In My Dark World

2

The next morning found Tenten a bit uncomfortable because her body spent half the night adjusting to the new environment instead of actually sleeping. She didn't allow her drowsiness to continue for too long though, she was instantly up and preparing for the new day. She helped Teuchi and Ayame with opening up the shop and a few morning customers until lunch rush came and her time to shine was finally here.

"I'm off!" Tenten screamed into the kitchen as she grabbed her helmet and the noodle delivery box. This was her first day working at Ichiraku noodle shop and she wanted to leave a good first impression by delivering the food on time.

She had three deliveries to make at Sarutobi district and one at a work office at Hashirama street. Somebody must've been craving noodles so bad to forsake the usual bagel and coffee for lunch and have ramen instead.

She was done with all deliveries within an hour and was heading back to the shop to pick up more when her eyes caught sight of someone walking along the brail brick road on the sidewalk of Senju road.

It was the blind man she met yesterday. Today he wore black trousers that were small on him, reaching his ankles, on a plain green shirt and orange jacket. He had the same pair of shoes on today but the brown sneakers didn't match with the clothes he wore at all.

She smiled fondly at the sight of him. It was like he chose random clothes to wear. Did he not have anybody to help organize them? Tenten slowed her bike down and fell in stride with him. He didn't notice her until she spoke.

"Hello!" She watched the man jump out of his own skin at the sudden sound of her voice guiltily. Maybe she shouldn't have been too peppy. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She frantically pulled up and leaped off her bike to aid him and keep him from falling. He thrashed in her hold.

"Who are you?" The man asked snappishly. His defenses were up and Tenten took how tight he held his white cane as a sign that she was going to get hit if she didn't calm him down soon.

"Calm down. I'm from the road crossing yesterday, do you remember me? I helped you to the bus stop."

He gradually ceased his frantic movements to think. "Bus stop?" The man mused. It took a moment before recognition passed over his facial features. "Ah. You're the kind lady that helped me yesterday."

Deeming it safe to release him now, Tenten stepped back with a nervous chuckle. "Yeah. I'm sorry for startling you like that." She said apologetically. The man really was shocked back there.

Said man adjusted his shades which had gone askew from his thrashing over his closed eyes. "It's alright. One would think I would have gotten used to sudden sounds by now." He used his cane to feel around for the brail brick road and continued his journey once he found it.

Tenten kicked the stand off her bike and pulled it along with her as she walked beside him. She didn't know what to say to his words but she assumed from them that he wasn't born blind. She wondered, though, what caused him to be so deep in thought as not to hear the sound of her bike slowing down next to him. She didn't voice her thoughts.

"What are you up to?" Tenten asked instead when she caught up with him.

"Grocery shopping." The man gruffed out. She thought he was still annoyed with her for startling him but then he turned towards her guessed direction with a small smile. "The way you held me back there was very firm, as if you've had experience holding people down before."

He was... impressed?

"I'm a martial artist." Tenten began proudly but then she thought of her lost dojo and reformed her words. "Was. I was a martial artist. Specialised in kendo." Just yesterday she was training her students in her dojo. Today she was an ordinary delivery girl.

"You're sad." The blind man said abruptly. It caused Tenten to take a sharp yet shaky breath in.

"You can tell?" She murmured but he heard it.

"You didn't sound too happy talking about it. Why did you stop?" The man asked.

"I lost my dojo to a debt. Now I work in a noodle shop in a ditch effort to pick up the broken pieces of my life." Tenten didn't normally go around pouring her soul out to a stranger she just met yesterday but something about this man made her want to talk knowing that he would listen.

"Kudos to you for not giving up." The man commended with a rueful smile. "It might seem like there's nothing left for you now but your hard work would speak up for you one day. It is in your destiny."

Tenten giggled at that. "Destiny? What are you, a soothsayer?" She joked.

"My eyes see beyond what the ordinary eye sees. I can see your future." The man's voice slipped into a deep cartoony baritone in response to Tenten's joke. She laughed again, this time loudly and her first good laugh since she lost her dojo.

"You're unexpectedly funny." She sighed after her laughing bout ceased.

"And you have a beautiful laugh." The man shot back and Tenten's breath caught in her chest. A healthy flush made her cheeks pink. The compliment was so abrupt and rarely being on the receiving end of a one, the woman was lost for words to say.

In the end she managed a shy thank you and promptly ran away after bidding him bye. They had gotten to the grocery store.

"Tenten are you okay? You're late." Ayame observed her pink cheeks and swollen eyes worriedly as she barged into the shop.

"Uh? I'm okay! Sorry for being late. Are there any more deliveries?" Tenten thwarted every of Ayame's attempts to start up a conversation and walked briskly to the kitchen to ask Teuchi for more work.

She could knock herself in the head for behaving like a school girl after receiving just one compliment. But this was her first compliment in ... forever. It was no surprise she was so flustered.

She met the blind man again at the bus stop. He had gotten in line already but she felt like she should say hello before the bus arrived. She couldn't stay for that long anyway.

This time she tapped him on his shoulder gently before speaking so as to avoid the occurrences of the day before. "Hello."

It was satisfying to watch the man's lips morph into a smile at the sound of her voice. "Hello stranger." He greeted. Then Tenten realised that neither of them knew the other's names.

"It's late but I'm Tenten." She introduced.

"Neji." The man, Neji, stretched out a hand for her to take. Tenten gladly took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Nice to meet you Neji."

"Nice to meet you Tenten."

Tenten's breath caught again when the sun decided to come out from underneath a cloud and shine only on the man in front of her. Now that was absurd since they were both under the shade of the bus stop. Still the surrounding brightness did no justice to the charm the person whose hand she held elicited.

He was smiling that beautiful smile again. The one that stirred up Tenten's stomach worms. What was happening?

Before she could think further about it the bus arrived. It pained Tenten to let go of him and she didn't even know why. They said their goodbyes without really letting go of each other. Their finger tips still touched even when Neji had climbed into the bus.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" As if reading her innermost thoughts, Neji asked.

At that Tenten smiled. "I'd take you to the ramen shop I work at. They're so good." She promised.

"I look forward to it then." Neji's smile never left his face even when the bus conductor told him to sit not too nicely.

"Me too." It was funny how fast she became attached to this person but Tenten wasn't going to deny how happy she was looking forward to another few minutes with him tomorrow.

***

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