Finally, Naruto finished tinkering in front of the vending machine, turned around and hurried back. He handed a can of drink in front of Satsuki.
"Here it comes! Delicious strawberry milk!" He said with a smile, "This is a certain curly hair's favorite. Anyway, drink it with gratitude!"
"Curly hair?" Satsuki didn't quite understand who Naruto was referring to by this sudden title.
However, the moment her fingertips touched the tank, an unexpected feeling came from her palm.
It's lukewarm.
It could be said that it was warm, just right for her fingers that were a little cold from walking after the rain.
It turns out... the moment he stood in front of the vending machine just now was not to tinker with anything else, but to use Fire Release chakra... to heat this can of milk?
To actually use the chakra gained through cultivation... to do this kind of love...
Satsuki was holding the can of warm milk and was a little dazed for a moment. This kind of meticulous consideration completely exceeded her expectations. Although I did feel a little cold during the walk just now, but... isn't this kind of care a bit... too considerate?
Naruto has sat down on the warm bench next to her again, holding a can of ordinary orange juice in his hand.
He turned his head and looked at Satsuki, who lowered his head and began to sip the warm strawberry milk in small sips. Then he asked Yu expectantly, "How are you? Do you feel better? Are you feeling warmer?"
The sweetness and warmth of the milk slid down the throat, which really dispelled a lot of the chill in the body. Satsuki was silent for a moment, feeling the tangible warmth, and nodded slightly. "... Hmm."
"That's it... that's good." Naruto shook the orange juice in his hand, "I'm thinking about what to have for dinner later. If you have to choose, should you come back and try my cooking skills? Or... let's eat Ichiraku Ramen?"
... is about the topic after that.
If Satsuki were to choose according to her inner thoughts, she would undoubtedly choose to let Naruto cook by herself.
However, at this moment, words about the future such as "after", "evening" and "tomorrow" quietly stung her fragile nerves.
About today's night...Satsuki For the first time in his life, he felt a deep fear of the coming night. Just the thought that after nightfall, Naruto might leave and return to his own home, and she would have to stay alone in this big empty house... she felt waves of suffocating panic.
However, reason kept warning her that she couldn't do this. Naruto has done enough for himself, from yesterday's companionship to this can of warm milk... I have caused enough trouble for him. If you make more excessive demands, you will be too willful and ignorant...
The two emotions were tugging fiercely in her heart, causing her to suddenly fall into a long silence, unable to answer Naruto's seemingly simple question about dinner.
Naruto looked at the little girl who suddenly became silent and her eyes wandered uneasily. He thought she just had difficulty choosing, so he tried to break the deadlock with a negotiating tone.
"Otherwise... I will be the one to cook tonight? But I remember there are no tomatoes in the refrigerator... I need to buy some more...?"
Halfway through his words, he suddenly paused.
Because he felt a hand, cautiously but with unusual force, grasp the sleeve of his coat.
Naruto lowered his head and met Satsuki's raised eyes, filled with moisture and almost pleading.
"Can I... say something... very willful..." Her voice was as thin as a gnat.
"Satsuki..."
As if Satsuki had exhausted all his courage, he looked directly into Naruto's eyes and spoke out his deepest fears and prayers.
"No... today... please... even until the sun rises tomorrow... stay by my side..."
Her voice was crying, but extremely clear, "Please... don't go anywhere... I can't do it alone..."
After saying this last sentence, she lowered her head deeply again, not daring to look directly into Naruto's eyes, for fear of seeing a look of rejection or embarrassment. But the hand holding his sleeve was still clenched tightly and did not let go.
A small, suppressed sob came from under her lowered head.
"I only have you..."
"... So, please never... never leave me behind..."
After Sasuki uttered her plea with a cry and almost despair, a brief silence fell in the air.
Although this silence lasted only a few seconds, it was so heavy that it almost completely crushed Satsuki, who had just summoned up all his courage.
Every second of waiting is like being judged, and fear and regret begin to breed - am I too willful? Sure enough, you are still hated, right?
Just when she was almost swallowed by the silence, the familiar voice of Naruto finally sounded without any hesitation or embarrassment.
"... That's it, I understand. Then let's do it."
