Love's Misconstruities
Chapter 9
Time continued to pass, and Hinata fell into despair. She was reverting back to her old self and perhaps even worse than before, becoming clumsier, nervous, and more awkward than she had been in a long time…and she hated herself for it. She knew the only way she'd be able to fix it was to get some answers. Still, working up the courage to do that was difficult as well. It took her weeks before she initiated conversation with Sakura and even longer before she felt she could bring up the topic she desperately needed information on, but at last she mustered up what courage she had.
She'd discovered Sakura by a bridge which overlooked the small stream that flowed through Konoha. The pink-haired girl seemed depressed, but as she sensed Hinata's presence, masked it with a cheerful smile.
"Hinata-chan. How are you? Seems like we've been running into each other a lot lately."
"I-I'm fine... Yourself?"
"I'm good."
"…Really?"
"Hm? What do you mean?" Sakura asked, playing dumb.
"N-nothing, really… You just looked…sad before."
Sakura's smile wilted a bit around the edges before finally collapsing altogether. "…Mm."
"Is something wrong?"
"No, not really… I just… I guess I'm just lonely," she admitted with a sigh and small shrug. "That must sound silly, though, right? I mean, I have friends and family all around me, but…"
"You… You have someone…special, don't you? And he's not here," Hinata figured, a knot forming in her throat.
This earned her a surprised glance from Sakura, but she did not question the other girl's insight. She simply gave a sad smile and returned her gaze to the stream. "Mm… He's not in Konoha right now… Sometimes I wonder why it is that I even like him. He's the dark, silent, brooding type. He was nice at times, but he could also be cold and distant, too; scary even, at times. …But, I suppose we can't help who we fall in love with, can we?" she finished, smiling back up at her fellow kunoichi.
"No…I suppose we can't. …E-Excuse me, Sakura-chan. I must be on my way," Hinata said, hastily retreating from the bewildered girl. She refused to cry in front Sakura. That would be sinking too low. She waited until she returned home, then, once she was safely behind the closed door of her room, she curled into a tight ball on her bed, burying her face in the pillow to muffle her sobs.
'All those traits she described…dark…silent…brooding… That's Gaara! So she does love him. And he seems to like her, too. I could see it in his face. He even blushed when she touched him! He's never blushed around me… Naruto-kun loves her, too. Why? Why is it that every boy I like is drawn to her instead? …It's because I'm too weak. How can I compare to someone like Sakura-chan? I… I… I don't want to give up, but…how? …Where do I even start? I'm so pathetic…'