Chapter 21 Fireworks
Naruto Uzumaki's dazzling sapphire eyes are the only bright spot in the dim light, like a clear lake surface, its calm depths concealing surging hopes.
Haruko saw herself in it, surrounded by a shimmering blue.
Meeting that focused gaze, Haruko couldn't help but murmur, "Naruto... the fireworks are going off."
"Fireworks?" Naruto tilted his head.
He carefully observed the raindrops hitting the ground not far away, and his eyes widened in surprise. "It really is! The raindrops hitting the ground look like fireworks!"
Haruko withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyelashes, and quietly watched the fireworks display that he was also watching.
They were the only spectators in the pouring rain.
After a few seconds of silence, Haruko asked sincerely, "But how are we going to get back?"
"Well..." Naruto Uzumaki broke free of his shell and awkwardly scratched his head.
He initially thought he was really cool when he came up with this idea, but after being asked by Haruko Hayama, he suddenly felt a little silly.
etc……
Naruto Uzumaki noticed that no raindrops were hitting him anymore, and he couldn't wait to tell her about it, "Haruko, it's not raining anymore!"
"Um?"
Haruko looked up curiously and saw not only Naruto's adorable expression, but also a large umbrella that completely covered them both.
"You two idiots, what are you doing in the rain?" Sasuke Uchiha's speechless voice came from behind them.
Naruto then realized that the rain hadn't stopped; it was Sasuke Uchiha who had come to bring them umbrellas.
Uchiha Sasuke held up one umbrella for himself, while his right hand stretched out and gripped another umbrella that was clearly larger and could completely cover the two of them.
Before Naruto could express his delight and gratitude for Sasuke's somewhat untimely rescue, Sasuke spoke first: "Do you really enjoy getting soaked? Can't you use your brain?"
"What?! I was so touched!" Naruto Uzumaki exclaimed again.
Haruko stood up and took the umbrella handle from Sasuke Uchiha. "It hasn't been raining for long, has it? Sasuke wouldn't have run over here..."
"No way!" Sasuke Uchiha interrupted her loudly, a blush rising on his face, his expression stubborn.
Naruto Uzumaki also realized what was happening and covered his mouth, teasing him, "Oh~ I didn't expect Sasuke to care about us so much!"
"I didn't care! My mother sent me!" Uchiha Sasuke retorted vehemently, his face flushed with embarrassment.
"Oh, Mommy!"
"It's so noisy!"
Haruko watched them with a smile in the morning. Their noisy chatter even drowned out the heavy rain around them, adding a touch of liveliness to the dull world.
Before she knew it, Haruko had the thought that she "wanted to stay with them forever." When she came to her senses and realized what she was thinking, she shook her head violently to get rid of the terrifying thought.
Enraged, Sasuke Uchiha gripped the umbrella handle tightly, tilted it towards Naruto Uzumaki, and spun it around, splashing all the water that had been flowing on the umbrella onto Naruto.
"Ah! You're so despicable!"
"You're so stupid!"
"Alright, alright, we should probably head back now." Seeing that they were about to have a battle in the rain, Haruko Hayama chuckled and squeezed in between to smooth things over. "Thank you for the umbrella, Sasuke."
“…It’s nothing.” Uchiha Sasuke touched his nose, looked away from her, and then involuntarily glanced back at her the next second.
Naruto Uzumaki reacted strongly, his eyes lighting up with delight, "Haruko, you're finally back to normal!"
Haruko sighed and wiped the raindrops from his face. "When have I ever been abnormal?"
"Yeah, look, you haven't tried to stop us from arguing these past few days, isn't that strange?" Naruto said, gesturing wildly with his hands, clearly showing his excitement.
"What? Can't it be that you two are arguing so much that I'm too lazy to try and stop you?"
"Haruko won't be too lazy to persuade me!" Naruto Uzumaki insisted, staring intently at her, "Because Haruko is just that kind of good person!"
Haruko paused in wiping his face in the morning, a look of confusion appearing in her dark eyes.
Sasuke Uchiha, standing nearby, awkwardly added, "That idiot actually told the truth."
"What do you mean by 'rare'? You tomato-headed idiot!"
"You...you utterly incompetent idiot!"
A damp atmosphere filled the air between Haruko and the others in the morning. Before they knew it, the sound of rain around them grew louder, drowning out their bickering.
The rain, carrying the cold air, froze her stunned expression for a moment.
Strange, it felt lively just now, but suddenly it feels lonely again...
Am I... reluctant to part with them?
Haruko's eyes flashed with a dark light as she bit her lip, lowered her eyelashes to avoid looking at them, and gripped the umbrella so tightly that her hand turned white.
Haven't you already made up your mind to stay away from dangerous situations and just stay put?
But why can't I bear to part with it...?
*
"Strange, Haruko didn't come to school today?" Yamanaka Ino looked at Nara Shikamaru sitting to her right with a puzzled expression.
Nara Shikamaru, who was lounging lazily against his back, stopped yawning halfway when she stared at him. "Why are you looking at me? I don't know anything."
"Eh—Shikamaru doesn't know?"
Yamanaka Ino drew out her words, then turned her gaze to the row at the front of the classroom where only Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto were standing.
There was a seat between them, which was originally Haruko's seat in the morning, but it was already afternoon and she was nowhere to be seen, which was really strange.
Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki were not speaking either. Judging from the greater distance between them than usual, they had probably just finished arguing and entered a period of "disdain for speaking to each other".
"Huh? Why do I have to know?" Nara Shikamaru's puzzled voice rang in her ears, drawing her attention back.
Yamanaka Ino did not answer him, but only glanced at him meaningfully, and then laughed a few times for no reason when she looked away.
“…This is weird.” Nara Shikamaru raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hide his inexplicable emotions.
"Yosh!" Yamanaka Ino stood up, supporting herself on the table. "Wait here, I'll go ask him for you."
Watching her dash away in a flurry, Nara Shikamaru remarked, "That girl, she clearly wanted to talk to Sasuke herself..."
"Shikamaru, you still want to know, don't you?" Choji Akimichi bluntly exposed him.
"I didn't, okay? It's Ino who's going to ask."
"It's nothing shameful, Shikamaru, just admit it."
"I didn't!"
Nara Shikamaru's loud rebuttal drew the attention of the students passing by.
Amidst the silent awkwardness, Nara Shikamaru feigned composure, quietly straightened his posture, and raised his hand to lean against the table to cover his embarrassed face.
Choji Akimichi chuckled憨厚ly, "I knew Shikamaru cared a lot."
Not daring to speak loudly again, Nara Shikamaru glared at him with his deadpan eyes and hissed, "Shut up!"
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