Author's Note: I'm so sorry for this super late update. It's been like a month since my last. Sumimasen! -- It's just that I really got busy over the holidays and was too preoccupied with my studies. I also had a case of writer's block… I'm really sorry… Anyway, here's Chapter 3 of Home Sweet Home. I really made that long and with fluffs for all of you. So, enjoy! Please don't forget to leave a review. Thank you!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Besides, if I own Naruto, then, I'll make Sasuke treat Sakura better.
Summary: They were childhood lovers separated by inevitable decision. After nine years, Fate brought them together again but got the wrong first impressions from each other. What's more is that they have to live in only one house… ALONE. Will love bloom again? Or is it the other way around?… In the end, will they ever say HOME SWEET HOME? Find out!
Pairings: mainlySasukeSakura… others include NarutoHinata, ShikamaruIno, and NejiTenten
Recap of the Previous Chapter
"You see, your father wants me to go to America right now and help him with something. He said that it was important so, I have to leave right now… I have to leave you two here… alone." she said while looking at their expressions.
"WHAT!" They both yelled so loud that Mikoto had to cover her ears.
'I'm going to stay here with Sasuke… alone! My golly! And I even thought that living here will be bliss. But now, it looks like it will be hell.'
'I'm going to live here with Sakura… alone! Is my Mom kidding me? It's too bad enough that she'll stay here and now, we'll be left alone!'
Their inner selves were now crying. Both had the same thoughts filling their heads.
'What a cruel world I have.'
' normal thinking'
'Inner selves in action'
Since the day the young Uchiha made his first step and offered his handkerchief to his grieving pink-haired classmate, they instantly became connected to each other. They couldn't be separated anymore. They were no longer strangers who were once satisfied of just knowing each other's names, without even bothering to play or talk to each other. They were now best of friends… even closer than the rest.
An evidence that they were now having an intimate friendship with each other was the verity that they always walk to school together. It seems that the young raven-haired boy was always waiting for his friend at his favorite spot, then, would walk to school together. He started doing this when he learned that she passes this place before going to their school. He was at first surprised when he did this austere act of friendliness towards her. The reason why he did this was unknown to him. But, it turned out that he was just denying it. He was actually forlorn and alone despite of all of his "admirers". He was in great need for a friend just like her… and a friend they found in each other's being… This simple act of his was his way of expressing his gratitude towards her… and since that day on, they felt that they're no longer alone…
The young Uchiha was walked earnestly towards the park. Since, he was early, he decided to slow down his pace and enjoy the wonderful feeling his surroundings was giving him. He enjoyed every moments of his walk starting from the refreshing air that was currently brushing his hair, the euphonious music from the humming birds, the swaying of the branches of the trees in attuned to the wind, and lastly the Sakura petals dancing in the breeze.
He could now see the full blooming Cherry Blossom tree up ahead and wait… there's a girl! Her one hand was currently clutching the strap of her backpack and her free hand was waving enthusiastically towards him. It seems that she was grinning and emitting a very cheery demeanor than usual on a closer examination. But she was no ordinary girl… glistening pink hair, cheerful persona, and emerald orbs. These traits belong to only one girl…
"Sakura…?" he mumbled softly.
When he realized that she was in fact Sakura, he was surprised to find her earlier than him. It was because he always arrived there first and was always doing the waiting. This was the first time that she beat him into it. Nevertheless, he was glad and smiled inwardly. At that moment, he quickened his pace towards her.
Seeing that her friend was coming closer, she dropped her hands to her side and greeted him.
"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" she chirped, at the same time, flashing one of her brilliant smiles.
"Hn." he replied while smirking at her.
"So, why are you early?" he asked out of curiosity. His eyebrows raised in a questioning way.
He, then, looked at her and noticed that there's something different about her today. He couldn't quite figure what it was. All he was sure was that it wasn't her hair being styled in a braid that's peculiar. Definitely not because he had seen her like that a myriad of times. So what was it then?
'Hmm…' he thought but was disrupted when she said her riposte.
"No reason." she giggled while looking at him. "Let's go."
At that, he finally realized what's different about her today. She was very cheerful today and very hyper too. It's not that she wasn't cheery at all. In fact, she's hyper everyday. But, today, her cheeriness was too much.
Because he was very interested as to what was the reason for this, he decided to question her about it.
"You seem so happy today, Sakura. May I know why?" he inquired while glancing at her direction.
He, then, noticed that she was a bit taken aback with the question and blushed instead. After that, she kept on twiddling with her fingers and bowed her head in embarrassment. She was debating with her inner self if she should tell him about her encounter with Aki, her current crush at the moment.
'Should I tell him about that?'
'I don't see any reason why you wouldn't. Why are you even hesitating?'
'… I don't know… I'm a little bit embarrassed.' she trailed off.
'Why would you? Besides, he's your best friend, right? He ought to know that.'
'Yeah… you're right.' With that said, she blushed again and fiddled with her fingers some more before she began speaking.
"Uhmm… you see… I left our house early today and began running towards here. When, I'm almost there, I suddenly tripped and hurt my knee…" she said while unconsciously touching her slightly injured knee.
