🌸Cherry Blossom Palette: Summer by the Sea🎨
Chapter 16: The Afterparty [Part Three]
Doorway into Summer Arc
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: Their buses will be a while yet, so let's rejoin Naoto and Gamo-chan in the midst of their dinner chat.
There will be a fourth "afterparty" chapter, MAYBE five, so look forward to that. I'm leaning towards five, but I'll try to do something about that.
We did some more moving stuff around in the narrative, and this mini arc ballooned. A lot happens over the summer, and we thought some of it was better placed here, and we're still making decisions.
Once it's over, be ready for some Hana-chan goodness and then a trip to the beach!
…
I took a few days extra off of work and flew out to Utah to see the family for a week, so that didn't help with getting the new chapter out earlier either.
It was good to see everyone, but I think my parents might start more fervently husband hunting on my behalf. My younger brother got married last year, and I think my younger sister will be engaged by the end of this summer. My older siblings are all married with children.
I'm the odd one out, but they weren't complaining when I went the STEM route for my education instead of business or psychology or underwater basketweaving.
And they weren't complaining when they heard that I'll start attending graduate school this fall on my company's dime either.
…
Over the last week, I watched the first season and some of the second season of The Venture Bros., and it's as good as PS said it was. My older brothers were Hanna-Barbera and superhero fans, and I watched sometimes too, so I'm picking up a lot of references.
The "Easy Rider" ending of Season One was a surprise. That's what my editor called it at least, when I talked with him the other day.
…
I know some readers were at odds with the last chapter, and I can't fault them on that.
Not everything between Naoto and each of the girls is going to be wholesome and completely healthy.
I mean, Naoto IS stuck on Nagatoro—in canon and in my story—and that's about as healthy as playing Russian roulette with a loaded Glock, so there~.
Naoto and Gamo-chan are a lot alike, and it's possible that they will share some toxicities and negative energies, and they may let it get away from them.
…
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.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
"I really don't wanna go, but I'm not gonna duck out tomorrow…" Maki Gamo pledged. "Don't worry; I'll be working that stupid judo tourney…"
Naoto Hachioji was pleased to hear it, not that she deserved grand praise for doing what she was supposed to do. "It is your responsibility, as a Judo Club member."
It wasn't even 7:30 p.m., and they had some time before the 8:00 buses, so they were still lounging in the little Vietnamese sandwich shop.
Naoto had just come back from the can, and they found themselves talking about the next day.
"If you hadn't given me that guff about 'being a team player', I prolly would've skipped it, Paisen," Gamo-chan mused.
"It's not guff, Gamo-chan…" he refuted.
"I don't expect you'd show up for the event, would you~?" she bubbled, his revision glancing off.
He wished he had a reason to go. "No…"
The pretty girl across the table from him wouldn't be participating… and neither would Hayase Nagatoro…
Anyway, he wasn't available, having his own shitty reason for being at school the next day:
He had to clean the school pool… by himself…
…
He wasn't happy about it, but he figured it kicked the stuffing out of suspension… or Sakura Inori being in trouble, besides him.
They'd both see worse than a simple suspension, so leaving her out of it was absolutely for the best…
Naoto had needed to fend her off again that very morning, the gal insisting she help him with the upcoming drudgery, in that their being together, working on his portfolio, in the art room—after hours~—the last day of the school semester, had landed him in trouble.
He'd cut a "12-hour truce" with the blonde, to drop the subject until his lights-out time, and he hoped to convince her yet, knowing she hadn't given up and would be in touch later.
'Shit…' Additionally, Naoto was reminded that Hana Sunomiya still didn't know about his punishment.
She'd find out one way or another, he was positive, but what was he supposed to do?
Bother her when she was still on vacay with her family in Tokyo…?!
He wouldn't inconvenience her with it, and he planned to tell her when she got home… the next day… or sometime.
One way or another, he'd have to deal with it, and Hana might resent not being told sooner of the Art Club's troubles…
But he'd worry about that later.
…
Naoto pulled out of his own mind and asked Gamo-chan, "Will they be upset with you for skipping out on setup yesterday?"
"The Judo Club?" She picked at her teeth, hoping to dislodge a piece of pork-fat.
He tried to ignore where she had her fingers. "Who else?"
