Naoto was sitting at one of the many tables placed around the outdoor food court, listlessly poking at the food on his cardboard plate.
The largely barren tree extending its limbs above him provided him no shade nor comfort.
Around fifteen minutes ago, the man had snapped at Nagatoro in a way he had never intended. Naoto had decided on this outing as a means to heal, not vent his anger cause more pain.
Unfortunately, Hayase felt compelled to inquire about his love for art, or rather, the lack of it.
Naoto had once been of the opinion that art was the purest form of expression one could pursue. He had been certain that his fate in life was to become a half decent artist, if the gods willed it and even at a time believed that Nagatoro would be his main muse, guiding him towards greater things within the field.
That was of course, until she ruined them.
It wasn't uncommon for artists to lose their drive and passion for the craft for quite some time after their muse vanishes and leaves their lives, no matter what it may have been, but to be emotionally and physically mutilated by it seemed a little rarer.
After the incident, no even before it, Naoto had slowly watched the colors drain from every piece that he drew, every line filled with anxiety and doubt. He continued to try regardless, spending the next few months producing failure after failure and tasting bitter defeat.
While his achievements of the past allowed him to continue pursuing an arts degree for just a little longer, he soon had to accept the fact that his eye for the craft refused to return.
Despite numerous offers of assistance and guidance from his teacher and peers, especially from one Sunomiya, toward recapturing the spark his painting once held, Naoto eventually found himself dropping the farce and began to simply stumble his way through his university years without much effort put into his future.
At that time, he didn't really presume to have one. In one grotesque instance he had been robbed of his virginity, his love and his passion in life, leaving him with nothing at all.
Part of him had considered whether or not it was reasonable to shorten his stay in this world, as it appeared to him as if there was nothing left to live for. At most he'd be your average salaryman who'd wake to head for work, exhaust himself daily for higher ups without a care in the world and then end the night by drinking his sorrows away.
It wasn't a life he had been looking forward to, to say the least.
One night, while still deliberating on a potential way out of this hell ahead of him, Naoto felt himself without inhibitions.
After all, if he were to die soon, why would it matter what odd and embarrassing circumstances he could find himself in?
With this new found sense of vigor, Naoto had decided to go visit a Karaoke bar by himself. It wasn't the kind of place he had ever expected to find himself in, let alone without forceful persuasion of a certain group of women, but that alone felt like a good enough reason to do it.
Without a fear or regret in the world, Naoto had stepped up to the stage, picked his song from the machine and began singing his heart out. Clear of doubt, having come to terms with his desire to exit his excuse of life, Naoto put on one of the most heartfelt and touching performances the club had ever witnessed.
What Naoto didn't know at the time was, that one of his associates from university, Tadano, was sitting in the crowd, together with his girlfriend, being blown away by the talent he had never imagined the young artist held within.
Having gotten the wild idea of starting a band with a foreign student from America, Tadano instantly knew that he needed to get Naoto to join them, bringing a moving voice to their trio.
It took quite some convincing from Tadano, as Naoto initially expected the invitation to be a prank, then worried for the man's mental health at the mere suggestion that Naoto's voice would lend anything other than a headache to their music.
Eventually however, Naoto caved. After all, he had no goals or dreams of his own any longer. His only plans were those that could not be undone and his parents had always drilled into his head that if you can't be anything else, at least be kind and supportive.
So, who was he to deny another's dream, if he could help?
What Naoto hadn't expected, was the intense love and compassion he would end up receiving in exchange for his simple agreement.
It was quite clear from the go that Tadano was a man who valued his friends and that Naoto was now lucky enough to count himself as one of them.
The moment that Naoto had brought up the loss of his artistic skills and cynically joked about ending it all, Tadano had given him more than an ear full, making him promise to never consider such drastic measures ever again.
Having somehow gained true friends, as well having made a promise to survive through his trauma, if only for the sake of his bandmates, Naoto realized he could no longer fulfill his unbecoming plan of freeing himself of it all.
While this forced his anxiety and pain back to the surface, it also returned his desire to live life to its fullest. And his friends were more than supportive of his endeavors to change into the kind of man he had always wanted to be.
Looking at the life he was living now, there was this ever so slight and morbid curiosity as to how it all would have played out for the people around him if Tadano hadn't seen him sing that night.
