AUTHOR'S NOTE:
WHAT'S WITH THE CHAPTER NAMES?: they're names of songs that complement (and compliment) the story line (or the scene). (:
BIG THANKS!: To everyone that read and reviewed and express how much they enjoy the story—kyah! xD thanks so much for your kind words, they really make me happy. And I thoroughly enjoy receiving the comments (eeh, that sounds kind of vain…) It's just really cool that you judge me not by how I look but what I have to offer; not to be corny, but I think that's one of the reasons I like this community and the internet so much :X ONE PERSON I HAVE TO MENTION IS INK CHILD-SAN THOUGH, SHE'S REALLY AWESOME AND HELPED ME MAKE YOURS TRULY BETTER BY EDITING. MY PARAGRAPHS ARE LESS "SQUISHY." Ink Child is also a wonderful and very capable author. (If you guys haven't read Stronger and Softer, you are definitely missing out!)
UPDATE STATUS: I'm sorry I took longer to write this chapter. (But really, coming up with chapter 2 within two days was just a fluke—and a soda, and green tea, and pearl milk tea, so don't expect miracle updates any time soon. Unless a miracle happens.)
FINAL NOTES: I was trying to make the chapters longer; and since this one had a lot of ideas that were fundamental to the characters, it was harder to chart the course o.x With that being said, please read, and enjoy. Suggestions, opinions and comments are always welcomed. (: these are the page breaks -- (…) they're so lame. D: and sorry for taking the story down. I found some mistakes. And it was just killing me. So yes. Fixed them. So it's better. Sorta. (:
Yours Truly
Pairing: SasuHina
Rating: T
Summary: The new shop girl has Sasuke's heart a-flutter. The problem: she doesn't know who he is. That…and her best friend, and just about every other girl their age and younger, claim to love him.
Chapter 3: Exit Stage Right
Konoha mornings were quiet in the Hyuuga household. In fact, there had never been any altercation from within the compound. All duties are executed in a taciturn and efficient manner.
Every Hyuuga had grown up in this environment. Every Hyuuga had accepted the loud stillness that enveloped them. The main reason: the Elders. The wisest, most venerable entities among the family (and among the world) believed in the gold that was silence.
"Speak not unless spoken to," that was the philosophy every Hyuuga had grown up with, and as adults, practiced and accepted.
But once upon a time, they were children, and silence had evoked a different feeling: intimidation.
(…)
There is a huge difference within those early weeks in each child's lives. They can't describe or name it at first, but they can feel it. Despite their inexperience, they are aware of the change. The shifts happen to each baby, and there are no warnings, no signals. It happens. Instantaneously.
First developed in a warm, nurturing womb, Hyuuga babies can hear muffled voices reading the finest literary works and pianos playing renowned classical music. They can feel their mother's gentle and loving touches, amplified by the amniotic fluid, and can taste (1) the different proteins through the umbilical cord that connects them to their mother. They are safe. They are okay—
Then they are forced to leave their nurturing environment.
It is bright and the light is blinding and strangers are touching and handling them and their mother is screaming and writhing in pain. (Hyuuga women have always had difficulty with childbirth and high rates of miscarriage.)
Amidst the chaos, the infants cry and weep and sob harder than any other babies at the hospital. The abrupt transition from protective tenderness to strange, loud, bright, surgical room, to synthetic warmth (2), and finally to quiet, austere, silent Hyuuga compound is traumatic.
(…)
Hyuuga Hinata was one of the loudest babies, possibly the loudest, that had cried. She was alone. Her mother had died during childbirth. Her childhood years were bereft, even more so than other Hyuuga infants.
Where others had their mother's whispers and lullabies for comfort, a strict governess ruled her.
To Hinata, the household lacked warmth. There was a shortage of embraces, of kisses, of human bond—She rarely received any of these.
The rarity of her eyes made them distinct and foreign, a gift from heaven bestowed unto Hyuuga children—She rarely saw anything with them.
Her other senses were handicapped. She lacked touch (at the time, her father was a stoic, austere, and taciturn man). And the times that he held her hand were so foreign to her that she did not know what to make of it.
No one spoke in her presence. She tried, once, to overhear the maids' conversations, which turned out to be about her father's misfortune of losing his wife. She felt a dull thump from her chest that seeped a numb feeling throughout her body.
When she was three years old, a criminal thought that she would make a handsome bargain, and had the gall to try and kidnap her. He was dealt with, swiftly, and efficiently, but someone had died in the process—her uncle…
Her early years were barren: she wandered the Hyuuga corridors, alone, deaf, dumb, and blind. Her bedroom, originally planned to be her nursery where she would stay with her mother, was new; and therefore, lacked any scent or aroma. In her listless state, everything tasted the same. She was never allowed out of her quarters.
