"You're my all, you're my heart. Yet, I had to say goodbye."
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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Nor do I own the source of inspiration I got for this story.
Day by Day
It wasn't that he didn't know what was going on. Oh no, he could see it clearly from where he stood. But this- this was just confirming his fears.
One of his good friends -not that he will ever admit that to the brunet's face- and his girlfriend had been awfully chummy lately. Although when he had asked, the latter brushed it off easily as "just friends". However, he knew the signs when he saw them. After all, he wasn't dumb, nor blind. He had decided to give her a chance, since maybe it was just him being paranoid. But now?
Both of them standing at the alley behind his house- his fucking house goddamn it- hands entwined. They were talking in hushed whispers, and he knew it was wrong to spy on them from behind the wall, but what the fuck did he care about manners now? That was his good friend and girlfriend! How could they betray him like that!
"Oi, what are you doing?" he heard a familiar voice drawl lazily. Turning around, he saw his three other friends that were standing behind him, staring at him strangely. He hushed Shikamaru sharply before quickly focusing his attention back on the pair, choices of what to do running through his mind.
While he was still deep in his own angry thoughts, his three friends had taken the liberty to see for themselves the object of his attention. Their eyes widened and jaws slacked simultaneously at the scene.
"Is that Sakura? And Neji?" the blond-haired man of the group reacted first, sputtering loudly.
"Naruto, shut up!" Kiba hushed him quickly, putting a hand on the fuming Sasuke's shoulder. He was at a loss for words, he was never really good at using them, and he decided that all he could do for now was to prevent his friend from doing anything rash.
Four pair of eyes watched as the pink-haired woman placed something in Neji's open palm, and he enclosing his fingers around the object tenderly straight after. They exchanged a few more words, the gaze in his lavender eyes were soft as he spoke to her. Gently, he lifted a hand to stroke her face, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ears, while the woman's emerald green eyes remained downcast.
That seemed to be the last straw for Sasuke. The raven-haired man walked out from his spot, onyx eyes filled with rage. The pair turned at his entrance, and Sakura's eyes widened slightly with an emotion so familiar that Sasuke wanted to pull her into his embrace, but he stopped himself from doing so. Neji sensed the anger that was radiating of furious man easily, and he grabbed Sakura's hand tightly, walking away with her behind him. However, he was stopped by an incoming fist to his face.
"What the fuck!?" the infuriated Uchiha hissed.
Neji merely straightened his back, and nudged at Sakura to go on first. The woman shifted her gaze from one man to the other, before finally nodding and walking ahead without turning back.
"How could you? How could she!?" Sasuke roared, throwing another punch.
"How could we what? It happens. Get over it," Neji said coldly, dodging the attacks.
"I thought we were friends!"
"It had nothing to do with us being friends or not." the brunet stated, throwing a punch of his own. The three men had snapped from their daze and were holding both Sasuke and Neji back, mediating the fight. Both men were sporting cuts and bruises, each not backing down with their glares.
Finally, Sasuke shrugged Shikamaru's hold on his arm.
"Fuck off. I don't ever want to see the both of you again." he said darkly and staggered away from the scene, his emotions hay-wired and his thoughts a jumbled mess. There was a moment of awkward silence among the men before Neji turned to leave as well.
Shikamaru let out a heavy sigh. "How troublesome."
.
Sasuke looked like shit, and he knew it. He was slumped in his couch, the darkness of the room engulfing him. He hadn't slept properly for days, ever since the scene back in the alley. Ever since that day, his friends had been calling him, only to meet with his voicemail. The only voice he wanted to hear, truthfully, was Sakura's. He wanted to hear her gentle laugh, to see her comforting smiles, and to tell him that she loved him in that doting tone of hers.
But it was a lie, wasn't it?
He didn't know anymore. It had been two years since they got together, but they were still blissful. Granted, they had little petty fights like any other couple, and there were days where she got frustrated at him because of his lack of display of affection, but they were stable and happy… No?
Why would she do such a thing? She, of all people, knew how much he hated lies. And yet, she who was the closest to his heart, had gone behind his back with his good friend. Angrily, he took it out on a nearby furniture, an unfortunate cup which shattered on the floor.
Like us.
After a few moments, the door slammed opened as his friends walked in.
"Wow man, you look like hell." Naruto whistled.
"No shit." Sasuke snapped, not in the mood for company. "Fuck off already."
Kiba drew the curtains, letting light into the dingy room. "No can do, man. You need some air. You've been cooped up in your misery for a week now," he advised.
"This is troublesome," Shikamaru commented. "But they're right. Move your ass, Uchiha. You're going out."
"No. Fuck off." Sasuke growled, rolling around in the couch so that he was lying across it, facing down.
"Come on, bastard. When was the last time you had a proper meal?" Naruto rolled his cerulean eyes, draping one of Sasuke's hand over his shoulder, attempting to lift him up. It was easy, considering the weak state his friend was in.
