🌸Cherry Blossom Palette🎨
🌸Chapter 45: Odds & Ends🎨
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: The girls want a bite of chicken-fried steak, and other things happen.
This is a strange chapter, but the next one will tip off some big things.
I saw a reader from Reddit wished my mom a Happy Mother's Day. Thank you!
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.
Sunday, July 14, 2018
"Whoa!" Sakura Inori was in awe. "That's a chicken-fried steak?! I've never seen someone actually order one!"
At the unique little diner with her friends, Naoto Hachioji and Hana Sunomiya, the food ordered had arrived at their booth.
Naoto stared at the impressive foodstuff.
It was like a baseball mitt covered in gravy!
"I guess so…" he answered. "I didn't know it would be like this. It just sounded good on the menu. Look at that thing…"
Hana cited, "A thinly-sliced cut of beef-steak, battered and deep-fried."
And this was on top of the pancakes, hashbrowns, and fruit Naoto had ordered.
"People eat this?!" Sakura had a hard time envisioning this. "Those Americans are crazy~!"
Naoto couldn't take his eyes off the thing. "I guess. But it's not like we don't eat fried cutlets in Japan."
"But that thing's, like, 30 cm across; it takes up the entire plate!" she exclaimed.
Compared to the huge portion their senpai had, the girls' fist-sized Denver omelets were much more subdued.
All the same, it was dwarfed by what Naoto had inhaled on Thursday night, so what the Hell~?!
With hashbrowns, fruit, and a waffle between them, Sakura reasoned, "This'll be enough for Hana-chan and me, but…"
Naoto chuckled, "You wanna do 'tradesies', don't you?"
In near unison, both girls nodded, Hana with a "humph".
They made swaps, and Naoto really enjoyed the omelet, overflowing with diced ham, onions, and bell peppers, all browned from the grill.
Good stuff…
The girls?
"Oh, this is ~~amazing~~!" Sakura slurred, drooling, a gravy-mustache on her upper-lip. "I can see why they say 'chicken-fried'; this batter is better than KFC!"
Hana was making less of a show, but she was enjoying it. "When we come here again, Sakura-senpai, we could split one of these. It would be quite adequate for two."
It was always fun to see the girls enjoy something so much, and Naoto delighted in it, making surprisingly quick work of the monstrosity and its side dishes before him.
As they slowed down with eating, they began to chat a little more.
Hana, of all people, opened with, "Hachioji-senpai, do you happen to have that sketch you did of Sakura-senpai and me?"
Naoto had his schoolbag with him, and it stood to reason that he might.
And he did have that specific sketchbook…
He grimaced, again feeling like a piece of garbage for his "voyeuristic" doodle.
Sakura said, "It's okay, Senpai-kun, I told you it didn't bother us, and I told Hana-chan that I told you."
Naoto was slightly reassured.
Hana offered, "I understand. It's art, Hachioji-senpai."
He was reassured.
The reason he'd been tied-up over it was that he just didn't do that kind of thing.
Yes, he'd sketched Nagatoro at the beach the previous year—and he wasn't sure if she knew or not—but something about rendering Sakura and Hana had been different to him, even off-putting.
But he was reassured.
Gladly, he lifted his bag to his lap. "Let me take it out."
…
"You added quite a bit of detail to this, didn't you, Hachioji-senpai?" Hana continued looking over the sketch of Sakura and herself quizzing with the gal's flashcards.
Naoto allowed, slightly embarrassed, "Yeah… I pretty much had what I wanted, but I didn't finish before lunch was over."
His kohai took it in at different angles. "…"
"So…" He squirmed. "What do you think?"
Hana had her thoughts. "It would've been better if you'd just left it as it was at the end of lunch."
Naoto figured he knew what she was getting at. "I see."
"It's a rough sketch—very rough…" Hana considered. "It's odd to 'clean it up' as you did."
He'd thought that was her point. "It is odd… and I keep adding to it."
"…" Sakura eyed both of her companions.
Naoto again took up fork and knife, nearly done with his enormous plate of chow.
Hana did the same, barely halfway through her own, being a rather slow eater.
An idea formed in Sakura's head. "Why don't you sketch the two of us now, Senpai-kun?"
He looked up, the last morsel of pancake in his craw. "Hmm?"
Sakura faced Hana, "Would that be okay, Hana-chan?"
The younger girl chewed a few seconds; swallowing, she presented a straight face. "Don't sketch me with my mouth open."
The blonde simpered, saying, "Same here, Senpai-kun~… Just draw us naturally; you don't need to go all 'actiony', showing us eating or talking or anything."
Naoto found he really liked the idea. "Okay, I'll—"
"Why don't you enjoy what's left of your meal, Senpai-kun, and you can start after that~?" Sakura offered. "Hana-chan and I will be a while with our own food."
