When Winter Ends || Modern Naruto Love Story

11

It's been a week since Naruto visited Mayumi at the hospital, and her update on that is better than the last time he saw her. Things were the same as always, except the fact that Naruto can't spend as much time with her because of her hospital arrest.

But from time to time, he at least visited her for ten to twenty minutes in her room, mostly catching her sleeping or awake, eating.

According to Mayumi, hospital food is very bland and salty. Once Naruto heard that, he's willing to give her the best food out there when she's released.

By the end of week, he received an unknown phone call.

"Hello?" He picked up. Soon, another voice came by his ear, and heard it was Mayumi's.

"Hi, Naruto. It's me.." For some strange reason, her tone was low and gentle.

"Mayu! So I take that you're getting better," he smiled.

He imagined her nodding slowly, and eyes wandering. "Y-Yeah, I just got home." This made his eyes bright.

"Really? That's great!" He beamed.

"I just want to thank you again, Naruto. For doing what you did for the past week," she murmured. Naruto chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, sitting up in his bed. He felt a blush creeping to his cheeks.

"Ah, no problem! I mean, I was just trying to help. I just want you to get better," he grinned, but eventually he noticed a long pause from her which made him arch a brow. Until Mayumi spoke again, her voice trying to sound lively and normal.

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" She asked.

Naruto trailed as he felt surprised by her question. He scratched his cheek. "Uh, nothing really. Why?"

"Do you wanna go out?" She asked again quickly, making the blond boy lost his words. Is she asking him on a date? She felt his astonished reaction through the phone.

"T-Tonight? But you just got out of the hospital," he added.

Shaking her head, Mayumi didn't hesitate to answer back. "I just want to see you. Is that okay?"

He doesn't know why, but it feels like her voice sounds a bit lonely and empty, like she needed him for something. Almost flattered by her comment, Naruto felt forced to answer back to her.

"Um, sure, Mayu. Meet me in town then?"

"Yeah... Sounds good."

*~*

That night, Naruto waited by the ramen shop, shivering quietly to himself as the snow grew thicker over his head, masked with a black beanie and a green scarf wrapped around his face. He's been standing there for almost ten minutes and Mayumi hasn't shown up again.

Now that he's alone, not doing anything, he thought about their phone call a moment ago.

Why does she want to see him, anyways? Out of all days, Mayumi chose the day when she just get out of the hospital to see him.

This made his head hurt.

"Naruto." He looked up from the ground, hearing the blue girl call out his name. Mayumi approached him, wearing a navy blue coat and a white woolen scarf hanging over her neck. Naruto smiled wryly. 

"I was just wondering when you'll show up."

"Sorry... I got a little lost," she answered. He shook his head, then motioning back at the ramen shop. "It's fine! Let's just get inside."

"Yeah."

Their dinner was awfully peaceful. It was mostly Naruto starting up the conversation with her while they eat, but strangely Mayumi didn't initiate it for long. And then she would fall silent for almost half the time they ate their bowl of ramen.