Sakura knew it was love at first sight. She looked up at the stage where 7 Chopstix was performing. Yeah, that's right. You've been hit hard by cupid's arrow. What's worse is he's a rockstar and there's no way you can claim him as yours. She thought and huffed. Still, it's free to dream right? I, Sakura Haruno; age 16, fell in love with 7 Chopstix's vocalist. I fell in love with his voice, his face, and his confidence onstage. I, Sakura Haruno, fell in love. And I fell in love hard.

.xxx.

"Hey! Hey! Knock it off!"

Sakura helped the blonde-haired guy up to his feet and glares at the bullies. "You OK?" Sakura asked under her breath. She placed the boy's arm over her shoulders so that he could lean to her for support. The boy nodded, gasping for breath and clutching his stomach.

Sakura had heard from one of the boys in her class that there was a fight going on at the backyard of the school. With her usual sense of justice, she immediately rushed over to help the boy. She was too late when she arrived. A bunch of boys has already crowded unto the poor boy. They were already kicking him in the ribs. Jeez, just because the guy has a girl's name they shouldn't mercilessly abuse him. Tch. Idiots. Sakura thought angrily.

The bullies backed away but one remained in his place. "You shouldn't interfere, Haruno." The boy, who appears to be the leader, spoke in a deep and intimidating tone. Sakura glared at him. "Didn't your mothers teach you that violence can land you in jail? Hm?" She retorted as a matter of a fact. She was beginning to walk away with the battered up boy when the leader spoke once again. "Didn't your mother teach you that you should mind your own business?"

Sakura stopped abruptly and turned to face the owner of the voice. She was about to let go of the blonde boy clinging to her, but his grip tightened and he whispered "No, Saku-chan. It's not worth it." Sakura huffed and walked away.

"That's right, Haruno. Just walk away. Girls can't handle this kind of stuff." The pack leader called out. Sakura rolled her eyes and flipped him the bird without looking back and continued to walk away.

.xxx.

"You shouldn't do that, Saku-chan."

Sakura was disinfecting the scrape at Naruko's knee. She glanced up at the boy questioningly. "Do what?" The boy's voice were mixed with worry and relief. He looked away for a moment and spoke "Save me." He muttered. Sakura repressed a chuckle. "What're you talking about, Naruko-kun?" She placed a band aid at Naruko's knee. She smirked at it; proud of her work. "You shouldn't save me in situations like that, Sakura-chan. It's far too dangerous. "He glanced at his knee and murmured thanks at her. She stood up and took a sit beside him at the clinic's bed. She took a moment to take in his appearance.

This boy sitting beside her sported a swollen left cheek and a cut lip. But his main appearance is platinum blonde hair and thick framed 'nerd' glasses. She sighed.

"Saku-chan?" She was separated from her thought when Naruko called her name. She smiled up at him. "It's OK, Naruko-kun. They shouldn't beat you up like that." She stood up and ruffled his hair. "I'll be going now. Stay out of trouble." She warned sweetly and waved a goodbye to him as she left.

.xxx.

"Oh my god, forehead girl! Do you know what this is?"

Ino exclaimed loudly as she saw the poster posted at the bulletin board. "It's a poster." Sakura deadpanned. "Duh." She added. Ino rolled her eyes at her bestfriend's lack of enthusiasm.

"7 Chopstix is going to have an encore concert here! In Konoha!" Ino flailed her arms everywhere and eyed the poster longingly. Now, its Sakura's turn to roll her eyes at her best friend but examined the poster as well. There were four boys at the poster. The raven-haired boy at left was holding his guitar and looks like he was glaring at it while strumming, the pale boy at middle was playing the drums, the silver boy at the right was playing the keyboard, and the blonde blue-eyed boy at the middle bottom was holding a microphone and was winking and letting his pierced tongue out.

Sakura could've sworn he saw this guy somewhere. He looks familiar.

"Sakura! We should go see them! I made you listen to their song that one time at the music store and you went with me at that concert the last time!" Ino bounced up and down in front of her. Sakura scratched her chin and thought deeply. She looked at Ino, who's pleadingly eyes were filled with hope, and at the poster. She looked back at Ino, who now turned on the puppy dog eyes. That hit the spot. Ino knew her weakness and she nodded in defeat. She liked the song she heard, so it wouldn't exactly hurt to go to their concert, right? Even though she was going to see her one true love, in which she desperately tries to move on since she found out that there was no chance for to be the rockstar's girlfriend, perform she was slightly depressed.

