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Chance Meetings

#8: Park

She loved going to parks. To enjoy the sunshine, the fresh air, or simply watch the children play with their toys, pets, or parents. It was refreshing to get out after being stuck in her office the whole day. The deadline for the finished copy of POW!magazine was in two days, but Hinata, being the talented chief editor she was, got it finished today.

It was a bit disappointed to see that there wasn't anyone to congratulate her or at least say 'good job'. Well, what did she expect? Her family had firmly expected her to take after the pharmaceutical company that her sister was currently head of. When she uttered the words, 'fashion school' her decision was set and now, no one could utter her name without a long scolding from an elder…or her father.

Still, if freedom meant no form of communication whatsoever with her family, then she'd let it be. She was stressed nearly every week from work, true, but it was a good kind of stress. The kind you get when you're doing something you want to do, not something you're forced to do because you were born into a super rich family.

Besides, she liked being able to contribute to the media, being able to meet celebrities, and all that but still live a normal life without being horded by the paparazzi. Yeah, sure, they did visit her when she attended balls, openings, fashion shows…

But she was glad that she was at least able to enjoy this park without some random guy jumping out of a trashcan to "get a new scoop".

Sadly, she wasn't here to enjoy the park. Not personally, anyway. This was strictly business. She was going to interview the "latest hot hunk of the month" and do a four page interview.

Despite the fact that Hyuuga Hinata did have crushes on celebrities, Uchiha Sasuke was one she wanted to stay away from. She knew his type; the brooding, dark guy in the corner with hordes of fan girls chasing after him in every direction.

Her life was already depressing, she didn't need something else to add to her "The Very Sad Things in My Life" list. She admitted to her assitant, Ino, that the picture of Sasuke in GQdid bring out his eyes.

But, she decided, Uchiha Sasuke did not need another fan girl trailed after the edges of his coats or spluttering nonsense at his doorstep. He had enough of that.

This was strictly business.

She couldn't believe all the girls who whined to her about how much they wanted this position. But what could she do? His manager had personally sent her a message stating, "Sasuke-kun requested that you personally interview him Hinata-san. Could you?"

She felt bad for the guy. He sounded desperate to get rid of him.

But…

Hinata bit her lip.

She was slightly afraid that someone would recognize Sasuke when he came to the park. Then hordes of people would come, and maybe a paparazzi would catch them sitting together and then…

Bam. On the front cover of every tabloid in Japan, "Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke, LOVEBIRDS?"

Disgusting.

But, she was sure he had enough sense to bring a costume or something. She had enough sense to choose the most secluded spot available in the park!

Ugh, how she hated celebrities.

Oh, look, there's one now.

"Hello, Hinata-san."

She blinked and decided that it was a bad idea to silently insult (in her head!) a sought after bachelor when he was right in face.

"Ah, hello Uchiha-san."

"What's with the formalities? Just call me Sasuke," he said as he took a seat beside her. She silently scoffed at his "costume". A black trench coat and black jeans. Sunglasses. Talk about effort.

She clicked on her small voice recorder and said, "Let's get down to business. How's--," before she was cut off.

"Now, now, can't we chat a bit?" he asked, smirked. His arm was slung behind her and she resisted the earge to laugh cruelly.

So he thought he was so slick, eh?

She quickly clicked pause on her voice recorder and replied. "This is an interview, Uchiha-san. Not a chat."

"Sasuke-kun."

"What?" she blinked. He smirked.

"At least call me Sasuke-kun," he said, yawning a bit. He didn't use the arm slung behind Hinata to cover his mouth, to her disappointment.

"No, thanks," Hinata replied as polite as she could. "Could we move on?"

He looked offended for a moment before laughing at her cold stare.

"Wow, they meant it when they said Hyuuga Hinata was interested in me."

Hinata's jaw dropped and he continued.

"I'm betting 500 bucks on this that you'll fall for me by the end on this interview. I'm sure you heard of the famous director Uzumaki Naruto?"

Hinata's jaw (if possible) dropped even lower. It quickly snapped back and she, mild mannered Hyuuga Hinata, snapped at the celebrity.

"Excuse me?" she asked as coldly as she could.

Think like Hanabi…

"Look, I'm sorry that I didn't worship you from the moment you went on screen. I'm only interviewing you because your poor manager asked. I don't know what you're thinking, but I assure you, by the end of this interview, you'll just be another celebrity and I'll just be another editor looking for an article. Alright? So don't add me to the list of girls you had in your bedroom. It's pretty disgusting in my eyes," Hinata said carefully and politely.

Well, Hanabi probably would have just flipped him off and walked away.

Throughout her tirade, Sasuke looked on with an amused expression.

"Alright, then. I guess I'll have to listen to the platonic Hyuuga Hinata then, don't I?" he answered with a chuckle.

"I'd be grateful in you did. Can we begin now?" she asked.

"Why not?"

For the next hour, the interview passed without incident. Sasuke finally behaved like a good celebrity should, and answered all her questions with reasonable answers.

It never crossed her mind that the "brooding Uchiha Sasuke" that was interviewed so many times before was nothing like the "Sasuke-san" that sat before her, giving her witty, sarcastic answers.

"Well then, I think we're finished." She stood up and was going to place her voice recorder into her purse when a hand pulled her back onto the picnic table they were sitting at.

His lips were very close to her ear.

"Now, Hinata-san, don't you think I was the one who asked my manager to be interviewed only by you and no one else? Do you know why? Because, setting aside that you're the only woman to talk to me like I'm human, you are also breathtakingly beautiful. Does that make sense? Even if you don't fall for me at the end of this interview, I can safely say one of us will."

She furrowed her eyebrows and turned her face, only to be met by a pair of lips.

Her eyebrows then shot up into her hair.

Afterwards, the man shot up, and walked away, calling behind his back—

"It was after the interview. You never said you wouldn't fall for meafter the interview right?"

A week later, Hinata passed by a stand of tabloids.

Whatever she saw, it promptly made her faint and hit the floor pretty hard.

Meeting #8: End.

A/N: Now we have proof that I'm insane or possibly intoxicated. XD

Thank you for reading!