Cherry Blossom Palette: Summer by the Sea

Sunshine Arc

Chapter 53: Inside Looking Out

Written by EmtenDew

Edited by P. serrulata

Author's note :

ED: If you remember the chapter with Shuu and Tohru having their boy-talk on the beach, I liked showing their conversation that way, which is why I went for the same general presentation in Chapter 52. Chapter 53 uses much the same style. I find I can get a lot of info across this way.

I know that last chapter was a pretty heavy chapter, and this one has some more of the same.

It gets better for the girls.

…

Wow! Already halfway through my third semester of grad school. It's been fun classwork, and next semester should be too.

My editor told me it was "almost criminal" that I don't actually need to write a graduate thesis or some form of dissertation. He's right though, all I have to do is complete the coursework. And other than a few new "tricks of the trade", all I'm doing is applying what I already know for all my coursework, so, maybe PS is right to accuse me of riding the gravy train, LOL.

…

The people running certain subs on Reddit don't have ANY idea what "low effort" means. They still love to play favorites and pick and choose, I see. It hasn't changed. Unless you find yourself in a very special place, it never does, no matter who's in charge.

Nothing is lower effort than posting someone else's work with nothing else backing it up.

Just because I quit posting there doesn't mean I don't lurk sometimes.

…

And how did that mindless Tonbo anime get another season?! I know golfing in Japan is a SERIOUS premium, but people should spring for it instead of watching terrible anime about it.

But I enjoyed Pokémon Horizons Episode 70! Dot's Mons got some action.

…

Ask us anything, and we'll add a Q section in the next chapter.

It's good to know that you keep reading, so I would be happy if you drop comments and ask questions.

Please enjoy what I wrote.

'OMG~! Did you hear about what Rabi-chan in the other class said to that Gamo girl this morning~?'

'Yeah, I did~! I can't believe it!'

'Everybody's talking about it!'

'She called her a VIRGIN, right to her face—in front of EVERYONE~!'

'That's not what I heard…'

'What did YOU hear?'

'That she could never get a boyfriend… in front of everyone.'

'I heard something different.'

'Me too. I heard Rabi-chan said Gamo looked like a DUDE~.'

'That already happened though; it's old news…'

'She's not WRONG~.'

'Maybe the SHOULDERS… that's it though.'

'If someone told me MY hands and feet looked mannish, I don't know what I'd do.'

'You'd probably CRY and lock yourself in your room for a week~.'

'Yeah, I'm sure I would… but I'd get my revenge, that's for sure.'

'If I could be in 2-B for a day, today would've been the day!'

'I'm GLAD I'm not in that class.'

'Yeah, still…'

'Well, maybe one of THEM can tell us what happened.'

'Tell me about it! I HATE not knowing what's true and what's not.'

'That's rumors for ya.'

'Could you please move? I wanna use the mirror. I think I have a lash out of place…'

'Oh, sorry, didn't mean to block you.'

'No prob.'

'Heya, girls~!'

'Hey, yourself! How'd the Japanese test go?'

'Fine. How 'bout you?'

'Shitty.'

'Eh… it was pretty hard.'

'I've never gone to summer school in my life!'

'Unless you scored below 41, you're safe. If you scored 40 or 40.5… I think it's up to teachers' discretion.'

'Fuck…'

'Hey, all~!'

'What's up~?'

'Is that the new eyeliner you were telling us about~?'

'Yeah! I really like it~.'

'It looks really good~.'

'Thanks, girl~.'

'Hey, could I please borrow your lip-gloss?'

'Get outta the way! I gotta PEE!'

'Well, you're in the right place~.'

'MOVE!'

'Yeah, yeah…'

'Somebody's springing a leak~.'

'Ha-ha-ha-ha~!'

'No, I just GOTTA GO!'

'How'd Japanese go for YOU?'

'FLAVORED lip-gloss? What are you, 12~?'

'Bite me. YOU wanted to try it. This was all the store had, the day I was there.'

'I think I ACED the first exam~.'

'Lucky you…'

'You mean that little armpit of a place at the end of our block?'

'I know it sucks, but it's convenient.'

'Hey, maybe if you actually cracked a book, you wouldn't be in this boat.'

