Chapter 267 The Deception of Ignorance
"How can that be? Aren't the three of us best friends? We can't do without any of us, especially Sasuke!"
Her eyes revealed her sincerity to him without reservation.
Uchiha Sasuke awkwardly turned his head away, avoiding her gaze, his hands, which were resting on his thighs, involuntarily gripping the fabric beneath.
Even after receiving Haruko Hayama's affirmation, he still felt no satisfaction.
More than satisfaction, this attitude of accepting him and embracing whatever he did somehow overlapped with the memories he had seen.
When he experienced the Uchiha coup in the Sharingan world, he thought that Haruko Hayama would change her attitude and become hostile towards him after she found out.
However, he doesn't seem to know Haruko Hayama well enough; in other words, he doesn't trust her enough.
In other words, the reflection of Haruko in the morning mirror reveals his lack of self-confidence.
He didn't trust his place in Haruko's heart.
Rather than letting him discover that he is unimportant in Haruko Hayama's heart, it's better to let him deceive himself and direct his anger outwards, making it seem like he doesn't trust Haruko Hayama.
That way, he won't get hurt.
Uchiha Sasuke tilted his head and lowered his dark eyelashes. The setting sun outside the window shone on him, gilding his sharp and cold demeanor with a layer of golden light.
The orange and apricot light fell upon him, outlining his three-dimensional and exquisite features.
The black hair and black eyes that symbolize the Uchiha clan were also imbued with a soft amber light during this baptism.
He kept his eyes lowered, giving the impression of vulnerability.
If others saw this, they would probably say, "That's Uchiha Sasuke, how could he possibly have such a vulnerable expression?"
But Haruko Hayashi always believed in herself, in herself who understood Sasuke Uchiha.
These past few days she has been constantly thinking, trying to find all the factors that made Uchiha Sasuke angry, eliminating some of them, and then combining them with his current reaction.
Haruko Hayama thought that he might feel ignored.
"Sasuke, did you know that Naruto bought his mother a bouquet of carnations today?"
Her sudden topic brought Sasuke Uchiha back to his senses, and he muttered under his breath, "What does this have to do with me..."
Haruko leaned closer in the morning, interrupting his inconsistency.
"I think this is a great idea, Sasuke! Let's go buy flowers and give them to Mom and the others!"
"...It's not Mother's Day."
"Who says you can't give flowers to your mom normally? I think bellflowers would definitely suit Auntie very well."
Their casual, back-and-forth banter created a sense of calm, and under this atmosphere, it seemed as if they had never argued at all.
As before, whenever Naruto Uzumaki did something foolish, Haruko Hayama would oblige him, while Sasuke Uchiha, while expressing disdain, would join in at their urging.
This is their daily routine.
However, in the present day, this has instead stirred up Sasuke Uchiha's rebellious spirit.
He adopted an impatient tone, "I don't want to..."
“But I want to do it.” Haruko Hayama looked at him intently. “The prerequisites for wanting to do it are twofold: first, Naruto has done it, and second, you will do it with me.”
It wasn't driven by one person alone, but rather by the combined power of the two of them.
Her confident demeanor suggested that she was certain Sasuke Uchiha would agree to her request.
The truth is, Uchiha didn't want to agree, but he found it even harder to refuse her.
Because she said she wanted him to stay with her.
While Sasuke Uchiha was still in a daze, Haruko Hayama smiled and said, "No matter what happens, we will always be the three-person team!"
The warm glow filled the entire room, as if the heavens themselves had bound their connection.
Sasuke Uchiha's constricted pupils dilated, and he noticed the heat rising in his eyes. He lowered his head and paused for a few seconds.
When she looked up again, her bright black eyes met those of Haruko Hayama across from her.
She always seemed to have a radiant smile.
It is as brilliant as the sun and as radiant as the moon.
Not knowing what to say, Uchiha Sasuke pursed his lips.
His gaze drifted to the purple mark on her forehead. Sasuke Uchiha had noticed this purple diamond-shaped mark as soon as she came in.
He tried to change the subject casually, but it sounded somewhat awkward.
What's that on your forehead?
"What?"
