San Konoha
Chapter 2: Who's That Girl
October 1987
San Konoha
Week Two
Sasuke's Apartment
7:00 am
It was daylight.
It was too early in the damn morning for Sasuke to hear this damned knocking on the door. He sat up from his couch and stretch is arms up grabbing a disregarded shirt on the floor and slipped it on. His jet black hair nuzzled into a morning bed head that looks like a chicken's nest. This head is pounding from the terrible sleeping position he had, he never even bother to buy a decent bed.
Sasuke groggily opened the door and scowled with pure annoyance
"What the fuck do you want?"
Hinata tilted her head and smiled in an amused manner and giggled "Someone is not a morning person."
And just like that it seems like a cold wash of water thrown at Sasuke in the face, his eyes sudden snapped open and he saw Hinata. Then he knitted his eyebrows and scowled even more,
"You just disappeared like thin air, you didn't even bother telling me that visitors disappear during midnight. Now, you decided to show up on my apartment unannounced? That's very fucking polite of you, Hinata."
Hinata's pleasant smile turned into a frown and took a step back and said defensively
"I-I'm not obliged to inform you about my disappearance, I just want to visit you and see if you're okay. I-I'm sorry to make you feel abandoned."
Sasuke pinched his nose and closed his eyes sighing deeply, he can feel the uncomfortable silence between the two of them and Hinata whispered
"I guess, I'll just go. See you around."
Sasuke nodded and saw Hinata quickly walking away from him, this moment almost feels like he is about to lose someone important, someone that he will never encounter again. He quickly shut the door close and chase Hinata and exclaimed "Hey! I'm sorry about the shit I said,"
Hinata turned around and looked at him in a gentle manner "No, no I'm supposed to be the one to apologize not you. I was my fault Sasuke, I didn't explain to anything to you."
Sasuke nodded and said "I don't want to push it but can we have breakfast together? My treat for being such a jerk to you."
Hinata gave him the brightest smile, it seems like Sasuke's mood has lifted up when she smiles and Hinata nodded
"Of course, I know just the place that serves the best pancakes!"
Diner Akamaru
7:30 am
Sasuke looked around the cafe, he has never been to this side of town before. The interior design is filled with dog pictures, the neon lights that perfectly match with the 80s. The black and white tiled floors, pictures of singers and bands, young men and women sitting down on the booths drinking coffee and the music playing from the radio filled the air.
Who's that girl
Who's that girl
Hinata smiled at the waiter and pointed on the dishes on the menu, animatedly chatting about the best pancake topping or the best pancake syrup.
When you see her, say a prayer and kiss your heart goodbye
She's trouble, in a word get closer to the fire
She looked away from the waiter and smiled widely at Sasuke, her eyes are so bright and full of life unlike the way she looked a week ago in the club. In the day light Hinata looks even more real and effervescent.
Run faster, her laughter burns you up inside
You're spinning round and round
The old Sasuke before holds grudges and rarely forgive, the old Sasuke would never chase a girl down the hallway and apologize, the old Sasuke will never sit across to eat pancakes, the old Sasuke would never smile back. But the old him was dead and all he see is Hinata, it's like there is something about her that magnetize him to be with her. It can't be explained the feeling but he wants to know her more.
You can't get up, you try but you can'
All Sasuke see is Hinata and maybe the old Sasuke never matters, especially not when he learns how to forgive. Especially that nothing makes sense not even this town where people or visitors disappear into thin air. Hinata leaned forward and tilted her head in a cute manner "Why are you staring at me like that? You always stare at me, it's so strange."
Sasuke scoffs and crossed his arms, "Strange? You woke me up too damn early in the morning for pancakes, that's strange." Hinata giggled and leaned on the table and said "I thought your staring because you think I might disappear again."
Sasuke shakes his head and asked "Why do visitors disappear but why I didn't disappear that night? Is there something wrong with me?"
Hinata shakes her head and replies "No, there is nothing wrong with you Sasuke. I'm a visitor I don't stay here past midnight until I decide to be a permanent resident here. I can come and go as freely as I want to, some of these people I met in a different time or decade. Sometimes I never met them at all."
He furrowed his brows and said "So, you're tell me I'm a permanent resident here?"
Hinata laughs and replied "No, well not yet unless you decided to,"
Sasuke drank his hot chocolate and asked "But why can't I disappear during midnight? Does that mean I'm not a visitor?"
Hinata leaned back on the chair and think deeply, she pouted her lips into concentration and hesitantly replied "I-I don't know how to explain this but think of San Konoha as your purgatory, you can stay here and live here. I can't answer that for you, that is something you should discover yourself. Some people see San Konoha is different perspectives others see it as a party city, some see it as heaven while there are some who see this as a temporary place." Everything Hinata said does not make sense for Sasuke, he felt more dumbfounded it's like this place is filled with mysteries and things unspoken. Hinata's melodic voice broke his momentary silence and she asked
"Is there anything you remember before arriving here in San Konoha?"
Sasuke knit his brows even more concentrating on a memory but nothing showed up and he replied
"No, the only thing I remember is waking up at the street near KNH Club. It's strange because it feels like my entire memory has been wiped out."
The waiter interrupted their conversation by placing two pancakes and two cups of hot chocolate on the table, a chocolate berry pancake for Hinata and a plain pancake with honey drizzle for Sasuke. Sasuke tilted his head while staring at his food, it seems like he has seen this dish somewhere but he can't remember who made it and where he tasted it. Hinata didn't seem to care as she happy munched on the pancakes with much gusto, sipping her hot chocolate with joy. Then Sasuke bit on his pancake and chewed it slowly, it tasted familiar like something homemade. His thoughts are interrupted when Hinata said
"I've forgotten my memories too when I first arrived here in San Konoha, but don't worry Sasuke your previous memories will comeback slowly. Don't push yourself too hard about it." She gave him an assuring smile and chewed on her breakfast happily, Sasuked asked
"You said you're a newbie here but why did the pink haired girl from the club recognize you?"
