Hinata was startled and quickly wiped the corner of her mouth with her hand.
???
It wasn't drooling.
Seeing her adorable, confused expression, Feng An chuckled. "I was just teasing you." He then patted his full stomach. "I'm really full. This half a pig was roasted especially for you."
Hinata sat down next to Feng An, half-believing, half-doubting. She slowly extended her small hand and gently rubbed Feng An's stomach, confirming he hadn't lied to her.
"Tha… no, no thanks, no, no…"
Her face grew even redder. She'd instinctively started to thank him but then remembered he didn't like her constant gratitude, leaving her flustered and tongue-tied.
Seeing her like this, Feng An couldn't help but laugh. "I know what Hinata means."
He placed his hands on her cheeks and gently lifted her lowered head. Her beautiful eyes fluttered slightly. Her pale pupils, illuminated by the moonlight, were as clear and bright as a starry sky, making it hard to look away.
She also stared at Feng An's face. Besides his unique red hair, he was genuinely handsome. Under the moonlight, the thirteen-year-old Feng An already displayed striking features.
Is this okay? We're already friends, so this should be fine…
Hinata's heart, held captive by his gaze, pounded like a startled deer. She could feel the heat rising on her face.
Just then, Shino's voice suddenly came from nearby. "Actually, I haven't left yet."
Hinata gasped and quickly turned around, burying her flushed face deep into her chest. Her body temperature felt like it was spiking.
Shino saw it. Oh no, what am I doing?
Aburame Shino adjusted his sunglasses with one hand and said calmly, "It's fine. You don't have to mind me."
"Don't mind your sister! You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Feng An seriously suspected that Shino and Kiba had both been bribed by a certain blonde to deliberately sabotage him.
"I'm leaving. Hinata, be careful. There's a red-haired menace on our team." After delivering his line, Shino took a roasted pig's trotter, presumably for the insects in his body, and walked away.
Hinata nodded. "O-okay."
Seeing her nod, Feng An rolled his eyes. "Are you stupid? He meant I'm the menace."
Hinata whispered, "I'm not stupid." "I know you're the Red-Haired Menace, she thought, leaving the latter part unspoken.
"Not stupid? I feel like if I sold you, you'd be the kind of fool who'd help me and the kidnappers haggle over the price."
Hinata, who had been looking down, raised her eyes to him. "I really am not stupid…"
Seeing her clear yet naive eyes, Feng An decided to drop the subject. "The roasted pig is all done. Hurry up and eat."
With his permission, Hinata no longer held back. Her stomach had been eager for a long time. In a whirlwind of motion, she devoured the half-pig in minutes.
Looking at her still-flat stomach, Feng An half-suspected she had a four-dimensional pocket like Doraemon. "Let me see what it's made of," he said, his unruly hand reaching playfully for her lower abdomen.
Hinata quickly scrambled away, muttering, "Shino was right. There's a red-haired menace on the team." It was fine for her to touch her own stomach, but she wouldn't let him touch hers—a classic double standard!
He looked at the sky; it was very late. He straightened his expression. "Hinata, let me walk you back."
"Mm, okay…"
Feng An patted the dust off himself, extinguished the campfire, and then accompanied Hinata through the forest toward the Hyūga compound.
Passing through the night market, Hinata pulled Feng An into a shop that was still open. She bought a cup of juice for herself and one for him. Feng An originally wanted to pay, but under Hinata's insistent, pleading gaze—her ultimate weapon—he relented. Her big, watery, slightly aggrieved eyes made him feel like he'd committed a crime.
Feng An, who had intended to be the manipulator, found himself being thoroughly manipulated by Hinata.
The two walked side by side through Konoha's alleys, their long shadows stretching under the streetlights. Before long, they arrived at an old-looking, traditional courtyard.
Hinata pushed the gate, but it didn't budge; it was locked from the inside. "Didn't your father leave the door unlocked for you?"
"It must be too late… He probably thought I wouldn't come back…" I clearly told Father to leave the door unlocked for me because of the class gathering tonight. Is Father angry with me again for coming back so late?
What a heaven-sent opportunity! Feng An rejoiced inwardly. Uncle Hyūga, you can't blame me for this. Hinata turned her head and saw a terrifying smirk on his face. "What are you thinking about?"
Feng An immediately straightened his expression. "Nothing. I'm thinking, since that's the case, you can sleep at my place. My bed is quite big."
"You can't do that! We're just friends…" Hinata said shyly, quickly covering her eyes with both hands.
Hearing this, Feng An was startled. No, even though I have exactly the kind of thoughts you're thinking, those thoughts shouldn't be in your head!
Seeing his silence, Hinata thought he was angry and explained softly, "We're still too young… at least wait until we're sixteen…"
The speed was too fast for Feng An's brain to process. Was this the plot of a naive young lady falling for me during puberty? He subconsciously glanced at Hinata and couldn't help but blurt out, "You're not small…" Compared to Sakura, Hinata's development was already quite remarkable.
Just then, with a creak, the gate suddenly opened from the inside.
Oh no! If her dad sees his precious daughter out with a boy so late, I'm dead! Feng An quickly shrank behind a stone pillar.
However, it wasn't Hinata's father, Hyūga Hiashi, who emerged, but her younger sister, Hyūga Hanabi.
Hyūga Hanabi, her cheeks puffed out, scolded, "Big Red-Haired Menace! Flirting with my sister right at our doorstep!"
Hinata said shyly, "He wasn't flirting with me…"
Seeing her sister defend the menace, Hanabi stamped her foot in anger. "Hmph! If Big Sister isn't coming in, then I'm going to bolt the door!"
Hinata clasped her hands together over her chest and looked somewhat hesitantly toward where Feng An was hiding.
Feng An stepped out and said with a smile, "Go back quickly. I was just joking with you. My bed isn't actually big, and it's a hard bed—you wouldn't be used to it." Seeing Hinata's guilty expression, if they weren't at the Hyūga's doorstep, he would have wanted to pull her into a hug. So silly and so cute.
"Go back. I need to go back too. See you tomorrow." Feng An waved his hand and walked away gracefully, hands in his pockets. He knew that if he didn't say goodbye first, the kind-hearted girl who always prioritized others would just stand there with him for who knows how long.
"…See you tomorrow." Hinata gazed blankly at his retreating figure until he disappeared.
"I'm so mad!" Hyūga Hanabi's cheeks puffed out with anger, and she expressed her fury with flailing limbs. "Sister! The Red-Haired Menace has already gone far away!" With that, she ran inside, no longer paying attention to Hinata. She felt her gentle sister was being stolen away by the red-haired menace, and she was furious. "Sister can only be mine! You hateful red-haired menace!"
*****
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