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
-Natsuki is keeping her distance from me.
I’ve been feeling this ever since we met before school.
It’s not that she’s ignoring me. If I talk to her, she responds.
But whenever our eyes meet, she quickly turns her head away.
But it seems that she doesn’t dislike me, because she is still glancing at me,
(…… don’t know)
Since the soccer team was off today, I studied at Natsuki’s house after school.
But all the while, the air was somewhat awkward.
“What’s wrong with you today?”
When I asked, Natsuki’s mouth twitched a little as she stared at the words in her notebook.
“…… you haven’t noticed?”
“Eh, what is it?”
”…… what today is.”
Natsuki’s fingertips tapped on the desk with a steady tap.
“…… forty-four days before the test?”
Natsuki deliberately exhales a sigh.
“I don’t even know if it’s bad luck or not,……, but does it really ring a bell?”
The eyes looking at me were shaking with sadness.
–Now is not the time to be silly.
I quickly adjusted my attitude and turned my head around frantically.
But nothing came to mind.
“Sorry, ….. Can you give me a hint?”
Natsuki’s eyes were downcast, and she blurted out
“It’s the anniversary …… of the week.”
“….Hee?”
I stared at Natsuki with my mouth open.
“Wh-what is it?”
“Well… isn’t that usually the turning point of a month or a year?”
“Even a week… that’s still a big deal.”
Natsuki blushed slightly and pursed her lips.
“Well, now that you mention it, it’s true… that’s why you’ve been feeling nervous since the morning. Sorry I didn’t notice.”
“…It’s nothing. If it’s too much trouble, we don’t have to think about anniversaries or anything.”
Natsuki quietly lowered her eyes.
I shook my head hastily and said,
“No, not at all. In fact, I’m happy.”
“….Is that so?”
Natsuki raised her eyebrows anxiously.
“Ah.”
This time she nodded vigorously.
It was impossible not to get excited when someone said something as cute as our one-week anniversary.
But what to do?
It’s too late to go out and think of a date plan now.
(However, there’s something …… that I can do. ……)
I don’t have any tricks up my sleeve, and I don’t want to make the place cold with a bad surprise.
But one thing did occur to me.
(No,……, it might be better to give her a song. ……, but still,……)
I shot her a quick glance and Natsuki’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Her expression was calm, but I could sense the expectation deep inside that she couldn’t hide, so I made a decision.
“…… Natsuki. Close your eyes for a minute.”
“Eh?…. don’t tell me you’re thinking something strange.”
She stares at me with a fixed gaze, but the tips of her ears are slightly red.
“N-no, it’s not that. It’s fine, I’m counting on you.”
“…… okay.”
Natsuki took a small breath and gently closed her eyes.
I feel like my shoulders are tense and my breathing is shallow.
…No, that’s probably me.
(It’s okay. This isn’t that kind of thing, and it shouldn’t be a bad impromptu surprise ……)
I told myself and took a deep breath.
And then I brought my face close to hers.
I gently pressed my lips against Natsuki’s cheek, as if to put my feelings on it.
“…….!”
At the same time as the sound of a gasp, Natsuki’s eyes widened.
“…… no?”
I asked timidly to the frozen Natsuki.
She quickly turned her face away, looking panicked.
“T-This one time, …… is special.”
She whispered in an inaudible voice, her face red all the way to her ears.
…That’s good.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Ah, but…”
Natsuki emphasized.
“For the one-month anniversary, I’m expecting something even better,……, and that’s not what I meant, okay!?”
“I know. You can rest assured that I won’t make such a mistake.”
I added hastily in an apologetic tone, and I couldn’t help but smile.
It seems that she naturally makes statements that sound like that.
If that’s the case, I’ll have to be careful not to get bent out of shape.
If I get too excited and run off on my own, I’m sure she won’t like me.
Let’s not misjudge the distance between us and take good care of each other.
I vowed to myself once again.
It was supposed to be …….
It seems that I had misjudged this girl called Natsuki a little.
◇ ◇ ◇
I’m not really able to spend much time with her on weekdays, except for going to and from school, because the soccer team has practice on weekdays.
So, I tried to spend time with her as much as possible after school when we did not have club activities.
