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Chapter 7

Hinata was startled when she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist. His chin rested on her shoulder as he spoke. "Do you have to work overtime today?"

"Probably." She replied, blushing lightly. As much as he often hugged her from behind like this, she still couldn't get used to it and would always get flustered and blush.

He liked to hug her from behind, bury his face into her neck, and rest his chin or forehead on her shoulder. It was one of his ways to display affection.

She wondered what their relationship was. He got turned on by her, he often hugged her whenever he could, and he even slept with her, but he never once defined the nature of their relationship. She used to think they were friends but friends didn't do these kinds of things.

"I'll come to help you after my shift." He said as he lifted his chin from her shoulder to look down at her, expecting to meet her pale widened eyes as she raised her head to look up at him in surprise.

"You don't have to." She shyly declined, but her heart felt warm at his consideration. Sasuke could be so sweet when he wanted to.

"I don't have to, but I want to. Besides, being alone in this apartment is lonely." It was strange because he had been living alone for most of his life but never felt lonely. In fact, he was even grateful for his solidarity as socializing was exhausting for him. But since he met Hinata and started living with her, things had changed dramatically. Her presence brought calmness to his apartment and when she was gone, it just didn't feel right.

The bakery shop she worked at was extremely busy these days. It was as if people suddenly became interested in sweets. And it didn't help that Kurenai had stopped working entirely to prepare for her labor day. Hinata was the sole employee of the shop and she had to work overtime almost all week.

Sasuke didn't like it but didn't stop her either. The girl was doing what she loved and the best thing to do was to help her.

A soft knock interrupted their moment and his eyes darkened as he heard a familiar voice. "Sasuke! Are you home?" It was Sakura and just hearing her voice made him anticipate a headache.

It wasn't like this before. He had endured her advances on him for most of his life but these days she had become especially persistent that just thinking about her gave him a headache.

Sasuke appreciated her as a friend. He thought she was pretty, intelligent, and overall a great girl but he could never consider her more than a friend.

Reluctantly, he let go of Hinata to open the door. Sakura was looking bubbly and energetic as always and she had a big smile on her lips as the door opened to reveal Sasuke.

"I brought you something." She said as she stepped into his apartment. Rummaging through her bag, she took out several bottles. "These are supplements. You just had a fever a few days ago so I think these could be good for you."

"Thank you. But I don't think I need these." He politely declined. Another thing with Sakura's advances was that it made him feel like he owed her and had to give her something in return. He usually didn't have any problems returning people's flavors as it was a normal thing to do, but what she wanted he couldn't give.

"But you should." She persisted, shoving the supplement bottles into his hands. Turning to Hinata, who had been watching the scene unfold before her, she spoke "Could you please make sure he takes his supplement? It's important."

"Y-Yes. I will." Hinata said, stuttering a bit. She suddenly felt like an outsider watching an intimate scene of theirs. Trying not to fidget, she forced a small smile as she feigned looking at the clock. "I have to go now. My shop is going to open soon."

Sasuke tried to hide an exasperated sigh. Once Hinata left for work, Sakura would certainly stay and try to make advances on him again. Maybe he could secretly call Naruto to come over and save his ass again.

"I'm coming with you. Ino and I plan on hanging out."

Hinata seemed a bit hesitant but soon she smiled and agreed. They then told him goodbye and left the apartments, chattering to each other on the way.

Sasuke was left alone in his apartment, surprised and confused. This wasn't normal at all.

"You know, Hinata," Sakura started once they were far from the apartment. "Sasuke and I are soon going to college."

"Uhm, I know. You're going to Medical School." Hinata replied, suddenly feeling so mediocre compared to her.

"Do you know which college Sasuke is going to go to?" Sakura asked.

The question made Hinata flinch and although she had tried to hide it, nothing could escape Sakura's eyes. A satisfied smile pulled at her lips as she continued to speak, not bothered to wait for the other girl's answer. Her answer had been written clearly on her face. "So you didn't know? Sasuke didn't tell you?"

"He didn't tell me anything." Hinata shook her head gently. Sasuke never told her he was going to college and the only reason she knew was because she heard it from Ino who loved to gossip.

"He got accepted into the best Law school in the country. It's in the same city as my Medical school."