Before Naoto could think about it much further, he spotted Gamo and Nagatoro approaching from the food truck they had chosen to order at.
Nagatoro still looked emotionally roughed up by the brutal comment Naoto had dropped on her so effortlessly not too long ago.
Gamo sat down across from Naoto, while Hayase settled down next to her.
There was an uncomfortable silence, as none wanted to acknowledge what had happened but they also failed to see a way to move past the subject.
Naoto, not wanting to be the one to pressure them into talking, started slowly eating what little food he had left on his plate. Maybe if he showed them that he wasn't up for a conversation at this time, they could ease their minds just a little and start digging in themselves.
Alas, it was not to be.
"It's unforgivable."
Naoto and Gamo both flinched in surprise, neither of them having expected Nagatoro to speak for the remainder of their trip.
The womans head hung low, her eyes hidden from view. Naoto thought he could spot a quivering scowl on her face.
"I guess," Naoto responded slowly, feeling somewhat stupid for the remorse he was experiencing. "It was pretty messed up of me to say that after all."
But Nagatoro quickly shook her head and now Naoto was certain he could see tears staining her cheeks.
"That's not what I mean," she weakly protested. "Your art... It was fantastic. Watching you draw was one of the best things in my life. Your focus, your passion. You were always in your element. You were so breathtaking. I can't believe I-"
She lifted her head, the shimmering, moist eyes holding back the pain aching in her heart.
"I am so sorry Naoto."
Naoto couldn't help but notice a stinging in his heart that he hadn't felt in some time. Seeing Nagatoro's face break into a pool of gut wrenching emotions was not something he was able to stomach it seemed.
But what was he going to do? Tell her it was alright? That'd be a blatant lie. Nothing between them was truly alright and she knew this.
Then again, wasn't this exactly what this entire trip was about? Feeling the pain, she had caused him and then properly atoning for it to some possible degree?
Thinking of it that way, this didn't seem like a bad start to the proceedings.
"Well," Naoto started, upset by his suddenly parched throat. "That's good, right? That was a genuine apology. I- Yeah. Keep it up."
The man could feel heat rise to his face as he thought about how stupid and unprepared his sudden verbal output had been. He just wanted her to stop crying.
Nagatoro swallowed a lump in her throat, becoming fully aware of Naoto's own discomfort with her emotional state. He still cared about her enough to feel pain at her tears.
Hayase couldn't help but shudder at the sudden devious part of her rearing its ugly head, whispering sweetly into her mind that she could use this to her advantage in winning him back.
But as quickly as those intrusive thoughts arrived, she pushed them aside, refusing to let herself be swayed by her demons the way they did in the past.
She would reclaim Naoto's love the way she should have all along, with the kindness and adoration for him in her heart.
Gamo shifted uncomfortable on the bench next to her, feeling the strangely tender moment that shouldn't have ever arisen.
There was no way that Hayase could pull this off, right? How could she? The damage she had done was irreparable.
Why couldn't Gamo stop fuming at the idea that her best friend could achieve a happy ending after all? Was it a question of morals? Did Gamo think that her friend had no right to love and joy after what she had done?
After all, rendering an artist incapable of pursuing his craft was one hell of a crime, was it not? How could Naoto even consider opening his heart back up to her when his canvas was to remain empty by her hands?
The redhead began drumming on the table with her fingers, trying her best to distract from the misgivings in her mind. It drove her nuts to be so uncertain of something that should, by all means, a clear cut case.
If her two friends could reconcile and get together, that would be amazing.
SO WHY WAS SHE SO MAD!?
After finishing off their food, the three of them continued their visit of various animal enclosures, but the tension between them never fully faded. Even upon visiting the penguins, which Naoto had left for last due to being aware of how much Nagatoro loved them, there was very little joy to be spotted upon any of their faces.
Naoto leaned a little over the railing of the enclosure to get a better look at the flightless birds swimming below them. The sounds of the water splashing and their webbed feet pitter pattering across the ice brought an ounce of comfort to him.
Naoto could swear one of the penguins looked him directly in the eye and did a little spin to impress him, something that made him chuckle.
"That one's really cute," he shared with the two women who had slowly drifted into the depths of their own minds.
