Welcome back everyone!
I don't have much to say today other than I hope you're ready for more Naruto x Miku moments because there are plenty for you to read in this chapter. There are a few more things for me to add but I'll do so right at the end so as to avoid rambling on and on as I usually do.
By the way, I've included a minor reference to a character that's from a certain videogame's universe I'm sure most if not all of you know about. It's actually a series I started playing during last summer holidays and that I'm planning to use to make a crossover in the future. Let's see if you can spot it.
~ Chapter 4 : Harajuku Date ~
"Oh, my! Yes, these are lovely. They will do just fine."
"Glad to hear that! Would you like me to make you a bouquet with them? I'll give you a discount, baachan!"
"Why, thank you, young man. You're very kind."
As the elderly lady gave Naruto an appreciative smile, the aforementioned nodded energetically and got to work on the bouquet. He pulled the daisies aside, grabbed a pair of shears, and proceeded to remove all leaves from each flower's stem. When he was done, he tied all the daisies together by using floral tape, before finally embellishing it with pink wrap.
"Aaaand done!", the Uzumaki announced happily after making sure his bouquet was all done, handing it over to his customer. "Hope you like it, baachan!"
"Ara, ara! These flowers sure do bring a smile to my face. My husband used to bring me fresh daisies every day after work. He was such a gentleman, always thinking of me", a look of nostalgy crossed over the woman's wrinkled face as she reminisced about the past, a past which now seemed long gone. "Do you have anyone special in your life?"
"Eh?", Naruto couldn't help but blush slightly at the sudden and unexpected question. His hand proceeded to scratch his cheek as he diverted his eyes, unsure of how to respond. His thoughts quickly shifted to a certain bubbly gal, and his blush darkened a bit. "A-Ah, I think there might be someone", he admitted embarrassedly, his lips curling upwards into a small smile.
The last act was mirrored by his customer, albeit in a kind manner. "How is she?"
For some reason, the Uzumaki felt compelled to answer her question, and he didn't hesitate to do so. "She's beautiful, funny and kind. Oh, and we get along really well too! It's like, time flies when I'm with her", the more he spoke of Miku, the bigger his smile grew. He didn't even realize he was grinning by the end of his sentence.
The older woman chuckled at his response. "Sounds to me she's already a very special person in your life", her words had Naruto nervously rubbing the back of his head, not really agreeing or disagreeing with his customer. "Ah, young love, such a wonderful thing", embarrassment hit the young man once again at that, but he made no attempt to deny it as she handed him some yen. "Anyway, if you want the advice of an old woman, to conquer the heart of a lady you must give her flowers. You can never go wrong with them", the elderly lady then thanked Naruto one last time and wished him luck, before turning around and leaving the flower shop, disappearing in the crowd walking around the streets of Tokyo.
Naruto barely registered the fact said woman was gone, his mind processing the advice he'd just received. 'Flowers, huh?', he mused, idly putting the money inside the cash register by the counter. 'I never really thought about it before, but girls like stuff like that, right? Maybe...', his azure eyes wandered over to the many roses that were on display in a nearby basket. He absently wondered whether Miku would be happy if he gave her roses, or any other type of flowers for that matter.
So caught up in his thoughts was he, that he never noticed the rather imposing man who'd quietly made his way to him from the back of the store.
"You're getting better at this, lad."
"Gah!", Naruto screamed, turning around in a blur. "Jeez, you scared me there, boss!"
His boss was a man in his mid-forties, with short sickled black hair, a thick mustache spreading all across his upper lip and a pair of aviator glasses which hid his eyes from view. What impressed Naruto the most was how imposing said man really was, as his boss was not only taller than him, but was overall bigger and had a very oppressive aura around him. The very first time the Uzumaki had met him for an interview, he'd actually been slightly intimidated by his appearance and the way he always stared at him as if looking straight into his very soul.
At first sight, his boss looked like a Yakuza leader of some sort especially given how quiet he tended to be, but he was actually a very kind and down to Earth man who had employed Naruto part-time even after hearing of his horrible reputation and poor grades at school - all he'd told Naruto was that he saw good in him, and that he was willing to give him a job provided he worked hard while also always being on time after classes.
All in all, it was a good deal. The pay was more than decent, and the working hours quite flexible. Naruto could work on Saturdays if he wanted to earn some extra cash, which he usually did, as he'd much rather spend his time at the shop than be alone at home.
"...", the impossing man did nothing but stare at Naruto with an unreadable expression for a while, before roughly patting his shoulder in what the Uzumaki felt was a weird display of pride. "Costumers have been telling me how good of an employee you are, lad. Especially that single mother, she's taken a liking to ya."
Naruto sweatdropped at that, laughing awkwardly. "Y-Yeah, Kana-san always makes sure I don't forget that", as his mind gave him images of said woman, the blond couldn't help but feel a shiver running down his spine. After having worked at the flower shop for little more than a month, Naruto had to admit the job was cool and easy for the most part, but it also had its disadvantages, like dealing with some weird people. Kana was one of them, a rather young woman in her early thirties who for some reason liked to talk Naruto's ears off whenever she visited the place. Which was quite often.
Now, part of his job meant interacting with and being nice to customers, but he could only hold a grin for so long before it got tiresome.
"Anyway", Naruto shook his head to get rid of all those thoughts of weird customers and glanced his boss' way, only to see him taking off his work apron and hanging it by the wall. "Are you going home now, boss?"
"..."
The older man did not respond right away, busying himself with some late reports he decided to write down in the account book before leaving. Naruto waited patiently until he was done, straightening up as he noticed some people outside checking the flowers on display. They left a few moments later, giving the young man a chance to focus back on his employer.
"Yes, it's time", he finally answered after briefly checking the watch around his left wrist. "Here", he gave the boy the keys to the shop, "finish up and close the store by 8. I'll see you next week."
"You got it, boss! Have a nice weekend."
Nodding in an expressionless way at the teenager behind the counter, the impossing man grabbed his coat and slowly but surely started making his way out the store. But just as he was about to head out, he abruptly turned Naruto's way, startling him. "Lad."
