A Precious Gift for Someone Precious: The First "Clash" Between Emotion and Reason

Under the dim streetlights, the occasional pedestrians passing through this little street could see a young couple, both blushing shyly.

Standing face to face, the two looked somewhat awkward. The girl kept her head lowered the entire time, too embarrassed to look at anyone. Her small hands constantly fiddled with the hem of her skirt as though it were something fascinating...

Liuyun held the Bell Bracelet in one hand while slowly extending the other, taking one of Kushina's fair, delicate hands.

Her cold, soft hand trembled slightly. The instant he took it, she instinctively struggled a little, but as Kushina turned her head away, her arm immediately lost the strength to resist.

"This bracelet once carried the precious bond between a mother and daughter. Now that it has changed owners, that beauty has already become part of the past..."

"Now, it is merely an ordinary piece of jewelry. But I will give it a new meaning and make it a 'precious thing' once more..."

"Today, I want to give it to someone precious..."

Liuyun expressed his feelings sincerely and boldly.

He gently pulled Kushina's hand a little closer.

"Kushina, are you... willing to accept this 'precious thing'?"

Though Liuyun had not confessed outright, his words struck far deeper than a direct confession could have.

He did not immediately force the Bell Bracelet onto Kushina's wrist. Instead, he first revealed his feelings, then sincerely asked for her wishes.

The best kind of affection should be mutual, not mere self-indulgence.

This Bell Bracelet already counted as a token of love. It carried another kind of affection; it was no longer simply a piece of jewelry.

To give it away, he needed the other person's consent. He could not be careless about the process, nor could he force it upon someone.

Faced with the heartfelt confession from the boy before her, Kushina unconsciously showed a delighted expression. Her body even began to tremble softly from the surge of emotion.

The precious thing is for me! The precious person is me too!

Is Liuyun confessing to me...? I... should I say yes???

Kushina's mind raced at full speed, while her heart thudded wildly in her chest. Yet after a moment, as though she had remembered something, she gradually calmed down and fell into a long silence.

Should I say yes?

But isn't it too soon... Teachers and elders always say we can't date too early...

If I agree now, will I seem too easy? What if he doesn't cherish me?

No, I can't agree. It's too fast!

I... I'm not ready yet... I can't do this!

Kushina's arm began to struggle instinctively.

Liuyun visibly froze. Even his previously steady breathing became uneven and hurried.

This was not the outcome he had expected!

He did not want to let go, but as Kushina felt his grip gradually tighten, the resistance in her heart immediately grew stronger.

Sensing her struggle, Liuyun's heart visibly clenched. His expression revealed a measure of disappointment and pain.

I was too hasty!

There will be plenty of days ahead and plenty of chances to be together. There was no need to rush...

Once he understood that, he loosened his hand.

He was afraid of frightening Kushina, afraid of hurting her, and even more afraid of making her resent him.

Yet the instant he released her hand, Kushina suddenly felt empty inside...

The next moment, a sharp pain stabbed through her heart, making her bite her lip instinctively.

The painful sensation rapidly spread throughout her body.

She looked up at Liuyun, only to see him hanging his head. Even his once bright, spirited eyes had dimmed.

Am I not someone precious to you? Why... why did you let go so easily?

Kushina stared at Liuyun with reddened eyes, but her feet unconsciously retreated several steps.

Noticing something was wrong with Kushina, Liuyun immediately looked at her.

It seemed that they both held the same emotion in their eyes: disappointment mixed with disbelief.

Kushina felt that he should not have let go. He had only just called her someone precious, so why had those words become a lie in the very next moment?

Liuyun, however, felt that she should not have struggled, much less retreated... He had let go only because he respected her wishes. He did not want to frighten her, nor had he ever intended to force her.

It was precisely because he treasured her that he chose to let go for now.

This was the first "clash" between emotion and reason, and they both seemed to be suffering...

Kushina opened her mouth, wanting to question him face-to-face, but no matter what, she could not force the words out.

Her throat was too choked up, and tears spilled down her face uncontrollably.

Seeing the girl cry, Liuyun felt his heart tremble. He instinctively stepped forward and unconsciously extended his hand.

But before he could get close enough to touch Kushina, she took several more steps back. Then, in the next instant, she turned and fled!

"Kushi..."

Liuyun wanted to call out to her, but looking at her running figure, he could tell there was little chance of stopping her...

He did not chase after her, because they both needed time alone to calm down.

His outstretched arm fell limply. Liuyun stood there for a long time, staring blankly at the golden bracelet in his hand, unable to recover his senses.

After a long while.

He carefully placed the bracelet back into its jewelry box, then returned home with a heavy heart.

When Liuyun came home, Asuka took the initiative to greet him. But before she could speak, she immediately noticed something unusual about his expression.

"Son, what happened? Why do you look so dejected?"

Asuka's face was full of curiosity.

Hadn't her son gone out to have dinner with his classmates tonight? Why did he look so downcast?

It was as though he had "had his heart broken"...

"It's nothing."

Liuyun gently shook his head, unwilling to explain too much. In truth, he was too embarrassed to say it aloud...

Ignoring Asuka's repeated questions, he returned to his room and directly locked the sliding door.

"This child..."

Asuka frowned, not daring to knock and disturb him for the moment.

I can only ask him properly tomorrow...

Liuyun sat at his desk and picked up the two Sealing Technique scrolls placed on it.

Kushina had given them to him. She had suggested that he study this basic knowledge more when he had the time. She admitted that there might be omissions in her explanations, so Liuyun needed to take the scrolls home and study them carefully.

Liuyun created a Shadow Clone. After taking the two scrolls, it began reading them seriously from beginning to end.

Immersing himself in training, the frustration and disappointment in his heart noticeably faded by seventy or eighty percent.

In a dark corner before the Senju Clan Grounds, a red-haired girl crouched on the ground with her head buried in her arms, silently sobbing.

After a long while, the girl, whose eyes were clearly swollen from crying, straightened up.

"I'll never speak to that liar again!"

Kushina made this "vow" with a face full of resentment. She wiped the tears and snot from her face, then slowly walked into the Senju Clan Grounds.