Mandarin Orange, Kotatsu, And A Found Cat

Chapter 70 The Cat And The Pounding Heart

“M-Mashiro?”

She didn’t seem to hear me as she suddenly closed the distance between us, and pulled herself closer to me. Then she reached out with one hand and lightly touched my chest.
She put her other hand on her first hand, and then slowly put my head on her head as if to put her weight on me, and stuck to me.

I couldn’t react to the suddenness of the situation, and I couldn’t get her off of me.
I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to get closer to her lately, but the only physical contact I’ve had with her has been holding hands, and I’m not used to this level of contact at all.

A soft, refreshing scent drifted from Mashiro in my chest. It’s not a harsh perfume, but the gentle shampoo she uses.
I thought I had gotten used to the smell, but just the fact that she was at close range made my heart beat even faster.

“It’s right.”
“Eh?”

Mashiro, who was attached to my not particularly well-trained chest, stopped to listen quietly.
I was so shocked that I couldn’t say anything, but suddenly she dropped her words in a calm manner.

“You’re really nervous about this, Satou-san.”
“…!”

Mashiro’s words caused my heart to jump out of my chest with such force.
I think I had a similar experience a while ago. I think it was when the topic of heart rate was discussed in a TV program.

That time, just like now, Mashiro was listening to my heartbeat with her ear to my chest. So this was not the first time I’ve been in this situation.
However, my heart was beating incomparably faster than it had been then.

My heart was beating so fast that I could feel it, and of course, Mashiro could feel it, too, and she talked about it.

“Fufu. Satou-san, are you nervous about today’s date?”
“N-No. It would make me nervous. Don’t you, Mashiro?”
“Of course I’m nervous, but….there is someone around me who is more nervous than me, so…”
“…”

I can certainly understand the idea, but I don’t want to know how I’ve been subjected to it.
The more time I spent with Mashiro, the more and more I felt like she had more time on her hands than I did.

…No, it was a little different
She probably hasn’t changed as much as I think she has. I guess it’s simply the result of her getting used to this new life.

Yes. It was me who actually changed.
Recently, the way I treat Mashiro has become ambiguous. …To put it plainly, I have become strangely conscious of her.

That doesn’t mean that it’s an awareness of the opposite gender. …Well, if you ask me if it’s there at all, I can’t deny it…

“As I said in the morning, I’ve already made up my mind. So please don’t be so nervous, Satou-san.”

Mashiro told me in a gentle way as if to soothe my still-rumbling heart.
She probably thought that my nervousness was caused by anxiety.
No, she was not wrong, of course, but the majority of my nervousness right now was due to something else.

(It would be strange not to be nervous after being shown such a cute look, wouldn’t it?)

Even though I’m still in my twenties, I’m old enough to be called an old man by Mashiro. No, it would be quite hurtful if she actually said that to me…
It was shameful that I was so nervous about a mere date when there was such a big age difference between us.
I muttered in my mind as if to make excuses for my feelings.

“L-Let’s get going. Mashiro.”
“Yes, we should.”

It was still a little earlier than I had planned, but when I suggested it to get out of this situation as quickly as possible, Mashiro pulled away.
After calming my heartbeat once more, I walked out the door with Mashiro.

Today’s meeting place was the station closest to my house. It was the station I always use to commute to work.
It was a little far from Sakakibara and Ayano-san who lived in the city where we work, but that’s because they suggested it.
They were concerned about us because we were the ones who invited them.

I’ve been going out with Mashiro more and more, and I feel like she’s gotten used to it.
However, the scope of our activities was within walking distance. We haven’t gone out using the bus or train yet.
In that sense, I was grateful for the suggestion from them.

I walked along the familiar path to the station as usual.
Even though it was in the vicinity of the station, it was still a country road. It wasn’t very wide, but there was still a lot of traffic because people were using the station.
I was walking on the side of the road for safety reasons, but she was walking next to me, looking at me with anxious eyes.

“Satou-san, please come a little closer to me.”
“I’m fine. If I move any closer, it will make it harder for Mashiro to walk.”
“…Nothing as such!”

The sidewalk was not very wide, just like the roadway. There were house walls and hedges right next to the houses, so if I moved too much in, there would be no space for Mashiro to walk.
With that in mind, I turned down Mashiro’s offer, but she didn’t seem to agree.
Mashiro made a stubborn sound and suddenly grabbed my arm. Then she hugged me, pulling my arms around her.

“M-Mashiro?”
“What is it?”
“N-no, nothing…”

It wasn’t the kind of hand-holding that we usually do.
Mashiro’s arms are entwined around my arms, holding her body close to mine as if to say she won’t let go.

Parts of her body that I normally wouldn’t touch were being pushed around like this, and I was speechless at the situation I was in.
My heartbeat began to accelerate again as if I had remembered that I had just finally gotten over my nervousness before leaving home.

“I-Isn’t the distance between us a little too close? Mashiro-san.”
“…I-Isn’t it okay?”

Yeeaaahhhh….NO, IT’S NOT!

“No, it’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that I…was surprised that it came out of nowhere.”
“It’s your fault that you don’t come closer to me, Satou-san.”
“E-Even if you say so…”

I wanted to say something back, as my heart was currently at its limit, but I couldn’t say anything if she was doing it of her own free will.
It was good to see that Mashiro and I have been getting closer lately, but I wonder if this was indeed getting too close …Is it because I’m just too much of a chicken?

“Besides, it’s a ‘date’ today, right?”
“That’s what they say…”
“Then it’s not unnatural for us to walk like this, is it?”

She gave me that with a mischievous smile as we walked side by side at zero distance.
When she showed me such a face as well as a good argument, I finally have no room to argue. After sighing heavily in my mind, I opened my mouth.

“…I understand. we’re lovers today, right?”
“Yes.”

When I answered reluctantly, she gave me a smile that I couldn’t help but notice.
I’ll tell the truth to Sakakibara and Ayano-san today anyway. It was not like I’m forcing her to act this way.

…But only for a little while until the opportunity arises. It was not a bad idea to pretend to be in a different relationship than usual.
That’s what I thought to myself.