Boruto was lounging on the porch steps, lazily tossing a pebble from hand to hand, when Himawari plopped down beside him with her usual bright smile.

“Boruto, guess what?” she chirped. “I met a really cool boy today! He always comes to the market on Wednesdays.”

Boruto raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Cool boy? What are you talking about? You shouldn’t be talking to strangers.”

Himawari puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms. “He’s not a stranger! He’s my age—five years old! And he bought taiyaki for his grandma all by himself. Isn’t that nice?”

Boruto blinked, looking more confused than ever. “Wait, you’re telling me this so-called ‘cool boy’ is five? What’s so cool about a kid who probably can’t even tie his sandals right?”

Himawari giggled at her brother’s skepticism. “You’re just jealous because he said I had the prettiest smile in the whole market.”

Boruto almost dropped his pebble. “W-what?! Himawari, don’t listen to random kids when they say weird stuff like that! Next thing you know he’s gonna challenge me or something.”

She grinned mischievously. “Maybe he already said he could beat my big brother in a race.” Boruto groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Great. Now I’ve gotta deal with a five-year-old rival.”