Sasuke saw that and looked at her with worried expression. "Are you okay now? … Why didn't you tell me about it earlier? Do you want me to give you a piggyback ride?"
"N-no. I'm okay now, Sasuke-kun. Thanks anyway. Besides…" she blushed again and continued her explanation.
"…Aki-kun helped me… that's why I'm so happy today." she smiled and was now blushing madly.
He frowned and looked down after hearing that. Then, he clenched his hands unconsciously and grew furious for some unknown reasons. This feeling was no doubt new to him. He never felt so enraged before. Besides, shouldn't he be happy and thankful that someone was there to help his best friend? Why would he be angry at him? Was it because he wasn't there to help her? Was it also because she had a crush on Aki for a long time now and that he felt jealous of him?
Maybe.
But, an Uchiha never gets jealous. It should be the contrary instead. Kids, like him, should be the one envious not him.
He was so deep in thought now. He kept on clenching and unclenching his hands. He wanted badly to shove those thoughts away but he couldn't. His mind was not following his will until…
"Do you think he'll like me too?" she said while looking at him with a hopeful expression visible in her jade eyes.
He stopped on his tracks. She, too, stopped walking and looked at him, waiting for his reply.
That question really caught him off guard. He wasn't expecting her to ask that. Why the hell would she ask that silly question, anyway? Of course, he'll like her. Who wouldn't? She's nice, friendly, lovable, intelligent and cute too. Right?
'… That's the reason why I like her…' he thought.
Sensing the need to reply to her question, he opened his mouth and began talking. But, instead of saying his thoughts and some encouraging words, he told the opposite.
"No. Why would he like you? I mean… you're annoying, naïve, and very emotional. You always cry for such small things. Besides, you have a large forehead and ugly eyes…" he retorted haughtily while staring at her.
It was now her turn to be flabbergasted. She didn't expect him to say these things to her because she thought he was different among her other friends who were actually picking on her behind her back. She thought he was nice and understanding. She thought that he would encourage her but he didn't… She thought he was her best friend… She thought that he was her Sasuke-kun.
She only did what she was capable of doing now – to cry. Besides, that was what she's good at, right?
Her head hanged low. Her hands were now trembling and clutching the straps of her backpack. Soon, she was sobbing and tears were flowing freely from her eyes. Her hands instantly wiped those tears away but to no avail.
Seeing this made the young Uchiha feel guilty. There was a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. His hands became cold. Most importantly, his heart ached at the sight. He really hated seeing girls cry, most especially, if that was her. She was very important to him. She was his best friend. But what made him hated himself was the fact that he was the one who made her cry.
Doing the best thing he could and must do, he walked towards her and brushed her tears away. He, then, began saying some comforting words to her. But then, she only continued crying even more. She started to hiccup.
"Hey, don't cry. You know I hate seeing girls cry… It makes me wanna cry too." at that said, he started to shed his own tears, too. He bowed down refusing her to see his tears.
Sakura was surprised to see him crying. He never cried before. She was the one who was always crying and not him. Besides, her other friends told him that boys don't cry. But she didn't completely believe them for her mother said that everyone cries. Boys also cry. In fact, the sight in front of her was a testimony.
"…I'm sorry… I di-didn't mean all the things that I s-said earlier… I d-don't even know why I said those things about you… They're all lies, o-okay?" he said while finally looking at her.
He saw that she wasn't crying anymore. In fact, a genuine smile was plastered on her cute face right now. She was smiling towards him and he knew that it wasn't because he looked funny or something. Now, it was her turn to brush his tears away. After a few more seconds, she was satisfied with her job and began smiling again. She was now back to her cheerful demeanor.
"Apology accepted, Sasuke-kun." she said while grinning. "Let's forget all that happened today, okay?"
He nodded simply.
"Let's go." he said as he took her hand and began gaining his pace. She didn't object. In fact, she was glad that he did this. This was the first time that they walk to their school hand in hand.
"Sasuke-kun…?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for apologizing to me… I know that you never did this to anyone that's why I'm so happy and thankful right now…" She smiled inwardly.
He only replied by tightening his hold on her hand firmly but gently nonetheless.
"… and also… Sasuke-kun… You really look kawaii when you cried a while ago." she said while grinning at him.
His cheeks grew hot from that compliment. He blushed and decided to avoid her gaze by looking to his right. An embarrassed frown plastered upon his adorable face.
She giggled at his reaction and enjoyed every moment of their walk towards their school.
Who would have thought that walking to school was actually this fun? They should do this everyday. They both thought.
Home Sweet Home
by Celestartial Blossoms
Chapter 3: Too Many First Times
Pitter Patter Pitter
The whole city of Konoha woke up in a light drizzle. This light rain seemed to wash away those unpleasant matters of yesterday. It also managed to bring freshness and cleanliness to the tainted city. It ensued life to the growing floras leaving them with tiny crystalline raindrops perched upon their leaves. As the moment gradually passed by, the sun was now preparing to peek out in the murky horizon and spread illumination to the entire place. Its rise would definitely signal the end of the sounding rain and the start of a new day…
Kkkrrrriiiinnnggg
Sakura woke up at the sound of her alarm clock. She turned to her left side and pressed its button to turn it off. Then, she stood up, wore her slippers and began stretching her arms. Her shirt slightly went up and exposed her flat stomach. After a few more minutes, she decided to go down and prepare their breakfast and lunch. She remembered that today was her turn to do the cooking.
