It’s Too Early to be Having Newlywed Syndrome! ~Childhood Friends Who Rekindled their Love for Each Other ~ - 4 - 5 - Today’s Leader

Today’s Leader

“It might’ve been a year since I last saw Iida-kun. I haven’t seen you at all, so I thought you dropped out of school.”

“Iida-kun looks like someone who will drop out of school.”

“How mean!!!”

After moving to a park near the school entrance, Makoto and everyone started opening up to each other.

“Is Mori-san doing fine?”

When Naoto asked that, the smile disappeared from Makoto’s face.

“Er, Morita-kun, have you heard anything, even just a bit, about Haruka form any of our classmates?”

“No, I haven’t heard anything.”

“Haruka, goes by the name Tachibana Haruka now……”

“Tachibana Haruka-san? So she’s not Mori Haruka-san anymore?”

Naoto confirmed her full name.

“That’s right. Once you memorized it, as much as possible I want you to refer to her as Tachibana-san.”

“So it’s fine if we call her Tachibana-san, right? Alright. I’m bad with memorizing names, but it’s a somewhat easy name to remember.”

“Tachibana somehow sounds like a cool name, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not that, I’m talking about the whole pronunciation of ‘Tachibana Haruka’. I think that makes it easy to remember. If you read it in reverse, it becomes ‘Haruka na tachiba (A faraway place)’, right? As Haruka’s name says, it refers to a person to whom my hand will never reach, I spent the rest of that day thinking about that. That’s why somehow, the name Tachibana Haruka feels more fitting than Mori Haruka.”

“Eh—-? What’s with that thinking, that’s so sad. Is that how much you loved her?”

“Very much, I loved her.”

“Is that so, then it weighs on your mind, right?”

“Rather than it weighing on my mind……

I don’t really know where to start with my questions, let’s see……”

Saying that, Naoto pulled out his smartphone, then confirmed the main point written on his memo.

“Firstly, about me and Mori-san——–er, Tachibana-san. It’s about the time when I confessed my feelings to Tachibana-san.

She told me if I’m being stupid. That Tachibana-san would get that angry, do you know the reason?”

“She told you something like that?!”

“I wonder if she hated me or something.”

“She would never hate you! Eh, when was it?”

“When did it happen again?”

Naoto asked Iida.

“Somehow, there was a surplus in the school budget, so we spent the whole week playing around. Everyone went to the theater and the amusement park I think it happened immediately after that.”

Iida answered unsurely, tilting his head to one side.

“Ah—-…… if it happened during that time…… I don’t think she really hate you.”

Seemingly recalling to mind something, Makoto looked at Naoto awkwardly.

Seeing Makoto’s reaction, Naoto’s hope grew smaller.

“If she got angry because she hated me, then I don’t really mind, but if that’s not the case then it changes everything. That time, Iida had feelings for Tachibana-san, you know.”

“Eeh?!”

“However, when he heard how she treated me, he thought of her as a mean person, as a result he wasn’t able to confess his feelings to her.”

“I see—-……”

“Right now, Iida himself doesn’t know who he has feelings for. He might still have feelings for Tachibana-san, or he might not have feelings for her anymore. That’s why Iida’s also in a strange situation.

We want to know first if Tachibana is happily together with someone right now.”

“Hmmm… um, is it okay if I try calling Haruka on the phone?”

“Of course.”

“Um, I might be talking with Haruka something that she didn’t want others to hear, so can I call her a bit away from here?”

“It’s fine, but where will you go? Will it be a safe place for a lone girl?”

“You will still be able to see me, so it’ll be fine.”

“Then, take care.”

“I’ll be going!”

Makoto said while running, then sat on a swing.

When he saw that Makoto started talking on her phone,

“Haa, it’s tiring talking to someone I’m not used to having a conversation with.”

Naoto muttered after sitting on the bench.

“No, dude, you really talked a lot back there!”

Said Iida.

“I just forced myself, that’s all. Nagatomo-san might be thinking ‘That Morita-kun was acting so conceited’ and feeling disgusted.”

After worriedly saying that, Naoto stretched his back.

“She’s not the kind of person to do that, right?”

Natsuki asked while stroking Naoto’s head.

Naoto pulled Natsuki’s hand, and lightly tightened his hold on it.

“She isn’t, but I’m not the kind of guy who would just believe in the phrase ‘not the kind of person to do it’. I’m the kind of person who will do things like go grumble to Iida just because I was harshly rejected by the girl I like after all.

Even now, I couldn’t help but worry if Natsuki isn’t being angry right now. Ah, I might’ve been calling you Natsuki in front of Nagatomo-san the whole time, sorry.”

“It’s alright. When you introduced me clearly as your girlfriend, I was really happy.”

