This is for LittleMana! I have to admit, the first time I read her review I was kinda... ticked. I wrote Sempai in a different style using mainly dialogue as an experiment. Just to try something different. But the more I thought of the review, the more the idea started to take shape. So, here it is, Sempai 2.0! Dedicated to LittleMana, because without her, this fic would never have been written.
Disclaimer: I'm so sick of writing these.
Warning: My pathetic attempt at humor and rated T for innuendo...
"Please, Shikamaru-san?" Hinata pleaded, looking up at Shikamaru through her eyelashes, her cheeks tinted red, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.
"Tch, troublesome." Shikamaru huffed, trying not to look at the captivating and demure image Hinata was unknowingly displaying. "Why do you need me?" He was merely curious. Really. It had nothing to do with Hinata's curvy figure!
"I-I can't do it by myself." Hinata said, her arms coming to wrap around herself defensively, unconsciously pushing her cleavage together and short circuiting Shikamaru's brain.
"So?" Shikamaru tried to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth with an air of nonchalance. He failed, but luckily Hinata was still avoiding eye contact with him. "Why don't you ask Kakashi-san or Asuma-sensei?"
"Oh! I couldn't!" Hinata shook her head violently in denial, looking close to fainting. "I don't know of either of them. I'd rather d-do this with you." She whispered the last part, her face looking more like a strawberry than the face of the Hyuuga heiress.
"…Ok. I can understand why you'd want someone from our generation to help you," Shikamaru reluctantly acknowledged.
Hinata looked relieved at this, her pale face slowly returning to it's natural hue.
The sight of Hinata looking more comfortable with him and her request made him hesitate, however, Shikamaru thought it best to trudge on, "but that didn't really answer my question: 'why me?'"
"W-well, ano, you are v-very i-intellig-gent and p-patient. A-And you have a lot of experience." And suddenly all the confidence melted away and Hinata-the-Tomato returned.
Shikamaru's eyes widened. What did people think he did all day? He only hung out with Temari because it was his job. He sighed, he'd find some way to blame this all on Ino.
"Please t-tutor me, Shikamaru-sensei!" Hinata cried, looking up at the young man in front of her for the first time.
Pause. 'I really wish she hadn't called me that...' Shikamaru hunched forward slightly. Hinata quickly lowered her eyes and apologized for yelling. Which, as Shikamaru was quick to point out, was hardly yelling.
Sigh. He'd known he was doomed the moment she came up to him looking so dejected yet hopeful at the same time.
"Alright, Hinata-chan. This is a 'knight'-" Shikamaru pointed to a tile on the shoji board in front of him. 'At least tutoring Hinata on how to play shoji will be a lot easier than teaching at the academy…'