More importantly, today was also the day that she was going to study at her former school, Konoha University.
As she made her way towards the kitchen, she couldn't help but smile as the events of last night once again occupied her thoughts.
FLASHBACK
It was now eleven in the evening but she still couldn't sleep. She already tried plenty of things that could put her in a deep slumber like singing a lullaby for herself, counting lambs, reading non fictional books that normally put someone to sleep (according to her friend's experience), and the list goes on. The only thing that she could think of was to hit herself on the head or bang herself on the wall. In that way, she could finally have the sleep she wanted. However, those things seem very perilous. It might even give her an amnesia which she didn't like at the moment. Besides, she wouldn't go that far.
Once again, she tried to close her eyes and hoped that the Sand man would pass her bedroom tonight and sprinkle dusts in her eyes. After a few minutes, she opened them again and sat up on her bed. She became irritated but then decided that a nice walk in the house would do her some good. She got up and wore her slippers. She walked towards her door and opened it quietly to prevent a certain someone from waking up. She strolled down the stairs and walked towards the kitchen to drink some milk. Surprisingly, the kitchen lights were open so she concluded that there's someone there. When she walked there, she didn't see anyone at all.
'That's weird.' she thought. A slight chill ran down her spine. She was now getting scared.
'I'm sure we closed all the lights before going up earlier and…' she kept on pondering until her train of thoughts was cut off when she sensed that someone was behind her.
She was right.
There's really someone behind her.
She turned around slowly and prepared herself for what she might see. There in the shadow was a silhouette of man who was walking out of his hiding. Her heart was now beating so fast. She shivered and stepped backwards. Then, her eyes fluttered shut until…
"What are you doing here?"
She recognized that voice. She knew it all too well… that masculine and baritone kind of voice that would send any girl swooning all over him.
She opened her eyes and regained her composure. There, in front of her, was the one and only… the mighty Uchiha Sasuke, for some that is… but to her, he was just Sasuke.
"… Y-you scared me you know. Anyway, what are you doing there in the dark?" she asked.
"I asked you first." he responded monotonously while walking towards the refrigerator. He opened it and took some milk.
"… I can't sleep that's why I went here." She said while taking a seat on a chair near the kitchen counter.
He nodded as a response that he understood. He took two glasses and went to her, seating at her side. He filled a glass with milk and handed it to her. She gladly accepted it and mouthed a 'thank you' to him. He also filled his glass with milk and began drinking. She, too, began drinking and emptying her glass.
After they're both done, no one bothered to make a conversation. Silence overtook them both, each enjoying the peace that there was in silence. They could only hear now the sound of the night crickets and their breaths.
After a few more moments, Sakura began hating the eerie silence. She decided to spark some conversation with the Uchiha. However, when she was about to speak, he cut her off by saying…
"Tomorrow will be your first day of school. Don't tell anyone at school that you're living here most especially the fact that we're living here alone, okay?" he said clearly.
She looked at him with a slightly confused expression. He noticed this so he began explaining her his reasons.
"I'm just saving you from those girls running lunatic at school." With that said, he stood up and went directly upstairs leaving a more confused Sakura.
END OF FLASHBACK
She was really touched by his words although up to now, she was still baffled by them. But she knew that she would understand them soon enough when they get to school. Nevertheless, she smiled because last night was the first time when he was actually good to her. Maybe, he was not an arrogant jerk after all… Just maybe, they would be friends again.
What was she thinking?
She really took some precious time of hers just by daydreaming. She forgot that she still needed to do something. Right now, she really needs to prepare their meals and get ready to go to school.
After an hour…
Sakura had finished cooking their meals and filled their bento box with scrumptious foods. Immediately after that, she went upstairs, headed to her room, and got her towels. She went directly to the bathroom next to her room. Then, she undressed her pajamas and took her shower.
When Sakura was done, she closed the shower and dried herself with a towel. She encircled the towel around her petite body and stepped out of the shower while still drying her hair with another towel.
Meanwhile…
It was now six thirty and Sasuke really needed to get up now. He doesn't want to be late. He really needed to go to school early because he was always mobbed by his rabid fan girls. The thought of them swooning and drooling all over him made him want to vomit.
He got up languidly, took off his shirt and got a blue towel with the Uchiha symbol. He walked towards his bedroom door while yawning and opened it. Then, he disheveled his hair. He was definitely not a morning person.
He went straight to the next room to his left (which was the bathroom) still refusing to open his eyes. Because his mind wasn't working at the moment, he failed to notice the steam ensued by the shower that was coming out of the door indicating that someone was inside. Thinking that he was living alone in his abode, he still continued to open the door.
The moment he opened the door and walked in, time seemed to slow down and there he saw the greatest shock of his life.
Sakura was there.
