Prologue

Four years later—

February 19, 2012

"This isn't goodbye," she told him in sincere whisper as her eyes gazed unwaveringly against his own. From her it sounded like an unspoken promise.

The three words were addressed to him but somehow, he had a feeling she said them to convince herself of that fact too.

It was ironic how she was saying that now though and as desperately he wanted to believe her, the thing was that... "You're still leaving," he told her. And just in case she needed a further reality check, he gestured about them.

They were standing just a few feet from the boarding gate her parents just disappeared into, leaving the two teenagers to say their private farewells to each other not for the first time, but hopefully not for the last either. Of course, Mr. Haruno didn't fail to send him a one last glare before walking off with his wife. But somehow he didn't care about that now; all that mattered to him at that moment was the girl (almost a woman) standing before him.

The girl who unexpectedly entered his life, the one he left, who re-entered his life when his brother went off to college, then moved away to a town almost a hundred kilometres away from him but still kept in touch and visited him, the one who he wanted to reach his goals and dream with and actually thought he could... and then they arrived to where they were currently standing.

In the departure area, just steps away from the plane that would take her away from him. And this wouldn't be like the time she moved to Rockingham. No, then all either of them had to do was hop on the train to see each other, to overcome the distance, the space separating them. But this. She was going to board a plane to take her away to the other side of the country—heck, the other side of the continent. Four hours travel by air, then the two hour difference.

"I know that," she smiled at him but there were tears gathering in her eyes.

And it was at the sight of her tears that prompted him to pull her into his arms, embracing her as tightly as he could, holding onto her, not wanting to let her go. The suddenness of his action made her drop the handbag she was carrying but neither really cared. Sakura reciprocated the embrace, wrapping her smaller arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. Feeling her hug him back made him tighten his hold around her. Sasuke buried his face into her hair, smelling the fragrance of the shampoo he had come to familiarise himself with. Nights spent sleeping together on his bed (and sometimes hers) curled next to each other made him aware of everything that was her.

"But this isn't the end," she started saying, her words muffled against his shirt, and he could feel the slightest moisture seeping through the cotton. "You'll still see me. And I'm sure you'll visit me, right?"

"Aa," he breathed into her hair.

There were so much things he wanted to tell her. So much he planned to tell her shortly after they started attending university together. Things he'd been wanting to say for years but had been too cowardly to do so. Because he'd been waiting for the fucking right moment. Because he was afraid it might ruin the friendship they have. But now, now that things seemed as if they would never see each other again, he wanted to. But it wasn't right. It didn't feel right.

This wasn't some fucking drama where they're starring in. This wasn't like those movies where the guy chases after the girl of his life to confess his undying love for her, asks her to stay and the girl doesn't leave anymore. This was reality slapping him on the face.

Sasuke didn't know how long they stayed in each other's arms, how long they stood there, how long he held onto her as tightly as he could, how long he contented himself to be just with her, until Mrs. Haruno came out from the boarding gate (to tell Sakura's "it's time") cooing at the sight of them intimately together.

The two best friends slowly pulled away from each other, as if both reluctant to let go. And it was then when he realized that Sakura had been crying. She let out a shaky sob to pull her composure back, reached down for her neglected bag, smoothened her clothes, until she finally looked back at him. The smile she sent him wasn't the normal blinding ones she wore but soft and... something he couldn't read.

He gave her a firm nod of goodbye, pushing his clenched fist into his jeans front pockets. And he watched as she started to walk towards the boarding gate with her mother, as she started to walk away from him, and Sasuke could barely continue watching her as she was but a couple of steps away from the gate, the flight attendants smiling expectantly, until she dropped her bag again and ran back towards him.

Sakura threw her arms around his neck and hugged him again. However it wasn't long until she pulled away to finally head towards the gates, where her mother was patiently waiting for her, but of course not before giving him a gentle peck on his cheek.

to be continued...