bubblegum princess

chapter fifty nine

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒
welcome to the final show;
MEETING THE MAN
THAT SEIREN LOOKS
SO MUCH ALIKE !
⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

𝞋𝞎

Seiren stared at the application form Konohamaru had handed her, her fingers brushing against the crisp edges as if the weight of the paper symbolized the burden of her decision. Konohamaru stood in front of her, his usual easy-going smile accompanied by a nervous scratch at the back of his neck.

"I-I know you're still recovering from your fever," he began, his tone slightly sheepish. "I could've given this to Sarada to pass along, but... I wanted to hand it to you myself."

Her heart swelled unexpectedly, pride mixing with a tinge of uncertainty. She hesitated, glancing at him before softly asking, "Do you think I could do it?"

Konohamaru blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"Participate in the exams," she clarified, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think I'm ready?"

His smile faltered, his lips curving downward in a thoughtful frown as he stepped closer. For a moment, she worried she might have said the wrong thing. But then his hand rested on the back of the chair beside her, and he leaned in just slightly.

"Why do you think I gave this to you personally?" he asked, his voice steady.

Seiren pursed her lips, the corners twitching downward. "Because... it's mandatory?"

At that, Konohamaru snorted, shaking his head in disbelief.

"No," he said, the humor clear in his voice. "I gave it to you because you're my student. And my students know one thing for sure: it's not the end of the world if you stumble. It's about getting back up and trying again."

He softened his tone, crouching slightly so he could look her in the eye. "Seiren," he said seriously, "you're stronger than you think. Whatever's holding you back—fear, doubt, anything—it's not worth letting it win. Don't hesitate to do something you believe in. If you hold back now, you might regret it when it's too late."

His words struck a chord, and her fingers tightened around the form. Then, looking up at him with an innocent smile that didn't quite match the mischievous sparkle in her eyes, she teased, "Since when did you get this wise, sensei?"

Konohamaru froze, her unexpected remark catching him off guard. His lips twitched, and he grumbled, "There's no need to say such things to me. You make it sound like an insult."

"Your words, not mine," she replied smoothly, her smile widening just a fraction.

He sighed dramatically, shaking his head as if defeated. "I think Boruto's behavior is rubbing off on you," he muttered, though the faintest hint of amusement tugged at his expression.

"Maybe," she said with a shrug, the playful glint in her eyes still present. "But you love your students anyway, right?"

Konohamaru rolled his eyes but couldn't help the fond smile that broke through. "Yeah, yeah. Now quit stalling and focus on the exams, smart mouth."

Seiren giggled softly, the sound light and full of warmth, before she suddenly wrapped her arms around Konohamaru's waist. The unexpected gesture caught him off guard, and his body stiffened briefly.

"Thank you," she murmured against him, her voice quiet but sincere.

Konohamaru blinked, momentarily speechless, before he softened. He patted her back gently, a small smile tugging at his lips. His gaze shifted momentarily to the desk beside her bed, where numerous pill bottles and medications sat—he frowned.