"I dare them to whine~…" Kicking back, with as much deviance as ever he'd seen, she Gamo-grinned. "Those fuckers are free to tell me to leave, if they don't need my help~."
"Don't be that way…" Naoto admonished.
She aligned herself. "Oh, inner-stillness, Paisen~… I'll just tell them the truth… that I wasn't feeling well…"
"…" He thought that was accurate enough.
Gamo-chan sighed, her grin going miserably crooked once more, "They already know about what happened with Hayacchi, so if they press the issue, I'll tell them I was feeling out-of-sorts over that~…"
"You don't need to do that…" Naoto wasn't a fan of that idea. "That's not their business…"
"I was trying to make a joke, Paisen…" she gloomed. "Not as good as yours, is it~?"
He thought she may have had such an aim, firing that out.
And HIS joke had been in rather bad taste… about he and the boys crying during the newest Avengers movie… not that it WAS a joke…
"Aw, cut that out, Gamo-chan…" Naoto implored. "Please…"
"Sorry…" she exhaled.
"It's alright…"
"…"
"…"
"The club didn't finish setting up until late last night," Gamo-chan disclosed. "I did hear that… 9:00 p.m., I guess."
"They were still working?" Naoto hadn't figured on it. "That late?"
"We had to finish yesterday, since the organizers had to do other stuff today," she said. "Our coach and club president were not pleased with Tuesday's poor turnout."
He knew she cared very little about that—at least on the surface—and was only lending a hand out of obligation… and possibly because he'd insisted she do her duty.
"Sucks for them, I suppose…" Naoto didn't really give a fuck either.
Without one or both of his friends competing, it was pretty worthless to him too…
"Don't worry…" Gamo-chan dismissed. "I just gotta adjust my attitude on the matter. No need to make myself miserable, is there?"
"Good to hear," he commented.
She leaned forward, suddenly looking rather hopeful.
"You won't be at the judo tourney, and I don't blame you a bit, but will you be in the art room tomorrow~?" she questioned, her playful half-smirk doing nothing to deny her fervor.
'Oh, man…' Naoto was afraid of this… partly because he had to say 'no'.
That she'd want to show up at the Art Club during her anticipated break, maybe to have a juice and snack, or even LUNCH with her senpai, was a joy to him…!
He felt awfully blessed that his friend wished to spend her precious time away from stupid judo with him. "…~"
He also felt fortunate that he didn't have to lie to her.
"No, I'm not gonna be in the art room tomorrow," he replied. "Got other stuff to do…"
With any luck, she wouldn't ask… or ever find out what this "stuff" was…
"Aw, that's too bad…" Gamo-chan puckered. "But it is what it is, I guess…"
Naoto gave an inaudible sigh of relief.
He could, however, say, "Hey, at least we got the beach to look forward to…"
"Yeah~…" She pulled in her third iced tea of the night, giving it a healthy slurp.
"…~" He chuckled, glad to see her buck up, and he had a drink of water.
He'd had more than enough sugar and caffeine that day, so no third cola for him…
…
"Paisen…"
"Yeah, Gamo-chan?"
"I kinda wish I'd found a couple of replacements for Hayacchi and Hanacchi, but I think it went well enough, the party…" she rationalized.
Naoto argued the same, "I think it went fine too."
"You don't think it was lacking or anything, do you?" She seemed rather concerned over this. "With just seven of us?"
'That's a strange question…' he said to himself. "Not sure if I know exactly what you mean, but I don't think so. I think it went great."
It would've been nice to have Hana Sunomiya with them, but…
Hana would be back in Hayama the next day; Gamo-chan and the others would see her at the beach, or earlier.
Naoto would probably see her beforehand, certain that Hana would want access to the clubroom in advance of Saturday…
It was a pretty sure thing she'd learn about the trouble he was in, if not sooner, once that inevitability occurred.
Holy-damn it-Christmas, would it suck if she happened to come looking for him the next day…!
'Meh…' He tried to push it aside—again; fretting would do nothing for him.
…
Gamo-chan had no visual of his head-brain pictures, and she continued fussing, "There really wasn't anyone else I wanted to invite."
'Then why worry…?' Naoto would've liked to know. "Then, it's fine, isn't it?"