"Take a shower or something, Uchiha. You reek." Kiba scrunched his nose, avoiding a chair that came his way.
"Fuck you, dog boy." Sasuke insulted.
"I feel the love. Now go," the man grinned boyishly, shoving him towards the bathroom, shutting the door. "If I don't hear the shower run in ten seconds, I'm giving out your embarrassing photos." he threatened light-heartedly.
"You wouldn't dare, asshole." Came the muffled reply from behind the door.
When Kiba actually started counting though, the shower did run alongside a string of colourful curses.
.
They were driving as they joked around as usual, throwing insults and curses casually at each other. When Sasuke suddenly grew silent, however, was when they realized that maybe they chose a really bad time to drag him out.
Was the world so small or were they so unlucky? What an unfortunate coincidence for them to spot Sakura in Neji's car, which was parked down the street they were turning into. Both of them were talking, Sakura's hand in Neji's. It was a sight they were trying to take off his mind, and this seriously wasn't working like they hoped it to.
"Step on the gas." Kiba sighed quietly at Naruto, who nodded. The vehicle sped up, and Sasuke's eyes never left the pair. It was when Sakura looked up and met his eyes that really made him want to cry. Her emerald eyes were brimmed with unshed tears, a myriad of emotions crossing her face before it turned into a blank mask.
Not wanting to give Sasuke more thoughts to wallow himself in, Naruto drove past them quickly, turning in the next road just to remove them from Sasuke's sight, even if it wasn't their route.
The atmosphere in the car was tense as silent ensued.
"Sasuke-"
"No. Don't bring it up." Sasuke interrupted before Naruto could end his sentence. "Where are we going again?" He asked quietly, attempting to talk about something else.
"Oh! There's this new place-"
As Naruto blabbered on, Sasuke for once felt thankful for the blond's loud voice and obnoxious chatter. It made it easier to tune out the image of his girlfriend- or ex?- sitting in a car holding hands with a man that wasn't him.
It hurt, Sasuke concluded. It hurt very much.
.
His life was getting back on track. Sasuke decided that he couldn't wallow in self-pity forever, and made the choice to bury himself in his studies. He had already lost the thing dearest to his heart to the Hyuga, he couldn't afford to lose the internship for a prestigious company as well. It had been months since the incident, and his friends had been bashing into his house less frequent compared to the beginning. He figured it was because they were each busy with their own studies as well- what with the finals coming up plus their graduation and stuff.
What he did not expect was to receive a call from Shikamaru one day, whose tone was glum and dreary.
"Sasuke." The man greeted dully.
"In case you don't know, I'm busy for finals. I'm sure you're in a life and death situation, right?" Sasuke asked sarcastically.
Shikamaru cut to the chase at once. "There's something you need to know." The dread in his voice was evident, and it piqued Sasuke's curiosity.
"What?" He questioned, his tone genuinely puzzled.
"You…" Shikamaru trailed off as a few hushed voices were talking in the background. Sasuke frowned when he heard them discussing whether to tell him or not.
"Just fucking spill." He snapped, irritated.
He heard Shikamaru's heavy sigh. "You need to come over to Konoha General Hospital right now." The lazy genius of their group stated.
"What? Are you really in a life and death situation?" The raven-haired man raised a brow, flipping the page of his book.
"Sakura's dying."
.
Sasuke cursed his weakness. He was supposed to be over the woman. But a mention of her name, and there he was, speeding down the street in his car recklessly with only one destination in mind.
When he burst through the hospital doors, he was sure he looked like a mad man with his eyes wild and hair messy, the product of an agitated hand that ran through it ever since Shikamaru's call. "Sakura Haruno. Where is she?" he asked harshly. The receptionist cowered at his tone but stuttered the directions to him nonetheless after a few clicks on her computer.
Without wasting another moment, the raven-haired man rushed up to the second floor and upon his arrival, he met with the glances of four men.
Pity.
Sorrow.
Guilt.
Pain.
"Where is she?" he asked quietly. His voice was steady, but his onyx eyes betrayed him as a myriad of expression flashed in them. His hands were shaking in anxiousness, his face pale.
"In there." the usual-hyperactive blond whispered, nudging towards the closed doors of the surgery ward. Sasuke collapsed in the seat beside him, leaning his elbows on his knees, head hung low.
"How did this…?" he muttered. "What… what happened to her?"
His question hung in the silence, resonating in each and every of their minds. He lifted his gaze and saw that his friends were evading their eyes from him. Kiba was seated opposite him, burying his face in his hands, Shikamaru was standing against the wall, his head drooping, and even Naruto had fixed his gaze on the metal doors. Finally, Neji, who was standing furthest from them, made a move to walk until he was right in front of Sasuke.
However, before Neji could open his mouth to speak, the metal doors opened. Five pair of eyes swiveled towards it, the suspense and tension thick in the air. As the surgeon in charge walked out with a grim expression on his face, Sasuke felt like his heart dropped to his stomach. It was a sense of fear he had never felt before.
