Hunger
Chapter 8
The sparse crowd that filled the chairs in the Literature club clapped for Natsuki as she finished her poem. The club had manage to made it through their two readings. To Naota's surprise the public display of poetry was easier for him then expected. Yuri was a nervous wreck at first and Natsuki stubbornly complained until the end but the two got by thanks to the support of their club mates.
Monika took the podium again to close the ceremony and as Natsuki took her place with the other's Naota mouthed a silent "Good Job" to her. She responded with a confident, stand offish look as if to say "That was nothing."
As Monika wished everyone a goodnight the audience began to file out of the room she left the podium to rejoin the other four.
"Well, I can't say I saw anyone super interested in joining our club." Monika said in an uncharacteristically depressed tone.
Sayori was quick to pick up on her president's mood shift. "Hey, don't count your chickens just yet! Who knows who might show up at the next meeting."
If there was one thing Monika could count on her vice president for it was to rescue her before fell too far into the depths of despair. "You're right Sayori. We all did our best today and we deserve a break from worrying about recruitment. We just need to clean this place up."
With a nod of affirmation the group split up and began working on different tasks. As Naota stacked chairs to one side of the room as had to admire his club mates. In such a short time they learned to work with one another and in moments like these they ran like a well oiled machine. It filled the former recluse with pride that he could be a part of it, he'd have to thank Sayori someday for convincing him to join.
"Chairs are done!" Naota announced as he went for a broom and started sweeping.
"Food mess is taken care of and left overs are packed away!" Natsuki chimed, the others could tell by her body language that she was dying to get out to the festival.
Yuri had just taken down the banner and curtain and stuffed them into a trash bag. "The atmosphere has been returned to normal." She said disappointingly, she had really loved the work she had done with the room.
"Trash cans are clear!" Sayori sang. Contrary to her fellow members she still seemed filled to the brim with energy.
When Naota finished sweeping the group met in the hall as Monika locked the classroom for the night. "Alright guys that does it for tonight. Thank you all for your hard work. Have a new poem to share in a few days. Enjoy the rest of the festival." The others could see Monika was clearly fatigued after the evenings events.
"Are you not going to enjoy the festival as well?" Yuri asked in concern.
"I might grab something to eat but after that I'm heading home, this girl is exhausted." Monika explained slumping her shoulders.
"That's too bad, me and Yuri were going to check out some of the games." Sayori said, grabbing said timid girl in a side hug. "What about you guys?"
As if answering for it's owner Natsuki's stomach gave a deep, loud rumble. "Naota and I are getting dinner before anything else."
"Oooo dinner? Together?" Sayori teased with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
"Don't make it weird!" Natsuki warned as she folded her arms over her chest. "Or tonight will be the last night you get to taste any of my baked goods."
Sayori nodded and comically turned on her heel, dragging Yuri by the arm as she swiftly departed. "C'mon Yuri, I bet I can beat you at ring toss."
"Wow..." Naota watched the two leave with wide eyes. "I think you really scared Sayori with that threat."
"Of course, being banned from my cooking is like being kicked out of heaven." Natsuki bragged.
The three remaining members shared a laugh at the cocky baker's declaration. Seeing as they were all going to eat they decided to walk to the courtyard together.
"Did I tell you Monika kicked a guy's ass when we were checking the festival out?" Naota smirked as they walked together.
"This I gotta hear..." Natsuki giggled as she looked to Monika expectantly.
The sun had fully set some time ago and the sky was dotted with early stars. Naota couldn't help but think how romantic the scene could be. He had to quickly squash those thoughts in the back of his mind however, he was nervous enough as it was!
"... you just have to have the courage to get involved. Even if you might get hurt."
Monika's words still rang clear in his head. Dinner was the mission right now but the goal for tonight was to see if there was anything between him and Natsuki. Despite his constant mantras that relationships were nothing but trouble he had to finally admit to himself that he had fallen for the pink haired baker. Every time their eyes met, every accidental touch and even every snarky remark had his heart beating harder.
"NAOTA! EARTH TO NAOTA!" Natsuki had to shout to break her friend out of his daze.
"Wha? Whats happening?"
"I said we're having udon for dinner. That alright with you?" Natsuki asked, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Oh! Sure, lead the way." Naota replied quickly, hoping that he hadn't made the girl too angry. "Do you like udon Natsuki?"
Natsuki thought for a moment. "With how chilly it is tonight I thought some nice warm broth would be nice. And in the hierarchy of noodle dishes udon is number two, right after ramen."
Now that she mentioned it there was a chilly breeze that occasionally swept through the courtyard grounds. That pesky part of Naota's brain began to overthink again.
