Assistant Chef Chouji counted the number of saucers carrying heart-shaped crème caramel before him. Two hundred and one. Perfect.
It's the thirteenth of February once again, and so is the Two Hearts Project annual pre-Valentine's ball. The Two Hearts Project is a by-invite-only annual Valentine's matchmaking ball for single men and women. This year, two hundred and one single men and women have booked for the night. One hundred men, and one hundred and one women.
Now, maybe you are wondering: why are there 101 women when there are only 100 men?
Well, it's part of the suspense and something to make the event a little more exciting.
The founder of the Two Hearts Project, Myoboku Jiraiya, thought it would be too boring, predictable and simple if they just bring an equal number of single men and women together in one room then pair them up by chance where everyone will end up with someone else by the end of the night.
"Where's the excitement in that?" he had said during the initial planning of the project with his childhood friend, Senju Tsunade. "There has to be someone who'll end up with no one and come back the following year."
"What if by the following year whoever that unfortunate person finds someone?" Tsunade had argued.
"Easy. That person can just give her invitation to someone else he/she think needs it."
The unfortunate single who left the THP ball alone and to return the following year is called the 'Repeater'.
And so the Two Hearts Project was born. Over the years it has brought together hundreds of couples. Of course, not all of them ended up with a Happily Ever After but seven out of ten couples got married eventually.
But there's a catch about this year's Repeater. This year will be her third THP ball.
"You called, aniki?" Uchiha Sasuke asks as soon as he enters his older brother's office.
Behind his desk, 28-years-old Uchiha Itachi sat on his obviously comfortable leather chair. His face brightened at the sight of his (very much single) brother before his expression turned grave, immediately alerting the younger man.
"Yes but please have a sit first," Itachi gestures toward one of the seats before him.
Sasuke doesn't inquire about whatever his brother has in store for him but his eyes betray his curiosity.
"I am expected to attend this ball tonight but I completely forgot about it."
Itachi can almost imagine the gears in his foolish little brother's brain working as he process this piece of information.
But "You've got a date with Shizune-san tonight," Sasuke says, his eyes widening in horror with the realisation, "she'll skin you alive if you stand her up one more time."
Due to the demands his work as the company CEO, Itachi has been spending more of his time in overtime, resulting to the horrifying number of dates he stood up his fiancée. Shizune swore that she'd make his life miserable if she has to wait for him in a restaurant for hours when, in the end, he's no show.
"Exactly," the older man shudders at the unimaginable horrors his fiancée would inflict on him if he misses tonight's date as well, "but attendance to this particular ball is a must. I've RSVP-ed and everything."
"How could you be so careless?" Sasuke demands.
"I confirmed my attendance several months ago. Totally forgot about it until my secretary reminded me yesterday. However, as you know, I've got a date I can't cancel on or there'd probably be no wedding next month and three women will be chasing me with knives."
"So you want me to attend as you proxy."
"Please."
It's not like he has any plans anyway; might as well go.
"I'm cursed. CURSED, I tell you, Ino. I mean, who else? WHO ELSE has been a Repeater in the Two Hearts Project more than once, huh? I'm cursed. Cursed to be single FOREVER. I mean, I can't even find luck in a matchmaking ball. It must be a sign!"
Her best friend, Haruno Sakura, has been in this seemingly endless tirade of self-pity. Not that she can blame her. This will be Sakura's third THP ball and in the past two years, she has gotten herself the Odd One.
The Odd One is, well, it's probably obvious but just to keep things clear, if you get it on the THP ball it marks you as the Repeater for the next ball.
"I'm telling you, Ino! I will get the Cursed Plate tonight. Again! Just as I have for the past two years."
Sakura has also taken it to herself to start calling the Odd One, 'Cursed Plate'.
"This is so unfair! You know what? This is ALL your fault! If you hadn't given me the invite, I wouldn't be stuck in this stupid matchmaking project."
Blue eyes rolled at the pink-haired woman's antics.
"Sakura," Ino starts, finally deciding it's time to give her poor friend some knocking sense into, "I invited you to the Project because well, it worked for me. I mean, look at me and Shikamaru. That's how we met and now, we're getting married. I just wanted the same for you."
Sakura grumbles inaudible under breath.
"And besides, if you've already met Your Better Half you wouldn't have to attend to the ball. Considering that you haven't..."
"Okay. Okay, I get it!" Sakura flails her arms about, frustrated, annoyed and obviously exhausted both physically and mentally, "It's not like I can't not go anyway. I've made a commitment and you know me."
That's the strong and independent woman she grew up with.
"Well, now that you're done wallowing in your misery, we can now start prettying you up."
What
The
Fucking
Hell
This. This is the important ball where Itachi's attendance is must to attend? That liar. That stupid liar! This. This is definitely not a must for Itachi. This is the Two Hearts Project annual ball. Sasuke's heard about this.
It's a matchmaking ball. This is where and how Naruto, his best friend, met his now wife and mother of his three children.
