Looking at Uchiha Hikari's blank expression, Shinji suddenly worried about her future. At this rate...
She wasn't going to become a nun someday, was she?
After all, she had once been turned into a weapon and made to slaughter without restraint. Then she had been locked in a lightless dungeon for who knew how many years. Now that she had finally seen the sun again, she could at last live in peace...
It would make sense if she had become detached from it all.
In short, she had a delicate, pretty face and would undoubtedly grow into an aloof beauty. Yet the longer Shinji looked at her, the more saintly she seemed.
It was honestly hard to take.
"What are you reading?"
Uchiha Hikari paused.
Keeping a finger between the pages as a bookmark, she turned the book around to show Shinji its cover—
"Icha Icha Paradise."
Oh, Icha Icha Paradise. Shinji nodded, then froze. Wait. Icha... Icha Icha Paradise?!
Hold on, girl!
Realization hit Shinji. He stared at her, dumbfounded.
How could she read a book like that while looking so serene, as if a holy light were shining down on her?
And besides...
Who had taught her to read that kind of book?!
Seeing Shinji's stunned expression, Uchiha Hikari tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong?"
Shinji hesitated. "Where... did you get that book?"
"Oh..."
Uchiha Hikari thought for a moment. "A man named Kakashi Hatake left it here. I'd seen him reading it, so I asked why he kept looking at it. He said it was a very good book. I wanted to buy it with the money Kurotsuchi lent me, but he wouldn't agree."
"Luckily, he seems to have forgotten it when he left. It's quite an interesting book, except..."
Good?
Luckily?
Forgotten it?
Interesting?
Shinji's