'Is Natsuki cold now? She has a hoodie on, maybe I should offer her mine as well? Would it be too awkward for her to wear two at once?'
This time his thoughts were interrupted when Natsuki started dragging him toward the food booths. "Man what's up with you today? You're spacing out every other minute! Did Monika knock the sense out of you too?"
"Heh, sorry. I guess it's just been a long day. Come on let's get going I'm staving!" Naota grinned as he tried to psych himself up again.
'Come on Naota! Keep it light and fun!'
The air seemed a little warmer near the food stalls and a mix of enticing aromas filled the air. Natsuki finally let go of Naota's arm as she stood in the center of it all. She took an almost comically deep breath in appreciation of the food surrounding her. The mix of sweet and savory brought a huge smile to Natsuki's face. Naota had to break into a jog when she suddenly homed in and took off to the udon booth.
"We'll both have a bowl of beef udon my good man." Natsuki ordered with a fangy smirk.
"Two bowls beef!" The upperclassmen running the stall yelled to his peers who were cooking. He held out a hand to the small woman for payment.
"Pay the man Naota." Natsuki elbowed her "date" in the side.
"Right! Right!" Naota fished out his wallet, secretly thanking his mother for the money she'd gave him.
When the food was ready the pair found an empty table where they could eat in peace. Before Naota could even sit Natsuki already had chopsticks in hand and noodles in mouth.
"Don't eat so fast you choke now, this isn't a race." Naota said with a chuckle.
Natsuki quickly chewed and swallowed before speaking. "Not a race for you maybe. I still want to hit a dessert stall before they pack up for the night. So try and keep up."
The two ate is silence for a moment. When Naota dared to sneak a glance at the young woman he found her staring him down, noodles hanging from her lips. With a cocky, raised eyebrow she showed off her noodle supremacy. Just one mighty slurp later the noodles were reeled in to her mouth so fast it was almost like magic. She smiled has she chewed, taunting Naota for eating so slow.
'I guess it is a race now.'
Naota returned his focus to his bowl with new vigor and so did Natsuki in kind. A voice deep within him chided him for acting so immature but he didn't care. All that mattered to him is that he was having an eating race with his crush. Every now and again the two would lock eyes, wordlessly goading each other on. When Naota was finally feeling confidant he was catching up with Natsuki is when disaster struck. Too distracted by the race and by the lovely pink orbs looking at him he couldn't dodge the errant noodle that whip lashed from the force of his slurping and managed to flick him in the eye.
"AHHH!" The sudden stinging of broth in his eye caught the young man off guard. He comically grabbed his face and writhed in his seat. Natsuki finally stopped her eating for a moment to erupt into giggles. When her laughter finally died down she dug in her pocket and offered her "injured" her frilly pink handkerchief to wipe his eye clean with.
"Man Naota, it's a pretty big sign that you need to hit the gym or something when a bowl of noodles is kicking your ass." Natsuki chortled.
Naota took her handkerchief and dabbed his eye a few times. "Thanks for the help. Your vote of confidence is much appreciated too."
"Well you know me, I'm nothing if not kind and supporting. Just ask Yuri." Natsuki giggled again before she went back to eating.
Needless to say the race was called off. Although Naota took a little hit to his pride it just might have been worth it to make his crush laugh so much. When they were done they returned the bowls to the stalls with compliments to the chef.
"So what were you thinking for dessert?" Naota asked as they took the the yard again.
Natsuki quickly scanned her surroundings, trying to remember where she saw the sweet treat on her bounty list. "THERE!" She pointed to a booth suddenly.
"Funnel cakes? What's a funnel cake?" Naota hadn't been to too many festivals or fairs in his lifetime and he never herd of such a dessert.
"It's great! They take a basic batter and pipe it into hot oil and fry it. Then they top it off with powdered sugar. Here let's split one." Natsuki's excitement easily got the better of her and she was once again dragging her friend by the arm.
One exchange of Naota's allowance later and the pair were sat at the courtyard fountain, hot cake and a pair of forks between them. Before the anticipation could build too much they launched a simultaneous attack on the delicious treat.
"Mmmm..." Natsuki hummed as she savored the reward she had been thinking about all night. "Isn't this awesome?"
Naota too was reveling in the sweetness that currently encompassed his taste buds. "Yeah, it kinda reminds me of doughnuts." After securing and chewing another bite he asked "Have you ever made something like this?"
"I've made a simple cake or two before but never funnel cake. In fact I don't think I've ever deep fried anything in my life. Hell I don't think we ever have had that much oil in the house at one time."
"Really?" Naota was suddenly relieved that his parents usually kept a well stocked kitchen.
"Well it's just me and my dad you know? Dad tends to keep it really simple with groceries."
