bubblegum princess

chapter fifty seven

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒
welcome to the final show;
BIRTHDAY PARTY
& COCKY SENIORS !
⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

𝞋𝞎

Boruto sat quietly at the dining table, his elbows resting on the wooden surface as he absentmindedly stared at the carefully arranged decorations Hinata had set up for his birthday. Balloons and banners adorned the walls, and the faint aroma of freshly baked cake wafted through the air. Despite the effort his mother had put into making everything perfect, his heart felt heavy.

"Come on in," he heard his mom call from the door, pulling him out of his thoughts. His heart skipped a beat, and as he looked up, his gaze landed on the figure he hadn't expected—Seiren, her bright smile instantly catching his eye. She was accompanied by Sarada and Sakura, who both entered the room with their own cheerful greetings.

"Thanks for having us!" Sakura said warmly, her voice as calm as ever, with Sarada standing behind her, arms crossed but a small, knowing smirk on her face.

Seiren's presence, however, had a different effect on Boruto. Her hair was styled in a messy bun with a few delicate braids weaving through it, her bangs framing her face perfectly. The simplicity of it made her look even more radiant, if that was even possible. She beamed at him, her eyes lighting up as she called out, "Happy Birthday, Boruto!"

Boruto's heart gave a little flutter. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, grinning in response. "Uh, thanks, Sei!" His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than he intended, and he quickly looked down at the table, feeling a little flustered.

Sakura stepped in with her usual poise, offering a warm smile. "Happy birthday, Boruto," she said, her voice soft and comforting, the complete opposite of Seiren's lively exclamation. Sarada followed behind, her eyes narrowing slightly when she saw Boruto sitting at the table, as though she wasn't sure whether to acknowledge him or tease him as she always did.

Boruto flashed her a playful wink, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Thanks, Aunt Sakura!" he said with a grin before turning to Sarada. He pretended to pout, mocking a frown as he tilted his head. "You came too?"

Sarada gave him an exaggerated look of indifference, crossing her arms and leaning in closer, her voice dripping with mock arrogance. "Disappointed?" she taunted, but then a shift in her demeanor caught Boruto's attention. "Well, I just came 'cuz Mom and Sei said to—"

Her eyes darted to the side of the table, and her words faltered. A moment later, she let out a small squeak when she saw Mitsuki, wearing a party hat and grinning warmly at her.

"Hey!" Mitsuki said with a soft laugh, clearly enjoying the interaction.

Sarada chuckled and shook her head, her usual sharpness replaced with a faint blush as she smiled back. "Looks like you've made yourself at home..." she muttered, clearly caught off guard by his presence.

Behind her, Seiren leaned in, gently nudging her way into Boruto's view. Her hands were extended, holding a small, neatly wrapped gift. "Hope you like it," she said softly, her voice almost shy now, the warmth of her presence making Boruto's heart flutter in an unexpected way.

Boruto took the gift from her hands with a genuine smile, his fingers brushing hers as he did. There was something in the way her hand lingered in his for a second longer than necessary, and he felt an unfamiliar warmth spread through him. "Thanks, Sei," he said, his voice quieter, his earlier awkwardness fading as he felt his spirits lift.