"Hm? Well, I don't really have anything else to do. I don't really want to go home right now..." His sentence trailed off and looked up at the sky with his blue eyes deep in thought.
Am I seeing sadness in it? "U-Uzumaki-san?" His name escaped from my lips and it was too late to stop myself.
"*Hai?" His eyes were no longer lonely and distant and returned to its usual.
*Yes
"N-Nothing. It just look..." I was abruptly cut off by the loud shrill ringing tune of my phone announcing to the world I have a call. "E-Excuse me." I stood up and answered the call from okaa-san. "*Moshi moshi- **hai. Hai. Hai. I'm at the park few blocks from our house. Hai, *arigatou." I walked back to the bench where Naruto-san quietly sat, although he wasn't originally staring at the slide.
*Hello (only said during a call or getting someone's attention), **Yes, *Thank you
"Do you have to go home?"
"Not yet. I-I must wait f-for someone to come pick me u-up."
"Right. Well, I'll wait for you to leave." He chuckled lightly before continuing, "can't have you falling asleep in here again."
I smiled softly at my own clumsiness and at his joke. "**Arigatou." I could have sworn I saw his face slightly turn to a pink hue but decided my mind played a trick on me again.
**Thank you
"Say, Hinata, who are you?" He briefly stared at me with his blue eyes full of questions unasked but returned his gaze on the slide. "I mean... What's your surname? Favorite color? Eto, your class?" Every question that was asked was after he stumbled through words after words yet stops himself from asking more questions.
I didn't mean to but I laughed at the boy stumbling to say the things in his mind and asking all the questions running consistently in his head. Just like me. "*G-Gomen'nasai." I replied quickly as he gave me a confused and startled look, "I-I've wanted to ask you t-the very same questions f-for a while now as well."
*I'm sorry
"*Sou desu ne?"
*Is that so
"**H-Hai." I said with the heat on my cheeks returning once again like a haunting ghost. There was a moment of silence but it was neither awkward nor unwanted, yet for the first time in my life, I broke it first. "M-My name is Hyuga Hinata of class 1-A and my favorite color is lavender." I said under one breath and my face took the similar shade of a tomato once again.
**Yes
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto of class 2-B and I like the color orange."
"Why orange?" I asked with curiosity getting the best of me.
His hand nervously placed itself behind his neck and he chuckled quietly, "well... Long story short, it's the combined color of my parents title. *Akai Chishio no Habanero and Konoha no Kiiroi Senko."
*The Red Hot-Headed Habanero (Kushina) and Konoha's Yellow Flash (Minato)
"Y-Your the son of... *S-Sugoi..." I thought he just happened to have the same surname as the legendary Kushina...
*Wow
"Yeah... It's great to be their son but it's... (sigh)"
Those eyes again... "Uzumaki-san, look." I pointed toward the clear blue sky and its puffy white clouds as I said, "they're watching from way up there. Happy and relieved that you are a kind and healthy person."
His eyes were dazed and focused on the sky above, as if seeing something beyond the naked eye's perception. "You're right, Hinata. They probably don't want me brooding over such things." He said with his eyes glued on the scenes playing in front of him before looking at me with a grateful smile. No words were needed, not even a single letter.
Honk. Honk. Honk. The cue to my departure was a painful reminder that I have to go home and act as if I didn't want to stay longer. He and I stood up in sync and I just quickly looked at him and bowed, and with that, I walked towards the opened car door.
"I'll see you at school, Hinata!" He waved enthusiastically and smiled like an innocent child who just received an ice cream cone.
I tried to match the same enthusiasm he has and shouted as loud as my quiet voice will allow. "*S-Sayon'nara!"
*Goodbye
And with that, we shared, for a fraction of a second, a complete happiness and with a knowledge that from now on we are neither strangers nor simple acquaintances. But, with a possibility of friendship between us...
Or perhaps more...
This very very VERY late update is dedicated to those that waited and still interested. I do beg for forgiveness that this chapter is nothing but a disappointment, short and lame. However, with that said, thank you for your patience, your interest, your support, and your time. Thank you so much.
Carver.
