Episode 8 – Childhood friends huddled shoulder to shoulder

“……..Fuuu”

As I was taking a bath before dinner, I was thinking back to my conversation with aunt. Now that I think about it, I chuckle and wonder if it was a bit over the top.

Since Mom and Dad are going away for three months, Kasumi is going to do a lot for me, but of course I’m not going to leave it up to her alone. I’m going to do what I can, and I’m going to spend these three months in close cooperation with Kasumi.

“…… Okay, then, let’s get up.”

Wiping myself thoroughly to avoid catching a cold, I changed into my pajamas and headed for the living room where Kasumi was waiting for me. When I opened the door and walked in, Kasumi was posing with a shout.

“Haa! Sei!! Yaa!!”
“………….”

She was moving her arms and legs as she stared at her reflection, using the window pane as a mirror. I chuckled at how much I missed it and walked up to Kasumi.

“Kasumi, I’m out of the bath.”
“Oh, welcome back, Kazuki.”

Kasumi looked back and was sweating a little.

“You used to do karate in middle school. Do you sometimes do it like you do now?”

Yes, Kasumi did karate in middle school.
In high school, like me, she was not involved in any club activities and went home, but I wonder if she still practices kata like that from time to time.

“Yes. It’s good exercise, and it gives me strength in case of an emergency.”
“I see. Still, that was authentic.”
“The teacher praised me a lot, Well, I’m not as sharp as I was back then.”

It looked sharp enough to me, though.
Then Kasumi heads for the bath, and I simply start preparing dinner. I’m not a good cook at all, so I can only do simple things, but it’s still better than doing nothing at all.

Time passed as I did what I could, and Kasumi returned, dressed in her pajamas. I thought about it yesterday, but she really has grown up in many ways and looks sexy. The smell of the bathtub and the smell of Kasumi’s natural scent also make me feel strange and nervous.

“What’s wrong?”

It was cute to see Kasumi staring at me with a strange look on her face.
I finish preparing dinner while helping Kasumi, and just like yesterday, I eat dinner alone with Kasumi.

“…… really tasty. Kasumi, I’m seriously impressed.”
“Um, …… that much?”
“Ah, I could eat this for the rest of my life”
“….I see….I see”

What I just said is not a lie.
I fooled around at school, but today’s menu is hamburg. which I requested from Kasumi on my way home from school.
It’s just a hamburg….. Maybe because Kasumi made it, it was better than any hamburg I’ve ever had.

“…… delicious, really delicious.”

All I said was that it was so delicious that I am sorry for the loss of vocabulary.
Kasumi’s cheeks relaxed as she watched me gobble up the food.

“I’m most happy that …… Kazuki is happy. Did I grab your stomach?”
“I think you already got me.”

I don’t feel like I’ve already been grabbed since yesterday.
There are definitely blank times when we didn’t talk at all, but we still used to be together all the time. So Kasumi knows exactly what I like and don’t like, and she probably knows what kind of flavors I prefer.

“…..I’ll get some cake from the front of the station tomorrow.”

I mumbled to Kasumi without her hearing me. Kasumi has a sweet tooth and loves cakes and sweets. There was a time when she was ready to fast because of her weight gain, but I decided to buy Kasumi’s favorite things in secret as a token of my appreciation.

“Thanks for the food.”
“Thank you for the food, You ate really nicely.”
“Of course. It tastes so good, and most importantly, Kasumi made it for me, so I’m tempted to eat it beautifully.”
“…..that much?”

I nodded.
After we finished eating, I was washing dishes side by side with Kasumi, who seemed to be in a good mood, humming a tune the whole time. I enjoyed doing the housework alongside her, and I was even more thankful to have Kasumi by my side.

“I just want to complain about what happened to me before.”
“It’s true. How much I’ve been distressed, you ought to be a little more remorseful.”

That’s really true.
I joined Kasumi, who immediately smiled at me, though her cheeks were puffed out. After washing the dishes and finishing other things, we went back to our room.

“Hey, Kasumi, if you’re going to be here for three months, I’ll make room for you, okay?”
“What? It’s fine, right here. No, I’d rather be here.”
“That much?”
“The gap between me and Kazuki is about two years, and I need to fill it.”

I sensed from Kasumi that she was determined not to move.

“Aren’t you more selfish than you used to be?”
“It was Kazuki who did this to me. Be prepared.”
“…..Haha, I see”

I guess I don’t have a choice if she says that much.
Then we spent time together until we fell asleep. I watched a video on my phone while Kasumi picked up a manga from the bookshelf and read it.

“It’s been a really long time since I’ve had this feeling.”
“Yes, that’s right. Kasumi used to come over to my house every once in a while.”
“Did you hate it……?”
“No way. Did I look like I didn’t like it when Kasumi came over? I think I always had fun when you came, let alone the second half of junior high school”

If anything, I even took Kasumi’s hand from mine and brought her home in my own way.
I don’t know about all the childhood friends in the world, but we really used to be close. Kasumi said yes, and came to lie next to me on the bed. We lay down as well and Kasumi said this.

“I guess so. We were close like that, but it was Kazuki who went away.”
“Sorry…….”
“I forgive you. That’s why I’m here.”

……….Kasumi laughed as she showed her beautiful white teeth.
I put my hand on Kasumi’s head and pulled her close to me so that our shoulders were still together, as was my habit in the past.

“I appreciate the food and the fact that you are there for me. Thank you, Kasumi.”
“No, it’s only natural for us as childhood friends, …… and–“
“I’m not just going to take your money, I’m going to support you, too. If there’s anything you want me to do, just let me know, okay? I’ll be with you for the next three months.”
“Ah…….~~!”

Actually, I got a voicemail from my mom with a message asking if I was okay. Kasumi’s there and she’s totally fine, so don’t worry, Mom and Dad.

“…….Weird”
“Eh?”
“Looks like I’m going to get caught up first….Kazuki… I cannot let my guard down”
“What do you mean ……”

Kasumi turned away with a tsun, but soon turned around again and hugged me.

My relationship with Kasumi returned to the way it used to be, and thus our three months began.
Everyday life with childhood friends, it was back to normal.