"Y-Yes, boss?"
"...D'ya like golf?"
"Golf?", Naruto repeated aloud, tilting his head to the side. "I don't know, I never really played it to be honest."
For a moment, and as soon as he heard those words, the Uzumaki could swear he saw a ghost of a smile making its way to his boss' lips, but it was gone as soon as it arrived. "You should come play with me sometime", was all the man said before he left the establishment, leaving a speechless Naruto behind.
Okazaki Takahiro was peacefully tending to the many flowers in his garden when his wife broke his concentration by stepping outside and loudly calling his name. "Takahiro-kun, daaaarling~ Oh, there you are!", he didn't need to turn around to know she needed something of him, and instead kept his focus on the slow task of watering his dandelions. The poor buds looked thirsty, he thought to himself. "Miku-chan and her friends are upstairs. Why you don't bring them some snacks? Thank you, honey~"
Takahiro heard his wife getting back inside and stood up, though not before finishing with the task at hand. He went into his house, grabbed a tray filled with different types of snacks and non-alcoholic drinks his wife had left for him on the table, and made his way upstairs. The tray remained still even as he quickly marched up the steps, and he didn't waste a single moment heading towards his only daughter's room.
As soon as he reached the door to her bedroom, his ears picked up multiple voices coming from inside, which had Takahiro pause for a moment.
"Aww, com'on Miku-chan, don't be like that", he heard one of Miku's friends, Makoto if he wasn't mistaken, say. "We were just teasing him a bit, y'know, to see how he'd react and all."
"And he passed our test with flyin' colors!", another of her friends, Hana, added, her tone a bit more energetic. "Didn't ya see the way he'd look at you? Like, all the time, even when we put our charm to work!"
"W-Whatever", Takahiro's daughter responded, and despite his face remained unchanged, inwardly he was a tad bit surprised at noticing the nervousness in her voice. "It was still a bit too much, okay? I know you and Mako-chan are trying to help me and all, but I can take care of it myself."
"'Kay, soz Miku-chan. From now on, we promise to keep on the sidelines rooting for ya."
"Just let us know if you need anythin' Miku-chan! You know we, your bestest friends in the whole world, are here for ya."
A weird mix of emotions went over Miku's father as his mind processed everything he'd heard his daughter and her friends say. He shook his head fervently as the rather unpleasant idea of his daughter falling for some lad materialized itself in his head, and ultimately opted to believe he'd merely misunderstood the whole thing. After all, he'd just been standing there for a couple of moments; whatever was it they were talking about probably didn't have to do with boys of all things, but rather with something more fitting of such a good, responsible girl like his own daughter.
Maybe she was just struggling with her exams or assignments. Wouldn't be the first time, after all.
Noticing the sudden lack of noise on the other side of the door, Takahiro took that as his cue to make his presence known. He held the tray effortlessly on one hand and used the other to knock on the wood.
"Ah, come on in!"
The Okazaki patriarch pushed the door open with the help of his free hand, and was soon greeted with the image of Miku and her friend Hana, sitting around in the floor and doing each other's fingernails. Makoto, on the other hand, was idly browsing through a fashion magazine he'd seen his wife buy for his daughter a couple days before.
"Good eve', Okazaki-san!", Makoto casually greeted the older man with a wave of her hand, flashing a girly smile his way.
"Whoa, I always forget how scary your dad actually is, Miku-chan! Is he like, a Yakuza or something?"
Rolling her eyes at her friend's antics, Miku giggled good-heartedly. "How many times do I have to tell ya, Hana, he's a florist!", she said, feigning annoyance, before turning to her father. "Hey papa. How was your day?", the beautiful blonde stood up and gave her father a quick hug, but the stern expression on the older man's face did not change in the slightest.
"Good", was all he said, as he carefully placed the tray on the kotatsu to the right of the door. "Here. In case ya lasses are hungry."
He was about to turn around and leave, not wanting to bother the girls any more than he had to, when his daughter stopped him. "Mou~ You could try to smile a little bit more, papa, ya know? If you make such a scary face like, aaaall the time, my friends will think you don't like them or somethin'!"
Due to the aviator glasses he wore night and day, nobody in the room noticed the way his eyes moved until he was looking Miku's direction, his expression still as emotionless as ever.
"It's fine, Miku-chan", Makoto waved her hand dismissively. "Your dad, that's just the way he is and we kinda got used to it already, right Hana?"
By her side, the aforementioned gal bobbed her head up and down in agreement. "Uh-huh", she said in a carefree manner. "He's still a bit scary to me, buuut I don't really mind. Having such a scary dad must totes be really cool! Like, he can defo scare away any boy not good enough for you, Miku-chan."
Makoto let out a short laugh at the idea of Miku's dad's terrifying aura making potential suitors run for their lives the moment they weren't deemed good enough. "Hehe, I can totes see that happening."
"Eh!? No way!", Miku folded her arms with a mock frown now etched on her tanned face. "Promise me you'll never do that, papa. At least, give 'em a chance first!"
Before Takahiro had any time to even retort or even react ot his daughter's petition, Hana beat him to it. "Ah, don't ya worry about it! After what we saw from him the other day, I'm sure Naruto will be-", Hana was unable to finish her sentence as Miku abruptly cut her midway by covering her mouth with her hands the moment she realized where this was going. "Hmph, hmph!", the gal widened her eyes in surprise and squirmed to get free of Miku's hold, but to no avail, as said girl soon proved stronger and far more determined than Hana was.
"Na... ruto, you said?"
"I-It's nothing, Papa, don't mind her!", Miku said awkwardly, offering her father a rather forced grin. "Hana was just joking! Right!?", Miku desperately stared into her friend's wide eyes in hopes of conveying the message, and once she saw her nodding profusely, she finally released her from her hold.
"Haaaah!", Hana immediately gasped for air, breathing in and out for a few moments before ultimately frowning at her friend. "W-What was that for!?"
"Just shut up, Hana."
"Owie~! Mako-chan, you too!?"
