Fire

6

It’s the final semester break. Naruko had a few weeks before her final year start. She was looking forward to five months of study period, and then five weeks of semester break, before embarking on her internship program.

“Have you decided?” Shion asked. The beach blonde was combing her hair. She looked at Naruko sitting on Shion’s bed looking intently at Shion’s laptop. Shion glanced at her wall clock and then arched her brows questioningly at her best friend.

“It’s already 10.00 pm, Mom told us to stop responding to the clients after 10.00 pm.” Shion sighed when Naruko ignored her and continued to type on Shion’s laptop. The girl swooped on her bed landing beside Naruko and looked at the laptop.

Naruko glanced at her friend and explained, “I know, but this customer has been asking questions about the cakes since ten minutes ago.”

“Hmmm. You shouldn’t have looked at the messenger the last ten minutes, these clients will forever talk to you like you had not clearly state your operating hours on your page.”

Naruko was staying over at Shion’s place since they were helping Shion’s mother with their online business. It was December and a lot of cakes were ordered for the festivities and new year celebration.

“I know, but let me finish this one. Next time I’ll quit before closing time,” Naruko typed another response to the customer.

Shion lay on the bed and turned to her side to speak to Naruko. She placed her comb beside her and supported her face with her hand. “Hey Naru, since tomorrow is a weekend, and mom is staying at home attending the media socials, why don’t we go out and do some sight seeing. We have been cooped up in this house the past few days since mom had to go to that Cake Fair. What do you say?”

Naruko typed a few more on the laptop and then proceeded to log out.

“Finally,” Shion laughed. “Come on, what do you want to do?”

“How about we go for a run? I haven’t been doing anything active these past few days.”

“Hey, we can wear our sneakers and walk around the mall, it’s rainy seasons anyway.”

Naruko smiled and looked at her friend, folding the laptop and lifting the laptop onto her lap. “Hey, that’s an interesting idea. I have been thinking of doing some exercising for awhile. My baby fat are getting bigger from all these sittings.”

“Okay, so we are set for tomorrow.”

“Mmm hmm. Hey I am starving, let’s go eat some more cake,” Naruko suggested.

Shion smiled and said, “You go have cake. I am just going some crackers, I want to avoid cake this few times. Mom will ask us to sample her fruitcakes tomorrow anyway. I have enough of cakes, truthfully. At least I avoid eating them since I can’t ignore them.”

“Ah, silly Shion. Your mom’s cake are delicious.”

“I know, but I eat them daily for the past five years, I can abstain from eating them for a few days. It’ll help my taste buds. You should try having them for breakfast, tea and supper.”

Naruko laughed and she got up to keep the laptop on a study table before heading out of the room. Shion who was still lying on the bed called after her, “Hey Naru, I said I won’t have cake but I didn’t say that I won’t have breakfast.”

“Haha, serves you right for avoiding cake. Come on.”

Shion pouted and followed her disappearing best friend down to the kitchen.

Shion mom was checking her phone for orders as she made a list of things to settle tomorrow. In front of her were some fruit cakes in a muffin tray.

“Mom!” Shion ambushed her mom front behind. “Fruitcakes?”

Shion lifted the tray and brought it to her face. She checked them out and commented to her mom, “You actually made some today, I thought you were going to take time off cake and do them tomorrow. I was just planning to abstain from eating cake today.”

“Those are muffins,” Naruko said as she got some mugs and began making tea for them.

Naruko had been placed on supper duty because Shion’s mom didn’t want her to be awkward while living there. She had so far spent two weeks there. Shion’s mother hired Naruko to be in charge of their media socials while Shion kept a record of all confirmed orders and payments. They were both paid the same rate as a regular part time job. Naruko was glad that she had agreed since she also had free food and constant companionship. If she had stayed at their house near the campus, she would be alone while Shion went home. Naruko intended to work at a department store only a bus stop away from their rented house. But Shion had asked her to come along and after a day of thinking plus Shion’s forceful persuasion, she agreed to work for Shion’s mom. The older woman was only home after 6 pm and was not a helicopter employer and that had helped in Naruko quickly adapting to her job.

“Whatever, I am not eating none of it today” Shion said smugly.

“You are such a snob. Wait until you can’t enjoy eating a cake and then you will long for one and even pay for it,” Naruko said. She didn’t quite understand why Shion sometimes act so ungrateful. So far she had no problem having cake day and night. But never for lunch, they always have chicken, fish or meat for lunch and never cake.

“Thank you Naruko, Shion is whiny sometimes I am glad you are here too. You want to stay here forever Naruko,” Shion’s mother said matter of factly to the girl.

Naruko was surprised, surely Shion’s mother didn’t meant that. She was just teasing Shion, she thought.

“Yeah Naruko, that’s what I have been thinking about for a few times now. You are so right mom. We can convert the gym room into your room.”

“Hey,” Naruko didn’t know what to say to her friend. Instead of being intimidated the best friend seemed to be okay with it. This was really an awkward situation for Naruko.

