It’s Too Early to be Having Newlywed Syndrome! ~Childhood Friends Who Rekindled their Love for Each Other ~ - 1 - 7 - Pizza and Sushi

Pizza and Sushi

When he heard that Natsuki doesn’t have a boyfriend, Naoto felt relieved for a moment.

But when he thought about it calmly, he realized that he just called Natsuki into his room, his face reddened because of the realization.

Naoto was embarrassed,

“We have resolved the thing that I called you here to discuss, so what should we do now? It is weird if you go home when you just came here.

Will you let me massage your feet?”

“Ah, hmmmm……… maybe I’ll take one later before I go home?”

“What’s with that, what do you mean?”

“I mean I’ll be staying here for a while.”

“Eeeeh……?”

“I was the one who got told to come to this room today, so I’ll have no reservations. After all, Morita-kun is the one who told me to come here immediately.”

“That’s because, when I was reading an article about cystitis, I read that ‘You should cut back on times spent flirting with your partner.’ I thought that I should tell you immediately or else you’ll end up doing it with your boyfriend.”

“You’re worried about me?”

“Well, yeah……”

“Are you happy I don’t have a boyfriend?”

“I’m relieved. I thought that’s good.”

“That’s it?”

“Eh?”

“Aren’t boys like, always thinking of asking a girl out once they learned they don’t have boyfriends or such……”

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that.”

Naoto frankly said.

“I once troubled a girl because of my misunderstanding. I deeply regretted it, that’s why I always make sure not to misunderstand a girl’s intentions when they talk to me even if it’s just a short chat.

That’s why you can rely on me without worry. I know that it would be rude to Oshida-san if I accompany you with such thoughts.”

As Naoto said that, he smiled in order to reassure Natsuki.

Natsuki felt her chest tighten.  There’s something with Naoto’s smile that is different from his usual one, but she can’t quite point out what it is. But for some reason, Natsuki felt that Naoto seems to be crying on the inside.

“……have I asked something I shouldn’t have?”

“No, it’s fine with me.

Oshida-san, you know, whenever a guy is getting too enthusiastic by himself, you should feel disgusted, think of the guy as too depressing, please.”

Seeing Naoto’s bashful smile, Natsuki smiled herself.

Thank goodness. It’s Morita-kun’s usual smile.

“Eh—-, that’s not disgusting at all. Rather, I’m actually happy.”

“No, I got into a panic when I read an article about cystitis and called you here without thinking, and I even went so far as to ask you if you have a boyfriend.

Just say anytime your uncomfortable with it, okay?”

“It’s fine, I’m glad, you know.

In fact, I should be the one who should be looking up about newlywed syndrome, I’m sorry to have you take the trouble.”

“It’s perfectly fine, I read that it’s hard to grab anything whenever it hurts.

And it’s not like I searched about it because of pure worry. It’s the first time I heard about newlywed syndrome so half of it was just my curiosity being piqued. Like this, while cleaning my ears and yawning.”

Saying that while hiding his embarrassment, Naoto picked up an earpick and put it in his ear.

“An earpick, feels good, right?”

“That’s not it. Since about a week ago, I keep hearing something rustling on my right ear whenever I lie on my side.”

“What’s with that, for the whole week?”

“It do happen sometimes, right?”

“It doesn’t. Whenever I feel something weird in my ear I have my mom clean it for me.”

“I see, so that’s how you do it in your family.”

“Let me take a look.”

Natsuki took a peek at Naoto’s ear.

“Ah—……”

Natsuki said like she had put it together.

“Eh. What? Is something weird in there? You don’t have to look that much if it looks disgusting, okay?”

Without answering Naoto’s question, Natsuki took the earpick from him, sat in seiza on a floor cushion and said ‘Come here’ to Naoto while tapping on her lap.

“Even if you tell me to go there”

Naoto hesitated while looking at Natsuki’s lap like he was looking at a bright scenery.

Under her skirt, she wore thighs to keep herself warm. It would feel like heaven if I lie there. ——but is it alright?

“You like getting you ear cleaned, right? Here, don’t be reserved.”

Seeing Natsuki beckon him with a smile, he became embarrassed thinking that his the only one thinking of something else about the situation.

While he’s approaching Natsuki’s legs nervously,

“Then……”

He said and lied on his side, putting his head on Natsuki’s lap. Natsuki’s scent was enough to turn Naoto’s face red.

“……You know, I think I’m getting better. It’s all thanks no Morita-kun.”

Natsuki said in a joyful voice while cleaning Naoto’s ear.

“Really? I wasn’t able to come up with a good idea, though

Besides, does cystitis heal that fast?”

“I’m absolutely sure that I’m recovering. Look, I’m sitting in seiza and bending my body forward but it doesn’t hurt at all. Last week, my stomach will immediately grumble on pain even if all I’m doing is just sitting on the table playing with my smartphone.

I read that in cases like mine, having a sense of relief is important for recovering. I think that because I believe in the fact that Morita-kun will be there for me whenever I’m in need, it made me feel better.”