As the scene of Makoto bonking her fellow gal on the head with a disappointed look on her face transpired before his very eyes, Takahiro absently moved his hidden orbs from the pair to his daughter, who was now rubbing the back of her head in a way that was vaguely familiar to him. One that he had the feeling he'd seen before.
The Okazaki patriarch inclined his head ever so slightly, not uttering a single word. He finally turned around and exited the room, slowly closing the door behind him.
"P-Papa?"
But Takahiro was gone before Miku could attempt to try and reach him, his mind now deep in thought.
Naruto... Now that was an awfully weird name for a fella to have, wasn't it?
Naruto Uzumaki checked the time on his phone for the millionth time that Sunday afternoon and let out a calming sigh. Not two minutes had gone by since the last time he'd risked a glance at said device, but he couldn't help it - he was feeling quite anxious as he stood by a wooden bench, too impatient to even think about taking a seat.
His sapphire eyes moved about the busy station of Harajuku, scanning every person checking the stores out or walking around in hopes of spotting the girl whom he'd been waiting for up until then. 'Not here yet', he thought to himself, checking his phone once again. 'Maybe I shoulda trained a bit more before leaving home. There's also that Mobaka's assignment I haven't done yet... ugh'. Naruto grimaced at the mere idea of having to sit down and dedicate his Sunday to completing one of the most boring things in the world, which was Math homework. He abhorred Maths more than any other subject at school, and with good reason. The contents were beyond him most of the time, and his teacher, Mooroka, hated his job and all students equally, which usually led to classes being extremely dull or with Mooroka deciding to spend a good chunk of the class to complain about teenagers in general.
Normally, any adult like that would face one of Naruto's famous 'prank therapies' aimed at making teachers or grown-ups alike reflect upon their actions, though Mooroka was no longer included on that select list. The aforementioned had a natural talent to get back at the blond prankster with a force, which meant worse punishments in general or extended periods of suspension, so Naruto had to admit defeat for the first time in forever and get off the teacher's back.
As Naruto shook his head, his mind shifted back to thoughts of his plans for that day. It was around 11.40 AM, and they had agreed to meet up at 12 at the very same street he now found himself in. He'd almost been waiting there for a whole hour, and if he didn't know Miku any better, he'd have been afraid at the possibility of her deciding not to show up in the end.
Said event was more than unlikely, though. Miku had been the one to arrange that day's meeting, claiming there was a special restaurant she wanted to visit with him. "I know a place in Harajuku that makes the best omurice in the whole world and it's like, packed aaaaalll the time", he remember her telling him via text the night before, at some point after he came home from work.
Naruto inadvertently smiled at the memory as he accessed his texting app and went over the conversation he and Miku had. He couldn't help but recall how shocked yet ecstatic he'd been when his phone's notification sound popped up just as he was readying himself to try and put all his effort into the awaiting pile of homework by his desk. Needless to say, all that homework Naruto'd planned to complete that Saturday night was left untouched for the remainder of the evening.
Now, Naruto Uzumaki was not a guy who used his phone on a daily basis. If his adoptive grandpa hadn't gotten him one so as to be able to communicate if something ever happened, he'd have never bothered to get one himself. After the jiji passed away, Naruto barely even used the phone other than to check everyday's weather or watch ramen videos when he was feeling really hungry, so getting a text message was usually out of the question.
Moreover, suddenly getting one on a boring Saturday eve was certainly not was he'd been expecting to happen.
Much less to be asked out on a date by the very same girl he'd grown so fond of in such a short amount of time.
"...If y'are free tomorrow, wanna go check that place out? We can see how much better that omu is vs ours lolol. Promise we'll have tons of fun!"
Naruto's previous smile grew wider as his eyes read the following lines.
"Sure, count me in! I got nothing better to do, other than Math homework lol."
"Yaaaay. This is so gonna be a first date to remember. C ya tomorrow Naruki! xoxo."
Amidst the stickers and emojis she'd decorated all her messages with, the blond's eyes went over the last message over and over again, his heartbeat increasing the longer he stared at the word 'date'. There was no mistaking it, Miku wanted to go out on an actual date with him! The realization had hit him the previous night like a truck and left him stupefied for a good minute or two before he actually managed to stop daydreaming like a goof. He'd had a little trouble falling asleep after his rather short exchange with Miku, his mind too busy going over everything he knew about dates and how to make sure both parties had a great time in them. The young man quickly realized he had little to no experience when it came to going out with someone, but he didn't let it deter his excitement.
Still, as the moment to start said event approached, Naruto's nerves began to skyrocket. He hurriedly patted his pockets, checking his wallet was there, before checking his breath by blowing air against the palm of his hand and then smelling it. Many passerbys sent strange looks his way as he did so, but Naruto didn't pay them any mind. 'Still smells like mint, phew', he thought to himself, running a hand through his blond locks with a relieved look on his face. 'Welp, I'm ready as I could be, considering. But man, the wait is killing me!'
No sooner had that thought crossed his mind did Naruto hear a voice calling his name from somewhere close to his position. "Heeeey, Naruki!"
Recognizing the rather girly voice now addressing him, the young man allowed his lips to curl into a happy smile as he raised his head and turned in the direction of Miku Okazaki. "Ah, Miku-chan, good...!", but whatever greeting he'd wanted to give his fellow blond never made it completely past his lips the moment his azure eyes caught sight of the beautiful gal heading his way.
Naruto's breath got caught in his throat as Miku walked closer to him. That day, Naruto thought she was looking more gorgeous than usual. Miku having her hair down and also being able to see her in a normal attire for a change had the Uzumaki's heart skipping a beat, especially due to the simple, yet cute white dress she currently wore and the high-heeled sandals on her feet. The gal sported two identical pearl necklaces around her neck, as well as multiple bracelets and different colored rings on her left hand's wrist and fingers, respectively.
"Hi, Naruki!", Miku chirped the moment she got close enough, her glossy lips curling into a grin. "Hehe, somebody was really excited about this date. You're here early, I see!"
