"86,400"
1 day. 24 hours. 1,440 minutes. 86,400 seconds. Choose however you prefer to call it.
Being able to appreciate what you have in each moment is what matters;
because no day is the same as another.
7:00 AM
It was dim. The curtains weren't drawn to the side, unlike the usual. They filtered the light from the morning sun, refusing to let it spread throughout the room.
*Riing Riing*
*Riing Riing*
"This is Sasuke Uchiha. Leave a message after this."
*Beep*
"Hey… It's me, Sakura. Are you still mad?... Ugh, that was a stupid question… Look, I'm sorry... Call me back after you get this, okay?... Bye."
A shadow figure was sitting opposite the talking machine all this time. Two circles of charcoal set the inanimate object ablaze. He didn't want to answer it. Not now. Not when the pain and betrayal she inflicted were still raw.
His blood boiled just by thinking about it.
…
…
8:00 PM the previous night…
Sasuke stood at the hospital parking lot, waiting for her shift to end. Folded arms rested against the chest, while the car hood behind him supported most of his weight.
He glanced at his watch and the crease between his brows deepened. Time was playing with him, ticking with the speed of a turtle crossing the street. He desperately wanted to talk to her… and not for the usual reasons.
"Hi Sasuke-kun!"
Black irises shifted to the voice's owner. He ignored the warm feeling evoked by her presence. He didn't need that now.
She walked to him and stopped inches away to land a peck on his cheek, but then he turned his head away.
A frown marred her features. "What's wrong?"
"You tell me, Sakura." He growled out, trying to contain the magma in him.
"I don't understand."
He stared back at her, refusing to let those seas of green drift him to the shore this time. "Me neither. Why did you meet Itachi?"
She gasped. "Wh-who told you that?"
"Answer the damn question Sakura!"
He erupted. The heat of lava spread in the atmosphere, making her flinch. He had never acted like this towards her.
"I was about to t-tell you-"
"Fuck it! You knew how much I detest him! Why?!"
The look on Sakura's face transformed to mirror the one on his.
"Because I want to help you!... I want to help you clear things up with him… to fix your relationship with your brother. Sasuke-kun, you have to move on."
What did she mean by that? He had already moved on. She was the one digging his past. "Sakura, you know better than to pry into my personal matters."
"I'm your fiancée, Sasuke-kun. We share our problems. And how you feel towards your brother right now is a problem. He's the only family you have left; or at least, the only blood-related one. Please… just… try to talk to him. He deserves to be in our wedding."
"He doesn't deserve anything." He had made it clear that he won't concern himself with Itachi any longer. Why couldn't she get that? "You disappoint me, Sakura."
With that, he slid into his car and drove away, leaving a stunned pink-haired woman on the sidewalk.
…
…
His jaw clenched tight as he tried to control his breathing. Visible veins ran toward his fists.
Itachi had always been a sensitive subject for him. 'The criminal didn't deserve anything.'
Itachi was the reason for his parents' death. No, he was the one who killed them. If Itachi hadn't drowned himself in substance, and hadn't robbed a convenience store in the middle of the night; his parents would still be alive.
They had received a call that night from the authorities, informing them that Itachi and his gang had been captured. His parents had rushed to the police station, leaving Sasuke with their neighbor, Jiraya. They had always favored Itachi over him; and look where their dearest son led them: in a car crash and six feet under.
Itachi was sent to rehab after that. Sasuke was left alone at the age of twelve and was adopted by Jiraya. He didn't change his family name, though. It was a remembrance from his parents; that they had existed at some point in his life.
He had hoped Itachi would rot in rehab. But it turned out the asshole was released, considering Sakura was able to meet him outside.
Sasuke's glare whipped back at the talking machine. Sakura knew all of that. She knew. And that was the worst part.
8:30 AM
"Bye…" Sakura sighed.
She had been calling Sasuke since the moment she woke up. Even if she had managed to sleep, it was as if she hadn't rested at all. What happened last night had been bothering her even in her unconscious state.
