“College is a time to experiment.” I’m pretty sure it was Ryosuke who first told me this. I think at the time he was trying to get me to buy into some kinky Fetish he wanted me to do, but still maybe he was right.

When I first started going out with him, I had this picture that the two of would have this romantic relationship, holding hands, moonlit walks on the beach, sipping milk shakes with two straws from the same glass. We did have some of that, but there was this more confusing side to our relationship. One thing was when I first arrived in Oceanview, he’d already been here for two years, so there were other girls he maybe dated or… I don’t know… did whatever with. I didn’t ask for details. Honestly, I didn’t want to know.

I had met at least two of these women: Masayo and Kiyomi. It was weird because even though he was with me, I think these two in particular still liked him. I went camping with Ryosuke, Kiyomi and her new boyfriend Eden, and that was so messed up. Eden was just weird. He’d been spying on us, and then he got all excited, and told us these crazy stories about what he was dreaming. I don’t know what he thought was going to happen between the four of us. Partner swapping? An orgy? A foursome? It was a bit hard to imagine. Anyway, I was just glad to get back to Oceanview, and have things go back to normal. I’ll tell you that whole story some time.

My intention, my plan was just to keep things simple. I liked Ryosuke. Any other guys I knew would just be friends. As long as they understood that, things could work. That was still true more or less, but as I’ll explain, it sometimes got complicated. Anyway, I shouldn’t blame this on Ryosuke. What did happen was my doing, my bad. Sometimes I get carried away, and end up getting into trouble. Life is never simple.

I think the summer after my freshman year was when I first met Takuya and his best friend Hiro. The two of them were Japanese exchange students, living in my friend Satomi’s dorm for the summer. Takuya is very tall, like I mean American-size tall, and he’s funny, the way he acts. Maybe he does it on purpose. He’s not movie star handsome. He wears horn-rimmed glasses, but he does have a certain kindness in his face, something you wouldn’t expect from the way he talks. He has dreams too. He wants to be a movie director. I can appreciate that, being creative I mean, having big dreams. I like movies too.

Hiro is much shorter, maybe even shorter than me, but he is very cute like a Japanese pop idol. He’s a little bit nervous, and gets himself in trouble, but after coming to America, he relaxed, and matured a bit. He’d make a nice boyfriend for someone I thought. Satomi was a bit interested in Hiro. Just to help her out, I used to hang around with the three of them, be her wing-woman or whatever.

My relationship (if you can call it that) with Takuya was pretty much of a non-starter at first. He proclaimed quite loudly that he did not like “older women.” He was 18, and I was like 21 when we first met. I’d really never encountered this before, being treated as “older” I mean, and it bothered me. It almost felt like a challenge, to win him over, show him what it was like to go out with someone with a bit more experience.

I hung around Satomi’s dorm a lot that summer. When Satomi would go to sleep early, I’d come down to the common room, and sit with the group of them, Takuya, Hiro, Jorge and Ricardo, their Mexican friends. We’d mostly just watch TV, and chat making jokes about whatever came on. The boys would be drinking, and offer me beers, but I don’t drink beer. I don’t drink much at all actually.

One night Takuya brought me a can of a drink I’d never seen before. It said yogurt peachtree fizz or something like that on the label. I thought it was just a yogurt drink, but after I drank it, I felt lightheaded. It must have had peach liqueur in it. The details of that night are a bit hazy, but after the others went to bed, I have this vague memory of Takuya asking me what my sexual fantasies are. I don’t remember now exactly what I told him. I probably shouldn’t have told him anything, but like I said, I might have been a bit drunk.

Then one day, I went up to Satomi’s room, and found her talking with Takuya and Hiro. I said hi, and chatted a bit, and then out of the blue, Takuya asks,

“Hey. Do you girls want to go out sometime?”

I was a bit surprised. I thought he was interested in some Portuguese girl in his English class.

“Like where?” Satomi asked. I knew that Satomi is a bit interested in Hiro, and I wanted to help her.

“How about the beach?” I suggested.

“The beach? Not again!” Satomi moaned. I often drag her to the beach, but we’d never been with these two.

“Or maybe we could go shopping first,” I singsonged. “I want to get a new swimsuit.”

“We just bought new suits!” she protested. Even though it sounded like a complaint, she looks cute when she says these things, blinking her big eyes, batting her eyelashes. I think she likes to make a big deal about little things, overreact. That’s just part of her sense of humor.

“Yeah, but you never wear yours, and mine is a bit too…”

“Too what?” Takuya perked up. I was tempted to say ‘indecent.’ One suit I’d bought had an indented seam that runs along the crack of my yoohoo. I couldn’t very well wear that in front of Takuya and Hiro. They already have the impression that I’m a bit of a ‘bad’ girl. A lot of people in Oceanview, my host family, my classmates, seem to think I’m a good girl. Who knows? Maybe I’m a bit of both.

