In all honesty, Hinata did not know how they went from eating in the conference room to resting in the staircase on the way to the rooftop. Of course the rooftop door was closed — it was never open anyway.

Hinata still hadn't finished her food, but the Uchiha finished his so she just pretended it was all empty and went on a trip with him.

"W-what are we d-doing here again?" Hinata asked, struggling to keep her words perfect as she was panting a little bit from the long walk. They were rather unfortunate since the elevator was not working — as always, actually. "I f-forgot."

Trying to remember, Hinata closed her eyes.

"I don't mind a little drift," the Uchiha told her.

"Drift?" she asked. "Fr-from what?"

"The usual," he paused. "I don't mind drifting from the usual."

"I don't mind, too." It was an honest statement, nothing more and nothing less. After all, Hinata did want some change in her every day life.

How the Uchiha managed to persuade her into going to the rooftop? She did not know. And honestly, Hinata had forgotten if there had been some persuasion.

Before, the Hyuuga told herself she would not want any spontaneity with the Uchiha. There had been too much happenings since they first met that could be considered as 'unpredictable.' Unpredictable indeed.

"Beats me," the Uchiha answered, shrugging and panting lightly.

The colars of his undershirt were wrinkled severely as if he clutched onto it several times, much like the blazer hanging on his shoulder. He leaned against the wall, the tie on his neck hanging loosely. As usual, his spiky hair was disheveled. Sweat dripped from his temples all the way to his chin.

While he stood there, Hinata sat on the floor just in front of the Uchiha. Her sweat was pretty much covering all of her face now. Some of her bangs were sticking to each other already due to the hot liquid coming out of her forehead. Sure, in her hand was her hankie but it did not help much.

It was too hot on where they were. There were no hanging fans and the windows were closed. At least the conference room was a little bit cold, even without turning the electronics on.

Yes, she was right when she thought that the weather can be pretty inconsistent during the season. If the morning brought coldness to her, the afternoon brought too much warm — she did not need it all.

Closing her eyes for a split second, Hinata took a deep breath. Opening her eyes, her light ones met his. He was closer now.

He kneeled on one knee and gave her a bottle of water.

"I haven't touched it," he said. "Drink."

"A-are you sure I can have it?" Hinata asked, not wanting to take the Uchiha's drink away from him. In return, he just nodded before going back to his place. She drank half of its contents, not realizing she was thirsty. "Thank you."

"A pleasure," Sasuke just told her in a whisper.

It was a gesture that may be uncommon for two people that are not friends, but it was nice.

After a while, none of them talked but it was fine. It did not really matter. But then, she just remembered she was still wearing her sweater.

Really, Hinata? she asked herself, almost slapping her forehead with the palm of her hands. Complete uniform under a sweater. . .no wonder why you're feeling so hot.

"C-can y-you turn around?" she asked him.

Uchiha Sasuke raised a brow and crossed his arms but did immediately as he was told. The next thing Hinata knew, he was already facing the wall. Fully knowing Sasuke would be facing the wall until she said so, Hinata still turned around to face her side of the wall and hastily removed the sweater she was wearing since morning.

Slowly, Hinata turned around. The basketball player was still facing the wall, but he was raising his chin in a teeter-totter motion — showing signs of visible boredom.

"You can turn around now," Hinata said, now finally feeling the small breeze from the broken glass window of the rooftop door. Feeling refreshed, Hinata looked around the small place. Then she admitted, "It's kinda comforting here. . ."

As she was putting the sweater in her shoulder, she found it funny how she imitated the way Sasuke hanged his blazer on his own shoulder.

"If it weren't this hot, I would've agreed," he voiced out nonchalantly, pulling Hinata away from her thoughts.

"You're the one who brought us here," she spoke without thinking. Her eyes went wide, and she swore, for a split second Sasuke's eyes did too. Still, Hinata did not take it back. "Your fault."

"Ha, I guess it is." There was a small chuckle mixed in with his statement, and brought a smile Hinata's face. "But you agreed."

"I did. . ." Hinata agreed. She put the sleeve of her blazer on her lips before giggling. It was nothing funny, but it felt that way. "Why d-did I agree?"

"Beats me," he said again. "Probably because you like me."

Hinata was taken aback. She looked at him, wide eyed, wondering where and how the Uchiha got his self confidence. . .how the Uchiha built his self esteem so high.

"Ar-are y-you p-perhaps pr-provok—"

"'Twas a joke," the boy stated, cutting her off. The Uchiha had a surprised look displayed on his features. "Calm your t—"

"S-s-s-stop, st-stop," she pleaded, covering her ears. "Y-you d-don't have to continue that."