'My parents aren't gonna like this…'

'Hey, 'sup, everyone~?'

'Hi!'

'Well, look who it is~!'

'Yo~!'

'Hey, you three, YOU'RE in Class 2-B!'

'Uh… yeah.'

'So?'

'So, you saw it first-hand!'

'You mean Rabi-chan and Gamo fighting?'

'Someone got hit~?!'

'NO, no one got hit! That's what you call it when two people have some sort of altercation: a fight.'

'So, it was all words?'

'I thought for a sec that Gamo would kick her ass, but she didn't.'

'She didn't do ANYTHING back. She just stood there and took it.'

'Did you get it on VIDEO~? Please tell me you did!'

'Uh… no.'

'Why not?!'

'I guess I was just watching—didn't even think about that, until it was over.'

'SOMEBODY must've recorded it.'

'Oh, I SO hope~.'

'Hey, did you know, in a lot of cases, that a person THESE DAYS is more likely to whip out their phone and record something, rather than HELP?'

'What?'

'Like with an accident or something. Like, if someone falls onto the train-tracks, it's more likely people will get a death on video, instead of helping lift the person to safety.'

'That's really messed up…'

'But it's TRUE. There's a name for it, but I can't remember what it was.'

'Whatever… There HAS to be a recording someone in the class took.'

'But maybe not…'

'Hey, at least something HAPPENED this time. They've been having that same stupid catfight all month, but nothing ever happened!'

'Yeah, unless you get some ACTUAL fireworks, it just gets ANNOYING.'

'It got annoying FAST.'

'Heh-heh~. Oh, yeah!'

'But what did Rabi-chan SAY to her? That's what I wanna know.'

'It was odd.'

'What do you mean?'

'Hey, stop blocking the sink. I need to wash my hands.'

'You were in there a while. Bad constipation~?'

'NO!'

'You commit a war-crime in there~?'

'Somebody declare that stall a biohazard-zone~!'

'Don't say things like that, just because there's no boys around!'

'Somebody call the United Nations~!'

'I think you eat too much beef~.'

'Sh-shut up!'

'Don't worry! I've had my share of meat-missiles in my life~.'

'C'mon, tell us! What'd Rabi-chan say?'

'She didn't say ANYTHING, really…'

'I thought Rabi-chan called her a virgin and all that.'

'She DID.'

'But you said she didn't say that much.'

'She didn't.'

'What are you talking about?'

'It was all, like, IMPLIED.'

'What ARE you talking about?!'

'Like Sensei told us: you know how politicians can say a lot, but it's nothing, and how you can sometimes say not much, but it totally means a WHOLE LOT MORE or SOMETHING ELSE?'

'Yeah…?'

'And remember our sensei in English, when we covered Shakespeare? He told us about the play Julius Caesar?'

'Kinda?'

'C'mon, he made some of us memorize lines from Marc Antony's speech, when he gave Caesar's funeral oration? He even had us watch videos of a few of the scenes? That was one of 'em.'

'Uh…'

'Were you SLEEPING the whole time?'

'No, but I wasn't really listening either…'

'And you wonder why you're prolly heading to summer school for English?'

'Shut up…'

'I'm talking about that lesson in RHETORIC, y'know, how Antony turned the crowd in the favor of Caesar and against the conspirators? He used, like, sarcasm and emotionally-charged stuff to REALLY show what he was saying?'

'I guess I remember it NOW.'

'Oh, Gawd! What did you EAT last night?!'

'I bought an ice cream bar, when I went out for a walk.'

'That lesson in Shakespeare was months ago…'

'You're pretty much lactose-intolerant. You can't eat that stuff!'

'But what did Rabi-chan SAY?'

'Maybe someone else remembers exactly, but I don't. What I'm saying is she said ALL that stuff about Gamo, like her being a virgin or never kissing a boy and junk or having a boyfriend, but she said it WITHOUT saying it. But EVERYONE understood her.'

'I think you're right, saying that. That's pretty much what happened.'

'Rabi-chan's smart like that.'

'Smart?! She's got TWICE the IQ of Gamo~!'

'And she's not even the smartest girl in CLASS—maybe second or THIRD~.'

'I bet even GAMO understood it~.'

'Ha~!'

