CHAPTER ELEVEN
"Sakura-chan,"
"What's up?"
"This is so hard for me."
In a rather quiet room of Hinata's, Sakura was helping the heiress get her hair done. Hinata sat right in front of the mirror as the pinkette curled dark locks, trying her best to be present for her soon-to-be-engaged best friend. Hinata had found Sakura's advice about life to be very wise, despite their relatively young age. Maybe marriage matures a human being. Or maybe it was because of Sakura's successful career as a psychiatrist.
"Walk me through your feelings."
"Nn—" Hinata made a sound when a small strand of hair was slightly tugged due to the curling device, "I'm going to marry Sasuke, the one person I tried so hard to stay away from."
"Have you been addressing your emotions lately?"
"I don't even know where to start."
"Okay. Let's try to recall why you left Konoha, 4 years ago."
Hinata was quiet for what seemed like a minute. Flashback began to occur in her mind when her father expressed his wishes for her to start her career through Hyūga Financial Corp. overseas. She never really understood why he wanted her to forgo that so badly. He began speaking of it during her last year in university.
"My dad," Hinata said, knowing full well that Sakura was aware of the situation back then.
"Mhm. And?" The pinkette urged Hinata to continue.
However, her father wasn't the only reason. She had promised the Uchiha that for once, she'd choose for herself. She had told Sasuke that she was ready to decline her father's orders to go somewhere foreign. If any, Sasuke was the only one who saw what she was worth and encouraged her to follow her dreams. Out of so many people… Sasuke was the best at helping her find herself. But her heart shattered when she looked through his text messages with Hana.
"And Sasuke."
"Good. Why did that tragedy compel you to leave?"
"I thought I had been the only one. And I thought…—" a sudden pause from the Hyūga, as if she realized something and felt guilty about it.
"… and… you thought?" Sakura asked, placing the device on the table next to them. She began brushing hair oil through Hinata's dark locks.
"I was jealous." Hinata finally said. "I wanted to be the only woman in his life, even though I asked him to stay friends. So, I left. I figured he should feel the same pain. I went on, dated many guys, and slept with a few more. Worked hard for my family's legacy. Got a boyfriend I don't even love. He's just good for the sex."
Sakura wasn't a stranger to these statements. But knowing Hinata's modesty, the pinkette would still be surprised every now and then. Because it didn't sound like Hinata at all.
"My boyfriend was married, by the way."
Hinata's timing might have been awful because that statement was uttered precisely when Sakura gulped water. For whatever reason, she felt like the liquid turned to ice and all she wanted to do was choke. Again, out of sheer shock.
"You didn't tell me he was… married…" Sakura had said.
"I didn't. Because it was wrong." Hinata sighed. "All those years out there, I still wanted Sasuke. I remember the thrill I experienced with him in high school, and I wanted it again. So I looked for a replacement."
Silence. Mainly because Sakura was trying to process things.
"My boyfriend's marriage was also arranged. And they were both cheating on each other," Hinata's gaze fell unto the ground. "Doesn't make me right, but, I guess both him and I needed external company."
It seemed like Sakura has finished with her assignment on Hinata's hair duty, which was why she chose to sit on an armchair not too far away from Hinata. That armchair was the heiress' reading spot and Hinata realized how she missed it once she noticed Sakura sitting.
The pinkette began to ask more questions. "How was he when you decided to break up?"
The heiress shrugged. "Good question. He was… indifferent about it. Contrary to how I made it sound to Sasuke," she was deep in thought, "I feel like I've purposefully made him feel guilty. He might have thought I was happily in love."
"Hinata-chan…"
"Hm?"
"Do you think your marriage with Sasuke will end up just like your ex-boyfriend's?"
Hinata blinked a few times, indicating the length of her silence. "I hope not."
"Why not?"
"Because," another sigh escaped the Hyūga, "I've always loved Sasuke."
Hinata tried her best to not express everything she knew about the reason behind the marriage. She didn't know if Sakura would be informed just because she was Naruto's wife. Therefore, the Hyūga decided that maybe not going too far in sharing would be a better idea. It was such an irony, considering she'd want to say everything to Sakura, because she knew Sakura could handle it. At that moment, Hinata felt like she was carrying all of the political weight alone. The only person who could probably relate to her emotionally was Sasuke.
The Hyūga couldn't hide from Sakura about the marriage being arranged, though. She was very much involved in her life for the past 4 years to blindly believe a cover-up story both the Uchihas and the Hyūgas were trying to put out. Hinata was also aware that people might be listening to her more intently nowadays. If there are powerful evil families out there… maybe she ought to be more careful about what she says. Or check her room for bugs. She was confident the Hyūga compound's security had done so.
"I know," Sakura said, "I'm so sorry you have to go through this. But, Hinata-chan, if I may say, Sasuke has always loved you too."
