JUST A CRASH - BUTTERFLY CROSSING
31. Goodbye
The Nakai family are the owners of the apartment building they live in. The Nakai couple lives on the first floor as the owner and overseer of the apartment.
“So he laughed so hard that his head hurt. Please check the seams.” Shuji said seriously.
“Give me.” Madam Nakai nodded and took Jingga seriously to the room to open her bandage.
“I'll go to the supermarket a minute.” Said Shuji again.
After Shuji left, Mrs Nakai and Jingga stayed in the room. “Do I trouble you?” Orange opens the conversation.
“Do not be silly.” Madam Nakai removed the orange veil and opened the bandage carefully. “Shuji-kun called me two days ago and asked me to take care of you.” The middle-aged woman had already eaten a lot of salt. His voice sounded heavy and soothing. The orange slowly began to relax.
A day after hearing the news of the accident, Mrs Nakai and the residents who knew had planned to go to the port of N and visit. They thought that the orange who was a stranger must have been very lonely. There was no family, the poor girl there would be no one to take care of her at all.
Mrs Nakai who has a child of the age of Orange is most worried. But before he acts, Shuji calls first.
The notoriously somber man is indeed often seen with an orange. And the neighbors also had time to worry about the foreign girl, afraid of being deceived. But after several days of observing, weeks, and months, they finally accepted Shuji's whereabouts.
Back then, how did he hear Shuji's voice? Rather than asking for help, his words and tone were more like pleading.
“Nakai-san, I can't help Sweet in some way because of the belief held by her. I really hope you can help me in a certain moment.” Not to help Orange, but to help me, which is to help Shuji.
The man considers the foreign woman as part of his responsibilities and Mrs Nakai finds this quite interesting.
“Say, what can I do.”
It just so happened that the middle-aged woman had a history as a doctor's assistant before, which made Shuji relieved.
“Sweet has some things that—” Shuji explains long and slowly. After she finished she asked carefully if it was necessary for her to repeat, which Ms. Nakai refused.
“Nakai-san, thank you very much for your help. I won't forget it.”
“Jingga-chan is an apartment dweller and I already think of her like my own niece. Don't keep thanking me, you're making me bad.”
“Alright, I'm sorry. But, still, let me say it. I'm so grateful to have a neighbor and have an apartment owner like you.” Shuji throws the praise tirelessly until Madame Nakai is ashamed of herself.
Of course Shuji paid, even though Madam Nakai refused him many times, the man persuaded her so shrewdly.
“Your wound dries well. I'll change the bandages now, yeah.” Madam Nakai said after checking. “You just calm down and restore your health well. No need to worry about anything, everything is already taken care of by Shuji-kun.”
The orange did not answer. The woman played her fingers nervously, and said doubtfully. “She's done a lot, I.. don't want to keep burdening her.”.
“Oh, you.” Madam Nakai shook her head slowly and wrapped around her orange head with her skillful hands. “Shuji-kun always looks somber and reserved. But as long as he's with you, he looks so energized. And the top is now. I could see the twinkle in his eyes when he said he was going to the supermarket. What you think is a burden, for Shuji is something to be happy about.”
“...REally...?” Shuji is happy to take care of it? Not feeling burdened?
“I didn't say no tiredness. But for sure Shuji is happy, and he looks a lot more alive when doing things related to you. He also said...”.
The orange raised its eyes in curiosity, for its head could not be moved.
“Say, she must not look at your hair or touch a single bit of your skin before marriage. Eat it he asked for my help. This tradition..” Before Mrs Nakai finished talking, she saw her orange face flushed like a tomato.
“Ara-ara, don't get too excited, later your head hurts again.”
“T-not so.”
“I know. You guys are already planning a wedding and I can see the seriousness of Shuji-kun.” Madam Nakai let out a long breath. “But he said you will not marry here and will marry in your country?”
Orange: ???
Be married? Wh who? She's she?
Why didn't I know I was getting married? The orange doubted his memory. Could it be that while he was still lying in pain earlier he promised Shuji something that made the man misunderstand? Orange feels sweaty, I have to take responsibility.
It's okay, Shuji will understand if explained.
The orange does not answer with certainty and only connects with the deheman or silent smile.
When her head was finished on the bandage, Madam Nakai said goodbye.
“I want to cook dinner all together, but Shuji-kun, oh, he'll be mad if I take over his territory.” Madam Nakai muttered as she opened the door.
The orange did not understand the sentence and just smiled.
Shortly after, Shuji sent a message.
After receiving confirmation from Jingga, the apartment door was opened and the man entered with a bag of groceries.
The orange sat on the sofa with a pillow on his lap. “I thought you wanted to cook porridge?” the woman tilted her head.
“I bought for stock meal three days.”
“Oh.” Orange suddenly realized and thought, their relationship had come so far and he was not so reluctant to eat together.
“I will cook and store it in a container. Later when Nakai-san comes he can warm it in the microwave for you and you can eat together.”
Hold on— “Nakai-san?” why suddenly carry someone else's name?
Shuji who heard the question was equally puzzled. From the kitchen counter the two looked at each other and the man suddenly drew a smile. “Do you think we'll eat together?”
Hearing the tone of temptation Orange became wrong behavior. Shame can be misunderstood, the effect is like he expected...
“Not so...” Orange holds his head but holds himself back for fear of touching the wound area.
“I know.” Shuji stopped his activity and walked over to Orange. The woman thought Shuji would tease her again, but he didn't.
The man squirms in front of the sofa, facing the Orange and asks with seriousness which makes the Orange nervous.
Why does it seem like they want to.. propose? Could it?
The orange gulped, and the chatter with Mrs Nakai earlier reverberated.
Fortunately, Orange did not detect the slightest feeling of heaviness in his heart.
Just say yes, I will. The orange reminds in the heart.
“...Nis. Sweet?”
“Ah, yes?”
Shuji who finished talking noticed the orange's scattered attention. The man smiled doubtfully, “I'll talk later only.”
“Do not.!!” The orange stops immediately. “I—aku earlier, less focus. Please repeat, this time I will listen in earnest.”
“...Alright.” Shuji cleared his throat and started. “I... intend to work out of town.”
“…..”
Orange: ???
Didn't he just propose?
Why are you suddenly out of town?
Aren't they just together again?
Could it be that he was already ugly after the accident?
Nakai-san, you're wrong. Shuji is tired of taking care of me and now he wants us to separate.