'Heh-heh-heh-heh…'

'Wow, you're mean~!'

'It's nice SOMEONE finally had the courage to say it all, everything about Gamo.'

'Most definitely~.'

'It somehow makes it REAL, hearing it out-loud~.'

'MORE real, you mean~. Not like we didn't already know all that.'

'I dunno about COURAGE though. I think it's INSANE.'

'If I was Rabi-chan, I'd grow eyes in the back of my head.'

'If I were her, I'd head for the hills…!'

'I'm surprised that goody-goody "Cat-eyes" didn't try to put a stop to it. She's good for that sorta thing.'

'Don't talk about Nekoba that way! She's a nice girl.'

'Nice, but fuckin' WEIRD…'

'I can't deny that…'

'I don't remember if she was even IN class at the time…'

'I don't think she was.'

'You think she'd be more noticeable~.'

'Sakura wasn't in class either, but that's not new.'

'Ever since she broke up with Takata-kun, she's been STRANGE. The only time she's ever in class is when she NEEDS to be.'

'She's still hanging out with that Sunomiya girl in the art room too. What a weirdo~.'

'Isn't that girl the Art Club's ONLY member?'

'I dunno…'

'At least she's not as weird as that crazy older cousin of hers. That basket-case, with all of her semi-nude self-portraits~? Narcissist much~?'

'The little one's prolly like that too… except she's half the size~.'

'But somehow, she's got bigger tits than ANYONE ELSE in the freshman class…'

'Don't talk about Sunomiya that way!'

'What's YOUR problem?'

'She's such a little sweetheart!'

'Wha…?'

'You KNOW her?'

'Not really, but about a month ago, I was walking around after school, and I passed by the art room.'

'So?'

'What is it?'

'I think I got something in my teeth.'

'Lemme tell the story! The door was open, and I saw this REALLY cool sketch pinned to the wall—a desk-lamp, and I HAD to see it up close.'

'Here, lemme see… Yup, looks like kelp. Miso soup this morning?'

'Was I WALKING AROUND, looking like this?!'

'Yeah, they do art there…'

'Shut up… Like I was saying, I went up to the sketch to look at it. But I didn't see that Sunomiya was working in the corner, and she scared the HECK outta me…'

'Some sweetheart~…'

'Listen! She apologized for scaring me, and I apologized for just letting myself in… Next thing I knew, she was explaining the lamp sketch and giving me a tour of the art room.'

'Yup… weird~.'

'Hey! How 'bout a courtesy-flush over there~?!'

'Up yours!'

'Cut it out! She was really nice. She even offered me a cup of tea from this little plug-in pot and invited me to visit again, if I wanted. She said she was hoping for a good showing this fall, y'know, for the culture-fest.'

'Did she beg you to join her club, so they wouldn't shut it down~?'

'No! She said they were always looking for new members, but she knows not everyone's into art that much. She was just happy and thankful that someone was interested in what they were doing. She was darling!'

'Wha…?'

'Hey, you know something? I'm glad for Sakura.'

'Glad?'

'Yeah… I mean, she's been STRANGE, the last month, but she seems pretty happy.'

'Weren't we talking about the Sunomiya girl?'

'We ARE. It's just she and Sakura are friends now, and I think it's nice.'

'I don't care about Sakura…'

'Very compassionate of you.'

'No, I got something to tell you about Sunomiya.'

'Oh, I'm sure you're FULL of wisdom on the matter.'

'You can't be talking about the same gremlin as me.'

'Gremlin?'

'She's nuts… This one time, I went into the art room, and she threw me out.'

'You're next captain for the girls' basketball team! How'd a micro-munchkin like her do THAT…?'

'You guys are asses…'

'She was like a little BATTERING-RAM. I've never seen anything like it!'

'What'd you do to her?'

'I dindu nuffin'~…'

'I can TELL you're lying.'

'Well, you'd be correct~.'

'What did you do?'

'I couldn't find my eraser, and I knew I needed one for my next class. The art room was open, and so was their SUPPLY CLOSET~. I knew I'd be able to find one somewhere.'

'So, you STOLE from the Art Club.'

'I TRIED. She caught me, when I was digging around.'

'Well, can't blame her for getting rid of you. Thief.'

