(art from @hakjki92 on twitter)
We both turned to our side, to see where the voice came from. We spotted a shop that was too crowded for its size and that I recalled had been closed for weeks, a new store taking its place. A group of three young jonin were looking at us, some of them more cheery than others. Kakashi grunted almost silently and looked away, and it was then that I remembered these three people from the ramen shop the other day. It was the same guy with a black bowl haircut who called Kakashi, and he was accompanied by the same couple of jonin. A tanned guy with dark hair and a fair girl with red eyes. The three of them looked at Kakashi and then their eyes landed on me. I could see the red-eyed girl moving her lips but I couldn't catch what she was saying from where I stood.
After the three of them had realized my presence their eyes seem to stay on me instead of Kakashi. It made me nervous at first, mostly because of their expressionless faces. But soon I realized they must have been staring at me out of confusion. I looked up at Kakashi to confirm my theory, and I saw how he was trying to avoid looking at them at all costs, almost to the point of giving them his back and walking away. But he didn't.
I looked back at the three expectant jonins and the questions I wondered the other day appeared to have been answered at that moment. These three jonin seemed to want to be friends with him, maybe they used to be friends or knew him. They might have gone together at the Academy. However, Kakashi didn't seem comfortable around them. 'I wonder why'.
After a lot of staring into each other, I realized It was too late to back away now. They had already seen me and were continuously moving their gaze from Kakashi to me and from me to Kakashi, and so forth and so on. I looked at Kakashi who continued to remain near me but ignoring them, yet despite bearing a frown I noticed a small blush creeping from under his mask.
"Hii!" I waved loudly for them to hear as I approached them "I'm (Y/n)" I decided to greet them with a smile. I was almost certain that my theory was correct and I would prove it so.
"What are you doing?" Kakashi muttered annoyed from behind me, following me and saying it in a whisper so that I could be the only one to hear him, but I had no doubt they must have heard him too. Although if they did, they didn't seem fazed by it.
"I'm greeting your friends," I said to him with a smile, lowly as well but significantly louder than him. Kakashi huffed, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he decided to look away as if he wasn't part of any of this. Unlike them
"I'm Might Guy!" the guy with the bowl cut and shiny smile greeted vigorously.
"I'm Asuma, nice to meet you" the tanned guy greeted with a more pacific smile. I smiled back at him and I noticed Kakashi getting more impatient behind me.
"And I'm Kurenai," the girl smiled warmly "How do you know Kakashi?"
The three of them looked at me expectantly, but I just completely froze at her question. So much it must have looked like my brain was rebooting. I didn't know what to say 'He caught me stealing several times' Yeah, it didn't sound any good. I started sweating as the minutes passed and I stayed in silence.
"I know her from around," Kakashi answered for me, making me breathe in relief "Let's go," he then whispered to me.
"Wait, why don't you join us, (Y/n)?" Kurenai asked "Have you tried this dango place yet? They opened today" she said. I looked at the table where they sat and saw that they had indeed ordered some sweets.
"Let's eat dango, Kakashi" I said to the silver-haired ninja, ignoring his previous words and seating by the table. Kakashi huffed as a complaint and I sat down in front of the three ninja "C'mon, I'll invite you" I tried to bribe him.
"You don't have money" he bluntly stated while he sat down next to me and made sure everyone saw he was doing it unwillingly "And I don't like sweet things"
"For your information, I have enough for a few dango," I said with a twitching brow between gritted teeth "Maybe not for more than a couple... but I do for a few!"
"For how long have you known each other?" It was Asuma who asked this time. I looked at him and realized that the three of them were intently looking at us again, watching our short bickering.
"Uh, a few months?" I asked unsure, looking at Kakashi for confirmation or correction. He just shrugged uninterested "How do you know each other?" I asked back, actually very curious about their relationship.
"We went to the Academy together," Asuma explained "but ever since Kakashi got in the Anbu we hadn't hanged out that much" he added. Kakashi kept his unbothered expression but looked away, still avoiding looking at any of us. 'So they were friends, and something happened in the Anbu... or something happened and he got in the Anbu. Perhaps both? Could it have to do with his team dying?' My theory was proven correct, but it only left me with more questions.