The moment he saw her, he began feeling numb and paralyzed. He couldn't move and turn around or even leave the room. He just blushed fervently and gazed at her from head to toe. This was definitely his first time to see an almost naked body of a lady in front of him. This was his first time seeing a girl with only a towel surrounding her body… This was without a doubt his first time in actually looking at her right after she got here.
From his observation of her, she definitely blossomed into a beautiful flower over the years. She wasn't skinny anymore. Now, she has perfect curves that go in the right sides of her gorgeous body. She has a flat stomach and slender legs. Her complexion was white, smooth and porcelain. Her hair was glistening because of the water that was dripping down. Her skin, too, was glistening. And then, she has her jade eyes which holds pure innocence and could catch any boy's attention. She also has her long curly eyelashes and the list goes on. All in all, she was a beautiful sight to see… especially in his eyes.
What was he thinking?
He tried so hard to stop gazing at her and leave the stupid bathroom while he wasn't caught yet. But his efforts were in vain. He was glued to the floor, although, that wasn't the worst part yet. The worst was the verity that he couldn't stop these perverted thoughts filling his mind right now. And seeing her lean over slightly and expose a little of her cleavage doesn't help either.
'Damn hormones!' he thought.
Sakura finally sensed that someone was looking at her. She scrutinized her surroundings and, at that moment, time seemed to slow down for her. She saw the greatest shock of her life… she saw none other than Uchiha Sasuke gawking at her…
"Aaaahhhhhhhh!" she screamed at the same time blushing a deep hue of red.
"What the hell are you doing HERE?" she shrieked, emphasizing the word here.
He was brought back to reality instantly when she screamed. Then, there was her question that brought him speechless and tongue-tied.
"I SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" she repeated. Veins were popping out of her head because her patience was running out. She was tapping her right foot while crossing her arms and bringing it closer to her chest. Then, finally he spoke…
"… W-well, YOU were the one who didn't lock the bathroom door." he retorted stressing the word didn't.
Seeing that he was in deed correct, she just did what she thought was the right thing to do at the moment… she yelled saying…
"GET OUT NOW!" she hissed…and that's exactly what he did.
In Sasuke's room…
He was sitting on his bed panting really hard. The tension a while ago was too hard for him to handle. Up to now, he was still sweating and blushing vehemently upon seeing her like that. He knew that he really have to get those thoughts away as soon as possible. He didn't want to end up just like his perverted silver-haired sensei.
'No way…' he thought miserably.
He laid his body on the bed while using his both hands as his pillow. He was staring at the ceiling and her image a while ago flashed again in his mind. Then, he sighed dismissing that picture away. He really needs to take a cold shower now. Luckily, he heard the bathroom door open and close again with a thud. He concluded that she's finally done and he could go in now without some distractions.
He took his towel again and opened his door. He inspected the hallway first before stepping out and walked towards the bathroom. He opened it gently and went inside.
After few minutes…
Sasuke was now done taking his cold shower and was now clad in his school uniform consisting of black leather shoes and white socks, dark blue pants, white polo shirt (which he didn't tuck in and buttoned properly since the first two buttons weren't buttoned), his tie that held the school's emblem in the center, and lastly his ID which he kept in his pockets. He was holding both his school bag and jacket for the final touch before going downstairs to meet Sakura.
He saw her eating her breakfast in the dinner table irately. She was now clad in her school uniform consisting of a black leather shoes, knee high socks, short dark blue skirt, white blouse, a neck tie which also holds the school's emblem, and lastly, her jacket which holds the school's emblem at the right side. He could see that her face was with a frown. Her eyes held fury in them. And those could only mean one thing… she's still mad at him.
Perceiving that someone was staring at her again, she lost her appetite and got up. She glared at him with daggers in her eyes. She walked towards the kitchen bringing her plate, and began washing them. Meanwhile, Sasuke walked over the kitchen, grabbed a plate, sat down and began eating at the same time glancing at her from time to time.
When she was done, she left the kitchen and walked towards the dining room getting her bag. She was about to leave the room when she spoke…
"I'm going to leave now." she said in a still livid voice. Then she walked towards the hallway and straight to the main door definitely leaving him behind. Good thing that she still remembered how to get to her former school.
Sasuke heard the door closed in a thud and could only sigh. He ate his breakfast in a rush for he didn't want to be late for his class. Soon, he too began leaving the Uchiha manor and made sure that it was locked.
Meanwhile…
The Cherry Blossom was now at the gate of her former school. She stared at the huge building and sighed. Though she remembered how to get there, she forgot the location of the places inside. Right now, she needed to go to the Principal's office for a short briefing and to get her schedule. Then, she smiled and thanked God that her prayers were answered for she saw a girl with a midnight blue hair who was about to go inside. She walked up to her and caught her attention.
"Y-yes?" the girl asked timidly.
"… Uhmm, Hi! I'm just going to ask for directions… You see, I really need to go to the Principal's office. Could you tell me where it is?" Sakura said in a hesitant voice.
"Of c-course… Y-you must be new h-here. I'm Hinata." she stuttered while offering her hand for a handshake.
Sakura gladly accepted it and smiled. "Thank you… Yes, I'm a new student. I'm Sakura. Nice to meet you."
