It’s Too Early to be Having Newlywed Syndrome! ~Childhood Friends Who Rekindled their Love for Each Other ~ - 4 - 6 - A Respectful Person
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- It’s Too Early to be Having Newlywed Syndrome! ~Childhood Friends Who Rekindled their Love for Each Other ~
- 4 - 6 - A Respectful Person
A Respectful Person
In the end, until they arrived at the family restaurant where they’re supposed to wait, they haven’t come up with a sound strategy. It was because Naoto’s talk about their time in middle school livened up the group and became the focus of the conversation.
Makoto got especially attached to Sakurako. When Sakurako told her the story about Naoto and Iida throwing Haruka’s pet bottle when she left the class early, Makoto burst into laughter.
“Then, I’ll go pick-up Haruka! The food is also our treat, so eat as much as you like, okay?”
Makoto said, then hurriedly went out of the store.
“What should we eat?”
Naoto promptly sat and opened the menu.
“Even if she told us it’s their treat, doesn’t being told that makes it harder to eat? Their reason is still a mystery too.”
Iida, still standing, started talking to Naoto.
“I also find it a bit hard to eat, but in the end, that’s just a sign that we’re still reserved around Tachibana-san, right?
A bit before I started going out with Natsuki, she treated me to pizza, I was very happy at that time. I never worried about the one being treated at all. The thought of being able to have the pretext of thanking her back for treating me to pizza to be able to have a date with her again brought me joy.
If you ask me what’s the difference with Natsuki treating me and Tachibana-san treating us, it’s that I’m not confident that there’s something I can do to pay it back. You also feel that way, probably. For now, we should eat, all would be good if we repay them later.
Let’s believe in the message ‘Let’s keep each other posted’ that Tachibana-san wrote in my yearbook. It’s because we don’t think it’s a lie that we’re here after all. She must’ve been thinking treating us to food is a small amount to pay if it means being able to meet us again.”
“She didn’t write on mine though.”
“Then it’s okay if Iida doesn’t eat after all. Only us will be eating.”
“Eh?”
“Before Tachibana-san comes, go to the farthest seat, you can do with having drinks from the drink bar.”
“No, isn’t that kinda sad?”
“Then, Iida should also believe in Tachibana-san, then you can order what you want.”
“In the end, that’s how it will be, huh. By the way, what will you be getting?”
“Well, if its free in the truest sense, then I would like to have a steak, but were just getting treated to food, so maybe I’ll get something like pizza.”
“Is the pizza here delicious?”
“It is, me and Natsuki ate one pretty recently. Well, Natsuki will not be slicing one for you, though.”
“Ah, I see. It’s a bit of work huh, then I’ll keep looking.”
“If it’s just slicing, I can do it for you.”
Sakurako said while smiling.
“You will slice it for me?! Yahoo! Then, I’ll definitely order pizza, thank you. I’ll make an order now.”
Iida said energetically, and head to the direction of the seats farther in to the store.
After Sakurako saw Iida off,
“Is slicing pizza really that much of a bothersome work?”
She asked.
“Iida and I doesn’t really like things like peeling oranges a bit. If were not really hungry, then we would not be eating such things. Even while eating pizza, we eat while it’s still a whole circle.”
“Isn’t that hard to eat?!”
“It is, right? That’s why if it’s just me and Iida eating out, we can’t order pizza that much. I’d be really happy if I can eat a perfect triangular slice of pizza. I think Iida would be quite happy as well.”
“What should we do? Is it really okay if we order something?”
Natsuki looked at Naoto.
“Ah! Actually, there is something I wanted to do once I have a girlfriend. Ordering a spaghetti for multiple people, the kind that you can share.”
“Then, I’ll have spaghetti?”
“You can order spaghetti or chicken, then wouldn’t it be good if everyone share so everyone can eat a variety of food? If we do that, one Tachibana-san arrives we can also share with her if there are anything left.
Iida as well, I don’t think he only want to eat just pizza. There are many items that we like in this family restaurant. If we brought him a bit of chicken in a small plate, I bet he will be delighted.”
“Somehow, you’re clearly thinking things through and you act fast, it really looks like Morita-kun is our leader today. Is this the power of your love for Natsuki?”