"Too simple most of the time" Natsuki thought, doing her best not to let the bitter sentiment ruin her treat.
Naota didn't pick up on the subtle change in Natsuki's demeanor. He leaned back and turned his gaze to the star littered sky. Under the deep night and constellations the last of his nerves seemed to melt away.
"Hey, if you don't pick that fork back up you're gonna miss out of dessert." Natsuki warned between bites.
"I think I'm good for the night. You can finish it, you're a growing girl after all." Naota shot his friend a joking grin.
"Your loss." Natsuki shrugged. She finished the dish in no time and she left briefly to dispose of the paper tray. She sat back down with a satisfied grunt, her belly full for the first time in days. When she finally took note of her friend's stargazing he decided to join him in it.
"Beautiful night isn't it?" Naota asked, not bothering to uncrane his neck or break his view.
"Yeah, it's been a real nice night." The beginnings of a blush began to burn the young woman's cheeks. "Hey, I just wanna say thanks for coming out here with me tonight. These things are a lot more fun when you've got a friend with you."
"Anytime, I can't think of anyone I'd rather go to something like this with." Naota responded earnestly, turning his head to look Natsuki in the eyes.
The two stayed like that for a moment, content just to look at each other. Their gaze didn't break until Naota took her hand in his. Part of him knew how big of a risk he was taking. With a girl like Natsuki he could very well end up IN the fountain if he was too careless with these unspoken boundaries.
For a moment there was nothing but stillness. Quiet stillness and the sensation of Natsuki's smaller hand slowly warming up under his. Naota could feel his heart beat hard throughout his body.
"What's with this?" Natsuki eventually asked, her voice showing no hint of emotion.
"What?" Naota honestly couldn't make heads or tails of her reaction or question.
"What happened to not being in the literature club to pick up girls."
"I didn't join initially for that reason, but I don't know. I guess I lied." Naota shrugged.
Natsuki sighed. "I'm gonna be totally honest here, I'm at a loss when it comes to the subject of "Us"."
"Oh..." Naota tried his best not to sound too crestfallen. "I just thought with what happened while we were baking..."
"I know, and believe me, if I had a chance to relive that day again I would. You're a good guy Naota. You don't talk down to me and respect my thoughts and wishes. You read manga with me and look out for me when I need a little money at the vending machine. I don't think any of the girls do all that for me."
Naota felt a little pride in her admission and his grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly.
"You're the first guy to ever treat me so nice... and that's sorta the problem."
"Huh?" Was all a confused Naota could utter.
"It's all kind of cliché isn't it? If I just fall for the first guy who treats me well?" Natsuki reasoned. Her tone of voice sounding like she was trying to convince the both of them. "And don't even get me started on my dad, if he caught us together he'd probably kick your ass."
Naota opened his mouth but Natsuki was too quick and cut him off. " I mean I'm Natsuki! I can't let myself be seen all lovely dovey with a boy."
Hearing her reasoning cause a sad, sharp pain in Naota's chest. Like his heart had grown spikes and his muscles were slowly squeezing it. "You're still holding my hand though..."
Her thumb brushed back and forth against his knuckles a few times. "That's because part of me knows how nice it would be. Baking together, reading manga, hanging out at the arcade or park or wherever we want." Natsuki took a deep breath to steel her nerves and then stood up, finally breaking the bond their hands shared.
"Listen Naota, I gotta get going. Thanks for everything." Natsuki said and walked away, leaving the broken boy at the school's fountain.
Even though she wouldn't let him walk her home under any circumstances the walk home felt extra lonely that night. The house was dark aside from the light of the living room T.V. She was glad her dad was home, he didn't trust her with a house key so if he decided to bar hop tonight she would have been left waiting on the doorstep for him to get back.
No sooner then she entered the slurring voice of her father rang out. "Natsuki! What in the world kept you out so late!?"
Natsuki sighed for what must have been the twentieth time in the last half hour. "The festival was today dad, I was at school." She stood in the door way to the living room to see her father in his usual position in his recliner.
"Then why are you dressed like that and not in your uniform?" The drunken man countered. "You better not have been running around with some boy."
"I had a poetry recital dad, I had to dress up a little bit. And all of my friends are girls, there were no boys with us."
"Good, and you better keep it that way. You need to focus on school and not some moronic horny punk. Boys are nothing but trouble at this age." Her dad wagged a finger at her.
"I know, I know. Can I go to my room now? It's been a super long day."
"Sure thing sweetie, goodnight."
"Goodnight dad."
Stumbling into her room Natsuki didn't even bother to turn on a light before collapsing into bed. She hugged a pillow to her chest and did her best to relax and tell herself she did the right thing.
How could I even ask Naota to accept all this screwed up mess?