Cherry Blossom Palette: Summer by the Sea
Chapter 50: Childhood Acquaintances
Sunshine Arc
Written by EmtenDew
Edited by P. serrulata
Author's note:
ED: The journey to the Pepsi machine continues…
…
The summer anime season is finally over, not that there isn't some crossover between the seasons. Let's see how the fall goes. I haven't formed an opinion, not having time to watch, but I'm not impressed with what I've heard. But it can't be worse than feeder elves, brain damaged deer, a dead eyed robot that a man can stick his you-know-what into, some guy amorously pursuing his crackpot sister and/or a lifeless Russian girl, and all the other dreck they unloaded upon the world.
But we have the new Pokémon Horizons arc about to start, and the One Piece anime is hitting a great part of the manga very soon.
…
We had a question this time!
Ask us anything, and we'll add another 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.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
If Naoto and Nekoba had realized just how far away the Pepsi machine was from their stake on the beach, they would've made sure they were up-to-snuff on the dress-code and simply visited the little grocery/convenience-store on the boardwalk.
Even so, it was next to the BEACH, so what was so wrong about customers in swimwear?!
But if they'd done that, then Hana never would've volunteered to accompany them, helping them bring back the 15 soft-drinks required of them.
And they certainly wouldn't have had all this time to talk, for better or worse.
Things would've been less "interesting" in general, the encounter with Takata potentially never happening…
While the girls chatted, Naoto's thoughts drifted around the contentment he felt, not mentioning to Takata that he—Naoto—and Sakura had watched him—Takata—from a hedge of bushes, as he searched in the rain for his runaway date, all those weeks back.
Why he WOULD tell Takata such a thing beggared the imagination in the first place…
"…" He was just grateful it was still a secret.
One he planned to take to the grave, though that might've been thinking too far ahead…
Meanwhile, Nekoba's thoughts went back to her old playmate Takata as well—Nobuo to her, and she shared with Naoto and Hana, "I guess I never talked about Nobuo and me."
Verbal mention of Takata was enough to get Naoto's regard back.
"…" He knew this to be true, what Nekoba said, but it didn't mean he was eager to hear it, having himself brushed the topic with Takata.
Hana was less wary, but it was sometimes hard to know with her. "…?"
It was never a good sign when a girl crossed her arms, hunched her shoulders, and huddled into herself… while still walking, mind you…
"We used to play all the time, when we were little, but we just sorta grew apart," Nekoba enlightened them.
Naoto had heard this already, Takata saying virtually the same thing. "…"
"Were you good friends?" Hana probed, far from callously, though perhaps not far from undiplomatically.
Naoto winced at the straightforwardness. 'Ugh…'
"I'd say yes." Nekoba brightened some, untucking far enough to face Hana. "I even invited him to church a few times, because he was curious about how a service went."
"Oh," Hana rejoined.
Nekoba breezed, "He never actually came to a service, but he was always interested when I told him about it. He was always totally respectful of it. He liked the story of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt."
"Why did he never attend a service with you?" Hana wondered.
Nekoba figured, "I think it was his parents. They thought it was weird, the 'little cross-eyed girl' and her 'magician-savior'."
"…!" Naoto knew people could be assholes, but saying that of Nekoba was fucked up.
Nekoba amended, "Oh, why even bother? Scratch what I said about thinking it was his parents. I know it was his parents that forbade him."
"Those are some ugly things for them to say, Nekoba-senpai…" Hana condemned.
"Yeah…" She returned to hunching her shoulders. "I don't think Nobuo ever listened to them, but… he heard it, y'know…"
Naoto offered, merging in, "I think I see what you mean by that."
"Hmm…" Hana agreed.
"Hoo… hah…" Nekoba breathed in and let out a deep sigh; she unbent fully and joined her hands behind her head, looking slightly to the sky.
Naoto looked towards Hana.
It wouldn't be unusual for her to say something, though she…
So, Naoto asked, "What's up, Nekoba?"
"…" She didn't answer at once. "…When Nobuo walked up to us… I was a little scared."
"…!" This wasn't news to him; he'd seen her react. "Oh…"
Nekoba gave a somewhat uncharacteristic smirk. "You noticed, did you~?"
"…Yeah," he chose transparency.
She glummed, "Well, you noticed rightly."
"Why?" Hana questioned.
Nekoba took on a wry countenance. "I guess I was afraid he'd pretend to not know me… or something like that."
"What?" It didn't immediately click with Hana.
Naoto understood instantly. "…"
And he didn't want to be the one to answer Hana.