Hinata's eyes made her way to meet Sakura's jades, as if in disbelief, or a long-time assumption confirmed. Sasuke had always been a cold-blooded man it was hard to believe he could truly love her.
"He never had anyone else, Hinata-chan," Sakura continued, "The only thing he did was one-night-stands. But he never had a girlfriend. Ever."
"R-Really?" The Hyūga asked. Hinata knew because Sasuke said Hana was never his girlfriend, but the heiress found it hard to believe. Her trust in Sasuke wore thin the night she left. If any, she found it hard to build her trust back. She wanted so desperately to paint Sasuke as guilty, but now, knowing this, she felt ashamed.
Sakura nodded. "Both Naruto and I would check up on him, ask him if he would be open to meeting a girl, and he would always say—"
—
"—I'm not interested." The scene shifted, and this time Sasuke was the one getting ready in his room. He had Hana on the phone, loudspeaker mode.
"Come oooooonnnn, just one more time before you get hitched. What's the harm in that? It's arranged anyway. That's such a shitty place to be in. You never loved her."
"You're wrong. I've always loved her." Sasuke said, checking to see if there were any wrinkles on the suit Hinata gifted him. The Hyūga had talent in picking out suits because they fit nicely on Sasuke.
"And so you're just gonna cut me off? Without one last sex? That's a lousy goodbye."
"Don't you have a husband to look after? Maybe start being loyal, or something."
"Pfft! For all I know, he probably has a girlfriend. Can't blame him. Our marriage was also arranged and we kinda decided to be in an open relationship. I told you all of this, Sasuke."
Sasuke turned from the mirror to pick up his phone, speaking closer into his device. "Look, you're nice to hang out with and all. But unlike your marriage, I'm actually going to love Hinata right. So, no, I'm not interested in that one-last-goodbye-sex thing you're suggesting."
Hana let out an annoyed but playful sigh. "Welp, at least I tried! If you're gonna be a good husband, then you have my blessing. Good luck, Uchiha."
"Bye."
It was interesting for Sasuke that Hana had never really mentioned who her husband was. She definitely acts like she doesn't have one. There were instances when they were at the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers annual ball where she would pick up her phone and speak in a different manner, and then only later it turned out to be her husband. Sasuke never could guess who he was, but from her stories, he seemed to be a powerful man.
For the first time, the Uchiha began questioning Hana's background. What was her husband's surname, again? Sasuke tried to think as he paced back and forward in his room.
"Yakushi Hana."
Immediately, using his phone, Sasuke searched for the Yakushi family where he stumbled upon an article about the union between that family and Hana's; the Mitsui family. Both, coming from different backgrounds, married for a sole political purpose. Mitsui Hana was her maiden name and she came from a family who was a member of the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, their empire relatively big. Nonetheless, she had to marry Yakushi Kabuto. A member of the World Bank.
Same story as Sasuke's. How did he not see this? Who was plotting evil schemes so gruesome that even a second arranged marriage was needed to maintain peace? Sasuke remembered the times he spent with her for casual lunch and she would talk about her engagement, and how she wasn't excited about it. If Sasuke could remember clearly, she got married not long after they all graduated Konoha University.
The Uchiha couldn't understand why he had to be the second instance of an arranged marriage. Something was not right.
As things began to unfold in his head, Sasuke chose to stop waging war, to focus on his engagement. This was not the time to be a skilled conspiracy theorist, although, he had to admit he was pretty good at it. He understood what was at stake, now. If he could choose, he'd rather call off the wedding, and let Hinata choose her own path. He'd gladly do so. But they didn't have a choice. Life throws itself at you that way.
The venue chosen by the two families wasn't located too far off. Sasuke had brought the ring box with him, ready to attend the engagement dinner. He didn't know how he was going to propose because everybody there thought that they were already engaged when technically, not yet…
Upon arriving, a valet took care of Sasuke's car. The Uchiha walked into the mansion and he saw how the place needed very minimal decoration to be festive. The Victorian-style interior was enough to entertain guests. Of course, Sasuke arrived earlier than everyone else. He and Hinata had secretly decided on a time for Sasuke to properly ask her to marry him. The Uchiha began to walk towards the garden, where Hinata said she was. Once he found her, he saw a table set up for tea. He saw sandwiches prepared and a few tarts. It seemed that Hinata had prepared the proposal ambiance, making it less hard for the Uchiha amidst the tension they both had to face.
He saw Hinata, dressed in deep blue. She was beautiful as always. He noticed her standing to walk towards the man. A soft smile was evident while she stopped her journey, creating a distance between the two.
"Good evening, Sasuke. The sun is about to set. Let's have some tea?"
"Depends. Is it peppermint?"
"It definitely is peppermint." She said, a grin soon followed.
Having chosen their seats, Sasuke saw the valleys stretched out in front of them. And not too far off, there was a lake where it reflected phases of colors from the setting sun. It was a beautiful sight.
