Chapter 2: Change clothes
"Hi-na-ta!" Ino's excited voice cut through the crowd. Hinata clung, uncertain, to her sachet as she searched the crowd for Ino. It was the first day of summer, but she still wore her coat. It was also a weekend, and she managed her father's permission to go out to purchase new clothes with friends. Hinata couldn't wait to get a new coat. Maybe something that wasn't grey this time.
Hinata swung around after she felt a tap on the shoulder. Ino stood there, next to Sakura. Both had friendly smiles on the faces.
"I'm glad you're a-are on time." Hinata said.
"'course we are." Sakura replied.
"Why're you always so polite, Hinata? We're friends! You can be like 'Yo Ino! Sup Sakura!' or something." Ino said.
"Ino, what the hell are you talking about? That sounds so masculine." Sakura said while giggling. By then they had walked a few shops until the summer colors and styles caught Ino's and Sakura's attention.
While the 'All winter long, winter shop' called Hinata's attention.
"Nu-uh! Don't even think about that!" Ino said as she caught Hinata staring at a winter clothing store. "Hinata, we're getting you out of that coat, whether you like it or not!"
"E-Eh? Why?" Hinata asked.
"Don't you wanna be pretty?" Ino asked. Hinata blinked upon being asked this question. She didn't exactly care about her appearance. Well, that actually was a lie. Hinata believed that if she looked more like a boy, then her father would treat her differently. She had wanted to show her father how serious by not being girly and wearing oversized clothes to hide her feminine figure. But it didn't seem like the boyish look made a difference. She was still considered weak.
"Um…I don't know?" Hinata replied.
"Don't you wanna be confident?" Ino asked while raising her voice even louder.
Of course Hinata wanted to be more confident. But the shy girl doubted that would ever be possible. Yet she replied:
"Yes." as she stared at the ground. It would be truly nice to be able to be as confident as Ino.
"Don't you wanna feel free in your own body!?" Ino yelled at the top of her lungs. At this point, some adults walking by giggled at the 11 year old Ino who truly believe her mind was that of a mature adult.
"Okay Ino-pig, I think she gets it." Sakura said. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, feeling annoyed that there were a few eyes on them because Ino was being loud. She wasn't liking all the adult attention on them.
"Shut it, forehead." Ino said.
"Make me!"
The bantered stopped when Ino decided not to take the bait. Instead, she turned to Hinata, and with a friendly smile she said: "All I'm saying is that shedding your coat will be like the first step towards confidence. Trust me, I know this stuff." Ino said.
With a sigh, Hinata followed the two girls inside the colorful store. But instead of colorful summer clothes, Hinata ended up purchasing dark clothes that would later become her new uniform.