"Six years ago, I made a promise..."
o-o-o
"Oh. Sakura? Isn't that Sakura?" Perking up from his seat, Naruto instantly spotted an old friend. "Sakura!" Oblivious to the mood of the people accompanied him that evening, the blond kluz didn't hesitate to confirm the identity of the blossom hair maiden standing by the light pole, across the street from them.
The setting, a local promenade, it was a popular place, a high class district with the best restaurants and glamorous shops. Naruto and his closest friends were enjoying a weekly Friday dinner. The season was early autumn. Wintry air had yet to cross the area. Thus it was perfect to sit outside, endured the light chill and breathed in the remaining fresh air of summer.
The girl, with a few shopping bags in one hand, tucked her fallen bang neatly behind her ear from the wild wind. She looked up to her caller. A soft smile appeared on her face to see an old dear friend. 'Ah. I didn't expect to see them so soon.' It was barely a day since she got off her flight from England. In the back of her mind, she can recalled the moment when she sat in the waiting room with an old note book in hand, entering old contacts into her phone. She quickly scanned the people around Naruto and matched the names of each individual.'Ah, Ino cut her hair. Shikamaru still has that bore look on his face. Hinata? Wow, you're pregnant already. Good job Naruto.' She took a step across the walking lane. 'Naruto...' His bright smiling face warmed her up already.
Not waiting for her to reach them, Naruto and Ino made a leap from their chair. Excited to see their childhood friend, to catch up with her, to ask her a not so simple question, Why haven't you contact us? But before all of that, they would show her the amount of anger they had piled up the past years without her. Just like the days when they were six and when they turned adults, a hard smack on the back was given. "This is for missing out on our weddings!" A childhood promise, to be at each other important days. She, Sakura, had broken way too many promises. "But we missed you so much!" Then they pulled her into a group hug.
"I'm sorry you guys." Overwhelmed, Sakura felt a pang of guilt. "I was about to contact. Just got off my flight last night."
Crossing her arm, Ino narrowed her eyes at the pinkette, "Yeah? What's with the bags? Old habit dies hard or has it become an addiction?" Her red heel tapped.
Before Sakura could get a chance to explain about her missing suitcases, Naruto pushed them both into the restaurant. So many questions to ask, he didn't know where to start. Is she visiting? Is she coming back to stay, or will she leave them again with only a letter that arrived a few months after?
"What do you mean you can't sit here?!" Ino pouted. Her mood wasn't quite stable. Three months, she had had this little bundle of joys for three months.
Clapping her palms together, Sakura apologized, "I'm really sorry guys. I already have dinner plan tonight."
"Seriously Sakura?!" Naruto pointed to Hinata's growing stomach. "This, you have to spend time with this. I made this." But it didn't seem to change Sakura's decision. An awkward coincidence but her dinner plan was also at the same restaurant.
"For real, Forehead." Her ever so embarrassing nickname. "You left us six years and now you want to pretend we don't exist."
Fluster, she waved her hands, "I-it's not that? C'mon now Ino. You guys didn't expect to see me to-" Unfinished, her sentence trailed off into a whisper. Green orbs unintentionally caught the coming body toward their location. Surprise, she thought to herself, how could she not notice. Then again, she did spend a few year attempting to forget.
The waiter stood to the side after he led the remaining guests to the table. Yes, there were two. The first to emerge was Sasuke Uchiha, also an old friend as much as past lover. As usual, the air around him thickened. Tall, his broad shoulder was covering a body, much smaller and slender. Red, the tint of her hair made she seemed like a fitting match for him.
"Sasuke, look who we caught on the street." Naruto couldn't pipe down.
Obsidians met emeralds. Stoic, both were unable to read each other expression. Different, they can sense the time apart had heal both of them. For better or worst, it was a mystery.
"Hi, Sasuke. And…" She removed his face from her eyes.
"Karin, I'm Sas's girlfriend." Proud, she expressed it openly. "So you're the famous Sakura. I've heard many things about you from Ino and Naruto. You are more gorgeous than the pictures I've seen" Tightly wrapping her arms around his, Karin joked, "I bet this dude here was quite troublesome back then, right?" She gave Sakura a wink and mouthed, 'Don't worry, I know.' of their relationship. The story that was hidden with history.
A soft chuckled, Sakura smiled, "You have no idea."
Annoyed, Sasuke tugged on Karin's arms. "When did you come back?"
"Just last night," Her chest felt tight. She wasn't ready. "Uhm. I'm actually going to get my table right now." She looked at her watch. "I'm really sorry I can't join you guys but we definitely will meet up. It was nice meeting you."
"We could meet up for a drink after this!" Karin blurted out with Naruto backing her.
"I don't think that's a good idea, there are two pregnant women-"
"Actually three." Karin said with a straight face. Sasuke almost choke on his water. "Ha. Just kidding." She giggled then received a flick on the forehead by her boyfriend.
A grin, Sakura gathered her stuff and entered the restaurant. A moment later she was led outside again by a waiter to a reserved table. Sitting not far from them, Sakura was glad her back was turn toward their table.
[...]
Two hours had past. Desserts had just arrived to their table. Eyes uncomfortable turned toward the lonesome body sitting not far from them. Sadness clearly expressed from her back.
"Should we go over there again?" Hinata whispered softly to her husband. Worried, she bit her lower lip. "She hasn't ordered anything." Dinner time had long passed.
Obsidians quietly observed behind his bang. He thought, 'did she use to look like that,' when she waited for him. His troubled look didn't go unnoticed. Under the table, Karin reached over and squeezed his arm.
Then like a scene from a movie, bursting from the restaurant. A man in suit came running out with a bouquet of sunflowers in his hand. He tumbled through the obstacle maze of tables and chairs to reach his destination, the table with her waiting.
"If your excuse for being late is this," Turning to face him, her chin rested on her palm, she stared at the bouquet, "then you should save your breath." Emerald impassively gazed at the man. Heaving, choking from running what seemed to be like a marathon. His raven lock was a mess. Sweat rained down his temple.
"No." He spoke, swallowing a choke. "This is just a prop." He toss it aside. There was no time to be romantic. Although the past three hours could be made into movie. All the running had chased away his fear. With everyone around them watching, on one knee, he pulled from the inside pocket of his jacket, the one he refused to take off, a small box. "This." And with the remaining courage he had left. "Sakura Haruno." He opened the box to reveal a perfect diamond ring. "Will you make me, the happiest man in the world."
o-o-o