Gaara looked up, just in time to see that smile.
His face turned even redder. Starting from the tips of his ears, the blush spread to his cheeks, and then to his entire face.
He lowered his head, staring at his toes; the sand by his feet shrank back halfway as if startled.
Temari saw it. Kankuro saw it too.
Temari was the first to laugh. It was soft and brief, but she definitely laughed.
Kankuro followed suit, laughing a bit louder than Temari, but not by much.
Hearing their laughter, Gaara looked up. He looked at his sister, his brother, and the smiles on their faces.
Then he glanced down at the Water Bladder in his hand.
He looked up and took a sip of water.
And then.
Pfft—
This time, he sprayed it right at Temari.
Temari couldn't dodge in time and got a face full of water. She stood there stunned, water droplets sliding down her face.
Kankuro laughed even harder.
Then Gaara turned toward him.
Kankuro's laughter came to an abrupt halt.
Don't! Gaara, don't..."
Pfft.
Kankuro also got a face full of water.
The three of them stood there. Water hung on Temari's face, water hung on Kankuro's face, and Gaara held the Water Bladder, his face still red.
Then Temari laughed.
She bent down to pick up another Water Bladder from the ground, opened it, and took a sip.
Seeing this, Kankuro turned and ran.
Temari chased after him.
Gaara chased after them too.
The three children began running around the Training Ground, spraying water back and forth, their laughter ringing out intermittently.
Sunlight fell upon them. The wind blew in from the entrance, making the sand rustle softly.
Those droplets of water sparkled in the sunlight; when they hit the ground, they were quickly absorbed by the sand.
Shinji stood where he was, watching this scene.
He watched those three children running, laughing, and spraying water at each other in the sun.
Something welled up from his chest. It was light and warm, like sun-baked sand.
He didn't suppress it, nor did he really want to.
In the last Simulation, I suppressed it too much.
This time, I'll just let it be.
In the distance, Temari stopped and glanced over. Their eyes met, briefly and lightly. Then she turned her head and continued chasing Kankuro.
Shinji withdrew his gaze.
He turned and left.
...
That night, Shinji was walking back to his residence.
The night wind blew from deep within the desert, carrying the scent of grit.
The moonlight turned the sand into a pale silvery white, and it crunched softly under his feet.
He didn't walk fast.
His mind was still on the sight of those three children chasing and spraying water at each other on the Training Ground earlier that day.
Thinking of that smile. Thinking of that feeling that had welled up in his chest at that moment.
Footsteps came from behind him.
Very light. But he could tell who it was.
Shinji-sensei!"
He stopped and turned around.
Temari stood three paces away, holding something wrapped carefully in oil paper.
Her hair was a bit messier than it had been during the day, as if she had run here.
There were two small shadows behind her.
Kankuro was hiding behind a low wall, poking half his head out.
Gaara was crouching in the shadows on the other side, the sand at his feet swirling restlessly.
But they were all looking this way.
Shinji withdrew his gaze and looked at Temari.
This." She stepped forward and pressed the object into his hands.
It was a piece of cake. Not large, but wrapped neatly, with the corners folded meticulously.
The oil paper still held some warmth, as if it had just been taken out from somewhere.
The three of us made this..."
Temari lowered her head, her voice a bit muffled:
Thank you for taking care of us all these years."
Shinji looked down at the cake in his hand.
The knot on the oil paper was tied very carefully. It wasn't just tied haphazardly; it was the kind that had been wound around several times before being pulled tight.
He looked up.
What's the occasion today?"
Temari paused. Then the tips of her ears turned a little red.
It's just... that day three years ago."
Shinji didn't speak.
That day three years ago. The day he had first crouched down on the Training Ground to wrap a bandage for her.
She remembered.
He lowered his head and looked at the cake in his hand again. The warmth of the oil paper transferred through his fingertips. It was very warm.
Thank you."
He said. His voice was very soft—much softer than when he usually taught class.
Temari looked up at him.
Those eyes were different from three years ago.
The cautious light inside, which didn't dare be called hope, had turned into something else.
In the distance, Kankuro poked half his head out from behind the low wall, staring at the cake in Shinji's hand.
Gaara crouched in the shadows, also watching. The sand at his feet had stopped swirling and just stayed there, as if waiting for something.
Temari stood there, looking at Shinji.
Shinji looked at the cake.
The wind blew between the two of them. The moonlight made everything look faint.
Then, I'm going," Temari said.
Mm."
She turned and ran a few steps, then stopped and looked back at him.
Is it good?"
Shinji looked up.
I haven't eaten it yet."
Temari smiled. A small smile.
Then she turned and ran, going over to the low wall, grabbing Kankuro with one hand and waving at Gaara with the other.
The three small shadows disappeared into the night.
Shinji stood where he was, looking in that direction. Moonlight fell on his shoulders. The wind blew the sand, making it rustle softly.
He lowered his head and looked at the cake in his hand again. The knot was still there.
He turned and walked toward his residence, moving very slowly; the warmth of the cake hadn't dissipated yet.
Far away, Temari ran for a distance and stopped to catch her breath.
Kankuro caught up: "Sister, did Sensei take it?"
He took it."
What did he say?"
Thank you."
Kankuro grinned.
Gaara walked up from behind and stood beside Temari. He didn't speak, but the corners of his mouth curved up slightly.
Temari looked at the two of them. Then she turned and glanced back in the direction of Shinji's residence.
Under the moonlight, that silhouette had already walked far away.
She suddenly placed her hand over her heart. It was beating a bit fast.
—It was probably from running.
She thought.
Then she turned and led her two brothers into the night.
Shinji returned to his residence and closed the door.
He placed the cake on the table and, by the light of the oil lamp, looked at the knot. Wound around several times, then pulled tight.
He unwrapped it.
The cake wasn't large and was a bit burnt. There was a dent on one of the corners, as if someone had accidentally bumped it.
He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
It was a bit sweet. A bit dry. It wasn't a very successful bake.
He chewed slowly.
Moonlight shone through the window, falling on his face.
Scenes involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
That afternoon three years ago. Temari's palm was scraped, blood flowing down the ribs of her fan, yet she said it didn't hurt.
Shinji had crouched down to wrap the bandage for her, and she had asked, 'Can you also teach Gaara?' with light in her eyes.
Then the scene changed to when Gaara first let the sand flow into his palm, the brightness that rose in those eyes that had been empty for so long.
Kankuro's step forward from the shadows. Just one step.
Shinji chewed the slightly burnt cake.
Thinking about what happened during the day.
The way Temari swung her fan.
The furrowed brow of Kankuro as he adjusted his puppet.
The quietly flowing sand at Gaara's feet.
Thinking of them chasing and spraying water at each other, their laughter ringing out intermittently.