“Anyway, I want a new suit,” I insisted.

“OK. When?” Hiro asked.

“Saturday maybe around 10, 10:30?” I suggested.

“Sounds good. Let’s do it!” Takuya beamed.

That Saturday, I woke up, had a Shower, and came back to my room to decide what to wear. That was still early days, so I hadn’t completely Americanized my wardrobe yet. I did have a comfy white stretch cotton t-shirt and a pair of stone-wash blue jean shorts, kind of coming apart at the bottom. Nothing fancy. I kind of wanted Satomi to be the star of the show. She’s the one without a boyfriend. I pulled on a bra and panties, plain white, and then my shorts and t-shirt. I did put on a black hair band around my wrist and my black leather choker with a bell and a ribbon bow on it because I thought they look cute. When I went downstairs, I pulled on my tan sandals, and buckled them up. I brought a little purse with my smartphone, sunglasses, a baseball cap and other stuff inside.

I took a bus downtown, and met them at the entrance of the largest mall in Oceanview. Satomi came early. She was wearing a turquoise sweater and white pants, a bit baggy, but cute I guess. Takuya was wearing a cap and a navy suit jacket over a grey hoodie, his movie director look I guess. Hiro must have spent hours on his hair. I began to fool with my own long hair, a bit self-conscious. I checked myself in a mirror. I looked OK I guess.

We paired off, Takuya walking next to me, and Hiro with Satomi.

“They make a cute couple,” I whispered to Takuya.

“What? Who? Hiro and Satomi?” He seemed surprised.

“All they need is a little time alone together.”

He mulled this over.

Once we walked down further, this girl cried out,

“Takuya! Hiro! Over here.”

The girl was Japanese, around the same age as Takuya. She was a ‘Gyaru,’ a ‘Ganguro,’ a girl with a deep tan and hair dyed blonde. She had on bright pink lipstick, silver eye shadow and lots of mascara. She wore a tight-fitting bubblegum pink halter, hip-hugger jeans and a low-slung gold belt. You don’t see a lot of girls dressed like this in the States, but I’d seen them before in Tokyo. It was quite the trend at one point.

“Ooh, Yuuki. How’s it going?” Takuya smiled.

Satomi didn’t look so happy that they knew this girl. I knew Takuya likes girls, but I guess we hadn’t really seen them hanging around with other girls in the dorm.

“Who are your friends?” Yuuki asked Takuya.

“This is Emi, and that’s Satomi. Satomi lives in our dorm on campus.”

“Nice to meet you,” Yuuki smiled, sticking out her hand for me to shake. I took it, surprised she was so friendly. Maybe she wasn’t after Takuya after all.

“Yuuki here runs her own store,” Takuya explained, pointing to a cart in the middle of the plaza. It was mostly Japanese character goods: Hello Kitty or Sailor Moon smartphone cases, purses or umbrellas. I’d seen similar things in other stores in Los Angeles. I was impressed by her drive. Here she was fresh out of high school and a businesswoman already.

“I don’t actually run it,” Yuuki told us. “I just take care of it for Mr. Kishitani. He brings all the stuff over from Japan. Is there anything you are looking for?”

“We came here to shop for swimsuits,” I told her.

“Oh, I’m afraid I don’t have any swimsuits. Maybe I could get Mr. Kishitani to order some. What kind are you looking for?”

Yuuki was quite the salesgirl. Guys who passed by would turn to look at her. I guess that’s why she dressed in such a glitzy way. She was trying to attract customers.

“No, that’s OK,” I told her. “I think there’s a swimwear store in the mall.”

“Bikini Typhoon!” she exclaimed. “Yeah, it’s just down the way a little.”

Takuya and Hiro kept talking with Yuuki, but I wanted to get moving, so I grabbed Satomi’s sleeve, and signaled her we should go.

“Hey! Listen, guys. We’re going on ahead.”

Takuya paused for a second, but then told Yuuki,

“I guess we’d better go too. Anyway, nice to see you, Yuuki.”

“Drop by anytime,” she purred. Satomi seemed pretty jealous, but I think she was worrying about nothing. They didn’t seem that close anyway.

“Are you guys shopping for anything?” I asked.

“No, not really. We just thought we’d hang with you,” Takuya grinned. Satomi looked a bit nervous. I took her hand, nodding that it would be alright.

