(Timeline: Summer at Age Fourteen)
'How could he fall asleep in a place like this?' Hinata looked down helplessly at Naruto, who was resting his head on her lap. He seemed to be fast asleep.
As for being asked to sit on someone's lap as a guest, she guessed that only Naruto could shamelessly ask for it.
Since she can't refuse, she could just indulge him.
Under the thick green shade, above them is the lush treetops. The noisy sound of cicadas rang noisily, disrupting Hinata's thoughts.
Looking up, the green leaves completely blocked her view of the sky, while Naruto lay asleep on her lap. If it were a normal day, what would she be doing? Surely not being someone's lap pillow.
Through the thin fabric of her pants, Hinata could feel his body heat. Just thinking about it made her face flush red.
Thankfully, it was noon, and they were in a secluded area where no one would pass by. The stone bench was cold against her, like sitting on a block of ice.
Lost in thought, Hinata glanced down at Naruto. His golden hair, the smooth line of his brows, and when asleep, he didn't seem like the lively person he usually was.
As she lowered her gaze, she didn't realize how close their faces had become. The more she looked, the more she wanted to poke his cheek. His eyelashes were surprisingly long for a boy.
This lap pillow, even through clothes, made her keenly aware of the warmth between them. It almost felt like their body heat was melding together, enveloping each other in warmth.
His chest rose and fell evenly with each breath. There wasn't any strange odor from his body, just a faint trace of sweat, nothing unpleasant, and it made Hinata's heart beat faster.
Although she was shy, she couldn't deny how much she liked this kind of rare intimate contact.
His head rested on her thigh, pressing against her skin, making Hinata feel something strange. A warm current flowed within her, her breathing quickened as she silently prayed no one would pass by.
After waiting for a while, there were no strange sounds around them, confirming they were truly alone.
As a result, Hinata gradually became bolder. She reached out with her slender fingers, gently touching Naruto's face before quickly pulling back.
Naruto didn't react, he was still sound asleep, his breathing steady and relaxed.
Hinata blinked as an inexplicable excitement surged into her heart, feeling deeply guilty as if she had done something bad. Yet, the thrill urged her to try again.
Her gaze drifted away from his face and caught sight of the open collar of his shirt.
Thump, thump, thump…
Hinata's heart raced as she quickly averted her gaze, feeling embarrassed. The cicadas were chirping louder than ever, covering up the girl's troubled thoughts.
Naruto must have woken up at some point, because when he opened his eyes and looked up, he saw Hinata's face… and the small hill above his face.
Hinata happened to lower her head at this time and they stared at each other for a moment.
Hinata blinked in confusion, and her mind is in a mess. She instinctively tried to stand up, but Naruto quickly pulled her back into his arms. If Hiashi were here at this moment, both of them would be in serious trouble.
A shiver ran through her body, and almost immediately, a layer of sweat formed on her skin. Her face turned visibly red, and soon her neck was tinted with a pink hue, like strawberry ice cream melting under the sun.
Naruto couldn't resist and playfully poked Hinata's cheek.
"W-What is it?" Hinata stammered, panicking. She was afraid that Naruto had noticed something he shouldn't have seen.
"I didn't sleep well." Naruto replied casually.
"Huh? W-What should we do then? Should I let you sleep a little longer?" She believed it and wanted to get up, but her legs were numb from sitting for so long.
"Can't sleep well like this." Naruto said, pretending to sound annoyed.
Upon hearing this, Hinata suddenly became conflicted. After a long pause, she finally spoke in a soft voice, "Then let's... let's change places. This bench is too short."
"I can't sleep now." Naruto pouted, deliberately acting upset.
"Please don't... don't be mad. There's... there's a grassy spot over there." Hinata tugged at his shirt, pleading softly, "Can we go there instead?"
"No way, unless... unless you let me kiss you."
"I-I…" Hinata instinctively tried to dodge the suggestion, but when she saw Naruto wasn't moving, she bit her lip and stopped avoiding him.
Naruto leaned in, softly kissed her cheek, then gently pinched it. With a satisfied smile, he got up and walked away.