Images of his pink-haired companion surfaced in his mind. Memories of their time together were flashing by, and everything he had come to love. She was everything he wasn't, and that, he supposed, was what made them shine so brightly together.
Pressing his hands tightly together, he prayed for the best.
Sakura. Please.
What would I do without you?
.
It wasn't supposed to be that way.
They were supposed to live happily ever after, she was supposed to get her fairy tale ending with him. He was her prince, her world, her everything.
So what did she do to deserve this? Her whole world was crashing down, all in the span of less than an hour.
Gripping the manila folder tightly, she made a call to Neji. He had his suspicions, and was the one who suggested she went for a whole body checkup. She was reluctant to do so at first, but after a few times of convincing from him, she decided that there was no harm trying.
What irony.
"Hello?" he answered after a few rings.
"Neji. It's me." she answered shakily.
"Sakura? What's wrong?" the man questioned, slightly worried.
"I… Could you meet me behind Sasuke's house in an hour? I have a favour to ask of you," she said after a moment's pause.
"Sure. Hey Sa-" Before Neji could press on further, Sakura ended the call quickly. She didn't want to answer him now, and she knew she would break down. She didn't want to seem like she was afraid of death because no, she wasn't at all. She was much afraid of something else that would come with her death.
When she met with Neji, she knew Sasuke would be there. It was a part of her plan, and although she knew it was ridiculous, she had made the decision to go through with it.
"What is it, Sakura?" the brunet asked, his brows scrunched together worriedly. She gripped his hand immediately, earning a raise of a brow on his part.
"I need your help, Neji." Sakura began, taking a deep breath. "Your suspicion was right after all."
Neji was speechless. What he suggested to her was the worst case scenario, and for her to tell him he was on point with his guess- it left a bitter taste in his mouth. After all, watching a friend wilt away wasn't something he wished to see at all.
"I don't have much time left... And I need you to help me, please." she pleaded, tears brimming her emerald eyes. She was resisting them from falling, she wasn't about to cry- not here, not now.
"I need you to pretend that you and I have a relationship behind Sasuke's back." she said firmly, earning a look of shock from Neji, whose eyes have widened.
"What for?"
Sakura was quiet, a sad smile gracing her beautiful features. "I don't want my last days in his memory to be of me being someone so helpless. I don't want to see him suffer over my death. I want our memories to remain as it is, and I think it'll relieve his pain by a lot more if he thinks I'm a cheater and hate me, rather than watch me slowly die."
"You do know you're contradicting yourself, right?" Neji asked with a mirthless chuckle that sounded hollow even to his own ears. "You want to retain the good memories but in another way, you're tainting it by being a cheater in his eyes to avoid him suffering. Have you even thought this through, Sakura?"
Sakura was silent, dwelling in her own thoughts. It was true, her plan was based on those contradictions, but the main point of it was she didn't want Sasuke to watch her slowly die and not being able to do anything about it. She knew of the internship he was working to get, she knew he wanted to prove to the world that he could achieve something by himself without using the connections of the infamous Uchiha family he came from. She knew if Sasuke grew to hate her, he would avoid her, and thus wouldn't know of her death until he had achieved everything he wanted without any distractions.
That was what she was going for.
"Yes. I have." she answered firmly.
With a sigh, Neji nodded. "Alright. I'll help you."
Sakura took off the silver band from her ring finger. Placing it tenderly in Neji's palm, she gave him a small grin. "Take care of this for me, would you? And please, don't tell them until I get critical. As for Sasuke… don't tell him at all."
Neji's gaze softened. "What a cruel joke fate is playing on you." He kept the ring in his pocket, caressing her face gently. He saw the way her eyes darted briefly to the poorly-hidden figures behind the wall, and he knew that the show has began. He tucked a stray lock of her pink hair behind her ear.
"I'm sorry for requesting this from you. I know it's a burden…" Sakura said with a guilty expression clearly displayed on her features, her emerald eyes downcast, avoiding his gaze.
"I understand. They're coming now."
.
A bouquet of flowers laid on the cold marble, a mixture of dark crimson and white roses. The colours were a stark contrast to the bland headstones and the dull, hollowed trees that made up the landscape.
A man stood silently in front of the particular slab of white marble that had the bouquet of flowers. His hands were in his coat pockets as the chilly wind bit at his skin.
The grim expressions. The shake of his head. The whispers of condolences. The supposedly-comforting pats on his back. The pity, sorrow, guilt.
Then it changed.
The smiles. The laughter. The hugs. The warmth.
His light had faded. But she would always remain in his heart.
"Thank you." the man murmured softly under his breath, turning away to leave.
A light breeze blew as the petals of the flowers danced in the wind, scattering around the grave. One lone red petal landed right in the middle of a silver band that sat elegantly on the white marble stone.
Gone, but not forgotten. Never forgotten.
This was inspired by Big Bang's Haru Haru MV. I hope you liked it.