They went inside the hallways and immediately saw two girls walking up to them. The other one has a long blond hair tied in a ponytail while the other has a brunette hair styled in two buns.
"Hi, girls!" Hinata greeted them while halting.
"Hi, Hinata!" both the girls greeted back.
"Who is she?" the one with a blonde hair asked as she eyed the pink-haired girl.
"Uhmm… this is Sakura. She's just new here and I'm accompanying her to the Principal's office."
"Hi! I'm Sakura." she introduced herself warmly.
"Hi, I'm Tenten and this is Ino." the brunette-haired girl said while smiling.
"Hello, Sakura." Ino greeted back.
"We'll also accompany you there."
Tenten nodded her head as Sakura mouthed a thank you to them both. Together, they walked down the hallway towards the Principal's office.
As they were walking, they passed lots of students who were busily chatting with each other but then stopped their conversation when they saw the new girl. The boys also stopped whatever they're doing and looked at her with hearts in their eyes. Some of them were even whistling, drooling, and saying words such as 'hot', 'gorgeous' and the list goes on.
Tenten whispered to Ino and said "Looks like Sakura here is a boy magnet."
"Yes, you're right." she replied while grinning as she eyed the pink-haired girl who was currently blushing a little.
After some time, they reached the Principal's office and left Sakura there because she insisted that she'll be fine and will not get lost. Actually, she lied but who cares. Anyway, she knocked the door and got in after she heard that she could come in now. She found the principal sitting there and was looking at her directly.
"You must be Sakura." the Principal said as she stood up and gave the girl one of her brilliant smiles.
"Yes, Ma'm." she too smiled.
"By the way, I'm Tsunade. I'm the principal. Let me give you some briefings now…"
Meanwhile…
Sasuke finally arrived at the gate of his school. He could now see the faces of his rabid fan girls holding banners, notebooks and ballpens for an autograph, cameras, and… flowers? Well, girls at their school were way different than the rest. Next thing he knew was that he was surrounded by almost half the girl population there. He tried to ignore them and walked coolly towards the building, definitely ignoring their squealing voices and then…
"SASUKE-KUN, BE MY BOYFRIEND!"
"NO! PICK ME! PICK ME!"
"MARRY ME, SASUKE-KUN!"
"HAVE A DATE WITH ME, SASUKE-KUN"
"DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, SASUKE-KUN! I'M THE GIRL FOR YOU."
It's a good thing that he reached his classroom in no time. When he entered the room, he saw a group of boys crowding around a certain part of their room talking with heart-shaped eyes. Some of them were smirking and making bets. He was surprised when he saw his so-called friend, the loud-mouthed boy with a very hyper attitude, amongst the crowd. Then, he went to his seat and sat down. He instantly brought his two hands under his chin (his thinking pose) while ignoring everyone until his so-called friend walked up to him and sat at his desk.
"Hey, Sasuke-teme! Have you heard the rumors?" the hyper boy with cerulean eyes said.
"Why would I be interested with some rumors, dobe?" he replied monotonously.
"Ahh, yeah… I forgot that you're an ice cube teme. Anyway, I'll tell you the rumor because I'm so helpful and the best… still the best… do I forget to mention that I'm the best…" he said haughtily while flashing his trademark smile.
"As if, dobe." he said sarcastically.
"As I was saying Sasuke-teme, we (pointing at the group of boys to his left) were just talking about the new girl on the campus. I never seen her yet but they said that she is really, really, really beautiful. But that's not all, she has a pink hair…" Naruto continued.
Sasuke's ears perked up at the words pink and hair. That new girl that they were talking about was definitely her. He couldn't believe what was happening. She only got here but then, she already have lots of admirers. She was truly one of a kind.
Back to Sakura…
"… and that's about it." Tsunade finished.
"Here's your schedule now and…" she glanced at her watch and noticed that Sakura was three minutes late for her first class.
"You're three minutes late but don't worry, just tell your homeroom that you went here and had a short briefing. Just mention my name and everything will be alright." she grinned.
"Thank you, Ma'm." she smiled while receiving her schedule. Then, she frowned realizing that she still has a problem. She doesn't know how to get to her classroom.
Sensing her dilemma, she assured her that "Don't worry. I asked someone to fetch you and take you to your classroom. He will be here any minute now." Then, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." she exclaimed. There at the door was a guy with a dark brown hair and a pair of pearly white eyes. Sakura just stared at him.
'Hmm, this guy reminds me of… who's that guy again whom I had a crushed on when I was still a kid… ah, yeah… Aki. The only differences, though, were their eyes and color of their hair…'
"Hello, Tsunade-sama." he greeted at the principal politely while noticing that someone was there staring at him.
"Hello, Neji. I need you to do something for me… Sakura here (pointing at her) is a new student and she doesn't know yet how to get to her classroom. Could you assist her?" Tsunade said straight away.
"Okay, Tsunade-sama." he replied.
Both the teens left her office and were now walking in the hallways. They both introduced each other a while ago and they are now officially friends (for Sakura at least). Both of them could see that classes were on going so they both passed through quietly as possible. Neji was looking ahead while Sakura was bothered by thoughts like…
'I'm quite nervous as to who will be my adviser or my classmates. Will they be friendly to me? Will they accept me?'
