Chapter 17: Shino Confesses

"I've been into a coma for one month and the moment I get out of the hospital, Kurenai sensei makes us train like crazy!" Shino sighed. "I haven't fully recovered yet…"

"But you're okay, right?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, I'll be seeing you guys!" Kiba said as he faced another direction. "I'm gonna take Airi out tonight! Bye!" He dashed off.

"Agh, Kiba seems to love Airi too much." Hinata giggled. "Is that even possible to love someone too much?" Shino sighed. "Hmm? Are…Are you okay Shino?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"…No." He looked away uncomfortably.

"Do you wanna share what's wrong? Or…Or do you wanna keep it a secret?"

"Ah, uh…If…If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Um, sure, yes, I promise."

He sighed once more. "It's about…Airi…"

"Oh? Could this have something to do with, say, feelings?"

He looked at her. "How did you know?"

"Shino, anyone with eyes could see that you're in love with her. The way you're always acting, the way you talk to her and about her, it could only mean one thing. That one thing is love."

He mulled this over. "I see…So, you knew, huh?"

"Yes."

"But you don't think that I'm some jerk in love with my best friend's girlfriend? You don't think that I'm sick or disgusting?"

"Why would I think any of that?"

"Because I'm in love with my best friend's-"

She covered his mouth. "Shino, I would never think that. Even though it's not necessarily right to have intimate feelings for your friend's lover, you haven't done anything wrong. You haven't tried to do something to her or anything like that. You've been very unpretentious about flirting with her too. You've been trying to stay friends with Airi despite your own personal feelings. I think that you're a gentleman."

"Yeah but…" Shino looked away. "…Somehow, I don't think Kiba's right for Airi. And I'm absolutely in love with her. I can't get her out of my mind."

"Shino…" Hinata blinked. "I really don't have any specific advice for you. If Kiba really isn't the one for Airi, then in time, this will be made clear."

"But it's hard, you know?" He sighed again and sat on the grass. "I've never felt like this about anyone before and it's weird. It's a nice feeling, but I won't be able to express it."

"…I know what that feels like…" Hinata whispered. "To love someone when you know that they don't love you back is indeed difficult."

"Tsh, no kidding. But it's not like I don't want Kiba and Airi to be together or anything. I'm actually happy for Airi. If she's happy then I guess…that's all I need."

"Shino…What were you doing that night Airi and Kiba expressed their love to each other in the park?"

"What?" He looked at her. "…You…haven't figured it out?"

"No, why do you think I'm asking?" She giggled lightly.

"Oh…Well, earlier that day I sent Airi a love letter-"

"You mean the one Kiba and I got?"

"What? How did that happen?"

"I dunno, maybe Airi dropped it and Kiba found it or something."

"Maybe. Well, I was gonna met her in the park so I could tell her how I felt, but then you came and so did Kiba and…yeah. Everything that's going on right now happened because of my damn love letter."

"I understand now. But if you loved Airi, why didn't you stop her and Kiba? You should have intervened."

"Hinata, I'm a brave shinobi and I'm strong. When it came down to that moment, when it came down to my…love, I was afraid and I wasn't strong. I was afraid of rejection and I guess I wasn't strong enough to face that rejection."

"But…can you do it now?"

"What? But Hinata, Airi and Kiba are-"

"Shino, sometimes it's better to tell someone that you love them even though they have someone else in their life. Telling them that might help them understand something that they didn't know."

"…Hinata…?"