Chilly Spring Air (2)

10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

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[Uzumaki Naruto's POV]

I didn't need to use my Sekigan to tell that a rift had formed between Koyuki and Haku. Kurama's sense didn't pick up any ill-intention between them, but they weren't as civil as they were when I arrived the day before. The change started last night. I knew Koyuki had been watching Haku and me train way before she revealed herself. That made me wonder if she was jealous that Haku could get a personal tutelage from me.

I wish I was that stupid.

I sighed lightly in exasperation. I knew how Koyuki felt about me. On the other hand, Haku was confused. She admired and was thankful to me. It seemed similar outwardly, but it was different from the way Koyuki felt about me. But then again, I was not sure. I thought that was the case since Koyuki was mature enough to differentiate between crush and love.

Considering the way her feelings developed, however, it might just be a misunderstood admiration. I was her prince who saved the damsel in distress, after all. Ironic. After what I said to her, I was not even sure myself. Admiration and love were two things I had never experienced in my life. I could respect and appreciate people, but couldn't feel admiration or love.

With that said, it was wiser not to comment on those things. However, I still believed that what they felt toward me would be true love when it remained even after they figured out my darker side.

"It is surprisingly chilly here," I remarked, attracting the attention of my female companions.

"Well, it is nearing winter, after all," Koyuki responded with a smile. "It was formerly a land covered in snow, so chilly air is not out of the ordinary."

"Does it snow?"

"Chilly air is as far as it gets. However, it rains often during that time."

"Interesting."

The room quieted down. Only the sound of our utensils filled it as we had breakfast. I enjoyed the silence, but the awkwardness between the two bugged me slightly. I was not responsible for their childish—and one-sided—quarrel, but it irked me. I needed to get them back to their initial dynamic.

"Will you be busy today, Koyuki?" I asked.

"There will be some meetings with some influential figures but not something I can't postpone," Koyuki answered with a glint in her eyes.

"Why don't we hang out?"

"I would like to!"

Koyuki's eagerness reminded me of Konohamaru. However, her good mood was soon replaced with caution as she eyed Haku. Feeling the need to clarify herself, Haku spoke up. However, I cut her before she could finish her sentence.

"Since Koyuki-sama will be with Naruto-kun, I will—"

"I want you to go with us too, Haku."

"B- But, I will be fine."

"So, you hate me now?"

I quirked an eyebrow, prompting Haku to shake her head vehemently. She stole a sneaky glance at Koyuki who looked like her heart had just been broken, but I pretended not to notice.

"Then, it's settled. Let's have fun in the city."

The girls got ready as soon as we finished breakfast. I changed into more comfortable clothes but still looked fashionable enough. At least, it was in my opinion. Haku was the first one to meet me outside. She was wearing a pink, long-sleeved kimono with a haori overlaying it. Koyuki came out next. She was wearing a purple kimono underneath a stylish fur coat.

Both of them looked stunning and made me feel underdressed. However, I never cared about such a trivial thing. We headed off with me in the lead. I honestly didn't know where to go since I had never been the one to plan a date. I just used my limited experience and took them to an accessory store.

"Koyuki, this brooch matches your eyes. It will look good on you."

"Do you think so? Let me try it."

After putting on the brooch, Koyuki decided to buy it. I would be the one paying, but that was beside the point.

"Haku, this hairpin can double as a weapon too. It will make you beautiful and dangerous."

"Is that so?"

Haku liked the hairpin, so she decided to buy it. I would be the one paying, but that was beside the point.

After loitering around the store for a few more moments, I paid for the accessories the girls liked and then took them to the next store. It was a handbag store. Only Koyuki found whatever inside interesting. Haku told me handbags were too impractical since she could store her things in a Storage Scroll. As such, I only bought Koyuki a handbag.

On our way to our next destination, we encountered a mask store. Haku seemed interested, so I led the girls inside. She spent some time looking around the store, marveling at the masks with intricate designs. Koyuki could never relate to the fascination as she didn't get why anyone would even hide their face.

After some time, Haku decided what to buy. She tried to pay it on her own, but I snatched it out of her hand faster than she could react. She thanked me bashfully just like she had done the first time. A few hours had passed by the time we knew it and we found our stomach a little empty. Our next destination was a sweet shop.

We found a crepe stall. It was quite crowded, but the people parted when they spotted us. I thanked them and then took the spot presented to us. Koyuki and Haku looked quite uncomfortable for stealing someone's spot. But, hey, it is not stealing when the person gives it willingly, no?

I ordered a banana matcha crepe, Haku a strawberry chocolate crepe, and Koyuki a banana chocolate peanut crepe. I was glad they chose different flavors as I wanted to have a taste without buying them.

"All right, girls, let me have a taste," I declared before biting into their crepes without even waiting for their response.

I didn't wait for them to get annoyed to offer my crepe. I had learned my lesson from my cousin. Recovering from their stupor, they bit into my crepe at the same time. They immediately got embarrassed, as I would too, since they just made themselves look desperate.

"I can give you mine if you like it that much," I teased with a smirk.

"It was an accident," Haku clarified.

"Chill, it was not a bad thing. Come get your favorite crepe, girls," I gestured with my crepe.

Koyuki kicked me in the shin. "Stop that antic!"

She was blushing and my Sekigan told me she was being enthusiastic. She had her mind in the gutter… and so was Haku, surprisingly. We continued our date after finishing our crepes. We visited every store that caught our attention and restaurants when it was the proper time to have meals. I spent most of the time getting them to get along.

The weird thing I realized was that they could get along well as long as I was not in their vicinity. Although I knew I was the reason for Koyuki's bad mood, it still felt quite hurt. Anyway, their usual dynamic had returned, so I considered it a job well done.

The sky darkened as the sun shied away. We found ourselves at a fireworks festival. Some people looked our way and greeted us, but no one bothered us. Like us, they wanted to enjoy the festival. We hunted for food and snacks for a while before securing a spot. A lot of families attended the festival, so the space was limited.

"It seems one of you has to sit on my lap for us to fit here," I remarked jokingly seeing the available space.

"I will do it," Koyuki said instantaneously.

Shrugging, I sat down and let her sit between my legs. She immediately got comfortable and leaned her head on my chest. Haku occupied the spot beside me. As we waited for the fireworks, we enjoyed our snacks and talked. While not as lively as the others, our conversation was enjoyable. We laughed here and there.

"So, I am curious. Between the two of us, which one do you prefer to pursue a relationship with?" Koyuki asked boldly. I could feel Haku's curiosity. I guessed this was what they were discussing whenever they were away from me.

"I already consider our friendship a relationship, so I prefer to do it with both of you. The more friends you have the better, unless you are a god… or a beast," I answered.

"Which one of us will you make your wife?" Haku asked intensely.

That got me thinking. Knowing the danger lurking in this world, I was still worried about my survival. Naruto and Sasuke were the original saviors of this world. By default, this world should still survive, but that would be the case if I possessed Naruto's plot armor. Given the time I had spent living in this world, I knew I didn't have it. My point was that I didn't have much thought about romance.

"I haven't put much thought into romance, so I can't say definitely. However, both of you have an equal chance. As for whom I prefer… I think two is better than one." I shrugged. "I am an asshole like that."

"So, you are not averse to the idea," Koyuki concluded carefully.

"Who wouldn't want to live their lives with two beautiful ladies in their arms?" I asked rhetorically. This should deter them from pursuing anything serious from me.

Chu!

It didn't do anything. No one said anything about how they kissed me on my lips at the same time, but the way they hugged my arms must be a declaration of something.