"You've been friends for so long, then! That's so cool," I smiled, not even able to imagine how it'd be to be friends with someone since childhood. They smiled back at me, each of their smiles fitting with their different personalities. And Kakashi just... sat completely apathetic.
"And what do you do, (Y/n)? I'm sure I would have known you if you were a ninja" Kurenai asked more about me.
"Oh, I work at the Yamanaka flower shop," 'And a crummy bar on the nights' I said in my mind, but thought it would be best to omit that part.
"Really?" Kurenai said surprised but still with a warm and now bigger smile. Her eyes flickered to Kakashi, who continued to sit as indifferent as before. I nodded "That's such a nice job, I'm almost jealous"
"What? You're a ninja, that's way cooler" I answered, and we both giggled, but my laugh died out when I noticed Gai staring at me, too attentively actually. I sweat-dropped uncomfortably, feeling my skin becoming warm as I wondered whether I had something on my face.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked him with an awkward smile. Both Asuma and Kakashi sighed at the same time which made me wonder if Gai's behavior was normal.
"(Y/n)!" he suddenly yelled my name, making me jump out of surprise "You are so close to my eternal rival, you must..." he began speaking, although he was still loud. I was about to cut him, tell him we weren't that close, but he wouldn't have heard me anyway "become my best friend!"
I blinked a few times, staring at his big eyes and brows, and an even bigger smile. He looked at me closely and expectantly while Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi dead-panned. The last one seemed about to say something but I beat him to it.
"Of course," I said with a giggle, stranged by Gai's personality but not at all displeased by it. He seemed like a genuinely fun and caring friend to have. His smile got even bigger and thus he got even louder.
"Ugh, you're so loud..." Kakashi complained lowly, leaning his head on his hand and still seeming bored, although he now had a slight frown.
"Ah I have to go," Kurenai whined when she saw the time "I'm so sorry," she said standing up "It was a pleasure to meet you, (Y/n). I hope we can talk again soon" she smiled, and I nodded mirroring her.
"I'll walk you," Asuma offered, standing up as well and smiling and bowing to me too.
"Farewell!" Gai waved at them "And I'm not loud, Kakashi! It's the way I have of showing how much youth I have in me!" he said excitedly, which seemed to annoy Kakashi even more.
I let go of a giggle as I saw the two of them. They looked the complete opposite: Kakashi was usually calm and composed, on the quiet side, and Gai was loud and eager. Kakashi was always aloof, and Gai was effusive. They did make an interesting pair, to say the least.
"Gai," I called him, gaining his attention "you said eternal rivals? I thought you were friends?"
"We are! He is my best friend and eternal rival!" he said. I sighed, not quite understanding how that could work. Kakashi rolled his eyes, which also made me think he didn't agree much with him. But he didn't say anything nevertheless and continued to seemingly pay no attention. Gai also seemed to notice my confusion "Ever since we met I challenge him to see who's the most youthful of us! He's won 10 times and lost 3..." he said the last part lower, or well, taking into account Gai's usual tone he said it normally. I nodded, understanding a little bit better their relationship "I know! Kakashi, I challenge you right now!" he suddenly said with shining eyes as if he just had a brilliant idea. Kakashi clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.
"No," he said uninterested, which bothered Gai but only made him more adamant to challenge him.
"C'mon! I'll let you choose the challenge!" Gai begged. Kakashi this time flat-out ignored him while he looked at his fingernails and then at the people around the shop.
"Are you afraid you'll lose, Kakashi?" I asked. He snapped his head to me with a frown "Gai seems quite strong" I said with a badly hidden cunning smile. It seemed to tick off Kakashi as one of his frowning brows twitched.
"I'm not," he said through greeted teeth, arching his brow to me. Gai seemed to beam even more joyous after my compliments.
"My eternal rival would never be scared!" Gai said. 'You're not helping yourself here, Gai' I sweat-dropped as Kakashi continued to look attentively at me with his scarred brow arched.
"Well, I don't know. Why else would he refuse? You look the most... youthful to me" I said to Gai.
"Fine," Kakashi huffed, straightening his back "What do you want me to beat you in again"
"Let's race!" Kakashi sighed heavily, running his hand through his already messy silver hair but he stood up and accepted.
