Disclaimer: I disclaim everything I have to disclaim. XD

I made this story purely out of boredom. Well, enjoy.

Rainfall Serenade

If Ino hadn't stopped me earlier, I would've already dunked Sasuke's stupid head straight to the toilet.

Mainly because he is a blatant, airheaded jerk that has no sensitive side whatsoever. What a terrible excuse for a boyfriend.

"Why? Tell me, Ino! Why?!"

Overflowing with remorse and self-pity a normal person could possibly endure, I cried my heart out as I incessantly banged my face on my pillow, letting probably my entire existence pour its emotions into my bed.

"What did I do wrong to deserve this?"

"Oh come on, Sakura," Ino, who has been patiently rubbing my back ever since the incident, lamented as she rolled her eyes. "It's not that bad. Everything is just a big misunderstanding."

"A big misunderstanding?!" I fired back, glaring at my best friend who is obviously taking sides. "Ino, I saw everything with my own eyes! He was talking to that annoying flirt girl again!"

She sighed. "So what? Isn't he allowed to—"

"And not only that!" I cut her off as I shot up from my bed. "He also smiled! He smiled a real smile! He never gives away genuine smiles just to anyone!"

I saw Ino roll her eyes once again before facing the opposite direction. Knowing her, I figured that she must be secretly laughing at me right now. Ugh, Ino, you are so not helping.

"You know Sakura, you're over-acting. They must be just discussing a mission or something. Talking to each other doesn't automatically spell dating."

Argh. I love Ino and all, but sometimes, she could be a total buffoon. I mean, DUH! It's so obvious that Sasuke and that stupid girl have feelings for each other! How could she say that it doesn't automatically mean they're dating?! Reality check, our relationship started that way!

"Ino," I whined, burying my face back in the depths of my bed sheets. "He's cheating on me! I'm going to break up with him!"

Right then, Ino whacked my head with a pillow. I struggled to breathe for about five whole seconds before she finally let go. I quickly sat up and gasped for air before glaring daggers at her. Ino, on the other hand, just simply pouted and whipped her annoying blonde hair.

"What is wrong with you?!" I roared as I hastily wiped my hair out of my face.

"With me?" Ino chuckled. "You should be asking what's wrong with you. Sakura. You. Are. Over. Acting. Don't be so insecure. We both know that Sasuke can't cheat on you. You're a great person, and even though I hate admitting it, he loves you more than anyone could ever do."

"No, I don't think so," I shook my head. Love me? Psshh. He even tried to lock me in the sewer once.

"No, really Sakura. He really does. You know that."

Come to think of it, Ino actually made sense. Sasuke was indeed a jerk. He always talks back and never authorizes himself to lose. He lets other girls swoon over him even if I'm around. He was nothing near to gentle or caring or thoughtful… He even forgot our monthsary. Thrice.

But still… I must admit that he is different.

It was an awfully windy September day. Hints of Autumn glided in the morning air, gently blowing upon the crisps of brown and yellow leaves littered upon the small pathway located beside the school.

Humming a mild song, a girl with vibrant pink hair straddled on the narrow pavement, completely oblivious of what is happening around her.

She was all smiles, until a ball rolled towards her direction.

"Strange," young Sakura muttered as she looked around. "Where did this come from?"

Seeing that no one was there, she walked past the ball and continued humming.

"Hey forehead!" A voice called from a nearby shrub, causing Sakura to flinch.

"Who's there?!"

Out of the bushes, a dark-haired young boy emerged and stared blankly at Sakura. "The ball."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What?"

The young boy pointed towards Sakura's foot. "The ball, forehead."

Sakura's blood rushed to her cheeks at the stranger's insult. Who does this person think he is? They just met and he's already messing with her. "Hey! That isn't very nice!"

"I don't care. Gimme."

Even more infuriated, Sakura picked up the ball and stuck her tongue out. "I won't give this to you until you apologize."

"Fine," the mysterious boy huffed as he set his midnight eyes at her. "Then I'll take it myself."

The boy immediately sprinted towards Sakura with a determined look on his face. Sakura, panicking with the sudden change of atmosphere, scurried away shortly, clinging to the ball in her arms.

"Get away from me!" Sakura wailed. "Get away from me, you meanie!"

The boy, amidst all Sakura's threats, continued chasing her. "You're the one who took the ball!"

After a few minutes of running, Sakura's negative stroke of luck decided to tag along and caused her to fall flat on her face.

"Ow."

Smiling triumphantly, the boy immediately snatched the ball off her. "See 'ya, forehead."

Sure, they just met, but she had fun. All that running and hiding brought her out of her usual system. Raising her frail little arms, she called.

"Hey, I'm Haruno Sakura. What's your name?"

The boy grinned. "Try to catch this ball again, and then I'll tell you."

"Teacher, you're kidding right? I can't possibly be paired up with—" Sakura glared at the smirking boy beside her. "—with this idiot, right?

"Sakura, watch your words," the teacher calmly responded as she arranged the last set of test papers in her drawer. "And, no. I'm not kidding. My decision's final."