Ironically, today was supposed to be her day off. She should have been resting from the tiresome work as a nurse at the hospital. But her mind wouldn't let her do so.
She wasn't sure if Sasuke went home last night. She considered to check his apartment, but decided against it. It was best if she let him be alone first and give him space to cool his head down. But with how the situation was at the moment, he didn't appear to have calmed down.
She plopped down on her bed and let her back land on the soft duvet. The wireless receiver was still in her grasp, as her eyes focused on an invisible spot at the ceiling.
'You disappoint me, Sakura.'
"I only wanted to help." She whispered, her vision turning into a blur. She rubbed the stupid tears off her eyes. Why was she crying? She wasn't in the wrong here. He was making her appear to be the antagonist. Couldn't he see that she was only worried for him?
She wasn't stupid. She often caught Sasuke stare at children, particularly brothers, whenever they pass by the park. Sometimes, he turns whenever someone yells 'little brother' on the sidewalk; only to be met by a stranger calling out to his own sibling. Whenever she said something funny, he unconsciously poked her forehead with his index. And then he draws his arm back quickly as if it burned him.
She had told Naruto about the last observation. He said Itachi used to do that to Sasuke when he was a child. Naruto was Sasuke's non-biological brother. Jiraya adopted him since he was just an infant. So, after the incident with Sasuke's parents and Itachi…
She sighed. Itachi… Sakura didn't know how he was in his teenage years, but he appeared to be a nice guy when she talked to him last week. At first, he didn't believe that she was Sasuke's fiancée. If she hadn't been with Naruto, he wouldn't have bought it.
Their conversation had been short, but Itachi's actions conveyed more messages than his words. He had looked down when she talked about Sasuke's grudge against him. He had smiled and looked at her with hopeful eyes, when she said she would convince Sasuke to let him attend their wedding. Right then, she had figured he was in the same boat as Sasuke. She had been right to follow her instincts and search for Itachi.
Naruto helped her discover Itachi's whereabouts. It was an advantage that Naruto worked in the police department. But there was a catch; he had to be stealthy, because Sasuke worked there as well.
'Hold on.' Why hadn't she realized that earlier? Sasuke might have gone to work this morning. She could ask Naruto!
Sakura sat up and dialed Naruto's mobile number.
*Ring Ring*
*Sakura-chan! Good morning! What's up?*
"Good morning Naruto, I was just wondering if Sasuke-kun's at work. Is he there?"
*No, the bastard's not here Sakura-chan, sorry. Why don't you try his mobile?* She frowned at that.
"I already did. I even called his home number, but he wouldn't answer."
*Oh… Did you two have a fight? Now, what did you do to princess Sasu, Sakura-chan?*
She let out an audible sigh. "He discovered that I've talked with Itachi-san, before I even got to tell him." Then a thought hit her. "Hey Naruto, we're the only ones who knew about that right? You haven't told anyone, have you?"
*…*
"Na…ruto…"
*Uh… Sakura-chan…* She could just imagine Naruto was rubbing his nape, before the machine gun with word bullets fired up. "I kinda mentioned that to Kiba yesterday, but I swear it just slipped off my tongue! I promise, he promised not to tell that to anyone! 'Cause I told him both of us made a promise not to tell that to anyone as well!*
"Uh-huh…"
Naruto gasped on the phone.
"What is it?"
*Sakura-chan! I just remembered. Kiba and I were heading out the building when we talked about that! And the bastard's office is near the lobby! He must've heard it then!*
That earned an eyebrow twitch. Why would he talk about a secret in a public place? "Forget it Naruto, what's done is done."
*I'm really very sorry Sakura-chan! I'll help you make it up to Sasuke-bastard!*
"Thank you, Naruto. It's okay, he will have known it soon anyway. It was just presented to him in… less desirable circumstances."
