Majide Hero

NejiXTenten. Tenten is Sasuke's cheerleader. Neji is a bespectacled nerd. This is going to feel good.

I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 16: The Last Move. Just tell her already!

He didn't like sticking out from a crowd. That said, he never imagined that one day, he would step out of his house wearing something that attracted so much attention that he thought it was just slightly better than being naked.

"Neji-kun! Congratulations on your scholarship!" One of the girls greeted him.

He just smiled in reply before another schoolmate was beside him.

"It's nice of you to drop by... you must be busy getting ready for your trip!"

"Yes he is… and now that you know, you may go." Ino said as she stepped in between the two. "And please stay away, thank you."

"Why are you so over protective?" The girl mumbled, reluctantly walking away.

Ino gave her a warning glare and then rolled her eyes when she looked back at Neji. She stomped on his foot, causing him to yelp in pain.

"I told you to stop looking down on the ground, didn't I?"

"I wouldn't be if I'm not feeling so strange..."

"You're imagining things!"

"Ino, don't you think you're being too strict?" Sakura asked. "See, you dirtied his shoe..."

"I have to be strict!" She said, turning to Sakura. "I'm doing this for Tenten's sake!"

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you're acting like a jealous girlfriend..."

"Yamanaka Ino? Girlfriend? This nerd?"

She was even more annoyed when she saw him fussing on the collar of his jacket- the same thing that he had been doing since they went out of his house.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stay still?!"

"Can I just change to the sweater Tenten gave me? I think that would work… I'll be comfortable and I think she'll find it sweet that I appreciate her gift."

"Yes, it's sweet that you like that sweater…" Ino sighed, straightening the collar that was almost wrinkled. "But why would you want to change when you already look awesome?"

"This look isn't for me."

"Who told you that?" She asked. "Confidence is the key, Neji. And of all people, you don't have the right to feel insecure because you're smart, you're a great guy, and whoever tells you that you're less than gorgeous… I assure you, that person is a liar."

Her determined eyes met his- intense yet calming. She paused, wondering if she went over with that scolding. She had no idea of what he was thinking. Did she make him angry? Or sad, maybe? She couldn't read him at all. But still, she wanted him to get over the unnecessary worrying.

"And that's coming from me." She continued. "My standards are high, you know."

She was surprised and relieved at the same time when he chuckled. It was probably the first time she saw him loosen up like that.

"I'm sorry I'm being difficult." He smiled at her. "You're very nice to do all these and here I am causing you so much trouble…"

"W-wait... s-stop…"

"Stop…?"

"Stop smiling, damn it! You're so annoying!" She pulled Sakura to her side. "You take it from here!"

"Eh? But you're doing so well…"

She didn't think Ino heard what she said. The blond quickly left chanting 'No Ino, this is Hyuuga Neji from the geek club, period.'

"Is she alright?"

"Yea, she'll be fine… she just needs to… um… convince herself…" She nodded. "Come on, we need to find Tenten…"

He didn't quite understood what Sakura meant but he allowed her to drag him along anyway.

They turned at the corner of the corridor and Neji immediately saw Tenten heading their way. He wasn't expecting such a quick turn of events- suddenly he would have to execute the plan that he secretly formulated while the girls were arguing on whether faded jeans looked better on him than dark blue ones.

Sure, he told Ino and Sakura that he knew what to do. And that was what he thought. But as she came closer, he found himself clueless as to how to act around her. The words she said so explicitly the last time they talked was constantly in his mind- the kiss they shared had never left him. Sakura passed a hand across his bedazzled face and when he didn't react, she pulled him back.

"What are you doing?" Sakura whispered. "Here's your chance!"

"I know."

"You know what to do, right?"

"Of course."

"You don't look like it."

"I will ask her out for dinner. Since you gave my information to the restaurant, it's inevitable that I take her there so we can talk..." He paused. "In private."

"Okay, that's good enough."

She just said 'good enough', he thought. He wondered if that was a positive comment or a negative one. Was she expecting him to perform some magic trick or what? Girls, or at least Ino and Sakura, were really hard to please. He sighed.

Tenten was just a few steps away when he went back to that corner. Somewhere in his conversations with her friends, they mentioned that he was making her depressed. It could be that he's been had because she didn't look like it at all. He thought she was the same as before- sparkling, charming, and every inch, every angle, the girl he always admired. He blinked. Because she was reading a book, she probably didn't notice him.

