The One. She was always by his side

Chapter 8. A Gift

The apartment on the second floor of the house turned out to be small and exceedingly dim. Without switching on the light or removing his shoes, he entered, scouring the space in search of his wallet. In the solitary room that served as a combination of kitchen, living room, and bedroom, I felt surprisingly at ease. Perhaps it was because his presence permeated every corner.

"Please excuse the untidiness, I'll be quick!" Naruto exclaimed. "Well, where is it, darn it!"

Naruto rummaged through the narrow bed, adorned with posters of ramen, the cluttered small bedside table filled with empty ramen boxes, and the chest of drawers overflowing with even more ramen containers. How much ramen does he consume? Does he subsist solely on it?

However, my attention was drawn to something else: amidst the empty ramen boxes, there were additional boxes, packages, and bags adorned with ribbons and notes covering every surface. Gifts! Of course, Sakura mentioned that Naruto-kun had gained tremendous popularity. Undoubtedly, he must receive gifts frequently, and judging by the boxes, they appeared to be more intriguing and superior to mine.

"Hinata, what are you contemplating?" Naruto-kun's voice echoed beside my ear. "I'm close to finding it, I can feel it."

"It's alright," I whispered.

"Will you... give me a present?" he asked with anxiety.

I nodded, hesitantly handing him the package. He probably won't appreciate it, given the abundance of gifts he already possesses...

He unwrapped the package, revealing a scarf. His face lit up with delight and warmth, but suddenly, a wave of sadness washed over him. He distanced himself, meticulously folding the scarf and placing it on the bed.

He didn't like it!

Naturally, what did I expect? It's just a scarf. Moreover, he already has his mother's scarf. Why couldn't I come up with something better?

"Thank you, Hinata. It's really handsome," Naruto said softly. "Hmm, what should I do now? I didn't have a scarf before, and now I have two from the most important women in my life. I don't want to dirty or damage either of them." He scratched his head and started rushing around the room once more, cursing, unable to find his wallet.

Wait. What did he say?

I stood frozen, unable to move. I need to ask again, but how can I approach it? What did he mean? How?

"Where the hell is it?"

"Naruto-kun?" I called cautiously in a quivering voice. I took a step towards him, but accidentally knocked down a stack of boxes with my elbow, causing them to crash to the floor. How clumsy! Like an elephant! I sat down, trying to gather everything and put them back in place.

"Pay no attention to it." Naruto-kun knelt down beside me and reached for the box.

Our hands touched, and a surge of warmth ran through my fingers. I looked up and met his clear blue eyes. In books, someone always drops something, and then the characters kiss. My heart pounded in my temples. The silence stretched on, thick enough to be stirred with a spoon. His face drew closer, and I was too paralyzed to even blink. I breathed faster, caught between terror and anticipation.

But then he pulled back, grabbing several boxes at once.

I let out a sigh of relief, but at the same time, a pang of disappointment washed over me. It felt as if the most crucial moment had vanished without a trace. As if something truly significant had just slipped through my fingers! No, it's because of his words. How foolish of me, he didn't say anything extraordinary. And there I was, daydreaming about kisses. Oh, how silly!