A/N: For those that like to read in first person narrative... here's Sakura's. As a bonus for the upcoming 2013 Valentine's Day, I'll upload Chapter 7 ahead of the scheduled date ;)

Chapter 6-Gaara's Arrival

Gaara, Gaara.

Everyone has been talking about this boy all day! Who exactly is he? I hear his father is a big shot, currently managing one of the largest corporations in the world. What is this big shot's son doing here now? Rumors can be so incredibly ridiculous. The logic just doesn't flow.

"Hey, are you even listening?!"

Right, I'm in the middle of one of Ino's fantasizing rants.

"Sakura, even if you're not listening, the least you could do is pretend to show a degree of interest!" Ino scolds.

"I'm sorry," I reply. "Please continue." I smile, displaying my sincerity.

A self-satisfied spreads across Ino's face. "Believe it or not, I actually saw this new transfer kid in the morning!"

For some reason, this gathers the attention of most of the girls in the classroom. They literally drop everything they're doing and gather around Ino.

"Tell more," they plead.

This is wasting my time. So much for these rumors. This Gaara might just turns to be opposite of these rumors. Instead of handsome and "one of a kind", he might just be downright ordinary. Oh, how I'd love to see the disappointment in people's face.

I figure I'm being too harsh right now. Eh. I could honestly care less. I don't even know why I can be such a cold-hearted person… I guess everyone has one of these days.

Oh, Sasuke. I can't help myself but to have his image pop into my head. The very thought of him seems to make my heart melt. Yet it burns. Because I know it's impossible between him and I. Without really knowing it, I let out a fangirl squeal. Sasuke, you flawless beast!

When I open my eyes, I see all the girls staring at me. I can feel the blush of my cheeks. Ino shoots me a suspicious glare.

"Don't tell me you have seen him too," she says.

"Er, who?" my face is still burning.

"Gaara."

Phew. To this day, I haven't told anyone of my crush on Sasuke. Before I can reply, Naruto comes in. Life saver!

"Hey Sakura, let's eat lunch together!" he shouts joyfully. "The cherry blossoms won't be blooming by tomorrow. Let's enjoy the last of it together."

I stand up, taking my bento. Great timing, Naruto. I smile at Ino. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I got—"

"—just get out of my face." Ino can be so cruel with her words, but she means it to be taken lightly.

Outside, Naruto and I sit on a bench under the school's cherry blossoms. The petals are as mesmerizing as ever. The way they flow gently to the ground… it calms me. If only I can flow like that, careless and carefree… I inhale. The smell never fails to calm me either. Naruto is babbling on and on, but I am hypnotized by the blossoms. My mind is drifting…into this—

—"Sakura!" Naruto whispers into my right ear. It sends shivers through my skin. This idiot!

I shoot him a death-by-glare. "What is it?" I know Naruto for too long, so I just can't make myself to be too polite with him.

Despite my coldness, Naruto still gives me one of his signature grins. Happy and wide. "We have 15 minutes before the bell rings for next class. Better dig in and have no regrets!" He gives me a thumb up. That is when I notice how he doesn't have a bento box. He has a warm, white bun.

Without a word, I take the bun off his hand and give him my bento box. He's been eating buns two weeks in a row now.

He gives me a puzzled look.

"Don't look at me like that," I say. "I have a sudden crave for a bun today." I lie. But Naruto understands my intention. He's not as idiotic as he makes himself to be.

He's an orphan ever since he's in elementary. Having nowhere to really go, he lives in a shelter ran by this village. White buns are usually what he can manage at lunch. He wants no pity, of course. But I admit—these white buns are plain in taste. It'd be a whole different story if it's filled with red bean paste or pork.

"Thank you…," he whispers before digging into the bento box.

I take small bites of the bun as I continue to watch the petals fall. That is when I notice something red behind a bush in the distant. It's so weird…. Is there a person behind it? But it's not moving at all.

"Naruto, I'm going to check out something," I stand up. "You can drop by the finished bento to my classroom during in-between class time."

Without waiting for his reply, I run to the bush that's across the yard. Our school's yard is large so it actually takes me one or two minutes to reach the bush. Forgetting that there are low fences protecting the bush area, I must have tripped. Because the next instant I blinked—I am on the grass with my knees and elbows burning a little. Good thing I've tripped on grass. But that doesn't stop me from being scratched by all the rocks scattered throughout.

When I gather myself up… a boy of red hair... heavy eyeliners… extremely pale skin… an Ai tattoo on the forehead slowly opens his eyes. His eyes are in a very, very light shade of green. That is when I realize—gah! He's been sleeping against a bush the whole time! Why the hell… more importantly, how the hell can he manage to sleep against a bush? Why not against the tree or on the ground?

…Is he even a student of this school?! He is wearing no uniform! Yet how does he manage to get in? Aren't tattoos a taboo for middle school students? So why the hell is he wearing one. He is wearing no expression at all but his eyes somehow make me feel… weird.

"You interrupted me," he murmurs, slowly narrowing his eyes.

Isn't it obvious? I want to reply. Who does he think he is? But I find myself apologizing instead. "Sorry."

His stare is intense as he looks into my eyes. "Then leave." Speak about rudeness.

I apologize again and take to my leave. I absolutely do not want to associate with someone as rude as him!

That is when the bell inside the school ringed.

This red-haired boy with a tattoo walks right past me in a devil-may-care way. He's heading towards the school building.

No… way. That's the rumored transfer boy?!