Hinata briefly stopped eating and bit her lip contemplating on what to say or how to explain certain things, then she quickly replied
"Oh, Sakura and I met before. She's nothing special, she was just an old friend."
Sasuke stared at her with deep concentration unsure to believe a single word she said, a girl sat across him in a stranger even if she acts like his friend.
Sasuke's Apartment
10:00 am
After Hinata and Sasuke go on separate ways, he immediately jumped on his couch and rest his eyes. There are some instances he felt to confused and bothered, like he has met Hinata before. Like he tasted the food served in the diner, he even feel like he met the pink haired woman named Sakura before but he can't put a finger when or where.
As he drifted to sleep, a small memory came flooding into him:
Sasuke ran downstairs and dash towards the kitchen, there he saw a boy older and taller than him whose face is blurred out sitting on the chair eagerly waiting for Sasuke. Sasuke turned around and saw a man he presumed his father, only his father thin lips always curved into a frown and a gentle voice that greeted him
"Good morning Sasuke dear. Your favorite breakfast."
Sasuke lifted his head and saw a woman placing pancakes on the table, her face is blurred out and the room seemed to be very light and homey. On the table are plain pancakes with honey drizzled on top and a cup of hot chocolate next to him. Sasuke doesn't understand why he can't see the faces of these people, he doesn't understand why the place keeps on spinning and spinning.
Sasuke in present time woke up drenched in sweat and a pounding head ache, placing his fingers on his hair and pulling it tightly just to feel even the slightest amount of pain. The memory felt happy but underlying it is a hint of sadness and loneliness. Sasuke doesn't understand how can a little boy of his memories felt lonely when he had a family to hold on to.
He turned around and in his room he saw a reflection of himself in the mirror, all Sasuke can see is a grown man haunted by his dreams and losing his memories.
KNH Club
10:30 pm
Sasuke is back here again, in the same place when he first met Hinata. He walk slowly on the streets when the orange car suddenly pulled up on the parking spot, the loud blond with blue eyes and whiskers on his cheeks. The loudmouth blond was wearing a flashy orange jacket and blue flared pants, then he exclaimed
"Newbie! You're back in the club again, enjoying San Konoha?"
Sasuke tilted his head and murmured "This place is strange, nothing makes sense here."
The blond laughed in pure joy and entered the club, with a foxy grin and he turned around and exclaimed "Nothing is supposed to make sense here, Sasuke."
The blond entered the club as Sasuke stood there dumbstruck why the blond stranger knows his name, he was just standing there when the same pink haired woman from last night pushed him aside and yelled
"Are you going in or not?!"
Sasuke turned around and saw the pink haired woman dressed in a sparkly red dress and sky high heels, her hair is accessorized with multiple neon ribbons, Sasuke grabbed the pink haired woman's wrist and said
"Are you Hinata's friend, the one named Sakura?"
The Sakura laughed shrilly exclaimed "If you're looking for her then you might be disappointed, she won't come here tonight."
Sasuke pulled his hand away from her and frowned "Why? She was with me during the morning, we had breakfast together."
Sakura tilted her head and crossed her arms in a sassy way and said "Poor you, are you one of her victims? She loves to mess with visitors," Sasuke looked crestfallen realizing his only friend was playing mind tricks with him, he slowly walk out of the club entrance when Sakura exclaimed with a look of pity on her face,
"You should try again next week, Hinata shows up in the club in around 10:00 pm. Catch her before she leaves on midnight."
Sasuke asked "Why do you know her? She didn't tell me everything about San Konoha, I'm always chasing her for answers."
Sakura stopped midway to open the club doors and turned around to look at Sasuke straight in the eye and said "I used to be a visitor just like her, the only difference is I have a reason to stay here and Hinata doesn't." Sakura entered inside the club while Sasuke stood there confused.
11:55 pm
Sasuke drives towards the public beach, the waves are crashing relentlessly and this town is filled with more secrets and mysteries. His memories are wiped out and he has to start blank, but there is something bothering him deep down.
He walk on the beach, his footsteps imprinted on the sand as he closed his eyes unsure on what's next to come. Then he saw Hinata standing in the tip of an unstable rock looking like she's ready to dive and die with raging waves, he wasn't sure if it's really her or just a fragment of his imagination. He was about to run towards her trying to save her from the furious crashing of the waters then he stopped midway.
Sasuke stood there like he was seeing a ghost and a memory of his past.
11:58 pm
He stared at his hands and felt a cold chill running down his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and knowing something isn't right.
11:59 pm
He fell down on the sand and feeling the cold water soaked his clothes, his body is shivering not from the cold but the revelation that occurred to him, the waves are getting stronger and stronger, it wasn't Hinata he saw standing in the tip of the rock.
It was Sasuke Uchiha himself, getting ready to dive with the waves and end his life.
12:00 am
Sasuke's vision blacked out.
AN: Initially I wasn't planning on continuing this fanfic but I realized that the plot is pretty interesting plus I have more plot twists and revelations revealed in the next chapters. San Konoha is a fictional place which some people like Sakura considered as a 'party city' but Hinata calls it as a 'purgatory' as well. The POV of this fanfic will be Sasuke's soooo everything will be on his perspective only. Also, the titles of each chapter is based on a song hehe
Song: Who's That Girl by Madonna
Thank you so much for reading!