"Let's hope so. Tell Temari to meet us tomorrow at our usual training ground," With that, Kurenai drew a line under the matter.
"Alright," Aoba nodded.
"Kurenai, you're the best!"
Anko added a rib into Kurenai's bowl, then promised, "Don't worry, I'll also create opportunities for you and Aoba in the future!"
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Aoba and Kurenai choked at the same time. Kurenai glared at Anko, "What nonsense are you spouting? I don't have that kind of interest in Aoba."
Anko: "Eh? Then who are you interested in?"
"None of your business!"
Kurenai rapped her on the head with a fist, regretting helping this idiot.
She caught Aoba's curious gaze too and quickly looked away.
"I'm just worrying about your lifelong matters."
As Anko was chatting with Kurenai, her hands were busy under the table.
"No need to trouble yourself," Kurenai replied with a blank face.
Aoba was quietly eating, when suddenly he felt something sliding up from under the table.
Looking down, he saw a pale, delicate foot rubbing against his leg.
His gaze landed on the slender, bony, fair foot pressing on his knee.
It was obvious, this wasn't Kurenai's.
Aoba didn't have some weird foot-recognizing ability, but he knew Kurenai would never do such a thing.
He glanced at Anko with a hidden look, asking with his eyes.
["What's this about?"]
["Isn't it normal for couples to do bold things like this?"]
Anko showed no restraint at all, only winking at him. Aoba understood what her eyes meant.
["Didn't you say we should keep it secret? Aren't you afraid of being found out?"]
Aoba stared at her speechlessly, unable to understand her thoughts.
Anko kept teasing Kurenai with words, while her nimble toes seemed to be writing something.
["Isn't it more exciting this way? Besides, aren't you turned on too?"]
Aoba: "…"
'Exciting, my ass. And who the hell would get turned on by this?'
Aoba quietly kept eating, then gently pressed his legs together, clamping the foot in place.
He stretched out his left hand and caught it.
Anko didn't even flinch, her expression only grew brighter.
Aoba discreetly scratched the sole of her foot.
"Cough! Cough—"
Anko's body jerked violently. The sudden tickle made her cough, her hands gripping the chopsticks tightly.
"What's wrong?", Kurenai asked.
To cover herself, Anko quickly grabbed a glass of water and downed it in one gulp.
"Choked by accident."
Kurenai showed no sympathy, only sneered, "Eat properly, don't chatter so much."
"Mm."
To her surprise, Anko really did quiet down, lowered her head, and just ate silently.
That actually worried Kurenai, "What's wrong with you?"
"N-nothing."
Anko forced herself to stay calm, "Hurry and eat, the food's getting cold."
"?"
Kurenai couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.
But she wasn't stupid either.
While eating, she kept an eye on Anko's state.
Finally, following her doubts, she discreetly looked at the floor. Only to see a lone slipper lying there.
The leg was nowhere to be found.
Then she looked at Aoba. He was still sitting with his head down, but only one hand was visible above the table.
Remembering Anko's reaction just now, Kurenai's face instantly turned colorful.
Shock, shyness.
And a trace of strange anger.
'This bastard. Just now she was talking about setting me up with Aoba, yet at the same time she is doing this!'
Even if she didn't mind Aoba and Anko's relationship, what she couldn't stand was, she had become a prop in Anko's play.
Kurenai set down her chopsticks, her eyes fixed tightly on Anko.
"Kurenai, eat quickly. We still have to check the sofa after."
Anko felt Kurenai's gaze, endured the strange stimulation, and urged her.
Seeing Kurenai staring without blinking, while her foot was caught in Aoba's hand under the table.
She was getting a bit wet.
"Yes, we should hurry and finish eating."
Kurenai said with a forced smile. Then, while Anko wasn't ready, she struck fast at her waist.
Twisting hard.
"Ah!", Anko yelped in pain. The foot that Aoba was holding instantly pulled back, while she rubbed her reddened waist and glared at Kurenai.
"Kurenai, what are you doing?"
Kurenai calmly sipped her soup, "Nothing."
"You—", Anko gnashed her teeth angrily, thinking maybe Kurenai was upset about her teasing earlier.
She tried to stretch her leg out again.
But halfway through, another leg blocked hers, ruining her plan.
Anko looked at Kurenai in surprise, but seeing the angry glint in her eyes, she had no choice but to withdraw.
Kurenai's chest loosened a bit of the fire pent up inside.
But when she tried to pull her foot back, she realized, she couldn't.
Her expression changed slightly, and she instinctively glanced at Aoba.
He was still bowing his head, in the same posture as before.
'Did he mistake my foot for Anko's?'
Kurenai panicked inside, but forced herself to stay calm.
If she showed it, she wouldn't be able to explain.
He had just grabbed her foot casually, as if she'd stuck it out on purpose, competing with Anko.
"!"
Kurenai shuddered, goosebumps all over.
Now she finally understood why Anko had reacted so strangely earlier.
This was torture.
Like someone constantly brushing her sole with a feather.
She gripped her chopsticks, not daring to move, trying to act as if it really was Anko's foot.
But gradually, the feeling changed. From tickling torment, to strange comfort.
Because Aoba noticed something was off, the feeling wasn't the same.
His movements shifted naturally from teasing torment to a soothing foot massage.
The sensation was completely different.
He couldn't understand why Kurenai would put her foot out.
'Was it… a hint?'
Bang!
Just as Aoba was wondering what she meant, Kurenai slammed the table. The foot in his hand jerked away like it had been shocked.
"What now?", Anko bit her chopsticks, confused.
"I'm full. Going to the bathroom," With that, Kurenai stood abruptly and walked away in a fluster.
Her current state was… not good.
Sticky and messy.
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