Nekoba was under a different obligation. "It's happened a few times, Hanacchi."
"Why?"
"…Because he was embarrassed."
"Embarrassed?"
"Yeah…"
"…I'd never do that," Hana said.
At least the dots had connected…
"It's not easy, Hanacchi," Nekoba illuminated. "When you're in the middle of a bunch of people, you can feel pressured to go along with whatever's happening. If that 'bunch of people' hates someone… or makes fun of them, it can be hard for an individual to speak up. And if that 'someone' is lucky, the one person actually on their side will leave it at ignoring that 'someone'."
"Nekoba-senpai…" Hana sorrowed.
Naoto didn't feel any better about it. "…!"
He knew what it was like to be that 'someone' as much as Nekoba did.
But Nekoba insisted, "Don't hold it against Nobuo, Hanacchi, please. I don't blame him. When you're under pressure—surrounded by it… when you're scared of also being singled out… being brave is hard."
"I don't like it," Hana sustained. "I'd never do that."
Maybe that was true…
Naoto didn't want to see Hana stand against the conformity-vacuum to prove it though.
He reneged on his peace, "Nekoba's right, Sunomiya… It's not nice… It's not right… but it… is. It just is."
Hana stewed, "…"
It didn't joy Naoto or Nekoba to know Hana was indubitably imagining the both of them betraying another in such a way.
But was there a soul alive that had never given into that ugly sort of peer-pressure?
"…" Naoto was guilty as sin of the offense.
Maybe Nekoba was less culpable…
Whether she was or not, "Try to understand, Hanacchi. I know it's not that easy, but…"
"I understand," Hana determined. "But I really don't like it…"
"No one does," Nekoba supported.
Naoto did too, "Yup…"
It was difficult to fathom Hana had NEVER acted in such a way herself, but if anyone had never given in…
"I'm just glad I was proven wrong," Nekoba professed. "I don't think I could've taken it… if it'd turned out the other way."
Hana was far from gleeful. "…"
Naoto was concerned about her but suddenly had an itch that itched a lot more.
"…" He bore in mind Nekoba.
It was hard to see her like this…
He—
"Hachioji-senpai?" Hana hailed.
He came to his senses. "Y-yeah?"
"Do you need to speak to Nekoba-senpai alone?" she asked.
Naoto blinked, and he stopped walking. "Do I…?"
How had she surmised that?!
"…!" He supposed picking up on it wasn't an impossibility.
Nekoba was a figurative step behind both of them, though all had literally halted. "What? Huh?"
Hana didn't wait for affirmation.
"I'll run ahead 20 meters or so," she determined. "It's alright. I would appreciate the same, if it was me. Come join me when you're done."
"Suno—" "Hanacch—" Naoto and Nekoba didn't even have the time to get out their chosen monikers.
Wordlessly, Hana took off at a leisurely jog, the kind that would get you yelled at in gym-class if the teacher was in a bad mood but was an acceptable pace in most cases.
"…?!" Naoto could see Hana's breasts bouncing about from the back.
They were certainly big enough…
'That's gotta hurt…' he wordlessly bewailed.
Nekoba saw what he was seeing, and she unconsciously cupped her own girls, even better able to understand. "Oof…"
With Hana and her lively, luscious melons having bounded away, the trio was temporarily a duo…
"…?" Nekoba was still trying to process, no longer mesmerized by melons, lively and luscious. "Why'd she…?"
'Fuck!' Naoto had told Takata he'd try to speak to his early-days friend—and he'd meant it, but he hadn't envisioned the opportunity cropping up like this. 'How did Sunomiya figure it out, just like THAT?!'
Though, it didn't actually floor him—not in the slightest—that Hana could figure it out, just like that.
It was Hana…
Whatever way, Nekoba turned to Naoto. "Nao-kun?"
"…?" He stared back into her mismatched eyes, hers full of uncertainty.
She pressed, "What's Hanacchi mean?"
Naoto exhaled, "Phew…"
Ideally, this WOULDN'T be awkward…
But it likely would be, and he'd made a promise, whatever way.
This had to qualify as "an opening"… and nothing had been said about "awkwardness", not when it came to addressing Nekoba…
That applied to Sakura.
And good luck with telling the gal NOT being awkward…
"…?" Nekoba kept up with the inquisitive eyes.
Naoto gave in, "When I was talking to Takata… this subject came up…"
"The one about…?" she enquired.
He decided it was best to just pull off the bandage quickly.