'But she spazzed out! It was crazy! She literally threw me out!'

'I think I saw the same sketch you're talking about.'

'Did SHE do it?'

'No, she said her senpai did it.'

'So, what, she ISN'T the only member? That must be the only reason they keep the club around.'

'I'm pretty sure there's that GUY, who's actually in charge. I'm pretty sure he's the senpai she meant.'

'Hasn't Sakura been studying with him all the last week?'

'Who knows…?'

'How could you forget about HIM?! He's the sucker that drew all those paintings of Nagatoro last fall.'

'Oh, yeah… HIM.'

'Yeah, the one Hayacchi has been torturing, y'know, for the last YEAR~.'

'He made FOUR of them…'

'What do you bet she threatened him~?'

'Maybe. Too bad he didn't capture the REAL her.'

'I don't think the school would've appreciated 10 liters of liquid-shit and period-blood, sprayed all over the canvas~!'

'Well, they pulled the BASKET-CASE'S work last fall~.'

'What a bitch… What'd he do to her?'

'Prolly nothing. You know she just likes to hurt people—always has, ever since elementary school.'

'She definitely likes using her judo on him.'

'Wait, you're talking about that guy she likes?'

'She doesn't LIKE him, what are you talking about?'

'She DOES. She loves him.'

'Well, she's got a really shitty way of showing it…'

'Yeah, we're not babies anymore.'

'I always pegged her for a dyke.'

'You thought she was a rug-muncher too?'

'Lotsa people think that.'

'I once heard that Nagatoro and Gamo BOTH eat carpet, but I didn't believe it.'

'That guy in the Art Club though…'

'I know! It's like she WANTS him to kill himself… I mean, WTF?!'

'Yeah, if you want a boy to like you, you don't treat him like you want him to hang himself in the broom-closet~.'

'Or in the shower~.'

'What about taking a heartbreak-trip out to Tojinbo~? Do a little cliff-diving~?'

'What's wrong with all of you?! Stop that!'

'That's sick…!'

'Not MY fault Hayacchi wants him wearing a toe-tag.'

'There's NO WAY he could like her back, is there?'

'He'd be a fucking idiot if he did. I'd say that to his FACE too.'

'Love makes people do stupid things…'

'You got that right…'

'Oh, yeah, most definitely.'

'Speaking of stupid, I'm SO glad that bitch Orihara is too stupid to figure out she can actually use those skills of hers to HURT people. If she understood HALF the times people were fucking with her, you'd think she'd do something about it.'

'Yeah, but unlike Orihara, Nagatoro's got ENOUGH brains to use that fucking judo and shit to get what she wants. But you sorta said that already.'

'What do you expect? The only thing she knows how to do IS hurt people.'

'Yup… just like her fucking brother and sister before her…'

'They prolly taught her all they knew.'

'Yikes! You mean Misaki and Taiga?'

'The same two. You know my sister's not a violent person, but she said if ANYONE should've taken a self-inflicted life-departure, it was Misaki and Taiga…'

'Wh-what?'

'Suicide, I mean.'

'YOUR sister said that?!'

'She said the world would've been a better place without them. And from what I'VE heard…'

'My big brother STILL tells me stories about those pieces of shit…'

'Mine does too.'

'My older sister told me the best day of her life was when Misaki Nagatoro graduated, and she knew she'd prolly never have to see that vicious twat again.'

'Hey, my big brother told me pretty much the same thing about TAIGA. School was a NIGHTMARE for him, dealing with that demon.'

'LOTS of peoples' big brothers and sisters say that.'

'Way to carry on your family's legacy, Hayacchi~… Cunt. Drop dead.'

'Can you imagine how fucked-up her PARENTS are, raising those three…?!'

'SHE'S been really weird too lately, I guess, compared to what's normal for her.'

'Yeah, you think she'd be there for her dear Gamo-chan, don't you~?'

'She was in the library again, this morning, trying to cram.'

'The only reason anybody puts up with that little twerp is because GAMO'S there to protect her~.'

'Yeah, Gamo's the one there for HER~.'

'What was going on Friday though? Nagatoro was PISSED. She was pissed at EVERYONE, but she was REALLY pissed at Gamo-chan.'

'Who gives a shit?!'

