[ShikaTema] The Thirty Day Challenge

Day 10: Terrible

People had been exchanging gazes ever since Ino and Shikamaru met along the road. Either a scratch on his head, avoiding of gazes, or an exasperated sigh would be returned to Ino's motherly but persistent and annoying exhortations. Her voice had been echoing around as if it they weren't trying to hide a secret conversation.

"Where did your guts go, Shikamaru? All this time, you had the power to do what you wanted to do, but everything seemed to have disappeared!" Fired the blonde female back, palms on her waist.

It took him a few seconds before speaking back to her again. "It's not that I don't want to; I just can't. It's terrible and that might become the reason of my death. Sure, I find things troublesome, but I still want to live, you know," explained the genius. "Besides, I'm not that type of guy."

"It is a part of being a guy! And to make the girl you like notice you, you have to try this method! Come on!" She insisted more.

Too persistent; it's annoying... Albeit not in his will to do what she wanted, the pineapple-haired guy agreed. "All I need to do is tell her about it, right?"

Ino's facial expression brightened. "You're going to do it?! Alright, you just need to get close to her and say those words!" Not aloof from where they were was Temari walking. She was following the path leading to where Shikamaru and Ino were standing. "Oh, there she is! Go on, I'm counting on you!"

Putting her fate on me as easy as how she nags me... Mentally, he scratched the back of his head, then shoved his hands back inside his pockets once again. "Temari," called Shikamaru as soon as she leveled coordinates with him. "I'm not a photographer, but I can picture us together," began the latter, face unchanging.

Ino peeked from hiding behind a large trunk of a fallen tree, close enough to hear what had been happening. Assuming Shikamaru had already told Temari of the pick-up line she told him to tell her, blue eyes sparkled in amusement. You can do it, Shikamaru! I got your back!

Furrowed brows were responded onto Shikamaru; just as much as how his face wasn't changing, the blonde's as well. "...Lame," was the only word the kunoichi of Sunagakure managed to utter. Without paying him much attention, Temari began drawing her path forward.

Wha--?!

Shikamaru was fully aware all he needed to do was tell that line to her, but somehow, he felt like his pride had been destroyed at some point. "Temari!" Called the male back, but she just kept on walking ahead.

Not finding the need to turn to him, the maize-haired lass began speaking. "If you're here to tell another lame statement, stop," stated the female, sighing. "If you continued doing this, you're only putting a disgrace on your clan, the Nara," explained further Temari, a small smirk ran on her face, now deciding to return such a 'mockery' to the male.

Don't tell me Shikamaru didn't make it?! Ino asked herself, making sure she wouldn't lose track of the two. How?! It should at least make her feel fluttered! What happened, what did Shikamaru do?! However of the mistake, the kunoichi of Konohagakure was somehow blaming herself from what was happening.

Think, Shikamaru. Think! It sounded like a Buddhist mantra he had to repeat over and over, in hopes of getting a proper pick-up line to form for Temari, surely one that she wouldn't reject. "Your hand looks heavy."

Confused, the female looked at her hand, certain that she wasn't holding anything. She stopped walking, then turned to the other shinobi with an expression as if asking him what he meant.

"Let me carry them for you," added the lad.

A sigh but quite unnoticeable one escaped Temari's lips. "Don't put your clan's name in vain," growing tired and honestly weirded out of dealing with Shikamaru's doubtful actions, teal digits began shifting towards him. "You're acting weird," started the cruelest kunoichi. "Are you under a spell again?"

With such, the male shinobi immediately had a flashback of his memories from their spin off with Rock Lee's adventures where he was under the spell of the Love Scroll he picked up unwillingly. He shook his head as his response.

"Then, why are you doing this?" Unchanging expression like the usual, the lass asked the genius.

Why?

He went silent for a bit whilst finding a way to cover up what Ino originally planned. At the corner of his hues was the visible but vague image of his teammate effortlessly hiding behind a newly-built house. "To--"

"--impress me?" She continued for him, smirk which looked more of provocation had become noticeable on her lips.

Shikamaru was taken aback. Another attempt of opening his mouth to begin retorting the female's seemingly honest accusations was once again put into halt when Temari had begun speaking.

"You don't need those to impress me; if I have to be honest, you only made things worse. If you really are interested, I could tell you why," explained the female, not even bothering to ask him if he wanted to know.

No response from the lad.

She turned away, beginning to walk once again for apparently, Temari doesn't take silence for an answer. There was a shrug done mentally by the Kazekage's sister. For her to understand better--for the surroundings she grew up on was different from the others--she wanted Shikamaru to pry it out himself.

"I want to know!"

There it went; the answer she had secretly been waiting for. Temari turned to him once again, flashing that usual smile which would definitely make the latter sleepless for roughly a night. "You don't need to adopt what others do in order to impress me. Being yourself around me is enough. You don't need those lame lines to score, you don't need to be someone else to make me fall for you," she stopped for a few seconds before continuing. "Because I already am."

"Already am...?" Repeated the young man for confirmation. Gathering his utmost courage, Shikamaru continued. "Already...in love with me?"

All Temari did was retain that unusual, but beautiful smile toward Shikamaru as she left for a short meeting with the current Hokage. Ino wanted to approach her friend, but he looked still in place--almost as if immovable.

In love...with me...? Shikamaru's heart beat had begun raising just by getting the most probable response of his thought from that unanswered question which had been rewinding itself the whole night, even until the next day.

As the sun had risen, he was ordered to escort Temari around the village, which he gladly took, but the results had soon backfired to him. Man, having feelings is really troublesome... But I can't really say I don't like this.

He made his way to where Temari was temporarily staying, and waited for her outside.

It surely will be a long day for a shinobi such as himself.

(A/N: My inbox will always be open for suggestions! If you have one, throw them to me and we can discuss how the chapter would work; I will dedicate the story to the person who suggested the plot, of course! Thank you for supporting this book!)