"But why? Boss Aoki and Sister Mei are just hugging while sleeping?" Ajisai asked innocently, tilting her head slightly, her brows furrowing gently. Ajisai's face was completely sincere, like a little girl who didn't understand why the sky could change color.
Tetsu suddenly tensed. "That... that's not for little kids to see!" Tetsu exclaimed quickly, his voice rising an octave.
Tetsu's cheeks turned bright red, the color creeping from his cheeks to his ears, and even his neck was now burning with embarrassment.
"You'll understand later... when you grow up!" Tetsu added nervously, one hand hurriedly covering Ajisai's eyes as if to seal away the little girl's curiosity.
Meanwhile, the small commotion from that corner was enough to wake the two people who had been sound asleep next to the extinguished campfire.
Aoki opened his eyes first. His vision was still blurry, but the first thing he saw was Mei's face, lying so close in his embrace—Mei's breath was still calm, her eyelashes fluttering gently as she began to wake up.
Their eyes then met.
For a moment, time seemed to hang in the air. The atmosphere felt incredibly quiet. No other sound pierced that brief silence except for the beating of their own hearts. The morning light streaming through the window highlighted Mei's cheeks, which were slowly changing color, like cherry blossom petals touched by the first dew of spring.
"Have you woken up, Princess?" Aoki whispered, his voice sounding heavy yet warm, laced with a teasing tone that tickled. Aoki's smile formed naturally, too relaxed for such an awkward situation.
Mei looked startled. Her body reflexively tensed. She quickly tried to pull away, but Aoki still held her in his embrace—not tightly, but enough for Mei to know she wouldn't escape without a little resistance.
"W-wait... we're still here... someone might see..." Mei whispered in a panic, her eyes darting quickly toward the source of the earlier noise.
And there, like a scene from a classic comedy accidentally created, Tetsu was seen half-bent over, one hand covering Ajisai's eyes in a panic. But Tetsu's own face was turned to the side, sweating as if he had just run a marathon, and his face was now as red as a boiled crab.
Ajisai, trapped behind Tetsu's palm, was still whispering curiously, "What's really going on...?"
But Aoki just chuckled softly—soundlessly, just a barely visible movement of his lips. Then, without warning, Aoki leaned closer to Mei and kissed her lips.
The kiss was light. Brief. Almost like a shadow's touch. But for Mei, time came to a complete stop. Her eyes widened, and her body felt frozen as if she had just been doused with ice water.
Mei's face instantly exploded with redness.
"A-Aoki!" Mei stammered, her breath caught in her throat. Her voice was barely audible, like a whisper of wind trapped in her throat.
However, Aoki slowly pulled away, with a calm expression as if what he had just done was merely saying 'good morning.' Aoki's gaze was soft, his tranquility like a still lake.
Mei remained frozen, her eyes wide, her face now blazing red as if all the blood in her body had gathered in her cheeks.
"Y-you...!" Mei said with a trembling voice. Her tone was supposed to be angry, but it came out sounding like a cat that had fallen into a bucket of water.
From behind, Tetsu repeatedly whispered like a broken record, "I didn't see anything... I didn't see anything... I didn't see anything..."
Ajisai, still with her eyes covered, began to move her head, trying to peek through the gaps between Tetsu's fingers. "Why does it seem like something's strange...?"
And amidst that little chaos, Aoki simply laid his head back down, one hand still half-wrapping around Mei, who was frozen like a sculpted statue, with a small smile that looked... satisfied.
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[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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