Chapter 15 "Do you really have to marry your brother...?"
Although Sasuke was still a little awkward after receiving the gift, his sullen mood had dissipated. See, regardless of gender, receiving a gift always makes one feel better. Sasuke glanced at the gift; it was a pair of wristbands with a special material that even had the function of storing chakra. Such exquisite items were naturally not cheap, but the advantage of being rich is that you don't need to look at the price tag when buying things.
Sasuke only glanced at the wristbands once or twice, and then that was it. His attention shifted to you, or more accurately, to you and your brother Itachi. His gaze lingered between you two, as if he couldn't decide who to ask first, "Why didn't you tell me you were going on a trip?"
"Sorry, Sasuke, I'll let you know next time." "I went out to see some other scenery because Konoha was too boring." Your and Itachi's response styles were completely different. Itachi was still considering Sasuke's feelings, but you didn't think that much. All you were thinking about right now was your bed in your room. After saying that, you went back to your room, resisting the urge to collapse onto the bed. You forced yourself into the bathroom, washed up, changed into your pajamas, and then lay down on the soft bedding.
While you were away, Mikoto probably cleaned for you. To thank her, you brought her a gift this time, which you and Itachi picked out together: a silk shawl embroidered with wisteria flowers. The moment you and Itachi saw the shawl in the store, you were certain that Mikoto would like it. You were going to pay for it, but Itachi paid first, saying, "If Mother knew that this was a gift you specially picked out for her, she would definitely like it. She likes not only the gift, but also you."
Isn't that obvious? You have a clear understanding of how likable you are, although it might sound a bit narcissistic... But you really do like Mikoto. She gives you a motherly feeling. Your relationship with your mother in your past life was so-so, not good, but not bad either, but the gentle Mikoto does make you feel a bit of a mother's warmth.
As you lay on the soft, fluffy bedding after it had been dried in the sun, Itachi took out the silk shawl that you had both chosen together and presented it to your mother. Mikoto, who had been examining the wristbands with Sasuke, exclaimed in surprise, "Is this for me?"
"Yes, it's a gift that Aki picked out." Itachi smiled and pushed the gift box to her mother's side. She opened the box. "It's a very beautiful shawl—Aki is still as thoughtful as ever."
Sasuke initially felt the atmosphere was quite warm, but the next second he suddenly heard his mother say, "Oh right, I went to the kimono shop last time, and the kimono you ordered is almost finished."
Huh? What kimono? When did this happen? Sasuke had never heard his mother mention this before.
His brother smoothly chimed in, "Really? I was a little worried that we might not be able to finish making it before the summer festival."
Wait, wait a minute—what are they talking about?
Sasuke suddenly felt like an outsider. He said, "I don't understand... what are you talking about, brother and mother? What kimono? Brother, you even ordered a kimono? Who is it for?" The answer was obvious. Sasuke was a smart child; he should have guessed it long ago. He had already guessed it long ago.
Mother Mikoto had a relieved smile on her face. "Of course, it's the kimono that your brother ordered for Aki. After the summer festival, um... maybe they'll get married in a while. But it depends on Aki's wishes. She probably thinks the wedding ceremony is too much trouble. These days, isn't destination wedding popular? Itachi and Aki could try that too."
Ha, are you kidding me? The topic of kimonos suddenly popped up and then led to marriage. Sasuke felt like he was in a fog. "Are my brother and Aki already lovers?" he asked, his voice trembling and his teeth chattering.
Itachi nodded with a hint of worry, "Yes, but actually, life won't change much for Sasuke. Aki and I will still be your family."
No, that shouldn't be the case.
Sasuke's expression went blank until his brother asked, "Sasuke, are you feeling unwell?" He then stood up abruptly and staggered back to his bedroom, as if doing so would make him forget the news.
But when he woke up the next morning, he had to accept reality, because his parents, who were sitting at the dining table, were discussing the matter with great joy. His father also seemed very happy and satisfied with his performance in the guard unit. After all, he was an excellent office worker in his previous life, and these clerical jobs in the guard unit were a piece of cake for him. The captain of the guard unit, Fugaku, had also seen his work ability.
Besides, you and Itachi grew up together, and you are the daughter of a former friend. You know each other well, so no matter how you look at it, you are a perfect match.