'Why are you bothered by that? You should be more concerned about meeting cute guys instead… Oh, wait… you don't need to worry about that 'cause, Sasuke is definitely the best-looking. Maybe even here in this campus…' her inner mind thought while dreaming about her and Sasuke getting together and all.
'Don't remind me about him. He's such a jerk. Have you seen what he did a while ago? He went in the bathroom and I'm not even done yet. Grrr, the nerve of that guy!' she said getting pissed off again.
'But, you're the one who forgot to lock the door. Besides, I saw you earlier looking at him preferably his bare upper body.' Her inner mind smirked at the thought.
'W-well… I was just surprised that's all. This was my first time seeing a guy without his shirt on.' she blushed fervently while seeing an image of Sasuke a while ago… those slender arms with lean muscles, that nice body, his perfect complexion, and the list goes on. Maybe, that's why he got lots of admirers.
'Hehe… You're thinking about him. See, I told you. You really like him and his body. You wanna feel what it's like to be in his arms…'
'Oh, SHUT UP! You don't know me at all!' she blushed even more.
'Know you? I'm YOU, remember?' her inner mind retorted.
After some time, she was brought back to reality when Neji called her.
"Sakura, you okay?" he said in a worried tone.
"… Uhmm, yes. I was just… nervous, that's all." she said convincingly.
"I see… Well, we're almost there. We just need to make our last turn to the right and the second room is your classroom." he explained.
"Oh, okay." she said.
They made their final turn and she was surprised to see him leaning on the wall near her supposed classroom. They went near him. Before Sakura went in, she mouthed a thank you to Neji and said her goodbye. Then, Neji left leaving her and a glaring Uchiha behind. Sasuke's glare seemed to be directed to Neji not to Sakura.
'Why is he with her?' he thought getting jealous.
"What are you doing there?" she asked frowning and glowering at the jerk in front of her.
"You're almost seven minutes late and our teacher asked me to see if you're already there. He won't let me come in unless you're already here. And since you're here, I better get inside now." he said in an emotionless manner while standing straight and walked in.
She was about to go in but first, she needed to hide her fury as to make a good first impression when she finally stepped in. She heard that the class behind this door was now creating a noise. Then, she walked in when her adviser told her to do so.
The moment she entered the class, everything grew quiet. There was an eerie silence that seemed to drown every one of them. She walked towards her masked silver-haired adviser and began explaining why she was late. He accepted her explanation the moment he heard the principal's name. He turned to the whole class and began introducing her.
"Okay, class. We have a new student here with us." he looked at Sakura and said…
"Please introduce yourself and tell us something about you." He motioned for her to go on.
She looked at her classmates and noticed that they were all ears. Then, she began introducing herself.
"Hi! I'm Haruno Sakura. I just arrived here yesterday but I used to study here when I was still a kindergarten… Uhmm, nice to meet you all!" She bowed down as a sign of respect for the whole class.
"You may ask her some questions if you want." her sensei told her classmates. Right after that, the once quiet class created a louder noise this time. Almost all of the guys were raising their hands and were yelling things like…
"Kawaii."
"Do you have a boyfriend, Sakura-chan?"
"Are you still single?"
"You wanna go out with me?"
"Where do you live?"
"Can I have your number?"
"Are you a model or something, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura sweat dropped big time. She couldn't handle this pressure most especially the questions that were thrown at her. Besides, one thing she hated the most was to gain this much of attention although this always happen to her whenever she transferred schools. Anyway, she was glad that Ino and Hinata were her classmates.
Sensing Sakura's worry and the death glare of a certain someone with onyx eyes towards the boys who were asking her those silly questions, Kakashi chuckled beneath his mask and began contemplating.
'This is the first time I've seen Sasuke glared like that. It must be the effect of Sakura to him… It's about time he gets a love life.' He chuckled again before saying…
"Okay, that's enough for today. Sakura, you may take a seat…" he said looking around for a vacant chair.
'Perfect!' he thought.
"… Yosh! Take a seat in that vacant chair at the back right next to Sasuke. Stand up, Sasuke, for her to know where you are."
Sasuke grumpily stood up and took a seat again completely ignoring Sakura's gaze.
Almost all of the girls glared at Sakura. They were definitely a fan girl of Sasuke.
"Why does she need to sit there beside Sasuke-kun when we couldn't." a fan girl said.
"Because that's the only seat available, Ms. Asuka." Kakashi explained with an added thought which he only kept for himself.
'And it's perfect for my future plans.'
"You may take your seat now, Ms. Haruno."
She walked towards her seat after bowing down to her sensei. She cast a glare at her seatmate to her left. He just ignored it again and looked at the sight outside the window which was next to him.
'This is going to be a hellish year for me and her.' he thought mockingly while still contemplating about her newly fan boys and fan club.
Kkkrrrriiiinnnggg
"… Okay, it's lunch time now. Bye class. Don't forget your assignment." Asuma-sensei said before exiting the classroom. Soon, most of the students left too, except for Sakura, Ino and Hinata.