This idea beat his own. "Okay."
He dug into the remaining sliver of his steak, making sure to scrape up all the chicken-crumbs and milk-gravy he could.
…
Naoto shook his hand out, unused to sketching in the position he was, and asked, "What was it you two were going to do again?"
"We're gonna have a little girl time today, Senpai-kun~," Sakura explained. "I have a fun idea for the afternoon. You noticed the purse I brought along?"
He certainly had. "Yes, that's the Prada bag you practically stole."
"I got it at a steal, if that's what you mean~." She wasn't a criminal; she just liked a bargain. "I've been visiting that store since moving to Hayama, and they love me there~. They knew what they were selling."
Naoto let it go. "I guess."
The gal went on, "Well, like I was saying, both Hana-chan and I look pretty churched-up today, don't we~?"
You both look LOVELY (though Sunomiya better fits the designation; Sakura is nearer to "hot")! He wouldn't share his thoughts, but he wasn't about to shoot them down. "You both look nice today."
Sakura poked Hana. "Look at him, Hana-chan… That's not what he really wants to say~."
Hana was working on the very last of her brunch, her senpai having cleaned their plates. "'Nice' is no insult, Sakura-senpai, but yes, he is holding back."
Sakura tittered, "…~!"
Naoto blushed, hiding behind his sketchbook, getting back to work. "You were saying, Sakura-san?"
She let it go, though she could've worked him over a little. "I had an idea… Let's just say we both look a little more well-off than we actually are."
He happened to know that neither girl was living all that uncomfortably, but he probed, "And what would that be?"
"Since we look like a couple of rich girls, we're gonna try going window-shopping again!" she reveled. "It's amazing what people will throw at you if you look like you have a thick pocketbook: high-end samples, advice, secrets, and much more. But most of all, it's the service. They'll do anything for you, really! They'll let you try on clothes you could never afford, and you can even take pictures sometimes! Y'know, things that bumpkins would never have access to."
It seemed a little underhanded to him, but it was no skin off his pale ass. "You're not a bumpkin, Sakura-san…"
"You know what I'm talking about though."
"I know."
"What I really wanna do is chat up the folks at the cosmetic stores. They're the ones with good beauty tips, and they practically throw pricey samples at you. The stuff's expensive, but it's sometimes worth it. If we find something we like that's good and not a terrible price, we can go back and buy later (or find it on the internet)~!
"You can do the same with clothes and shoes and other stuff. You try it out in-person, and you can sometimes buy it online at a fraction of the cost. Even at more modest stores, they'll treat you like a princess if you look like you can afford a load of cosmetics."
Naoto decided it was a solid enough plan, however, "You two do look the part. But what about this 'contrast' thing you have going on?"
Hana spoke this time, "It's an old story, Hachioji-senpai: a stylish, well-to-do girl with her father's credit card takes an heiress out to see the 'real world' and go shopping. But they'll never ask; all they care about is making money."
Three guesses which one is the heiress!
He was surprised that Hana could be this devious, going along with Sakura's plan, but she understood what they were doing, and there wasn't really a problem with it.
He wished there was a way HE could try out some higher end things!
It was different for guys…
All the same, he wanted to know, "What's the point, really?"
Sakura put her hands on Hana's shoulders, pulling the younger girl closer. "Hana-chan did her makeup at home. What do you think~?"
Naoto hadn't paid much attention; he'd thought that Hana was au naturel that day. But she was wearing makeup.
It was just so subdued and so subtle that one had to look to see it, and it did complement her.
He gave his answer, and he wasn't able to hold back a slight blush, not this time around, "It looks very nice, Sunomiya."
Hana pinkened around the cheekbones. "Really?"
Naoto specified, "Yeah, it looks good. It's clean, even, understated… and really nicely done."
Hana reddened, shuffling in her seat. "Thanks… But I'm still having trouble around the eyes…"
Sakura put in, "You're doing fine with the eyes, Hana-chan~. You'll get more used to working near them, and you'll be able to relax a little better."
"Yes." Hana fiddled, uplifted for the praise. "You said it just takes practice."
"And it does." Sakura smiled; she rotated to Naoto. "We're just having trouble finding something that really works for her, so we were going to go and try some different things today. That's what we're doing."
Naoto thought it was a lovely idea, if fooling clerks at designer stores was indeed a wholesome thing to do. "That's really nice, Sakura-san…"
Sakura's face began to glow. "Yeah, well…"
"Thank you, Sakura-senpai," Hana said. "I think we'll have fun today."
She grinned. "I'm happy to do it. I think it'll be fun too~."
Hana's face twitched suddenly, and she wrinkled her nose. "…!"