(…)
And then her sensei came.
Yuuhi Kurenai had rescued her from the abandoned koi pond. Before she passed out, Hinata had seen something that she would treasure forever: concern—so vivid and obvious in the stylish woman's eyes.
(…)
In retrospect, Hinata would say that her life started at four.
When she had woken up, she was in her room and the woman who had saved her was by her bedside reading over a document. Her left hand was holding Hinata's right; absentmindedly stroking it.
Black curly hair, red dominant eyes, and smooth, soft skin registered in the young girl's mind. On top of Hinata's blanket, she noticed a red blazer that matched the rest of the woman's power suit.
When it occurred to Kurenai that she was being watched, she traced the gaze, and found herself staring into dull grey eyes.
Her red eyes softened, and she smiled comfortingly at Hinata, "Ohayou, ojou-hime."
The Hyuugga said nothing, she broke eye contact, and a blush prettily highlighted her cheeks. Kurenai smiled at the sight. She then lifted Hinata while explaining that it was 5 'til noon, and that princesses needed to eat.
Sitting behind Hinata at an angle, Kurenai leaned the girl against her and fed her the porridge. Within close proximity, Hinata could smell tea rose emanating from the woman. It was faint, unnoticeable at first, but the intimacy allowed Hinata to smell the aroma.
"What a good child you are, hime-chan!" Kurenai stated. "Are you feeling better now?"
A nod; she didn't trust her own voice. Kurenai smiled, already falling in love with the child before her.
"Be careful next time, okay? Something bad might've happened to you, and that would've been a tragedy."
Hinata nodded. From her position, she slightly turned her head and peeked at Kurenai through her eyelashes.
The woman smiled. "What's your name?"
"H-Hyu-," her voice cracked. She hadn't spoken for over three weeks. A quick flash of red lips encouraged her while handing her warm water to relax her throat.
Hinata drank, and tried again. "M-my name…is Hyuuga Hinata," blushed the child, unconsciously fisting her blankets.
Will she leave now, because she knows who I am..?
"It's an honor to meet you, Hinata-chan," smiled the woman. Her eyes widened, Hinata swiftly turned around, staring at the woman, searching for insincerity, deceit; she found a soft smile and kind eyes.
Yuuhi Kurenai leaned in so that her forehead touched Hinata's. Their eyes stared at each other. A connection was made. She saw a spark in the little girl's eyes; however fleeting, it was there.
"My name is Yuuhi Kurenai."
(…)
Hinata could only blush. Yuuhi Kurenai was beautiful. Attractive, ambitious, and strong—you could see it all in her eyes and how she carried herself. At the same time, she was effeminate, nurturing, and loving. Hinata wasn't colorblind, she could distinguish colors, and she knew what red was—but she never expected it to be this…vivacious. Yuuhi Kurenai was a red rose to her. A deep, luxurious Bordeaux whose smell was as equally alluring as it was relaxing.
Minutes passed, and Hinata slowly came out of reverie, remembering that her head was still touching the woman. She looked away and blushed, but this time, a shy smile was drawn on her lips.
"Hinata-chan, may I call you that?" the woman asked.
A nod. Hinata snuck a glance towards Kurenai, she was still shy and blushing (years of social ineptitude obviously present), but Kurenai took note of their close proximity. Warmth spread through her heart.
"Ne, Hinata-chan, it's a nice day out, wouldn't you agree?"
"Mmm…"
Amusement danced in Kurenai's eyes. Progress… "Would you like to go outside?" she tilted her head towards the open doors that she hadn't bothered to close. The black wood from the sliding doors seemed to frame the clear blue sky.
A nod; and together, Kurenai and Hinata walked out onto the patio. Shyly, Hinata slipped her hand into Kurenai's and was rewarded with another warm smile. Hinata's reaction were pink-stained cheeks, and a shy smile.
Once outside, they sat. And stayed that way. A light breeze passes. The bamboo trees adjacent to them rustle. The sky is blue today, and the clouds are white and promising. Kurenai releases a sigh and relaxes her posture, leaning by a post. Hinata peeks her way. She couldn't help but stare; Yuuhi Kurenai was the only person who willingly stayed by her side. A budding seed springs forth inside her—hope. A comfortable and nurturing aura envelops the two.