Rather, he DIDN'T want to know…
He wished to staunch this hole before it became an outpouring. "…"
Gamo-chan commented, "I could've invited someone, but I really wanted this a certain way."
"I getcha." He did.
She scoffed, "Who else would I invite anyway…?"
Naoto knew she was throwing out bait, which wasn't a novel thing.
She wanted him to give a response, handing her an excuse to rail on about the subject, of which he saw no positive outcome…
He didn't have any intention of giving it to her, but Gamo-chan wasn't against wallowing by her lonesome.
"Can you imagine if I'd invited Rabi-chan?" she ruminated. "She'd prolly think it was a trap or something~…"
'Oh, man…' Naoto wasn't doing anything to fuel such a fire.
Though, as has just been stated, Gamo-chan was content to be nasty by her own accord…
What didn't make sense to him was why she was doing it.
She had PLENTY of friends, and there were certainly other girls that would've fit the bill, so WHY languish in shit…?!
Unsurprisingly, his soundless appeals did nothing.
"Or Orihara?" Gamo-chan beat the horse, not quite dead, but in no need of any more abuse. "Invite her? Are you kidding~?"
'Oh, stop it…' Naoto made a great effort to not roll his eyes at her.
He had the idea that giving her nothing to chew on would see her slack off, but…
"She should be going to summer school for all subjects," Gamo-chan festered. "That stupe got a 153 overall on her final exams, but she's being punished less than Hayacchi, it looks like…"
'That sounds fishy to me…' Naoto was firmly keeping his trap shut.
"But I guess there are perks to being an Olympic candidate…" she sneered.
He could see WHY this might upset her, the treatment unequal, but…
Gamo-chan slipped contemptuously, "That idiot…"
If what he'd heard WAS true, the "idiot"—or the "retard", to be even more unkind about it, and many were—was given more leeway as a special-needs student, and Gamo-chan KNEW this was true… if it WAS true…
Naoto knew Gamo-chan wasn't a fan of Orihara; he didn't know of anyone that was.
…
Orihara…
Naoto was tired of hearing about her… though she MIGHT bring their school a little fame, if she made the Olympic team for 2020…
Personally, he didn't care about the Olympics or sports in general, and he didn't really see any damned point in wasting one's time pursuing such fleeting excellence.
Give him a stable, predictable future doing SOMETHING worthwhile with art, and he would consider himself fortunate… though "art" didn't belong in the same sentence as "stability" and "predictability", together or separately…
To him, all athletic achievement accomplished was to bring to a school more athletes, fewer academics, and even fewer in the arts, and that didn't help him any.
Add to that the money overallocated to something so fleeting as sports, even to the point of debt…
A school may have good teams one or two years and be worthless for 10, all that money wasted on a new track or football field that will be some unrealized money pit for years to come.
Academics and arts were FAR more enduring, but they were the first thing defunded, and this was hatable… killable… even skull-fuckable…
…
To end that rant, and back to the subject of Orihara, she was so good at judo, it wasn't even fun to watch anymore, like an automaton performing some menial task without fail or variability.
It was on par with some animal accomplishing a parlor trick, trained to do the same task over and over and over and over and over again…
It was all she had to offer, all people wanted to see, her parlor trick, deftly defeating any and all opponents.
As with that senile, old biddy who'd called the cops on him and Sakura, even God seemed to be against Orihara…
That's what he'd heard that cop say anyway, finding himself busted, the stuff about God and old people… and this was on-level with what half the school said of Orihara.
She was like a doll, in that if you squeezed her hand or poked her belly, she'd giggle or cry or shit her pants…
It was of little value, her skill, remarkable as it was, so sayeth the masses, and Naoto ultimately didn't disagree.
…
Be that as it may, what he was seeing in Gamo-chan, this was greater than such generic disdain, he could surmise…
He knew it was far more personal.
But what could've possibly been the reason…?
Gamo-chan had teased Nagatoro about her past with Orihara, even cruelly, so there was no way she hated the dummy because she'd beaten Nagatoro, who'd gotten lazy and slacked off in judo, which was rumoredly soooo important to her… so important that she'd rage-quit after one single defeat.
That couldn't have been possible…
He'd even seen Gamo-chan being friendly with Orihara, though he increasingly knew better than to take all the girlish interactions near which he found himself at absolute nominal value.
