Chapter 28: Leisurely to the Point of Boredom

When he returned home, Yu Higashino announced something to Naruto.

“I’m closing the shop and taking a day off today.”

“Huh? Why?” Naruto asked, puzzled.

“I’ve been busy these days. I’m tired.”

“But isn’t it fine to leave it open? I can help you watch the store, Yu.”

“Keeping it open always feels like a burden. I keep wondering if there will be customers. It’s exhausting.”

“Alright then.”

“You’re free to do whatever you want today.”

“Okay.” Naruto sounded a little disappointed, but Yu couldn't always keep him company, nor should Naruto always look after this nearly idle shop.

Yu patted Naruto’s head and asked, “You’ll have to take care of lunch and dinner yourself. Do you have money?”

“I do.”

“Good.” Yu said nothing more.

Naruto fell silent for a while, then suddenly asked, “Yu, you don’t hate me, do you?”

“No.” Yu gave Naruto a gentle smile.

“Alright, I get it!” Naruto smiled too. “Then I’ll be off. I won’t bother you today.”

“Mm.” Yu watched Naruto leave the shop.

Once Naruto was gone, Yu did as he’d said and closed the shop. He wasn’t trying to get rid of Naruto—he really was just tired and wanted a break.

He went upstairs to the second floor, lingered by the window for a while, watching the bustling street below. It wasn’t much different than watching the shop from downstairs, but his mood was altogether changed.

Just watching—without wondering if someone would come in, without trying to hone his medical skills—he let his mind drift, thoughts wandering who knows where. When he returned to himself, he’d forgotten what he’d been thinking just a moment ago.

Yu liked this feeling—a sense of leisure. He liked these quiet days, uncomplicated and tranquil.

Once he’d grown tired of standing and watching, he lay on the sofa, picked up a book from the table, and read. When the sofa became uncomfortable, he moved to the bedroom.

By the time he came to himself, he’d finished the book, and night had fallen outside.

Yu put the book back on the shelf, gazed at the ceiling for a long time, his mind still replaying scenes from the story. He felt a pang of regret—the story had ended, and he wished it could have gone on forever.

He put the book away, cooked himself dinner, washed the dishes, and then found himself at loose ends.

As the night deepened and the streets emptied, Yu recalled his decision from the other night—to go out walking more often after dark.

But since today was a day off, he didn’t go far. He simply climbed up to the roof of his home.

The stars were not especially bright, but in the moonlight he could see the clouds. Their color was deeper than in the daytime, but still beautiful and serene.

Yu loved the stars, loved the moon, loved the clouds, loved the sky—those untouchable things always stirred his imagination.

Yet he always felt that gazing at stars and the moon brought only a fleeting sense of awe. Staring at them for too long wasn’t dull, but the novelty faded. But when he looked at the clouds, he could lose himself for an entire afternoon, even longer.

“Hey, Yu! What are you doing up there?” Ayano Natsukawa, closing up her shop and heading home, happened to notice Yu lying on the rooftop.

“Oh, nothing. Just looking at the night sky,” Yu replied.

“Is it beautiful?” Ayano glanced upward as well.

“Yeah, it’s pretty nice,” Yu said.

“It really is.” Ayano stood on the street for a moment, looking up, before answering.

In the next instant, Ayano disappeared from the street and appeared beside Yu.

“Yu, mind if I sit here?”

“Go ahead.”

Ayano sat down, said nothing more, and quietly gazed up at the sky.

After a long while, drifting clouds shrouded the moon, and the surroundings grew dim.

“Yu, why didn’t you open the shop today?” Ayano asked.

“I finished several commissions these last few days. I’m a bit tired, so I took a day off.”

“Oh, so that’s it. I thought you might be in some kind of trouble.”

“No.”

“You know, I really envy you, Yu,” Ayano said suddenly, a little wistful.

“Envy me? Why?”

“You seem to be living so leisurely lately.”

Yu thought for a moment. “That’s true.”

Then he pondered further. “But sometimes it feels a bit boring.”

“Boring?”

“Yeah.”

“Why not set yourself a goal? That way you’ll have something to work toward, and maybe you won’t feel bored,” Ayano suggested.

“But I don’t know what kind of goal to set. There doesn’t seem to be anything I particularly want to do.”

“Nothing?”

Yu thought seriously. Fame and fortune—he’d already experienced those in his previous life. He didn’t care much for praise or others’ opinions. As a minimalist, he didn’t need to spend much. He disliked being ordered around, but didn’t like ordering others either. The only thing he truly pursued was freedom, but now he already had that. It seemed he really didn’t want anything else.

“Not really,” Yu replied.

“Then…do you have any hobbies?” Ayano tried to help him brainstorm.

“Hobbies? Reading, fishing, watching the stars, moon, and clouds?” Yu answered uncertainly.

“Then, if you’re bored, you can always do those things.”

Yu glanced at Ayano, speechless. “That’s obvious. I do those all the time. But if you keep doing the same things, you still end up bored.”

Yu’s real problem was that he simply had too much free time.

“True,” Ayano nodded, seeming to understand.

“In that case, why don’t you write a book in your spare time?” Ayano suggested.

“Write a book? What made you think of that?”

“Because you love reading. And…hehe, actually I used to dream of being a writer myself.”

“Forget it. Seems like a hassle, and I wouldn’t know what to write about,” Yu refused.

“Alright, too bad you’re not a ninja…”

At that, Ayano suddenly paused, glanced at Yu, and seeing no change in his expression, continued.

“Otherwise you could take all kinds of commissions—you’d never be bored.”

“Good thing I’m not a ninja. Better to be leisurely and bored than exhausted.”

Seeing Yu’s response, Ayano knew he had finally let go of the desire to be a ninja.

“You’re right. Being a ninja isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Ayano agreed.