We walked down a bit further, and found Bikini Typhoon. I’d been here before with Ryosuke. The salesclerk this time was an American woman, perky and smartly dress. She said hi when we walked in. The inside was done up in a Polynesian theme with these really brightly colored swimsuits and pareos and Hawaiian music playing. It reminded me of when I lived in Hawaii.

“Can I help you?” the saleswoman asked us. Her name tag said Patricia.

“Some kind of one-piece maybe,” Satomi murmured shyly. Takuya rolled his eyes. Most of the girls on the beach in Oceanview wear these skimpy little bikinis. Patricia did manage to find some one-pieces for Satomi to try.

I looked to see what else they had. I was hoping to get a colorful suit: bright orange or lime green. They didn’t have exactly what I was looking for, but I picked out a pink and yellow floral pattern one and another lavender one. There was a solid pink one that caught my eye, but it looked a bit small, not much material to it. Maybe I’d better try the others first.

I took the other two suits, and headed back to the fitting rooms. Takuya and Hiro had already followed Satomi to the back, and were lingering around outside her booth.

“Hey! Give the girl some privacy,” I barked.

“What?” Satomi asked from behind the curtain.

“It’s OK, Satomi. They’re backing off.”

Takuya and Hiro moved away, and I went into my own booth. I suddenly remembered this booth. The time Ryosuke and I came, we’d actually made Love here. I blushed at the memory. We don’t usually make out in stores, but we kind of got carried away that day. I don’t know what got into me. I guess it was more Ryosuke’s idea, but still… I was getting Hot just thinking about it.

The curtains on these booths were kind of flimsy, so I peeked out trying to see where the boys had got to. I tried to move away from the door, but there was a full-length mirror on the back wall showing my reflection. There was nowhere to hide.

“How are you getting along over there?” I called over to Satomi.

“I’m almost ready,” she said cheerfully. It was good that she wasn’t freaked out by the curtains. Maybe I’m overreacting. I hung the bikinis on the hook. The floral one had side ties, so I decided to try on the more conservative lavender one first. I glanced back out the opening, but I couldn’t see the boys. I hope they’re not peeking in on Satomi. Suddenly, Takuya’s booming voice rang out.

“If either of you girls needs any help, I’d be glad to oblige. I work for Mizuno.”

I laughed. Mizuno is a famous maker of swimsuits in Japan.

“Oh really?” I teased. “You never mentioned that. When was this?”

“Oh, for a couple of years now. I’m in the ladies fitting department.”

So funny. He is a funny guy. I relaxed, and unbuckled my sandals.

“They taught me how to do up those little hooks at the back of the bra part,” he went on. “There’s a trick to it, you know.” I guess he could hear me giggling away at his silliness. I do like guys with a sense of humor.

I pulled my t-shirt off up over my head, unbuckled my sandals, and kicked them off, and then undid the button on my shorts. I slid them down my legs, and stepped out of them, feeling a twinge of excitement, standing here in my undies.

“Would you like me to show you?” Takuya offered cheerfully.

“Mine’s a one-piece,” Satomi reminded us. “It doesn’t have any hooks.”

“Emi?” he said, peering in at me through the opening. I’d just taken off my bra, but I held it against my breasts until he backed away again. He was a cheeky little devil. I kept watching the opening as I pulled down my panties, and took them off. It felt so weird stripping naked knowing they were standing right there.

Suddenly, I heard Satomi’s curtain open, and the two boys let out a whoop.

“Ooooh!”

I wanted to see too, so I pulled the curtain around my naked body, and stuck my head out. Satomi’s swimsuit was more conservative than the ones I’d picked out, but it was cut fairly high up her legs. She kind of hid her hips with her hands, embarrassed. Patricia came back, and looked at Satomi.

“Do you have anything a little more… I don’t know…?” Satomi blushed.

“A little less revealing?” Patricia said. “That’s sort of the fashion now. It’s supposed to make your legs look longer.”

“Can I see the back?” I asked, still holding the curtain around my body. Satomi reluctantly turned around, and showed us. Satomi has fairly wide hips, and the swimsuit was hugging her pudgy rear quite snugly. She looked so sexy. Takuya and Hiro exchanged smiles.

“If you don’t like the high cut legs, maybe you should try a bikini,” I suggested. I’d been trying to get Satomi to buy a bikini. She looked over at Hiro, and he nodded his agreement. Takuya looked over this way, peering over my shoulder into my fitting room. I suddenly realized he was staring at my bare bottom in the mirror. Oh my god!

“What’s your swimsuit like, Emi?” he teased, knowing full well I wasn’t wearing one.

“Han- han- hang on,” I stammered. I pulled the curtain closed as fast as I could. My heart was pounding in my chest. I honestly hadn’t meant to flash him. He just kind of peeked in when I wasn’t paying attention. I was so embarrassed.

