Naruto: If I ask you to kill Sasuke, you will become a succubus?

I said sincerely, "Because I think Shikamaru is great. He's smart, gentle, kind, and really, really great."

Ino said: "Then why don't you be good friends with Shikamaru and follow Naruto every day?"

Shikamaru suddenly said nervously: "Hey!"

But at that time I didn't know that "being good friends with someone" had other meanings. I just thought it meant why I couldn't be as close to him as I was to Naruto.

All I can say is: "Because Naruto is... different."

"Because Naruto is family? I heard that you have been trying to make friends before and experienced the preciousness of friends?"

"Yes."

"So, what about lovers? Have you tried it?"

Shikamaru glared at Ino: "Stop it!"

Ino looked at me with a smile and ignored him: "How is it? Does Chaolu like someone now?"

"I like it... I don't quite understand what it feels like... But my love, I have thought about trying it!"

After hearing what I said, Ino and Shikamaru were both surprised: "Huh?"

Ino asked hurriedly: "Do you have a target? Who is it?"

I told the truth: "Shino."

Ino was shocked: "Ah!?"

Shikamaru took a deep breath and looked like he didn't want to continue participating in this conversation, but he still held back and didn't leave.

Ino asked urgently, "Why?"

"Because... he's not annoying to get along with?"

"That's it? You and Shikamaru get along well, then?"

"But Shikamaru is very important." I said, "I read in a book that if lovers break up in the end, they can't even be friends anymore. So I want to find a friend I just met not long ago and try what it feels like to be lovers."

Ino: "...Here, try it? Chaolu, this isn't a good idea..."

I was puzzled and asked, “Why?”

"Because when it comes to love, if the two parties are not in love with each other... it will be terrible!"

"That's the same as being friends. You have to feel comfortable with each other to be friends, right?"

"But, but, uh..." Ino herself didn't have much experience. After all, the only person she liked was Sasuke. "But the feeling of someone you like is different from that of a friend! The person you like will make you feel uncomfortable!"

"Uncomfortable? Why do you feel uncomfortable?"

"Because... it's like, if you can't get close to him, can't be the best person to him, if you're not his most special person, your heart will feel like it's on fire. And when you see him, you will want to be close to him very much."

"Hmm..." I was a little confused: "I don't quite understand."

"If you don't have such feelings, then you can't be lovers with each other. Because it's not fair to the other person either, it's like playing with the other person's feelings!"

"Eh... But if I try really hard to become friends with someone and fail in the end, the other person won't think I'm playing with their feelings, right? I tried really hard!"

"So what I'm saying is, you don't know the difference between friends and lovers!"

"It's because I don't understand that I want to understand. Why do I feel pain? Why do I like it when I feel pain?"

"Because...if it's that special person, even if it's painful, it's happiness. It's something given by that person."

"Then can I tell Shino in advance? I'll tell him I want to try out the feeling of being a lover, and if he doesn't agree, I'll find someone else."

"No! You really don't understand at all!" Ino emphasized again and again: "In short, love is not something you can understand just because you want to understand it. It is very much about fate! A destined encounter, a destined marriage, a destined person - it is a very romantic thing!"

Shikamaru: "Ah..."

Shikamaru seemed to want to stop her from saying the following words, but he was too late.

I immediately frowned, and couldn't help but rebel: "So, if I want a lover and want to understand love, do I have to wait? I don't want that. If I want it, then I have to get it myself!"

Shikamaru said helplessly: "What you are talking about is no longer the same thing..."

Ino and I failed to reach an agreement in the end, so before the class bell rang, I sneaked back to the infirmary with the cards.

After class, the students all left and the teacher in the infirmary finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Sasuke just had a simple cough just now, so she didn't stay there for long and went back to the library to chat with her friends.

I climbed in through the window with ease, and saw Naruto already lying on the other bed, sleeping with his face buried in the pillow.

I put the cards in my arms on the windowsill, moved closer to Naruto, and used the back of my hand to test the temperature of his forehead, not sure if he was infected and had a fever.

"Hmm?" When I found out his temperature was normal, Naruto opened his eyes dazedly and saw me, "Chaolu, this bed is so comfortable..."

I couldn't help but smile and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

I don't know why I do this, but when I see Naruto like that, I can't help but want to do it. If I can't be close to him like this, I will feel very uncomfortable.

Naruto said "Huh?" but acquiesced to my action.

He squinted his eyes and rubbed against me.

I then said contentedly: "Go to sleep, remember to take off your shoes first."

"But I still have to watch over Sasuke..."

"It's okay, I'll help you watch it."

So Naruto kicked off his shoes, curled up in the quilt and fell asleep peacefully.

I helped him put away the shoes that fell on the ground, and then went to check the water in Sasuke's medicine bottle. There was about half of it left, so there was no need to worry for the time being.

"Hey..." Just as I was about to go back to Naruto, Sasuke suddenly called me. "I need to go out for a while."

I looked back at Naruto and asked cautiously, "Where are you going?"

He didn't say anything, as if he was too lazy to pay attention to me. He just lifted the quilt and bent down to put on his shoes.

His movements were very inconvenient, and it was difficult to put on ninja shoes without the help of hands.

When he bent down, I saw a dark mark on his back soaked with sweat, and because his hair had been pressed on the pillow, his originally neat appearance looked a little messy.

For some reason, I hesitated for a moment, then squatted down to help him hold the shoe upper so that he could push his feet in.

Seeing this, Sasuke paused for a moment before telling me, "I'm going to the bathroom."

I was stunned. I didn't expect this answer. For some reason, in my imagination, someone as strong as him didn't need to go to the toilet.

I couldn't help but mutter to myself: "You can actually go to the toilet..."

Sasuke: "…What are you talking about?"

I stood up and observed how he was doing.

He had his brows drooped, his expression looked tired and weak, and his steps were heavy and sluggish, but he shouldn't fall down or faint halfway.

"Nothing," I said, "Can you go by yourself?"

He replied, “Yeah.”

I breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

After he left, I took the cards off the windowsill. I originally wanted to play with Naruto. If I had known that he was sleeping, I would have brought the book I borrowed over to read, but it was too troublesome to get it now.

I simply sat at the end of Naruto's bed, opened the cards and started playing by myself. After a while, Sasuke came back pushing the IV stand.

I took a look at him, confirmed that he was not missing any limbs and the IV was intact, then continued to play the card game.

I heard him lie back on the bed and cover himself with the quilt.

Then there was the sound of turning over.

After a long while, there was another sound of turning over.

After a while, there was a rustling sound of changing positions.

I looked up at Uchiha Sasuke and saw that his hair was even more messy from tossing and turning on the pillow.

He seemed to notice my gaze and looked over too.

I looked at him, then at the cards in my hand, and asked uncertainly, "...want to play?"