The Me You Liked Never Existed from the Start

Upon hearing Kou's suggestion, a fleeting moment of hesitation and surprise flashed across Anko's eyes.

She then pursed her lips tightly, raised her chin defiantly, and stared directly at Kou with her still-watery eyes:

"Of course we can talk. While you're in your cell, you can talk to me for as long as you want... even for a lifetime!"

Kou didn't refute, but silently turned around and walked to the bench on the side of the street where he and Naruto had just sat. He opened the can of beer in his hand, then reached out and patted the empty seat next to him very lightly.

Seeing Kou's composed demeanor, Anko frowned slightly in dissatisfaction and muttered irritably:

"Go buy your own beer if you want some. Don't tell me you're so broke since leaving Konoha that you can't even afford a can of beer!"

As she spoke, she strode over to the bench and plopped down next to Kou.

She held the other can of beer in her hand, skillfully unzipped it, and then squeezed it forcefully to the side of Kou without a second thought.

The soft thigh, encased in fishing net chainmail, pressed tightly against Kou's side through the fabric.

Knock felt the soft touch on the outside of her thigh and subtly moved half a step to the empty space beside her.

But before he could even maintain that small distance, Anko pressed herself against him again without any hesitation.

He moved again, and she squeezed in again, refusing to give an inch.

After repeating this several times, Kou finally resigned himself to his fate and gave up resisting.

He sighed resignedly, then turned his head to look at the girl beside him who was nonchalantly holding a beer can, her ears burning red. He couldn't help but click his tongue.

"Tsk, it's been years, when did you become so bold?"

If I remember correctly, back when we pretended to be a couple to fool those obsessive fans, just asking you to hold hands probably made you freeze up completely.

"Puff!!"

Anko instinctively spat out the mouthful of beer she had just drunk.

She abruptly turned her head away, awkwardly taking the tissue that Kou had somehow handed her, while glaring fiercely at Kou.

"You, how dare you bring that up! Do you know how many eyes were watching us back then?!"

Feeling nervous is perfectly normal!

Anko wiped her mouth in a flustered manner, and continued her accusation with a puff of puffs:

"The one who's acting strange is you!"

In my memory, you have absolutely no experience with close contact with girls, yet you always seem so at ease in those situations.

If I hadn't known you since our Ninja Academy days, I'd seriously suspect you're actually a womanizing scumbag!

"I don't like it when you say that. I was really nervous at the time..."

Kou took a small sip of his beer, the icy liquid sliding down his throat. He glanced down at the glistening water droplets on the aluminum can and said in a low, indifferent voice:

"It's just that I'm a good actor, and most people can't tell."

Upon hearing Kou's words, a sharp glint suddenly flashed in Anko's beautiful eyes.

She leaned forward slightly, scrutinizing Ko's profile, which looked exceptionally handsome under the streetlights, a meaningful smile slowly curving her lips:

So... you actually had a reaction to me back then?

"Don't make it sound like I'm sexually repressed!"

Kou's lips twitched slightly, and he instinctively wanted to retort:

"It was just a subconscious reaction. Even if we were close, even if I always considered you a brother, we were still teenagers in our adolescence back then."

... It's perfectly normal to have some physiological reactions, okay?!

"Hmph, still being stubborn."

Seeing Kou's rare display of weakness, Anko couldn't help but laugh out loud with pride.

She casually placed the hand still holding the beer can on her knee, and with her other hand, she slowly opened her coat, then gently brushed it aside with her fingers.

Her shapely figure, encased in tight-fitting fishnet chainmail, was accentuated even more clearly under the warm yellow streetlights.

Seeing Kou's eyes almost reflexively look away, Anko couldn't help but curl a mischievous smile. Then, she raised her delicate fingers and slowly stroked the soft, massive breasts covered by chainmail, then followed the undulating curves downwards, across her slender waist, and finally stopped near her lower abdomen.

The extremely faint metallic scraping sound of chainmail against fingertips was exceptionally clear on this quiet, late-night street.

"How about it? Pretty great body now, huh?"

Isn't this much better than the paper cutouts you drew in those notebooks back then?