I wanted to change, but Takuya was still right there.

“I can’t very well change with you watching!” I fumed. He raised an eyebrow, trying to think up a witty retort, but ultimately, bowed his head, and backed away.

“Take your time,” he quipped. It was hard to know what to make of Takuya. He knows I have a boyfriend, but he’s always like this. I guess I’m not completely innocent. I’d teased him a few times too. He is such a joker it’s hard to take him seriously. He reminds me of Ryosuke in some ways.

Once Takuya backed off, I turned, and got the lavender bikini from its hanger. I quickly pulled on the bottoms and bra. The suit looked OK, but was a bit big for my liking. There’s no point in showing it to the others. I stripped out of it, but by then, Satomi was back.

“Are you ready yet?” she asked me.

“Ju- ju- just a sec,” I stammered, rushing to get the other bikini off its hanger. Before I knew it, she pulled my curtain back a little, peeking in. “Careful!” I cried. “Takuya’s right there!”

Sure enough, Takuya crowded closer, getting yet another glimpse at my naked body. I turned my back to them, but with the mirror here, they could see my bush and breasts in the reflection.

“Oops. Sorry. I didn’t realize you were naked,” Satomi blushed, pulling the curtain closed again. I was so annoyed. That’s twice that Takuya’s seen me naked. What does a girl have to do to get some privacy here? I sat down on the little stool, and breathed in deep. I was getting so Horny by then.

I tried to calm down, but my heart was beating away, a mile a minute. Trying to relax, I finally pulled on the pink and yellow flower bikini. It was a bit revealing, but not unreasonably so. I took another deep breath, and then went out to show them.

Takuya and Hiro broke out into wide grins. Satomi covered her mouth. I don’t think the bikini was indecent or anything. Maybe they were just reacting to the long ties at the side and back.

“What? What’s wrong?” I asked.

“You look…,” Takuya started to say. Patricia came back, and asked,

“How is it?”

“I don’t know. My friends don’t like it,” I told her. Takuya was about to correct me, but I’d had enough. I turned tail, and headed back into the fitting room. I felt a bit frustrated. I honestly wanted to buy a new swimsuit, but couldn’t seem to find the right one. I took off the bikini top, pulled my t-shirt back on, and then took off the bottoms. Then I suddenly remembered the pink bikini I saw earlier.

“Satomi? Satomi?” I called out.

“I’m changing,” she answered.

I peeked out. Takuya and Hiro were still here. I felt kind of naughty standing here with no bottoms on, but I kept my lower half hidden behind the curtain.

“Could one of you bring me that pink bikini over there from the far wall?” I asked.

They quickly scurried off, but Hiro brought back a different one.

“That’s more of a cream color,” I corrected him. Takuya brought another.

“No, that’s peach. Pink is brighter, like bubblegum.”

They didn’t know their colors. I wanted to go get the suit, but I wasn’t sure if I was decent or not. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. Maybe my t-shirt is long enough. Who knows? The two boys continued to point at suits.

“No, no, not that one. Not that one either.” I began to wonder if they were doing it on purpose, pointing to every possible swimsuit except the one I wanted. I probably should have pulled my shorts on. Patricia was off at the front, and Satomi still changing, so I slid my feet into my sandals, and buckled them up. I cautiously stepped out, nervously fingering the hem which was floating up at a dangerous height.

I don’t think Takuya nor Hiro realized I was bottomless at first, but I was starting to get excited. The feeling of the air between my legs was making me all tingly. The two of them were right here, and down the aisle, I could see people walking by in the mall. I sure hope they don’t notice me. I’d better make this quick.

I looked up at the wall trying to find the pink bikini. It was way up on one of the top hangers. If I went to lift my arm to point to it though, that would drag the hem of my t-shirt up, exposing my bare behind. Takuya had already seen me naked, but I wasn’t sure how Hiro would react. There were other guys in the store here and there.

I just stood there for the longest time, wavering. I knew I shouldn’t be out here dressed like this. Takuya and Hiro were looking at me expectantly, and I did want that suit. Not really sure what would happen, I slowly lifted my arm, and pointed at it. Takuya’s eyes shot down to my delicate little derriere. He nudged Hiro to check me out. I was trying to get them to fetch the bikini, but they were too distracted by my nudity. I felt this wave of embarrassment wash over me.

If I had any sense, I would have covered back up, but I was so excited. Giddy at my own naughtiness, I strode over, and stretched way up on tiptoe trying to grab the suit’s hanger. I could feel the air swirling all around my bare bottom, so I knew they could see. Hiro fell or something knocking over a clothes rack which crashed to the floor with a horrible bang.