AN's: Did I do a double update to keep the names of these chapter together? Yes, I did (partly because imma be starting summer physics tomorrow, lol pray for me y'all). Did I also base these chapter titles on Swedish pop group Abba's hit single from 1977? Yes, I did. There is an Abba song for every emotion.
Chapter 14: Knowing You
"So," Kaede began in a light voice. "What do you think?"
Shino observed the building emitting a hefty smell of greasy foods, shining under the glow of neon-fluorescent lights. Discreetly, he unlinked their arms, which Kaede-san managed to hook together again sometime during their journey. Her grip was frankly a bit tight.
"It's a… very flashy building," Shino pointed out simply.
"Kumo's Kuisine" the outside read in bright blue neon lights.
Kaede grinned at the man and linked their arms back together. "This is one of the newest and hottest diner-bars in Konoha! Originally, it was a small mom-and-pop business that originated in Kumogakure, but they've recently expanded due to an influx of demand! C'mon, let's go in!"
To the man's surprise—and slight horror—the inside of the restaurant was even brighter and flashier than the outside. A loud bass reverberated inside as neon blue lighting illuminated the hallways and booths.
Kaede plopped down in a booth further away from the bustle of a few younger adults and Shino took a seat across from her. He shuffled in his spot, never feeling so out of place before.
"So," he said, over the loud music. "How did you find out about this place, Kaede-san?"
"Oh! I met the owner in Kumogakure at a dive bar, and we went to his original chain there," the young woman replied, pulling out menus for both of them to look at. "I helped him get home after he got too drunk and he promised to give me discounts from his restaurants from then on out!"
"Interesting," Shino said with a nod, hoping the woman could actually hear him.
"You know," she said, "The mascot of this establishment is actually based off of fireflies!"
He looked around uneasily. "Really?"
"Yes! The owner loves fireflies! Says they're his muse!"
Shino only nodded. In all honesty, he would prefer actual fireflies in a calming meadow than to the stimulating atmosphere of this restaurant, which was really more of a bar than anything. This venue would suit someone more youthful and energetic, in his opinion. Perhaps an older teen or younger 20 year old. Certainly not an Academy Instructor reaching his mid-30's whose most looked forward to event of the evening was visiting a honey stand and grading papers.
After placing an order for drinks, Shino tried his hand at conversation.
"Kaede-san," he said. "What exactly do you do? I believe Kiba mentioned that your sister works as a seamstress with Tamaki?"
Before she could reply, a large glass full of a bright pink liquid was placed in front of the two of them, and Kaede immediately took a sip, sighing in relief at the taste of the alcohol.
"Oh yeah, that's my older sister!" She continued. "She's always been the more mature one between the two of us, and she thought it'd be a nice idea for me to settle down somewhere. I guess that's why she thought a blind date would be a good idea! Funny, right?"
Taking another sip, her emerald green eyes focused on the quiet man in front of her. "Here, you want some? It's really good!"
Shino shook his head with finality. "No, I don't drink alcohol." Although he was likely to never come back here, he didn't want to be banned from another restaurant.
Kaede's eyes widened as she put down her glass. The notion seemed almost absurd to her. "Really? How come?"
The Aburame paused. Just how would he phrase this? It would be best to get the cat out of the bag right away, wouldn't it?
"Well," he began. "My clan–"
"–Oh, the Aburame! Noblemen, right?"
"–Well, yes. We are. We use a specialized ninjutsu–"
"–Ah, ninjutsu! It's so cool that you're a Shinobi! Hey, would you mind showing me how you guys walk on walls later?"
Shino paused, pushing down the wave of irritation he felt. The thought crossed his mind that now might be a sufficient time to call it quits.
He nodded politely. "I can, if you'd like, Kaede-san. Now, as I was saying–"
Just as Shino was about to continue, however, their warm food was placed in front of them.
Kaede clapped in delight before asking their server for another glass of the pink drink. Pulling out a small camera, she also requested the server to take their picture. He smiled uncomfortably.
"So," she continued, pulling out her chopsticks. "What was it you were saying?"
"…I–"
"–Ooh, hold that thought! I love this song!"
