Love, Dreams, Friendship

Approaching distance

Next week, Nao came to the library as usual. I was planning to study inside today, but not many people were available, so I changed my schedule and decided to read a book on the bench outside.

There seem to be more people than usual because the weather is nice and it is easy to spend time outside. There are a lot of people playing and exercising in the yard. The energetic voices of the children echoed, but I could see some of them had the loudest voices. Maybe about elementary school students, they line up with gloves.

"Thank you!"

The three greeted someone while raising their hands and waving their hands lightly. Nao looked at the person facing the three.

"……that?"

The guy was tall and lean, and threw the ball into one of the three of a lithe and beautiful throw form.

"Hasumi-kun?"

Nao squinted his eyes and looked at the person's face. The one who smiled as he called out to the children must be Atsushi. It was an expression I never showed in school, but it was the same smile Nao saw in the summer in high school.

Atsushi was here, playing catch with the kids, smiling, and Nao couldn't hide his surprise, but it made me happy. Seeing Atsushi laughing happily from the bottom of his heart, I felt sure that Atsushi was not the cold person who was rumored to be. Nao began to read the book with a feeling of pleasure while feeling the turmoil in his heart.

After a long time of being engrossed in books, I saw Junto and his children collecting catches. After speaking a little happily, the children said goodbye to Atsushi, said "Thank you" and returned from the scene.

After doing a light stretch, Atsuto arranged his luggage and started walking towards the bike shed.

--Oh, come here.

There is a bench where Nao sits between where Atsushi is and the bike lodge. Surprisingly Nao was nervous because Atsushi, who was unaware of himself, was heading here. Moreover, I haven't exchanged words with Junto since the reception ceremony, and I was a bit hesitant to talk to him all of a sudden because of that.

However, Nao decides to call Atsushi because he wants to know her a little and get to know her.

"Hazumi-kun"

Nao dare to call. Atsushi, who walked slightly downwards, seemed completely unaware of Nao's whereabouts, and looked surprised upon seeing his face.

"... Mamiya sir?"

Soon he returned to his usual cold face and Junto stopped. It was fine to stop, but Nao did not think about the next topic at all, and there was a brief silence between the two.

"" ... ""

The first person to break the silence was Atsushi.

"... The English book?"

Atsushi asked, glancing at Nao's book.

"Eh? Yes, yes ..."

"I understand"

I didn't answer, but Nao seemed to be smiling a little at Junto.

"... Hasumi practiced baseball?"

The silence seemed to continue, but I spoke to him and found him disrespectful, so Nao hurriedly asked a question.

"Yes for now"

"Are you teaching the boys baseball?"

"No, I was just asked to play catch."

"Oh .. I'm fine, everyone."

"... Oh, I'm reading a book, but it's noisy. Sorry."

"I'm glad it was."

Atsushi replied without changing his expression. I really wanted to talk about things, but atsushi might be annoying, so Nao changed the story to be here today.

　

"Oh, I'm sorry I spoke to you all of a sudden. I'm surprised."

"No, it's okay. Well, I'm surprised."

The cold atmosphere of Atsushi, who answered so without changing his expression, looked like he was drunk, but Nao decided to take the risk and ask what he most wanted to hear at the end.

"... Is it okay to talk to me at school?"

For a moment Atsushi looked puzzled by Nao's question, but soon returned to his usual cold face.

　

"... I don't mind, but ..."

Atsushi said so and kept quiet. Nao was worried about such a situation, but decided to wait for Junto's next words. After thinking for a moment, Atsuto continued his words with a worried expression.

"Maybe it bothers Mamiya-san."

　

"Huh? Why?"

Nao was surprised by the unexpected words from Atsushi and made a frowning sound. Nao became embarrassed by his tone of voice, but Atsuto seemed to not care about that.

"Look, I'm floating. I've been told a lot .... When I spoke to me, Mamiya-san probably said something strange."

Atsushi himself must have been disgusted by things, but at the same time I felt grateful for the kindness of Atsushi who worried me, and at the same time, my heart ached. Nao wondered how to answer her, and when he could not say a word, Atsuto continued his words with a slightly sad face.

　　

"Well, it's my own fault for doing that, so I don't mind being told much, but talking to me makes Mamiya-san hate ..."

"No problem!"

Nao interrupted Junto's words. Various thoughts mixed and Nao's voice became louder than I expected. Atsushi was startled and could not continue with his words because Nao did not have the shadow to make such a loud sound.

"I want to talk to Hasumi-kun. I want to hang out with Hasumi-kun, so it doesn't matter who I am."

With that said, Nao stared straight at Junto. Atsushi was happy to feel Nao's straight and gentle feeling from the words he spoke.

　

"……thank you"

Atsushi also looked straight at Nao. Nao came back to me that he became a little emotional.

"sorry. I'm getting a little emotional..."

While saying that, Nao refused awkwardly. Atsushi softly spoke to him when he saw Nao.

"I feel happy"

Upon hearing those words, Nao raised his face. At that moment, what Nao saw was Atsushi's gently smiling face. Seeing that smile, Nao felt his chest slightly scream. And I felt her expression was exactly the same as the smile I met in the middle of summer.