Sakura took notice. "What's wrong, Hana-chan?"
"It's one of my eyelashes…" she grumbled. "It keeps bothering me. I think one fell out when I was applying mascara at home…"
"Oh, that's no fun…" Sakura winced. "Think you've got it?"
"No." Hana's eyes were watering from the irritation. "I think I need the bathroom…"
"Do you want me to help you?" Sakura asked, mildly concerned.
Hana nodded. "Please, if you would."
"Of course… Senpai-kun, excuse us." Standing up, she took Hana's hand.
Naoto took no issue. "Oh, go right ahead."
"Are you sure Hachioji-senpai?" Hana peered his way, second-guessing herself.
Why would she need to ask that? It beggared his imagination. "Go ahead; go do what you have to do."
"Then you'll be alone." This bothered Hana.
That's what she meant?! He was happy she thought of him, but that was just silly. "Please, go on."
"He'll be fine, Hana-chan~," Sakura reinforced, leading Hana to her feet. "Let's fix you up. We can go hit the powder-room, leaving our senpai all alone… waiting through some indeterminable amount of time for his lady kohai to return~."
Naoto thought it was funny, what she'd said, not unlike some of the off-the-wall weirdness the two had shared on Thursday.
But another was not so amused.
"That's not very nice, Sakura-senpai…" Hana didn't like it, snappily brushing off Sakura's hands.
The gal was stunned. "I was only joking, Hana-chan…"
Her affected eye quivering, Hana said, "Don't say mean things like that. I can take care of this myself."
With that, she left.
And Naoto noticed immediately that besides her regretting Hana's exit, Sakura didn't want to be alone with him.
And he knew why; there was something he wanted to say to her, and they both saw it.
She began, yielding, "Yeah, I thought Hana-chan might get a little pissed about that… She told me just yesterday to not screw around like that. I guess the last couple days have her peeved; normally, that wouldn't bother her."
Naoto's instincts told him it was in the same vein as what he was gearing up to tell her.
He waited for her to sit but didn't waste any time, getting right to it. "Why'd you have to try and pick a fight with Nagatoro on Friday? That didn't help anything."
"Of course, that's on your mind…"
"Yeah, it is!" he made plain. "You're friends with Nagatoro… and so are Gamo-chan and Yoshi… so why be all passive-aggressive, especially knowing how mad she was getting?"
Sakura searched for the words. "…"
Naoto let her take her time.
She said, "We didn't think she'd take it that hard. Do you see the rest of us getting that upset over a little teasing?"
How often did Gamo-chan, Yoshi, and Sakura get teased?! Naoto had only ever seen it a few times.
He was the one that was mercilessly teased—almost always without reason—but he agreed, "No, most of the time, you can all laugh at yourselves… However, you know that Nagatoro can't."
This thought had been in the forefront of his mind all morning, and he was sick of keeping mute about it.
"And that wasn't just a little teasing," he added. "That was disgraceful."
Sakura nodded. "We know that… mostly… She doesn't handle other peoples' bullshit well, especially when it's for her."
"Then, why?" Naoto essentially repeated.
Again, Sakura sought out words. "Gamo-chan did it because she doesn't like seeing Hayacchi that upset; she tried to pull her out of it, and Yoshi followed. Me?"
Naoto couldn't have missed her darkening look if he'd tried.
"I did it because I'm sick of it," she rumbled. "I know it's childish… and I do love Hayacchi, but sometimes she's just intolerable. It wasn't just that she doesn't like Hana-chan; she was pissing me off, acting like that. She's been awful lately."
Oh, geez… Her senpai wished he hadn't pushed.
"I could always confront her outright," Sakura continued. "But being indirect keeps things in check more quietly. It's how you address something without clearly acknowledging it. When you bring something into the open, the only way to get past it is for someone to lose.
"If it's done quiet-like, someone might lose a little face, but things can keep moving, and it usually solves the problem without disrupting things too much. We had different reasons, but Gamo-chan and I were telling her to stop acting like such an asshole. We were sending clear enough communication, Senpai-kun."
Naoto might've had a spring in the seat of the booth up his ass, but he was just uncomfortable, listening. I forget that she has this side to her…
Concluding, Sakura said, "I'll only resort to real force when there's no other option. If I can send a message without being direct, I will. Everyone got the message, even Hana-chan, once Hayacchi ran off to sulk."
She can't be called dishonest… Naoto's mind swam; he squared himself away quickly. "I wish you hadn't brought Sunomiya into this…"
"Yeah, it was wrong to use Hana-chan that way," Sakura lamented. "I actually didn't think she knew what was going on… until she barked at me later, when we were alone… She said she had 'enough tact' to not call me out in front of everyone."
