AN: Thank you all for your fantastic reviews! This is my first time writing and I don't really know what to expect. Third person from both Sasuke and Hinata shall be coming up soon. I might edit Chapter 1 later. I am not quite satisfied with how it turned out. I plan to lengthen chapters later. As AP testing is over, I have more time to write now. Also, I will stop with the Japanese titles of respect. I truly am unfamiliar with them, and any misuse would be disrespectful. C:
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor any of its respected characters.
Chapter 2
The Return
Sasuke's midnight black sports car zoomed through the metropolitan streets of Konoha in a blur. The Uchiha Co. emblem flashed as the September sunshine struck the gleaming windows. The blurred images of vast skyscrapers, small cafes, and countless shopping centers were reflected on the smooth shaded panes.
Sasuke thought little of these everyday images, however. The image of the Hyuuga girl was plastered on his mind. Her plain pale skin, her plain dark hair, her plain wide eyes, and her strange blush nibbled at his thoughts. Hyuuga. The name sounded so very familiar, but Sasuke could not pinpoint exactly what was so significant about it.
He brushed the thought of her from his mind. After all, he would never see her again. It wouldn't matter anyways. Besides, he had something more important to think about. His business thesis must be completed.
-x-
Hinata Hyuuga stood watching Sasuke leave. Sasuke Uchiha, of Uchiha Co. She was not a novice to the world of major business. Once associated with Hyuuga Co. herself, Hinata had her fair share of high level business dealings. Uchiha was a big name in this world, and Sasuke was no exception. He was very good looking, Hinata had to admit. Ivory pale skin and shaggy dark hair were accompanied by a chiseled face and strikingly sharp features.
She quickly wiped the image of him from her thoughts. She had more crucial things to take care of. Her biology final was coming up in a matter of weeks and she had no time to lose. She quickly bent down to retrieve her fallen textbooks. A moment later, she paused and raised a delicate eyebrow as her hand swept over an unfamiliar textbook.
Principles of Innovation?
She could only assume that it fell from the bookshelf. As she picked up the textbook with the intention to return it to its rightful place, a folder which had been neatly tucked into a section of the book fell onto the floor. She picked it up with skeptical eyes. On the cover of the folder and printed in glossy black ink read:
Market Analysis
Sasuke Uchiha
The Uchiha must have dropped it. Perhaps she could place the folder in the hands of the librarian, in case he ever came looking for it. Hinata thought this over and quickly dismissed it. She visited the library on the daily basis. To her, it was a second home. Yet, she had never once seen the Uchiha before. The likelihood of the Uchiha paying another visit to the library was slim to none. She would have a greater chance at seeing him on campus and finding herself more content with this plan, she placed the thin folder into her messenger bag.
-x-
Sasuke threw his emptied bad at the ground in frustration, causing the papers littered on his dark carpeted floor to skitter around. His business thesis, the thesis he had been working on for the past three months was nowhere to be found. He had rummaged his entire apartment, traced his steps back to the library and through the halls, searched the old empty classroom, and even risked talking to the flirtatious, young blonde barista at his morning coffee shop. The matter would not have been as crucial had he not attached the entire hand-written outline in its folder. The thesis was due in three months' time, and it was central-no, it was imperative for him to find it. His entire final grade would count on that one paper.
Tired, he ran a hand through his hair and looked at the red blinking numbers on his clock. It was a little past one in the morning. He had met his father at Uchiha Co. and informed him of his schooling progress.
"Hn." Was all his father had said. "Hn."
Sasuke ignored the small tug at his heartstrings. He was exhausted. For the entire week, he had been unable to get more than four hours of sleep per day through dividing his time between Uchiha Co. and schoolwork. It was the weekend now. Giving up for the night, Sasuke decided he would return to school tomorrow in search of it.
-x-
Saturday passed with no luck on Sasuke's part. He squabbled with the librarian until the sudden end- when she roughly kicked him out of the library. Frustrated, but too stubborn to give up, he again decided to retrace his routes on Sunday as a final resort. Should he not find it, he must face the inescapable consequence of redoing the entire outline.
The quiet Sunday morning campus was bathed in a light golden blanket of sunlight. The majority of students were in their respected dorms or apartments snoozing peacefully. Sasuke's dark mood contrasted starkly from the picturesque portrait of the calm campus. The few students, in seeing the threatening glare plastered on his face, hastily altered their path to avoid any potentially dangerous confrontations.
Sasuke's tension slowly increased as he brainstormed the possibilities. He was almost ready to flip over a nearby trashcan.
If I start immediately, I can create a rough base for the outline. How much time would that give me? Maybe I left it at home, though Mother says I left nothing. I don't recall leaving it. Perhaps it flew out the window- No, Sasuke. That is absolutely ridicu—
"Sasuke?"
Sasuke slowly turned towards the source of the interruption. Hinata Hyuuga, clad in a large simple t-shirt and a pair of baggy grey sweatpants, clutched onto her messenger bag and a small cup of coffee. Her hair was twisted into a messy bun and her same white eyes met his.
"Hinata right? Good morning." Sasuke mustered, futilely attempting to conceal his scowl. He did not wish to be rude; this girl had done nothing to him, but his patience was running thin. He had no time to stop for petty small talk.
"Yes, that is correct. Good morning, Sasuke. I've been meaning to find you lately." She stated, unaffected by his gaze. Her voice was quiet, almost to a whisper. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, scowl still painfully apparent. She reached in her messenger bag with her free hand, and after shuffling through the contents for a few seconds, pulled out a thick folder. "I think you left this folder at the library the other day. It must have fallen over when we, uh-" At this she paused for a moment, unsure of how to continue. "Anyways, I just wanted to return it to you."
Sasuke saw the familiar folder, with the glossy black letters, and mustered all the self-restraint he had to refrain from snatching the papers from the petite girl's hands.
"Oh, thank you." He forced his body to reverse his frown, only to form a pained facial expression with a minute suggestion of a smile. "I had been looking for this."
"You're welcome, I apologize for being unable to return it to you earlier. I had not seen you since then. Goodbye now." Hinata bowed slightly and turned to leave, not bothering to spare a second glance back.
Sasuke slowly began to organize his flustered thoughts, now that the folder was back. Thoughts of Hinata Hyuuga, however, lingered for a few seconds. How very formal. Sasuke couldn't place his thoughts on it; this girl was unlike the ones he was used to. Most other girls would have kept the folder as a means to get to him. She had not batted a single flirtatious eyelash, nor puckered her lips in an attempt to look "cute."
"Hey, wait." Sasuke said, unable to stop himself. "Why are you at school on a Sunday morning? Sunday morning classes?"
She turned to meet his eyes. "No, I'm going to the library. You see, I always study at this time. See you Sasuke."
Sasuke watched her leave in the direction of the library. It was hard to believe, that after all these days of frustration, his savior would be the stranger who had fallen on him. No matter, Sasuke thought. He would never see her again, they have no reason to. Sasuke walked towards his car, only with the thought of completing his thesis on his mind, and perhaps occasionally, a pair of white eyes.