"How was your day, Hinata?"
"Oh, it was fine. How was yours?"
"Likewise."
One thing he loved about Hinata was her willingness to stay quiet and enjoy the serenity. That, he could live with for the rest of his life if there was nothing else for him left.
"I want to do this right, so," Sasuke paused, reaching for the ring box in his pocket. Once it was visible, Sasuke saw how her cheeks began to deepen in red. Sasuke exhaled, his being was quite nervous.
"Even though this is basically arranged, I realized how lucky I am to have to marry you. I'm not perfect, but I'm willing to learn and be better. I promise you." He said, opening the ring box, showing a soft lavender-colored diamond. It wasn't too big and it wasn't too small either. The silver band complimented the lavender's shine, very much representing Hinata.
Sasuke stood from his seat and knelt before Hinata, lifting the ring box up slightly.
"Hyūga Hinata, will you marry me?"
There was no hesitancy in her eyes, but her pause was a little frightening for Sasuke. Finally, she nodded and said, "Yes. I'll marry you."
Very gently Sasuke placed the ring around her finger. They didn't kiss, they didn't hug. Sasuke figured she wasn't ready for that depth yet, so he decided to sit back on his chair. What Hinata did do was reach out to touch his hand on the table.
She said very softly, holding back tears he couldn't decide its purpose, "Thank you." At least, he did something memorable in his proposal. He hoped that one day, the love they share will know no walls of pain.
They both began talking about the years they spent apart. Sasuke was delighted when he heard of the successes she achieved in her father's company. She also told him about her ex-boyfriend, yet she didn't really elaborate further. Sasuke showed concern and made sure the breakup was not too energy-consuming for her.
"It wasn't," Hinata said, taking a sip of her tea. "We were… just in it for the sex."
It didn't shock Sasuke. "Okay. So, it was never a real relationship?"
"Correct. For all I know, he probably has a replacement already."
The Uchiha remained focused on the Hyūga. "Were you happy with him?"
"I was not." She answered immediately, followed by a grin. "Sex without love? Unattractive." Hinata would say in her modest way, its content contrasting her fashion. Sasuke loved that about her.
"I ended things with Hana, by the way. I also felt bad because we were hooking up and she was married."
Hinata seemed to be too serious as Sasuke mentioned the married part of Hana. "Oh. I'm sorry." She tried to say.
"It's fine. Apparently, she and her husband were also arranged. And they both decided to be in an open relationship." Sasuke would say, again noticing Hinata being too still. To the point where Sasuke had to ask, "What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing." She tried to reassure him, casting a smile rather than a doubtful stare.
But Sasuke knew something was off. Seeing how Hinata decided to change the subject was evident that she probably didn't want to talk about it. So he decided to give it time. Maybe someday she'd want to go back here and explain. For now, it would be better to focus on the engagement dinner.
Yet, it never left his mind. As they went through the night, both he and Hinata had to accept wishes and handshakes from their families' friends and business partners, particularly from both international organizations. There was tension between some families, and key people who stood out to Sasuke: the Yakushi and Mitsui. He didn't see Hana at all since he assumed that his engagement dinner must be compulsory for these important families to come. Maybe she left town to meet her husband abroad. To his surprise, he saw her and her husband walk in fashionably late.
He saw Kabuto, his slick white hair tied up and black-framed glasses complimenting his look. Hana was right next to him, hugging his arm. Some families even left Sasuke and Hinata's presence just to greet the two. That's how popular they were. Sasuke glanced at Hinata, thinking that maybe she was a little bit delighted all attention diverted from her to the new guests. Instead, he saw how pale she looked. Odd.
"Hey, you okay?"
Hinata grabbed Sasuke's arm while she remained focused on Kabuto. "I'm f-fine."
What was wrong with this lady?
"Do you need some air?" Sasuke asked, thinking maybe he'd approach the two himself. "All the socializing must have been tiring."
But Hinata shook her head. "N-No, it's okay, let's greet them."
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
The Hyūga glanced at the man, forcing a smile. "He was someone I had to work with back then, and he's not a pleasant guy. I really don't like him."
"Hn."
"I'm just surprised. And, of course, father would invite him." Hinata said, trying to calm herself down. But Sasuke wasn't buying her story. He figured he should play along until his assumptions were proven to be true.
—
Hinata had to flush out all of the anxiety by trying to breathe in the restroom. She began washing her hands even though that didn't help. She took several sheets of paper towel, and that didn't work. She looked at herself in the mirror, saw the glistening of her diamond, and sighed.
Sasuke really tried and she was falling for it. She secretly was overjoyed even though still a little bit in pain. But she knew that as long as it was Sasuke, she would be alright. Sure everyone seemed to flock towards Hana and her husband, and sure her husband did look charismatic. But Sasuke was no less. If comparisons were valid, they were equally outstanding.
