It’s Too Early to be Having Newlywed Syndrome! ~Childhood Friends Who Rekindled their Love for Each Other ~

500-yen Date!

When Naoto came back from the restroom, Natsuki was not in her room, the food is gone as well.

Naoto thought, could she be warming it up so my stomach won’t get cold?

But is it really alright? Did something happen? Was her father suspecting her or something?

Naoto became uneasy, he hurriedly checked if his clothes and hair is in order, he then waited for the door to open while sitting in seiza.

“I’m baaa- er, why are you in seiza? Did something happen in the restroom?”

Natsuki returned with the food on a plate. Just as Naoto’s first guess, she just warmed up the food.

“Thanks for warming it up. I’m fine. More importantly, is your father still awake?”

After sitting in front of the table cross-legged, Naoto immediately took a bite on a slice of pizza. Naoto was so happy that Natsuki took the time to warm up the pizza up for him, that he thought he should eat it immediately.

“He’s watching tv right now.”

“Wasn’t he mad? Like, because I didn’t greet him or anything.”

Naoto can’t help but be anxious about Natsuki’s father.

“It’s perfectly fine. I told him I won’t be needing New Year’s money next year so let me do anything I want just for today, after all.”

“You said what?! Didn’t he ask you anything? Like, who you will be with?”

“He didn’t ask me anything. Though he might ask mom afterwards.”

“Then, he’ll find out about me, won’t he?”

“I think it’ll be alright even if he finds out about you.

Before, while were eating together, when I told dad, ‘When I think about how I want to recover as soon as possible because Morita-kun is worried about me, it makes holding back from eating my favorite foods less difficult’, he went and sang praises about you.”

“That, if it’s Natsuki any guy would worry. Is there something praiseworthy about that?”

“I told him how very genuine you are in worrying about me. Then, when I told them what happened in the cab, they intently asked about what you said.”

“What about the cab?”

When Naoto heard about the cab, the first thing that crossed into his mind was them holding each other’s hand.

“You know, ‘I don’t want you to have reservations about going to the restroom, but am I being a nuisance?’ or something like that.”

“Uwa——, I sounded as if I’m your boyfriend or something.”

“Well, you are my boyfriend.”

“Right now, yes, but not yet at the time we took the cab. Even though were just classmates back then, I acted like I’m so full of myself.”

“Rather than you being full of yourself, he said that what you did back then was actually admirable. When I told him about the 500-yen coin, he was amazed at how you already know the value of money even though you’re still young. He even told me to follow your example.”

“Eeeh—-? Doesn’t it sound like you’re deceiving your father, Natsuki?”

“I’m not deceiving him; I’m just telling the whole truth.”

“No, you didn’t even say a single bad thing about me. For instance, when I called you out in the hallway with saying ‘Could you come with me for a bit?’ with no delicacy whatsoever.”

“I did, and when I told them how I got mad at you because of that even though you gathered all of your courage just to say it, dad told me how I’m being ungrateful to you.”

“That’s why, when you say something like how I gathered all of my courage, you make it look like I’m a good person. It’ll be problematic later.”

“You’re a good person, though.”

“That’s not true.”

“A bad person would not be super worried about someone who has cystitis, nor would they be treasuring a mere 500-yen coin, in my opinion.”

“I’ve been thinking of using that 500 yen, actually.”

“Why?”

“I’ve spoken with the person who gave it to me recently. He told me ‘You can use it however you like since I gave it to you. Money is meant to be spent, after all.’”

That’s why I said back then ‘Once I find something important to spend it on, I will.’”

“Un, un.”

“Because of me, Natsuki won’t be receiving New Year’s money anymore, right?

So I think of spending the 500 yen on something important for you. If I spent the 500 yen on a date with you, wouldn’t you say I spent it for something important?”

“You know, I’m quite happy for that.”

Seeing how glad Natsuki felt about it, Naoto also felt glad.

“I think that the person who gave it to me will also agree that I use it this way.”

“Un, I think he will surely do.”

“But we might not have an enjoyable date with just 500 yen. Is that alright?”

Naoto asked.

“I think it will be a fun date. It’s your important 500 yen, so I want to thank you.”

“But won’t your father get mad because of it? It was a 500-yen coin that I once treasured after all.

Won’t he say something like ‘How disgraceful of you to spend it so easily’?”

Naoto once again became worried about Natsuki’s father.

“You’ve been worrying too much since earlier, it’s definitely alright! If you’re worried that much, I’ll go ahead and ask dad.”

Natsuki stood up after saying that.

“Eh, I think you shouldn’t……”

“With Naoto not having enough time to stop Natsuki, she went out of the room.”

‘“Of course it’s okay’, he said! Dad was moved so much he cried. Please do so, he said, ehehe.”

When Natsuki who just returned said that to Naoto, he thought that Natsuki might have put a positive spin to her explanation once again, Naoto became even more anxious.

After they finished eating the pizza, the two of them began thinking about their planned date once more.

“Even though we call it a 500-yen date, we just came up with it so I haven’t thought of what we should do yet. In the first place, what should we do about the food?”

Naoto said.

“Will we wat at a restaurant? Or should we bring boxed lunch?”

Natsuki asked just as the same thing crossed Naoto’s mind.

“Personally, I prefer boxed lunch, but making it properly would be kinda expensive.”

“Making it properly for two people, right?”

“Even though it’s boxed launch, I think we can forego with a proper rice and side dish setup……. like, we can decrease the amount, or just make a light meal. Even to this day, rather than saying I have an unbalanced diet, I just really like those corn salads or the like that you can sometimes order at restaurants.”

“It’s delicious, isn’t it? Whenever I order buttered corn at an okonomiyaki restaurant, I always end up eating a bit of it before the okonomiyaki is done.”

“Then, you’re okay even if our boxed lunch ended up only having corn salad?”

“I’m perfectly okay with that. Well, rather than okay, I kinda like it.”

“Then, how about we look for it at the supermarket?

During last year’s New Year’s Eve, I went to the supermarket in front of the station carrying a luggage, when I saw that the leftover soba for sale went down to just 19 yen. If it becomes cheaper this year’s as well, I think we can make a box lunch within our 500-yen budget.”

“I also went to the supermarket that time! I heard Nao-kun saying ‘This is definitely cheap’, then you went and bought a lot of soba.”

“Eh—– you saw that?!”

“Mom forgot to buy taro that day, so I went to buy it.”

“It’s a bit embarrassing, being seen doing that.”

“I also went and bought soba myself. There were other things that were cheap as well. It’s certainly a great chance to make a bento.”

“Only, I don’t have experience with cooking, so Natsuki’s workload might increase.”

“Didn’t you make one back at your part-time job?”

“Almost everything was decided by a timer back there, so there’s really no skill required. I don’t really know that much about cooking.”

“Then, will you help me?”

“Well, I’m the one who one-sidedly decided on a 500-yen budget. If there is anything I can help you with.”

“Thanks.”

“Then, for the time being, should we wait-and see until New Year’s Eve? While ironing out the other details.”