Our Mutual Feelings

— Hanabi's POV —

It's 6:00PM and I'm home getting ready before meeting Hayabusa at 7:00PM to have our BBQ dinner. I brushed my raven locks and tied them into a pretty bun with my front hair framing my face. Putting minimum make-up, I walked towards my closet and chose an outfit for the night. I kept trying on the many different outfits before coming to a conclusion of simply wearing a black-coloured romper and combat boots. I looked at myself in the mirror to check myself out and to make sure I had not forgotten anything.

It's 6:50PM when I grabbed my purse and went out of my house, making my way to the bench by the marketplace where I had first met him. My house was a 10-min walk to the marketplace so it wasn't considered that far away. Though for normal villager it would be a 15-min walk to the marketplace as no one would want to walk in this dark alley which was a short cut to my destination. I usually would not have taken this path due to its many drunkards and men but I was going to be late otherwise. Furthermore, I'm a ninja, so this shouldn't be a problem, no?

How wrong was I for they too were skilled with weapons.

"Hey pretty lady, care to join us?" said a blonde haired man with a large sword by his side. His group of friends' eyes started following me as well when one of them jogged to me.

"I've always noticed you but you never walk here so I had no chance of talking to you," said the brunette that had just jogged up to me. I ignored him and only walked faster in which he matched with my pace too. "It's rude to ignore a guy like me, you know?" He added, still trying his luck. I kept walking at my fastest speed but god, this alley seems like it was never going to end!

"Oof!" I was slammed onto the walls between his arms as he locked me in. I glared at him and was about to open up my mouth when he started talking first.

"Didn't I tell you that it's rude to ignore me? My patience is only so thin," he said, annoyed.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing? Isn't this more rude than me ignoring you?" I said, getting pissed already. "In case you didn't know, if I didn't acknowledge you, it means get away, I'm not interested." I added. Boy he wasn't happy.

"You're at my territory, it is my rules. If I say it's rude, it is rude," he replied pissed as heck. I'm late to meet Hayabusa already and this dude wasn't just going to let me off! I was about to kick him between the legs when a voice called out.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing to my date? Get off." The all-too-familiar voice was heard, Hayabusa was here.

"M-my date?!!" I panicked in my head, blood rushing to my face. I'm in such a weird position yet what was making me react was the presence of Hayabusa and his words. I've never experience this kind of stupidity before.

"She's taken and by you? Who are you even?" The annoyed brunette scoffed. Annoyed at the presence of another who blocked his advances towards me.

"I'm Hayabusa and that lady you're making uncomfortable is my Girlfriend, so could you please get off?" He replied calmly. I might burst, too much of my blood went up to my head.

"Oi pretty, do you know this guy—" The brunette stopped as he saw my flushed face, understanding the relationship between me and Hayabusa. "Tch. Whatever, next time I will have the chance." He claimed, walking off from us and joining back his friends.

"Hanabi, are you ok? Did he do anything to you?" Hayabusa asked when he caught up to me.

"I'm fine, you saved me, thank you." I thanked him.

"Shall we go?" He asked and my stomach grumbled in response to my embarrassment, which he laughed it off.

"Welcome! Table for how many?" The host of the BBQ restaurant asked.

"Two please, thank you." Hayabusa replied. The host nodded in response and brought us over to the empty table and gave us the menu.

"Whenever you want to order, do alert us by pressing the bell on the lady's left," he informed us before walking away to host the next customer. We looked through the menu and proceeded to place an order.

"So what are your plans now that the examination is over?" He asked as we waited for the food to arrive.

"I don't really have one, I'm just going along with what our sect wants to do. How about you?" I replied honestly. I had not thought of what I'm going to do now that it's over, the next time there's this ceremony it'll be in 10 years.

"I guess I'd have to come up with a team first before haunting for that former Shadow. I wouldn't want to do this alone, that's what I think for now that is." He replied, thinking carefully before adding on. "Do you want to join me? You're talented and your abilities are one of the best I've seen. You'll excel well in team fights and you're good at analysing the situation."

"I- thank you for your compliment but I'm not really sure, should I? Can I?" I replied, surprised with the sudden option I was given. It was not bad of a choice, I honestly wouldn't mind, but is it really right to do so? "Have you checked with the Grandmasters to see whether it's allowed?" I asked.

"I haven't but I thought it's a great way of uniting our two sects and bringing back our former glory." He reasoned and I found myself agreeing to his suggestion. Just then our food had arrived and we immediately grilled our meats while drinking our kelp soup.

"Thank you for coming! Please come again next time." Thanked the host as we stepped out of the restaurant after our dinner. It was a filling dinner and we talked a lot about ourselves, getting to know each other. We decided to continue talking after dinner and so we made our way to the bench.

"Thank you for the dinner, have you thought about my suggestion?" he asked once we were seated on the bench.

"Thank you too. Yes I have actually, and I don't mind joining you. Thank you for the opportunity." I sincerely thanked him.

"That's good! I would miss you otherwise and I wouldn't want that," he replied, smiling wide at my response while I could only blush at his response. "I want to get to know you better, you attracted me to you." He confessed.

"Me too, you attracted me too, so I don't mind this opportunity to get to know you better as well," I confessed, blushing. Hearing my reply, he was happy and satisfied for he knew that the feelings he had for me, I had for him too. We spent the night in each other's company, coming up with ideas and advising one another on what we should do to start our duty. As the village got darker and the stars shine brighter, we knew it's time to return home. He walked me home and we walked the long way, not through the alley again. As we reached the front of my house, we stopped and he turned to face me.

"I have to go back home tomorrow for a day or two and I'll bring my Brother along on our team and you with your Sister?" He told me and I nodded my head in agreement. "I'll come back to you quickly that you wouldn't feel like I was away!" As he leaned in to plant a kiss on my forehead.

"Good night and I'll see you soon, Hayabusa," I said to him, waving him goodbye as his back retreated into the shadows and I entered my house.