want." She rested her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs. "And no matter what it is, I'll give you the very candidest answer I can~."
Naoto had nothing to ask really, but he obliged, "Okay… I'm game."
What am I doing?! He saw this going anywhere!
Sakura was thrilled, "Cool~."
Heaving a figurative sigh, Naoto decided he'd see it through.
"So…?" he prompted.
"So, what were gonna do… is find out where I rank compared to the other girls in a swimsuit~."
*& $#!… Naoto's brain took a 106°F shit.
"You do want to see me 'flop around'!" he protested, his stomach chunnering.
"Just a little bit~…" she disclosed. "And you don't have to tell me who else ranks where. It's just where I rank."
"…" Naoto tried to stay his agitation for a moment, and he got close enough.
He retreated into his own head a moment. What she was saying… that wasn't too scary…
Sakura added, "And you don't have to tell me why you decide what you decide."
That… was doable.
Taking what he'd learned recently, he processed some things.
Sakura wanted to feel appreciated. She wouldn't rag him about it. She wasn't teasing him (at least not cruelly). And she… actually wanted to know.
He could tell that she wanted to know! She wanted his opinion. For real! She really wanted to know!
And he wanted to indulge her!
Hell, they'd just swapped a trifling volume of saliva via their bottles of juice!
Naoto decided to just jump into the void.
With notably less trepidation than that of a mouse cozying up to a snake, he leveled, "Okay, but there aren't that many of you to go with."
"So, how 'bout just the ones you've gone to the beach with?" she figured. "I'm okay with putting the Prez aside, believe me. Looks like that makes five~."
"…Yes…"
"So, the five would be me, Gamo-chan, Hayacchi, Yoshi, and Nekoba…"
"…Yes."
Sakura wasted no time.
She leaned in. "As far as who's best-looking… am I in the top four~?"
Naoto's thoughts were reflexive. That was a resounding "yes".
If he had to pick one of the girls for the booby-prize—no pun intended—he'd have to pick Yoshi. She was a fine example of the female specimen, and she would've at least made the fourth slot, but her swimsuits were quite childish. Frills didn't do it for Naoto.
He answered, "Yes… you'd make it."
"I guess that's not too surprising~."
I'm sure you had no doubt! He was positive of it.
"What about the top three~?" Sakura seemed a little more invested this time.
Again, a big "yes" to that.
It was harder to pick number four though. He'd not thought about such a list before, so he'd spent no time mulling it over prior. However, it didn't take long to establish the candidates.
Naoto surprised himself by placing Nagatoro in second-to-last place. She was cute… Sometimes, she was even pretty, but going only on appearance, Yoshi would've thoroughly beaten her, barring Twin-tails's awful taste in bikinis.
He exhaled, feeling the pressure, "You're in the top three."
"Really~?"
"Yes, really." His pulse went up.
Is this really happening?
"Okay~…" She tried to hide her rising enthusiasm, not very successfully. "…The top two~…?"
Nekoba got third, and that was no insult. Naoto really wanted to see her again. Many might dismiss her very average figure and her crossed-eyes, but—to use the word that came to his mind the only time he'd seen her in any swimsuit—he found her to be striking. There was something about her sharp features and her modest-ish bikini/beach-skirt combo that had really… struck him.
This also meant that Gamo-chan vied with Sakura for the top; they landed there by default.
"Yes," he gave reply.
At this, Sakura's face returned to a hale and hearty flush, as red as communism!
"Eep~!" she squeaked. "Oh, wow~~."
There was no doubting that she was delighted to hear that.
Maybe I should pinch myself… Naoto pondered. I must be having forty winks!
Meriting that this was real, it was now a whole other ballgame!
Was she gonna ask if she was the champion?!
Here was the hard choice:
Did he find Sakura or Gamo-chan best-looking (in a swimsuit, sure, but maybe overall)?
How can I make that decision?! Naoto was torn. Can I even make it?!
Meanwhile, Sakura was liquescing beside him, hiding her face. "Oh, gee-whiz~! I kinda didn't think you'd go through with this~~."
Naoto felt a little more comfortable with how uncomfortable she was; they were at least on more equal ground.
"~~…~~!" The gal was writhing around as if someone had put itching powder in her undies.
Naoto gulped, seeing that Sakura couldn't even look at him.
He dug in, knowing what was coming next. She was gonna ask—
"I… don't wanna know the answer… of who's first," she submitted, exhaling with a rattly giggle. "I guess you win the game~."
Was that what she'd meant?! It hadn't been a contest!
Seriously, it was almost a letdown. Naoto had probably been ready to try to answer, at least able to fumble his way through it.
"Uh…" he sat flummoxed. "You sure?"
Why'd I just ask that?!
She'd almost been able to make eye contact, but she retreated again, unable to handle his retort. "Oh, why'd I want you to play this game~?"
Naoto saw he was "safe". And somehow, he'd outlasted Sakura, a gal he'd seen pin down some poor, nameless rube in the nurse's office at Christmas, kissing him into submission.
And still, it was something of a letdown…
He was almost apologetic, murmuring, "You okay, Sakura-san?"
"It's fine." She'd come back to herself, at least enough to deal with the consequences of taking him too lightly. "It's just I know you'll give an honest answer… I think it'd piss me off if I wasn't on top, but I'd also be too embarrassed to know I was~."
Wowza! Naoto surely caught all of that.
"You understand?" she coyly put forth.
"I think so."
"…"
"…"
All this aside, Sakura bounced back pretty quickly. "Now for the second part of the game!"
"We never said anything about a 'second part'." Naoto was barely even fazed.
"Relax, I'm winging this!" She managed to face him again. "I'm just gonna talk, and you don't have to answer… until the end~."
Why not? He'd listen.
"I'm gonna guess the ranking you came up with. I'll say what I think it is, and you tell me at the end if I'm correct. And we're not doing whether I'm in first or not; I still don't wanna know."
Oh, crap-ola! Naoto's vision swam, but he managed to right himself.
"And…?" he emboldened.
"If I guess wrong, I'll buy the snacks for tomorrow, and you only have to worry about the juice. And you don't have to tell me how or where I guessed wrong."
"And what if you get it?" Naoto dreaded the prospect.
"If I guess right, you have to buy me an udon bowl like we had over the weekend. And one for Hana-chan too! This weekend! Saturday or Sunday, whenever we finally finish all the studying we set out to do."
"Uh…" That was a fair chunk of change, considering he'd be getting one to boot.
And then there was the matter of—
"But Hana-chan doesn't have to know about our game." Sakura sweetened the deal. "You wouldn't want that anyway. And it would have no bearing on just the two of us having dinner some other time, splitting the bill~. This is just for kicks… a whole other thing."
She'd answered his concerns over "the matter of"!
The terms seemed fair, really.
Hell, it sounded fun!
But… did he really want her to know? Where he placed each of the girls? Did he want to risk that?!
He knew he wasn't objectifying them, but this was some serious ammo she could use against him!
…
"Okay… guess away!" he accepted the challenge.
Naoto would never play this game with anyone but Sakura.
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading! Questions and comments are welcome!