*I'm sorry Sakura-chan! Please forgive me! I'd even kneel at this very spot right now! I'm sorry!*
The corners of her lips involuntarily tugged upward. "Fine, I forgive you Naruto. Just call me back if he goes there okay?"
*Roger that Sakura-chan!*
"Thanks. I'll end the call now."
*Bye Sakura-chan! Again, I'm so sorry!*
"Goodbye, Naruto."
She put the receiver down and stared at it on her lap. Should she leave Sasuke another message? Maybe later… after she actually figured out what to say. She stood up and headed to the shower.
Sakura had a feeling this was a time to visit her parents for consultation.
10:00 AM
Sasuke adjusted his tie up and grabbed his coat. He would only get more depressed if he stayed in this apartment the entire day. So, he settled to prepare for work and get his thoughts off of things. Sakura's voice messages weren't helping either. He reached for his keys and took one last glance at the annoying answering machine, before pulling the door to a close.
For twenty minutes, he drove to the police department. He stepped out of the car and strode into the building. As soon as he was in, shocked faces greeted him. This was probably the first time they saw the Sasuke Uchiha arrive late. He ignored each of them and locked his eyes on the destination. Sasuke stopped in front of a door with a 'Police Inspector' sign attached to it.
The knob was a few inches away from his grasp…
"Hey, Sasuke-bastard!"
…when that shout halted his action.
"What is it, idiot?" He growled out, not bothering to face Naruto.
Naruto jogged to his side. "Sheesh! Chill man… Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning… and quite late too. Don't I get a 'good morning'?"
"What do you want?"
"Well, good morning to you too, bastard." Playful blue eyes turned serious. "Hey, Sakura-chan's been trying to reach you, you know?"
"Hn."
"Look, if this is about Itachi-" Sasuke's glare cut him off, daring for him to continue. "She just wanted what's best for you. So, don't blame her for thinking about your peace of mind."
Sasuke remained silent. Prolonging this conversation wasn't part of his plans.
Naruto reached for the phone in his pants' pocket and engaged a furious tapping battle with it, before extending his arm to Sasuke.
"Here, you better talk to Sakur-AAAH!" Naruto looked at his phone, like a child to a jack-in-the-box.
Sasuke just stared at him with a raised brow.
"What the-! My battery's dead! Why now of all instances?!"
"Hn." Sasuke gripped the knob, slid inside the office, and locked the door behind him.
"Hey! Bastard! Open this door!" The piece of wood was pounded on the other side.
"Uzumaki!" A third voice called. "Why are you still here? Go to the field, now! You have a case to solve!"
"Yes, sir!... Hey, bastard! Call her, okay?" Fading footsteps followed.
'So much for staying away from her. Naruto seems to be her spokesperson at work.'
His eyes wandered to the desk, where piles of folders awaited him. He walked behind it and sat down on the office chair. He had never thought he would be more than willing to review reports and paper works until this moment.
3:00 PM
Sakura took a seat at the table beside the wide glass window of the coffee shop. She had just gone to her parents to ask for advice regarding her and Sasuke's issue. And they favored him over their own daughter. 'Typical.'
They were right at some point. She shouldn't be dwelling in another person's business. But they weren't the ones who spend most of their time with Sasuke.
They weren't the ones consulting with him about their wedding plans, just to know his attention was at the Uchiha family portrait on the far wall. They weren't the ones telling him about their day, only to find he was absorbed in his own thoughts. They weren't the ones being ignored.
All those instances had led her to take the first step – in what she thought a solution – to the problem that was Sasuke. She expected him to have this kind of reaction, but he would get through it eventually… hopefully, Sasuke would understand her actions.
Her parents said that she should apologize. Hadn't she done that already? If she went to his apartment while she was still in hot water, she knew it would just make things worse. She had seen him got mad before. He was like a child who was throwing a tantrum over not having a piece of candy, only on a higher level – a far more advanced one.