"But teacher! He will be a total pain in the butt! He'll just slack off and let me do all the work!"

The teacher seemed to ignore Sakura's complaints and headed nonchalantly outside. Sakura immediately faced Sasuke.

"This is all your fault!"

"Why?" Sasuke replied calmly, still wearing that signature smirk in his face. "I didn't do anything."

"Of course you did! You set me up!"

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did!"

"Nu-uh."

"Yu-uh!"

"Not a chance."

"Every chance!"

"It's my fault."

"No! It's mine!" Sakura screeched; then slapped her mouth after realizing what she had just said. "Why, you little!"

Sasuke gave out a low chuckle. "You're so manipulative, you know that?"

With a soaring golden ceiling that glittered with precious diamonds and sapphires, the room shone elegantly in the chandelier's light; just as classical music blew its sweet melody into the air. People in formal attires bound the floor, either chatting and drinking, or owning the dance floor with their distinct steps.

Sakura was peacefully waltzing with her cheeky blond friend, Naruto, before Sasuke chose to interrupt the scene. He made a gesture so that Naruto turned her over to him.

"I didn't know you can dance," he muttered sardonically as he took her hand.

"There is a lot of stuff you don't know," she glared.

"You look beautiful."

"I always look beautiful. No need to tell me."

"It's too bad your forehead ruins everything though."

STOMP!

The people nearby gasped at the sudden thud.

"OUCH! What was that for?!"

Sakura, not regretting crushing her partner's foot, marched away with her chin held high. Sasuke deserved way more stomps than that one.

"Did you ever wonder what lies within that stuff?" Sakura inquired, breathing the cold gentle breeze of that winter night.

"Within the stars?" Sasuke asked with his eyes still fixed on the sky.

"Yeah. You know, aside from all those fiery gas stuff."

"Chemicals?" he chuckled.

"Idiot. Aside from all the scientific stuff."

The atmosphere fell silent once again. Crickets and cicadas purred with the serene breeze as the silver orb of the moon spread its rays on the two silhouettes sitting on the roof.

"Well, what do you think?"

Sakura pulled her legs to her chest and rested her head on her knees. What did she think? She always believed that stars were more than massive, luminous spheres of plasma held together by gravity. She knew that stars were more special; she just doesn't know how to put it.

"Magic, I guess."

Sasuke snickered. "You're weird."

Sakura growled. "It's true. Why else do you think people's wishes come true when they wish upon stars?"

The boy shrugged.

"And besides, I feel magical whenever I look at them. How about you?"

Sasuke made the smallest smile he could ever muster before staring at the ground. "Stars. They remind me of failure."

"Well that's just harsh," Sakura scowled.

He snuffled and then continued, pointing at the sky. "Just look at them, shining like that. They're just so beautiful, that they make you want to… snatch them up."

He closed his fists in mid-air. "But then, you realize... No matter how near they may seem, they are still too far away for you to reach."

Sakura's green eyes focused on the largest star their view covered. For some reason, she figured that Sasuke was sort of right, but not completely correct.

"You know, you may not reach stars; but the fact that they are so distant gives you faith. Even though they are far away, you tend to hope that you can reach them; then you feel connected. Just like that."

As if on cue, a shooting star wooshed upon them just as Sasuke looked up and smiled. "Yeah. Maybe you're right."

"Here," Sasuke spoke in his ever ignorant voice. "Just as you requested."

He shoved a bouquet of red roses into Sakura's face as soon as she turned around.

"So, you're only giving this to me because I requested?"

"Quite frankly, yes."

Sakura heard the girls sitting nearby giggle and whisper. Wow. It's amazing how Sasuke manages to embarrass her by being stupid, while evading the embarrassment himself.

"I wasted a lot of money on this. If you're not going to take them, I'll give them to Ino."

Hearing this, Sakura quickly snatched the bouquet. "You are not going to give my flowers to anyone else!"

Smirking, Sasuke flicked his girlfriend's forehead. "Don't be like that. Or else, no one would want to marry you."

The girl just stuck out her tongue. Sasuke was such a jerk.

Suddenly, a small pink card attached in the middle of the flower assemblage caught Sakura's eyes. "Hey, what's this?"

"Nothing," Sasuke murmured under his breath. It was still audible though. "Just a letter I didn't write."

"Sakura… Hey Sakura!" Ino snapped me out of memory lane.

"Wh-what?"

"You're spacing out again," she smiled. "So… Have you finally changed your mind about breaking up with him?"

"I'm still not sure. He still annoys me," I tried to look utterly serious, but I failed. Ino must have noticed my suppressed smile.

"Oh," she grinned. "What's in your mind then? Come on, spit it out. Have you finally realized you're going crazy?"

"No," I huffed. "I just realized how much of a jerk he is."

By jerk, I meant a total jerk. I hate him! Stuffing me up with all those memories and then leaving me for some girl across the street! He's nuts!