Konoha. Hinata thought. For some unknown reason, that city always brought her a weird feeling whenever it was mentioned, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what feeling it was.

"That's great," Hinata mumbled, looking down at the road they were walking on. It was as if there was a force keeping her head down.

"We've been around each other for most of our lives. We practically grew up together and now we're even going to colleges in the same city." Sakura nearly squealed in excitement.

Hinata fidgeted, not exactly knowing how to respond. She should be happy for them. They worked hard to get accepted into their dream colleges and they had every right to brag about it. Hinata found it admiring it but something was weighing on her heart, preventing her from saying congratulations to Sakura.

"I can't wait till the day I can finally leave this goddamn town and move to the city." There was a hint of disdain in her tone that made Hinata stare at her, puzzled.

"You sound like you don't like this town." She said hesitantly, a little afraid that Sakura would take it as an offense.

"I hate this town," Sakura said, narrowing her green eyes in disdain. "It's so old and small that I don't even know what to do here. Heck, it only has 1 convenience store and they don't even sell half of the things I want to buy."

"I think it's not that bad. This town is indeed old and small, but it's peaceful here." Hinata recalled the day Sasuke and she went to Konoha for her appointment. The city was beautiful with tall buildings and expensive cars, people walking around in fabulous clothes, and everything looked spectacular and flawless but it was too busy for her. The constant noises of the traffic and people talking gave her headaches. Maybe she was too used to the peacefulness of this town that the city was overwhelming to her.

"I can't be peaceful when my potential isn't being shown."

"W-What do you mean?" Hinata asked, confused.

"I know I have the potential to become a great doctor and I don't want my potential to be wasted here. Once I leave, I will never come back."

"I'm sure you'll be successful." Hinata smiled, not doubting that Sakura would one day achieve her dream. Even Sasuke had said so.

"I'll let you in on a secret." Sakura cupped her mouth, lowering her voice while her green eyes were glancing around to make sure they weren't being eavesdropped on. "I've always wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid but when I knew Sasuke wants to be a lawyer, my determination is 10 times greater. Do you know why?"

Hinata had a vague idea of what Sakura was implying, but she shook her head, feigning oblivious because she didn't want to say it. It was something Sakura would want to say herself.

"To deserve him." Sakura couldn't look prouder of herself. "Once I become a doctor, he will realize that I deserve him."

"Oh, that's... but I think it depends..."

"A doctor and a lawyer, we will become the elite of the country. We will work hard, make a lot of money, travel the world, and even buy a big house." Ignoring what the other girl was trying to say, she went on about her dream and plan, not noticing Hinata's face had become paler.

"That's a great plan." At this point, Hinata didn't know what to say except just compliment Sakura as the pink-haired girl clearly didn't want to listen to anything else.

"You will support us, right, Hinata?" Sakura suddenly grabbed her hands, stopping the girl on her track. "Don't you want Sasuke to have a great life in the city rather than living a shitty life in this shitty little down? He deserves so much more. Just like me, he has the potential to become a great lawyer and it can't be wasted here."

"Of course. I will always support you two. But, I mean, I don't have any control over Sasuke's life. Whether I like it or not, he will still go to college and live his life however he wants to."

"Oh, that's great." Letting go of Hinata's hands, Sakura couldn't look more satisfied. "I was afraid that you wouldn't understand the city life that I was talking about. I mean, you're all about butter, milk, and flour."

"Sakura-san, that's not... I just love baking." Hinata mumbled, for the first time feeling stressed when talking about her passion and hobby.

"Yeah, I know, I know. But baking isn't very elite, isn't it? If you know what I mean."

"I guess it's not, but... It's something I love doing..."

"Oh, we're here. Talk to you later." Sakura waved her hand and quickly stepped into Ino's flower shop, which is right next to Hinata's bakery shop. She hadn't realized they were here. Through the glass door, she saw Sakura and Ino talk to each other, occasionally laughing wholeheartedly. The shop was full of beautiful flowers but they still couldn't compare to the two girls. Pink and blonde hair, green and blue eyes, flawless skin, slim figure, and educated... These flowers couldn't rival them. She couldn't rival them.

Opening the bakery shop, she breathed in deeply, taking in the smell of butter and milk, nuts and sugar, sprinklers and candy. This was what she loved doing.

