Previously on Chicharong Flower…

Tenten valiantly fought the call of the fafable (1) Neji, in the name of the descendants of all the feminists of the nation. But how long could she resist him? It's Omi's fave chapter playing now :D

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"What's taking her so long? Damn" Neji got up and paced the living room back and forth nervously.

He's worse than a Santa who missed ten Christmases, Tenten thought while watching the young man destroy the antique marble tiles of the floor by doing excessive unnecessary walk-a-thons.

"Neji, why won't you sit down and calm your nerves? Do you want to suffer from high blood? You're not exactly eating a proper balanced diet" she reminded him.

He frowned. "Your chicharon will kill me sooner or later." He looked at the clock.

"Where is that Friendster-girl? We told her to be here by seven! It's already 7:08 and she's not here yet! Look!"

"Fi-an-cee. Learn how to call your fiancée properly will you. If you slip when you face Uncle, you and your balls are dead." She rolled her eyes at that. "Also, love, do you think everyone's time is synchronized with the military's? Why can't you just be thankful that there's someone who answered my ad?"

"There's someone bound to answer that. You see, in the pocketbooks Hinata owns, there's always something good happening to the ladies who jump into these kind of agreements. In one I read, someone looking for a partner advertised using the front page of a broadsheet! It becomes disguised obituaries." Neji muttered, finally sitting. "Those kind of stories push girls to do that kind of insanely insensible stunts like answering your ad on the net…"

Tenten had to smile "Eh Neji, those are pocketbooks. You read pocketbooks to become smitten, not sensible." She grinned some more. "And why are you complaining, anyway? Didn't you get at least affected by what you've read?"

"I did but—". Neji stopped after realizing what he just unwittingly revealed.

Tenten burst in laughter.

"Damn, I was bored then! I just read those pocketbooks because I had nothing else to do!" yelled the Hyuuga, but the young lady only laughed some more. In the end, he chose to look away feigning exasperation even though what he really wanted to do right now is collect all those pocketbooks and throw them altogether into the Pacific Ocean.

Then suddenly a scene returned to his mind. He smiled then turned to the laughing lady. "I noticed… in those pocketbooks I've read, the guy always kisses the girl when she's angry. How come he never does that when the girl is laughing?"

Slowly Tenten stopped laughing. Heavy silence hung in the living room.

"Oh, what happened to you?" he asked, the mocking smile still poised in his lips.

"Y-You're seducing me," Tenten tried to inch backwards but his hands were quick to hold her back. She gulped inwardly "S-See? Neji! Does your clan know how you're being such a tease?"

"Hmm?" He was thoroughly enjoying this.

"N-Neji! Oi N-Neji… no… no" She watched his face draw closer and closer, sending her heart in a ferris wheel ride. "No… fair…" She closed her eyes in helplessness. What kind of black magic did this man have aside from being damn handsome and over flowingly blessed with virility?

She opened her eyes and nearly gasped. There was something in his eyes—that isn't the same familiar mocking gaze he usually have. There was uncertainty in those almost colorless orbs, and yes, even fascination.

He was fascinated with her. She nearly fainted.

"Um… I don't think I'm still needed here…"

The stranger's voice made them jump apart quickly. She turned her eyes to the door and saw Yamanaka Ino gazing at them with some amusement. At her back stood a yawning man, who seemed awfully familiar…

"Y-You! You're the one I asked where Hyuuga Neji was, right?" she suddenly shouted, pointing at the man.

Ino turned to her companion. "You know her, Shika?"

He shrugged. "In a manner of speaking, yes" He looked measuringly at the pallid-eyed man beside her, then shrugged. "You already found Hyuuga Neji yet you didn't bother coming back to give me my bilao (2) of chicharon"

Neji looked at her incredulously "You mean you had been killing other people aside from me with your chicharon?" He almost sounded hurt, almost. He was Hyuuga Neji after all. He had no ability to get offended at anything, save probably his kissing ability.

"Stupid!" Tenten rolled her eyes. "I don't have the pigs yet. What did you want me to make chicharon from, vegetables?"

Ino cleared her throat. "Um… Miss Tenten, I just want to know one thing, do you still need me here or not?

"No!" Neji.

"Yes!" Tenten.

The three looked at each other. Shikamaru was looking at his nails.

Neji cleared his throat. "I meant… you don't need to ask that. That's the reason for the ad right."

Ino blinked. "Sure?" She was quietly referring to the scene she arrived at.

Tenten was quick to explain. "A-Ah… about that… that was nothing! I-It's a hobby of ours to have a… staring contest! W-Whoever blinks first, um… will be pinched. Yeah! That's right, he would be pinched really HARD!"

The blonde slowly nodded, half amused. "O-Okay…"

"Let's go inside! I cooked a special meal just for you!" said the brown-haired girl, and started moving towards the dining room "Fried fish!!!"