"Sakura…"

"Neji?!" Sakura's voice was suppressed though she was obviously shocked to see that he was approaching her. "What is wrong with you?!"

"I can't do it after all."

She sighed in exasperation.

Ino was taking such a long time to get a drink. Sakura handed him over to the feisty blond saying she needed to copy notes since they were absent from class. He knew that it was a mere excuse but what could he do? He just blanked out staring at Tenten like nothing else mattered. It seemed that his so-called 'acceptance' that they weren't for each other did nothing but make him like her even more. And as for Ino, there were several stores in the campus or even if she wanted to buy outside, establishments were just a stone's throw away. He was starting to get nervous.

"Neji..."

It wasn't Ino's whiny voice. In fact, he would know who that voice belonged to even if he heard it from among a large crowd. And then he figured out where the evil cheerleader went to.

"Ino told me that... that you wanted to see me..." Tenten said.

He turned to face her. Indeed, that was the plan. But damn it, he wasn't expecting something impromptu. He nodded nonetheless- just because he didn't know what else to do.

"For…?"

If you wanted to see someone, then you must have a reason. And for sure, he knew the reason why he wanted to see her. He caught a glimpse of Ino from a good distance, making signals that he supposed meant 'go for it'. Before she left, she was complaining about Sakura's lack of creativity and strategy.

"For…" He swallowed. "For… for the sweater."

Tenten opened her mouth as if to speak but what was there to say in such a stupid situation. She seemed to be waiting for his next move though. I suck, he told himself.

"Thank you…?"

"Oh… you already said thank you…"

"I did?"

She smiled faintly. He looked away, embarrassed and unsure what the hell he was doing.

"Well, thanks again."

"You're welcome." She said. "I better get going… I need to study for a quiz."

"Okay."

God, Neji. He had never been so disappointed in himself that he wanted to whack his head with a mallet. But when he saw Ino furiously heading his way, it was clear that he wasn't the only one with that idea in mind. He had to run away from the blond.

The library acted like a sanctuary to him. Ino and Sakura tried to persuade him for about an hour before they suffered from something like a withdrawal syndrome and left vowing that it wasn't over. And they were right. He still needed to see Tenten- he knew that, of course. Only that, the cheerleaders' strategies weren't working for him. He decided to stay to reorganize his thoughts. But he used up the entire afternoon only to come up with nothing.

Neji sighed when he saw just how bad the weather was. It was eight when he looked at his watch. In the end, he wasn't able to talk to Tenten and there he was with two choices- head home despite the rain or wait it out which, by the look of it, will probably take a number of hours. He was in the middle of weighing his options when he heard footsteps coming closer. And when he turned around, he saw her standing before him.

"It's pouring…"

He nodded in agreement.

"I saw you earlier but you seem to be in deep thought so… anyway, you probably need your umbrella back…"

"No, you need it."

"Don't worry about me… I'll be staying here to study anyway…"

"I heard that somewhere…"

She smiled as she opened the umbrella and held it up for him.

"You can just bring me across the street and I can get a ride from there." He said. "So even if the rain doesn't stop, you'll be alright."

She felt a pinch in her heart. She always felt special around him. Whether it was intentional or not, he always made her feel that way. It would be great if he stopped being so nice but that was his personality. And they could talk about useless things or even argue- everything just seemed to be so interesting when it was with him.

"But you even reminded me to return this the last time we talked…" Her voice faded.

The last time they talked was both pleasant and unpleasant. And because it was a talk way overdue, it left a sting. The bitter aftertaste of something that could have been perfect- if only she wasn't too late- she didn't think it was possible to get over it.

"Forget about it." He said.

She stared at his face- wondering how she missed it that he wasn't wearing his glasses or his favorite piece of clothing. Was it a preparation for his trip?

"It just came out at that moment… it doesn't mean anything…"

"A-alright…" She said, still staring at him even when he broke eye contact to look up at the heavily cloudy skies.

"Let's go?" He took the umbrella from her.

She nodded and they set off to brace the raging rain, sharing the umbrella. She was careful enough to avoid puddles that formed on the ground while he was concerned that the umbrella wasn't really doing much, thanks to the gust. Instinctively, he placed an arm around her shoulders. The gesture surprised her that she glanced at him and soon she was adrift, staring at him again. They were just too close that it felt so good, so right. Then it was clearer more than ever that he was the guy that she truly wanted and needed- thick eyeglasses or contacts, oversized clothing or tailored ones- she just really liked that person holding her.

"Tenten..."