Shino slouched ever-so-slightly. This was going to be a long evening.
"C'mon, Mitsumi–Mitsubachi! Damn, that's gonna take some getting used to," Kiba said, pouting in his seat.
"I've made up my mind," the honey vendor said with finality, carefully sliding her guests two teacups. "Besides, if by some miracle I was able to be together with Shino, our families would never approve. No matter how much I lo—like— Shino, I still love my family. Family comes first, and he and I can agree on that notion."
"You said it!" Tamaki pointed out with a satisfactory hum.
The Kamizuru's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The catlike gleam of the other woman's eyes briefly reminded her of one of her sisters back home.
"... What? What did I say?"
"You like our dear old Shino Aburame."
"It's not not obvious," Mitsubachi replied with a long sigh. She rested her head against a propped up hand. "… I like him a lot."
"So?" Kiba said energetically. "Test out the waters! See what happens! If you don't try, you'll never know! Maybe after you guys go out for 1 or 2 official dates, you'll find out you actually do prefer being just friends!"
Tamaki placed a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, nodding emphatically in agreement. "C'mon, I mean? While you're still here in Konoha? You said you have a year here before you have to go home, right? Why not go out for a year in secret, go home to Iwa, make peace between your clans, and then start going out for real once everything is cleared up with your families?"
Kiba slammed a hand on the counter, jostling the warm liquid in their cups. "That's a perfect idea!"
"I wish it was as simple as that," Mitsubachi defended with a dramatic sigh. "Besides–"
"–Oh, you are just too much, Shino!"
Interrupting their conversation, the three turned to find one familiar Academy Sensei locked arms with an attractive young woman. She giggled into her free hand as the two slowly meandered towards their direction .
Shino awkwardly tilted his head. "Did... I say something funny?"
"No, no! It's just that you're so... well, you're so serious! With the way you talk and carry yourself. It's just very different from other guys I've been on dates with," she said, giving him a quick wink. "It's cute!"
The Aburame's eyebrows raised in a show of surprise. She thought he was cute?
"And you're such a gentleman too! Offering to take me out on a walk and everything. You really didn't have to, you know. Hey! Look over there!"
Shino's eyes widened upon seeing Kiba, Tamaki, and—worst of all—Mitsubachi gathered at her shop. With how late in the evening it was, he didn't think too much when accepting Kaede's offer to go for a quiet walk to help sober her up. He would have preferred going home straight away, but the energetic blonde was a bit difficult to say no to. And to get his arm away from.
Something uncomfortable lurched in his chest with the way steel-gray eyes focused on the two of them, and he tried pulling away.
Kaede called out to the ninken user and his girlfriend, urging Shino to come with her.
The poor Aburame attempted to decline her, placating her with offers to see shops in the other direction, but her mind, still a slightly disoriented from her earlier beverages—Who drank so much on a work night?—was keen on approaching Kiba and Tamaki for whatever reason.
"Don't be shy, Shino! It's just Kiba and Tamaki! Come, come!"
The two made their way to the small store he had considered a regular visiting place of his. Kiba eyeballed the two of them, a touch uneasy.
"Well, well, well," the Inuzuka said with a forced toothy grin. "Aren't you two a sight for sore eyes? How was the date?"
"Oh, it was great! I'm so happy you two helped set this up," Kaede replied, giving slight bows to Kiba and Tamaki.
The cat and dog lover locked eyes, guilty expressions evident on their faces.
"So…" Shino began, eyes discreetly roving over to Mitsubachi. Their gazes met in a brief instant and the woman flashed him an understanding smile before continuing with her silent cleaning.
The usual brightness in her eyes seemed dulled, and the uncomfortable feeling in Shino's chest increased. "…Kaede-san, we should leave," he said quickly, feeling more and more guilt build up within him.
"Huh?" the woman said, jutting her hip out. "Why? Do you not want to stay and talk to your friends?"
"No, I just—"
"—Well, just wait then, would you? I mean, jeez, Shino!" Kaede pointed at him with her thumb. "He's so shy," she mouthed to Tamaki, who had a confused look on her face.
