Chapter 11 - Two Lonely People - Part 3

A full month had passed since the grocery store incident, and Iruka was growing steadily more flustered by the day. Everywhere he went he kept seeing flashes of reddish-brown hair, or the sparkle of those vivid blue eyes. Then he’d blink, and he’d realize he had imagined it. He slumped over his desk in frustration.

I can’t stop thinking about her. That’s it, he decided with sudden forcefulness, pounding his fist on the table, I’m going to ask Genma about her. He’s bound to know something, and if not, he’ll know someone who does. I’ve got to find her.

He was about to stand up when the door to his classroom slid open, and a girl walked in. A very familiar girl. Iruka’s jaw dropped. Speak of the devil…

“Oh, Iruka-san!” Hisako exclaimed in surprise, the expression claiming her face nothing but adorable, Iruka had to admit.

“H-Hisako-san!” He stammered, his mouth suddenly going dry. Damn it, now that she’s here, I can’t think of anything to say! “W-what brings you here?” A relatively safe question. I hope.

“Well, I work here from time to time, filing reports, delivering papers, that sort of thing. It’s tedious, but I get to see people, and it doesn’t pay too terribly,” she said with a delicate shrug of her shoulders.

“Would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?” Iruka blurted, his face falling in shock as he registered what he just did. I just asked her on a date! Ah, hell. She blinked, surprised at the outburst.

“You… want to go to dinner. With me?” She asked in a disbelieving tone.

“Well, yes,” he admitted with a blush, scratching the back of his head in dismay at her lack of enthusiasm. “We keep meeting by accident, and I’m tired of waiting, well, hoping, to run into you. And while I’m being so painfully honest, I figured I’d just go ahead and ask.” He internally slapped himself. He felt like he was just digging himself a deeper hole. His fears were confirmed when the light left her eyes, and a dark expression took hold of her.

“I don’t need your pity,” she replied, the chill in her voice sending shivers down his spine. “I saw the look in your eye when I told you about why I’m still a gennin. Figures. I tell you my sob story, so you take pity on me and decide to rescue me from loneliness by becoming my only ‘understanding’ friend.” I don’t need it. I don’t want it.” With that she turned and stalked out of his classroom.

“Hisako-san, wait!” Iruka yelled after her, overturning his chair in his hurry to catch up with her. By the time he rounded the corner, she was already gone. “God damn it!” He shouted, and was rewarded with several stern looks from passersby in the hall. He flushed with chagrin, but most of all, sorrow. Did she think so little of herself that a guy could only take interest in her out of pity? What happened to her to make her see herself so poorly?

Iruka balled his hands into fists as he thought this through. He knew just who to go to. If Hisako was friends with Sakura, then there’s no way she’s not friends with him too.

Time to visit Yuji.
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I know this is short, but I intend to upload another one in the next day or so! So don't fret!

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