- CHAPTER 10 -

-Previous chapter-

"Listen, tomorrow night we will go out for dinner, ok ? I've also told Itachi already, and he'll bring his lover too." She said.

That shocked me. Why would… Sakura involved this ? If it was just a dinner, then she could only invite me. I doubted.

"What ? Itachi ? And his lover ?" I said.

"Yes, pick me up at 6 p.m tomorrow, ok ? You don't want the other COUPLE wait for us right ?" I could notice that she emphasized the word 'couple' on purpose. What was the meaning of that ? But she didn't let me have any moment to think thoroughly, she hung up.

What should I do ? Why did she offer that ? It wasn't like the usual her. What was she up to ? Should I inform this to Sakura ? And… what about tomorrow ? Ahh, it's getting complicated.

Sasu's POV

"What' the matter, Sasuke-san ?" Sakura asked.

"Ah…I don't know if I should tell you this." I replied.

"Is it about what Itachi-san said in the morning ?"

I sighed after answering, "Yes. It's Karin. She wants four of us to have dinner together.".

"Doesn't it sound great ? Why are you sighing ?" She said.

"Great ? For me, it sounds like a double date." I said.

"A…double date ?" She mumbled, "Oh right, since she should be thinking that I'm Itachi's lover. Then…maybe I shouldn't go."

"I'm gonna ask aniki about this." Right after I finished the sentence, I picked up my phone and dialed aniki's number. I waited for a long while, then I hung up. Strange. Why didn't he pick up ? He had never missed any calls. Or maybe his phone was out of battery ? No, he's a careful man, it wouldn't have been it. Then…why ?

"He didn't pick up ?" Sakura asked when she didn't hear me talking with anyone.

"Yeah." I said, "Do you think of any reasons ?" I asked.

She started thinking with a thoughtful expression on her face. Her facial expression is quite good. She could be a good actress, or singer. Speaking of which, I hadn't heard her singing for quite a while.

"Ah, hospitals don't allow cellphone, right ?" Suddenly, she asked.

"Yeah, why ?" Then I realized what she meant, "Oh, you mean aniki is in a hospital ?"

"I think so." She smiled.

Right, he could have been in a hospital, maybe he was visiting our parents. That's why he had turned off his phone.

"Then I guess we will wait for a little while."

"Fortunately, you really don't have to wait." A voice appeared, and I could easily say whose voice it was, but, I was more like surprised. Aniki was walking into my apartment.

"Aniki ? Why didn't you knock ?" I asked.

"Sas, am I such a stranger to you ?" He smiled.

"Ohaiyo, Itachi-san." Sakura greeted.

"Ohaiyo." He greeted back. Then he turned back to me, "I bet that you have had a call from Karin, right ?"

"Absolutely."

"So what are you going to do ?" He asked.

Then, a long silence appeared. I sat down on the couch, so did aniki. Sakura was still listening to us with concentration.

"Perhaps…" Sakura started, but then she paused.

"Yes ?" I said.

"Err…why don't we just go there ? I don't think it's that big deal." She said, "I'll go along with Itachi-san, and Sasuke-san will go with Karin-san. After the dinner, it'll be done, right ?"

Aniki and I both sighed. And I could noticed a confused look on her face, I thought she was thinking 'Did I say something wrong ?'. I looked at aniki. He was still thinking. Oh gosh, I had even got aniki involved this.

"You know, it's not as easy as you think." Finally, aniki said, "Karin is not the type of girl that could easily get away of jealousy. Even if I have said that, I mean lied that you are my lover, but I don't think she believes it, I guess that she's having some kind of… evil scheme." You know, aniki's best ability is to exaggerate.

"Evil scheme ?" Sakura chuckled. "You're thinking too much, I think it'll be fine." She paused a while, and she didn't receive any response from both me and aniki, "Ok then, I won't go there, you guys just make up any excuse for my absence."

Another silence came up. I kinda preferred that to the previous one. She shouldn't be going, we didn't know what Karin would do. Man, why did I say about my cousin like about a criminal ?

"Then, it's decided, tomorrow only two of us are going, you'll stay here, ok ?" I concluded.

Aniki also agreed to the idea, he nodded. Then he stood up, "good night"-ed us, then he left. I felt so much better than earlier. The problem was nearly settled, all we had to do was sailing with the wind. I hoped that the next day would be like what we had decided.

-The next evening-

I was preparing for the dinner with aniki and Karin. Honestly, I didn't want that time to come at all. I didn't want to wear anything too formal, it was just a dinner after all, so I put on some casual clothes. I didn't mind doing any make-up or hairstyle, I just let it be natural.

I went out of my room and was looking for Sakura. She was in the kitchen and busy with the food. She once said that she was tired of ramen and instant food, so she wanted to study cooking in the blind state. I know it would be dangerous, so I had placed some kind of marks all over the kitchen, and she had learned by heart all of those by touching, so I could say that she could (nearly) safely use the kitchen.

"Oh, you're going now ?" She asked when she heard my footsteps.

"Yes, I'm going to Karin's house to pick her up." I answered.

"Is that so ?" She said, then she seemed to be searching something. It was a croissant. Croissant ? I didn't know that she could make that kind. But it looked not so nice on the outside, though. "Here, try some." She said as she was walking towards me.

But suddenly, she tripped over a leg of the table and started to fall down. I quickly dashed in. Finally, she ended up lying on me, but I was glad that the croissant didn't fell on the floor. Then I helped her sit up. And… I noticed that she was blushing.