Amid all the people walking by and minding their own bussiness, the gal stood out like a model, with many males turning their heads back to stare her way. She dutifully ignored all the attention she was getting, too busy as she was now waiting for Naruto to say the words she had been expecting to hear all morning.
"Soooo, watcha think?", Miku eventually asked in an attempt to give him a little push in the right direction. She then twirled around to give a speechless Naruto a good look of her outfit, before adding, "don't I look pretty in this dress?"
It was after a moment or two of processing her question that the aforementioned finally blinked, coming back to his senses. He blushed at realizing he'd been staring at her like a weirdo, and turned his head away, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "E-Eh", he did his best to ignore the pounding of his heart against his chest as Miku patiently awaited his answer. He risked a glance her way and saw the cute smile she was flashing him, which made him blush even harder. "...Yes", he managed to say in a confident manner, despite his current state. "You look beautiful, Miku-chan."
Due to having moved his sight back to his left, Naruto was unable to see the way Miku's cheeks quickly heated up and her smile turned into a surprised look. 'Uwah~ H-He really said it!', she had to turn around for a moment to hide her face from view so that her fellow blond could not see the embarrassment written all over it. It quickly changed into a bright look as the implications behind the Uzumaki's words hit her mind, and she let out a sigh to calm her rising joy.
"Oho~ Naruto-kun thinks I'm beautiful", the girl turned around once again so that she could face the blushing young man once more, and see the way he still refused to meet her eyes. It almost had her jumping into his arms at how cute she thought he was. Instead, she walked within touching distance and leaned very close to his face, making him tense up a bit. "I'm so happy you like it~ I spent, like, aaaall morning getting ready for our first date. Really wanted to make it one you'll never forget~"
Naruto didn't know what to do other than to nod his head, doing his best to ignore the way people were now staring at him. Usually, said thing would've been as easy as pranking someone, but with Miku now teasing him in public he found it strangely hard.
"And I see I wasn't the only one~ You too are looking very handsome today, Naruki", Miku commented appreciatively, getting a good look at Naruto's casual outfit as she took a step back from him. "It's the first time I see ya in anything other than your uniform. It totes suits you, hehe~"
"Hah... T-Thanks", Naruto finally turned her way, a coy smile now in place. He always felt weird every time he received a compliment given how scarce they were, but he definitely appreciated Miku's words. "I don't really go out that often other than for work or to get some ramen, so I never really have the chance to wear these."
By these, the Uzumaki meant the plain black v-necked t-shirt and the dark grey cargo pants he was currently wearing, which had been a gift from his jiji. The white trainers and the necklace he was also sporting that day didn't count, as the former was something he himself had bought with his money, while the latter a reward from none other than Tsunade Senju after winning that silly bet against her.
"Welp, consider yourself lucky, 'cos from now on we'll be going on more dates you and I together", Miku announced, taking advantage of Naruto's surprise to glue herself to his arm. She deliberately pressed her voluptous body against his side, watching him blush significantly. "Now, let's get goin'! I'm suuuuper pumped for this!"
"O-Oi wait a sec, Miku-chan!"
The poor young man was unable to voice his thoughts in the matter as he was dragged down Harajuku street, his heart beating furiously against his chest the whole time.
Walking arm in arm with the beautiful gal had proven quite the experience for Naruto, despite the many looks of jealousy he was getting along the way. His initial uneasiness had soon faded away and brought forth a contented state in which the Uzumaki found himself relaxing the longer he walked alongside Miku. She would stop by every shop and stand to excitedly take a look at the things on sale, before something else would catch her attention entirely and she ended pulling the blond by the arm.
Naruto did not mind any of it. He was absolutely enjoying every moment of his date. From the feeling of Miku's hands on his arm to the happy look on her face as she laughed and made a comment on the things they saw, everything made him feel like he was living an entirely different experience. 'Hah... So this is what going on an actual date is like', he smiled to himself. 'This is nice', he didn't even notice Miku was now gone until his eyes glanced her way and he saw nobody was walking alongside him. 'Huh? Wasn't Miku-chan here just a moment ago?'
"Naruki!"
The young man didn't even have time to worry as said girl made her way out of a nearby store... wearing a rather tight chinese dress which hugged her natural curves flawlessly and exposed a good chunk of cleavage. "M-M-Miku-chan!", the blond gawked, his eyes going wide as balloons.
"Judging by your reaction, this is totes your type of outfit!", she happily declared, clapping her hands in delight. Miku ran up to him and caught his hand in hers, taking him inside despite his protests. "Com'on Naruki, let me try out other clothes, just for you~!"
Much to Naruto's embarrassment, the store they were now in was a clothes shop exclusively for women, with many female costumers looking at the awkward way in which he stood around and subsequently giggling at his expense. To make matters worse, the dressing rooms were just in front of the section that contained women's underwear and swimsuits, something that only added to the poor teen's current state.
"Oh-hoho~ I heard you've been a very good boy, Naruto-kun~ That's why, I am your present this year! Hehe~"
Miku came out of the dressing room wearing a very skimpy Santa outfit which left little room for imagination. Despite the blush of atomic proportions now on the Uzumaki's face, he could not stop his eyes from roaming over Miku's curvaceous figure; the top she was now wearing exposed her flat, tanned stomach and showed a generous amount of cleavage, while the skirt around her waist gave Naruto a good view of her long, toned legs.
"..."
"Ufufu~ What's the matter, Naruki? Cat got your tongue? Is santa Miku-chan too much for ya to handle?", the busty gal said, smiling slyly as Naruto tried coming up with an excuse as to why he was looking all red. She was thoroughly enjoying the way he stared at her, and secretly knowing she was getting such a reaction out of him made her feel even happier. "If you like this one so much, wait until I try the other outfits I got!"
One after another, Naruto was practically judge each attire Miku tried out for him. No matter which one she put on next, his heart would always skip a beat and his face would get all red the moment he laid eyes on her figure. Maybe if all those women in the store weren't staring at them, whispering and laughing at his nervousness he'd have probably been more at ease with what was transpiring at the moment.
Then again, seeing Miku now wearing a nurse outfit, complete with an stethoscope, white stockings and everything, would have proven too much regardless of the people around.