Sasuke took a sip of water, quickly finished his breakfast, and said he was going to the training ground to train. He said that, but when he got to the training ground, he had no intention of training at all. He sat on a tree stump, resting his chin on his hands, lost in thought. You used to come with him to the training ground to watch him train. My brother even said that he didn't get such treatment.
At that time... he really thought you seemed to favor him a little more, but now it seems that it was just his illusion, you obviously prefer his brother.
However, this doesn't seem to be wrong, after all, his brother is indeed outstanding, and there are many girls in Konoha who admire him, but... he is still very annoyed.
He casually took out kunai from his ninja tool bag, and without even looking where he was going, threw them aside. The kunai pinned the leaves that were falling in mid-air to the tree trunk, one after another. By the time his brother came looking for him, there was already a string of kunai pinned to the big tree, neatly arranged.
“You haven’t been in a good mood since yesterday. Can you tell me what’s wrong?” Itachi sat down on the tree stump next to him. Sasuke didn’t know what to say. He said, “Why does my brother want to be with Aki? I mean… we’re family.”
Even if I become lovers with her, it won't affect my love for you.
"I'm not a child anymore." Does he still think of himself as a child? Do you think he's fighting for attention and love? Okay... maybe a little, but he wants more than just his brother's attention, he wants yours too. Humans are greedy creatures after all.
"But to me, Sasuke is still just a child."
Unable to get angry at his brother, he could only get angry at himself. He pouted, "In this respect, you're just like Mingxi, treating me like a child. Last time I had a cold, she even asked me if I wanted some rabbit apples after taking my medicine."
“That’s definitely something Aki would say.” Itachi reached out and gently stroked Sasuke’s hair. “I understand how you feel. You’re just having trouble accepting it right now.”
Does your brother truly understand his feelings? Does he really know how he wants to stand by your side and replace him?
The air was silent for a few seconds. Itachi stood up, walked to the tree trunk, and took down the string of kunai. As he did so, he said, "Since you told Mother you came here to train, sitting here all the time doesn't count as training."
Itachi was resting today and spent the whole morning training with Sasuke. Seeing that Sasuke's mood had visibly improved, he said, "It's time to go home for lunch."
When you got home, you changed your shoes in the entryway and saw you sitting on the corridor trying on your mother Mikoto's jewelry. You were wearing a dark green sleeveless dress, the hem of which meandered up the corridor steps like a pool of spring water. Your mother Mikoto put a necklace on you, and the cut sapphire could shine brightly even in the dim light.
You bent down and slipped rings onto your fingers, from your thumb to your pinky, not missing a single one. It didn't seem like you were trying on jewelry; it was more like you were playing. You showed Mikoto your two hands covered in rings, and Mikoto smiled and playfully pinched your nose, as if to say you were being naughty.
You shrug, then put on your tassel veil again. The light gold tassels, adorned with tiny crimson beads, partially obscured the lower half of your face. Hearing Itachi's footsteps, you turned around, the corners of your lips beneath the veil seemingly curving upwards slightly. Sasuke watched as his brother walked to your side, reached out a finger to part a corner of the tassel, and said something to you.
Sasuke, standing to the side, could already feel this sense of incongruity. He didn't even know whether to step forward or back. He just stood there, frozen, watching you take off the rings from each of your fingers and put them on Itachi's fingers. You said, "Itachi's hands are also very beautiful, and they can do a lot of things. They are very dexterous."
As you spoke, you pinched the base of his little finger, feeling a little disappointed that the mark you had left on it had disappeared.
These uneventful days were soon disrupted. When you received the kimono from Itachi, you didn't realize anything was wrong. But when Sasuke came to you, he asked with a subtle expression, "Do you really want to marry your brother?"
It was only then that you realized you seemed to have overlooked something, and you asked in surprise, "What marriage? Do you even know what marriage is?"
Sasuke thought you were treating him like a child again, and said, "Of course I know, this is a ceremony for lovers to spend their lives together."
What kind of ceremony is this? This thing just legally binds two people's property and social relationships together. You may not have been a professional divorce lawyer in your past life, but some of your college roommates became civil lawyers and often share various divorce cases with you. So how desperate were you to get married?
You almost burst out laughing because you were so speechless. You poked Sasuke's forehead and said, "You really are still a child."
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