But she hadn't the tact to keep quiet about the selfie! Naoto held his peace.
"That did hurt, Senpai-kun…" she admitted. "She told me that she wasn't stupid and knew what was going on. I guess… I did take advantage of her…"
She's not self-unaware, Sakura-san… Naoto saw that Sakura had realized this, if not so clearly before, then now.
He didn't wish to pour salt on the wound, so after a moment, "What do you think it is that Nagatoro has against Sunomiya?"
Sakura was relieved to be away from the last subject, and she didn't take much time to pounce on the new one. "We already talked about it. A big part of it is Hana-chan's body."
"That can't be that important; it's so dumb to feel that way."
"…"
"…"
"…I know I said to you that it was dumb, that anyone would feel that way, but there's really nothing 'dumb' about it, Senpai-kun," she retorted. "You boys can hide your endowments in your pants, and you still worry about size. Us girls are kinda saddled with them just sticking out—being all protuberant—for the world to see. It's more like a guessing game when it comes to you boys~."
There's the 'busted filter' Sakura-san! Alarm bells went off in Naoto's head. "Man…"
She shrugged. "That's the reality of it."
"Oof…" he moaned, caught off-guard by the gal's loose tongue.
"Sakura-senpai is correct, Hachioji-senpai," sounded from behind.
Naoto and Sakura both jumped.
Hana stood at the end of booth; she had the inside seat, and needed Sakura to move.
Standing up, the gal let her in, looking a little unhappy, her recent behavior very recent… or maybe it was because Hana had possibly heard them talking about her.
"You weren't gone long," Naoto commented, the words just dropping out.
"It only took a few seconds to fix, so I just washed my hands and came back. I didn't want to interrupt."
"…" Sakura twiddled her thumbs.
Naoto took a nervous drink of coffee. "…"
Hana stared between the two. "…What is it…?"
Knowing it was best to be direct with her, Sakura asked, "…How much of that did you hear, Hana-chan?"
She said with no preamble, "I heard Hachioji-senpai ask what Nagatoro-senpai's problem was with me, and you answered that my body was part of the issue, and—"
Flump! Naoto put his head to the table, not ready to hear Hana recite the last minutes exchanged between Sakura and himself.
"Hachioji-senpai?" Hana laid her head down on the table—more gently than Naoto had—and tried to meet his eyes.
"…" Naoto deteriorated.
Sakura sighed, "Sorry, Hana-chan…"
She sat up. "For what?"
The gal said, "For talking about you when you weren't here… and for being mean…"
Hana blinked. "You were only answering Hachioji-senpai's question. And I'm sorry. I'm still feeling a little angry over Friday, and my eye hurt, so I'm sorry for being short with you."
Naoto raised his head. "She really was just joking, Sunomiya, but… yeah, I think we could all be a little kinder to one another. Everyone is stressed out enough."
Sakura nodded. "You're right."
Hana also nodded. "…"
"…"
"…"
For whatever reason, Hana took things down a different path; she told Naoto, "One reason that Nagatoro-senpai is cold towards me is because she doesn't like that you and I have already known each other for a number of years.
Naoto hadn't expected that out of Hana, or even a new topic, but he supposed they'd covered what they needed to in regards to human kindness. "Huh?"
She repeated, "A reason that Nagatoro-senpai is cold towards me is—"
He halted her, not discourteously. "I heard you, I… just don't get it. Why would she hold that against you? That's… that just really is dumb…"
Sakura remarked, "Hana-chan's probably right."
Naoto wouldn't hear the girls' reasoning, because—
"But she is envious of my body…" Hana hefted her breasts. "And that is foolish, not that she would know. She wouldn't enjoy having a set of bazookas like mine. I often don't like having them…"
Naoto had seen his kohai feel herself up in public more than once, so while it was off-putting, it was her choice of terminology that shocked the system.
Bazookas?! He'd never heard a lady's milk-bags called "bazookas", and he'd heard just about everything from his pals, Shuu and Tohru.
And he didn't hesitate to ask, "Bazookas?! Where did you come up with a crazy name like that?!"
Hana took on the slightest expression of hilarity.
"It was something funny I thought I'd try out," she stated. "Sakura-senpai told me a most amusing story last weekend. She—"
"Hana-chan!" Sakura turned a fast shade of crimson. "Noooo! I told you to keep quiet about that…"
"Oh, yes." Hana cooled her jets. "The message 'was not acknowledged upon initial transmission'."
"That's right, so… shh…" the gal hissed.
"Shh…" the other corresponded, her finger to her lips.
"What are you two talking about?" Naoto had no idea what the girls were on about.
Sakura and Hana had simultaneous answers, the former with a little rancor.
"None of your business, Asshole-kun…"
"Don't ask, Hachioji-senpai."