Ino punched the air with an expression of victory. The blonde haired girl called Naruko over. Now what? Sakura raised an eyebrow at Ino but she waved it off. "Naruko, get us the tickets to this concert, OK? Two tickets." Ino pointed at the poster. Naruko glanced at the poster and looked back at Ino and Sakura. He grinned at them. "Are you going to the concert, Saku-chan?" Sakura nodded. "I'll get you your tickets tomorrow morning! Believe it!" Ino gave him the money and he rushed off eagerly.

They had started to walk to their lockers until "What was that all about, Piggy?" Sakura raised a questioning brow at her best friend. Ino stared at her in disbelief. "Didn't you know, Sakura?" Sakura raised her questioning brow even higher, if it was possible. "Didn't I know what?" Ino stopped abruptly, Sakura continued walking. She felt the warmth of her walking companion vanished. She glanced back.

"Naruko is the only one who could get concert tickets to the greatest concert bands, y'know."

Sakura suppressed her eye-rolling with her mouth forming an 'o'.

Leave it to Ino Yamanaka to over exaggerate things like this.

.xxx.

Sakura hates lunch break.

She hates it with a passion.

Since she and Ino has different lunch periods she was often left to eat her lunch on her own. The cafeteria was a wonderful place to eat, given the excuse that it was the central nervous system of the school, if you have your cliques with you. Something that she seems to lack. She refused to eat at the cafeteria in risk that she would be defined as a social pariah for sitting alone. Hence the fact that she is eating in the comfort of her own silence at the school's building rooftop.

Sure, she had to climb up 3 staircases to get there but it was worth it. Besides, she gets to exercise without actually exercising.

I want a simple explanation

(For what I'm feeling inside)

I gotta find a way out

(Maybe there's a way out)

Enjoying the comfort of her own presence and her homemade lunch, she heard a faint tune of a song she heard a few days ago at the music store.

Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer

Do you know you're like any other?

You'll always be my thunder

And I said

Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors

I don't wanna ever love another

You'll always be my thunder

So bring on the rain

She raised a brow at the source of where the music was coming from. Curiosity got the best of her and she walked to where the music was coming from. The half eaten apple was still in her hand when she saw Naruko laying on his coat.

She placed a hand on her hip and examined his figure.

OK, why didn't I notice Naruko has a lean build? And long legs and strong arms?

Sakura saw a bunch of ramen cups scattered around him. She started to take in his features again, starting from his blonde head, his eyeglasses, his fox-like tattoo/scar/whisker/dimple thingy, his pink lips which are slightly open, his disheveled white polo and tie, his arms, his chest and his abs (Sakura wasn't quite sure if he has abs, but she could almost feel it. Woman's intuition; not to be taken lightly). Her gaze dropped at the skin which was being exposed between Naruko's polo and pants. Naruko's pants are dangerously low. Sakura could feel her face warming up and she shook her head to get rid of it.

She crouched down, examined his sleeping face and took a bite on her apple.

He looks kind of familiar, don't you think?

Distracting her from her thoughts, Naruko rubbed his eyes and sat up. Sakura froze; all thoughts wiped away, her mouth halfway from biting her apple. Naruko, sensing someone was boring holes in his head, looked at the source of the heated gaze. Naruko's eyes widened and jumped away.

"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

They were both screaming, Sakura's undeniably loud screech mixed with Naruko's deeper scream echoed throughout the school.

.xxx.

"Were you watching me sleep, Saku-chan?"

Naruko, recovered from his shock, slurped his ramen. Sakura flushed at his question. "N-no way. I was just, uh, inve… investigating where the music was coming from." She lied. It wasn't technically a lie, it was half the truth. But he shouldn't know about that.

Naruko seemed to buy it and settled down his ramen cup and pulled out his iPod. "You mean this?" He held out his earphone to her and she took it. He scooted closer and they both leaned against the wall. The tune of Thunder started playing. She looked at Naruko who was looking at her or somewhere, she doesn't know where since that damn glasses were blocking his eyes. Sakura waved her hand in front of his face just in case. Naruko chuckled. "I'm not blind, Saku-chan. Just near sighted." Sakura looked away and tittered embarrassingly.

