Note: Updates, readers, updates! Thank you for reading up to this part of my fic! Thanks for the reviews! It really motivated me to write more. I love you all! By the way, Neji's gentler from this part of my fic, if one time you might wonder.

Chapter 4

But if I shall be acquiring confidence and guts to express

My obsession, emotions, and poems which to you I address

What would you feel for me? Would you feel the same thing?

Maybe somehow you shall feel a twinge of a touching feeling

But what I wouldn't let and make you feel is sympathy

So I do not ask anything for it just might indicate your pity

Someone brought him a poem, another surprise coming from his locker. Neji concluded that all those gifts he previously received and this recent gift, the poem, came from a single person. He was so curious of his admirer.

Now, this mystery person seems to be already asking him for a response after all those gifts it has given. Hmm… he pondered. He remembered the short talk which passed between him and Tenten. He said that he would decline if ever that person suddenly asked him of something about being together as that person's real purpose, but the truth is… well, it depends.

If only you would introduce your self to me, find the guts to express your emotions, there might be an instance for me to love you back. He reread the poem and focused on the fifth and sixth line. Sympathy should not be given in exchange of love. Just tell me who you are and let's see if we could be friends.

Wait! Is this really Hyuuga Neji, the apathetic top-ranker of their batch? Okay, so he wasn't actually that numb. The truth is that he is a person who keeps everything inside him hidden. Since his father died, he became sad and learned to just curb all emotions inside him thus he was withdrawn and cold to other people.

Going back to the poem, he hastily tore a single sheet from his notebook and wrote, 'Sympathy does not justify love. Gratitude is a better response. Kindly tell me who you are. You please me with your gifts. I would like to express my thanks.' He folded it twice and taped it at the back of his locker's door. So that the next time that mystery person would put something there, it would be able to see and read his message.

Just then, the first bell rang and students could be seen running along the hallways so as not to be late for their first class. He wouldn't want to be late. And for the first time, he ran along with them.

That's it. She has given up one part of her poem to Neji himself. She, Hyuuga Hinata, finally expressed to his beloved cousin one question of acceptance and she was expecting for some kind of a reply. She badly hoped for it. It wouldn't hurt to try looking for a response, would it?

There could only be two answers. One, a negative answer: a reply telling her either to stop it already or that she won't get anything in return but with an inserted thank you. Second, a positive one: thanking her and just some nicer stuff to say. With these two options, her face dropped. The probability of getting the first reply was greater than getting the second one.

It was Biology Class. How she loathed science; she just simply wasn't made for science. The class was discussing about organisms in the kingdom Fungi. Great. It was SO boring. She was afraid she would die even before the next minute ticked. But wait, when that happens, she won't be able to know Neji's reply (if ever there was any).

"Homework for next week, bring a sample of molds…" The teacher was giving them instructions for next week's activity when her hand shot up in the air. "…don't forget you laboratory tools and--- yes, Ms. Hyuuga, would you like to say something?"

"Uh.. m-may I go t-to the washroom?"

The teacher gave her a stern look and retorted coldly, "You may go."

She went out and walked along the corridor. Her plan isn't really to go to the washroom but to sneak on Neji's locker to look for a reply. The lockers were near the washroom area at the end of the corridor. Classrooms were far enough so the chances of being caught are not that great. But there are still risks and so she simply has to move fast.

She made her paces fast until she reached the lockers area.

Locker no. 17… 17… She scanned the lockers. 14… 15… 16… 17! She opened the locker's door and quickly scanned the whole compartment. She was on the verge of being disappointed when she noticed a folded piece of paper was taped at the back of the door. She got it and started unfolding it.

Cluck… cluck... cluck… Her head moved towards the opposite direction and saw a teacher coming. Her hear beat furiously. She ran to the washroom and inserted hastily the letter inside her pocket. Then, she washed her hands, took a heavy breath and calmly went out of the washroom.

"Ms. Hyuuga, Biology Class is over, what took you so long?" It was her Biology teacher.

She blushed. "Uh… I-I am having my m-monthly period… sorry, miss."

The teacher just looked at her from head to toe making her blush even more. After that, the teacher already walked away and her next class would start immediately.

It was finally lunch break. Neji went to his locker to return and get some things. He opened the door. He noticed that the paper he taped there just earlier was gone.

