[ShikaTema] The Thirty Day Challenge

Day 33: End of Honour

I'm gonna see her again.

I don't know why, but I feel fairly excited.

I mean, it literally takes so long before we meet each other again, but it's always worth it.

And even if I can't precisely see myself, I can tell how obvious it is that I'm smiling right now. I want to stop, but I can't. How stupid...

Sheepishly, the latter could be seen by whoever that he's feeling undeniably happy with only just the thought of Gaara's sister arriving. Chouji and Ino noticed the unusual movements of their team leader--shaking his head repeatedly as if removing unwanted images off from his mind, and sometimes would even deliver both of his palms on his cheeks to slap himself awake.

"What's going on with Shikamaru?" Questioned Ino that Chouji only responded with a shrug, and a bite of his favoured potato chips. "Those gestures are unlikely," profoundly curious, Ino forcefully pulled Chouji together with her. Albeit repeatedly telling her to stop, he bothered less on struggling. Aggressively, the latter made the young man peek at the side of the wall, indubitably sure that they hadn't been spotted.

A turn to the right, one that was leading to the public bathhouse, was Shikamaru's progress.

"His smiles are non-stop to the point that it's starting to creep me out!" Expressed the female blonde. "Look at him, Chouji! If he's only there for the male hot spring, he should be having his usual expression!"

"You're just overthinking about it, Ino. Give Shikamaru a break," insisted him, truly uninterested of the matter.

"Don't be stup--" the maiden's words had unintentionally been halted into mid-air when a familiar image of a cruel, maize-haired kunoichi was now standing beside the lad. "Isn't that... Isn't that Temari of Sunagakure?!"

Alerted, Chouji stopped shoving more chips into his mouth, and pinned his attention to his best friend. "I thought they're just friends?!"

"Wait, you knew?!" Reconfirmed Ino whilst she had her hues focused on the two figures.

"Ah, no...," the man shook his head in disagreement. "Not that it isn't that obvious..."

Ino sighed. "Right...," her brows furrowed to indicate that she was keenly following Shikamaru and Temari's tracks. "If they had important things to do--like, I don't know, paper works and documents they need to organise, probably--why do they need to go inside the bath house?! Public, on top of that?!"

Chouji wanted to shake it off, that his friend was just over-reacting, but he couldn't disgaree to the fact that Shikamaru's movements were shady. Therefore, had he found himself watching the latter firmly.

"Are you going to be fine on your own?" Questioned Shikamaru which weirded Temari out.

Albeit drawing their paths inside the aforementioned building, Temari had her gazes shifted towards the latter, left brow unquestionably raised. "...I'm not a kid, Shikamaru. Don't be stupid. At the very least, I know how to take a bath."

Realisation had hit him hard--as if he made that question on purpose. "...Right. Call me when you're done. I'm just gonna be here," said him, pointing at the waiting lounge of the building.

Temari nodded before heading straight to the female's area, back of her right hand slightly shoving the noren sign at the entrance then.

Shikamaru had the greatest urge to peek, and see what's inside, particularly about Temari, but he mentally slapped himself instead. Ah, don't be stupid. Of course, it looks like the one in males'. Just pink. And girly.