Chapter 7: The Two's Friends
Haruko stood at the door and politely asked them, "Shikamaru, Naruto, would you like me to take you home?"
"...You idiot, it should be the boys who walk the girls home, not the other way around." Nara Shikamaru hadn't expected her to have such a thought.
Naruto patted his chest excitedly, "Haruko, don't worry, I'll protect myself! I can also protect Haruko!"
"You, a loser, want to protect Haruko?" Nara Shikamaru mercilessly shattered his illusions.
Naruto, caught off guard but refusing to admit it, angrily pointed at him and said, "You're not the worst student yourself! What right do you have to talk to me like that!"
"I was just too lazy to write it. There's a difference between the bottom of the class, you know?"
"Alright, alright, you're both very capable. I believe you can both protect yourselves!" Haruko Hayama tried to smooth things over between them.
"Tch." This was Nara Shikamaru, who was too lazy to argue.
"Hmph!" This was Naruto Uzumaki, who refused to admit defeat.
Watching the two bickering even after they'd walked away, Haruko thought uncertainly: This should count as the beginning of their friendship... right?
A starry sky hangs in the air, and two children walk side by side on the road, one with his hands in his pockets and the other with his hands under his head.
"When did Shikamaru meet Haruko?" Naruto asked casually.
Nara Shikamaru lazily surveyed the area ahead, then asked rudely, "What?"
The surroundings were quiet for a few seconds, then Naruto's childish arguing began.
"I've definitely known Haruko longer than you have."
"..." Nara Shikamaru's lips twitched. He was secretly glad that he hadn't said it directly, otherwise it would have been really troublesome to be bothered by this guy. He replied perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, yes."
"but……"
Naruto Uzumaki, remembering his plan to find friends for Haruko, gave him a scrutinizing look.
Although Shikamaru is indeed very smart, doesn't ostracize me, and is a good person, he has a negative personality and hates trouble.
As expected, he can't compare to her; his lively and cheerful personality makes him Haruko's best friend!
Considering Shikamaru's personality, which is quite safe to some extent, and that Naruto doesn't have to worry about Shikamaru taking Haruko away, Naruto's opinion of Shikamaru becomes: so-so, barely worth considering.
Nara Shikamaru, who was chosen as a friend by both of them: ?
"However, even if Shikamaru is a good person, Haruko's best friend is still me!"
Naruto Uzumaki smugly put his arm around Shikamaru's shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips, completely ignoring Shikamaru's idiotic look.
Nara Shikamaru sighed; it wasn't his imagination after all.
Since Naruto Uzumaki and Haruko Hayama got together, Naruto has become much more confident. Compared to his previous feigned carefree attitude, he is now genuinely overjoyed, just like a silly blonde.
If you say that making a friend brought about this change in him, Nara Shikamaru feels that it's more because that friend is Hayama Haruko that he underwent this change.
After all, that idiot really does have that kind of magic...
"It's so heavy, take your hand back."
"I won't!"
＊
Wow! Sasuke is amazing!
"As expected of Sasuke! All the shuriken hit!"
"Look! Haruko got all the marks too, just like Sasuke!"
In this lesson, teacher Iruka Umino was training them to improve their shuriken skills. After throwing her shuriken, Haruko instinctively looked at Sasuke Uchiha next to her.
As the most popular boy among girls, Uchiha Sasuke's black hair and black eyes accentuated his delicate features. He had fair skin, and even when he wore a simple black stand-up collar long-sleeved shirt and white shorts, he still stood out among a group of boys.
That's genius! I'm so envious... She practiced at home many times before she could get all the answers right in class.
Haruko Hayama, who was completely unaware of her own great talent and was even privately called a genius on par with Sasuke Uchiha by her classmates: Genius is indeed out of reach!
Sensing the gaze, Sasuke Uchiha quickly glanced back, only to find it came from Haruko Hayama, his classmate who was vying for first place. "..."
"Uchiha-kun, you're amazing!" Haruko Hayama was surprised by his keen insight and praised him politely.
To misinterpret this statement as an appreciation of an evenly matched opponent, Uchiha Sasuke snorted coldly in displeasure and turned to leave.
"I don't think I've ever offended him, have I?" Haruko asked, puzzled.
"Haruko! You're amazing!" Naruto Uzumaki immediately stuck to her after she finished.
Receiving a starry-eyed look from Naruto Uzumaki, Haruko Hayama put aside the earlier incident and cheered him on, "Naruto, do your best too!"
"Um!"
"Naruto Uzumaki." It just so happened that Iruka Umino read out his name.
"I'm going!" Naruto Uzumaki said with a righteous expression.
Naruto Uzumaki is here!
Naruto Uzumaki picked up a shuriken!
Naruto Uzumaki... accidentally threw a shuriken into the crowd!
The other children jumped several meters away in fright. Iruka Umino focused and quickly dodged, drawing a kunai to block the flying shuriken. He glanced at Naruto Uzumaki, who was scratching his head, with a rather troubled look.
"Naruto, what are you doing?!"
Naruto frantically grabbed a new shuriken, trying to save face, "Wait! I'll try again, I can do it!"
"Naruto, you can do it!" Haruko encouraged him gently, then quietly took a few steps back.
Nara Shikamaru, who inadvertently witnessed this scene: ...
Finally, thanks to Naruto's relentless efforts, he managed to hit one, and then, amidst Haruko's exaggerated praise, he smugly left the field.
Haruko, exhausted, complains: He won't leave, and he won't let me leave either!
The red glow of the setting sun shone through the windows and into the classroom.
Everyone rushed out the door as soon as school was over, but Haruko packed her things and waited alone at her seat for Naruto.
Nara Shikamaru hesitated for a moment, but still deliberately went out in a different direction, passing by her seat.
Aren't you going back?
Haruko nodded and waved to him with a smile, "I'll wait for Naruto a bit. See you tomorrow, Shikamaru."
It was rare for Naruto to apologize and ask her to wait for him a little longer. He even left her his dark green goggles, saying that seeing them would remind her of him and help alleviate her friend-making symptoms. Haruko was quite curious about what he was doing.
"Hmm..." Nara Shikamaru stared at her for a long time before finally speaking his mind amidst her blank expression, "Don't spoil him too much."
"Spoil Naruto? I don't think I have."
Haruko carefully recalled her usual interactions with Naruto Uzumaki—mostly he would cling to her, chatting about this and that, and his carefree personality often left him covered in dirt, which left her feeling quite helpless.
But from Nara Shikamaru's perspective, it becomes—she accompanies Naruto Uzumaki wherever he goes, listens attentively to his nonsensical conversations, and patiently cleans up his clothes even when he gets them dirty.
Is this what they call spoiling someone without realizing it?
Nara Shikamaru's expression was indescribable. "You really are..."
Wait a minute, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
When did he start paying attention to the two of them? And how could he observe her so closely!
Nara Shikamaru, who lives by the motto "Keep trouble away from me," found a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead without realizing it.
At first, I just found the pairing of Haruko Hayama and Naruto Uzumaki unusual and couldn't help but glance at them from time to time, just like the other students in my class.
Later, I gradually realized that Haruko Hayama's gentle personality was spoiling Naruto Uzumaki too much, and I inexplicably found myself disliking her.
But how did he suddenly become so familiar with their way of getting along?!
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