Midnight Sun

I Have A Boyfriend

"I'm sorry, Hinata. I completely forgot about the Summer Audit at the Palace of Lust. Since I'm the only Heir, I have to attend. I'll try to finish quickly and find you before summer end. Don't miss me too much!"

Hinata sighs at the memory. Naruto had been so excited to meet her family only to be reminded at the last minute about his duty as the Crown Prince of Lust. Fortunately, the Taisho smartphone comes with a disguise setting that edits all her friends' non-human features with a Human Filter. This way, she can show pictures of her at school to her family. Hinata didn't know about the feature until Naruto asked her if she had shown pictures of them to any of her family members.

He said not to miss him too much.

She's already feeling lost without his presence. But not in the sense of not knowing what to do. It is just that being with Naruto is like home. Without him, she feels like she had lost her home. That comforting sense of belonging and security completely abandons her the moment she crossed the tunnel to her own world. Her heart aches for his presence, her hand missing his hold, and her body feels cold without his warmth. Without him, she's far too familiar with this aching loneliness surrounded by a crowd of faceless people...

The taxi driver looks to her, "We are here, Miss,"

Hinata thanks him and pays for his service before stepping out with her modest bag. Looking at her large house, being able to pay for something as simple as transportation home, it reminds her that she's an heiress to a multinational empire worth in the billions. It feels so different than her completely penniless state in Konoha. Her money, her card, worth nothing there. She can confidently say that having money feels like freedom but at the same time the lack of Naruto besides her make it a hollow freedom.

As she walks into her family's sprawling estate, she wonders if she's like those people who feel that love alone can feed them. But having felt how helpless she was without being able to give Naruto anything in return and having to rely on him for lunch money, she knows that she is not. Money is important. Relationships have been destroyed because of money. Either too many or too little, money is a dangerous weapon to wield over someone.

She shakes her head as she notice Watari, her father's house keeper, or Butler, and greets him, "Watari!"

Watari looks to see her and his face clears from their confusion, "Ojou-sama!" He quickly reaches her for her bag, "Why didn't you inform us that you are coming home today?! We could have sent Kou for you!"

Hinata shakes her head, "I just want to surprise Otou-sama and Hanabi. Speaking of, where are they?"

Watari sighs, "Ojou-sama..." He shakes his head in fond exasperation, "Hanabi-sama is away at a friend's house. I believe he is the grandson of Prof Sarutobi, Konohamaru. Hiashi-sama is at home, reading up a mystery novel," He whispers, "He has been missing your presence in the house, Ojou-sama,"

Hinata giggles, "And he made it sounds like everything's alright on the phone,"

Watari hands her bag to a nearby maid before guiding her to her father's office. Hinata looks around, smelling the nostalgic scent of home. The smell of her mother's perfume hit her hard and she almost stopped to simply bask in it. After Hanami's death, Hiashi had bought bulks of the perfume and had instructed the staffs to spritz it anywhere they feel like the scent is fading. It is his way to deal with her passing.

At first, many found his decision creepy. But in reality, it helps to fill in the vacuum in their heart that her untimely passing had left. It comforts his children and Hinata had thanked him when he did it. She could not bear to wear the perfume herself. The way that Hanami left had scarred her from ever using her mother's favorite scent. In a way, the scent of the perfume reminds them that she is always close to their heart.