MisoHime
Author's Note:
Hello. It's about 1:16 a.m where I am, and I'm supposed to be up for morning classes in five hours.
It's been one week since I jumped back into writing this story. For the previous week, I've been actively doing as much as I can, and I'm proud of myself for rewriting the first three chapters of this story in the past six days. In case you didn't notice - do go check them out. I have made some significant changes. I will also continue to fix the rest of the chapters which were written years ago. There are parts that no longer fit because of my recent adjustments.
I can't promise how often I can update, but I'll do my best.
As always, my motivation surges with those who leave me their sincere thoughts:
- yamada. chibi: Hi, thank you for reading and leaving me a review. I always love hearing my reader's thoughts.
I understand your feelings about Sakura's current position. To be honest, I hate it too, but I'm doing it with reason. I can't reveal much, but just know that both the character and emotional development between Sakura and Sasuke has to happen during a time like this, when the actual contact is strained along with the production of the play. I hope you continue to read this story to see what happens.
- Conan-Ai: Thanks for reading! And for your kind words. It's always nice to hear someone's happy that I'm back to writing.
- Guest: Your review brought a smile to my face. It's funny that you loved the reflection of the play in the reality, because it was actually completely unplanned and I didn't notice how well it worked into what I wanted until after it was already written. I'll do my best to live up to your kind words, and I hope you continue to read this story.
- Shimmer: Sakura's my favourite too! She really is underrated, to be honest. It saddens me that so many people tend to think of her as a nuisance, when she's really great. Here's the newest chapter, and thank you for reviewing. It's words like yours that make me want to write more.
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, and the inspired book for this story isn't mine either.
◊▫ 星の十字 ▫◊
Hoshina no Kurosu
Juuyon
啓示
Keiji
It's early in the morning a few days after the night of the party when Sakura returns to school. The grounds are quiet and deserted, empty parking spots making the campus grounds feel like a ghost town.
With her coat shrugged on and bag slinked over one shoulder, Sakura walked slowly across the campus, sipping on her morning latte while she made her way to the drama wing. Most mornings this time of the year were expected to be empty at best. There were hardly any morning classes for her, and the only ones who were here at such an ungodly hour were the custodians, office workers and drama department - who had rehearsals running during show season.
Sakura felt a lump built up around her throat, working tensely as she gulped a scalding mouthful of her beverage to subdue the nauseas feeling crawling its way up her stomach. Yes, it was rehearsal season, and before the whole incident of losing her role, Sakura would have been running through lines in her head instead of anxiously wondering what odd task her new position had in store for her.
The sky loomed overhead with a grey cloud, shadowing the sun's morning ray. Frowning, Sakura glanced up to see it littered with rain clouds. Looked like the atmosphere was just as sullen as her temperament this morning.
Her steps moved with renewed urgency, the last thing she wanted was to get sodden from the downpour. She was already miserable as enough.
Despite the emptiness outside, the auditorium was far from deserted. It seemed that with the approaching date of opening night looming only a few weeks ahead, all cast and crew members were not taking their practice time for granted.
The costume department occupied all available spaces in between the rows of seating, making adjustments to actors who wore the costumes that had recently been returned from altercations. The prop makers were also present, setting up the backdrops and fixing damages made to sets that were carelessly mishandled. Actors and actresses littered the pockets of spaces in between, paired up or in groups, reading through their parts with muted concentration.
With everyone preoccupied, nobody noticed when Sakura slid through the crack of the door and walked with hesitant steps towards the director's table situated in front of the stage. In spite of Kurenai's offer, she felt as though the last thing she should've been doing was showing up here, still reeling with shame and regret over the disaster that occurred.
Kurenai was flipping furiously over her clipboard, her hair falling in disarray tangles over her shoulders and she gestured for a nearby support staff to fetch away with her orders.
With her gut in her throat and fists clenched, Sakura finished off her drink and threw it away in a nearby trash can, taking a deep breath and striding confidently over to the older woman.
"Good morning, Ms. Kurenai" Her voice came out steady and strong, much to Sakura's relief.
For a moment, the black-haired woman blinked and stared at Sakura, her eyes displaying confusion for a mere moment. There was no reply, and Sakura felt her nerves kick up at the possibility of Kurenai's retraction of her offer.
"Oh!" Kurenai started, "Sakura! I'm sorry, I totally forgot that you're part of the stage crew now.."
With a shaky exhale, Sakura nodded unsure, "Yeah... I'm happy to help wherever I'm needed! That is... if you still need me? I-I mean-"
"Oh yes, yes, of course! We need all the help we can get!" The elder female smiled, her fingers already flipping through the pages in her hands. Her eyes left Sakura's and she scanned the words printed before withdrawing a sheet and passing it to the pinkette.
"We don't have anyone designated for lightning and ambiance check, I was hoping you wouldn't mind?" She asked.