Both Hinata and Ino walked up towards Sakura's desk. Sakura smiled and greeted them.
"Hey Sakura, you wanna eat lunch with us." Ino friendly asked.
"Sure…" she replied while brooding if she brought her lunch. When she opened her bag, she didn't see her bento box.
"I-is there something wrong?" Hinata asked sensing her friend's discomfort.
"N-no, of course." she said while waving her hands. "Uhmm, you guys go ahead. I'm staying for a while to do something. Don't worry. I can now manage to go there."
"Okay." both of them reluctantly agreed.
"We'll wait for you." And then, they left leaving only Sakura behind.
'What will I do now? I forgot to bring my bento box.' she said growing frantic. Then, she sighed deeply.
'… But I still have to go to the cafeteria to meet my new friends. I better go then since I don't want them to be worried about me… Better think of an idea while walking there.' she thought and got up. Then, she closed her bag and walked towards the door. When she stepped out, she failed to notice that Sasuke was there leaning on the wall. She was again petrified when he suddenly spoke.
"What were you doing there? You really took your time before going out." he said smirking at her.
She just frowned and asked in a docile way "…What are you still doing here? Aren't you gonna eat the lunch I prepared for you earlier." Then, she looked at him not noticing what he was holding in his hands, not that it was imperceptible or anything.
"I am about to do that but first… here. Take this." He replied while handing her the bento box she forgot. "You forgot it earlier so I brought it."
When she received it, she smiled brightly and said thank you to him. Then, he fought back the blush that was creeping upon his handsome face. Unknown to both of them, there was someone who was currently watching them while holding his favorite book. He was chuckling beneath his mask.
Meanwhile…
Sasuke and Sakura were now walking towards the cafeteria. She asked help to him to get there since she didn't know the way. He agreed surprisingly. Then, there was again stillness amidst them but it wasn't awkward anymore since both were feeling at peace with each other.
He glanced at her for a second and noticed that she wasn't angry anymore. Her fury had already subsided. This was the perfect time for him to apologize.
He was brooding a while ago, when classes were still on going, if he should ask for her forgiveness about what happened this morning. He had a hard time contemplating if he should, since this was again his first time to ask for one. The last time he said that was when they were younger. But since it was really his fault for not noticing the steam coming out of the bathroom, he decided to say sorry to her.
'This is it.' he thought gathering up his confidence and ignoring his pride.
"Sakura…" he began.
"Yes, Sasuke?" she replied while looking at him with a mixture of confusion and worry.
"I just want to apologize for what happened this morning. I really didn't mean to interrupt you while you were still there doing your stuff." he eyed her directly gazing at her jade eyes.
Onyx met jade.
"Uhmm, about that… I'm not angry at you anymore since… it was also my fault… Sorry." She said while breaking their eye contact and just stared at the floor.
He smiled knowing that she already forgave him. This kind of smile that was currently plastered upon his face was really one of a kind… the kind of smile that he would only give to one person… her.
"Then, apology accepted." he said, smirking in the process.
"You, too." She smiled and looked at him. This kind of smile that was also plastered upon her face was also one of kind… the kind of smile that she would also give to one person… him.
They walked towards the rest of the way to the cafeteria feeling really happy and contented to what just occurred a while ago. This was really a big step towards their renewing relationship… both friendship… and love.
After lunch…
All the students had been in their respective classrooms five minutes before their time. Everybody was seated in their own desks. They were now just waiting for their adviser for their Science class.
Sakura was chatting with Naruto right now. They were introduced to each other a while ago, lunchtime, courtesy of Ino, Tenten and Hinata. She were also introduced to a guy with a jet black hair tied in a ponytail, Shikamaru; a guy with a spiky brown hair with a dog on top of his shoulder, Kiba; a guy with a spiky hair too wearing a shade, Shino; a guy who's chubby and eats a lot, Chouji; Hinata's cousin, Neji (she already knew him); lastly, the famous and the most popular guy in school with a raven hair and a pair of obsidian eyes, Sasuke. She chuckled at the memory of her shaking the hands of him a while ago when they were introduced.
'As if you didn't know each other' her inner mind said sarcastically before rolling down and laughing so hard.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was still facing the window next to him. He enjoyed watching the falling leaves. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a single Sakura petal headed his way. It went straight into his open palms and stayed there for a while until it flew a way again. This small petal kept his attention right until Kakashi arrived.
Everyone stood up and greeted him. Then, they sat back down. Almost everyone felt sleepy and some were even snoozing off. Kakashi's eyes twitched and an idea struck him.
"Since all of you are feeling energetic today…" he began, smiling beneath the mask. All the students' heads perked up and looked at him with interest. Some were already praying that he would give them a free time to do anything or a trip outside this boring classroom. But little did they know that their prayers were in vain.
"I want all of you to create a painting about the beauty of nature in the modern times."
The hopes of all the students were gone.
Kakashi heard some groans from the students which caused him to chuckle. He really wanted to annoy and tease his students.
"But Kakashi-sensei, you can't do this to us." The loud-mouth, fox boy exclaimed.