Naoto pointed at the penguin that he swore tried to cheer him up, with a big, goofy grin on his face. The penguin flapped his wings, still maintaining eye contact with the man, as if it was trying to tell him something.
It was truly unfortunate that Naoto would never know what he wanted to say.
While distracted by the antics of the creature, Naoto failed to notice that his simple gesture of genuinely smiling the way he was, made both Gamo's and Nagatoro's hearts skip a beat.
Hayase was used to this betrayal of emotions from herself, but to Gamo, this was just another perplexing sign she was unwilling to let get the best of her.
Not as if it mattered. While she was still grappling with her own inability to accept the feelings in her heart, a tiny, terrified part of her was fully aware of what was happening, trying desperately to correct course and get her out of the mess she had put herself in.
Even though, even that part of herself knew, it was already too late.
After the penguins they meandered around for a little longer, grabbed another quick snack from a food truck and then made their way toward the exit.
While nibbling on a pretzel, Naoto began wondering just what in the world he was expecting to have happen in this scenario.
He had given Nagatoro a chance to redeem herself, but what really did that mean? How did one go about proving themself worthy of forgiveness? How angry was Naoto really?
It felt like the last three years had burned through all of his emotions, chipping away at each of them in turn, until he had almost nothing left now. He wasn't happy or content, but he also didn't really have the fuel to ignite a fire of rage in his soul.
Without those emotions in play, it felt more like the reason to keep Nagatoro at arms length was out of principle. The woman had committed a heinous act and would have to suffer for it. Why would someone accept her after what she had done?
Was she just taking advantage of him again? Could she feel the lack of chemicals in his brain, informing him of how to properly react to her presence and advances?
Did it matter?
Naoto was failing to care about himself at this moment. The stern tongue lashing from the night prior feeling as if it originated from another.
He was broken merchandise. Chewed up and undesirable, ready to be tossed out with the rest of the garbage the world had to offer.
If this one woman was so adamant about having him to herself, was it really that bad?
Denying her would mean ending up alone and forgotten, left behind on the shelf, never to be glanced at by any passersby. Would he prefer that? He couldn't say.
Maybe it was fate all along, that brought Nagatoro back in his life at the peak of his own self actualization. Giving him another chance at realizing that she was the only one who, for some unknowable reason, considered him desirable.
Now he had friends, a purpose in life, thanks to his band and to top it all off, the gods had returned his one chance at avoiding eternal loneliness.
It made sense to him. It seemed natural. This is all he had.
As the three of them reached the exit gate, Naoto turned to Hayase, a pensive look on his face.
She could tell he had something important to say, but couldn't find the proper words to convey the message. She always struggled with this herself.
A somber smile played on her lips as she recognized her chance to help him communicate the best way she knew how.
"Come on Senpai," she giggled with fake cheer. "If you can't find the courage to say something normally, try teasing me instead. It works wonders~"
Their eyes locked, neither one of them willing to even blink to break the contact.
Naoto hated to think their roles could be flipped but decided that for once, she might have a point.
"See, I don't know if you earned this," Naoto began, in a playfully arrogant tone. "After all, so far your attempts at making up for your mistakes have been pathetic to say the least. But I might be feeling some pity for you after all."
Part of Naoto felt far too comfortable in this position, enjoying the feeling of striking back with the attitude she had tormented him with. He wasn't too proud of it.
Gamo's eyes had narrowed the moment Naoto had begun eyeing Hayase in such a curious way and now she could feel her throat tightening, panic setting in as she tried to understand what he was doing.
Nagatoro simply stood tall, resolute to take whatever he was about to fire her way.
"Since you behaved well enough, I think we can try to go for dinner."
Gamo froze in shock, the sensation of a thousand needles pricking her returning from yesterday. She felt as if someone had just dowsed her in ice water.
Nagatoro's body began shaking in excitement as the words played on repeat in her mind. Was this really happening?
Neither of them knew how little Naoto truly felt about it all, as he was considering his invitation an inevitability brought about by his life having no further roads he could choose.
Despite this bleak outlook, it would have been a lie to say he wasn't experiencing the slightest of sensation of joy at the sight of Nagatoro brimming with happiness.