“I’m glad if that’s the case.”

“Once I’m all healed up, I’m gonna order myself some pizza and eat it with a cold soda. ……Ahhhhh, I’m looking down right now so I’m drooling.”

Natsuki wiped her mouth with her free hand.

Because of cystitis, Natsuki was refraining from eating most of her favorite foods and drinks: stimulants, carbonated drinks, cheese, spicy foods, anything with tomatoes. Pizza is just one of the foods that she wants to eat once she completely recovered.

“That why, you know, I’m actually doing my best so that I’ll be completely recovered by Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, I’m planning on having a total recovery celebration party. Well, I call it a party, but it’ll actually just be the two of us, won’t you eat pizza with me?

I asked Morita-kun’s mom just in case, but you still like meat pizza, don’t you?”

“I do want to eat me some pizza. They’re my favorite.”

“Then it’s a date. It will be my treat so eat a lot, okay?”

“Is it really okay that I don’t pitch in?”

“Well, I’ve been in your care. It’s just right that I treat you…… Okay, done.”

With the ear cleaning session done, Naoto stood up.

“Look, this must be the thing causing the rustling in your ear. It’s quiet spread out. So this must be reverberating in your ears.”

Natsuki pointed at the earwax she placed in a tissue paper.

“Oh, thanks. It feels like the weird rustling is gone now.”

“If you hear that weird rustling again, tell me, okay?”

“I might really take you up on that offer. Weird sounds often ring in my ear from time to time. I haven’t asked my parents to have my ear cleaned even once, so I think they will not be good at it.”

“Ah, this looks like a picture of you when you’re not yet in grade school. Do you have an album full of these?”

“I don’t think I have that kind of things in my room.”

Naoto said while checking the small bookshelf on his desk.

“What’s this?”

Finding a fancy stationery that is out of place in a boy’s desk, Natsuki pulled it out from the bookshelf.

‘Oh crap’, Naoto thought.

“That’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like that to me. Can I take a look?”

“No, it might not be okay to take a look.”

“Eh—-what?! A love letter? Is it from a girlfriend?”

“I have no such thing as a girlfriend. That’s no love letter, it’s just a letter of gratitude.”

Natsuki was not convinced with Naoto’s explanation.

“Sounds suspicious, there’s no way this is just a letter to say thanks!”

“Um, you remember the story of the Onee-san from my part-time work, right? The one who had a stomachache.”

“Un.”

“When I told her that its dangerous for her health if she keeps holding back, she gave me that letter as thanks. There’s nothing special written there, but there are such things like menstrual pain related topics written, so it might be rude to her. I’ll try asking her permission if she’ll let me show it to you.”

Hearing that, Natsuki remembered a question she had wanted to ask about.

“You know, Morita-kun, you’re very close with that Onee-san right? Enough that you can talk about things such as a girl’s period. How long have you been acquainted?”

“We’re not that close, though. Um, when did they hire part-timers again………just 2 months, I think?”

“Do you talk often?”

“No, she’s a temp after all. Most off the time, our shifts are not in sync. That’s why weren’t able to have a talk that much. Were of different age and gender as well. So until recently we haven’t really talked. Until she suddenly treated me to dinner with her.”

“Why did she treat you to dinner?”

“That’s, I don’t really have an idea of why as well. For some reason, she just told me something along the lines of ‘I’ll treat you to dinner on the way home, so won’t you join me?’, well, I don’t really have a reason to refuse.

After we ate, she told me in a low voice ‘I’m in the worst time of my period, it’s terrible.’ Maybe she invited me to dinner to have someone to release her complaints to.

That was the first time she told me that she doesn’t go to the restroom while at work. The fact that she doesn’t feel well that day, and that she also didn’t go to the restroom that day, I surprised because I haven’t really noticed at all.”

“From the sound of it, it looks like she completely trusts you.”

“It was my first time being in a conversation about monthly periods, moreover she told me after dinner which surprised me, but I don’t think she trusts me that much. She was the only woman on our shift that day, so maybe she just chose a brat like me to gripe to because she has no other options. She is an onee-san, so maybe she doesn’t see me as a man, maybe she thought it will be less embarrassing to talk it with me then.”

Is that really it? Natsuki thought.

Would one just delay going home during the most painful time of their period just to invite someone they thought nothing of before to dinner? If they just want to complain to someone, it’s more sensible to go home immediately and call a female friend over the phone or such. Even if I’m using a low voice, I won’t be able to just straight up talk to the opposite sex about menstrual periods, and at a restaurant at that…….

“Hmmmmmmm……”

Natsuki, who was caught up in her thoughts, groaned.

“How about going to my workplace next time?

I’ll ask Onee-san if I can show you the letter. I have an employee discount coupon with me, but acquaintances can use it as well. You will get unlimited soup as well.”

“Speaking of which, where is your part-time job?”

“It’s a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, but is it okay for someone with cystitis to eat sushi? Will you be alright?”

“I want to eat sushi!”

Natsuki, whose favorite food is sushi, suddenly became chipper.