Chapter 3

The ball passed between them.

Yuka belatedly noted that Gaara's sand always caught the ball for him if he couldn't catch it. Gaara's attention seemed to focus on the game and….her. It was as if he was torn between enjoying the game fully—saving every moment of it into his memories, like this was his last game—and…afraid that she would just ran away all of a sudden, leaving him alone.

However, contrast to Gaara, Yuka's attention was entirely elsewhere—only leaving enough on the game to keep catching the ball, helped with her shinobi training. She wondered if this was the right thing to do. Sure, she had accomplished her goal to not stalk Gaara while finishing her mission. While befriending Gaara like this might just gave her the exact excuse to hang around him and give protection—without stalking—and that was actually a win-win solution, she couldn't shake the 'wrong' feeling that was building inside her. She wondered if she was actually befriending Gaara solely for the purpose of finishing the mission, and she couldn't help but feel a little disgusted with herself. Really, befriending people because of something was just…plain wrong, it was as if she was using them as a tool to an end and she really didn't want to think like that.

People were not a tool.

Then why did she help Gaara in the first place ?Perhaps it was out of pity…no, she hated to be pitied and obviously she didn't want to pity anyone. Maybe it was something more….an attraction maybe…or a feeling of resemblance ?

" Uhm…Yuka…-san ? You okay ? " Gaara's soft voice broke through her musings, snapping her attention back to the matter at hand. She looked at Gaara's teal green eyes that held…worry ?

What's he worrying about again?

" Yuka-san ? You seem a little…out of it." Gaara said, his eyes averted to the ground.

Bemusedly, she noticed the ball rolling behind her—did she really was that distracted in her own thought ?

'Apparently yes,' she thought idly.

" Ahhh…sorry. It's nothing really." Yuka said, giving him a weak grin, her hand scratching her hair unconsciously.

Gaara shifted, unconvinced, if the slight move of the sand was any sign.

She walked and picked the ball up, noticing that it was already dark.

" It's getting late. Why don't you go home ? " she asked out loud.

" No. " He said, the sand stirred.

" No ? You do have a home right ? " She asked pointedly.

" Well…," He looked at the ground, " Yes…, but…., may I come with you ? " He added hesitantly.

Yuka sighed. " Why don't you want to go home ? Surely your father or siblings would be waiting for you?"

"They're…the same, like everyone." He answered softly, the sand swirling around him.

" Look Gaara, even if they're the same, your family will worry about you. " She countered.

" No, they won't. " He said, his teal green eyes looked directly at her.

" The point is, no, you can't. " She emphasized to the five-years-old boy.

The sand started to coil around her feet again, his head hung down to the ground.

" You're going to run away," Gaara looked up again, his eyes flashing with suppressed pain and sadness."Just like everyone."

She resisted the instinct to jump and flee from there when the sand tightened around her feet. Her eyes caught Gaara's and saw the pain and loneliness…always loneliness…flashing. She winced internally—'the same eyes with her…' she thought to herself.

Instead, she closed her eyes, put a hand to his shoulder and wrapped her arms around Gaara. She could felt his body tensed ever so slightly, the sand swirling around them as if reflecting his emotions. She ignored it and pulled him tighter, " Who said I will run away ? " she said to him.

Yuka loosened her arms and looked at the boy's widened eyes. She ruffled his soft red hair and grinned widely, " After all, my motto is to be different from everyone else. "

She pulled back and straightened herself.

"I'll come back tomorrow, okay ? Same place. 10 o'clock. " She said with a smile to a still-frozen Gaara.

" See ya later then ! " She waved and then turned her back at him before sprinting full speed along the street before Gaara shook out of his stupor so that he didn't stop her from coming home, only slowing after she was sure she's out of his sight.

She walked into her apartment, put away her handbag and flopped down on her bed.

'Well, Day 1 development is interesting enough. ' She thought idly as her eyelids closed, her exhaustion caught up with her before sleep claimed her.

Gaara looked with wonder at the fast-retreating back of Yuka, his…friend. Yes,his first friend. He could still feel the warmth of her embrace. It had been a long time since he had felt a hug before. His heart pain momentarily vanished, filled with…something warm ? He remembered his uncle Yashamaru told him that the medicine for 'emotional scars' is love. ' Is this love then ?' He wondered.

He stood there for a moment even after Yuka was out-of-his-sight before turning away and went to his own home.

Well, whatever that was, he liked it.

A/N : Third chapter ! Thanks for those who followed and favorited. So do you like it or not ? Please review, okay ? :)