"All right~ What seems to be the problem? Nurse Miku will have you patched up in no time!", holding the chest piece on one hand, the gal approached Naruto and smiled sweetly at him. "Now, hold still. I gotta listen to that heart of yours", before he could even think about protesting, she pressed the circle against his chest, and hummed at what she then heard. "Oh, I see now. Hmm, hmm. No, this is all wrong!"
"M-Miku-chan..."
"Your heartbeat is through the roof!", Miku feigned surprise as she leaned even closer to him, so close in fact Naruto could now feel two other things pressing against his chest. "This is no doubt the beginnings of a severe disease, known as being love struck!"
Naruto had actual smoke coming out of his ears at her proclamation, now looking much like a boiling tea pot of some sort. In a brief moment of clarity, he inwardly wondered for a moment how much more he could take before fainting, giving how hard his heart was pounding in his chest.
He barely noticed the employee who'd approached them and was now smiling at them.
"Ara, ara, your girlfriend looks great in everything~", the shop attendant commented, stiffling a giggle with the back of her hand. Her voice was barely registered by Naruto, who idly glanced her way with half-lidded eyes. "You two make such a cute couple, I'm so jealous~"
"I know, right!?", as if happy she'd noticed, a now blushing Miku went straight for Naruto's arm, hugging it tightly between her huge breasts.
Her excitement, however, was not immediately met by the Uzumaki, who widened his eyes at the remark and hurriedly looked back and forth between the sly looking attendant and Miku, who was now rubbing her cheek against his arm affectionately. 'Wait wait wait, a couple!? What do you mean by that!?', his confusion and shock were clearly etched on his face, especially given the way the older woman was nodding her head at him in a knowing manner. 'Me and Miku...? No, wait, this is just a misunderstanding, I'm sure she's just messing around. I should clear it up.'
But all intention of doing said thing quickly abandoned him after noticing how happy Miku looked while hugging his arm. It made him stare at her for a little while, a warm feeling spreading all over his body, before he looked away and mustered all his courage to speak.
"T-That's r-right", Naruto mumbled, though in a tone that was audible enough for the attendant and the gal to hear. "S-She really does look great in all those clothes."
Because he was once again staring in a different direction, the Uzumaki never noticed the way Miku's face went beet red at his words and her eyes widened in surprise, never expecting him to say such a thing; she then placed her forehead against Naruto's upper arm, hiding her visage from view. It was only a very jealous attendant who noticed said reaction and sighed to herself. 'Why can't I have something like that?'
Even after leaving the clothes shop, Miku had yet to release Naruto's arm as they walked. This time, though, both were silent, but for entirely different reasons. Naruto, on the one hand, was beginning to regret blurting those embarrassing things back at the store. He'd screwed up things big time by saying a thing like that, and now Miku was so ashamed she couldn't even speak to him. Admittedly, he'd just followed his gut, which usually never let him down, but even when that had seemed like the right thing to do at the time, seeing her so quiet made the once shinobi want to outright apologize for not being smart enough to read the mood.
The last thing he wanted was to ruin his first date with Miku, of all things.
Unbeknownst to him, said girl was having other, very different thoughts. Even after leaving the store, Miku's heart fluttered and her belly felt as if a thousand butterflies flew around inside every time she remembered the way Naruto had reacted when he'd gotten himself pressured for an answer. In all honesty, the gal had been expecting Naruto to just shake his head and deny they were a couple, not to suddenly start playing along as if he really did mean those things!
Then again, his unexpected response had felt pretty sincere, which had Miku feeling as if she was floating in the clouds. 'Aaaaah~ That only made me fall even harder for him!', she thought, feeling her cheeks heating up. She shyly risked a glance to her left, and saw Naruto looking straight in her direction, his face scrunched up into a look of determination.
"Miku-chan!"
"H-Huh?"
Still unable to fully process what was going on, Miku couldn't help but blink confusedly as the Uzumaki pulled them to a stop in the middle of Harajuku. He turned so that he could stare right into her emerald eyes, gently prying his arm away from her hold, and bowed deeply. "I'm really sorry for what I said early!", he all but exclaimed, attracting some curious looks his way. "I know I made things a bit weird between us, and for that I apologize!"
Miku was taken aback by Naruto's apology. So much so, that the only thing she could do was to stand in front of him in complete and utter silence, her mind still processing what'd he just laid upon her. And it was only when she realized Naruto was glancing her way in a hopeful manner did she react. "Jeez Naruki, you can be really dense sometimes, you know?", she sighed in mock resignation, an act that had the young man before her stand straight. She had to hold back a smile at the innocence with which his eyes stared back at her.
"...? What are you talking about, Miku-chan?"
"Hpmh. Fine! If ya feel sorry for what happened, then you have to make it up to me", a deliberately fabricated look of resignation crossed her features as she said this, inwardly feeling suddenly very pleased with the idea she'd just come up with. "It's really the best thing to do, don't ya think?"
Naruto didn't waste any time to express his agreement. "Yeah, you're right! Anything at all, just name it Miku-chan", instead of getting an answer in the form of words, the Uzumaki just got an extended, delicate hand his way. His eyes then silently examined the polished fingernails on said hand and followed the appendage all the way up to the girl it belonged to. "Miku-chan?"
"Here. I think this is punishment enough for you, Naruto-kun."
It was only then that the Uzumaki understood the implications behind her request and he felt his face getting all hot and red. Even so, Naruto suddenly realized he had no desire to turn down her request and slowly but surely took her hand in his, gently giving it a squeeze.
"T-There", the blond mumbled, trying to conceal the fact he was really enjoying the feeling of her soft skin against his.
A huge, brilliant smile then adorned Miku's lips as she nodded happily.
"Perfect!", she said, inching a bit closer to Naruto. "Oh, and by the way, I was totes lying before", at a look of confusion from her companion, Miku nonchalantly said, "I actually wasn't mad at you."
"Hah? You weren't? Then why...?", he didn't need to bother finishing the question as his mind suddenly gave him the answer he was looking for, and his eyebrows shot up. "Oh. I see."
