The source of this killing intent came from Ruri.
At this moment, Ruri had already come out of her blushing state. After taking a deep breath, she looked over with an expression in her eyes that Hakushi couldn't fully understand.
Faced with this truly inscrutable and strange look, Hakushi could still sense a pressure he'd never experienced before, weighing down on him.
As expected, it was probably because he'd wanted to buy her the kimono just now that her emotions had become even more unpredictable than usual.
Well, even if he tried to see it from her perspective, he'd know his earlier remark would definitely make any girl angry and embarrassed.
"Uh, um… how should I put this, it was really all a coincidence and surprise. Since giving a kimono also has this kind of special meaning, then…"
For a split second—it seemed as if the killing intent around Ruri grew stronger.
Although she'd already turned her gaze away from Hakushi, pretending nothing had happened as she stood there calmly, looking elsewhere.
But Hakushi knew this was definitely not an illusion.
At a time like this, not to mention saving the situation, even just walking out of the clothing store unscathed was something worth worrying about.
Hakushi looked over at Teacher Fujimura beside him, silently begging for help.
Fujimura responded in a righteous tone, "Chiba, when you encounter difficulties, don't always think about seeking help from adults. You're already a qualified ninja. You need to figure out how to fend for yourself."
Of course, that definitely wasn't because he was scared and unwilling to lend a hand.
After all, he was a Chunin who'd been repeatedly voted an elite teacher at Ninja School. Someone as outstanding as him would never just watch his student suffer, right?
This was totally out of a desire to help his students develop the skills to rescue themselves independently.
That's right, this was training.
"I really like the color of this one, and the size fits too. What do you think?"
Right then, Ruri suddenly spoke. Her expression had completely returned to normal, her eyes still on the kimono, as if she were just casually asking for his opinion.
"Y-yeah… I think so too. It really suits you, Ruri."
"..."
"..."
…Uh? What's up with this?
This silence, how to put it, felt like one of those crucial hints hidden in a video game's storyline.
If you didn't trigger it, the plot just couldn't move on to the next stage.
So, trying to just bluff his way through was impossible.
But is this really okay?
He honestly didn't know how to explain this weird feeling that had popped up inside him.
A proposal or something?
No, he didn't even know kimonos carried that kind of meaning, so he just needed to act as usual.
This was just a token of friendship, nothing more.
But still… he couldn't shake this feeling of guilt, like he'd done something indecent.
If only he hadn't blurted out that sentence, none of this would have happened.
The one who embarrasses himself—was always himself.
Hakushi cleared his throat, pointed to the kimono and said, "Teacher Fujimura, please bring that kimono over. I'd like to buy it."
Fujimura smiled, took the kimono Ruri had been eyeing off the rack and packaged it up just as Hakushi asked.
"Chiba, for a boy, only when you personally hand this kind of clothing to a girl does it become truly meaningful."
Damn it, why can't you just keep your mouth shut! Hakushi silently yelled back at him in annoyance.
Ruri glanced over at hanging Chunin Fujimura, her gaze growing a bit softer and tinged with satisfaction.
And so, carrying every bit of awkwardness, Hakushi and Ruri left the clothing store, kimono in hand.
"Kids these days are really something. But if they get married, Chiba, do you plan to marry into the Uchiha Clan?"
Fujimura sighed. After all, Ruri wasn't just a genius of the Uchiha Clan, her family was said to be fabulously wealthy. If they did get married, the guy would probably have to marry in.
But it's still so early, marriage and all that…
◎
The next day rolled around.
Hakushi woke up still groggy, dazed out of his mind.
Thanks to Hyde Park yesterday, he'd tossed and turned under his blanket all night and barely slept. The embarrassment was unbearable.
Whenever he recalled how he'd handed the kimono with special significance to Ruri after they'd gotten home, he was drowned in guilty feelings.
He kept hypnotizing himself: there's no special meaning in this, it's just pure friendship.
But… is that really true?
Because after passing the kimono to Ruri, he hadn't even looked at her expression—he only remembered running away back to the lab in a total panic.
Even last night's experiment ended up with him so distracted, mistakes kept piling up.
This weird feeling inside really was complicated beyond words.
He shook off all those pointless thoughts—right now, work was more important than daydreaming about irrelevant things.
But the more he tried, the more he couldn't ignore what happened yesterday.
What will Ruri think?
Would she take it as a proposal?
That's insane—they're both only twelve years old, physically, after all…
Will she think he's being frivolous?
Would she dislike him for it? Or maybe like him? Or maybe feel nothing at all?
"Aah…"
One thought after another surged into his mind, making his head feel like it was about to explode.
Hakushi opened his mouth and let out a heavy breath, trying to calm himself down.
Just like that, the whole morning drifted by in a confused haze.
So damn annoying.
While Hakushi was suffering through tailored, tangled thoughts—
In the courtyard outside—
A maid quietly walked up to Ruri, who was leisurely feeding the fish by the pond, and whispered a few words in her ear.