…
Naoto had been set on letting Gamo-chan burn herself out on this malarkey, confident she'd stop if he didn't "feed the troll".
Even so, maybe it was about time that he—
"Ugh…" Gamo-chan groaned, squeezing shut her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose with both hands. "I'm… I'm sorry, Paisen…"
"…!" He should've been keeping track of how many times she'd surprised him that day.
Though, he most likely would've lost count…
One peek at the big girl told Naoto that she'd caught herself going too far.
And was she ever embarrassed over it…
Taking a gulp, he probed, "Gamo-chan…? You okay?"
She didn't seem it, blushing, her morose eyes glued to her empty sandwich basket…
Reaching for her glass of iced tea, she slurped on it loudly, the last dregs riding up the straw, the ice tinkling as it resettled.
Setting it down, she glanced hesitantly his way.
"Uh…" she voiced. "Could we get outta here, Paisen…?"
"…?!" He flinched. "Huh…?"
"I paid the bill while you were in the bathroom," she said. "We can go anytime…"
"You paid for me?" Naoto had never intended for this to happen.
He couldn't ask her to do that…!
Before he could protest, she proposed, "Yeah… so, let's go… I need a change of scenery…"
"You didn't need to pay for me…" Naoto uttered weakly.
She squirmed. "I wanted to, Paisen…"
"Why?" the word came out of him almost automatically.
Gamo-chan didn't answer, at least not his question.
"Can we go…?" she murmured, even weaker than his utterance. "Please…?"
"…?!" Naoto wouldn't pretend to know what was going on, but it was clear enough to him that Gamo-chan was crawling around in her own skin.
This seemed to have sprung up from nowhere in particular and quickly, at that…
It would take around three minutes—two, if they walked fast—to get back to the bus stop.
Naoto would make the trip take 10.
Whatever had suddenly come over Gamo-chan, MAYBE she'd tell him… not that he was all that enthusiastic to know…
Either way, he just didn't want to be lounging around at the bus stop too long if she was troubling like this.
Walking while talking was sometimes preferable…
He pulled his schoolbag over. "Okay, let's go…"
Simply moving seemed to give Gamo-chan some relief.
"Y-yeah…" She grabbed the little backpack she had, containing her fedora and the ¥40,000 pumps, slinging it and her power suit jacket over one shoulder. "Let's go…"
…
…
…
Naoto and Gamo-chan casually made their way along the pavement, a sense of liberation pervading.
"Sorry, Paisen… I got kinda antsy back there…"
"It's fine…" He wasn't feeling the most relaxed either, and he was okay with leaving behind her Orihara tirade. "Weather's okay, at least."
Nearing 8:00 p.m., it wasn't cool out, but it had cooled down, the sun no longer beating on the sidewalks, the roads, or the faces of buildings, and a pleasant, salty sea breeze was making its way through their little city.
"Mm…" Gamo-chan assented. "Today was good times, but being cooped up most of the day has me a little on edge… It is nice, being outside~…"
"We have a little time, Gamo-chan…" They were only one block away from the bus stop. "Let's just take it easy and have a nice walk to the buses."
"You have no idea how good that sounds~… or, I guess, how good it is…"
"What?"
"It's like you said: just being able to walk a bit. I can't sit still tonight…"
Naoto's mind was never overly dirty, but a girl saying she "can't sit still tonight" was easily maneuvered into something filthy.
With gratitude, smuttiness was rarely the first place his thoughts took him, and it was a boon.
"I hear you…" he shared in the pathos. "It is nice."
"…" Gamo-chan wasn't overly talkative; what she'd just said had been the most gotten out of her since the restaurant.
Naoto discoursed, "If the whole summertime could get no hotter than this, that'd be pretty great."
"That'd put a damper on our beach day…" she Maki-mumbled. "When it comes to the beach, I want it to be as hot as possible. It makes the water all that much nicer."
What Naoto wouldn't give for a cool, cloudy Thursday, knowing that in less than 12 hours, he'd be cleaning Kazehaya's pool…
But he could supplement Gamo-chan's valuation, and he did, "Yeah, you're right… It's the sun that gets me. Even if I don't get burned, I still feel like crap after spending the whole day in it."