"Takata was worried, seeing how upset you looked…" he forced out. "Y'know, when he came running up with that big group following him…"
Nekoba's expression muddied. "Oh…"
"Yeah." He could see she wasn't surprised, but he wasn't about to mention her lack of it. "Yeah, he…"
Unfortunately, he wasn't sure what to say.
A plan might've helped here…
"Did he ask you to tell me this…?" Nekoba droned, souring further. "I can't believe him sometimes…"
"N-no!" Naoto jumped on it. "He didn't ask me to do that, Nekoba. He said he wanted to talk to you later—to call you. I said I'd bring it up to you—me—if you said anything about it. It was all me; he just told me to do what I saw fit."
"You volunteered…?!" It was the first thing to come to her. "Wha…?"
Naoto nodded, red-faced. "I don't know what I was thinking… I just could tell how sorry he was, and, uh…"
It took a few seconds, but Nekoba cheered considerably.
"Ha~…" she chuckled. "Glad he's learning…"
"…?!" Naoto was caught snoozing. "What do you mean?"
"Don't worry about it so much…" she buzzed. "It's just he's terrible at apologizing sometimes. He means it, and I know he really cares, but… he's not good at communicating sometimes. He's had people apologize to me on his behalf before."
"Oh…" He could understand why she'd reacted as she did. "I see."
"He'd be mortified if he knew I said it, but he's left letters in my shoe-locker too~…" Nekoba reminisced. "Sometimes, to say he was sorry about something… and other times for other reasons~…"
"…!" Naoto could relate. 'Yikes!'
Nekoba smiled. "But he's always been that way, ever since we were little… Though, I suppose him calling me is an 'upgrade'~."
"I see." Naoto surely did.
She grinned. "Thanks, Nao-kun~."
"I mean, uh…" he floundered, fully-flushed by now.
"Heh~…" she gifted, quite cerise herself. "How about I save you any more distress and just talk to Nobuo later—if and when he calls me? I'm sure I'll hear what I gotta hear out of him."
Naoto sigh of relief* "Thanks… I appreciate it."
"But~…" Nekoba titillated.
His blood would've run cold if he wasn't feeling so warm. "Wh-what…?"
"Since Hanacchi has given us this time, I suppose I can say something too."
"A-and that is?" He was grateful she dropped the wheedle, not that hers was anywhere near as "good" as Sakura's.
"She really is an earnest girl, Hanacchi…" Nekoba complemented. "You're fortunate, Nao-kun, to have her on your side."
He wasn't entirely clear on what she meant, but he acquiesced, "Yeah, I know…"
And it could be said with some pride~…
"And it's a little shocking to know she was so nervous yesterday about a new swimsuit. You wouldn't think it, would you? I think she's handled herself pretty well today… even when those 'blankety-blanks' were goggling at her like that."
Who actually said "blankety-blanks"?!
Naoto supposed it was better than Nekoba calling them "fucksticks" or "shit-stains". "Ugh… Takata said he was sorry about that too."
"It really is something that she's that comfortable with you, Nao-kun," she opined. "I think she's fortunate too~."
"Sunomiya… is quick to adapt," he found himself saying.
Hana meeting Etsuko and Urumi came to mind… not to mention how she'd just handled shooting the breeze with Takata…
"Why don't we go find her?" Nekoba had told Naoto she wanted to lessen his significant unease. "I can't see her in the crowd, but you can bet she's about as far out as she said she'd be."
"N-Nekoba!" Naoto didn't want to blurt it out, but he had something to say.
She flinched at the abruptness but was mostly chill. "What is it?"
"About what I just told you…"
"Don't sweat it, Nao-kun. I'll only tell Nobuo that you told me, if he brings it up."
"Oh, uh…" He'd gained a better grasp on the power of female intuition than at any point in the past.
It was strong with the Nekoba…
"Trust me, it'll be fine~," she promised.
"…" He did trust her. "Right…"
That didn't stop it from being precarious ground…
…
…
…
Providentially, Hana hadn't asked many questions, upon her senpai locating her.
Just if Nekoba was okay, nothing more…
And Nekoba did feel better, thankful to both Hana and Naoto for being there for her.
That was the end of it…
However, and predictably, they stayed on the general subject, whether Naoto wanted it or not.
"Why do you think Takata-senpai approached us like he did?" Hana pondered.
Probably to say "hello", what else?!
Still, her senpai got her purpose.
Naoto could've told her "impulse", but he kept mum.
Nekoba stated the facts, so far as she knew, "Pretty sure he just wanted to say 'hi', Hanacchi. I don't think it was anything more than that. He just didn't… think things through…"
"I see…" Hana observed.
