"I'm going to the playground, mom!"
"Okay, but come back after 25 minutes."
"Deal!"
Sakura, a little pink-haired girl around 7 cheerfully hopped out of the park to the playground. It was summer and although it was hot, it's kind of windy in the village of sand. Sakura's parents brought her with them on vacation so maybe she'll be able to make some or even a friend. Not like in Konoha, just because of her wide forehead, it's as if being lonely is her fate.
Sakura herself is longing for that goal to be achieved.
"Sakura!" Mrs. Haruno yelled after Sakura. "Don't go near Subaku no Gaara, okay?"
"Ugh… Okay!" Sakura yelled back to her mother, not sure who or what "Subaku no Gaara" is. She waved her hand to her mother and continued her hop to the playground.
The playground is just near the park. Sakura saw the bench first of all and went to sit on it. There are a lot of children there, all happy and loud, holding dead branches playing like they're swordsmen.
She decided to wait for a perfect moment to start her plan. Okay, so I wait here and when someone notices me, I'll just smile at that someone. I hope he or she won't notice my forehead. Well, good luck, Sakura! She thought to herself as a plan, but something made her wonder.
Who is that boy? She thought sadly, looking at a boy sitting on the sandbox alone and still. The sight of him made Sakura feel so bad that she wanted to comfort him. He looked like he wasn't alive. Why isn't he playing with the others?
Suddenly, the children with the sticks called back Sakura's attention.
"Hey! Look at that girl with the wide forehead!" The boy with the longest branch, who seemed to be the leader announced loudly.
Hearing this, Sakura felt angry and sad. She felt as if her worst nightmare is happening in reality. She felt her eyes burning and then she burst into tears. She needed to cry, she wanted to be alone, she wanted to run away, but she was too confused, the only thing she could do was burry her face in her hands.
"Hahaha! Look at her crying her eyes out!" The boy leader exclaimed. Everyone wanted to laugh out loud but they were still able to control it. "Boohoo, look at me, my forehead is so wide!" Another boy with a cape teased in a mocking tone. "It doesn't even fit in my hands!" This time, the children can't control it any longer, they fell off their feet and laughed out loud.
"Hey, stop that."
The command made everyone stop laughing. They looked for the source of the command and then gasped. "I-It, It's him!" A girl finally managed to spill out after a long silence. The children ran out of the playground after the remark, as if they were being chased by a wild dog.
Sakura was taken aback by what just happened. Why did they run off? She asked herself as she wiped her tears on her sleeves. I'm not so sure about this, but I have to thank that boy. She walked toward the boy hesitantly.
"Uhm… Thanks a lot." Sakura told the boy with a small smile when she was a foot away from him. She wasn't sure if she has to say that, because she knows that he might be like the other kids.
The boy just looked at Sakura, surprised. He stared at her as if she was glowing. Is she talking to me? He asked to himself.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, and later realized why he stared like this. "Oh, you're thinking about my forehead, aren't you? Thinking that those kids were right about it, aren't you!" Sakura's eyes felt warm and suddenly wet. "You think it's funny! Go ahead and laugh! I'm used to it anyway!" Her emotions made her furious and her tears finally made their way to her soft cheeks.
"N-No! I-It's not that…" The boy managed to speak out trying to calm the little girl. Putting all his effort in it. He was too nervous of what's going to happen next, she might run off like everybody else, and leave him alone, again. But he didn't want that to happen.
"Then… What is it?" Sakura hushed her whimpers a little.
"It's just that…" He looked at his sides and his surroundings, as if looking for something. "A-Are you talking to me?"
This made Sakura giggle and she wiped her tears on her sleeves again. "Of, course you silly! There's nobody else here!" She answered laughing softly.
"Oh…So…You're not scared of me?"
"Nope. Why should I be?"
The boy's eyebrows rose unwillingly. "B-Because I'm Suba-"
"Oh no!" Sakura suddenly gasped out, interrupting the boy's explanation. "It's already been 37 minutes! Mom's really going to be mad!"
"Huh?" The boy scratched his forehead.
"I have to go!"
Sakura hastily offered her hand to the boy, and he hesitantly accepted it. Wow, this feels nice. It's soft and warm. The boy thought. The girl pulled back her arm, so the boy released it, but unwillingly.
"Thanks again from before! Bye! See ya!"
"Ugh… Bye…"
"I really have to hurry." She looked at him and she wanted him to smile. "You're really nice! I really want to play with you but I don't have much time…" He's still not smiling… What should I do? Darn, I have to run! So she did, leaving the boy behind. "Oh, yeah! You have the nicest eyes I've ever seen!" She stopped and yelled at the boy, waving her hand cheerfully. She ran off again and looked back. She saw a curve at the end of the boy's mouth, which seemed to be a smile.
When she reached the park and received her mother's lectures about being late, she thought of the boy. This is the happiest day I've ever spent in my life! She spread her arms and feet on the grassy floor and looked at the clouds. She could finally stop having nightmares because she has found someone who can be her friend. But, something made her gasp and suddenly stand up.
"I forgot to ask his name!"
aN: hello there! this is my very first oneshot! but if you want me to continue this story please tell me and i'll continue it gladly... hehe! i really like gaara... so RxR