Naoto decided it was just some "inside joke" the girls had, and it wasn't his business.
This made it rather easy to let it go.
Irrespective, what happened next was new territory for Naoto… sort of.
It wasn't as bad as their "lunchtime girl talk" on Thursday, but this time, they did know he was likely taking it in.
Now, Sakura doing this on her own—and worse—couldn't be put past her; Naoto had been through such.
Hana starting in on it wasn't something she'd just do on her own, but she didn't seem to see much harm in it.
"It's not just Nagatoro-senpai, Sakura-senpai…" the younger girl initiated. "Many girls are envious of what I have. They must think I can't hear them… or they don't care that I can."
"I know the feeling, Hana-chan," Sakura sympathized. "If they tried carrying the weight, I bet they'd change their tune in a couple of days."
"…" Hana had a faraway expression about her.
Sakura tilted her head. "What's up?"
The other girl raised, "Is there an actual term for 'boob envy'?"
Sakura assessed this, "Well… girls can be jealous of what they don't have, and we can envy boobs, so it does exist. As for an actual term…"
"Sana-neechan is taking a psychology class at her university… She tells me all about it."
"Why's your cousin taking a psych class? She's an art major at an art school."
"She has access to other classes, and it's a way to fill elective credits." Hana sipped her coffee. "The only reason she's taking it is because it's a prerequisite for a class called "Human Sexuality". The class has a waiting list, but if she takes the class now, she'll have a better chance of getting in, especially if she's an upperclassman by then. She really wants to take that class. It's really hard to get into it."
"Huh…" Sakura could see that. "…Why'd you bring that up?"
"Her class is doing a section on psychoanalysis, emphasis on Sigmund Freud's work."
"Ah, he's the guy that thought everything was driven by sex."
"I actually already asked if there was a real term for 'boob envy', and she said there wasn't any she knew of. She was curious about it too."
"Maybe we can look online…" Sakura contemplated.
"There is a thing called 'penis envy'."
"What~?" the gal yelped, breaking into a giggle.
"It's supposed to be a stage in a girl's life when she realizes men and women are different in their anatomy, and they compete for their father's attention against their mothers."
"That's crazy!"
"I thought so too, but Sana-neechan thought it was interesting."
"Does it mean… that a girl wants one?" Sakura eased out.
Hana… couldn't explain it, "It's complicated, Sakura-senpai, but that's not quite it."
"It must be another thing that covers that…"
"Then there's something similar for boys… Sana-neechan said it was called 'castration anxiety'. It's when a boy realizes that boys and girls have different parts, and he becomes afraid that he'll lose the parts he does have."
"That makes a little more sense, at least the last part~."
"Maybe 'boob envy' is good enough to use," Hana determined.
"…"
"…"
Sakura burst out laughing, "What would you call it when men want boobs and stuff?"
"I'm not sure…" Hana thought. "'Meat and dairy envy'?"
Her lady-senpai roared, almost choking on the water she'd ordered, "Hana-chan~!"
"I'm sure there is correct terminology for that condition."
Sakura began coughing, trying to get herself under control, her case of the giggles not of any help.
…
Yes, this was going on, and Naoto had elected to shut off his brain, reasoning he didn't want to know what the girls were up to, and he could space out with the best of him.
They weren't ignoring him; they were just having fun.
Soon, however, nature called, and Naoto needed to wash his hands anyway, so he quietly excused himself, heading to the men's room.
Draining the lizard, he—for the umpteenth time—contemplated the weird and wonderful world in which he found himself.
…
…
…
About and hour-and-a-half after sitting down to brunch, the trio was milling about Sakura and Hana's part of the city.
They hadn't been told outright, but the diner had been busy, people waiting, and they were done eating, so they were gently but firmly encouraged to exit the establishment.
Naoto also wouldn't cast aside the impression that the other people in the restaurant might not have appreciated the girls' raunchy joking about Freudian psychoanalysis.
He could space out pretty handily.
Sakura and Hana could joke, both of them!
At least, Naoto was please to say, he'd finished the sketch of the girls, and they were sitting on either side of him, the park bench perfect for three, taking it in.
"I like that one, Senpai-kun~," Sakura burbled. "Not very action-packed, but it's a good one."
"You told me it didn't have to be 'actiony'," Naoto protested.
He'd ended up simply portraying the girls next to one another, their hands in their laps, looking pretty natural.
Sakura remarked, "My hair looks funny sticking out from under my hat~!"
Hana pointed at the detail. "You did well with the flare of her hair, Hachioji-senpai. And the shadowing is quite good."
He thought so too, nodding.
The diner, situated in an old train-car, nestled among taller buildings, didn't have an overabundance of light pouring in, but there was enough to cast shade, and it was rather interesting.