Shino's focus shifted back to the normally kind honey vendor, noticing how her eyes hardened in a glare directed at the blonde next to him. Or rather, latched onto him.
"So!" Kaede continued, roving emerald eyes around the rather… dilapidated store. "Were you two having a little date of your own? This certainly is an... interesting place to have one! Is it like some sort of trend for older couples to go to places like these?"
Tamaki's eyebrows furrowed as metaphorical steam blew out of her ears.
"Old?"
"Heh," Kiba replied with a chuckle, placing a calming hand on his girlfriend's thigh. "No, we actually came here to meet up with a friend and have some tea."
"Ooh, mind if we join you?"
"Kaede-san," Shino began his futile protests.
"Just for a few seconds! C'mon Shino, live a little—"
"—Actually," a warm voice interrupted. "I'm sorry to say, but I'm going to be closing up shop soon."
Kaede focused her attention on the other woman, narrowing her eyes ever-so-slightly. The stocked shelves of honey with price tags told her that this broken down shack was actually a store for whatever reason. She hadn't even noticed the younger woman was there at the counter until she said something! It was too cute. The busy bee running her little honey store. If one could even call it that.
Was she the reason Shino didn't want to stop by?
She hummed flatly before her words perked up once more. "Oh! So you're the store owner?"
"I am," Mitsubachi replied, flashing her a smile as she continued to pack up. "You're more than welcome to stop by here tomorrow morning."
"So you know Kiba and Tamaki?"
"We're relatively well-acquainted," the honey vendor replied simply, as though they were talking about the weather. "I'm somewhat new to Konoha, and Kiba, Tamaki, and Shino were some of the first people to welcome me here."
"Shino too?"
"Yes, that's right," Mitsubachi said, meeting the eyes of the blonde woman. A tense atmosphere began to fill the air as their eyes locked. "Shino, too."
"Just friends?"
The honey vendor nodded tersely, a forced smile on display. "Just friends."
"You look a little young to be managing a place like this, no?" Kaede asked, judgement laced in her words. "Why not go do something… fun with your time? You have a boyfriend?"
"No, not at the moment," Mitsubachi answered, looking more irritated with each passing second.
Shino uneasily cast his eyes between the two women, unsure if he should step in or not. He had never seen Mitsubachi's eyes—normally so bright and warm—shift in such a harsh glare. If looks could kill, Kaede would most certainly be dead.
"Hm... I mean with how much work you have to put into this store, I wouldn't say I'm surprised," Kaede answered, blinking her eyes innocently. "No offense, of course!"
Dazzling green eyes looked back towards the Aburame as though he were just an after thought, dulling with slight disgust before perking up once more. She nudged his side with a giggle.
"Right, Shino?"
Something flashed in the Kamizuru's eyes.
Red hot fury filled her core. She didn't like the fake persona Kaede was putting on. Of course, the Kamizuru woman had her moments. Her entire arrival in Konoha was based on a fake persona she put together within the span of a few seconds. But she had seen and interacted enough with her sister back home—who had her familial love most certainly, but was frankly a bit of a gold digger—to know that Kaede was only interested in Shino because of his status. She could see it in the way she jostled him and held him close.
And for her own petty reasons, what infuriated Mitsubachi the most... what truly made Kaede worthy of her ire was the way she affectionately nudged his side.
Kaede was actually in an acceptable position to be with the wonderful Academy Instructor and the blonde was wasting that opportunity by treating him poorly.
"Well, if I did have a boyfriend," she began, voice raising. "I know I certainly wouldn't be dragging him around, tipsy on a Monday evening, and obviously making him uncomfortable. Can't you take a hint? Shino wants to leave!"
Green eyes narrowed on the honey vendor. "Excuse me? Just who do you think you are?"
The Kamizuru puffed out her chest, leaning over the counter. "The owner of this store, and I would very much appreciate it, if you took your leave."
"Store? What happened to the customer is always right?" Kaede huffed.
"But you're not a customer, are you? Did you even pay for your own alcohol?" Mitsubachi said, crossing her arms. She waved a finger between the two of them. "We can settle this little dispute right now, if you don't feel up to leaving."
