Clasped
My fingers interlaced in between his fingers. I wanted to know and I asked him, how it felt to hold hands with a boy. I was almost twenty one, he was my first boyfriend and we had not even kissed yet. One thing at a time maybe.
I was a student of Diploma In Video Production, under the Faculty of Mass Communications at Konoha Uni. I am currently in Group B, in my fourth semester and a year away from graduation. He was my coursemate but he attended another class and we often bumped into each other along the corridor of our classroom. Twice a week my class and his were combined for the Law 341 course and we had our class in the lecture hall. Sometimes when I went down the hall to talk to the lecturer I would have accidental eye contact with him. All I knew about him was that he was in Group D, and he came from a neighbouring state and moved here to be with his family.
Part of studying video production was editing your video. I could just hire a freelance editor and had my videos edited outside but I like experiencing things with my own hands. So since the faculty already had an editing suite at the Visual Editing Room or VRE, I decided to use the free service provided. It was a great way to learn video editing on your own sweet time.
The VE Room was open from 7 am to 12.00 midnight but I usually reserved the night slot because less people were around at night. It turned out that he also spent his free time either lounging or editing at the VER too. When I was editing, he would sit at the back and look at me editing, sometimes offering a suggestion here and there. We don't really talk until one day when he he pursued me with a question.
"Would you like to be my girlfriend?" he asked out of the blue.
"Excuse me?" my eyes was frozen on the computer screen. I immediately forgot which track was I supposed to cut. I realized that we were alone and I glanced at the computer clock and it was half hour past eleven pm.
His straight to the point question diverted my attention from my work. So he was here for a personal reason not really watching me work.
"What kind of a request is that?" I blurted, hands frozen one on the mouse and another on the keyboard. I was editing a simple music video, a class project assigned by my lecturer for the video editing subject.
"Well…" he said. Next I heard scraping of the chair on the cement floor.
He did not continue so I unlocked my frozen hands from the computer and turned around. "Well what?"
"Our friends have been pushing us together for the past week. Maybe we should, be a couple?" he asked like he was asking me to borrow my assignment.
"Those are only gossips. Everyone gossips and does not mean we have to listen to everything they suggest," I emphasized.
My classmates, and his classmates, a bunch of very 'great friends' liked to matchmake every single girls and boys in our classes. Someone asked me about it and I just ignored them. Maybe we should date they say... see what it's all about. I did not want to go with the flow for their sake. They were just gossiping and classmates were easy target.
For me after two decade of living without any male love interest, waiting another decade was nothing. It wasn't like I could not function without companionship. Actually I wasn't against the idea of a companion but I did not want to rush it either.
"Well, I think we should. I like being in your company."
"Really?"
I turned back to my computer and grabbed the mouse. I better make a save on my recent edits before I lose any changes. My work mood was out the window.
"I'll think about it," I told him. I didn't know what to say. It sounded like a life changing event to consider on a whim. It's much more complicated than choosing a tuna sandwich or chicken kebab for breakfast. I needed time.
Three minutes passed as I previewed my video before saving them back on my hard disk. I had been using the VER from 9 to 12 for a week and he had been watching me work. Other students came and went and I figured that when they saw us in the room, though we did not talk, thought of something else.
"Sasuke, here's the video you asked about. I already asked my friend's permission to blend it into our video," a pink haired appeared into the room. It was a doorless room so people enter and exit effortlessly.
"Thank you Sakura," I grinned nervously at her. She handed me a small memory card in her palm.
"Hey Naruto, you haven't finished your video yet? Where's Kiba and Shino?" Sakura leaned against the door and looked at Naruto.
"Hey Sakura, they went home right after we finished. So how's the video going?" Naruto asked.
"Fine. Luckily Sasuke's a genius so she had this software all figured out. I only know Pinnacle."
"Not without Naruto's tips of course." I said while waiting for the video to finish saving.
"You two are so made for each other," Sakura said cheerfully. "Hey I gotta answer nature's call," and then she left.
Naruto suddenly got up from his chair and sighed.
"Tell me when you considered it. I could call it an experiment, we don't really need to be too serious into it."
I looked at him and nodded, quickly returning to my bags and watching the file finished saving.
"Bro, come help me with the heavy lifting. You aren't staying here past working hours without any grunt work," a sudden voice interrupted our awkward session.
We both turned at the door to see our technical officer from the Post Production Unit leaning in. I figured Naruto must be helping them with some free labour around the office for a chance to lounge around the VER. It was normal for Diploma in VP students to edit all through the night, but they will be like owls, sleeping all through the day.