"I definitely felt better, once he actually said something to me~…" Nekoba shared. "I didn't feel scared anymore…"
"I'm glad," Hana furthered.
"Don't repeat this~," Nekoba preambled. "But a lot of his hangers-on are… Well, they're sheep… just more vicious~."
"Sheep?" Hana echoed.
"Mindless followers," Nekoba clarified. "Nobuo has them in the palm of his hand, whether he likes it that way or not. They'll pretty much just go with whatever he says or does."
Naoto wished he could be more upset over Nekoba suddenly speaking so ill of others behind their backs, but she was just as human as any other girl he knew.
Also not totally unforeseen, Hana agreed with her.
"I noticed, Nekoba-senpai," she voted. "Takata-senpai doesn't seem like the kind to enjoy that though."
"That's why I said 'whether he likes it or not'~," Nekoba replied. "I know he thinks of some of his friends as mindless followers, not that he exploits them. He thinks for himself, mostly… always has…"
"Hmm…" Hana measured.
"But I don't think I've ever seen open-rebellion among them. Nobuo was really freaking them out. I have seen him get that way though, when he gets fed up with how the 'in-crowd' behaves. His front falls like, zwoooooo…"
…
Despite the sentiment just a moment ago…
"…?!" At present, Naoto was becoming uncomfortable, hearing the girls talk in such a way.
It had only taken a few sentences too…
…
Hana revealed, "I did appreciate Takata-senpai speaking up. I won't lose any sleep over it, but I did not like the way his friends were looking at me, especially that loathsome porker."
Nekoba balked. "Wh-what? 'Loathsome porker'~?!"
"I have worse things in mind than 'porker', Nekoba-senpai."
"Hanacchi, that's terrible~! Calling another girl a 'porker'…"
"And referring to people as blind fools is the way?"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha~…"
…
Naoto had a few issues with the above:
Hadn't HE spoken up for Hana too?!
Hadn't HE been the one Hana had looked to for protection?!
And YES, he hadn't expected Hana and Nekoba to show their nasty sides so freely, not that either of them DIDN'T have one, somewhere…
But~ he kept his mouth shut. "…"
…
Hana lamented her temporary helplessness, her shrinking before the drowning rats riding Takata's coattails, "I failed myself, losing my nerve."
"You didn't 'fail', Hanacchi," Nekoba comforted. "I can't name a girl who'd be cool with those boys undressing her with their eyes like that… or the death-glares from those three cows…"
"That one boy didn't seem bad, the other one who talked to me."
"He's the assistant for the captain of the baseball team. I should remember his name, but he's not in my class. And, yeah, he's a pretty good guy from what I've seen."
"He didn't join in, but he didn't say anything either…"
"…"
"…"
"Hanacchi…"
"What is it?"
"There wasn't anyone else?"
"Please clarify."
"Don't forget about Nao-kun…"
Nao-kun perked, having been gratified to merely listen. "…?"
"Hachioji-senpai?" Hana tilted her head. "You mean him?"
Nekoba nodded. "Of course, I mean him. Who else?"
"I haven't forgotten Hachioji-senpai… but if it wasn't for Takata-senpai, the two of us might've been dragging Hachioji-senpai to the first aid station."
"Ack!" Naoto, tripping over his own feet, couldn't keep quiet anymore, hearing that his dear kohai had an appropriate amount of faith in his ability to fight off such odds.
Nekoba didn't like admitting it, but, "I see what you mean…"
"I'm right here, y'know…!" Naoto whined.
"…" Nekoba, grimacing, ho-hummed. "Yeah, too much… Sorry."
"Don't misunderstand, Hachioji-senpai," Hana said. "I'm very grateful to you. It's just I was certain for a moment that we would wind up searching for your teeth amid the sands of Hayama."
"…" He couldn't argue. 'Damn it…'
"Sakura-senpai is right…" Hana stated. "You do have a certain temperament to you."
"…?" Nekoba tried to digest whatever this constituted, mouthing to herself.
Naoto didn't want to think about what Sakura might've told Hana, though he did anyway. "…!"
It might've been a lot…
Neither was he keen on whatever was going on between Nekoba's ears.
"…!" His missing her lack of stoicism would've been beyond reason.
Hana identified Nekoba's bafflement as well.
"I only mean Sakura-senpai has told me that Hachioji-senpai has shown a tendency towards recklessness in similar situations," she educated. "That's all."
Naoto doubted like Hell that was "all", but he could probably live with it. "…"
"I see…" Nekoba mused. "Well, I didn't need you to tell me that~…"
"How do you mean?" Hana questioned.