There was a timid, yet content look on Naruto's face as he realized what was going on. Even if Miku didn't openly admit it, the Uzumaki could pretty much tell this had been her intention the whole time. To hold his hand. And if to confirm what he already knew, the girl flashed him an angelic smile and tugged gently on his hand to get them both walking again, fully intending to get to their original destination straight away.
Whoever looked their way that day fully mistook them for a couple, although not Naruto nor Miku really noticed, too engrossed as they were in secretly enjoying the feeling holding hands gave them.
What had once promised to be a wonderful opportunity to try out arguably the best omurice in the city soon turned into unmeasurable disappointment as soon as Miku and Naruto arrived at the restaurant.
"Ehhhhh!? Sold out? You've gotta be kidding me!", Miku couldn't help but groan in annoyance, kicking the ground below in a very childish, yet cute manner. A pout found its way to her lips as she lowered her head. "Awww man, this is totes my fault for wasting so much time..."
Upon hearing that, Naruto gave the hand he was still holding an affectionate squeeze. "It's okay, Miku-chan", he offered her a smile, "there's lots of other places to eat in Harajuku. We can check them out if you'd like", his smile then grew into one of his foxy grins. "And if that fails, I know a great ramen stand not too far from here!"
"Hehehe, always thinkin' about ramen, aren't ya?"
"Not all the time but pretty much, yeah! Sometimes I even dream about eating it."
Both teenagers shared a laugh at that, with Miku regarding Naruto's inhuman obsession with ramen as one of the things that made him stand out from the rest. Still, something that he'd mentioned before got the Okazaki thinking for a few seconds, before she nodded to herself.
"I've got an idea Naruki. Wait here a sec!"
"Huh? Wait, what's going on?"
"I'll be back soon!"
Naruto could do nothing but call after her as she suddenly turned around and ran in the opposite direction, disappearing amid the crowd soon afterwards. He kept staring at the last spot he'd last seen her, his mouth only now closing. "She's gone", rubbing the back of his head, Naruto shrugged and saw no other choice but to do as she instructed and wait for her to come back.
After a quick look around, his eyes caught sight of a nearby, empty bench directly opposite him. Naruto slumped down on it and let out a silent sigh, leaning forward with his arms now resting on his legs. The young shinobi was not tired in the slightest but he suddenly felt like leaning back and taking a short break, especially after all the non-stop excitement he'd been subjected to for almost the entirety of his first date,
It was only during that time of peace and quiet that the Uzumaki was able to process everything that had happened so far. Despite still being early and with him hoping their date would continue for a little while longer, he'd thoroughly enjoyed it if he said so himself.
"Man", Naruto muttered to himself. "I can't believe I'm on a date with Miku-chan."
If anyone had asked him about it a couple weeks before, Naruto would have merely stared at the person making such question as if they'd grown a second head or something. After all, Miku was not just beautiful, she was arguably the most beautiful girl at his school. Plus, she was quite popular with the male population, which would no doubt kill for a chance at being in his very shoes. Up until some time ago, he'd have never believed he would ever have any chance at said accomplishment, but eh, life was a box of surprises.
A proud smirk crossed his features at the image of everyone else shedding rivers of tears upon finding out he'd gone on a date with Miku Okazaki. "Heh, I bet they'll all freak out when they find out", he didn't really plan on telling anyone about this date, but he wasn't sure Miku would keep quiet about it. Especially not to her gal-friends, who would no doubt spread the word. He shrugged at that, before a sudden thought crossed his mind and his previous indifference turned into concern. "But if that happened... wouldn't Miku-chan get targetted too just because she hangs out with me?"
Having not thought that before made Naruto grow worried about her. It was one thing to be ignored or downright hated by his peers or even some teachers' alike, but if it ended affecting Miku because of him...
'No, I will never let that happen', the blond resolved, bringing a fist to his face as his eyes sparkled with determination. 'If anyone messes with Miku-chan, I'll kick their asses!'
There was now a fierce look on his visage as he commited himself to protecting the gal from harm. Whether that'd be through pranking those who dared go against her for the rest of their life or straight up give them a good beating, Naruto was ready for anything. No way was he letting anyone stand in the way of-!
"Naruki!"
"...!"
His previous state of concentration was cut short as Miku came back running and holding two tantalizingly-looking cones filled with vegetables, meat and fruit on her hands. She had to stop to catch her breath as she reached the blond shinobi, but once her breathing became even again, she flashed him a grin.
"Soz for making you wait. Here ya go!"
"Ah, thanks, Miku-chan!", Naruto gratefully accepted the cone before proceeding to inspect it. He promptly noticed it was filled with different types of fruit and chocolate sauce spread over it. At the top lied a small heart-shaped pink thingy that looked like candy, so Naruto assumed it was edible. "Huh, is this some kind of ice-cream or something?", he couldn't help but wonder, though not in a disdaintful manner.
Miku giggled good-heartedly at his remark, plopping down by his side. "No, silly, that's not an ice cream. It's a crepe!"
"A cre... what?"
"A crepe", Miku repeated, smiling sweetly.
"Ahh, sorry, it's the first time I see one of these."
A gasp directly coming from his right gave the young man he'd just said something he was probably not supposed to. "What? You never ate a crepe before? But they're like, super popular!", she had a look of incredulity written all over her face, but even then all Naruto could come up with was a sheepish smile. "...You really do stick to ramen most of the time, huh?", shaking her head in a more amused manner than anything else, Miku scooted closer to Naruto until her leg was directly touching his'. "Welp, whatcha waiting for? Go on, give it a try~"
Naruto felt his heartbeat racing at her sudden proximity yet he deliberately kept quiet and tried to focus on his crepe. He gave it a good bite, avoiding the paper wrap it came with, and proceeded to slowly and carefully allow his taste buds to analyse all the new flavors in his mouth, all under the expectant stare of his fellow blond.
A few seconds later, the Uzumaki swallowed and said, "it's good."
"Hmm~ How good?"
