Heartbeat

After the Third Hokage finished his long-winded speech, the graduation ceremony drew to a close. Once the headbands and diplomas were distributed, the students dispersed, waiting for the team assignments the following day.

Hiashi Hyuga led Hinata away. As they stepped out, he caught sight of the bracelet on Hinata's left wrist, and a flicker of irritation stirred within him.

That brat, he's quite thoughtful. Oh well, it's good for Hinata to have a few more friends, as long as he doesn't go too far.

Still, I've got my eye on you!

His expression remained stern, and they walked the entire way in silence, with Hinata following along obediently by his side.

On the other side of town, Zeyu was nearly home when he finally spotted Meiling, who was arriving late.

"Yo, Zeyu! Sorry about that, I got held up with something."

"Oh, it's fine, Auntie. No big deal, just do what you need to do." Zeyu's mind was entirely occupied by the gift Hinata had prepared for him; he didn't pay any mind to her tardiness and walked right past her.

He wore a grin so wide it looked like he'd hit the jackpot.

Seeing the boy so happy, Meiling grew curious.

She walked up, tucked Zeyu under her arm, and pinched his cheek. "You're acting strange. What kind of trouble have you been getting into? Why so happy?"

Zeyu was startled by the sudden ambush, but Auntie Meiling had always been this boisterous, so he didn't take it to heart.

"Auntie, you've got it all wrong. I'm the best-behaved kid around, how could you say I'm doing bad things?" As he spoke, he grabbed the arm she was using to pin him, signaling for her to ease up.

However, Meiling had no intention of letting him go; she squeezed even tighter. Zeyu felt his face pressing against her chest, and his complexion flushed red uncontrollably.

"Spit it out! Or I'll make you regret it."

"Oh, I know! Did you get a girlfriend? Tell me!" Meiling released Zeyu, then grabbed him by the back of his collar.

"Hehe, guess." Zeyu blinked, his mischievous expression making Meiling laugh.

"You brat, not bad! Which girl is it? Is it that little girl with the white eyes?" Meiling poked Zeyu's face with her finger, refusing to let the matter drop.

Zeyu's face was starting to hurt from the poking, so he performed a Body Replacement Technique and vanished from the spot.

Meiling stared at the log she was now holding, stunned for a moment before she realized what happened and shouted, "You brat! Daring to use ninjutsu on me? You're asking for a beating!"

Just then, Zeyu popped out from the side, laughing as he ran.

"If you want to know more, Auntie, you'll have to catch me! If you catch me, I'll tell you, haha!"

"You little punk, I was a ninja before you were even born!" Meiling, annoyed, took off in pursuit.

Under the glow of the setting sun, the two figures chased each other down the road.

The next day, at the Ninja Academy.

Students walked into the academy wearing their headbands, smiling happily. From today on, they were all ninjas.

At the entrance, a girl with black hair and white eyes clutched a small box tightly to her chest. She watched the passing crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of that familiar figure.

Even though the crowd made her shy, she wanted to be the first to reach the person she missed and offer her feelings—the feelings she had intended to give him yesterday.

Zeyu-kun, will he be angry with me? Watching the throngs of people go by without seeing the one she longed for, the girl grew uneasy. She couldn't help but look down at the box in her arms, lost in thought.

"Yo, Hinata-chan, I'm late. I'm sorry."

Just as she was pondering, a familiar voice reached her ears. Her eyes lit up, and she softly breathed his name.

"Zeyu-kun."

The girl looked up to see a handsome red-haired boy wearing his headband. He was smiling brightly, looking radiant and dashing. He held a bunch of purple violets wrapped in silk, and as he walked toward her, backlit by the morning sun, he seemed to glow.

The girl was deeply captivated, and her anxiety and unease vanished into thin air.

She froze as he arrived before her.

"Eh? Hinata? What's wrong?" Zeyu was a bit confused. What was up with Hinata? He leaned over and waved a hand in front of her face.

Hinata's face turned bright red in an instant as she snapped back to reality, realizing Zeyu was right there. "Th-th-that, Zeyu-kun, the g-g-gift I prepared, here you go." Deeply moved by Zeyu's entrance, she began to stutter, too shy to contain herself.

She handed him the box, which had been warmed by her own body heat.

