A Childhood Friend Told Me “I Can’t Get a Boyfriend Because of You,” So I Distanced Myself From Her and She Stopped Coming to School the Next Day
Soccer team practice was off that day, but I was unusually separated from Natsuki.
“This is it, right?”
I glanced at the map app in front of the building I wanted to go to.
“…..Okay.”
I put on a small show of enthusiasm and stepped into the building.
I opened the door at the top of the stairs and heard the sound of a clanging bell.
The interior is cozy, but the stylish lighting and the warmth of the wood blend together to create a relaxed atmosphere.
The female staff at the counter approached me.
“You must be Shiraishi Rei san right? Please wait a moment while Ibuki, who is in charge, comes to see you.”
Ibuki-san. Ibuki is the stylist that Kanzaki always appoints.
The request I made to Kanzaki was for him to recommend a hair salon to me.
A few minutes later, a middle-aged man with gray hair and a stylish black shirt appeared from the back. He was what you might call a “good-looking guy.”
As soon as he stood in front of me, he said with a smile on his face
“Hello You must be Shiraishi kun. Kanzaki-kun asked me to make you better looking than me.”
“Haha, that’s impossible.”
“You can’t think it’s impossible before you do it. You’re doing it for your girlfriend, right?”
“Well, yes.”
Kanzaki, did you even tell him that?
“If you don’t think you can do it, you won’t get what you want. The material is good, so if you polish it, it will shine.”
“Thank you very much. I am indebted to you.”
“Yeah.”
The first shampoo was comfortable, and the cut and the pace of the conversation were both attentive.
I can see why Kanzaki went out of his way to pay the nomination fee.
Then, an hour later…
In the mirror, I saw a slightly more polished version of myself, well-groomed with styling products.
I couldn’t help but murmur.
“A hairdresser is amazing. ……”
“No, no, no, I just styled your hair. Even the best chefs can’t make a good salad from shriveled vegetables.”
Ibuki-san laughed softly and put down the scissors.
“I told you earlier, you need to have confidence. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have any evidence to back it up at first. Later, you can make the effort to back it up.”
“…… right.”
It’s okay if you don’t have any evidence at first.
I was so happy to hear those words.
“Come back anytime.”
“Yes, thank you!”
By the time I left the salon, my back was naturally straightened.
After leaving the salon and walking for a while, a gust of wind blew.
“Oops. …….”
I held my hair down as quickly as I could and was a little confused.
Normally, I wouldn’t have even bothered with this.
I was a little embarrassed, so I didn’t tell Natsuki that I went to the hair salon.
It would be nice if she was surprised.
With such modest hopes in my heart, I went back to my house, put down my luggage, and immediately pressed the intercom at the Shinohara house.
We had originally agreed to meet today.
“Where did you go…… eh?”
Natsuki opened the door and froze, her eyes wide.
“Hey, Kanzaki introduced me to a beauty salon. I went there. How was it?”
“Eh? Oh, yeah,……, I think it looks good on you.”
Although she seemed surprised, her reaction was more calm than I expected.
“I see, thank you.”
(After all, one haircut doesn’t drastically change anything, does it?)
Chuckling inwardly, I was allowed to come up to my house, and we studied side by side at the desk in the living room, as usual.
However, I noticed something unusual right away.
–Natsuki and I were not making eye contact.
She usually looks people in the eye when she speaks to them, but she stubbornly refuses to look at me.
(……It was the same as at the one-week anniversary.)
My chest feels cold.
(Could it be that I’m forgetting something again?)
Impatiently, I try to think of something, but I can’t come up with anything.
The one-month anniversary is still a little further away. I’m sure of it, since I’ve been secretly preparing for it.
(Maybe my hair simply didn’t look very good on me. ……)
My confidence is slowly fading. That’s when I remembered Ibuki’s words.
Even if your confidence is baseless at first, you should make an effort to back it up.
I gathered my courage and glanced into Natsuki’s face.
“Natsuki. What’s wrong? You look a little strange.”