"Like, pretty good", Naruto admitted, licking his lips. "I'm not a big fan of sweets but I'd give it an 8 out of 10."
Miku's face brightened at that. "I knew you'd love it! After all, that one you have there is totes my personal favorite", the beautiful gal then gestured to her own crepe. "And this one's chicken, prawns, avocado and mayo. Here, try it too!"
Naruto did as he was told and quickly found himself enjoying the taste of the savory crepe. It provided a clear contrast in flavor to his own, but it was pleasant nonetheless. "Whoa, this one's also pretty good!"
"Hum, hum!", Miku nodded her head enthusiastically, agreeing completely. "They're pretty cheap too, I eat them all the time when I'm out here."
"Maybe we could try to make them some day at the cooking club", Naruto casually said. "After I teach you how to cook some ramen, of course."
"Lookin' forward to it~!"
Both blonds exchanged a wordless smile before they diverted their attention to the cones intheir hands. Naruto let the gal by his side take a bite out of his crepe since she'd done the same for him earlier, before he actually had it all for himself. It wasn't ramen, but it tasted good enough. Besides, he was too hungry to let it go to waste so he dug right in, eating his crepe with gusto.
A few minutes went by in which both teenagers focused solely on their food, neither of them feeling awkward at all with the comfortable silence that had settled upon them. People passed them by as they sat in silence, with Naruto absently staring at them, not really thinking about anything in particular as he munched on his crepe. Sitting there with Miku felt peaceful, soothing even, and the Uzumaki couldn't help but wish that moment could last forever.
"This is nice", Naruto let out a sigh, his half-eaten crepe momentarily forgotten. He saw out the corner of his eyes the look Miku sent him and added, "doing something outside school, together. We always see each other at the club, so it feels good to hang out like this."
"It really does", Miku quickly agreed. She remained silent for a couple of seconds as her emerald eyes caught notice of a couple round their age, walking hand in hand, and her mind flashed her a certain mental image that made her pulse race. "Hey, Naruki, d'ya mind if ask you something?"
Naruto blinked, before shrugging his shoulders. "Nah, go ahead", he said while taking another bite off his crepe.
"The other day, when Makoto asked if you liked someone, you didn't really answer."
"...!"
Her question had come out so randomly that the Uzumaki almost chocked on the crepe he was currently eating. He was able to prevent himself from doing so by quickly swallowing the mouthful in his mouth and taking a moment to clear his throat, before he hurriedly turned Miku's way. "H-Huh?", was all he could say, a stupefied look crossing his features.
"Yeah, so... is there someone you like?"
There was only a slight hesitation in her voice as she uttered her question, which made Naruto's eyes widen momentarily. He was totally not expecting that question that day, or any other day for that matter! His first thought was that Miku was just messing around with him like she usually did, but one look at her quickly proved that hypothesis wrong. On her young visage, Naruto could not see that teasing smirk she'd send his way whenever she was just joking, but rather a very serious look.
He was also surprised at seeing the blood tinting her cheeks.
"...", Naruto grew coy under her stare and he had to divert his eyes to the side as he rubbed the back of his neck. He paused just for a brief moment, before he eventually inclined his head ever so slightly. It was almost imperceptible, but Miku had clearly seen him doing so. "Y-Yes, there is", Naruto confessed embarrassedly, unable to meet Miku's eyes. He felt incredibly self-concious as he tried not to look her way, already knowing the question that was to follow.
"Is that so? Hmm, I wonder who that could be...", if Naruto's had been focused on her, he'd immediately spotted the way Miku struggled to keep her facade neutral. "Welp, whoever she is, she must be quite something if you're so head over heels about her."
Naruto felt himself blushing at the last remark. "I-I wouldn't say I'm that crazy about her", he retorted weakly, his expression not convincing enough. "But yeah, I really like her. She means a lot to me."
"I see, I see", Miku smiled mysteriously, an act that the Uzumaki barely paid any attention to. He was starting to feel relieved Miku hadn't really asked about the identity of said girl, as he wasn't sure he'd have been able to get himself out of the situation without coming across as blatantly obvious by either changing the subject, or dodging the question. "You should talk to her, Naruki, if ya ask me. Ya know, confess and stuff."
"What?", Naruto was geniunely taken aback by her advice as he shot her a surprised look. "C-Confess?"
"Yeah", she nodded, twirling the crepe in her hands around. "Keepin' your feelings bottled up won't do ya good. 'Sides, ya never know. She might be feelin' the same way~!"
Miku gave the young Uzumaki a big smile, hoping for her message to convey its true meaning. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and not for the first time that day, and she was having difficulty keeping a straight face while Naruto looked truly shaken, like he'd never thought of it that way. She then saw him turn his eyes to his lap and furrow his eyebrows, as if really thinking hard about what she'd just said.
It wasn't long before he opened up his mouth to respond, and Miku tensed in anticipation.
"Maybe you're right, Miku-chan", Naruto said, making the girl's previous sense of anticipation grow even more. "But I don't think confessing right now would make her very happy."
Against her better judgement, the gal couldn't prevent her disappointment from becoming evident in her expression, which had quickly deflated after hearing Naruto's way of thinking. The latter didn't seem to notice her reaction, or decided not to comment on it for whatever reason.
"Why not?", despite the way she was feeling at the moment, her question was born out of genuine curiosity.
"Because that'd be like selfishly thrusting my feelings upon her", what he believed was a rational explanation was met with an incredulous look on Miku's behalf, one that the Uzumaki did not pick up from his range of vision. "I don't want her to feel forced into acknowledging how I feel and giving me an answer when she probably doesn't really see me that way. Not yet, at least", as he spoke, Naruto broke into a broad grin which he then flashed at Miku. "Besides, she's now become one of my precious people. So I gotta take good care of that bond. I don't mind waiting a bit more so long as she's happy. I know I am being with her!"
It was after hearing the last remark that Miku's disappointment vanished like it'd never existed in the first place and it shifted into a completely different thing. She felt her whole face burning as if it'd been set on fire, and a weird sense of vertigo taking over her stomach. That was the very first time someone other than her parents showed such care for her, which left her speechless for a couple of long seconds in which she just proceeded to stare at Naruto almost as if in a trance.