Naruto pointed to the computer screen and spoke, " The next time you edit, I think the lightings in the first minute is a little dim. Maybe you could tweak it little?" He smiled a toothy smile and exited the room.
I unlatched my hard disk from the computer and picked up my bag. I had to calm my nerves anyway. I exited the room and the Post Production Unit and waited for Sakura by the toilet's entrance.
As I tightened my fingers against his, he sucked in a breath. It was exhilarating to be holding hands at this age with someone whom I realized had my heart thumping hard. I wasn't crushing on him actually, but my feminine body sure liked the sensation of our skin rubbing against each other.
"As you know I might be the kind to be AWOL. So you better not expect me to be the kind to stick around constantly like a normal boyfriend."
"Yeah whatever, like we ever met outside this building before," I said.
He snorted. "Then I guess this thing is sealed." He lifted our hands and kissed my fingers while smiling at me.
"Well, I got to go. I work part time at the corner restaurant since last week. Got to find money to date my princess," he winked and smirked at me.
I slipped my fingers away from his and straightened my jacket. He got up and waved goodbye at me, heading towards the lift. I headed back to the Post Production Unit.
Ladies and gentleman, meet my boyfriend, the elusive Naruto.
What I didn't know was that, what I thought was an experimental dating thing affected me on a deeper level.
It's been a week since we declared our status as a couple. But this week he was nowhere to be seen and he was not in the VER either, I had finished my editing for this semester so I did not use the room too often. Still I stopped by and looked around and did not see him at all. I knew that we would be an unconventional couple, but a couple nonetheless so not seeing him around was weird. Our Diploma program occupied the eleventh floor of an office building, where office space have been converted into classes. Apart from this class, we also had evening classes in our yet to complete new faculty inside Konoha Uni main campus. This messy class arrangement made us unaware of the other classes' presence, so not knowing where my boyfriend's class was half of the time was normal. It didn't help that he did not own a handphone, strange but true.
I was thinking about all this when Sakura walked towards my desk and sat on the chair next to mine. Despite the free seating concept in our class, Sakura still chose to sit beside me though I often ignore her when I was deep in thought.
"Why are you looking so distant Sasuke?" Sakura asked without looking at me, as she pulled out a spiral ring report from her bag. The Pink haired girl read the cover of the report before rifling through the pages to check for something.
"Nothing," I said as I pulled out my own report from my bag. I totally forgot that I was supposed to collect them before the lecturer walks in for class. I became the class rep for this subject just because the lecturer is my Godfather.
"Here's mine," Sakura placed the report on my table, the cover as usual in pale pink. "You always keep things away from me. But I could see that you seemed lost this past few days. We'll go have some pie after class, on me. Then you can share what's bugging you," Sakura whispered as Kakashi Hatake, our lecturer and my Godfather walked into class. Late as usual.
"How you could have agreed to such arrangement is beyond me," Sakura sighed as she sipped on her melon cucumber juice.
"That's why I don't tell you these things." I sighed.
"How many times should I tell you to trust me, I am your best friend." Sakura glanced at me and sighed.
I poked on my half finished pie while Sakura finished her drink and began interrogating me. Soon she realized that it was Naruto who was bothering me, a conclusion she made after I answered "Yes" and "No" to a series of questions she posed. I knew she was right about me needing to share some of these stuff with people close to me just to lighten the burden but this was too personal and it was bothersome to let it all out.
I had known Sakura since we were 12. She was also Kakashi's goddaughter. How my awfully late and perverted lecturer managed to have so many godchildren is beyond me. But that is how we met, through an open house held by Sakumo Hatake, Kakashi's father.
I was twelve brooding at the bench on the back garden of the Hatake's residence when a pink haired girl blabbed merrily beside me. She declared me as the cutest girl she had ever seen and declared me her best friend. I had been scowling on the edge of the garden about the fact that my brother is away on one of his debate tournament. I wanted to watch him but he told me he was not going to babysit me while he prepared for his tournament and my parents were too ecstatic to meet the Hatakes after a long time that they just agree with Itachi. Being six years apart meant we did not share the same universe, him in his freshman year in college while I'm barely out of primary school.
I thought that the pink haired girl took a liking to me, it was annoying at first, but over the years I had become comfortable being around her. Sakura never said she actually liked me but she had been a great friend, leaving me to myself whenever I needed time alone and butting in when the situation arpse. After eight years of friendship she had became an annoying best friend to whom I grudgingly share my secrets.
"So you only ever meet at the faculty? Like dates on campus? That's boring only meeting when circumstances allowed." Sakura concluded.
That sounded horrifying but it was the fact so I just gave her a vague glance.
