"Bye [Name]-chan!"
"I'll text you when I get home!"
"Hn.." A gruff wave sent the group of girls away instantly. They knew how unbothered by everything [Name] was, so they always took her short responses as they came.
"[Name] can I walk with you?" Her friend Tenten asked, fixing the back of her shoe.
"Mhm." The stoic girl was most comfortable around her friend a vice versa. Though she hadn't much to say Tenten found that she was an excellent listener.
The sunset was strangely bright and orange with a mix of pink. Tenten had taken her leave so [Name] could go to a nearby convenience store.
"Oh you're back." The store clerk said.
"Hello..." She replied with a bored voice.
"I already bagged up the usual." They said. With a nod, [Name] paid for the snacks then took the bag.
"Have a nice evening."
"...." [Name] made her way out the small store and continued her path back home.
A peaceful walk home as she shook the peach milk in her hand. She stopped in front of an ally way when she heard rustling. She kept shaking the milk and turned to see what the sound was. The most unbelievable thing she'd ever seen. Like there was anything to 'unbelieve'.
Someone she had seen before. He was the smartest kid in the school. He was sitting on the ground eating Kami knows what. He looked dirty and beaten up. When he looked up he early threw up.
"What are you doing?" She asked. That was the most he'd ever heard her say at once. Neji didn't want to lie. It was something he never did nor did he ever dream of it. Yet he couldn't think of something to say or even form a sentence.
"Hun-"
"Here." The plastic bag was kicked towards him. As cool as it sounded, the bag didn't make it halfway near him like it was supposed to. Neji looked at the girl in confusion, reaching forward to look inside the bag.
It was filled to the top with-
"Melonpan?" The boy of course had plenty of thoughts running through his mind.
'This girl is strange.'
'Why is there so much.'
'Why wont she leave?'
'..... this is embarrassing.'
The stoic girl watched as he stared into the bag. Neji felt her eyes on him and he tensed up, his face grew red again. The words she whispered made him even more embarrassed.
"Come with me to get cleaned up." He sword he could see a display of emotions on her face. To bad he blinked before he could decipher what it was. Just then she began to walk away. Neji picked up the bag and skipped to catch up.
He didn't know the girl walked so far from the school to get home. Her home was something simple not even Neji had seen before. And he had seen some things.
"Why do you live so far out?"
She shrugged.
"Do you live with someone?" He didn't want to show up, especially in the state he was in.
[Name] shook her head.
"Why don't you talk much?" He asked. She stopped walking and looked him in the eyes. Her dull [color] eyes bore into his pale lavender pair. Neji grew uncomfortable. He averted his gaze then looked at her again.
She.....shrugged....
'This girl.....'
Just then she turned towards the door next to her. Now he knew why she stopped. Not because of the question.
He watched as she didn't even reach into her pocket for keys, simply opening the door and walking in.
It was as simple as the outside of the house. A desk with a lamp, a small kitchen, and a couch in front of a tv. He saw a hall which he assume her bathroom and bedroom were located.
"Give me your clothes. Let me wash them." Neji deadpanned as she held her hand out.
"I-I'm not going to undress in front of you!" He stammered. The dull look didn't change. He couldn't tell if she was focused on him or something else. [Name] began to walk toward him. Neji backed up as her hand slowly reach out. His back hit the wall and his heart raced harshly. The girl pushed herself against him and pulled the bag from his hands. His heart nearly shot out of his chest.
"Go to the bathroom." A command or a suggestion Neji couldn't tell but he listened. He followed her pointed finger down the hallway.
The girl blankly watched, the melonpan hung out of her mouth as she slowly chewed it. Her right hand still held the peach milk, shaking it up.
After an hour or so Neji was sitting in her bathroom. He fingered through his hair, untangling any stray knots. The towel around his hips was small yet he wasn't bothered by it. He couldn't remember the last time he has ever felt this clean. Or the last time he'd felt safe. It been a while. He couldn't even remember what his father looked like. He wondered how his cousin was doing sometimes too. He'd even forgiven his Uncle for kicking him out for some unknown reason with whatever he had in his pockets. Neji was so frozen in thought, he didn't even notice the tears rolling down his cheeks or [Name] standing at the door.
'Wait. What?'
When he looked up she was wearing an oversized black hoodie. He could see her shorts peeking slightly from under it. He noticed the way she looked. He was surprised to see such emotions struck across her face. She looked as if she shared his pain and sorrow. On the verge of tear almost. He felt a hand on his cheek, smooth fingers wiping away his tears. Then he noticed that he began to cry more. He felt her shuffle onto his lap, putting both hands on each of his cheeks. He gripped both of her arms. He wanted to stop crying but he couldn't. Her legs were on either side of his own legs and her forehead was pressed against his.
"Why are you crying?" [Name] asked him. He could feel the emotion slowly rising in each of her shaken breaths.
"I'll tell you when you tell me why you don't talk." He whispered.
"I can't feel anything."
What did she mean by that? Her body pushed against his, removing any space there was in between them.
"What do you mean?" He felt stupid for asking her that.
"I don't know." She pushed his wet hair back out of his face.
"That bag. The contents are the only things that make me feel... happy?" He could tell she wasn't sure of it.
"Oh." Was all he could say.
"But you Neji-kun," His eyes widened. "You make me feel a lot of things."
"I was crying because... because I'm alone." He said. His eyes were closed, he couldn't look her in the eyes.
Neji lowered his hands to her waist. He hugged her. He could feel her lips softly brush against his. She pushed her kiss onto him, holding it. Neji kissed back. It was sweet and pure. He could feel her heart beat against his chest.
Thump...Thump...Thump...
[Name] deepened the kiss and Neji responded instantly. They began to connect slowly and beautifully.
It was the most Neji had ever felt loved in a long time.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The path to the school was filled with plenty of students. As usual [Name] was crowded by her groups of friends as they stood at her locker, waiting for her to change her shoes.
"Ino do you think Shikamaru would like to go somewhere. You know. Amusing?" Temari asked. Ino looked up from her phone.
"You know once you mention the idea Tema-chan, he'd get all melodramatic." Temari snickered as Ino dramatically leaned against the lockers.
"Really Temari? How troublesoooommmmee." She mimicked him and the entire group burst into laughter.
"Woah third year incoming." Sakura said nervously standing behind [Name]. The girl didn't look up at all.
"Good morning." Neji said waving to them.
"Morning Neji." Tenten waved back. The rest of the girl waved too. [Name] looked up. Her expression changed from a dull, blank one to something full of shyness and gratefulness.
"N-Neji-kun. G-Good morning." [Name] spoke loudly. She hugged him and Neji looked at her then at her friends, his face nearly red and overwhelmed.
Her friends watched in awe as her new display of feelings was shown.
"She talked." Sakura muttered.
"What did you do to her Neji-senpai?!" Ino cried out.
"Woah." Temari and Tenten said at the same time.
"G-Good morning [Name]-chan."
"Walk me to class!"
"I can't."
"Buy me ice cream Neji-kun."
"What?"
"Can I have a kiss?" All of the new sentences she spewed made him feel embarrassed. Her friend group still wondered how he was able to crack her shell.
