Chapter two  The Preparation 

"Ino don't forget to bring your pajamas!" Ino's mom shouted.

"I don't need them mom! There are no mosquitoes in Hinata's house." Ino said as she and Shikamaru went outside Ino's house.

"Shikamaru, please take care of my daughter okay?" Ino's mom reminded him.

Shikamaru nodded and went beside Ino.

"Don't listen to my mom. She's just like that. O.P." Ino said.

"O.P.? You mean overprotective?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah. Since I'm her only daughter and only child." She replied.

A speeding car comes in and Shikamaru hugged Ino to protect her.

"Hey, who the hell is that?" Ino blurted.

"Whoever he is, I hope he dies sooner or later." Shikamaru said.

"Do you agree with me, Ino?" Shikamaru asked.

Ino could not answer back because she feels awkward with their position. Shikamaru's hands are on her waist and she is too close to him.

"What about sweet kiss from her?"

"Hey, who are you?"

"Your inner self, moron."

"I'm not a moron you idiot! But wait, our position is too…"

"Just a kiss! One kiss can start everything.."

Shikamaru was about to kiss Ino when a car honked. "Hey, what do you think you guys are doing?" Tenten asked them as she got out of Neji's car.

Ino and Shikamaru went inside the car. Shikamaru gave Neji a how-dare-you-ruin-the-moment glare while Ino cursed Tenten in her mind.

"So Hinata, how can I help you?" Naruto asked her while he's looking at her as she cooks ramen.

Hinata starts laughing and Naruto can't help but to laugh.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" Naruto asked.

"You're like a sales person, Naruto. Asking me, how can you help me.." Hinata said and continues to laugh.

"Is that so? Then I won't help you anymore." Naruto said and went to the couch.

"This is my house and you are tasked to help me, so you must help me!" Hinata shouted.

Naruto stood up and faced her. "But, you don't tell me what I should do? Instead, you are laughing at me!"

"Well, cut all those veggies and you will clean the dishes later. That would be your job."

"But, Neji said, that you and I will just PREPARE. So, cleaning the dishes is not part of our task."

"Are you complaining?"

"No, I'm not. I'm just explaining---" Naruto said but Hinata interrupted him.

"I ….also… own this house so you must… follow me. I won't give you any ramen if you won't follow… me." Hinata said with her arms on her waist.

"Okay." Naruto said as he began to cut the vegetables.

"Don't worry, I'll help you with the dishes." Hinata said and smirked at him.

"I know why you stuttered."

"Shut up you bitch!" Hinata cursed her inner self.

"You're too near to each other and you can't help but to stutter."

"That's..not..true!"

"See, you're stuttering again"

"What..ever."

"Hinata, I had finished cutting the vegetables. I will leave them here, and I'll set the table." Naruto said and went to the dining room.

"Is this all you need Sakura?" Sasuke asked her as he put her things in the compartment of his car.

"Yes, thanks Sasuke." Sakura said as she waved goodbye to her parents.

When Sakura got inside the car, she saw Sasuke's sweat dripping all over his face. Sakura got her extra face towel and asked Sasuke to face her. She wiped Sasuke's sweat and asked him to turn his back.

"What for?" Sasuke asked with a red face.

"I'll place this towel at your back so that your sweat won't be absorbed by your body. It'll cause you illness, you know." Sakura said as she placed the towel at Sasuke's back.

Sasuke drove all the way to Neji's house. Sakura is busy wiping her legs because there is red paint on her legs. During traffic, Sasuke can't help but to stare at her legs.

"Where did you get that red paint?" Sasuke asked while he was driving.

"In my room. Mom had it repainted. The workers started to paint red and tomorrow they'll be painting white." Sakura said as she wipes her legs.

"She really loves pink." Sasuke said to himself.

A song is heard in Sasuke's car.

It just ain't living

And I just hope you know

That if you say, goodbye today

I'd ask you to be true

Cause the hardest part of this is leaving of you

Sakura starts to cry and she tries to hide her tears from Sasuke. Sasuke stopped his car and parked in a corner. He got his handkerchief and wiped Sakura's tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm such a crybaby." Sakura said as Sasuke consoles her.

"Why did you cry?" Sasuke asked.

"It's just the song. I can't help but to cry because I miss my other friends in highschool."

"But there's Ino, Tenten and Hinata."

"Yes. I know that. But, when we were just highschool students, we had a large group of friends where happiness is always present. I'm happy that my friends are still with me but I'd be happier if…"

"Sakura, it's time to move on. Highschool is now just a part of your past. You have to face the truth. We're in college. And don't you worry about friends, I can, if it's alright with you, be your friend." Sasuke said as he hugged Sakura.

"How about a boyfriend?"

"Shut up! Don't disturb us." Sasuke told to his innerself.

FLASHBACK

"So how about this?" Tenten asked as she held an acetate.

"That could be. Let's go to the cashier. They should be tired waiting for us." Neji said and they went to the cashier.

The cashier looked at them with a very malicious stare.

"You know what, of you guys we're a couple, you'd be a perfect match." The cashier said to them.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. But, we're just classmates." Tenten said..

The cashier smiled and continued, "But, if you were a couple,…"

"Stop it. Come on, Tenten, we've got work to do." Neji said , pulling Tenten.

After they went outside the bookstore, Tenten blamed Neji for being impolite.

"So, you love her opinion about us being a couple?" Neji asked.

Tenten was irritated with what he said, she pulled him and whispered to him, "Let's talk inside the car. Don't make a scandal here."

Neji opened the car and Tenten went inside the car furiously.

"Let's go to the park." Tenten said calmly.

"You know that our groupmates we'll be there. Everyone is rushing to finish the project while you—" Neji said but was cut-off by Tenten's deadly glare.

They went in the park and Tenten started to talk.

"You know what, you're so different from your cousin."

"Of course, there are a lot of differences between me and Hinata."

"But, you're too insensitive! You don't care about the feelings of others. You're too self-centered!" Tenten shouted to him.

"Ha, that shows that you really like the opinion of that cashier about us."

"Oh for God's sake! Why would I like her opinion? To be paired with a self-centered guy like you? Yuck!"

"And who do you think you are? Goddess of some kind of planet? Superstar? Oh, come on!"

"But why are you so mad with her opinion? It's just an opinion you know. You should not make a big deal out of it."

Neji stood and started going back to his car.

"Because, I don't want "if", I want "it" to happen." Neji uttered.

"What does he mean by "it" ?" Tenten said while Ino is cursing her for what she did.

"Maybe it means, you guys being a couple…"

"You again? Why do you always talk when I'm confused?" Tenten said to her innerself.

"I'm sort of guiding you."

"Well, with what you said, you just made me think of a lot more complications." Tenten said as she went inside to greet Sakura and her friends.