'Are you done in there?! I gotta go!'

'They haven't exactly been getting along lately.'

'But she wouldn't even LOOK at Gamo on Friday.'

'Something happened during lunch… prolly the TWERP's fault.'

'Speaking of that twerp, I think Hayacchi didn't shower again…'

'Lovely…'

'Her hair's been a greasy mess lately.'

'Looked normal today…'

'It's like she goes to bed in her clothes.'

'It's such a waste, all the boys trying to talk to her…'

'She wouldn't know what to do with a boy if you gave her INSTRUCTIONS~!'

'She prolly thinks the stork drops off a baby, after you kiss the guy you like~!'

'If those boys knew what she was really like…'

'Think she'd know what a penis was, if she saw one~?'

'I bet not.'

'No more than Gamo would~!'

'Always showing all that leg, the little turd.'

'The BOYS seem to like it, her not wearing stockings for half the year.'

'Wannabee whore…'

'I'll never know why so many guys like girls' legs and feet. It's disgusting!'

'Excuse me, gotta get a paper-towel.'

'You're good~.'

'She'd better hurry up and grow those mosquito-bites into melons. Otherwise, she'll just look like a little girl-boy forever.'

'Fuckin' flat-chested little shit~…'

'The boys must think she's always open for business, she's so careless with her skirt and keeping her legs crossed. Why else would they talk to her?'

'Bad taste, maybe~?'

'I bet it isn't her prowess in martial arts… Any man that wants a girl who's able to beat him up has something just fuggin' WRONG with him… heart, body, mind, and soul…'

'I can't TRUST a guy, one who's like that…'

'A NORMAL guy, it makes his dick go limp~.'

'Hayacchi make chin-chin go bye-bye~!'

'Bwah-hah-hah-hah-hah~!'

'Where are you, chin-chin~?!'

'I bet I've seen her panties EVERY DAY, the last month, the way she slouches.'

'That fuckin' club-quitting loser…'

'Stinking of virginity~…'

'Bested by a retard~! Remember, when the dummy was doing all that fake, cliché stretching before the judo competition last year?'

'She looked so stupid doing that, thinking it does anything. I almost felt bad for her…'

'Almost~! That fucking idiot…'

'I'd like to see YOU beat that idiot~.'

'I don't want her TOUCHING me…'

'Nagatoro or Orihara~?'

'Fuckin' NEITHER of 'em!'

'Who knows where Hayacchi's hands have been…'

'Remember last week, when she slipped off her school shoes, during social studies~?'

'She does that all the time. It's nasty.'

'But it was raining that day, and she ran outside wearing them. She got soaked.'

'Yuck. I remember NOW…'

'That was DISGUSTING. The whole room stank like wet feet…'

'You think she could do something about those toenails of hers…'

'I can't imagine how nasty her vag and stuff must be, if she cares about it as much as the rest of herself.'

'Low-tide~!'

'You think someone could give her a pair of SOCKS.'

'Out of sight, out of mind~.'

'It's like she thinks being SHABBY is a fashion-statement. If I had the kind of money her family does… Wow!'

'I think I'd rather have GAMO-money~!'

'Cha-ching~!'

'It'd be pretty funny if we started leaving pairs of fresh socks on her desk every morning~.'

'We could hang air-fresheners under her desk~!'

'ANYTHING to not have to look at those talons every day…'

'Sorry, but does anyone have a pad I could use? I ran out…'

'Yeah, they look like she cuts them with a hedge-clipper~!'

'At least YOU don't have to sit next to her. It actually makes me sick to my stomach sometimes, thinking about those feet of hers…'

'It does?'

'Yeah, like if I eat potato chips or corn-flakes or—'

'EWW! EWW! EWW! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!'

'Here you go, I hope this is the kind you need.'

'Or have cottage-cheese~! Or drink room-temp milk~! Or eat soggy—'

'STAH-HA-HA-HAWP~! That's SO gross!'

'POPCORN would be pretty bad too~! All those flaky shell things…'

'Gag me~!'

'Thank you SO much! I totally forgot to bring a couple with me today. I'll pay you back!'

'No rush, just give me another one, when you've got extra.'

'STOP TALKING about that! Now, I won't be able to eat soup without thinking about that stuff.'

