(A/N): visit mah devart account! (Link's on my profile)
Chapter 11: Neji's Badminton Practice
"Neji's your cousin right?"
"Y… Yeah…"
The question came out of nowhere. They were walking around the campus for five minutes now. It was a five minutes of full silence. People looked at them everywhere with the same expression on their faces. A mix of confusion and startles. It's hard putting up conversations with someone you hardly know. But why did he even bother? Not that it matter of course. He's now certain that he likes her. He broke the silence to lessen the uneasy feeling the moment they walked around the campus together. It was natural. Everyone feels uncomfortable whenever they're with someone they really like.
"It's probably their gym class right now. I think they're playing badminton at the court. Wanna go there and watch them?"
"Wha… What?" That was weird. She's not even a bit interested in watching her cousin play. But what would she lose? They've got nothing to do but wander around the campus field anyway so why not watch a little game of badminton instead?
"Sure then." She immediately added.
They set out to the gym and went upstairs towards the badminton court alongside the tennis court. Sasuke was right. The class of her cousin was there, playing badminton, and is still there. But another class was also there, and is still there. It was Sasuke's brother, Itachi. Itachi and his ECE classmates are playing tennis. She suddenly regretted going inside the gymnasium with him. Tenten, Lee, and Neji would see them together. And now, Pain and Itachi would also again see them together.
The two of them decided to sit at the 5th row. It has the perfect view of the two classes playing badminton and tennis on opposite courts. She spotted her three senior friends, while he spotted his brother alongside his friend Pain.
"Tsss…" Sasuke hissed. Hinata heard him hiss. She looked at the direction of the two college students, intrigued. She saw the two ECE students looking directly at their locations. Pain's got that "Sasuke's with that girl again" expression, while Itachi had the "What? My brother with a girl again? That's new…" expression.
They're probably talking about us… She thought. But it's true. Now she's seeing those seniors whispering to each other. Probably talking about the two of them too. It's really weird seeing the two of them together. Even she herself see it weird that they're together. Not that it mattered.
"HINATA!!!!"
"Tenten…" It was Tenten, waving at her and grinning widely. She waved back, the grin, obviously hiding a crazy thought inside.
"Oi Neji! There's Hinata… You wanted to talk to her right?" she heard her friend shouted.
"Oh, right…" The male Hyuuga immediately put down his racket and walked towards Tenten, calling Hinata, telling her to go down.
Hinata saw it and immediately rushed down. Sasuke asked her where she's going, but she told him she'll be right back.
"What would you tell me?" she asked as she slowly approached the two seniors.
"Hey Hinata!" Tenten waved at her for the second time around.
"I joined the badminton team…" Neji finally blurted out.
"Really? That's great!" Hinata was surprised, but she was happy for her cousin. She knew he was good at that sport all the while.
"Thanks. But anyway, that's not what I really want to tell you…"
"…"
"Your cousin wants to tell you that he has badminton practice today, and since he joined the club, it would be required. The practice would end at 8pm, so that would mean he couldn't walk you home today. But he doesn't want you to walk home all alone by yourself coz you're a girl, and that would make things even more dangerous. And well, what's Neji trying to say here really, is that he asked this one person this one certain favor which is to walk you home instead of him for the meantime. The reason why he asked this favor to be done by this certain person instead of other strangers, is because this certain person's home is just meters away from your home, so it wouldn't really be too much of a bother. Neji also knew this certain person for a long time now, in fact, they even walked home last year together every dismissal. That's why he chose this certain person—But! Well, the hardest part of what your cousin's trying to say here really is, is that this certain person we're talking about is… is… Deidara."
"…"
"…" Woah. That was fast. Neji thought, he looked at Hinata if she understood it, she looks confused, would that mean she didn't understand it?
Deidara… Deidara… The name rang a bell. Wait, where'd I hear that name? The junior managed to grasp a li'l bit of what Tenten said. She's confused, Neji couldn't go with her today coz he's got badminton practice; she understood that part. But what's this thing about Deidara? And anyway, who is Deidara?