I looked out the window. It was as if the overcast sky was mocking my misery. Charcoal gray clouds saturated the heavens; conveying the whole town warnings of an incoming drizzle. Soon, the pitter patter of rain tapped gently upon the roof, showering small amounts into my face. It wasn't long before the clouds finally poured torrents of water outside.

Looking back at cross-armed Ino, I forced back my tears. I parted my lips to say something, but instead of broken words, a mild croak escaped my mouth.

Yeah. I may be a little over-acting… Okay, maybe a lot over-acting.

But it's only because I'm scared. Sasuke really never had a romantic bone in his body when it came to me. What if he likes another? I don't know if I'll be able to live as myself when that happens. He's an insensitive rack, yes, but he is that rack who supported me in the frailest moments of my life.

If he walks up to me one day and call everything off, I seriously don't know what to do. So I figured it would be better for me to call it off first.

People might say I'm being overrated with that statement, but it's true. Some feelings are just too complicated for others to completely understand.

"Sakura, think things through, okay?" Ino gave me a worried expression.

"I…I—" Before I could even finish my sentence, I heard a loud pat coming from the window sill. Ino and I looked at it for a second, then decided to ignore it. Maybe it was just the wind.

But then, we heard another pat on the window. It was soon followed by another. Then another. Then another.

"What was that?" I scampered through my bed to get a better view of the outside.

And…

…Would you look at that?

Several feet below was Sasuke.

"What are you doing here, you idiot?"

His hair was mindlessly disheveled, with a few strands fluttering with the breeze, as his whole body shook lightly from being drenched in the pouring rain. His midnight eyes, partly hidden beneath his raven hair, looked intently at my green ones as he spoke:

"Hey princess! Want to hear a song?"

What in the world is he doing?

"What's going on?" I heard Ino take steps closer to me and then snicker when she saw our scene. "Oh, how sweet!"

"So, do you want to?" Sasuke called again from below. "I don't have all day, you know."

I rested my head on my palms as Ino squealed (which, quite frankly, annoyed me a lot). "Sure. Why?"

Sasuke didn't answer my question and proceeded preparing the guitar dangling on his shoulder. Looking up, he smiled and started strumming.

~Bucket full of tears
Babe you know I'm here
I'm here waiting

Close your precious eyes
And just realize
I'm still fighting~

I couldn't believe my eyes. Sasuke, is he actually… doing what I think he's doing?

~For you to be with me
And sit under this tree
And we can watch the sunrise
We can watch the sunrise~

I looked down at Sasuke and focused my eyes on him. The way his midnight eyes stared at mine made me feel so delighted that the world seemed to stop. The sound of rain was blocked out entirely by his voice, and the people gawking at us by the road slowly disintegrated from my sight.

~Wake up, feel the air that I'm breathin'
I can't explain this feeling that I'm feelin'
I won't go another day without you
Hold on, I promise it gets brighter
When it rains I'll hold you even tighter
I won't go another day without you, without you~

I just sat there, gazing at him like a total retard.

He continued strumming, but he didn't finish the song. Instead, he spoke up with the most placid voice he ever used.

"Sakura, look. I'm sorry."

I said nothing.

"I'm sorry I cancelled our date."

"…"

"I'm sorry I never had time for you."

"…"

"I'm sorry I flirted with that girl. It's not my fault I'm so irresistible."

"Idiot."

Even though it was raining and he was several meters below, I clearly saw a gleam of light flash in his dark eyes. He sighed, then said, "I'm sorry for being a jerk. Can you give me another chance?"

I stood up from my bed and leaned closer to the window. Well, he knew what I liked after all. Why did he have to make me wait all this time?

"Are you always this cliché?" I giggled.

"I'm not cliché. I'm serenading you in the middle of the rain. At daytime," he answered.

"Yeah, but, throwing pebbles? Really? Who am I, Juliet?"

"Actually, I was doing that for Ino."

"Yeah right." I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. When I faced Ino, she gave me this goofy yet creepy smile.

"Go on," she whispered gleefully. "Join him. Or else I will go there and take your place."

Snickering, I hugged my best friend and scurried down the stairs.

Sasuke. He is really so annoying that he makes even my hair flinch.

And yet, just like in any other mainstream line of a mainstream love story, he made my life undeniably complete that I couldn't ask for anything more. He is most probably that idiotic mortal enemy I couldn't live without. Poetically speaking, he is the ray of light in my pitch-black nights, the eternal lushness in my denuded desert, and the glint of peace in my chaotic world.

And I won't be able to go another day without him, either.

THE END

A/N: The song I used in here is entitled 'Without You' by AJ Rafael. (Listen to it guys. It is such an awesome and adorable song. :3)

I am indeed very sorry if you spot grammatical lapses or typographical errors. You see, I have this annoying hobby of coming up with Fanfic ideas in the middle of the night. I'm typing this just as my eyes are about to close. I don't really re-read these stuff in the morning, so yeah. My mistake. I'm really sorry.

I give my sincerest thanks to all of you who took a moment of your lives just to read and review this one-shot. I love you all. XD Oh, and no flaming please. Flaming and constructive criticism are way different. Thank you. Love yah! XDD

~SSS