Chapter 4
I'll Be Seeing You
Thanks so much for all your kind words and feedback!
I have a couple pictures out there that I drew of my lovelies on my Tumblr page (eeearnest) just search Kakasaku and they should come right up.
Thanks again for reading, hope you love it!
(BTW if this chapter sucks, tell me, Cuz I hate it too. Thanks!)
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SAKURA
…
Sakura took the bus home today. She was tired from running around the library all day and hadn't brought her bike with her to work. She slumped down in one of the coupled booths (you know where one seat is facing the other?), in the front of the bus. A cold breeze came in through her window, shocking for the time of year, and she looked up, shivering. Not very many people were with her on the bus today. But there was one that stuck out. He had to be… THE Most Beautiful Man In The World. Something inside her SCREAMED saying that she HAD to know him! She smiled a big smile, like you would a friend after you hadn't seen them in six months. The Most Beautiful Man (MBM) looked up. They locked eyes and Sakura's smile widened. Why do I think I know him? I don't know him? I don't know him! It sank in. Oh shit. I do NOT know this guy! He gave her a slightly confused look.
She looked away and got off the bus at the next stop. You're so stupid Sakura! Such a stupid thing! Maybe he'll think you thought he was someone else? God you had to have looked at him for at least ten seconds. You're such a creep. Sakura sighed as she walked home. I wish I had brought my bike. The man she had seen was beautiful. He looked like he'd be tall, if he had been standing. The man was wearing a suit, and damn did it suit him. So what does the most beautiful man in the world look like? If she had to give you a person, she would have said something like Mcsteamy off of Grey's Anatomy, but only if McSteamy had been the MBMITW. His hair was silver in color, a strange thing, but not unheard of. Just like her pink, and that made him appear older, but he really had to be only in his 30's. They always say older men have more experience… Sakura blushed and walked a little quicker. What am I saying? A complete stranger! And I'm fantasizing! I'll probably never see him again! His lower face had been covered by a scarf/mask type thing, but his eyes... it made Sakura shiver at the intensity in their stare. One of his eyes was an extremely dark grey, and the other a bright red. When they locked eyes, Sakura felt like she fell into them.
She pushed her hands a little further into the corners of her pockets and kept walking. How hot he was just makes it worse because I'll never see him again. She huffed at her own misfortune.
…
KAKASHI
…
He didn't normally take the bus home from work. But damn was he glad he did today. Kakashi had seen her get on the bus and was content staring at her, her green eyes looking around the bus. He was startled when they met his, and she smiled. AT HIM. LIKE SHE KNEW HIM. He couldn't help but give her a confused look, he'd been trying to find out who she was for months, and she's acting like she knows him?! Apparently she realized her mistake because her face grew red and she looked away in embarrassment. The girl got off a stop early, most likely to get away from him. If only you knew Sakura, that when you sleep at night, there's less than 30 feet between us… He sighed. And that was creepy. But she's finally seen me, and that doesn't mean much. I wonder… has she perhaps seen me before? She looked really embarrassed when she got off though… I doubt it. I'm sure she was just mistaking me for someone else. .. Even so I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. I can't wait to see her again.
…
As the bus pulled up to their apartment complex, Kakashi saw that Sakura was still about two blocks away. Hopefully too far to see him, I don't think she knows we live in the same building yet. As Kakashi entered the elevator, he pushed the 5 button, instead of 6. Time to pay a visit to a certain red haired woman.
Kakashi rapped against Karin's door, willing her to answer. It had been a few minutes and he knew Sakura would be there any minute. Come on Kariiinnnnn answer the door. Ugh I'll just leave a note. He took a scrap of paper from his pocket and wrote on it.
What do you know about the girl with the pink hair below me?
K.H.
He slipped the note under her door and hoped she wouldn't share it with her neighbor. Nothing like a stalker to make your day better. He quickly left the doorway and entered the stairwell. Just as the elevator doors opened and a very red-cheeked Sakura walked out. And it definitely wasn't from the cold.
…
KARIN
…
She had been home that evening, but she was in no mood for company. She had just had another customer back out of payment, and it really irked her. The note coming under her door intrigued her. She picked it up and read it.
What do you know about the girl with pink hair below me?
