Chapter 195 : This Is Our First Date!
Oborotsuki led Samui away from Kumogakure's temporary camp and headed straight into a forest outside the village.
He walked ahead in silence, hands in his pockets.
Samui followed quietly behind him, head lowered the entire way.
But the further they walked, the more confused Samui became.
She noticed the surroundings were becoming increasingly remote, far from any signs of people. Even if they needed to discuss something important, bringing her to such a secluded place felt… strange.
Thinking this, Samui stopped.
Seeing that Oborotsuki continued walking ahead as if nothing was wrong, she couldn't help but speak up:
"Lord Oborotsuki."
"Hm?"
"What is it?"
Oborotsuki stopped and turned back to look at her.
"Where… where exactly are you taking me?"
Samui asked hesitantly, a trace of unease in her voice. She subconsciously glanced around at the environment.
The forest was rather quiet.
There were no signs of human activity within a one-kilometer radius.
Even the sounds of small animals were absent.
Just these details alone made her, as a young woman, feel a little creeped out.
"Up ahead is one of Kirigakure's famous rivers. The scenery there is quite beautiful."
"I thought that since this is our first date, we should choose a nicer, more scenic spot."
"I originally wanted to take you to enjoy some of Kirigakure's famous local cuisine, but right now that's not possible—the village is in the middle of reconstruction and repairs everywhere…"
Oborotsuki explained gently, showing a harmless, warm smile.
After hearing his explanation, Samui finally breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded in understanding:
"Oh… I see."
"Wait… d-date?"
Only then did Samui realize what he had said. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Oborotsuki.
He, however, simply nodded with a meaningful smile:
"That's right. A date. Our first date."
"Lord… Lord Oborotsuki…"
"I don't like jokes like this."
Although she was still a little afraid of Oborotsuki,
after all, he was the second-in-command of Kirigakure—his status far above hers.
More importantly, his strength was overwhelming.
Four villages had joined forces and still couldn't defeat him. Offending him would have serious consequences…
But right now, facing such a personal and emotional matter, Samui—as a young woman—was very sensitive.
She shook her head firmly and looked at Oborotsuki seriously, making her stance clear.
"You don't like me, or you don't like me joking?"
Oborotsuki was shamelessly thick-skinned.
He didn't feel angry or embarrassed at all by Samui's words.
Hearing him ask that, Samui's expression softened a little. She subconsciously lowered her head again, deliberately avoiding Oborotsuki's gaze.
She really didn't know how to answer his question.
So she simply kept her head down and stayed silent.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
Oborotsuki took a step forward.
This movement startled Samui, causing her heart to jump. But she didn't dare move, afraid Oborotsuki would misunderstand.
She could only stand there anxiously, not knowing what to do.
Like a helpless little kitten.
"Looks like you don't like me after all…"
"Sorry, I was being too presumptuous."
Oborotsuki deliberately stopped about two or three meters in front of Samui. After staring at her for a long moment, he shook his head with a tone full of disappointment and sighed.
Then, looking dejected, he turned and started walking back.
"Let's go back, Samui."
"Let's just pretend none of this ever happened."
Seeing Oborotsuki's lonely and dejected back, and hearing his disappointed words, Samui's heart softened.
She hadn't meant it that way. In a rush, she hurriedly explained:
"Lord Oborotsuki, please wait…"
"No need. I'm feeling quite sad right now."
Oborotsuki waved his hand without turning around.
"Lord Oborotsuki…"
Samui jogged after him. When she caught up behind him, she slowed down, clasped her hands tightly, and bit her lip.
Oborotsuki continued walking forward without a sound.
"I'm sorry, Lord Oborotsuki. What I said earlier was too rude. I didn't consider your feelings…"
"I… I actually… I actually didn't mean it that way."
Samui felt it was better to explain clearly.
She really didn't want Oborotsuki to misunderstand her, and she especially didn't want him to feel hurt, sad, or lose face because of a misunderstanding.
Samui followed behind Oborotsuki with an apologetic expression, head lowered.
Suddenly, she noticed Oborotsuki had stopped.
Caught off guard, she nearly bumped into his back. She looked up at him in surprise.
"What did you just say?"
Oborotsuki asked with a hint of pleasant surprise, looking at Samui expectantly.
"I, I meant…"
Samui's gaze met Oborotsuki's bright, expressive black eyes, and once again she felt her heart skip a beat, like a little deer running wild.
She panicked and looked away, not daring to meet those charming eyes that seemed to speak.
"I meant… I…"
"You don't dislike me joking—you just don't like me, right?"
Oborotsuki's mouth slowly curved into a smile as he looked at Samui and asked.
"I don't know if I should like you, Lord Oborotsuki… No, I mean I actually do like you in my heart, but I don't know if that's appropriate, and it's not that I dislike your jokes…"
Samui didn't know how to explain clearly enough for Oborotsuki to understand her true, complicated feelings.
Her emotions were a tangled mess right now.
It would be a lie to say she had no good feelings toward Oborotsuki.
But those feelings were mostly admiration—his outstanding looks, extraordinary status, and overwhelming strength, among other things.
These were based on initial admiration and didn't go much further.
Yet at this moment, Oborotsuki was openly pursuing her… Well, his earlier words could probably be considered a form of courtship, right?
Although Samui herself hadn't had much romantic experience, she looked forward to love—especially the idea of dating someone as incredibly handsome as Oborotsuki.
But he was an enemy of Kumogakure.
He was the second-in-command of Kirigakure.
How could she… possibly be with him?
Their statuses and positions were completely unequal to begin with, not to mention all the other factors that could affect any relationship between them.
Samui couldn't express her true, complicated feelings.
Right now, facing Oborotsuki, she felt anxious and distressed.
Oborotsuki, however, had been watching this adorable beauty the entire time.
Seeing Samui flustered, desperately trying to explain herself but unable to articulate her thoughts clearly, he couldn't help but smile inwardly.
"Actually, I wasn't joking earlier."
"I was serious."
----------------------
Support us on Patreon and gain access to 100 chapters in advance!
patreon.com/inkroxx