“But Morita-kun, you’re now able to hold a conversation, huh. You’re totally different from yesterday when we had okonomiyaki. I keep thinking you’re amazing.”

Sakurako praised the change in Naoto while remembering how taciturn he used to be.

“I already knew Morita-kun is this kind of guy who is fun and kind, though.”

Aki said, looking happy.

Seeing Aki’s expression, Naoto remembered their conversation back then during break time.

“Ah, that’s right. Today, ever since we’re at class, Ninomiya-san has been acting strange. Like, she’s being really kind.”

“You’re kinder than me, Morita-kun.”

Natsuki giggled.

“See? Strange, isn’t it?”

While still sitting at the benched, Naoto looked up at Natsuki.

“Did you do something to Aki?”

Natsuki put her hands on Naoto’s shoulders and leaned on him.

“I didn’t do anything. How about Natsuki, you didn’t tell her something like I’m a good person, did you?”

“No way I would do something like that.”

“Why would there be no way you could tell her that? You could at least tell her. Even though I kept my promise to do anything Natsuki says until afterschool.”

“Don’t phrase it weirdly! You just spent the whole day normally, right?!”

“Certainly, you didn’t order me to do anything today, right?”

“Then, I’ll give you an order. Tell me why you’re suddenly friendly with Aki.”

“I told you, I don’t know.

——Eh? Welcome back, Nagatomo-san.”

While the two of them were talking, Makoto returned.

Makoto had a serious expression on her face.

“Um, listen. So, she told me she wanted to talk first without Iida-kun. If that condition is met, she will be willing to meet.”

“That would be fine with me. But what about you, Iida?”

“In fine with it too. If anything, it might be more at ease if Morita talks to her first. After all, somehow, I already feel something strange in my chest, that it seems dangerous.”

“Then, even though I just told you this earlier, as much as possible call her Tachibana, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll put it in my memo, and look at it again just before meeting her.”

Naoto said, then started tapping on his smartphone, then Iida also hurriedly pulled out his smartphone.

“Also, this isn’t something that Haruka told me, but as much as possible, I want you not to get angry, and listen to what she has to say until the very end.”

While repeating to himself ‘Don’t get angry’, Naoto added it to his memo,

“I took note of that as well. Is there anything else we need to be careful of?”

He raised his head.

“Is there anything else…. E—r, she said the only place she can think of where Iida-kun can sit far enough away is in a family restaurant near Haruka’s high school. Would you be okay staying at a family restaurant? If that’s not possible, then she said she will be the one coming here.”

“That’s alright, but can these people wait with Iida? Iida won’t say it himself, but he might get nervous, so it might be rough for him if he end up waiting alone for a long time.”

“Ah, I forgot to tell you about that. Morita-kun would be nervous if he’s alone, so she said it would be better if you bring your girlfriend and your other friends as well. Especially your girlfriend.”

“Eh? Is that so, I’m glad. I thought it would be the opposite.

But, well, that’s right, isn’t it? Being alone with the guy you rejected must feel stifling. I’m not thinking of the circumstances of the other side, am I?”

Naoto answered while putting on a brave face.

“Um, because of that, I will be paying for everyone’s travel expense, so she asked everyone to come. I also request that all of you come as well. There is a reason for this.”

Makoto asked with a pained expression.

“You don’t need to do that, Iida will be paying for our travel fare after all. In the first place, all of it was Iida’s fault after all.”

“That’s right. I’ll be the one paying.”

“Um, that wouldn’t be good. I want you to let us shoulder your travel expenses no matter what.”

“I don’t really understand, but that means us meeting her will not be a bother, tight? Then I think we’ll accept you paying for us.”

“Yup, Haruka wants to meet up with you. Thank you. I’m sorry for a lot of things.”

“In the meantime, so that we wouldn’t make Tachibana-san wait, is it alright if we start moving to the station? We can go walk there while continuing our conversation.”

When Naoto said that and stood up, everyone else started walking leisurely.

“Eh, don’t start walking without saying anything. I don’t want it to look like I’m ordering everyone to do it.”

“No, I thought that’s what you did. Didn’t Nao-kun say go walk?”

Answered Natsuki.

“You said i——t!”

Makoto continued, hitting Naoto’s back.

“You said it.”

Aki also got in on the bandwagon.

“You said it.”

Sakurako also hit Naoto on the back.

While seeing that,

“Morita, I have no choice but ask you to be the leader for today. My heads not functioning well.”

Iida smiled.

“Iida’s kinda out of it today, so at least make sure not to anger Tachibana-san.”

While saying that, Naoto grinned at Iida.

“At any rate, after I confessed you looked like you were going to get angry, or rather, you have previous offense after all.”

“Don’t go saying that at this point! That’ll just make me unnecessarily nervous, you know.”

When Iida complained, everyone was engulfed in laughter.