With a huff, the honey vendor raised her sleeves to her elbows and began to unwrap her work apron. Kaede gave her a sneer before her lips shifted back into their fake smile. She backed off.
"No, not tonight," Kaede replied with raised arms in surrender. She turned her attention back towards Shino, who still looked a bit confused as to what was going on. "It's unladylike to fight so brutishly, after all. I suppose this is where we depart then, Shino! I really did have a lot of fun on this date of ours," she said with a light purr. "Thank you again for treating me."
Unexpectedly, she placed a kiss on his cheek, making the Aburame flinch and slipped a piece of paper in his hand.
"Call me, ok?" Kaede said sweetly, before beginning to sashay back towards the main village.
She was gone before Shino could finally muster up the words to say.
As soon as the woman was out of sight and out of earshot, Tamaki turned towards Mitsubachi, who seemed to be using her pent up anger to scrub down the counters.
Tamaki put her hands on her hips. "What was that? The nerve of that little—"
"'You look a little too young to be managing a place like this' and you look a little too old to be drinking so much on a Monday night," Mitsubachi grumbled to herself, putting on a nasally voice to mock the other woman. "'It's unladylike to fight so brutishly,' the nerve! You know what? I should have just punched her, that's what I should have done."
A slew of curses and the loud sound of glass clinking together filled the quiet summer evening. The honey vendor huffed and puffed, murmuring incoherent insults as she quickly cleaned up her store.
Kiba inched towards Shino, somewhat glad he wasn't the target for Mitsubachi's wrath. Those counters did not look happy.
"So, uh… you gonna call her, pal?"
The Aburame looked towards the honey vendor, who looked as though steam would start coming out of her ears at any second. Guilt started welling up inside of him again.
"Mitsubachi, I don't intend on seeing Kaede-san again."
"You are free to do whatever you like, Shino," she said with a tired sigh, continuing to release her anger on the poor countertop. "And date whomever you like."
The Kamizuru vendor cast him a hardened glance, softening ever-so-slightly, before pointing to a spot on her cheek. "You have lipstick on your face by the way," she mumbled.
The Aburame quickly wiped it away, his eyes still focused on the honey vendor, who was just about done closing up from the looks of it. Tamaki, Kiba, and Shino waited until the woman re-emerged from the backroom and locked it before shutting off the lights.
"You want us to walk you home?" Tamaki asked.
"No, no," Mitsubachi said with another sigh, sounding less angry than she was before. She ran her fingers through her hair. "I should be ok, but thank you."
Tamaki roved her eyes over their two male counterparts.
"Ok, let me rephrase that: Do you want me to walk you home?"
Steel-gray eyes looked the brunette woman up and down before she gave her a small, defeated nod.
"…Yes, please."
Tamaki placed comforting hands onto her friends' shoulders, ushering the two of them towards the other direction. The look she gave her male companions indicated that she didn't want them following. Once the two women were out of sight, Kiba placed a hand on his taller friend's shoulder.
"You sure are popular with the ladies, huh?"
Shino's only response was a very long sigh.
"Hey, you doing ok over there?"
"Mm," Mitsubachi said with a shrug as the two walked along the path. "Ok, I guess. I'm sorry, I don't know why I was so angry."
"Don't know?" Tamaki said with a catlike grin. "I would've one hundred percent pegged that little display as an act of jealousy. I mean, you almost challenged her to a fistfight!"
The cat Kunoichi began to erupt into laughter, prompting the pouting woman next to her to eventually join in.
"What?" Mitsubachi said in between laughter. "You know, it's customary in my clan to fight it out if there's a dispute. She was just a coward."
"Oh, she was more than just a coward! How about total bi—"
Mitsubachi pushed her friend, her laughter erupting into full-blown snorts. The two women loosely hugged as Tamaki gave the shorter woman an apologetic bow.
"Oh, I'm so sorry for accusing you earlier, Mitsubachi," she said. "I was probably worse than Kaede."
"Far from it, I promise," Mitsubachi immediately replied, lips shaped in an understanding smile. "You and Kiba are very protective of Shino, and I really appreciate your dedication to your friend."
