"Kurenai's foot, how did it feel?"
As soon as Kurenai left, Anko couldn't wait to ask Aoba about his impression.
"You noticed?", Aoba looked at her in surprise.
'Really got smarter?'
Anko frowned slightly, "I'm not stupid, okay? That move between you and Kurenai. Just looking at it, something was off."
Aoba felt embarrassed. As for the feeling in his hand, he really didn't know how to describe it, so he could only change the topic, "Why did Kurenai-nee put her foot in my hand?"
Anko showed a meaningful smile, "Who knows, maybe she actually likes you, but is too shy to show it directly, so she's using this kind of method to express her feelings."
"Kurenai-nee isn't that kind of person," Aoba said.
Of course, what he meant was that Kurenai wouldn't do something like what just happened.
"You hinting at me?", Anko narrowed her eyes, poked his face with her chopsticks.
"Your drool's getting all over my face," Aoba pushed her chopsticks away with his own and pulled out a tissue to wipe his face.
"Heh, you've already eaten both of those before, and you're still being picky?", Anko chuckled.
Aoba rolled his eyes, "Wasn't that because you forced me?"
"So you're saying, you weren't willing, huh?", Anko's expression turned dangerous.
Aoba couldn't help sighing. Now he finally understood what a true old driver was. Compared to her, both Yakumo and Karin were still far behind.
"Shouldn't we be talking about Kurenai-nee right now?"
"You could just go ask her directly," Anko looked completely unconcerned.
"…"
Aoba thought for a moment, then remembered when Kurenai had suddenly pinched Anko earlier. He said, "Could it be that Kurenai-nee noticed your movement and wanted to kick your foot away, but I misunderstood and grabbed the wrong one?"
Anko's eyes widened.
From her look, Aoba already knew the answer.
So it really was… a wonderful misunderstanding.
"You didn't do it on purpose, did you?", Aoba eyed Anko suspiciously.
Anko rested her chin on one hand, giving him a playful look, "What do you think?"
'What do you think I think?'
Aoba: "Do you really want to push me and Kurenai-nee together that much?"
Anko gave him a look, "Then what, should I match Kurenai with Asuma instead?"
Aoba fell silent, "Jonin Asuma seems like he's always been chasing after Kurenai-nee."
"Mm, more accurately, Asuma's been chasing her since they were kids," Anko corrected.
Aoba asked again, "Then why hasn't Kurenai-nee agreed?"
Anko rubbed her chin, thinking, "I'm not too sure. Before, it felt like the two of them were pretty close, but later Asuma went off to be one of those Guardian Ninja or whatever."
"He was gone for years in a row. When he came back, it felt like Kurenai treated him like just a normal friend."
"You think maybe someone else slipped in during that time?", As she said that, Anko deliberately looked at Aoba with meaning.
"This…", Aoba felt like she was pointing right at him.
Come to think of it, during that time, the guy who spent the most time with Kurenai really was him.
Back then, she often used "teaching Yakumo" as an excuse to come find him.
And from time to time she'd whisper in his ear about things like "monogamy is Konoha's tradition."
But in the end, she'd always leave flushed and angry after Aoba pissed her off.
Finally, when he was at his wit's end, he just put his face right up to hers and declared, "When I become Hokage, I'll change that tradition."
After that, maybe Kurenai felt she couldn't change his mindset, so she brought it up less.
Still, she kept coming by. After all, she still had to teach Yakumo.
Aoba also got to freeload off Yakumo, snagging some of Kurenai's private tutoring, chatting, and saying a few words to get closer.
But realistically, her falling for him didn't make sense. He was just a k—id at the time.
If it were really like that, then wouldn't Kurenai be kind of a p*rvert?
No wait, by that logic, he himself, together with Yugao and Shizune, would be the real p*rverts…
"Aoba, who do you think was so despicable as to sneak in at just that time?", Anko let out a creepy laugh, rubbing his leg under the table.
Aoba turned his face away, "I don't know."
"I'll remind you of one thing."
Anko smiled slyly again, "Kurenai's feet are really sensitive. Even I, if I dared to touch her like that, I'd definitely get it bad."
Aoba's expression changed slightly.
Anko kept going, "So… if you don't want her to hate you, you'd better never show that you actually already realized it."
———
[Inside the Bathroom]
Kurenai sat on the toilet, unable to keep from covering her face with both hands.
Her cheeks were still burning, her skin hot to the touch, almost scorching.
What just happened, it was way too stimulating for her.
In over twenty years of her life, she had never experienced anything like this. Her own foot, actually...
And in front of someone else, no less.
Anko definitely noticed. As for whether Aoba realized at the time… she wasn't sure.
'Probably not, right?'
She figured she hid it well.
She lowered her head to look at her foot.
Through her pale skin, she could faintly see the veins beneath. Her toes were stretched straight, her neatly trimmed nails like delicate pink gems.
She could still feel the lingering warmth from Aoba's palm against her skin.
That only made her even more ashamed.
"Huuh—"
After a deep breath, Kurenai adjusted herself and then walked out of the bathroom.
As the door opened and closed, a breeze stirred.
Kurenai instinctively pressed her skirt down, her face flushing Kurenai again.
Because of Aoba just now, she'd had to remove certain restraints and tuck them into her pocket.
Without those restraints, she felt a little… chilly.
"You two done eating?"
In the dining room, Aoba and Anko were already cleaning up the table.
"Mm."
Anko teased her with a glance, saying meaningfully, "Kurenai, you sure stayed in the bathroom a long time."
'Anko definitely noticed.'
Kurenai bit her lip, ignoring Anko's teasing. Right now what mattered was Aoba.
She looked toward him. He was seriously tidying up the table, showing no sign of anything unusual.
She let out a sigh of relief.
'So it is only Anko who noticed.'
"I'll help clean up too."
"No need, we're almost done… hm?"
Aoba reached out to stop her, but Kurenai reacted like a reflex, instinctively pressing down her skirt.
"Then… then you two finish up, I'll just sit for a bit."
Kurenai moved to a nearby stool, sitting down while holding her skirt.
Aoba didn't really get it, but he didn't think much of it either. He just figured she was still feeling shy.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.