FROM HEAVEN
PROLOGUE
"If only I noticed you before..If only I saw you behind her shadows..If only I told you that I love you before..None of these might have happened..Maybe, you're still here with me..Together, we'll be watching the sun set through the majestic sky..You hand in my own..Your skin touching mine..If only I could start it all over again, Sakura..If only I was given a chance to turn back time..I would choose the day that I met you..And I would never ever let you go again.."
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he thought of Sakura. Her pink hair, emerald eyes, fair skin, sweet smile, and tender lips. But that's all she is now, a memory. A picture from his past. A past where Sasuke wished he was at now.
Nothing can measure and define what he felt. And until now, he can only utter four simple words, " I love you, Sakura."
CHAPTER ONE: At the hilltop
"Sakura, wake up. It's already 10:00 in the morning," her mother uttered as she shook her daughter's arm gently. The pink haired girl yawned and stretched out her arms. "Good morning." She then kissed her mother on the cheek then scratched her eye with the back of her hand.
"You better get dressed quickly. Sasuke's waiting for you downstairs," her mother uttered. Sakura sweat dropped and sat up abruptly with a shocked expression. "Sasuke!" she exclaimed."Why is he here?"
"Calm down, Sakura. I don't know, but he said it was important and that he needed you badly." Sakura tried to hide the blush that formed in her cheeks from her mother but failed. Michiko smiled at her daughter's gesture. 'Some things don't change,' she thought.
"Hurry now. You don't want Sasuke to get tired from waiting, do you?" Sakura nodded and went straight to the bathroom. Michiko was about to leave the room when she suddenly noticed the picture of Sakura, Ino, and Sasuke on her tabletop. She smiled at the picture. Sakura was in between Ino and Sasuke, her right arm was at Ino's shoulder while she made a peace sign with her left hand. Ino hugged Sakura at her waist while Sasuke's hand was on Sakura's shoulder as a smirk was carved on his attractive face. They all looked very happy. Michiko returned the framed picture on Sakura's table and quietly exited her daughter's room.
"Ready'" Sakura uttered as she went down the stairs. She wore a baby pink, puff-sleeved blouse, blue denim pants, and a pair of flip-flops. Her hair was fixed in a bun which was held by two pink chopsticks. Sasuke smirked then stood up," It took you almost two hours in choosing the clothes you're going to wear and yet you're not dressed that good." Sakura's smile turned upside-down. She slowly looked at herself at the mirror, sort of examining how she looked. She then faced Sasuke,"Really, I'm not?" Sasuke smiled a bit then approached her. He pulled the chopsticks that held her hair then ruffled it, 'He's treating me like a kid again,' she thought. "Just kidding. But I think it's better if you just let your hair down," he uttered coolly.
Sakura blushed once more and snatched the chopsticks from Sasuke's hand," I don't care." She fixed her hair once more and took her lavender colored sling bag from the sofa. "C'mmon, let's go," she uttered without facing Sasuke. He raised his shoulders and followed the pink haired girl. "Bye, Mrs. Haruno," Sasuke said loudly so that the said woman could hear him at the kitchen.
Sasuke got into his jet black motorcycle. She gestured to Sakura to hop in but hesitated for a moment. "Tell me first where we're going and what will we do there," she demanded as she crossed her arms. Sasuke smirked and put on his dark blue helmet. He started the ignition of the motorcycle then threw the other helmet to Sakura. She barely caught it then sighed in relief. "I'll tell you when we get there," Sasuke uttered as Sakura also got into the said vehicle. "Hold on tight," the boy said as they paced off.
"What do you think?" Sasuke asked then faced Sakura. She looked at the place with awe. They were on a hilltop where they could see the whole town of Konoha. Fragrant flowers embezzled the surroundings as the cool and gentle wind led the grass and the leaves of the trees into a rhythmic dance. Sakura hugged herself and closed her eyes as she gently plopped herself towards the ground. "Perfect…"she whispered then put her hands behind her head.