Maybe she was going to college before she lost her memories but it was the past now and there was nothing she could do about it. They would soon leave this old, little town and she would continue to live here selling desserts because she had no other choices.

Hinata seemed very strange and Sasuke was getting concerned. After finishing his shift at the local bookstore, he went to her bakery shop to help her. He didn't even like sweets and had no experience in baking but he believed he could still help her with the chores like cleaning the baking station, stocking the ingredients, and being a cashier while she was busy baking. Seriously, he didn't know how she could manage all of this by herself before he came to help but he guessed you wouldn't feel tired if you were doing something that you loved.

He could still see the love for baking in her eyes but there was definitely something on her mind.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" He asked once they closed the shop and started leaving.

A lie that it was nothing and she was fine was teetering on her lips, but she swallowed it down as she knew he could always tell when she was lying.

"Sakura told me about her dream of being a great doctor. She also told me that she hates this town and once she leaves for college, she will never return." Hinata said, deciding to be truthful with him. As long as she didn't tell him how she felt about it, everything should be fine. "She really wants to be an elite citizen, doing a high-skilled job, making a lot of money, and traveling the world. I think she feels like this town is a cage to her potential, so she hates it."

"Sakura has always hated this town." He agreed and wasn't surprised at all.

"Are you gonna do that too? Leaving for college and never returning?" She didn't plan to ask that question, it just slipped out of her mouth. When he glanced back at her, she squared her shoulders, raised her chin, and waited for his answer. She wanted to know his answer anyway.

Sasuke tilted his head, pursing his lips as if considering his answer. After a while, he took a few steps ahead of her, effectively stopping her on her track. "I would like to take you to the city with me."

Her pale eyes widened and her mouth gaped. She was so shocked that she had to ask herself if by any chance she was hearing him wrong. He couldn't possibly want to take her to the city with him. "What did you say?"

"I want to take you to the city with me." He said, pronouncing every syllable with utmost clarity. He wanted her to have no doubt about his intention.

"Y-You c-can't."

"Unfortunately, you're right, but only for now. I can't afford for both of us to live in the city now but I will work hard for it. The legal industry pays well and I'm confident in my ability."

"That's not what I mean. I have no doubt in your ability, I just... Why would you want to take me to the city with you? I'm just one of your friends. I'm not even your family like Naruto."

"Then become my girlfriend."

Hinata could only stare at the man. Her mouth gaped, and her mind went blank, unable to process what was happening. The girl would probably stay frozen like that for hours if he hadn't held her shoulders, shaking her out of her entrance. He couldn't blame her because he was as shocked as she was, he was just better at hiding it.

"You're kidding, right?" If she didn't hear him wrong and this wasn't a dream, then he must have been kidding her.

As if that wasn't enough, she felt his lips press against hers the next moment. Too shocked, she stayed still, letting him feel her lips freely with his tongue. When she returned to the world and started struggling, he pushed her backward until her back felt the coldness of the brink wall behind. His lips were moving against hers, his tongue was asking for an entrance that she wanted to grant him but didn't dare to because she was too embarrassed.

The hands that were holding her waist started to slide under her shirt, caressing and stroking her skin. The move made her gasp and he took that opportunity to slide his tongue inside her mouth. His tongue was seeking hers, licking at the soft flesh.

A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips as he felt her squeeze the front of his shirt whenever he bit her lips. As if to comfort the girl, he made sure to lick the spot where he bit her.

A shudder ran down his spine as the girl started to kiss him back. She was so shy her lips barely moved but she definitely was kissing him back. He could tell because she was opening her mouth for his tongue to enter, sucking gently at his bottom lip when it was between hers.

They were so close that her breasts were pressing against his chest and he could feel their weight and softness through the fabric of her shirt. She really had big breasts. The girl was trembling and it created friction between their bodies, eliciting a guttural groan from him.

The groan must have pulled her out of her entrance as she stopped the kiss, trying to speak some sense into him. "Sasuke, we shouldn't... Ah!"

Stopping the kiss on the lips didn't mean he couldn't kiss her someway else. Putting light kisses on her neck, he would have asked if she really wanted him to stop if his mouth wasn't busy kissing her because she told him to stop but she was turning her head to give him more space.

