Time-Twisted Melody (Boruto - Twinkling Watermelon AU)

Chapter 29

Third Person POV

Boruto stood in front of the mirror, his reflection staring back at him like a stranger he barely recognized. The beige blazer of Konoha Art High School fit snugly over his broad shoulders, the burgundy checkered tie slightly crooked around his neck. He adjusted it with a quiet sigh, disbelief flickering in his eyes.

'This is it.'

The uniform felt more than just fabric. This was the same high school his mom, Sakura, and even Sasuke attended. The thought stirred something inside him. How did he, of all people, get here?

Mr. Hiashi Hyuga's influence, no doubt.

Currently, Boruto doesn't have any background, and no family legacy tied to this school. Yet, somehow, Mr. Hiashi had pulled enough strings to get him in. Boruto wasn't naïve; he knew this place wasn't exactly for people like him. But none of that mattered now. He hadn't come here for the experience of an elite school. He had a mission.

His gaze shifted back to his reflection, more serious now.

'I'm here for her,' he reminded himself.

Hinata Hyuga, the timid eighteen-year-old version of his mother. She was different from the loving mother he knew, she was quieter, withdrawn, and almost invisible to the world. He knew he had to change that. He had to be the bridge for her, the connection she needed to step out of her shadow and into the world.

Sign language. It was a start. A way to reach her without words, to give her something solid to hold on to. Boruto adjusted his tie one last time, a small smirk on his lips.

This wouldn't be easy, but when had anything in his life ever been?

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

As the sleek black car pulled up in front of Konoha Art High School. Boruto, seated next to Hinata, glanced out the window, his heart racing in anticipation of stepping into the same school as Sasuke and Sakura. God, he didn't even have the chance to apologize to Sakura after the commotion he made with Naruto back then. But his thoughts were interrupted when Neji, sitting stoically beside the driver, spoke up without turning around.

"I'm warning you. Suppose you get involved with the Hyuga any more than this. You'll regret it." Neji's voice was sharp, each word clipped with a cold edge.

Boruto blinked, confused. He turned toward the rearview mirror, seeing Neji's piercing lavender eyes glaring at him from the dashboard. Those eyes held a silent intensity that Boruto couldn't quite decipher like they were filled with layers of meaning he wasn't yet privy to. There was something foreboding in that gaze as if Neji knew something Boruto didn't, something he wasn't ready for.

Neji's tone remained calm, but there was a warning laced underneath. "Don't make me say I told you so."

Boruto frowned, still uncertain of what Neji was getting at. He glanced at Hinata beside him, her hands nervously fiddling with the hem of her skirt. Her head was slightly bowed, avoiding everyone's gaze and her posture shrinking as if she wanted to disappear. There was nothing about her that seemed dangerous or worth avoiding. If anything, she looked like someone who needed protection.

Before Boruto could respond, the driver stepped out and opened the door for Hinata. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers trembling slightly before she finally exited the car. Boruto followed, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder at Neji, who watched them both with that same unreadable expression, his glare lingering even as the car door closed behind them.

Ignoring Neji's warning, Boruto turned his attention to Hinata, who was already a few steps ahead. Her presence was soft, almost fragile, and he could see the anxiety in how she clutched her bag to her chest. Boruto quickened his pace to catch up with her, the weight of Neji's words still hanging over him like a dark cloud, but he brushed it aside.