Such inappropriate words, Hinata thought. Her cheeks heated

"I was gonna say 'Calm your thoughts,' emphasis on the *thoughts*," the Uchiha said blankly. "Were you thinking I'd say ti—"

"OnlythegodsknowwhatIwasthinking, shutupplease."

That was probably the fastest she had ever talked her whole life. She still had both of her hands covering her ears while she had her eyes shut closed.

Now she was embarrassed.

"Fine, fine, I won't," though quiet because she had her ears covered, Hinata still heard the Uchiha's assurance.

Once she removed her hands from her ears, Hinata refused to meet his eyes so she just stared at the floor — wondering what just happened earlier.

The awkward silence was maddening — well, at least for Hinata. Once she tried looking at the Uchiha, wondering what he's on about then. The boy had his hand massaging his temples. That was fine, but then, he was smirking. It only done more embarrassment to Hinata so she just looked down.

"Sorry for that," he said after a while, breaking the silence. "Didn't realize you were. . .not used to those kinds of terms."

"I-it's fine now," she admitted. Clearing her throat several times to avoid stuttering, she continued, "Just don't use a lot of indecorous words around me. . .please."

It was both a request and a plea. When she turned to look at him, he was neither smirking nor amused of the situation. Instead, it was an understanding look.

"Promise," was all he said.

It was enough assurance.

"My cousin will be mad," she reminded the basketball player as he lead her to the stairs. "We aren't really supposed to go there."

"Well, I don't see Hyuuga around," said the boy simply, even flashing mischievous smirk before heading towards the next set of staircase. Then he said in a whisper, "No one's supposed to go the rooftop."

"Th-that's the point," she told him.

"No, that's the point," Uchiha said.

A small amount of time had passed without Hinata fully noticing it. The boy in front of her barely looked at her and when he did, she would catch him. It reminded her of the first time they actually met. They did have a lot of moments like that.

"Come, it's almost time," said Sasuke, his hair now drenched in his own sweat.

The Uchiha lent out his hand. Hinata, unsure if it was meant to hold her hand, gave the bottle of water instead. The smirk that appeared on the Uchiha's lips did not come unnoticeable.

"I might have to cut a class," he told her on their way down. Several times, the Uchiha tried to reach out his hand, and Hinata was not sure if it was intentional or not. "I'm all sticky. Kakashi left me the key to the locker room. Tell me if you'd like to take a shower yourself."

The athletes had this advantage because they had their own shower, and locker rooms wherein they would shower after their breaks. Unfortunately, Hinata was not an athlete, so she figured it would be rude of her to accept the offer. Besides, that would be absurd.

"I am, too," Hinata replied, feeling her sweat all throughout her body. "B-but no, I don't think I'll cut class for this."

"You'll smell," Sasuke said, smirking, showing a small deep dimple. Hinata did not know if she would take it as a joke or not, but she giggled it off, even using the sleeve of her uniform to hide it. At this, he said, "Yeah, yeah, laugh your smell off."

"I w-wasn't even laughing," Hinata countered, feigning innocence with her lavender eyes.

"You're not good at controlling your emotions," the Uchiha commented, giving her a small glance before walking his way down the stairs. "That's fine."

"Not really," she said. "B-but it's an advantage. . .I think."

"A disadvantage if you ask me," the Uchiha said suddenly, giving her a small smirk before walking again. "Unless you'd like to elaborate, I'd still be thinking it's a disadvantage."

For a moment, she contemplated whether she would answer or not, but then it would not hurt to do so.

"W-well one thing," Hinata started, taking her time to make herself comfortable as they walk down the stairs to prevent herself from stuttering. "I'm most obvious when I'm worried, and when I'm worried, I s-stutter. P-people don't like me when I stutter, because I. . .uh. . .stutter. I like to believe I stutter wh-whenever I am nervous —"

"Anxious," the boy continued, cutting her off. "Go on."

"And then people would lose interest in me," she continued her statement. "Meaning, I- I can have much time to write."

The moment she stopped talking, they were already in front of her classroom door. The boy with her stopped walking and looked at his phone which was completely dead since the boy tried opening it several times, only to realize it was dead. Then his eyes met hers.

"If you put it that way, yes, it's an advantage," he continued their discussion while Hinata thought he was gonna let that go and tell her to go inside her class. "But having people to read you is a disadvantage."

Hinata's nose scrunched. Sasuke smirked at this.

"I think you're only saying this because you're one of those type of boys you w-would usually see in books. . ." she mumbled, her brows furrowed.

"I'd love to hear an explanation." The boy whistled. "Books. Ha."

