Sakura watched as Sasuke ran faster and faster.
~ He sure is a speed demon. ~
She followed him until they reached Suzuki's house. "I wonder what he's doing here,"
Sasuke walked up the steps of her house, knocked on the door, panting at the same time. He tried to keep his back straight to act polite, but he just needed to crouch down to calm his panting down.
Someone finally opened the door-it was Suzuki. "Sasuke!" she said happily. "What are you doing here?"
Sakura kept watch and listened to them in a bush.
~ Ugh, Suzuki! What does Suzuki want with her? ~
Sasuke stood up and stopped his panting. He reached into his pocket and took out the gem. "Did you give this to me?"
Suzuki's eyes sparkled. "Yes,"
"Well, I came by to thank you. . .this really is an amazing gift. I've never received anything like it. It's the best gift I've ever gotten."
Sakura felt like her heart literally broke in half. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She gave Sasuke all those presents and he never even liked them! She sniffed as a tear came rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away with her arm.
~ I. . . I guess it's true then. . . .Sasuke truly loves Suzuki. Now that I've found out, I guess there's no reason to love Sasuke anymore. ~
The last sentence she said was now locked in her mind. ". . .there's no reason to love Sasuke anymore. . ." She continued to weep in the bushes. She wondered if either Suzuki or Sasuke could hear her. She really didn't care.
Suzuki blushed. "You're welcome, then. It took me hours to get the hitai-ate leaf sign carved into there! But it was worth it."
"Yeah. I can't believe you made this! You're quite a crafter," Sasuke complimented.
Suzuki smiled and so did Sasuke. "So uh, I'd better get back. I'm helping my mom with the dishes." said Suzuki.
"Go ahead," Sasuke said in return. He walked down the stairs as Suzuki closed the door. As he walked, he heard someone crying. A familiar sound. . .
~ Who is tha-Sakura! ~
He ran to the bushes. He spread the bushes in half. Before taking another step, he found Sakura scrunched up together as if she were a shrimp. He walked closer and sat down next to her. "Sakura. . ." he said, putting his hand on her shoulder.
Sakura didn't dare look up. She already knew it was Sasuke. She was disappointed enough. She just whined and continued to weep, burying her face in her arms.
Sasuke sighed. He ran his hand through Sakura's hair. "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.
Her weeping got quieter, and wasn't as bad as before. It decreased now to just sniffles. She released her arms and looked up at Sasuke.
He rubbed his hand on Sakura's cheek, covering her dried tears. "Tell me," he said in a calm voice. "Why are you crying?"
She looked down again.
"Sakura," he said again. "Look at me."
She did as she was told. "Y-You said," she began. "That the gem you received was the best gift you ever got. . .I gave you lots of gifts and you never liked even one of them, did you?"
Sasuke's eyes widened. He sighed. "No. I never did."
Another tear rolled down Sakura cheek. She sniffed again. "So I guess my love for you doesn't even compare to your love for Suzuki??"
Sasuke remained calm and continued to act honest. "No," he said, and that was the truth. He did say that his love for Sakura was half his love for Suzuki. But it didn't go like that.
Sakura was surprised. "What--?" she said with a look on her face.
"Sakura," Sasuke said. "I've always loved you. Since the first day we've met I've been ignoring you, but when I got to know you better my love for you grew. Everything I'm saying is true."
She sniffed once more. "But. . .what about my gifts?"
"Your gifts?" he said in a surprised kind of way. "I don't need prized possessions!"
"What about the gem you got from Suzuki?"
"The gem? I could tell she put her heart into it. She worked on it for hours and hours, trying to make it just right. But you on the otherhand, gave me items that were bought, not hand-made. It takes more than store-bought gifts to make someone love you. Much more."
Sakura looked down. She was embarrassed for buying him things like that. She should've known better. "I. . .I just wanted to earn your love,"
"Sakura, I'm not mad at you. I'm just trying to teach you something. And Sakura. . .you've earned it."
She was about to cry again. She hugged Sasuke. She hugged him as tight as she could. She didn't want to let go. She had learned her lesson. And she kept it locked inside her heart. . .forever.