"Ah, thank you for the gift, Hinata. This is for you—I hope you like it." As Zeyu took the gift, he handed her the flowers, his smile widening.

"Mm, Zeyu-kun, I love them. Thank you so much. I hope you like the gift I gave you, too." Hinata's face grew even redder. She took the flowers and used them to shield her face, leaving only her eyes visible.

Zeyu didn't hesitate; he opened the box, which still held Hinata's warmth.

Inside was a pair of black wrist guards embroidered with two small purple flowers. Though simple, it was clear she had put a lot of thought into them; the details were handled beautifully, and they coincidentally matched the flowers he had given her. Zeyu was overjoyed.

He couldn't wait to put them on and admire them.

"Wow, thank you so much, Hinata-chan. I love this gift. I'll treasure it for the rest of my life." With stars in his eyes, he reached out and took Hinata's hand.

At the touch, Hinata felt like she was overheating. Steam rose from the top of her head, her blush deepened, and she whispered softly.

"It's alright even if you don't keep it as a treasure. If it breaks, I'll help you fix it, Zeyu. I just hope you won't blame me for giving you the gift so late."

Zeyu understood immediately. Hinata was just that kind of girl—lacking confidence, a bit insecure, and afraid of being disliked. But that didn't exist with him; Hinata was the best!

"It's okay, Hinata. I wouldn't blame you over something like this. I really like the gift, so please don't worry about it," Zeyu said, knowing her character and doing his best to comfort and encourage her.

"Alright, Hinata-chan, let's head back to the classroom. It's almost time for the class assignments."

"Mm, okay... E-eh, Zeyu!"

As soon as Hinata said "okay," Zeyu took her hand and started walking. He held her hand tightly, weaving through the crowd without caring at all about the people around them.

Hinata looked at that strong hand wearing her gift, feeling wonderful inside.

Zeyu likes my gift. That's great.

Feeling the gazes of the people around them, she shyly covered her face with flowers, letting the boy in front of her lead the way.

However, The moment they walked through the door, they saw Azhen kissing Aqiang.

It was graduation season, and while other classes were quite rowdy, Zeyu's class was unusually quiet at that moment.

Naruto was crouching on the desk in front of Sasuke, their mouths locked together, while everyone around them watched in stunned silence.

Hinata and Zeyu, who had just entered, were also taken aback.

Eh, eh, eh, a kiss? Hinata thought.

Holy crap, I almost forgot about this. If I'd arrived a little later, I would've missed it, Zeyu thought.

The next moment, the two pulled apart, and the previously quiet crowd suddenly erupted.

The girls wanted to tear Naruto apart, casting fierce glares and cursing under their breath; Sakura even went straight for Naruto's throat.

The boys were rolling on the floor laughing, unable to keep their mouths shut.

Hinata and Zeyu, still at the door, came back to their senses, each harboring their own little thoughts.

A kiss... will I kiss Zeyu in the future too? What would it feel like? Zeyu...

Ah, kissing Hinata would be amazing, heh heh. I love Hinata the most.

As they thought this, they both turned to look at each other. Their eyes met, and they both realized the other was thinking about much the same thing.

Immediately, both their faces turned bright red, and they looked down at the floor in unison.

Then, Zeyu spoke first.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, let's go find a seat first."

"Mm," Hinata agreed in a small voice.

After saying that, Zeyu pulled Hinata, bypassing the crowd, and headed toward the back of the classroom.

They found a seat by the window in the back. Hinata sat on the inside and Zeyu sat beside her, but their hands remained tightly clasped, neither willing to let go.

The others were still making a racket, and no one noticed the two of them.

Zeyu looked at Hinata, who was blushing and looking away. Watching her cherry lips purse slightly and lick occasionally, he couldn't help but blush himself.

Hinata was just too cute.

Hinata was also thinking, Zeyu's hand... so big, so warm. I love it.

Zeyu was thinking, Hinata's hand is so soft, so smooth, cool to the touch. I love it.

"But—" (Zeyu) (Hinata)

"Want to kiss—" (Zeyu) (Hinata)

Thinking this, they both looked at each other at the same time.

Their eyes met once more.

But this time, they didn't look away, gazing at each other with deep affection.

"Want to kiss." (Zeyu) (Hinata)