"I think it's just dandy, Senpai-kun~!" Sakura was pleased with the end-product. "Just make sure you don't add onto this one."
"I wish I had some fixative with me…" He didn't normally carry such a thing. "It'll be fine for a while, closed up. I'll hit it at home."
Returning the sketchbook to his bag, he stood, and the girls followed.
Hana asked, "Sakura-senpai, where are we going first?"
Sakura consulted her own gray matter. "There are four places I'd like to hit up. They're all east of us, and the first is actually on the route to school. It's just a hole-in-the-wall, but they have a good staff and carry good product."
Naoto had figured on taking his leave, giving the girls their time together, but since they'd be going the same way…
"I'll walk with you," he said. "At least until I have to head south."
Sakura and Hana had no reservations about this, and they made their way east.
…
A couple blocks down, Sakura suddenly halted.
Naoto hadn't noticed right away, but Hana had.
The humbly-garbed girl was in sync, also stopping. "Sakura-senpai?"
The gal was looking at something, and Naoto's eyes tracked.
She was staring at the bus stop across the road.
"Uh, if you don't mind, there's something I need to do right quick…" she uttered.
The artistic duo wasn't sure what it was, but there was no reason to deny Sakura.
"Uh, sure." Naoto shrugged.
Hana was stoic.
At the curb, Sakura looked both ways, seeing no traffic at the moment, and she crossed the street.
Naoto and Hana tailed.
As it happened, her destination was the bus stop, which was empty.
Sakura was glad to see it empty. "Good… this'll do."
She rummaged around in her purse—valued at ¥35,000 new, gotten for ¥6,300 barely used—and pulled out a small article.
Naoto hadn't the foggiest what it was, but Hana seemed to.
She eyed what turned out to be a tiny bag. "That's the one you wanted to finish yesterday, Sakura-senpai?"
The girls' senpai knew at once what he was looking at.
It was an omamori… a good luck charm.
And so it was, red with white ties, and it displayed the character for "hope" in gold.
To answer Hana's question, Sakura said, "Yes, this is the one I told you about. I finished it last night."
Naoto knew what the talisman was, but its purpose, he didn't know. "Sakura-san… what's that for?"
Taking a thoughtful moment, she traced her finger across its character.
Hope
She answered his question with a question, asking softly, "We talked about fortune and luck and stuff, Senpai-kun, do you remember?"
He did.
Senpai-kun…Do you believe in luck… fortune?
And he'd given her an answer.
…I dunno… I've taken horoscopes and fortunes a little too seriously, I think, but I'm not that big into it… But… I do think a lot wouldn't happen—good or bad—without a little "luck" driving it all.
"Sure, I remember," Naoto supplied.
Sakura mused, "I know kappa don't exist… Kitsune-spirits aren't real… And I doubt a lot of things like that are real. But other spirits, the ikiryō—the living, leaving the flesh for some purpose, shiryō—the dead, coming back… ghosts… I've always believed in those. For better or worse, good or evil, we have those that watch over us and surround us. That's just me, of course…
"What you said about luck and fortune, maybe I'm wrong, but what I pulled from that is that you think people make their own luck… and that luck can be 'given' to others…"
This is a little heavy… Naoto never ceased to be amazed at her ability to get serious in a hurry.
He tendered, "I guess that's about right…"
What are you getting at, Sakura-san?
She was getting at something. "And Hana-chan believes in karma, don't you, Hana-chan?"
"In a way," the kohai gave.
"…" Sakura stared at the amulet in her hands; she turned to Naoto. "I told you that I knit, Senpai-kun. I'm pretty good at it. I'm actually working on a scarf for Daddy. I've given him one every year since I was… seven or eight. His birthday's in the summer, so… it's kinda silly, but it's just something we fell into doing. I'd really like to show you sometime."
Naoto was never displeased to see that warm, comfortable expression on Sakura. "…"
She persisted, "I'm also pretty good with a sewing machine… My mom used to work as a seamstress, so she taught me. I like needlework too. Mom didn't teach me that; I learned it on my own. She always preferred an embroidery machine, but I like doing it the old-fashioned way.
"I sew these little bags, decorate them, and I embroider a word or two of encouragement on them. Do you know what I do with them?"
I dunno… sell them? Naoto reasoned; whatever, something told him that Hana knew, not that it wasn't unjustly pondered, given she knew about Sakura's charm.
He wasn't about to guess. "I don't know."
Sakura opened the omamori, removing its contents; she asked, "Senpai-kun, when people are troubled, where do their eyes go?"
Huh? The gal was baffling him that day; looking to the side, Hana's mien told him nothing.
This, he did answer, "I guess it depends on what kind of trouble… or how much… Maybe it depends on the person."