K.H.
Karin smiled. The only person with those initials she knew was Kakashi. Was he the one I saw at her birthday party? Oh gods… this is going to be GOOD. Karin bit her lip and squealed. I LOVE PLAYING MATCHMAKER!
…
SAKURA
…
Time passed quickly for Sakura these days. She got up in the mornings, went to work, came home and made herself a little something to eat, and went to bed. It was a reliable routine, and it gave her time for her dinner dates with Karin, as she was never home later than 7 from work. Her neighbor was quickly becoming her best friend. Even if she didn't know that much about her life away from her.
Today was an especially hot day, and Sakura had decided to wear a maxi dress to work. It'll be cool. They said. You won't even sweat! They said. If only they knew how wrong they had been. Whoever they was. Everything was fine until she went to bike home on an early shift, around 3 PM. When the sun seemed to be at its most scorching. The hot wind blew dirt in her face and the sun beat down on her, she was sweaty and gross within minutes. To make matters worse, she had tried to purchase a Slurpee on the way home. Big mistake. She ended up wearing it. By the time she got to her apartment building, her coral dress was more of a blush pink from the dust in the air, with random red splotches all over it, they helped hide the sweat pits but not much. Her hair? Ratty and tangled, dirty, and all together trashy. Sakura was sure if she lifted her arms an inch, dirt and rivulets of sweat would be released.
As she entered the building, she saw the Most Beautiful Man exiting the elevator. Instantly she walked up to the closed bar (just so happened to be right inside the door on the right), and pulled out her phone, becoming instantly engrossed as ignored the man.
[Karin OH MY GOD I just saw the MBM and I look like a FUCKING SWEAT MONSTER! Help!]
[AHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I'm not home you're on your own! BTW who's MBM?]
[The guy I told you about on the bus a while back?]
[Jeeeezzz. So wait. He lives in our building?]
[YES.]
[HOLY SHIT] [GIRL YOU GET SOME] [AND SEND ME PICTURES]
[You idiot I'm not going to take pictures of him! I'll look like a stalker!] Sakura looked up and the MBM was just passing her, and HE WAS LOOKING AT HER! Ugh, the one day I don't want anyone to see me. She glared at her phone, willing Karin to reply.
[But you'd have such cute TRASH BABIES! BAHAHAHAHAHHA!]
[Only because of their father's genes. I'm not 100% sure if SWEAT MONSTER is compatible with HUMAN. Plus in my state, I probably look like I just left the scene of a murder. There's not really a reason for anyone to look like this, not unless they're in a real big hurry.]
Ugh. I forgot why I asked to get off early. Fuck Aunt Erma.
…
KAKASHI
…
Kakashi had finally seen Pinky, as he had taken to calling her, again. It looked like she was a bit… flustered. If that was what you called dumpster divers on a good day. She was still cute, but it looked she had gone to a gym, sweated a bunch, then ran through a fried chicken factory. Coming out the breading side. As he passed her sitting at the bar, perhaps catching her breath after leaving the scene of a murder?, she looked up and he met her eyes momentarily before hers flitted back to her phone. They were fierce and bright. I bet whoever she just killed just lied down and let her. I bet I could get her to make that look at me in bed… course only after I help her hide the body. Kakashi thought. Mmm… He left the building for an evening shift at the butler café.
"See ya later, Jiraiya," he waved as the door closed behind him.
…
SAKURA
…
[Kariiinnnn when do you get homeee…..]
[Later. Why.]
[Do you know anything about this guy?]
[What guy]
[MBM!}
[Nah not really…]
[… what do you know… *devil emoji*]
[nothing!]
[…]
[Okay okay! He lives here…]
[And?]
[And… I think he might be the guy that saw us puking downstairs on your birthday?]
[THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MAN IN THE WORLD. SAW. ME. PLASTERED. AF. On my birthday. OH MY GOOOOODDD NOOOOOOO]
[Alas…tis true. Unless you want to hope he isn't the guy that saw us. But how many cute guys are there under 40 with grey hair in the building?]
[True. *crying emoji*]
[Sorry bro.]
[Do you know anything else?]
[…nah man.]
[Mmk…]
Why don't I believe her?
