Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I am not the creator of this anime/manga.

I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO ARASIA FOR BEING MY FIRST REVIEWER ON MY PREVIOUS CHAPTER. Thank you and keep reading this story until the end.

My dear readers and reviewers! Thank you… for making this story possible! Love you guys!

WANTED: Beta-reader

Hinata was startled. She never expected that they would cross each other here.

Her eyes widened when suddenly a beautiful bright pink-haired woman appeared from behind.

"S-sakura-san," She murmured but everyone heard it.

Sakura Haruno, the woman of her former lover was one of their childhood friends since grade school. When they were little, Hinata knew that her first love and former lover was head over heels in love with his current woman right now.

Sakura was indeed beautiful and stunning compare to her simplicity and plain type. Her bright pink hair in a shoulder-length style made her face look gorgeous, while her beautiful green eyes and fair skin made her like a goddess. Not to mention she worked in a prestigious hospital as one of the greatest surgeons in their town.

Ever since she met them, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were already close to each other. Their bond was so strong that she couldn't interfere in their lives before; but that thought was changed when they were in junior high wherein Naruto came to sit beside her and started to talk to her. They became friends even Sakura, but not Sasuke. Sasuke? She wasn't sure if they were really friends, although they weren't enemies or even strangers. All she could remember that he was the best friend of her first love and at the same time her classmate.

Sakura-san was nice and kind. There was no doubt on her good personality towards to people, but sometimes she became selfish for wanting to conquer the attention of Sasuke. As far as she could remember, Sakura was deeply in love with Sasuke that almost became an obsession for her to be attracted to him. Their lives always been like a chain of unrequited love; She loves Naruto; Naruto love Sakura, and Sakura loves Sasuke.

When Sakura decided to study abroad to take up medicine, Naruto already gave up his feelings towards her. That moment, when Naruto was depressed and lonely, Hinata was there to comfort him and to cheer him up. She thought she totally healed the broken heart of Naruto, because he confessed and asked her permission to be his girl. She couldn't measure how happy she was on that time.

For almost three years, she and Naruto were like a fairy tale living in a full blossom of love. Not until Sakura came in view again. Hinata knew she couldn't blame Sakura for everything. She came back to work and to pursue her love to Sasuke or that what Sakura told her, before Naruto broke up with her to be with Sakura. Since then, Hinata never got a chance to talk or even meet her by chance.

"Hi, it's been a long time since we met."

Hinata snapped back to reality when she heard the lovely voice of the pink-haired woman in front of her.

"I-I… Yeah, me too," Hinata slightly curved her lips for response, but not in the way of insolence.

Sakura smiled back.

Although Hinata and Sakura were showing sweet smiles, the two men with them almost felt the tense behind their angelic faces.

"So what are you both doing here anyway?" Naruto interrupted and broke the tense by repeating his question a while ago.

Hinata gulped feeling anxious, but Sasuke remained stoic and calm.

"For business," Sasuke flatly answered not waiting for the response of Hinata knowing that she wouldn't answer that question.

Naruto showed a quirky smile remembering that it was really a business.

"It's so unusual for you to bring your secretary here," Sakura oddly added.

Naruto and Hinata stiffened, but Sasuke kept his composure.

Sakura had a point. They all knew that Sasuke never brought anyone with him especially his secretary to his any business tour. Naruto stared at them still absorbing his girlfriend's statement. Hinata looked down on her feet like something interesting to see on it.

Sasuke irritatingly sighed. "It's none of your business. Let's go, Hinata," He passed by to them and Hinata followed him.

Sakura turned around wanting to know the reason, "B-but Sasuke…"

Sasuke stopped without facing her, "I don't have to explain myself to the woman of my best friend."

Sakura froze realizing that she was not actually his girlfriend to answer her insecure question. Before, she could freely ask Sasuke any sort of questions like she was his mother. Even he got irritated, he was still answering her nicely and politely, but this time was different; so much different because she was simply the girlfriend of his best friend. Life wasn't fair as they said. Sakura waited him to learn how to love her not as his sister, but as a woman who is hungry from his love. Her dream, her fantasy and her hope never turned into reality. The only thing she felt right now was the stabbing pain from her heart that he created long time ago.

Sasuke slightly twisted his neck to show his half face to them, "By the way Naruto, you can reserve the whole area or just simply inform me if you want to date Sakura exclusively here, so that next time you will have the whole night to be intimate with your woman without interrupting your moment," he smirked and continued walking.

Naruto and Sakura blushed in embarrassment. Hinata almost forgot to breathe for a few seconds. She looked straight at Naruto with a pain shown in her lavender eyes. He felt guilt, and tried not to meet her gaze towards him.

"We have to go. See you next time Hinata," Sakura cynically smiled and waved to Hinata as she dragged Naruto towards the exit.

Naruto let his girlfriend dragged him outside without saying goodbye to Hinata, but when he lifted his face to glance at her direction, their eyes met with the same expression; regret.

Hinata remained from where she was left alone, while watching Naruto and Sakura tailed off on her view.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to pity herself. She wanted to feel jealous, but everything became numb to her.