"The I'm-a-mysterious-emotionless-boy plot. . ." she started, looking at him in a hesitant manner. Clearing her throat, she continued, "In books."

"Cliche writing," the boy commented, clicking his tongue. The raven-haired boy looked away before saying, "Yet no. Not one of those."

"Uhm. . .okay."

"Fuck, I can't be one of them," the Uchiha said, chuckling loudly before it died down. He leaned on the wall of her classroom and covered his mouth with his hand, still chuckling softly. "I shouldn't be."

And Hinata just stared as the boy chuckled softly. Seriously, what is going on inside of your mind?

Upon seeing something from behind Sasuke, Hinata's eyes widened.

Behind the Uchiha, just a few meters away, was Asuma-sensei who had an unlit cigarette in between his lips — the sight alone was actually prohibited, but the teacher gets away with it. The teacher had his eyes on his phone.

"S-Sasuke-san, I might need to go inside now," Hinata said, eyes still on the teacher who was just a few doors away from them now. "S-see you later."

"Hn." Sasuke looked at her, capturing her attention, and winked at her. "See— no — smell you later."

"G-gosh, enough with the smell jokes," Hinata whispered, putting the sleeves of her uniform to her lips. It was a third. "Thanks."

With that, Hinata immediately entered the room, leaving the Uchiha outside. She hurriedly went to her seat and settled herself. Thankfully, the room's air-conditioned, so she just patted herself dry with her hankie as fast as she could.

And then just like that, Asuma was inside their classroom. The cigarette in his lips earlier was now gone.

"Pop quiz!" he announced just before the students could greet him. It seemed like the whole room grunted. The teacher rolled his eyes and banged his hand on the table. "Yeah, yeah, complain all you want."

While everyone was complaining and mumbling, Hinata looked around her classmates, only to notice that some of them were actually looking at her. She brushed it off.

Truthfully, Hinata was never good with her classes aside from everything writing related. Thankfully, Asuma was that type of teacher who would rather read an essay than check an identification test. And essays are her forte.

When Asuma handed out the question, Hinata started answering it. In just a few minutes, she had already finished hers. Usually, her usual act would reread everything to make sure she had no mistakes, yet today she did not review her answer after she had finished. It was not like she was confident with her answer, the Hyuuga was just not in the mood to do so.

And so, she stared at the window.

I wonder why. . .

Her thoughts drifted to the Uchiha.

He was unreadable. Unreadable for Hinata's standards. At least she can read Neji. Well, Neji did have a variety of blank expression, as Hanabi would call them, there's the a.) *Neji is irritated blank face* b.) *Neji is happy blank face* c.) *Neji is disappointed blank face.*

Uchiha Sasuke did have several expressions. He would show them every once in a while. Granted the fact he had never smiled at her before, he still smirked and grinned which was nowhere near to a smile but that did not matter.

The Uchiha was unreadable. . .because Hinara could not decipher what he's on about.

One thing Hinata realized when it all came to her. . .was the fact that she was not nervous around the Uchiha earlier. She was not picky with her words and she just said what was on her mind. They have only had small interactions from when they first met, but it did feel like he was already someone she would not mind being with.

The universe might be on sync with her mind because the next thing she knew. . .

"Who is it?" asked Asuma-sensei, looking at the door. Their teacher walked over to the door and looked at the small opening. "Oh, you."

Hinata did not even notice that somebody knocked, she was far too lost in her thoughts. Maybe she would review her answer later just five minutes before the due time. The adrenaline would be better by then—

"Hyuuga Hinata," Asuma-sensei called, cutting her thoughts off. Eyes wide, she looked at the teacher in front of them. Using his thumb, the teacher pointed at the door. "Uchiha's calling you."

What?

The vibrations from the beat of her heart synced with the clock's movement displayed at the front. She could feel everyone's eyes as she slowly stood from her seat. It may be just from her imagination, but there might be someone looking at her with livid eyes — she could feel it in the back of her head.

The walk towards the door felt too long, even if it only measured a few heartbeats. The hesitation in her heart kept bubbling up to the surface. Her cheeks heated up and she knew to herself that she was as red as a tomato that very moment.

Uchiha was by the door, where everyone in the classroom could see him without any blind spots — just where she hoped he would not be in. He was not wearing his formal uniform anymore, instead a shirt from one of the school's activities which was still considered a uniform.

"Why?" she asked just as soon as she got out of the classroom, refusing to meet the Uchiha's eyes.

"Wear this," he said. Although it was a command, the tone he used was nowhere near authoritative. "You won't be breaking any rule, don't worry."

What?

Hinata hesitantly looked at whatever the Uchiha was holding. It was a neatly folded white shirt with Konoha Academy's logo on it. Hinata did not fail to notice the small sticker of their school mascot on it.

