The story continues...

(chapter originally by faith on writing.com)

"Damn! Wow! Go Akihiko-senpai!" Junpei exclaimed in awe as Akihiko left with the pair of naked beauties in tow. "Who knew he had it in him to beat the ice queen at her own game?"

Junpei's excitement and joy died when he glanced at the trio still beside him. Aegis, predictably, was looking at him with her usual blank look of impassive observation. Minako and Yukari had inched away from everyone else, posing their bookbags to hide their chests, and pressed their legs together while stooping over. The pair kept fidgeting in that awkward posture, their body language begging viewers not to stare and knowing they would anyway. Minako, however, was doing a poor job at keeping herself "hidden", her brow frequently furrowing in thoughts that were occasionally interrupted by a blush and a readjustment of her bag to (which was periodically "slipping" as she became distracted and allowed her hands to lower to book ladened weight)...only to slip back into thought. Yukari, in contrast, held her precious bag over her chest firmly as if it were an iron shield defending her life. Her eyes were locked firmly on Junpei, her legs clamped tightly together to blot out the view of her unprotected lower parts. And judging by the look of humiliation fueled fury on her face, she was the only one who had heard his comment.

"Are you really standing there giving props for him talking his way into molesting your naked upperclassman?" Yukari growled.

"Oh, come on, I didn't mean it like that! But seriously, she totally had it comin' after that whole bath thing." Junpei said.

"The whole bath thing where you idiots tried to peek at us naked?" Yukari thundered.

"Uhh, he just said he forget about the time. If he'd been allowed to explain-"

"Oh yeah. You're right! Akihiko-senpai wasn't trying to peek. THAT WAS YOUR IDEA!" Yukari practically screamed.

"Oh. Yeah. Uhhh...I kinda hoped you hadn't heard that part." Junpei said with a bit of chagrin.

"I swear if I had my hands free...right...now..." Yukari trailed off glancing at her bookbag and back up at Junpei, both of them blushing as they were reminded of WHY she didn't have her hands free.

Yukari pressed her lips together, growing beat red and trembling. "TURN AROUND!!" She screamed, the **** of her declaration causing her frame to 'hop' and her anatomy to leap up and down in front of Junpei's eyes.

"Right! Yeah! Sorry!" Junpei said, whirling around and trying to act like he hadn't just burned the vision of her bouncing body into his brain forever. "You...uh...know this is a temporary solution, right? I mean, even if I try my best all day not to look its still gonna happen!"

"Shut up! Don't hand me those weak excuses!"

"Someone's being taking notes from Mitsuru-senpai..."

"Shut up! And listen! You are going to walk down this hall, in front of us, and if I see that big round head of yours turn a centimeter more than 'straight ahead' I'm lodging this bookbag right in your eye socket! We clear?" Yukari said.

"Yeah. Crystal." Junpei muttered. "Like its my fault you showed up without-"

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Fine. Let's go..."

"Ryoji...." Minako muttered.

"Eh?" The embarrassed pair ended their verbal sparring match.

"Ryoji wasn't there...in the hot springs. He should have been, but he wasn't..." Minako paused.

"Uhhh...I dunno who this Ryuji guys you keep talking about is, but it was just me and Akihiko that night. You okay, Mina-chan? Aside from the whole naked thing?" Junpei asked.

"Yeah, Leader. Your...acting weird...and not in the usual 'embarrass myself' way..." Yukari said. "We scoured every inch of that bath. If there was anybody else there we would have found them."

"Neither of you remember him? Ryoji Mochizuki? Transfer student? Really tall, kind of pale, dresses in black and white with an enormous scarf? Huge pervert and incredibly terrible at talking to people, especially girls?"

Both shook their head, sharing a quick glance of concern before Yukari began to glare and Junpei apologetically looked away (almost suppressing the grin on his face at the same time).

"This is surreal. It feels like I'm trying to remember a vivid dream. But it also feels...you...you guys go on ahead! I need to use the restroom!" Minako said, suddenly bolting away from the group.

"Hey! Wait!" Junpei and Yukari said at once.

"I will follow her. Please get to class as instructed." Aegis said immediately, moving to pursue the brown haired girl without waiting for a response.

"What the heck was all that about?" Junpei asked.

"You think I know? You know she never talks about herself. She's always listening or asking questions, or running off to do whatever the hell she does at night. She's always happy and cheerful and never says anything about if she's worried about the mission or...or anything. She keeps her burdens to herself, and picks up everyone else's along the way." Yukari said, an unexpected lump of bitterness bubbling up inside her. "You'd think that'd change when...this stuff happened! But she doesn't even talk to her lovers!"

Yukari felt a hand on her shoulder, realizing at the same time there was water falling from her eyes. "D-don't touch me!" She snapped, pulling away from Junpei.

"I wasn't...I was just trying ta...okay, look! Your naked! Your naked and your in the same school and the same class as me! And yeah, its awkward as hell! But you gotta get over it...or at least accept that I'm gonna be here interacting with you and that means I'll be seeing you! Just how it is, all right? We can't just do this crap all day!" Junpei snapped.

"Oh yeah." Yukari muttered, viciously wiping away her tears. "Like this isn't a big dream come true for you!"

"All right. Fine. You wanna hear the truth? Your like, easily one of the hottest girls on campus hands down, and some of the only people who give your body any real competition all happen to have trotted along beside you in the buff this morning! And yeah, me and every other guy on the planet who has any interest in a girl has imagine this exact scenario play out since puberty! You know what else, Yuka-tan? Even with all the hiding and me looking away, I've still pretty much already seen all of you and I'm happy I did!"

"Pervert!"

"Look who's talking! Correct me if I'm wrong, but basic biology says a girl doesn't get her naughty bits stiffened up like that unless she really likes it. If you know what I mean." Junpei smiled.

"I told you not to look!"

"Yeah, well, I had a split second glimpse. And that's all it takes. Your horny as hell, and its obvious to everyone who looks at you." Junpei said, crossing his arms.

"You....you..." Yukari had no retort.

"Yuka-tan...look. You got my number. I'm a perv. I like thinking about girls and how good they look, especially without much on. That's just how I work. It doesn't mean that all I'm about. Your still my friend, clothes or no clothes. I won't promise I won't give you lots of attention. But I'm not gonna hurt you, and I wanna help if you've got problems."

"Junpei...I...this isn't easy, okay? Can't you just..."

"Look, I can find a line between being a complete jerk and walking on eggshells around you, okay? Its not like I'm the only one who's seen you like this."

"I know that! But most of them I don't know!" Yukari asked.

"Hey...Yuka-tan...none of them tried to...nobody's tried to hurt you during all this, have they?"

"What do you...oh. No. Nobody...I mean, we've done LOTS of things to each other, and I think half the city at this point knows what it feels like to squeeze one part of me or another! But...no. The only times anyone's tried to be...more intimate than feeling me up have all been...if I wanted them to. Wouldn't pick have the places and times its happened! But...its not anything I would have regretted doing minus the audience."

"Okay. Good. If anybody bothers you, though, tell me, okay? They won't try it again." Junpei said grimly.

Yukari glanced at the boy in the baseball cap. Since the early days she had heaped scorn and derision his way. Something about him just reminded her of the men her mother would bring home. But there was more to the boy. Minako had mentioned with admiration how he had hunted down a kid taking unwanted pictures of her. He had always been headstrong, but also kind and protective. She had to admit, he was a sweetheart under the dumb jokes and outbursts. Dumb as a brick sometimes, but sweet.