Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, and/or adding this story to your favorites list. A quick update is my gift from me to you!
Chapter Six
Hinata spent her weekend at home, only going out to Shibuya on Saturday evening because Hanabi had begged her and Neji to go out. Looking at her pleading face, how could they say no?
Stepping out of the station, their eyes were immediately blinded by the neon lights. Shibuya was crowded and lively as ever, and the district never failed to amaze Hinata. She felt happy on the inside to see people gather here and there, and hear loud music playing in the air. She stood, looking at the crowd of people, beside Hanabi, who was begging Neji to treat them sushi only to be rejected, but that didn't stop her.
Hinata turned to look at her sister pestering Neji, and she silently giggled to herself. She liked how Hanabi acted whenever they're out of the house. She wished Hanabi were as lively, instead of being silent and looking unapproachable.
"Hinata, can you please help me?" Neji turned to her, seeming a little embarrassed for asking her for help.
Her lips lifted into a wide smile and said cheerfully, "Hanabi, Neji-nii-san will treat us sushi."
She knew Neji would never be able to say no to her.
Hanabi cheered and happily jumped around while Neji groaned silently to himself. Hinata could only chuckle.
"Let's go then!" Hanabi said excitedly.
She grabbed her sister's hand and led them to her favorite sushi restaurant in Shibuya. Hinata was surprised when she did that. They never held hands before until that evening. A small smile crept to her face. Hanabi's hand was small and sweaty in hers.
Monday morning, Hinata woke up feeling rather dizzy and nauseous. She ignored how ill she felt and got ready for school.
She had a weird dream that night.
She found herself in a dark tunnel all by herself only with a lit match in her hand. The tunnel was cold, long, and silent. It was so silent that if you listened closely, you could hear faint voices from a different world, carefully whispering secrets in your ears as if they're afraid to get caught. That terrified her, but she told herself to calm down.
She was afraid to walk down the tunnel, but she was also afraid to stay still. She didn't know what was in that tunnel with her, because it was so dark and the small flame wasn't doing her any favor. So she decided to stay there until her only light died and the alarm clock woke her up from her dream.
Neji noticed how dazed and pale Hinata looked since they had breakfast that morning. It was normal for her not to talk much, but this time her silence seemed odd and unusual.
"Are you all right, Hinata?" he asked her during their walk to school. "You're very quiet."
His voice seemed to bring her back to reality. She looked at him with wide eyes and said, "Yes. I feel a bit dizzy, that's all."
"You should've stayed at home and rest, Hinata." He frowned.
"It's only a little headache, nii-san," she insisted kindly. "I'm sure it will be gone in a while."
"If it does get worse, go to the infirmary, okay?"
"Yes, nii-san." She said softly.
Hinata was relieved when her head stopped aching before the school bell rang for lunch break. She tried her best to focus in class despite how hurting her head felt, and, thank goodness, it finally stopped.
When the bell rang, she closed her books and grabbed her bento and thermos from her bag. She followed the others out of the classroom, and silently walked to the school's garden, trying to avoid eye contact with other students.
She sat down on a bench underneath a tree and breathed in the fresh spring air deep into her lungs before eating her lunch. Going out of the classroom wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.
She was enjoying her food when two of her classmates came to her.
"It's quite rare to see you outside the classroom during lunch break, Hinata."
She thought she was dying of a heart attack. She carefully lifted her eyes to see Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino standing before her with wide friendly smiles on their faces. Their skirts were slightly high above the knees. She was surprised that Haruno Sakura had called her by her name and how familiar she felt when she did that. She felt her cheeks redden.
"Ah, yes! I feel like going out and have lunch here today." She replied shyly.
She was surprised and proud of herself for being able to say more than one word to someone without stuttering aside from her family members and Gaara.
"You should do it more often, Hinata! The weather's so nice since it's spring!" said Yamanaka Ino, and Sakura agreed.
Hinata was confused why they were calling her by her given name, but she felt happy anyway.
"I'll think about it," she smiled sweetly.
"You can hang with us, too, you know," Sakura reminded her with a grin.
"Yeah, don't be afraid to approach us. We don't bite!" Ino chimed in.
"I'll keep that in mind." She felt her blush deepen. "Thank you, Haruno-san, Yamanaka-san." She slightly bowed.
"We'll see you again in class! Have a nice lunch, Hinata!" They waved her goodbye as they walked out of her sight.
Sakura and Ino were very pretty. Hinata could understand why they were popular in school. She especially admired them for dying their hair with bright colors, because she knew that she would never be brave enough to do it.
"You seem very happy."
A raspy voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to see Gaara standing in front of her.
"Eh? No, I don't!" she shyly denied, blushing.
"You're blushing and you're smiling while eating," he said. "May I sit next to you?"
She scooted a little to give space for him to sit.
"What happened?" he asked with full interest.
"Haruno-san and Yamanaka-san talked to me, Gaara-kun!" she said happily. "I realized just now that they're so pretty."
"It's because they wear make up and circle lenses," he said.
She looked away from him. "I don't care. They still look cute and pretty. Not to mention kind, too."
"Whatever you say then," he smiled, putting his hands in his pockets. "It's nice to see you outside the classroom."
She giggled heartily, raising her cup to her mouth. "I know."
She sipped her drink and then told him the same thing. He replied with a sigh, "I guess so."
"Why aren't you having lunch, Gaara-kun?" she asked after she had finished her lunch, realizing that her red-haired friend wasn't eating with her. "Not to mention I never see you have lunch."
"I don't feel like having lunch today or any other day," he said coldly.
"You'll get sick if you don't."
He didn't say anything.
"I'll make you a bento next time, Gaara-kun." She wasn't aware she spoke those words. When she did, she blushed and mentally hit herself on the head. "I mean, a-as a friend! I-it's a g-gift of friendship." She didn't know what she was blubbering about. Her blush deepened, and she wanted to run away.
"You don't have to."
She looked at her fingers and said silently, "Okay."
"How thoughtful of you. Thank you, anyway." He said awkwardly, looking at her.
She looked at him and saw his cheeks were slightly pink. Her eyes widened, and a small laugh escaped her lips.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his blushing fading.
"It's nothing," she smiled brightly; slightly disappointed that he wasn't blushing anymore. "You're welcome, Gaara-kun."
Neji walked down the hallway with his friend, Lee. They were on their way back to the classroom from the teacher's office. Lee kept on pestering him to go out and enjoy his youth with him. Neji swore to himself that his patience was being tested. He kept his face straight and repeatedly rejected his friend. He turned his face away towards the window to avoid his friend's youthful flare in his eyes. What he saw through the window shocked him that he stopped walking.
"Neji? What's wrong?" Lee asked, standing beside him.
He didn't give an answer and kept on looking through the window. His normally calm face immediately changed. Lee raised an eyebrow at his friend's sudden change of expression, and looked at the garden through the window.
"Hey, Neji, isn't that your cousin?" Lee asked again. Both of his thick dark eyebrows raised in disbelief when he saw her red-haired friend sitting next to her. "What is she doing with Sabaku Gaara?"
Neji's hands closed into fists, his muscles grew tense. He could feel his blood boiling in his veins.
Yes—what was she doing with Sabaku Gaara? Didn't he tell her to stay away from him?
"Never mind what she's doing," Neji said with a calm voice despite how angry he felt. "Let's go back to the classroom." He stormed away from the window, leaving his friend behind.
Author's Note: Gaara's blushing! Neji's mad! Lee's thick eyebrows! Reviews!