You know what's so bitchy about the world, is that you sometimes tend to love someone more only after you've lost that someone.

It's hard to notice when you're together.

It's only after you break up, you see that all that memories don't just go floating away.

Instead, they stay and haunt your favorite way to school, or your favorite restaurant, or your favorite hangout place.

It's sick, the way you're walking down the road, expecting someone to be beside you, then finding out for the hundredth time that he's not there no more.

Well, today would have been me and Neji's three year anniversary.

Instead of going out with him to our favorite shops and all, I'm spending this day returning home from school using the exact same route me and he used to go together.

Crying. And alone.

Pathetic.

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Session #1- Karma works backwards

Part one: Bitch-face chance of a lifetime

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I spot Saske down by the bus stop.

He's slouching as he walks, he stance never failing against the cool autumn breeze. His spiky black hair slightly springs up and down as he walks.

I feel like talking to someone.

I felt miserable all day long, but could not tell any of my friends of my problem.

Tenten spent the remaining minutes of break time asking me, "What'sa matter, sweetie? Really, tell me! ", with me not bothering to answer.

I could never act normal today.

I could never even take a glance at Neji's table in the cafeteria.

Why was I such as wuss?

Neji seemed alright; he even played soccer along with his mates after class. He was his normal self.

I bet he forgot that it was our anniversary.

I stop, bite my lips, scratch desperately at my arms, trying not to cry.

So what if he doesn't remember, Hinata, you fucking crybaby?

We broke up, remember?

I stand, feeling a bit out of place, my tears barely dry on my sticky blotchy face.

I still see Saske; he's just come out of the small supermarket buying his daily supply of mints.

I want to talk to somebody. Real bad.

But this is really, really a stupid idea.

Saske might not be the average clunk-head jerk, but he was still popular.

The best way to describe him would be the popular outsider; not really engaged in social life, but never out of any circle.

Trying to engage him in my snivel talk would be like social suicide.

Besides, he had the bitchy ice-queen for his girlfriend; Haruno Sakura.

If she caught Saske talking with a low-down like me…

Forget it. I can't stand this; I have to blow over something.

Something's got to give.

"Saske?... "

"…um. Saske?"

"Saske! "

Saske's off-beat gait freezes, his hand stagnant in mid-air.

He turns his dark head to look back, and finds me.

He gives me a 'look'; confused scowling combined with irritation.

"I… Hi. My name's Hyuga Hinata. "

"I know, I'm not stupid. You're in my health class. "

Actually, I was in most of his classes.

It was just that I was mostly hidden by the other radiant girls.

"…What? What do you want? "

Saske already looked bored, but he was gallant enough to offer me that.

What 'do' I want.

"I… want to talk about something… "

Saske's mood turned black; he hated anything disturbing his life routine, and right now, I was disturbing his walk back home.

"I… I know you're Sakura's boyfriend. I'm… not trying to do anything, really, honest. Just… can't you listen to me? I had a really bad day… "

My voice was starting to crack again, pathetic.

Why did you ever start speaking, Hinata? Why were you ever born with a mouth?

"No. That kind of work's reserved for shrinks. "

Saske spat nastily then started to walk away towards the main park.

There were truth in his words, and I really thought of myself as a stupid slag for asking something like this… to someone I 'barely' knew.

But I still hurt. Tears sprout.

I vaguely stared at Saske's seemingly forbidding back.

He briskly spent a few seconds getting further away from me, then had the courtesy to look back.

When he saw me sniffling and looking lost, he let out a disgusted sigh and started walking back towards me.

He thrust out his right hand and violently shook me by the shoulders.

"Stop that! Snap out of it already! "

His irritated voice shook me back into reality.

"Look, I rarely listen to people, even the teachers. What makes you think I'd listen well to some girl's sniveling story about her bad day? "

He looked composed on the outside, but seemed quite shook up over the fact that I was crying over something that seemed so little to him.

I mean, Sakura rarely cried, thank god.

She was bitchy, but she never cried.

"I just thought… you were nice, the way you treat Sakura at school… and that last time when you… "

Saske once saved me from bullies.

He might remember, or he might now, but I'd never forgotten.

That was the time I had changed my opinion about him; I used to think of him as a cold fish, but now he seemed just a bit misunderstood.

Maybe he was a real nice guy underneath.

Or maybe my intuition was wrong as usual.

"Look here, the only way I treat Sakura is being indifferent. I don't cat call her or call her names, but I'm not being nice. Second, those bastards deserved what they got, trespassing school grounds and all. "

So he did remember.

But he looked quite annoyed that I recalled such a petty detail from his everyday life.

To him, it was probably like a small girl thanking the policeman for helping her look for mommy. Or something like that.

I was starting to feel pathetic and useless, yet again.

Saske observed my face color change from ash-gray to pale white, and saw my lips starting to tremble.

He grimaced.

"Here, follow. "

He grasped my left hand and pulled me towards a shabby looking building with an ancient drabby sign.

A café of some sort.

He made me sit down in a window seat, then took the seat right in front of me.

I saw him order a latte something, then look at me disgusted when I didn't speak up to the waitress.

He gave up, and then proceeded to leaning back lazily into the red moth-eaten sofa that bore the initials of the cafe.

"I don't got much time here, so make it quick. "

I heard him say.