The suspended bell at the main door chimed. Sakura turned to it and found her blonde best friend. She needed one last advice before deciding what to do. And who else was the next best person out there than Ino?
Ino walked to her table and sat down on the opposite chair. "Hey, forehead!"
"Hey, Ino." She replied, not in the mood for a good humor.
Curious blue eyes gazed at her. "Spill."
Sakura explained everything that had been bothering her, from the moment she had settled to find Itachi to the confrontation with Sasuke the previous night. Ino was all ears the whole time. She gave nods and short comments every now and then.
This was like déjà vu for Sakura. Ino had always been there to listen to her problems since their high school years.
"Sakura, I think you should go apologize." Ino said, once Sakura was finished.
"Ino, I just told you… I already tried that."
"But you did that on the phone." Ino insisted. "Sakura, being there personally would be a huge difference! Trust me on that one. Whenever my boyfriend apologizes to me personally, it's like what he did wrong was instantly erased, gone, nada. It's that… connection, when I look at him in the eyes and in just-" She made a snapping sound with her fingers. "Just like that, I forgive him."
Sakura bit her bottom lip and thought about what Ino had just said. "But will it work for Sasuke-kun?"
"Well, he's the only one who can answer that. You'll never know, unless you try."
"But what if-"
"Shhh… Did I just hear Sakura Haruno doubt about something? You're a strong woman Sakura. And you know that. Think about it. Whether you go and try now, or you lose the chance and regret it later."
Why did Ino always have a point?
Even her parents said that. She should apologize… but she should do it personally. Now that she thought about it. What was stopping her from doing so?
Was she afraid to address her problems face to face? Was she afraid of getting hurt? Was she afraid of what Sasuke's reaction might be? Was she afraid of him?
'Ah, damn it all!' She didn't want to be a coward anymore. Their future was at stake here and she wouldn't let a moment of weakness ruin it.
She raised her head to meet Ino's eyes and smiled. "I'll go to his apartment."
The same genuine smile grew on Ino's face. "Now, that's the Sakura I know! Go for it forehead!"
Sakura stood up, dashed to Ino's side and gave her a tight hug. "Thank you Ino, you're a good friend."
Ino hugged her back. "Anytime, forehead. Now shoo!"
Sakura stood straight and they both shared a chuckle.
"Okay, I'll go now Ino-pig!" She started walking towards the door.
"Bye, forehead!"
The bell chimed as Sakura looked back at Ino. "Goodbye!" She yelled, walking out the door.
She reached for her mobile as soon as she was out of the coffee shop. Sasuke still wasn't answering his home phone, so she left a message. She strode over to the sidewalk and paused before a pedestrian lane.
Her mobile rang. She dug it out of her bag in a hurry. Was Sasuke finally calling her back? Was he talking to her now?
She held her breath, looked at the caller ID, and her shoulders slumped. She tapped the 'answer' option and raised the phone to an ear.
"Hello, Itachi-san."
Ino was still sporting a smile, shaking her head at her best friend's behavior. Sakura was always the rational one between the two of them. But when it came to her love life, Sakura tended to become as expert as Ino in Calculus.
Her eyes landed at the two mugs on the table. Sakura didn't even finish her coffee. She also forgot to leave her share of the bill. Ino shrugged it off. It wouldn't hurt to let her get away with it this time.
Her gaze shifted to the glass window, where there was a good view of the street outside. Classy cars occasionally passed by, as people walked at the sides. Her eyes lingered at the street until she made out a head of pink on the sidewalk.
Ino looked back at her mug, reached for it, and took a sip; before peering through the window once more.
Sakura wasn't there anymore.
'Sakura sure run fast when it comes to Sasuke.' She thought.
5:30 PM
Sasuke turned the key and unlocked his apartment. He stepped in and threw the set of keys on the side table, along with his coat. He passed by the home phone and noticed another voicemail.
'It was probably from Sakura… again.'