Neji-nii had one of these.

"W-why?" she asked, still refusing to meet his eyes.

"Because you're all sweaty," said the Uchiha blankly. He looked away just as soon as Hinata lent both of her hands to hold the folded shirt in his hand. "And you'll be going back to an air-conditioned room. It'll be bad for your health."

"I-is this your shirt?" she asked, her cheeks heating up more.

"I wouldn't lend you somebody else's," was all Sasuke said to make her look at him again with wide eyes. Now they met eyes. "There's a towelette there somewhere in between the folds, pat yourself dry. I take it your handkerchief is 70% sweat, 30% cotton and polymer."

It took her a few split seconds before she realized. Immediately, Hinata put her sleeve to her lips. Even with a blank expression, the Uchiha could still make jokes. At least he can, Neji could never.

"Also," the Uchiha said. He raised his fist and showed a band. "Tie your hair up."

"W-whose tie is that?" still stuttering because of how everything was going. "Not yours. . .I think."

"Definitely not mine." He removed the black band from his wrist and handed it to Hinata. She accepted it hesitantly and put it her wrist. "Found it by Hyuuga's locker — just dangling there."

"Nii-san's?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, Hyuuga's," answered Sasuke. Raising an eyebrow at Hinata, he said, "Don't be surprised, his hair is only a tad bit shorter than yours."

"True. . ." she agreed, nodding lightly. Well, her cousin did tie his hair up from time to time. "I need to go now. Thanks for. . ."

The pause was not meant to happen, yet Hinata got lost in her thoughts. She still had class inside — he did too but he did not attend one — Asuma-sensei must be waiting for her.

"Being th-thoughtful," she continued.

The whole world must have stopped for a while. The small sounds in her background suddenly silenced down. The boy in front of her showed just a hint of a smile which was barely noticeable.

It was also when she noticed that whenever she was with the Uchiha, everything around her faded away. The fact that she did not mind people seeing them together was already enough proof — she did not mind or she had forgotten. . .whichever works best.

That was when Hinata realized Uchiha Sasuke was not just any boy Neji asked to look after her. For some reasons, Hinata got the feeling he would do those things again even if Neji never told him anything.

"I'll wait for you later then."


That was a very bumpy ride, if Sasuke could only lower his ego to say so.

He stared at a small distance, just wondering if this day would go any crazier. If he loses his sanity, he would definitely blame it on the Hyuuga.

Never had he felt anything close to nervousness when it comes to girls, yet Hinata was a change of direction.

The morning was fine, his small unplanned-on-the-spot plans worked, even if it meant a lot of waiting and pretending to sleep — which was worth it, by the way.

And then they drank coffee together, something he told himself he would remember if he ever felt jittery in the near future since it was a calming memory.

Next, she gave him a shortcake — which he liked, very much. Most people assumed he hated sweets, he did not, he just preferred savory snacks. Random girls would give him sweets after games, even if he *did* eat sweets, he did not eat one of those treats the girls give him. Hinata, however, was not any random girl. Plus, she was genuine when she asked if he had any snacks with him.

His heart raced at that.

They ate together at lunch and hung out at the rooftop. Well, not by the rooftop which was a bummer, but close enough. The memory still irked him up to no end. It was a swerve of direction which actually helped him to go proceed on a much better plan.

Honestly, taking a shower and giving her his extra shirt felt like the most memorable segue he could ever make. That felt like a moment of the gods showering him blessings.

Blessings, huh? he asked himself. Now we gotta have a pop quiz with Asuma. Should've asked Hinata about it.

While everyone — including him — in his class groaned and complained about the pop quiz, Sasuke reviewed his notes. It won't matter later on, but for now, it did. After all, Asuma was the type who would rather read essays than let them answer an objectives type of quiz.

Once the topic was given, Sasuke started answering it. Essay, as always.

Asuma started walking around the room — something he did not normally do. Sasuke only raised his eyebrow once at the teacher to let the teacher know he was judging him, but after that, nothing more. He just focused on his work.

Just as when Asuma walked to his left, he could hear his teacher taking small breaths as if he was preparing to say something.

"Just spill it," whispered Sasuke, loud enough for the teacher and his seatmates to hear — but not loud enough to let everyone in the classroom hear. "You're gonna ask me anyway."

"Nothing, really," said Asuma-sensei in a rather loud way. "Your old man was just curious about something."

Sasuke shifted his position to meet his teacher's eye. He raised a brow at his teacher and rolled his eyes.

"You truly surprise me, Uchiha," said the teacher teasingly, louder. Sasuke was pretty sure the whole classroom could hear by now. "You turn multiple women down and pick a writer."