Naruto would've given him an invitation if he wasn't in a relationship but because he was (and thank God he was) dating someone, the invite was given to their other friend, Shikamaru, who's getting married to the woman he met through the Two Hearts Project.
Ridiculous.
When he had earlier told the man behind the counter, who was checking the attendance, "I'm here in to stand in for Uchiha Itachi," the man only gave him a weird look before checking through his list on the laptop.
The response Sasuke got shocked him. "Ah, Uchiha Sasuke-san. You're in table 52."
Itachi set him up, that... he'll face hell the next time he sees him.
As long as he doesn't end up with a fangirl and/or a gold-digger.
This is horrible. She's back here again. She doesn't want to be back here again. This is just embarrassing. No one. No one but her has attended the Two Hearts Project as much as she has.
As she earlier told Ino, she's CURSED to be single forever. Not that being single is a curse and that the Project is the only way she can possibly meet her possible better half but to get the Odd One twice? That's just you know.
When she walked up to the attendance table earlier to check in, she didn't even have to tell her name. They knew her already.
"Sakura-san, you're in table 1," Sebastian told her before she could say a word.
See? The THP staff already knows her and she knows them by name too! How pathetic.
It's a good thing that this is the first time of the 200 others present tonight, otherwise they'd probably recognise her, and either laugh or pity her at her reoccurring misfortune.
Because table 1 is in the very front of the ballroom, it took Sakura a little longer to get there and so by the time she sits on her chair, she's resigned to the fact that she'll get the Cursed Plate that night again.
One hour later, the entrée, main and the dessert carrying the fate of everyone that night have been served. This year's dessert is a crème caramel shaped into a heart.
The dessert changes every year. On her first year, they served red velvet cake in heart shape. Last year, they had chocolate mousse in the same shape.
Even before Sakura finished her crème caramel, she already saw half of the all too familiar symbol of the Odd One, marking her doom.
'Oh my god. Unless I get a boyfriend before and until after next year's ball, I'd have to come back again.' Sakura was thinking as she jumps to her feet, carrying the saucer bearing the mark of the Odd One.
Chouji's jaw drops when she gives him her saucer.
"Again?"
"Yeah..."
"Wow... that's..."
Her glare stopped him from continuing whatever he wanted to say.
Just then, Sebastian arrives with a saucer on his hand. A somewhat familiar saucer. When his honey-coloured eyes found Sakura, he gives her a smile.
"About time. I thought you'd never get out of the Project," he tells her teasingly.
Huh?
"Sorry to disappoint you but I'm the Repeater again," she says 'again' with almost a growl unbecoming of a lady.
"What?!" came his sharp shocked reply, "but a young man just gave me this," he hands her a saucer just like the one she surrendered to Chouji not too long ago.
Great. Just great. He didn't end up with a fangirl, gold digger or worse both but he's going to have to come back the following year. Unbelievable. Unless of course, he's in a relationship before and until after next year's ball.
What luck.
"Uchiha-san?"
Sasuke was asked to wait in a suite after being informed that he's next year's "Repeater". Has he mentioned how much he hated that term? Never had an Uchiha and the term repeater be ever in the same sentence until that night.
Repeater meant you failed before and must again return to redo and get a higher grade, at least that's how it is in school.
The Two Hearts Project is not school nor does it hold any award but the fact that he's a Repeater makes him feel he is a failure and that he failed the Project.
A knock takes him away from his oh so negative thoughts.
"Uchiha-san?"
Sasuke heads to the door and opens it.
It's Sebastian, the man he gave his Odd One saucer to and the one who announced he'd be next year's Repeater.
That night, to Sasuke, he's the harbinger of bad news.
Oh my kami-sama, thank you so much! Finally! Finally! Finally! She could shout for joy, jump or both or even dance. At last! Hallelujah!
There had been a mistake with the saucers, a mix up and instead of having just one Odd One there had been two. And because there are two Odd Ones, it makes a pair. Two hearts brought together. Cheesy but she doesn't care.
At that moment, Sakura is waiting on the hotel lobby. Everyone else has left with their own dates but because of the confusion over two Odd One plates, Sebastian asked her to wait until everything has been sort out. Apparently, the slight change of events must be reported to the higher ups because definite action must be taken.
If it means no more THP balls and feeling miserable, well Sakura wouldn't mind waiting a little longer.
"Sakura-san!" Sebastian calls to her, prompting her to turn toward him.
A young man dressed smartly in an obviously expensive suit is following after him. He's... gorgeous. Is this what I think is happening?
"I'd like you meet Sasuke-san, Sakura-san. Sasuke-san, this is Sakura-san. You will be each other's Valentine this year."
The woman he's shaking hands with is beautiful, Sasuke thought as his right hand clasped her soft one.
"It's my pleasure to meet you," the woman before him, with pink hair and bright green eyes, tells him with a shy smile.
"No, the pleasure is mine."
Oh the possibilities.
It's a start.
notes: another valentine's special from me :) i might do a sequel for this. maybe not. but there's so much possibilities in this.
\(^o^)/ happy valentine's again *hands out a box full of choco truffles to the reviewers*