"Sunglasses, Paisen," she dictated. "Sunglasses and sunshades… A lot of it's the strain on your eyes, the headaches."
He knew that to be true. "How many umbrellas do you think we'll need on Saturday?"
Gamo-chan figured, "I'd like three, considering the rentals they have out there, but two would prolly be enough… for eight or nine people…"
'Nine?' Naoto knew full-well—or thought he did—that their beachgoing party would consist of their karaoke crew of seven and Hana, making eight.
Had Nagatoro suddenly gotten permission to come to the beach~?!
'Easy, lil' buddy…' he consoled lil' Naoto, not likely long in chubbing-up, if he let his meandering mind dwell too long on the girl of whom and to whom he dreamed of making sweet, condomless love.
Nagatoro wasn't going to be at the beach… unless she snuck out…
And Gamo-chan hadn't said much new about her best friend in the last 20-some hours, so he assumed she knew little to nothing more.
Instead, he connected, "Did you just say 'nine'?"
It wasn't accusing; he was just confirming…
At this, Gamo-chan writhed. "Yeah… I did…"
"One of you found another taker?" Naoto had an inkling he should keep his trap shut, but he was also curious. "Was it Sakura-san?"
He fleetingly wondered if the gal had conscripted her friend Mari, the one she'd spent the night with after the pair of them had eaten at the yakiniku establishment.
It was well-known at school that Mari was considered an attractive girl, and although Naoto didn't personally know her, he could get onboard with this visual appraisal.
He could live with seeing HER in a swimsuit~…
Gamo-chan tiredly shook her head, the energy draining from her voice. "No… it's me… and it's not finalized."
"What do you mean?" Naoto mourned her recurred slump, not that he called her out on it.
He never liked seeing Gamo-chan plumb the depths…
She was reluctant, but she told him, "I'm prolly gonna ask Rabi-chan to join us."
"What?!" he exclaimed.
"I'm thinking about it," she clarified. "I haven't decided. And you don't need to be so loud…"
Naoto sputtered, "B-but why?"
"She called me this morning, and we talked, not long after you and I did."
'What was there to talk about…?' He had trouble imagining. "Yeah?"
"Yeah… we did…" Gamo-chan said.
He'd bite. "So… what happened?"
Maybe it wasn't his business, but she'd been the one to bring it up…
Gamo-chan said, focusing on the sidewalk as they ambled along. "She apologized, not that I've told anyone… besides you…"
"She did?" Naoto was leery.
"She did."
"Huh…"
Gamo-chan expressed, "I think she felt left out, not invited to karaoke, but she didn't beg or even suggest coming. And I don't think that's why she called. She's… sorry… and I know that she is."
"Hmm…" It wasn't so shocking to him that Rabi-chan might've heard about the little event.
That Rabi-chan knew of the party was only the beginning…
It was harder, at least to Naoto, to digest that Rabi-chan was sorry. "She really said that?"
"Yes, Paisen…" Gamo-chan reiterated, sharpening her tone. "She said she was sorry, and I believe that she is."
'Eep!' He twitched at the edge in her voice. "Hey, sorry… It's not that I don't believe you, but…"
"Meh…" she blew out a breath. "I should've kept my mouth shut…"
'That might've been for the best…' He lacked the balls to say this, though they were right where they belonged. "Uh…"
It seemed he also lacked rocks enough to right this situation… but lil' Naoto's pals—Lefty and Swifty—might've had nothing to do with his loss at the situation…
To the artist's "horror", Gamo-chan pursued the topic.
"I really do believe her, Paisen…" she strove. "I think she's telling the truth."
'Weren't you just regretting bringing this up?!' He staggered in his own head.
Still, it was plain that she wanted to talk about it, even with her apparent regret…
Naoto would accommodate. "What did she say…?"
This may have been overstepping…
Even so, Gamo-chan gave seven words, eight syllables, "She said she was jealous of me."
"…?!" Naoto shat.
"…" Her panties were clean, not that her senpai had literally soiled his undertrou.
He was mildly astonished. "Seriously…?"
"Yeah~…" Gamo-chan snorted. "It does sound kinda bullshit…"
"…?!" Naoto felt a stab in the heart.