"And you didn't?" asked Sasuke, looking back at his essay.

"I did, my boy!" said Asuma, slapping his back in a friendly way. It was uncalled for. If Sasuke was some sensitive snowflake, he would have called the authorities right away. "You and I are not so different."

"That's unfortunate," muttered Sasuke, earning a laugh from the man. "Now let me answer this in peace."

"That, I'll do."

The teacher was acting weird. They were not anything close. If anything, Uchiha Sasuke hated being associated with the teachers. Having a known father inside the campus is enough.

That one time Kakashi tried to train him personally, gossip had erupted about him being the coach's favorite. It sucked so being close with a teacher is something Sasuke hated.

Asuma's class was Sasuke's last period, and Hinata's too.

Just as soon as the hand of the clock reached the roman numbers XII, Sasuke immediately left the room. He even heard Asuma calling him several times but he did not look back. Sasuke had the feeling the guy would only tease him with Hinata — which he would like somehow, mind you.

Briefly taking a peak at Hinata's class, he made sure not to be so noticeable. Though he did care about people judging him, it was not one of those times.

Times with Hinata were different. The background would turn into a blur and he'd stop noticing the small movements here and there. It was nothing unique, just unusual.

And then he met her eyes.

It may be due to the lack of past relationships, but it was Sasuke's first time to feel something like this. His heart started beating wildly in a way he had never felt before. The hair on the back of his neck rose.

I never knew how much I wanted to see her in my shirt until now.

There Hinata stood, at the middle of the hallway where she clutched onto multiple books — which looked like they would fall in just one swift movement. So Sasuke started walking over, just to help her with her books. As he walked, he watched her.

The girl was wearing his shirt, it was the one he had received for last year's sports fest and it fit her in the perfect way possible. The white shirt was not too big on her and was not fitted either. She had his shirt tucked on her skirt, embracing her small figure. It was perfect. She looked perfect.

Her hair was tied perfectly, not too high and not too low. The tendrils of the side of her hair framed her face perfectly, complimenting her beautiful round face.

Just as the bits of golden sunlight touched her skin, Sasuke almost stopped in his tracks.

Thankfully, before he did, she spoke.

"Hi," greeted Hinata.

That was the only time Sasuke realized he was, in fact, just a small space away from her.

"Hinata," Sasuke called her, unexpectedly and without thought.

"Sasuke-san?" she asked, looking at him through her long bangs. "Are you alright?"

Sasuke stared at her. He did not know how long, but he just stood there. It was when she dropped one of her books that he immediately spoke just before she went out to grab it.

"I'll do it," he told her, trying his best not to look at her as he kneeled. Picking up the books, he maintained his eyes on the ground. It would be too much for the girl to look at her straightforwardly. Once he's all set, Sasuke stood straight and realized Hinata and him were only a few inches away. He looked down at her books and said, "Give them to me."

"W-what?" asked Hinata, her voice startled.

Fuck. She must've gotten the wrong idea.

"Your books," Sasuke said, his groan trailing at the end. He was, after all, staring at the books by her chest. Not her chest.

"I- I'm s-sorry, I was just s-shocked," said Hinata, her stutters getting worse.

Jerk, Sasuke, Jerk.

It had been a long time since Sasuke realized she was only stuttering whenever she was nervous or uncomfortable, and even if he did like her broken words, he still did not want to make her uncomfortable.

"It's fine," he said, not wanting to make the situation worse. Word by word, Sasuke said, "Now, give your books to me."

"G-got it," said the Hyuuga, smiling lightly as she handed the books to him.

Though reluctant, Hinata still gave him her books. At least she did not object with giving him her books. It was not the first time Sasuke carried her things for her, but it still felt like the first time.

The Uchiha tried his best not to brush his hand at her skin, for he knew it would make things worse. While he did love teasing her before, it was way different now. He understood that Hinata was not someone he could kid around — which he did not normally do.

"I presume you're heading straight home," said Sasuke, still trying his best not to ask her any question.

"After I r-return those books to the library," said Hinata with her eyes on the books by Sasuke's hand, her small stutter being reasonable as Sasuke knew to himself she still felt a little bit awkward.

"I'll accompany you," said Sasuke. Before she could even talk, he spoke, "I'd charge my phone there. Your cousin will be mad if I don't answer his calls. My phone is dead."

It was not an entire lie, but it was still not his reason.

"Okay," said Hinata, her voice lightly cheerful.

On their way to the library, none of them talked. It was fine by Sasuke and he was too certain it was fine by Hinata, too.

