A/N: I do not own the characters Hinata Hyuga, Rock Lee, or any others mentioned in this story; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The title, which is the title of not only a hit movie, but a romance novel, belongs to Nicholas Sparks (the author). I own no part of that. This will be switching from Hinata's POV to Lee's.
A Walk to Remember
This is what lovers must feel like, the pain of losing your partner through death or some other circumstance; the agony of trying to continue with your so called life afterwards. For as long as I could remember, I had been in love with a rowdy boy with grain wheat golden hair and blue washed eyes by the name of Naruto Uzumaki. I ponder many nights, lying in my futon waiting patiently for sleep to arrive, imaging what life would be like if we became a couple. We would eat lunches I prepared myself in the park, take moonlit walks on the beach, see scary horror movies just so I could clasp onto his nearest arm, signaling him to rap them around my frame. And if we were to get married! Well, that's a whole different story in itself. But those fantasies were crushed immediately when I heard the heartbreaking news: Naruto and Sakura Haruno are getting married. I could feel every ounce of oxygen exit my body through all my pores, and for a minute or two the sensation of not being able to breathe became overwhelming to the point where I actually fainted; right there at the restaurant where Ino, Tenten, and I were having lunch. Talk about embarrassing!
Who cares though? Why sweat over a minor incident of hyperventilation in a public place in front of your two closest friends when the love of your life was to be married to another woman? It wasn't fair. Sure, Naruto and Sakura have known each other for quite a few years, and had been on several dates with each other, but so what? Does that mean my chances of winning the affection of that blonde hair blue eyed boy were lost forever? C'mon Hinata, who are you kidding?
To make things worse, I'm invited to the event! I was hoping my all too apparent shyness characteristic would come to save the day, and the couple would forget about me, but I don't have that kind of luck. Some unknown who was helping Sakura pick out bride's maids dresses and going over the seating arrangement with happen to mention my name (I think it was Ino Yamanaka). Great. I tried to be a good sport about the whole ordeal with little success. Was it wrong of me to be so selfish? Of course not. But I won't try to break this pair up; I'll just smile and pretend to be happy, as women have done for centuries. The ceremony is tomorrow.
I hate when I do this. I feel weak and vulnerable; like some frail old lady left to fin for herself in the middle of a tornado, waiting for some muscular hero to rescue her. Yes you heard me right: a lady. The point is I cry at weddings, and not just a few droplets, I mean major water works to the fourth power. Milky white and yellow snot spilling onto my upper lip, pools of transparent liquid flowing down the curves of my face, my breathing turning into heaving, the works. For god's sake, I'm a GUY!! A green beast of Konoha shouldn't be crying at a wedding; that's what Neji Hyuga said at the reception of his and Tenten's wedding, at least. I can't help the matter though! Oh Gai-sensei, for once I am glad you came down with the stomach flu for both weddings so you weren't subject to my not so secret shame. Now here I am, at the reception with a dish of what I assume is cat fish (which I didn't ask for) trying to recover from my embarrassment, Neji sitting at the table right behind me, sneering sarcastically at the back of my head waiting for me to turn (jokes on you; I already know you're looking!) Perhaps a little fresh air will help, and I think there is a garden in the back of this very elaborate hall open to the public.
Well, the cool breeze is only taking a minor positive effect on my red and puffy face. I'll take a walk to the rather large pond I heard someone in the hall speaking of that lays in the middle of this garden. And off I, Rock Lee, go, on my hands.
When I finally make it to the body of water, I feel the swollenness of my face has gone down exceedingly, but that doesn't grasp my attention for long. I look to the shore of the water to find the back of a beautiful maiden with long black flowing hair, straight cut. She's removed her shoes (which the heels seem ridicously tall) and her bare feet with pale skin squish against the sandy surface. Her hour glasses figure and long gams had me hypnotized, and desperately I wanted to run over to her side and introduce myself, perhaps fill that lonely void in my life. I can't move though, my feet seem glued to the surface of the wilderness. That's from, of course, the thick layer of mud I absent mindly stepped into with my brand new and polished up Lucci shoes.
"Aw shit!" I cry out unconsciously.
From behind me I hear a frustrated cry from a man; the voice I just can't recognize. I spin around to indeed find a man on a stumpy hill over looking the area of pond shore I was walking on. He was hopping around, rotating from foot to foot trying to wipe away what looked like mud from the bottom of his shoes, cursing repeatedly. I quickly slip on my heels, and quietly walk away to another path, careful not to let this strange man I don't even know see me. After all, he could be some creepy drunk from the reception, and in this day and age we girls and to watch out for ourselves. Hurriedly I rushed back to the hall, where I spent the last two and a half hours drinking well aged whine and sampling fancy appetizers served on silver trays held by waiters who knifed through the crowd hoping to get rid of their load. When those two and a half hours were up, I gave Naruto and the new Sakura Uzumaki a good luck and praise, then made my way home (which took another thirty minutes). It was so relieving to crawl under my bed sheets and silently drift to sleep. The hardest part of it was giving up for good my Naruto fantasies. Oh this promises to be a long night.
