Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo Metropolis, University of Tokyo.
The cosplay café Uchiha Naruto's class had opened for the campus festival served nothing but ordinary instant coffee, yet it was quite popular.
"Wow, Uchiha, you look so cool!"
"Lord Child of God!"
In a corner of the classroom, Sakaki Namiru glanced at the group of young girls clustered around the counter and teased:
"Just like my brother-in-law when he was young. The men of the Uchiha Clan can win everyone over with their faces alone."
Speaking from experience, Sakaki Namiru told Matsudaira Chiyo, who sat before her:
"But it's hard on their girlfriends. There's always someone trying to steal them away."
"I'm not worried about that."
Matsudaira Chiyo elegantly sipped her coffee, set down her disposable paper cup, and turned to look, her eyes shimmering.
Uchiha Naruto wore a cold expression, not even offering a fake customer-service smile as he absentmindedly and listlessly mixed coffee.
"But Naruto feels like a kite in the sky to me. He could ride the wind away at any moment, and no one holds his string. Not even me."
The bitterness of the coffee lingered at the corners of Matsudaira Chiyo's lips as she spoke dejectedly.
Clatter!
Just then, the things on the counter fell to the floor. Uchiha Naruto's eyes squeezed shut as he staggered and tilted backward.
"Uchiha!" "Naruto!" "Aaaah!"
A jumble of screams rose one after another. A petite figure flashed gracefully to Uchiha Naruto's side and carefully supported him.
"Naruto, are you all right?"
Sakaki Namiru and Matsudaira Chiyo hurriedly pushed through the crowd to reach Uchiha Naruto.
"Ha, I'm fine!"
Uchiha Naruto raised his right hand and pressed it against his face, but his tone hardly sounded unconcerned. It carried an irrepressible wild joy.
Matsudaira Chiyo breathed a sigh of relief, then