Though people looked at them. A lot turned their heads when they saw them both walking. Sasuke wanted to make Hinata comfortable as much as possible, so he tried to walk a little further away from her as much as possible. But then, Hinata looked like she did not mind.

Strange, he thought.

As they walked more, he sort of had his head in the clouds as he kept on looking at his shirt which Hinata was wearing. It fit her perfectly, and it was not because of the size, but because it was his. The shirt was his, and she was wearing it.

He loved the look of Hinata wearing her shirt so much that it hurt.

"I'll just return these to the librarian," Hinata told him, putting her hands by the sides of the book.

"I'll take them with you."

He spoke without musing. But then, Sasuke already lost senses as he did not know that they were already in front of the library.

"What?" Hinata asked.

"I'll bring these books with you," Sasuke repeated, this time, a little bit louder with a small bit of insistence. "Your cousin would kill me if I didn't."

"You know. . ." Hinata started reluctantly. With the small distance, Sasuke could see the way she scratched her other leg with her shoes. "Neji-san. . .he- he can be dramatic at times, but not that dramatic."

Sasuke smirked at her.

"I guess so," he told her. "But I can be."

Wherever in hell he picked that from, Sasuke did not know. Whatever urged him to spoke out those words, he also did not know. How he got the audacity to tell her that, he did not know!

Uchiha Sasuke could feel his heart shaking, almost painfully as it rub against his rib in a way it has never done before. Suddenly, his scars hurt like they were wounded again.

"Fuck, that was so lame," whispered Sasuke. If he could slap his forehead, he would have. And he was sure his cheeks were reddening by now. He looked away, not wanting to meet her eyes before he said, "Ignore that. I'm not the same person I was three seconds ago."

But the girl just looked at him, not even batting an eyelash.

"It's fine," said Hinata, surprising him. "It's not that much of a big deal. . .I guess."

What happened that was a blur to Sasuke. He could only remember snapshots of his moments with Hinata.

Like that one moment Sasuke took a glance at her while she was looking for books — he was charging his phone by the charging station. A small tight smile was displayed in her features as she ran the tips of her fingers on the spines of the books. Her hums seemed loud because there were only a few students in the library, and the librarian did not seem to mind.

There was also a time when Hinata could not bring herself to reach out for one of the books by the tallest part of the shelf, even with her heeled shoes. Hinata looked at Sasuke as if she was asking for help. The way she looked at him only flustered Sasuke — never had he felt that way before. So he helped her, even if it meant that he needed to stretch his toes a little bit more.

When Hinata started walking down the aisles, he noticed how she would skip lightly — something she does not usually do during her walks by the hallways. The little skips she made created small *thumps* as her feet made contact with the wooden floor. Her dark hair even moved from side to side as she skipped.

It was adorable.

Hinata's adorable.


"I said. . .I'll walk you there," said the boy in front of her for the nth time. The dark-haired boy raised a brow and crossed his arms at her before saying, "Your cousin told me I needed to."

"I said I'll be okay," said Hinata, now frowning at the boy.

"I'd rather make sure."

They both stood in front of the main building of Konoha Academy, both had their arms crossed and their eyebrows furrowed at each other. While Hinata was sure she had a stubborn expression, the Uchiha looked adamant about his decisions.

"This won't end well. . ." Hinata whispered but made sure he heard her. "So just give up."

"You give up," said Sasuke, standing straighter, moving his head away from her.

"You don't have to accompany me," Hinata said calmly. "You've done enough for today."

The Uchiha clicked his tongue and looked around while Hinata redid her hair.

"People are starting to look at us," said Sasuke simply.

"Fine," she muttered out, furrowing her eyebrows at him even more. "You win, but when N-Neji-nii comes back and thinks th-that you're being too much, it's not my fault."

Firstly, Hinata did not agree because she was scared of everyone's judgment, but because she recalled that one time she asked the Uchiha if he cares about what people think about him — which he answered with a 'yes.' And frankly, Hinata did not want to be the type who would make other people uncomfortable.

Next, Hinata was pretty sure Neji would be enraged once he found out about this.

"I might just call him now," said Sasuke, shrugging his shoulders.

Not wanting to listen to the Uchiha, Hinata started walking away. It was unusual for her to be rude but she was starting to think they could not make it to the parking lot if they keep on exchanging arguments.

"Here," the Uchiha said. She could feel him walking towards her. He handed her the phone. Before she could take it, Hinata looked at him, only to see the guy smirking. "It's your cousin."

"Hello," Hinata said without taking the phone from Sasuke's hand. Instead, she just put it on loud speaker — so that both her and Sasuke could hear Neji. "Neji-nii?"