"N-no! I'd love to." Sakura reached out and had to remind herself not to snatch the paper with her newest instructions in fear of Kurenai's second thoughts.
If the older woman noticed any sign of distress, she didn't show.
Her eyes were careful as she watched Sakura read over the words on paper.
Looking back up from her perusal, Sakura saw Kurenai's shoulders slouch as she released a forlorn sigh. Her eyes were apologetic as she placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder. She watched her with almost sudden remorse.
"Sakura... I just wanted to say, I'm really sorry about everything,"
Green eyes widened with shock. The shoulder under the older woman's touch stiffened and she immediately felt wary of her next words.
"I really do think you're best suited to be Juliet," Her voice was soft and kind. She looked sincerely regretful as she continued on, "but... I can't risk anything happening with the play."
Sakura's gut clenched at the words. She knew Kurenai was being honest, and a part of her understood. It wasn't as if she didn't warn Sakura before about the repercussions to her actions. She knew... yet her eyes still burned slightly at the thought. When she auditioned, she had never foreseen that she would be in this very situation today.
Emerald eyes looked down back to the paper, trying to force the moisture behind her lids away. The hand on her shoulder squeezed.
"I do hope you continue to support our play," Kurenai's voice was almost sad as she watched the younger girl.
The use of the word 'our play' made Sakura wince. She may be part of the support crew now, but was she really still a part of things anymore?
"We really could still use your help, even when it comes to Juliet." The brunette finished, squeezing Sakura's shoulder supportively once again. Her rogue-painted lips curled up in a smile before she directed to a small room adjoining the wing to the stage.
Sakura nodded in understanding, still not trusting herself to speak as her line of sight moved to see where the drama teacher was gesturing to.
Hidden in the crook, on a higher level than the rest of rooms, was a small control room overlooking the stage. It must have been the tech room.
"You'll be working in there, mostly. Just some simple lighting and sound checks. The tech department will handle most of the work, but they need someone as a correspondent in the secondary room." Kurenai explained, her earlier despondent tone disappearing with the new topic at hand.
Nodding to her again, Sakura looked back down at the instructions written, labelled with the names of each lighting set and switch to double check during certain scenes and cues. She forced herself to suppress the disappointment that surged within herself. She went from being the lead actress to an insignificant extra in the backstage crew.
"Seeing as there aren't any checks to be done with right now, could you help adjust the lightning onstage? We'll be starting rehearsals in five minutes, but don't worry about getting in the way," With a dismissing smile, Kurenai flagged over another assistant and asked him to lead Sakura to her job.
With a weak stomach, Sakura blindly followed the stage hand to the store to collect a ladder before moving back into the main auditorium. Many cast members had tucked away their scripts and were moving to take seats throughout the front half of the seating area to watch the upcoming rehearsal. It seemed as though now that their attentions were not redirected to their manuscripts, they had noticed the anomaly that was Haruno Sakura - the fired ex-Juliet carrying a rusty old ladder.
'Ignore them' Her face composed to remain impassive, 'There is no need to care what they say'
Kurenai was directing members of the scene onstage, her voice commanding silence from the actors off-duty.
As she shuffled onto the unused section of the stage, Sakura cringed at the sound of her ladder scratching against the smooth surface of the wood floor. She turned her back away from the actors moving behind her and commenced climbing to the top rung, where a faulty light was positioned in an awkward angle.
While she tried to wrangle the stubborn light fixture back into position, Sakura heard the sudden silence of the auditorium, the occupants of the room had quieted down entirely to watch the first rehearsal of the day.
In the emptiness, a deep, distinct voice projected - loud and clear.
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand..."
The familiarity of that particular phrase in that particular voice nearly sent Sakura falling. Her nerves kicked into high gear and her heart galloped apace to her shock. There was no way she would ever forget the words to this scene.
Because this was the scene. Her scene. Or more specifically, Juliet's scene with Romeo.
Struggling to keep her knees steady while she all but yanked the odd light back into place, Sakura peeked a glance over her shoulder to see the two actors below.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. A few feet away and on the ground of the stage, was Sasuke. Next to Karin.
His face was composed in an actor's concentration, his brows pulled just slightly into a concentrated gaze as he channeled the emotions of Romeo's passion. Under the spotlight, his skin shone with a quality similar to that of flawless marble. His dark locks were as messy and spiky as always, black and soft, while his stance positioned to face Karin - legs strong and firm, posture unmoving.
Facing him was the redhead, who's back faced Sakura. Even from her vantage point, Sakura knew that Karin was struggling to beam with as much confidence as her co-star, trying her best to feed off Sasuke's commitment to the role and in turn, embody her part as his love with equal control.
Her shoulder's ached with her new emotional stress. Why was she looking? So that she could subject herself to even more of a torture when she replayed this scene in the cage of her mind?