She gave a tiny smile. "A thoughtful answer, Senpai-kun~. And you're probably quite right."
"…?" Naoto watched as she unfolded the piece of paper she'd just pulled out of the talisman.
"I'm no priestess, so I can't really bless anything, but I can pray," she said. "I'm sure it might sound childish or pretentious or foolish or even sappy… maybe it's even arrogant, but this is something I love to do. I know what it's like… to be without hope… to feel alone. I make other omamori—for excellence in school, for health, for strength—but I make these the most… 'hope'."
Her senpai and her kohai stood by. "…?" "…"
Sakura read aloud from the small sheet of stationary, handwritten.
You do not know me, and I do not know you, but I am praying for you. I do not have the authority to bless this talisman, but I will pray for you, no matter your station.
She replaced the message, brief and concise.
Looking to Naoto, she expressed, "Sometimes, it makes a world of difference to know that someone—anyone—is thinking of you, is wishing you well. And if you're touched, then maybe you'll pay it forward… keep a little love and kindness rolling when another needs some."
Naoto had no words; this was an unexpected thing.
Hana also stood mute, but it wasn't for the same reason.
Sakura, the omamari between her palms, brought it to her forehead, giving her thoughts. Then she kissed the union, giving her love.
Again, she spoke to Naoto, "Yes, Senpai-kun, a person's gaze may fall anywhere in times of distress, perhaps even forward, to the future, in spite of it… or out of stubbornness and pride. But at some point, when a person falls far enough, if it hasn't happened already, there are two places their eyes turn. Do you know what they are?"
He could take an educated guess, and he did, "I'm sure one of them is Heaven."
A drab grin lit up her face. "That's one of them; the other's down. People in distress either keep their eyes low, or they look to Heaven. That's what I do with these omamari… I place them in high and low places, not exactly out of sight, so someone in need is bound to see them. And I pray for whoever finds one, hoping it reaches them. I know somebody takes these things because they disappear; I just hope it's not custodians or groundskeepers, if they're throwing them out~. But if they're the ones that need them, very well."
Again, rummaging around her bag, Sakura came up disappointed. "Senpai-kun?"
He finally had cause to open his mouth. "Yes?"
"I don't need a piece of good paper, but I can't find any spare stuff in my bag. Could you please give me a square?"
"Certainly." He had plenty of looseleaf notebook paper in his schoolbag, and he gave her half a sheet.
"Thank you~." Pulling out a pen, she wrote upon it.
The note read
Take me home with you
Securing the note to the charm with a safety-pin she did happen to possess, she entered the bus stop and reached up above her head, making ready to affix it.
Naoto offered, "Would you like me to hang it for you?"
The gal giggled, "Thanks for the offer, but there aren't too many people as tall as you, Senpai-kun~."
"Makes sense…" he recanted.
Finding an exposed screw in the metal of the structure, Sakura looped her bequest over it.
Looking very satisfied with herself, she still blushed a little, peering sideways at Naoto. "I've been making these since I was about 11. There are only several people that know about this: Mom… Daddy… Yoichi… Hana-chan… and now, you."
"…!"
"I don't make many of these anymore. I've let other things get in the way: school, life, getting older. But I wish to start doing it more. I think the world needs every bit of compassion it can get. They're not difficult to make, and they're made with love. I may be a bitch sometimes, but I wanna help…"
Yes, Naoto found himself in a strange place. "…!"
With the task all said and done, Sakura began to flounder.
Instead of blushing a little, now she was blushing heavily. "I… know I really shouldn't be embarrassed, but I really am, showing you, Senpai-kun. I knew you wouldn't make fun of me, but… some would. I'm… afraid a lot of people would make fun of me… I can handle rumors, the ones that keep floating around about me being a tease and a whore and stuff, but… I don't think I could take that. It is… weird…"
He came right out and said it, "It's not so weird. I think it's really nice, Sakura-san."
A reluctant smile broke across her lips, and she refused to make eye contact. "…Thanks…"
He acclaimed, going red, "It's a blessing. I think it's wonderful, seriously."
Oh, you weird, wonderful girl!
Unable to take it, she hid her face. "You're making me blush (more)~!"
Hana patted Sakura's shoulder. "It's okay, Sakura-senpai."
Too much? Naoto realized it might've been.
As much as Sakura was carrying on, she was relieved, and that wasn't a bad thing.
…
Usually quick to bounce back, Sakura led the procession, Naoto and Hana at her shoulders.
"~…~" she hummed a little tune to herself.
"It's starting to get hot," Hana observed. "Maybe I should've worn something lighter."
I think you're fine! Naoto wouldn't have been able to handle seeing Hana dressed as Sakura was. "It's not supposed to be too bad until the late afternoon. I don't plan to be out in it."
