amethyst solitary (naruto u.)

the gospel truth

Rain was pattering outside, the air smelling crisp and clean.

A certain raven-haired girl left her apartment and strolled through the streets, paying no mind to the fleeting showers soaking her dress and current damp hair.

The sunlight soon made an appearance, glistening past the hostile clouds, and all was silent, a mere capacity for the chirps of birds to warble out their serenading tones. The world was quiet nevertheless bright, the scent of earth and green whirling together with the humid air. Manaka's eyes wandered at the scene in front of her, inspecting the little crowd that was present in the streets.

'Not so busy today, huh?' She then shifted her head to the vast sky and pouted. "Why do I feel so sad today?" she huffed, resuming her stride towards nowhere in particular with her arms crossed.

She just wanted to rely on her instincts to take her wherever the road longed to. And for some reason, she ended up getting off track and indulging herself into the woods, where coats of greenery and prominent pine trees adorned the rock-strewn terrains. In the midst of her wander, Manaka suddenly sighted a wooden deck near a riverbank and decided to sit on the edge and dangle her feet. She observed the glimmering water with a glazed look whilst listening to the rain pelt against the platform as she situated herself on the edge.

Itching to change her posture, she shifted in place and laid on her stomach instead, allowing her arm to droop, dipping her fingers into the cold water. She stared at her reflection apathetically before releasing a tempted sigh from her nose. "Just how long will he be gone for?" The unexpected thought slips out of her mouth and flusters her. "Did I really just say that?"

Rouge painted her face as the famous knucklehead ninja's laugh resonated in the back of her head.

These past couple of days, Manaka has been relentlessly thinking about the one and only hyperactive, most buoyant, yellow sunshine, whiskered shinobi of all people. Naruto's image keeps unexpectedly appearing in her head at the most random times and she has grown impatient trying to figure out why.

Just why would he cross her mind whenever she comes across Ramen packages at the convenience store?

Why does the color of his eyes appear unannounced often when she looks at the sky?

Fuck, can somebody explain to her why whenever she lays in bed, she remembers the time where they almost kissed at the festival and feels as if she's about to sink into her mattress?!

Her face was now fuming in red, a knot tightening in her chest, certainly pumping adrenaline inside her body.

If speaking logically, is this what is considered...to be in love? She was certainly ambivalent about her feelings, having second thoughts whether the love she had in mind was even considered definite. Of course, she acknowledges what it's like to have a crush on someone. She had a similar experience with a classmate named Arata. However, he turned out to be a jerk just like everyone else in her class, and she quickly lost interest.

Typical for a Sumiya student.

But, this time with Naruto, it differed. The little unintentional touches they exchange, the eye contacts, the chatter, the laughter, literally every detail that emerges out of him makes her heart flutter in so many uncontrollable ways she couldn't possibly fathom. It wasn't your average brief high school crush, no. His presence near her radiated pure genuineness and for some reason, Manaka yearned for more.

Devoured by the flashbacks she had previously encountered with the boy, her eye sockets neglected the ripples that were now wavering harshly beneath her. That is, until she let out a gasp as she felt a splash soar through the air, eventually grabbing her attention. She whisked her head straight down and peered at the pressurized water in front of her. With her brows pressed together, she leaned inward, expecting to see a distortion portrayal of her reflection. However, it did not occur. She didn't own her silhouette. It belonged to the other woman.