DISCLAIMER: REFER TO CHAPTER ONE
THE OTHER GIRL
Chapter III: (Autumn Rain) Keep my secret
"Ino-san, you have to talk to him." Other girl #1 demanded.
"Definitely." Other girl #2 seconded.
"I mean, what is he thinking?" Other girl #3 screeched.
She was beginning to develop a twitch above her right eye.
"She's so not good for him." Said other girl #1.
"Absolutely not good." Other girl #2 looked like an indignant fish.
"I mean, she's useless and she's not even pretty." Other girl #3's painted face was set so sourly; she might have been a grapefruit.
She could not quite remember the words... Something about a pot calling the kettle black?
"You must talk some sense into him." Other girl #1 insisted.
"Must." Other girl #2 repeated.
"I mean, she has nothing going for her, except that she's a Hyuga..." declared other girl #3.
She could have sworn there was a sound of things clicking into place, as the other girls' eyes grew rounder in comical proportions.
"That must be it..." Other girl #1 sounded a little breathless.
Thankfully, a gasp was all that was heard from other girl #2.
"He must be interested in her only because she has connections! I mean, what else could it be?"
The other girls were fortunate that Yamanaka-san sent her daughter out to do a delivery at that moment.
Without Yamanaka-san's timely intervention, the other girls would have found out, first hand, why Ino was the top female ninja of her class.
Their hypocrisy was disgusting and she could only hope that their utter stupidity was not contagious.
How could they be so confident of their non-existent chances? Did they honestly believe that Shikamaru would even spare them a second glance? As if the first was not repulsive enough...
"Ino, you look like a raging boar."
Her reaction was automatic. Her fist connected to a face but she was not sure whose...
"Oh hi Chouji." His ears were still ringing from the blow but he did not miss the flatness of her voice.
He only grunted in response. "So, where you headed?"
She had just made the delivery but did not want to head back to the shop as yet, lest the other girls were still contaminating the place with their presence. Not having a particular destination in mind, she answered him with a shrug.
"Oh." Chouji studied her. She looked like Ino but she was not being Ino...
Something in his gaze made her uncomfortable.
"What?" She asked, more nervous than annoyed.
"How are you doing, Ino?"
Was he asking something else? She looked up to the sky thinking of how to respond. Dark clouds were starting to gather overhead and the wind was cold against her skin. It looked like rain...
"Fine." She lied. "How have you been doing?" Under normal circumstances, she would inquire about his missions like a good friend ought to do but things were not 'normal'... they had not been for a long time.
"I've been the same..." She gazed back at him and his eyes looked into hers as if to say that she, on the other hand, had not.
She was suffocating again.
He knew...
He knew that she loved Shikamaru...
And he knew that she was falling apart.
She told no one...
He was not supposed to know...
So how...?
Without warning, it poured.
A/N: Ladies and gents lets give Chouji a round of applause! So we have Hinata and Chouji... who else can we drag into this mess? Suggestions anyone?
THE OTHER GIRL
Chapter III: (Autumn Rain) Keep my secret
"Ino-san, you have to talk to him." Other girl #1 demanded.
"Definitely." Other girl #2 seconded.
"I mean, what is he thinking?" Other girl #3 screeched.
She was beginning to develop a twitch above her right eye.
"She's so not good for him." Said other girl #1.
"Absolutely not good." Other girl #2 looked like an indignant fish.
"I mean, she's useless and she's not even pretty." Other girl #3's painted face was set so sourly; she might have been a grapefruit.
She could not quite remember the words... Something about a pot calling the kettle black?
"You must talk some sense into him." Other girl #1 insisted.
"Must." Other girl #2 repeated.
"I mean, she has nothing going for her, except that she's a Hyuga..." declared other girl #3.
She could have sworn there was a sound of things clicking into place, as the other girls' eyes grew rounder in comical proportions.
"That must be it..." Other girl #1 sounded a little breathless.
Thankfully, a gasp was all that was heard from other girl #2.
"He must be interested in her only because she has connections! I mean, what else could it be?"
The other girls were fortunate that Yamanaka-san sent her daughter out to do a delivery at that moment.
Without Yamanaka-san's timely intervention, the other girls would have found out, first hand, why Ino was the top female ninja of her class.
Their hypocrisy was disgusting and she could only hope that their utter stupidity was not contagious.
How could they be so confident of their non-existent chances? Did they honestly believe that Shikamaru would even spare them a second glance? As if the first was not repulsive enough...
"Ino, you look like a raging boar."
Her reaction was automatic. Her fist connected to a face but she was not sure whose...
"Oh hi Chouji." His ears were still ringing from the blow but he did not miss the flatness of her voice.
He only grunted in response. "So, where you headed?"
She had just made the delivery but did not want to head back to the shop as yet, lest the other girls were still contaminating the place with their presence. Not having a particular destination in mind, she answered him with a shrug.
"Oh." Chouji studied her. She looked like Ino but she was not being Ino...
Something in his gaze made her uncomfortable.
"What?" She asked, more nervous than annoyed.
"How are you doing, Ino?"
Was he asking something else? She looked up to the sky thinking of how to respond. Dark clouds were starting to gather overhead and the wind was cold against her skin. It looked like rain...
"Fine." She lied. "How have you been doing?" Under normal circumstances, she would inquire about his missions like a good friend ought to do but things were not 'normal'... they had not been for a long time.
"I've been the same..." She gazed back at him and his eyes looked into hers as if to say that she, on the other hand, had not.
She was suffocating again.
He knew...
He knew that she loved Shikamaru...
And he knew that she was falling apart.
She told no one...
He was not supposed to know...
So how...?
Without warning, it poured.
A/N: Ladies and gents lets give Chouji a round of applause! So we have Hinata and Chouji... who else can we drag into this mess? Suggestions anyone?