'Hoo! Is that funny~!'

'Hoo, is that VILE…'

'Ish…! I sat diagonal from her last year, back in 1-A. I know what you mean.'

'Thanks, everyone~. Now, I'm nervous about using the same locker-room as her…'

'What, Athlete's Foot? That's what you mean?'

'Yeah.'

'Yuck!'

'Oh, it'd be horrible…'

'My older sister told me that ringworm broke out two years ago, but I don't think it's happened since.'

'Oh, DON'T EVEN SAY THAT!'

'Hey, that's why I wear flip-flops in the shower.'

'I wanna wear 'em EVERYWHERE now…'

'I never wanna eat corn-flakes again~!'

gloot* 'Oh, geez… I had corn flakes for breakfast… I think I'm gonna…' *hurk*

'No barfing~!'

'Seriously, I think I'm gonna be sick…' *gloot*

'Just stop thinking about it. It'll pass.'

'And what was up with Yamazaki, this morning?!'

'Yoshi, you mean?'

'She's the only Yamazaki I know.'

'What a day to be Gamo-chan's TAIL, huh~?'

'I actually felt kinda sorry for Yoshi, just STANDING there, while Rabi-chan paved over Gamo…'

'Where do you think she slunk off to?'

'Who?'

'Gamo, of course.'

'Who cares?! As long as it's not here!'

'How much would THAT suck, if she was right behind us or something~?'

'I think we'd already KNOW. She'd have come up and killed us all~.'

'Yamazaki's been even MORE annoying lately, with all the fighting between Gamo and the others.'

'I never actually minded Yoshi. She's hilarious~.'

'She DOES always get me to laugh.'

'Why she latches onto someone like GAMO-CHAN, I don't know.'

'It's because they've been friends for, like, 13 years, or something.'

'It's just YOSHI, but Yoshi could do better~.'

'I know. Plus, she's been KILLING it lately, with quizzes and schoolwork.'

'Well, killing it for HER.'

'Whatever, she's nearing the class-average, not that anyone's really talking about it.'

'I bet she'll outscore Gamo this semester.'

'What a blow to her pride THAT would be.'

'Maybe Yoshi'll beat HAYACCHI too.'

'No way.'

'That's a little farfetched.'

'No, I think she's on thin-ice. I heard some teachers talking.'

'Hayacchi blowing the semester?! Unlikely.'

'She'll get above-average, like she always does. It's the only thing she's got going for her.'

'I dunno… She seems pretty stupid lately. Maybe all those times Orihara slammed her head against the floor has finally scrambled her brains… brought her down to her own level~.'

'Hey, if Hayacchi DOES crap out, she can go crying to her BOYFRIEND, once she finds out Yoshi beat her to boot~.'

'That art-geek isn't her boyfriend; he's just a punching-bag.'

'Except THIS punching-bag has a schlong~.'

'Which she wouldn't know what it was anyway~!'

'Or that she's supposed to go for a ride on it.'

'YOU'RE one to talk~!'

'Hey!'

'You've had ZERO boys. I've had ONE~.'

'Ha! I've had one-and-a-half~.'

'How's THAT work?!'

'C-cut it out! My boyfriend and I have gotten pretty far!'

'Third-base isn't HOME-PLATE~!'

'What's third-base?'

'Whoa! Where'd YOU come from?!'

'Behind you.'

'…'

'…?'

'Alright… First-base is mouth-kissing, and second-base is touching above-the-waist, but it's over the bra. Third-base is touching BELOW-the-waist… and oral stuff… and touching BARE boob.'

'Oh… THAT'S where the line is.'

'Some include oral stuff in having rounded home-plate, but that's not really how it goes.'

'I guess it gets kinda confusing.'

'Not really. Just look at it this way: third-base covers pretty much everything short of full-blown intercourse. THAT'S a home-run~.'

'That's how it goes?'

'It's not SET-IN-STONE, but I think that's pretty universal thinking.'

'Wow, third-base covers A LOT of ground.'

'I know where I sit then…'

'Hey, third-base isn't bad! You got past the shortstop! You're in the homestretch, girly~!'

'Qu-quit it…'

'Aw, it's okay! We're here for ya~.'

'Haw-haw~!'