Sakurako asked Naoto in half-interest.
“That idea of mine just now, I just forcibly pushed it through because I want to eat a variety of food since I’m surrounded by girls right now.”
Naoto said, which made the three girls laugh.
Iida looked at the scene from far away enviously.
“Nagatomo-san has returned.”
Being whispered that by Natsuki, whose sitting beside him, Naoto looked at the restaurant’s entrance. Makoto, who has returned to the shop, had Haruka with her, their hands connected.
Naoto hurriedly wiped his hands dirtied by the pizza, then looked at his smartphone.
“Call her Tachibana-san. Don’t be angry. Listen to what she has to say until the end……”
He read the memo that he already read a number of times once more, then put away his smartphone.
“It’s been a long time, Morita-kun.”
Haruka sat on the seat directly in front of Naoto. Haruka’s hand kept holding Makoto’s.
“Yeah.”
Naoto was barely able to let out a reply. In an instant, burning thoughts surged up in his chest.
That’s right. This voice, this face. She had this kind of aura about her. I used to love everything about this person.
“Were you doing well?”
With just those words from Haruka, Naoto felt such joy. It was thanks to Natsuki holding his hand under the table that he was able to held off his tears.
“I’m doing fine. How about Tachibana-san?”
While asking, Naoto saw Haruka’s eyes. He knew that his own voice was shaking.
“I’m also doing fine, though.”
“Yeah.”
“Er……”
“Yeah.”
“——Did Morita-kun ate that?”
Haruka saw the tableware left in front of Naoto.
“Yeah. Is it being disturbing? Then maybe I’ll finish it.”
Saying that, Naoto ate the last slice of pizza.
“It looks like you’re really enjoying that pizza.”
“Rather than saying it looks like, I’m really enjoying this pizza. I like this, it’s delicious.”
“Even though you didn’t like the pizza back at middle school.”
“That’s because, the green pepper topping of the pizza there is gross, I’m bad with it. I always said that I like pizza with only cheese or curry with only the roux, haven’t I?”
“But weren’t there other toppings in what you’re eating right now?”
“Maybe it’s bacon? I like it so I can eat it. I can also eat chicken, you know. Ninomiya-san, can you pass that to me? Thank you.”
Saying that, Naoto showed her him biting into a piece of chicken.
“Hee—–, it’s somewhat interesting to see Morita-kun enjoying a meal…. Ah, it looks like I was being rude, wasn’t I? You did tell me that you eat anything that is not the school lunch, right?”
“No, it really is hard to imagine it if you haven’t seen it, so it’s a given that you’ll be surprised by it. Even when I ate gyudon with Iida the first time, he really let me have it. Moreover, I didn’t really mind the other people back at middle school. After all, it’s only people who were worried about me being skinny, and no one talked to me about it in a displeasing way. Everyone also believed me when I told them that I do eat at a different time.”
Even though he’s been nervous from the start, Naoto has now calmed down. Even though he’s reminiscing about the school lunch at his middle school, thanks to his concentration, he was able to talk about it naturally.
“The only people I hated were the boys back at grade school. Even though I don’t eat the cafeteria food that much, they still went and eat my boxed lunch, calling me a mothercon for only being able to eat food made by my mother. No matter how much I explained it, even if my lunch is only potato that was previously frozen, they wouldn’t listen. They would tell me to eat each and every popular item in the cafeteria, like would I eat some yogurt, or would I eat some melon. Because of that, I’ve come to hate the boys in my area, so I decided to enroll to a middle school on a different district, that’s how I’ve come to be in our middle school.
That’s why by the time I became a first year in middle school, I’ve become someone who really likes girls. For you see, while all of the boys didn’t really listen to what I had to say, all of the girls listened to me. The girls didn’t say anything weird at all, they all sided with me, and even protected me. Even to this day, there is a remaining part of me that has more faith in girls than boys. It looks like I’m still not able to trust boys aside from Iida.”
“Is that so……”
Haruka had a sad expression while listening to Naoto’s story.
Naoto notices that he is being too absorbed in telling his story that he came back to his senses.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I just kept badmouthing others, or rather, I just kept complaining. I’m really mean, aren’t I?”