(…)
When Kurenai's cell phone rang five minutes straight, she reluctantly made her way towards her purse to answer it. Hinata looked at Kurenai, she knew what phone calls meant. Kurenai was leaving. No…
Yuuhi Kurenai turned towards Hinata as she listened to her phone, her eyes were apologetic, and she bit her lower lip. She really has to—
"Gomen to cut our time short, Hinata-chan. It was nice meeting you…" Kurenai kept talking as she searched for her blazer. Hinata stood there; a creeping feeling slithered up her spine and settled at her throat. It felt constricted, she inhaled sharply.
She's leaving. Kurenai was putting her phone back into her purse and she was going to leave Hinata…and Hinata…Hinata would be alone again.
A tug at Kurenai's skirt held her back. It was a slight tug, weak and little, but it was present; a desperate plea. Kurenai looked back at Hinata. The girl was shaking, and then she looked up, her eyes revealed panic, fear, and loneliness. Tears were present at the corners. Unexpectedly, Hinata hugged Kurenai's legs; had she not felt the wetness seeping into her skirt, she would've never guessed that Hinata was crying.
I…I'm her lifeline. Kurenai's own eyes reflected melancholy as she realized the though, but determination was also forming from within her. Maternal instincts awoken, Kurenai bent down, and hugged the girl, trying to soothe her, but Hinata only cried harder. She was sobbing.
"D-don't leave…! Please, don't leave…!" the little girl in her arms hiccupped and cried, and choked, but she had refused to let go, holding tighter. Her heart ached. She was so alone that her heart ached. She cried and kept asking Kurenai to stay, to not abandon her, which Kurenai immediately promised.
"Yes, I'll stay," she repeated soothingly. "No one will leave you…you're a good girl…Yes, I'll stay…"
(…)
On November twentieth, twelve years ago, Yuuhi Kurenai felt her heart aching and yearning for the princess to smile. Since that day, she believed in love at first sight. And ever since that day, she had loved one Hyuuga Hinata…
By the day's end, Kurenai held Hinata's hand as she walked into Hiashi's office.
By the week's end, Hinata's belongings were all moved to Kurenai's posh loft.
By the month's end, Kurenai's apartment transformed from stylish-modern-woman to comfy-maternal-chic, the scent of cookies and cinnamon rolls smell emanating from the kitchen.
Another month passed by, and the loft was fully reconstructed—there were two new bedrooms, but at Hinata's request, Kurenai still slept with her from time to time.
On December 27th, Hinata's fourth birthday, there was a birthday cake, presents, and an official document from the lawyer that gave Kurenai guardianship over Hinata.
They celebrated it, just the two of them, no one from the Hyuuga had came; no messages were received, neither by phone nor by mail. But it was first day that Hyuuga Hinata truly felt happy for being alive.
To Kurenai's surprise, the little princess – her little princess – had learned how to play the piano like it's been there all her life.
"A-ano, I just watched you…and, I liked it," blushed Hinata. She had seemed so tiny compared to the piano. Adorable, the woman thought. She couldn't help but stare, her naturally rosy lips forming an "O" as Hinata replayed the song for her.
As she hugged the precious sunlight in her arms that night, safe under the warm covers of her bed, Kurenai realized how lucky she was. Hyuuga really are geniuses.
…I only played that song for her twice.
Her eyes strayed to said girl's sleeping face; red eyes softened, a feeling from within her chest stirs yet again—warmth—lulling her into sleep. Kurenai softly placed a kiss on her forehead before doing so.
Eyelids heavy, she closed them, and succumbed to the fuzzy darkness. Her mind replays the memory of Hinata's performance, hearing each and every note clearly.
"Exit Stage Right" … that's a good start…
(…)
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
1: yes, babies DO have senses when they were in the mother's womb (:
2: by "synthetic warmth" I mean that Hyuuga babies are rich, so they get their own nursery, and never interact with other babies, setting them apart since birth.
Uhh… good karmic points for reviewers? And I'll reply to your comments (unless you don't want me to) so confusions will be addressed! And remember: REVIEW FTW :D
In case anyone is curious, "Exit Stage Right" is actually a medley (it's not just piano, although piano is a main component—I think there's chimes and some sort of string instrument) (: the medley is only 21 seconds though, which I thought would be good, so it doesn't seem impossible, even if Hinata might be precocious, for a someone who just heard and saw the song being played twice.
And I'm so, so, terribly sorry for the page breaks. I have a mac. ): And it's wonderful, but sometimes it causes frustration because the reason things won't work is simply It's a Mac-thing. TT.TT D: Oh! and Chapters 1 and 2 have also been edited by Ink Child-san, so :D
Originally, I was resolute that I wanted YT to end before it hit the double-digits, but now I'm not sure; so, I'm just going to let my version of "Sasuke" and "Hinata" tell the story. For sure, there'll be at least 6 chapters.