That day, after stopping by a cafe on the way home from school, I sat next to Natsuki on the bed in her room and watched a movie she recommended.
“Fuaaa …….”
Natsuki bites back a yawn.
She’s been like this ever since we got home.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No, I’m watching …….”
She blinked sleepily, and even her tone sounded a little childish.
Soon after, Natsuki rested her head on my shoulder and began to breathe softly in her sleep.
(You must be tired. ……)
She’s also working harder than others in club activities to regain their trust.
Although it was Natsuki who said she wanted to see the movie, I probably should have given her a break, even if I had to force her to.
–Then I wouldn’t have had to have my rationality cut to the chase.
(Oh no. ……)
The sweet girlish smell and softness that comes along with the faint breathing. When I feel them, I can’t help but feel the desire to be a man.
It is even more so when you can see the white skin and the fascinating space between her breasts peeking out from her shirt as if inviting you to come and see.
If it’s painful, I could just leave, but it might wake Natsuki up.
If it is allowed, I would like to keep touching each other forever.
(Well, it will stop sooner or later.)
When I was thinking so optimistically..,
“Hey, Rei?”
“……!”
My heart did flutters in the air.
When I turned my gaze, Natsuki opened her eyes wide and looked up at me from her shoulder.
“N-Natsuki, when did you wake up ……⁉︎”
“Just a few minutes ago.”
Natsuki lowers her gaze for just a moment, then looks up with a mischievous narrowed eye.
“Fufu. Rei’s a boy too.”
“Y-you know, of course.”
I pulled the futon and put it over my thighs.
However, just because I hid it did not mean that the shame was gone. My face was burning and my heart was racing.
“Dinner is ready, you two”
I heard Mitsue san’s voice coming from downstairs.
We were going to have dinner at the Shinohara’s today.
“Come on, let’s get off. Ah, it looks like Rei can’t make it yet.”
“S-shut up. Hurry up.”
“Okay, okay.”
Natsuki let out a smirk and then walked out of the room with a light step.
“…haaa.”
Now alone, I let out a sigh.
(I didn’t expect Natsuki to be so aggressive,…….)
Maybe the misleading comments she’s made so far were intentional.
That doesn’t mean I think she wants that, but I can’t help but hope for it. And anyway–
(If she makes fun of me in the same way again, I’m not sure I can bear it…)
Even now, if Mitsue san hadn’t approached us, I might have put my hand out.
Even if it’s just a little bit at a time. I hope that eventually we will be able to have that kind of skinship.
I was filled with hope.
(No, I can’t do that.)
If I kept thinking like that, I would never be able to move from here.
“….huh?”
By the way, isn’t this Natsuki’s futon?
Come to think of it, it smells kind of sweet…
“——!?”
When I jumped off the futon, I started squatting.
The excitement had almost subsided by the time I felt the tension in my thighs.
I ran down the stairs in a hurry and bowed to Mitsue san, chuckling at the thought that thanks to Natsuki, I’m going to gain some muscle.
“Excuse me. I’m late for the feast.”
“No, don’t worry about it. If you’re sleepy, you can go back to sleep, okay?”
“Eh?”
“Rei, you were sound asleep.”
Natsuki deliberately shrugged her shoulders and faintly lifted the edge of her mouth so that Mitsue san would not notice.
It made me angry, but it was also true that thanks to that I was able to deceive Mitsue-san, so all I could do was show a sullen expression.
(It was Natsuki’s fault in the first place. …… Let’s not do that.)
Once I remembered, I couldn’t get up from my chair.
I quickly turned my attention to the food on the table.
“Wow,…… they all look delicious.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve had you eat something, Rei kun. I was really excited.”
“Thank you.”
After that, Natsuki didn’t make any fun of hme and instead I savored the food that Mitsue san had so lovingly prepared until I was full.
However, for a different and somewhat pathetic reason than I had feared, I was unable to get up from my chair for a while after the meal.
Natsuki looked down at me with a ridiculing look,
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep a close eye on you at dinner”
“Shut up.”
When I turned away, Natsuki cleared her throat.
(Today has been a day of being tossed around. ……)
I’m a man, of course I want to take the lead.
But, if Natsuki was as proactive as she was,
I started to think that being pushed around like this wasn’t so bad.
Maiban