"..."
"Fuu?"
"Fuu!"
Uchiha Hikari softly called out to Fuu, who seemed to be lost in thought. When she saw that the other girl still didn't respond, she raised her voice and called again.
After Tsunade and Uzumaki Kasui left, Uchiha Hikari and Fuu only stayed in the living room for a short while before leaving Aoba's house as well.
However, after coming outside, Fuu, who had originally been rather lively, suddenly fell silent. Even the expression on her face became strangely awkward.
That was why Uchiha Hikari, who had come out together with her, couldn't help asking with concern.
"Huh? Hikari, what's wrong?"
Fuu suddenly snapped back to her senses and looked at Uchiha Hikari in confusion.
"..."
Uchiha Hikari didn't speak. She simply held a lollipop in her mouth and looked at her with an expression that said, I'm disappointed in you.
"W… why are you looking at me like that?"
Fuu felt uncomfortable again under Uchiha Hikari's gaze.
She clearly hadn't done anything strange this time.
"Fuu, you're in trouble. You've fallen in love!"
Uchiha Hikari remembered a line she had heard in a movie at the cinema and repeated it now.
"W… what?"
Fuu's expression froze. She didn't understand what Uchiha Hikari meant.
"Hikari, I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Heh! Heh!"
A look appeared on Uchiha Hikari's usually calm face, as if she had seen through everything.
"Fuu, if you hadn't fallen for Aoba, why would you look so absent-minded right now?"
After hearing her words, Fuu quickly understood what she meant and immediately showed an embarrassed and annoyed expression, speaking somewhat unhappily.
"Hikari, what nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever become absent-minded because I like Aoba?"
"Then why, after hearing what Aoba said, did you not only fail to smile but actually look a little worried?"
"I… I didn't…"
Another question from Uchiha Hikari made Fuu hesitate.
She wanted to refute it, but it seemed she really wasn't as happy as she had imagined she would be.
Maybe it was because what Aoba said earlier was a little different from what she had expected.
Aoba had deliberately asked the two of them to stay behind alone. What he wanted to say definitely wasn't about marrying the two of them.
No matter how much of a scumbag he was, he wouldn't do something like that.
He had simply noticed the thing that had been worrying Fuu ever since Kurotsuchi returned to Iwagakure.
So he kept the two of them behind and gave them reassurance.
As long as they didn't want to leave, this place would always be their home.
Mainly because they had gotten used to living together. They were just two snack-loving girls, after all. Aoba's household certainly didn't lack the little bit of money it took to support them.
Besides, they didn't actually need him to support them. He was only providing a place to live.
Under normal circumstances, after receiving a promise like that from Aoba, Fuu should have felt very touched and very happy.
But what Fuu had been thinking earlier was, if Aoba suddenly said he wanted them to get married too…
'Should I agree openly and generously?'
'Or should I keep a bit of girlish reserve and agree more subtly.'
And so, while she had been caught up in those fantasies, letting her imagination run wild, Aoba's words suddenly pulled her back to reality.
For a moment she felt a little dazed.
After thanking him stiffly, she left Aoba's house somewhat absent-mindedly.
The problem that had been troubling her for so long had been solved. Logically speaking, she should feel happy.
But somehow, it felt like she really wasn't as happy as she had imagined.
Uchiha Hikari, on the other hand, was much calmer.
Although she had also thought at the time that, 'If Aoba suddenly proposed me, should I agree?'
Aoba had helped her escape the fate of being "Nanashi(Nameless)" and given her a brand-new life called "Uchiha Hikari."
If she were to get married in the future, she wouldn't choose anyone other than Aoba.
So she would probably agree as well.
But she wouldn't care about it as much as Fuu did.
She glanced at Fuu, who seemed to have fallen into confusion again, then took out a new lollipop, unwrapped it, and stuffed it directly into her mouth.
"Mmph?"
The sweet taste in her mouth brought Fuu back to her senses. She looked at Uchiha Hikari in confusion.
"If you ask me, if you really want to marry Aoba, just tell him directly."
Uchiha Hikari spoke as if she were very experienced.
"Huh?"
Fuu stared at her, stunned by her confident attitude.
"Because he's a scumbag. Fuu, you're so cute. If you take the initiative, Aoba definitely won't refuse."
Although the reasoning was brief, Uchiha Hikari's logic actually made sense.
"..."
Fuu was somewhat speechless. Although Aoba really was a scumbag, still...
"Hikari, do you really think I'm… cute?"
When she asked this question, her expression was unusually shy.
She normally didn't care much about it, but if she really compared herself with Karin, Kurotsuchi, Temari, or even Hikari, she definitely couldn't match them.
"Of course!"
Uchiha Hikari immediately pressed her soft hands against Fuu's cheeks.
"So if you really like him, just tell him boldly."
Fuu stared blankly at Uchiha Hikari, whose face was full of seriousness.
Probably only Hikari could look at something like this so openly.
But… Even Fuu herself didn't know whether she really liked Aoba.
She just felt that if he proposed, marrying him wouldn't be bad.
But if she had to take the initiative herself… She would definitely feel shy.
After thinking it over, she decided not to think about it anymore.
There was still a long future ahead. Some things didn't need answers so quickly.
She grabbed Uchiha Hikari's hand and jogged back quickly.
"Hikari, I have the day off tomorrow. How about we go back, watch a movie, and then sleep?"
"Mm."
————
Although some things didn't need an immediate answer, some matters were rather urgent.
The night grew deeper.
Aoba arrived at the door of Tsunade's bedroom.
There had been too many people in the living room earlier, and Tsunade didn't want to talk. Now that it was just the two of them, they could finally have a proper conversation.
As soon as he pushed open the bedroom door, the lights inside weren't on.
But Aoba immediately saw Tsunade sitting beneath the window.
She sat in a reclining chair, her fair legs crossed, her jade-like feet resting on the small tea table in front of her, gently swaying in the rippling moonlight.
What swayed along with them was the wine bottle in her hand.
And the motion made her sleeveless top sway as well, as if it might slip at any moment, outlining full curves and smooth pale lines.
Tsunade naturally noticed Aoba opening the door. A trace of complexity flashed through her eyes.
Not knowing how to start the conversation, she asked instinctively,
"Where's Shizune?"
But after asking, she realized the question seemed a little inappropriate, as if she had been expecting something.
Unfortunately, it was too late to take it back.
Aoba smiled silently.
"I felt like it's been a long time since I spent time alone with you, Sesnei. So tonight I wanted to spend some time with you by yourself."
"?"
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