1ST PLACE ISN'T EXACTLY THE BEST
-CHAPTER SEVENTEEN-
The truth
-Yup,I know.He was even going to tell you that he liked you.-
"But being the inconsiderate person that I am,I just interrupted him,"
-Thank you captain obvious!-
Sakura was sulking in the chair until she remembered that she had to put the bouquet of orchids into water.She found them on the kitchen table and she picked them up.It was only when she tried to smell the flowers' scent that she noticed that they were plastic.
"Huh?They're plastic?"
She studied them a bit and then found a card nestled in the middle of the bouquet.The card read - 'The day that these flowers wilt will be the day that I stop loving you…'
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The card with the surprising messaged written on it slipped out of the now foolish-looking Sakura.
"Heh…I'm pretty stupid…"
She picked up the card to check of it was indeed Sasuke's writing.
-There's no need in checking it.It is his writing!-
"But…why would he tell me now?Right exactly when I'm with Shikamaru-kun!"
-Guys are like that my dear!-
Sakura fought back tears as she fell to her knees and ripped the card into tiny,miniscule confetti pieces.
"Stupid Sasuke-kun!Why are you so dumb!"
The pink haired girl started venting out her anger by attempting to dent the wall with her fists.
"Uhh…Sakura-chan?"
Sakura looked up and saw Naruto.She tried to straighten herself out and wipe away her tears,but it was too late.Naruto had already seen her.
"Um,what is it Naruto-kun?"
He scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Oh,well Hinata-koi told me that you were sick so I decided to bring you some soup to make you feel better."
Naruto neatly put a bowl of ramen on the kitchen table.Sakura looked at him skeptically.
"Naruto-kun?That's ramen."
Naruto seemed confused as he inspected the contents of the bowl.
"Hm.You're right.Oh well,ramen's just as good."
"(asd)Thanks?"
"Ohh…you're very welcome Sakura-chan.No need to thank me!"
It was silent for a while,then Sakura looked at the remnants of Sasuke's card.The only pieces that were readable said,'I love you.'Sakura sighed and tears fell down her already damp eyes.
"Eh?What's wrong,Sakura-chan?"
Sakura paused before replying.
"…Everything."
Naruto obviously had the finesse of an unmarried man in this department.
"To tell you the truth,Sakura-chan…Sasuke-teme sent me here to look after you."
Sakura looked at Naruto with confusion.
"But…I already dumped him and-"
"WHAT!You dumped Sasuke-teme!"
Sakura nodded and continued,"He asked me if I liked him…and then this is the result of my answer."
Sakura held up the pieces of paper that she had read and Naruto looked at them weirdly.
"What,Sakura-chan?You love me?"
"(asd)No you dork!I love…"
Naruto leaned in to hear her answer better.
"You love what,Sakura-chaaaaaaaaaaaaan?"
It almost seemed like this was a whole game for Naruto.
"I love (ahem) Sasuke-kun (ahem)."
"I knew it!I better go tell him-"
"No!Don't…"
"Eh?"
"He'd think that I was…a jerk and a liar and…(sigh)yeah."
Naruto ruffled Sakura's hair a bit.
"No he won't Sakura-chan!"
"Well…how do I know that I was just set up?"
"You don't."
"Huh?"
"You just gotta trust yourself!"
Sakura finally saw Naruto in a new light.He wasn't as dumb as he portrayed himself to be.
"Naruto-kun,you're a genius!"
Sakura shooed Naruto out the door and put on her regular clothes.
-What the hell are you doing!-
"I'm getting ready to go talk to Sasuke-kun!"
-But why?-
"Just because!"
Sakura locked the door and ran towards the lobby.Hopefully,Sasuke would still be there.
'Hm…do you see Sasuke-kun's car?'
-Nope!-
When she saw that his car wasn't there,she ran to the most likely place that he would be.The arcade.
At the arcade…
When Sakura finally reached the arcade,she was out of breath and was already breathing deeply.Even though she was tired for running across 5 blocks,she ran around the area ooking for Sasuke.She finally found him at the bar with Temari and some of her friends.
"Sasuke-kun!"
The whole group of people turned their heads to look at who called out to him,but Sasuke didn't.
"Ugh…what do you want Haruno?"
"None of your business.I asked for Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke didn't even want to look at her as he spoke,"Get out of my face."
Sakura looked at him with bewilderment.
"…Sasuke-kun…"
"I already told you to leave me alone!"
"You fucking jerk!"
Sakura started storming away,but Sasuke's hand held onto her right hand tightly.
"Sasuke-kun?What do you want?"
Sasuke ignored her question and spoke on his accord.
"What's that in your left hand?"
"Huh?"
Then Sakura remembered the ripped pieces of card were still wedged inside her clenched fist.
"…nothing."
'What is this guy,psychic!'
Sasuke let go of her hand and Sakura let go of the pieces of paper absent mindedly as she turned around.
'I hope you find a better life you jerk…'
Sakura walked away and stepped outside.
-What was that all about?-
'I dunno.He's being immature,as usual.'
Back inside the arcade…
Sasuke was pretending to listen to Temari's mindless chatter and reached down to pick up the bunch of torn papers that Sakura had left behind by mistake.He unraveled them under the table that they were sitting at and found that the words were written in his writing.
'So…what she was holding was from that bunch of orchids…'
He rearranged the words and read the message.
'Sakura's so stupid…(chuckle)'
…
"This mission was a complete failure!"
-Yup,it was-
'Now,Sasuske-kun's mad at me and what am I going to tell Shikamaru-kun?'
-Just tell him that you don't like him and you fell deeply in love with your enemy.-
'Yeah…I'm really going to do that!'
-Fine,don't take my advice!-
Sakura made her way home disappointed.Her fanclub could even tell that she was too tired and even too depressed to be bothered for a date or kiss.Then she saw Shikamaru.He was lying down in a field near a forest and was looking up at the clouds.Sakura decided to go and join him.
"Hey,Shikamaru-kun!"
"Hi Sakura-koi."
Sakura lay down beside and decided to keep her cheery act going to divert his attention.
"So,what's up?I heard that you were sick."
"Oh,well I feel better now."
Shikamaru looked at her worried.
"You should take care of yourself.It would be too troublesome for both of us to monitor your health."
"Alright,fine.I'll just go home and rest then."
Sakura got up and left.
'Baka Nara…he's always so worried about me.'
-He means well…and he's also your boyfriend,so I wouldn't insult him like that.-
'Right…'
Sakura made her way to her condo building when someone stopped her from behind.
"(gasp)What do you want?"
"Relax,it's only me."
Sakura turned around and saw who she didn't expect.It was…Temari.
"Temari!"
"I want to make this quick,so shut up and listen!"
Sakura nodded.
"Alright,I know that Sasuke-kun has loved me more ever since you dumped him…"
Inner Sakura: (asd)How does everyone know that I dumped him!
"So now,I,Temari,am holding a little competition thing to see if Sasuke-kun really likes me and not…you."
"Huh?How will this plan of yours work?"
"You and Sasuke will compete against each other in any kind of game or contest of choice,and whoever wins picks the person that they want to be with."
"I see…but what if I'm still with Shika-kun and Sasuke-kun picks me?"
Temari thought for a moment.
"Hm…then I'll have to go out with him."
Sakura thought this over in her head before accepting the challenge.
"Alright…I accept."
Temari smiled mischievously.
"Okay,it'll be held after the school dance and will consist of two rounds,got it?"
"Got it."
Temari walked away and Sakura started brooding again.
'The school dance is about…1 or 2 weeks from now…'
-So?You'll still beat Sasuke!-
'That's right!'
-But the question is…who will you pick?-