“……But it’s so sudden.”
I’m really sorry, Sota. It’s only for two days.
All of a sudden, my father and mother said they were going to Grandpa’s place.
He’s a paternal grandpa, and I’m acquainted with him. But I’m not that fond of him.
Grandpa had a back injury, and the hospital was far away from his house. Grandpa is too old to go to the hospital. And so my grandma. They decided to go to the hospital just in case.
“I’d love to take Souta with me, but……you’re not very fond of him, are you?”
“Ah……no, well.”
I think Grandpa was strict and I felt nervous every time I went there. I go to see him at New Year’s and Obon, though.
“To be honest, me too. Well, he’s still my parent who raised me. I’m asking you to take care of this house for two days.”
“I can do it. Don’t worry.”
“I’m worried about leaving Souta alone……so I called while saying that she wanted to come just in case. I wonder if it’s time already.”
“Eh? Who is it? What?”
I did not understand what my mother said, and when I asked back, the bell rang.
“Oh, she’s here. Souta, go check it out.”
“….Got it.”
I had a bad feeling.
But I couldn’t ignore it, so I went to the front door.
“I’m coming out now.”
I called out at the front door. When I opened the door—
“T-thank you for having me today !”
Nagi was there with a carry bag in one hand.
“…..Eh?”
I couldn’t understand what was going on. And I made a stupid sound.
“I-I heard that Souta kun was staying at home, so I’m here to take care of you ! I came to take care of you !”
She told me these words twice. I found my face hardening.
“……Anyway, come in.”
“Y-yes !”
I let Nagi in and locked the door.
I went with Nagi to my mother and the others.
I saw my mother, who was probably the reason for all this.
“What’s going on?”
“As you can see.”
“…..I don’t understand.”
“I thought Souta would have fun with Nagi chan.”
I saw my mother smiling at me, and my cheeks twitched.
I turned my face to Nagi.
“Did Soichiro san give you permission? Did you talk to him properly?”
“Ah, yes. I got permission from my father and mother.”
“Are you sure…..”
“Y-yes. They told me to have fun. I don’t have any practice for today and tomorrow.”
Why are they so enthusiastic?
“A-am I bothering you?”
“…….No, it’s not a nuisance at all.”
“Oh, right, Nagi chan. I know it’s a little bit small, but you can use Souta’s room when you sleep.”
“M-mom !?”
“Y-yes !”
“Nagi !?”
Nagi nodded to my mother who said something outrageous.
My head is getting dizzy. ……Nagi staying over?
I was confused. My mother happily put her hand on her cheek and smiled.
“Fufu. If Nagi chan is here, I’ll be relieved.”
“A-am I that untrustworthy?”
“I think you can handle the basics, but the……cooking, you know.”
My throat got stuck at my mother’s words. Cooking……cooking, huh.
“A-at least I can do it a little bit….I think. Maybe.”
“I’m sure you can do it too. Anyway, wouldn’t you want to eat delicious food anyway? But eating out for three meals would result in an unbalanced diet. I don’t think there’s a problem if it’s two days a day. In that case, I’m relieved when I called Nagi chan ! I thought.”
……It is true that Nagi’s cooking is delicious. I also remember her making me a lunch box for the field trip.
But still, I was surprised at that time.
Nagi suddenly said she had something she wanted to talk to my mother about. The first thing she said when she met my mother was–
[Please let me cook for Souta kun.]
She said. She was too brief in many ways.
Both my mother and father were in uproar. I won’t say why.
So Nagi started to make lunch boxes for field trips and events. I tried to refuse, but Nagi said she wanted to do it.
I asked her if there was anything she wanted me to do. She said, [I want you to pat my head]……
So I was left with the strange habit of patting her head every time I went on a foiled trip.
So much for escaping reality. Just in case, let me ask again.
“……Did Soichiro san really give you permission to do this?”
“Y-yes. I heard it with my own ears.”
Nagi pointed to her well-shaped ears and said so. I was about to hold my head.
I think there are many ways to do it. I could have gone to Nagi’s house, but that would have made it impossible for me to stay there. I’m afraid of burglars and so on.