"Quiet, Naruto… As I was saying, you will not do this alone. It will be a paired activity." he continued.
"Can we chose our partners, sensei?" one of the students asked.
"Maybe…" he teased.
"No." he finally decided. "Your partners will be the one seated right next to you."
'That means my partner is Sasuke.' Sakura thought as she smiled inwardly. She, of course, didn't want to be paired with a fan boy. The same thought goes to Sasuke's head.
"My partner will be Hinata-chan. Cool!" Naruto exclaimed flashing his trademark smile.
"My partner will be Ino. How troublesome!" Shikamaru thought glumly.
"What was that!" Ino glowered.
"Okay, everything is settled now. You can have you're the rest of the time as your free time." Kakashi interfered while bringing out his orange book and reading it in front of the class.
Sakura got curious on what her sensei was reading so he asked Sasuke about that. She turned to his side and began questioning him.
"Uhmm… Sasuke?"
"Yes?"
"What was that book Kakashi-sensei is reading?"
He was taken aback by her question but answered anyway. "You don't want to find out about that."
"Why?" she insisted. "Is that book related to our subject?"
"Maybe."
"Then, do you think I can borrow it from him."
This riposte made him fall off his chair anime style.
"What?" she retorted. "Is it something I said?"
And that was the end of their conversation. The next classes went smooth for both of them. Soon, it was time to go home. Sakura's girl friends invited her for a short stroll in the city. She gladly welcomed it when it was approved by Sasuke. He said that he will go ahead and cook their dinner. Actually, it wasn't his turn to cook their dinner, yet, for the rest of the day, but he insisted anyway since they were having a smooth relationship.
"Don't be late for dinner, okay?" Sasuke said to Sakura before leaving the campus. She nodded and went to her friends who were waiting for her.
She caught up to them and began walking towards a shop nearby.
"Hey, Sakura." Ino exclaimed.
"Yes?" she replied.
"Why were you talking to Sasuke a while ago?" Ino smirked.
"Oh, yes… Do you have some kind of relationship with him?" Tenten butted in.
"Answer us, Sakura-chan." Hinata said timidly but still with interest.
"O-of course not. We were just friends. Besides, I only knew him today." Sakura stuttered while blushing slightly.
"Really?" Ino asked while placing her left hand on Sakura's shoulder. "If I know… Maybe, you were childhood friends and you were separated with each other and only got back yesterday."
Sakura sweat dropped asking her inner mind the question of how did she knew that. Her inner mind just shrugged. Then, she began to panic but was relieved when Ino said…
"As if, that would happen." Ino laughed.
"Uhh, yeah." Sakura added while faking a laugh.
'If only you knew.'
Sakura arrived at the Uchiha manor at five thirty in the afternoon. They had their dinner, watched some random television show, and washed the dishes together. All in all, it was a great bonding moment for the both them. After that, they both went upstairs and prepared themselves to go to sleep. It was definitely now time to go to sleep.
She was now sitting in her desk at her room. She got her diary from the drawer and opened it. Then, she took out a ball pen and began writing the day's events. Some of the things that she wrote there were the "bathroom incident", Sasuke's good deeds, her new found friends, and some random stuffs which were all about him. Lastly, she wrote a note which says…
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Find out about Kakashi-sensei's book. Know what it is all about. If possible, borrow it since Sasuke told me that it was about Science.
Both Sasuke and Sakura slept peacefully that night. Both were having the same smiles and same thoughts haunting their minds. Thoughts that were actually about each other and the day's events. Both thinking that maybe they had an amiss first impression on each other…
Maybe, just maybe… they could get much closer to each other and prove their differences wrong… and someday… someday surely… they will rebuild their past friendship and if they're lucky… if Lady Fate was on their side… they would fall for each other just like what happened to them in those childhood years.
To be continued…
Author's Note: That's the end of my chapter. So how was it? Do you like it?… I really had a hard time writing this chapter most especially the bathroom incident. I hope it turned out fine for you guys… Well, please don't forget to leave some comments, okay? They really help me a lot. They inspire me… That's all!
Before I go, I just wanna greet you guys a Happy New Year. Better late than never, right?
I also want to thank the following for reviewing the previous chapter…
sentimentaljuvenileskuller31happy-yumetIsHa01boredteenagerandrey4414nhileBloodRuby, moonlight, mar25niluvsasukeandrobinSophisticatedAlexirSKYBLUE1010, SakuraChan, Chippy, Icygal237Momiro-chan, Mistress Malfoy, Gensomaden-SaiyukiShir0-ChaN, Krista, CrAzY-SiLLy-Me, Miyuki TsukadaLone SakuraAshen-Away, Narumi-chan, lexy499, Shadows Child Kataki, neon kun, mr.bean
Just a short summary for next chapter's update…
Chapter 4: Melody of Memories
Sasuke and Sakura got mobbed by their rabid fans' club members. The only way for them to escape was to run away for them. They ended up in the music room. Unfortunately, they got locked from outside. From inside there, they began to reminisce their childhood memories through a melody they both knew. They said to themselves that they missed their old friendship. In the end, they got what they wanted and started again.
Warning: more SasuSaku fluffs in the next one!