Naoto's stomach revolted. 'Do I wanna know…?!'
Nekoba caught said revulsion, far more easily than she might scoop a goldfish at a summer festival.
She stopped walking, causing the others to do the same.
She puffed, eyes departing to the ground, "Sorry, Nao-kun… I suppose I'll just say it…"
"S-say what…?" He did want to know, at least part of him.
"…?" Hana was also devoted.
Nekoba turned to Naoto; she gained a little color in the cheeks, serving up a crooked half-smile. "It's nothing bad, I guess… I was just curious one time, so I asked Sakura how you and her got to be such good friends so fast… what was going on with you two."
'Oh, boy…' He could see this going anywhere.
Nekoba espoused, "She said a lot of things, but what stuck out to me was… I guess it was this tangent she went off on, that you 'just didn't give a fuck'."
'Geez!' Naoto jarred at her dropping an actual "F-bomb. "Nekoba…!"
It was as foreign a concept as YOSHI referring to the act of sexual-intercourse as "taking the pigskin-bus to tuna-town"… though it was still in the realm of possibility… and it wouldn't be the most bizarre thing ever to fly out of the Yosh's mouth…
Hana appeared unmoved. "…"
"Sorry for the language…" Nekoba turned crimson about as fast as was humanly possible. "That's what Sakura said though… And I knew what she meant, even before she explained herself. It's not that you didn't care; it's that you—when push comes to shove—wouldn't let anything in the world keep you from defending the people you care about. She said it was actually… 'kinda scary'…"
"…!" Naoto was ill-prepared to take this in. "Uh…"
Nekoba's crimson didn't let up. "She wouldn't tell me anything specific, but she pretty much said you would've jumped into Hell for her… and for Hanacchi~…"
"…!" He was even more ill-prepared.
What was happening?! Hadn't the girls just been giving him grief for his over-zealousness… and how feeble he was?!
"Hachioji-senpai…" Hana raised, moving closer.
"Y-Yeah?" He wasn't sure how much more he could take.
Hana took something.
She took the closest Naoto-hand, wrapping both of hers around it. "…"
'$#!' Naoto's ticker took a three-Couric dump.
She didn't seem overly eager to show her face. "She told me the same thing, Hachioji-senpai."
"…!" He fought to regain his composure. "…!"
"Thank you for that, but please don't put yourself in harm's way for us," she pled, pink in the cheeks.
He shivered, unsuccessfully fighting back the blush overcoming him. 'Sunomiya…!'
Nekoba patted his back, trying to get her own color under control. "It's alright, Nao-kun… I don't think Sakura told us anything you wouldn't want us to know, so try not to worry, okay~?"
Easier said than done!
Still, Naoto's forbearance in the face of the female was ever-evolving.
He stilled himself. "O-okay… I'll try…"
Might need to give Sakura a talking to later though…
But it was unlikely he'd bother—or even remember, unless something really wack came to light.
"Good~." Nekoba seemed satisfied with things; she started off again.
"…!" Naoto was tugged from the stance he'd adopted.
Hana hadn't let go of him, and she'd emulated Nekoba's action. "…"
"…!" Naoto unexpectedly found himself laughing. "H-hey, I'm good, Sunomiya."
"I know." She let go. "I just thought you might need a 'jump-start'."
He sputtered, "A… what?"
"Tee-hee-hee~…" Nekoba giggled at their antics.
And they continued on.
Question and Answer Section
Spiced Pumpkin asks: If it's alright to ask, is there anything special you two do to help establish a proper foundation? I'm not too versed in writing so when I write establish characters it's either hold them around their traits as close or loose as needed or try to take their own backgrounds or identities and stretch it as far as i can to create newer goals if that makes sense. I ask mainly because even as a minor character Nekoba has a wonderful appeal and you can get a solid feel for her.
ED: I think I try to keep characters "in character". I knew I take a lot of liberties, but I don't think anything I have the characters do is out of character.
Naoto could easily resort to anger or desperation when feeling trapped. Sakura could have a lot more going on than what we see. Gamo-chan wants to be thought of as a woman. Yoshi listens and knows A LOT MORE than she lets on. Hana could easily be a friend to anyone and be able to relate to anyone.
Nekoba and Rabi-chan, we know less about them, and I based the foundations of their characters on what we know about them up to Hana's arrival. Nekoba seemed a bit odd and still thought of a male idol as an ideal man, so I made her chaste but knowledgeable. Rabi-chan was "hoochier", so I just expanded upon that. Both still have more fleshing out to do.
Please look forward to the next chapter! Thanks for reading!
Questions and comments are welcome!