Indeed it was painful reminiscing that you were once been played and acted like stupid in front of them, but she wasn't sure if the feelings is still there. After what happened last night between her and Naruto, her feelings was slowly fading away and turning everything into a bitter chronicle of her life.

Was it a sign for her to move on totally?

"Hey! How long are you going to make me wait?" Sasuke shouted with a visible irritation audible on his voice.

Hinata turned around to see Sasuke was leaning in the doorframe of the restaurant. She moved quickly in his direction and apologized for being slow. He didn't respond.

He guided the direction inside and Hinata stayed on his back.

The restaurant was surrounded with Mother Nature; the humming of insects and birds, the smell of flowers and the cold breeze of the atmosphere. It was so relaxing.

The restaurant was an open area. Across the dining hall was the beautiful view of the ocean. Although it was already dark and can barely see the seashore, Hinata can still appreciate the calm and hushed sound of ocean.

The theme was bloody roses. The area was full of red and white petals. It was really made for a romantic date.

I guess it's a good choice for them to date here. Hinata smiled bitterly in her own thoughts. Sakura was undeniably lucky to experience this with Naruto. When she was his girlfriend, he never did those romantic surprises to her. They only stayed on their apartment to cook together.

As she was exploring the entire place with her eyes turning around the place, she saw different paintings of two lovers in different settings; one was in the middle of the forest, the other was in front of the Eiffel Tower, and the other one was on the lake.

What was really caught her attention was a young female with a black broken wings who was embracing her knees without any clothes to cover her body. She was bounded with dark and gray surroundings. The painting was exceptional among the others, because it was the only painting there who seemed solitary and tragic.

"Raffaelo Sanzio," Sasuke said from behind.

Hinata turned to face him in confussion, "Huh?"

"He is a famous Italian painter and that painting is one of his works, a masterpiece. My grandfather bought that imitation in France because of the lovely message he interpreted in that painting."

Hinata crossed her eyebrows with puzzlement on her face, "How could that be lovely? Look at it," Hinata pointed the painting and they both looked on it.

"S-she's in despair. Her wings are broken. She's naked. She's probably crying while embracing her knees. The darkness is hugging her. I can't see it as lovely. I only feel the loneliness on that painting," Her voice was soft and full of sadness.

"That painting symbolizes that love is unpredictable. It could be easy to grab or simply unreachable if you will only focus to your own agony. She's not alone."

"W-what do you mean?" Hinata puzzlingly asked.

"Look."

She abided and eyed on the painting once again. All she saw was the female with broken wings; darkness of the background and on the corner was a dry and dead tree.

As she tensely stared at the painting, she saw a fading outline of the half body of a human beside of the tree. The longer she stared to the outline, the more it became visible to be actually a man who was staring at the female on the same painting.

"She's not alone," she muttered without looking away to the painting.

Sasuke nodded.

"I-I… It doesn't seem romantic for me. I-It's actually scary." Hinata stuttered on saying her own perspective towards the painting.

A vein popped on his temple. Irritated, but tried to calm himself, "Can't you see the effort of that man to reach and to make that woman notice his presence; his love?"

Hinata slightly kinked her head on the side. She was still absorbing his description to that certain man on the painting.

"I'm s-sorry, but I think that man isn't doing anything…" Hinata turned to look at Sasuke who was now frowning at her, but still decided to continue stating her side. She gulped, "H-he was just standing there, watching the poor lady. She w-will never notice his presence i-if he will always stay behind that tree," She finished while nervously staring on the ground.

It's just a painting, so how can he reach that woman? Sasuke felt logically irritated knowing that she has a point, but didn't want to accept his defeat.

"Hn. You're just like that woman, so insensitive." Sasuke turned around and proceeded to the nearest table across the view of the ocean.

A curve on her lips formed as she spotted her boss pouting when he turned his back on her. She silently chuckled, because of the cuteness side she saw from her own boss.

Hinata glanced to the painting with an interest before she followed the trail of Sasuke towards 'their' table.

When she reached to their table, the waiter already left them indicating that Sasuke was already ordered their meals.

Silence embedded their atmosphere. Hinata kept stealing a glance on Sasuke's direction, and Sasuke was still obviously irritated on something while staring on the direction where the painting was placed.

Hinata gasped when her phone vibrated on her pocket. She checked to see who texted her.

Naruto-kun?

She opened her phone and inwardly read the message

'From: Naruto

Hi, how's your day with Sasuke? I know it sounds weird, but I just want to know if it was really for business when I saw you a while ago with Shim? I just don't… You know. It's really weird to say it, but I hope you understand me. I really miss you, Hinata.'

She wasn't sure if she felt happy or irritated. Happy in the sense of he was actually misses her, but irritated because she knew he had now another woman, but still acted like a jealous boyfriend to her.

"Who texted you?" Sasuke interrupted her thoughts.

"Huh? A-a I-it's just a friend of mine." Hinata answered, but feeling guilty for not telling the truth to him.

She decided to reply him.

'To: Naruto

Yeah, it's really just for business. There are plenty of works to do so he asked my helped to check the resort and nothing more.