But the night was ruined when Hana walked in. Hana was the one she decided to blame for all her anxieties. It was Hana, the girl Sasuke fucked. It was all her fault. She began to repeat that thought process as if that chant had spells. When suddenly, her phone vibrated. Hinata took the device out of a hidden pocket in her dress and saw a text message that said;
"You went to the restroom, didn't you?"
Hinata had to sigh before she typed in her reply, "I don't know why it matters to you."
Another notification. "It doesn't. Let me in."
There was hesitation in Hinata's being, but she knew she was the stupid one even though she tried to blame it on someone else all this time. When she opened the door leading to the hallway, she saw a man standing right in front of her;
Yakushi Kabuto.
"Hey," he said, a smirk visible. "Missed me?"
"N-Nope." She tried to say. She hated how he made her stutter.
Kabuto looked around them and found that they were alone in the hallway; the restroom was quite the distance and he knew this one wasn't the only one.
"You could have gone to the one nearer," Kabuto said, glancing back at the Hyūga.
"I needed to be away."
"Away? From that Uchiha, you now call your fiancé?"
"No. From y-you."
Kabuto let out a small laugh as if he was mocking Hinata. "You can't be far away from me. We both know that."
"There's Sasuke n-now. You're no use to me any longer."
"Really? You're telling me that in all the sex we've had, Sasuke's been on your mind the whole time? And that's why you agreed to this marriage? And that's why you left me? That's bullshit excuse. That's high school."
"Y-You're married, Kabuto."
He scoffed, "So?"
"You didn't tell me Hana is your wife. All this time, I told you about her and w-why I left Konoha. Y-You never told me it was Hana—" Hinata's heart began to hurt again and she felt tears welling up. "You're evil."
"That's why you were so drawn to me. I reminded you of Sasuke, didn't I?" He smirked. "I just so happened to be the guy you were looking for. I doubt you could go on without me. Isn't that right?" He said, his fingers tracing her temples, stroking her skin. Hinata felt chills all over her body. She wanted to flee from him so badly.
"I have to go—" she said, walking away from the man. Before she could disappear, Kabuto grabbed her wrist and yanked her back. If it weren't for him, Hinata would have been on the ground, hurt. But of course, he caught her; her body resting against the man. He caressed her hair as if she was his pet. But that was the relationship they both had for 4 years. Hinata was his pet. And he got to play with her however he wanted.
"When are you going to tell him I was the first one to fuck you?" He asked, smelling her hair, something Sasuke would do.
She hated how she froze…
"Maybe, Hinata, you and Sasuke should be just like me and Hana. You don't have to be committed to each other so you can keep coming to me." He continued.
She didn't want it, but why didn't she move away?
"It's an arranged marriage, after all. And you never really wanted him."
"No, you're wrong." She said as she stepped away from him. "I want to be with Sasuke. I just have to stay away from you. I can live without you."
That didn't seem to convince the Yakushi. Somehow, his confidence trumped her statement, even though he chose not to say anything. His smirk says it all; he wasn't going to leave her alone.
Hinata had been too dependent on the man for too long because he shared similarities with the Uchiha. She had fallen into a dark tornado of pushing and pulling, how he used her, how she yearned for more. Even though whenever she closed her eyes, all she saw was Sasuke.
Sasuke was the reason she over-committed herself to this man.
But she was the one to blame. It was never Sasuke's fault.
"So you're just going to forgive him, I see."
Hinata didn't respond. It felt like years when she tried to force her brain to think of a reply. Kabuto was one who used his charisma to dictate others, to lord over them. Sasuke was nothing like this man. Now, she could see. And she began to thank God when she heard Sasuke walk into the empty hallway.
"Hinata." He called out, authority began to fill his voice. She didn't mind it at all. In fact, she turned around and immediately walked over to her fiancé. Somehow, she found herself grabbing his arm as if that was her only form of safety. Sasuke's here now. She's safe.
She saw how Kabuto didn't feel belittled. That man was steel.
He nodded at Sasuke. "Nice to finally meet you in the flesh, Uchiha. Heard a lot about you."
Sasuke didn't even blink. "Never heard of you."
"Of course, you have. Hana's husband."
The Uchiha remained quiet, and Hinata noticed how Sasuke was studying Kabuto. She looked back at Kabuto and she recalled his question:
"When are you going to tell him I was the first one to fuck you?"
Hinata felt her breath could get stuck midway at the thought of telling her finacé about Kabuto. She really wanted to leave the room. She wanted to leave the whole estate. "S-Sasuke, let's get out of here."
The Uchiha looked at her, and she begged him, "Please."
Sasuke gave Hinata what she wanted and walked with her toward the ball. She looked back at Kabuto for the last time that night, and he winked at her.
How was she ever going to tell Sasuke?