"Ah, gomen. Shame on me, I am always so clumsy." She said while trying to stand up.

"Don't worry about it, you'll get better soon." Then I received the croissant from her, "You want me to try this right ?"

I tried a bite. It was really good, totally opposite with the look. "It's so delicious, how could you do it ?" I asked surprisedly.

"In the past I used to do it often, so I can remember the recipe correctly." She answered, "If you like, you can have some more."

"I really like it, but can you save them for later, I have to go now." I said.

"Oh…ah, I completely forgot about it. Then you should be going now."

"Uh…ok." I said hesitantly.

I felt kinda… empty when I realized that she didn't show any sad or… something-like-that expression. She just smiled and saw me to the door. I kept seeing her smiling until the door blocked my view.

-Karin's mansion-

"Hello, who's there ?"

"It's Uchiha Sasuke, I have an appointment with Kari… I mean with Miss Hamano." I replied to the maid through the entrance machine.

"Ah, so it's Mr Uchiha, Miss Hamano already went to the restaurant."

"Hn ? Already ? But she had told me to pick her up, hadn't she ?"

"I'm sorry but it's true that Miss Hamano has gone."

I paused for a while. She didn't let me know about this. And I came to her mansion for nothing, completely NOTHING. Such a waste of time.

"Ok, I get it, thanks anyway." I said then left.

What was with her ? What was she up to ? Normally, she would wait (till death) for me. But that day, I didn't know why she came to the restaurant by herself, though I wasn't late at all. I wondered.

-At the restaurant-

The restaurant was really far from our place. By "our" I meant mine, aniki's and Karin's. That sure was a five-starred restaurant, but that wasn't Karin's favorite nor mine. Worse, it took me a extremely long time to find the table that she had booked. I couldn't find Karin anywhere. But when I approached the table, I saw aniki, and only him.

"Aniki." I greeted.

"Oh Sas." He greeted back, "Where's Karin ?" he asked.

"Hn ? I thought she had come." I said surprisedly.

"No, I thought she would come with you." He said.

So she hadn't come here. Then where was she ? And what was the meaning of this ?

Saku's POV

Phew, I didn't think that forcing a smile was that difficult. But I tried my best. I couldn't let him think that I was disappointed or anything. But… why was I disappointed ? I wondered.

He said the croissant was good. I was glad. By touching I could say that it didn't look good, I had thought that he wouldn't have eaten it. But maybe a little more practice would work.

Then I went back to baking. I determined on baking a really really good croissant for Sasuke to enjoy when he came back. While baking, I turned on the TV and they were playing E.T of Katy Perry. I loved that song so I sang along.

You're from a whole other world

A different dimension

You open my eyes

And I'm ready to go lead me into the light

Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me

Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison

Take me, ta-ta-take me

Wanna be your victim

Ready for abduction

Boy, you're an alien

Your touch so foreign

It's supernatural

Extraterrestrial

…

There is this transcendental

On another level

Boy you're my lucky star

I wanna walk on your wave length

And be there when you vibrate

For you I'll risk it all

All…

…

Some of the lyrics reminded me to the things that Sasuke had done for me. I must thank him someday, in someway. Oh, I thought the dough was ok, so I put them into the oven. All left was waiting for a little longer, while listening to music. I found my way to the couch in the living and sat down.

About ten minutes later, someone rang the bell. Who could it be ? Sasuke told me not to open for strangers. What should I do ?

I walked to the door's direction. "Who's there ?" I asked.

"I'm the delivery man, there's something important for Mr Uchiha Sasuke." I heard a male voice. Important ? What could it be ?

"Who is it from ?" I said.

He didn't answer immediately, I wondered why. "Ah…it's from a friend of him, he's called Mr Hozuki Suigetsu."

Ah, so it was from the man called Suigetsu, Karin's fiancé. I didn't take anymore doubts about the delivery man. "Oh, please wait a sec.".

I found the key, which was on the coffee table. Then I tried to put the key to the keyhole, and opened the door.

"I can receive it for Mr Uchiha, he's not at home at the moment." I told him.

"It's heavy, let me place it inside for you." He said.

"Why, thank you." I said thankfully.

After he had finished placing the… thing. I asked, "Don't I have to sign ?".

"Ah…err…I notice that you can't see things, so I think it isn't really needed." He stammered, "Then, I shall go first." and he left.

I still doubted about that guy, but he was gone, so… I locked the door again, and intended to go back to the couch and wait for the croissant to be done. But strange, I had a feeling that there was someone, besides me, in the apartment. And I didn't have to wondering for too long, the answer came to me immediately.

"Hello again." A female voice appeared. And you know whose it was ?

"Huh ? You are…" I was very surprised, how could she…? Wasn't she having dinner with Itachi and Sasuke ? Why was she there ? "…Karin-san ?"

Sasu's POV

"It's been ten minutes, where is she ?" I started to lose patience.

"I don't know either." Aniki said, how come he is always so calm ? "Maybe…there's something happening with her."

"Something ? What do you mean by something ?" I asked, "But even if there's something, I don't think she would give up, unless she wants to…"

Wait. The restaurant was really far from aniki's, my and even Karin's house, the maid said that she had gone already, but she was nowhere to be found in the restaurant. Could it be… "luring the tiger away from the mountain" ? So she had found out that…

"Aniki…" I said, "I think… we should go back to my apartment."

"So…you are thinking what I'm thinking too ?" I saw aniki smirking, "She's kinda sharp, isn't she ?"