According to her parents, Mebuki and Kizashi, Sakura Haruno had always been a quiet child. She would pull on her mother's sleeves instead of crying when she needed something as a baby. This behavior did not disappear as she grew older. She had proven to be a timid child, especially towards strangers.
"Come on, Sakura, say hello to our guests," Her mom prodded. Sakura crept closer, using her mom's body as a shield.
"Hel...lo," she whispered, clinging to her mother's dress, and flickering her eyes between the floor and the living room. The living room held a couch in the center and a table placed along the wall opposite the front door. To the right of the sofa, there was a large window showing the house next door. Red covered the room.
Three individuals gathered there, two females wearing pale-colored dresses. And a man in slacks and a navy-blue shirt. The females sat on the couch, and the man stood behind them. None of them looked familiar to her. But seeing as her visits out of the house were few, she wasn't surprised.
"Sakura, I would like you to meet our neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Rendon. And their daughter Melony," Mebuki said, yanking Sakura's arm so that she stood in front of her. She gave a slight wave to the guests but otherwise kept her gaze firmly planted on the floor.
"I'm sorry about her. I'm afraid we're a bit behind in socializing. She's so content to stay inside and read that she never asks to go play, "Kizashi said from the left of her mother. His hand rubbed his neck.
"That's quite alright. Sakura is only five. She's got plenty of time to catch up to social norms when she's older," Mrs. Rendon said. The room fell silent save for the shifting of clothes.
"Mama, why are we here? I'm bored," whined Melony. Her legs twitched with energy. Mrs. Rendon turned to place a scolding hand on her head.
"Now, now Melony, we only came over to introduce ourselves because we will be checking in on Sakura. Her parents will be away on business more often now that she is five, "Mr. Rendon replied. Sakura looked up at her parents with wide eyes. They had never left her on her own before. Noticing Sakura's gaze, Mebuki glanced down at her nodding her head to their neighbor's statement.
"That's right, we've become behind in our work as merchants raising Sakura. But now she is a decent age to look after herself, "her dad chuckled. After the conversation dried up, their neighbors said their farewells and left.
"Mommy, are you and daddy really leaving me here all by myself?"
Sakura folded her arms so that she was hugging herself. The idea of being alone in this house sent shivers down her spine. The most she had ever been alone was when she went to bed each night.
"Don't be silly, Sakura, your old enough and mature enough to be by yourself. Don't try to make us feel guilty for keeping a roof over your head, "her mother said. Frowning, Mebuki continued to sort through paperwork strewn across the desk in the office next to the living room. Biting her lip, Sakura pushed the tears that welled up in her eyes away. Her mother would not appreciate a cry baby.
Confirming what her neighbor said to be correct, she slipped from the room quietly with practiced ease. Now that her parents had gotten the interaction they wanted, the typical family picture, they would not care what she did now. The harsh comments would be few if she stayed out of their way.
The stairwell in their home felt longer and darker than before as she made her way to her bedroom. The shadows seemed to dance along the walls maliciously, causing her to quicken the pace to her destination. Her parents weren't even gone yet, the whispers of their voices echoing up the stairs, and somehow, she still felt unbearably alone.
Her bedroom held one bookcase filled to the brim with the only friends she had ever known and a bed close to the solitary window that faced the village.
The only light in her small bedroom spilled from the window. Moonlight and lights from the village kept her from pitch darkness. Her parents told her that she did not need a light in her room because she shouldn't be doing anything this late at night. She found that this was another way for her parents to spend less money on her. The only exception to this was the clothes that her mother dressed her in.
Sakura pulled off the red kimono forced on her earlier to greet their guests and put on the only piece of clothing that she found comfortable to wear in her wardrobe. The nightgown she wore was an ugly dull brown, but it wasn't itchy like all her other clothes. Then she drifted towards the window ledge where she perched to watch the moon—the only other solid figure in her life besides her books.
"I wish that I didn't feel so alone."
Lying her palm on the window, she stared at the barely visible reflection of herself. There was no one there to answer her. There was never anyone there to answer her. Sakura pondered if this was normal. Her family dynamics depended on polite interactions and silence. The books on her bookcase spoke of people going on great adventures. They told of families laughing, crying, and talking together.
Curling up into a ball on her bed, the forgotten tears from earlier welling up in her eyes, she promised not to let those tears fall.