His lips left a trail of kisses on her neck, occasionally licking and biting, determined to get a moan from her. Seeing her bite her lips to stop those sweet sounds was irritating but he guessed she couldn't do otherwise because they were in public now, although there was no one on the street but the two of them.

Sasuke closed his eyes when he felt her hands slide into his hair, gently stroking his head. He was quite relishing the feeling then suddenly, it all stopped. Opening his eyes, he realized the girl had fainted, body slumping against his. If he hadn't been quick to catch her, she would have fallen face flat on the ground.

"Sasuke?"

Hearing that familiar voice was like a warning sound and Sasuke sighed as he turned to look at his childhood friend. The girl probably hadn't seen the kiss between him and Hinata.

"What happened with Hinata? Is she okay?" Sakura asked, looking worried.

"I kissed Hinata and she fainted."

Silence ensued and just like Hinata earlier, once Sakura was sure she hadn't heard him wrong, she asked him if he was kidding. Instead of answering her, he looked down at the girl in his arms, gesturing for her to do the same. Her lips were red and swollen, light pink marks on her neck, and her face was still blushing. The sight alone had spoken for itself.

"I asked Hinata to become my girlfriend," Sasuke said, looking at the indigo-haired girl lovingly. One of his arms supported her head while the other was put under her knees, cradling her into his chest. The girl was sleeping peacefully in his arms, oblivious to Sakura's frustration and anger.

"You can't do that to me." Sakura nearly screamed at him, green eyes welling up with tears. "You can't possibly tell me that you want her to be your girlfriend while I've been around you for most of your life. I'm the only girl you ever consider close to you."

"I appreciate you as a friend but that's all. You can't tell me what I can and cannot do."

"You've met her for a few months and you're so ready to ditch me?"

"No one ditches you. You're never my girlfriend."

"I've worked so hard for you. I even got accepted into the best medical school in the country. And you're on the road to becoming a great lawyer. We could have become the elite of this country if it wasn't for her. And she wasn't even educated. All she could ever do was mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients."

The air suddenly became tense and she swallowed hard. His eyes darkened as he gritted his teeth. A furry so raw started to bubble inside him and the only reason he hadn't lashed out at her was because of Hinata. He didn't want her to hear this. The girl didn't deserve to hear this. He wanted to protect her from all the cruelness of life.

"So that's what you told her? That she doesn't deserve me because she's not a doctor or a lawyer?" He ground out every word, each soaking in venom. He should have known it. The fact that Sakura could skip a chance to be alone with him was suspicious enough.

"I only told her I'll be a doctor and you'll be a lawyer. The rest was up to her to decide."

"She could be unemployed and I will still want her to be my girlfriend." If his hand weren't busy carrying Hinata, he would have pinched his forehead out of frustration. He tried to recall an incident where he might have said or done something that might give her a wrong idea but came up with nothing. He really couldn't fathom where Sakura got her ridiculous idea from.

Realizing this wasn't going to work, Sakura decided to take a risk. Her last attempt was risky but she had to do it. "You're afraid, aren't you?" His subtle flinch couldn't escape her sharp eyes and a smirk was threatening to pull at her lips. "You're afraid that if she regains her memories, she will leave you."

When the man kept silent, she took it as a cue to continue. "You're not dumb, Sasuke. You know the fact that she doesn't wear a ring can't guarantee she's single. If she regains her memories, who do you think she will choose? You, who she has only known for several months, or her boyfriend, who might as well already be her fiance or husband?"

The feeling of victory was great, something that Sakura could never feel enough of. In her head, she had already come up with several arguments to counter any reasonings he might spit out. She wasn't afraid to debate with him because she knew she was right. They had never known who Hinata truly was.

Unexpectedly, Sasuke continued to keep silent. Instead of arguing with her, he just walked away. His steps were slow as he didn't want to wake Hinata up.

"Where are you going? We're not finishing." Sakura called, about to follow him but stopped when he turned to look at her. His eyes told her to not follow him.

"You're right, Sakura. In that case, I just need to make sure Hinata never regains her memories."

Sakura gasped. Any reasonings she had been prepared to counter him disappeared as her mind was having a hard time deciding if he had gone crazy.

"I don't fucking care about her boyfriend or husband. It's the past and I'm her future."

And with that, he walked away, tightening his hold around the girl in his arms, leaving behind a gaped-mouth Sakura.

