It’s Too Early to be Having Newlywed Syndrome! ~Childhood Friends Who Rekindled their Love for Each Other ~ - 4 - 13 - Eighteen Meters from Me

Eighteen Meters from Me

“We can go home from Health Land any time we want, right?”

Makoto asked Naoto while taking notes.

“You’re free to go home anytime, but if you’re going home by bus, there’s a fixed bus schedule. Moreover, the bus ride is long, so those who are going home alone ahead of everyone might feel bored. On that note, it might be more fun to stay until late and go home with everyone.”

While saying that, Naoto showed her the timetable for the bus.

“If I plan to go home with someone who’s early, how much time can I spend leisurely? There’s the bath, sauna, and lunch, so about five hours?”

“Not really, when I was here as a kid, it felt like five hours was very hectic. If there’s an interesting movie on the theater, just that will already take up nearly two hours. If there’s a bingo competition at the cafeteria during lunchtime, it takes longer to be served food. If there’s someone who’s interested in the manga corner, then there will be people who will be interested in the games corner as well. Also, in our case, after we ate, we entered the baths a second time.”

“I see, so you can enter the baths again.”

“If you plan on going to the bath just before leaving for home, entering the milk bath will make you go home smelling good.”

“If that’s so, then should I invite someone who’s gonna be there as late as possible, after all?”

“I haven’t gone there recently so I can’t really say, but having a leeway is better mood-wise. It is frustrating not having sufficient time. On the other hand, if everyone ends up having nothing to do anymore, then we can leave early. Sort of like having an after-party.

For now, once I arrive home, I’ll be asking how it was like timewise to my parents. If we don’t arrive at an estimate on our time of departure and time to go home, it’ll be hard for you to invite your friends, right? Once I learn of it, I’ll let you know. It’s easy to meet up with Nagatomo-san, after all.”

“Right? I got it.”

Since it was the end of their conversation, Naoto looked around to check on the current situation. Iida was looking at Health Land’s homepage on his smartphone with Sakurako. While reading Makoto’s notes on her memo, Haruka was laughing at her doodles. It looked like she wasn’t feeling anxious.

Sine earlier, Naoto was being curious at the conversation happening right beside him. It was because Natsuki was telling Aki about the feeling of going in a milk bath based from her memory of it. Naoto ended up unintentionally having thoughts of Natsuki’s naked body.

Naoto, who ended up wanting to be alone with Natsuki as soon as possible, emptied his glass,

“——Since it’s almost evening, should we all split up for today?”

He spoke.

“Thank you for the treat.”

“Thank you for the treat. Next time, let me return the favor.”

“It’s alright, you don’t need to. It was delicious, wasn’t it?”

“I want to go back next time.”

Naoto and Iida, who started walking, noticed that the girls started talking amongst themselves while standing in front of the restaurant. Standing with a bit of a distance from them, the two looked on as the girls said their thanks to Haruka and Makoto.

“Hey. Being told ‘thank you for the treat’ in formality like that, doesn’t it make you want that to be told to you by a girl?”

Asked Naoto.

“I do want to experience being told that.”

Iida answered vigorously.

“Somewhat, no matter what I treat Natsuki to, she would only say ‘thanks’. Even Ninomiya-san told me ‘thanks’ when I treat her to takoyaki. Though I’m also happy with that kind of friendly gesture. I even want to experience being told the ‘thank you very much for treating me to a meal today’ that I really can’t tolerate.”

“I get that. I want to be told that by a kouhai.”

“I have a kouhai in my part time job, but she’s a girl from our school. She calls me senpai at work, and for some reason, she’ would ask me things like treating her to a meal. If I do treat her to one, I wonder what she will tell me?”

“Have you told Oshida-san about that kouhai-san of yours?”

“I haven’t.”

“That’s bad.”

“It ain’t that bad, is it?”

“Not being able to tell her about it is proof that it’s bad, now isn’t it?”

“If that’s already bad, then what happened today was worse. I told a classmate of ours over the phone to meet me wearing her cutest clothes and underwear.”

“Now, that’s what I call an affair.”

“It’s not an affair, it’s just a joke.”

“There’s no such thing as a joke like that, how did it come to that?”

“While I’m hesitating about coming out about me writing a novel, I consulted about it on the phone with Ninomiya-san’s friend who doesn’t know I’m the one writing those novels. We got so into our conversation that as a joke, I told her that I refer to Ninomiya-san by Aki and that I’m treating her like my girlfriend, I got too into it. It seemed like Ninomiya-san also told that person that she’ll let her meet me without explaining about it properly. So Ninomiya-san is also at fault here.”

“Nah, you can’t do such a thing, you know. Even Oshida-san will get mad at you.”

“That happening will back me to a corner mentally, so could you somehow take the blame for this for me? I’m actually drained for today, I didn’t plan on revealing that I write novels here.”

