It was the depths of winter in February, the coldest time of the year, and Konoha had long since been draped in a layer of silvery frost.
Inside a modest home, a boy of about seven stood by the window, his head drooping slightly as he stared outside with rapt attention.
"Akira, is the snow really that pretty?" a middle-aged woman behind him asked with a smile as she walked over.
"I'm watching something… embarrassing."
"Huh?" She blinked in confusion.
"It's something embarrassing… about ninja," the boy said, pointing toward the Konoha Hospital across the street.
Following his finger, the woman soon spotted a third-floor hospital room. Inside, two figures were leaning close together, their silhouettes intimate against the pale light.
"Hey! You little brat, how can you just spy on a ninja's privacy like that?!" she scolded, quickly covering his eyes with her hand.
Just then, she caught sight of the young, beautiful girl inside, gently cupping the patient's face as she slowly leaned closer…
Fortunately… thankfully, her son hadn't seen that part.
"Mom… if I become a ninja… will I have a pretty big sister like that who likes me?" Akira asked dreamily, peeking through the gaps between her fingers and taking it all in anyway.
And just like that, the naïve boy made the first major decision of his seven-year life.
"Mom, I've decided—I'm going to become a ninja too!"
Smack!
The woman's hand came down mercilessly, shattering his grand ambition in an instant.
"Have you finished your homework yet?!"
Clutching his stinging backside, Akira looked utterly wronged. "No…"
"Then go finish it! Or you'll be standing in punishment tomorrow!"
"…Got it."
Before he buried himself in the sea of homework, Akira cast one last longing glance out the window.
Just wait… someday, I'll have a beautiful big sister like that who likes me too!
…
Konoha Hospital, Room 313.
A stream of water was slowly poured into Shimizu's mouth.
In the next instant, his pupils shrank, then widened in shock—
HOT HOT HOT HOT—!!
What the hell?! That's boiling water?!
Is this girl trying to finish me off while I'm injured?!
Who pours something this hot straight into someone's mouth?!
"Sorry, sorry, senpai, I'm so sorry!" Satomi immediately realized something was wrong the moment she saw his face flush red and twist in pain.
"I'm really sorry, Shimizu-senpai, I didn't notice the temperature…"
The searing heat triggered a completely instinctive reaction—Shimizu's body tensed, and tears even welled up at the corners of his eyes.
"I'm really, really sorry!" she kept apologizing in a fluster.
Panicking, Satomi cupped his face with both hands and began blowing gently toward his lips, trying to cool the burn even just a little.
Then suddenly—
"Big sis? What are you doing?"
A puzzled voice broke into the room.
Someone had entered.
It was Hyūga Hayakumo.
Shimizu glanced sideways slightly—
Oh, great. Not just one person.
Arai, Shisui, Hayakumo, Amane… they were all here.
At that point, he completely gave up struggling.
This misunderstanding had been doomed from the start. He couldn't speak, couldn't explain—so what was the point?
Think whatever you want…
His gaze flicked toward Satomi, whose body had gone stiff, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks.
He literally called you "big sis," you know… If you just stayed calm, it wouldn't look so bad. But reacting like this? Isn't that exactly how someone looks when they've been caught in the act?
Honestly… way too inexperienced.
"I—I…" Satomi stammered, completely at a loss.
In this situation, with her hands still cradling Shimizu's face and her own face so close to his lips…
It was as if the sound of screeching brakes echoed through the room.
There was no way around it now.
She would have to explain everything—
From beginning to end.
Satomi had just opened her mouth, ready to explain—
"Coming, coming~!"
Like a gust of wind, Imadegawa Sara burst into the room.
"Oh? So many people—you must all be Shimizu's friends, right?" She looked around, then grinned mischievously. "Looks like you're late~ His girlfriend already got here first."
Shimizu slowly closed his eyes.
This is my fault… I brought this on myself.
The pain from earlier had been unbearable, and in a moment of desperation, he had pressed the call button.
And now… this.
"That's not it…" Satomi tried to explain weakly. "Miss Imadegawa was the one who asked me to come…"
"Oh? So you didn't actually want to come?" Sara tilted her head innocently.
Satomi froze, instantly at a loss for words.
Shimizu had saved her life—twice.
Could she really say she didn't want to come?
An awkward silence spread through the room.
"Ahem…" Arai cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "Maybe… we came at a bad time? Should we step out for a bit?"
"Yeah, no rush. We can come back later," Amane added, his gaze drifting anywhere but the scene in front of him.
"…That works too," Hayakumo said after a pause, watching his usually calm and composed sister now reduced to this flustered, almost shy state.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
I never thought my sister would fall for Shimizu-senpai's tricks…
These three were really enjoying the spectacle.
"Sensei, sorry for the disturbance." Shisui bowed politely.
That's enough. I don't have a student like you.
Then, suddenly, Shimizu heard a soft sigh.
He glanced toward Satomi in confusion.
The blush on her face was already fading.
"Please focus on recovering, Shimizu-senpai," she said gently, giving him a small bow.
Then she turned to the others and bowed once more. "I am not his girlfriend. Please don't misunderstand."
In an instant, she had returned to her usual calm and composed self.
A faint trace of her fragrance lingered in the air as she left, leaving everyone behind staring at one another in silence.
…
In the end, the whole farce was cleared up through a round of explanations among the group—and the ever-enthusiastic nurse.
It turned out…
Everything had simply been a beautiful misunderstanding.
And so, without exception, everyone's gaze shifted toward the culprit behind it all—
Imadegawa Sara.
She scratched her cheek awkwardly and laughed. "Well… that's because Maruboshi Kosuke-senpai said something kind of ambiguous, which led me to the wrong conclusion."
"Based on what I know of Kosuke-senpai… he's not the type to say things like that," Arai said, resting his chin on one hand as he frowned.
"Uh… but he did mean it that way…"
"So what exactly did he say?" Amane asked bluntly.
…
Not long ago—
Standing outside a residence, Sara called out loudly, "Excuse me! Is this Maruboshi Kosuke-senpai's home?"
After a moment, the door opened.
Kosuke looked at her curiously. "And you are?"
"Hello, senpai! I'm a nurse from Konoha Hospital—Imadegawa Sara. I'm here on behalf of Shimizu Uzuki. I have a favor to ask!"
"Shimizu… he's awake?" Kosuke's expression immediately brightened. It seemed his only disciple had made it through another life-and-death ordeal.
"Yes, he just woke up, and he looks to be in pretty good condition."
"That's good… How is his recovery? Did he say anything?"
"He's recovering alright… though he didn't say much. But he really wants to see his girlfriend."
Kosuke froze.
He has a girlfriend?
That Hyūga girl…?
That brat—just last time, he had sworn up and down that there was "nothing going on" between them!
And now he dared lie to his teacher?!
"…Do you happen to know his girlfriend's name? So I can notify her?"
"…It should be that Hyūga clan girl. Her name is Hyūga Satomi."
"Oh, got it! Thank you, old sir!" Sara had already run a few steps away before suddenly turning back. "Aren't you going to visit Shimizu? He just woke up."
"If he just woke up, then someone else will surely go see him first…"
For example… that carefully hidden girlfriend of his.
"I'll go later," Kosuke said with a faint smile.
As long as his student had woken up…
That was enough.
The weight in his heart had finally been lifted.
...
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