'Woot~!'

'When you hit all four plates at one time, that's a GRAND-SLAM home-run~!'

'Hey, girls~!'

'Heya~!'

'What's up~?'

'Where have YOU been?'

'Around~. You'll NEVER guess what I got…!'

'Prolly not. What?'

'I recorded Rabi-chan and Gamo SQUARING OFF~!'

'You did~?!'

'Got it on my phone! I was showing it in the other girls' room~!'

'FINALLY! We got someone that took a video~!'

'I'm not the only one~!'

'There's more videos~?!'

'I think I got the best one though!'

'You caught everything that was said~?!'

'Almost… I got most of it on video, but I missed some of the beginning. The SOUND'S good though~.'

'Well, hurry up and show it~!'

'Here! Put your phone here! That way, we can all see!'

'Oh, I can't wait~! Hurry, hurry, hurry!'

'Hey, hey, don't push! There's plenty of room.'

'Hey, everybody calm down! I wanna hear this!'

'PLEASE tell me you're posting this on Line~.'

'Why would I do that? This shit's TOO good to make it free~.'

'Don't you think that's going a BIT too far…?'

'Fuck that~!'

'Yeah, who cares~?!'

'She deserves it!'

'C'mon! Show us! Show us!'

'Yeah, hurry up! Lunch is about to—!'

'Shh! Everyone quiet down! It's starting!'

…

…

…

12 days ago…

Gamo-chan, nose between her knees, stared at the dimly-lit toilet, her back against the locked bathroom-stall door.

It's a good thing they still used Japanese-style toilets, affording privacy right to the floor…

The crowd had started filing in almost immediately, once she'd hunkered down.

She'd just wanted to be alone for a few minutes…

It was always like this, after any exam.

How could she have forgotten that?

The overlapping convo behind her, separated by two centimeters of compressed-board, continued, going on and on and on and on.

How long they'd all been yammering was anyone's guess…

She might've checked the time, but…

Did it even matter?

She could hear everything.

But would they ever STOP?

Her eyes were hot with the tears she so desperately held in. "…"

Just her luck, deciding this was the place to hide…

She didn't dare start crying. "…!"

When would a window open up, allowing her to leave quietly?

"…!" She couldn't afford to start crying now.

How could she show her face to ANYONE, with all the evidence of being such a weepy mess?

The fact she was confident she'd done pretty well on the Japanese test gave her virtually no comfort.

Hayacchi had surprised them, calling all the girls together for lunch in the art room…

"…" She had to keep from crying.

Worrying her friends was…

Though, she didn't even really want to see Hayacchi, not after Friday… or that very morning.

Not that it mattered…

Until the bathroom was empty, there was probably no escape.

Would they EVER stop talking?

"…" She wanted to stand up.

Would they EVER leave?

"…!" She wanted to burst out of the stall, swinging for the fences.

What was WRONG with all of them?!

"…!" She wanted to cave in the nearest skull.

And knowing they were reliving the Hell she'd been through?! On VIDEO?! And they were LAUGHING about it?!

"…!" She wanted to get her hands around the first throat she encountered and rip it open. "…!"

Would it be as euphoric as the fantasies, tearing their despicable world apart?

…

But she knew she wasn't going to do that.

What good would it do?

She was just going to sit there on the dirty tile and wait.

What difference would it make?

She was just going to sit there and take it.

What else was she good for?

She couldn't even afford to bang her head against the door, for the noise it would make.

She'd managed to stay quiet for THIS long…

And she knew she had to keep it that way.

It was already bad enough half the class—mixed-company—had borne witness to Rabi-chan, dressing her down…

She'd done nothing… nothing but stand there.

And NOTHING would be worse than those girls—mere meters away—knowing that she knew that THEY knew she was hearing all of this… that she was hiding from them… ready to come apart at the seams…

She couldn't let them have that on her! She wouldn't!

That would be… ENDING…

…

She wanted to be in the art room. "…"

…

She wanted to be with her friends. "…"

…

She wanted to see Yoshi. "…"

…

She wanted to see Sakura and Hanacchi. "…!"

…

"Hic…!"

…

She needed her Paisen.

…

"Hiff~…!"

Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading!

Questions and comments are welcome!