I left Ino at her house while I went back to the apartment to prepare things. I had, on the previous day, put together things I would need for today's pastries. My go-to creations always revolved around cupcakes, muffins, cakes, bagels, cookies, cheesecakes, and pretzels, among others. On rare occasions, I made pudding or mousse.
But today, I was going all out, of sorts.
Instead of the expected spread of cupcakes, I had something else in mind. Not that I had discarded the good and battle-tested cupcakes — I had prepared a single one for the occasion: one of those.
To compensate for the lack of the usual fare, I went all out with experimenting and trying other things. This was also a prelude to what would be available at my bakery. I couldn't sell only cupcakes; that was absurd. I need a good spread, and Ino was going to help me test it.
For this outing, I had eclairs, flans, fondant au chocolat, cinnabons, swiss rolls, egg tarts, and others.
With everything ready, organized, and stored, I moved to the second part of the preparation. I wanted to surprise Ino today, and for that, I was busting out a brand new kimono.
It was a light lavender-pink yukata, more commonly used in summer, adorned with a floral design. The flowers were large, elegant, depicted in shades of deep purple with pale centers, accented by flowing vine-like lines and soft green leaves. Along with the yukata, the obi was a textured dark purple, cinched at the waist with a cord decorated at the center with a small pale pink flower ornament.
Yes, I know. Purple was Ino's color, but I liked it. Don't judge me.
My hair had grown in the months I spent sleeping, but not big enough for any complicated hairdos. I summoned a clone to help me trim it. Hairdresser-chan didn't want to help me, at least not at the start. Her eyes blazed with furious jealousy. I could understand it; I was going on a date with Ino.
There was a bit of a staring contest between the two, but fortunately, Hairdresser-chan saw reason and, after a bit of sulking, helped me with the haircut.
"It should've been me," she growled between snips of the scissors.
I couldn't blame her. I'd be pretty upset if I had to help someone else prepare for a date with Ino.
The haircut wasn't really one, if I was being honest. I wanted to do away with the bob cut and side bangs, and my clone helped me trim out the rebel strands and make sure everything looked good. Currently, the mane of black hair reached my shoulders, and no one had tried to burn it off in years.
Another pang of guilt stabbed my heart. Here I was preparing for a date, while out there, Sasuke was lost or worse. I knew it wasn't my responsibility, even if I could have done something to try to prevent it. Realistically speaking, it was more likely that things would have gone worse if I had tried to intervene. I knew it, but I still felt guilty about it.
After one last grumble and one last snip of the scissors, the clone disappeared without even wishing me good luck.
I got out of the chair and away from the mirror. Took a long, cleansing shower. Toweled off, added a hint of perfume, light makeup to make it look like I had no makeup at all, then donned the yukata, grabbed my seals, and stepped out of the apartment.
It was almost five in the afternoon, still a few minutes away from the agreed time.
I didn't take to the highways, mingling with the end-of-day workers and passersby going about their lives.
Walking through Konoha's streets was always a surreal experience. The architecture, the ambiance, the people. I loved this place, really loved it. Not perfect by any means, but home nonetheless.
My steps guided me towards Ino's house, and I met and waved to a few familiar faces among the crowd. I even saw Chiyo-baa herding a gaggle of kids away from a nearby park. She waved at me, eyes twinkling like she'd just learned an important secret.
I flushed, looked away, then looked back, waved, and only then looked away again. Chiyo-baa's tinkling bell laughter followed me as I turned around a corner and onto Ino's street.
Ino was already waiting for me.
Best Girl Ino wore a yukata too, but where I'd gone with lavender pink and purple, Ino's was a striking black decorated with patterns of white cherry blossoms. The blossoms were scattered across the fabric, connected by thin, flowing branches. The obi was textured, slightly crinkled white, wrapped neatly at the waist, accented with a slim black cord and a small decorative clasp featuring golden floral details.
Her face lit up when she saw me, and my face burned all over again. Gosh, she was so pretty.
With dainty steps, a devious smile, and narrowed eyes, Ino approached. She stopped in front of me, leaned in, and gave me a quick peck. She smelled of lavender; her lips sweet.
"Where are we going?" She asked, lacing her arms with mine.
I floundered like a fish out of water, unable to think. By my side, Ino giggled and leaned against my shoulder.
With a supreme effort of will, I cleared my throat and forced myself to speak. "It's a surprise."
Well, it wasn't, really. We were not going anywhere secret or forbidden, but just somewhere I had gone in the morning to prepare for the date. I had cleaned and placed things around and made sure things would be perfect in the evening.
"Mhmhum." Ino hummed.
We took off walking after that. We weren't going far. Our destination was Konoha's tallest building, which, surprisingly, wasn't the Hokage's tower. It was a building near the Hyuga compound that looked a lot like an apartment complex. Eight stories tall, with white walls and blue decorations.
Ino didn't question when I coated my feet in chakra and climbed the walls. She did the same, never letting go of my arm.
Atop the building, I had dragged off a wooden gazebo, now near the center, its beams draped with a white cloth that fluttered in the evening breeze. Lanterns, small and paper-soft, hung from the corners. The floor was swept clean, a blanket spread out beneath a low table where I would peddle Ino with my new confections and see if she approved. The whole arrangement gave a panoramic view of the village, and I hoped, a good place to watch the sunset.
The only thing that wasn't supposed to be there was the cat. Mister Tama, the tubby stalker cat, lay on top of the gazebo, sleeping like he owned the place. For all that I knew, he probably did.
By my side, Ino gasped. She hugged me, burying her face in my neck. "Thank you!"
I hugged her back, but I wasn't sure what she was thanking me for. I was the one who should be thanking her instead.
Atop the gazebo, the cat yawned lazily.