"Hinata-chan?" called Neji from the other line. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing," she replied, looking at Sasuke eye to eye who only raised a brow at her. "It's just because *Uchiha-san* decided it would be best if he walks me to the car."

"But wouldn't that be best for you?" asked Neji. At this, Hinata's eyes snapped back to the Uchiha who was now smirking. "Don't be stubborn, Hinata-chan. It's getting late there. Tell Uchiha to walk you faster."

"Wh—"

"Will do," said Sasuke who suddenly pulled the phone away from Hinata, cutting her off. "I'll tell you when we get there."

As expected, the Uchiha ended the call without bidding farewell.

Hinata stared at him, frowning lightly. From the very beginning, Hinata understood the Uchiha was not nice, but this made her upset.

"You're rude," mumbled Hinata underneath her breath.

"And you're stubborn," countered Sasuke. It was dark but she saw that eye roll he gave her. He extended his hand for her to reach. "Now come."

"Fine," Hinata said silently, taking his arm for her to hold. He felt her stiffen, but maybe it was just her brain tricking her.

Indeed, it was getting late. The sun had already set and the moon was already visible.

As they walked, Hinata looked down to avoid seeing faces in the dark. The school lights were still on, sure, but it would be embarrassing if she faints out of fright.

Just as they reached the parking lot, Hinata felt herself relax. The night was cold and she had her sweater inside her bag. But then, she was just a few steps away from a ride to her house.

"I don't know where your car is, if I were you, I'd point it by now," said the Uchiha, cutting her thoughts away.

Hinata's brow knitted. He had a weird way of looking for answers, indeed.

Remembering the Uchiha's requests, Hinata briefly looked around before she spotted their white colored car, just a few steps away from the farthest lamppost.

"It's by the end of the lot, the white car," she said. "So. . .you can drop it off now. I'll be fine."

"Unfortunately, I can't do that," the Uchiha muttered. "I'll have to walk you there."

Hinata faced him. He faced her.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'll be fine," she told him, voice louder than usual. "It's just a few steps away."

"In case you haven't noticed," started the Uchiha, imitating the way she spoke her first phrase. "It's dark here and your white car is at least a hundred and eighty feet away. It's a size of two basketball courts. I would know, I'm a player."

Yes, you are, Hinata wanted to say.

"Look. . ." Sasuke started, his voice softer. He tilted his head before looking at her again. "You're not stubborn."

"What?" she asked, taken aback.

"I said, it's okay, I understand why you're feeling that way," he told her. There was sincerity even if his voice was blank. "I didn't mean to make you mad."

It was his way of apologizing, Hinata figured it out before she could even think of a reply. Honestly, the girl thought the Uchiha was being too unexpected for her own good. She never liked spontaneity, but Uchiha Sasuke could define the word in a sense she had never thought of before.

Hinata thought about it, considering the points.

"I'm sorry, too," she said. "I think it's fine now."

"Yeah, I guess it is," the Uchiha spoke.

And then, there, they walked.

The walk was surprisingly slow, considering the fact that the Uchiha was a fast walker and that his one step is probably equivalent to Hinata's three small steps. Thankfully, Hinata did not have to hold his arm anymore. The lot was bright enough because of the lampposts and of the moon so Hinata just shook all the scary thoughts away.

"I'll return your container tomorrow," Sasuke told her midway. "It'll be washed by then."

"Oh, right, the shortcake," mumbled Hinata. And then she spoke, "Okay then. . .I guess I'll return you your shirt by tomorrow, too. With the towelette."

"No need to rush," said the boy, shrugging lightly. "You can return it anytime."

Uchiha Sasuke was actually thoughtful, and that was a nice thought. The boy was truly the embodiment of the word 'spontaneous.' It was something she feared, but right now, it did not seem daunting.

"Thanks," she mumbled. "And uh. . .you can return the container anytime, too."

That was a little bit childish, she thought. A shirt and a towelette comparing to a container is a lot of work. She could almost close her eyes out of embarrassment, but for her own sake, she chose to shrug it all off.

"I'll take that offer," said the Uchiha, calming her nerves down.

It was funny how earlier, the Uchiha showed a side of him that was rather surprising. His statement sounded funny, too. Someday, she might use it.

I'm not the same person I was three seconds ago.

And now, Hinata met eyes with Ko who stood by the car. He was smiling at her but immediately dropped the smile as soon as he saw Sasuke.

At this, Hinata moved faster. So did the Uchiha. She was not irritated or anything, just a little bit terrified. The news her father might catch could be exaggerated, and she was genuinely horrified with how she would handle the situation when the time comes.

"Is this man bothering you?" asked Ko, looking at Sasuke in an intimidating manner.