“Well, that’s why. Take care of Souta, Nagi chan.”
“Y-yes ! I’ll take good care of him !”
Without time to interrupt her words. My mother and father went to the front door.
“Then, take care of the house, you two.”
“If you need anything at all, call me immediately.”
“…..Yeah. Mom and dad, be careful.”
“Y-yes ! Have a good day.”
I waved them off, thinking I’d complain when they got back.
Nagi and I were left at home.
“……,Uh, well, what’s up? I’m looking forward to working with you for the next two days.”
“Y-yes ! I know I’m a bit of a loose cannon, but I’m looking forward to working with you.”
Two days.
Two days, and our life together had just begun.
◆◆◆
[You’re doing great]
I just got a chat. The other person was, of course, Eiji.
I’d like to reply.
[It’s Nagi, isn’t it?]
[It’s too bad. I heard from Kirika a while ago. It seems that she noticed something strange.]
……It looks like we’ll be talking about it someday, so it’s okay. More than that, I need to clear up misunderstandings.
[I’m telling you, it’s just a series of coincidences.]
[Hey, hey. I’ll put it that way. I didn’t expect Souta to beat me to it.]
You don’t understand anything. This man.
[I didn’t do anything strange.]
It was when I was sending the message.
“Are you talking to Makisaka san?”
“Whoa…..y-yeah. Right.”
I was surprised to see Nagi right in front of me. Nagi sits right next to me.
“I’m sorry, Souta kun. I told Nishizawa san. I should have asked you.”
“Hm? Oh, I don’t mind.”
I really don’t care about that. I’ll probably talk about it someday, and it’s possible that Eiji asked me about it.
“By the way, what about Makisaka san…?”
“Oh……it’s a little hard to talk to.”
“I see. I’m sorry.”
“No. You don’t have to worry about this either.”
Shaking my head at Nagi, I said to Eiji, [I’m sorry. I’m ending it here.] immediately, [Okay, just flirt to your heart’s content.]. Should I block him?
“More importantly, what’s wrong? Regarding what you said?”
“Ah, no. There was that too, but……”
Nagi laughed softly.
“I wish I could be next to Souta kun.”
With a thud, the speed of my heartbeat goes up a notch.
That smile is very…..bad for my heart.
“Is it not okay?”
“…..I’d be happy to have Nagi next to me too.”
“……! I’m glad !”
Even though I answered back quietly, she seemed to have heard me correctly. Nagi’s smile became deeper.
Nagi leaned toward me as it was.
“Souta kun. You’ve grown big.”
“……I’m not that different from Nagi.”
“You’ve changed. You have become much more reliable than I am now.”
I laugh at Nagi’s words.
“Even Nagi has grown up, you know?”
“Where is it….exactly?”
Nagi giggles with a small smile. Her blue eyes gently looked down.
“I-I’m talking about your height.”
“……Is it only about my height?’
I was about to be led by Nagi’s gaze. I forced my face to look outward.
“Geez.”
“T-that kind of thing. It’s not good.”
“…….I see.”
Nagi’s voice seemed to be slightly sulky. I tell myself it’s just my imagination.
Nagi leans her weight on me. It’s stronger than usual. Probably on purpose.
I felt something warm on my hand. I see Nagi’s hand on top of mine.
And at the same time, our gazes met.
“Finally, you looked at me.”
With a thump. My heart jumped.
A heart that bounces once beats strongly over and over again. It’s like a rubber ball that has been hit hard on the floor. It doesn’t stop immediately. It would be a problem if it stopped.
Nagi’s blue eyes have a pale light in them. Her thin lips are slightly lifted at the edges, and her cheeks are slightly flushed.
The words that escaped from her mouth were also a little different from usual.
Her voice is as beautiful as a bell, yet light. I wonder if…..I should call it a voice that sounded relaxed.
Sometimes it was. Nagi’s words sometimes lost their honorifics.
According to her, it seems that the voice of her heart leaked out as it was.
“……”
“N-Nagi?”
