Uzumaki Naruto stood at the entrance of Yakiniku Q, staring at the glass door, suddenly feeling nervous.
Should I… make up an excuse and run?
While he was still hesitating, everyone else had already gone inside. Naruto could only squeeze his eyes shut, steel his heart, and hurry in after Hyuga Kiyonari.
"Welcome!"
A staff member in an apron came over. Naruto's body tensed instinctively, waiting for the smile to vanish, waiting for the look of disgust, waiting for the words—"Sorry, we're full today"—to drive them out.
But…
"How many people?" the staff member asked, still smiling as he looked at the group of six.
"Just the six of us. A private room," Kiyonari replied.
"Certainly. This way, please." The staff member turned and led them in.
Naruto froze.
Did he… not recognize me?
The staff member brought them to a spacious private room. A large table sat inside, with a grill built into the center.
"Please have a seat. Here are the menus."
He handed out six menus, one to each person.
Even then, Naruto still hadn't fully processed it. He stared blankly at the menu in his hands, emotions tangled.
Ino noticed and asked curiously, "Naruto, what's wrong? Why are you just standing there?"
"Huh—n-nothing!" Naruto snapped out of it and hurried to sit down with everyone else.
Soon, they finished ordering. The staff member wrote everything down, bowed politely, and left.
The entire time, he treated Naruto exactly the same as everyone else—purely professional, just a server serving customers, with no extra emotion attached.
And that was precisely what made Naruto's nose sting with a sudden, fierce sourness. Confusion, sadness, relief, pain—all stirred into a big pot of bitter, astringent soup stuck in his throat, impossible to swallow, impossible to spit out.
This feeling… was so unfamiliar. It was like someone had grabbed his heart hard, then let go again—leaving him lost.
He'd already gotten used to being treated differently, used to the coldness and hostility. And yet suddenly, there was a place that could accept him calmly and normally—and that made everything feel unreal.
No. I absolutely can't cry here!
Naruto discreetly wiped the corner of his eye, took a deep breath, and forced himself to settle down. He lifted his head, his gaze locking onto Hyuga Kiyonari across the table.
It was Kiyonari… Kiyonari was the one who'd brought him into this place… the one who'd helped him meet these friends… the one who'd brought him into a barbecue restaurant for the first time.
If not for Kiyonari, he'd probably be alone at home right now, waiting for instant ramen to soften.
Naruto clenched his fist under the table.
The food arrived quickly. Bright red slices of meat and fresh green vegetables were neatly arranged on plates. The moment the food touched the scorching charcoal grill, it made a satisfying sizzle, and a rich meaty aroma spread instantly, making mouths water.
"The meat's ready." Kiyonari picked up a piece of grilled meat and called to everyone. "Eat while it's hot."
"Time to eat!"
Naruto had been waiting desperately. He shoved a thick slice of beef into his mouth. The boiling juices burst out, so hot he hissed and reflexively opened his mouth to blow air.
"Idiot."
Uchiha Sasuke sighed, then casually pushed his unopened iced drink over to Naruto.
Everyone else began eating too. Hinata picked up a small piece with slightly charred edges, brought it to her lips, blew gently, then took a small bite and chewed carefully.
This was the side of her that showed more often—the "young lady" side.
"Oh, Ino," Kiyonari suddenly spoke. As the one treating, his voice naturally drew everyone's attention.
"Spring's almost here. Your family's flower shop must look amazing then, right?"
At that, Ino puffed out her chest proudly. "Of course! Spring is the busiest and prettiest season for a flower shop. We'll decorate it so beautifully people won't be able to look away!"
"That sounds amazing!" Sakura's eyes lit up. "Ino, you have to take me to see it when the time comes!"
Ino waved a hand generously. "No problem…"
While their conversation drew everyone's attention away, Kiyonari quietly placed a small pile of grilled meat into Hinata's bowl.
Hinata was eating in small bites when she suddenly felt the bowl grow heavier. She looked down and widened her eyes in surprise.
Kiyonari had just pulled his chopsticks back and winked at her, as if saying, Go ahead—eat. I've got you.
"Oh, Ino—since you use flower-arranging knowledge in fashion, have you ever tried using fashion knowledge in flower arranging?" Kiyonari asked, keeping the topic flowing.
"How do you understand me so well?!" Ino's eyes lit up, and she launched into an excited explanation, even putting her chopsticks down.
Kiyonari listened while continuing to place meat on the grill, keeping an eye on Hinata's bowl from the corner of his eye. Whenever she was about to finish, he'd quietly add more while no one noticed.
At first, Hinata was a little nervous, afraid the others would notice.
But soon she realized Kiyonari had timed it perfectly. Everyone's attention stayed caught by the conversation, and nobody noticed how the raw meat kept disappearing mysteriously from the table.
Minute by minute, the plates on the table emptied completely without anyone realizing.
They ate and chatted, and no one even knew exactly how many plates they'd gone through—but everyone was satisfied.
Naruto practically sank into the chair, patting his swollen stomach lightly. "Haa… I'm so full… I can barely walk."
"That won't do." Kiyonari pulled out four movie tickets and waved them. "We've still got round two."
Naruto's eyes were instantly drawn to the colorful stubs. "What's that?"
"A movie," Kiyonari said casually, clearly not planning to explain much. "Just follow me."
"Oh."
Naruto nodded, then looked at everyone gathering around to discuss it. He couldn't stop a small laugh from slipping out.
Sasuke, closest to him, caught it immediately and turned his head. "What's with you?"
"Nothing."
Naruto paused. The smile didn't fade—if anything, it softened, completely different from his usual loud, noisy self.
"It's just…" He looked around once, then his gaze finally settled on Kiyonari. "…I feel really satisfied."
Sasuke glanced at him, returning to his usual annoyed tone. "That's because you ate like a pig. You deserve the bloated stomach."
He walked out of the private room. When he came back, he was holding a piece of hawthorn candy.
"Here. Press it against your stomach for a while. I'm not carrying you."