"Hm?" Her voice was barely audible.

"You think you can give me a second chance?"

She stalled in the middle of crossing the street and he had to stop too or she would get wet. Her widened eyes reflected so many questions.

"Well, we can start with a date." He said. "But… only if it's alright with you…"

So he wasn't talking about the sweater. She looked down of the ground because she knew the tears were coming.

"M-maybe not today because of the rain… it's okay…" He said- she didn't look like she was happy to hear his invitation. "Anyway, I have 18 days to explain and say sorry… I didn't know how to react last time… even Ino and Sakura were dragged to this because well, you know me, I'm no good with these things… so…"

She was still sobbing. And he couldn't remember a thing from the incoherent sentences he said.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered. "Please don't cry."

"Are you saying that because… it just came out at this moment?" She asked. "Like it doesn't mean anything?"

He had stopped his nervous reactions then. It wasn't the time to fidget. Ino would probably pop up and do something unimaginable or worse, he would let Tenten down again. She did her part and it was his turn.

"No, it's been waiting for years."

She managed a faint yet sincere smile as she gently rested her head on his shoulder and before she knew it, she was crying again- and he was gently holding her. But a honking car startled them to run to the sidewalk. She stepped on a muddy ground and the umbrella turned upside down. They were laughing at each other- both soaked- when they found shelter at a nearby café.

"Today's fine…"

He looked at her.

"The date…" She smiled. "Today's perfect!"

"But in this rain…?" He asked. "And you said you're going back to the library."

"You know that was a lie!"

"I don't want you to fail that quiz."

"Just take me out on a date already!"

He laughed then he wrapped his arms around her. They really needed that date. There were still a lot of things to talk about. But perhaps, they need not talk about it at all, because they have that undeniable and unbreakable connection- and that was all that mattered.

After more than two weeks...

He told her that seeing him off wasn't necessary but she was persistent. He decided to give in though. They barely had a couple of weeks spent together and he was lucky that she was supportive enough. There were times when she would try to convince him to drop out of the exchange program but in the end, she would turn around and tell him that she had no problem with him leaving- in one condition.

They arrived just in time for his flight. He would have preferred it if they had about an hour allowance- then they didn't have to run so much. It wasn't like him to be pressed for time but they had to do some last minute packing. She wasn't pleased with his outfit and the contents of his luggage.

"You said you understand the situation and you'll let me go but… It never came to me that this is the condition you were talking about."

"I don't want to take chances."

"Chances?"

"Flirts making their move on you!"

"…"

"In any case, I feel safe when you're looking like that."

He pulled up the left sleeve of the bulky sweater that he was wearing.

"These glasses are really heavy and I kind of got used to the contact lenses."

"You'll be back when?"

He sighed. One thing was certain- she wasn't willing to give up on the idea. She prepared everything that he brought for the trip- things which were 'acceptable' according to her standards.

"In five months."

"In five months you can completely forget about the glasses."

"What do you mean?"

"In five months you'll be back here and we'll never be separated again." She smiled.

Something about that smile just made him forget about the discomfort of the eyeglasses and the beige sweater- one of the few that were saved from Ino's rampage. He nodded to assure her that he didn't forget about his promise- to never accept any scholarship from abroad again.

"That's your flight." She said upon hearing the announcement. "Remember to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Snacks are fine too because I think your old sweaters are even baggier than before."

He laughed a little. No, you chose the really big ones, he thought.

"Don't stay up too late. Don't overwork yourself from too much studying, and don't forget to call me when you're free…"

"I'll call you even when I'm busy."

She gently held his cheek, standing on tiptoes and closing the space between them- she kissed him softly. To which he responded with a tenderness she knew too well. Until his eyeglasses fell between their noses as if to signal that they had to part. She chuckled, pushing back his eyeglasses in place, and he gave her another quick kiss before he finally picked up his luggage.

"I'll see you in five months." He smiled at her.

"I'll be waiting." She whispered.

She gave him a tight embrace and then he turned around and left. She stood at that same spot for minutes, rummaging through her thoughts. She had researched on how long the flight would be- snapping her fingers when she remembered the important piece of information.

"I have to call him in six hours."

The end. lol.

This update is late. Sorry guys, I got stuck with a ton of things to do (and an addiction to Takaya Abe from Ofuri). Anyway, I appreciate your taking time to read and review. Thank you so much!

And oh, I'm writing a sequel to 'Possibly Perfect' next. Hope to see you there as well XD