Anko narrowed her eyes slightly, turned her head to look at Kou's profile, which looked exceptionally handsome and mature under the streetlight, and couldn't help but swallow.

She extended her pink tongue and gently licked her slightly dry lips, then leaned slightly towards him, her warm breath, still carrying the scent of alcohol, softly brushing against his earlobe.

"If it were you, you could do whatever you want to me~~"

A faint blush had crept onto Anko's fair face, and she couldn't tell whether it was from the alcohol or something else.

As she spoke, her slender, delicate hand, trembling slightly with nervousness, tentatively reached towards the Tobirama Senju...

"No coyness allowed!"

Just as Anko's wicked little hand was about to touch its target, the merciless iron hand of the knocker struck down first!

"Smack!!"

"Ouch, what are you doing?!"

Anko winced in pain and withdrew her little hand, which had been slapped red. She blew on the back of her hand repeatedly while glaring at Kou, who was putting on a righteous and awe-inspiring look, with eyes that were a mixture of resentment, annoyance, and a bit of grievance.

"If I remember correctly, you learned that line from page 84 of 'Icha Icha Paradise, ' right?"

He shook his hand and scolded impatiently:

"At such a young age, instead of learning good things, what are you doing reading pornographic books!"

In our generation, Kakashi alone is enough to be a victim of those erotic books!

"It's so noisy! Why can you draw but I can't look?! The culprit is even lecturing me now!"

You're the least qualified person in the entire Ninja World to say these things to me, you repressed pervert!

Anko held up her still-reddened little hand to her lips and blew on it twice, retorting defiantly.

"Hey!!"

Kou forcibly suppressed the urge to deliver a righteous punch to Anko's defiant little face, and said through gritted teeth:

"Even if I'm suppressing my feelings, I haven't stooped to the point of harming my own brothers!"

Show some self-awareness, you idiot!

Upon hearing Anko's words, Hongdou's smug and defiant little face suddenly fell silent.

"Brother...?"

She murmured in a complicated tone, then slowly composed herself, concealing all expression on her face.

Anko gently lifted her long, swaying legs onto the bench, then buried her chin deeply between her knees, which were covered by fishing net chainmail.

She gazed at the street before her, which appeared exceptionally empty under the streetlights, and murmured softly to herself:

"Although I've known for a long time that you probably don't have those feelings for me at all."

But hearing you say it yourself is still... very hurtful.

Kou fell silent.

He raised the nearly empty can of beer to his lips again and took a sip.

The cold, bitter alcohol went down my throat, and I watched the water droplets sliding off the beer can without saying a word.

"... Hey, I'm telling you."

After a long while, Anko slowly lifted her head from her knees, her eyes glazed over as she gazed at the black-haired youth beside her who was silently drinking beer.

"Kou, are you really no longer considering returning to Konoha?"

Even if we don't go any further, even if we're just friends, companions, I will...

"Anko."

Suddenly, she spoke, interrupting all the words she was about to utter.

After a long silence, Kou slowly spoke, asking Anko a question she had never expected:

"What exactly do you, or rather, everyone in Konoha, like about me?"

Hearing Kou's sudden, serious question, Anko tilted her head in confusion, then glanced at Kou with disdain:

"What do you like about me? When did you become so narcissistic, starting to enjoy hearing others say nice things about you?!"

"Have you not made any new friends since leaving Konoha?"

Kou did not respond to her slightly provocative words.

He simply sat there quietly, waiting for her reply.

Feeling the serious gaze from Kou, Anko's playful expression slowly faded.

She rested her chin back on her knees, looked into Kou's eyes, and spoke solemnly in the same earnest tone:

"I think I already told you all the reasons why I like you back when Naruto was still around."

That's a question I should be asking you. Don't you really know how likable you are?

"Falling in love with you should be a natural thing, right?"

Looking into Anko's open and honest eyes, Kou remained silent for a long time.

He lowered his head, a genuine struggle and hesitation flashing in his eyes.

After a long while, Kou raised his head again, looked deeply into the eyes of the girl who held such a burning love for him, and slowly spoke:

"What if I told you that the version of me you like never existed in the first place?"