[Late at Night]
Inside a lodging house.
Konan sat by the window without any sleepiness, staring dazedly at the rain outside.
She had watched this rain for decades and was already tired of looking at it.
However, thinking that she would leave Amegakure tomorrow, her mood inevitably grew a bit sentimental.
She held the forehead protector of Amegakure in her hand that had been slashed once, feeling the icy touch on her fingertips.
It slightly soothed her mood.
She had spent the whole day today wandering around Amegakure with Aoba. Most likely, by tomorrow, the story of Amegakure's angel finding a young boyfriend would start spreading around the village.
Thinking of this, an expression of helplessness couldn't help but surface on her face again.
Nagato had tried to persuade her to stay, but at the same time, expressed respect for her choice to pursue happiness.
She didn't know what Aoba said, but somehow he really made Nagato accept it.
However, she felt that Nagato had probably been quite annoyed by Aoba as well.
Speaking of which, Konan was never really a girl with her own strong opinions.
She didn't know whether Nagato's or Aoba's path was the right one, nor did she know whether true peace even existed in this world.
All she did was follow her own heart.
Just as Aoba said, if she herself couldn't find peace of mind, then just believe in him.
Aoba would give her that peace of mind.
She just needed to believe in Aoba and stay by his side.
What Amegakure needed was not just an angel who could shout slogans.
What it needed was someone who could completely drive away the dark clouds above their heads.
She couldn't do it, and it was hard for Nagato to do it too.
But perhaps Aoba really could do it.
Thinking of returning soon, Konan snapped out of her thoughts and suddenly remembered something else.
She had come out this time precisely to spend a little couple's time with Aoba.
If they returned tomorrow, most of Aoba's time would once again be snatched away by Uzuki Yugao and Terumi Mei and those people.
She was already in her thirties and didn't have that much time to waste.
Konan thought for a while, then walked over to the vanity mirror.
Under the dim yellow light, she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Konan couldn't help but raise her hand to touch her cheek.
Though she was already over thirty years old, time hadn't left many marks on her.
She still looked like a woman in her twenties, still had the appearance of a young girl.
It was just that compared to Uzuki Yugao and Terumi Mei, she was slightly older.
Konan took a deep breath and walked to the wardrobe.
A row of black cloaks with red clouds appeared before her.
"Tch!", Konan clicked her tongue. If she had known earlier, she would've bought a few dresses today.
But she quickly thought of another method.
The clothes on her body slipped off, and sheet after sheet of paper covered her body, transforming into a brand-new paper dress.
Then she pressed her lips together and looked toward Aoba's room.
It was right across from her.
However, she still needed to come up with an excuse first.
———
"Konan-nee?"
Aoba seemed to have just finished bathing, water droplets still clinging to his hair, and his body carried a layer of warm moisture.
He looked with some confusion at Konan standing at the door, wearing a paper-colored dress.
Konan clasped her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and smiled as she said, "Aoba, are you planning to let me stand at the door this whole time?"
Aoba came back to his senses and stepped aside, half-jokingly saying, "Konan-nee, coming to a guy's room this late at night is a very dangerous thing, you know."
"Is that so?", Konan walked in without a trace of defensiveness, "Then I'd like to see what kind of danger it holds."
The lighting in the room was somewhat dim and serene, and coupled with the sound of raindrops hitting the wall outside, it added a slightly chilly feeling.
After she entered the room, Aoba finally noticed that Konan was holding something in her hand.
Konan placed what she was carrying onto the table, then leaned sideways against the table and sat down.
Her right hand rested on the tabletop, supporting her chin with her palm, her misty eyes staring directly at him.
Her two plump thighs were crossed over each other, exuding a lazy yet elegant aura.
But because she was sitting sideways facing Aoba, this sitting posture was extremely bold.
Aoba's gaze subconsciously locked onto that critical spot.
He noticed that Konan's skirt seemed a little too short.
Sensing Aoba's gaze, Konan's cheeks were slightly flushed.
But she deliberately crossed her legs in the opposite direction, causing her full thighs to sway.
That mysterious and seductive absolute territory flickered vaguely before Aoba.
Indeed, it's the half-covered half-revealed look that's the most enticing.
"Aren't you going to sit?"
Seeing Aoba still standing there dumbfounded, Konan couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Aoba pulled his gaze back and walked over, not choosing the wider seat across from her, but instead sat right next to Konan.
"Konan-nee, coming over this late, could it be you came to invite me for a late-night snack?", He had already caught a whiff of the aroma from the bag on the table.
"Mm… I suddenly got a little hungry tonight," Konan let her previously crossed legs down and turned her body.
She took out a box of fried chicken from the plastic bag, as well as a box of dumplings, still steaming hot, clearly just freshly made.
The last thing she pulled out was a bottle of alcohol.
Aoba looked a bit surprised, "Konan-nee, you made all of this yourself?"
Konan nodded, "Although it might not be as good as Aoba's cooking, I still have some confidence in myself."
She pulled out a pair of chopsticks, picked up a piece of fried chicken, and held it out in front of Aoba.
Aoba didn't hesitate, he opened his mouth and bit into it.
"Delicious!"
'Fried chicken is something that's honestly hard to make taste bad.'
"If it's good, then eat more."
Konan took out another pair of chopsticks and placed them in front of Aoba.
She poured herself a cup of wine.
And lightly took a sip.
Her alcohol tolerance wasn't very good. With this one bottle, she'd probably end up losing her rationality.
"Konan-nee, do you like drinking?"
"I don't," Konan shook her head, swirled her wine glass, and looked at the sparkling liquid inside, seeming a little lost in thought, "I just suddenly felt like drinking tonight."
Aoba understood and reached out to hold her other hand, "Konan-nee, if you ever want to return to Amegakure, I can accompany you here anytime."
Konan was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood.
Aoba thought she missed Amegakure and was using alcohol to drown her sorrow. Although that was part of the reason, she actually had another goal in mind.
But she clearly couldn't say the real reason, so she simply nodded, "Thank you, Aoba."
"No need to be so polite. We're family, after all," Aoba's smile was gentle.
Konan smiled again too, "By the way, what exactly did you talk about with Pain earlier?"
She suddenly became curious again.
Aoba blinked at Konan, "Do you really want to know?"
Konan tilted her head, "Can't I know?"
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