Satisfied with himself, Naoto turned to walk through the exit, feeling as if an uncertainty had been removed from his life.
If only he had known how wrong he was.
A few minutes later, the three of them were standing a small distance away from the zoo, checking for their return paths.
Gamo had her navigational app open, trying to find the route back to her car, but her mind refused to function given what had just happened. Sweat was beading on her forehead as she tried to keep her breathing under control.
Hayase was expectantly looking at Naoto who had started searching for restaurants on his phone.
Nothing fancy, just an excuse to sit down and talk.
After scrolling through an expansive list, he settled on one not too far away from their hotel, that served all kinds of basic dishes. No real way to go wrong with this.
"Alright, got it," Naoto announced and turned his phone so Nagatoro could see. "This place should do."
The tanned woman quickly took in the information on the screen, then pulled out her own phone to open a page with the restaurant's website on it.
This was actually happening.
There was genuine fear that her unshackled excitement would cause her to blow up. But she couldn't help it. This was going so well.
Almost too well.
Pushing any doubts aside, Nagatoro flashed a toothy grin as she pocketed her phone and beamed at Naoto. "Okay! I'll see you at eight then!"
Naoto nodded with an empty, yet well meaning smile on his lips.
This was inevitable. It was what he was meant to do.
"Yup, at eight," be confirmed while nodding toward Hayase and Gamo. "Thank you for the trip. It was fun."
With a quick wave, Naoto turned and walked into the crowd of people making for the public transit.
Nagatoro waited until she was sure he had disappeared out of ear shot, before she jumped up and down in excitement and failed to contain an audible squeal of joy.
"He invited me out to dinner!" she quietly yelled into her hands; her face completely flushed. "I can't believe my luck!"
Gamo couldn't either.
The redhead was clutching her phone so hard, any more and it likely would have shattered in her hand.
This bothered her.
No, it did more than that. Bothering would have been a minor inconvenience she could simply wave away and not think of again.
This feeling had latched onto her heart and was digging its sharp claws into it. She could feel it scraping against the inside of her chest, breathing unbearably hot air into her.
Gamo wanted to scream, but no sound manifested.
Even Nagatoro, despite her overwhelmingly joyful celebration, could tell something was brewing inside her friend.
"G-Gamo? You alright?"
The taller woman's face twitched a little at being addressed by Nagatoro, but she quickly recovered from it and put on a stoic mime.
"Yeah," she quickly muttered under her breath, before turning toward the path they needed to take back to the car. "Let's go."
The walk to the parking garage was eerily quiet, not a single sound coming from Gamo. Nagatoro was so elated and wanted to share her joy with her best friend, but it was clear, that was not an option.
Once they entered the building, Gamo immediately made a beeline for the staircase, bypassing the elevator they had taken on the way down.
"Gamo?" Hayase tried to get her attention. "You not taking the elevator?"
The redhead didn't stop or turn to respond. "No."
Nagatoro sighed as she watched her friend disappear up the stairs and out of view, waiting for the elevator to open herself.
Gamo was absolutely fine with that. She couldn't stand to be near her friend right now. Being around her at this moment made her feel both furious, as well as incredibly isolated.
Why couldn't she just be happy for her!?
Why did it have to be like this?
Why did she have to fall in l-
No!
Gamo quickly punched herself in the arm, gnashing her teeth together in a last ditch effort to stop the words from appearing in her mind.
If they did, it would become real. And it couldn't.
No matter what.
Gamo was Hayase's best friend, her confidant, the one person she had entrusted everything to, the whole truth of it all and she wasn't about to betray that stalwart faith.
If this was how it was meant to be, then she wouldn't get in the way of things.
Gamo's happiness in exchange for her friends becoming a loving couple. A fair trade.
So why was she still forced to wipe away the hot tears streaming down her face?
Hearing the elevator doors open a little ways down, she tried her best to put her poker face back on and marched out into the open garage to meet Hayase.
"You alright?" the tanned one immediately asked.
Gamo simply nodded, making sure to avoid eye contact at all cost to not reveal her reddened eyes.
She quickly pulled out her keys and unlocked the car doors, as Hayase continued to eye her quizzically.
Once they got on the road, music blaring loudly from the radio, Gamo could feel herself relaxing somewhat.