"... Go?" Satsuki raised his head cautiously and looked at him with tearful eyes. He didn't realize what "go" meant for the moment.
"Well, let's go." Naruto nodded affirmatively, "First of all, we have to buy some ingredients for dinner. The stock in the refrigerator is probably not enough."
"I must buy tomatoes, what you like to eat... Well, let's see if there is any fresh fish. Can you grill fish or make fish soup at night? Oh, by the way, you also need to buy some breakfast ingredients, eggs, milk, etc..."
"Uh... Also, since we're staying overnight... I don't seem to have brought a change of clothes or toiletries, so I might have to buy some on the way... Sorry, I might have to go shopping a little longer."
This series of verbose but extremely concrete arrangements instantly dispelled all the haze and uneasiness in Satsuki's heart.
She understood.
Naruto not only did not find her willful and troublesome, but simply accepted her excessive request, and even began to seriously consider and plan the details of how to stay at her house.
The tense heartstrings finally relaxed completely, and the fear that almost overwhelmed her receded like a tide. She suddenly felt that... the bravery and pretense she had been doing for a long time was finally unnecessary at this moment.
Really... no need.
"... Well..." She nodded vigorously, her voice trembling with relief, "Thank you... really... thank you very much...Naruto..."
Looking at the girl in front of him who lowered his head and whispered thanks, Naruto felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, and he shook his head.
"No... actually, I should be the one to say thank you."
This sentence was completely beyond Satsuki's understanding. She raised her head in confusion, with dry tears hanging from the corners of her eyes, looking at him in confusion. "Why... why?"
Naruto looked at her with extremely serious eyes, "Because... you are willing to let me stay with you. Thank you very much... for trusting me like this."
In his opinion, being able to be close to and relied on when the other person is most vulnerable and in need is a precious trust in itself.
But this sentence made Satsuki shake his head vigorously, and his tears became uncontrollable.
"Don't... don't say such stupid things... obviously... it's obviously me... I'm the one who keeps causing you trouble... I really... really don't know how to thank you..."
"If you really don't know how to thank me..." Naruto's voice slowed down, "Then let's owe it to you first. Anyway, we have plenty of time. You can pay it back to me slowly in the future with many, many...'happy smiles'."
"... It's just that kind of thing..." Satsuki shook his head. "It's not enough at all... it's just that kind of thing... how can it be..."
She felt that the pain she had endured was more than a simple "smile" could repay.
Naruto didn't let her continue, he interrupted her, "Don't you believe it?"
Satsuki nodded slightly. She couldn't believe it,
"Just now," Naruto looked into her eyes and continued, "Satsuki was afraid of waking up tomorrow and facing loneliness again, right?"
Satsuki's body trembled slightly.
"But who can say for sure what will happen tomorrow?"
Naruto changed the topic, "But, there is one thing I can promise you - I will still be by your side tomorrow, just like today. And tomorrow, if you still need it, I will make the same promise to you."
He leaned forward slightly to let his words be conveyed more clearly. "These things... I didn't do it because Satsuki asked me to do it. It was because I wanted to do it myself, that's all. Because I can stay by your side... I really feel super happy."
"So, even if you don't believe now that you can repay me with your "happy smile", but... I will stay with you until you are willing to believe it, and stay with you until you truly feel that 'it's good to be alive' again."
After saying that, he stretched out his hand and held Satsuki's cold hand.
"When you feel uncomfortable, hold my hand like this! Although... this is my first experience like this and I don't know what to do, but at least... I am very confident in conveying warmth!"
Satsuki's breathing suddenly became rapid, and his heart beat wildly in his chest. The emotions surging in her heart were so complicated and turbulent that she couldn't tell what they were. She only felt her chest swelling and aching, as if she was going to be burst by some hot emotion in the next second.
In the end, thousands of words were stuck in the throat, and what was condensed was still the pale and complex words, with a stuttering cry. "I... I really... don't know... how to thank you..."
At this moment, Naruto's other hand gently and gently stroked Satsuki's black hair.
"I told you, Satsuki doesn't need to thank me."
"Because you are not my 'burden'. You are my 'choice'."
After a brief pause, he showed a warm smile and made the final announcement.
"And I-"
"I will never regret choosing you."
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