"What do you mean?", Mabui asked, puzzled.
"I mean it literally," Samui sat back down in her seat.
"Aoba going after Yugito first might be because Yugito is the hardest one to deal with among the three of us."
"Ah?"
Mabui blinked; she wasn't dumb and immediately understood what Samui meant, "You mean we two are actually targets of Aoba too?"
"Are we not?"
Samui rolled her eyes. Her sister's ability as a secretary was practically flawless, handling all sorts of affairs meticulously. It was just that she was a bit slow when it came to feelings.
"Why... why do you think I'd be easier to deal with than Yugito?", Mabui stared dumbfounded for a moment, then complained.
"..."
Samui felt Mabui was getting off track and still explained her reasoning.
"Because you're the Hokage's secretary."
"What kind of reason is that?", Mabui looked baffled.
Samui couldn't help but put a hand to her forehead and sigh.
"In the future, Aoba will definitely become Hokage, and he isn't even twenty yet. If he wants to, he could be Hokage for at least twenty years."
"Do you think if you stand next to him as Hokage's secretary for twenty years, you could just run away?"
Mabui suddenly understood, "So that's why he made us Hokage secretaries, and made Yugito a maid!"
"Samui, what should we do?", Mabui anxiously asked Samui's opinion.
Samui shrugged helplessly, "Up to you. From what Yugito said earlier, Aoba is someone who values feeling. As long as you don't fall for him, he definitely won't force you. Or, you could just find a boyfriend."
"With so much work every day, when would I have time to find a boyfriend?", Mabui was speechless, what kind of solution was that? She grew pessimistic, "Besides, we're supposed to be Hokage's secretaries for twenty years. I'll be an old lady by then."
"Then just agree. Aoba's young and handsome and strong, dating a younger man wouldn't be so bad," Samui teased.
Mabui was utterly speechless, "What are you saying? With so many girls around him, I'd definitely lose out!"
"Not necessarily. Didn't you notice, Konan didn't come to work today, and Shizune seems off too, looks like overindulgence."
Samui suddenly brought up Shizune and Konan.
"What does that have to do with Aoba?", Mabui didn't get it.
Samui put on a serious face and began analyzing matter-of-factly.
"It shows Aoba's strength is such that he could easily handle two at once, and normally Konan and Shizune's complexion look pretty good, you can tell their relationship life is harmonious."
"You won't lose out."
Mabui slowly caught on. From earlier their wavelengths just hadn't matched.
"What exactly have you been observing... wait, you've been watching this closely, you've had this idea for a while, haven't you?", Her expression went from helpless to shocked.
Samui sighed and rubbed her shoulder.
"What can I do? My little brother is still in his hands. If he ever confesses to me, I'll accept."
Mabui was left speechless.
"Alright, there's a long time ahead. Right now we need to deal with the work on our desks," Samui patted the heavy stack of documents.
Mabui froze, 'Why does Konoha always have so much to do?'
She envied Yugito's current life again and suddenly felt that being Aoba's girlfriend... might not be so bad.
At least work would be lighter.
———
Yugito left the Hokage building and didn't go straight back to the Senju ancestral house; she returned to the shopping street instead.
She checked her small purse, there was still quite a bit left, but she felt she needed a source of income. Short-term she wouldn't lack anything, but after she started going out every day, the money wouldn't be enough.
Having made up her mind, Yugito looked at some foods she hadn't tried yet.
Then, carrying a bag of food in one hand, she stepped into a small bookstore on the edge of the shopping street. Although she wasn't very interested in romance, she needed to understand Aoba's psychology.
Soon, on the front shelf, a book with a fresh cover caught her eye.
Yugito read the title aloud without meaning to.
"'Icha Icha Paradise'? This book seems pretty popular in the shinobi world." [T/N: Another victim of Jiraiya]
Back in the Cloud she'd seen people reading this book too. It seemed to be about romance.
She stepped forward, took the book from the shelf, and casually opened to the first page—
Then she leaned against the shelf and started reading.
Time passed second by second. When she reached the crucial part, Yugito suddenly shut the book.
Her cheeks flushed; the following content wasn't really suitable for public viewing.
She quickly took the book and jogged to the counter.
"Why is it so late?"
When Yugito stepped out of the bookstore with her small bag, it was already dusk.
Remembering Aoba had told her to return early, she hurried her pace.
The flush on her face hadn't faded; she had, inexplicably, imagined the male and female leads in the book as her and Aoba.
It was so embarrassing.
Yugito's pretty face was bright red as she ran back to the Senju ancestral house. Early on the way, she had already returned to her usual appearance.
Her light brown braids swung in the air with her steps like reins.
By the time she reached the house door, Uzuki Yugao was guiding Karin in taijutsu on the yard, while Konan sat on a reclining chair at the gate watching.
Yugito didn't interrupt Uzuki Yugao and Karin and instead went over to Konan.
"Has Aoba not come back yet?"
Konan nodded, then shook her head, "He came back earlier, then went out again."
"What the? and he told me to come back early...", Yugito muttered softly, disappointment plain on her face.
Konan tilted her head; a faint puzzled expression crossed her cold face, "You really want to see Aoba?"
Yugito was slightly taken aback and immediately denied it.
"No-no!"
"Then why do you look so disappointed?"
"I just wanted to know whether he was here or not, not that I wanted to see him," Yugito hurriedly explained, flustered.
The next moment, a warm current seemed to brush her ear.
"I smell the scent of a lie."
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