Life was going to be alright. Everything would work out in one way or another.
The redhead comfortably ignored Nagatoro's clear disdain of the volume at which the music was playing in the small vehicle.
She needed this.
Back at the hotel, Gamo quickly split from Hayase, citing a desire to hop into the shower. She practically ran for room 404 the moment the elevator doors opened.
Once inside, Gamo was relieved to note that Yoshi wasn't around, most likely having left with Sakura to have their own fun adventure for the day.
The redhead rushed to her luggage, ripped out a shirt and sweatpants and quickly ran to the bathroom to start her immersion in water, before Nagatoro could come to the idea of talking with her.
Slowly stripping out of her clothes, Gamo took a moment to stare at her reflection in the mirror.
She had never considered herself to be all that attractive. Her curves were impressive enough for most guys to at least sneak a peek, she thought. But, in her own eyes, her face wasn't about to set anybody's world on fire. Plus, she could imagine her toned abs scaring a lot of weaker minded men off.
Not to mention her less than desired personality, which she was certain would kill most chances she would ever have to get near anyone.
Why was she even ever concerned about any of this? No one ever looked at her in such a way.
Paisen was no different.
Frustrated beyond belief by herself, Gamo bit down on her lip and stepped into the shower.
The moment she turned on the shower, ice cold water hit her bare skin, shocking her system and causing her to sharply inhale.
The pain turned her livid.
What was the point of it all? Three years of pain and misery, just for it all to potentially happen again.
What if Hayase was going to screw it all up again? This time worse than before?
Who was going to stop her? Who was going to save Naoto from her?
But what if it all works out fine?
Before the water could turn to a comfortable temperature, Gamo shut her eyes and turned the valve all the way to hot.
Within moments, she could feel scolding droplets fall on her skin, slightly searing her flesh.
All she could take was a single heartbeat, before she leaped out from beneath the torrent, pain causing her to shrink into herself.
Shivering in agony, the woman let herself fall to the floor and slowly pushed herself to the corner of the room, hoping that the cold wall tiles could bring relief to the burning sensation all along her back.
Gamo felt like a proper monster, expecting nothing but the worst from her own friend, rooting for her downfall and crying at her achievements.
She was a complete traitor of her own values, a person who'd back stab those she swore to care for, just to gain an upper hand in this war for affection.
This wasn't just about looking after Naoto. Saying so would be a naive, downright ignorant lie.
Gamo knew that she was jealous.
She knew she wanted to be the one getting ready for a dinner with Paisen.
She knew that any and all pretense she had of being there for him out of the mere goodness of her heart was a lie.
How long had this been going on? There was no way these overwhelming emotions all built up over the course of the last forty-eight hours or so.
It had to have been longer. Always at the edge of her mind.
But back then, before Hayase proved to be capable of truly monstrous acts, Gamo's heart and mind had never even allowed her to truly perceive these feelings.
Now, it was a whole different story. She didn't want Hayase anywhere near Naoto.
Not for his own safety. At least not entirely.
Gamo knew that Naoto was weak when it came to Nagatoro. The way he used to draw her alone, would show anyone just how beautiful she was in his eyes.
If the two of them were to spend enough time alone with each other, and Hayase truly managed to keep herself in check around him, there was no doubt in Gamo's mind that they'd fall in love all over again.
Let them be happy...
Gamo wrapped her still burning arms around her knees, wishing she could just stop these feelings from bursting her chest. If only she was able to support her friend like she wanted and forget about that stupidly cute, curly hair that she had for some ungodly reason ran her hand through.
The redhead gently hit her forehead against her knee, refusing to give into her desire to cry. She wasn't going to let herself be taken down like this. Tears didn't belong on her face.
An hour later, having finished showering and putting an outfit together, Nagatoro picked up her bag and left her hotel room to go and meet Naoto.
To say she felt elated and excited would have been an understatement. This was a dream come true for her. And not just any dream. It was the only dream, the same one she had every night on repeat, without fail.
It was finally happening.
Not wanting to ask Gamo for a lift, as it seemed like she was no wholly avoiding her, Nagatoro consulted her nav app to find a means to get to the decided upon restaurant via public transit.
