bubblegum princess

chapter sixty seven

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒
welcome to the final show;
LET'S WALK AWAY !
⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

𝞋𝞎

"The first match of the semifinals will be UZUMAKI BORUTO against NARA SHIKADAI! The match will begin after a 30-minute break!"

The announcement echoed across the stadium as the big screen overhead displayed the upcoming battles.

Standing side by side near the entrance to the waiting area, Seiren and Shikadai silently observed the screen. Neither spoke at first, but a quiet sigh left Shikadai's lips as he shifted his weight onto one foot, arms crossed over his chest.

"So, you'll be facing Shinki next, huh?" His voice was low, calm, but there was a knowing edge to it—one that suggested he was already analyzing possible outcomes.

Seiren pressed her lips together, not giving a reply. She didn't need to; Shikadai already knew her well enough to understand she was deep in thought, calculating the possibilities just as he was.

Their moment of quiet was interrupted by a familiar voice cutting through the air.

"This is the first time we're fighting properly like this, huh?"

Boruto approached from behind, his signature smirk in place, though there was an almost imperceptible shift in his expression—just a flicker of something underneath the confidence.

Shikadai turned slightly, glancing at Boruto from the corner of his eye. "I hear you can make up to four shadow clones now."

Boruto scoffed, a cheeky grin spreading across his face as he looked away. "What? I was planning to shock you with that during the match!"

Seiren stifled a giggle, shaking her head at his antics. Despite the tension in the air, Boruto still managed to carry himself with that usual bravado, like the pressure of the exams didn't faze him. But Seiren knew better.

Shikadai, too, seemed unfazed as he finally turned to fully face Boruto, raising his fist. "Let's do this fair and square. No hard feelings, yeah?"

Boruto didn't hesitate to bump his fist against Shikadai's, though his grin had sharpened into something more competitive. "Just don't cry after you lose."

Seiren watched them, noting the camaraderie between them even in competition. But as Boruto turned to leave, she caught it—the subtle tension in his posture. His confident stride was slightly stiffer than usual, his shoulders drawn tight as he passed by her.

She frowned slightly but chose not to say anything. He didn't need distractions, not now.

Shikadai leaned against the nearby wall, his gaze trailing after Boruto before shifting back to Seiren. His voice was quiet, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear. "Who do you think will win?"

Seiren hesitated. The question lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. She glanced at him briefly before lowering her gaze to the floor, slowly crouching down as she hugged her knees.

"I... I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Shikadai hummed in acknowledgment, neither surprised nor pressing further. He probably knew she wouldn't have an answer—but he had asked anyway, perhaps just to confirm his own uncertainty.

"Sorry," he muttered after a moment.

Seiren shook her head, her wavy pink hair shifting slightly. "Don't be. It's normal to feel conflicted right now."