~ He sure is a speed demon. ~
She followed him until they reached Suzuki's house. "I wonder what he's doing here,"
Sasuke walked up the steps of her house, knocked on the door, panting at the same time. He tried to keep his back straight to act polite, but he just needed to crouch down to calm his panting down.
Someone finally opened the door-it was Suzuki. "Sasuke!" she said happily. "What are you doing here?"
Sakura kept watch and listened to them in a bush.
~ Ugh, Suzuki! What does Suzuki want with her? ~
Sasuke stood up and stopped his panting. He reached into his pocket and took out the gem. "Did you give this to me?"
Suzuki's eyes sparkled. "Yes,"
"Well, I came by to thank you. . .this really is an amazing gift. I've never received anything like it. It's the best gift I've ever gotten."
Sakura felt like her heart literally broke in half. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She gave Sasuke all those presents and he never even liked them! She sniffed as a tear came rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away with her arm.
~ I. . . I guess it's true then. . . .Sasuke truly loves Suzuki. Now that I've found out, I guess there's no reason to love Sasuke anymore. ~
The last sentence she said was now locked in her mind. ". . .there's no reason to love Sasuke anymore. . ." She continued to weep in the bushes. She wondered if either Suzuki or Sasuke could hear her. She really didn't care.
Suzuki blushed. "You're welcome, then. It took me hours to get the hitai-ate leaf sign carved into there! But it was worth it."
"Yeah. I can't believe you made this! You're quite a crafter," Sasuke complimented.
Suzuki smiled and so did Sasuke. "So uh, I'd better get back. I'm helping my mom with the dishes." said Suzuki.
"Go ahead," Sasuke said in return. He walked down the stairs as Suzuki closed the door. As he walked, he heard someone crying. A familiar sound. . .
~ Who is tha-Sakura! ~
He ran to the bushes. He spread the bushes in half. Before taking another step, he found Sakura scrunched up together as if she were a shrimp. He walked closer and sat down next to her. "Sakura. . ." he said, putting his hand on her shoulder.
Sakura didn't dare look up. She already knew it was Sasuke. She was disappointed enough. She just whined and continued to weep, burying her face in her arms.
Sasuke sighed. He ran his hand through Sakura's hair. "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.
Her weeping got quieter, and wasn't as bad as before. It decreased now to just sniffles. She released her arms and looked up at Sasuke.
He rubbed his hand on Sakura's cheek, covering her dried tears. "Tell me," he said in a calm voice. "Why are you crying?"
She looked down again.
"Sakura," he said again. "Look at me."
She did as she was told. "Y-You said," she began. "That the gem you received was the best gift you ever got. . .I gave you lots of gifts and you never liked even one of them, did you?"
Sasuke's eyes widened. He sighed. "No. I never did."
Another tear rolled down Sakura cheek. She sniffed again. "So I guess my love for you doesn't even compare to your love for Suzuki??"
Sasuke remained calm and continued to act honest. "No," he said, and that was the truth. He did say that his love for Sakura was half his love for Suzuki. But it didn't go like that.
Sakura was surprised. "What--?" she said with a look on her face.
"Sakura," Sasuke said. "I've always loved you. Since the first day we've met I've been ignoring you, but when I got to know you better my love for you grew. Everything I'm saying is true."
She sniffed once more. "But. . .what about my gifts?"
"Your gifts?" he said in a surprised kind of way. "I don't need prized possessions!"
"What about the gem you got from Suzuki?"
"The gem? I could tell she put her heart into it. She worked on it for hours and hours, trying to make it just right. But you on the otherhand, gave me items that were bought, not hand-made. It takes more than store-bought gifts to make someone love you. Much more."
Sakura looked down. She was embarrassed for buying him things like that. She should've known better. "I. . .I just wanted to earn your love,"
"Sakura, I'm not mad at you. I'm just trying to teach you something. And Sakura. . .you've earned it."
She was about to cry again. She hugged Sasuke. She hugged him as tight as she could. She didn't want to let go. She had learned her lesson. And she kept it locked inside her heart. . .forever.