He counted to three and they disappeared immediately. They were so fast I didn't even see them leave the shop. I just felt a heavy gust of wind as they sprinted off. I smiled as I looked at the outside of the shop. Even if Kakashi looked all aloof and cold, he actually cared. And it made me happy to know he did have friends.
My smile faded away after a minute in which I realized I was left alone. I looked around, seeing that everyone was with friends, family, or their loved ones, and I was sitting alone at a table with empty dishes. 'Will they come back?' I thought, sweat-dropping again and unsure whether I should wait.
"(Y/n)?" A girl's voice broke my train of thoughts. I looked up and saw a black-haired girl: Miu. Behind her stood two girls, among whom was Miko, and two other boys. I blinked and got slightly nervous when the five of them were looking at me with tilted heads or curious eyes "I didn't expect to see you here. What are you doing by yourself?"
"Miu, Miko, hi" I quickly composed myself "I was..." I stopped when I realized that none of the people I was with were around anymore, and no matter what I said I would look like a weirdo "with some friends but they walked out for a moment" I came up with a reasonable and simple explanation "Come, sit if you want" I smiled, still feeling kind of bad from how I had treated them and wanting to mend things.
"Thank you, (Y/n)!" Miko said, sitting down with the rest of the group "This is Gina, she is from our class" she introduced the other girl who, like her, had dyed blonde hair. Gina greeted me with a closed-eye smile and I did the same "And these are Shin and Shun" she introduced the two boys who looked kind of alike. I figured they would be twins. They greeted me with a half-hearted wave of their hands and I bobbed my head in acknowledgment.
"Miu," I said, calling her attention and pretty much everyone else's attention "did you buy any shoes from Sato's in the end?" I asked about what she said last time we saw each other so that she knew that back then I was indeed listening, and that contrary to what they thought, I did care. She blinked a few times, surprised that I remembered, and while Shin, Shun, Gina and Miko started a conversation of their own she answered me.
"I did, they're the ones I'm wearing today. Look" she said, showing me a pair of cream low-cut shoes with a black sole.
"They're so pretty!" I complimented them.
"Right? Besides, they go with almost everything" she said with a proud smile.
"Miu, how was it called that karaoke place we went to the other day?" Miko asked her, interrupting our conversation. But I didn't mind because I would have probably not known what to say from that point onwards.
After that, they started to look at the menu and the variety of sweets the store had to offer. I wasn't planning on ordering any. After all, the reason why I initially entered the shop was because of Kakashi's friends. And I preferred not to waste any unnecessary money. Especially if I was planning on buying a camera. Still, I picked up a menu to blend in with them.
I was scanning the creative names of the sweets when a gust of wind almost blew our menus away. Everyone at the table and around us looked at the source of it where a black-haired ninja and a silver-haired Anbu stood. Gai was on his fours, breathing heavily, and Kakashi leaned his hands over his knees for a second before he stretched his back.
"Oh my god look how cute he is" Gina whispered to Miko while they both eyed at Kakashi.
I tilted my head and looked at him as well, trying to see him with their eyes. 'Cute?' I asked mentally, tilting my head while scanning him with different eyes. I had met him with his Anbu mask, and when he was without it he used to be scolding me or threatening me... so I hadn't quite thought about his 'cuteness'. But now that they mentioned it... He did seem like he would be very handsome under his mask... 'How does he look? How long does his scar go into his cheek?' He also had a very fit body... more than the regular boys our age... I screamed internally at the realization of my thoughts and shook my head to get rid of them.
"Argh, I lost again!" Gai exclaimed out of breath as he slumped to the floor. Kakashi smirked proudly and looked at me. But his eyes chaged, dropping his cocky and smiling appearance when he realized there were other people at the table with me.
"Gina he's looking this way!" Miko whispered-yelled at her as they squealed silently. 'Is Kakashi that handsome?! They can't even see his face!'
"I challenge you again!" Gai yelled, slowly standing up again.
"Know how to give up," Kakashi sighed, slowly yet steadily regaining his breath.
"Never!" Gai said, choking on air at the end "(Y/n), convince him again!" Gai said to me. All of a sudden, I felt five pairs of eyes on me. I looked at my friends who were staring at me, and I felt some sweat lining up on the back of my neck.
"Would it be a good challenge if neither of you is in your best shape?" I asked Gai hoping that it would convince him instead. He thought about it for a couple of seconds and his mind seemed to change all of a sudden.
