"Is Ishikura-kun's house this way?"
"Yes, it's just down the street. I have a part-time job today though."
I realized my confession ─Would you like to be friends with me? was too hasty when I noticed she didn't reply. That's what she didn't answer after all.
I became nervous and my hands became sticky. Seeing me panicking when she noticed that my hands were sticky, she let her guard down one more notch.
The fact that she was no longer in an alert "posture" was proof of this. Now I am able to walk side by side with her on the asphalt along the seaside.
"Is your house nearby?"
"My house is just a short bus ride away."
The nearest bus stop is a fifteen-minute walk from the school, just on my way home. That meant we could go home together. Standing still, I got a small gut-punch on the side of my body.
"What kind of part-time job do you do?" She asked
"I'm working at a convenience store. I work together with Takumi Takahashi, who is in my class."
I answered her question with enthusiasm, and she nodded her head after turning her eyes skyward a little. It seems that her name and face match.
"Why are you working part-time?"
"I want to live on my own after graduation. Also, it's boring to just stay at home."
I was feeling better now that she had asked me about myself. The fact that she asked me a question meant that she was not completely indifferent.
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Well, I can't rule out the possibility that it was just a social call.
"Nakata-san, don't you have a part-time job or something?"
"Yes, since I became a high school student."
"I see…Do you have any siblings?"
"No, just my father and mother. And my grandmother lives with me."
"I love that you live with your grandma. My grandma lives in Hokkaido, so I don't get to see her very often. I think I'll call her later.
"Have you ever been to Hokkaido? My uncle always buys a carved wooden bear whenever he goes to Hokkaido. So we have a lot of carved wooden bears. And key holders, too."
I quickly pulled out my house key from my pocket as I rambled on, and then I stopped myself. The house key and the key rings I had attached to it clashed with each other and made a clinking sound.
......That's not good. The first day of the new semester will be a double whammy for me if I keep talking one-sidedly like a machine gun.
But it seems that my fears were unfounded.
"Wow, it really is a bear!"
Nakata-san stared at my hand intently and found an old bear among a group of key chains with its fingertips. Then, with a small, "cute" smile, she poked the tip of its nose with her index finger. The sunset shimmered in the sea, and softly dyed her smile orange.
Nakata-san's smile was more...
'She's so beautiful' I almost said aloud.
I immediately swallowed my true thoughts. Nakata-san is very beautifu but If I said this to her, she might become wary of me again. She gave me a curious look, and I hurriedly turned my face away fororm her.
"Nakata-san surprisingly is astringent to like a carved bear."
I wonder if I am laughing well.
The most important thing to remember is that you should never let the distance between you and your friends get too far apart.
"Leaf, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to use a name like that?"
I was called unexpectedly by my first name, my heart shook greatly.
Everyone around me calls me Leaf. So I should be used to being called that. Her voice spun my name in a way that made my heart tremble more strongly than I had ever felt before.
"In truth, I had an image of Ishikura-kun as a bright, cheerful, fun-loving person like a sunflower. He is cheerful and fun-loving. But after talking to him today, I realized that he is just like a leaf, just like his name."
My heart was indeed pounding.
I have a cheerful and jovial character. I have been told that I have no worries, can get along with anyone, and always seem to be having fun. I wonder if she senses something in my cheerfulness.
I am always told that I am able to solve problems, and that I am always happy to see people.
"Soak up the sun and store nutrients to rejuvenate someone. It gives shade when the sun hurts, acts as an umbrella when it rains, and sends a pleasant breeze. Ishikura-kun somehow gives me that feeling.
"That's why so many people gather around Ishikura-kun." She smiled slowly as she said that.
Don't close the distance too much at once.
Don't be in a hurry.
Trust is slowly built over time.
Especially if you are dealing with a girl who is very cautious around you.
"Leaf is fine."
She looked at me as if she had caught me by surprise, and my mouth was agape.
"So can I call you 'Walnut' too?"
She did not directly answer me in words when I asked her to be my friend. But I guess friends become friends when they realize they have become friends.
The cheeks of the girl in front of me turns reddish and then she turns her face towards the sea.
"It's already forcible......"
Her small murmur softly shakes my tie in the sea breeze.
With her back turned, walnut glanced at her wristwatch.
Then she turned around and laughed with a troubled expression on her face. Then she said, "Aren't you going to be late for your part-time job, Leaf?"
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