章 45: Chapter 60
"Thank you for your patronage!" I told the customer as she left with a bouquet of flowers. It had only been a few months since I last filled in for Ino, but the job was simple enough and I could look up the prices from a cheat sheet under the counter.
Haku was sitting on the stool behind the counter, looking pretty and watching me diligently performing Ino's chores for her. I had left her on a couch in the back, blanketed in my coat. The seals embedded in my coat didn't hold anything truly irreplaceable. I had my hair tied in a ponytail. A plain black t-shirt and black slacks was a bit inappropriate for a flower shop but still better than wearing a heavy overcoat.
"Haru-sama, is that Ino girl important to you?" Haku asked suddenly as I started to sweep flower cuttings.
"Of course. I grew up in an orphanage but I didn't really get along with most of the people there. The Yamanakas are basically closest thing I had to a family growing up. And Ino is like a little sister to me. It's a little corny but I guess you could say that she's someone that I care about, that I wish I could protect, and she's standing right there...Er, hi, Ino. Are you feeling better?" I smiled to hide my embarrassment when I noticed the girl in question standing in the corner of my vision.
Ino was holding my coat in her arms. "Little sister?" Her mouth was puckered in an annoyed expression.
"So I guess you heard us talking." I scratched the back of my head.
Ino thrust my coat into my chest. "Just don't expect me to call you 'onii-san'." She seemed upset. "You, you're in my seat," she said, pointing at Haku who immediately vacated the stool to stand next to me.
"Oh, you had something you wanted to talk to me about..." I remembered.
"Just forget about it." She slammed her fist on the register. It opened obediently and she shoved the drawer shut after glancing inside. Then she looked over the store. "Woah, Haru, did you..."
"Yeah." I finished putting on my coat. "Just be sure to water the plants later. Everything else should be taken care of. I have to go now. Take care of yourself, Ino." The daily tasks of a flower shop were no match for the Kage Bunshin. The blonde was blushing as I waved goodbye.
Haku bowed politely. "It was nice to meet you, Ino-san," he said as he followed me out of the store.
Ino hadn't been asleep for long. It was still mid-afternoon, plenty of time to see how Hinata was doing.
As I led us through the streets of Konoha toward the Hyuga compound, Haku asked me an awkward question, "Is that Ino girl precious to you?"
It was painful to answer his question. "It doesn't matter whether she's precious to me or not. I...I'm not going to be able to protect her. She deserves...something that's not me."
"Why can't you..."
"I don't want to talk about it, Girly." And that was the end of the conversation.
Hinata leapt onto me, wrapping me in a hug. "Haru-kun! You're back! Does this mean we're on for this week?" She was wearing her trademark purple and white sweatshirt. Her Konoha headband was around her neck and I could feel the metal plate against my collarbone.
She let go and I returned her grin with one of my own. "You bet. Kakashi-sensei even started teaching me kenjutsu! I'm not going to go down so easily this time."
"Who knows? You might even win. Unlikely but possible," the girl teased exuberantly.
"Hey! I won last time!" I pouted lightly, enjoying the exchange between me and my friend.
"Yeah, after five losses in a row," Hinata said. "And I let you win that time." Her playful barbs were accompanied by the most adorable smile I had ever seen. But then she realized Haku was standing there, watching us. "Oh! Ah, um, who is this?"
"My name is Haku," he said. "I take it that you are a friend of Haru-sama?"
"Um...I...I guess you could say that. How do you know Haru-kun?" Hinata seemed intimidated by the tall, beautiful young man.
I immediately slapped my hand over Haku's mouth and answered, "He's staying with me for the time being. And yes, he's a guy."
Hinata's face sprouted a deep red on her cheeks. "Oh, I thought...never mind. Would you like some tea?" she offered, inviting us deeper into her home.
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