Lin Jin stood where he was, watching her retreating figure move farther away, step by step. He had no idea how long he stood there, silently looking in the direction she had left, until she vanished completely into the distance.
Did he like her?
He did not know. He only knew he did not dislike her.
But the arms that had wrapped around his waist, the warmth against his back, those words, "I like you," and her final, tearful smile kept playing over and over in his mind, refusing to fade.
He had always been used to being alone. His twenty years in the Hokage World had been no different. All he had wanted was to grow stronger and survive in that cruel world. He had never considered matters of the heart.
After returning to this familiar yet unfamiliar world, all he had wanted was to break the system's seal and reclaim the power that belonged to him.
Emotions were a luxury, a vulnerability he might lose at any moment. He had long been accustomed to sealing that fragile part of himself deep within his heart. Over time, he had even forgotten there was still a tender place there.
But things were different now. This world had no God of Ōtsutsuki, no Shinobi World wars, and none of those desperate situations that demanded lives.
He no longer needed to live every day as though it were his last. And today, Su Qianxue, the woman who had shown him kindness from their very first meeting, had stirred his heart in her clumsiest yet bravest way.
She had not even asked for an answer to her confession. She had only wanted to tell him what was in her heart, then leave without putting any pressure on him.
Still, he really had felt