A few minutes later, she was headed towards the train station, wondering where this evening might lead.
Half an hour later, Nagatoro had arrived at the place. It was small, but looked incredibly cozy. The lighting inside was like a warm glow, putting her mind at ease. The tables were on the smaller side, surrounded by incredibly plush looking leather couches.
She wasn't sure whether to wait outside or to go ahead and take a seat in the meantime, but it didn't warrant much further consideration, as she noticed Naoto approaching from down the road.
The man had traded out his extravagant rocker appearance for a more casual look, wearing a sleek looking, black windbreaker jacket over a basic white shirt, with his regular contact lenses, simply displaying his usual brown eyes.
Naoto began smiling as he got closer, the blush on her face telling him that she evidently preferred this look over his stage persona, which struck him as strange.
That being said, he couldn't help but look her up and down, having never seen her wearing an outfit like this before.
Nagatoro was wearing a purple jacket, zipped up to her chest, with a light orange shirt beneath it that barely covered the bottom of her sternum. A black skirt, reaching slightly past her knees, worked in tandem with her thigh high tights to keep her warm. It was quite clear that she had chosen this ensemble to have him smitten.
And he'd be lying if he said it wasn't sort of working.
Seeing her tanned skin contrasting with the tiniest spot of pale white flesh peeking out from beneath her shirt flipped a switch inside of him.
It was quite odd, to feel attraction towards the woman that had already proven once that his consent was none of her concern, to say the least. But here he was.
After all, he had already realized his fate. Why did it matter anymore?
"You look great," Naoto told her honestly, not seeing the point in being shy around her of all people, after everything she'd done.
Nagatoro grinned and slightly lowered her face to avoid eye contact. The blushing on her face became more intense as she found herself unable to respond.
Naoto didn't feel like waiting for her to recover. "Wanna go inside?"
Nagatoro nodded quickly and Naoto moved to hold the door open for her. A small gesture that, if any other guy tried on her, she'd have probably told him to beat it. But, coming from Naoto, the girl could feel herself melt internally.
Once inside, they quickly picked a nice seat off to the side, where no one would be able to really bother them.
The waitress appeared rather quickly, asking for their choice of drinks and leaving them with the menu to decide on their meal.
As Nagatoro began reading her options, Naoto let his gaze wander across the place, noting the handful of other patrons that were enjoying the calming atmosphere of the establishment.
The woman's eyes quickly darted over her menu to Naoto.
"You already know what you want?" Nagatoro asked, determined to not remain silent for the whole evening. "Didn't even see you looking at the menu."
Naoto nodded; his eyes slightly glazed over from the relaxing people watching he was doing.
"I've been here a couple of times. They got this really nice beef dish I love."
"I see," Nagatoro quietly responded, a pensive expression on her face as she continue to study her Senpai. "Maybe I should try that too then."
Naoto finally turned his head to look at her. "Nah, you can try some of mine."
Nagatoro couldn't suppress a bashful smile as she stared longingly into his eyes.
"Thanks, Senpai."
Soon enough the waitress returned and the two ordered their food, Naoto the beef dish he had mentioned, while Nagatoro went for some simple sushi.
Alone yet again, Naoto began moving his foot to the rhythm of a tune in his head. The longer his leg kept moving, the more convinced he was that there might be something there the band could work with.
Nagatoro noticed as he broke out into a small smile over the realization.
"Whatcha grinning for?" she asked with a smile of her own. She felt the intense desire to add some sort of jab at the end, tease him in some way, but she managed to push it aside.
Naoto met her gaze as his smile grew wider. "Ah, just thinking of a potential new song we could write."
Nagatoro busted out a predatory grin as she couldn't possibly pass up this opportunity.
"Oh?" she played up her confusion, putting her index finger on her lips. "What's it about? No way it's about me, right?"
Naoto, not one to miss a beat these days, immediately fired back with, "Wouldn't be a fresh idea. All of my songs are basically about you."
Nagatoro reeled internally at that revelation, not as if it would be implausible for her to come to that conclusion herself, but she had never really expected the confirmation.
And it wasn't like this was a particularly good thing for her either, as most of the songs of them that she had heard were full of bitter resent and sadness, scorned love and the wish and desire to move on.