When she came back to her senses, she felt her lips curling into a genuine smile. "...You really are clueless, Naruki."
"Clueless?", the blond tilted his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing, nothing", Miku shook her head, making Naruto stare at her dumbly. He saw the way she was smiling, but couldn't really tell what was on her mind at the moment. "By the way, you got sauce on your cheek."
"Uh, where?"
"Right here, let me get it off for ya..."
Naruto had barely any time to react before Miku suddenly inched closer to his face and brought her lips to his cheek, planting a sweet, yet quick peck on it. Her lips had graced his skin for less than a second, but the act itself had forced the Uzumaki's brain to shut down for a short while. Only when it rebooted could Naruto process what'd just happen, and he immediately flushed.
"M-Miku-chan!?"
"What? It was faster that way", she said nonchalantly, doing her best and failing to hide the satisfied smile that now adorned her lips. "Why, unless you want me to do it again, ya know, to make sure your face is aaaall clean and pretty."
Despite his flabbergasted expression, Naruto's first impulse was to say yes. To ask for a second kiss from this beautiful gal who was currently enjoying all the reactions she was getting out of him. But he bit down on his cheek to refrain himself from doing so, knowing Miku would probably just laugh it off and say she was just playing around. "...D-Don't tease me."
"Hehehe, awww, com'on Naruto-kun, I know ya totes liked it!", as she said this, Miku gently rested her head on his shoulder, eliciting a blush from her fellow blond. "Don't worry tho, there are plenty more where that one came from~"
Naruto knew he should have known better with a gal like Miku. But joking or not, he would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling happy. Very happy indeed. What had not so long ago been a boring and depressive life had completely been turned around in such a short span of time, and it was all thanks to the girl with her head currently on his shoulder.
Night had fallen over the city of Tokyo a while ago, and Naruto's date with Miku had ended a couple hours ago. Said girl was currently sitting on her bed, gazing dreamily at a particular set of photos that'd recently been put inside a frame on her bedside table. 'We totes look like a couple in all of them', Miku could not stop smiling as she moved her eyes from picture to picture, chuckling softly at a particularly silly one in which both were doing funny faces. She was happy to have insisted Naruto they take a couple of pics to conmemorate their first date, as she had the distinct impression those would not be the last they took together.
The gal let out a long sigh as she slumped back on her bed. She brought a hand to her face and rubbed her forehead, her smile finally leaving her lips. 'Mou, all he had to do was confess to me. It was like, the perfect chance! Naruto no baka', Miku puffed her cheeks childishly as she went over the events that took place earlier that day. 'Still, the way he reacted to me kissing him... Kyaa!'
Miku grabbed her pillow and stuffed her face into it, muffling a squeal. Just thinking about that kiss she'd given him made her heartbeat skyrocket. Before going on that date, she'd not really been planning to do something as bold as she did, but she couldn't help herself. There was something about Naruto that drew her in, that made her want more than just stick to being friends. It wasn't just the fact that he was quite handsome or his athletic physique, but most importantly how much he cared for and trusted her.
That he'd confided that heavy part of his life in her had left Miku feeling very special, especially after finding out from Naruto himself that nobody else knew that about him.
Now, any other guy would have probably taken their chances by then - confessing their feelings to her in hopes of starting a relationship or just try and get into her pants like all those boys from school had done on numerous ocassions in the past. But Naruto had proven himself a completely different person, and as such, she knew she had to make an attempt to try and accept the fact he could be pretty dense most of the time.
Then again... There was probably nothing wrong with waiting a little bit. They'd be seeing each other every day and probably go on more dates at weekends or on holidays, so she knew there'd be plenty of opportunities to keep making her advances on him.
Miku blushed slightly at the last thought, removing the pillow from her face before proceeding to hug it tightly against her chest. "Ah, Naruki~", she mumbled to herself, breathing deeply. "Why did you have to go and make me fall so hard for you?"
To be continued...
Love is just around the corner. It's so unbearably close you'll only have to endure a few more chapters before it blooms. Probably.
Right, so, I wanted to use this section to talk about a few things now that we're done with today's installment.
First and foremost, let's address the topic of the version of Naruto I'm portraying in the story. As a reminder, this is a 16 year-old Naruto Uzumaki who was never able to go on a training trip with Jiraiya for two years, and therefore, didn't take part in all the events that took place in Naruto Shippuden, with all that this implies. I plan to expand a bit more on this aspect of Naruto's background in future installments. And I haven't forgotten there is Kurama, too.
Also, it has been mentioned in earlier chapters that Naruto's pretty much ignored or downright hated by his peers in the academy he and Miku go to, which means his interaction with other people was, at best, limited. This is the reason why he just doesn't know how to react when Miku pretty much throws herself at him, as he's not used to people dotting him with affection. And even if this wasn't the case, him getting all flustered and nervous is exactly how I'd picture a teenage Naruto acting around someone as unabashed about her charms as Miku Okazaki is.
A second thing I wanted to talk about is the romantic development of this story. I remember mentioning before we'll be making things go at a faster pace than in the manga written by Taiyou Mari, which is what I've been attempting to do from the beginning. The main reason why I do this is because in Gal Gohan Yabe rejects most if not all of Miku's advances particularly due to their student/teacher nature, but Miku and Naruto not having that barrier makes it more natural to focus their relationship directly towards the romantic route.
On a side note, lemons are indeed in my plans for the foreseeable future. There will be probably a couple of scenes in later chapters, but until then, I'll be completely focusing on having my fill of writing fluffy moments between those two. Please bear in mind this will not become a smut fic, so don't expect it to suddenly shift into a lemon filled story with little to no plot.
Finally, I wanted to let you guys know the next update may take a bit longer to come out. Work has been pilling up as of recently so I don't have that much free time as I used to a couple of weeks before, but I'm doing my best to write a little bit everyday so that chap 5 sees the light in a week or so.
Until next time, stay safe everyone, じゃね！