Temporal | Introduction
Sasuke turned to watch the girl pad away dejectedly, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion. Something nagged at the back of this mind, telling him he really wasn't supposed to be treating girls this way. Oh, it was his mother, who'd said-
He pushed the thought away before he lost his temper. Anger masked grief well, he'd found.
The next morning, he sauntered into the classroom as usual, eyes fixed on his desk, pointedly ignoring everyone around him. A flash of yellow in the corner of his eye made him turn, and he saw that blonde girl sitting with her friend—honestly, pink hair?
Before he knew what he was doing, he stopped at her table. He was sorry for making her sad but he would never, ever tell anyone or everyone would laugh at him. The girl looked up, blinking long hair out of her eyes, and smiled.
"Hi Sasuke, I'm Ino!" she chirped, although perhaps a little less enthusiastically than the day before. She looked a little wary, but somehow still happy and open and eager.
Sasuke stared at her. He hesitated, wondering what to say that would make her happy without destroying his Uchiha pride.
He grunted, "I'm Uchiha Sasuke." Then he walked away, hoping she wasn't sad anymore. He resisted the desire to break into a brisk walk, concentrating on maintaining his practiced careless stroll.