8 months ago...

Receiving the news of getting accepted into the best business school in the country, Hinata wouldn't describe her feeling as happy. She was relieved and glad, but definitely not happy. She wasn't into doing business that much to truly feel happy. To Hinata, busying in the kitchen weighing and mixing ingredients was true happiness.

It must be something she inherited from her mother. Hitomi was famous for her love for cooking and since Hinata was little, she had been around her mother helping and learning everything about cooking. Hitomi introduced her to the world of sweetness where a dessert wasn't just something you ate to fill your stomach but an expression of love. She always reminded Hinata to not just cook something but remember to also put love into it. People who ate your food would feel it.

Hinata took her words to heart. Even after her mother passed away, she continued to cook with love. Unlike her mother, who loved to make all kinds of food, Hinata especially loved baking. She remembered just a bar of chocolate was enough to cheer her up after being scolded by her father for not achieving the highest grade in math. Neji had brought her that chocolate bar and promised he would even buy her some cinnamon rolls with his savings, which he did.

Hiashi thought her hobby was a waste of time. "Instead of wasting time in the kitchen with flour and butter, why don't you study more and get better grades like Neji?" He had once told her. According to him, the elite of the country was doctors, lawyers, businessmen, and businesswomen. And since the Hyugas had been an elite family for centuries, she must become one of those. He would prefer her to be a businesswoman so that she could join their family's business.

"Business knowledge can be very useful, especially if you were to open your own bakery shop someday."

"Father would never let me..." Her voice trailed off as she felt Neji's thumb rub the back of her hand comfortingly. He knew of her true dream better than anyone. "He has always thought my hobby is a waste of time."

"I will help you convince him."

"D-Do you ever think my father is right?" She hesitantly asked and was met with a pair of questioning eyes. Her cousin looked like he was asking if she really had asked that question. "I mean, I was born as the eldest daughter of Hyuga Hiashi. I was expected to do something big but all I wanted to do was open my own bakery shop and live a peaceful, simple life. Do you think I deserve my father? Do I deserve you?"

"You could be jobless and I will still love you," Neji said, firmly. She had struggled with insecurities since she was little and although she had gotten over most of them, some of them were very stubborn.

"You're a genius, the best student Konoha business school has ever had for years, and I'm just so... mediocre. Would you prefer if I become a businesswoman who can make her businessman proud in every business meeting and party?"

Cradling her head in his palm, he gently tilted her head so that she could look up straight at him. "I love you for who you are regardless of what you do. Never think that you don't deserve me."

Neji knew of her insecurities. He was good-looking, a genius, girls flocked after him, and her father praised him, he was the epitome of perfectness. And she was just a plain, shy Hinata who couldn't even establish her existence in society despite being the eldest daughter of Hyuga Hiashi. Neji had never wanted anything more than to tell her how wrong she was.

Hinata was like the air. People tend to forget about it and take it for granted but only when it is gone did they realize how crucial it is.

"Do you remember how happy Hanabi was when you baked her a happy birthday cake for her birthday? Or Lee's big grin when he tried your cookies for the first time? Even Uncle prefers your homemade desserts to the ones bought from shops because he can rest assured that you use very little sugar for your recipes." Neji said, making sure she was looking at him as he said those words. "Hinata, you make people happy. Sometimes, it's not about how much money you make or how influential you are but just little moments where people try your desserts and want more that you can make people happy. To me, that is enough to make me so proud of you."

"T-Thank you, nii-san. That really cheers me up." Her eyes welled up a little with tears. These were happy tears because she knew she had chosen the right person to love. Someone who grew up with her, understood her, and was supportive of her dream, what more could she ask for?

"I'll make it my mission to open a new bakery shop for you."

She gasped a little and quickly shook her head. "No, you don't have to."

"Didn't you just call me a genius? What kind of genius I am if I can't even make my girlfriend's dream come true?"

"Then we will both work hard for it." She smiled, holding his hands tightly in hers. She used to want to say her father would never approve of it and he didn't need another of his kids to disappoint him as she did, but then she remembered their relationship had already violated anything standards Hiashi held.

She felt a light kiss on her forehead and closed her eyes. In her mind, the future was hard but it was also promising, as long as she had him with her.

Life was never easy but they would fight for it.