My Sassy Girl
Chapter 21
Disclaimer: I completely own You, But I don't own Naruto.
After completely forgetting that we went into the department store to get Ino a present, we left the place. Can't really think straight when you're hungry, right?
Ino noted "Whoa, it's dark outside already."
"Yeah... let's go get something to eat. Where do you want to go?"
"Well... um... that is... see, I..."
"What? Say it out loud!"
"I... I want to eat... THAT."
"That? What's 'that'? A puppy? Snake soup?"
"No! Geez! You know... THAT."
I wiggled my Eyes too imitating her… "What is 'THAT'?!"
"That... Jajangmyun..."
"... *shivers*" Grrr... Jajangmyun…
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So, we went to the Chinese restaurant... (T_T ) if you guys forgot what happened with us and the infamous jajangmyun (black bean noodle), I'll never forgive you...
But... I mean, this was our 100th day anniversary. I mean, I wasn't planning to take her to a fancy five star restaurant or something... but jajangmyun of all things?
'Haah! Naruto!… You can barely afford Jajangmyun anyway', you say?
...I stole dad's credit card, remember?
I mean, Ramen would have been a better choice. Or we could not eat at all... But... but... why jajangmyun of all things...
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We settled at a table in the restaurant.
"You want the double-sized bowl, right? Excuse me! Could we get a double-bowl Jajangmyun and a ….Jjamppong? (Spicy, seafood-broth-based noodle)."
I asked the last part questioningly eyeing Ino, asking if she was opposed to that… which was generally always, this time she didn't say anything but I guess she was just too Giddy with our day that she forgot to terrorize me.
What? You thought I was going to eat Jajangmyun after what had happened last time?
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Our orders came out, one jjamppong and one double-sized jajangmyun… Ughh…. Just seeing it gives me Trauma..
With a quick Ittadakimasu we dig into our food… and after a few slurps of my noodle I could feel her eyes on me and not on that 'thing'.
"Hey, Na-ru-to?" I heard from my opposite side.
I looked up meeting her eyes "Hmm?"
"So..." she stretched the O's...
"What? What's wrong with you today? Speak your mind." like you always do, Ino-sama.
"So... that Jjamppong looks really tasty."
"…." I glared at her, but her focus was already on the bowl which I had unconsciously dragged behind my arms…. My Precious…. [1]
"Let's switch." And she just did that.
(T_T)
A double-sized jajangmyun now stands before my eyes... which are flowing with miserable tears.
After somehow eating that 'thing', That was the fastest I had paid any bill in my life.
After dinner, we went to go see a movie, then we went to a cafe. And now, it's already midnight. Looks like I can't go back home tonight, with all the buses and subway closed for the day. I'll probably have to spend the night at my aunt's house... You know Women's college near Hokuso? My aunt lives in the apartment right in front of that place.
Before they built the college there, the place near the apartment was really empty and quiet... but with the college there, there were a lot of girls walking around the place. My aunt was thinking about renting some of her rooms out to the students, and I was thinking about moving in to live with my aunt when that happened.
What if there's no room left for me, you say? Well, I wouldn't mind having a roommate. ^_^
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"Naruto, there's a place we have to go."
We were making our way out of the mall…
" 'have to go'?"
"Yeah..."
"Where?"
"Just follow me."
"It's midnight already. Don't you have to go home?"
"You can't go home either, right?"
"My aunt lives in Hokuso. I can just crash there."
"Just... follow me."
We took a cab, and went to the place she wanted to go to. I've never been in this area before... couldn't even tell which way was which. I followed her after getting off the cab, and we went to some cafe.
"My mom's friend runs this cafe..."
"Oh really?.. so, why are we here?"
"Let's go in..."
"Here? The signs are all off... aren't they closed right now?"
"..." She just stared at me with irritation for few seconds… took my arm and dragged me inside.
When we went inside, there were couple of people around... I scanned their faces… Oh, God, there was a familiar face. That couple... from the double date and her two friends were there.
Tenten upon our entrance stood up and beckoned "Finally, the guests of honor are here. Okay, everyone ready?"
She made it back to her seat next to Neji, sticking close as if they're joined at the hip... in a way, they're made for each other...
After sitting down in one table, we exchanged pleasantries...
And just sat there for about a minute or two, chatting, Even Sakura is pleasant to speak to this time and the other girl what was her name…
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Ino must have asked her friend to rent out her friend's mom's cafe. I think this was her first time planning something special for me… I think my heart just now went doki-doki...
I glanced around, The cafe was filled with comfortable chairs, glass tables, and there was a white piano in the corner. Each table had a spotlight of its own from the ceiling... but they were all turned off. Only the light above the table we were sitting around were on, painting pretty green silhouette on everyone's face as it illuminated the room against the darkness.
After a few minutes… Ino's friend Karui… comes in with a cake, and sets it up on the table.
There were two candles on the tiny cake.
I can almost feel the wavering of the two flames.
I blinked seeing it, and… I think I can hear soft music playing from somewhere...