I was so pissed on my way home. That mystery girl from the pond suddenly vanished without so much as a glance of her face, which had to be as beautiful as she was from behind. I couldn't stop replaying the whole scene over and over in my mind: she walked on the ground with an angelic presence, her long locks black cherry whine, her figure perfection in it's every angle. If falling in love at first sight (and not even a sight of her face to boot) was wrong, by gum I didn't want to be right. Pushing the silver key into the brass keyhole of my apartment's front door, I contemplated turning straight around and rushing back to that dining hall, back to that garden and that pond and seeing if she happened to return, but shrugged the notion away as foolish. After all, I am in no way god's gift to every single girl on earth; even if I were dating a girl I was head over heels for and she felt the same, I'd still feel she could do a hell of a lot better then me. I crawled into bed, a slight buzz still lingering from the party, and drifted right to sleep without knowing it, dreaming of his love that was never meant to be.
I've got to admit: I am a bit of a morning person. I love the crisp freshness of everything that lay before you. So considering the night before was a big load of miserable, I knew right away the morning would put me on the track of leaving my depression. And it did. As I stepped on the floor mat in front of my apartment to gather the morning paper, I was greeted by my good friend and neighbor (who's room was directly across from mine) who was the spitting image of an anti-morning person.
"Good morning Lee, I missed you at the wedding yesterday."
It was absolutely adorable to see him try to fake a smile. "I'm surprised to hear that. Other than Sakura's mother, I was weeping uncontrollably." Don't worry Lee, I was shedding a few tears myself. But wait! Sakura was the love interest of Lee! He must know how I feel, but I just can't come right out and ask him how his heart which most likely as devastated and exterminated as mine was. Hell with it, I wanna know now!
"Lee, you and Sakura…"
"Yeah, I had it bad for her right up to her wedding. Suppose I still do, but a very small amount.:"
"How come?"
"…Because it was just time to move on. I saw how happy she was when she stated her vows and said 'I do'. She could never look and feel that same emotion with me or anyone else other than Naruto. I just had to let her go."
Had to let her go…her own undeniable happiness showering over her entire being. I saw it too last night, and I saw the reflection of that emotion in Naruto. At that moment I experienced a revelation, a revelation unlike any that had fallen into my lap before. A helpful and encouraging one at that. It was that moment I felt I could've just taken Lee into my arms and held him, thanking him for just stating that very simple explanation for how his heart turned from a disaster to a recovering epidemy of enthusiasm. I kept my composure, however, those words will guide me through the darkest of nights should I fall hard again for someone who would rather be with another. Truly, it was about just letting go, about moving on and seeing that lover, secret or not, soar away in his or her own brand of freedom, knowing you most likely contributed to his or hers own bliss. I'll see Naruto and Sakura throughout the streets of Konoha, or perhaps at some town event (that's a given; they're some of the most splendid ninja in the whole village and are apt to make several public appearances). Usually, this idea of Naruto with some other woman would pain me to no end, and it may still to some extent, no matter though. I will smile, remembering their smiles that fateful night, thinking of the smiles they'll share forever and a day, and along with them, I'll smile. I know the pain will decrease in size until it becomes nonexistent. Man, what a revelation this turned out to be!
"Hinata, are you okay?" I bent awkwardly sideways some, to meet her tilting head obviously deep in thought. She sprung back to life, and gave me one of those beautiful grins she was famous for.
"Thank you Lee, for saying that." She bowed, then turned around to enter her apartment. Just then, as prince charming searched endlessly through the town to find the beautiful maiden who left behind her glass slipper, her backside was undoubtedly the same as the mystery girl's at the pond! Eureka! I've found her! Whoa wait just one minute; the girl I fell in love with was the gorgeous Hinata Hyuga!? Once again, the scene played continuously through my subconscious, and I faltered at the thought of what my next move will be. As she thanked me though, a slight look of hurt was present in her face. Of course, it was clear Hinata had feelings for Naruto, and was still copping with them. I would never, not even in my wildest, desperate geeky bachelor dreams think of taking advantage of a sweet girl with still hurt feeling. Little does she know I was spying on her, and little does she know that seeing her that night, at that hour, in that place was what helped me the most to realize the same feelings I bore for Sakura Haruno could be felt and experienced for another. You were what helped me get over it so quickly by just sadly walking along the shore, by just being aware someone else could very well be trudging through the same snow storm of regret that I was, without a word ever being spoken. Thank you Hinata, for giving me a memory I will definitely wrap myself in, when the snow storm returns for another heavy blow. For giving me solace, for pushing me through. And, of course, for not noticing my whaling at the wedding, most of all.