Still Falling for You [NH year 2020]

October - Horror

Manga/Anime: Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot
Words: 2 256
Publish: 10/31/2020
Summary: When despair turns into a feeling of love so intense that obsession is the only thing that can help you protect the one you love.

Quietly, Hinata eats her sandwich. She doesn't listen to Kiba and Shino's conversation. She's looking at the seconds on her phone going by. She's afraid afraid to blink.

Then, time comes.

It's like a release.

Innocently, she asks her friends if they want to drink something. She takes their coins, not paying attention to what Kiba is saying. It's always like that. It's not like she doesn't want to be part of the conversation, it's just that her goal is something else.

At the end of the hall, before the vending machines, Naruto is there, giving her his back. His bandaged hand scratches his blonde mane of hair. As always, he hesitates on his choice of drinks. But after a few seconds of thinking, she knows he'll take orange juice. He hates milk. Especially since he got sick because of an expired carton.

Hinata's breathing is a mess. She clenches her fists to give herself motivation. 

Today is the day she's going to talk to him! 

Usually, she's not able to approach him before he leaves with Sasuke. But right now, he's alone and she's determined to not fail like previous days.

Without making a sound, she reaches the vending machine next to his. His eyes are on his phone, but she's really attentive to every one of his moves. She stiffly slides the coins in the small gap.

Now is a good time to talk to him, to thank him.

Her eyes slowly slide towards him. He's still in bad shape. It's more serious than the other days. Plaster on his nose, cut at his lip, scratches over his birthmarks on his cheeks, he seems tired. He sighs and rubs the back of his head again before putting his phone back in his pocket. He looks lonely.

Distracted, he takes his carton of orange juice.

Is it because Sakura hasn't come to school for a few days?

Her heart clenches. Shyly, she opens her mouth. Come on, you can do it.

Suddenly, his azure gaze collides with hers. Her words leave her lips and she tenses, her breathing stuck in her lungs.

His ocean blue eyes are the cause of the acceleration of her heart and the blush on her cheeks.

"Oh? ...Hi Hinata." He greets her tentatively.

His voice is like a caress. She shivers in an instant. Her blood reaches her head so fast that she feels dizzy. Her brain and intentions melt under the warmth his body is spreading. As she's pressing on the button to select the drinks, she catches herself to the vending machine, preventing herself from fainting. Her heart's beating so fast she feels like it wants to escape.