Forbidden Attraction

Chapter 9: Guilt

Hinata's heart races as she feels Kiba's warm breath on her face. She's never been this close to him before, and the anticipation of what's about to happen is almost overwhelming. As Kiba's lips gently brush against hers, Hinata's mind goes blank. She feels a surge of electricity shoots through her body as she instinctively responds to the kiss.

For a moment, time stands still as Kiba and Hinata share their first kiss. It's a gentle and tender kiss, filled with all the nervous excitement and anticipation of young love. As they finally pull away, Kiba's eyes search hers for a reaction.

Hinata's cheeks flush as she looks down, feeling a mix of embarrassment and joy.

"I-I'm sorry," Kiba stammers, "I didn't mean to rush you or anything. I just couldn't help myself."

Hinata looks up at him, a soft smile on her face. "No! No! It's okay," she says, "I liked it."

Kiba grins, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. He takes Hinata's hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "I really like you, Hinata," he says, his voice filled with sincerity, "I know we haven't known each other for long, but w-would you go out with me?"

Hinata's heart flutters with happiness as she gazes into Kiba's eyes, her own eyes shining with affection. "Yes," she replies, "I'd love to."

𝌀☯𝌀

After Kiba left, Hinata lay in bed, a mixture of emotions swirling inside her. She stared at the ceiling, thoughts racing through her mind. A smile slowly spread across her face, and her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. Kiba had taken her first kiss, and he had asked her out - and she had said yes!

Just then, Mochi, her fluffy white cat, jumped onto the pillow that was covering her face, causing Hinata to laugh and push the cat away gently. Her heart was racing with a whirlwind of happiness and nerves. She couldn't believe it - she had a boyfriend now!

As she considered her newfound relationship, she also thought about her friendship with Sakura and her growing feelings for Sasuke. A sense of determination washed over her. She knew she needed to maintain a healthy distance from Sasuke to prevent any further complications. After all, his girlfriend was her best friend, and she didn't want to jeopardize that bond.

𝌀☯𝌀

Sasuke lay in bed next to Sakura, who slept with her back to him. A persistent feeling tugged at him, surfacing each time he found himself near that Hyuga girl. It wasn't romantic, yet her presence had an inexplicable allure. He decided to maintain his distance, a course of action that would serve the best interests of everyone, particularly Sakura.

When Sakura turned to face him and asked, "Sasuke, what's wrong?"

He responded with his usual stoicism, "Hn. Nothing." A pang of guilt surged within him. He believed he betrayed Sakura's trust by entertaining such thoughts about her best friend. Strengthening his bond with Sakura became his top priority.

Sasuke and Sakura strolled to school, his hands nestled in his pockets while she clung to his arm. While meandering through the hallway, Sakura suddenly gasped loudly. "HINATA!!!" she called out, waving frantically for her to come over.

Without a word, Sasuke spotted Naruto at the other end of the hall and walked in his direction. Sakura looked at Sasuke's retreating figure, bewildered by his sudden departure. She shrugged off her concerns and sprinted toward Hinata. "Good morning," Sakura greeted her with a bright smile.

Hinata returned the smile and inquired, "Good morning, Sakura. How are you?"

As they chatted, Sakura couldn't help but wonder about Sasuke's abrupt exit. Something felt different this time, and she was determined to find out what was going on with him later.

Meanwhile, Naruto mumbled with a mouthful of sandwich, "What do you think they're talking about?"

Sasuke glanced at his girlfriend and Hinata, observing their interaction. "I don't care, dobe," he replied dismissively.

Naruto glared at him. "Well, you should be out there with your girlfriend! And why aren't you eating with her?" he asked, his tone accusatory. Sasuke simply ignored him. Naruto fell silent for a while before turning his attention back to the girls. "You know, Hinata confessed to me a while ago. Looking back at it now, I probably should have accepted since you're dating the girl I really like," he said with a tinge of regret in his voice.

"Then you would be just using her," Sasuke replied sharply.

"Well, maybe I could have learned to love her," Naruto said nervously. He scratched the back of his neck.

"Hn. Well, you're too late. She's seeing someone else now," Sasuke stated bluntly. Naruto let out a disappointed "Ah" and fell silent once again.

"Well anyway, can you believe we're going to the beach in like a month? It's been so long since we've gone, dattebayo," Naruto said with a sparkle in his eyes. "Can you imagine all the girls in bikinis?" Sasuke looked at Naruto with a bored expression, as if he found the topic uninteresting.

He rolled his eyes at Naruto's excitement. "I'm not interested in that kind of thing," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Naruto looked at him incredulously. "What?! You're telling me you don't like girls in bikinis?" he exclaimed.

"It's not that," Sasuke replied with a hint of annoyance. "I just don't see the appeal in going to the beach and ogling at women. It's a waste of time."

Naruto shook his head. "Man, you really are boring sometimes. But whatever, more girls for me then!" he said with a grin.

𝌀☯𝌀

Sakura exclaimed excitedly, "We should go to the mall!" Hinata hesitated.

"Didn't we just go last week?" she asked unsure.

"Yes, but we need to get things for the upcoming trip. And I saw this super cute swimsuit that would look amazing on you!" Sakura gushed. Hinata's insecurity about her body made her reluctant.

"I don't know if I would feel comfortable," she said softly.

"Hinata, you need to come out of your shell! You're beautiful, just look at yourself!" Sakura insisted.

𝌀☯𝌀

Hinata walked home from school, feeling a sense of unease. It had been a while since she had walked to and from school, and it felt strange to do so again. As she approached her apartment building, she noticed Sasuke's car pulling into the garage. Hoping to avoid him, she hurried into the elevator. However, fate had other plans as she soon found herself face to face with Sasuke. He gave her a brief glance before turning his attention to the elevator door. Neither of them spoke, and the silence between them was palpable.

Hinata felt a wave of relief wash over her as Sasuke stepped out of the elevator on the fourth floor, leaving her alone to continue her journey to the sixth floor. As the doors closed, she let out a small sigh and leaned back against the wall, feeling grateful for the brief moment of solitude. She knew that living in the same apartment building as Sasuke was going to be a challenge, but she was determined to keep her distance and maintain her composure.