Sakura plugged her phone in and set it on her nightstand. Whatever. I guess I'll just have to find out on my own eventually.
…
KAKASHI
…
Minato wasn't kidding when he said it would be a lot more responsibility, and different kinds of responsibility. Now I have to know what everyone does with their lives so I can know their schedules and what they can work. Kind of a pain, but the extra money was worth it.
Kakashi looked over the scheduling spreadsheet on the computer in front of him one more time, double and triple checking everything to try and be sure he didn't fuck up. Or at least not fuck it up too hard. They'll just have to be patient with me as I transition into the position. At least I get to help with the book order now. This should be fun.
He clicked print, then entered 20 in the copy number slot of the dialog box. The machine on the right side of him whirred to life and started printing. He waited for the copies, then posted them on the employee break room board. Ah. Great. Something is finished. At least I have one thing I can say is done for today.
…
Kakashi hadn't ran into Pinky for a couple weeks before that day. Not the Maxi Dress Incident, the day he deemed the Salsa Incident. It seemed odd that they would live in the same building and not see each other more often. Maybe she's avoiding me? Ha, avoiding all witnesses to the murder. Every time he saw Pinky, something had gone wrong for her. Several of the times he had seen her in passing (whether she was aware of his existence or not), she looked like she had taken up a job as a grease monkey or a halfway homeless person. Not too much different from being covered in salt and fryer oil, like she had been at her previous job, but one day she came in covered in a blue Slurpee from 7/11. She must just be clumsy, or have wicked bad luck.
But back to the Salsa Incident. He had been getting on the elevator to ride up to his apartment and she was in the small metal room already. She was trying to beat the heat, wearing a tiny pair of shorts that made his throat tighten and a tight fitting white shirt. It took him a moment to stop ogling her and see the large red stain slowly spreading across her chest. Bits of tomato and pepper were everywhere and a small puddle of salsa had landed on the floor. Unfortunately, her chest seemed to have taken the brunt of it. Kakashi saw that she was holding a positively gigantic burrito in one hand and a mostly empty jar of salsa in the other. She look incredibly horrified by his presence and she oozed mortification. He mouth was full of burrito and a blush covered her cheeks. He pushed the 6 button and the doors slid shut. Kakashi didn't want to make the situation any more awkward, so he tried to change the subject.
"Nice day we're having huh." He heard her gulp the bite of burrito in her mouth before trying to respond.
"Uh. I suppose." His gaze bored into his shoe and he rocked on his heels. Before he could say anything else, the doors opened on the 3rd floor and three douchecanoe-looking guys entered the elevator, pushing him and Sakura to opposite sides of the elevator. They saw Sakura and turned away, chuckling like 2nd graders. Her blush grew. Kakashi noticed they had pushed '4' and could only think I wish they had taken the stairs. The elevator stopped and they left, but Kakashi could hear them talking amongst themselves before the doors slid shut.
"Did you see that girl? She was positively, nastttyyy."
"Not so nasty you wouldn't dick her, idiot."
"You'd have to bag that head though." And they laughed.
Thank God the doors shut before they could get another word in.
"Jerks." Kakashi mumbled under his breath. He wanted to say more to her, but was afraid she was already beyond her limits of embarrassment. They were suddenly on her floor and she was leaving and he was sure he heard her crying as she left and he wanted to reach out and call her back BUT GOD DAMNIT HE STILL DIDN'T KNOW HER NAME!
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SAKURA
…
The Most Beautiful Man is ALWAYS THERE! WHY? WHY does this happen? What VENGEFUL God has orchestrated it so the ONLY TIMES I ever run into the Most Beautiful Man in the WORLD are when I could easily be MISTAKEN for a CHILDS DOLL that has been put through the wash by accident? Or a dollar bill that has been stained by years of being in people's SWEATY PALMS, or a MOP with EYES.
Whatever. It was only thing during the day of the MAXI DRESS, but it was entirely another when he came in not SECONDS after she had spilled salsa ALL OVER in a big red stain right down the front of her BRAND NEW WHITE SHIRT. LIKE a god damned KINDERGARTNER!
Sakura stripped off her stained shirt over her sink and sprayed copious amount of Shout! Into the obnoxious red blob on the front of the fabric. Stupid white clothes. Why do you have to be so easily stained? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She picked up her phone and typed a message.
