𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧?

Chapter 4

Weeks after the argument with Hatori, and after dodging questions about my bruised wrist, I find myself meeting with an old college friend, the same friend I share with Kana, Mayuko Shiraki.

"Well if it isn't one of my favorite customers. How are you today, Ms. Natsu?" Miss Shiraki asks as I enter the small bookstore, waiting for Mayuko to arrive after work.

"Oh, I'm doing wonderful. And how are you and Mr. Shiraki doing today?" I respond, glancing through the small selection of new arrivals.

"We're doing fine. Mr. Shiraki is waiting for spring, it's much better for his lungs than this cold winter we've been having." She tells me. "What brings you in today? Looking for something specific or looking for a cup of tea?"

"No, I'm meeting Mayuko here. We're going out for dinner and decided this would be the best place to meet. But this book does look rather interesting." I say, scanning the introduction of an old, worn-down book.

"That's so lovely. I know Mayu has been busy with school starting back up, and it has been a while since the two of you have hung out. I'm sure you're a busy woman too." She gushes as I decide to put the book back.

"Not too much, no. I'm still figuring my career out, so apart from uncertain stress, I've been rather bored." I tell her as the front bell rings and takes our attention.

"Hi, sorry I was running late." Mayuko comes into the store, bundled from the winter cold. "A student was pestering me about graduation already so I had to deal with them."

"Mayu, I was just telling Natsu how great it is that you two are finally hanging out. Such busy, working women. You know, Mayu, if you were married you wouldn't have to work so hard." Her mother frets, causing me and Mayuko to exchange glances.

"That's nice and all, Mom, but we have a reservation waiting for us. So we should really get going!" We don't, mainly because we don't even know where we're going to eat. But we need to get out of there before her mother starts asking me to hook her up with one of my family members.

"God, she's such a chatterbox sometimes. And I'm not even old! I don't need to rush into marriage! Besides I like my job!" Mayuko complains as we walk to the restaurant we settled on. It's fairly new, having opened up in December, and from everything we've heard, it's supposed to be amazing.

"At least you have a job to keep yourself busy. I hate not having one because it means my nit-picky mother is saying something. At least your mom is nice." I point out as we pass shops, banks, and businesses.

"Yeah, no offense, but your mother is a nightmare." She chuckles.

"None took," I assure her. "Oh, you know your friend Kana?"

"Yeah, the like super distant cousin of yours who is also my best friend. I know her."

"She's working for my friend, well, my family's doctor," I tell her. Personally, I don't want to spend too much time with Kana, not after the fallout with Hatori.

"I had heard about her new job, but I didn't connect the dots. Have you gotten to spend time with her?" Mayuko asks as we reach the restaurant and go inside.

"A bit, not much. I can see why you two are such great friends, she's sweet." I tell her. Not surprising, the restaurant is busy as we are greeted by a waitress.

We're led to a booth and sit down as I spot someone else coming into the restaurant. "Oh no."

"What?" Mayuko turns around to look and the person spots us. Hatori's mouth turns into a thin frown as he stares at me. "Who is that?"

"My doctor." I reluctantly wave at him as the door swings open and another familiar face struts in, Shigure. I can't hear what Hatori says to him but he promptly walks over to us.

"Well hello, Natsu. What are you doing here?" He grins, looking not at me, but at Mayuko.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Hatori and I are getting dinner, may we join you ladies? Why should we take up extra room?" He asks, still staring at Mayuko.

"Um..." I look to her and she just shrugs "I suppose we shouldn't take up extra room."

"Wonderful!" He gestures to Hatori and slides into the booth next to Mayuko, leaving me to sit next to Hatori. When Hatori joins us, he's still frowning as he sits beside me.

"Natsu, are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Shigure asks.

"Um, this is my friend from college, Mayuko Shiraki. She's friends with Kana, Hatori. And her parents run the used bookstore near the Estate." I tell them as she nods in agreement,

"Oh. That little tiny thing is run by your family?" Shigure asks. I'm not that surprised that Shigure knows about it, he's quite an annoying bookworm.

"Yes. It is." She responds. "Um, so you're Dr. Hatori? Kana talks a lot about you, she enjoys working for you."

"She's a good intern to have, so I enjoy having her around." He tells Mayuko.

"We should have invited Kana! It would have been so fun!" Shigure butts into the conversation as I make a face. "Well, we would have been an uneven number. We could've invited Ayame to even it out."

"Absolutely not." Hatori shuts him down. "I have to drive home and if Ayame was here I would have gotten myself drunk."

"You could walk home with Natsu, she walked here." Mayuko points out, causing Hatori to give me a disgusted side glance.

"Yes, Hatori, Natsu shouldn't walk home alone in the dark. There are many creeps in this area." Shigure snidely says.

"The only creep I'm worried about is you, Shigure."

As Mayuko and I walk back to the bookstore from dinner, we discuss our unexpected dining partners. "The doctor is really hot, Natsu. No wonder Natsu gushes about him so much."

"What?" I whip my head to look at her, confused by the sudden comment.

"She falls for guys so easily, of course she'd fall for him." Mayuko continues on, mostly rambling to herself. I feel sick to the stomach knowing I was right, I caught the feeling and it's been confirmed.