"How about I make it up to you sometime?" The cat Kunoichi gave her a wink. "When's your birthday?"
"Not for a while," Mitsubachi answered with a friendly eye roll. "It passed in the spring."
"Ooh, ooh! Hang on," Tamaki replied, tilting her head in thought. "So you're a spring baby. Hm… Taurus?"
"Nope. Two more tries."
"Gemini?"
"Aries."
"Ah, that was my next guess!"
Mitsubachi stuck out her tongue. "That was your only guess left. I was born the day after the Spring Equinox."
"21st?"
"You got it," the honey vendor said with a grin. "Wait, wait! Let me try to guess yours! Mmmm… are you an Earth sign?"
"Nope. Somewhat close, though," Tamaki said with a slight hum. "Want another hint?"
Mitsubachi glared at the woman. "No hints, you. I can do this! Water?"
"Ding, ding, ding."
The Kamizuru's mouth contorted into a thoughtful frown. She stared at the woman up and down. After a few more moments, she gave her best guess. "Hm...Scorpio?"
Tamaki shook her friend's shoulder. "Ah, you got it! I'm a Scorpio. November 10th."
"I love Scorpios," Mitsubachi said excitedly. "One of my sisters back home is a Scorpio and she's such a spitfire. I used to get jealous of her because she always dressed so well. What's Kiba?"
"Oh, my aggressive little Chihuahua's a Cancer," Tamaki said with a giggle.
"Really? Aw, that's so cute!" Mitsubachi said with a tiny squeal. "Your signs are even compatible! What's, um… what's Shino? If you know, I mean."
Tamaki narrowed her eyes in a catty smile as she watched her friend's face gradually turn red despite her outward nonchalance. The two eventually came to a halt as they reached Mitsubachi's apartment complex.
Leaning in close, Tamaki gave her friend a serious look.
"Y'know, Mitsubachi... Girl to girl? I believe that love is always worth the risk. In the end it all depends on what you and Shino want to do, but if you take that plunge and put your heart out there, our Aburame Prince would accept you with open arms, no doubt."
Mitsubachi stood quiet, blinking her eyes in thought. She looked back to her unexpected friend, her heart swelling with a storm of emotions.
Her mind flashed back to the kiss Kaede placed on Shino's cheek and a strange mix of jealousy and deep longing coursed through her.
That woman was luckier than she realized. All she could do was give a quiet nod to the cat Kunoichi.
"And Shino's an Aquarius by the way," Tamaki added. Starting her journey back to Kiba and Shino, her last words rang clear as day through the quiet summer night.
"If I remember correctly, Aries and Aquarius are pretty compatible too."
"Whaddaya think they're talking about?"
Kiba leisurely leaned against the wooden post on Shino's front porch, arms crossed. He blew at a tiny gnat that was a little too close to his mouth for comfort.
Shino, who was sitting in defeat on the step of his porch, let out his fifth (sixth?) long sigh of the evening.
"I don't know."
"Hey, you still got a little bit of lipstick on your cheek," Kiba pointed out jokingly.
The Aburame sent a brief glare his old friend's way. He knew the lipstick was gone, but he rubbed a sleeve on the assaulted skin just to be sure.
"I think that was the first kiss I've ever received from a woman that wasn't a relative," Shino said plainly.
Kiba's grin slightly faltered. "Hey, I'm sorry about trying to set you up with Kaede tonight, pal."
"It's fine, Kiba," Shino answered. "At the very least, it's somewhat nice to know that if Kaede-san had come to Ichiraku's that one night, I most likely would not have enjoyed having her as a romantic partner then."
The blonde was youthful and energetic, and not to mention quite attractive objectively. Shino simply felt as though there was a lack of understanding on both ends, and Kaede was—for lack of a better word—frankly a bit self-centered. He had paid for the entirety of their meal and the drinks she ordered and hadn't received a simple thank you in return.
"You still have her number?"
"Why? Do you want it?"
"I think I'm good on that end, buddy," Kiba said with a snicker. "You gonna call her, or are you gonna get your head outta your ass and make a move with our little Kamizuru heiress?"
