"Nee-chan, there's this new place..." Hanabi said hesitantly with a pink blush on her pale cheeks, "and, I kind of... Nevermind." She was about to leave our room to go downstairs to get some snacks when I stopped her.
"Hanabi? There's this new store that recently opened and it has a lot of cute things. Want to go with me?" I saw her stop to look at me in an effort to deny the fact she actually wanted to go.
"I-I have nothing better to do but make sure you drink your medicines before we go!" She rushed down the stairs and I made sure I could tease her before she was out of earshot.
"*Hai, okaa-san!"
*Hai
"I heard that onee-chan!" She made sure her loud voice can be heard from downstairs to here and it made me smile.
It was already late afternoon when we decided to go to Torendo at Shinjuku district, and yet I went with a very conspicuous Hanabi because she doesn't want anyone to see her inside a "girly" store. "Hanabi-chan, wearing a hoodie in this heat makes you stand out more..." I whispered because I didn't want to earn more stares from the people around us, looking at her as if she was crazy.
"I'm fine, we're almost there anyway." She kept walking and I just continued to follow her.
As we entered the crowded store, a female voice greeted us politely with a friendly smile and says, "I'm Sakura and don't hesitate to ask me anything." Hanabi just nodded and started to look around, while I stood nearby trying to remember the familiar female clerk.
"Ah! I remember now!" I gasped and covered my mouth once I realized how loudly I said it when the other girls around me looked. She was the one I bumped into weeks ago and I just remembered that I saw her here before too.
"Hey, nee-chan, aren't you going to get anything?" Hanabi asked while trying to carry all the items on her short and petite arms and seeing that made me chuckle quietly.
"**Hai." I decided to stay in the same spot when I was approached by the same pink haired girl from before. What was her name again? Sa... Sakura?
**Yes.
"Hi, you're the same girl I owe lunch to, right?
"E-Eh? Me?" I pointed to myself just to make sure that I was the one she was talking to and she just nodded with a smile. I bowed a little before I greeted her, "*kon'nichiwa." How did you know it was me? I'm a little curious...
*Hello (polite).
"I never got your name last time so..."
"*Watashi wa Hyuga Hinata desu." I quietly said and bowed once more.
*I'm Hyuga Hinata.
"(Laughs) No need to be so formal and polite and I assume you know mine already." She looked at her watch and continues, "It's going to be my lunch break soon so why don't I pay you back the lunch I owe?"
"*Ieie, it's not necessary. *Sumimasen."
*No (no), Using Sumimasen in that context is another way of saying "thank you for the trouble"
"It's no trouble really and I'm not going to take no for an answer so that's that." I saw that she was unwilling to change her mind so I just nodded and waited for her and Hanabi to return.
After their short introduction, we made our way to the cake shop that Sakura knows and insist in going to. It wasn't surprising to find the place crowded with people and especially teenage girls because of a cute guy that works there according to Sakura-san. "*Chūmon o onegaishimasu," said a raven haired guy with a smile that doesn't come close to his eyes. "Oh, it's just you Sakura." He said and left the register to someone else to get a slice of red velvet cake, although she hasn't told him her order. It seems like she goes here a lot.
*Order please
"Sasuke-kun, I'll pay for whatever they get too." She said to him as he gives her the cake and he simply nodded, while Sakura stepped aside so we can order.
"A slice of strawberry cheesecake and*mizu shingen mochi *onegaishimasu." My eyes were glued on the glass counter so I didn't know he was staring at me until I looked up, and for I moment I thought he was going to say something. However, he just handed me our order and Sakura-san paid while the two of us looked for a table.
*A type of cake that's currently popular and especially during summer (looks very much like a water droplet), *please.
It was already 17:30 when we finished and went our separate ways, yet she seemed to have enjoyed it because she wanted us to hang out again. My contacts sure got longer this year... Who knew... Hanabi and I were on our way to our house when she got a call from a friend asking if she can help at something, so I had to go home by myself for the rest of the way. I wasn't even halfway there when a familiar voice yelled my name from across the street so I looked for it.
"Hinata-chan! *Hisashiburi." Hozuki-san yelled again as he crossed the street towards my direction. "How have you been?"
*Long time no see.
"**Kon'nichiwa, Hozuki-san. I've been well and you?" He was about to answer when his other friends followed him and the two I'm acquainted with simply waved hello as I bowed.
**Hello.
"Ok. We're on our way to the arcade except Sasuke." He fake pouted as he put his arms around the same raven haired boy from the cake shop yet he was hit on the head in response. "*Temae... Anyway, Hinata-chan, we have to go now because there's a red headed demon waiting for us there. *Ja ne." With that said, they left and I was left confused and with a familiar stranger as well. I can't help to wonder why they bothered to cross the street when they're in a hurry...?
*You (very rude), *see you (casual).
"You're Hyuga Hinata, right?"
Well, I didn't expect that. "**H-Hai." He only hummed in reply and I almost forgot for a moment that it might be rude not to ask for his name. "*Anata no namae wa nan desu ka?"
**Yes, *What is your name?
"Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."
A Uchiha! Wow... "*Hajimemashite, Uchiha-san." Is it appropriate for me to converse with him? He's kind of scaring me... Wait! That's not a nice thing to think! I'm such a horrible person!
*Nice to meet you.
It was quiet for a second between us before Uchiha-san asked, "you walk home this way, right? I'll walk with you."
"**H-Hai. *Eto, arigatou gozaimasu?" It seems we walk the same direction, am I the only one that feels awkward about this? Ugh!
**Yes, *Uh, thank you.
Normal Characters P.O.V
"Hey, Rei-chan, isn't that Sasuke-kun?" The vice president of the Sasuke Fanclub said to a girl on her far left that was preoccupied with looking at lipstick, foundation, blush and nail polish.
"Where?! Where?!" She looked at her friend before looking out at the window of the store where two people passed by, and one of them is the "love" of her life. "Who's that *busu with him?!"
*Equivalent of bitch or an ugly woman.
"Hey, I know her!" Another member of Sasuke's fanclub exclaimed as she recognized his [assumed] girlfriend. "That's the weird girl from my class, uh... Hinata! That's her name!"
The two girls only got a very shrill scream for a reply from their president, Rei-chan. "That *yariman!"
*Slut.
Dear readers, I presented to you a very boring and oh so cliché chapter! There isn't much to be said when the writer is disappointed herself; however, I do thank you all for the continued support for Naruto and Hinata. Hontouni, arigato gozaimasu! T_T
Carver