"…~"
'…What…?' Naoto sensed a mightily powerful dejection emanating from the girl.
It was HOW it sounded, her saying that, more than WHAT she'd said…
She sneered, "Yeah, there's no way that's actually true~…"
"What are you…?" Naoto fumbled.
"I said I believed she was sorry…" Gamo-chan grimaced. "That wasn't the part I believed though…"
"…?!"
"I mean, why would another girl be jealous of me…?" she little more than whispered.
Naoto's stomach tumbled like a dead body rolling down a hill. 'Oh, are you serious?!'
It would take a Shakespearian sonnet to convey the reasons~…!
He wasn't thinking in such poetic terms, but he had his own list, and most of it flipped in his mind's eye like a roll of index cards.
What part of "great friend", "very pretty girl", and "really neat" hadn't cemented itself in her brain…?!
She'd even accepted this praise.
'Is she serious…?!' Naoto balked.
…
He could go on about the reasons, in the gray matter strewn about his body's upstairs… and he did:
He really didn't know Rabi-chan, not the way he knew the other girls, but he doubted like hell that Rabi-chan was as much fun or as interesting as Gamo-chan.
It didn't seem realistic, thinking otherwise…!
Additionally, he'd seen Rabi-chan in a school swimsuit, and he thought she was very good-looking, but—to him—she wasn't as good-looking as the other girls, as far as the body itself went.
Stacking up to Sakura's best-of-most-worlds was an impossibility…
She lacked Gamo-chan's definition and height… and bust-size…
Yoshi ALSO trounced her in bust-size, as well as comprehensive curviness…
Nekoba might've been a RAIL, but she was basically framed like Gamo-chan, though more subdued in muscle mass and bustiness… and he thought she looked great, wonderfully at 165 cm~…
"…" Naoto cerebrally halted.
But he didn't halt for long, able to be honest in his own mind.
Rabi-chan was built like Nagatoro, only taller, if Nagatoro occasionally skipped leg day… and had shorter legs in the first place…
…
Yes, the other girls—to him—were better toned, had better legs, shoulders, arms, and they were just BETTER-LOOKING overall…
…
The one place Rabi-chan excelled, in Naoto's book, at least, was her face:
She had a seriously pretty face, well-proportioned and alluring…
She also had sharp, permanent "bedroom eyes", and that was VERY sexy in a girl…
If he were to compare her face to, say, Gamo-chan's, then…
'No…' He wouldn't do it.
Gamo-chan couldn't control the shape of her eyes…
…
And the sad-eyed girl kept up her dirge.
"I don't know why she'd lie about that, Paisen…" she bewailed.
It may have been hopeful thinking, and maybe he was full of shit, but Naoto couldn't accept this.
"I don't think she was lying," he refuted.
"Hmm?" Gamo-chan's head rotated his way. "What was that…?"
Had she not heard him…?
He said it again, a little more substance behind it, "I don't think she was lying."
Gamo-chan ceased walking.
"…?!" Her face twisted up. "Wha…?!"
'Fuck!' Stopping himself, Naoto spiraled, not only figuratively, but literally, so he didn't leave her behind. 'Too much…?'
Judging by the look of stupefaction she presented, it might've been…
'Aw, spit!' he cursed himself.
What was there to do here…?!
Meeting her gawky expression, he elected to amend his statement.
He decided on, "I hope she wasn't lying."
"…?!" Gamo-chan's sneer returned, this one of skepticism. "What are you…?"
'Think, you douche-nozzle!' Naoto berated himself, faint in this predicament. "If she was lying, that'd be really stupid of her…"
"Paisen…?" She blinked hazily, backing up a step.
He really didn't want to say it again, the stuff about her being a good friend, a pretty girl, and neat.
It was too much to handle!
Nonetheless, he tried to make himself known.
"She has every reason to be," he assured her, quite confident in this, though his delivery might indicate otherwise. "What she said about you… the stuff about you being 'mannish'… it's dogshit!"
"…?!" Gamo-chan pinkened, pulling her hands to her bosom. "Huh…?"
"None of… those parts of you are mannish!" he spouted, his mien having been in flames for some time.
He still couldn't say those three things, great friend, pretty girl, and neat…!
