Ch. 4: The Friend Treatment
And so the two of us went out together, as friends.
Cohen: “So, what do a man and women do together as friends?”
Below the pale sky, we walked through the town.
OO: “Go on a walk like this, or talk…”
Cohen: “Uh…”
Cohen kept silent as if trying to think of what to say.
OO: “What’s the matter?”
Cohen: “You make it sound easy, but I’m trying to think of how to treat the beautiful woman before me as a friend. I want to treat you like a princess instead.”
OO: “…”
At that time…-
I suddenly stopped walking, and one of the townspeople bumped into me.
Cohen: “This way, amo-…”
Cohen reflexively put his arm around my waist and pulled me along.
Cohen: “…sorry, I just…”
Cohen scratched his head as he spoke awkwardly.
OO: “It’s alright, thank you.”
I giggled then, thinking he had looked kind of cute.
Cohen: “This being friends thing is difficult.”
I saw Cohen’s face from the side, his expression embarrassed and his face tinged a faint red.
Ch. 5: As a Friend
A refreshing breeze swirled around the two of us…-
We were walking through the town when a small boy tugged on the hem of my skirt.
Boy: “Hey mister, are you sick? You’re walking with this girl but you’re so far apart.”
He spoke as if worried, and I noticed he was carrying a basket full of flowers to sell.
(Asking if one of us is sick just because I’m a girl and we’re not walking close…)
I looked around at that, and noticed how all of the men and women were walking with their shoulders touching, tightly pressed to each other.
(Th-this country really IS like that.)
I opened my eyes wide in surprise.
Cohen: “No, no one is sick…”
Boy: “No helping it then. I’ll show you how to do it.”
The boy reached into his basket of flowers and pulled out a cosmos.
Boy: “Beautiful one. Please be mine.”
Saying so, he took my hand with a practiced move and kissed the back of my hand.
(So cute.)
Without realizing, I smiled.
Cohen: “Oh so if I do it, it’s bad, but it’s fine for this kid!? That’s cruel.”
Seeing me smile, Cohen spoke in irritation and anger.
Cohen: “Give me all of your flowers.”
(H-he’s not very mature…)
Having bought all the flowers from the boy, Cohen knelt before me on one knee.
Cohen: “Beautiful one, please become mine.”
He kissed the back of my hand and…
OO: “…”
Before I knew it, my cheeks had warmed and my heart started ringing like an alarm bell.
Boy: “Well, you pass. Congrats~”
The flower boy left.
I couldn’t even blink as I stood perfectly still in that spot.
Cohen: “…?”
Cohen looked at me as he presented me with the bundle of flowers.
Cohen: “Ah, right.”
He said it as if remembering something. Then he took a single flower from the bunch and placed it behind my ear.
Cohen: “This is a present, from a friend, so please take it. Let’s go.”
He stood in front of me and started walking off.
(A…friend…?)
At that moment I came to realize that I didn’t fully understand what a friendship entailed either.
END