"Even if~ we fly across the skies freely~ don't be surprised~" [2]
Her and I blow the candles together.
Everyone around us clapped, shouting "Happy 100th!"
I was really moved... I couldn't even imagine that she would go this far to prepare an event like this... But I didn't cry. Why? Because I'm a man... -_-
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"Here Naruto... I have a present for you."
"Present? You even got me a present?" Hell ! Yeah!
"Yeah... Thanks, Naruto"
"For what?"
"Just... for everything. Open the present."
I'm gonna cry if you say things like that ya'know… "Yeah... but... I didn't get anything for you at the department store..."
"That's okay...Now go ahead and open the present..."
"Yeah..."
The box was as big as a crate of apples. I went through the pretty red wrapping papers, and felt... clothes? I wasn't exactly following the Latest fashion trend, so I guess she got me some clothes to wear...
Neji asked "So? What is it?"
Then Sakura… "What is it? The box is pretty big..."
There were several clothes in the box, so I kept searching around with my hand then pulled out the smallest one I could find...
It was dark everywhere... but something was shining nonetheless...
A... skull?
Yes... that's right... the glow-in-the-dark skull underwear... that I left it at her house after the gangster incident.
I looked at all the other "presents" she got for me. Her... "presents"... were all the clothes I left at her house after meeting those gangsters in the street...
I could have taken out a shirt, or pants... but underwear of all things…
As soon as 'My Underwear' came in full view of others , her friends and she started cackling…
Neji patted my shoulder with full force… "Whoa! You guys are close enough to give each other underwear already?"
Tenten wasn't behind.. "Haha... the skull is kinda cute."
".… T_T"
I didn't buy those underwears !. As mom had all the spending money in the house, she picked out everyone's clothes... but for some reason or I guess she likes glow-in-the-dark, at least one-third of all the underwear she buys for me is glow-in-the-dark. Aside from this skull one, there's also one that glows "I LOVE YOU" in the dark...and that too is in English. Isn't she too trendy… I know!
The worst of them all is the Carrot underwear... you know how people sleep in their underwear in summer because it's too hot?
So... when I'm wearing that one... at night, an orange carrot glows right where...
Mom must think I'm still in fourth grade or something...
If anyone's interested, I am more than willing to sell it online. Turn the light off and show it off to your loved ones... the carrot that glows in the dark right where...
I turned towards Ino, gave her a glare… "Um... Thanks for the presents.. -_-"
If she wasn't laughing until then, then after hearing me, she definitely was… "Hahahahahahaha! I washed it myself with my own hands! It was my first time washing a guy's underwear!"
"….." Hazukashiii… yamete.
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"Naruto, come here for a second."
Ino drags me over to the piano, and she sits down in front of it. Everyone else stood around the piano.
She took a deep breath, then lightly placed her hands over the keys. Suddenly, a tranquil rendition of "Fur Elise" filled the air.
I stared at her... now I understood why she asked me that question... "When do you think that a girl is at her prettiest?" As I thought, as she played the piano with utmost sincerity, she was really beautiful.
She continued as the second part of the music began... then, a disruptive note jarred everyone's sense as she hit a wrong note.
In apparent embarrassment, Ino left playing it at that and turned to look at me with her bright face… "You said a girl was at her prettiest when she was playing a piano, so I practiced all week... This is easier than Ballade Pour Adeline... so..."
She smiled sheepishly.
Though it was an awkward performance, and ended abruptly with a mistake... but it was the most beautiful piano performance I've ever heard or seen in my life. And I think I will still remember how amazing it was for the rest of my life.
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Later, I heard Tenten talking or more like Scolding to Ino about it...
"I taught you day and night for a week, and you can't even last two lines?!"
"What? I haven't even touched a piano since I learned from "Do" to "Fa" when I was little!"
We were parting from the Cafe, Ino was going back with Sakura to her place. I had to go back home, Her friends were making their way to their vehicles and cabs.
But I still had a question to ask to her "When is the guy the prettiest?"
Her blue eyes locked with mine, she said "Just give me a Rose."
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Before I could stop myself or think or do anything that made any sense at all, I stepped towards her, I spoke.
"Ino…"
Then I stopped talking. She stepped closer to me too, her slender fist bunched up in my shirt, her eyes huge, her lips so close I couldn't stop myself from touching them, and I was compelled to know what those lips felt like again.
"Naruto, I…"
Her words were cut off when my lips touched hers, and I felt a wave of euphoria wash over me.
After that we surely did forget about her friends watching us or whistling toward us for about a minute or so…
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: Thanks for reading and the new fav/follows, Again next chapter will take some time.
I will like if you could leave a word of encouragement or something, and fav/follow this story if you can. Also those reader for whom English isn't the first language, I'd like if you could give your feedback too.
Also check the poll, if you still haven't.
[1] Do I even need to tell this one? Sigh...its from LOTR.
[2] The Classic's popular Korean song "The Magic Castle"… I think, This is quite a slow and soft song, check it out on Youtube.