Chapter 42: Tonight... Can You Sleep With Me?
The summer night market was brilliantly lit and bustling with voices.
The air was filled with the aroma of takoyaki and the sweetness of candied apples, while colorful lanterns illuminated the streets like daylight.
Adults held their children's hands as they weaved between stalls, with laughter and cheerful voices echoing continuously.
But among the bustling crowd, one group was particularly eye-catching—a handsome youth in a black high-collared jacket, holding the hand of a lively girl with golden twin tails whose azure eyes sparkled with curiosity about the night market; beside him walked a black-haired girl like an exquisite porcelain doll, her ink-black eyes shimmering with fragmented light under the lantern glow.
As the three moved through the night market, many young women couldn't help but stop and stare. The combination of a handsome, upright youth with two distinctly different yet equally adorable lolis was simply too striking.
"Big brother, could we get acquainted?" A bold girl with a high ponytail blocked their path, staring directly at Yu.
Before Yu could respond, Sasuko stepped forward protectively, her small hand gripping Yu's sleeve tightly: "Yu, I want to go ahead!" She looked up with her big eyes full of warning.
"Oh my, is someone jealous?" The girl's companions laughed together.
Sasuko's face immediately flushed red as she pulled Yu away.
Seeing this, Naruko quickly grabbed Yu's other hand: "That's right! If we don't hurry, the takoyaki stand will close!"
Yu was dragged forward by the two little girls, one on each side, and could only smile apologetically at the young women.
Good-natured laughter came from behind: "Today's little girls are so interesting~"
Sasuko quickened her pace indignantly, leaving those laughs far behind. The night breeze brushed her burning cheeks but couldn't dispel the inexplicable irritation in her heart.
It had been like this from the beginning.
Back then, the handsome Yu was often surrounded by young girls from the clan asking for help with jutsu techniques.
At the training grounds, you could always see groups of Uchiha girls "coincidentally" passing by, blushing as they offered homemade snacks.
"Yu-kun, this is dango I made..."
"Could you teach me shuriken techniques? Just the two of us..."
"Yu-kun, I know a combination jutsu that requires two people. Would you like to practice at my house?"
The young men of the clan saw this with jealousy in their hearts. They gathered in corners of the training ground, making snide remarks:
"He just looks a bit better, that's all."
"The dead last only has this much ability."
"Still a genin after all this time—that's probably all he'll ever be."
Later, Yu never practiced outside anymore, only hiding to the side, carrying her home when she got tired from training.
Sasuko remembered how she used to angrily chase away those girls who circled around Yu. Now, with time passed, the same scene was playing out at the night market.
She always feared that one day she'd come home from school to find Yu had been lured away by some random woman who appeared from nowhere. This was also one of the main reasons she resisted going to school.
The night market's bustle gradually faded as their hands became full of various snacks. Takoyaki, candied apples, grilled dango... Yu carefully carried their food, occasionally reminding them: "Be careful, it's hot."
Sasuko took small bites of her dango while keeping her eyes on Yu's profile. Meanwhile, Naruko had to taste everything: "Mm! This is delicious! Ah, that one's good too!"
"Naruko," Yu looked at Naruko's already bulging little belly and couldn't help reminding her, "if you can't finish everything, you can take it home and put it in the fridge."
"But..." Naruko looked longingly at the various snacks, sugar still sticking to the corner of her mouth, "I want to try everything now~"
Yu gently ruffled Naruko's head, saying warmly: "We can come here often in the future. These food stalls won't run away."
"Okay, I'll listen to Yu."
...
As night deepened, pedestrians on the street dispersed in small groups, and lanterns were extinguished one by one.
Yu bent down and said softly to Naruko: "Hold tight, I'll take you home."
Space twisted, and in the blink of an eye they stood beneath Naruko's apartment building.
Naruko held various takeout boxes in her arms, waving vigorously from her doorstep: "Goodbye, Yu! Goodbye, Sasuko!"
Yu nodded with a smile: "Goodbye~"
As soon as the words fell, space twisted again and their figures vanished.
The next moment, space rippled slightly in the familiar bedroom as Yu appeared beside the bed holding Sasuko's hand.
The night breeze gently lifted the curtains, carrying a faint floral fragrance.
"Tired?" Yu helped Sasuko remove her jacket. "Did you have fun today?"
Sasuko nodded. She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly grabbed Yu's sleeve: "Yu... you said earlier that if I go to school, you'd grant me one request."
Yu said gently: "Mm, now you can tell me what that request is."
Sasuko's fingers unconsciously tightened on her clothes, anxiety flickering in her black eyes: "It's... when I'm at school..."
She suddenly threw herself into Yu's arms, her small hands gripping his collar tightly: "You can't talk to those strange women! You can't smile at them! And you absolutely can't... can't let them touch you!"
She spoke rapidly and urgently, almost shouting by the end.
Sasuko's entire face was flushed red, yet she still stubbornly looked up, her eyes full of possessiveness: "Yu, promise me!"
Yu couldn't help but chuckle. What was this little one thinking about all day? He raised his hand to flick Sasuko's forehead lightly: "In your eyes, am I really such an unreliable person?"
He remembered the last time he went out for training for a few days—when he returned, this little one had cornered him at the window for half the night, insisting he'd gone to some unhealthy establishment.
Yu shook his head helplessly and pulled Sasuko closer in his embrace.
Moonlight filtered through the curtain gaps, illuminating Sasuko's stubborn little face.
Seeing her nervous appearance, Yu's heart softened as he solemnly promised: "Alright, I promise you."
He deliberately put on a stern face, mimicking Sasuko's earlier tone: "But Sasuko must also promise me to make friends at school, study well, and not always hide alone."
Sasuko pressed her face against Yu's chest and gave a muffled "mm."
After holding her for a while, Yu finally released the little person in his arms.
He gently smoothed Sasuko's somewhat messy bangs, saying warmly: "Time to wash up and sleep. School starts in a few days, so you need to develop good habits of sleeping and waking early." He was about to get up and leave.
Sasuko pouted, though clearly reluctant, she still obediently nodded.
But just as Yu turned around, she suddenly reached out to grab the corner of his clothes, her voice barely audible: "Yu... there's one more thing."
"Mm?"
"Tonight... can you sleep with me?"
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