"I can't," Shino replied with a drop in his voice. "The reason is—"
"—Conflicting clans, yada, yada, yada. I got the gist on that part. Look, Shino. I get that your clan and the approval of your clan elders means a lot to you, but what about you? How do you feel? You really wanna throw away this opportunity?"
Shino shifted his attention to the Inuzuka, considering him for a long moment.
"I think... that of all the people in the world," Kiba continued. "Mitsum—Mitsubachi's the only one that can fully understand the boat that you're in with this clan stuff. And you like her well enough, right?"
After a long moment, Shino spoke up. "... I do. I like her quite a bit."
"In my humble opinion," Kiba said plainly. "You should just go for it. I mean, sure you'd have to keep everything on the downlow until your clans work things out, but you've always managed to pull through on things before, Shino. Wouldn't you wanna at least try before she has to go?"
The Aburame stayed silent, pondering his friend's message. It almost slipped his mind that Mitsubachi didn't really have much time in Konoha before having to go back to Iwagakure. He felt his chest heavy at the thought of never being able to see or talk to the woman whom he considered to be a rather nice friend at this point.
The fact that she would likely begin to look for someone to marry upon her return home didn't help ease the tension in his heart much, either.
Before the atmosphere could fade into a silence, the sound of Tamaki's approaching voice disrupted the quiet.
"I figured you two would be here," she said, reaching to lock hands with her boyfriend. She took a glance at the gloomy-looking Aburame sitting on the porch step. "You doing ok over there, Shino?"
"... Fine," he answered with a slight nod. "Thank you for asking, Tamaki."
"So?" Kiba prodded, swinging their interlocked hands together. "What'd you two talk about?"
"Just had a little girl talk," Tamaki answered, bringing a finger to her lips as though she were keeping a secret. "What about you two?"
"Guy talk."
"Oh really? So. Are you going to call Kaede, Shino?"
"No," the Aburame replied, relatively quickly. After tonight, there were many things he was uncertain of considering the circumstances, but never calling the pretty blonde was something he was 100% sure of.
"Good," Tamaki said with an approving nod of her head. "In any case, we should probably let you rest, Shino. It is a school night after all."
Kiba agreed with a large yawn, stretching his arms to the sky before placing one over the shoulders of his girlfriend. "Yeah, and I got work early tomorrow too. I think that's when that Market Square loon is getting dropped back off to Iwa. Good riddance, if you ask me."
"Goya?" Shino asked.
"Yup," Kiba answered. "The guy's been kicking and screaming every hour of every day when he's awake. We have to use heavy meds to make him drowsy so we can feed him and give him water."
Shino cupped his chin in thought. "So he still wants 'gold' then I'm guessing?"
The Inuzuka nodded with a sigh. "At this point, we could give the guy a solid gold statue of Buddha and he still wouldn't be happy. Hopefully Iwa gets some answers on what's wrong with the guy, but in the meantime, me and Tamaki should get going. Long day tomorrow for everyone."
"G'night, Shino," Tamaki said pleasantly as the two began to walk away from Shino's porch.
"Goodnight," he answered with a small wave.
Suddenly, Tamaki halted their walking and did a half turn to face the Academy Instructor. "Hang on, you're an Aquarius, right?"
Shino raised an eyebrow at the random question but eventually gave a small nod.
"Yes…?"
Tamaki answered with a satisfied smile, a touch on the enigmatic side.
"Ok. Just making sure."
AN's: Was this chapter partly a means to satiate my old fixation in astrology? Yes. Yes, it was. And before anyone reading this who has an active interest in zodiacs decides to come for my neck about Mitsubachi's sign, just know that I headcannon her with a lot of water placements in her chart. I just love Spring birthdays, and Ariens have my heart. If anyone was curious (no one LMFAO), I once saw a tumblr post that made a probable big three for Shino saying he was an Aquarius Sun (that's canon), Cancer Moon, and Virgo rising, and I couldn't agree more. People wanna come here saying he has a Capricorn moon or something when we all know that man in secretly sensitive and moody. And that showed a lot in Naruto Shippuden and especially in Boruto.