“Fine by me, but do you really think they’ll believe it?!”

“If I end up getting hated, then you’ll be going to Health Land without me.”

“Being the only guy there will be awfully awkward, you should definitely do something about this.”

“Then, should I go back and settle this with Natsuki while I still can? Iida, how about you also talk once more with Tachibana-san until we part ways?”

“You make it sound that easy.”

“If you don’t do it, I’ll be the one talking with Tachibana-san, though.”

Saying that, Naoto went back to the group.

“Why, you bastard.”

Iida overtook Naoto by walking briskly.

It looked like girls’ conversation was not about to end yet. When they moved to the parking lot to make way to a passing group, they continued with their talks. As Naoto sat on a concrete block in the parking lot due to tiredness, in front of him was Natsuki’s back. Even in the night the wind kept blowing, causing the trees to sway. The wind was also causing her skirt to flutter. Just a little more and her underwear will be visible.

On Naoto’s back was a wall, on his front there was Iida. Even if her skirt got flipped by the wind, position-wise only Naoto was able to see it.

……I want to secretly try and flip it up. That’s what’s on Naoto’s mind.

He put his fingertips on the hem of her skirt and slowly raised it. Because of the fact that her skirt got fluttered by the wind occasionally, Natsuki was none the wiser to Naoto’s mischief.

Once he got a glimpse of Natsuki’s underwear, Naoto slowly removed his fingertips from the skirt. Then, somehow, he got suddenly embarrassed, that he covered his face with his hands.

“That person on the back who just did something weird have his head drooping.”

Makoto, who’s been silently watching Naoto until that point, told Natsuki.

“What’s wrong Nao-kun? Are you tired? You haven’t been able to sleep much after all, right?”

Being pat on the head by Natsuki, who turned around, Naoto felt a remorse.

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

“Just now, I saw Natsuki’s panties. I’m sorry.”

“You can see it? I’m sorry.”

Natsuki panicked.

“It’s not that I happened to see it, I lifted your skirt.”

“Eh, why did do you such a thing?!”

“Somehow, when I sat down, there’s in front of my eyes there’s Natsuki’s legs. When I’m thinking that those legs belong to my girlfriend, I felt like this is destiny.”

“What does that even mean?!”

“When I heard Natsuki’s talking about milk baths and such, I kept thinking about Natsuki’s bare skin. Since then, my hearts been beating fast or the past hour.”

“Eh, that much time has passed already?!”

“You lot have been talking to each other outside the store for more than thirty minutes now.”

Naoto stood up, had Natsuki face away from him, and hugged her from behind.

“Hey. Isn’t Nao-kun the one who said that you don’t want us flirting in front of everyone?”

“I just need to charge my energy for thirty seconds. Pretty please.”

“Geez——……”

Natsuki gave up and indulged Naoto.

“It looks like Morita-kun couldn’t wait for the two of them to be alone, so should we all head home now?”

Aki laughed while looking at the two of them.

“I’m going to escort Haruka home, so I’ll give you your train fare.”

Makoto brought out her wallet.

“It’s already dark, so how about having Iida with you? About twenty meters behind you.”

“Twenty seconds before, now twenty meters, what’s with you and the number twenty?”

Iida laughed.

“I want to embrace Natsuki for ten seconds. Natsuki wants to be embraced for ten seconds. Add them and you’ll get twenty seconds.”

“He decided it arbitrarily by himself.”

Still being in Naoto’s embraced, Natsuki voiced an objection.

Iida was more concerned with the meters thing than the seconds.

“Then what’s with the twenty meters?”

“Tachibana-san wants you to be two meters apart. I want you to be eighteen meters apart. Add that and you’ll get twenty meters.”

“And why would you want us to be apart by eighteen meters anyway?”

“Well, it’ll be dangerous if you’re not twenty meters away from her. You might try to flip her skirt.”

“That would be you.”

“Then, you mustn’t do anything weird. Bring her home properly.”

“That much is a given!”

“What should we do? That’s what Iida’s saying for the time being. But does it feel all the more frightening with him accompanying you on the way home?”

“It’s not scary, I’ll be fine. But I feel bad for imposing on Iida-kun.”

“Iida will feel more at ease accompanying you home, so he’ll be really happy if you let him. And if make him wait once you’re close to home, then you can be ease without him knowing exactly where you live.

Moreover, if Iida’s not with you, once Nagatomo-san has escorted you home then she’ll have to go home alone, right? With him, you’ll not have to worry about that too.”

“That’s right. If you’ll two will have me accompany you, I’ll be glad. As long as we don’t get lost, though.”

Iida also appealed with his honest feelings. If it’s about the safety of the girls, then he won’t be embarrassed asking them.

“Then, I’m in your care. It’s my first time being escorted home by a guy, so it’s a bit embarrassing.”

Saying that, Haruka laughed bashfully.