[December 30th]
The end of the year was approaching, and the day that everyone in Konoha had long been looking forward to was about to arrive.
Today, the Hidden Leaf Village was already bustling, because the preparations for the New Year's festival had started a whole month in advance.
[Inside the Library]
There were no books in here at all. The whole world seemed to be covered by a grayish-blue curtain, with snowflakes drifting down, as if feathers were fluttering through the sky.
In this spotless world, there were three small dots.
Kurama Yakumo and Aoba were sitting in the snowy scene, and in front of them was a snowman carefully built.
Smiles blossomed on both of their faces.
"Aoba, I heard there's a festival tomorrow night..."
"Yeah," Aoba nodded his head, "It will take place on Hokage Rock. They say there will be lots of snacks, all kinds of games, fireworks, and preparations began as early as a month ago."
"Eh? Preparations started a month ago? But I didn't know," Kurama Yakumo was a little surprised.
"Are you going?", Aoba asked.
Kurama Yakumo's face flushed red involuntarily, "Is Aoba going?"
"I already made plans with some friends to go. If Yakumo wants to go too, you can come with us," Aoba extended an invitation to Kurama Yakumo.
Hearing this, Kurama Yakumo's heart trembled slightly. What followed was a sense of disappointment.
Her preparations seemed to have been too late.
"No... no need, Aoba, you just go have fun with your friends. Tomorrow I'll go with my mom and dad," Although she refused, the disappointment in her eyes was hard to hide.
She just wanted to go with Aoba, the two of them alone.
But now it seemed that Aoba had already made plans with his other friends.
She couldn't ask him to abandon his friends and go with her instead. That would be too selfish.
'Well, Aoba is such a good person, he surely has many good friends at school.'
'Maybe there are even lots of girls who like him.'
She didn't know why, but thinking of this made Kurama Yakumo's heart feel a little sour.
Maybe it's because Aoba was her only friend, but she was just one among many of his friends, maybe not even the closest one.
Because they had only known each other for a month, they didn't have many shared memories or a special relationship. In Aoba's eyes, she probably didn't measure up to those friends he had at school.
That kind of imbalance suddenly gave her an inexplicable feeling of anxiety.
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it became.
Just when her mind was wandering all over the place, suddenly, her whole body shivered.
A hand gently patted her head. She turned her head and met Aoba's gentle gaze.
"Yakumo, don't be too quick to judge yourself. Even though we've only known each other for a month, you are already a very important and irreplaceable friend to me."
"Really?", Kurama Yakumo asked instinctively.
"Of course! You're special!"
Aoba rubbed her head again.
Head pats are indeed easy to get addicted to, especially when it's a few girls' heads, each one feels different to the touch.
For a moment, Kurama Yakumo's previously chaotic and panicked heart settled down.
In the genjutsu space, the swirling snow and wind also slowly calmed.
"Want to go to the festival with me?", Aoba asked again.
Kurama Yakumo smiled brightly but still shook her head, "Let's skip this time. When I start school next year, Aoba, introduce your friends to me then."
"Okay."
———
Parting ways with Kurama Yakumo at the Kurama clan compound gate, Aoba returned home.
The scene in front of him made his jaw drop.
At this moment, Tsunade was wearing a green yukata, looking graceful and elegant. Her long twin tails hung over her shoulders, tied up at the back of her head with a delicate hairpin.
She was leaning wearily on the sofa, watching TV.
At a glance, she looked a little lazy, but there was still a sense of dignified elegance about her whole being.
Aoba was momentarily stunned.
For a long while.
Tsunade on the sofa turned her head slightly to look at him, "Why are you standing there at the door?"
Aoba instantly snapped back to his senses and walked over calmly, "Sensei, why the change in style today?"
Tsunade's expression became a bit helpless, "This is what I'm wearing for tomorrow's festival. Shizune dragged me out to buy it. I didn't gamble all day, and I walked around all day. I almost died from discomfort."
"Looks like Sister Shizune is really looking forward to the festival," Aoba said sincerely.
"Aoba, you're back!", Shizune's surprised voice came, and Aoba looked over.
She was also wearing a yukata of the same style as Tsunade's, only in black, walking out from the bedroom.
But...
Though it was the same style, just a different color, compared to Tsunade, it was a completely different vibe.
If Tsunade's outfit gave off a dignified and elegant feeling, then Shizune was like a clumsy yet pure girl-next-door.
Very soon, Aoba found the reason.
'This is a story of chest trauma.'
"Aoba, how do I look in this yukata?", Shizune opened her arms and twirled once in front of the two.
"I think it looks great. It suits Sister Shizune very well."
Though the style was different, it had a unique charm of its own.
"That's good. I spent a long time picking this out with Lady Tsunade," The smile on Shizune's face became even brighter.
"Oh right, I bought one for you too!"
Shizune ran back to the bedroom and brought out a plain-colored yukata, stuffing it into Aoba's arms.
"Hurry and try it on!"
"Alright," Aoba took the yukata and walked toward the bedroom.
"Wait a second," Shizune asked with a smile, "Do you need sister's help to put it on?"
"Sister is confident she can help you put it on nicely."
"?"
"No need," Aoba quickened his pace and locked the bedroom door behind him.
———
[The Next Day]
The winter sky always darkened quickly, but the brightly lit Konoha still looked like daytime.
The villagers on the street were all heading toward the same destination.
[Hyuga Clan Compound]
"Hanabi, do you think this one looks better? Or this one?", Hinata frowned adorably, holding two yukatas and trying them on against herself back and forth.
Hanabi, lying on the bed, had her cheeks in her hands, looking speechless, "Big sis, you've been picking all day. Big Brother Aoba likes you so much, no matter what you wear, he'll like it. You don't need to make it this complicated."
Hinata's face turned a little red, and she shook her head, "No way. If I don't take it seriously, Sakura and the others will definitely look better than me."
This was the one thing she couldn't be careless about. She had to show her best side.
Another hour passed, and Hinata had finished tidying up from head to toe.
But she still looked worriedly at her reflection in the mirror.
"Big sis, if you don't hurry, you're going to miss the meeting time," Hanabi pulled out her ultimate move.
"Ah! Why is it so late already?", Hinata looked at the time and became anxious.
As she passed by Hanabi, she still leaned over to rub cheeks with her for a bit, "Hanabi, you have to wish your big sister luck."
Hanabi: "?"
Then Hinata ran out of the house, hurrying to the meeting spot.
Hanabi just stood at the door, waving to Hinata.
Although she really wanted to go play with her big sister, she was still too young and could only go later with her parents.
"If only I could grow up faster."
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