Yeah, I miss you too.'

Feeling satisfied with her reply she closed her phone and kept it on her pocket.

Their dinner went smoothly, but wordlessly.

Because of too much silence, all she could hear was a deafening tinnitus on her ears.

"Are you done?" Sasuke butted in.

"Y-yeah," Hinata answered. The meal was indeed delicious, but the silence made it tasteless.

Sasuke stood from his chair and left her on the dining table. He went to the balcony and let his mind be peace on the sanctuary of the starry night.

Hinata stared on her empty plate. Her thoughts diverted when she kept remembering what happened a while ago.

Her face flushed in deep red when she recalled the warm hands of Sasuke tracing her curves while his face was just few inches away from hers that she already felt his breathe on her lips.

She shook her head trying not to think about it, but she needed to know why he did that to her.

She stood and decided to confront him about what he did.

"S-sir…"

"You're not working as my secretary anymore. Your work is over for this day."

"O-oh… Yeah. S-sasuke- san."

Sasuke twitched when he heard his name with too much formality, but it seemed unnoticed to Hinata.

"I-I just want to ask w-why did you d-do that?" Hinata stuttered that he almost didn't understand what she was saying.

He stared at her and kept his mouth shut indicating that he wanted her to repeat the question.

"I-I mean a while ago. The, the…" Hinata blushed not knowing how to explain this to him. She felt regret for confronting him so suddenly.

While searching for a right word, she realized something.

Based on his statement a while ago to Naruto, maybe Naruto and Sakura was passionately kissing. Since the restaurant was an open style sphere, everything was a see through.

So maybe Sasuke did that weird action to distract her from seeing Naruto and Sakura kissing.

Hinata suddenly chuckled almost laughing, "I'm sorry. I just realized why you did that flirting part a while ago."

Sasuke apprehended what she was talking about now.

"You just wanted to distract me from seeing…"

"You're wrong," Sasuke interfered and Hinata was shocked.

He moved closer intending to close the distance between them, "Because I love you."

Her eyes widened disbelieving the word that slip on his lips.

Sasuke's hands were wrapped around her waist pulling her into his chest. Her heart skipped a beat. She could almost hear the loud and strong beat of her own heart. Her knees slowly becoming numb and she almost felt her weight was shifting in his arms.

As she nearly gave up her sanity, she swiftly heard Naruto's words…

"I don't feel comfortable seeing my ex girlfriend with my best friend."

"I miss you, Hinata."

"Stop." Her voice increased in pleading tone.

Sasuke froze with rejection on his face.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I'm not yet ready for this," Hinata pushed her hands on his chest to distant herself on him.

"I have to go," Hinata ran away not wanting to hear his voice anymore, or else she might not control herself and might be drowned into insanity.

Sasuke stood still not moving. For the first time on his life, rejection slapped him so hard that he couldn't even move his body anymore. He looked at the starry night forcing his tears not to come out. Once again, darkness embedded his world..

That moment when she asked him, he thought it was the time for him to confess his feelings to her, but he guessed it was just a sign for him to be more miserable and forever alone.

He reached his phone and dialed some digits, "Drive Hinata home. I'll stay here tonight."

"Yes master Uchiha," a bulky voice answered him and Sasuke ended the call.

Hinata ran so fast to reach the exit and her phase was now becoming slow. She couldn't believe what she heard just a moment ago. Sasuke, her own boss, confessed his love to her. How could that be happened? It was impossible. All this time she thought, he liked Sakura and he was just simply comforting her because she was broken, but not because he loves her.

She touched her chest. The strong and irregular beat of her heart was still taking control her weird emotion. Yeah, it was weird, so weird.

"Ms. Hyuuga?" A familiar bulky voice greeted her as she stopped running.

She remembered that man in a black suit who was actually Sasuke's driver.

"Master Uchiha told me to send you home."

"W-what about him?" Hinata felt guilty because of what happened awhile ago.

"He'll stay here tonight, Ms. Hyuuga," the driver politely opened the car's door for her and she gently thanked him and hopped in the car.

Maybe it was good to go home alone. Maybe this was better than embracing the awkwardness with him. And maybe, it was for the best to discard his feelings for her. In the meantime, it was right and hopefully her feelings won't betray her.

*End of chapter 8*

I'M SOOO SORRY for soo late update. School staffs are on the way. I got distracted due to too much things to do and I don't want to continue typing a story when my mind is not focus on the story itself. This chapter was actually done long time ago, but unfortunately there's problem in my internet connection =(

This chapter is supposedly longer, but I decided to cut it so I can focus in the resort scene.

This story already has an ending plot, so it means this will probably be done anytime soon! Yepey! The only hindrance is my schedule to update =(

Don't worry I'll try my best, just promise me to keep in touch and don't get tired on me.

Reviews will always be appreciated and you can share this to your friends ^0^ I really don't mind….

Questions? Clarifications? Are welcome just pm me or better ask on review.

Again! First reviewer on this chapter will be awarded! I will dedicate the next chapter to the winner.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!