[Karin. Best thing for salsa stain on white?]
[Baking soda, wash and dry in sun, sun will bleach stain out.]
[Thanks.]
Sakura tossed her now slightly orange shirt into the wash with some baking soda and hoped it would come out. I just bought that shirt and it fit so well and looked so good on meee... Swear if he sees me one more time looking like a garbage troll I might just kill myself. The hottest guy I know and every time I see him I either make a complete and utter ASS of myself, or look like a half-drowned, piss soaked sewer rate! And he's even seen me at my worst, covered in puke and drunk out of my mind.
Sakura held her face in her hands. Maybe there is a bright side. At least it couldn't get worse. She rubbed her eyes and got dressed for bed. Maybe tomorrow will be better. Ah, now you're being too optimistic.
That night, it was Sakura who dreamt. And her dreams were filled… with the Most Beautiful Man, In the World. She dreamed that they were back on the bus, but this time she was directly across from his seat. And she was naked. Sakura tried to cover herself, but the MBM caught her arms and stopped her. The look in his eyes was unexplainable. He wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled down his mask to kiss her. The world shifted and swirled around them and they were dancing in a field of flowers. He hugged her tightly to his chest and whispered in her ear as they swayed to the music in the trees. I love you, Sakura.
…
She woke up early the next day and smiled as she remembered bits of her dreams. Wish my dreams were like that every night. Last week I had a dream I was a ninja medic on the same team as the MBM and that I was performing field 'medicine' on him, and that he ended up dying in my arms anyway. Sakura felt chills run down her arms remembering that dream. It still haunted her at the vividness of it. Some people say that dreams are an alternate reality… maybe that's it?
Sakura unplugged her phone and checked her notifications.
17 new emails, Turn on GPS for…, 3 new messages.
[Girls night tonight?]- Ino
[Love you, Sakura]-Mom
[Work today?]- Hinata
She paused on the second message, remembering what Kakashi had said to her in her dream. Wouldn't it be nice if one day that could be real?
[Sure. Who's in?]
[Love you too, Mom]
[Yeah, 9-5]
[Hey Karin, want in on girls' night tonight?]
She put her phone down and hopped in the shower. Guess I better clean up the place if everyone is coming over. Sakura was just pulling on her shirt when her phone buzzed again.
[I think Hinata, Haku and if you want you should invite Karin.] Ino
[Sweet. Wait. Haku?]
[Yeah, you know the guy who cross-dresses at work? You knew he identified as female right? I'm still never sure whether to call him he or she so I just stick with he. I don't think he minds.]
[Yeah. Should be cool. I don't really know if he wants to be called he or she so I'll just say Haku.]
[Probably smart. See you at work.]
She threw her phone in her purse, slipped on her shoes and grabbed a pop tart for breakfast. Sakura unchained her bike from the rack in front of the building and was off on her way to work, the toaster pastry hanging from her mouth. It was still hot, being the middle of August now, but being that it was still 8:30 AM, Sakura was fine with the light breeze keeping her cool. Phew.
Work went by quickly for the girls, all of them working that afternoon. Sakura talked with them all about what movies they liked, and what pizza they wanted, who's soda preference, etc. Even Haku joined in, which Sakura thought might be weird at first but turned out to be really great. He had this instinct into the situation most men didn't have and knew how not to be creepy. He was dressed up in a flouncy top, trousers, suspenders and a bowtie. Instead of his normally dark long hair, he had a shaggy silver wig today. It reminded her so much of the MBM, that she was a bit freaked. When asked he told her that he had been inspired by a beautiful human being. Sakura had a feeling she knew who it was.
When they all got off work, the four of them walked to Sakura's apartment building, Sakura slowly pedaling to keep the slower pace of walking with the rest of them. She chained up her bike as Ino and Hinata entered the building, then followed with Haku still behind her. Jiraiya smiled as they walked through his door.
"Hello ladies!" He winked at Haku. The fuck? Did he know Haku? Did Sakura know anyone who actually knew Haku? Maybe she'd have to interrogate Jiraiya later… Sakura shook her head and kept walking. Ino and Hinata had already entered the elevator and were holding it open for her at this point. Haku grabbed her hand and they caught up to the other two in the elevator before he dropped it.