"And neither do I~," Sakura warbled, casting a glance over her shoulder. "We'll have fun today, Hana-chan, but we're on business."
The fortified Hana bumped her fists together. "Right!"
The gal returned to strutting along, and her posse did same such.
"…" Naoto was doing well enough, spending yet more time with his kohai.
"~…~" Sakura was on a mission.
Hana had something to say, "Sakura-senpai?"
"Yes, Hana-chan~?"
Whether it was Hana's straightforward nature, that she'd been giving something enough thought to merit directness, or that she just didn't know what else to be, perhaps unfairly labeled with the inability to "get it", she had a way of getting to the heart of a matter unswervingly.
Naoto had spent a portion of the last few days pondering the best way to address a certain issue, and Hana had possibly come up with it on the spot.
She asserted, "Sakura-senpai, I think you're much more fun when you relax."
Naoto perked up. "…?"
"…Hana-chan?" Sakura ceased walking, and she cocked her head. "What do you…?"
"You seem happier too." Hana stood firm, their small party having come to rest. "And you seem to have much more fun when you relax… when you… 'let your guard down'."
Uh-oh! Naoto had enough "Sakura XP" to know when she might take a mental stumble.
Sakura shuddered, doing just that. "…"
For the first time since Friday, Naoto witnessed the gal falter. Not only was she jarred, she was caught completely off-guard, and her defenses hadn't failed her since Thursday.
Understandably, he could see how that could knock the blonde off-balance.
He'd never just bring that up out of the blue!
He had been thinking about addressing that sometime, but even if/when he did, the subject needed easing into.
Hana had different XP of her own, and it wasn't a sure thing whether that or her forthright nature drove her inquiry.
Hana didn't ease off the gas either. "It was sad… seeing you hold back and act differently around the other girls."
Naoto had been through some shit, but Hana had broken new ground.
He recalled Sakura on Friday:
She'd let her guard down some. She wasn't the full-blown, untouchable gyaru she portrayed at her "finest", but she'd been watching herself closely.
To Naoto, that's what Sakura was!
It's not like people cut loose around EVERYONE!
He and Hana knew sides of Sakura no one else seemed to.
Unfortunately(?), Hana kept at it, "I would really love to see you be yourself around others; that's when you're at your best, Sakura-senpai."
Naoto happened to agree, but to repeat, people don't act the same in all places!
Despite that, he saw Hana's point, and it wasn't exactly the same thing as agreeing.
He also saw that Sakura was caught between a rock and a hard place. She wasn't in as dire straits as she'd been in when Nobuo Takata, her last boyfriend, had been ready to walk out on her when she'd tried talking to him, ending their split more amicably.
Naoto had a similar stir, seeing the gal stumped, her blush giving way to blanch.
"Sunomiya," he opened his mouth, barely thinking.
"Hachioji-senpai?" She glanced his way.
Great, Naoto, you just had to say something! He gave himself yet another spiritual ass-kicking, but it wasn't like he had nothing.
"Sunomiya, it's not so simple."
Astonishingly, Hana retorted, "I know."
It would be a challenge to choose whether Naoto or Sakura was more thoroughly floored.
"You… do?" Naoto eked.
"I know she's working on it, Hachioji-senpai," she stated. "I merely wanted to share my feelings."
"Merely", nothing!
"I see…" her senpai muddled.
"…"
"…"
Hana's other senpai, the blonde, came forward. "Hana-chan, I wish it was simple. I wanna be like that. And I will. I just… need time."
The two girls, each named after flowers, were face to face.
"…"
"…"
Hana sighed, "Is this what you call an impasse, Sakura-senpai?"
Sakura snorked, "Yeah, Hana-chan, this is a pretty good example of one~."
"I wish I hadn't said that," Hana regretted. "This is awkward."
The gal was quick to esteem, "It's okay… Really, it's okay, Hana-chan. It… actually means a lot, hearing that."
Hana had no trouble "reading the room", even if she'd at first entered with the force of an angry father kicking off a shotgun wedding. "What do you say we drop it?"
"I'd appreciate it~," Sakura chirped.
"Let's keep going." The other girl motioned down the street. "You said the boutique opens at noon?"
Sakura reclaimed her spot at the head of their formation. "Yup."
Meanwhile, Naoto still lay on the outskirts. That was WEIRD!
But he didn't have more than a couple seconds to dwell on it.
"Senpai-kun~?" "Hachioji-senpai?" both girls sounded.
He jolted. "Yes?"
"Let's go~." Sakura nodded to the east.
Wordlessly, he followed the two, their chatter unable to drown out his rather loud thoughts.
This is REALLY weird...!
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading! Questions and comments are welcome!