He took a piss in the wind, "I meant what I said yesterday… about you being very… not unattractive, and that stuff's included…"
Neither could he specify WHAT Rabi-chan had called "mannish"…
When that made its way into Gamo-chan's auditory apparat, she positively crimsoned.
Her hands… her shoulders… her feet…
It wasn't like she was about to forget the particulars of Rabi-chan's Rabi-rant.
The whole school knew what she'd said…
"Paisen…?" she eeped, no doubt recalling her podiatric method of attempting to "seduce" Tohru Hijikata... and the leanings of her senpai at-hand. "What did you just…?"
Naoto had her on the ropes…!
Though, it wasn't that he meant to do that; she just was on the ropes.
His balls must've truly been back in their rightful place, because, "If I was Rabi-chan… knowing what the real me knows… I might just be jealous of you…"
He was rather unable to maintain eye contact for that last declaration, wary of the cringe which was flying from his mouth.
If he had been paying attention—maintaining his connection with her—he would've seen something, but sadly, he missed it a second time.
Powerless to stop herself, lips parting, Gamo-chan's heart fluttered (though not at anything in particular~), and her eyes bugged.
Yet, she did get ahold of herself, just as Naoto was able to face her again.
It didn't mean she was able to hide her blush, not that he'd been entirely unaware of THAT…
Naoto was shaking slightly, splotchy in his aspect. "…Yeah…"
"…" Gamo-chan fiddled, prying her own hands from between her breasts.
And she soon recovered.
Blushing profusely, she started moving once more in their intended direction, fast clip.
"Let's keep going…" she muttered.
"H-hey!" Naoto called after. "Wait!"
He jogged to catch up.
Once he was flanking Gamo-chan, he slowed to match pace.
"…" She kept her eyes low, cheeks glowing.
'Oh, what was I thinking…?!' Naoto railed.
She was thinking… something. "…"
"…!" His asshole wouldn't have admitted a greased airsoft pellet.
"…"
"…"
…
'Wow…' Naoto marveled, trying to be inconspicuous, taking her in.
Gamo-chan wasn't a short girl, not by ANY stretch, standing at 168 cm without shoes…
But after seeing her eye-to-eye, wearing a pair of 100 mm pumps… she seemed small without them.
Now, at his side, she ESPECIALLY seemed small, her shoulders hunched, head down, wrapped up in her own arms…
It took him back—not that Tuesday afternoon was that far back—to when he'd sat with her on the Art Club's sofa…
Seeing her huddled up, hurt as she was, had been a miserable experience…
"…!" Naoto knew she loathed all the "I'll protect you" crap one so often heard, but…
Even if he couldn't protect her, he wanted to be in her corner.
He wanted to be the sort of senpai that the girls seemed to venerate him as…
And he felt he often came up short.
Sometimes, he could be A LOT cooler than he actually was, but other times…
Other times, he was just 18-year-old, virgin, never-been-kissed Naoto Hachioji, artist ordinaire.
…
"Paisen…" Gamo-chan addressed.
Naoto yelped, tugged from his lost thoughts, "Bwah?!"
She barely acknowledged the noise.
Not that she immediately spoke again. "…"
"…!" Naoto's imagination ran wild. 'What was—'
"Paisen, listen…" she urged.
"…?!" He jerked. "…Okay."
If she noticed, she didn't give him much.
She only kept walking, gazing downward. "…"
"…?" Naoto couldn't wait any longer. "What's up, Gamo-chan?"
"…"
"…"
"I'm not sure if you're actually right… but you should be right… and I do feel better," she said at last. "So, thank you…"
"…?" He was at a loss to recall a murkier reply from her… at least recently. "Sure…"
Silently scolding himself for not formally saying "you're welcome", he kept in-step with her.
Study buddies hadn't prepared him for THAT…
Averting his eyes to the upper-right corner of his perception, he walked on. "…"
"…" Gamo-chan paddled alongside.
"…"
"…"
Finally daring to glance her way, Naoto was met with—
'Holy shit!'
He was met with a warm Gamo-grin, not without some fierceness, and rosy cheekbones.
Well, he wasn't MET with it, the girl still focusing on the path before them…
"…?!" Naoto's sphincter may have cut loose a turd-treasure, had he not relieved himself earlier.
And, MAN, did he turn back to forward quickly…!