Regardless, the message had come across clearly: Naoto would easily and without hesitation counter her attempts at teasing him, even over relatively harmless things and it would possibly sting her far more than him.
A wry smile played across Naoto's lips as he leaned back in the seat. "Why? Did you want me to write a song about you? Only the first dinner and you're already at the 'requesting a song' stage?"
Nagatoro blushed at having the situation turned on her, feeling a strange thrill at the idea of Naoto lighting a fire under her.
"Maybe I do," she replied, pursing her lips slightly, trying to look as unfazed as possible.
Naoto shut his eyes as another thought came to his mind.
It wasn't a good one.
It was chaotic evil.
It was absolutely unnecessary and he needed to say it to her.
He deserved some payback.
"Maybe," he slowly started as he leaned forward, across the table. "I should write one about Gamo. What do you think?"
Nagatoro's face quickly went pale, then immediately turned purse crimson as if she wasn't sure whether to be shocked, afraid, furious, or all of the above.
Eventually her face settled on the same dull and empty look she had given him many times before in the past, whenever she thought he or one of the girls had overstepped a line that was only hers to cross.
Nagatoro let out a fake, hollow laugh, one that would have turned him into a shaking, anxious mess years ago.
"If that's what you want," she said, a terrifying fire burning in her eyes. "I am sure she'd be happy with it."
Not willing to let her push him back the way she had done countless times before, Naoto simply nodded at her as he stirred his drink with a straw.
"I think you're right," he replied, moving to retrieve his phone from his pocket. "I'll text her and ask real quick."
Gleefully Naoto witnessed Nagatoro's panic set in, out of the corner of his eyes.
Her face once again lost all color, her eyes ballooned and her lips slightly parted as he unlocked his screen and navigated to Gamo's contacts.
As he put the first few letters of his message down, Nagatoro smacked the table with her hands to get his attention.
"S-Stop!" she begged him, angry with herself for sounding so absolutely defeated. "D-Don't do that..."
Naoto couldn't help but bask in the feeling of victory. "Why is that?"
"Because..."
Nagatoro squirmed in her seat, feeling more vulnerable than she had in the last three years. Here was the moment were three years ago, she would have made some sort of comment, remark or entendre to imply the wrongness, lewdness of the thought that her Senpai would write a dirty, perverted sonnet to a girl and harass her.
Alas, she knew that this would ruin it. She could feel that Naoto was testing her, pushing her to a point where the old Hayase would have pounced on him immediately to lower his confidence and make him weak and submissive to her.
The more she thought of her past self, the more even she came to hate herself.
Swallowing all her negative impulses and the pride of a long gone Nagatoro, she resolved to pass this and any other 'tests' Naoto would throw her way.
"B-Because it would- I- It would... make me jealous. I don't want you to write a song about her."
The tanned woman did her best to stare at the center of the table, refusing to establish eye contact for even an instance. Her fully flushed face, combined with the beads of sweat running down her forehead made it clear how much she had struggled with being this open and honest.
Naoto let out a sigh with a satisfied smile on his face.
"You know, I wanted to ask 'was that so hard', but looking at you, I think it really was."
Nagatoro wanted to kick him underneath the table but opted against it.
"Even though that was just a joke, it still hurt a little," Nagatoro admitted as she began pouting.
Naoto let out a dry chuckle. "Not sure about that 'joke' part. If you hadn't said anything, I totally would have done it."
"Stooooop"
Nagatoro put her hands on her head and tried to block his words out. He had gotten good at fighting fire with fire it seemed and it once again became obvious that she could dish out but never take any of it.
Was this going to be how Naoto saw her 'redemption' going? Constantly poke and prod at her, the same way she had done to him in the past, forcing her to remain calm and collected?
That didn't seem like something he would do.
There had been moments before, where Naoto had been able to strike back at her and fluster her into oblivion, but it was always as a counter, to get back at her for initiating nonsense in the first place.
But never had he come out swinging in a mean spirited manner, just to hurt her feelings.
Did she do this to him as well?
Had she turned Naoto into this kind of person?
The answer wasn't clear, but regardless of her level of involvement in the change, Nagatoro decided that she would take responsibility for this as well.
After all, she had vowed to love all of Naoto to the fullest.
No matter how broken.