Beetle In The Shadow (A Shino Aburame love story)

Festival Part. 1

Shino's POV

I hadn't seen Shikai around as much as I used to, but it was alright since I had to train so much for the final round of the Chunin Exams. There was supposed to be a festival today to honor those moving on to the final round, but I didn't plan on going. It wasn't mandatory, plus I didn't want remind Shikai of her loss. My father was training me since he could help me with my insect techniques, so when he finally gave me a break, I took the time to visit Shikai. I felt bad for hardly talking to her, but I had to focus on my training. I walked toward Shikai's house, wanting to spend time with her as my father had given me the rest of the day off.

Knocking on the door, I waited patiently, my face free of emotions. Shikai's mother answered the door, smiling at me. Her and Shikai looked like each other a bit, but Shikai and Shikamaru both took after their father for the most part, with the same eyes and similar hair. "Hello," Shikai's mother said kindly, "I assume you're here for Shikai, she'll be down in just a minute." I nodded politely and waited by the door, part of me hoping that I would see her father, especially after my outburst in the hospital.

I heard Mrs. Nara yell for Shikai, her voice ringing throughout the house. Perhaps that was what Shikamaru meant when he called his mother a 'troublesome woman' or 'such a drag'. Standing next to the door, I stood silently, a strange, anxious feeling settling over me at the thought of seeing Shikai. When she did come down, Shikai was wearing her usual outfit, a faint smile on her face. "Hello Shikai." I said once we stood next to each other. "Would you like to go for a walk?" I let a small smile show on my face. I didn't exactly plan anything, so I went with my gut feeling and suggested something simple. I watched as Shikai's eyes lit up with happiness and her smile widened slightly as she nodded and briefly told her mother where she was going before we walked out.

As we walked around the streets at a slow pace, we held hands. It was nice and tranquil as we talked with each other, both of us smiling. "So Shino," Shikai started, absentmindedly swinging our intertwined hand back and forth, "Are you going to the festival?"

I shrugged. "I wasn't really planning to." I said plainly. It was a simple question, but after a second I began to overthink it a bit. "If you are planning on going though, I'll go too." I told her, a warm feeling spreading through me as she smiled warmly at me. I wasn't necessarily looking forward to the festival, but if it made Shikai happy, I didn't mind as much.

"I sort of have to go to the festival," Shikai explained, "For Shikamaru." She shrugged and let out a soft sigh. "You want to sit down over there?" Shikai asked, gesturing towards a grassy hill. With my shrug of approval, we made our way to a nice spot before sitting down. "Would you really go with me to the festival?" Shikai asked me, a small hint of insecurity in her voice. She was laying down while I sat, her head in my lap as I played with her loose hair.

Smiling at her, I kissed her cheek lightly before responding. "Of course. Why? Because I got a day off, and I would rather spend it with you than with anyone else." I said, surprising both Shikai and I with how much love I had expressed towards her through my voice. Blushing, Shikai sat up before hesitantly pressing her lips to mine in a gentle kiss. I pulled away gently and stroked her hair softly, staring into her eyes through my dark glasses.

I was about to lean in for another kiss, but Shikai cut me off, a small frown on her face. "Sorry Shino, but I have to get ready for the festival soon so that my mother doesn't nag me about it." She smiled sheepishly and gave me a kiss on the corner of my mouth, a faint blush on her face. "We'll meet up at the festival though, right?" She asked getting up, her hand outstretched for me to take. I nodded, though my stomach fluttered with nervousness as I had no clue what to wear or how to act.

Taking her hand, I stood up and began walking her home. "My dad and I have gotten closer while you've been training." Shikai told me, making me smile. "It was a little weird at first, but I think I'm used to it now." The walk to her house was shorter than I would have liked, so when we reached her door, I gave her one last kiss, knowing that we wouldn't really show much public affection at the festival and that I wouldn't see her as I trained.

When we pulled away from the kiss, I smiled at her, "I'll see you at the festival." I said before walking away, leaving Shikai to get ready.

Shikai's POV

As I walked into my house, my mother immediately grabbed me, saying something about how I needed to start getting ready so that we weren't late. It wasn't necessary for me to wear a kimono, but my mother insisted that I did. I was wearing my mother's old kimono, though it was a bit loose on me. The kimono was beautiful and simplistic, a pale green color with various flowers near the sleeves and bottom. Normally, I would wear my hair down and natural, but since my mother had insisted that I needed a hairstyle to match the kimono, my hair was put up in a neat bun, though some of it stayed down to frame my face. Putting in a simple clip that matched the flower pattern on the kimono in my hair, my mother delceared I was ready, and we left the house.

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Arriving at the festival, I saw that there were many stands for things like games, which made me a little excited. Shino and I hadn't discussed when we would meet each other, so I just sort of wandered around after my parents told Shikamaru and I we could play games or meet up with friends. Shikamaru and I walked in silence, a slight uncomfortable air around us. "Shikamaru," I started, feeling the need to break the silence, "I'm really proud of you for making it this far into the Chunin Exams." I told him sincerely, smiling kindly at him.

Shikamaru shook his head slightly, "I only won because you ran out of chakra at a convenient time. If not, I'm sure I would have lost..." He trailed off, and part of me wasn't sure if he was lying to spare my feelings or being sincere. We continued walking at a calm and relaxed pace. I kept an eye out for Shino, but I was enjoying the time spent with my brother. Noticing me looking around, Shikamaru decided to voice his thoughts. "Why do you keep looking around?" The same usually bored tone was there, but there was also a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Shrugging, I explained the situation. "Shino is supposed to come and meet up with me, but we didn't really talk about when and where we would meet up." I smiled sheepishly, but I noticed that at the mention of Shino, my brother's eyes narrowed slightly. I stared at him confused for a second, but then noticed Shino in a crowd of people, making his way toward us.

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