Clenching her jaw, Sakura slowly moved down the rung, trying to ignore as the scene went on as more lines were exchanged.
As they got closer and closer to the kiss scene, Sakura's gut trembled with her agitation. Her mind was unfocused and her vision swam just around the edges.
'Probably vertigo. Nothing to be panicked about. Calm down!' She mentally shouted at herself.
While Sasuke read off another line from his scene, Sakura felt her eyes close and hands gripped the sides of the ladder as she stopped her descent to catch her breath. No matter how loudly she mentally yelled at herself, her ears would automatically pick up the sound of his voice.
They flowed with the intensity of his character's emotions, bringing her back to the memory of their rehearsal. During a time when she was still Juliet and there had been a tender moment consisting of...
Sakura mentally yanked at her train of thought, 'No! The last thing you need is to think about that kiss!'
Slowly continuing her climb back down, Sakura focused on taking deep breaths, her legs still weak from her emotional upheaval. Hating herself for her recent roller-coaster of moods, she didn't realise her eyes moving back to glance at Sasuke until she caught him pausing just a moment before he was to lean towards Karin in preparation of the momentous kiss scene.
Her foot slipped on the next rung and panic seized her next breath as Sakura's foot caught the flooring and she lost her balance, stumbling backwards in hopes of preventing a broken ankle. Her weight shifted dramatically and Sakura felt her body fall back into something warm and hard.
Eyes clenched and muscles tensed, it took her a moment to realise that she didn't feel pain.
Someone had caught her.
"Are you okay?" A masculine voice asked through her fright.
Her vision was blinded from the overhead light, casting the face which was looking down on her in shadows. Her orientation felt off and Sakura blinked for a second before realising that the person who had caught her in his arms was Uchiha Sasuke.
His arms shifted around her, cradling her body against his. She had tumbled from the last few steps of the ladder, coming dangerously close to falling unprotected when his body instinctively moved into her line of trajectory and he caught her fall.
His eyes looked back down into her's, concern lining his gaze. Sakura's muscles slowly unclenched at the feeling of safety within his arms. He looked so worried for her, his dark eyes felt bottomless. A steady colour of charcoal that gazed back with deep emotions. Was this really how he was looking at her? With concern and not the hateful loathing that they shared during the early stages of their relationship?
Her tongue thick and thoughts slow, Sakura felt trapped within his stare. His lips were only a short distance away, pulled down slightly at the corners from his concern. His features, which she always knew to be attractive, seemed all the more unreal at such an intimate distance. He was beautiful, handsome, so achingly Sasuke that her heart hurt.
Hurt because she loved this boy.
'I love him' Her epiphany threatened to render her catatonic at this very moment, still entrapped within his arms.
'I love him'
"Sakura?" Her lack of response worried the lines around his eyes, arms shaking her small form slightly.
'Oh god, what have I done?' With reality jolting her back in place, Sakura jumped back into motion. She pushed away from Sasuke, shoving against his strong physique and moving to place as much distance between them as she could. She felt as though she was going to be sick, so much so that even her hands shook with the enormity of her revelation.
If he had been insulted by her fierce shove, she must have missed it. His frown deepened as he straightened back up to his full height. Worry still lined the edges of his expression, along with cautiousness at her sudden withdrawal.
A fierce blush broke out on the rosette's cheeks. She had done the worst possible thing to herself that she could have ever done. She had gone and fallen in love with the very boy she was meant to hate. Whom she did hate... originally.
Never more in her life had she felt so embarrassed. Even though she was the only one who was aware of her real feelings, Sakura felt vulnerable amidst everyone's curious gaze.
She swallowed her turbulent emotions and attempted to cover her self-consciousness with a reflex. Emerald eyes glared back into Dark Charcoal.
"I'm fine." Even to her own ears, Sakura's voice was rough and brash, "Thanks."
For a moment, she thought she saw a shadow of hurt cross his eyes before a cold gaze fell over.
"Hn, shame." His reply was curt. Cold. Just like his eyes.
Without sparing her another glance, Sasuke turned around and continued back to his original position on stage, a shell-shocked Karin standing nearby.
Her heart clenched painfully again in Sakura's chest as she forced her eyes away from his retreating back. She knew that the animosity in their relationship should have come to no surprise. After all, nothing had really changed.
Nothing but her falling in love, that is.
End Note:
So... yeah, how did you like it?
Whenever I plan out my chapters, I always try to make the most momentous and important scenes take up one chapter, entirely. The problem with that is that some chapters really just end up not being as eventful or memorable. I'm happy with the way I structured things, though. I don't think I will change it, because sometimes, you do need a little bit of a filler chapter.
I think it's best I try to get some rest now. I have some very... difficult group mates to deal with when I get to university.
As always, thank you to all who have read/favourited/followed or reviewed! Do leave me one if you feel like it.
See you guys next chapter.