"You're right! I will go lie down for a while and come back for another challenge," he explained, standing straight as if he wasn't tired anymore "Be ready, Kakashi!" he yelled before sprinting off again.
"(Y/n), do you know them?" Miko whispered-yelled to me again, her eyes having a mix between surprise and agitation. And although it was her who asked, the rest of them had their expectant eyes on me.
"I uh... yes?" I hesitated stupidly.
I looked at Kakashi momentarily and saw his gaze altering between my friends and me. Perhaps he was debating whether to leave or not, I wouldn't blame him if he did, and I might actually have done the same in his position. After all, Miko and Miu were my friends and not even I knew the other three people. He seemed to stare for longer at Miu and Miko making the latter more nervous. But surprisingly, he didn't leave. Instead, he calmly and detachedly approached the bench where I was until he sat next to me right as he was doing before he left with Gai. He didn't say anything nor looked at anyone, he actually looked bored or maybe even annoyed to sit there. I could even listen to Miko and Gina fangirling inside their heads.
"You're Kakashi, right?" Gina asked with interested eyes. Kakashi didn't say anything and his answer was nothing else than an almost imperceptible nod.
"How do you know (Y/n)?" It was Miu who asked curiously this time. But again, Kakashi didn't answer and instead turned to me. I swallowed and became nervous when I saw his half-lidded dark eyes glued to me. But I figured I should be the one to answer this time.
"We know each other from around," I answered as vaguely as he had done before, looking at them and not Kakashi as his eyes on me were making my skin turn warmer and warmer. But right after I stopped looking at him I also stopped feeling his eyes on me. I wasn't feeling brave enough to check whether he continued to look not though.
Kakashi didn't seem the least interested in talking (which made me wonder why he decided to stay), and the rest of them must have noticed because they quickly jumped to another topic. Some more dejectedly than others. They hadn't decided what to order yet, and if they continued to talk so much they would take much longer to do so.
"I got a call yesterday," Gina began explaining with a smirk "Guess which of the job offers was"
"No! Really? They called you?" Miu asked excited for her.
"Yeah, I told you. Even if they were looking for a manager they would end up hiring me" Gina said with a proud smile. Shin, Miko, and pretty much the rest congratulated her with similar excitement. And although I didn't quite know what was the job or the situation in specific I also felt happy for her. Especially after having been hired recently as well. That reminded me that I hadn't told Miko and Miu yet.
"Do you remember I was looking for a job too?" I reminded Miko and Miu who, like the rest of them, were looking at the menu again. Miko nodded with a low 'mhm' while looking at me momentarily "I managed to get one," I began explaining, but I noticed that Miu and Shun were only paying attention to each other as they leaned onto one another and giggled, probably flirting in whispers. I paid them no mind, understanding they were in love, and continued to explain it to Miko and the rest "So now I work at the Yamanaka's flower shop on mornings, and I get..." my words slowly died out when I realized no one was actually listening to me.
"What are you going to order?" Miko asked Shin and Gina.
"The matcha and strawberry dangos I think," Gina answered while Shin shrugged his shoulders, still inspecting the menu.
"I was listening to you," Kakashi's voice suddenly sounded lowly next to me.
"You already know what I was going to say..." I mustered, too coward to look at him.
"You can tell me again. I don't mind" he said again, but it kind of made me feel worse.
"Were you saying something, (Y/n)?" Gina and Miko paid attention to me all of a sudden.
"No, it's nothing" I smiled, feeling it'd be stupid to say it now. And also because deep down I didn't want to tell them anymore. Miko and Shin continued talking about the food, and Gina briefly looked at me and then at Kakashi, looking dejectedly. But ultimately she ended up joining Miko and Shin with a bugged sigh.
In the end, they finally ordered their food and continued talking. I, on the other hand, didn't participate much. I was still between bothered and embarrassed for being ignored, and I didn't want to risk that happening again. Especially having Kakashi next to me.
I was overall silent, but he was completely mute. I wouldn't talk much, or explain anything, just say a word or two. But Kakashi didn't even care. He didn't say a word and didn't even look interested at all. Well, I wasn't exactly sure because I wasn't looking at him. He was sitting next to me and I felt as if he was paying more attention to me than anyone or anything else, and that made me not look at him. Because what if I did and he was indeed staring at me? I didn't know why he would, but it made me nervous just from thinking about it.