He continued walking to his bedroom… before striding back to the living room in less than a second. He cursed, and lingered his index on the 'play' button. With eyes shut, he pressed it down.
"Sasuke-kun… I'm not gonna apologize on the phone this time. I just wanna say… that I already miss you. Just don't go anywhere, okay? I'll be right there. Bye… I love you."
'So, she's coming over.' Sasuke made his way to the kitchen and checked the fridge's contents. He could find the time to prepare dinner before she arrived. Wait. Shouldn't he be mad at her?
He scowled, slammed the fridge door, and walked back to his original destination. As he passed by the machine, he risked another glance at it.
He paused. The message was sent at 3:35. 'Maybe she had gone home once she realized no one's around.'
He seized his satchel on the center table and searched for his mobile. Ten missed calls from Naruto.
*Riing Riing* He looked at the machine.
*Riing Riing* Should he answer it?... He didn't think so.
"This is Sasuke Uchiha. Leave a message after this."
*Beep*
"Hey! Sasuke! Where are you, you bastard? Sakura-chan's in the hospital! Quick! Come over here!"
What was the idiot talking about? Of course she would be there, that was her workplace. Then it hit him. Today was her day off.
Sasuke was numb all of a sudden. All the hairs on his body stood on ends.
He grabbed his coat and rushed to the door, and to his car.
6:30 PM
Sasuke was a statue.
He was finding it hard to digest the facts forced into his system.
Sakura was in the emergency room. A car had run into her while she was crossing the street. The car's brake had malfunctioned. She had been on the phone with Itachi. Itachi was currently in the waiting room.
He marched around Naruto and barged into the hospital doors. Naruto had waited for him outside and told him everything. Sasuke could hear the idiot scramble behind him, but he didn't care. He was a soldier on a mission; a wild animal about to strike its prey.
The doors to the waiting area smashed against Sasuke's fists. His eyes roamed the area and locked with another pair that resembled his own.
Itachi stood up. He looked different from what Sasuke remembered alright. He wasn't that sickly pale, skin and bones teenager anymore. He looked more human. 'But he remained the same devil that he was.'
Sasuke strode towards Itachi, and mustered all his strength into his clenched fists.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted from behind.
He needed to do this now before the idiot could get in the way. Sasuke pulled his right fist back, let it swung forward with much force, and collided Itachi's face dead-on.
Itachi made no move to defend himself. And Sasuke was rewarded by the satisfying crack from Itachi's nose.
"Oh my God!" Ino raised both hands to cover her mouth, while her boyfriend, Shikamaru, stayed close to her.
Itachi staggered back to maintain his balance and held onto his nose. "I deserve that."
Sasuke was still fired up. "You asshole! You have the nerve to show yourself in here?!"
"Sasuke! That's enough!" Naruto moved to stand in between the Uchihas, struggling to hold Sasuke in place.
Sasuke diverted his glare at Naruto. "Don't you see? He did that to Sakura!"
"He didn't do anything Sasuke. It was an accident."
"No, he's a killer… He has always been one."
Itachi's gaze didn't waver from the glare thrown at him. "Sasuke, what happened to our parents wasn't in any of my intentions."
"Liar! Why do you always rid me of the people I care about?!" Sasuke screamed at the top of his lungs.
The room fell into silence. Ino's muted sobs were the loudest sound.
Itachi looked down; red dots splattering on the white tile flooring. "I'm sorry, little brother."
"Don't call me that."
Itachi continued as if he was never interrupted. "I tried to stay away from them. I tried to do drugs. I tried not to be everything they expected me to be. But all that… just led to the opposite of what I had expected."
Itachi looked up and fixed his eyes on Sasuke's. "Do you think I wasn't aware that dad had given me more attention than what he gave you? I wasn't blind Sasuke. I was sick of all his expectations for me. I was sick of the fact that he had practically forgotten he has two sons.