“N-Nothing, it’s just as usual.”
Natsuki said this in a flustered manner and turned her face away. The hair is fluttered by the recoil.
–The tip of her ear, peeking out from between the gaps, was a faint shade of vermilion.
(…… Could this be…)
I finally understood.
Natsuki isn’t avoiding me, she’s just embarrassed.
(What……)
The tension in my heart suddenly loosened.
At the same time, I felt a warmth deep in my chest.
“….Are you sure, are you all right?”
I asked again and gently touched Natsuki’s hand.
She shrugged her shoulders and looked at me in surprise.
“Y-Yes, I told you I’m fine.”
She immediately turned her head down, but did not withdraw her hand.
“…… Natsuki, thanks.”
“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
Natsuki raises her eyebrows in suspicion.
I smile and shake my head.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“…..eird.”
Natsuki muttered in an exasperated tone, but her cheeks were still red.
“Hey,…… can I hug you?”
“—–”
Natsuki freezes for a second, then suddenly turns away and says,
“You don’t need to ask me that every single time… you idiot.”
“I… I see. Well then, I’ll take you up on that.”
I took Natsuki’s hand, sat down on the sofa, and gently pulled her to me.
She fit into my arms more easily than I expected
“…. warm.”
“S-shut up. Don’t get carried away.”
Despite saying that, she didn’t resist at all.
Instead, she slowly relaxed her body and leaned towards me.
I’m still so soar at the smell and feel of girly things, but I’m getting used to it a little bit.
Natsuki in my arms is also smiling, her eyes relaxed.
” …… cute.”
“Hee? Whaa…!!!”
Natsuki’s face turned redder in an instant.
(Damn…)
I had said it out loud, half unconsciously. My cheeks gradually grew warm.
However, since Natsuki was more embarrassed than I was, I managed to keep my composure.
Natsuki’s gaze swam for a while, and then she turned to look at me steadily from within her arms.
“…Just because you’ve become a little more sophisticated doesn’t mean you’re suddenly going to be proactive.”
“You told me to be confident, Natsuki, didn’t you? …… don’t you like it?”
“I-I didn’t say that.”
Natsuki pursed her lips and turned away.
A feeling of love for her welled up within me, and simply feeling her body heat was no longer enough.
(Now, it’s all right, isn’t it?)
Placing my hand on her slender shoulder, I looked into her face and called her name softly.
“–Natsuki.”
“…..!”
Natsuki huffed and her lips tightened.
After a hesitant pause, she modestly lifted her chin and quietly closed her eyelids.
“—-“
I couldn’t help but hold my breath.
Be careful not to grab onto her too quickly, I slowly moved my face closer and gently captured her slightly protruding lips.
“Hn-……”
Natsuki closed her eyes and let out a voice that seemed to escape through her nose.
She has a melting expression on her face.
(Natsuki ……!)
With the heat rising up from the depths of my heart, I put my hand around the back of her head and laid my lips on hers a little longer than before, with all my heart.
“Hnnn….”
Natsuki involuntarily clears her throat.
She looked up at me with eyes that seemed to be holding something back as she pulled her face away from me and covered her mouth with the back of her hand.
“T-this is suddenly very intense. ……!”
“II’m sorry, …… you didn’t like it?”
Natsuki shook her gaze at my question and then shrugged her shoulders.
She muttered softly while playing with her hair with her fingertips.
“I thought you had confidence…….”
“Ah…….”
(I’m so glad you accepted me.)
Relief spreads through my chest.
“Thank you, …….”
I laughed softly and hugged Natsuki once more.
After slowly separating our bodies, we sat side by side on the couch, our fingers still intertwined.
fter a moment of silence, I finally open my mouth.
“Hey, Natsuki.”
“What?”
“This Sunday, you’re completely off. Wanna go somewhere, ……?”
My heart was beating quickly and nervously.
It was partly because she had been turned down last time, but it was more than that—
It was two days before our one-month anniversary.
Maiban