"Unbelievable" Shikamaru muttered shaking his head.

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"Okay, from the top…" Tenten looked down at her notepad, and then back at the expectant Ino and silent Neji. Shikamaru was leaning against the sofa, feeling much at home. "Ino, where did you and Neji meet?"

"While going to church to attend Hinata's wedding," dutifully answered the blonde. "He nearly killed me…"

"What happened next?" asked the girl.

"He caught the bouquet…" at the back, Shikamaru shook his head.

Ino sighed. "Don't mind him. He was forced by Papa to accompany me."

Shika opened one eye. "He doesn't want you to lose your way— and end up in the Uchiha Sasuke highway, specifically."

"Uchiha Sasuke?" The chicharon vendor's eyes widened. "Wooow, cooool! He was the winner of Mr. Konoha Universe, right?"

Ino grinned. "YEAH!!! The one and only! He's soooo handsome, ne?"

The males in the room groaned at the same time.

"He is good looking…" Tenten shrugged. "The type that gay men go after…"

Neji coughed. "What happened after catching the bouquet?" His face dark, a sign of displeasure from the sudden shift of topic.

Ino had no more chance to give a retort to Tenten's statement. "Well, I was the one who fit the garter in since nobody else wanted to volunteer."

Tenten played with her pen, trying to ignore her pounding heartbeat. She didn't understand why Neji chose this situation for their act. According to him, it is easier to recall events which did happen than those made-up.

But of all possible situations, why did it have to be theirs?

"Then you drove me home. But my house was burning when we got there. I was homeless so you offered me to stay at your place."

As the scene unfolded, Tenten's heart seemed to be pounding louder and louder. She was still confused as to what the young man was thinking to concoct a situation such as this, but at the same time, she was annoyed at the traitorous reaction she's feeling.

Why did he use our story?

"…That's why until I find a new home, you'd let me stay here!" Ino ended cheerfully. "Did I get it right, Tenten?" Her forehead creased when she saw the kunoichi's faraway gaze. "Tenten?"

That seemed to bring her back. She forced a smile across her face even though it looks like an Akamaru-grin. "Y-Yes." She stood up then turned around, stretching. "W-Wait… I'll just be in front of the TV, ok…"

"Twin Sisters already ended, right?" Neji asked.

"Y-Yes… b-but I have a new show to catch… Snow Angel." She didn't dare turn their way, especially Neji. She was just too afraid to give him even a glimpse of how much it affected her that he didn't think she was good enough to play the role of his fiancée… even though it was all an act. "C-Ciao…"

She heard Neji call her name, but didn't bother replying. Her eyes… they were already damp.

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An hour and a half passed, when the lock from Tenten's door suddenly opened. Since her attention was pinned to what she was watching, she only muttered a simple "Come in". Maybe it was just Hinata bringing her some snacks. Uzumaki Naruto's wife was very thoughtful.

But it was the cousin of the wife of Uzumaki Naruto who sat beside her, silent.

She tried to ignore him—the fight between the swordsman and the Doppelganger (3) was starting to get interesting—but it looks like she'll be having a hard time to. His silence was pressuring her to speak up.

And speak up she did. "That's Roan. He kicks ass! He killed the Clock Tower Manager."

"Nice," he said. "What's his jutsu called?"

"Nothing special. He has Magnum Break, but I haven't seen him do Bash or Provoke yet."

"Ah." As if the young man had an idea what Bash and Provoke were. Silence resumed.

Commercial break came, and it was that time again when she could catch her beloved Kogure. (4) Because the remote was located at the other side of Neji, she had no choice but to face him. "Could you pass me the remote?"

He shrugged, and then handed the device to her. She took it, but as she was about to withdraw her hand, his finger pressed on the power button. The screen went black. With that, he threw the remote towards the door.

"N-Neji, don't you have good manners and right conduct?" She looked at the distance between her bed and the control. Too far. She's too lazy to get up.

But instead of staying in a position where she could be vulnerable to the young man, she chose to stand up. She was about to get up when he spoke up.

"Tenten stay still"

She didn't know why, but the soft words commanded her whole body to submit to him.

"Ino and I have been practicing for more than an hour," he began.

"H-How's the training?" She looked at the clock. The commercial break's probably over. Takius and company might already have been run over by the Nightmare horse.

"I couldn't concentrate."

"Eh?" she asked, eyes on the screen. She wished the TV would automatically open and change its channel back to the program she's watching. Only thing is, she was afraid water from a well would come out instead. She shook her head, shrugging off goose bumps.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Neji yelled suddenly.

"H-Huh?" She looked up, her mind filled with "Seven days…" She now regretted acting courageously and watched that film alone.

"I said, I… forget it." He stood, looking annoyed at the lack of attention she was giving him. He reached for the TV and pressed it on. The heroes were already out of Geffen Tower.