"N-no, not at all," replied Hinata, frantic as she did not want to make the situation worse. The Uchiha can be a bit of a handful. "He's the fr- *friend* Neji-nii asked to look after me."

"Greetings, Hyuuga-san," said the Uchiha, bowing lightly. This shocked Hinata but she pretended like it didn't. But then, she saw how Ko's features softened in just a split second. "I just made sure she would go home safe. Please be assured that I meant no harm."

Hinata could still remember the way Sasuke mocked Neji's voice when they first met. The Uchiha even asked if there was anyone who spoke the way Neji did. . .and now, he was speaking in such a manner.

"Ah, then thank you. . ." Ko trailed off.

"Uchiha," said Sasuke. At this, Hinata saw how Ko straightened up. "Uchiha Sasuke. It is nice to meet you, Hyuuga-san."

"Uchiha. . ." muttered Ko, voice draped with disbelief and amazement. The older man bowed down and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, too."

"The pleasure is mine," said Sasuke.

It was a little bit strange to see how the Uchiha shifted the way he spoke. He was multiple colors in one, indeed.

"Then I thank you for making sure Hinata is safe," said Ko gratefully. "I think it is only right if I insist to drive you home. That is, if you do not have a ride on your own."

Hinata's eyes widened. It was not because she was complaining with Ko driving the Uchiha, but it was because she had been with the Uchiha the whole day, literally — Hinata wished she was hyperbolizing.

"I would have to take that down, I apologize. I love to walk at night."

The Uchiha was using such formal language that almost made Hinata dizzy. Sure, they use such language at home but hearing it from the Uchiha made it so foreign to her ears.

"Oh please, I owe you one," said Ko, still insisting.

Deep inside, Hinata knew that it was because Ko was a fan of Uchiha Sasuke's father. But in their district, who isn't?

"Then I guess it can't be helped," Sasuke said, giving a soft bow.

"It's settled."

It all seemed so fast to Hinata. The last moment she remembered was staring at Sasuke before he winked at her, and now, they were inside the car with the Uchiha on the passenger seat and her on the back.

"So you live just a few minutes away from the Hyuuga residences," started Ko, making Hinata raise an eyebrow at the man. "See? It's only fitting you ride with us."

"I guess so," the Uchiha said in a light tone. "I hope I'm not being a nuisance."

"Nonsense, nonsense. It's fine," assured Ko. "Besides, Hinata would have done the same. I just know."

"Is that so, Hyuuga-san?" Sasuke asked Ko, giving her a look from the rearview mirror — teasing her, probably. "That's really nice of you."

"Oh, it's nothing," Ko said dismissively.

The men conversed while Hinata stared at the shadow of the Uchiha. They mainly talked about basketball and how Konoha Academy was back in the day. Of course, Uchiha Fugaku was mentioned several times — Hinata did not miss the way Sasuke brushed the topic off.

It was still a surprise to her that a lot of things occurred in one single day — and she was just with one person. She could not believe that a lot could happen in just one day. She was tired, she barely had any sleep last night. Even if she had slept this morning, it was not the same. Her bones felt overused and her body was heavy.

When the car stopped, Hinata looked around.

"Thanks for the ride, Hyuuga-san," said Sasuke, now less formal with the way he spoke. "I appreciate it."

"Anytime," said Ko. "If you need a lift, just go with Hinata or Neji."

"Thanks for the offer," said Sasuke before closing the door. He looked at her again, but Hinata knew he could not see anything because of the tinted windows and gave a fast wink.

Hinata did not mind it.

"Good kid," said Ko just as soon as he started driving again, making Hinata jump. "That Uchiha kid. He's good."

The rest of the night, like the usual, none of them talked. Hinata knew that Ko was probably still high on the clouds after the talk with the Uchiha, so she did not bother asking him to turn the radio on or anything. She just let him be.

The next thing Hinata knew, they were already at the gates. When Ko parked, Hinata took a deep breath.

She was just too tired.

She walked out of the car and hugged her bag to herself.

"By the way, Hinata. . ." Ko called, surprising Hinata as Ko was not the type to start a conversation with her — the fact that he spoke to Sasuke earlier was already a surprise. "That's not your shirt by any chance, yes?"

Hinata's eyebrows rose.

"Uhm, n-no, no, this isn't mine," she answered once she faced him again, looking at the shirt.

"Figures," the man said. "You wouldn't print Uchiha on any of your shirts."

What?

That was when Hinata realized she had been wearing Sasuke's shirt all afternoon. . .with his family's name printed at the back. And the people in Konoha Academy saw it all.

She rarely cursed but. . .

"Darn this."