Chapter 14 is even more serious than thinking about dinner.
Sasuke Uchiha didn't hear him at all and frowned, asking, "What?"
Unable to speak, Naruto fidgeted and struggled, but finally, encouraged by Haruko's hopeful words, he shouted, "Can we be friends?"
"Huh?" Sasuke Uchiha frowned even more. "Are you out of your mind? Are you talking nonsense?"
"You!" Naruto Uzumaki jumped up suddenly, his hand trembling with anger as he pointed at him.
After being gently persuaded by Haruko, Naruto Uzumaki sat down angrily, but turned his head away, not wanting to look at this tomato-headed girl who was wasting his emotions.
After carefully analyzing his expression, Sasuke Uchiha pondered for a few seconds before hesitatingly asking, "Are you serious?"
Haruko answered first, "Really, really, he's even more serious about it than when he's thinking about what to have for dinner!"
"..."
Sasuke Uchiha thought this was outrageous, but considering Naruto Uzumaki's usual foolishness, he had to convince himself that Naruto was indeed serious.
Seeing that he didn't reply, Haruko tentatively asked, "So, Sasuke, you..."
"Making friends with idiots would lower my status as an Uchiha." Uchiha Sasuke subconsciously became arrogant.
"What...?!" Naruto Uzumaki, enraged, blurted out, "If it weren't for Haruko's illness, I would never be friends with you! Never in my life!"
"Illness?" Uchiha Sasuke looked at Hayama Haruko, whose smile was stiff beside him.
Haruko suppressed her embarrassment, adopted a serious attitude, and whispered, "That's right, I actually have a kind of friend-making disorder called 'Friend-Making Stress-Induced Mental Crazy Post-Traumatic Death Disease'!"
She spoke very quickly, as if afraid that if she hesitated even for a second, the shame of making up lies would overwhelm her.
"What madness?" Uchiha Sasuke was a little confused by these strange, jumbled words.
"And it's very serious! If I don't see my friends for a long time, I'll vomit blood!"
Barely trying to recall her symptoms, Naruto nervously moved closer, trying to make his tone sound sinister and terrifying, but it only made him look comical.
"Really...?"
Sasuke Uchiha instinctively didn't believe it, but when he met their unwavering gazes, he began to have some doubts.
Seeing that he was softening, Haruko pressed her advantage, "Really! I didn't have any friends before, it was so pitiful!"
"Who would say they're pathetic?" Sasuke Uchiha retorted, masking his wavering. "Besides, wouldn't it be better to just not make friends?"
There were still normal people around, Haruko gave him an admiring look.
Wouldn't a normal person want to stay away from her? That way, everyone's happy, right?
Only Naruto Uzumaki, that silly goose, said that it was too sad for her to have no friends, and not only did he insist on being her friend, but he also really stayed by her side all the time.
Thinking of the culprit behind all this, Haruko looked at Naruto with resentment.
As expected, Naruto Uzumaki, with his peculiar way of thinking, indignantly rebuked him, "It's too tragic to live a life without being able to make friends! Tomato Head, can't you have any empathy, you friendless guy?"
"If you call me Tomato Head again, I'll kick you out!"
Faced with the unpleasant scene of them arguing again, Haruko Hayama felt utterly exhausted. "Doesn't anyone care about me?"
Upon hearing her pitiful statement, the two men each snorted.
Sasuke Uchiha feigned indifference and added, "It has nothing to do with me, right?"
Naruto muttered sullenly, "It was fine before, but Haruko insisted on being friends with you..."
You insist on... being my friend?
Sasuke Uchiha widened his eyes slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing across them before revealing his embarrassment at not knowing how to deal with the situation.
He raised his hand and rubbed the tip of his nose, looking bewildered. After struggling with his thoughts, he scratched his hair, realizing that his little movements were too intense. He quickly lowered his hand in annoyance, but didn't notice that his eyes were darting around nervously.
As if watching him act out a young boy's inner thoughts, Haruko Hayama and Naruto Uzumaki stared at him with expressions of utter curiosity.
Completely unaware of how they perceived him, Uchiha Sasuke glanced at them casually and awkwardly feigned generosity, saying, "...Whatever."
Haruko couldn't help but think to herself, "There are still many good people in the world." She was surprised that he agreed so easily.
Realizing it was time to go back, they followed Uchiha Sasuke to the door.
The lanterns hanging from the eaves cast a warm glow, creaking and turning in the evening breeze, their shimmering light brushing against Uchiha Sasuke's hesitant face.
He hesitated for a long time, but still called out to Haruko before she turned to leave in the morning.
"Hello……"
"What's wrong, Sasuke?"
Haruko stopped in her tracks, and Naruto Uzumaki, who had already walked a few steps away, turned around in confusion.
After recalling how Naruto had pulled him aside to explain the many details of her illness, Sasuke Uchiha pretended not to care and whispered, "You can come find me when you're bored."
"Huh?"
"After all, your illness is quite serious, and I'm not a heartless person." Uchiha Sasuke crossed his arms, and when he glanced at Uzumaki Naruto in the distance, who was clearly concerned but pretending not to eavesdrop, his tone rose smugly.
"..."
No amount of words could express Haruko Hayama's complex feelings. She opened her mouth, but ultimately kept it closed.
Sasuke... is he really such a simple person?
Feeling apologetic in her heart for deceiving the innocent and ignorant child, Haruko waved to Naruto Uzumaki, who was idly kicking pebbles a few meters away. When Naruto came running over, she took their hands and put them together.
Under the cover of night, the three people's hands met.
Naruto's hands were warmer, while Sasuke's hands were colder. At this moment, under Haruko's guidance, the interplay of cold and warmth naturally became the color of their bond.
"Let's get along well!" Haruko Hayama said with a sense of relief.
After staring at each other for a few seconds, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha both looked annoyed, but surprisingly, they didn't argue, which moved Haruko Hayama, who was witnessing the protagonists' friendship.
Now that the protagonist has made her destined best friend, all she needs to do is deepen their relationship before she can start planning her successful retirement!
Thinking about her future liberation, Haruko's smile widened even more.
Unconsciously drawn to her smile, the two of them subtly tightened their grip on each other.
＊
In order to thoroughly implement the friendship plan she devised for Naruto Uzumaki, Haruko Hayama is now living a life of going back and forth between home, work, and shopping.
Besides rushing to school with Naruto to secure a spot next to Sasuke, after school he would usually drag Naruto along to go home with Sasuke, and then they would go home separately under Sasuke's expressionless face.
Haruko Hayama: I've gone to such lengths, I don't believe their friendship won't burn brightly!
On the other hand, Naruto Uzumaki did not give up his anti-tomato-head friendship plan. His specific implementation was to drag over the dead-fish-eyed Shikamaru Nara and try to make him replace the tomato-head.
Naruto Uzumaki: I've gone to such lengths, I don't believe Haruko won't be moved by my sincerity!
Sasuke Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara, who were forced to join their invisible war, actually began to develop a strange feeling of mutual respect.
Uchiha Sasuke: Two idiots...
Nara Shikamaru: This is so troublesome...
Overall, their revolutionary friendship progressed rapidly—at least that's what Haruko Hayama thought.
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