Sasuke smirked and sat beside her, his right leg lay straight on the ground while he bend his other leg towards his chest, his chin resting on his knee. "I'm going to propose to Ino. I'm gonna ask her to marry me," Sasuke said straight forward. His companion opened her eyes in shock then sat up. "WHAT!" she exclaimed. Her heart pounded as she looked at Sasuke with wide eyes. The said boy Raised his eyebrow, "Why are you surprised? We've been together for almost three years. I think it's about time to----" He wasn't able to finish his statement as Sakura stood up.
"To what? To make her spend more time with you than with us? To tie yourselves together? Huh, is that what you wanted? No, Sasuke. I think it's not yet the right time," she angrily stated. But what she really wanted to say to him is that it was still not the right time because she loved him. She didn't want to lose, in this case, both her friend and the one she secretly loved for years. She just couldn't accept the fact that they were both committed to each other and that she wanted to separate them, but couldn't. It was too hard for her. She was trapped between her own happiness and her loyalty and love for her best friend.
Sasuke sighed and stood up. He held her hands and looked at her eyes softly. "Sakura, please. You know how much I love your best friend, right? I don't want to lose her. Please, don't get mad. I swear that I'll take care of her."
Sakura looked down as her hands trembled. 'Oh, I forgot. It was always Ino he cared about, not me.'
"Sakura, I couldn't isolate her from her friends, especially from you."
'I'm just his girlfriend's best friend, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe that's the reason he cares for me at times. Yeah, that's right. If I wasn't her best friend, maybe he wouldn't notice me..or know that I exist."
"I don't want her to be sad. And forcing her to stop seeing you and her other friends will make her unhappy."
'It's always what she felt..what she wanted. It wasn't really about me..or us. There was no us. There was no we. There was only her and my agony. But who am I to blame him. Ino does that I can't do..sees anything that I can't see.. and has all the things that I couldn't have, including him.'
"And because of that, I give to you my sincerest gratitude. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known her. I wouldn't have experience this wonderful feeling."
'Before, when you didn't know her yet, we we're very close to each other, remember? Until I introduced you two to each other. I couldn't consider it as one of my biggest mistake even though it started my suffering. Since then, we didn't had any time to hang out. You became so distant and different. Until one day I woke up not knowing you anymore..'
The orange tinted sky was about to turn to a jet black but still, Sakura haven't uttered a single word in answer to Sasuke's desperate and pitiful question. Until finally, she had already gathered enough courage to speak. "Alright," she stated, " Of course it's fine with me. I…….was just kidding earlier. I think I was just a bit shocked." She was shocked alright, shocked of herself that she could still utter these words and smile despite the pain she felt.
Sasuke beamed at her as she made a peace sign through her fingers, hoping it could add humor to their situation. She often felt awkward and uneasy whenever Sasuke held her hand or when she felt his warm breath entangle her whole body. But to her surprise, Sasuke pulled her closer to him and hugged her then kissed her in the forehead. 'Oh, God. What's this?' she thought.
Sakura dreamily gazed at Sasuke as he smiled at her and uttered a 'Thank you.' Sakura nodded as she pushed herself away from him. "So," she uttered, her back facing Sasuke. "When can we start?"
Sasuke looked up and stared at the sky as some stars became more and more visible. "Maybe we should call it a day. It's already dark. Your mother might get worried."
"And Ino might be worried, too. You haven't called her or even sent her a single message for today," Sakura teased him. The boy blushed at the thought and even though it was quite dark already, Sakura could see him turn red like a tomato. She giggled. He smirked. "C'mmon, let's go," and then took Sakura's hand as they approached his motorcycle.
As they sped off, Sakura can't stop thinking of the incoming proposal, and soon to be engagement of Sasuke and Ino. She suppressed her tears that were about to shed from her eyes. 'She's so lucky,' she uttered to herself then returned her attention on the route they're taking.