Nagi’s hand gently reached out and touched my cheek.
My cheeks are being rubbed. Nagi seemed to enjoy it.
“Now that I think about it, I haven’t touched Souta kun’s cheek for quite a while.”
“……..It’s not like you want to touch my cheeks.”
“Is that so? When Sota was taking a nap, I wanted to touch your cheeks several times.”
Nagi’s other hand also reached out to touch my other cheek.
It was being toyed for a while.
Squeezing. Nagi’s white hand pressed my cheek. Nagi was enjoying herself all the time.
Nagi gently stroked my cheek. She looked at me.
“Souta kun, it’s your turn next.”
Saying that, she was looking at me.
……My turn?
“N-no. I’m fine.”
“Mmm. You don’t want to touch mine?”
“It’s…..”
When I was about to avert my face and gaze unintentionally. Nagi’s hand grabbed my cheek again and made eye contact.
“I-I want to touch it.”
“Fufu. Go ahead.”
Nagi let out a small laugh. She stuck out her face.
Gently, I lifted my hand. I touch it gently.
I know it’s silly of me, but I’m afraid I might hurt her.
Her cheeks are white, and her face is as if God had made it by hand.
Her long, white eyelashes and eyes as blue as the sea.
Her skin has no blemishes or roughness, and her lips are a light peach color and fresh.
It may be said that it is like glass work. You would think that if you touched it…..it would shatter with the slightest impact.
But in fact, that’s not the case.
My finger sunk into her cheek.
I stroke her cheek with my thumb. It is smooth and comfortable.
Four fingers supported the contour of Nagi’s cheek. I stroked her cheek with my thumb.
Nagi smiled a little ticklishly. But still—it is soft.
When I wrapped her cheeks with my palm, my palm became happy.
Nagi’s mouth was loose, too. Seeing that smile warms my heart. It makes me smile too.
I poked her cheeks with my fingers and tickled her chin. When I brush her hair, Nagi purrs happily. She was like a cat.
I was enjoying myself so much that I kept going.
Her cheeks were smooth and glutinous and her hair was silky smooth.
I could feel Nagi’s warmth in my palms and fingers.
“Yeah—this is. I could go on forever.
I was just thinking that.
Then, a bump. I felt a touch on my fingers that I have never felt before.
–It was Nagi’s lips.
“S-sorry !”
“……”
Nagi widened her eyes.
Gently, she put her slender, beautiful fingers to her lips.
Nagi’s face turned red as if she made a sound.
“S-sorry.”
“……”
Nagi’s index finger gently stroked the spot where my finger touched.
Her cheeks turned red to her ears. A small movement of her peach-colored lips.
“I return the favor.”
Her finger came closer and touched my lips.
“…….S-Souta kun’s lips are soft too.”
Nagi’s words didn’t even come to mind.
–Indirect kiss.
It’s not the first time that I’ve done that. I have drunk water from the same plastic bottle, and we have fed each other cake.
However, this time was clearly different from the previous ones.
Breathing stops, thinking stops. It is dyed. By Nagi.
“……”
Nagi’s pure white skin was as red as an apple. Her blue eyes and pure white hair stood out even more.
Her blue eyes stare at me.
The bottom of the deep blue sea.
The sun was shining and my gaze was absorbed by the warm light.
When I came to my senses, I saw her face in front of me.
Her blue eyes are so beautiful. Our noses almost collided.
The distance between us was so close that even our breaths were almost in contact with each other.
And then–
“Whoa.”
When I put my hand on her head. Nagi was surprised and let out such a voice.
Her eyes were appealing to me, but it was only for a moment.
Nagi put all her weight on me, slid down my body, and put her head on my lap.
After that, we were both silent. I don’t know what Nagi was thinking. I couldn’t look at Nagi’s face.
–If I looked at her now. I would not be able to hold back this time.
I looked up at the ceiling and patted Nagi’s head. Nagi’s hand gently grabbed my other hand.
“I was so close.”
I heard her small words. I couldn’t say what.
Many thoughts were swirling around in my head.
It was like that until the two of us started preparing dinner.
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