“No, it’s not. I really understand what you’re saying.”
“Eh?”
“From the start I really hated some of the things my father does such ass the way he would get mad at a store clerk. Then suddenly our house received a phone call telling us that my father had used the money of the company he works at. While the investigation of where he used the money was going on, it came to light that he is having an affair with another woman. Even though my mother had nothing to do with it, the people from the company scolded her, and she had to apologize. They asked her if she really have no knowledge of what my father has done. The cops also came, and asked my mother the same question for who knows how many times.
Because of that, for a period of time, I developed a phobia to males. Since our teacher was a male, when he was asked by the other students the discussion became about his wife, just with that my head was already spinning and I felt like wanting to throw up. You remember the day I left class early, right?”
“I do. I was shocked when that happened, after all.”
“Yeah. The more I kept feeling frustrated by the fact that my mood is getting worse because of my father, the more my actions became weirder. It looked like I really bottled my feelings too much that day.”
“Eh, so that’s what happened, huh.”
“I know this won’t really pass as an excuse though.
But because of that, by the time Morita-kun confessed to me, there were just the two of us, so from the start I was already nervous due to feeling unwell. And then there was my surprise with the fact that I was confessed by someone who I have never thought would want to confess to me at all.”
“Well, one would really be surprised by that.”
Naoto stared at the table.
“By that time, in my mind, I was already out of breath, I was desperately trying to take a deep breath, that I wanted to be somewhere other than that place quickly. I had no idea what was happening to me.”
“I see. I’m sorry for failing to notice that. I was very nervous back then so I didn’t know, I just thought you were very mad at me.”
“I’m also sorry, Morita-kun. What I told you really hurt you, didn’t it?”
“No, that’s not something you need to apologize for, right? Me, I’m very glad, you know.”
As he said that, when Naoto raised his head, large drops of tears were falling to the table.
“Because, Tachibana-san, even though you were afraid because you didn’t understand what you were saying, you still gave me an answer, didn’t you? In reality, on the point when we became alone, even though you could have just ignored me and run away from that place since you don’t like the situation, you still completely listened to what I had to say, gathered up you courage and gave me an answer, didn’t you?
As I thought, that made me happy, Tachibana-san. Really, thank you for doing your best and giving me an answer.”
Naoto wiped his eyes, stopped his tears, and with his face wrinkled, he showed Haruka a smile.
“Morita-kun……”
Seeing that, Haruka cut her words short. The smile that Naoto showed her just now, back then, just before they went their separate ways after she rejected him, when he told her “I’m sorry”, he had the same smile he put his utmost effort to show her.
Haruka felt like her heart will split apart due to feelings of guilt.
“Morita-kun, you’re amazing. How can you put up a smile even at a time like this?”
“My feelings might be only one-tenth or one-hundredth of how Tachibana-san feels, but I know a bit about the feeling of not wanting to talk to boys. I have thought a number of times how the hearts of guys were full of stain.
Even in high school, whenever there are no girls around, when I see the boys in the class brag to each other about how they ‘could’ve f**ked this person or that person in the classroom afterschool yesterday’ my mood just gets worse.
Even my own self is actually stained dirty. Whenever I end up thinking that just one day is okay, if only I can sully the person I’m going out right now as I please, being faced with the how stained my heart is always made me cry.
Even though I’m also that kind of man, someone suffering from androphobia didn’t run away from me and instead gave me an answer to my confession. It might just be an act of facing things by saying something, but perhaps that act itself alone is amazing.
I ended up seeing you with respect once more. I’m thinking of following the strength shown by Tachibana-san and face my issue with boys a bit more.”
“Thank you, Morita-kun.”
Haruka hanged her head down. When Makoto pressed her handkerchief over Haruka’s eyes, Haruka embraced Makoto, with trembling shoulders she started to cry.
Makoto stared at Haruka who buried her face at Makoto’s chest for a while, but he was suddenly pulled by Natsuki to herself and gave him a kiss.
“——Natsuki, thank you. I’m glad I came here to meet her.”
“Right? That’s why I told you to go.”
This time it was Naoto who gave Natsuki a kiss.