The Uchiha Fraud
Chapter Three
It was a rather awkward drive on the way to Iwa's Photography, and Sakura was grateful that Naruto decided to tag along much to Sasuke's annoyance. She couldn't imagine being stuck in the car for fifteen minutes with the rather passive male, whose vocabulary only consisted of small noises of acknowledgement. Naruto began chattering away once the car began moving, most likely to prevent the silence that would've settled uncomfortably amongst the three.
Sakura was grateful for the extra company, but there was only so much she could take.
The drive felt like a million years to the aspiring doctor, and if Naruto's chattering hadn't given her a migraine—Sasuke's constant tapping on the steering wheel did. She tried to understand, she really did. But the tapping managed to grate her nerves, and it only worsened when the time interval between the 'thumps' became shorter. They finally arrived at a rather small establishment, with large letters on the building that spelled out "Iwa's Photography" in cursive. The interior of the building appeared as simple as the exterior, and walking inside past the automatic doors, she saw one desk located in the center of the lobby.
A brunette woman sitting comfortably behind it, most likely the receptionist, smiled brightly.
"Uchiha-san! Uzumaki-san," she greeted, eyes sliding over to Sakura. "And this is…?"
"Uchiha Sakura," Sasuke answered, dismissing the way the brunette's eyes narrowed a fraction. "I had Hyuuga Hinata call in yesterday about an appointment with Iwa Seiji."
"Mm, of course. I'm Yuki and I'll be your receptionist for today, so if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask." She winked, flashing a smile at the two males. "Seiji-kun should be waiting inside; it's the first door on your left."
Naruto and Sasuke walked in the direction of the room without a second glance, causing Sakura to grumble in annoyance. Rude. Looking at the brunette, she bowed slightly in thanks and smiled—only to receive the cold shoulder. Her brows knitted in confusion, and before she could open her mouth to address the brunette, Naruto had called out for her.
She took one last glance at the desk and headed for the room.
"Welcome, welcome!"
Sakura was taken back at the exuberant man's welcome, whose aura was so much similar to that of Naruto's. She then realized that he must be the Iwa Seiji who owned the photography business, and managed to politely smile in greeting. He was about a foot or so taller than her, still a few inches shorter than Sasuke but taller than Naruto. He had a head full of jet black hair and the brownest eyes she's ever seen, and truth be told, Sakura felt that if he had not been standing next to Sasuke—he would've been significantly more appeasing to the eyes.
"Ah, you must be Uchiha Sakura," Seiji stated, making no move to properly greet her. It seemed like a lifetime passed as he not-so-subtly perused her face and figure, making a noise of disapproval as he did. However, Sakura could have been imagining the whole thing as his eyes made it back to her face - a smile in tow.
While Sakura would have never pegged herself for a beautiful woman, the way Seiji reacted to her was less than comforting. It was apparent that he did not approve of her, though she was relieved that he didn't voice it.
'Do it for the money,' she thought to herself once more, taking a deep breath.
Seiji motioned towards both of them, though his attention was directed towards Sasuke. "I have the dress you requested, Uchiha-san. Please escort your wife to the room down the hall; I'm sure you remember where it is."
"Aa."
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Shortly after walking down the hallway, they arrived at a small room. It was similar to that of a dressing room, complete with a vanity and mirror, along with a clothing rack containing a variety of gowns—each a different color. Wordlessly, Sasuke brushed past her to retrieve a black dry cleaner bag that hung carelessly over the couch in the corner.
"When you're finished meet me in the main room," he said gruffly, handing her the bag before closing the door shut behind him.
Sakura huffed in annoyance, glaring at the offending article of clothing in her hands.
Where is she? Sasuke tapped his foot rather impatiently against the floor, eyes closed and arms crossed. Naruto had wandered off somewhere, claiming that there was a restaurant in the building somewhere that he had visited once. After he had dropped Sakura off in the dressing room, Seiji had ushered him into a different room in order to put on the tuxedo he had ordered a few days prior to this meeting.
Sasuke was used to the formal wear, so it had taken little time to put on each article of clothing before he walked to the meeting place. Inside he wore a white dress shirt, covered with a black silk vest, along with a matching tie tucked comfortably behind it. The matching blazer was a single button, containing a pearl white handkerchief in the upper pocket, and the slacks he wore were tailored to end right above his lace-up leather shoes.