Just as he managed to get his head on straight, Gamo-chan pulled ahead just a little bit, turning her face up and back towards him.
The grin and rosiness still shone on her, and she rotated to a sidestep. "…~"
"Ack?!" the sound escaped Naoto, and he jarred.
There was no way she could've done THAT, walking sideways, wearing the Fawns…
"Y'know something, Paisen~…?" she purred.
'I don't know nothin'!' His blood ran cold. "What do I know…?"
Oh, that sounded dumb…!
'WTF?!' Naoto's veins were full of ice. 'What am I missing?!'
What WAS he missing?!
He still didn't know, but it didn't stop Gamo-chan.
*Smoosh~*
"…~!" She wrapped both her arms around his arm closest to her, and proceeded to hang from his side. "You've earned one of these~…"
Stopping him dead, it sent his mind swimming. "Myeh~!"
She'd crushed one of her boobs into the back of his head, when they'd had the video chat with Hana, but his elbow being sandwiched between both of them REALLY caught his contemplation…
Gamo-chan cackled, rather nastily, leering at him, "Nyeh-heh-heh-heh-heh~…"
Her yabos were a size up from Sakura's, to be certain…
"G-g-g-g-g… Gamo-chan!" Naoto yowled. "What do you think you're…?!"
"Don't girls do this in anime~?"
"We're not IN an anime!" he squawked, trying to pull loose.
Why were so many "anime things" happening to him?!
Tightening her grip, she wasn't letting go. "This'll learn ya for making me blush…"
"W-what was that?!" He couldn't quite make it out.
"I said, 'I thought this turned guys to mush.' You're freakin' the fudge out~."
(I know it wouldn't rhyme in Japanese.)
"C-c-c-cut it out!" Naoto was spinning his wheels. "Someone's gonna see!"
"Aw, who's gonna see~?" she cooed.
He knew she was just having a little fun, but, "You're 'you-know-whats' are touching my—"
"Just shut up and deal~" She hugged his arm less pugnaciously, easing off with her Maki-mountains, but resting her head on his shoulder.
It shut him up, alright. "…!"
"…~"
Quickly calming his breathing, Naoto could see there was no one around, though Gamo-chan surely hadn't looked…
Or maybe she had…
Either way, she'd done "worse" to him.
It occurred to Naoto they weren't moving, so he took the simple—metaphorical and verbatim—step of remedying that.
He could "keep up" with her shenanigans…
"Oh!" Gamo-chan squeaked, jerked from her slump, not expecting him to call. "Paisen?"
He WAS calmer, but his color had left him…
"…" He looked like death-warmed-over, stoically putting one foot in front of the other.
Gamo-chan drew back, not that she let go. "…?!"
"…"
"Pfft…!" she set to laughing.
Naoto whined, "This isn't funny…"
"Oh, it is so funny~!" she rebounded. "You look like some ghoul in a haunted house~."
"And w-why do you think that is…?" he feebly demanded.
"Calm your tits, and don't sweat the small stuff~," she reprimanded. "I'll let you go at the next powerline."
The structure, its adjoining lines running perpendicular to their road, theirs carrying no power, jutted up, many storefronts away.
Naoto had a fluttering of his own.
And he had another idea. "How 'bout… you can have it 'til the end of the block?"
"Eh?" she peeped.
It wasn't his best crack at some humor…
"Y'see, 'cause the next powerline is…" he flopped, expounding the attempt. "The next powerline is at the street corner, so… they're the same thing…?"
She could see it as well as he could…
It only made Gamo-chan chuckle.
"Shweeeeww~…" she whistled, imitating a dive-bomber. "Ka-boom! Boy, was that a bomb of a joke, Paisen~."
"I thought it'd work…" he regretted.
She laughed a little harder, "I-it kinda did… I think it'd have worked if you got it out cleaner, like, more fluidly."
"Nah, that… that sucked…" he accepted. "I dunno what I was thinking…"
She stayed, "It still got me to laugh a little though~."
"…!" He supposed it did. "…~"
Unable to resist a final dig, she jibed, "Plus, if we go with yours, it actually gives me an extra meter past the pole, so I guess I win anyway~."
Naoto's very vision inverted as she squished closer for a second time. "Augh!"
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading!