It’s Too Early to be Having Newlywed Syndrome! ~Childhood Friends Who Rekindled their Love for Each Other ~ - 4 - 18 - We’re Not Going Out, but I Proposed to Her

We’re Not Going Out, but I Proposed to Her

“I didn’t think I’ll get to eat chicken, so I’m quite happy. Thank you.”

After looking at the receipt and giving Naoto the money, Iida thoroughly wiped his hands dry.

Makoto also wiped her hands while looking into the fried chicken inside the box.

“They look delicious. Has everyone already eaten?”

“For the time being, everyone had one each. It is tasty, but not everyone is hungry, so it looks like they can only do with one piece.

That’s why they were waiting for Nagatomo-san to eat it for them.”

Said Naoto while putting the money into his wallet.

“Even though I did not wait with you guys here, is it really okay for me to eat?”

Makoto looked at Iida.

“Of course. We made Nagatomo-san walk a long distance, it would be bad if we couldn’t give you this much.”

Said Iida.

With Iida saying that, Naoto realized that fact for the first time.

“Speaking of, Nagatomo-san went and meet with Tachibana-san to accopmpany her to our meeting place, then she also escorted her home then returned here, which would mean she’s the one who walked the most. I’m sorry for today, Nagatomo-san.”

He hurriedly apologized. Naoto reflected.

I should’ve realized that kind of thing faster.

“Don’t be, I like walking, so it’s alright. Then, time to eat.”

Saying that, Makoto sunk her teeth into a fried chicken with a smile.

“N—then, we have three left. Would Iida eat all of them?”

“Ah, is it okay if I do? I’ll be buying gyudon on the way home, so it’s alright if everyone eat what they can.”

“These people don’t really look like they’re that hungry. Also, Iida likes boneless fried chicken, so they went their way to leave the boneless ones for you. You’ve already wiped your hands, so how about eating at least one boneless chicken?”

“Is that so? I’m thankful. Then, for now, I’m gonna go eat one.”

“Now we have one boneless left and one with a bone in it. Is it okay if I put the lid for the time being?”

Iida, with his mouth still chewing,

“Yesh, preash.”

Said in a muffled voice.

Naoto put back the lid on the take-out box, looked at Makoto who was deliciously munching down on a chicken, and smiled,

“I ordered fried chicken because of my preference, but does Nagatomo-san like fried chicken?”

“I love it. My lunch box always has bone-in meat in it, before, a boy from my class made fun of me, saying I only eat meat. Also, he kept pestering me to share with him a piece. The meat would end up mostly taken.”

“Having that thing still being done after reaching second year of high school is quite rare. Wasn’t that person made fun of by the other boys for doing that?”

“Yeah, they made fun of him. After he returned to his seat, he said ‘I got a chicken from Nagatomo-san’, his friends told him ‘You’re acting like a perv.’”

“Ah, that’s what would usually happen. What happened after that?”

“If I remember right, he said ‘Shut up—. I like this fried chicken.’, then he was told things like ‘That looks like something you can buy form a convenience store,’ or ‘You have to give her something in return, or she’ll hate you.’”

“Was that guy also eating the lunch of other girls?”

“Nope.”

“If he doesn’t steal the lunch of other girls, that must mean he wanted to get close to you, Nagatomo-san.”

“Ee—-h? But that person’s not kind to me at all, though.”

“There are people who cannot king to the person they like after all. Even Iida and I were not kind to Tachibana-san at all.”

“Especially me. I was really mean to her, I want to sock the me of that time.”

Iida bitterly said.

“But, Morita-kun, you were kind to Natsuki-san, weren’t you?”

“Right now, I’m making the effort to be, but I only started to think to be kind to Natsuki from about a year and a half ago. Even though I didn’t know whether I love her as a member of the opposite sex, it’s not like I hated Natsuki, so immediately after entering high school I was planning on being kind to Natsuki as a friend, however, no matter what I tried to do I wasn’t able to do it.

After thinking that I don’t want Natsuki’s health to get worse, I made up my mind and decided to butt in to help her. At that time there was a feeling of estrangement in the air, and I wasn’t able to talk that much, you see. I might’ve just barely sounded like a friend, but even though I didn’t do well at being kind to her, instead of her hating me more, we managed to mend our friendship.”

“Is there such a thing as being hated by someone because you were kind to them?”

“In my case, for instance, things like ‘I want to lend a video game to Hirose-san, but she might feel obligated that she has to play it’, or ‘Now that I think about it, was it weird that I gave Ninomiya-san takoyaki?’, or ‘Maybe Nagatomo-san didn’t like me calling her cute.’, or ‘I made Iida accompany Tachibana-san home, but does she feel like it’s a bother on my part?’ or ‘Was Natsuki disgusted with me worrying about her health that she ended up hating me?’

To put it in an extreme situation, if Iida suddenly asked Tachibana-san ‘You’re already tired, aren’t you?’ and started to massage her shoulders, there’s a high chance that Tachibana-san will be shocked by that turn of events, right?”

“A—h, I see, you do have a point.”

“That’s why, that guy who ate Nagatomo-san’s bone-in meat might be thinking something like ‘I like to give her something back, but she might think I’m being creepy if I do.’”

“Nnnnnn—, how about the possibility that he might just be hungry at the time?”

“The chance of that being the case isn’t zero—…… but I think it’s a bit slim. Once you reach second year of high school, there are only a few people who can easily take or receive something from a girl. In fact, they’ll just end up being called acting like a perv by their friends.

It’s either it doesn’t matter to him even if the people around him recognize that ‘He just want to be friends with Nagatomo-san’, or he’s worried about how other people will see him as.”

“It’s not normal to take some of a girl’s lunch?”

“In the case of my class, the boys will sometimes have an attitude of ‘I’m already full, but I still have some leftover karaage’ towards other boys. The hurdle of receiving something from a girl is so high, they don’t bother. How about your class, Iida?”

Iida, who was asked, made a surprised face,

“Woah dude, didn’t you just receive everyone’s salmon skin at the school cafeteria today?!”

“Ah, that’s right. I do take food from the girls.”

“And you just received them oh so naturally. Are you that spontaneous?”

Iida laughed.

“But Natsuki and Ninomiya-san doesn’t really want to eat salmon skin.

The food taken from Nagatomo-san is a meat with bone in it, a food that she like was taken from her. If I just up and said at the cafeteria ‘That karaage looks delicious, can I have some?’, then that would just look weird.

If a guy from our class said that to Natsuki, then I’ll be vigilant on the bastard.

Also if someone takes something from a person that looks like Nagatomo-san, that’s just asking for bad attention, it’s not surprising if that person gets hated by others.”

“Nnn—…… So, what should I do?

If you sensed that he’s going to take your lunch again, then try shaking him off. Say something like ‘It’s okay if you take some, but I made my lunch today so it might not taste good. If you’re going to eat it, then do tell me your impressions.’”

“Uwa, that’s so adult-like! I’ll do that!”

“It doesn’t really matter if it’s adult-like or not, though.”

“Being adult-like is important, you know— I’m definitely being made fun of. I’ll try to surprise him by acting mature.”

Saying that, Makoto made a childlike smile, far-off from being adult-like.

Naoto couldn’t help but somehow worry,

“There are lots of bad and dangerous people out there, so if someone invites you to a date, do tell me, if it’s alright with you.”

He told Makoto.

“Understood. I won’t be going out with a bad person, though.”

“Ain’t I’m glad you’re not a bad person, Nao-kun?”

Natsuki teased Naoto.

“If Morita-kun’s a bad guy, then all the guys in my class are dangerous.”

Makoto laughed and spoke.

“No, it’s not a laughing matter, please be careful around everyone.

You might have an idea to some extend when Tachibana-san said the part about ‘mean betrayal’ in my essay the she read in the past back at the family restaurant, but me myself, tried to push down Natsuki while back when we’re grade schoolers.

Think of all guys as dangerous, and take care of yourself.”

“Eh, you’re already going out with each other even back then?”

“No, we were not going out. Even though we were not going out, I pushed her down against her will. I did propose to her though.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re not going out, but I proposed to her.”

Makoto thought for a while

“……Eh, what?”

And asked once again.