"I tried to be the bad guy… so he could see you. I did what I thought was the way for him to finally acknowledge you. But that hadn't been the case. So, I'm sorry…
"That was done, Sasuke. That was years ago. But look at you now, look around you! You are surrounded by family, Sasuke. So, quit blaming anybody just because things didn't turn out to be in your favor. Think about your present, your future that is inside that ER."
Sasuke was speechless. This was too much to take in – all at the same time. He let himself breathe evenly and tried to make sense of Itachi's words. Then he stepped away from Naruto and took a seat on one of the rows. For years and years, he remained still.
A weight occupied the seat beside him, but he didn't look up; he already knew who it was.
"I thought she's just a fan girl of yours when she first called, you know. She said that she's your fiancée. Just imagine my shock when I was informed that my little brother's getting married before me. Then I remembered; you weren't that kid anymore. I have wasted so much time indeed."
Sasuke finally looked up and was greeted by the sight of Itachi, supporting an ice pack against his nose. Sasuke didn't speak.
"I called her earlier to say thank you; and to say it's fine if you didn't want me around on your wedding day. I was about to say the latter, but the next thing I heard was the screeching of tires, before the line was cut off. I phoned Naruto, and he confirmed my theory."
Itachi stopped talking then, so Sasuke was left in his own thoughts. He stared at the floor; his mind, heart, and universe was centered at only one person. How was she? Why was she taking so long in there? Why weren't any of the doctors coming out?
Maybe this was all just a show to make him and Itachi talk. Maybe she had planned all of this; and any second now, she would come out of her hiding place and reward him with her smile.
He now understood what Sakura meant when she said he hadn't moved on. He had been blocking his past, denying it, blaming it all on Itachi. And by doing so, he unconsciously let it get to him, consume him.
Because he had stayed in the past, he failed to notice what was right in front of him. He failed to notice the miracle that took the form of one Sakura Haruno.
The door opened and alerted everyone in the room. They were Sakura's parents, Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno.
Sasuke stood up in an instant and walked towards them. Mebuki wrapped her arms around Sasuke as soon as he was in her reach.
"It's gonna be okay, Sasuke. She can get through this." She said.
Shouldn't he be the one comforting her?
Sasuke shook hands with Kizashi in greeting, while the others also gathered around Sakura's parents.
Mebuki's eyes landed on the older Uchiha. "You must be Itachi, am I correct?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She turned to Sasuke, and then back at Itachi. Despite the situation, Mebuki offered a smile.
"So, you two have reconciled with each other." They gave her surprised looks. "Sakura went to us this morning. She told us about what happened last night, Sasuke. I'm sure she'll be glad to see that her efforts have bear fruit. Sakura will be proud of you once you tell her the good news."
After that, they all settled down and waited for a word about Sakura's condition. Sasuke pondered over Mebuki's statement. She was right. 'Sakura made this happen.'
8:00 PM
The door gave way for a person in white lab coat. Sasuke recognized the doctor as Sakura's superior, Tsunade.
Her face was serious as she met every pair of eyes in the room, before she closed her own and shook her head from side to side.
Sasuke couldn't make sense of the gasps in the room, the pats on his shoulders, the sobs from Ino and Mebuki, or the slow head shake from Tsunade. He just couldn't.
All he was aware of was the crashing noise around him, the weight of concrete chunks falling from the ceiling, the echoes of an explosion, and the cracks creeping on the white walls. All he knew was that… his world was falling apart.
7:00 AM
It was dim. The curtains weren't drawn to the side, like yesterday. They filtered the light from the morning sun, refusing to let it spread throughout the room.
A shadow figure was sitting opposite the talking machine all this time. Two circles of charcoal set the inanimate object ablaze. He needed to answer it now. Why wasn't it ringing this time? Why wasn't her voice coming out of it? Why wasn't he waking up from this nightmare?
His blood boiled just by thinking about it.
A/N:
...And after a gazillion times of editing, this was it.
I wanted to try drama, so I just hope this was effective.
Let me know what you think! :) Have a great day!