But the weddings pictures were the least of his worries. Sasuke instantly noticed the displeasure on Sakura's face as Seiji was doing his usual once-over. The way her nostrils slightly flared and how quick she froze gave it away. Luckily, she seemed rather level-headed as there were no biting remarks and she seemed to let the matter go entirely. After meeting Sakura, it was easy to conclude that the aspiring doctor had a bit of a temper problem and wasn't afraid to voice her opinion. Much to his relief, she suppressed the urge to lash out at the photographer but he couldn't guarantee that he would be fortunate again the next time something like this occurred.
Leave it to his idiot best friend to find someone that was more trouble than it was worth. He might've preferred a money-hungry whore than a feisty doctor with pink hair of all things. But despite her strong-willed nature, it contradicted her appearance—soft and petite, bordering on fragile. If he had been none the wiser, he would've easily mistaken her as someone who constantly needed protection.
'Innocent,' Sasuke thought to himself, coming to a conclusion.
Still innocent.
The question as to how long she'll remain that way living life as an Uchiha lingered in his mind, but as she walked into the room—the long train of the gown following close behind, all thoughts vanished…
And all he could remember thinking about was how delicate she looked.
How Iwa Seiji found a dress that fit perfectly was beyond her.
Sakura had slipped on the white gown with ease and stared in amazement at her reflection. It was a one shoulder organza gown, with soft floral detail - the dress flowed from her waist down… accentuating her hips. The white brought out her bright emerald eyes, along with her vibrant pink hair.
Seiji had walked into the room not long after she put on the dress, dragging her towards another room, and it became evident what his intent was after she saw the various beauty supplies. After much consideration, he had ordered the hairdresser to twist her hair into an elegant bun—which was now decorated with diamond clips in the shape of flowers. He also ordered the make-up artist to leave her face as it is, save for a light eyeshadow and mascara that would bring focus to her eyes.
Everything was so simple, and yet at the same time, she looked breathtaking.
It was hard to believe that this was the same medical student staring back at her in the mirror.
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"Let's get this over with! You two will have to step over here by the backdrop," Seiji instructed, grabbing his thick-rimmed glasses. "Now Sakura-san, have your back lean against his chest and Uchiha-san, rest your hand on her waist—No no, a little lower. Ah! There we go. Now please look here!"
Sakura was nervous.
It was the first time that a man has ever been in such close proximity to her, and the very thought was frightening. Even though they weren't married, Sakura was disappointed that she had made no impact on the Uchiha—even a slight nod in acknowledgment would have sufficed. But he treated her with such indifference that it had left her in low spirits… that is, until Naruto walked into the room with a bowl of ramen which he had dropped immediately upon laying eyes on her.
That made her self-esteem rise a bit.
"Sakura," Sasuke muttered, bringing her attention to him. "Your hand."
She looked at him questionably, before realizing that her hand was still in its position over his cheek. Sakura removed it immediately, as if he had burned her, before breaking her gaze—embarrassed. A catch of the light from the corner of her eyes averted her attention to his left hand, and sitting there on his left ring finger was a gold band that she had failed to notice. When did he put that on?
Her fingers shifted unconsciously, feeling her own ring brush against her hand.
Sakura was waiting silently in the lobby, flipping carelessly through a Vogue magazine that laid on the coffee table adjacent to her. From her peripheral vision, she noticed Yuki—the receptionist from earlier that day—eyeing Sasuke as he sat comfortably in his seat on the other side of the table. Though the brunette seemed immersed in her phone call, it was evident that the look in her eyes was anything but casual. Sakura had been around college students long enough to realize that that look was filled with lustful intent.
But judging from Sasuke's blank expression, he probably forgot who the woman was... or that he had spoken to her at all.
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"Teme!" Naruto called out urgently, startling Sakura. "Your mom…she—!"
The two made eye contact, a silent message passing through them.
"How long?" he asked patiently, but before the blonde could utter a reply—the doors swung open, revealing a beautiful woman.
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"Sasuke-kun! You've grown!"