My Belated Apology - Hyuga Neji x OC Fanfiction

Chapter 19

A/N: Hello guys, today, 10th August, is my birthday - also Shiyuki's birthday 🥳 So I'll give this new chapter as a special present to all of my readers! This weekend, I'll update the next chapter as usual. Happy enjoy!

Shiyuki's POV

Only Shikamaru is promoted to Chunin. Lee is going to have surgery. I hope that it will succeed. Sasuke left the village. A team of 5, including Shikamaru - captain, Choji, Kiba, Naruto and my crush Neji-kun, is founded to bring Sasuke back. I've been keeping distance from the Hyuga boy since the Chunin Exam, but I will break the rule today, just today.

Here they are, at the village gate, preparing to go.
"Neji-kun!" I call.
He turns around to see who's yelling his name.
"What do you want? Are you gonna insist on going with us? No."
"You misunderstand! I... I just wanna say... Be careful."

Somehow I'm nervous about his mission. I think that he'll be in danger. I don't know why... It's not that I don't believe in him... I know he is strong but... I want to remind him to be careful.

"No need to lecture me." He replies coldly and sets off.

I stand at the gate, looking at him worriedly. After they can't be seen anymore, I go to the hospital. Me and Tenten visit Lee one last time before he goes into surgery. Then we stay at the training ground to talk.

Seeing that I sigh continuously, Tenten comforts.
"Don't worry, Lee will be ok."
"Not that I don't have faith in Tsunade-sama."
"So why do you sigh?"
"I... Somehow I feel that Neji will get wounded critically..."
"You worry too much!" Tenten laughs. "He is strong, you know."
I shake my head. Who knows what's gonna happen?

***

Next day morning, Neji-kun and the others are brought back. They say that Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba have no danger to their life. But Neji-kun and Choji are in critical condition. I knew it!

I wait outside the emergency room number 7. I want to go inside to see how he's doing so bad but... What can I do to help...? I'm so weak. All I can do is sit here crying. Tenten goes to my side and strokes my back.

Suddenly, the door open. Shizune-san leaves the room and runs to somewhere. I follow her to ask.
"H-How is he?!"
She just grins. Yes!! Sweat all over her forehead. It must be exhausting!
"Thank you!"

She runs to Tsunade-sama's place.
"Hyuga Neji... His condition has stabilized!!" Shizune-san happily informs.

Tsunade-sama notices my tear-stained face.
"What's wrong?"
"Please go harder on me. I want to be stronger." I put up a serious face. This is my genuine wish.
"Good." She smiles. "I won't go easy. Follow me."
"Yes ma'am!!"

***

Timeskip: some months.

Neji's POV

"Can we talk?" Someone approaches behind me.
"Tenten." I turn back to face her.
"About Shiyuki."

Her facial expression is serious. What is she up to? After taking a seat, she starts.
"You have the Byakugan that can see through everything, but you can't see Shiyuki's feeling, which is obvious?" She looks at me with an accusing gaze.
"What? What feeling?" I ask puzzledly.
"Let me teach you about her." She sighs. "Do you remember the girl that you saved when you were 3?"

She waits for the answer. I'm trying to rummage through my memories. After a while, I find it. Yes, I saved a girl that day. It was a snowy night. My father and I were going outside to buy something when we saw a press-gang surrounding a small girl. My father told me to save her. I remember now. She looked just like Shiyuki. Blue and green eyes with a red bow.

"...Yes." Something is rising inside me.
"She is Shiyuki. After being saved by you, she's always looked up at you. For her, you were the sunlight that saved her from darkness. You rescued her, not just from that gang, but also from the grief of losing her mother."

Shiyuki lost her mother back then?! I am her light? What?

"Shiyuki has had feelings for you since that event. In academy years, she tried to get your attention, but you kept breaking her heart. Do you know that when you nearly died in the hospital, she cried outside your patient room as if she was tortured? Do you know anything about her? Do you know that she loves you from the bottom of her heart?"

I'm speechless. I don't know what to say. Shiyuki... loves me...? Am I hallucinating? Am I dreaming? Am I hearing wrong? It can't be right! She said that she hated me!

"This doesn't mean that you must love her back. I don't prohibit you from hating her. I just want you to pay her a bit of respect. If you dare to break my friend's heart once again..." She glares. "I will never forgive you."

After lecturing me, Tenten leaves. I just sit here, shocked. I don't know what to say. I have no clue whether to believe her or not. Shiyuki loves me? Why don't I realize? Shiyuki's pictures rewind back and forth in my mind.

Yes... Shiyuki obviously cared for me.... Why? Recently, she's been keeping away from me. Is she mad at me? Is she broken too much? Not until now do I realize how stupid I was... Shiyuki and her emotions are right in front of my eyes, and I never see it...

I want a clearer proof. I will watch her carefully from now on.

END OF PART 1.