What's Your Name?
Hyuuga Neji did not believe in coincidences. But with the recent events in his life lately, he was close to changing his mind.
I guess you could say that it all started when he first discovered Starbucks. He wasn't really a coffee person, but the Caramel Apple Spice they made reminded him of Christmas, which was one of the happiest times in his life growing up. Anyways, there was a Starbucks right around the corner from his office building, so it was really convenient. He noticed that there was always a pink haired woman there every day at eight o'clock. He thought nothing of it, since he went there every day as well, until he started to see her around town.
The next place he saw her was a movie theater. Naruto had dragged him there to see some new action movie with Jackie Chan in it. He didn't really want to go, because he was going to work late that night, but Naruto said he needed to have some semblance of a life. When they got to their seats, he saw a flash of pink, and realized that it was the same woman from Starbucks. She was with a blonde woman, and it wasn't until the lights dimmed that he realized she had vibrant green eyes. Surprisingly, they went really well with her unusual hair.
When the lights came back on she and her companion were gone.
A few days later he saw her at the grocery store, and then again at the mall. Normally, he wouldn't be caught dead at a mall, but Hinata's birthday was coming up and he wanted to get her something nice. Both of the times he had seen her it was as if he had arrived just as she was leaving.
He still saw her at Starbucks every morning, and for some reason he looked forward to going to work. Not because he liked work or was excited for his Caramel Apple Spice, which were the usual reasons, but because he would get to see this mystery woman.
Next he saw her at the beach, while he was vacationing with his family. He didn't consider it a real vacation, because the beach was only ten miles from his house, and the only family member he could stand was Hinata. He shouldn't have been surprised to see her there. It was a favorite place to visit for both locals and tourists.
But now he could get a good look at her. She was wearing an emerald green tankini that matched her eyes, and complimented her figure. And did she have a nice figure. He shook his head at the thought. Sure, he liked women, but he wanted to find one that could keep up with him intellectually. Given the fact that he was the CEO of his company, it would be really difficult to find such a girl.
Suddenly, he felt compelled to introduce himself to her, learn her name. Maybe then he could figure out why she intrigued him as much as she did.
With his mind made up, Neji began to make his way over to her. But his uncle chose that moment to drag him over to talk to some of the older members of the family. By the time he was able to get away from the old snobs, she was nowhere to be seen.
The following week he always arrived at Starbucks right as she was leaving or vice versa, and he didn't get the chance to speak to her. That Saturday, he didn't go into work like he usually did to get extra work done. One of his favorite bands was in town and he was going to go see them. It was one of the few things that could drag him away from work.
He got stuck in traffic, and by the time he got to his seat, the concert was about to start. Before the lights went out, signaling the start of the show, he saw her sitting a few rows in front of him. He couldn't see her face, but knew it was her by her short bubblegum hair.
Now he was even more determined to speak to her. So on Monday at Starbucks, he waited for her. And waited. And waited. Until finally he had to leave because he had an important meeting to go to and could not be late for.
His company, which was a research facility that specialized in neuroscience, especially around the eyes, was going to partner with a medical research facility. Together, they were going to try and find a cure for blindness. Many people believed that it couldn't be done, but he was confident that they would succeed. The head doctor, Haruno Sakura, was said to be a genius when it came to the medical field. She would have to be if she was going to be working with him.
He entered his office ten minutes before Doctor Haruno was to arrive. Just as the clock hit eight, his secretary buzzed him.
"Mr. Hyuuga, Doctor Haruno is here for her appointment."
"Send her in." he ordered, stacking his papers into a neat pile and sitting back in his chair as he waited for her to enter.
About two seconds later, in burst his mysterious pink haired woman. He stared in shock. She was Doctor Haruno?
She extended her hand across his desk, giving him a friendly smile. "Hello Mr. Hyuuga. I am Doctor Haruno Sakura."
He rose from his seat and shook her hand, finally regaining control of his senses. "Neji." He nodded.
"What?" she asked, as their hands broke apart and they took their seats.
"You may call me Neji. We will be working together from now on after all." The Hyuuga clarified.
She gave him a bright smile. "Ok, then you can call me Sakura."
The name Sakura suited her very well. Not just because of her hair, but because she looked like a Sakura. Sweet and cheerful. They sat down and talked business until the sun went down. Eventually she stretched and said,
"Well this has been very productive but I have to go."
Neji's brow furrowed slightly at her words. "Oh you have plans tonight?" He was going to ask her to have dinner with him, but maybe it was too soon for that. He didn't want to freak her out, after all.
"No, but my roommate, Ino, says that I work too much, and I don't feel like putting up with her nagging tonight." Sakura told him, the corner of her mouth tilting up a bit at the mention of her blonde haired best friend.
He smiled at that. "Yeah, my friend Naruto does the same thing."
She paused in her stretching and gave him a puzzled look. "You mean Uzumaki Naruto?"
"Yes." He nodded, wondering how she knew of the blonde loudmouth.
"He's one of my best friends! We went to school together! I can't believe that we both know him and haven't met until now." The pink haired woman exclaimed, lowering her hands and smiling excitedly at him.
"Me either." Neji said as they both stood up and shook hands again.
"I look forward to our partnership Neji." She said as she made her way to his office door. Wanting to speak to her a little longer he said,
"I'm not doing anything tomorrow morning if you want to meet and finish what we were discussing." He hoped his desperation didn't come through in his voice, but he had to see her again.
Sakura nodded. "Sure, I'll even bring the Starbucks. You drink the Caramel Apple Spice, right?" she asked, raising a delicate brow at him.
He was surprised she knew what his favorite drink was, when he didn't even know hers. "Yes."
"I'll see you tomorrow then." She smirked. And with that she left his office.
He sat back in his chair and turned to look out the window in contemplation. So not only did she like Starbucks, Phoenix, and working, she was also highly intelligent and very attractive. It was at that moment Neji vowed he would pursue a relationship with Haruno Sakura, after he killed Naruto for not introducing them in the past.