"Having a coursemate as a boyfriend sounds convenient, like Mr Right now. And anyway, are you two doing anything this weekend? I… I… thought we could double date." Sakura asked.
Fork embedded in the half eaten pie, I slowly turned to her. "Who's the other guy?"
"You know our senior taking the Advertising and Communications Degree? The one who is also member of the Arts Club, his name is Deidara. Well, his friend Sasori asked me on a date."
"Hmm." I nodded. Eyes squinting suddenly remembered that Deidara was also a friend of Itachi.
"Well, I don't want to go alone on a first date. He's like 26, and I feel safer when you're around."
"Truthfully I don't even know when we'll actually go out on a date Sakura."
"Why don't you invite him out?" Sakura asked innocently.
I rolled my eyes, didn't she just told me earlier that me and Naruto are bounded by convenience, by circumstances.
"We only meet when we meet. I don't care about dates for now."
Sakura sighed this time, "You might not care about it now… but… I hope you know what you are doing Sasuke. I don't want you to get hurt." Sakura leaned back on her chair. I saw that she had hundred things running in her mind but she did not voice them out to me.
I can't promise that, I told her in my mind.
"Well, I'll ask Tenten and Lee to accompany me then. Neji is still in Singapore," Sakura conceded.
Neji was doing some interview in Singapore, he had followed his father there and taken the opportunity to do an exclusive interview with a producer there. Naruto had told me about it, saying he wished he could do the same but I knew he did not have the resources to travel outside Konoha. I aimed to interview a local producer, a friend of a friend of a friend. There was no need to search farther when the local talents were the best.
"I wished you could meet Sasori, he makes puppets with his own hands and he often performs with the National Theatre.." Sakura began talking.
It had taken a good three years for me to be more alert of her other friends. She was there for me all time and season and the least I could do was this, "So tell me all about this Sasori while we walk back to your car."
Sakura smiled and rummaged her wallet for her money. "Sure, there's nothing I never told you about." She looked at me and I avoided her meaningful glance and pushed my plate away. Sakura continued to tell me tidbits about Sasori as we walked away from the table and approach the cashier.
Truthfully I don't intend to get hurt when it comes to Naruto. But if I do, I'll get over it eventually. I know I didn't need to convince anyone even Sakura, about my relationship with Naruto but some of Sakura's statement rung in my head as I walked beside her.
As I have said before, me and Naruto only meet when circumstances allowed. I had to admit that after two weeks this affected me on a deeper level. As Itachi had presented in one of his debates, "distance is no longer an obstacle in any matter, because time and distance are irrelevant with today's technology. A person can hold a long distance relationship without fear of lost communication. Consistency breeds respect and devotion." Things thrive on consistency and consistency was not what I had now.
"Hey," Naruto sauntered across the cafeteria as he saw me look at him from my seat. I hoped I didn't look too surprised at the moment watching him here. Then he came closer and I gulped down my rice and chicken with a mouthful of plain water.
"Hmm."
"Want to have dinner with me tonight?" Naruto asked.
"Where?" I asked as soon as the water disappeared down my throat.
"I'll swing by your hostel," and he flipped a phone out.
I shot him a suspicious glare, since when did he got himself a phone.
"What's your phone number, I'm calling yours and then we can contact each other this way." Naruto grinned as he waved his phone at me. I saw that it was quite a new model.
"Hey Blondie, let's go to the library now!" Kiba suddenly called for Naruto.
My boyfriend turned around and waved back at Kiba. "Go ahead, I'll be there later. You got my phone number after all."
He spun around and placed his hands on the cafe table and leaned in until he was a feet away from my face.
"I'm sorry I wasn't, you know here, I mean near you. But I'll try to be after this, that's why I bought this."
I looked at him and said, "I already told you that I am open to that."
"Actually," he stood and looked at me. "I liked you for a long time, and I want to make this right. I thought about what I told you and I realized that was total bullshit. I can't treat my lady like a toll booth, touch and go. So I got myself a phone, courtesy of my recently found Godfather."
I frowned him. Thankfully the nearest people were tables away so no one was near enough to listen to his declaration.
"So how will it be now?" I asked him as I reached for my bag to grab my phone.
"I will call you tomorrow, and …" Naruto reached for my face and lightly brushed away strands of my fringes which covered my right eye, "and we could go out on a date and then we see where we are headed for the future." He smiled and grabbed for my phone.
My heart swelled at his words, but I still felt a flash of wariness. I wondered whether he would uphold his words or revert to our normal situation. I don't want to expect much but I don't want to underestimate him either.