Chapter 290 "Morning Classmate's Observation Log"
When Shino Aburame first met Haruko Hayama, she only had the impression of her as a "woman".
He is not interested in people with whom he has little interaction, or rather, he is not interested in people at all.
In his eyes, people are much harder to get along with than insects.
However, Haruko Hayama shattered this definition.
In Kiba Inuzuka's words, the fact that his insects were borrowed by his Chunin Exam opponent shows that he lacked a sense of crisis.
Shino Aburame offered no explanation.
The exchange was mutual; Haruko Hayama borrowed his insects, and he also gained information about Haruko Hayama.
Whether he wants to know or not, the parasite will record everything in front of him and relay it to him.
Therefore, exchange is mutual.
But the result of the exchange was somewhat unexpected for Shino Aburame.
He had seen people who looked down on insects, people who showed condescending pity for insects, and people who completely ignored insects.
But I've never seen anyone like Haruko Hayama who, despite being terrified of insects, still cherishes them so much.
This aroused Shino Aburame's curiosity.
Just as he had done with observing novel insects before, he used all his experience so far to try to see Haruko Hayama's behavior more clearly.
Observing people is much more difficult than observing insects.
The insects either don't react to him or fly away when he gets close.
But Haruko always seemed to sense him lurking around her. Every time Haruko spotted him, she would walk over and greet him with a smile in her eyes.
Aburame Shino's unique attribute of having a low profile seems to have no effect on her.
Furthermore, insects can communicate with a frequency that can be observed.
The signals they send symbolize a dialogue, and Shino Aburame can calmly and slowly deduce the meaning they want to convey.
Haruko Hayama is different; it's difficult to discern what topics she'll be discussing.
Sometimes, one second we're discussing techniques for overcoming insect phobia, and the next we're enthusiastically chatting about picnicking with insects.
What Shino Aburame remembers most vividly is the question she asked herself—
"What does Xiao Hei like to eat? I prepare it for him and his friends during our picnic!"
When Shino Aburame answered "chakra" after a few seconds of silence, Haruko Hayama's expression was a mixture of surprise and a hard-won, as if she had expected it.
As a result, Shino Aburame received an invitation to a picnic.
To be precise, it was Kuro who received Haruko's picnic invitation, and he joined the picnic as a "friend of Kuro."
On that sunny afternoon, Shino Aburame sat in a sea of colorful flowers.
Together with Haruko Hayama.
That was his first date with a woman.
Logically, he should have felt nervous and at a loss, which was true at first, but... he felt very comfortable being with Haruko Hayama.
Like a parasite with a shiny black shell finding the most comfortable flower.
It didn't understand why this flower was different from the others, making it feel so comfortable and relaxed.
So it decided to start observing the flower.
During this time, the flowers will sway and greet it, sometimes remaining quiet, and sometimes fluttering in the wind.
It wasn't the only one attracted to this flower. When it saw other insects resting on the flower, it would tense up and freeze in place, watching everything.
Once the insect leaves, it breathes a sigh of relief and continues to observe the flower from a distance.
Unbeknownst to him, his impression of Haruko had changed a lot.
"Female", "strong", "intelligent", "beautiful", "afraid of insects (working on overcoming it)", "excellent cook", "loves to chat", "neat and tidy", "favorite topic is retirement life in Konoha"...
Haruko Hayama has so many labels that Shino Aburame needs a separate notebook to record them all.
Just like he did when observing insects, he recorded Haruko Hayama's personality, habits, hobbies, and so on, naming it "Hayama-kun's Observation Log".
One day, his father saw the diary and asked him if he was in love.
He shook his head and replied that he was just very concerned about the girl's behavior.
The father didn't ask any further questions, but left with the words, "I was just as concerned about your mother back then."
When Haruko came to have a picnic with Kuro again in the morning, Shino Aburame refused her.
Kuro's temperament has recently undergone a subtle change; it seems eager to get close to Haruko, and the messages it brings back all contain hints of joy.
Shino Aburame felt that, for the sake of his parasites, he needed to stop observing Haruko Hayama.
Haruko Hayama was taken aback when he politely declined, then laughed.
"But I'm not having a picnic with Kuro. From the beginning, the only person I want to have a picnic with is Shino."
"I made a promise with Shino to spend a sunny afternoon together, basking in the sun, lying on the grass, and chatting... These things make me feel especially comfortable!"
"So, can I be Shino's picnic partner today?"
The high collar of the clothing was originally intended to conceal the faces of the Aburame clan. It was only later that Shino Aburame learned that it was used not only to conceal their faces, but also their moods.
He experienced an indescribable emotional turmoil.
Insects are pure, therefore the information Xiao Hei brings back must be objective.
In that case, the joy of obtaining detailed information about Haruko Hayama... must have been generated by him.
Haruko Hayama is also pure; she pursues what she loves in a lively and bright way, whether it's people or things.
She seems as simple and easy to understand as an insect, yet her depths are also difficult to fathom.
However, as far as the subject of observation is concerned, her behavior and activities have been almost completely figured out by Shino Aburame.
Therefore, "Morning Student's Observation Log" should end here.
Shino Aburame forced herself to ignore her figure.
During her trip to Sunagakure, Haruko spoke to many people, but only under Shino Aburame's deliberate influence did they exchange only brief greetings.
But when he was seriously injured and opened his eyes in the dark world, he saw Haruko Hayama and saw her desperately healing him amidst the swarm of insects.
Aburame Shino's heart was filled with even greater and more intense turmoil.
In that instant, he understood what made Haruko Hayama different from everyone else, and he also understood why his attitude towards her was different.
Haruko Hayama possesses a pure and devoted love, and he wants to observe and record everything about her.
As for the duration of the observation, he never considered it.
Or rather, he couldn't say for sure how long he would need to observe this time. Maybe a year, maybe two years, but based on his inner feelings, it might last a lifetime or more.
The insect's life is very short. Fortunately, he and Haruko Hayama are both human and have the same lifespan.
...
"Shino Aburame's condition has stabilized," Nohara Rin explained to Hayama Haruko as she walked out of the ward.
Haruko Hayama was finally relieved to hear that he was alright.
Seeing that Haruko looked like she was only worried about others, Rin Nohara couldn't help but raise her voice seriously.
"Haruko, you need to take good care of yourself. You can't always focus on others and neglect yourself."
Haruko Hayama instinctively retorted, "I didn't ignore myself..."
Nohara Rin stepped forward and hugged her, as if to make up for all the hugs she had lost over the years.
“I wish you were a little selfish…” Nohara Rin sighed softly in her ear.
"I know." Haruto Hayama couldn't bear to show any more emotion in front of her, so he quickly pulled away from her embrace.
Feeling uneasy, Haruko lowered her eyelashes, smiled, and said, "I'm going to check on Neji," before running off.
Nohara Rin was left alone, watching her departing figure with a gloomy gaze.
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