Nawaki coughed nervously, avoiding Xin's gaze. After a few moments of hesitation, he quickly waved his hands and said, "I just wanted to ask you for a favor."
"Go on."
"Well, it's just... could you help me find out some things about Meiko-Hyuga Meiko?"
Nawaki's voice was full of anxiety, mixed with excitement. He was more nervous now than he had been during his Jōnin exam, though he couldn't quite explain why.
It felt like his heart was being tickled by a kitten.
"..."
Xin's hand froze mid-motion as he dried his hair. He stared at Nawaki in disbelief.
If there were special effects, several large question marks would be floating over his head.
"Are you kidding me?"
Meiko? Hyūga Meiko, wasn't she just Hyuga Suzune's attendant?
Xin had thought Nawaki was just attracted to her looks and would soon forget about it.
But this kid was serious.
What should I even say?
Despite Nawaki's fondness for pretty girls, the truth was he had been single his whole life. He had never dated anyone, so the fact that he'd finally fallen for someone was, in a way, good news.
But there was one big problem: the girl he liked was from the Hyuga clan!
That's a major issue.
Xin tossed the towel aside and rubbed his face. He felt torn between laughing and yelling.
"Look, what exactly are you thinking?"
"There are so many girls in Konoha, and you go and like someone you met once for less than two minutes-and she's from the Hyuga clan?"
"I didn't plan it," Nawaki muttered, scratching his head awkwardly.
His already flushed face grew even redder.
He thought Hyuga Meiko was beautiful, even though she wasn't considered especially stunning.
After having time to think about it, Nawaki realized he really liked her.
She was his type.
Xin, now both amused and exasperated, laughed out loud.
"Have you lost your mind? Or is it me who's going crazy?"
"Wake up. There's no future here. It's not just that you have a one-sided crush; even if you both liked each other, it wouldn't be easy to be together."
"I'm not afraid of difficulties!" Nawaki declared, clenching his fists, showing his determination. What else can I say?
Xin stood up and walked toward the balcony, calling out to the neighboring house.
"Hey, crazy lady, come over here. I've got something to talk about."
"No, wait!" Nawaki panicked, nearly losing his mind as he tried to stop him.
But it was too late.