"This year we are going to a seaside village on vacation. Maybe you've heard of it, it's called 'Haven's Coast'" Shun said with a brash smile. I had never heard of the village, but by everyone else's faces I figured it must have been popular "Last year we went to the forest but it was kind of boring. I'm so going to do snorkeling and sunbathing this time"
"I went there once! It has—" Miko began, but was cut by Shin.
"It wasn't that boring, you're just afraid of bugs" Shun's brother said, rolling his eyes. Gina and Miu giggled and Shun's brows twitched while he tried to keep a proud poise.
"There are many colorful reef—" Miko tried again, still talking in hopes they would notice she was talking. But again, she was interrupted.
"I'm not afraid, they're disgusting. It's different!" Shun frowned as he crossed his arms. Again, everyone else laughed. Everyone except for Miko, of course, who looked like she didn't know what to do or say.
"Colorful reefs?" I asked Miko after I saw her embarrassed face. Her eyes lighted up when she saw I was actually paying attention to her "I didn't know you had been there"
"I was! A couple of years ago, with my father" Miko seemed to regain her joyful expression as she explained to me what she wanted to explain to her other friends. But soon after, all the conversations were cut, this time, however, it was by their food orders.
Miko seemed to forget anything else she wanted to say as she, and pretty much the rest of them, started digging their different sweets. Only from time to time they would exchange some words or laughs, and I soon realized I had slightly become an extra. It wasn't surprising though, after all, they had come together and had already made small talk with me. So why should I stay? Besides, I had been there for far too long without doing nor eating anything, and Kakashi next to me seemed to be as tired of the place as I was. Perhaps even more taking into account that he didn't care about these people that were complete strangers to him. So I decided to stand up, and with a kind smile and polite goodbye, I left the place, followed by Kakashi who walked next to me as nonchalantly as ever.
I was thinking about all the things that had happened today. It felt like a rather eventful day compared to my normal boring ones. Maybe that's why I felt slightly tired, exhausted from so much socialization. However, I couldn't deny I felt strangely happy as well. Partly because I met Kakashi's friends who were very kind. But also because I met with Miko and Miu and today they didn't seem to be any weirder than they usually were, meaning our relationship was back to normal. It relaxed me and made me glad in equal parts. Even if my voice and words continued to be ignored. Kakashi must have noticed I was deep in thought as he broke the long silence between us with a dull voice:
"Aren't you tired of being nice?"
I turned my head to him, at first not understanding where his question came from. I stared at his attentive but spiritless dark eyes, beautiful and unevenly marked, and I understood that he was referring to what I was actually thinking about. He was referring to when I would get cut off yet be the one to avoid that other people felt the same way. I smiled slightly and looked back to the floor.
"Aren't you tired of being alone?" I asked him back, turning to look at him again. This time it was him whose face turned to the side with an almost imperceptible huff
"I prefer to be alone than to stay with fakes"
"Is that why you refuse to be friends with Gai and the rest?" I asked curiously, believing that couldn't be the case.
"I meant your friends, not mine" he huffed again, finally looking at me.
"Oh, so you admit it! They are your friends!" I exclaimed with a happy smile, but he seemed to become even more bothered.
"Why are you ignoring the other part of what I'm saying?" he asked, sounding slightly infuriated. My smile died down but remained as a shadow while I looked back to the floor.
"I know my friends are not the best, but they're the only thing I have" I confessed, feeling an all too familiar sensation stirring up in my chest. I decided to ignore it for now.
"Wrong," Kakashi said, catching my attention. I looked at him, tilting my head and arching my brow in obvious confusion. He sighed loudly upon seeing my expression and looked away "You think I'd endure an hour of stupid gossip just for the sake of it?" I could feel my cheeks warming up slightly even though I still didn't quite understand what he meant. Like, I could get the idea but not exactly.
"Actually, I was wondering why you stayed? I really thought you would leave" I admitted, but an even bigger sigh came out from his masked lips. He once again looked at the front while his shoulders slumped.
"Maybe you are dumb after all" he said with closed eyes and a sigh.
"Hey!" I hit him on the shoulder with a frown.