"Ahem, sorry about that Hinata. Tenten's words came out so random. What I'm really trying to say here is that—"
"Wait! What're you saying? You understood it right? Right Hinata???"
"..Well, a little bit… I'm just confused… Who's Deidara?" she's too shy to admit it. Coz she thought that maybe she's already seen him somewhere but just forgot who he is and was too shy to tell her senior friends about it.
But with her answer, Both Neji and Tenten's jaws dropped.
What???! Haha. And there we were expecting a violent reaction from her. Turns out she forgot who Deidara was. Tenten thought, giggling silently, realizing how stupid they were.
So that's what it was. That's why they had a hard time telling Hinata who'll walk her home for the meantime. Deidara. They thought Hinata would get angry coz he's the one who spilled Sasuke's drink over her shirt a while ago at the cafeteria. But wait, she said she don't know who Deidara is. Now what if they tell her who he really is? Will she insist on going home by herself then? But hey, is she mad at him in the first place?
"Deidara's the one who—"
"Deidara's the one walking you home today instead of your cousin coz he's got practice alright?" Tenten cut off Neji's 'whoisdeidaraanyway' coming explanation. He knew she's up to something. She grinned at Neji, but he just hissed.
"S… Sure… But why him?" Hinata nodded, she asked, still confused, but she partly understood everything now.
"Well didn't you know? This cousin of yours and Deidara used to be good friends a year ago. Neji joined the photography club last year, you remember that right? Deidara's in the Arts club, and those two clubs were almost always together that's why the two of them knew each other so much and they even walk home together every dismissal. Coz it turned out that Deidara also lives at the same village where the two of you lives as of now."
Sigh, and she just had to spill it out…
"Oh, alright… But you haven't even answered my question yet. Who's Deidara?"
"…"
"Oh look! Sensei's calling us!!! We better get going Neji… See you later Hinata! Just wait for Deidara near the parking lot. He'll be there at five o'clock." Tenten didn't answer the question. She immediately dragged Neji back to the badminton court, walking away from the sight of the confused female Hyuuga.
"What did you talk about?" Sasuke asked, spotting Hinata slowly returning to her seat, noticing the deep-in-thought expression the conversation must have brought up.
"Oh, it's nothing… Neji nii-san told me he just entered the badminton club…"
"Wow. That's good news…"
"Yeah…" She replied, not including the other details they mainly talked about. Ten minutes passed. He wondered what she's probably thinking about. He turned to look at his watch, the longer hand pointed at twelve and the shorter hand at five. He noticed the college students and the fourth year students leaving the gymnasium. He's right. It's already dismissals.
"Hinata… It's already five o'clock…"
"Wha… What?"
"…" So he was right. She's thinking about something so deep inside her mind.
"I'm sorry, oh yeah, it's already five o'clock. Your brother left already, I think we should go back now."
"Umm, sure. But how bout you? You're going home with your cousin right?"
"…"
"He's still there, playing badminton… I think you should call him now."
"…A… Ano, it's okay, maybe he's just finishing his match. I'll just wait for him here. He still needs to fix his things anyway… I think you should go ahead though, your brother's probably waiting for you now." She lied. Not that it mattered. She just wanted to be alone for the meantime. Not because she' going to spend her time thinking who the hell Deidara is. It was pathetic, and again, those things didn't matter. She simply just wants herself to have her own quiet time.
"Okay… Then I'll leave now…"
"Umm… Bye…"
"Bye… See you… Tomorrow…" the words were forced out of his mouth. It was weird. But he surely wants to see her tomorrow, the following day, the next time. Stupid. Of course he'll see her all the time. They're classmates right?
"…" Hinata just smiled. He finally left, a smile secretly hidden inside.
(A/N): End of chapter. Reviews pweasseee XO
Next chapter: Chapter 12: The Hardest Apology