Uchiha Sasuke’s Collapse Chapter 037

“Ding-a-ling-a-ling—”

The crisp alarm clock sounded from above her head. A “maggot” squirming in the bedding poked out a pale forehead. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and slapped the source of the “noise.”

“Aow—” Kiana let out a wailing yawn like a ghost, glanced at the alarm clock, saw 6:50 on it, and then promptly face-planted.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!”

Her head didn’t land on a soft pillow, but on a box-like object. The sharp pain brought Kiana abruptly awake.

“Who… is so ill-mannered as to put a box next to my pillow…”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Kiana, with clearer vision, looked at her bedside and froze slightly at the spot where her head had landed.

A Christmas gift box.

Kiana instinctively opened the gift box. Inside was a vibrant red rose, and next to it, a small note. When unfolded, it revealed neat handwriting: “A white flower from Siberia, representing a mother’s longing.”

“White flower?”

Kiana looked at the flower in the box, which was entirely red. Where was the white? And the meaning of a red rose… it didn’t seem related to a mother’s longing at all, did it?

Who sent it?

Was it Mei?

Connecting the meaning of the red rose to love, Kiana’s eyes immediately lit up. She hugged the box, chuckled a few times, then scurried out of her bedroom, only to run head-on into Mei, who was carrying an extra-long Christmas gift box.

“You’re up quite early today,” Mei said, a little surprised.

“Hehe, Mei, is this the Christmas gift you prepared for me?” Kiana had a look that said she had already figured it out.

Mei’s expression immediately turned a bit strange: “You received a Christmas gift too?”

“Eh?” Kiana precisely caught the “too,” then looked at the extra-long gift box in Mei’s hands.

“It seems we both received an unknown surprise,” Mei had no intention of hiding it. She opened the gift box in front of Kiana, revealing a pitch-black long sword.

Just gazing at this long sword, a shadow fell over Kiana’s heart, as if it bore an incredibly heavy past.

Next to the long sword was also a rolled-up note. When unrolled, the handwriting on it was identical to the note she had received: “‘End Slice,’ the original item has been destroyed, forged from the white-haired demon’s obsession. If you don’t know where the road ahead leads, perhaps you can gaze at your reflection in the mirror.”

“So, who sent it?” Kiana also opened her box for Mei.

Mei pondered for a moment: “Who do you think could silently place Christmas gifts next to us while we’re locked in and sound asleep?”

Kiana’s pretty face instantly stiffened. She stammered, “No way…”

That perpetually expressionless, poker face appeared in her mind.

It couldn’t be him, could it…?

Sending me a red rose as a Christmas gift, what’s the difference between that and saying “The moon is beautiful tonight” in the context of the Far East?

Mei also reacted immediately. Her heart was a mix of emotions. When did her best friend become so close with Sasuke? But then she thought, could there be some misunderstanding?

After all, the note said “representing a mother’s longing” and called it a white flower. Perhaps it was originally meant to be a carnation? And something went wrong somewhere along the line?

“Hmm? This rose seems to be pieced together… and there are no signs of decay. Never mind, I’ll ask him what’s going on tonight.”

Kiana ruffled her already messy hair from sleeping. She was already starting to think about how to reject Sasuke.

After all, she believed her heart currently only belonged to Mei. Although she shared some common background with Sasuke, being friends was probably enough.

“Oh, right, Kiana, since Sasuke sent us something, we should also show our appreciation. Let’s go pick out a Christmas gift for him together at noon,” Mei suggested.

“Eh?” Kiana hesitated for a moment.

She had already started fantasizing about rejecting the poker face and enjoying the sight of that guy’s heartbreak. But Mei’s words pulled her back to reality.

Then she started fantasizing again.

When Sasuke was heartbroken, would receiving her gift make him think too much?

Kiana’s personality wasn’t originally so mischievous, but after being with Sasuke for so long and constantly being ridiculed, a hint of rebellion had emerged in the young girl’s mind.

“Alright,” Kiana waved her small fist. “Hmph, doesn’t that guy like sour things? I’m going to pick out some tomatoes for him later, green ones, to make him pucker up.”

Mei hesitated, then nodded.

It wasn’t that she agreed with Kiana’s suggestion, but that Kiana’s idea had inspired her.

After spending a month with Sasuke, she still didn’t know enough about this perpetually cold young man.

The Raiden family indeed had a large fortune. Even if their family had declined due to her father, they could still afford to send expensive gifts.

Send a car or a watch?

No, perhaps her handmade katsuobushi onigiri would be more to his liking.

Mei herself didn’t even notice that whether it was from sending gifts or from seeing Kiana’s gift earlier, her thoughts had subconsciously focused on Sasuke.

A handsome young man who appeared out of nowhere and saved a young girl from distress—in any novel or drama, a hero saving a beauty, followed by the “this humble girl has nothing to repay you with but myself” trope, is a traditional storyline.

Even though this young man approached her not because of her, but because the power within her might threaten the entire city.

However, protecting others and upholding righteousness—aren’t these excellent and attractive qualities?

Yes, Sasuke’s words threatening to kill her were interpreted by Mei as “righteousness,” or rather, having been raised in the culture of the Far East since childhood, that’s how she understood it.

Thus, the two girls, each with their own thoughts, began a new day of studies.

Time passed quickly. When the evening class bell finally rang, Kiana and Mei, without prior agreement, packed their school bags and rushed straight to the Kendo Club.

Under the cherry tree in the courtyard, a familiar back leaned there.

“Let’s begin,” Sasuke said, looking at the two girls who had changed into their kendo uniforms.

Only this time, Kiana and Mei had different expressions on their faces. They exchanged a glance, then looked at Sasuke without speaking.

“What’s wrong?” Sasuke frowned slightly.

“Cough, cough,” Kiana spoke first. “Um, I’ll say this upfront, I, this lady, already have someone in my heart. I’m not the type of woman who likes to string people along, so I’m very sorry, I cannot accept your feelings.”

“?”

Sasuke’s frown deepened. It had only been one day, what madness was this single-celled organism on now?