Neji was about to head for the door when she got up and turned the TV off. Anyway, the show was already over. "Neji, please, I'll listen. What's the matter?" she asked, following him towards the hallway.

"Nothing, it's nothing"

"Neji…"

"Leave me already."

"You're so sensitive."

"I said, leave me alone!!!" he barked.

She blinked and then turned away shrugging.

He came back to his senses. "Tenten…"

She turned to him warily. "Yes?"

"I couldn't perform our rehearsals properly. Something is holding me back," he confessed at last.

She frowned. "You're gay?"

He groaned. "No, of course not"

"Just making sure." If so, she, and that security guard from their subdivision, would be devastated.

"I can't stop thinking about you."

The words made her whole world stop its revolution. She slowly turned back to him, heart pounding again.

Her gaze was met by his own sincere and frustrated one.

"I-If you're thinking I bewitched you, that's not it…"

"I have a solution," he said quickly. "Maybe this will end it."

"Let's hear it" She hugged herself. Unlike her earlier fear for Sadako, now she was feeling anticipation and excitement.

"I want to kiss you… again." His voice was firm and steady, but there was a surge of urgency in it too. "Maybe… when my curiosity is satisfied, I'd return to normal."

Her sense of reality slowly returned. "W-What? Do you think I'm some kind of disease? A temporary obstacle to the normal functioning of your system?"

"I didn't say anything like that."

"It's the same thing!" she snapped, eyes crinkling in anger. "I'm a menace to your life, is that it?"

Frustration is now clearly painted on his face. "Stop putting words into my mouth!"

"Because you can't be man enough to tell me the truth!" She whirled around, but he, as usual, had anticipated her move. His hand roughly grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him.

"Ok, you want to hear the truth?" His eyes also crinkling. "I'm irritated at myself for ever kissing you. From then on, I couldn't seem to forget about it!"

"Why? Was it because I said you kiss like a jellyfish and got your ego bruised?" she hissed. "You're really bad at accepting the truth."

You're lying," he said through gritted teeth. "I can see it in your eyes every time. You want my kiss. You ache for it, damn it!"

Her chest wanted to explode from being too upset. Was she really like that? Did she really want him too?

"Tenten…" She nearly jumped when she felt the gentleness that replaced his voice, and the feathery touch of his fingertips on her cheeks. His husky voice was murmuring softly. "Sorry…so sorry…I didn't…I didn't mean to…"

"H-Huh?" She was taken by the words of her companion that she forgot the situation they're in.

"I didn't mean to make you cry." His eyes were troubled, that was for sure. How many times has she seen emotions change from his eyes? Laughter and annoyance were the only ones she always see. Apparently, she was wrong, He could look so soulful when he was looking like this.

"T-Tears?" She absent-mindedly touched her cheeks and yes, indeed she was crying. "H-Ha… ahahaha… w-why am I crying? It's just dirt caught on my eye… why would I cry because of you? You're my beloved." The last phrase she meant as a light-hearted statement broke into rough sobs. The next thing she felt was, his arms wrapping around her, rocking her gently as she wailed loudly the streams of incoherent words of her stupid, stupid heart. Mostly his name, and profanities in between.

And he only hugged her more, whispering apologies. There and then she knew he was lovable…very, very lovable. He was, in fact, capable of making her fall in love with a mere snap of his finger.

Which he already did.

And God she was so stupid. She was no different from the heroines of pocketbooks and soap operas she used to laugh at before. She was downright pathetic.

And she wasn't sure if she would still have the guts to look at him in the eye ever again.

"Tenten?" She nearly punched him for breaking the silence, but really couldn't do anything. She wiped her eyes and forced a cheerful smile.

"I-I'll go in now. I'll be watching the news…maybe my favorite reporter hunk will be there."

"Wait…"

"Tell Hinata to cook tonight ok? I'll be busy watching until the late-night documentaries." With that, she left without turning back.

Never look back. She didn't want to get hit on the head again.

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to be continued…

SIDE NOTES

1) Fafable – in Pinoy gay lingo, "boyfriend material"; corrupted word for "papa".

2) bilao - a round container usually used for tossing uncooked rice to remove the little stones.

3) Referral to Ragnarok: The Animation Show

4) Kogure – the eyeglass boy from the anime, Slam Dunk.

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Next Episode…

"So… is this your beautiful wife?" Hiashi's eyes turned to Tenten, who was hiding behind a potted plant. She blinked and immediately stood up blushing.

"She's not my wife," corrected Neji. "but she can be very beautiful, Uncle."

She wasn't sure whether it was another of Neji's tricks, but her traitorous heart couldn't help but get affected by his comment.

"So if she's not your wife, then she's your husband?"

"No, Uncle." He gestured to Ino.

"So she is your husband?" he asked, pointing at Ino, prompting Shika to snicker. After shooting a death glare at her trusty assistant, Ino quickly began to use her charms.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino, you're nephew's fiancée."