"Y'know, if I were any other guy, I'd think watching people sleep are weird, Saku-chan," Sakura peeked at him from under her eyelashes and shifted uncomfortably. Naruko looked at her from under his glasses; she could feel his intense gaze at her. "But, I'm not any other guy," Naruko pointed at himself and continued "I think it's OK if you find people sleeping fascinating, Saku-chan." Then he grinned.

Sakura found herself dazed at the blinding grin Naruko gave her.

She looked away, cheeks reddening, and tucked a hair behind her ear. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious. "I feel like pocky." She searched inside her bag to distract her from unwanted thoughts. She felt the box of pocky under her hand and pulled it out of her bag; only to find that it was already empty. Idiot. You already ate it at Kakashi-sensei's class. She mentally slapped herself.

Sakura pouted. Damn. Now, I'm gonna have to wait another week to get pocky since it's being sold out fast.

A box of strawberry pocky hovered in front of her face. She looked at Naruko who was grinning like he wasn't beaten up this morning. She looked at the box of pocky hesitantly and longingly. Naruko, noticing her hesitation, spoke up. "You can have it, Saku-chan. I'm full with my ramen, anyway." He patted his stomach for emphasis. She smiled a bright smile and muttered her thanks and began to ravage the strawberry pocky her tummy has been craving.

The tune of Crush came on the earphones.

I hung up the phone tonight

Something happened for the first time

Deep inside it was a rush, what a rush

Feeling the fixed gaze Naruko gave her, she glanced at him; a pocky playfully dangling off her lips.

'Cause the possibility

That you would ever feel the same way

About me, just too much, just too much

Why do I keep running from the truth?

All I ever think about is you

You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized

And I just got to know

Sakura offered her newly acquired box of pocky to Naruko.

Do you ever think when you're all alone

All that we can be, where this thing can go?

Am I crazy or falling in love?

Is it really just another crush

Naruko turned silently to face her. Sakura felt that Naruko's gaze flickered from the pocky box to her lips then to her eyes.

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?

…damn song. Sakura angrily thought. Her breath hitched up. She returned Naruko's gaze steadily. He was all serious now. If only I could peek under his glasses. Sakura hoped. Her gaze dropped to Naruko's lips.

Are you holding back like the way I do?

Sakura closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The scent of Naruko went along the wind when she inhaled. He smelled like… noodles?

'Cause I've tried and tried to walk away

"Do you want some pocky, Naruko-kun?" she murmured, careful not to drop the pocky locked in her lips.

But I know this crush ain't going away-ay-ay

Going away-ay-ay

"Sure, Saku-chan." Naruko grinned.

Has it ever crossed your mind

When we're hanging, spending time girl?

Are we just friends? Is there more? Is there more?

Naruko leaned forward. Towards her, not the pocky box.

See it's a chance we've gotta take

Naruko took the other end of the pocky that was locked in Sakura's lips to his.

'Cause I believe that we can make this into

Something that will last, last forever, forever!

Do you ever think when you're all alone

All that we can be, where this thing can go?

Am I crazy or falling in love?

Is it really just another crush?

Naruko locked his eyes to Sakura's. Green orbs widened in surprise. Sakura could feel his uneven breathing. He was so close to her and she could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage.

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?

Are you holding back like the way I do?

Naruko bit on the pocky and said pocky broke. He moved away from Sakura and leaned against the wall, munching on his pocky.

'Cause I've tried and tried to walk away

But I know this crush ain't going away-ay-ay

Going away-ay-ay

Sakura stared at him dumbfounded. What was that? On cue, the bell rang. They shuffled for their things. Sakura stood up and so did Naruko. He was still grinning at her. Sakura raised her brow at him. "So, Saku-chan, how do you like your pocky? Chocolate or strawberry?" Naruko casually placed his arm around Sakura's shoulders and walked towards the exit door. Sakura, startled at Naruko's sudden movements, looked up at him. "I think, I like strawberry more." She replied with an equally dazzling grin of hers to Naruko.