When Winter Ends || Modern Naruto Love Story

14

Naruto stood there quietly as he stared at the blue headed girl appearing before him. It felt like time stood still, seeing her for the first time in a long time. He can't believe that she's here, standing in front of his classroom door. Mayumi stepped forward while Sakura and Sasuke averted their eyes towards each other, unaware of the situation.

Sakura looked over at the motionless blonde. "Naruto... Is that-"

"Mayu!" In the middle of her sentence, Naruto ran across the room and flew to her with open arms in a blink of an eye. All of a sudden, Mayumi was sucked into his hug. His arms circling around her tightly as if he hasn't seen her in years. It almost felt like it.

And his face didn't show happiness, he was overjoyed by the looks of her with an expression full of worry and relief, also a glaze in his eyes. It's like he was already breaking down as he hugs her.

Mayumi was caught off guard by his embrace, but gently curled against his warm chest with closed eyes. For once in her life, she never felt at ease in being in someone's arms, let alone a friend of hers.

Her fists gripped Naruto's shirt, signaling him to pull back. He looked down at her. "Naruto, I...," Mayumi couldn't finish her sentence as she bit her lip in embarrassment. He can see the the redness coming to her cheeks, so he smiled softly and chuckled.

"No, it's okay. I understand.." Seeing his glowing face in front of her, it automatically made her want to smile with him as Mayumi twitched a subtle one. To Naruto, it almost made his heart stopped.

"Uhhem," the two heard someone clearing their throats behind them as their eyes shifted to Sakura and Sasuke standing by the doorway, watching them the whole time. Then Naruto's eyes grew with the same kind light they recognized.

"Oh, yeah. Mayu, I want you to introduce to my friends," turning around with a shy Mayumi gripped by his hands. "This is Sakura and Sasuke. You guys, this is the girl I've been telling you about."

Having the girl he fell in love with and two of his best friends meet for the first time is like introducing Mayumi to his parents. Sakura smiled warmly with a welcoming wave. "It's great to meet you, Mayumi! You have know idea how much Naruto admires you."

"O-Oh," she didn't know how to react to that. "Sakura...," Naruto warned her quietly, feeling a bit embarrassed to hear that from her.

"So you're his girlfriend, huh?" Sasuke bluntly asked, making her and the blonde in shock by the word 'girlfriend'. "By the looks of you, I approve."

"Sasuke! Don't tease them," Sakura scolded, her arms blocking a confused Mayumi protectively.

They're being so ridiculous... 

Then Sakura turned to face her. "So Mayumi, you want to have lunch with us?" Nodding her head, Mayumi didn't want to leave by Naruto's side during this time.

—

"Mayu!" Naruto took a seat next to her after running out of their school's cafeteria, holding a container in his hands. "Here! It's not as amazing as the shop we always go to, but this is all we have." He slid a folded crepe in front of her with bananas topped with chocolate syrup.

She nodded, "It's fine."

"I guess crepe is your favorite food, isn't it?" Sakura asked, stopping herself from eating her curry. She nodded again with a spoonful full of the powdered pastry in her mouth. Sasuke sighed, continuing eating his sashimi-don.

"A dessert?" he said mug-ly. He despise sweets. Sakura nudged his elbow by his rude attitude. He flinched internally.

"Don't mind, Sasuke! He has a habit of saying weird stuff," she laughed nervously. Mayumi smiled.

Seeing this behavior by them, it made Naruto feel kind of grateful to have them as friends, treating his childhood friend with great modesty and manners. He can see the look on her face that she's comfortable with them too.

"We should hang out sometime, Mayu! I would love to get to know you more. There's so many of us you have to meet, too!" Sakura exclaimed in excitement. She nodded at her suggestion as Naruto and Sasuke agreed at the pinkette's idea.

It was such a surprise for both Sakura and Sasuke to see a complete transformation in Naruto once he first saw Mayumi, watching his behavior in this moment is like seeing a whole new level of him. There was not once he stopped smiling. It's like his attention is only for Mayumi to notice; his attitude, his energy...

They're completely amazed how this one simple girl can change him in a few minutes, knowing they, as his friends, have tried to cheer him up for past two weeks and they failed.

"Your friends are really nice," Mayumi started while both she and Naruto walked down the hall. He chuckled under his breath by her comment.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I really like them. I can see why you're so close to them. I can also see that they really care about you, too. " Naruto couldn't agree more, except about Sasuke. He doesn't know how she can predict that. "So you told them about me, didn't you?"

Raising his hands up, Naruto waved defensively. "Yeah, but I mean... I didn't talk crap about you or anything!" It was her turn to chuckle by his response.

"I know... I guess it was a matter of time that they have to know. I'm okay with that," she explained. His expression changed from relax to serious once he began to realize about Mayumi's health condition, reminding himself that it's still winter.

"Mayu...," he began. "Don't take this the wrong way, but... why are you here at school? How, I should ask. Shouldn't you be at the hospital, getting better?"

Looking down, Mayumi tried to remain composed when he asked about her situation. The word 'hospital' is not something for her to get used of hearing.

"I was for the past few weeks after my parents found me in my bed, unable to get up. I felt really weak and I can't move my muscles, so they drove me to the hospital to restore my health," she explained, but her eyes didn't sparkle as they did a few moments ago. This is the kind of news Naruto didn't want to hear. "Until my doctor realized it's approaching spring soon, that winter is ending.."

With fists clutched beside his hips, the more he has to hear Mayumi explain her incidents and sudden events had made him frustrated and sad once again. Just imagining her looking bothered from the last time he saw her, it didn't make him feel comfortable.

When winter ends...

"What you're saying is... you're staying at school, so you can experience a life as a normal school girl for the rest of the remains of your life?"

"As bad as you made it sound, yeah... That's exactly what it is," she mumbled sadly. That idea hits him like a truck. He doesn't know how he feels about it. Happy that she's here with him, coming to school regularly. Or he's upset that she only has a small amount of time, and that explains why she's here.

Noticing his quietness as he stopped walking at the same pace as her, Mayumi looked back at him in worry. His eyes lost the energy he regained, and looked lost as before. She approached him with caution.

"Naruto, I know it's hard for you to take...," she started as her tone became gentle. "For now, I just want you to treat me the same as always. And I want you to be your same old yourself as if you never knew about it. Can you do that? To make my last remains worth living?"

Although she says that so easily, Naruto can't simply ignore the fact that she's dying; that she's about to expire soon. As hard as he can surpass her question, he forced himself to conclude with that and nodded.

For your last remains of your life, Mayu... I want you to have the best moments you ever had. I can do that, for your sake.

All he can do is try to make her last days the most memorable, make her the happiest she's ever been.