Sakura called in their pizza order right away while Ino knocked on Karin's door (she had agreed to join them while they were at work.) Her blonde friend returned momentarily with a smiling Karin in dusty pink PJs, coming in just as Sakura had ended the call with the pizza place. They all looked at Karin for a moment, not processing pajamas at 5:30 PM.
"What? I don't think we're going anywhere, so why not?" They all nodded. No judgment here girly.
"Everyone good with a pepperoni, a supreme, and a ton of breadsticks? Oh I also got a couple 2 liters." They all agreed that she'd done fine, and like it even more that she had gotten a party special.
"What movie are we going to watch?" Karin asked.
"Well I know we said something about watching Studio Ghibli," Sakura mentioned, "The only question is, which of the like 20 movies do we watch?"
"My favorites are Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away." Karin said.
"SAME" said everyone in the room.
"So which one do we watch?"
"How about both?" Haku chirped in.
"You're a genius Haku!" Sakura popped open her Ghibli collection DVD set and picked out both movies.
…
KAKASHI
…
It was his own fault. He knew she was probably not single. Damn you for even thinking a woman so similar to yourself might be single. Kakashi saw Pinky over his balcony, walking into the elevator on the bottom floor with another man. He slapped his forehead and rubbed his eyes.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid." He muttered. You have to admit though, that boy kind of looked like me… Not that that means anything. You'll have to move on, there's no sense in unrequited love. Wait… what? He went down to the bar for a few drinks after Jiraiya opened up, he wanted to wallow and forget. While he was there, a woman came up to him, definitely interested. She chatted him up and he thought, you know what? Maybe I'll give this girl a chance. This could be just what I need to get Pinky out of my system. He smiled at the woman next to him. (Through his mask, so she probably just got a double eye-crease). Kakashi started responding to her, giving her his attention. She was nice enough. Said her name was K…Kassie? She was average. And you don't deserve any better. Her hair was dirty blonde and slightly wavy, but looked undecided about which way it would rather go, curly or straight. She had a slightly gap toothed smile and a nasally voice, but Kakashi decided to ignore it.
Maybe I could… learn to like her?
A tiny ding in the background rang in his ear, but he decided not to turn and look. A girl came up to the bar on the side of him opposite Kassie, and started ordering.
"Hi, I'd like a bottle? Of UV Blue if you've got it, Jiraiya. Thanks."
Kakashi didn't turn until the girl had retrieved her bottle and was walking away. Of course he recognized that voice. And then it was too late. The girl with the pink hair like cherry blossoms was entering their building's elevator. What Kakashi didn't understand was the devastated look on her face. And why his heart twisted on itself when he saw her like that.
Why would she look so down? Boyfriend troubles? He thought slightly hopefully. He mentally slapped himself, you're trying to forget her idiot! Kakashi turned back to the girl next to him.
"Wanna go somewhere a little more… private?" she asked him, even though they were the only two patrons there.
"S…sure."
…
SAKURA
…
I should have known. I should have known such a hot man couldn't be single! God, Sakura, you're SO FUCKING STUPID! What does she have that I don't? He probably didn't give a damn about your existence the whole time! Because he has a fucking GIRLFRIEND you FUCKING IDIOT!
Sakura unscrewed the cap on her vodka and took a large glug. It burned a bit going down and she welcomed it. The elevator opened and she walked out, the alcohol starting to settle in her empty stomach.
She opened the door to her apartment to Ino and Karin making lemonade.
"Bring us the VODKA!"
"Okay okay!" The bottle was taken from her and she couldn't hold back a smile. They added a bit-more-than-modest amount into the pitcher with the lemonade.
"Stop when it gets to a beautiful teal color okay?" Sakura said, walking toward her kitchen for some ice and glasses.
"This is the best drink. Called a bombsicle. The kind of alcohol that gets you drunk and you can't taste anything but sweet."
"WOO!"
Because everyone can solve their problems with alcohol.
…
Thanks so much for reading everyone!
This chapter sucked so much. I don't like the flow, but hey if you like it let me know and I'll shut up.
Thanks again to all of you for reading my shit work.
:3
Have a nice day!
Liz