Under the dim streetlights, the occasional passerby on this small street could see a pair of young, blushing lovers standing awkwardly together.
The two facing each other seemed somewhat restrained, with the girl keeping her head lowered the entire time, too shy to look up. Her small hands fiddled nervously with the hem of her skirt, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world...
Ryun held the bell bracelet in one hand while slowly reaching out with the other, gently taking hold of Kushina's pale, delicate hand.
Her cold, pale hand trembled slightly. The moment he took hold of it, she instinctively tried to pull away, but as she turned her head to the side, her arm quickly stopped resisting.
"This bracelet once carried the precious bond between a mother and daughter. Now that it has changed owners, that beautiful past has become just a memory..."
"At this moment, it is merely an ordinary piece of jewelry. But I wish to imbue it with new meaning, to make it a 'precious thing' once more..."
"Today, I want to give it to someone I treasure..."
Ryun expressed his feelings sincerely and boldly.
He gently pulled Kushina's hand a little closer.
"Kushina, would you... be willing to accept this 'precious thing'?"
Though Ryun did not directly confess his feelings, his words carried even deeper meaning than a straightforward declaration.
He did not immediately force the bracelet onto Kushina's wrist. Instead, he first expressed his feelings and then sincerely asked for her consent.
The best emotions should be mutual, not born of 'self-satisfaction.'
This bell bracelet was now a token of love, carrying a different kind of affection. It was no longer just an accessory.
Giving it away required the other person's agreement. The process could not be careless, nor could the gift be forced upon them.
Faced with this heartfelt confession from the boy before her, Kushina's face unconsciously lit up with joy. Her body trembled slightly from the surge of emotions.
'He wants to give this precious thing to me! The one he treasures is me!'
'Is Ryun confessing to me... Should I say yes?'
Kushina's mind raced, her heart pounding wildly. But after a moment, as if remembering something, she gradually calmed down and fell into a long silence.
'Should I accept him?'
'But isn't it too soon... The teachers and elders always say we shouldn't date so young...'
'If I agree now, will I seem too eager? What if he doesn't cherish me?'
'No, I can't say yes. It's too fast!'
'I... I'm not ready yet... I can't do this!'
Kushina's arm began to struggle instinctively.
Ryun froze, his steady breathing suddenly becoming uneven and hurried.
This was not the outcome he had expected!
He didn't want to let go, but as Kushina felt his grip tighten slightly, her resistance grew stronger.
Sensing her struggle, Ryun's heart twisted painfully. His expression darkened with disappointment and sorrow.
'I was too impatient!'
'There's still plenty of time, plenty of chances to be together. There was no need to rush things...'
Realizing this, he loosened his grip.
He was afraid of scaring her, afraid of hurting her, and most of all, afraid of making her dislike him.
But the moment he let go, Kushina suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart...
A sharp pain shot through her chest, making her bite her lip unconsciously.
The ache spread rapidly throughout her entire body.
She looked up at Ryun, only to see him hanging his head, the light in his once-bright eyes now dimmed.
'If I'm not the one you treasure, then why... why did you let go so easily?'
Kushina stared at Ryun with reddened eyes, her feet unconsciously taking several steps back.
Noticing Kushina's reaction, Ryun immediately looked back at her.
Their eyes held the same emotions—disappointment and disbelief.
Kushina felt he shouldn't have let go. How could he call her his 'treasured person' one moment and then betray those words the next?
Meanwhile, Ryun felt she shouldn't have struggled or stepped back... He had only let go out of respect for her feelings, not wanting to scare or pressure her.
It was precisely because he treasured her that he chose to release her hand.
This was the first 'collision' between emotion and reason, and neither seemed to understand the other's reaction.
Kushina opened her mouth, wanting to confront him, but the words stuck in her throat.
Her throat tightened, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
Seeing her cry, Ryun felt his heart tremble. He instinctively reached out.
But before he could touch Kushina, she retreated further, then turned and ran away!
"Ku—"
Ryun wanted to call after her, but seeing her fleeing figure, he knew there was no chance of stopping her...
He did not chase her. Both of them needed time alone to calm down.
His outstretched arm fell limply to his side. Ryun stared blankly at the golden bracelet in his hand, standing frozen for a long time.
After what felt like an eternity, he carefully placed the bracelet back into its box and returned home with a heavy heart.
When Asuka saw Ryun return, she went to greet him. But before she could speak, she noticed the strange look on his face.
"Son, what's wrong? Why do you look so down?"
Asuka's face was full of curiosity.
Hadn't her son gone out to dinner with his classmates? Why did he seem so upset?
Almost as if he'd been 'dumped'...
"It's nothing."
Ryun shook his head lightly, unwilling to explain. Truthfully, he was too embarrassed to talk about it.
Ignoring Asuka's persistent questions, he went straight to his room and locked the door.
"This child..."
Asuka frowned but decided not to disturb him further.
'Guess I'll have to ask him properly tomorrow...'
Ryun sat at his desk and picked up two sealing technique scrolls lying on it.
These were gifts from Kushina. She had suggested he study the basics carefully, admitting that her own explanations might have gaps. The scrolls were for him to review in depth.
Ryun created a shadow clone, and together they began carefully reading through the scrolls from start to finish.
Immersed in his training, the frustration and disappointment in his heart gradually faded by seventy or eighty percent.
In a shadowy corner near the Senju clan grounds, a red-haired girl crouched on the ground, her face buried in her arms as she sobbed silently.
A long time later, the girl, her eyes swollen from crying, stood up straight.
"I'll never talk to that liar again!"
Kushina declared this 'oath' with resentment. She wiped the tears and snot from her face and slowly walked into the Senju clan grounds.