Naruko blushed and scratched her whiskered cheek from nervousness. “That’s a great invitation, but I don’t intend to stay in Konoha after graduation.” It was the truth.

“Now girls, sit down and have tea. We can talk about that all night long.” Shion’s mother said. The girls quickly scrambled away, Naruko getting the tea strainer and began pouring tea into three mugs, she knew that Shion’s father would only come back next week. Shion’s father worked far away from there and would only return home every other weekend.

“I am sorry to spring that question like that, but me and my husband have been talking and we were thinking of moving to his place and Shion was going to be alone. We thought that maybe you could keep her company if I am not here,” Shion’s mother said.

It wasn’t a suggestion, Naruko thought. Shion’s mother had been acting like Naruko was her own daughter and had made a plan without her knowledge.

“Yeah, you have no one here after all. You don’t need to feel awful, it was just a suggestion, we are not forcing you. It was just an idea.”

Naruko continued to think. It was possible that she would spend the year after graduation not at their company since they don’t have any agreement to work there as soon as possible. The scholarship they got also gave them a choice of working right after graduation or at least two years post graduation.

She didn’t realize that she was staring at her cup of tea until she felt a warm hand on her wrist. “Now, don’t feel like you are obliged to stay here and babysit here. Mom and Dad was just suggesting. So you were saying that you are going to Konoha?” Shion peered into Naruko’s sight.

“Yeah, I wanted to search for my Mom though I am not sure where to start. I will have to meet mayor Tsunade for some information, but when the University opens later.”

“I will accompany you,” Shion said.

“Thanks.” Naruko then realized that she had let the tea get cold and apologized profusely to the matron of the house. She stood up and bowed to her hosts without checking where they were standing.

“Auntie, I am really sorry.”

Shion’s mother was already standing beside her, with her hand on Naruko’s shoulder. “It’s okay girl, you don’t have to feel guilty. I am sorry for making decisions like that and springing it on you, it’s just that we worried over you. My husband also thinks of you like our daughter. Though I have known you the past years as such an independent girl, we thought we could offer our house as yours too. The invitation is open anytime you want.”

“That’s very kind.” Naruko said as she got up and breathed.

“Now let’s have tea,” Shion’s mother patted Naruko and slipped away to sit at her own seat.

Naruko smiled and sat down. Shion got to their kitchen cabinet and got out a jar of cookies and fetched some plates too.

“You are seriously ditching your mom’s muffin and eating cookies,” Naruto joked at her friend.

“She made these too,” Shion waggled her tongue at Naruko.

“Huh,” Naruko replied. “I should have them too.”

Shion’s mother just laughed at the 25 year old's antics. They were already in their twenties but they act like children when they were amongst themselves.

“So, as I was asking you what are your options for internship?” Shion said after finishing a cookie.

Naruko paused from eating, she had not thought about it yet.

“Konohamaru told me that Kaka-sensei was text messaging everyone about any of the boys  wanting to try Uchiha Works because only the girls were applying there. Sensei wanted some boys too for balance.”

Naruko caught the name of Uchiha Works and replied feeling confused, “Why would the girls all be apply there. Then we should apply somewhere else. How about Hyuga Corps?”

“Konohamaru said, the boys are applying there. I am thinking of interning at Mayor Tsunade’s office, maybe you should too.”

“What’s so hot about Uchiha Works?”

Shion’s eyes turned owlish at Naruko’s questions and then started googling on her phone.

“Didn’t I say no phone on the dining table,” said her mother.

“Mom, this is a speci case. Naruko you are such a noob.” Shion then handed her phone to Naruko and exclaimed, “This is why!”

Naruko took the phone and saw two beautiful people in the screen. “Whose these? Actors?”

Shion made a smug face and announced, “Those are the heir of Uchiha Works, there’s a lot more Uchiha in there but these two are the most popular.”

“So who are they?” Naruko continued. She noted how fair their skin when contrasted to their jet black hair. She was sure that the picture, of them posing on a magazine was heavily photoshopped. They were too perfect looking.

“They are the targets of girls our age, the most famous pretty looking boys.”

“Ohh. Surely they’ll be out of reach right. So there’s no point of interning there if they are not around.”

Shion nodded, “Maybe. But i heard that Sasuke Uchiha moves from one department o another, i heard a rumour that he was aeven serving them at their cafeteria.”

“So?”

“You don’t get it Naruko?”

“So?” Naruko said while passing the phone to Shion and drank her cold tea.

“After supper, we’ll browse about them for more.”

Shion’s mother laughed at the girls antic and then cut in to ask Naruko to comment on her fruit muffin.

“They taste great, but you might want to go easy on the sugar. It’s too sweet.”

Shion’s mother nodded and said, “Ok. I’ll see what I can do with that suggestion. Maybe do two version, a less sugar and another one like this.”

Naruko nodded and listened on while SHion’s mother explained why her muffin was sweet.