Haruko raised her hand to touch her forehead and smoothed her stray hairs, but unfortunately, she couldn't touch anything.
"that is……"
Uchiha Sasuke subconsciously pointed his index finger at her forehead, but belatedly realized he was too close under her gaze and quickly withdrew it.
But in mid-air, Haruko Hayama grabbed his hand as he tried to back down.
"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice trembling with panic.
Uchiha Sasuke's skin was almost snow-white, even whiter than that of Hayama Haruko, who was a girl. In addition, he had a naturally low body temperature, so holding his hand felt like holding winter snow.
In the summer, Haruko Hayama and Naruto Uzumaki both liked to hang around him.
However, every time Naruto sneaked closer, Sasuke would frown and take a few steps to the side, leaving the scheming Naruto empty-handed.
When Sasuke noticed Haruko approaching him in the morning, he accepted it well, but Naruto, unwilling to admit defeat, was determined to get close to her.
After he deliberately approached him several times, Sasuke Uchiha noticed his strange behavior and coldly questioned him about his intentions.
Upon catching a glimpse of Haruko Hayama waving and gesturing behind Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki barely swallowed back his outrageous remark that he had taken him for a breath of fresh air.
If that were really the case, not only would he be unable to approach Haruko Hayama under Sasuke Uchiha's accusing and stern face.
So, Naruto could only look up at the sky with a guilty conscience.
After stammering for a while, his head spinning, he uttered words that made both himself and Uchiha Sasuke shudder—
"It's just that... I really enjoy being around you!"
For a long time afterward, Sasuke Uchiha refused to have any contact with Naruto Uzumaki, and even had to walk with Haruko Hayama between them.
That summer, Haruko Hayama became the only winner with a personal air conditioner.
When Haruko touched Sasuke Uchiha's cold, jade-like hand again, she pulled his hand to her forehead amidst his astonished expression.
Thinking there was something on her head, she said, "Could you help me fix it?"
Haruko stood very close to him, and to make it easier for him to move, she even lowered her head slightly and touched his fingertips.
Like a well-behaved little animal waiting to be petted.
Uchiha Sasuke had a strange sense of déjà vu.
The warmth on his fingertips, which didn't belong to him, was a little too hot. Sasuke's fingers curled up slightly, and then Haruko moved a little closer.
Did you touch it?
The naive and ignorant girl had no idea that she herself had actively seduced him.
Sasuke Uchiha's breathing became a little erratic, and his snow-white cheeks flushed slightly.
He seemed lost in thought, and in the morning, amidst Haruko's gentle urging, he carefully stroked the purple mark on her forehead a few times, as if he were caressing her.
******
The list of recipients of gratitude as of July 11, 2024:
grateful--
Braised Rabbit, a love letter from Osamu Dazai, x9, flowers, x2
Iris gave me a bubble tea.
Two likes from "Curtain Falls and Dust Settles".
A love letter from Yingyou
Give a thumbs up to the corrupt flower bud!
Flowers sent by Wanqiong
The following individuals are listed: Teacher Passerby A (updated), Mu Xue Shu Yu, Mo Mo Zi m, Yan Yi Yue, Ampera Alien of Yancheng Mountain Island, φμξ, Sanhao Squirrel, A Yu Zhen Di c, Ying You, Yuan Wei ^, Fang Kai Wo Er, Jin Xiu La of Nanning, and the healing unicorn from the electric firelight (gifted by Ai Sheng Ye x3).
Early summer, starry sky, porcelain right, please have some strawberries~ (Gift: 2 pieces made with love)
Wu Ziyun, Danta, Xia Youjie in one bite, you win if you read novels without using your brain, Fendou Ajuan, Piano Master Painter, Sakurai Yuki, Braised Little Rabbit Dazai Osamu, Silver_w, I am Liben, Yang Rubing (True or False), Lin Lingnuo, Hehe is sleepy, Xiao Xingxing who loves to eat ginger-fried duck, tsuki Jia, Shoot! Lucky Koi, ★★●, Wanqiong, Fusang Qin, Utzon's gift of love-powered electricity
Thank you so much for the gifts! The author is so touched! Sasuke blushes with a tsundere expression (o﹏o )
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