Does it mean that that person has finally read it? He turned his head to the right and then to the left looking for someone who might be acting kind of peculiar. If ever that person has just arrived only now, that person hasn't gone yet. To his left along the hallways, the only people there were just some male sophomores who haven't gone to eat lunch. If he wasn't mistaken, one guy's name there is Naruto who seem to lead the group's noise.

To his right side, at the end of the corridor was a wall and there were two persons staying over there. Those two persons was a red-haired emo guy named Gaara and his very own cousin, Hinata.

He noticed his cousin looking at him. He returned the look and there was an eye contact for a few moments. The contact was broken when Hinata looked down and started blushing furiously. As always, his dear cousin was ashamed of everything and this annoys him. Why does she have to be like that? Can't she have some more confidence and act normally? If only his cousin would stop being a push over, they could be friends.

He turned his focus on the things that he was getting from his locker when his glance rested on Gaara. That weird guy was looking at him in an odd manner as if loathing him. Oh well, he's just a sophomore.

Gaara looked at Neji straight in the eye. Get lost! He glanced at Hinata who was blushing furiously just all because of her eye contact with Neji.

He hates Neji. He hated the fact that Hinata was obsessing on him. He hated it when Hinata feels lowly of herself because of Neji and so the sum of these things was his hatred for Neji.

He turned his attention again on Hinata. The lady was staring at Neji's back when the stupid guy has walked away. Gaara could not contain his self longer that he blurted out, "Why do you have to fall in love with him? He is your cousin."

She looked at him incredulously and answered, "It's not love, and it's just limerence."

"Well, it's worse than love because it is an obsession, a bad obsession."

Hinata faced him quizzically. He continued.

"Why do you keep on pushing your self to him? It even brought you too much damage on your personality and resulted to the fragmentation of your ego. Why don't you look around? There are people who love you and you don't even have to push your self to them because they accept people no matter who it is."

"And what do you mean by that? Tell me who those persons you are referring to?"

He wasn't able to answer her and remained silent for a while. You're so numb, just the same with your cousin. He just shook his head and walked out of their spot.

Hinata shook too her head in total confusion and followed him down to the cafeteria.

It was Friday. Neji arrived early that day. Nothing. He just wanted to get out of the Hyuuga house all at once for he dislike being around with Hiashi too long discussing about the long-awaited Hyuuga reunion.

Only few people were around, the hallways were as if deserted. He went to his locker and hanged out there for a while just looking at his things. He cleared his locker from all garbage. Just before closing the door, it was the only time when he noticed that a note was taped again on his locker's door. He got and read it.

You're most welcome. You don't need to see me in person.

Your pleasure is an enough thank you for me. I've had my expectations.

I just feel inferior when you're around. I mean, you're simply great and talented.

It pains me that we're not equal.

Still, I certainly admire you because of who you are.

After reading, he did not know how to react. He felt sorry for this person for feeling insecure and lowly. Guilt wasn't the feeling either. It's just that, he wondered why that person would feel inferior just because of him. He could not understand. Why would it go crazy over him when that person hasn't totally met him yet? Is it enough for that person to love him when it was just his 'perfect' side was being exposed to others?

As a reply to the note, he wrote:

I just wanna ask… if it makes you feel sadness, how come you still proceed?

I have nothing against you and still, I would like to see you in person.

There, he believed that his note would be gotten quickly by that mystery person. Instant messaging, He taped his new note and closed the door of his locker. People were already coming and so he needed to go to his classes before the hallways become crowded. He walked away and proceeded to his classroom.

Dismissal time… dismissal time… Hinata hummed softly. She was the last time to get out of the entire third level of the building. The class assigned her to do the bulletin board and she was currently working on it with all her heart. She loves art and this is one way to show her talents.

At least here in school, I'm able to show and utilize my talents. At home, I am so neglected. She thought miserably. Before totally going out of the building, she passed by the lockers' area just to check if Neji hopefully has given a reply.

She arrived at the lockers' area and then opened Neji's space there. Her eyes instantly fell at the back of the door and saw a note taped there. She got it a little bit nervously and rushed in opening it. She read the note and knitted her eyebrows after reading the contents. How the hell is she going to answer his question? Didn't he realize that what he asked was certainly a matter-of-fact question?

Hinata folded neatly again the small note, neatly inserted it to her pocket and went home as silent as she could, contemplating.

Note: Dear readers, sorry for the random and too much events. hope you liked it though this chapter's kinda crappy. Have fun!